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Author's Chapter Notes:
I know, I posted chapter 8 earlier today(well, for me it was today at least but I think Sweden is a few hours ahead so here it says 25...) But in a few days I'm going out of town so I won't be able to update for like five days or so. I thought I could post as many chapter as possible until then :)



Thanks a lot to Pam S, Sarah G, MidnightGirl, jamies_lady, smlcspike and Sam for the kind reviews! And also to my wonderful beta Chriss!
Chapter 9

There wasn’t just one book, Buffy realized half an hour later. It was at least seven different ones and she had big troubles picking out which ones she really wanted to read.

“And there’s also this one…”

“No, please, Mr. Giles. I’m already having too much trouble picking out which ones,” Buffy laughed.

“Please, call me Giles. Everyone else does it and as for the books, you can borrow as many as you want,” Giles assured her.

“No, I can’t do that. It’s not right…”

“Buffy, it’s a library; you’re supposed to borrow books.”

“Yeah, but not this many!”

Giles laughed at her troubled face. He really liked this girl. “Take it or leave it, Buffy,” he smiled.

“Okay, okay. I’ll take it,” Buffy mumbled while she tried to hold onto every book. “But I think I might stop here, I mean I already have like… eight books.”

“Do as you like. Come on, let’s go to the desk and I’ll get you a bag.”

“Thanks.”

“It was good that you came now because I was just on my way home.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I keep you here? I came like a half an hour ago.”

“It’s alright. Not that many people come here everyday, especially not new faces. It’s always fun to meet new people.”

“I agree with you, but still…”

“Buffy, please,” Giles laughed. “I enjoyed it. You have to come back here again sometime.” He gave her the bag and Buffy thanked him again. “Here you go. Do you have a long way back to your house?”

“No, it’s okay. I’m trying to get to know the village,” Buffy assured him.

“You sure? Because otherwise I could - Ow…” Giles trailed off and put a hand against his chest. Buffy frowned.

“A-are you okay?”

“Yes, it’s fine, thank you. Sometimes I - OW!” Giles exclaimed and fell backwards against the wall.

“Giles! Oh my god, you’re not okay,” Buffy said as she sat down beside him.


“It is, sometimes I get chest pain that’s all,” he said and tried to stand up but Buffy pushed him down again.

“No, you sit down. Do you have anyone I can call? Or should I call the hospital?”

Giles shook his head. “I forgot to take my medicine this morning, that’s probably why. I just need to take it and then it’ll be over.”

“But I’m not letting you drive alone. Come on, give me you car keys.” Giles started to protest but Buffy simply cut him off. “No buts. Come on, I’ll get you home.”

----------------------------------------

“Is this the right house?” Buffy asked as she drove down a small road.

“Yeah, the one on the left. I really appreciate this, Buffy, but you didn’t have to.”

“Shut up,” Buffy smiled. “This is a nice house, and a nice view. You can see the ocean from here right?”

“Yes, it’s quite posh, at least from the veranda.”

Buffy stopped the car and opened the door. “Come on, I’ll help you inside.”

“Buffy, that’s enough,” he smiled. “I can walk.”

“I won’t leave you here so you’re gonna have to deal with it,” Buffy answered. “What if you get another chest pain-attack and fall on the stairs. Nope. I’m following you up there.”

Giles just shook his head. “That’s sweet, Buffy.”

They made their way up the stairs to the front door, which was really long. When they finally came up to the door Giles started to look in his pocket after the key.

“Bloody hell… I think I forgot my key in the library. Maybe someone’s home…” He said and knocked on the door.

Soon a girl with blonde, slightly curled hair showed up in the door. She looked like she was maybe sixteen-seventeen years old. Doesn’t she look familiar? Maybe I’ve seen her on the beach. Her face lit up when she saw Giles and burst out.

“Dad! We’re have you been? I was really worried! You’re usually home much earlier and – oh, hi, who are you?” The girl suddenly saw Buffy standing beside him.

“Hi, I was in the library with your dad and he had some chest pains. I didn’t want to leave him there so I helped him home.”

“Oh, god,” the girl said with a worried look on her face, putting her hand over her mouth. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, dear, I’m fine, as I said to Buffy here before I could’ve made it without her too, but it was nice of her to help me though.”

“Couldn’t leave you there, could I?” Buffy answered again, with a smirk. “I’m Buffy, by the way.”

“Chelsea”, she introduced herself and shook her hand, then a frown showed up on her face and she slightly tilted her head. “Don’t I know you?”

“Don’t think so,” Buffy said. “I came here a little more than a week ago.”

“Still… Anyway, thank you so much, Buffy. Why won’t you come inside?”

“Oh, thanks but I think-“

“Come on, you can need some kind of… reward for helping me here,” Giles added. “I can make some coffee if you like.”

“Yeah well… Okay,” Buffy shrugged and walked inside the cute little house. “Again, this is a nice house.”

Chelsea gestured for Buffy to follow her. “Thank you. My grandfather built it.”

“Oh, he did? It’s amazing.”

“Do you want some chocolate cake? I just made it so it’s warm and fresh,” she smiled.
Buffy nodded in agreement and followed Chelsea out on the veranda. “Sit down, I’ll go get some.”

