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Brother

After lunch, Buffy took Spike to Harvard and Boston College so he could familiarize himself with the area—considering he was planning to move to the area permanently and to help him find out whom to contact for a teaching job.

"It's a new adventure for you too, huh?" she grinned up at him as she handed him some brochures.

"You know it," he grinned back. He didn't want to call attention to the fact
that she'd spent more than the asked hour with him. She'd spent at least
three so far. He wasn't going to ruin their time together by asking if she had
anywhere to be –namely anywhere to be with Lindsey.

He shouldn't have thought about it though because in the next instant she
was checking her watch and frowning. Frowning-that was a good thing!
Meant she didn't want to leave him as much as he didn't want her to leave
him.

"What is it luv?" he asked softly, bracing himself.

"I should be getting home."

"Oh? Do you uh, have plans with Lindsey?"

She smiled knowingly at him and shook her head. "No. With my brother.
Well, not exactly plans. He just worries when I'm gone too long."

"He sounds protective of you."

"He is. He's the only family I have left so we only have each other to lean
on."

"That's not true luv. You have me to lean on," he told her and nudged her
with his elbow as they walked off the BC campus and towards the T.

She chuckled. "Be that as it may, Angel worries like a mother hen. More
so—well, from what I remember anyway—since my accident."

"I can understand that," Spike nodded in agreement. "Can I meet him?"

"Oh, I don't know…" she worried her bottom lip.

"Are you not willing to share me luv? Am I a secret?"

She spun to him, shaking her head emphatically. "No, it's nothing like
that—well, maybe a little like that. It's just I don't know what he'd think. . .
I don't know if I ever told him about you before and he's never mentioned
you—then there's Lindsey and I think Angel would be weirded out if I just
brought you home and introduced you and I don't even know HOW to
introduce you—"

Spike placed a finger on her full rosy lips, stopping her babbling. "Its easy
Buffy. You say ‘Angel, this is my new friend William. William, this is my
brother Angel.' Then I say how I've heard so much about him—because I
have—and then he'll ask how I know you."

"And you'll say?" she asked curiously.

"What would you want me to say?" he smiled.

"Nothing. I want to tell him when we're alone how I met you."

"Then I'll say nothing and let you take the lead."

"Why do you want to meet my brother so much?"

"Because from the moment I met you, you only spoke highly of him. You
say that you only have him to lean on and I want to meet this guy that
means so much to you. I'm willing to bet that anyone you hold in high
regard must be pretty damn special."

She smiled broadly and then cocked her head to the side and studied him.

"What?"

She smirked. "I'm just wondering where that puts you then."

He lunged at her and she darted away, laughing. "Minx!" he shouted after
her.

"You are very ‘special' William!" she yelled over her shoulder to him as he
ran after her.

The sound of her laughter rang in his ears and he would have gladly run all
the way back to her house, chasing her, just to hear her laugh all the way.
When he finally did catch up with her, he grabbed her around the waist,
sliding his hand across her stomach and bringing her up against him. She
went limp in his arms, laughing breathlessly. He could smell in her hair the
scent of vanilla. The scent he remembered from their time together in
Newport. He noticed again how tiny she felt and vowed to put some meat
on those bones. More burgers at Al's if he had his way. Definitely more of
that delicious apple pie.

He marveled at how easy it felt to be with her. How it was just like before.
She must have noticed his sudden pensiveness because she spun in his
arms and regarded him thoughtfully. "What is it?"

He smiled down at her. "You. Us. It's like before."

"It is?"

He nodded. "We were so comfortable with one another."

"William . . . Spike . . . It's true that I don't know you very well. I barely
know you at all, but what you said earlier about me following my gut?"


He nodded, his breath catching.

"I'm following my gut here. With you. I feel safe with you. You haven't told
me much about what happened with us, but if I asked again—would you tell
me?"

He nodded earnestly.

"But I don't want to know it all. Not yet. I'm not ready to flip over those
cards with you yet. I like it this way with you. I like just being able to talk
to you and laugh. Do you understand?"

