Rupert Giles watched his wife pass Spike on her way to the living room to join Buffy and Dawn to watch TV and marveled at the turn of events his life had recently taken. He was now even sorrier he had not perused Joyce after the whole band candy spell knowing the years of her companionship and love he had denied himself. With a slight smirk he also thought about all the mind-blowing sex he had missed, his wife after all was incredible in bed. Spike checked the oven said all was well and then the two men began to put together a salad in companionable silence both lost in their own musings and realizing this was a night for introspection…
Giles remembered the night he took Joyce to the hospital and asked for entrance back into her life. He remembered her easy acceptance of him and was grateful he had spent those two hours practicing that speech he gave her as it had obviously worked. The first kiss they shared had been wonderful and he began counting the days until he could ask her to be his wife and then have access to those kisses any time he wanted; not to mention be able to suckle her exquisite breasts he didn’t get to do that on the police car and it was one of his favorite parts of sex. He was also told he was rather good at it something his wife would later confirm after their honeymoon telling him how angry she was he had not done that for her on the police car.
After Joyce had come out of her surgery the first thing she did was confront him and Buffy about Dawn’s true nature. They had told her how they chose to keep it from everyone because the fewer people who knew the safer it was for Dawn. They had not told her because they had not found out until after she had visited the doctor and did not want to add one more thing to worry about. Joyce had graciously forgiven them both though she told him she would require a dinner at an expensive restaurant as his punishment. He had agreed knowing that was the night he would propose to her. Riley had come by then and paid his respects after he left for his romantic evening with Buffy, Giles will never forget the conversation with Joyce. “Is it just me or do you feel like he can never give her what she truly wants or needs? He just seems too I don’t know how to describe it just too something for her.”
Giles had decided it was time to be completely honest with Joyce about her daughter. “Joyce, I’m going to tell you something you may not like hearing and which I don’t like saying. You know your daughter is The Slayer fighting darkness and evil every night. What you do not know is that the Slayer was actually created by the use of dark magic in order to be a warrior of light to keep the balance between good and evil. This darkness lives within every Slayer, most have never lived long enough to discover this duel nature, those who have either embraced it as Faith did and then had to be eliminated or gave up the fight for good and allowed themselves to be killed. Some, however did neither they are the ones that lived long lives; they found lovers who would give them outlets for the darker side of their natures. Buffy I think is beginning to discover her darker side and looking for that outlet.”
“Rupert are you saying what I think you are that those Slayers began to have an interest in unusual sex?”
“Unusual is a polite way of putting it Joyce. They became interested in very kinky sex with wanting to, and this is the strange part, most chose to play the submissive role in the bedroom. From the accounts I have read they wanted to give up all control and have a certain amount of pain inflected by their lovers.”
“Is that really so hard to believe they have to be in charge and in control in every other part of their life or people die. They have a high tolerance for pain why not give some of the control over to the one person you trust above all others. You know that they will never take it too far and never truly hurt you. Not that I would be interested in anything like that, but I guess I can understand. That being said you’re saying I’m right Riley can’t give her what she needs?”
“Yes, you’re right. I frankly see only one individual in her life at the moment that may be able to provide her with that and I chose not to bring that up to her.”
“Spike can’t physically cause her pain with the chip. That is who you are talking about?”
“You can tell no one else this but I believe he has had the chip out for some time now.” At her confused look he continued. “I was out walking one night several weeks ago and saw him stop a mugging he did quite a bit of damage to the muggers. He did not kill them however, just threatened to do so if they should try anything like that in ‘his’ town again. I then followed him the rest of the night he killed a few demons and stopped by Willy’s before returning to his crypt just before sunrise. The next day he came by the Magic Box and I asked him what he would do if he ever had the chip removed he said he would do nothing to force the Slayer to try and kill him. The next night I followed him again and he prevented another mugging he looked like he was going to kill this one then started cursing about how he wasn’t going to rape her and how he had really been looking forward to a snack, he then let the man go with a threat. I think he is the one killing the rapists in town. I certainly will not stop him from doing that especially since from my observations those are the only criminals he kills for the most part he still uses pig’s blood.”
“I actually hope you’re right I know he won’t hurt anyone anymore he has changed so much. I wouldn’t mind them being together though he does love her even though I don’t think he even realizes how much. I just hope that Buffy finds what she needs from someone who will cherish her and give her not only what the Slayer needs but what my little girl needs.”
With that the conversation had turned to other subjects and they had talked well into the night.
When Riley’s pension for vamp whores was brought to light Giles began to reevaluate him being able to give Buffy the darkness she needed then realized he couldn’t as for him it had all been about being dominated. Giles was just glad he was gone from Buffy’s life. When Giles had found out about Dawn being the key was when he first began to examine Spike wondering if he was the one, something Giles was now almost convinced of, especially after his behavior towards the criminals of Sunnydale. The ones he let go with a threat and the ones he killed without equivocation. He knew however, that he would still need to wait it out and see. Buffy being available was another step to him being proven right about the bleached vampire.
His honeymoon with Joyce and the story the Wilkerson’s told fit in perfectly with his growing belief of who Spike truly was and what he meant to the world. When he and Joyce had returned he was horrified to hear Dawn now knew the truth, while on one hand it would make things easier if he proved correct about Spike on the other, had she or Spike seen the diaries with his musings on this? They were kept in a different location than his other diaries but he had to be sure, that’s why he left for the shop that night. He was overjoyed to see those books undisturbed if all was as he was now coming to believe then Spike, Buffy, and Dawn must not suspect anything only then could things unfold to give them all the joy they deserved and he desperately wanted that for his family.
