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Author's Chapter Notes:
First of all, we’re sorry for the delay in posting this chapter and the next two, at least. Our schedules are a bit too busy right now and it will be a while until we can go back to the writing rhythm we had established, although we’ll try our best to keep on posting as we had been after things get settled for us. That said, we want to thank Amelia-Jane, Im_bloody_English, cordykitten, slayercaro and Kimmie for reviewing. It makes us very happy to know you are still enjoying the story. :D
Chapter VIII

Sunnydale, December 8th, 1999

“Rise and shine, honey, it’s a beautiful day!” Joyce exclaimed; opening the curtain’s in Buffy’s room and letting the sun in.

Buffy stirred lazily, and then she glanced at the clock on her night table. “But mom, it’s just 8:30 a.m. and I don’t have school today!” she protested, rolling to the other side and burying her head under the pillow.

“Yes, I know you don’t, but I have to go to the gallery and I can’t leave before you give me a detailed account on how last night went,” Joyce answered.

‘Grrr, you dared to wake me up just for that? Okay, mom, you want an account and an account it’s what you’re gonna get!’ Buffy decided, not happy by her mother’s actions.

“You know what? Actually I have to thank you for waking me up, because I just couldn’t wait to tell you...” she began, acting excited and cheerful all of the sudden.

“Tell me what?” the older woman wondered, hoping it was what she hoped it was.

“Well, you know, Spike and I patrolled last night and everything went fine, but then, just before returning home, we stared at each other and... oh, mom, we started kissing and we seemed unable to stop!” she continued as Joyce stared at her with a wide grin in her face. “So, we realized that we are meant to be together and... tonight he’s gonna take me out on a date,” she added with a dreamy smile in her face. ‘Ha! I can’t believe she’s buying all these lies! I’m a better actress than I thought I was,’ she thought to herself, proud of her acting skills and anticipating the moment that would be coming very soon.

“Oh, Buffy, that’s so wonderful; I was so sure that sooner or later you two—” Joyce exulted, but the blonde girl burst out laughing madly.

“Oh God, I can’t keep on with the charade any longer! It’s too funny! Geez, mom, I didn’t think you were so gullible,” Buffy said between laughs, before she paused with a frown. “Well, at least now I know whom I inherited that from!” she muttered.

“What? It was just a joke?” Joyce questioned, getting angrier and angrier.

“Of course it’s a joke, as if that could have ever happened. Really, mom, you should know by now that that will only turn into reality when hell freezes over!” Buffy stated.

‘You are aware that’s a lie, don’t you, Buffy? After all, there was a kiss and what a kiss it was, by the way! I’m still wondering why you stopped… What? You know why I stopped, it was the right thing to do, and you shouldn’t think about that anymore,’ she advised herself, facing her very angry mother. ‘And most importantly, mom must never ever know about that. If she did... oh God, I can already picture her planning the wedding, choosing the place where to held it, the cake and... Wait a minute, planning up our wedding, that brings back so many memories… Grrr, damn sodding spell! Couldn’t Will think of any other thing she wanted instead of me getting married with the bleached pest?’ she cursed in her mind, using one of Spike’s favorite words in the process, but she was too enraged to notice that. ‘You weren’t thinking he was a pest when he was kissing you last night or during the spell, so why now?’ the annoying little voice that seemed to be appearing in her thoughts more and more, asked. ‘Oh, shush you. No more thinking of him anymore, what part of that didn’t you— Oh, wait, mom is talking, what was this about? Oh, yes, mom’s favorite subject.’ Buffy rolled her eyes as her attention returned to her mother.

“Buffy, you know that it’s not very nice to play with your mother’s hopes and dreams. I thought I had raised you better than this,” the woman said obviously hurt, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she turned her back on her daughter and walked towards the door.

