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Chapter Twenty-six

"I want to tell Mom and Dad," Spike told Buffy later that night as they set the table for dinner.

Joyce, having been so happy to have her family under one roof again, thought it would be a wonderful idea to have them start having family dinners in the event they were all home at dinner.

Thankfully, it didn't happen often. Buffy didn't think she'd be able to
stomach much more Brady Bunch type family dinners. Especially since she
and Spike were not of the Greg and Marcia persuasion anymore. Not unless
it was them off camera that is.

Buffy stared at him," What? Like now?"

He nodded, looking nervous.

"Spike, I thought you wanted to wait a while."

"We have waited a while, Buffy," he told her as if waiting had been her idea
the whole time in the first place. That was a tad infuriating.

"What happened at therapy today?"

He gave her a look, "Look, I think now is a good time to tell them."

"Are you sure? You don't want to wait a little longer? Another week?"

"You're the one who wanted to tell them when they got home. Now you
want to wait. What's up with that?"

"Why are you getting so defensive?"

"Why are you?"

"I'm—" she took a deep breath, calming herself. "I just want to make sure
you're really ready. Not just high after a good session or whatever."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "Just something that Doyle told me
about. He's studying psychology and—"

"I forgot, Doyle knows everything," Spike said dryly, shaking his head and
whipping open the silverware drawer.

"Hey you have somebody to talk to; it's only fair that I should too. He might
not be licensed yet, but he's good at it. He's even already putting my bill
together for when he is licensed. He said he's giving me a discount, but I'm
not buying it—"

"Buffy!"

"Sorry. Look, does it really bother you that I talk to Doyle about stuff? He's
my best friend Spike. I need someone to talk to too," she said, putting her
hand on his arm gently. She looked up at him pleadingly.

He sighed, "I'm sorry Buffy. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just tense is
all. It's like now that I feel brave enough to tell them about us, I just want
to do it and get it over with."

"Then by all means, get it over with."

Buffy felt the floor drop out from under her and she felt as if she were
moving in slow motion as she turned her head to see Joyce standing across
the counter from them with her hands on her hips. Joyce did not look
happy.

"Mom," Buffy started and then stopped because she didn't know how to
proceed.

Joyce started tapping her feet, her eyebrows raising. "Yes?"

"I . . . don't know how to start," Buffy finished honestly.

"Let me help you out then. There's something that you want to tell me and
your father about the two of you. From the sound of it—"

"Buffy and I are in love. We're together," Spike blurted out.

"That's one way to do it," Buffy muttered.

Joyce stood, frozen, staring at them. The tapping ceased and her face froze.
"What?"

"Mom, don't freak," Buffy said and started to round the counter to comfort
her mother.

She halted when Joyce held up her hands to stop her. Buffy skidded to a
stop.

"You're WHAT? Please tell me this is some kind of practical joke you two
cooked up," Joyce said, almost pleading.

Buffy shook her head. Spike made no movement, no sound.

"Mom—" Buffy began.

"GILES!" Joyce shouted at the top of her lungs.

Spike started muttering something softly while Joyce stormed out of the
kitchen to find her husband. Buffy glided over to Spike to hear what he was
muttering.

"I love Buffy and it's not wrong," he kept saying, his gaze fixed straight
ahead, his hand gripping a fork.

Buffy took hold of his hand and eased the fork out his hand. He seemed to
come out of his stupor somewhat. He looked down at her. Cupping the side
of his face, Buffy told him. "And I love you. And it's NOT wrong. I need you
to be strong now Spike."

He nodded, scratching the back of his head, "I – yeah, yeah, I know."

"Spike, stay with me please," Buffy pleaded. "Don't flake on me now."

"Yeah, yeah, I w-won't."

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Giles bellowed, storming into the
kitchen, followed by a distraught Joyce who was wringing her hands.

"Giles, it's not a bad thing—" Buffy started.

"He's your BROTHER!" Giles yelled. He turned his focus to Spike. "What
the hell is wrong with you? Where is your head?"

"Don't yell at him!" Buffy shouted at Giles. "He didn't do anything wrong."
She slipped her arm through Spike's and felt him trembling.

She put her hand back on his face, making him look at her. "Spike, it's not
wrong."

"Yes, it is. You're brother and sister for Christ's sake!" Giles yelled. "It's
sick. What have you done?" he demanded of Spike.

Buffy moved so that she stood in front of Spike, shielding him. "It is NOT
sick. It's NOT wrong. We're NOT really related. There's no blood between
us—"

"You were raised as brother and sister," Giles argued.

"Not our whole lives," Buffy countered.

"Are you telling me--?" Giles looked horrified and Joyce started wailing,
looking ready to pass out.

"No!" Buffy exclaimed. "We didn't – not THEN. It didn't happen until Spike
came back."

"Your marriage falls apart so you prey on Buffy? Your SISTER?" Giles said
angrily, turning red.

"I – I can't do this," Spike stammered, inching away.

Buffy grabbed his arm, "Spike, don't run out on me now. We're in this
together, remember?"

"I'm sorry Buffy," he whispered, his face starting to crumble.

"Spike, please," Buffy pleaded, but he was pulling away.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry," he said to her and then to their parents.
"I'm a bad man," he whispered and ran out the door.

Buffy spun to Giles and Joyce, the rage pouring off her in waves. "You
couldn't just let us explain. You had to come in here and accuse and make
him feel dirty. You couldn't just listen and TRY to understand. Do you have
any idea what he's gone through?" she shook her head at them and ran out
the door after him. His car was still there, wherever he was, he was on foot.
He couldn't have gone far.

Running to the end of the driveway, she shouted his name. Giles and Joyce were calling after her, their voices coming closer.

She spun to them, "If anything happens to him, it's all your fault!" she yelled at them before tearing off down the street after her beloved.





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