Chapter 1

“So, B, we Bronzing it tonight?”

Buffy Summers shook her head, gazing at the dark haired girl in front of her. “Not tonight, I’m going over to Dawn’s house for some study time. We have a big test coming up.”

Gasps sounded throughout the lunch table, as all the other girls looked at her in shock.

“Wait a minute, Dawn actually invited you over?” Faith wondered.

Buffy nodded, frowning slightly at the other girls’ reactions. “Yeah, what’s the big deal?”

Cordelia answered her that time. “Have you seen her father?” When the blonde girl shook her head no, she continued, “he’s like sex on legs; practically every girl in this school has the hots for him. Dawn hasn’t invited anyone over since our last sleepover when Faith couldn’t stop hitting on him.”

Faith shrugged. “You can’t get me in a room with a sexy man and expect me to just stand there quietly. Dawn completely overreacted, it was just innocent flirting.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Innocent, my ass, you said you could ride him at a gallop until his legs buckled, and his eyes rolled up. There was more, but I’m not comfortable repeating it, and this was all said right in front of Dawn. How did you expect her to react?”

“Hey, Pratt has known me for a long time now, she should have known what to expect.”

Buffy still couldn’t believe that she was friends with these girls. She had only been at Sunnydale High for a little over a month, but at her old school in Los Angeles, she probably never would have associated with them. Things were different now, though. She wasn’t the same person she used to be. “Well, that’s not going to happen with me.”

Faith nodded, giving Buffy a grin. “True, Summers is all prim and proper, I’m sure Dawn has nothing to worry about.”


* * * * *


“God, I think my text book is in a different language or something.”

Dawn laughed. “Don’t worry; I’m doing pretty well in History. I can help you.”

Buffy smiled at the brunette across from her, they’ve become very close friends in such a short time, and Buffy already didn’t know where she would be without her.

A door slammed downstairs, causing both girls to jump with a start.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “I guess my dad’s home early; he doesn’t know the meaning of the word quiet. You want something to eat?”

She nodded. “Sure, all this studying has made me a bit hungry.”

They jumped off of Dawn’s bed, heading downstairs and into the kitchen, where a man was standing shirtless by the fridge, taking a long sip of his beer.

Buffy gulped at the sight of the muscles in his back, which flexed with each one of his movements. Cordelia wasn’t kidding when she said the man was sex on legs.

“Gross, Dad, we have company,” Dawn said in an annoyed tone, pulling Buffy out of her contemplation.

He looked sheepish as he turned around, seeming to just take notice of the two girls standing there, his eyes widening as they landed on the blonde next to his daughter. “Sorry about that, love. Who’s your friend?”

“This is Buffy, she came over to study. This is William, my dad, but everyone calls him Spike. Don’t ask,” Dawn finished, making the introductions.

Buffy waved shyly, avoiding his gaze. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He gave the petite blonde a forced smile. “Same to you; so, are you ladies taking a break?”

Dawn nodded. “Yeah, we were gonna get something to eat. Can Buffy stay over tonight?”

“Of course, if Buffy wants to.”

Buffy didn’t think that was the best idea, but could only nod in response when she couldn’t think of a plausible excuse.

They talked for a bit and then Dawn excused herself to go to the restroom; once she was gone, all Hell broke loose.

“Bloody fuck, you’re in high school?!”

Buffy glared at him. “Keep your voice down; do you want her to hear you?”

He tried to keep his temper in check. “You told me you were twenty-one when we were together in LA. I never even bloody thought I would see you again, and now I find out that you go to school with my daughter?”

“Do you think I planned this? I had no idea you two were even related.”

Spike shut his eyes tight, opening them a second later. “I’m really going to regret asking this, but how old are you really?”

She took a deep breath. “Seventeen, I’ll be eighteen in six months. I want you to know that I don’t normally do stuff like this. I had just gotten dumped by my boyfriend and was really depressed, I wanted to go out and have fun, forget about everything. I wasn’t expecting to hook up with you and when I did, the lies just came pouring out, including my age. I left the next morning to make things easier on both of us, but I never counted on this to happen. I really like Dawn; she’s been the only decent friend I’ve had in a long time. I wouldn’t want to do anything to ruin our friendship. Can we just put this behind us…please?”

Spike didn’t know how that was possible, but he was willing to try. For a little while, at least.

The conversation was put on hold when Dawn came back into the room, neither knowing what to say after that.


* * * * *


Buffy couldn’t sleep that night, too busy tossing and turning, thinking about the events that happened in LA. She couldn’t believe the object of her fantasies for the last few months was her new best friend’s father. How was she ever going to stop thinking about him now? Buffy finally had enough and got out of bed, quietly heading downstairs for a glass of water, and stopping at the sight of Spike sitting at the counter. She hoped he wouldn’t notice her and was about to turn around, but luck didn’t seem to be on her side.

“You couldn’t sleep, either?”

She took in another a deep breath, sitting down next to him. “No, I can’t stop feeling guilty.”

He chuckled. “That makes two of us. I’m not the best father in the world, I know that. I’ve been involved with too many women, some almost half my age. I know that’s not the kind of example I want to give my daughter, but after having a one night stand with a bloody teenager? I’ve never been so disgusted with myself.”

She placed a hand on his arm. “It’s not your fault. You thought I was legal.”

Spike looked at her. “That still doesn’t make it right. What the fuck am I doing? I’m thirty-seven, and even if you were twenty-one, you still would have been too bloody young for me. What kind of father sleeps around with random women, who are twenty years younger, when I have a young girl to care for? I don’t blame Dawn for hating me.”

Buffy felt bad for him. “I’m sure she doesn’t hate you.”

He gave a humorless laugh. “Well, if she knew the thoughts I’m having right now, she would. I know it’s wrong, especially knowing what I do now, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting you.”

Buffy didn’t have time to think about that before his mouth crashed down on hers.

Chapter 2

Buffy gasped when she found herself being lifted up, then placed on top of the counter, Spike’s lips remaining on hers the whole time. She knew this was wrong, they were about to have sex in his kitchen, while Dawn was sound asleep upstairs. This was never supposed to happen again, but she couldn’t find it in her to stop him.

“Fuck, you feel so bloody good. Why can’t I stop wanting you? For months, you were all I thought about.”

Buffy could relate to him there, but even thinking about speaking was very difficult at the moment.

Spike continued to kiss her breathless, rubbing her inner thigh, moving his hand up to her center and sliding her panties out of the way, so he had better access to her entrance. He slipped one finger into her drenched pussy, then another soon after that, feeling how wet she was. “That’s my girl, all wet and ready for me.” He pumped his fingers in and out of her soft core, muffling her cries with his mouth as she came all over his hand, pulling his fingers out and licking them clean of her juices. It wasn’t enough; he had to have more of her taste. With that thought in mind, he lowered his head to her crotch and shoved his tongue inside her hole, eating her out like a man starved.

Buffy threw her head back, biting her lip to keep quiet, knowing it would be a disaster if Dawn were to catch them in the act.

He sucked her clit into his mouth, rubbing her thigh and bunching her panties more out of the way.

She covered her mouth with her hand, silently crying out as she came a second time.

Spike drank every drop of her cum down, not letting any of it go to waste.

Buffy grabbed his head, pulling him up to her. “Fuck me, Spike. It’s been so long, I need you inside me.”

No more thoughts about how wrong this was went through their heads; all they could think about was how much they wanted each other.

Spike unzipped his pants, taking his hard cock out and stroking it a few times, before sliding it over her soft folds, coating it with her juices.

Buffy licked her lips at the sight of him, already anticipating how it would feel to have him filling her up once again.

That was all the incentive he needed as he thrust his cock into her wet core, eyes rolling back once he was buried fully inside of her. It really had been too long. “Bloody hell, always so tight,” he panted, making his thrusts hard and fast, knowing she could take it.

“God, yes, fuck me harder.”

Spike was happy to oblige as he pounded into her roughly. This time he was able to muffle her screams, knowing how loud she tended to get. She came hard as he followed right behind her, both reaching the release they desperately needed.

Buffy avoided his gaze when he pulled out of her, straightening herself up and letting him help her off of the counter. She ran her fingers through her hair, wondering where they would go from here. “I should get back upstairs.”

He nodded, grabbing her arm before she could leave. “I know this should have never happened, but I don’t regret it.”

Buffy gave him a small smile. “Neither do I,” she said, then headed out of the kitchen.

Spike watched her go, then decided to clean up before turning in himself. It was going to be a long night.


* * * * *


“So, what do you think of him?”

Buffy was ripped out of her reverie by the sound of Faith’s voice. “What?”

Faith grinned. “Daydreaming, huh? Yeah, that usually happens after you meet Spike.”

Buffy quickly shook her head. “No, I’m not thinking about him. I actually don’t think he’s all that hot.”

The brunette clearly didn’t believe her. “You have eyes, right? It’s okay to admit it, B. We all have, Dawn’s used to it.”

“I don’t want her to get used to that. Dawn’s our friend, it’s not right to be attracted to her father. He’s twenty years older than us.”

Faith shrugged. “Like that’s ever bothered me before, older men are much sexier than the losers we go to school with.”

Buffy couldn’t argue with that, but sobered up when Dawn came over.

“Hey, what are we talking about?”

“How sexy your father is,” Faith spoke up.

Dawn cringed. “Can I possibly go one day without hearing that? I would really appreciate it.”

“Buffy’s in the group now, I needed to get her opinion.”

“Not you, too. I need at least one friend who doesn’t think he’s hot, it’s just disturbing,” Dawn claimed.

Buffy gave her a smile. “Don’t worry; he’s not really my type.”

Dawn sighed in relief, returning her smile.

Faith was still not convinced, but decided to let the subject drop, for now.


* * * * *


“God, we really need to stop.”

Spike chuckled, swirling his tongue around her nipple. “It doesn’t seem like you want to.”

It had been exactly one month since they were reunited again and ever since then, they hadn’t been able to keep their hands off of each other.

“Dawn trusts me, I can’t keep doing this to her.”

That caused Spike to halt in his actions, sighing as he lay down next to her.

Buffy came to his house after school, knowing that Dawn would be at band practice. She was supposed to tell him that it was over, but her plans always changed whenever she saw him.

“I don’t feel right about his, either. Dawn’s my daughter and I love her, I know how important her friends are to her, but I can’t seem to be able to stop. When you came over today, all I could think about was ripping your clothes off and having my wicked way with you. I’m a bloody pervert,” he said with a little moue of distaste for himself.

“You’re not exactly in this alone. We’re getting too careless, Spike. How much longer can this really go on? She won’t be oblivious forever, and then what?”

He didn’t have the answer to that, only cuddled her closer to his side, not ready to let go just yet, but anything else would have to wait as the front door opened and a voice called out.

“Dad, are you here?!”

Their eyes widened as they jumped out of bed.

Buffy scrambled for her clothes, putting them on as quickly as she could, Spike doing the same.

He ran his fingers through his messy hair, opening his door to see that Dawn was suddenly right there. He stepped out and closed the door behind him, so Buffy wouldn’t be seen. “Hey, love, you’re home early.”

She looked at him suspiciously. “Yeah, the band teacher had some sort of emergency. Why are you home already?”

He thought of what to say, wincing when a crash sounded from inside his room.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Never mind, at least you waited until I was out of the house this time.”

Spike let her walk away, feeling like the worse father in the world. He went back into his room to see Buffy giving him an apologetic look.

“Sorry, I tried to get out through the window.”

Spike smiled at her sadly; having a feeling that Dawn was bound to stay in her room for a while, so he should be able to sneak Buffy out through the front door. He did just that, leading her quietly down the stairs.

Buffy turned to him. “This is getting too risky, isn’t it?”

Instead of answering her, he pulled her to his chest and placed a tender kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll see you later, pet.”

She nodded and left the house, even though things were starting to get out of hand, Buffy knew that she would be seeing him again.

Chapter 3

Buffy was out with her friends at the Bronze a few nights later, but for some reason, she couldn’t find it in her to relax. Her mind kept drifting back to Spike, which would cause her to feel guilty every time she looked at Dawn. That’s why she found herself standing at the balcony, gazing down at her friends on the dance floor, feeling so utterly alone, but it never lasted.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

She smiled when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, leaning her head back to rest against his chest. “Nothing you need to worry about. What are you doing here? Dawn might see you.”

Spike shook his head. “I’m good at staying out of her sight. I told her I was going out with my mates tonight, leaving out the where part of it. The last thing a teenage girl needs to know is that her father tends to hang out at the same club as her.”

Buffy laughed. “Yeah, that’s definitely a mood killer.”

He nuzzled her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. “What are you doing up here by yourself?”

She shrugged. “I feel detached from the others, like I don’t really belong. I can hardly be around Dawn anymore without feeling incredibly guilty.”

Spike let out a sigh. “I’m sorry about that, love.” He moved the hair away from her neck, placing a soft kiss there.

Buffy shivered at the contact. “We shouldn’t be doing this here,” she whispered.

“Trust me, we won’t be seen.”

She gasped when his hand slipped up her skirt, moving her panties out of the way as his deft fingers slid into her wet heat.

He thrust them in and out of her drenched pussy, watching as she bit her lip to keep herself from screaming.

Buffy shut her eyes briefly, opening them a moment later to see Dawn dancing below, laughing without a care in the world as her father continued to fuck her with his fingers. The whole thing should have made her ashamed, but it turned her on instead. God, she was sick, but it was so hard to care when he was doing this to her.

Spike ran his lips down her neck, sucking on her pulse point. He pulled his fingers out once she came, licking them clean of her juices. “Always so bloody delicious,” he whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver once again.

A thought suddenly came to her as she turned to look at him with a frown. “Have you had sex with any of the others?”

He clenched his jaw. “You mean do I make a habit of fucking my daughter’s friends?”

She cringed at the sudden harshness in his tone. “I know they all have a thing for you, I was just wondering.”

“No, I haven’t, you’re the only one I’ve ever gotten close to. Her friends bloody scare me, especially that Faith bird. I always feel like she’s undressing me with her eyes, I’m glad Dawn stopped inviting her over. I haven’t felt like this with anyone else, Buffy. I know it’s bloody wrong, but that doesn’t make the feelings go away.”

Buffy sighed in relief, but got back to the point. “You know this can’t really go anywhere, right? Sure, it’s all good and fun now, but sooner or later, Dawn’s bound to find out. The last thing I want is for you to get locked up because of me.”

He nodded, already taking that in to consideration. “That’s why we hold off until you’re eighteen. If we have to come out, we’ll wait until then. They can’t do anything to me after that.”

“And you really think we can stop seeing each other until then? Spike, I’ve tried, but every time I see you, let’s just say I have a lot of improper thoughts. I don’t think we’ll be able to keep our hands off of each other for five more months.”

Spike cupped her cheek. “I never said we had to do that, we’ll just have to be more careful.” He kissed her then, and all thoughts of how they could get caught left their minds.


