Chapter 1: Hello You

Buffy Summers stepped outside the cab once it came to a stop, and took a look at the house that had been her home every summer till she was eighteen. A smile crossed her face when she saw her grandparents on the porch waving at her.

The cab driver had already taken everything out of the trunk for her, so she paid him, grabbed her belongings and made her way up the long driveway to the porch.

“Hi Nana.” Buffy greeted hugging her grandmother close. “Hi Gramps.” He moved to her grandfather and hugged him as well.

“Hello, dear. I’m so glad you’re here. I haven’t seen you in years…you look so different.”

Nana stated, holding her at arms length to take a look at her. “Dear, why don’t you bring Buffy’s things up to her room so she can get settled, hm?” Nana asked politely towards her husband. “And, you…let’s get you something to eat, you must be famished, pet.” Nana led her into the large kitchen, and started fixing her granddaughter a sandwich.

“So how are things with you in the States…doing well I hope?” she asked.

Buffy sat down at the island in the middle of the kitchen, and waited patiently for her sandwich to be done. “Oh yeah…just graduated from Juilliard, and I was looking into starting my own dance studio. So how are things on the Eastern Front…everyone doing okay?” she asked, as the plate was set in front of her.

“Everyone is great! Cecily had her second baby about ten months ago; she and Gregory are enjoying the novelty of having a new baby around the house.” Nana chuckled.

It went silent for a second, and Buffy looked down at her hands before speaking hesitantly. “Um…how is he? Is he doing good too?” the blonde’s voice was quiet.

“Who, William? He’s doing fine I guess you can say, love.” Nana leaned in a little closer and like the gossip queen that she was, and informed Buffy of the news of her old friend and lover. “He was in a relationship with this fickle young woman. He fell in love with her charm, he said. I personally thought she was insane. Speaking of stars and sunshine…anyways in the end she broke his heart and left him to pick up the pieces.”

Buffy frowned in confusion and pain. He fell in love with someone? Of course he was going to move on with his life…what was he suppose to do, pine over you for the rest of his existence?

“He’s here actually, staying at the house. About a month ago his flat got incinerated, not sure what happened yet, the police think it might be arson.” Nana continued to ramble on but Buffy pretty much tuned her out after she heard that he was here. He’s here…I’ll be seeing him. I haven’t seen him for ten years, and now I’m going to be staying in the same house as him.

Buffy cut off her grandmother by standing up. “I’m going to eat my lunch outside okay. Take a look around the garden. Thanks Nana.” Buffy said before grabbing her plate and walking out the back door.

In the backyard there was an open space and a garden of herbs, fruits and vegetables growing on the left. On the far side of the yard, there stood a willow tree with its branches hanging down and blowing subtly in the wind. It was one of her favorite spots to sit and think or read, with the wooden bench her grandpa build with his bare hands, set under the tree.

Buffy tucked her feet under herself and ate her sandwich reminiscing of all the times she used to spend out here. Once she was finished, she took her plate inside and then headed back outside to explore the grounds a bit more to see what had changed. There was another place the Summer’s girl used to go; a more quiet and serine place that she and William, or Spike as she used to call him would spend their time together.

On the far right side of the yard, there was a little trail that opened to a strip of grass on a hill that led down to a creek. She loved to sit there and dip her feet in the water. Buffy headed to the trail and when it opened up she saw a body already sitting there. A bleach blonde head and a body clad head to toe in black. A smile grazed her face. Spike.

Without a word she walked up and sat down next to him looking at the creek in front of her. After a second she turned towards Spike to find him looking at her oddly. “Hello you.” She greeted with a bright smile.

“Do I know you?” he asked curiously.

Buffy laughed. She knew she looked different. When she was younger her natural hair color was a chocolate brown, but once she left for Juilliard she decided she wanted a change and dyed her hair a golden blonde. She was a bit leaner than she was in high school from dance and she held herself with more confidence. Spike hadn’t changed a bit. He still had the bleach blonde hair, those beautiful piercing blue eyes and the lean muscular body he had from soccer, or football and he so adamantly argued. Still as sexy as I remember him.

“Well I like to think so…I mean I know it’s been a while, but you’d think you’d recognize your best friend when you see her.” Buffy teased with a sly smile. She watched as Spike took a harder look at her.

“Buffy?”

She held her arms to her side. “The one and only.” Spike pulled her closer and into a tight hug. Buffy hugged him back enjoying being in his arms again.

Spike pulled away to take another look at her. “You’re blonde.” He stated touching her golden locks. “You look great, pet. Definitely not the girl I used to know.” He commented with a smile.

Buffy chuckled goodheartedly. “Yeah I lost all my baby fat. But you look the same…still got that whole bad boy thing going for you.”

