Friday evening
Buffy knocked on the door to Riley’s pad.
“Hi.” Riley greeted with a blinding smile when he saw who was at the other side of the door.
“Hi.” Buffy winced when she noticed the bandage on Riley’s nose.
“Why don't you come in.” Riley said. “I’m just about getting ready for dinner. I made spaghetti and there’s more than enough for both of us.”
“No, that’s okay. I’m not gonna stay. I just want to apologize for what happened…Spike shouldn’t have hit you. It’s all my fault. I should’ve told him I was going to meet you in the first place.”
“It’s all right. It was just a little misunderstanding I guess. The important thing is that you finally made up…You two already made up, right?
Buffy shook her head “No.”
“Oh.” Riley hid a smile. “The guy is obviously a jerk. I mean how could he not trust you.”
Buffy sighed. Riley is right. Spike should’ve trusted her. “It wasn’t really fair. We just got together and I thought for sure that everything was going to be great from then on. It was then that I came here to break up with you. I mean what are the odds that Spike would come here and find me while…”
Buffy broke off as she looked at Riley with questioning gaze.
“What?”
“Oh my God! I can’t believe it!” She exclaimed.
“What? Buffy, what’s wrong?” Riley asked her guiltily.
“You and Dru planned this whole thing.” Buffy stared accusingly at him.
“Spike didn’t come over here with is own hunch. Someone must’ve told him to.”
“Buffy, I don’t know how you got that ridiculous idea but I understand. You are hurting and it’s only normal for you to- Ow! Damn it!“
Buffy cut him off as she threw a big punch on his injured nose. “And just how dense did you think I am?”
*********************
Saturday Morning
“Come in honey,” she replied when she heard her mom knocked from the other side of the door.
Joyce stared at her daughter with worried eyes. She hardly ate for the last three days, and the only time that the younger Summers had gone out of her room that day was to get a glass of water.
“Are you sure that you don’t want to go out and hang with your friends.”
“You’re one strange mom,” she commented lightly, not moving from her position.
“Why is that?”
“Some moms would prefer their kids to stay indoors than hang out with their friends.”
Joyce chuckled. “Well it is better than have you mope in the house all day.”
“I’m wasn’t moping.”
“Oh, what were you doing?”
“Just lying around and doing nothing,” she debated lamely.
“I see.” Joyce sat on the side of her bed.
“Two days ago, Spike got a D because of me,” Buffy explained.
“How did that happen?”
Buffy told her what happened that day, starting from the time she realized she forgot her homework down to the part where Spike told her off. “It was like he’s a totally different person. He doesn’t care for me anymore.”
“Now that doesn’t make any sense, does it?” Joyce pointed out. “Him getting the D so you won’t have to. Tell me, if that’s not a clear sign that he still cares about you then I don’t know what is.”
“I can’t believe how I let those monsters played us, mom.”
“Well, the important thing is you found out about it before things got out of hand.” Joyce sat on the side of her bed. “Once you’ve explained it to Spike things will…”
“No, he won’t and honestly, I’m not even sure if I want to tell him about it either. I mean it doesn’t matter whether we’ve been manipulated or not, the bottom line is Spike didn’t trust me and I don’t think that I’ll be able to forgive him for that.”
“Oh sweetie, things will be okay. I know it will.” Joyce coaxed. “Remember when your Dad left? We thought we weren’t even gonna get through that horrible day but look at us now.”
“Yeah, it felt like the end of the world then.”
“I think we’re doing pretty well.” Joyce pointed out. I know that growing up would’ve been much easier if your dad was around, but there are just some things in life that we can’t control…”
“Mom about dad…” Buffy was about to tell her mom about her secret meetings with her dad when her words were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.
“Were you expecting someone?” Buffy asked. ”If it’s Spike. Could you please tell him that I’m not here?”
“I wonder who could that be?” Joyce mumbled as she made her way to the foyer.
When she opened the door, all vestige of color drained from her face when she realized who was waiting outside.