* * * * *


“I think my dad has a new girlfriend, as in more than a one night stand.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “What makes you say that?”

Dawn shrugged. “He’s just acting all weird, even more so than usual. I’m used to him having flings, but lately, he’s been really happy. He’s always smiling now, and I even caught him singing around the house. He hasn’t done that since my mom was alive. I think he might actually be in love, which is strange. He hasn’t let himself get too close to anyone since she died.”

Buffy blushed, which she hoped wasn’t noticeable. “Is that a good thing?”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind him finally getting serious about someone again, anything is better than your father being a huge slut. I hated all those bitches he used to bring to the house, luckily they never lasted. There was this one chick, Harmony something. Oh my God, she was such a nightmare. My dad has always been into bimbos, but I really hope he’s finally changed his ways. I wonder who she is.”

Buffy remained silent after that, not sure what else to say.


* * * * *


“Hey, Buffy, could we talk?”

She turned to the boy who addressed her, giving him a small smile. “Sure, Riley, what’s up?”

He looked shy before answering her. “I know we don’t know each other all that well, but I’ve been noticing you a lot. I guess what I’m trying to say is, would you like to go out with me?”

Buffy was surprised by this, Riley being one of the most popular guys in school. And he never seemed to show any interest in her before. Buffy glanced behind him to see Spike drive up to the school, an angry expression on his face as he looked in their direction. She turned back to Riley. “I’m flattered, really, but I’m not all that interested in dating anyone right now.”

Riley frowned, but nodded in acceptance. “Yeah, that’s cool; I’ll just see you around.”

She watched him walk away, heading to the back of the school where it was pretty much deserted.

Spike showed up instantly, pushing her into the wall, but not too hard. “So, who was that?”

Buffy could tell that he was jealous, and the thought excited her. “Just some jock, he asked me out. I turned him down, though.”

Spike was relieved to hear that, looking around to see that they were alone. He smashed his lips to hers, slipping his tongue inside when she granted him access, moving away after a few seconds to trail his lips down her neck.

“Why are you here?” she gasped out.

“Came to pick up Dawn, but I guess she got another ride. I could give you a ride if you like,” he said with a leer.

That was how they found themselves in the backseat of his car minutes later as she rode his cock to oblivion, panting hard with every thrust.

She rested her head against his chest, breathing heavily, his hands roaming down her naked back.

“That’s my idea of a ride,” she claimed with a giggle.

He smiled, kissing her forehead tenderly. “I did plan on taking you home; this was just an added bonus.”

They got dressed and moved to the front of the car, hoping no one saw them. As they were finally clear of the school, she looked over at him to notice the bulge in his pants.

“Seriously? You’re still hard?”

He chuckled. “It’s what you do to me, love. Bloody painful, it is, but I can wait until later to relieve myself.”

“What’s the fun in that?” she replied, throwing him a grin.

Spike didn’t know what she was implying, until he felt her unzip his pants and take his cock in her mouth, swerving the car from the shock of it. “Oh, fuck, do you wanna get us both killed?”

Buffy plopped his dick out of her mouth, giving him a sly look. “I think you can handle it.” She wrapped her lips back around his prick head, suckling it into her mouth, stroking his balls in the process.

Spike tried to keep the car on the road as she gave him the best blow job of his life. This girl was really going to be the bloody death of him.

Chapter 4

“There’s no bloody way!”

Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s the big deal? It’s just one date, I never get to go out with guys, yet you can have anyone you want come over. Do I ever say anything?”

Spike glared at her. “That’s different, I’m not sixteen. You’re too young to be dating.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s such a lame excuse. I’m not a little kid anymore. Connor’s really nice, I’ve liked him for a while now and he finally asked me out. Besides, look on the bright side, you would get the house to yourself for a few hours if you wanted to invite your girlfriend over.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m not stupid, Dad. I know you’ve been seeing someone, and this one you’ve actually been keeping from me, so that must mean you really like her. Can I go? Please?”

Spike hated the puppy dog eyes. He hadn’t wanted to give in, but one look at her quivering lip had him admitting defeat. “Fine, but I’ll be meeting him first.”

She smiled and gave him a quick hug. “Thanks, you’re the best.”

Spike let out a sigh as she headed upstairs. Sure, she said that now, but it was all about to change.


* * * * *


“What is he really like? Should I have a shotgun ready?”

Buffy laughed, snuggling up at his side. “I don’t think you have to worry about Connor. He’s a sweet guy, and he practically idolizes Dawn. She’s in good hands.”

“Better not be too good,” he mumbled.

She pecked him on the lips. “Look at you, all worried about your daughter going out on her first date. How adorable is that?”

Spike moved on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. “Not bloody adorable,” he stated, smashing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

Buffy gasped when his cock drove into her, ripping her lips away to catch her breath. “Right, not adorable, fucking sexy.”

He grinned. “And you better not forget it.”


* * * * *


“Come on, I know it’s in here somewhere. He always keeps the best DVDs hidden from me.”

Connor glanced around at his surroundings. “I feel really weird being in your dad’s room, Dawn. What if he catches us?”

She shook her head, finally locating what she was looking for. “Don’t worry about it, he’s working late tonight. We should be able to watch the movie and have it back in here before he even gets home.” Something shiny on the bed caught her eye and she moved over to pick it up, her eyes widening when she recognized it.

“What’s wrong?” he wondered when she got quiet.

Dawn pocketed the item, giving him a look. “Nothing, let’s get out of here.”

Connor was confused, but quietly followed after her.


* * * * *


“Hey, love, I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”

Buffy gave him a smile as she entered the house. “Dawn invited me over; I guess she forgot to mention it. She sounded kind of weird on the phone, I hope everything’s okay.”

Spike shrugged and led Buffy in to the living room where Dawn was waiting, a hard expression on her face.

Buffy was confused by the look she was giving her. “Is something wrong?”

Dawn threw a necklace down at her feet. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Buffy’s eyes widened when she noticed that it was her locket, touching her neck as if to just realize that it was missing.

“I found this in my dad’s room. Care to explain why?” she asked, already having a feeling what the answer would be.

“What were you doing in my room? You know it’s off limits.”

Dawn gave out a short laugh. “Now I know why, and don’t change the subject.”

Spike took a deep breath. “Buffy came over the other day. She needed to borrow one of my books, so I let her take a look at them. It must have just fallen off.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Dawn yelled. “You must think I’m pretty damn stupid. All this time, and right under my nose, I can’t believe I never figured it out. How long has this been going on?”

Spike was prepared to tell another lie that she would hopefully believe, but Buffy beat him to it.

“Almost two months,” she claimed quietly.

Spike turned to her, only to find that she was avoiding his gaze.

“Two months?! God, you’re both completely twisted. I know you’ve been around the block a few million times, Dad, but I never thought you would stoop so low as to screw a teenager, and someone that was my best friend? You’re sick, you know that? And you,” she continued, pointing at Buffy. “I trusted you and all this time you’ve been lying to me, going behind my back to fuck my father? Have you been pretending to be my friend just to get closer to him? I don’t even want to know you anymore. You’re nothing but a conniving skank.”

“All right, that’s enough! You have no bloody right to talk that way to her! What I do in my personal life is none of your business, Dawn.”

She wiped angrily at the tears that were suddenly in her eyes. “It figures you would take her side. You’ve always chosen your conquests over me.”

Spike tried to control his temper, speaking softer now. “I know you’re upset, but I’m still your father and deserve some respect.”

Dawn glared at him, shaking her head. “I could never respect someone like you. Mom would be disgusted if she could see you now,” with that said, she stormed upstairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Spike shut his eyes tight, opening them a moment later to stare at Buffy, who had tears streaming down her face. “Sweetheart,” he said, trying to grab for her, his heart breaking when she jerked away from him.

“I…I have to go,” she told him, her voice sounding distant.

“Buffy, love, I know everything seems bad now, but it’ll work out.”

She shook her head, giving him a sad look. “You should talk to her. I have to get out of here. I’m sorry.”

Spike let her go then, watching with a heavy heart as she ran out of the house, never looking back. He picked up her fallen locket, holding it close to his chest as he thought about what to do next. Both of his girls were hurting and one way or another, he would find a way to fix things. Spike would be damned if he was going to lose either one of them. That just wasn’t an option.

Chapter 5

Spike knocked on Dawn’s door, opening it when he didn’t hear anything from inside. He found her sitting up in bed, the stuffed pig that her mother gave her years ago clutched to her chest. He didn’t know what to say, but she beat him to it.

“Why her, Dad? Out of everyone in this world you could have hooked up with, why did it have to be one of my friends? Is she the only one, or have there been others?”

He shook his head, moving further into the room. “She’s the only one. We didn’t plan on this, it just happened. You remember my business trip to LA a few months ago? Well, that was the first time I met Buffy. It was in a bar, and she had me believing that she was twenty-one. We had one night together, she left the next morning, and that was it. We never expected to see each other again, but when I saw her here and realized just how old she was, I was repulsed with myself. Finding out that she’s a friend of yours, but also that she was a teenager? I hated myself after that, but I couldn’t stop wanting her. I guess she felt the same way, I don’t know how else to explain it. I’m sorry about everything.”

Dawn took in this new bit of information. “That doesn’t change the fact you were sleeping with someone who’s only a year older than your own daughter. What if I was the one having sex with a guy your age? How would you feel then?”

Spike shuddered at just the thought of that, seeing her point. “I would lock you up until you’re thirty.”

“Yeah, I imagine Buffy’s parents would feel the same way if they found out about you. Not only that, they would probably have you arrested, no matter what she told them. Did you ever think about what that would do to me?”

He took in a deep breath. “No one is going to find out about this, I’m trusting you not to say anything.”

She rolled her eyes. “Please, like I really want anyone to know that my dad is a huge pedophile.”

Spike clenched his jaw, trying to keep his temper in check. She had every right to feel the way she did, but that didn’t mean he had to tolerate her speaking to him like that. “Buffy will be eighteen soon…”

“And then what?” she said, cutting him off. “You’ll go out in public, hold hands for all to see, get married? I’ll finally have the big sister I’ve always wanted, but wait; she’ll be my step-mother, and only a year older than me, too. Do you not see how seriously messed up that is? Whether she’s legal or not, you two will never have a normal life.”

“I love her,” was all he said, giving her a firm look.

Dawn scoffed. “Right, keep telling yourself that.”

Spike had to leave before he ended up saying something that he would regret. “Get some rest; we’ll talk about this in the morning.” He left the room, closing the door behind him and resting his head against it, wondering just what tomorrow would bring.


* * * * *


He didn’t get any sleep all night, too concerned about what Dawn said, and too worried about Buffy. Spike wanted to talk to her, but didn’t think he would be welcome right now. Making things right with Dawn would have to be his first priority. He may be in love with Buffy, but Dawn was still the most important person in his life, nothing could ever change that. He knocked on her door, once again hearing nothing but silence inside, but this time when he opened it, the room was empty.


* * * * *


Buffy was surprised to find Spike on her doorstep, and confused as to why he would show up there after what happened the day before.

“What are you doing here?” she wondered.

“Dawn is missing. We talked last night, things were said and when I went to check on her this morning, she was gone. I was hoping that maybe you knew where she was.”

Buffy shook her head, concern for her friend clouding her features. “I haven’t seen her, and right now, I’m probably the last person she would go to, but Connor might know where she is.”

Spike nodded and led Buffy to his car; they had a girl to find.


* * * * *


“Where the bloody hell is she?!”

Connor took a step back, not about to let the older man intimidate him.

Buffy placed a calming hand on Spike’s arm. “It’s really important that you tell us, Connor. She could be hurt.”

He shook his head. “Dawn made me promise not to tell. I don’t know why, but she’s really mad at both of you. I don’t want her to get mad at me, too.”

Spike grabbed the boy by his shirt, getting into his face. “If you don’t talk, that will be the least of your problems.”

Connor gulped. “Okay, but you didn’t hear it from me. She said she was going to see her mom, that’s all I know.”

Spike let him go, turning back to Buffy. “I know where she is.”


* * * * *


They found her at the cemetery, laying in front of a tombstone, tears streaming down her face.

Spike walked over to Dawn. “We really need to talk.”

She sat up, wiping at her eyes and noticing that Buffy was standing behind him. “I’ll make things easier for you. I want to stay with Aunt Jenny.”

“Look, I know you’re upset, but running away isn’t going to solve anything.”

She laughed humorlessly. “You’re really one to talk. You ran away a long time ago. I can’t even talk about Mom anymore without you biting my head off. At least at Jenny’s house, a part of her is still alive. I just can’t be here anymore.” Dawn stood up, moving over to Buffy. “I need to know one thing,” she started, taking a deep breath. “Were you ever really my friend?”

Buffy couldn’t stop her tears from falling. “Yes, of course I was. You’re the only real friend I’ve ever had, things were never supposed to be like this. I’m so sorry, Dawn.”

She nodded. “I guess there’s nothing that can be done about it now. You were the one I trusted more than anything. I would have expected this from Faith, but not you. You knew how I felt going to that school and dealing with disgusting comments from everyone about my father, you’re even worse than them.” Dawn glanced back at Spike, giving him one more look. “I already called Jenny and she said that she would be happy to have me. I’m leaving first thing tomorrow.”

Spike watched her walk away, not doing anything to stop her. He could see the anguish clearly written on Buffy’s face, moving to comfort her, but she wouldn’t allow it. “So, is this how it’s going to be now? You won’t even let me touch you?”

“It has to be. This was all a big mistake, Spike. We never should have gotten involved again. Look at what it cost us? Your daughter and my friendship with her, none of this is worth that. We can’t see each other anymore.”

Spike shook his head. “I won’t accept that. I know Dawn better than you do. She’s feeling betrayed and heartbroken right now, but she will come around. She’s not actually going to leave. We can still make this work, Buffy. I love you.”

Buffy didn’t think it was possible, but that made her cry even harder. “I…I don’t love you. I have to go,” she said through her tears, running out of the cemetery and not looking back.

Spike was left standing there, his whole world falling apart.

Chapter 6

It had been weeks since Dawn left, everyone at school talked about her sudden departure, but luckily for Buffy, no one knew the real reason of why. As for Spike, she hadn't seen much of him since Dawn took off, but she knew he must be devastated. He was so convinced that his daughter wouldn't leave. She was afraid to go over there, afraid to see the state Spike was in. Buffy hated staying away from him, but knew it was the right decision. They just didn't have a future together, and she had to accept that. Her cell phone suddenly rang as she left the school; she answered it quickly, and frowned when she didn’t recognize the voice on the other end.

“Is this Buffy Summers?”

“Yes, who is this?” she responded, confusion lacing her tone.

“Willy, I work at the Bronze. Listen, there’s a guy here who’s completely hammered. I cut him off, but he doesn’t seem to be in a very good place. He gave me this number.”

Buffy let out the breath she’d been holding. “I’ll be right there.”