A few minutes later they were all sitting at the veranda, talking and eating. Buffy really enjoyed the company; they were both very nice and kind. Giles had worked at the library for a really long time, even though he wasn’t that old, only fifty. He also had a library at a school where he worked more during the school years.

Chelsea was sixteen, turning seventeen in a few months, and went to the same high school Giles worked on and she seemed to be really nice.

“So, Buffy. How come you decided to come here?” Chelsea asked, taking a bite on her cake.

“I-“ Buffy was cut off by the door bell and Giles stood up.

“I’ll get it,” he said and gestured for Buffy to continue.

“Well, mostly because I just ended a relationship. I couldn’t stand to be in the same city during the rest of the summer and Cornwall just happened to be the vacation spot that showed up when I searched on the internet.”

“Really? I don’t think I’d dare to do that. But sometimes you have to expose yourself for the things you don’t like huh?”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Buffy smiled. “How come-“

“Look who I found at the doorstep,” Giles said and Buffy followed the voice and almost dropped her cup.

“Spike!” Chelsea exclaimed and stood up to give him a hug. “What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you but it’s been so long.”

“Hi, Chels,” Spike replied, still not seeing Buffy. “I know, but there’s been a lot of things lately that I-“ He glanced to the table and saw Buffy sitting there, probably as shocked as himself.

“Buffy?”

“Hi, Spike.”

“W-what are you doing here?” He asked with a blank expression on his face.

“Do you two know each other?” Chelsea wondered and looked between Spike and Buffy.

“We met at Tara’s. We’ve been hanging out for a couple of days.”

“Oh, wait! Is that the girl you talked-“ Chelsea started but trailed off when she saw Spike’s meaning sight.

“Buffy stopped by the library and I got some chest pains, nothing to worry about, William,” Giles added when Spike’s expression turned worried. “Buffy insisted on helping me home.”

“Oh, are you okay?” Spike continued. “Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?”

“No, I’m fine. I forgot to take my pills this morning, that’s probably the reason.”

“Dad-“ Spike started but Giles cut him off.

“No, William. I know that you’re worried but it’s okay. Why won’t you sit down with us?”

“Oh I-“ Buffy glanced at the clock and at Spike’s weirdly uncomfortable expression. What was wrong?

“Um, Spike? Maybe we should go if we’re gonna go to Lily’s house, I mean.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah. Maybe we should. Sorry, but I’ll come by another day and we can have a chat, okay?”

“Promise,” Chelsea grinned and gave him a good bye hug. When she leant in she whispered; “And I want to know everything then.”

Spike smiled and gave his dad a quick hug before he went out to the hallway. “Thank you,” Buffy said. “It was nice to meet you both. Maybe we can continue this another time?”

“Sure, you’re welcome whenever you want,” Giles replied and Buffy waved goodbye before she went out after Spike, who oddly enough had already walked down to his car. Buffy frowned and followed him.

“Um, Spike?”

“Jump in, goldilocks,” he said and Buffy nodded. Goldilocks, she thought. That’s a new one. I like it. She smiled for herself as she sat down in the front seat. But when she saw Spike’s still blank face she frowned.

“Spike, what’s wrong?” She asked.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t start that shit, you know what you did to me when we fell asleep on the couch. You made me say what was wrong when I denied it. So spill.”

“I said it’s nothing,” Spike said, clearly irritated as he started the car.

“Spike…”

“Do you even listen!” Spike exclaimed. “Nothing means nothing.”

“True, but in this case it’s not. Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Then what? Look, maybe we could take this Lily thing another night because you really don’t seem like you’re in the mood.”

“No, we’re gonna do this.”

“Can you just please tell me what’s wrong!”

Spike still didn’t answer; he just drove faster and held the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white.

“Spike, slow down! Look, if you don’t listen to what I’m saying I’m getting out of this car right now, no matter what speed it is.” He just kept watching the road in front of him and Buffy felt the tears in her eyes. “Please, you’re scaring me.”

Her soft voice woke him and he looked at her and felt his heart clench. She was really scared. He pressed the breaks and parked the car on the side of the road.

There was an absolute silence. The only thing that could be heard was the low sound of the engine. Buffy swallowed. She didn’t dare to look at him; she didn’t want to meet whatever expression he had on his face.

“I’m sorry,” he said, quietly. “I didn’t mean to scare you it’s just…” He sighed as he clenched his jaw, showing the firm cheek bones, and turned to face her. “I… It’s a lot of things going on in my family which no one knows about and you were about to find out and… Look, I’m sorry I was treating you like that. I didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry I scared you.” He reached out and tucked a strain of hair behind her ear and Buffy finally turned to face him.

“I’m sorry, whatever I did,” Buffy chocked out and Spike put his hands on each cheek.

“No, don’t, you didn’t do anything wrong! I just overreacted. Don’t apologize for something you didn’t do.”

“Can you please tell me what you thought I did wrong then?” Buffy said.

Spike smiled weakly at her, still with one hand at her cheek and nodded. “Fair enough. Okay, here goes…”





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