Chapter 16
The next week in school was absolute torture. The only ones that knew about Buffy’s current condition were her, Spike, and Willow, and their friends were growing suspicious. The tension at the lunch table, the shared looks, the quiet whispering? It was all getting to Cordelia. Oz didn’t seem to mind it, but Xander was certainly curious.
By Friday at lunch, Xander finally had to ask.
“Ok, what’s going on? I mean, you guys aren’t breaking up, right? Because I saw you behind the gym making out like porn stars, so that can’t be it,” Xander commented, getting a blush out of Buffy. “So what’s going on?”
“Xander,” Willow warned, “if they don’t wanna talk about it, they don’t have to.”
“So there is something! And you know.”
“What?!”
“You know. You’ve been in on the secret whispering too. What’s going on, Wil?” Xander demanded.
“What if it’s none of your damn business?” Cordelia asked with a sweet smile from across the table. Xander glared at her.
“You can’t tell me you’re not the least bit curious.”
“What I’m curious about is who’s asking me to dance at The Bronze tonight. At least you don’t have to worry about that, because…” She saw the hurt look on Xander’s face “Oh…that’s right! Anya dumped you.”
“She didn’t dump me, Cordy,” Xander muttered. “She moved to L.A. with her parents.”
“Same thing.”
“No it’s not.”
“She might say she’ll call you, but soon, she’ll be dating guys that are way hotter than you.” Buffy and Spike side-eyed each other at that little quip. Cordelia’s face was…what was going on? Was she blushing? How had that embarrassed her.
“Excuse me, I think I see that guy I danced with that Saturday.” She got up quickly and left the table.
“What the Hell is her problem?” Xander wondered.
“Gee, I don’t know,” Willow teased with an eye roll.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that for a pretty smart guy, you’re kinda dumb,” Buffy offered.
“What?”
“Are you really that thick, Harris?” Spike wondered, cocking his head to the side.
“Gee, thanks guys. And to think, I was gonna be in charge of the cake for your joint birthday party.”
“What?!” Buffy asked quickly. Willow glared at Xander.
“Secret…joint birthday party.”
“We’re having a party?” Buffy wondered.
“Well, since your birthday’s next month, and Spike’s is like three days later, I figured we’d have a joint birthday party. It’s easier that way.”
“That’s awesome, Xander!”
“Well, now I’m reconsidering the nice cake. I’m thinking more along the lines of something gross like flan or artichokes.”
“What? Because we won’t tell you what’s going on?”
“Well, that, but because you called me an idiot.”
“Did not,” Buffy defended. “You just don’t see that…”
“See what?” He looked around at his friends at the table. “See what?”
“Oh, Xander.” Buffy reached over and patted his hand. The bell rang, and everyone got up to head to their next classes. Xander sat at the table a moment longer, trying to figure out why his friends thought he was thick.
In the meantime, Spike and Buffy rounded the corner to head down to their row of lockers, and just as they were making their way down the hall, a voice from behind stopped them.
“Isn’t this cute? Buffy and Spike holding hands like a couple of old marrieds.” Buffy turned around first to see Angel. Spike refused to acknowledge the asshole’s presence.
“Go to Hell, Angel,” Buffy spat.
“You know,” Angel said with a sly grin, stepping up close to her. “If you’d just give me the chance, I could take you to Heaven.” Spike turned and shoved Angel against the locker.
“Just one more word, O’Connor, and you’ll be carrying your front teeth home in a plastic baggie.”
“What’s the matter, Pratt? Afraid of somebody sniffing around your territory?” he wondered aloud, as Spike’s grip on his shirt collar tightened. “I’d have to give her a good scrub down first. Like I’d want your sloppy seconds anyways.”
Four-point-five seconds later, some freshman was running down the halls screaming “Fight! Fight!” and everyone was running to watch. Buffy stood back against the lockers, mortified. But when Angel’s fist connected with Spike’s stomach, she stepped in without thinking.
“Stop it! Just stop it!”
“Get out of the way, Buffy,” Spike warned, his eyes targeting on Angel’s already bloodied nose.
“Stop! Just…walk away!” Buffy begged him.
“Yeah. Why don’t you listen to your little girlfriend and save yourself the embarrassment of getting your scrawny ass beaten by the quarterback of the football team?”
“Piss off,” Spike spat, as Buffy stepped out from between the two of them, tugging on Spike’s arm before Snyder could come in and break it up himself.
“What the fuck kind of talk is that? Listen to the nancy boy. All proper, even when he’s in the middle of a fight.” Angel laughed, and some of his buddies fist-bumped, as if they’d just said the funny thing.
Angel started to turn away, but Spike was on him again, knocking him down onto the floor, where he slid into the lockers.
“I’m warning you, you fucking prick, stay away from me. Stay away from her. If you don’t, I really will knock the teeth out of your head next time.” Spike turned and walked away with a worried Buffy right beside him. Angel panted hard as his friends helped him stand. Principal Snyder fought his way through the crowd to find Angel a bloody mess.