Spike chuckled in a bitter way. “I’m a far cry from the bad boy I used to be. I got over that a long time ago. What brings you here, kitten? Last time I saw you was years ago.”

“Just came to visit. Nana has been begging me to come out and see her and Gramps, so I decided take a break from everything and stay here for the summer.” There was a silent moment between the two old friends before Spike spoke up.

“It’s been a long time, pet. I missed you.” He stated softly with more emotion behind his words than he should have.

Buffy placed her hand over his, and squeezed it affectionately. “I know…I missed you too. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to come back.”

Spike sighed, “A lot’s happened since you’ve been gone. Cecily had another baby…” he started.

“I heard…Nana told me, said there were happier than ever.” Buffy smiled thinking of Spike’s sister and how close the two of them were. “I heard about your apartment too…that’s gotta suck.” The blonde stated with sympathy.

Spike chuckled. “Yeah…my ex was the one that did it too. Crazy bint she was. Sometimes I wonder what I saw in her, you know.” He glanced at her with a half smile.

Buffy winced. “I kinda heard about her too.”

Spike laughed again. “Wow Nana really likes to flap her gob, doesn’t she? Gotta love her though. Yeah…Drusilla was something alright. She always knew how to throw me for a loop.”

Buffy was listening to the words coming out of her ex lover’s mouth and was having a hard time doing so. In all the time that she’d been gone he had moved on with someone else…had fallen in love with someone else, while she refused to date at all. Not just because she still felt for him, though that was a major reason; but also because she was too busy with work and school that there really wasn’t any time for her to have a social life. Between going to Juilliard, bartending weekend nights and teaching a dance class on the side she barely had any time to herself. But she loved it…being busy kept her mind off of Spike and what could have been.

In all the time that she’d been gone he had moved on with someone else…had fallen in love with someone else, while she refused to date at all. Not just because she still felt for him, though that was a major reason; but also because she was too busy with work and school that there really wasn’t any time for her to have a social life. Between going to Juilliard, bartending weekend nights and teaching a dance class on the side she barely had any time to herself. But she loved it…being busy kept her mind off of Spike and what could have been.



Chapter 2: Moments

Buffy slowly felt herself waking from her sleep, and pulled the covers over her head when her Nana pulled the drapes open and the bright light from the outside came shining through.

“Come on, pet. Time to wake up now, we have a big day ahead of us.” The only response that Buffy’s grandma got was a moan, and the girl snuggling further into her duvet. “Oh, darling…you having changed one bit.” Nana sat down on the edge of her bed. “You were always ridiculously terrible to wake up.” The old lady laughed as she nudged her granddaughter.

“Nana…it’s a Sunday! Can’t I just sleep in?” Buffy whined.

“I wish you could, luv but your Grandfather wants all four of us to go to church together this morning.”

“Church? I’m not really a Church goer person I’d rather just…wait four?” Buffy raised an eyebrow at her grandmother.

That was when she heard her grandfather’s booming accented voice. “Spike! Get your arse up and get ready…we’re goin’ to Church!”

Buffy laughed when she heard Spike cursing in the room beside hers, as he got ready. “Now you should probably do the same, pet. Don’t want grandpa to get grumpy now do we?”

* * * * *

Buffy and Spike were seated together in the church, both feeling oddly uncomfortable in their setting. Her grandparents were seated next to her and both were listening intently, while Buffy couldn’t seem to focus at all.

“You feel the same way, eh pet?” Spike whispered in her ear.

“I haven’t been in a church since I was a kid.” Buffy replied back quietly. “How’s the suit treating you?” Buffy teased knowing that Spike and formal wear was a definite no-go.

“I feel like I’m being choked to death by this tie.” He yanked on it a little bit. “Suits are always so bloody hot.” He pulled his collar away from his neck.

Buffy snorted quietly, but got a glare from her grandfather. She silently apologized. “How can you say that when you spent majority of your time in leather?”

“That’s different. At least I look badass in leather. This monkey suit is doing nothing but making me look like a ponce.” Spike stated in disgust.

Buffy giggled softly. “Actually I have to disagree. That ‘monkey suit’ makes you look quite appealing.” She teased.

That caused Spike to raise an eyebrow. Never once had Buffy made a compliment towards him admitting that he was attractive. It was always a thing between the two of them: she would always say that his hair was awful and he was too skinny for his own good, and he would always say that she was so annoying when she babbled and she should lay off the Twinkies. But now…she was saying she digged him in a suit. That made a smirk grow on his face. He could play.

He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “Is it the suit or what’s under it that you find appealing?” he purred out, making the woman next to him shiver slightly.

Buffy’s eyes widened briefly before her face set in a scowl. She nudged the blonde man beside her. “Spike! We are in a church…that is so inappropriate.” She reprimanded in hushed tones.

