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Chapter 24

“I was wondering how long it would take,” Giles asked, not looking up from his computer screen. Spike had made his way across to Giles’ office first thing the next morning.

“I’m surprised you hadn’t called me already. Buffy been by?” Spike asked as he pulled up a chair in front of the desk.

“Yes.”

He could tell that Giles was not happy about his knowing about Cody. “And I am guessing it wasn’t a pleasant catch up. Did she tell you everything?” Spike asked.

“I think so. How do you think she is coping?” Giles asked, his concern written all over his face.

“Her worst nightmare came true, Giles. How do you think she is coping?” Spike raised his eyebrow in surprise at Giles asking such an obvious question.

“Right.”

“And from the look on your face, the bags under your eyes, and the fact you haven’t stopped polishing your glasses from the moment I walked in, I am suspecting your worst nightmare came true too.” The look on Giles face was all the confirmation he needed and he watched him struggle to find the right words.

“Look, I have money. We could pay you if you could just forget…” Unfortunately, he failed miserably as Spike felt the anger rise.

“Finish that sentence Rupes, and every media outlet in the country will know about Cody before I leave this office. Is that what you really think of me? That you have to pay me for my silence?” Spike felt truly hurt. Sure on the surface he was all show and swagger, but that didn’t mean he was heartless. He would no sooner hurt himself than hurt Buffy.

“No, not really. I don’t know what to think at the moment. I have feared this day for so long, I’m just not quite sure what to do.” Giles sighed as he finally stopped polishing the glasses and popped them back onto his face.

“Faith was the one who warned me that I might find something at Buffy’s house. So her friends know the whole story and I suspect you don’t pay them for their silence.” He didn’t want to drop Faith into it, but he needed to make his point clear. He was on their side. Buffy’s side. And if she would allow it, he would stay by her side for as long as she wanted him.

“Yes, but that’s a completely different set of circumstances. I don’t have to pay them because they care for Buffy a great deal and would never do anything to hurt her.” Giles was fishing he could tell, wanting to know whether this was a game to him, some sick game to get one over Buffy in order to get one into her. He would never do that, he loved her.

“Then in that case, no payment is required.” Spike looked Giles straight in the eye letting his true feelings show.

“Really? It’s not like you are the picture of virtue Spike, how do I know we can trust you?”

“I’m not a total prick like Parker, Giles,” he explained knowing where Giles’ inability to trust him had originated from.

“She’s like a daughter to me Spike, Cody like a son, it’s more than business we are talking about here.”

“It’s more than business for me too.” Did he have to spell it out? He was only just becoming comfortable telling Buffy that he loved her. Did he have to tell Giles as well?

“Sorry to be so blunt Spike, but what game are you playing here? What do you want from her? An instant family to lift the deadbeat rocker profile?”

“I love her Giles,” his words never wavering. “With or with out the family in tow.”

“What does that mean exactly?” This guy could give Interpol a run for their money with his interrogation. He hesitated for the briefest of moments before he spoke.

“It means I am in love with her. I want to date her, find out her favorite song, color, food. I want to know what she looks like when she wakes up in the morning, and I want her to be the last thing I see before I go to sleep at night. I want to be in her life, I want her to let me love her. I want it all.”

“I think I get the picture,” Giles replied rather uncomfortably.

“Good, because I want you to know that what I want her to do is out of love, not selfish ambition.”

“Here is comes. I knew there was a catch. What do you want from her?”

“Giles, you are not a stupid man, you had to know you’d have to deal with this some day. She has to come clean about Cody.”

****

“You spoke to Giles,” Buffy didn’t so much as ask the question but make the statement as she stood in the doorway of his trailer.

Spike had kept his distance since seeing Giles the day before. He had wanted to call her many times to see how she was holding up, but at the same time he wanted to give her the space she needed to make the hard decisions she was facing. He wanted to be more of a help than a hindrance.

She looked tired, beautiful, but tired nonetheless. The weight of her dilemma showed not only on her face, but in her body as well. Gone was the confident women he had grown to love. She looked almost frail to him. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and tell her it was all going to be ok.

But he couldn’t. His feelings for her would only serve to confuse her more and the last thing he wanted to be was confusing.

“Yeah I did speak to Rupes. So ready for the scene today? I am happy to run lines if you want.” He could she the confusion on her face.

“What?” Buffy asked, totally confused.

“Today’s scene with the alien invaders. Lots of space lingo in it love. I know I could do with a spot of practice.” Buffy just stood stunned to the spot. Spike chuckled.

“Cat got it?” he asked.

“What?”

“Your tongue, love. Why the Charlie Chaplin routine?”

“I’m just a little confused is all.”

“Why? The last time I checked, we were making a film here today.”

“No, I just figured you might want to talk about,” she dropped her voice, “Cody.”

“And I figure it’s the last thing, in the last place, you would want to talk about anything private. You know us movie types. Not known for our discretion.”

Buffy giggled he suspected for the first time in a while.

“Maybe we could talk tonight?” Spike asked.

“Tonight?”

“At my place. Dinner and walls without ears.”

Buffy knew she shouldn’t. Too many temptations, but she knew she had to. They had to sort out all that had gone on between them in the past few days, weeks even. It had to be sorted before she could move on.

With or without him.





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