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CHAPTER 15 -- Meet the Family

Author’s Note: I have to give love to Carol, who’s idea this whole thing was. I hope I’m doing your story justice! There would be no Game of Love without her. She ranks with Joss on my genius scale.

Spike ascended the stairs to the Summers’ home, fifteen roses behind his back. He rapped on the door and heard loud cackling coming from the direction of the kitchen. Buffy answered the door, looking a little worse for the wear. “Hi,” she greeted dully.

Spike smirked, “Tough day, luv?”

“You have no idea,” she said, grabbing the sleeve of his dark blue button down and yanking him into the house, relieved there was now someone else in the house to suffer overhearing discussions of menopause and the dirty details of the three women’s past conquests.

He reached and separated three roses, “For a true trooper,” he presented them to Buffy.

She immediately perked up, “Ohhhh, pretty,”

“Buffy, is that Spike?” Joyce yelled from the kitchen.

“I better go say hi,” said Spike, turning the corner, peaking around the wall into the kitchen. “Ladies,” he greeted with a nod of his head.

Joyce, Aunt Linda, and Aunt Sue sat at the kitchen table around steaming cups of coffee. Joyce stood up and gave Spike a hug, “Hello, Spike. I’m so happy you could come. This is Linda and Sue,” she gestured to the women. He divided nine more roses between the three older women. He received a hug, a kiss, and fawning adoration from each of them.

“Spike . . .” Aunt Linda drew out the name thoughtfully as she sat back down in her chair. “Why do they call you that?” The woman looked poignantly at Spike’s pants. Spike’s eyes bulged slightly, an amused smile on his lips, pure shock at what was coming out of the otherwise harmless looking lady.

Buffy looked positively sick, “Oh God,” she uttered. “I think we should go say hi to Dawn,” she took his arm, leading him into the living room. Laughs and whispers of, “Oh, Linda, you’re so bad!” followed them.

Spike looked disbelievingly back towards the kitchen, not able to wrap his head around what he had heard. “Well that was new,” he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memory.

“Spike!” Dawn greeted from her place on the floor, in front of the television.

“Roses for my favorite girl,” He held out the last three roses to the youngest Summers. You would of thought he’d presented her with a diamond. She jumped up, “For me!? Really!? I’ve never gotten flowers before!? I’m gonna go put these in my room! Thanks Spike!” She gave Spike a hug around his middle and bounded up the stairs.

Buffy smiled at the happiness in her sister, “I think you have a new best friend,” she plopped down on the couch, curling up in the corner.

Spike smiled, he’d never had any siblings, and he found joy in Dawn’s young excitement with the world, “She’s a good kid.” He joined her on the sofa. “So how’ve things been going today?”

Buffy smiled, “Well, our asparagus rolls were a hit. I hid a couple for you in the back of the fridge, behind the milk.” She sighed, “Other than that, me and Dawn have been hiding in the living room watching a VH1 All-Access marathon.” She gestured toward the TV.

Spike watch the special on hot Hollywood couples for a few seconds, “You imagine Brittany Spears knows she looks that bad, or does her entourage just not tell her?”

It was such an off-handed comment, and one that wasn’t a typical one from Spike, Buffy had to laugh. She nodded her head, “I’m thinking that no one tells her. I’ve always said that people with bad fashion sense should not be given unlimited amounts of money.”

For the next half-hour, Spike and Buffy sat back on the couch supplying a running commentary for the celebrity show, laughing as pictures of David Guest seemingly trying to eat off Liza Minelli’s face flashed across the screen.

____________________________________


After dinner, Buffy came in from the living room, carrying an arm full of empty soda cans and plates. Throwing them in the sink, she ran water over them.

“Come on ladies . . .” Aunt Sue announced. She acknowledged Spike, “and gentleman,” she added. Spike nodded in thanks. “It’s poker time!” She had Spike, Joyce, and Linda gathered around the kitchen table and was dealing out playing cards. “Buffy, dear, you in?”

Buffy shrugged, wiping her hands on a dish towel, “I don’t know how to play.”

Spike pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and held out his hand, “Come ‘ere, luv. You can play with me.” She took it and he pulled her to sit on his lap. The Aunts and Joyce exchanged glances. Spike picked up his cards, holding them in front of Buffy so they both could see them. “Jokers wild?” he asked. He received a nod from Sue.

