Chapter 1
“Are you sure about this? I don’t think you’ve really thought this through.”
Spike rolled his eyes, getting tired of the lecture. “I know everything I need to. Joyce was a friend of mine, she was practically a second mother, but she’s gone now, leaving Buffy and Dawn by themselves. I’ve known Buffy since she was fourteen. Her and Dawn are like my family, and I can’t abandon them now. Joyce was all they had, and now the bloody social services are coming around, talking about taking Dawn away because Buffy isn’t fit to raise her. I can’t let that happen, mate. I can’t let them put Dawn in foster care, while Buffy gets sent to some special school or whatnot. I can’t let them get separated; these girls have been through enough as it is.”
Xander Harris nodded after his speech, still not thinking this was the best idea, but knew that when his friend set his mind on something, there was no changing it. “Okay, I can understand why you would want to do this, but do you think you’re ready for the responsibility of caring for two kids? You’re twenty-six, recently divorced; I just think this is a lot to deal with.”
“It doesn’t matter if I’m ready or not, I’m doing it. Buffy is eighteen now, it’s not like she’s a child.”
Xander agreed. “Yeah, but she’s not your average eighteen-year-old.”
“I don’t care,” Spike claimed. “They don’t have anyone else. Once the social worker shows up, I’ll prove to her just how capable I am of having the girls in my custody. I won’t let them get separated.”
Xander looked at him in admiration. Spike had the whole tough guy exterior going on, but deep down, he had a big heart, which made it so much easier to get broken. After all that Drusilla put him through, he didn’t want his friend to go through something like that again, maybe this was just what he needed to finally put the past behind him and move on.
* * * * *
“You seem to have everything in order, Mr. Pratt, but you must understand how very reluctant I am about this situation. In such circumstances, the children would go to the next of kin, but since there isn’t one; a foster home is usually the only other option. You seem like a lovely man, but you’re young, living alone in this big house, one that doesn’t seem very appropriate for a handicapped teenager and small child, you have to know how this looks.”
Spike agreed. “I’m aware of that, but I promise that I can do this. I have a contractor coming in two days to fix this place up, and make it more suitable for them to live in. The only thing Joyce asked of me before she died was that I look after her daughters, I can’t let her down. She’s always been there for me. Please, Ms. Sharp, I’m begging you here. Just give me a chance to prove to you that I’m not completely in over my head, these girls mean a lot to me.”
She could tell how sincere he was, nodding after a moment. “All right, we’ll give this a trial run, but I will be showing up at least twice a month to check on your progress.”
He smiled, shaking her hand. “Thank you, I promise you won’t regret this.”
She returned his smile. “I have a feeling that I won’t. Have a nice day, Mr. Pratt. I’ll be seeing you soon.”
* * * * *
“Watch your step; I’m hoping to fix this doorway so it’ll be easier for you.”
Buffy gave him a look, as much as she could. “Spike, I’m not completely helpless, you don’t need to coddle me. I should be able to find my way through your house without falling on my face. I’ve had a lot of practice,” she said, shaking her cane at him.
He had to smile at that. “Right you are, love, but I’m not taking any chances with you. One screw up, and they’ll send you both away. You don’t want that, do you?”
Buffy shuddered at the thought of being separated from her sister and Spike, the only two people she had left in the world. “No, I don’t, but it means a lot that you decided to do this. I know how hard things have been lately, with Drusilla and all, I just want you to know that we really appreciate it.”
“It’s no trouble at all. This whole thing has actually made me forget a little about my conniving ex-wife, and how she was unfaithful pretty much during our whole marriage. It’s been a great distraction.”
“Glad we could help,” Buffy responded. “You were too good for her.”
Spike watched her walk into his living room, a smile forming on his face. He definitely made the right decision.
* * * * *
“Which one is this?”
“Dinosaur!” the little girl yelled.
Spike grinned. “Ah, yes, but do you know what kind?”
She frowned, shaking her head.
“It’s a T-Rex, very dangerous; we should watch Jurassic Park when you’re old enough. I think you might like it.” He handed the dinosaur back to her, watching as she grabbed a Barbie doll instead. “I guess that makes more sense.”
“How many toys did you buy for her?” Buffy spoke up.
Spike shrugged. “Not much, I just want her to be comfortable. This is your home now; I want you to have everything you need.”
“You don’t have to do all of this, Dawn already idolizes you.”
He blushed, watching the little girl play with her new toys, and feeling pleased that he could bring joy to her face.
Buffy sat down next to him on the couch, feeling around to make sure she wasn’t sitting on anything, not realizing just how close she was to Spike, until her hand brushed against his crotch. She quickly pulled away as if burned, hearing his sharp intake of breath. “I’m sorry.”
Spike shook his head. “That’s okay, don’t worry about it.” He took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze.
She took in a deep breath, turning her head toward him. “Can I? It’s been a while.”
Spike nodded, knowing exactly what she wanted. “Go ahead.”
Buffy reached up to his face, tenderly tracing his cheekbones, moving to his smooth lips. She liked to get a feel of what someone looked like, and this was the only way for her to get a clear picture in her head. Spike never seemed to be bothered by it, so she took that as a good sign. Buffy smiled when she felt his eyes close, like he was enjoying the caress as much as she was. “Where did this come from?” she asked him, touching a scar on his eyebrow, not remembering it being there before.
“A parting gift from Drusilla, she didn’t take too kindly to the divorce.”
“I swear, I would love to give that bitch a piece of my mind,” Buffy spat.
He grinned. “Kitten has claws, does she?”
“Damn right, she does. Why should I be the only one who’s blind? I have an urge to scratch her eyes out.” Her fingers continued to travel down his face, shaking her head in confusion. “She’s a complete moron, having you to come home to and still managed to cheat? I’ll never understand some people.” Buffy felt him smile, which caused her to do the same, her voice softening. “You’re so beautiful.” She turned away, a blush tinting her cheeks.
Spike wouldn’t have that. “Hey, there’s no need to be shy with me. Although, I think I would prefer sexy, or ruggedly handsome, but whatever works for you. I like when you do that. No one sees me the way you do.”
“I just wish I really could,” she said, lowering her head in sadness.
“You do, pet; it’s just in a different way. Besides, sometimes I’m not that much to look at.”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe that. Sometimes, I wish I could see the world like everyone else does. The people, colors, animals, I’ve missed out on so much, but then I think I got the better deal. There’s so much ugliness, too. Death, violence, suffering, none of it good. The worst thing is that I can’t even see myself. I could be having a bad hair day and never know it.”
He laughed, knowing that she was trying to lighten up the sudden seriousness in the room. Whether she could see it or not, his girl always liked to make people smile. Spike frowned at that. When did he start thinking of Buffy as his girl?
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I remember someone making a request for this a while back, it's probably not exactly what they had in mind, but this was the best I could come up with. It's also written for the April prompt in spuffy_wonder, which was blindness. Once I saw that, I had to finally write something down. There's not much to this, only three parts long. I really hope you guys would like it, and let me know how I'm doing, any comments would be appreciated. Thanks to easy_to_corrupt for my gorgeous banner=)