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Author's Chapter Notes:
I wish to say thank you for whoever nominated this story on Fool For Love. Also for To Forgive Or Forget, and Love Me For Me, you guys made my year.
Spike smiled as they walked out of the hospital together. Nigel was secure between he and Buffy with each holding one of the little boy's hands. The only dark cloud hanging over them was Dru and he decided he'd trust Hank with that problem.

"I can't wait to get home, there's nothing like sleeping in your own bed." Buffy sighed as she fought back a yawn.

"I second that, baby. I can't complain about the size, just the unforgiving lump they call a mattress," Spike teased, as he gave her a wink.

"Are we going home?" Nigel asked, his voice sounding hesitant and nervous.

"We are going to my mom's house," Buffy simply told him.

"Actually, I will be taking you to an undisclosed furnished apartment for today," Lindsey informed them as he joined them. "Just a precaution, mind you, until Miss Downing is arrested and safely behind bars."

"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed, her voice a bit hesitant.

"I'm sorry, baby," Spike whispered, his voice sounding tired and scared.

Buffy turned to give him a reassuring smile and said, "Honey, it's not you. I really was looking forward to my already broken in bed."

They continued to follow the agent to the unmarked car. Both Spike and Buffy knew they'd avoided the big talk of things that had happened over the last couple of months. However, privacy for such a talk had been very limited, but that would change if they were to share an apartment with only Nigel. There would be time to really talk and get everything out in the open.

*******

Dru paced the hotel room floor, outside of Sunnydale, wondering how she was going to work out this unforeseen problem. Her survival instincts told her to cut her losses and run. For Spike to have taken Nigel and returned to the woman who turned him away from her, he had to have found something out. But she was not about to let Spike get away with betraying her. He'd promised her to make them a family, and he never in the past had broken a promise to her.

"I bet the brat talked," she fumed, as her thoughts started to get away from her. "I know I covered my tracks very well. I always do. It had to have been the boy."

She had read about her Spike's success in the publishing world one day and new she held the card to cash in on his success. Her plan quickly came to mind, knowing how rash Spike was at making decisions when up against the wall in the past. Also having an inside knowledge of his weakness for children, it made him easy to play. She just needed to know why the rules changed and she hadn't seen it coming.

*******

The man dressed in all black with a white collar around his neck stood outside the airport. He was talking to the taxi driver asking for a ride to the train station. The train to Sunnydale, if he made it on time, was due to leave in an hour.

"I thank you kindly for your assistance," Caleb thanked the driver for understanding his need to get to his ill wife.

"No problem, Padre," Juan replied as he opened the door for the preacher. "I will pray you'll find her in better health when you arrive."

"Gracious, Juan, you can never have enough prayers, my friend," the preacher smiled as he kept thinking of the ways he was going to punish his runaway whore of a wife. "I'm sure God is listening."

*******

"Hank, where's Buffy?" Joyce asked as she looked for her daughter when she opened the door.

"She's with Spike and Nigel," he answered, waiting for her to invite him in.

"Well, you had better come in and explain what's going on then," Joyce said, with a worried look on her face.

Hank walked in the house and into the living room, noticing everyone was present. By the looks of things they were expecting Buffy to be coming home. He felt bad they were going to be disappointed at the moment.

"I see everyone is here." He sighed.

"Yeah, except for Buffy and company," Xander pointed out.

"I'm sorry about that," Hank apologized. "I have them in a safe place until we apprehend Drusilla."

"Can we talk to her?" Joyce asked, wanting to hear her daughter's voice.

"Yes, here's a cell phone that she will be able to call you on once she's settled," Hank said as he pulled out a small cell phone from one pocket and the charger from the other. "She should be getting to the apartment very shortly. I have another phone there, waiting with instructions once she gets there."

"Thank you, I know it's silly I should be saying that, with you being Buffy's father," Joyce blushed at what she was saying.

"It's okay, Joyce, I understand." Hank smiled reassuringly. "I need to go. I have a meeting with the mayor, and a criminal to apprehend."