Spike whispered in Buffy’s ear, she laughed and threw two dollars toward Aunt Sue in exchange for another card. She picked it up and showed him. Pleased with the card, he bounced her on his knees and she giggled.

Three games later, the blonde couple had a significant pile of cash in front of them. They had a winning system going -- Spike made the bets and Buffy took the money from her carefully organized pile and threw it into the pot.

“I will see your bet and raise you five,” said Spike. Buffy threw a five dollar bill into the middle of the table. Linda considered the blonde duo, determining if their bet was valid or if they were bluffing. Spike leaned in closer to Buffy’s ear, “Now’s the time for the poker face, luv,” they both wore matching scowls. Joyce and Sue, who had already folded, sat watching the exchange. Linda sat quietly for a moment before laying down her cards for everyone to see -- four of a kind. A sly smile appeared on Spike’s lips, Buffy sat looking innocent on his lap. He laid out the cards, revealing a royal flush.

The room burst out in laughter. “I thought you were bluffing!” Linda yelled. Buffy scrambled to gather all of her and Spike’s hard earned cash.

Spike turned to his partner in gambling, “Well, pet, what do you fancy we do with all this loot? I’m thinking celebratory dinner at The Bronze.”

“I’m thinking yes,” agreed Buffy. She got up off his lap, counting out their money.

“Come on, Spike,” Dawn tugged on his arm. She felt left out with all the attention on the card game. “You promised you’d help me study for my World War II test.”

“Ok, Bit, let’s go learn about Hitler,” he got up from the table, following her up the stairs. “When was Pearl Harbor?” he quizzed.

“December 7, 1941,” she answered proudly. Spike praised her knowledge.

As their voices faded, Aunt Sue turned back to the group, “Oh, Buffy, we love him!” Buffy rolled her eyes at their enthusiasm.

“Where did you find him?” Linda asked.

“We went to college together,” Buffy answered, trying her best to quickly quell their curiosity.

“How long have you been dating?”

Buffy looked startled, “Dating? As in each other? Oh, we are so not dating.”

“But your mother said . . .”

“Mom!” she hissed accusingly.

“Well, you have been spending an awful lot of time with each other. And he did persuade you to do the dishes, so I figured he must be someone special. God forbid you tell your mother what’s really going on in your life.”

Buffy sighed and turned back to her aunt, “He lives in L.A. He came back to write an article on me and the store, that’s all,” she insisted, ending the Spike-centric conversation.

__________________________________________


It was well into the night when Spike decided he should go and all five women stood outside on the porch, lined up to say goodbye. “Are you sure you have to go?” asked Aunt Sue.

“Yes,” Linda chimed in, “We’re leaving the day after tomorrow. Sure you don’t want to come with us?”

“You could mow our lawn,” Sue gave him her most winning smile.

Spike laughed nervously, “No, that’s okay,” he leaned in and gave a quick kiss to Linda and Sue, working his way down the line of women.

“Study hard, Bit. Promise me?”

“I promise,” she answered diligently. Spike kissed the young girl on the head, ruffling her hair.

“Wow,” Joyce marveled at Dawn’s excitement to study, “I think you should come around more often. She’ll be getting A’s in no time.” Joyce gave her favorite boy a kiss on the cheek and wiped at the lipstick imprint she left there.

Last in line was Buffy. While finishing his conversation with her mother, he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Not paying attention, Buffy accidentally turned her head in the same direction. Their lips met for the briefest, most miniscule of seconds before they quickly pulled away, shock evident on their faces.

Quiet awkwardness fell over them. Spike attempted to redeem the situation, “I’ll see you later, then?” He tried at nonchalance, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Buffy shook her head quickly, agreeing to his statement and his method of escape, “Okay.” They both tensed, fighting back down the feelings that flared up inside them.

Tearing his eyes away from hers, Spike climbed into his Desoto and started the car. Buffy stood with her family, waving goodbye. The sound of Spike’s engine faded into silence. As the girls all turned to go inside, a sound from Buffy echoed through the quiet night:

“Hiccup.”

TBC





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