* * * * *


She entered the Bronze, heading to the bar to see Spike slumped over it.

“God, how much did you drink?”

Spike looked up at her, a dazed expression on his face. “It’s my pretty girl, but no, you’re not my girl, are you?” He burst in an uncontrollable laughter, tears forming in his eyes.

“Okay, it’s time to get you out of here,” she said, taking him by the arm and leading him outside.

He sniffed her hair. “Always smell so good.”

She scrunched up her nose. “And you really don’t, is drinking the answer to everything with you?”

“I wanted the pain to go away.”

Buffy felt for him, helping him into her car and away from the club.


* * * * *


Spike let out a sigh when she got him on the couch, laying his head back.

“I’m being punished, aren’t I? I’m a horrible person. I drove my daughter away, I had an affair with a teenage girl, I deserve everything that I get.”

Buffy sat down next to him. “You’re not a horrible person. If you are, then so am I. Dawn will come back, I’m sure of it.”

He glanced at her. “Will you come back?”

Buffy didn’t know how to answer that. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

Spike caressed her cheek. “I miss you, Buffy. I know you have to feel the same way.”

She closed her eyes, leaning in to his touch. “I do, but we can’t be together. You know that.”

“No, I don’t. All I know is that I’m going crazy without you.” His lips met hers then, and all conversation was brought to a stop.

Buffy knew that it was wrong, he was drunk and depressed, but she was never able to stop him when he touched her like that.

Spike pushed her back on the couch, getting on top of her, not breaking the kiss for a second.

Clothes were removed and hastily thrown to the floor before Spike slowly slid into her, ripping his lips away to bury his face in her neck. “Never get enough of you,” he whispered. “Please, don’t leave me.”

Buffy’s heart broke a little at his pleading tone. She ran her hands down his back, meeting his every thrust.

“I love you. God, I love you so much.”

Tears sprang to her eyes at his confession, knowing he wasn’t only saying this because he was drunk. “I love you, too,” she responded, there was no sense in denying it anymore.

Spike gave her a smile, sighing in relief as he nuzzled her throat.

They made love all night, moving up to his room after a little while.

Spike cuddled her to his side, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Buffy breathed heavily against his chest. “I don’t think I’ll be able to walk ever again.”

He chuckled. “Mission accomplished, then.”

“Yeah, I just bet you’re proud of yourself.”

Spike turned serious as he gazed down at her. “I never told you, but that one night we spent together in LA, it was the best of my life. I’ve had my share of women, but I’ve never connected to anyone before the way I did with you. Hell, you had me believing in love at first sight, which normally is something I would have mocked. When you left the next morning, I was distraught thinking I would never see you again. I admit, finding out you were only seventeen was a shock, but that didn’t change anything. I haven’t felt this way since my wife died, I never thought I would again. I hope that doesn’t scare you.”

Buffy took a deep breath. “Not scared, just overwhelmed. You make me feel like no one else, like I’m actually worth something.”

“You’re worth everything,” he whispered, pressing his lips to hers gently.

“But what about Dawn? She’ll never come back if she knows we’re together. I don’t think she can ever accept this.”

“I’ll call her tomorrow. I hope she can find a way to accept it, because I’m not about to let you go. No matter what.”


* * * * *


“Sweetheart, please come home. We need to talk about this in person. I really miss you.”

Dawn sighed on the other line. “Why would you even want me there? You hardly ever noticed me before, all you cared about was your girlfriends.”

Spike shut his eyes, opening them a second later. “I’m sorry for that, but you have to know how much I love you. I haven’t been a very good father, but I’m willing to try if you’ll give me another chance?”

“I want to, but it’s too weird knowing you’re dating someone my age. How am I supposed to handle that? I’m not saying I’ll never come home, but I need more time. I need to be on my own for a while. I do love you, Dad; this is just too hard for me. I hope you can understand.”

He nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. “All right, I can accept that. Just be safe, and call me any time you want, I’ll be here. I love you, princess.”

Dawn felt choked up, he hadn’t called her that since she was little. “I love you, too.”

She hung up then, and Spike did the same.

Buffy came into the room. “How did it go?”

“Better than I thought it would, but she needs more time.”

Buffy nodded and sat down on his lap. “We figured as much. It’ll be okay; she’ll come back when she’s ready.”

Spike wrapped his arms around her, pecking the tip of her nose and deciding to change the subject. “So, you didn’t tell me what you wanted for your birthday.”

She only smiled. “Surprise me.”

Chapter 7

“You are so evil.”

Spike grinned, prowling up her body. “And you love every second of it,” he commented, kissing her on the lips.

Buffy yanked harder on the handcuffs, but they still wouldn’t budge. “No fair, I wanna touch,” she said with a pout.

“All good things come to those who wait.”

She glared at him. “If you don’t get with the fucking and stop torturing me, I’m going to cut off your favorite appendage.”

He chuckled. “Now, what’s the fun in that? It’s your favorite appendage, too.”

Buffy couldn’t argue with him there, but didn’t have much time to think about it as he impaled her with his cock. Oh, yeah, she’d have to be crazy to cut that off. “Fuck, yes!” she yelled out, throwing her head back in pleasure. This was a much better way to spend the afternoon than going to a party with her friends. Spike was all Buffy needed as she lay naked underneath him, only wearing the necklace that he gave her for her birthday a few weeks ago.

Spike pounded her hard into the mattress, the bed knocking against the wall, but it’s not like he had to worry about being quiet now.

It took her all of a second to realize that her hands were free, digging her nails in his back once she could and leaving half moon marks in the process.

They came together, both completely sated.

Spike moved off of her as to not crush her, lying at her side, panting hard.

Buffy turned to him once she got her breathing under control. “Next time, it’s your turn to wear the cuffs.”

He had no complaints with that, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.

Buffy spoke after a moment of silence. “How’s Dawn doing?”

“I talked to her the other day; she seems to be doing well. I was almost hoping that she would be miserable there, but seeing as how Jenny lives on the beach, it’s not likely.”

She nodded. “That’s your wife’s sister, right?”

He nodded as well. “Yeah, the complete opposite of Drusilla. I don’t have any siblings and seeing how their relationship was, I’m glad I never did. They were constantly at each other’s throats, but when Dru died, Jenny completely shut down. She never really cried, not that I saw, but she seemed to lock the world out after that, kept to herself. I guess Dawn being there is good for both of them, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want her to come home.”

Buffy rested her head on his chest. “She will, the beach can get boring after a while.”

Spike agreed, having forgotten that she used to live in Los Angeles for a minute, even though he knew she was only trying to make him feel better. He needed a subject change. “You ready for another go?”

A sly grin was his only response.


* * * * *


It was hard for him to let her go, even for one night, but she told her parents she was staying at a friend’s house, and he knew that couldn’t last forever. Spike walked her to the front door, opening it for her and looking around before placing a quick kiss to her lips.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, love.”

She smiled, giving him one more peck before walking away.

Spike watched her go, closing the door and resting his head against it. He felt himself harden again, glancing down with a sigh. It was going to be a long day.


* * * * *


Buffy was confused that when she entered the school, people were staring at her, whispering when they thought she wasn’t looking. She assumed it was all in her head, but that changed as the day went on.

“I can’t believe you!”

Buffy was suddenly grabbed by Faith, and pulled into the girl’s bathroom. “What the hell was that for?”

The brunette glared at her. “Don’t give me that innocent act; I can’t believe I ever fell for it. You’ve been fucking Spike, haven’t you?”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “Where…Where did you hear that?”

“Are you kidding me? It’s all over school. Please, tell me it’s not true?”

Buffy avoided her gaze guiltily, which was all Faith needed.

“You little slut! How could you keep something like this a secret?”

Buffy felt ashamed, knowing that one of the sluttiest girls in school now thought she was one herself. “It’s not exactly something I felt like broadcasting. I’m not happy about this, it just happened. We tried to stop, but that never seemed to work out.”

Faith couldn’t believe what she was hearing, eyes widening when a thought occurred to her. “Wait a second, is this why Dawn left? Because she found out about the two of you?”

Buffy nodded, taking in a deep breath. “She was upset, but she’s doing better now. Spike still talks to her all the time, and we think she’ll be coming back soon.”

Faith shook her head. “You know, we may have joked around a lot about thinking Spike was hot, but none of us would have actually hooked up with him. We all respected Dawn too much for that, but I guess the same couldn’t be said of you. If this is how you treat friends, I don’t even wanna know you anymore. I hope he was worth it.”

Buffy watched as she stormed out of the bathroom, feeling lower than she ever thought was possible. Everyone else already knew, so it would probably be only a matter of time until her parents did. How was she going to deal with that?


* * * * *


“You have to get out of town. Go far away or something, everyone knows about us.”

Spike grabbed her by the shoulders. “Calm down, love. What’s this about?”

Buffy looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how it happened, but someone found out about us and spread it around the whole school. I had to deal with derogatory comments all day; even Faith looked at me like I was some cheap whore. My parents yelled at me for hours, saying they were going to arrest you for statutory rape, even though I told them it wasn’t like that, but they never listen to me. I had to sneak out of the house just to come see you. You have to get out of here, Spike.”

He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. We’re in this together; it’s going to be okay.”

“How can you say that? You could get locked up for this,” she claimed, trying to make him understand. “I always feared this would happen.”

“Look, as far as the rest of the world knows, this only happened recently. No one really has a clue of when we started, for all they know, it could have began after you turned eighteen. Dawn is the only one who really knows the truth.”

Buffy shut her eyes, shaking her head. “And so does Faith, I have a feeling she’s not someone I can trust right now.”

“Don’t worry about her, with her reputation, I doubt anyone would listen or even believe her. We’re going to get through this, baby. I promise you that.”

Buffy nodded as she buried her face in his chest, praying that he was right.

Chapter 8

Buffy knew everyone was talking about her when she entered school the next day, but she wasn’t about to let the whispering get to her. She just took a deep breath and headed to her locker, stopping suddenly at the sight in front of her. Someone had written the word ‘whore’ on her locker door with spray paint. Buffy was not about to cry, so she just opened it and placed her books inside, ignoring the whispering that continued to go on around her.

“God, I can’t believe she has the nerve to show her face around here. Fucking slut, she should just go back to LA where she belongs,” a brunette sneered, shoving Buffy as she walked by her, a group of girls tagging along like sheep.

Buffy watched them go, feeling tears form in her eyes, but she was not about to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

“Hey, Summers?”

Buffy stopped at the voice, turning around to see Parker Abrams, wondering how much more torment she should expect to deal with. “What do you want?”

Parker shrugged. “Seeing as how you’re such an easy lay, I think you know. Is that why you won’t give anyone in school the time of day? You like to fuck old guys? I bet I could make you forget all about him,” he claimed, trailing his hand down her arm.

She moved away from him. “I would never let you touch me.”

He laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s not like I’d want to; there’s no telling how many diseases you may have. I hear that Dawn’s father gets around, you sure he’s not screwing someone else on the side? I mean, come on, what could he possibly want with a high school chick?”

Even though Buffy knew Parker didn’t have a clue about anything, she was finding it harder to keep the tears at bay.

“Are you gonna cry now? That’s just pathetic.”

Buffy had enough. “Just leave me alone,” she spat, walking away from him, only to bump in to Riley Finn. Just what she needed.

“Hey, can we talk?”

“Look, I’ve had enough crap to last me a lifetime, okay? I don’t need you to make me feel even worse,” she told him.

Riley shook his head. “I wanted to apologize, I’m sorry that this happened. I saw you and Mr. Pratt outside his house the other day. I was just driving by, and I got a bit jealous when I saw him kiss you. I was upset that you turned me down, even more so to find out why. I told a friend about you two, someone that I thought I could trust. I told him not to say anything, but he ended up telling his girlfriend, who happens to be the biggest gossip in school. I’m really sorry, Buffy. I may not exactly understand your relationship, but I had no right to say anything about it.”

“I don’t believe this. My life is ruined right now just because you were jealous?” She walked away, not watching where she was going again, until she crashed in to another body, one that belonged to the head cheerleader. Could her life possibly get any worse?

“Watch where you’re going, slut.”

A crowd formed then, and Buffy just wanted to crawl inside a black hole and never leave.

“So, Summers, we’ve all been dying to know. How big is Mr. Pratt’s dick? He must be hung like a racehorse.”

Laughter rang out through the halls.

“Shut up,” Buffy snapped.

“Oh, nice comeback. Does Spike know what a complete loser you really are? Do you think he actually cares about you? The guy could have anyone he wants; maybe I might give him a go.”

Buffy was openly crying now as everyone around her started to chant ‘Summers is a whore,’ noticing that the exit was blocked and she couldn’t find a way to escape without going through the crowd of tormenters.

“That’s enough!” a voice rang out, loud enough for everyone to hear as they all stopped chanting.

Buffy turned to the newcomer, shock written on her features at the sight of Dawn, who hurried over to her.

“Leave her alone; don’t you people have lives of your own?”

“How can you stick up for her? She’s boinking your old man,” another student commented.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t concern any of you. It’s between me, Buffy, and my dad. For your information, they’re in love and didn’t begin seeing each other until she turned eighteen, so there’s nothing wrong with it. I left because I heard of an Art program in LA that I wanted to try out, I was already ahead of the rest of my class because of extra credit activities, so I took the opportunity to get away for a while. Buffy’s my friend, and she’s a good person. She doesn’t deserve any of this and if I hear anyone saying something bad to her again, you’ll have me to deal with.” She pulled Buffy away and out of the school, Faith following behind them after she witnessed the whole thing.

“I know that wasn’t true, Dawn. How can you support this?”

She turned to her friend, taking in a deep breath. “I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I realized something that I didn’t take in to consideration before. My dad is happy; this is the first time in years that I’ve seen him smile. Really smile, and not just put on a fake one to make me feel better. How can I get in the way of that?”

Faith held up her hands, not about to argue anymore. “Fine, you guys better get out of here. If I were you, B, I would take a few weeks off.”

Dawn sighed when the dark haired girl headed back to the school, turning to the blonde next to her, who had tears streaming down her face.

“I can’t believe you did that after everything I put you through. Whether I make your dad happy or not, I’m a horrible person. I deserve everything they said to me, and so much more. I can’t go back in there.”

Dawn nodded. “It’s okay; just give it a few days. I’m sure the whole thing will blow over soon.”

Buffy shook her head. “No, I can’t ever go back there. Nothing will ever be the same again, Dawn. It took only a day for the news to spread around the whole school, how long will it be before it’s the whole town? If it’s not already, I can’t be here anymore. My parents have practically disowned me, I’ve lost my friends, and there’s a pretty big chance that your dad could get thrown in jail.”

“That won’t happen. The police already came to my house. I told them that the whole thing started after you were of legal age, and it wasn’t rape like your parents tried to charge him of. It’ll be okay, just come back with me. I know my dad would like to see you, he’s been really worried. You heard my speech about him being happy, right? I wasn’t just saying that, it’s true, which means you can’t leave him. I won’t let you.”