He exhaled, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. "Yes," he breathed.

"Thank you, " and she slid out of his arms. He wanted to bring her back
into them, wanted to tell her to just dump Lindsey, but he knew he
couldn't. That would be pushing and she was in a fragile place right now.
They were in a fragile place still. He'd only re entered her life the day
before. Lindsey, she knew had been there for three years. He'd only been
part of her life for a week. He couldn't ask that of her. She'd already given
him more than he thought possible. So, for that, he wouldn't push. He would
respect her relationship with Lindsey and be her friend. Even if their
meeting was secret and she would probably never tell Lindsey—he would
be open to the idea if she were. So, he would wait. And hope.



Angel glanced at the clock on the VCR and tapped his foot impatiently.
Where the hell was she? She was usually home when he got there. He shook his head. He sounded like a possessive boyfriend rather than a brother.

He sounded like Lindsey.

Well, he sounded like he imagined Lindsey did. The part of Lindsey that
Buffy had hid so well from him. The part that she didn't let on to, but he'd
known. He had the instinct. He knew his sister well. He knew her moods, he
knew her many faces, and he knew her brave fronts and her silence. He
knew when to stop prying and that's what he'd done. And what had
happened because of it? He'd almost lost her. And for that he blamed one
Lindsey McDonald. Only he couldn't prove it. Not yet anyway. He had the
advantage that in Buffy's mind she'd only known him a month. He could
place seeds of doubt, hopefully one day they'd grow to where she'd dump
him and forget she ever knew a Lindsey McDonald. Before, it'd been full
steam ahead and she'd refused to hear him about his doubts and bad
feelings about Lindsey. She'd told him it was her life and she could take care
of herself.

It rattled him now to see her so . . . so fragile. She still put on that brave
face, but he could see apprehension in her eyes. Frustration. She was trying
to make her way on her own and not let on that she was scared and
confused and angry. . . but Angel could see it. He knew his sister. She'd
always had a good head on her shoulders—except when it came to Lindsey.
And, she'd always been a little cautious one minute, and then a ball of
impetuous fire the next. Now she was . . . calm. But it was the kind of calm
that indicated she didn't know which end was up and didn't know what to
do. He'd barely seen her laugh since she'd been released from the hospital.
So, he didn't push her away from Lindsey, just tried to sway her gently. If
he came on full force, he was afraid she'd shut him out again.

"Angel!"

He jumped from the couch and sprang into the kitchen to find Buffy coming
through the door with a guy behind her. He was tall, lean and he was
smiling at Buffy as if she were a Goddess. Being a high school guidance counselor, he felt he had a pretty good handle on people. He always followed his gut and first impressions were important to him. His first impression of watching his sister stroll in radiant and smiling and this man following her, watching his sister with such adoration told Angel that this man thought the world of Buffy – as he did—and meant her no harm. The fact that this man could have been the reason for the beaming smile on her face was reason enough for Angel to take an instant like to him.

Buffy flung herself in his arms. "Hi."

"Hi Buffy. Where were you?"

"Out with my new friend William." She stepped back. "William, this is my
brother Angel that you've heard so much about."

William stuck out his hand, smiling warmly at Angel. "I've been wanting to
meet you. Hi, Angel."

Angel took his hand. Firm hand. "Oh?"

"I've heard so many things about you from Buffy. She sings you praises, I
wanted to meet the brother she adores so immensely."

Angel grinned and looked down at Buffy. "Adores huh? You wouldn't know
it."

Buffy hit him playfully. "Oh shut up. William is moving to the area and wants
to get a job teaching. I was thinking maybe you could have the hook up and
help him out?"

"Possibility. Before I talk shop though, I gotta eat. Have you guys had
dinner?"

"Nope."

"Why don't we go out?" Angel suggested. He had every intention on getting to know this William better. He wanted to know more about the guy that had put the glow back on his sister's face. This way, he could be sure that he wouldn't have a repeat of Lindsey on his hands. And, if his instincts turned out to be right, maybe William would be the help he needed to get Buffy away from Lindsey McDonald once and for all.





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