The blonde man chuckled. “Stop acting so innocent, pet. It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before…” Spike leaned in to her ear. “Or vise versa.” Now that she was back it was so easy to fall back into old routines as if she never left.

“Spike, keep quite, that is not something I want my grandparents to know.” Buffy argued.

Nana leaned across her husband. “We’re not stupid, dear. We knew what the two of you were up to…you’re just lucky that your grandfather has a slight hearing problem, otherwise it wouldn’t have gone on for as long as it did.” Nana stopped to watch the shocked looks on her granddaughter and Spike’s face. “Now, please be silent during the rest of the Mass.”

The two nodded, and focused on everything but each other.

* * * * *

Buffy and Spike trailed behind her grandparents as they were leaving the church.

“That…was so embarrassing! Spike, I can’t believe they knew the whole time!” she exclaimed as she whacked him with her purse.

“Oi! Don’t be hitting me…I wasn’t the only one involved in those sessions.” The blonde man chuckled.

Buffy shook her head at him and forced back a smile. “Just get in the car, Sparky.” She pushed him into the backseat, and followed suit.
When they got back to the house, Buffy quickly changed out of her church clothes, to slip into a pair of jeans and a hoodie, and then made her way outside to her little meadow. Spike was already there; still in his suit sans jacket, but with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his tie undone.

Buffy walked up behind him and sat beside him. Spike didn't look at her, just stared at the grass in front of him. “Why didn’t you come say goodbye to me when you left?” he murmured. “You just left…hopped on a plane without even letting me know.”

“You knew I was leaving…I told you that.” Buffy defended.

Spike finally turned his head her way. “Yeah you told me…but you never said when, and you left without saying a word to me.” the blonde man tried to contain the hurt look on his face, but he knew Buffy would see it anyway. She knew him too well.

Buffy looked down at her hands. “Look I’m sorry, I just couldn’t do that. It was too hard…I tried, believe me I tried. It would have been too hard to leave if I was leaving you.” She admitted in a small voice. She felt a talk coming on. Like the one’s they use to have when they would talk about their relationship.

“And would that have been so bad? If you had just stayed…with me?” The look in Spike’s eyes made Buffy want to weep. His icy blues we’re sharp and bright.

Buffy sighed deeply. “It’s not like I wanted to leave you…I had a future at Juilliard, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, and I knew I’d be back here some day. It just took me a lot longer than I thought it would. It was easier to just go.” She reached for Spike’s hand and held it in hers.

Spike squeezed her petite hand lightly. “Not for me it wasn’t.” He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. “I had to hear it from Nana that you left…That you had already said you’re goodbyes to everyone: Cecily, our friends…everyone but me. That hurt me more than I can say Buffy.” He paused. “You know I only started seeing Dru in an attempt to get over you. It didn’t work…so I broke up with her.” He laughed to himself. “Why do you think she burned down my flat?”

“I’m sorry, Spike.” She apologized. For his flat, for leaving him, for breaking his heart…for everything.

“Just tell me next time you decide to flee the country.” Spike half joked.

Buffy smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “I’m not leaving this time. I plan on staying…finding my place here.” There was nothing for her in the States anymore now that school was over, and her parents were off traveling around the world, enjoying their early retirement. “I figured what better place to settle down than here.” she stated softly glancing around.

Spike smiled, actually smiled, and not smirked. “Really?”

Buffy just nodded and put her other hand on top of both of theirs. “You see I have everything I could possibly need here. I can teach at the dance studio I used to go to. I’m sure Mrs. Finnegan wouldn’t mind her favorite student teaching for her.” She giggled. “And in time I can open my own studio. Nana will for sure let me stay in the guest house until I find a place of my own. So that’s a job, a flat…” she counted on her fingers. “And then that other thing.” She said nonchalantly.

Spike frowned. “What other thing?”

Buffy perked up. “Oh…you!”

Spike grinned, and pulled her into his arms, peppering her face with soft kisses. “I like the sound of that.” He whispered against her lips.

Buffy pulled away for a second to look at him. She placed her hand against his cheek. “So whaddya say? Are we in this together? You here with me?”

“You know I am. Do we just pick up where we left off?” he asked watching her face for any sign that she held doubts. He saw none.

Buffy smirked naughtily. “Well if we do that…if I remember correctly that was upstairs…in my bedroom?”

Spike smirked back. “I believe so. We should probably get on that.” Buffy hopped up and Spike chased her into the house and up the stairs.

Nana could only smiled fondly and shake her head. “Henry!” she called out to her husband that was in the living room. He walked into the kitchen.

“Yes Dear?”

“Let’s go for a walk.” She dragged him out of the house by his arm.

THE END
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