Chapter 16 (Part 2)
They’d made excellent time to get to what they hoped was still the house of Spike’s dad. Of course it probably would have taken them much longer if it hadn’t been for Rupert Giles. He’d been so kind and friendly to them, and they were all looking forward to continuing with their budding friendship in the future.
After saying good-bye to Giles and promising that they would visit him as soon as they could, they turned to the driveway that led to the house. They noticed the rental car outside and watched it with curiosity, but shrugging it off, they walked to the door and after taking a deep breath, Spike knocked on the door.
Buffy and Spike hadn’t been sure what they’d expected to see once the door opened. They certainly had hoped to find Spike’s father, but it was a big surprise when they also saw Buffy’s parents and Spike’s mother there with him and even more surprising when they were pulled into the crushing embraces of their respective parents as they cried, laughed and celebrated over the fact that they seemed to be all right.
* ~ * ~ *
After the enthusiastic welcome and over the most delicious dinner they’d had in ages, Buffy and Spike shared with their parents the PG version of how they met and fell in love and then of their escape. Afterwards, their parents told them what had happened after they discovered that they had escaped, ending with the arrest of ‘that disgusting worm Snyder’ as Joyce had so eloquently called him and the good news that the Honor Council had resolved Spike’s legal situation and he was now a free man.
After they finished their dinner, it was decided that Buffy and her parents moved into the living room so they could talk freely, while Spike and his parents remained in the dining room.
* ~ * ~ *
Buffy was waiting for the other shoe to drop, even if at the same time she was praying that her parents had finally realized how much she needed them while she nervously sat in a chair right in front of them.
“Hmm, so—”
“Buffy, let me talk first, please,” Hank said, waiting until she nodded to proceed. “I know I haven’t been a good father to you; I’ve broken so many of the promises I’ve made to you, and I’m not sure if you’d be able to trust me ever again; but if you give me, us, a chance… I swear that you, and what you want, will come first from now on. Will you give me the chance to prove to you that I can change?”
Buffy stared at him with wide eyes; she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I-I…don’t know what to say.”
“Honey, I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve been so engrossed in being your dad’s wife that I forgot that I had a daughter that needed me, but that won’t happen again. We realize that we’ve neglected you for so long and we know that we can’t expect you to believe in us right away; there’s so much we have to make up to you. But please, darling, could you find it in your heart to give us another chance to make this work?” Joyce pleaded, the sincerity in her voice and the loving and hopeful looks she kept throwing her way disarming Buffy completely.
“Of course I will. You’re giving me back what I’ve wanted for so long, my parents,” she said as she flew into their opened arms, only to pull away after a little while. “Just a few things…”
“I’m not going to the boarding school in Switzerland or back to the Immaculate Heart, am I?” she asked biting her lower lip.
“No, princess.” Hank smiled encouragingly. “No more boarding schools for my little girl, okay?”
“And where will we be living?”
“Right here in the States; in fact, well, that is only if you agree, of course, we don’t want to force you—”
“Dad!”
“Hank!” Buffy and Joyce said at the same time, mildly annoyed at how long it was taking him to say whatever he was trying to say. They smiled at each other conspiratorially, before Buffy added, “Please stop rambling and just tell me?”
“Hmm, okay, it’s just that we were thinking that maybe you’d like to live here?”
“Here? As in this house or…”
“Not exactly here in this house, princess, but here in Sunnydale. So, what do you think?”
“But… what about your business?”
“Well, I think my daughter’s happiness is more important than any business. And it’s not like I have to be in Europe anyway, not really. I’m pretty sure my associates are quite capable of managing the company without me having to actually be there. Besides, I’ve been thinking of opening a new business here,” he said mysteriously, before winking at Joyce. “Anyway, we can talk all about that as soon as it’s a done deal. So, princess, do you want us to move to Sunnydale or not?”
“You do know Spike is going to be here, too, don’t you?”
“Yes, we know and we’re fine with it. We can see how much you love each other and we’ve already promised that we won’t get in the way of your happiness, haven’t we?”
Her eyes filling with happy tears, she nodded. “Then yes, I’d be very happy to move to Sunnydale with you.”
* ~ * ~ *
Spike stared at his parents almost incredulously; they were sitting so close, they seem to be leaning into the other for support; if he didn’t know better he’d think… but no, there was no way that’d happen, was it?