Buffy couldn’t believe what Dawn was saying after everything that happened. She really was an amazing friend, one that Buffy didn’t deserve, but would be grateful every day that she had her. She nodded after a moment, letting Dawn lead her away from the school. If Buffy had her way, she would never set foot in that building again.

Chapter 9

He saw her sitting by herself at the bar, wondering why such a lovely creature was alone, but wasn’t about to complain as he headed over to her.

“This seat taken?”

She looked up at him and shrugged. “Be my guest.”

He took that as an invitation and sat down. “You come here often?”

She smiled. “You use that line often?”

He chuckled, realizing that he wasn’t even trying to give her a line. “I’m actually really curious.”

She shook her head. “I live in LA, but this is my first time here. It’s kind of a dump.”

“That it is. My name’s Spike, what’s yours?”

“Buffy,” she responded, shaking the hand he offered to her. “Did your mother actually call you that?”

He grinned. “It’s a nickname; did your mother actually call you Buffy? That’s just bordering on child abuse.”

She glared at him. “Yes, she did, and there’s nothing wrong with my name.”

Spike held his hands up, not wanting to fight with her, but he loved it when they were feisty. “Whatever you say, love. Aren’t you a little young to be in here?”

For some reason, Buffy didn’t want him to know how old she was. “Hardly, I just turned twenty-one, so I’m out celebrating.”

She was really young, but it didn’t seem to matter. He wanted this girl and was very determined to have her. “That works out nicely, then. I’m bored of this place. You wanna get out of here?”

Buffy knew she shouldn’t. He was a complete stranger, and probably a lot older than her, but he was also the sexiest guy she’d ever seen. Therefore, it was no surprise by the next words that came out of her mouth. “I’d love to.”


* * * * *


They crashed through the door of his hotel room, mouths fused together in a passionate embrace. Neither quite knowing how they got there, but not about to complain.

Buffy was thrown on the bed as her clothes were ripped from her body.

Spike pounced, not wasting any time before thrusting his cock in her pussy. Buffy explained earlier that she was on the pill, so he didn’t have to bother with a condom, which was more than fine with him.

Buffy let out a moan, arching her back as he hit all the right spots.

“Fuck, you feel so bloody good.”

She would have agreed, but speech was very difficult at the moment.

He pounded her hard and fast into the mattress, causing the headboard to bang against the wall and knowing the people in the next room were bound to hear what was going on, but Spike found it so hard to care. He reached down, slipping his thumb into her drenched cunny and flicking her clit, bringing her closer to release.

Buffy cried out as she came, throwing her head back.

Spike felt the warm wetness on his fingers, pulling them out of her folds once she came down from her high, and licking them clean of her juices. He smashed his mouth to hers then, slipping his tongue inside.

Buffy gave back just as good, not even disgusted to taste herself on his lips.

They fucked for hours that night, passing out once they both finally exhausted themselves.

Buffy got up quietly as she found what was left of her clothes, putting them on and giving him one more look before leaving the room.

It was no surprise to Spike when he woke up alone, knowing a one night stand when he saw one, but he was so hoping for more with her, and that thought alone was enough to completely shock him. One thing was for sure, though, nothing would ever be the same again.


* * * * *


Spike was taken aback when Buffy barreled through the front door, enveloping him in a hug as she cried into his shirt. He rubbed her back, whispering soothing words of comfort.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s all going to be okay. I’ve got you now.”

She clung to him desperately, never wanting to let him go.

Spike looked over her head to see Dawn standing there, taking in a deep breath. “How bad was it?”

Dawn let out a sigh, closing the door behind her. “Pretty bad, everyone was harassing her when I got there. She should have never gone to school today.”

Spike nodded, feeling tears form in his eyes. “This is all my bloody fault. We should have been more careful. I forget how cruel teenagers can be.”

Dawn moved further into the house. “I could have told you that. I feel even worse knowing I was just as bad as them.”

Spike shook his head. “You had every right to be upset, love. I’m the fucking adult here, I should have known better. Besides, you helped her when it counted. I really appreciate that.”

Buffy’s sobs died down as she turned to Dawn, wiping at her eyes. “So do I, thank you for sticking up for me.”

Dawn smiled. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

Buffy was relieved to know that they were still friends.

Spike led Buffy into the living room, one arm remaining around her. “You’ll stay here tonight, sweetheart. You can call your parents; hopefully they’ve stopped trying to have me arrested.”

Buffy shuddered at just the thought of that, but only nodded in response.

“Um, just one thing that worries me, if she’s staying here and all,” Dawn interjected. “You guys aren’t planning to go at it like bunnies, are you? Because I still live here, and my room is right next to yours. I like to think that I’m a pretty understanding person, at least now, but there’s only so much I can take. I think I’ve been scarred enough as it is.”

Spike laughed, noticing the adorable blush that was now on Buffy’s face. “No, love, we won’t be doing anything tonight. I think we all just need to get some sleep.”

Dawn sighed in relief, heading up to her room and leaving them to their privacy.

Spike sat down on the couch, pulling Buffy with him and placing her on his lap as he wrapped his arms back around her tiny frame. “Are you okay? What did those wankers say to you?”

She glanced up at him, shaking her head. “I’d rather not talk about it. I just want to put it all behind me and forget this day ever happened.”

Spike could understand that, so he decided to let it go. “You wanna head up to bed now?”

“Not yet, could you just hold me for a little while longer?”

Spike smiled and pressed a tender kiss to her lips, guiding her head to rest on his shoulder as he held her tighter. “I can do that.”

It didn’t take long before they were both dozing off, safe in each other’s arms.

Chapter 10

“Don’t you dare walk away from me, young lady! As long as you’re living under my roof, you’ll do as I say.”

Buffy stopped in her tracks, turning to glare at her father. “Then maybe I won’t be living under your roof anymore, I’m tired of it. I’m tired of you moving us around just to make yourself look better. I screw up in LA, so you had to move us here to start over. Well, guess what? I’m still screwing up. You both would obviously be better off if I didn’t live under your roof. I only came back to get some of my stuff, I’ll be out of your way soon.”

Hank Summers threw up his hands. “I’m not listening to this. Talk some sense into your daughter, Joyce,” he spat, throwing his wife a cowering stare.

She avoided her husband’s gaze, not sure what to say to deflect the situation. “No one is blaming anyone here, Buffy. We all just need to sit down and talk about this. Think about what you’re doing, you’re throwing everything away for a man that is old enough to be your father. He has a daughter your age, don’t you see how wrong that is? We only want what’s best for you.”

Buffy laughed humorlessly. “Right, what’s best for me, or what’s best for your reputation? Let’s face it, all you care about is the fact that I’m involved with a man who doubles my age, and how bad it makes you look. It was never about me. I love him and right now, he’s the only one that’s been there for me.”

Hank scoffed. “Love? You think that’s what this is? You don’t know the first thing about love, you little brat. He only wants one thing from you, and I guarantee it has nothing to do with love. Why else would a man want a young girl? It’s only about sex. As soon as you get older, he’ll get bored of you and find another pretty young thing to keep him company. All you are is someone to warm his bed, but that won’t last.”

“You don’t know anything about him!” Buffy yelled. “He’s not you, Dad. Don’t think I don’t know that you’ve been fucking your secretary for the last year, I’m not stupid. And don’t even give me that look, Mom, you knew all along. How could you stay with someone who’s been cheating on you? If you ask me, you’re the ones who know nothing about love. I’m getting out of here; I want nothing to do with either of you.”

Hank grasped her arm, yanking her back. “You’re not going anywhere, except up to your room. I’ll lock you in there if I have to. You are never to see that man again, do you understand me?”

She ripped her arm out of his grasp. “Newsflash, Father, I’m eighteen now, you can’t tell me what to do. I could legally live on my own if I wanted to, you don’t own me.” Buffy didn’t see it coming, until she felt the sting on her cheek. She reached up to touch the spot where he hit her, noticing the shock on her mother’s face. She felt tears well in her eyes as Hank grabbed her again, pulling her upstairs and throwing her into her room; she lost her balance and fell to the floor.

“Now, you listen to me. I will not have a whore for a daughter. This ends now, and if you go anywhere near that man again, I will have him locked away for a very long time. Don’t underestimate the power I have in this town, it’ll be my word against yours. Do I make myself clear?”

Buffy didn’t answer as he slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. She brought her knees up to her chest, burying her head as she broke out in sobs.


* * * * *


Spike was on Dawn the second she came through the front door, not giving her time to put her bag down.

“Was she there today?”

Dawn let out a sigh. “No, I heard that her parents took her out of school. It doesn’t look good. There’s talk about Buffy being shipped away to Switzerland to finish off her senior year at some all girl boarding school.”

He shook his head. “No, I won’t let that happen. I’m going to her house.”

Dawn stopped him before he could leave. “What good will that do, Dad? Has Buffy told you anything about her parents?”

Spike thought about it, realizing that he knew nothing about them.

Dawn nodded at his silence. “Well, they’re horrible people. Buffy doesn’t talk about her mom much, so I guess she’s not as bad, but her dad is a tyrant. You won’t believe some of the things he’s called her, and that was way before all this happened. He’s emotionally and physically abusive, Buffy tried to take her own life a few years ago because she couldn’t handle it anymore. He’s been having an affair for the last year or so with a woman who’s only nineteen. They’ve moved around a lot, this is probably the longest Buffy has ever stayed in one place. I’m the only one she’s trusted with any of this, and now I’m telling you. Going over there is bound to make things worse, you can’t reason with these people.”

Spike took in this new bit of information, wondering why Buffy never told him any of that. “I have to do something, Dawn. I can’t just let them send her away, not when this is all my fault. I’m the reason she’s in this situation right now, I have to make things right.”

Dawn knew there was no stopping him once he set his mind on something, so she only nodded as he left the house, hoping he knew what he was getting himself into.


* * * * *


Spike arrived at Buffy’s house, noticing that the place looked pretty dark, but knowing it was too early for anyone to be asleep. He had only been there once before to drop Buffy off. He headed over to her bedroom window, climbing the tree outside, and realizing he was too old for that, but it would be worth it to see her. Spike saw that she was lying in bed and tapped on the window quietly as she stirred, then glanced over at him.

Buffy jumped out of bed, moving over to the window to let him in; luckily they had yet to put bars up. “What are you doing here? You could have hurt yourself.”

Nothing seemed to matter in that moment as he took her in his arms, never wanting to let go. “I had to see you,” he said, pulling away to look at her. “Are you okay, baby?” Spike caressed her bruised cheek, feeling such hatred go through him at the thought of her father hitting her.

“I am now,” she whispered, more tears streaming down her face. “You shouldn’t be here. If he catches you…”

Spike cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, resting his head against her forehead. “He won’t, we’re getting out of here.”

Buffy shook her head. “I can’t leave, Spike. He said he would make sure you were locked up if I saw you again. That’s why he’s sending me away, so we won’t be able to be together anymore.”

“Do you want to leave?”

She closed her eyes, leaning in to his touch. “No, I want to stay here with you.”

He smiled. “That works out nicely, then. Don’t worry about what he’ll do to me, the ponce can’t touch me. Come back with me, sweetheart. No one is going to take you away from me, I’ll see to that.”

Buffy nodded without hesitation, picking up the bag she packed earlier, just in case she would manage to escape.

Spike guided her out the window, climbing down the tree first, and then helping her to do the same.

Once they touched the ground, they both ran to his car, driving away from her house and not looking back once.

Chapter 11

Spike grinned at the dark haired woman who opened the door, giving her a hug.

“You’re just as lovely as ever.”

She rolled her eyes, pushing him away. “And you’re still a sweet talker, even when you know it doesn’t work on me. What have you gotten yourself into now, William?”

He took a deep breath. “Could we come in first? Then I’ll explain everything.”

Jenny glanced behind him to see two girls standing there, one of them being her niece. Oh, this was going to be good.


* * * * *


Spike watched Buffy run along the beach with Dawn, Jenny had a perfect view of the ocean from her balcony; you could see everything from there.

“She’s a very pretty girl. A little young, don’t you think?”

He let out a sigh. “Spare me the lecture, all right? I’ve already heard it all. Yes, I’m dating an eighteen-year-old. Yes, we’re madly in love. Yes, I basically kidnapped her from her house and will probably have to deal with the cops now, but I didn’t have a bloody choice. Her father abuses her; he was going to send her to another fucking country. I couldn’t let that happen.

Jenny held her hands up. “Hey, you don’t have to explain anything to me. I get it, but you can’t hide out here forever. Sooner or later, you’re both going to have to deal with this. You can stay for a few days, but that’s the best I can do.”

Spike nodded. “That’s plenty, thank you. I really owe you for this, Jenny.”

She nodded as well, giving him a smile. “You have no idea.”


* * * * *


“Are you sure it was a good idea to tell Faith where we were going? I’m not exactly her favorite person right now.”

Dawn waved a dismissive hand in the air. “She’ll get over it. Faith’s only real problem is the fact my dad chose you, while always ignoring her. He never gave her the time of day, and Faith can’t handle rejection well. It’s not in her nature. She acted the way she did probably out of jealousy.”

Buffy’s eyes widened, wondering how they ever became friends in the first place. She jumped when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, leaning back against a hard chest, immediately knowing who it was.

“You looked so bloody gorgeous sitting out here in your tiny bikini. I couldn’t resist joining you,” he whispered in her ear.

Dawn scrunched up her nose. “Gross, that’s my cue to leave.”

Spike chuckled. “Sorry, love, I forget that you’re still sensitive about this.”

“Honestly, I should be rewarded for putting up with your nauseating displays, or at least get a raise in my allowance.”

Spike shook his head. “You drive a hard bargain, but I suppose we could work something out.”

Dawn flashed him a huge smile, then took off to go back to Jenny’s house.

“Alone at last,” Spike claimed, trailing his lips down her neck, sucking on her pulse point.

Buffy groaned as she shut her eyes. “Spike, please,” she panted.

“Please what? Believe me, I would love to take you on this beach right now, but with so many eyes around us, I shouldn’t risk it.”

She slapped his chest. “Then stop teasing me.”

He laughed, pressing a kiss to her cheek and holding her closer, speaking up a moment later. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about your father?”

Buffy knew he was bound to bring that up at some point, taking a deep breath. “It’s not something I care to talk about. I didn’t think you needed to know.”