“What happened here? Who did this to you, O’Connor. Tell me it was that Pratt fella. If you do, he won’t see the inside of this building for a month.” Snyder’s eyes were practically glistening with glee. But Angel looked around at the crowd. Even though they’d all just witnessed the fight, there was no way in hell he would ever admit out loud that he’d had his ass handed to him by Spike Pratt.
“Just a misunderstanding, sir,” Angel muttered before walking off. Everyone else shuffled off to class, and Snyder glared at the back of the best football player they had. Something fishy was going on, and that usually meant that trouble was spelled P-R-A-T-T-A-N-D-S-U-M-M-E-R-S.
***
“What the Hell was that?” Buffy asked after school. She’d fumed about it the rest of the day, and it wasn’t until they were in Spike’s car at the end of the day that she’d finally let it out.
“Buffy…”
“You couldn’t just walk away, could you.”
“I’m sorry, luv. I just…when he says those things about you, all I wanna do is make him stop.”
“I appreciate that, but you’re gonna get yourself hurt someday.”
“I think I held my own.”
“Yeah, this time. What if next time his buddies join in? You can’t let Angel get to you like that. As much as I hate him too, I really don’t want to have to tell our child someday that daddy got his neck broken because somebody said something not so nice about mommy.” Spike sighed and nodded his head as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“I’ll try to restrain myself next time.”
“Thank you. How’s your head?”
“Fine. Hope he’s got a hell of a headache…amongst other things.” Buffy nodded and reached over, lifting up Spike’s shirt. “You’ve got a bruise where he hit you.”
“Yeah. Doesn’t hurt much.”
“You’re sure you’re ok?”
“Fit as a fiddle, pet. I’ve got practice with the band. I can drop you off at home, or you can come watch.” Buffy thought for about a half a second.
“I’d like to come watch. Just so long as you get me home in time to change before we go out tonight.”
“You’re sure you’re feeling up to The Bronze?”
“I feel great. If I hadn’t been told by a doctor, I wouldn’t even know I’m pregnant, Spike. Don’t worry…we’re gonna go out, have fun, and not think about anything else tonight.” Spike didn’t look so convinced, so Buffy scooted over and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Trust me. I feel fine, and I want to dance with my boyfriend tonight, and let him know how much he means to me.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh huh,” she grinned, kissing his cheek again before nibbling on his earlobe. Spike shuddered and gripped the steering wheel, praying he’d make it to the club without wrecking the car in the process.
***
Willow had been at rehearsal too, and when everything started running late, Willow offered to walk with Buffy so they could get ready for their respective dates. Since Buffy’s home was closer, they headed there first.
Joyce wasn’t supposed to be home for another hour, but when Buffy and Willow walked up the street toward the house, they spotted Hank’s car.
“Great,” Buffy murmured. “Just what I need.” She handed Willow her house key. “This might take a while. Go on inside and pick out an outfit. Wear whatever you want.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, we probably won’t have time to go back to your place. So just go on in.”
“Ok,” Willow said slowly. She turned up the sidewalk and went up to the house. Buffy stepped out into the street and went to her father’s window.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him the moment he’d rolled his window down.
“I wanted to talk to you. I wanted you to meet your sister.” He motioned into the back seat. Buffy sighed and looked through the back window, seeing the little girl sleeping there. Buffy turned her attention back to her dad and glared at him.
“That’s low, Dad. You can’t just drop in on me like this with her. I’m not ready to…”
“Please, Buffy. I’m leaving soon, and I want you to meet her before we go away. I’m not asking anything of you. I know you refuse to move with me, and although I’m hoping you change your mind, I’d really like nothing more than for you to meet Dawn and get to know her before we go away.”
“What’s the point, Dad? I’m never gonna see her after you move away. Let’s just face it. You’re not gonna call or write. You won’t visit. You’ll disappear, just like you dropped off the face of the planet when you moved out, only to resurface with what appeared to be a new family.”
“Buffy, I never meant to hurt you. I know you’re angry, and I would be too. I’m…I’m trying here, ok? I know I’m never gonna win father of the year after everything I did; everything I kept from you, but I do love you, Buffy. You know I do.”
“Yeah,” Buffy whispered, rubbing away a fallen tear, “but saying you love me doesn’t change anything. I thought you loved me before, but you lied. You had another family. You left us for them. And then she left you, so you’re crawling back, asking to be a part of a family you broke up.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. Your mother and I are over, and there’s no changing that.”
“I don’t want that to change. Not now. Not after what you did. Look, Dad, I have a date tonight, and I don’t have time for this. I’m not ready.”
“Please, Buffy…”
“Don’t force this on me! I’ll meet her when I’m ready, ok?” With that, she turned and headed up to the house, slamming the door loudly behind her. Back in the car, five year old Dawn woke at the noise.
“Daddy?”
“I’m here, sweet pea.”
“Is my big sister here?”
“No, sweetheart. We just missed her.”
“Oh,” Dawn pouted.
“Don’t worry. We’ll see her soon, ok?”
“Ok, Daddy.” Dawn smiled, showing that her two front teeth were missing, and then she turned her head to look up at the house they were parked in front of. Slowly, her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep again.
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