“Hi Joyce.”
Joyce opened her mouth several times but no words would come out.
Curiosity got the best of her as Buffy popped her head slightly from the kitchen to take a quick look on who was behind the door. But as soon as she heard the familiar voice, Buffy’s heart hitched in her throat. Quickly, she stepped out of hiding and exclaimed, “Dad!”
*****************
“Coffee anyone?” Buffy offered as she put the tray on the table.
A knife could cut through the tension brewing inside the living room as the two grown-ups sat across each other. Joyce appeared to be suddenly interested with the painting on the side of the wall while Hank fiddled with his thumb, staring at his ex-wife with an awed look of expression.
“If you guys need anything just holler. I’ll be at my room upstairs…I’ll be ummm.” Buffy’s voice trailed when she realized that her parents weren’t actually paying attention to her anymore. Quickly, she went upstairs to leave the two alone.
“You look good.” Hank told Joyce in a tentative manner. “I love what you did with the house. It’s quite different from the last time that I’ve -“
“Why are you here?” Joyce quickly cut in, her voice thick with emotion.
“I…I came to ask for your forgiveness.” Hank sighed deeply, expecting the cup of hot coffee to come flying his way any time soon.
Joyce stared at her husband like he’d grown a second head.
“Joyce?”
Joyce looked at him warily. “Why are you really here?”
“I told you I came to…”
“I haven’t seen you in years. You cannot just come here and tell me you’re sorry when you’re not.”
“Joyce, please calm down.”
“I can’t just calm down. You left us without even saying goodbye and we hardly heard from you since then. I mean I know we had our differences and we argued a lot but what our daughter had to go through, she didn’t deserve any of that.”
“I know. I messed up real bad. The truth is I’m not even sure that you were going to let me in the house.” Hank told her. “But I’m grateful that you did.”
“If our daughter wasn’t here that would’ve been another story.”
“Joyce, I’m sorry for all the heartaches that I’ve caused you and Buffy. I’m sorry that I left you. “
“Hank…”
“Before you say anything, I want you to know that I’m not expecting anything from you or from our daughter. I just came to let you know how sorry I am and to let you know that I’m moving back to Sunnydale.”
************
Buffy looked at her mom apprehensively when the door opened to her room. “ So did you forgive him yet?”
“Buffy I don’t think I’m ready to…”
“But he suffered too, mom. Ever since Amy left him five years ago, he’d been wanting to come back to us but he was afraid that you will shut him out just like he did with us.”
“How did you know all this?”
“I was eavesdropping a little…” Buffy lied.
“Buffy,” Joyce warned.
Uh-oh, That tone could only mean that…“He didn’t tell you?”
“No.”
“Ooops.” Buffy said awkwardly before she finally told her mom about her secret meetings with her dad. “I’m sorry. I hope you’re not angry enough to ground me.”
“You wish.” Joyce told her good-naturedly. “I’m upset though that you felt the need to go behind my back to meet with your father. I would’ve let you, you know.”
“Well it was his idea. He was scared of what your reaction’s going to be.”
“Your father knows me.”
“So are you and Dad okay now?”
“I’m not sure yet. But I think with a little help from you, anything’s quite possible.”
*****************
“Hi sweetie,” he greeted, as he saw her come down the stairs.
“Hi Dad.” She piped. “So you’ve finally made through the door without a scratch. I had to say that I’m quite impressed.”
Hank chuckled. “Your mom told me about your boy trouble.”
“So she hadn’t actually forgiven you yet but she managed to talk to you about my problems.”
“I actually asked her how you were. I guess she thought talking about you would momentarily stir away the conversation from me and her.”
“I’m fine, Dad.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“I am now that you are here. You ARE moving here, right?”
“Actually not HERE here but I’ll be closer since I’m moving back to Sunnydale.”
“Oh.”
“I’m currently staying at a hotel but I’m going to get my things in LA, patch things up with work, and probably be back here in a week.”
“So you found work here?”