Spike turned her to look at him. “Of course I needed to know, Buffy. I love you; it kills me to know what you’ve been living with. That he’s been hurting you this whole time, and I could never do anything about it.”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I never knew how. I’ve always envied your relationship with Dawn. Yeah, I know things haven’t always been perfect, but it’s so obvious how much you care for her. I’ve never had that. My dad always wanted a boy and because I wasn’t one, he hated me since the day I was born. Like it was my fault I wasn’t born with a penis, they tried to have more kids after that, but they weren’t able to. So, he was stuck with a daughter that he never wanted. And my mom? She’s spent most of her marriage terrified of him; she would let him do anything he wanted to me, never doing anything to stop him because she was too afraid of him turning on her. She’s known about his affair practically since the beginning, and never once did anything about it. She’s such a coward; I never want to be like that. No matter what I did, it was never good enough, so I just stopped trying. I started acting out, hanging with the wrong crowd, screwing up in school. They had to move me around so much; you don’t know how hard it was for me to even get into Sunnydale High. I promised myself that things would change once I got there, that I would finally put my past behind me. Of course, the past always has a way of following you,” she finished, gazing into his eyes.

Spike’s hold on her tightened. “He’s a bloody moron, love. When I first laid eyes on Dawn, I was a goner. She was the most precious thing in my world, and that’s how it should have been for your father. You always love your children no matter what. I’m so sorry you had to grow up thinking you weren’t loved.”

Buffy sniffled, not even realizing that she was crying until then. “I didn’t even know what love was until I met you.”

Spike captured her lips with his, holding her close as she rested against his shoulder. He would do whatever he could to protect her.


* * * * *


“Thank God, they’re not having sex. They’re just sitting out there.”

Jenny smiled. “Well, I’m sure even your father knows better than to have sex on a public beach.”

She gave her aunt a look. “You remember how I was conceived, right?”

“Good point, your mother was very adventurous, but I see some shyness in Buffy.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah, she’s real shy.”

Jenny took her hand, sitting her down at the table. “How do you really feel about all of this, honey?”

Dawn shrugged. “I admit it’s still really weird, but I’ve decided to accept them being together. I wouldn’t want my dad to be miserable, and he’s been really happy lately. Besides, if they ever do get married, at least I know that I already like my step-mother. We can share clothes and everything.”

Jenny patted her hand. “That’s a good spirit, but I doubt either one is thinking about marriage right now.”

Dawn agreed, looking back out at the beach, smiling when she realized that they really did look good together. She supposed her father could do worse.

Chapter 12

Buffy paled when they reached Spike’s house, after dropping Dawn off at Faith’s for the night. There was a man standing outside the house, one that she knew all too well.

Spike could imagine by her reaction alone who the man was, so he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. “It’s okay, baby. Let’s just get this over with.”

They got out of the car, Buffy never letting Spike’s hand go.

Hank Summers scowled at them. “Did you think I wouldn’t find you? We’re going home now,” he spat, trying to grab for Buffy, but Spike pulled her away.

“You’re not taking her anywhere, mate. I want you off my property.”

“Who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can’t do with my own daughter? You’re nothing but a sick fuck, you know that? You get off on pleasuring little girls? I’ll have your ass locked in jail for a long time,” he fumed.

Spike wasn’t about to let the older man intimidate him, so he stood his ground.

“God, that’s it!” Buffy exclaimed, putting herself in between the two men. “I want you to stay away from me, Dad. I’m never going back with you, so get over it. I don’t even know why you’re bothering with this, since you hate me so much. I’m actually doing you a favor by staying away, so just leave us alone.”

Hank wouldn’t let the little brat talk back to him, but a grin suddenly formed on his face when a police car showed up. “It looks like your time is up. I had your mother call the cops and send them over here. Your little boyfriend is gonna end up being someone else’s bitch once he’s in jail. Kidnapping, rape, I could go on and on.”

Buffy’s hold on Spike tightened, not about to let him go without a fight.

Two cops stepped out of the car, heading over to them.

Hank pointed at Spike. “He’s the one you want, officers.”

They stared at each other, then at the man who spoke. “I’m Detective Wood; this is my partner, Charles Gunn. We’re looking for Hank Summers.”

His eyes widened. “What do you want with me?”

Wood moved closer to him. “Do you know a Janice Avery?”

Hank nodded. “Yeah, she was my secretary. What of it?”

“We’re led to believe she was more than that, sir. We were contacted by Janice’s parents, who were informed that you might have had a relationship with their daughter, so they looked through her room and found quite a few pictures, and a videotape of the two of you in very intimate situations, the girl is only fifteen-years-old. Are you aware that child pornography is illegal?”

Buffy gasped at this new bit of information, but remained silent.

Hank was appalled. “The little bitch lied to me; she had me believing that she was nineteen. This is not my fault.”

“You’re going to have to come with us, Mr. Summers,” Gunn said, moving to cuff the agitated man.

“This is an outrage! You’ll be hearing from my lawyer!” Hank was cut off as he was shoved into the police car, the door closing behind him.

“Are you two all right?” Wood asked them.

Buffy nodded, still in a state of shock. “Yeah, what’s going to happen to him?”

“I would imagine a long time behind bars, the parents of that young girl aren’t going to make things easy for him.”

Spike rubbed Buffy’s back in comfort. “Thank you, officer.”

“You two have a nice night,” he said, then got in the police car and drove off.

Buffy sighed in relief once they were gone, burying her head against Spike’s chest. “I can’t believe this. How could my dad do something like that? Whether he knew how old she was or not, that’s just so disturbing. This is something else I didn’t need, I’ll be known as the daughter of a pedophile now. I really can’t ever show my face in that school again, or anywhere else for that matter. I’m gonna need to put a bag over my head for the rest of my life.”

He chuckled. “It would be a crime to cover such a pretty face. Don’t worry about it, love. I’m sure it’ll all blow over; this will ruin your dad’s reputation more than yours. They might stop talking about us now.”

“Something to look forward to,” she mumbled, pulling away when another car drove up to the house, an older woman stepping out of it.

“Buffy, are you okay?”

She grasped his hand again. “I’m fine, Mom. What are you doing here?”

“I saw the police drive away; I figured they had your father. I’m so sorry about all of this. He wanted me to call them to take your friend, but I couldn’t do it.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “So, you had Dad arrested instead? How did you even know what he was up to?”

Joyce took a deep breath. “I’ve had my suspicions for quite some time now. I know this can’t make up for all that we’ve done, but I figured it was a start. I couldn’t let him get away with it anymore. I’m so sorry for what he’s put you through, honey. I was a horrible mother, I just stood by and let him hurt you because I was so scared of standing up for myself, but that will never happen again. I’m so very sorry.”

Buffy was shocked when her mother hugged her. Joyce Summers never had shown her that much emotion before. She wasn’t sure how to handle it, but found herself returning the embrace, crying into her mother’s hair without even realizing it.

They pulled away after a moment, both wiping the tears from their face.

Joyce then acknowledged the man standing with her daughter. “You must be Spike; it’s nice to finally meet you.”

He raised his eyebrows, taking the hand that the older woman offered to him. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“I just want you both to know that I won’t be getting in your way. You’re an adult now, Buffy, and it’s time I realized that. I’m selling the house and moving back to LA to stay with my sister for the time being. You, of course, are welcome to stay here. I wouldn’t make you leave, and I want you to know I never agreed with your father about sending you to Switzerland. I should probably get down to the station now; and see about filing for a divorce.”

Buffy watched her walk away, calling to her one more time. “Thanks, Mom.”

She smiled at her only child, then got in her car and drove away.

Buffy wrapped her arms around Spike, pleased to know that they were finally free to be together. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired in my life. I have the most dysfunctional family ever. I can’t wait to meet your parents.”

“They’re dead, love.”

She groaned. “God, you’re so lucky.”

Spike laughed, picking her up and carrying her into the house, while she giggled along the way.

Chapter 13

Buffy was serious about never setting foot in Sunnydale High again, and now with her parents no longer controlling her, she decided to drop out and went for her GED instead, which she managed to pass with flying colors. The school year came and went; Buffy didn’t feel left out with not going to Prom or graduation. She had Spike, and that was all she needed. Dawn, of course, graduated, so he was there to support her, while Buffy stayed behind at the house, which was now her house as well. She had moved in officially after her mother took off back to LA, not really having anywhere else to go, but she couldn’t be happier with her new living arrangements.

Dawn chose to sleep with headphones or cotton balls every night, giving them permission to ‘go at it like bunnies’ if they wished. She was visiting Jenny for the summer, then would be attending UC Sunnydale in the fall and staying in a dorm, which would give the couple more privacy.

Buffy always had plans to go to college, but it didn’t seem to matter anymore. So much had changed that she no longer saw college in her future. What she wanted right now was to find a job as soon as possible because, no matter what Spike said, she didn’t feel right about not helping out with the bills.

She wanted to do something with her life, which was why she found herself running into the house, yelling Spike’s name.

“Where’s the bloody fire?” he asked, coming down the stairs.

She pounced on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and planting a hard kiss on his mouth.

Spike pulled away breathlessly. “Not that I mind you greeting me like that, but what’s the occasion?”

Buffy flashed him a bright smile as she jumped down. “I got a job today. This is so cool. It was my first interview ever, and I got hired right on the spot. How awesome is that?”

He returned her smile. “That’s great, love. What’s the job?”

“I’ll be working at the Bronze. We go there all the time, anyway. Now, I’ll be getting paid for it. I’m gonna be a waitress, since I’m too young for bartending. I know, it’s not the best job in the world, but money is money. Hell, I was even willing to work at the Doublemeat Palace,” she finished with a grimace, so glad it didn’t come to that.

Spike chuckled. “Well, this calls for a celebration. I’ll make you a nice bath, and prepare your favorite meal tonight. How does that sound?”

Buffy pressed her lips to his again. “Like Heaven, even more so if you join me in the tub,” she whispered seductively.

He picked her up then, carrying her upstairs to do just that.


* * * * *


Buffy shut her eyes, biting her lip in pleasure as Spike continued to thrust into her from behind. She leaned back against his chest, both of them comfortable in the large bathtub, their bodies nice and soapy, which made it easier for him to slide his cock in her ass, Buffy having never tried that before.

He let out a grunt, spilling his seed inside her tight hole. “You okay? It didn’t hurt, did it?” he asked solicitously, as soon as he gathered his bearings.

She shook her head, leaning back. “No, it was perfect.”

Spike kissed her cheek as he continued to get her clean; picking her up once the water ran cold and drying her off.

“When is Dawn coming back?” she wondered after a moment.

“In two weeks, so she can get ready for when school starts next month. I still can’t believe my little girl is going off to college, well, the campus is only twenty minutes from here, but she’ll still be moving away. It’ll be too quiet in the house now.”

Buffy grinned, touching her lips to his. “I think we can fix that.”

Spike leered at her. “Vixen,” he commented, then swooped her up in his arms and carried her off to his room.


* * * * *


“So, who interviewed you?” he asked, pulling her closer to his side.

“Some guy named Ben, his father owns the Bronze, but has decided to retire and leave the place to his son, hence him looking for new employees. Ben’s pretty young to be running a club, though. He looks to at least be in his thirties, but he was really nice. Didn’t talk down on me for being a kid, or for not finishing high school, or having any experience, for that matter. He made me feel like an adult,” she finished proudly.

“Well, that’s because you are. I thought I made you feel like that,” Spike said with a pout.

Buffy kissed it away. “You make me feel like a woman, no one can top that.”

He was pleased with her answer, returning her kiss passionately. “When do you start?”

“Next Monday, and I seriously can’t wait. I know, most people would be dreading going to work, but this is my first real job. I feel like jumping up and down right now, but that might make me seem too much like a kid.”

Spike shook his head, a grin forming on his face. “Hardly, have at it, I like watching your tits bounce.”

She slapped his arm. “You’re such a pig.”

“Oink oink, baby, but seriously, I’m proud of you. I know how much you wanted to help out, even though you don’t need to, but if this makes you happy, then I’m all for it.”

Buffy wrapped her arms around him. “Thanks, that means a lot. And hey, maybe I can even get you free drinks when you come in.”

“Oh, added bonus,” he replied, kissing her soundly and knowing neither one would be getting any sleep that night.


* * * * *


Spike saw her working hard, going from table to table with a smile on her face. He couldn’t help smiling at the display, but it quickly faded.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

He groaned, knowing that voice all too well. “Peaches, to what do I owe the displeasure?”

The dark haired man glared at him. “It’s Angel, I hate that fucking name and you know it.”

Spike grinned. “Why do you think I keep using it? What are you doing here?”

“I work here, bleach boy. I’m the new bartender; the owner’s a friend of mine. What are you doing here?” he wondered, then caught what had Spike’s attention earlier, giving a low whistle. “Understandable, she’s a hot one. I wouldn’t mind getting a little piece of that.”

Spike gave him a look that could kill. “You won’t be touching her, mate.”

Angel held his hands up. “Did I strike a nerve? She your girl? A little young for you, don’t you think?”

Spike clenched his fists at his side, not about to justify himself to a man that he hated, and figured that getting into a fight on Buffy’s first day would not go over well.

Buffy came over then, noticing the tension between them. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Spike welcomed the distraction, placing a kiss to her cheek. “Nothing, love, I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

Angel stepped forward. “Aren’t you going to introduce us, Spike? That’s just rude.”

He had no intention to do that, instead pulling Buffy away from the other man, so they could talk in private. “Sweetheart, are you sure this is the job for you? I’m sure there’s something else out there you could get.”

“Spike, I just started, and I like it here. What’s the deal with that guy?”

“It’s a long story, let’s just say that me and the ponce go way back, and he’s not someone I want around you. The bloke is nothing but trouble,” he explained.

Buffy touched his arm gently. “I can handle myself, you worry too much. It’s a big place; I’ll just stay out of his way. I’m not off for a few more hours, why don’t you go for a drive or something, then come pick me up later? You could probably use the fresh air.”

Spike nodded, even though leaving was the last thing he wanted to do. “All right, just be careful.” He kissed her quickly on the lips, then left the club.

Buffy headed back to work, not knowing that she was being watched.

Chapter 14

“Dad, I can’t breathe.”

He let her go, giving her an apologetic look. “Sorry, sweetheart, this is just hard for me.”

“I know, but I’ll be fine, and I plan on visiting every other week or so. I’ll be around so much you’ll start getting sick of me,” Dawn explained.

“No chance of that,” Spike responded.

Dawn glanced at Buffy. “You’re coming over next weekend, right? I need a girl’s night.”

She nodded. “Yep, I wouldn’t miss it.”

That worried Spike even more. “Just avoid frat boys, both of you.”

“Now, what would I want with a college boy when I have you?” Buffy said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“And to that an extreme see you later,” Dawn commented, giving them both one more hug. “Try not to break all the furniture with your sexcapades,” she said with a wink, then left the house.

He grinned. “How do you still blush with everything we’ve done?”

Buffy shrugged. “It still takes some getting used to. Hey, what do you think about turning Dawn’s room into a nursery?”

Spike paled, moving away from her. “Are you serious? Tell me you’re not serious?” he practically pleaded.

Buffy was surprised by his reaction. “I was just kidding.”

He sighed in relief, then glared at her. “That wasn’t bloody funny.”

“Wow, tell me how you really feel. It’s nice to know that you find the idea of having kids with me so horrible.”

