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Author's Chapter Notes:
Spike and Buffy spend some time together......
Spike was amazed she was letting him touch her, let alone lead her by the hand. He just hoped he'd have some quality time to spend with her before he had to go back to Dru. The thought of going back there didn't sit well with him. Then he decided it didn't matter right now, as he turned to address who did matter as they stopped beside his car.

"Tell me where to go and get this salad, Pet. We can then grab us something … um sinful? I feel like a milkshake." Spike told her as he opened the passenger door for her. "Hop in, I know you want to ride in her."

Buffy looked up and nodded as she got in the car. "We could go to MacDonald's drive-thru. Chef salad and milkshakes galore there."

Spike nodded, and told her to buckle her seatbelt before closing the door. To Buffy it sounded nice to have someone think of her safety. Only to chide herself that he was only following the law to avoid getting a ticket.

Buffy watched him get in the car and start it up. The purr of the engine called to her, making her wish she had a car like this. Once in drive and moving into traffic, she could feel the car's potential power calling to be let free. She couldn't help but wish that she were leaving Sunnydale behind, right now, in this car.

"She hums like a dream." Spike said as he noticed her admiring his baby.

"I bet she's awesome out on the open road." Buffy replied as her hand stroked the seat beside her. "You're so lucky."

"A lot of hard work, but she's worth it. Nothing is worth it unless you fight for it." He said, but looked at Buffy when he said the last line. Thinking to himself, she would be worth fighting for, he could feel it in his soul.

"MacDonald's, turn right at the next light, go down two streets and make a left. It will be on the next corner." Buffy gave the instructions as she continued to examine his car. "Do you mind?" She asked as she pointed at the glove box.

"No, look all you want." He encouraged her, feeling like he was sharing time with the girl under the façade.

Spike drove past the MacDonald's and he said, "Let's go for a drive so I can show you what she can do."

"I really do need to get back to work." Buffy replied, "Anya's hungry."

"Who's Anya?"

"My boss."

"Where do you work?"

Buffy sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win as she told him, "I work at The Magic Shop. I stock, clean, work the register."

"I knew you were pulling my leg." He chuckled.

"Really, how?" She truthfully asked.

"You just didn't seem the type to me, and the kiss." He told her honestly, making a promise he would never lie to her.

"The kiss?" She asked, feeling a bit uneasy asking him that.

"Kitten don't get me wrong, lovely kiss … just not the kind of kiss I'd expect from a woman of worldly experience, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, so I lost you with the kiss."

Spike snorted as he reached over and took her hand in his, feeling it tense up. "You never lost me, Pet. Just I've been around a bit longer than you and lived a bit reckless in my younger days. Not proud of my past, but I have this great uncle who helped me put my life back in order."

"Really? You bad?"

"Had my reasons, I did."

"Reasons to be bad?"

"Don't we all." He said as he gave her hand a small squeeze. "I was an idiot one night when I was sixteen. Drove a bit reckless by speeding, my Aunt was with me. Ethan's wife, Julia is her name. A car came out of nowhere, swerved in front of us. I lost control of the car and it met a tree. I came out of it with this here scar above my eye."

Buffy noticed then his hand squeezed hers tighter, so she tightened her hold as well. "What happened to Julia?"

"She's still in a coma in a nice little place in Santa Monica. That's why Ethan does all his business out of their home. He moved them both there because of the reputation of the specialized unit she is staying at. Rated at being the best with invalid care related to trauma."

"Does he blame you?"

"No, but I blamed myself and that was all that mattered to me at the time."

"So, you went punk ass and he saved you."

"No I went punk ass and he not only saved me, but put my arse back on track." Spike chuckled. "He made me see that even if I was driving the car, I wasn't the one that caused the accident."

Buffy felt a burning jealousy that his family forgave him, and yet hers still blamed her for something she didn't do. She was sure if she told him the truth, Spike would be like the others and not believe her.

"Are you trying to psychoanalyze me?" Buffy asked, her voice showing no emotion.

"No, just hoping it might help." He assured her, wondering to himself why this was so important to him, why she was so important to save. He wondered if it was because he could see so much of himself in her, from the time he'd danced with the devil.

"In what way would it help? You don't know how I feel?" Again her voice was emotion-less as she asked these questions.

"No, Pet…I don't know how you feel. Only you know that. But I know what can happen when you keep it all bottled up inside, let it fester until it burns a hole inside you. Where you lose yourself so deep down you could get lost forever. I almost did, until Ethan pulled him me up by my shorts and gave me what for."

"Where were your parents?"

"They'd died a few years before that in a plane crash. My father had whisked my mother off on a second honeymoon when bad weather forced their plane down." Spike shared, feeling sad he'd been left at home to feel their loss so deeply when the police came to tell him, Ethan, and Julia.

"I'm sorry for all your loses." She told him, as she put his hand in her lap, taking her other hand in order to sandwich it between hers. "Would you understand I'm not ready to talk about me yet?"

