Chapter 18
Spike couldn’t contain his smile when he entered his house. Things were really going well with Buffy. They spent about a half an hour snogging at the park before he dropped her off at home. He was starting to feel better about her father; he didn’t seem all that bad of a bloke. It was the step-mother that he was more worried about. The fact that she wasn’t happy about Hank calling off the trip to Switzerland had him a bit nervous about what she might do. Spike just prayed the crazy bitch wouldn’t lay a finger on his girl, or he might really have to reconsider his rule about not hitting women. He was ripped out of his thoughts by a noise coming from upstairs and wondered if Dawn was hurt. With lightning speed, he barreled up the stairs and threw her bedroom door open. The sight in front of him was not something he ever expected to see.
“What the bloody hell is going on in here?”
Dawn instantly pulled away from Xander, embarrassed to be caught by her brother. It quickly turned to anger. “God, and you whine about me not knocking before barging into your room?”
Spike ignored her and glared at Xander. “Would you care to explain exactly why you were on top of my sister, Harris?”
He held his hands up. “We were only kissing, I swear. There may have been some groping, but it didn’t go any further than that.”
Dawn slapped his arm. “You don’t have to explain anything to him. I’m not a little kid, Spike. It’s not like you weren’t groping Buffy the other day in your room.”
Spike glared at her now. “That’s not the point, Dawn. You’re my sister and he’s my best friend, this is just weird.”
Xander stood up. “It’s not all that weird, man. You know how I feel about her. You told me that you wouldn’t mind her ending up with someone like me, or was that just a lie because you figured that she would never be interested in me?”
Spike sighed. “It wasn’t a lie. I just didn’t expect for you guys to be at this point already.”
Dawn figured it was her turn to explain. “We didn’t plan for this to happen so soon. I just invited him over to talk and I guess one thing lead to another, but that’s as far as it was going to go. And I didn’t think you would be home so soon,” she mumbled the last part.
“Fine, we’ll talk about this later. It will definitely take some getting used to. I think you should get out of here before my parents come home.”
Xander nodded and after giving Dawn one more kiss, hurried out of the room.
Spike turned back to his sister once he heard the front door close. “Just tell me that you’re still a virgin. I can’t think about my little sister having sex before me, that’s just not bloody right.”
Dawn rolled her eyes. “I’m not that much younger than you, but you don’t have to worry. I’m so waiting for marriage, or at least until I’m in love. Whichever comes first,” she commented.
Spike didn’t get a chance to respond when he heard the front door open, knowing that his parents were home. “Okay, this never happened, agreed?”
She nodded. “Agreed, let’s go see what’s up with the rents. It’s a bit early for them to be home.”
Spike nodded as well and followed Dawn down the stairs.
Rupert Giles glanced up when his kids entered the kitchen, a bright smile on his features. “I have some joyous news to share,” he started.
Jenny smiled and gave her husband a pat on the back. “Your father is amazing,” was all she said.
Spike raised his eyebrows. “What’s going on?” he wondered.
Giles was about to reply, but Jenny beat him to it.
She couldn’t keep the excitement inside any longer. “Your father put away Luke Barton today. He should be rotting in jail for a good long time, it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving man.”
Dawn’s jaw dropped. “Whoa, he’s like a huge criminal. I can never turn on the news without hearing about something horrible that he’s done. Way to go, Dad.”
He grinned at the praise, giving his daughter a hug. “I say we celebrate.”
Spike tuned everything out after that. He was proud of his father for putting a man like that behind bars, but for once he would like to celebrate for something that wasn’t a case. Most days the job was all his father could talk about, nothing else seemed to matter. Dawn practically idolized him, as did everyone else in town. Spike wasn’t about to bring down their happiness at another one of his father’s accomplishments, so he forced a smile on his face and joined in the celebration.
* * * * *
Buffy headed downstairs for a snack after she completed her homework, stopping suddenly at the sight of Addie drinking her father’s Scotch in the living room. She tried to get back up the stairs before she was spotted by the obvious drunk woman, but there was no such luck.
“Well, if it isn’t the thorn in my side. Come to gloat, have you?”
Buffy ignored the comment. “Where’s my dad?”
Addie laughed humorlessly. “He’s at the office, said he would be home later. It’s just you and me, sweetie. So, what did you say to him? Did you bat your eyelashes until he caved? I worked hard on this plan to get you out of the way and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you ruin it now. Why do you think your father sent you to that clinic in the first place? It was because I suggested it. I told him that it would be a good thing for you, and he listened to me. He always does whatever I say, so it should only be a matter of time before I get him to agree with me again. You’re nothing but a disgrace, you know that? Hank would be better off without you. I don’t know how he didn’t off you the second you were born. Why anyone would want to have a daughter like you is beyond me.”
Buffy held her tears back, not about to cry in front of her a second time.
Addie moved closer. “You gonna get all weepy on me again? That’s all you’re good for, isn’t it? I found this in your room; it’s pretty damn laughable if you ask me.”
Buffy gasped when Addie revealed her sketchbook.
“You seem to draw a lot of Spike Giles in here. Does he know that you’re a complete stalker? This is just pathetic that you think a boy like that would want anything to do with you. His father is a very powerful man; he could get any girl that he wants. He wouldn’t want some freak with no talent,” she spat, ripping pages out of the book and throwing the remainder of it to the floor.
“Stop it! Who the hell do you think you are messing with my stuff?” Buffy shouted, shocking herself for finally saying something, but not about to hold back now.
“You have no right to talk back to me, you little bitch! Hasn’t your father taught you to respect your elders?”
Buffy saw red and for the first time in her life, she was ready to give the old hag a piece of her mind. “I could never respect someone like you. You’re a monster and my father will realize that. My mother was ten times the woman you are. You’re nothing compared to her and you never will be. You’re nothing but a selfish, cruel, old woman!” she finished in a rage.
Addie felt pure anger at the little brat for having a nerve to say such things to her. “You insolent child, I’ll make you pay for that,” she yelled, slapping Buffy hard across the face and grabbing her by the shoulders. “That will teach you to speak to me like that. Now I know why you tried to kill yourself. If I looked as hideous as you, I wouldn’t want to live either.” Addie was about to raise her hand again, too distracted to notice the front door opening, until a loud voice called out.
“Get away from my daughter!”