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Chapter 22: Phone Call

“Maybe I was wrong,” Buffy mused, as she and Spike sat together on the couch watching TV. Dawn was expected home any minute now.

“Wrong about what, luv?” His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, and she was leaning against him.

“Dana.”

“What about her?”

“Maybe they do need my help.”

“You’re saying you want to go to London?”

“No,” Buffy muttered. “I’ve just been thinking about it. All those years I thought of you as…as a machine. A killer. I didn’t let myself look past that.”

“I was a killer, pet.”

“Yeah. But there were reasons. There are always reasons. I didn’t even think about that when I told Mr. Travers I wouldn’t take the job.”

“They’ve got it under control, pet. Don’t worry about it.”

“What’s wrong with me?” She turned in Spike’s arms to look at him. “I’m the Slayer. Yeah, my job is to protect the world from demons and vampires. I’m supposed to help people. Even if those people are warped Slayers.” She sighed, shaking her head.

“Giles doesn’t even want you there, pet. Maybe he’s not officially your watcher anymore, but he’s probably right. I’m sure if it gets out of hand you’ll hear from him.”

“Being the Slayer sucks, you know? Just thinking about seeing that girl…it gives me the wiggins. Being her in that dream was bad enough.” Taking a deep breath, she shrugged. “But, I’m the Slayer. I can’t exactly turn my back on something that’s happening to another person who didn’t ask for this. Next time somebody from the Council asks me to help with her, I think I’m gonna do it.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“No. But if I didn’t help, and something happened to Giles or…or anybody in her way, for that matter…no. If they call again, I’ll know they need me. Right now, I trust Giles. I won’t worry until he worries.”

“So, you’re worried about regretting doing something while you have the chance?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She watched him pick up the phone. “What?”

“If you don’t talk to him, Buffy, you might regret it one day.”

“No! I’m not talking to him, Spike. He’s…he’s…”

“He’s your dad. He might be a lot of other things, but he’s still that.” Buffy frowned.

“What about having the house to ourselves?”

“We’ll have other chances. I’m not saying I wouldn’t love the chance to have you naked for days on end, but you won’t have a good time staying home, knowing you probably should’ve gone.” Buffy frowned deeper, taking the phone.

“Fine. I’ll call him. But if I’m going, you’re going too.” Before Spike had the chance to respond, Buffy had the phone to her ear.

“Hello?” Hank Summers asked as he picked up.

“Um…hey…Dad. It’s me. Buffy.”

“Oh! Buffy…hi! How are you?”

“I’m ok. Uh, I was just calling to make sure that it’s still ok for Dawn to come visit.”

“Sure. Sure, it’s fine. It’ll be good to have her here.”

“Yeah. About that. I was…um, I guess I was just wondering if you’d care if maybe…maybe I came too.” She didn’t feel like a twenty-year-old woman. She felt more like a ten-year-old little girl afraid to bother her busy father in his office.

“Oh. Well, yeah, that’d be great, Buffy. It’d be nice to have both of my girls here. I thought you had plans for Christmas, though.”

“Um…” She glanced at Spike, almost accusingly. “Well, not anymore. I thought I’d bring my boyfriend with me if that’s ok.”

“Your boyfriend? Dawn mentioned you were seeing someone. Some…Pike…”

“Spike,” Buffy corrected. “His name’s William, but everyone calls him Spike.”

“Well, I’d like to meet him. Uh…I’ve only got two extra rooms.”

“That’s ok, Dad. I’m twenty, remember?”

“Right. Of course. We’ll have a great time. I can’t wait to see you girls again.”

“Yeah. O…ok. Well, I have to go. I’ll see you next week.”

“Next week, then. Bye.”

“Bye.” Buffy handed the phone back to Spike, and he hung it up for her. He cocked his head to the side. “What?”

“What exactly do you plan on telling him when I keep making excuses for why we need a dark room with heavy, dark curtains? Or when I don’t go outside in the daytime?”

“I’ll tell him you get migraines,” she said with a shrug. “Believe me. I lied about things up until I was fifteen, and he never caught on. My dad’s not a hard one to fool.”

“Must’ve been torture for you not getting away with things when you lived with your Mum.”

“Well, she didn’t figure out about the Slayer thing on her own, did she? I was pretty good at hiding that. Keeping out of trouble, on the other hand…”

“I’m home!” Dawn called, before the door was even all the way open. She’d started doing that nearly every day, just in case she was to walk in on a situation she really didn’t want to see.

“We’re in here, Dawnie,” Buffy called out. Dawn stepped into the living room, throwing her book bag into the corner chair.

“Hey guys.”

“How was school?”

“You know. Same old same old.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.”

“What’d you guys do today? Wait. What did you guys do in the last…five minutes? That’s safe to ask, right?” Buffy rolled her eyes.

“I actually talked to Dad.” Dawn raised her eyebrows.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I, uh, I asked if he’d mind if I came with you at Christmas.”

