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Author's Chapter Notes:
normal warning...Spike other and Buffy other.
for those who've hung on we've only a couple more chapters before the real spuffy stuff
thanks as always to those who took time to review. they really do make my day
‘Happy birthday to you,’ was still running around Spike’s head as he put Harri to bed. It didn’t seem possible that he was a year old already. The little boy had grown and grown. He was the centre of Spike’s world, and he loved him.

Spike had agreed to move into Harri’s house for the week while Anya got ready for her wedding. Xander had come up with the most brilliant idea. Instead of Harri moving in and out of his and Anya’s places, they each had a room in his house. Of course he had rooms in theirs as well, but Anya and William took it in turns to sleep over at Harri’s: that way the child had stability and didn’t have to keep getting uprooted.

Anya had met the security contractor, Riley Finn, and despite her outspokeness and his farmboy style they had hit it off, and they were dating a week after meeting. Six months later he had proposed, only to be told by Anya it was ‘about time’, and in three days they were going to be married.

Finn was moving into Sanctuary as well. They were becoming quite the commune. Six houses built so far: Harri’s, his, Anya’s. And one for Xander and Lorne, the staff one and a guest house. There was a huge pool and gym complex (including dance studio), stables, and amazing gardens; a jungle gym big enough for all the boys to play on (and I do mean the grown up boys). Anya thought there was something quite hilarious about seeing Xander and Spike chase each other around it. Finn had recently taken to joining them in their follow-my-leader game, Harri in a rucksack on his dad’s back squealing with laughter, his piercing blue eyes taking in every detail of what was going on around him. Anya loved her son very much, in fact although their family was highly unusual she loved them all very much.

Spike had to go out tomorrow night. It was the Academy awards and he was up for best supporting actor in the psychological thriller ‘Who’s Face?’ So today was a day for Harri, not that Harri would be alone of course. His nanny would be there, Xander and Lorne were going to be babysitting and even Riley had said he would do bed time tales. But it was one of the few occasions in his life when neither Mom or Dad would be with him. Anya was planning the absence of parents like a military operation. The list of numbers on the fridge was huge, a telephone directory would have been easier, but it was Anya’s way and they all loved her for it.

Spike’s most recent girlfriend had vanished as quickly as she had arrived when she realised that Spike put no-one in front of Harri in his life, and she didn’t like playing second fiddle to a one year old. At one time in his life William would have been heartbroken but now he thought it was the biggest joke out. Harri seemed mature compared to the twenty-something female sulking because he wouldn’t go shopping and wanted to take his son to the beach for the day.


Spike had tried to keep the promises his soul had made. He might not remember them, but he always tried to do good. His date for the academy awards was a young lady by the name of Susan Heddle who had won the Pride Of Britain award for bravery. Despite being dreadfully injured herself, she had pulled three children out of a burning car. Spike Atherton had been honoured when he’d been asked to present her with her award, seems she was a fan of NEMO and had always wanted to swim with a dolphin. Spike had added a trip to America on a family holiday as well as a visit to the set while they were filming the last scenes of the NEMO movie to her presentation. She had her swim with a dolphin, in fact she was one of the children swimming off the sub with the dolphin caring for them in the latest episode they had filmed. Lorne had designed a special dress that covered her burns scars for her, and tomorrow she was going to be Spike’s date on the red carpet.

Fred had taken over as his publicist and had thought it was a lovely idea, but Spike wouldn’t use Susan like that. This was a reward for her bravery, not a publicity stunt, so she was down as a family friend. Spike hoped her next round of physio would be a little easier after all the happy memories he had given her.

He looked down at his son. Although there was no lady in his life at the moment, life was very good to him.


Buffy looked across at her date. After the six months that she and Francis Doyle had been going steady, they were seriously thinking about taking the next step. Dawn had come through a lot of the grieving process, thanks to Buffy, and Doyle was exceptionally grateful to the beautiful young woman in front of him.

‘So do you fancy it? A weekend away, just the two of us. Dawn has been invited to Janice's for the weekend, so we could drive north and find a pretty little inn somewhere.’

‘I would love to,’ Buffy replied.

Buffy was watching TV as she packed her case for the weekend. The academy awards were on. She loved all the red carpet stuff, looking at the wonderful dresses as the super-thin actresses swept down the carpet, surrounded by banks and banks of photographers.