“Well, Spike thinks it’s nice to play with my poor heart... and by that I mean that he almost gave me a heart attack due to a scare!” she clarified, before Joyce really started planning up their marriage! “By the way, mom, I just don’t understand why you keep trying to set me up with Spike. Wasn’t the whole being a vamp issue the reason why you asked Angel to leave me?” She sat up on her bed waiting for an answer.

Joyce turned from the door to face Buffy once more, sighing heavily before answering, “That was just the tip of the iceberg, but, yes, that was the main reason.”

“Then, why do you want to set me up with Spike?”

“Oh, honey, how can I explain this?”

“Talking about it would be a good start. I’m listening,” she answered sarcastically, as Joyce wrung her hands while she tried to find the right words to express herself.

“You face dangers that I can’t even begin to imagine every night. I know, even if I try not to think about it, that sometimes you’ve seen death face to face and you probably will continue to do so in the future. I know that Slayers come with an expiration date, I just want that date to be as late as it can possibly be,” she explained.

“I understand that, mom, I do, no one is more aware than me about all that... but what does Spike have to do with this?” Buffy frowned.

Joyce sighed, shrugging. “I like him. And I know that deep down you do, too.”

“Sure, yeah, I like him just as much as…a penguin likes the desert!” Buffy responded.

“See? Two different parts of a coin, they just fit!”

Buffy almost fell over the bed. Huh? Her mother’s logic could be scary sometimes. “Nothing fits, especially not Spike and me and now continue with your ‘Gazillion reasons why I should like Spike’ show, because so far I’m not convinced!” Buffy struck back.
“I’m aware that you think that because he doesn’t have a soul he can’t love, but he can, maybe even more so than many ‘soulful’ beings can. We’ve had several conversations and I think I’ve gotten to know him pretty well, he’s allowed me to be closer to him than anyone has been in a hundred years and that’s why I know that he’s so much more than what his rough exterior lets on. He can love with all of his un-beating heart and by the way he refers to you sometimes and that certain something I’ve seen in his eyes, something deep...”

“Yeah, the desire to bag his third Slayer!” Buffy cut her off.

‘Well, yesterday he almost took your life away... with his kisses. Mmmm, if you hadn’t stopped…no, bad Buffy, erase the damned thing from your damned mind!’ she scolded herself.

“No, honey, that’s not it.” Joyce smiled softly. “It’s so much more than that. Spike…well, he loves with all that he is, he’s loyal and fiercely protective of those he loves and forgive me, darling, but as your mother, that’s what I want for you. I want someone that can be all those things for you, someone that won’t leave you when the first obstacle comes along. Okay, so Spike is not exactly Prince Charming material, he’s more than a little rough around the edges, and he’s a vampire. Definitely not what I’ve dreamt for you all these years, but I’ve learned that we don’t always get what we dream for our children and that even if we do, those dreams can turn into nightmares. Ever since you told me that you were a Slayer and I discovered all that that entails, well…I’ve had to accept that you’ll never have a normal life, because how could you when you have to patrol nightly and stop apocalypses every few months? But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to be happy and I know that if you gave William half a chance he could make you happy, plus now that he can actually fight demons he can help you patrol and with his aid hopefully that expiration date will come many years into the future. So, yeah, forgive your mother for wanting what I think it’s best for you.”

“Wow, your justification for wanting Spike and me together is breathtaking and I really thank you for wanting that for me,” Buffy said, visibly touched by her mother’s speech. “Too bad that in your dream date agency you happened to forget a tiny and yet not too irrelevant detail,” she paused for effect. “Spike hates me and wants to see me six feet underground, preferably dead!”

‘Yes, and kissing you is the best way to prove his hate for you, isn’t it, Buffy? … Oh, God, what had we decided about that memory? Geez, if this keeps happening, for my birthday I’ll just ask for a lobotomy, that’ll surely help.’ She sighed.

“Spike does? Not you, then!” Joyce glanced at her hopefully, as happy as if she were a detective who just found the final clue she needed to solve the mystery that she’d been working on for months.