Spike shook his head. “I’m sorry, love, that came out wrong. It’s just, I’m nearly forty. I’m not interested in having any more kids.”

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t I get a say in this? You never told me you felt that way. I’m only eighteen, Spike. I’ve always planned on having children when I got older.”

“Well, then maybe you should find someone younger,” he spat, instantly regretting it when he noticed the hurt expression on her face, but she didn’t give him a chance to explain.

“I don’t want to argue about this right now. We’ll discuss it later; I have to get to work.”

He grabbed her arm. “Love, come on, I don’t want you to leave upset at me. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way I feel. I guess I was hoping that kids wouldn’t be important to you.”

“I guess you thought wrong, because it is important to me. I have to go.”

Spike let her walk away that time, hoping they could work this out. He didn’t want to lose her over this.


* * * * *


“God, I can’t feel my feet.”

Angel chuckled. “Rough day?”

Buffy smiled. “Spoken like a true bartender, but since my boyfriend hates you, I don’t think I’ll be telling you any of my problems.”

He nodded, a smirk on his face. “I didn’t think you would, so, what has my old friend told you about me?”

“Nothing much yet, but I have a feeling you were never friends.”

“Oh, we were,” Angel claimed, “best friends in fact, but things change. I’ll let him tell you. Although, I’m sure his version will make me seem a lot worse than I am.”

“It’s getting late, you two can take off now,” Ben said, making his way over to them.

Buffy sighed in relief. “Thank God,” she replied, amending herself at the look on her boss’ face. “Not that I want to leave or anything. I love this job, really glad to be here.”

He held his hand up. “It’s all right, Buffy, I get it. You’re doing a great job, keep up the good work.”

She beamed at that.

Angel glared at Ben’s retreating back, but anything he would have said was put on hold at the arrival of another man. “Oh, look, the boyfriend’s here. If you wanna get back at him for whatever he did to you, making out with me would really do the trick.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “It’s never gonna happen,” she told him, then headed over to Spike, who immediately took her in his arms and kissed her.

“I’m so sorry, love. I’ve been going out of my bloody mind ever since you left earlier today. I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

She let out a breath. “I’m not mad. I get why you wouldn’t want any more kids, but it’s still important to me. I’ve never had that, and I’ve always wanted to be a mother. Don’t ask me why, seeing as how my home life was never that great, but I’ve always loved kids.”

He nodded. “Okay, I’ll think about it. Sometimes I wish I was twenty years younger, give you everything you deserve.”

Buffy wrapped her arms around him, pecking him tenderly on the lips. “You already have.”


* * * * *


“So, why do you hate Angel so much? Yeah, he’s a total perv, but he’s been nice to me at work.”

Spike sat up in bed, taking in a deep breath. “He’s a charmer, that one. We were best mates in high school and all through college, but we would constantly compete with each other. Whatever I had, he had to have as well. And then I met Drusilla, she was dark, mysterious, everything I wanted in a woman. Of course, Angel had an eye for her, too. We were dating for six months when I went to surprise her at her dorm room, and found them in bed together. Drusilla was mortified, but Angel didn’t even seem to care. I avoided both of them after that. Dru wouldn’t leave me alone, though. She kept coming around telling me how sorry she was, and that I was the only one she loved. I was bloody crazy about her, so I forgave her and we got back together. It was a little after that when she told me she was pregnant, and I admit, my first thought was if I was even the father. Thankfully the baby was mine, not that I would have loved her any less, but a year later we were married. I never even told Dawn any of that. As for Angel, I never saw the ponce again, not until I ran into him at the Bronze on your first day. I would have been happy to never see the wanker again. He fucking sleeps with my girlfriend, and then just takes off, he never even cared to apologize and try to get our friendship back, which proved we obviously weren’t very good friends to begin with. That’s why I got so crazy about you working with him, I know what Angel’s like.”

Buffy took it all in. “Well, that was a long time ago, maybe he’s changed.”

Spike shook his head. “Not Angel, he never changes. Promise me that you’ll stay away from him, please? If he talks to you, just go the other way. I know everything worked out with Drusilla in the end, we had twelve wonderful years together, but I don’t want to lose you to that prat.”

Buffy touched his arm gently. “You won’t lose me, Spike. I’m not interested in Angel, or anyone else. You’re the only one for me.”

That gave him some reassurance as he took her in his arms, smothering her with kisses. No matter what, Spike would never let her go.

Chapter 15

“You have to tell him, Buffy.”

She let out a sigh. “I know, but it’s just not the right time.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “He’s going to find out sooner or later. You can’t exactly keep something like this a secret.”

Buffy nodded. “I’m not planning on it, but hey, we’re supposed to be having a girl’s night, let’s save the serious conversations for another time.”

Dawn decided to let it go for now, jumping up when someone knocked on her door.

“Hey, girlies, sorry I’m late,” Faith said, plopping herself down next to Buffy and grabbing for the popcorn that was in front of her. “What the fuck are you watching? The Notebook? Are you shitting me? Don’t tell me I arrived just in time for you two to have yourselves a cry fest, isn’t there a frat party this weekend? I’m here to have some fun.”

Dawn glared at her, grabbing for the popcorn. “It was just supposed to be us girls tonight. I promised my dad that I would avoid any campus parties. He knows what those are like.”

“Yeah, I bet he does, but newsflash, Pratt, your old man isn’t here. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him; you seriously need to lighten up. Well, I’m getting out of here. You losers can join me if you want. I plan on finding me a nice college man to hook up with,” she said with a wink, then left the room.

Dawn and Buffy exchanged looks. “We better follow after her, there’s no telling what kind of trouble Faith could get into.”

That was the last thing Buffy wanted to do, but didn’t have much of a choice as she left the dorm with Dawn.


* * * * *


They watched as Faith chugged down a beer, or four, and then jumped on some jock, who she was now making out with for all to see.

“God, she has no shame,” Dawn commented.

Buffy agreed. “I feel really weird about being here.” She dodged a drunken frat guy, who collided into her, nearly knocking her down in the process as she clutched her stomach protectively. “I can’t be here, Dawn.”

The brunette gazed at her friend, seeing the distressed look on her face. “Right, let’s go, Faith can find her own way home.”

“Well, if it isn’t slutty Summers? I didn’t think the old man would let you out.”

Buffy groaned, never wanting to lay eyes on Parker Abrams again. Who would have thought the moron could actually get accepted into college?

Dawn grabbed her arm, pulling Buffy out of there and shoving Parker on the way. “Jackass, don’t listen to him.”

They got back to the dorm room, and Buffy immediately sat on Dawn’s bed, taking in a deep breath.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, sorry, just too many people.”

Dawn nodded as well. “Maybe we should just turn in now,” she said.

Buffy shook her head. “It’s still early; you can go back to the party if you want. I’ll be fine by myself.”

“I’m not gonna leave you alone, don’t worry about it. That kind of party is not exactly my style, anyway,” she explained.

They both lay down, staring up at the ceiling, Dawn breaking the silence a minute later.

“You really love my dad, don’t you?”

Buffy smiled, thinking about her boyfriend. “More than anything.”

Dawn was satisfied by that answer, and it didn’t take them long to fall asleep.


* * * * *


“I take it you didn’t enjoy your little glimpse into college life, huh?”

Buffy shook her head, snuggling up at Spike’s side. “Really didn’t, I actually thought I was missing out, but honestly? I think I got the better deal. What’s the point? It’s not like anyone actually goes to college to study and make something of their life. It’s nothing but a big party to them, luckily Dawn isn’t like that. You did a great job with her.”

Spike felt pride at those words. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. I had some help after all, but yeah, she’s a great kid.”

“Young woman,” Buffy corrected him.

He held his hands up, a smile curving his lips. “My mistake.”

“Why am I so tired? I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

Spike ran his fingers through her hair. “Sorry, is that my fault? You were just gone all weekend and I missed you,” he said with a pout.

Buffy grinned. “Oh, I’m definitely not complaining about that.”

“You rest now, I’ll make you a big breakfast in the morning, serve it right in bed.”

It was a sweet gesture, but the idea of food really didn’t appeal to her at the moment.


* * * * *


“Hey, are you feeling okay?”

Buffy nodded, giving Angel a small smile. “I’m fine, just probably coming down with something.”

He rubbed her shoulders, surprised when she let out a little moan. “Is that better?”

“Much,” she responded in a daze, before realizing how very close he was to her. “Okay, I think it’s time to get back to work now.”

Angel watched her go, as if she couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

Ben chuckled, joining him a few seconds later. “Are you sweet on her? She doesn’t seem to be all that interested.”

“No, it’s not like that. I’m just looking out for her. She’s dating a former friend of mine.”

Ben nodded. “That Spike guy, right? I thought you two weren’t exactly close anymore.”

“We’re not, but I’m trying to make up for that,” he responded.

Ben raised his eyebrows. “By hitting on his girl? I think you’re going about it the wrong way, but it’s getting late, your shift ended twenty minutes ago.”

Angel watched Buffy serve her last table. “Yeah, but I’m not ready to leave yet.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Look, I own this place now, and you both work for me, I don’t want you to cause any trouble for her. She’s still new to all of this. Besides, I know how you are with women, Angel. I don’t want her boyfriend to come storming the place and causing problems just because you got a little too friendly with his girl, just go home.”

Something didn’t feel right to Angel, but he obeyed, grabbing his jacket and heading out of the now empty club.

Buffy made her way back over to the bar; sighing in relief that Angel was no longer there. “I guess I should get going, too.”

“Are you sure you should be driving right now, Buffy? You look exhausted, just rest for a second and have a drink. You’re no good to anyone if you get into an accident.”

She knew he was right, smiling when he placed a diet coke in front of her. “Thanks, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to stick around for a few more minutes.” Buffy took a long sip of her drink, putting it back down. It didn’t take long for her queasiness to come back, and it seemed to hit her worse than usual. “God, my head is killing me. I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.”

Ben took the glass away, brushing the hair out of her face to see that she was trying to stay conscious, but it was a losing battle. A slow grin formed on his features. “Don’t worry; I’ll make it all better.”

Chapter 16

Angel knew something was wrong the second he left the club. He got all the way to his apartment, then turned around to go back to the Bronze. He had a gut feeling, and that was usually something he couldn’t ignore.

Of course the place was locked up once he got there, but a groan in the alley had him changing direction, gasping at the sight before him. A young girl was lying by the dumpster, naked and shivering, bruises and cuts covering her body. As he got closer, the girl started to become recognizable, but he was still hoping it wasn’t her.

“God, Buffy,” he whispered, running to her side and turning her over to see the same treatment on her lovely face. “It’s okay; you’re gonna be fine.” Angel wasn’t even sure she heard him as he placed his coat around her, picking her up and carrying her over to his car, immediately heading to the nearest hospital.


* * * * *


Spike burst through the hospital doors, quickly finding Angel in the waiting room.

“What happened? Is she all right?”

Angel shook his head. “They’re still running some tests, I don’t know much yet.”

Spike ran his fingers through his hair, a panicked expression on his face. “What the fuck happened tonight? All I know is that Buffy was supposed to be home hours ago, and then I get your phone call. I’m going out of my bloody mind here.”

“I left the Bronze before she did; I thought she was right behind me. I don’t know what happened. I just knew that something didn’t feel right, so I went back and found her in the alley behind the club, naked, and badly beaten.”

Spike sat down, not believing any of this was happening. “Are you telling me someone raped her?” he asked, a low tone to his voice.

Angel sat beside him. “That’s what it looked like. I’m sorry, man. I should have gotten there sooner. I never wanted this to happen, not to her. She’s a great girl.”

“Who could have done this?”

Angel gave it some thought, cursing himself for his stupidity when he realized who it had been. “Fuck, I should have never left her alone with him.”

Spike raised his eyebrows. “What are you on about?”

“Ben, he was the last one with her. I’ve known him for a few years now, but there was always something I didn’t trust about him. I never thought he could actually be capable of this, but I guess we won’t know what really happened until Buffy wakes up.”

Spike nodded, clenching his fists at his side. If this Ben wanker really was responsible for what happened to Buffy, Spike would make him regret it in a very painful way.

They rose when the doctor finally made his way over to them, Spike speaking up first.

“Is my girlfriend okay?”

Dr. Grant took a deep breath; this was always the worst part of his job. “We got her stabilized and she finally gained consciousness, but it looks like Buffy was drugged. We don’t believe it was anything too dangerous, just a simple pill to knock her out, and she wasn’t drinking alcohol at the time. There was some internal bleeding and semen found in her, which has all the signs of rape. I’m very sorry to say this, but we couldn’t save the baby. There was just too much damage.”

Spike’s eyes widened, wishing he was still sitting down. “She was pregnant?”

“I’m sorry, I thought you knew. Buffy looked to be about eight weeks along. She’s awake right now if you would like to see her, but I’m afraid she hasn’t said much.”

Angel nodded, seeing the state of shock that Spike was in. “We would like that. Thank you, Doctor.”

He nodded as well and walked away.

Angel turned back to Spike. “You should go ahead in, I’ll wait out here. I know we’ve had our differences, but I’m really sorry about this.”

Spike headed to her room in a daze, taking a deep breath before entering. He felt his eyes tear up at the sight of her. His beautiful girl was laying there, tubes sticking out of her, the machines beeping at her side. He moved closer and saw that one of her eyes was swollen shut, her delicate skin now marred with bruises. Spike sat down in the chair by her bed, taking her hand in his. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he started, wiping his eyes from the tears that were now there.

Buffy squeezed his hand as much as she could.

“Who did this to you? Was it your boss? I’ll fucking kill him.”

She felt tears in her eyes as well, but it was too painful to cry. “I don’t remember,” was her quiet response.

Spike found that hard to believe, but she obviously wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, and he had to respect that. He just sat with her in silence, neither knowing what to say after that.


* * * * *


Buffy was released from the hospital a week later, her face was healing better, but some scars would take a lot longer.

Spike hated how quiet she was being. He visited her every day, and she hardly said anything to him. She wouldn’t talk about what happened at all, and he was really starting to get worried. His girl used to be so vibrant and full of life, but some bastard took that away from her, and he was very determined to bring it back, one way or another.

But first they had to discuss something else. Much as he dreaded it, the subject had to be brought up sooner or later. He couldn’t avoid it forever, and neither could she. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were pregnant?”

Buffy turned her gaze away from his, speaking a few seconds later. “I tried, but you wanted it to be a joke, so I pretended it was. It doesn’t matter now, you got your wish. I’m not pregnant anymore, which is just what you wanted. I guess this is a true sign that I’m not meant to have kids, not that you wanted another one, anyway. Aren’t you just thrilled?”