I wonder how long it takes them to look that good? She mused as she slipped the silk nightie into her bag. It wasn't her preferred nightwear: that was a black tee shirt, man's size medium that covered to mid thigh, but tonight and tomorrow would be silk and lace.

Buffy thought about Doyle. He was a gentle soul and had been very good to her. He was the first person to ever understand what her life had been like. He put no pressure on her for anything. If you had met them together you would have thought them married for years. There was no burning passion but there was love, steady, gentle, caring love.

Doyle, Buffy and Dawn. A sweet, caring family. Buffy thought about Doyle's life. He worked as a vet and had an excellent reputation, and in his free time cared for Dawn and her. They had recently been looking at getting a bigger house, he and Dawn.

Dawn was growing up fast and his small apartment wouldn't, couldn't, cope with a teenager. Next weekend they planned to go visiting houses. Something with three bedrooms and a study.

The sight of Spike Atherton coming down the carpet caught her eye. Buffy thought he was looking well despite their year apart. No one would ever love her the way he did. The passion burned between them, it was a fire so bright it blinded, but they wouldn't be together this time. She accepted that. Her heart accepted it. Their secret love was what kept her getting up in the mornings and supported her when the world felt bad.

Spike had a pretty girl on his arm: she couldn't be more than 16. Buffy turned up the volume on the TV so she could hear his voice, it really should be outlawed, the deep masculine tones sent shivers down her spine.

‘May I introduce Susan, who kindly agreed to be my date for tonight?’ he was saying. ‘She won the Pride of Britain award for bravery last year after she rescued three small children from a burning car. I know I am a lucky man to have met her: I might do stunts on camera, but this lady does them for real.’

The girl beside him went red with embarrassment and pride. She looked at Spike with adoration in her eyes. Buffy knew that look. She'd seen it a hundred times in the hospital when Spike had hit upon just the right thing to say.

The interviewer turned to the girl in question. ‘Hi, are you enjoying yourself?’

‘Very much thank you,’ came a soft English voice.

‘Who made your lovely dress?’

‘Lorne at Caritris, he designed it to cover my arms and shoulders especially, and I just loved the colour.’

It was a burnt orange creation; when the girl held up her hand to brush her hair out of her eyes, Buffy caught a glimpse of scarring on her hand.

‘What else have you been doing?’

‘I got to see the set where they film NEMO and to swim with Cousteau, the dolphin!’

‘I think she's a bigger fan of his than of mine,’ joked Spike.

‘Spike, what do you think of your chances for the Oscar this year?’

‘This year it would be very hard to say: I think the film has a really good chance at Best Picture, and Ted did an amazing job of directing. The script was fantastic thanks to Andrew and Jonathan, Amy is a dedicated actress, but there have been excellent performances in other films by lead actors, so we'll wait and see.’

‘Thank you very much.’

‘Thank you,’ replied Spike, and he and his date wandered off.

Spike was keeping his promises. The thought of that warmed her heart.

Buffy looked back at the TV, she was woman enough to wonder who the other woman was, and although she shouldn't she Googled ‘Pride of Britain'.

She had been right. Susan was only 16, but when she read of the girl's bravery, she stopped her nonsense and quickly finished her packing.



The weekend had been brilliant. She and Doyle had shared some real quality time, and to Buffy's joy, she hadn't frozen and done a poor impersonation of an ice maiden when he touched her. Things were settling down nicely between them. Life was good.

Buffy was exhausted when she finally got home from school on the Monday night. She lazily rang for takeout while finishing her paperwork, had long luxurious bath, and then an early night with a good book. She was reading Tanya Huff's ‘Blood Price’ and had completely fallen in love with the werewolf family, especially the cubs. She quickly fell asleep that night.


Buffy woke to being tickled under the chin by a stalk of grass: she looked up expecting to see blue eyes and a stunning smile. Instead she saw grey wrinkled skin and a trunk.

When he was sure she was awake, Ellepant gently stroked her cheek with his trunk and then held it out as a support for her as she stood up. He then lifted a bent leg and looked at her. The instruction was obvious...climb on board.
At a very sedate pace they set off across the Garden.





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