"Yes! Would you understand if I let you in on a little secret?"

"It's according to the secret." She replied, finding it odd for some reason it didn't scare her.

"My uncle Ethan is coming here tomorrow. I called him about some things I've noticed, and I would like for the two of you to meet. And before you get all worked up, all you have to do is meet him, if the two of you hit if off great, if not … then at least I tried. For some reason Summers I don't want you to get lost."

Buffy could see how anxious he was about her reaction and it made her smile a bit. Never had anyone taken this much interest in her before. Yes, others had tried to get her to talk about it because it was their duty as a teacher or advisor. Never had anyone really been this interested in knowing, or in letting her have control of the telling, except Faith. Even if her intent was golden, it still hurt some that Anya had got her drunk to talk about it.

"What does Ethan do?"

"He's a doctor, a psychiatrist, but not like you might think. He specializes in Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome."

"Not one that deals with the really crazy loony kind?"

"I'm sure he has a few of those lost souls in his practice." Spike said, realizing she was wondering if he thought she was one of those.

"He wouldn't think I'm crazy and off my rocker?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy, you're not off your rocker. I don't know all of it, and to be honest I only want to hear your side, but only when you're ready to tell me." Spike assured her. "I'm a good listener, and I'm not going to judge you."

"But will you believe me?"

"I guess it's according to when we sit down and talk. But I have a feeling you'd never lie to me."

Buffy felt her throat tighten and her heart start to beat fast. She needed some time to think and she knew he knew it as well by the way he again squeezed her hand and said, "I think I've kept you from your string of clients long enough. I wonder if it's safe for me to return?"

Buffy snorted, as she held back her grin. "I guess they will have to just deal that some things are more important then sex."

Spike actually laughed as he gave her hand a final squeeze, before placing his hand on the steering wheel so he could turn around. "No, Pet, very few believe there's more important things than sex, and you have yet to set me a price." He found it comfortable to tease her, thinking it was helping her to open up and feel at ease around him.

"Don't wish to mess with your savings, once you have me it's an addiction. You need the money for school." She felt it easy now to tease him back.

"You'd be surprised Pet, what I can handle." He purred, as he gave her a wink.

They bantered between them on the drive back to town. Neither noticed a familiar car following them with a very angry driver at the wheel. Buffy had called and asked Anya earlier if she was okay and that she'd explain when she got back, only to find Anya knew what had happened. Come to find out Anya had called Mel, the owner of the diner, at home and gave him a piece of her mind. Come to find out he was going to fire the woman for treating a customer so rudely.

*******

Dru was furious that Spike wasn't home when she got back. Something told her he was somewhere he shouldn't be, and it had better not be anywhere near that tramp, Buffy. She quickly acted the good daughter part and helped Joyce unload the groceries. Seems they were going to have a family cook out Sunday and Monday.

"Dru dear, can you hand me the barbecue sauce out of the cabinet?" Joyce asked as she pulled out the other ingredients she needed to fix the sauce needed for chicken.

"Sure." Dru said as she fought the urge to call Spike and find out where he was.

"Maybe you should call Spike and make sure he's not lost or something." Joyce suggested, wondering where the young man could be.

"I think I will." Dru replied, thankful Joyce had given her the perfect excuse. It would work perfectly; she could say that Joyce made her call. "I'll just step out on the porch for better reception."

Dru hurried out as she pulled out her cell phone and found his number. She heard the music as soon as he answered the phone. "Spike here."

"William, dear. Just calling to make sure you're okay. Mom was worried you might've gotten lost."

Spike felt a chill at the false tone of her voice come over him. "Just getting to know the area is all. I found the MacDonald's." He replied giving Buffy a nod of reassurance when she pointed at her self and shook her heard. "Quaint little town, not sure it's a place I'd want to live." He said the last part mostly directed at Buffy as he gave her a wink.

"Yes, well I'm sure that is something neither of us will have to worry about." Dru said with a touch of double meaning to her voice.

"I should be back soon." Spike replied, feeling the need to end this conversation, since he didn't like where it seemed to be heading. "The roads being unfamiliar and all, I'd like to have both my hands free." He hung up, not realizing he hadn't called her by her pet name of Princess or any other type of personal nickname.

"Of course. I will see you when you get home." Dru answered as she heard him hang up. It bothered her he didn't call her any of the endearments he'd picked for her.

"Hmm, barracuda must be home." Buffy said as she turned her attention to the scenery passing by as they drove on.

Spike sighed, as he put the phone on the seat beside him and said, "Call me later."

Buffy rolled her eyes as she picked up his phone and put in her number and told him, "Call me when you know what is going on tomorrow with your uncle."

"Will do Pet, now do me a favor and program me into yours."

Buffy bit her lip but still giggled as she replied, "Coming from your lips to my ear." This made Spike laugh and smile the rest of the way back into town.

*******





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