Spike was stunned by her harsh words. He understood that she was hurting, but that didn’t make it right. “You think this is what I wanted? You think I could possibly be thrilled right now? If you were pregnant, I would have been bloody happy about it, whether I wanted kids or not. This was never what I fucking wanted! You think I can stand the idea of you being raped, and losing our child? You think this doesn’t bloody kill me? Just the thought of what happened to you, it eats me up inside. You have to talk to me, Buffy. You can’t shut me out, not now; we need each other more than ever. Please, you have to tell me who did this to you,” he practically pleaded, grasping her hand in his.

Buffy pulled away from him, more tears streaming down her face and she was so sick of it, of this. “I told you already, I don’t remember. I’m going to bed.”

Spike watched her leave with a heavy heart. A door slammed upstairs, and he immediately knew that it was Dawn’s, which meant she didn’t want to be around him tonight. He didn’t know what else to do, instead deciding to give her the space she obviously needed as he headed up to their room alone, closing the door softly behind him.

Chapter 17

Spike hadn’t heard from Buffy all morning and couldn’t take it anymore, marching to Dawn’s room to demand that she finally talk to him, but once again when he opened the door, he found it completely empty.


* * * * *


Dawn didn’t know what to do when the heartbroken girl showed up at her dorm earlier that day, all she did was lay there and let Buffy cry, doing her best to offer what little comfort she could. She finally calmed down after bawling her eyes out for over an hour, now lying beside Dawn in her bed, both in silence, which the brunette broke a minute later.

“Does my dad know you’re here?”

Buffy shook her head, taking in a deep breath. “I couldn’t face him yet.”

Dawn nodded. “Yeah, but he’s gonna freak when he sees you’re not there, especially after what happened. Are you really sure that you don’t remember anything?”

Buffy turned her gaze away, staring at Dawn’s comforter. “No, it’s all blur. I was drugged; the doctor said it’s perfectly understandable to not remember.”

“I get that, but drugged or not, I don’t know how anyone can forget something that traumatic. You don’t even know who did it?”

Buffy shut her eyes as the horrible experience came back to haunt her.


* * * * *


“I’ve been watching you for a long time now. Ever since I first saw you walk in the club, you looked so young and beautiful, so innocent; I knew you were the one for me. I was so happy when you applied for the job; why else do you think I hired you right away? Because I knew that I had to have you, and obviously you don’t have a problem with older men,” Ben claimed, stroking her cheek gently.

Buffy tried to focus on the conversation. “Please, don’t do this,” she whimpered, praying that he wouldn’t hurt her, tears forming in her eyes.

“It’s all going to be okay now. You’ll see that this is how things are supposed to be.”

She turned away from him, but Ben wouldn’t let her.

“We can’t have that,” he said, jerking her face back to look at his. “That’s my girl. Now, you’re going to do everything I say. No one is to find out about this, you got it? I’m sure you wouldn’t want anything to happen to that precious boyfriend of yours,” Ben practically spat. “He’s not good enough for you, Buffy. You deserve so much better, and anyway, if I find out you told anyone about me, I’ll make him hurt in every way possible, or, I’ll do something even worse than that. He has a daughter, right? It would be a shame if something were to happen to her. No one is going to take you away from me.”

Buffy was helpless to stop him as she felt herself being lifted up and forced to lay on the bar, tears streaming down her face now at what was about to happen. She couldn’t let anything happen to those she loved, so Buffy just remained where she was as her clothes were ripped from her body, and all she knew then was darkness.


* * * * *


“Are you okay, Buffy? You totally spaced.”

She nodded, once again turning her gaze away from Dawn’s. “I don’t remember.”


* * * * *


Spike made it to the college in ten minutes, possibly breaking every speeding limit, but he didn’t care. The second Dawn opened the door and he saw Buffy lying on the bed, he rushed to her side, taking her in his arms and smothering her with kisses.

“You can’t bloody do that to me, love. If you wanted to come for a visit, I gladly would have taken you, but you can’t just leave like that. You had me worried sick.”

She clutched him to her, not knowing how to respond.

Spike kissed her hair, then turned to Dawn. “How are you doing, nibblet?”

She gave her dad a small smile. “A lot better than either of you right now, I just wish I could help her.

“You’re not alone in that,” he commented, focusing back on Buffy and grasping both of her hands, his heart breaking at the lost look on her face. “I know you’re scared and hurting, but you can’t just run off like that. I love you so much, baby. It kills me when I think about what happened to you. I want to find that bastard and beat the living shit out of him for what he did, but I know that’s not what you need right now. You have to talk to me, sweetheart. If you don’t think you can, then maybe you would be more comfortable talking to a therapist. I know of one that might be able to help you. I just need you to be here with me, okay?” Spike cupped her cheek and collected a tear that spilled from her eyes. “You’re my beautiful, strong, amazing girl, you know that? If anyone can get through this, it’s you, but you can’t do it alone. You brought me back to life, Buffy. I was dead before you came along. I had no purpose, didn’t know what I was meant for, but you changed all of that. Knocked me over, you did. We’re in this together, no matter what happens.”

Buffy broke down then, not able to keep her remaining tears back any longer, throwing her arms around him and burying her face against his neck as she sobbed her heart out.

Spike held her tight, rubbing soothing circles on her back. “It’s okay now, baby. No one will ever hurt you again, I’ll see to that.”

Dawn had tears of her own as she watched them, praying that they would both get through this.


* * * * *


Ben jumped back when his apartment door was kicked open, an angry man standing before him.

“Angel? What the hell are you doing?”

He stepped inside, pulling back his fist and punching Ben right in the nose. “How does it feel, you spineless coward? I knew there was something I didn’t trust about you, but rape, sexual abuse? I can’t believe I ever called you a friend, and don’t deny it, I know for a fact you’re the one who hurt Buffy. How the fuck could you do that? She’s just a kid. You left her in a fucking alley naked and cold, she could have died out there! I’m gonna make sure you never hurt anyone again.”

Ben felt his anger take over as he glared at the intruder. “I didn’t do anything to her! I don’t know what the bitch told you, but you’ve got nothing on me. I want you to get the fuck out of here.”

Angel wasn’t one that liked being told what to do, kicking Ben in the crotch, then punching him in the left eye, delighted that there would be a nice black eye in the morning; see how he liked being the abused one for a change. He continued to throw kicks and punches, not letting the other man get up for a second, too lost in his rage. “She was just an innocent girl! You left her scarred, battered, you killed her! Haley didn’t deserve that!”

Ben managed to back away once the beating stopped; staring at Angel with the one good eye he had left, while holding the other. “Who the fuck is Haley?!”

Angel realized what he said, figuring the man had enough for now as he headed over to the doorway, glancing back at Ben one more time. “This isn’t over,” he spat, then stormed out of the apartment.

“You’re fired!” Ben yelled after his retreating back, but the brunet was long gone.

Chapter 18

Spike paced the length of the office’s waiting area, beyond nervous about what was going on in the room before him. He wished that he could be in there with her, but knew she had to do this on her own, no matter how much it killed him.

He sighed in relief once the door finally opened to reveal Buffy, her face all red and puffy as if she’d been crying. He went to her instantly, taking her in his arms and kissing her forehead. Glancing up at the red headed woman standing there, he gave her a smile and then focused on Buffy. “Wait for me outside, okay?”

She nodded and walked away, without argument.

Spike turned back to the therapist. “Thanks again for doing this in such short notice, Red. I know how busy you are.”

Willow Rosenberg smiled, waving her hand in the air. “Hey, what are friends for? You’ve always been there for me. I’m glad to help.”

“How is she doing?”

Willow let out a breath. “She’s been through a lot; it was hard to get her to open up. I can’t tell you what we discussed; you’ll just have to wait until she chooses to talk to you. I think she wants to, she’s just scared of how you’ll react.”

He was confused. “Why would that scare her? She knows how much I love her.”

Willow agreed. “I know, but she’s still really young. This is all pretty new to her, Spike. Just give her time; she’ll come around when she’s ready.”

Spike accepted her answer, giving her a quick hug and peck on the cheek. “Thanks again, love.”

“Don’t mention it; I’d like to see Buffy again next week. I think we made a lot of progress today, but everything can’t be solved in only one session.”

He nodded. “I’m sure that can be arranged. I should get going now.”

“You should visit the house more often, Spike. I know Xander would love to see you, it’s been far too long.”

“I would like that, we’ll talk soon,” he said, and with a wave, left to join up with Buffy, hoping that things would finally start to get better for her.


* * * * *


Spike went to open the door when he heard someone knock. He was surprised to see Angel standing there, but took a step back and let the other man into the house, closing the door once he entered.

“We need to talk, Spike. I know I’m still not your favorite person, but you need to know the truth about what happened with Drusilla.”

Spike wondered why he would bring that up after all this time, but only nodded. “Fine, let’s hear it.”

Angel took a deep breath before he began. “I was with her that night because I was upset; I got a call from my dad that my mom passed away. Drusilla was the first person I saw and I confided in her. I was devastated and one thing lead to another, it was never about hurting you. It was just one friend comforting another, and we never meant for things to go that far, or for you to find out the way you did. I know you may not believe me, but I’m really sorry.”

That was the last thing Spike expected to hear, not knowing about his mother. “Dru never told me any of that.”

He nodded. “I made her promise not to say anything. I didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I figured it would be better if you hated me, so I acted like I didn’t care about what happened. I planned on leaving after that, anyway. I figured it would be easier that way. My dad told me that my sister was having a hard time dealing with my mom’s death. I knew he couldn’t handle her on his own, so I went back home to help out. I never told anyone where I was going, I just left. It turned out that neither one of us could really help her.” A pause. “Haley started acting out, disrespecting us, hanging with the wrong crowd; no one could get through to her. It was when she was nineteen that everything fell apart. She met a guy and decided that she was going to run away with him. I tried to stop her, but she never listened to me. My dad was too busy getting drunk most of the time to even realize what was going on with her, he just gave up. She took off and we got a call from the police a few hours later.” Angel felt tears in his eyes as he relived one of his worst recollections, but knew he had to get this off his chest. “They…They found Haley’s body washed up in the river. She was raped and stabbed; someone just killed her and threw her in the fucking water. We think it was the guy she left with, but he was never found again. We didn’t even really know who he was. I’ve wanted vengeance on that bastard for so long now.”

Spike sat down on the couch, stunned by all he just heard. “God, I remember Haley. She used to have a huge crush on me, but she was only thirteen at the time. She used to follow me around everywhere; it was flattering for a while.”

Angel smiled sadly at the memory, taking a seat next to him. “She practically worshipped the ground you walked on. Haley was a good kid; she just lost her way after my mom died. I wish I could have saved her.”

Spike shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault; there was nothing you could have done. You can’t blame yourself for what happened to her, Angel.”

“I just feel like history is repeating itself. That’s why I’ve been feeling so protective of Buffy. That’s all it ever was, Spike. I felt drawn to her because she reminded me of my sister, so young and vulnerable. I went to Ben’s place and beat the crap out of him; I just know he’s the one who hurt her. Of course he denied that he did anything, but I know it was him.”

“It was,” a soft voice responded from the stairs.

Spike stood up and went over to her. “What did you say, pet?”

Buffy took in a breath. “It was Ben. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before. I wanted to so much, but he said he would hurt you and Dawn if I did. I couldn’t let that happen.”

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. “You don’t have to protect us, baby. I’m supposed to be the one protecting you. It’ll be okay, he won’t get away with this. I promise you that.” He held her tighter, a hard expression on his face as he thought about the man who robbed his girl of her innocence, and threatened to hurt his daughter. Oh, he would pay severely; Spike would make sure of it.

Chapter 19

They returned home after spending the afternoon at the police station, where Buffy finally revealed the truth about what happened.

The cops raided Ben’s apartment first, but found it to be empty, along with the Bronze. A friend of his now seemed to be in charge of the club and when asked, the scared young man claimed he had no idea where Ben was, but was taken in for further questioning, anyway.

Buffy rested against Spike’s chest, letting out a sigh. “Do you think they’ll catch him? He could be anywhere by now.”

Spike pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sure they will, hopefully he hasn’t gotten too far yet. I’d love to give the bastard a piece of my mind,” he practically growled.

“I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. I just hope they find him before he does this to someone else.”

He agreed, noticing that Buffy’s hand was now lying on his crotch and taking in a breath. “Love, I don’t think this is the best time for that.”

She pulled her hand away as if burned, glancing up at him. “You think I’m disgusting, don’t you?”

He was shocked that she could ask that. “Of course not, why would you think that?”

Buffy shrugged, sitting up as she avoided his gaze. “You haven’t really wanted to touch me since it happened. I tried last night, but you just said you were tired. I’m not stupid, Spike. You think I’m tainted now.”

Spike forced her to look back at him. “Don’t you ever think that, all right? I love you, that hasn’t changed. None of this is your fault, I’m just afraid to hurt you even more. You’ve been through so much lately; I just don’t think you’re ready.”

Buffy felt tears in her eyes, sick of all the crying she’d been doing. “I am ready. I need you, Spike. Maybe you don’t think I’m disgusting, but I do. I hate that he was the last person I was with. I hate that I had no control over what happened. I hate that I can still feel him on me, no matter how many showers I take. Please, I need you to make it go away. I just want to feel safe again, and I only feel that with you.”

Spike felt tears of his own, pressing a firm kiss to her mouth and willing to give her anything she wanted at this point. There would be time later for foreplay; he knew that wasn’t what Buffy needed right now. Their clothes were off in an instant as he slowly slid into her warm heat, meeting his lips with hers once again as she matched his every thrust. Spike pulled away when breathing became an issue, resting his forehead against hers. “I love you,” he whispered, with so much emotion in his voice.

“I love you, too,” Buffy responded, tears streaming down her face.

Spike held her close afterwards, watching as she finally fell asleep, joining her a few seconds later.


* * * * *


“Please stop, it hurts.”

“It wouldn’t hurt so much if you would just cooperate,” Ben spat, leaving another long cut on her arm and really wishing he would have given her a bigger dosage of the drug.

Buffy cried out. “Why are you doing this to me?”

Ben glared at her, putting the knife down. “Because you’ve been a very bad girl, Buffy. You let that fucker touch you, do things with you. He’s old enough to be your father, it’s just disgusting, so you need to be punished.”

“And what does that make you, asshole?! You’re almost as old as he is.”

Ben slapped her hard across the face. “You should know better than to talk back to me, honey. I wonder why you keep holding your stomach, is there something you’re not telling me? Maybe I better make you talk,” he said, raising the knife to slice across her abdomen.

Her eyes widened, and all she knew was pain.


* * * * *


Buffy woke up with a start, gasping for breath and feeling sweaty from the sudden heat in the house. She felt the need to shower, getting up carefully as to not wake Spike and heading into the bathroom to do just that.


* * * * *


Spike opened his eyes, reaching out to Buffy to find that she was no longer there. He glanced at the clock, seeing it was pretty early in the morning and wondering why she would be up already. He called out to her, but received no answer; dread going through him as he quickly got dressed, then made his way out of the room. He noticed the shower running, knocking on the door.