“You’re coming with me? Oh, thank God!” Dawn exclaimed. “I was tempted to fake being sick so I didn’t have to go alone.”

“And Spike’s coming too.” Dawn’s lips curled up into an amused smile, and then she let out a little laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Spike wondered.

“Oh, this is gonna be awesome. I can’t wait until Dad gets a load of you.” Spike stood up, crossing his arms across his chest.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Dawn laughed, gulping for breath, waving her hands in front of her face. “Oh. I can just see the look on his face when Buffy comes through the door with you. He’s probably expecting something like…well, the preppy losers you used to date. I mean, Angel was lame, and he was a vampire. And Riley. Oh God. Don’t get me started on the guys before we moved to…”

“Ok, that’s enough, Dawnie! Thanks,” Buffy warned.

“Sorry,” Dawn snorted. “It’s just that Dad definitely won’t be expecting him. I mean, bleach blonde hair, pale, pale skin, dresses all in black.”

“Well, I like him, and that’s what matters.” She smiled and turned to Spike. “You just have to avoid sunlight and any sort of confrontation with my dad, and you’ll be fine.”

“Let’s see, sunny L.A., staying inside all day with a man I barely know? Piece of cake.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there. I won’t leave you alone in the house with him.”

“Good idea,” Dawn said with a nod. “’Cause if he’s anything like he was with your date to the seventh grade dance, Spike might end up biting him.”

“Not making me feel any better here, Nibblet,” Spike said with a sigh. “Guess I ought to make arrangements for someone to look after my crypt.”

“You’re actually hiring a crypt keeper?” Dawn asked with a giggle.

“Well, yeah. Who else would I hire?”

“I don’t know. I…” She looked up at the clock. “Oh, crap! I gotta call Jake. Don’t pick up the phone!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Buffy muttered, knowing her sister couldn’t hear it, as she was already halfway up the stairs. She turned back to Spike and smiled, placing her hands on his shoulders, as he drew her in, his hands resting comfortably on her hips. “I’ll feel better with you there. My dad’s kind’ve a stranger to me. I haven’t seen him in so long. I don’t even know how to act around him, you know?”

“You don’t have to act like the proper daughter, Buffy. The man deserves a little bit of the cold shoulder. After what he did to you and your sis after Joyce…Look, I’m not saying you should try to make him miserable the whole time, but I don’t think he deserves any slack for what he did. Abandoning you when you needed him the most…”

“Ok, you’re not helping me want to go.”

“Alright, pet,” he said with an understanding nod. “What do you need?”

“I need…I need you to be…the supportive boyfriend. If I get mad at him, you’re mad too. If I’m happy, you’re happy too.”

“So if you say you hate him, I’m supposed to list the reasons.” Buffy smiled.

“You’re better at this than you think.” Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “I know what I said before, but…but, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I’m sure it won’t be that exciting for you.”

“Let’s see, I get to spend a weekend away from the Hellmouth, hopefully not killing vampires or any other sort of demon, and I’ll be doing it with the most gorgeous creature ever to grace the face of the earth. I can think of worse vacations, pet.” He pulled her in again, the scent of her shampoo wafting into his face. Their lips met in a tender kiss, but they were interrupted by Dawn bounding down the stairs.

“Buffy?” Buffy turned in Spike’s arms, but he kept them firmly around her. She leaned back against his chest with a smile.

“Yeah?”

“I have a little favor to ask.” She looked nervous.

“What’d you do?”

“Nothing! Um…Jake’s parents…they have to go out of town on Christmas. Jake doesn’t wanna go with them, but they don’t want him spending Christmas alone.”

“Ok…”

“So…I was thinking maybe we could take Jake with us. I could introduce him to Dad too. You know, we could kill two birds with one stone. Or…would that be two birds with two…anyway, can he come?”

“I don’t know, Dawn. I don’t know the guy that well, and…”

“Well, it’ll be the perfect opportunity for you to get to know him. Please? He can’t spend Christmas alone. Come on…” Buffy glanced at Spike who just raised an eyebrow, and she sighed.

“You’ll have to call Dad and ask him if he has the room, because he’s not staying in your room.”

“Spike’s staying in yours.”

“That’s different. I’m not fifteen.” Dawn rolled her eyes.

“I was kidding,” she muttered. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind the couch. Thanks, Buffy!”

“Don’t thank me until you asked Dad.” Dawn nodded and bolted back up the stairs to make another call. Buffy turned again in Spike’s arm.

“You’re sure you haven’t been on worse vacations?”

“Believe me, pet. I think I can find some way to pass the time.” His hand moved down her spine, gently cupping her ass. She smiled against his lips and nodded.

“Alright. But don’t even think of trying to get out of it now. You’re stuck with me for Christmas, mister.” He chuckled against her lips.

“I think I can live with that.”


Chapter End Notes:
Again, I want to thank you all for your continued support! I honestly believe your wonderful comments are inspiring me to write, and I hope you continue to let me know what you think of the story!



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