“As a matter of fact, I did. Rupert actually helped me out a lot on that one.”
“I see.” Buffy’s face suddenly fell at the mention of Spike’s dad. “Dad, can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure sweetie.”
“When you go back to LA tomorrow, can I go with you?”
*************
Dru’s mom called out for her from the other side of the door. “ Dru, your date is here honey.”
The young brunette giggled loudly. “Really? Could you please send him up?”
Dru quickly put some finishing touches to her make up before she stood up and smoothed out her gown.
The last two days had been incredibly frustrating for her since Spike had been mostly trying to ignore every one, including her. Whenever she would bump into him, he’s always seemed on the run. She never counted on the possibility of him brushing her off each time she would try to get close. That wasn’t what she’d expected at all. It irked her that the only progress that she was able to make with him was the kiss that they’d shared three days ago. Other than that, Spike had been pretty elusive except during times that they had shared classes with Buffy. No matter, all that is going to change tonight, she wickedly thought to herself.
Ecstatic with the little image she played in her head, she literally jumped from where she was standing when the door suddenly opened “I thought you were never gonna- oh it’s you. What the hell do you want?”
Apparently, it was Dru’s younger brother, Derek who came in and not Spike. Derek eyed her with a look of disgust and replied. “Just wanted to remind you about that bet we made. It’s been almost a week and you still haven’t paid me.”
“You’re asking me that now! Are you insane? No wait, say no more coz’ I already know you are! Why don’t you just leave me alone and we’ll just discuss payment tomorrow.”
“Fine!” He retorted as he accidentally bumped into Spike on the way out.
“Wonder what that was about.” Spike mumbled.
“Oh you know Derek. He’s just being his annoying self.” Dru explained as she slowly came to him. “You look so magnificent in that tux.”
“And I like that dress that you’re wearing.”
Dru turned her back to him. “Do you mind if you zip my back for me?”
A light grin appeared from his face when he was treated with the long expanse of her back that went all the way down to her buttocks. Apparently, she wasn’t wearing any knickers. “So where’s this party anyway? I thought it was going to be here.”
“Oh did I forget to tell you? Dad is throwing this huge party to impress the bosses of his company. It’s going to be held at one of biggest hotels in Sunnydale.”
“Must be a really big party then. So what’s the name of this hotel that we’re going to, pet? ”
“Athenea.”
TBC
A/N: First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who had left a review on my last chap. Even if some of them may not have been positive, it’s totally all right since I respect all your opinions and different views. As I’ve said before, the outline to the story had already been made prior to writing it and so far, the only change that has been made was eliminating one chapter that wasn’t really that relevant. Let me assure you that I have no intention of making anyone upset nor would I turn to any form of retaliation. It is simply for the reason that 1. It is totally not in my nature and 2. I didn’t find anything offensive at all. I mean there were some who didn’t choose their words carefully but I always take them as something that they had said at the spur of the moment, just like how Spike had reacted over seeing Buffy with just a towel on, lol. Some people just know how to control their emotions better than the others and I completely understand that.
Some of you have given a very clever and insighful analysis of whether Spike cheated on Buffy or not.
While it is true that Spike had reacted irrationally, his actions have been so far realistic and true to his character in this story. Nichole had mentioned that Spike might’ve had something in his past that is affecting his way of thinking. That is so true, sweetie. It has nothing to do with Dru, but Spike is being insecure and untrusting mostly for the reason that at some part of his life, he thought that his mom had cheated on her dad and that she only stayed on her marriage due to her promise not to leave him. (Please refer to chapter 36 for this.)
As for the rest of the questions, I think this chapter had pretty much answered some of them. I believe that the upcoming chapters are gonna be really interesting so I’ll try to make time to post all of them within the week. Also I would like to thank XOXOXO for pointing out that little error I made with regards to detention. My mind had obviously mixed up this Spuffy with the HS fic Spuffy when I was writing this. Sorry about that, lol.
Again thanks to MB for betaing this entire story for me!
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