“Love, are you okay in there?” There was still no answer, causing him to feel even more concerned. “I’m coming in,” he said, opening the door and being glad it wasn’t locked. His eyes widened at the sight of Buffy sitting in the shower, the cold spray hitting her naked body. Spike turned the water off, kneeling down to look at her, and realizing that her expression was blank. It was as if she didn’t even see him. “Sweetheart? What happened?” He shook her, relieved when she finally focused on him.

“I wanted to wash it all away,” she claimed quietly, more tears forming in her eyes as she banged her head against the wall.

“Baby, stop, you’ll hurt yourself,” he said calmly, gently picking her up and drying her off, carrying her back into their room and placing her on the bed. Spike found some clothes to put on her, getting her warm under the covers once she was dressed, since she was shivering. He pulled her close to his chest, rubbing her arms soothingly. “What brought this on, pet?”

Buffy was silent, speaking up a moment later. “I had a bad dream. Every time I close my eyes, I can still see him. He’ll never go away,” she finished, bursting into more sobs.

Spike wrapped his arms around her fragile frame, rocking her back and forth and trying to sooth her with his words. It was all he could manage to do.


* * * * *


“How is she?”

Spike ran his fingers through his hair, sitting on the couch. “She’s getting worse. I don’t know what else to do, Angel. I have never seen Buffy like this before, it bloody scares me half to death. I don’t think therapy will even work at this point, I just don’t know what to do. That girl means everything to me. I wish I could take the pain away, but I can’t. God, it kills me that I can’t do a fucking thing to help her.”

Angel didn’t know what to say, glancing up to see Buffy now standing there, tears in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry that I’ve made things difficult for you.”

Spike shook his head, moving over to her and taking her in his arms. “You haven’t, you make my life worth living. I still believe that, and I always will. You and Dawn are my world, don’t forget that. I just wish I could make things better for you.”

Buffy pulled away to gaze into his eyes. “You already have, just being here is enough.”

Spike wished he could believe that, but just continued to hold her.

They separated seconds later, Buffy moving over to Angel now.

He was surprised when she hugged him, getting on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you for being there for me. I’m sorry about your sister.”

His eyes teared up, giving her a small smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

She smiled as well. “I will be.”

Chapter 20

Dawn was paranoid, that’s all there was to it.

Her father called to tell her that Buffy revealed the truth about her former boss, and that she should be extra careful since he was still out there. She didn’t understand why he’d be after her, but Spike was concerned since Ben threatened her, even though Dawn told him that he had nothing to worry about. Now, she kept getting the strange feeling that she was being watched. Dawn shook her head, mentally kicking herself for her paranoia. She was too distracted to watch where she was going, until she collided with another body, a male body. “God, I’m so sorry,” Dawn claimed, bending down to pick up her fallen books, noticing that he dropped some papers as well. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

He chuckled. “That’s okay; I should have been doing the same. Why are you out so late?”

Dawn looked up at him. He was attractive, with dark hair that wasn’t too long or too short, and brown eyes that seemed a bit haunted. She gave a small smile, feeling nervous under his intense gaze. “I was hanging with some friends on the other side of campus, lost track of time. Do you go to school here?”

He shook his head. “Not exactly.”

Dawn helped him with his papers, placing her books down and taking notice of a card on the ground. She picked it up, paling with fear when she saw it was a Bronze card, the name on front being Benjamin Walker. Perhaps she wasn’t paranoid, after all. Dawn stood up slowly, handing over his things. “I should probably get inside now.”

He grinned. “What’s the hurry? We’re just getting to know each other.”

Dawn backed away from him. “I have an early class tomorrow.” She turned and started heading back to the dorms, when her jacket was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled back, forcing her against a strong chest.

“You’ll hurt my feelings if you leave so soon.”

She stomped on his foot, using the distraction to rid herself of her jacket that he still had a tight grip on, then ran all the way to Stevenson Hall.

“Get back here, you little bitch!”

Dawn didn’t stop until she got inside the building, yelling when her foot was grabbed as she fell, hitting her chin against the floor of the hallway.

Some students came out of their room to see what was going on.

A blond man ran over to them, kicking the brunet away from her and pulling the girl up. “You okay, Dawn?”

She nodded, once the dizziness faded. “Thanks, RJ.”

Ben took off after that, not looking back once.

Dawn sighed in relief and rested her head against RJ’s shoulder, who then put his arm around her.

Her dad was so going to freak.


* * * * *


“Fuck, I’m going to rip his bloody head off!”

Dawn cringed, hating that he had to get so graphic. “Dad, chill, I’m fine. I only banged my chin, so I was pretty lucky.”

Spike tried to control his temper, taking a seat next to his daughter on the couch as he inspected her chin. “Are you sure you’re all right, sweetheart?”

She nodded. “Yeah, but this guy is seriously crazy. He tried to abduct me right in front of the school, where anyone could have seen us. I know it was late, but that didn’t mean Campus Security couldn’t be around. What did he want with me, anyway?”

Spike hugged her to him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“It’s all my fault,” Buffy said, having just entered the living room. “He knows I went to the police, and now he’s trying to get to Dawn because of me.”

Spike shook his head, pulling her down to the couch and holding her as well. “This is no one’s fault. He’s a very sick man, but he will be stopped. I swear it.”

Buffy wasn’t as convinced, but something had to be done about this guy. She had one idea, but knew there was no chance Spike would ever go for it.


* * * * *


“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

Buffy took his hands in hers, stopping him from pacing the room again. “It’s going to work out, Spike. None of us are safe with that bastard still out there. Ben got careless; he talked a lot before he attacked me. I didn’t know it at the time, but he wanted me to trust him. I know where we can find him; you have to let me do this. It’s the only way.”

Spike knew she was right, but he hated to put her in even more danger.

She smiled. “When this is all over, we can take a vacation. Go somewhere far away, just the two of us.”

He sat down next to her on their bed, giving her hand a squeeze, taking a deep breath before saying what he needed to. “Do you think when all this is over, you might consider marrying me?”

Her eyes widened, that being the last thing she expected to hear. “Are you serious?”

Spike nodded, caressing her cheek softly. “I know you’re still really young, but I’ve thought a lot about this. I want it all with you, Buffy. I want to marry you, have children with you, grow old with you. Or in my case, older,” he continued with a small smile. “I love you so much, baby. I honestly didn’t think it was possible to love someone this much, but you completely took me by surprise.”

Buffy kissed him then, not needing to hear anymore. She pulled away after a few seconds, touching her forehead to his. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He smiled, kissing her again, and turning it more passionate.

They still had one more obstacle to get through, but once that was done, they would be able to take on anything.


* * * * *


Buffy walked along the shore, the wind whipping her hair around as she gazed out at the ocean. The beach was surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon, which she was very grateful for. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against a hard chest, a husky voice in her ear.

“I knew you would come back to me.”

Buffy pulled away, sending the dark haired man a glare. “I won’t let you hurt anyone else.”

Ben laughed. “That’s real cute, Buffy. What’s a little girl gonna do to me?”

She shrugged, gracing him with a smile. “I’m not going to do anything.”

In that second, police officers surrounded them, guns raised in Ben’s direction.

“You’re under arrest! Get your hands in the air!”

Ben scowled at all of the officers, giving Buffy a look that could kill. “You set me up, you fucking whore!” He charged at her, but didn’t get very far as he was tackled from behind by another body, one that was hitting him repeatedly in the face.

Buffy placed a calming hand on her boyfriend’s arm. “He’s had enough; let the cops handle him now.”

Spike stood by her side, knowing that it wouldn’t look good if he killed the man, but wanting to do just that more than anything else.

Two officers picked Ben up, one tried to cuff him, but the man wasn’t having it.

He kicked them away from him, pulling out a knife and aiming it at Buffy. Ben only made two steps toward her when a shot rang out, hitting him in the chest, two more following after it. He glanced down at the blood now coating his shirt, looking back up at Buffy before he collapsed to the ground.

Buffy buried her head against Spike’s chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

It was finally over.

Chapter 21

“Wow, how did you know he would show up?”

Buffy shrugged. “I remembered that Ben told me he used to love the beach as a kid. I just took a wild guess, and I knew that if he saw me there, he would come out from hiding.”

Dawn took it all in. “So, he’s really gone now?”

Spike sat down next to Buffy, gazing at his daughter. “He’s gone now, bit.”

“I would have been fine with him spending a lifetime in jail, but Ben had to get cocky, which led to him getting shot. I can’t say I’m really all that disappointed,” Buffy claimed.

Dawn agreed. “I have to call Faith, she’s never gonna believe this.”

Buffy smiled when Dawn left to do just that, resting her head against Spike’s shoulder. “I could probably sleep for about a week.”

Spike chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “You won’t get any complaints from me.” He took a box out of his back pocket, opening it to reveal a diamond ring and holding it up for her to see. “Does it meet your approval?”

She gasped, taking the ring out of the box. “It’s so beautiful. When did you get this?”

“I bought it a few weeks ago,” Spike said, placing the ring gently on her finger, where it rightfully belonged. “I knew somewhere down the line I’d be asking you to marry me. I wanted to wait until you were a little older, but I was never a very patient man.”

Buffy shook her head, wrapping her arms around him. “I don’t care, I love it. Dawn!” she yelled, jumping up to join the brunette, who was still on the phone.

Spike laughed when he heard two girlish squeals coming from the kitchen now, knowing that he definitely made the right decision.


* * * * *


Buffy couldn’t believe that she was actually getting married. It had been two years since Spike proposed, and she wanted this more than anything. She was now twenty, working as a secretary at a very prominent law firm. Angel was now the owner of the Bronze and he offered to give her job back to her, but she just couldn’t manage working there again. She liked her new job, and the people were really nice. And now, it was time to start the next part of her life.

“Oh, honey, you look so beautiful.”

Buffy smiled at her mother. “If you start crying, then I will, and I wouldn’t want to smudge my make up.”

Joyce nodded, wiping the tears away. “I’m just so glad that I get to be a part of this. I’ve missed out on so much, but it means the world that you want me here for your wedding.”

“Of course I do. No matter what happened in the past, you’re still my mom.”

Joyce hugged her only child, being careful not to wrinkle her dress.

It took about a year for Buffy and Joyce to finally have a real mother, daughter relationship. Hank was still in jail, and Buffy could really care less. He was never much of a father, so she couldn’t find it in her to go visit him. They were all better off.

Buffy took a deep breath, breaking out of her reverie. “Okay, let’s get me married.”


* * * * *


Spike twirled his new bride around the dance floor, feeling his heart swell at the sight of her. When she walked down the aisle and he got his first look at her, she literally took his breath away. Sometimes it was hard to believe that this gorgeous creature was his. He held her close when a slow song began, never wanting to let her go.

“I love you, Mr. Pratt,” she whispered.

He smiled. “And I love you, Mrs. Pratt.”

Buffy smiled as well, kissing him lightly on the lips. “I have something to tell you, but this might not be the best time.” She remembered his reaction before, but hoped that things would be different now.

“You can tell me anything, unless it’s naughty and you’d rather not have an audience.”

Buffy laughed, smacking him on the arm. “Nothing like that. I mean, you told me you wanted it now, but you could have just said that because you didn’t think it would happen, so I’m still not sure how to tell you.”

“Love, you’re babbling,” he claimed. “Just tell me, I’m sure it won’t be a big deal.”

She would hold him to that, taking a deep breath to give her the courage she needed. “I’m pregnant.”

Spike’s eyes widened, then a big smile formed on his face. “We’re having a baby?”

Buffy nodded, taken by surprise when he lifted her up; planting a firm kiss on her mouth once he set her back down, then addressing everyone around them.

“We’re having a baby!” he yelled, the announcement was soon followed by applause and lots of congratulations. Spike wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “You’ve made me the happiest man on earth, sweetheart. I’ll be the best father for this little one, you’ll see.”

She smiled. “You already are.”


* * * * *


Buffy entered the Bronze, glancing around at the club she hadn’t set foot in for two years, but it was about time that changed. It used to be her favorite place before Ben ruined it, but he was no longer there, and Buffy was finally ready to move on. The place was currently empty, but she heard noises coming from the back office. Figuring it would be just her luck to show up just when the place was being robbed, Buffy took in a deep breath, making her way to the back and gasping at the sight before her.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know anyone was back here.” That was a lie, but she definitely wasn’t expecting this.

Angel and Faith pulled away from each other, both half naked.

“Hey, B, enjoy the show?”

Buffy glared at her. “I would have rather gouged my eyes out than to have seen that. No offense, Angel.”

He nodded. “None taken, sorry, I must have forgotten to make sure the front door was locked. What are you doing here?”

“I just figured it was time I came in here again, when I knew no one else would be around, and I so can’t have a serious conversation right now with your pants down.”

Angel blushed, quickly zipping up his pants and handing Faith her shirt, which she slowly put back on.

“So, when did this start?” Buffy asked, once they were both finally decent.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “At your wedding, actually.”

Buffy nodded. “I wondered where you guys went, but please spare me any details. I’m just gonna be going now. The place looks great, Angel.” She hurried out of there as fast as she could. Angel was like an older brother to her, so it was nice to see him with someone, even though Faith wouldn’t have been her first choice, and she saw way more than she ever wanted to.


* * * * *


“Hey, Buffster, you wanna put the star on the tree?”

She shook her head. “Seven months pregnant, Xander. I don’t think I could make it.”

Spike wouldn’t have that. He handed Buffy the star, then picked her up to place it on top of the Christmas tree.

Buffy laughed when he put her down. “I can’t believe you just did that. I’m too heavy; you might have broken your back.”

He waved his hand in the air, giving her a quick kiss. “You’re never too heavy.”

Willow smiled at the cute couple. “He’s a sweetie, isn’t he?”

Buffy returned her smile. “Sweetest guy ever.”

Spike blushed, pulling her down on his lap.

Buffy rested her head against his shoulder, sighing in contentment. She loved spending time with Willow and Xander; they were old friends of Spike’s, Willow being the one to help her through her pain after the whole Ben ordeal. The redhead was an excellent therapist, and her husband was completely goofy, but you could tell how much they adored each other.

Dawn was spending the holiday with Connor’s family. They broke up because they were going to different schools, but Connor recently transferred to UC Sunnydale, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. It was still hard for Spike to deal with, but he could tell how happy Connor made Dawn, so he learned to accept it.

Angel and Faith were surprisingly still going at it, and she meant that in the very literal sense. Those two were like animals, but Buffy could hardly complain. She was just glad that Faith finally stopped hitting on Spike.

“How’s my baby?”

Buffy shivered at his soft voice, covering his hand that was resting on her bulging stomach. “Still kicking.”

“And how’s my other baby?” he whispered in her ear.

Buffy watched as Willow and Xander sang off key Christmas songs at the piano, a smile lighting up her features. “Perfect.”

Spike hugged her closer. “Didn’t I tell you everything would work out?”

She grinned, pecking him lightly on the lips. “Well, you always know best.”

The End