"Could you please ask Mr. Wilkins when he plans on hiring competent people to protect his constituents?" Giles asked, still angry over the incompetent police officer from the other night.

Hank chuckled and decided to tell them, "He's already done it. You’re looking at the new Police Chief of Sunnydale."

"What? Really?" Joyce asked, in shock her ex-husband would give up the job he chose over his family.

"I think I can protect those I care about more here at home," Hank answered, hoping Rupert would understand he was not going to try and win Joyce back. It was too late for them, but it wasn't too late for him to start being a father and grandfather.

"I think it's wonderful news," Giles congratulated the man he felt no threat from concerning his wife. He knew the man was thinking of his children and their children.

"I really am glad to hear that, Giles," Hank replied as he held out his hand to the man who did a fine job of taking care of Joyce and his girls. "I respect your opinion and would like to hear them sometime on what you think we can do to make Sunnydale the safest city to live in."

Giles chuckled as he returned the handshake and answered, "I know that can be arranged."

"Great! Well I had better get going. I want to check with my men and see what they've found so far," Hank said before turning to leave. "I will keep you posted and let you know as soon as we have Dru in custody."

"Bye daddy!" Dawn ran to him and hugged him. "I'm so happy you are going to be here."

"Me too, baby girl." Hank sighed as he hugged her close. "You take care and listen to your mom, especially right now, okay?"

"Okay. If you see Buffy tell her I love her," Joyce's voice was tearful.

Hank's expression softened as he replied, "I will, and don't you worry. She will be home very soon, I promise."

Everyone stood quietly as they watched him leave. Saddened that Buffy was not coming straight home, but relieved she and Nigel was safe from any potential problems concerning Dru.

"Mrs. Giles, care to tell us how your talk with Spike went?" Willow asked, hoping she could shed some light on how this all came about.

Joyce motioned for everyone to have a seat and then explained everything Spike had told her. Starting with how Nigel's mother had sprung her conditions of letting him see his son. That he had tried to find out about their past and kept hitting walls. His private investigator had come up short. He really couldn't ask Dru about the identities she had used without alerting her to his checking up on her.

"Wow, I'm not sure how I would have handled something like that." Lorne sighed, wishing now he'd followed his gut instinct and pushed harder for Spike to talk to him.

"Yeah, I kind of feel sorry for the man," Xander agreed. "I'm not sure what I would've done either."

"I would choose my defenseless child." Giles sighed. "There was no other choice that I see he had. It seems this Dru character had all her bases covered except one."

"Which was?" Joyce asked, curious to what her husband's take on all this was.

"Hank," Giles said with a evil smile. "I'm glad that Spike came to his senses. I see he's not been taking very good care of himself. He's lost too much weight."

"I have to say I was too pissed to notice at the zoo," Xander said.

"As was I," Giles agreed.

"So, do you think Buffy will forgive him?" Dawn asked.

"I think she may have already," Joyce answered, hoping no one objected. "I think they still have some issues to iron out. But I think she can find it in her heart to forgive him."

"And us?" Xander asked.

"I guess that’s up to you," Giles replied. "I know I can find it in my heart to forgive him. It's not like he maliciously broke her heart, and from the sight of him, hers was not the only one broken."

"I hope he can forgive himself," Willow said to bring up that factor as well. "And maybe we can help him with that in making him see he’s forgivable."

Joyce walked over and hugged the girl and said, "Yes, you’re so right."

Candice stood at the doorway smiling because her job here was done. It was time to go home and find another family that needed her services. She also knew that Dru's fate was written in the cards, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The woman would soon meet her destiny, and it was not a pleasant one at that. Her only regret was putting Buffy's family and Spike through the little drama yesterday. It was drastic measures for desperate times.

She returned to her room and prepared to leave. Someone would drive her to the bus station, she had no doubt. The problem was making sure they didn't stay to see if she boarded the bus or not. For where she needed to go, a bus, train, nor automobile would get her there.

"Maybe one day everyone would believe there were such things as guardian angels," she said with a wink as she looked up toward the ceiling and giggled. "Nah, what fun would it be then, right?"

*******





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