“God, mom, please stop with that already. You know that’s so not what I meant. Now that you know what he really wants, you should realize that it’s not such a good idea for me to have him around, so you shouldn’t be so relieved by that. He’s not exactly what you’d call a gentleman and he almost gave me a heart attack with his stupid, very stupid, joke. Plus, fresh news, mom, don’t you know that he’s been doing all this stuff just for money?” she informed the older woman, sure that now she would see her point. But she was dead wrong.

“He has to get the money for his blood somehow.” Joyce shrugged. “It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care for you.”

Buffy realized with terror that not only she would never dissuade her mother that Spike’s supposed virtues were nothing but lies, but that if things kept going on that the way they were... her mother would eventually end up convincing her of said virtues. Her mother had made so many good points after all... but she couldn’t give in. Never!

“Well, it doesn’t mean he does, either!”

“And you do, honey?” Joyce asked, studying her daughter’s reaction to her question. Buffy might say all she wanted, but it was what she wasn’t saying that was important for her mother.

“That’s so not the point, mom. Plus, didn’t you have to go to the gallery?” she reminded her.

“Oh, right, and I’m already late. Well, I’ll be expecting Spike after sunset so I might come back home a bit late. You told him I expected him to come by the gallery tonight, didn’t you, honey?”

“Of course I did. What forgetful, absentminded daughter did you mistake me for?” she responded, acting insulted.

“I’m glad you did, darling. I’ll stay at the gallery late tonight just because of him, so it would be a pity to waste my time there when I could be here,” the older woman pointed out, before kissing her daughter goodbye and leaving.

Buffy got up from her bed after she heard the front door close before she kicked it in order to give vent to her rage. Why, oh why had she forgotten to tell him about that last night? ‘And don’t even start about the kiss… don’t even start!’ she scolded herself once more. Now she had no other choice than go to his crypt and convince Spike that he had to meet her mother at the gallery that night. She didn’t want to let her mother down after all and knowing Spike, he might say no just to bother her, hence the having to convince him. And to convince him meant talking to him. But since he hadn’t a phone, talking to him meant seeing him. And God only knew what seeing him could lead to!

At least Buffy wasn’t tormented by the memories of that fateful day when they were under Willow’s spell anymore. Not that that was too good either, because now her mind was filled by the memories of the night before, of their first real kiss. No spells involved.

In fact, she was so troubled by that, not knowing what to do, what to expect and above all, why was she feeling all this…things, if she was supposed to hate Spike, that she forgot to check her precious desk and the secret panel, before leaving.

‘Brilliant plan, Buffy!’ she commended herself as a plan began to take form in her mind, while she walked toward Spike’s crypt. ‘It’s early enough in the morning that he’ll surely be sleeping. So I’ll go there, wake him up and he will be all with the sleepy and not with the chatty. It’s just perfect. All I have to do is give him the message and leave. No complications at all!’

*~*~*

Once she got to Spike's crypt, she sneaked through the entrance very silently, stopping on the upper level when she saw a notebook lying over a chair. If only she had skimmed through the pages, she would have read some sonnets about her beauty and how powerful and graceful she was whenever she fought written on a very familiar handwriting. But she didn’t even think about it, because the blank paper and a pen she saw next to it, gave her an idea.

‘Alright…new plan, I’ll write him a message and leave. I don’t even have to see him. I’m sure he’ll read it once he wakes up,’ she decided, grabbing the pen.

She was about to write the first word when she jolted, due to a sudden noise she heard. She turned around, but didn’t see anything or anyone. She was about to sigh in relief and return to her very important ‘mission’, when a voice prevented her from doing that.

“I guess I should consider installin’ an alarm system in here, so intruders won’t get in so easily. Who knows... they might actually steal somethin’,” Spike said, seemingly appearing out from the thin air after he’d been lurking in the shadows, just like every proper vampire would do.

