Spike stared down at Buffy, smiling gently. They had been with his family since the moment they had arrived and now she was peacefully sleeping. At first he had only noticed when he felt the weight of her head resting against his shoulder. He had drawn her closer to him so that it didn’t look too suspicious to his family that he had just let his girlfriend stay like that. Or, that’s what he kept telling himself.
“So how’s sleeping beauty doing?” Spike looked up and saw Jenny standing there smiling with a mug of hot cocoa.
He looked down at her, sweeping back a few loose hairs that had managed to fall onto her face. “ M’ guessing jet lag finally caught up with her.” He chuckled.
Jenny just smiled, sitting down. She wasn’t as naïve as she let everyone think she was. She knew there was more to the story than those two were saying, but she wasn’t going to say anything, not yet.
“I like her. You two look happy together. How did that saying go? Ah, yes, together you two look like the winners of a genetical lottery.” She laughed softly at the look on Spike’s face.
“I really have forgotten just how American you are.” Spike grinned at the indignant look upon her face that soon turned to a playful smile.
“You know, if Buffy wasn’t sleeping on you, I would’ve smacked you!”
Buffy stirred slightly in his lap (where he had moved her, so she could be more comfortable, of course!) and murmured something that was inaudible to Spike and Jenny before her eyebrows creased into a small frown.
Spike, not noticing what he was doing leaned down and kissed the top of her head gently and stroked her hair when she smiled in her sleep and snuggled closer.
Jenny stared at the two quietly, in thought before smiling and getting up with her untouched cup of cocoa. “I think you should take her to your room. It’s getting late and I think I’m going to turn in now too.” She walked up to Spike and kissed him on the forehead before walking out of the room.
Spike just smiled at Jenny’s retreating back. That woman always had something brewing in her head. He gathered the bundle of blonde girl in his arms and carried her up the stairs to their room, laying her down on the bed gently. He took two steps back and stared at her sleeping form, fully clothed and sighed. He couldn’t put something more comfortable on her because she’d be mad and that would probably equal him and a body bag. He chuckled to himself. She most definitely knew how to take care of herself.
Walking over to her form again he carefully took her shoes off and covered her with the only blanket in the room and lay down next to her. He would have put her under the covers but he was afraid it would wake her up, and he didn’t have the heart to do that.
Slowly leaning over he kissed her cheek. “Night, pet.” With that he turned off the lights and tried to go to sleep and not stay up half the night staring at the beautiful girl lying next to him.
***
Buffy woke up from the best sleep she’d had in a long time. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head before realizing where she was. Well, whose house anyway, not the room. She looked over and saw Spike with his head resting against a pillow and his blonde hair in messy curls. And then she froze.
Her heart raced as she looked at her surroundings, she was in the same room - no, the same bed as Spike Pryce. Her boss. She looked down at herself and saw the blanket. Panicking, she quickly put her hand underneath and sighed in relief when she found that she was wearing all her clothes. She looked Spike up and down. And for that matter, he was wearing all his clothes too, and he wasn’t under the covers or anything. She smiled. He gave her the only blanket.
Standing up, she grabbed a change of clothes before smiling at his sleeping form once more she covered him with the blanket and went to take a quick shower before she was going to go downstairs for breakfast. Grabbing her brush, she wiped the mist from the mirror and brushed her hair. She got out of the washroom and went downstairs, suddenly overcome by how early everyone got up, and how loud yet cheerful the atmosphere was. She liked it, and it put her in a good mood.
“Good morning, dear!” Buffy laughed as she saw Ariana running after another little boy, yelling at him to give her doll back. Wow, this seemed like the perfect family. One day she’d love to have kids like that. Oh wait, that’s right. She didn’t believe in love anymore.
Quickly shaking her head to erase those thoughts, she smiled brightly at Anna. “Good morning to you too! I’ve never seen this much activity this early.” She giggled, refusing to let her earlier thoughts ruin her morning. Oh, and what a morning she felt like it was going to be.
“Yes, I’m assuming you’re not from a large family then?”
“Nope. Just me, my mom and dad. Then just me and mom after my dad left us.” She sat down at the beautifully carved wooden kitchen table, expecting to see the same ‘I feel sorry for you’ look from Anna as she had gotten from everyone else. But it didn’t come.
Instead, Anna just smiled, and set down a plate of toast, scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her along with a glass of orange juice. “Well, you can’t cry over spilt milk. People are people after all, we all make mistakes.”
“ Wow breakfast and a wise speech.” Buffy giggled nodding, as she looked down at the large plate of food. “Wow, I don’t usually eat this much for breakfast. Usually I sleep in and don’t have to go for breakfast because I’d be late for work.”
The older woman put her hands on her hips in the way Buffy knew all mothers had programmed into their heads. The same look her own mother had given her so many times. “Well we have to fatten you up then. You’re all skin and bones! And you can’t skip breakfast, it’s an important part of everyone’s day.”
Buffy just nodded, taking a bite of her eggs and bacon.
“Besides, if William gives you heck for being late to work, just give me a call and he and I will have a little chat.” Anna grinned, trying to act like she didn’t notice how Buffy nearly choked to death on her food before taking a large gulp of the orange juice.
“How did you know he’s…he’s my boss?” Buffy’s eyes were as wide as saucers and her face was red from the combination of choking and embarrassment.
“Call it intuition.” She stared at the look on Buffy’s face before coming around the table and giving her a great big hug. “Don’t worry ,dear. I’m practically positive that he started things. And you shouldn’t be ashamed. It’s not like you’re with him to get a raise or anything.”
“How do you know?” Buffy’s mouth went agape. “I mean, I’m not! I wouldn’t do that, I just wanted to know how you figured out all this.”
She shrugged. “I just know things.” She gave a little wink before turning to do the dishes.
The blonde just stared at the woman’s back with a blank look, contemplating their conversation before she squealed, feeling two strong arms wrap around her.
“G’ mornin’ kitten.” Buffy giggled at the new nickname.
“Someone got up awfully cheery this morning.” She laughed.
“Would have been better if you’d been there.” She gulped at the pout he was giving her and those round blue eyes.
She mentally hit herself on the head, of course, it was all an act for his family. There was no reason she should feel weird about it, it was just an act.
“You two should get ready for today,” Anna said, turning around, unfazed by the couple’s proximity.
“How come?” Buffy asked, scrunching her eyebrows together.
“You’ll see.”
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A/N: Muahahah, didn't think I'd stay up so late on a school night when I wake up at 6 am so that you guys could finally have an update and not write a cliff hanger? lol Tell me what you thought ;)