Anne looked nervously towards her son, as he glanced back at her warily. He’d been acting as if nothing was wrong between them, but she knew she had to address what had happened and it was better that she do it sooner rather than later.
“William, hmm, Spike,” she began; twisting the napkin she had in her hands. “I-I know what I did... to you and your father was unforgivable. Especially to you, if it hadn’t been for me…” She drew a shaky breath, trying to keep the control of her emotions. “If it hadn’t been for me, you never would have been in that horrible place; you never would have had to go through all you had to go through. I’m not looking for your forgiveness, because I can’t forgive myself, but… I just wanted you to know that I love you, and that I’m willing to do anything that I can to make things better for us, so we can be a family again.”
Spike stayed quiet, the weight of his emotions almost choking him as he thought of what his mother had told him, but before he could answer her, his father began talking, not before he took his mom’s hand between his.
“It’s not only your fault, Anne. There are a lot of things that we both could’ve done differently ‘n didn’t. We’re sorry that ya got caught in the middle, Spike, but… as Anne said, we’re willin’ to do anythin’, whatever it takes, to make us a family again. I know we can’t change the past, but maybe we can make a better future for all of us. So, what do ya say, son?”
“I say there’s nothing to forgive.” He shook his head when Anne tried to interrupt him. “No, just listen to me. I know firsthand that bein’ at the ‘Onor Camp was no walk in the park, but… at the same time, if I—if I ‘adn’t been sent there, I probably wouldn’t ‘ave met Buffy ‘n I just can’t bear the thought that that would’ve ‘appened. So, ya see, in the end ya both did me a great favor, one I won’t ever stop givin’ you thanks for.”
Anne was crying softly when he finished talking and, getting up from his chair, he walked over to where she was and pulled her out from her chair, hugging the older woman tightly in his arms and then Josh put his arms around them both.
“Thank you, thank you,” she murmured over and over.
“No need to be thankin’ me, mum. I’m just glad that we’ve the chance to make things better for us this time ‘round.”
* ~ * ~ *
Buffy tried to stifle a yawn while she drank a cup of hot chocolate with little marshmallows on top, cuddled in the arms of her boyfriend as they and their parents got to know each other a little better. It’d been so long since they had been with them and there were still so many things that they had to resolve, but they were all making a noticeable effort to mend all that had happened in their past. Present and future looked promising, and knowing that they would be together no matter what, made all that they had been through worthwhile.
Joyce and Anne shared a concerned look when they saw Buffy trying to stifle her yawns, finally realizing that the kids must’ve been very tired after their adventures of the last few days.
“Spike, darling, I think you should take Buffy to your room. She looks awfully tired,” Joyce said.
“Hmm, what?” he asked surprised by the suggestion, thinking maybe he hadn’t understand what she’d meant.
“Well, son, Joyce and Hank are stayin’ in the guest room, so we thought maybe Buffy and you could sleep in yours. I don’t think you kids would mind, do you?” Anne said, winking at him and Buffy.
“Okay, who are you and what have you done with our parents?” Buffy asked, with her hands over her hips, her tiredness taking a step back at the surprising behavior of their mothers.
“Well, honey, we just know that you two are old enough to make your own decisions and… well, we still remember what it feels to be young and in love, and I’m sure Hank and Josh remember, too.”
“And it’s not like this is the first time you’ll sleep together, is it?” Anne added, with a beaming smile directed at them.
“O-kay. I think this conversation officially turned a little too weird for me. Let’s go, Spike, before I’m scarred for life.” A very red-faced Buffy hauled a chuckling Spike towards the stairs. “Good night!”
“Night!” Spike called out as he followed her, a big smile in his face as he noticed how adorable she looked all flustered after their mothers’ teasing.
tbc
I’m not really sure how I feel at the moment; one part of me feels happy that this story is almost done; but the other, the bigger part, feels sad to let it go. Of course, I know it’s not over yet since the Epilogue I promised you all is not posted yet, but still it feels weird to know there won’t be more of it.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this part and thank you very much to all of you that have supported this story ever since I began posting it. It means more to me than I could express with words.
Hugs,
Mari
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you for your kind reviews, Seraiza, TammyAsh666, SarahandJamesFanatic, Amelia-Jane and Lu82. And of course, an enormous thank you to Jen and Charis, that beta'd this chapter for me. And Jen, I definitely owe you for not letting me rush into this chapter.