“God! And that makes two near-heart attacks since last night. Damn you!” she snapped, holding a hand to her chest. “Anyway... steal something? As if there was something worth stealing here!” Disdain showing in her features as her eyes roamed over the few things Spike had in the upper level of the crypt.

“Well, there’s something here that you shouldn’t be putting your hands on!” he responded, snatching his precious notebook right from her hands.

‘What were you thinkin’ leavin’ this lyin’ around for anyone to find? You’d be dust in the wind faster than you can say her name if she ever found out what’s inside,’ he thought, disguising his fear at nearly being caught with a cocky smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“Well, well, pet, and to what do I owe the dubious pleasure of your visit? We haven’t seen each other for ‘bout... what? Ten hours or so, and you’re already here? Admit it, you couldn’t wait ‘til tonight ‘cause you missed me, right?” he teased her, enjoying how her pretty face flushed as her rage began to escalate.

“Grrr, you, arrogant, scarily self-confident, unbearably egocentric, damned bleached vampire! I came here just to deliver you a message. I was about to write it too, so I didn’t have to talk with you,” she clarified.

“But since I’m here and you’re here, you don’t need to write it, so talk.” He placed the notebook on a shelf that was well out of her reach.

“My mom wants you to meet her at the gallery at sunset; she said she wants to give you some old furniture or something. At least then, thieves will have finally something worthy of robbing, since all she has there is of excellent quality,” she said. “Anyway, it’s just 9:30, so... why are you up already? What kind of vampire are you?”

“Well, I’m the kind of vampire who had a quite revealin’ experience that kept him up all night long, and day, too!” He winked at her.

“You just drank too much coffee. That’s the only revealing experience you had!” she struck back.

“C’mon, pet. You can’t deny what happened...” he murmured, taking a step closer to her.

“I’m denying nothing, simply because there’s nothing to deny! Nothing happened yesterday!”

“You know that you are lyin’...” he insisted, determinedly bringing up his hand to caress her cheek, but she stepped away from him.

“No, stop that. It all started with that, and I don’t want it to...”

“See? You remember. And I know you enjoyed every second of it, quite a bit actually,” he said smugly.

“Okay, so what? I liked your kisses. But that doesn’t mean that I like you!” ‘Sure, Buffy. So, you also like his piercing blue eyes, his spikey hair and... okay, let’s sum it up, his whole stunning body, but that doesn’t mean that you like their owner! Geez, Buffy, could you be any more pathetic!’ “Hey, wait a minute. Why are you so revved up about this? Maybe it’s you who likes me, Spikey?” she said as she took a step closer to him as he backed off, caught completely off-guard.

“Huh? What the bloody hell are you blatherin’ ‘bout? Don’t flatter yourself, Slayer, it’s just that… maybe I like the fact that you like me. But that doesn’t mean that I like you!”

‘Okay, so that’s a relief, he’s even more pathetic than I am!’ She rolled her eyes.

“Well, now that that’s clear, I guess I’ll go take a nap at least until sunset, and before headin’ to your mum’s gallery, I’m gonna pass by dear old Rupert’s house to get my well earned money,” he informed her, expecting her so predictable reaction.

“Well earned money? What money? You didn’t do anythin’ last night, so you shouldn’t be paid for it!” she responded angrily. He scared her half to death and he still expected to be paid? Over her dead body!

“Oh, but I did do somethin’, didn’t I? I made the dutiful Slayer have some real fun, I should be paid extra for that!” he responded, approaching the entrance to the crypt’s lower level.

“Grrr. I hate you!” she snapped, rushing towards the exit.

“Me too, be sure of that. Well, see you tonight, love. And be sure to use the same lipstick, I enjoyed the cherry flavor quite a lot yesterday,” he added in a husky tone, enjoying seeing her very visible blush once more before she left, grumbling something unintelligible under her breath and slamming the door, enraged.

Spike smiled and headed towards his bed. Maybe his dreams would be filled with a beautiful but very pissed off Slayer now.

TBC





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