Buffy’s family dinner suggestion had saved him from almost saying something when he arrived home and was attacked by Dawn. Besides it really was a great idea and he looked forward to those times. When Spike was captured by Glory he had to go along with the he can’t be trusted reason to free him as he could allow no one to know how he now believed in Spike’s better nature. Not to mention his belief that Spike would have an innate knowledge and desire to protect Dawn with his unlife. He knew what Anya had likely not told them that Spike was in love with Buffy and was glad she shut everyone down the way she did. When Spike had come by for Monday night patrol he had jumped at the chance to begin to include Spike in what should be his as well. Then when the ladies in his family invited him the next three weeks they had just set a place for him the fourth when he showed up and they realized to their horror no one had invited him again and apologized for the oversight. That was the night of the discussion that real men, not chefs did not know how to cook Spike and Giles took immediate offence and declared they would be cooking the next family dinner.
When Giles found out about the shrine he was at a loss how could he bullock it up like that, Giles even had Buffy studying vampire mating rituals, what was Spike thinking. Then the next day at the Magic Box he got the call. The familiar voice on the other end said three words before he hung up which sent terror to Giles heart and him running out of the store. “Watcher, Joyce hospital.”
He had arrived at the hospital in record time and went straight to the emergency room where he saw Spike waiting, he saw the doctor approaching him. “Mr. Giles?”
“Actually that would be me.”
“Oh, ok your wife is going to be fine she had the beginnings of a brain aneurism caused by the surgery thankfully she was here with this gentleman yelling for help when it hit so we were able to save her if she had been anywhere else she would have died. She is still unconscious and we will need to keep her at least overnight we will let you know once we have her settled in a room.” With that the doctor turned and walked off.
“Glad Joyce is going to be ok I’ll just leave now.” Spike had said quietly.
“Wait!” When Spike stopped Giles had continued, “What was she doing with you?”
“Came over to talk, she actually believes me. I know no one else will but she does and I’ll take that for now.” Giles noted the determination in this quiet statement as though the Vampire was determined to make everyone else believe him as well.
“How did you come to be here when the aneurism hit?” The Watcher in Giles had to understand this.
“Well after she said she believed me I smelled blood and realized it was coming from her head. I’d read about some of the complications from brain surgery and knew I had to get her here as soon as possible. Think I scared her, just put on my demon face to be able to see better in the sewers, threw her over my shoulder and ran.”
“Spike, about the shrine I believe you too.” Giles had received a shocked and hopeful look at this statement then came the questions.
“You do? Why?”
“Several reasons the main one being if you were not dismantling the shrine as you claimed there would have been no pictures in the box they all would have still been on the wall.” He decided to go with the obvious reason not the ones he could not yet elaborate on.
“Buffy will never believe me though.”
“Give her time she’s stubborn.”
“No, she’s scared. Every bloke who ever claimed to love her took off at the first sign of rough waters. She’s afraid if she lets me in and opens up I’ll do the same. I love her with every fiber of my being but sometimes she is an idiot. If I was gonna leave her would have done it a long time ago and it’s not just the chip that’s keeping me here either…” Spike paused and looked like he was debating something then he made the statement he expected to shock Giles. “Would it surprise you to know I’ve had it out since right after Captain Cardboard got his removed? Only killed four people since then all of who were about to rape someone.”
He knew it, out loud he answered honestly though more subdued than he felt. “That’s longer than I had suspected but it doesn’t surprise me. I suspected you were the one killing the rapists when I followed you a couple of weeks ago saw you break up a couple of robberies one you began to get excited about then said ‘Bloody hell you weren’t gonna rape her,’ then you shifted into your game face and warned them not to try something like that again. I had seen you the night before as well and knew I could now believe what you said about not doing anything to make Buffy have to kill you in answer to my question earlier that day.”
Giles smiled at Spike’s shocked reaction. Then the vampire spoke softly, “Don’t want to put her through that would never do that to her. Make her kill someone she cares about. Know she does otherwise she wouldn’t be so scared to let me close.”
The nurse then came and told him Joyce’s room number and he asked Spike to join him. Joyce was just waking up when they arrived and Giles ran to her and gave her a gentle kiss. She looked at Spike and said, “I guess I owe you my life, thank you.”
“What do you mean?” This came from Dawn as she and Buffy had just arrived.
Giles told the girls what happened and Dawn was going over to give Spike a hug when the doctor came in. He looked at Spike and scowled; “Only family is allowed to visit on this ward.”
Buffy then spoke up and shocked everyone in the room. “He’s my boyfriend doesn’t that count.” She then walked across the room and gave Spike a gentle kiss on the lips.
“Oh my apologies Mrs. Jackson.” With that they laughed and informed the doctor he had the wrong room.
After the flustered doctor left Dawn turned to Buffy, “You mean it or were you just trying to get rid of that guy.”
Buffy had looked up at Spike, “I’d like to try, I believe you and I believe in you. Maybe it’s time for me to stop being scared.” Spike had leaned down to kiss her then and Dawn squealed and ran over to embrace them both. Giles looked at them and then at his wife who was looking on smiling….
“Rupes time to get the food out,” Spike drew him back to the present and Giles went to the drawer to pull the hot pads to remove dinner from the oven……
Author's Chapter Notes:
Let's try again I hope the spacing is fixed. Wish me luck.