The radio was blaring with Spike Atherton’s newest release as Fran started unpacking her stuff. Most of it vanished into the closet and onto the shelves. The other side of the room was already full of another person’s belongings.
I thought love was only true in fairy tales,
Meant for someone else, but not for me
Love was out to get me,
That’s they way it seemed,
Disappointment haunted all my dreams
Then I saw her face,
Now I’m a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind,
I’m in love
I’m a believer I couldn’t leave her if I tried
I thought love was more or less a giving thing
Seems the more I gave the less I got
What’s the use in trying?
All you get is pain
When I needed sunshine
I got rain
Then I saw her face
Now I’m a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love
I’m a believer I couldn’t leave her if I tried
Ahh love was out to get me that’s the way it seemed
Disappointment haunted all my dreams
Then I saw her face
Now I’m a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love
I’m a believer I couldn’t leave her if I tried
Yes I saw her face
Not a trace of doubt in my mind ahh I’m a believer
It was nice to hear his voice. It was a connection to home. Spike had recorded the old Monkees single soon after he and Buffy had gotten together.
Fran looked around her room at college. First day, there were people running all over and as a freshman she felt weird and out of place.
Unpacking she put the photo of her Mom and Dad on her desk. It was the one that had been taken just before she was born, and she loved it. She hung the signed poster of Nicholas Marsters and Spike Atherton over her bed and started putting away the clothes in the closet. Books on the shelf, shoes and more shoes in the closet, and new laptop on the desk.
‘Hi! I’m Willow, your room mate,’ a cute little red head came into the room.
‘Francesca – Fran - Doyle, majoring in sciences, pre-vet.’
‘Computer geek,’ laughed Willow, holding out her hand to shake Fran’s.
‘Ooh Nick Marsters, he’s gorgeous. I saw him guesting in Vampire Chronicles. Hey: that poster is signed, where did you get it?’
‘My step-father, he works in LA and met him and asked for the autographs.’
Well it was true, the fact that her step-father was Spike Atherton, star of the Vampire Chronicles (he plays the vampire cop going after the bad guys in a world where vamps are a part of society).
‘Wow, you’re lucky. Hey, I’ve already got milk for the fridge and looked around the campus, I got here yesterday. The cheerleading squad are downstairs, not like there’s anything wrong with cheerleaders if you’re one: sorry, rambling, I do that when I’m nervous.’
Fran giggled; she knew that Willow was going to be great.
‘No don’t cheerlead, I read and study, do a bit of amateur dramatics, and listen to music. And I can cook…’
‘I do the computer thing and watch DVD’s. I eat but don’t cook so well.’
Fran laughed again, as the phone rang. Willow picked it up and heard a really sexy male voice ask, ‘Is Fran there please?’
Handing over the phone she mouthed, ‘he sounds nice,’ and smiled.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi Nibblet, all OK?’
‘Hi William, yes everything is fine, that was Willow, my roomy,’ and mouthed ‘step dad,’ to Willow.
‘I just rang to make sure you got there alright, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t come with you, but we’re still filming and I really can’t get away.’
‘What’re you filming?’
Willow heard that and got curious. ‘Filming?’ as she left the room.
Oh well, Fran will tell her, hopefully, and off she went to meet some more freshmen.
‘Mom left about half an hour ago, she wanted to be home in time to cook dinner for you.’ It had only been five months since Spike and Buffy had met, months that had changed their lives completely. Fran had loved Spike from the moment they’d met and she had become his niblet. Harrison had fitted right in and it wasn’t long before they were ganging up on the ‘rents.
‘I really am the luckiest man in the world. Now if you need anything you just ring.’
‘I’ll be fine William, must go, there’s a freshers’ gathering soon.’
‘You sure you’re mom was Ok when she left?’
Yes William, she was fine, no problems with swollen feet or anything else, and she said she’d see you at home.’
Fran smiled to herself. Since Buffy had found out she was pregnant Spike had been the very over attentive, over protective father. He hovered constantly, and Xander and Lorne were no better as far as Buffy was concerned. Hence her insistence on taking Fran to college by herself.
‘Bye Nibblet.’
‘Bye William.’
Fran thought about William and her Mom for a moment: they were so good together. He was always William at home, unless he’d really upset Mom, when she’d just say Spike and he’d melt. He treated her Mom as though she were made of spun glass. Always trying to think of nice things to do for them all. Life had definitely changed since he came into their lives, and for the better. He’d spoilt them all rotten, buying her a little car for college, buying her mom everything she wanted, or looked at, helping Dawn buy her own place. They were even building an extra place at Sanctuary for the girls to have their freedom when they were in LA.
Lorne was busy designing a whole new line of clothes for the more mature woman, and she and Dawn had full and total rights to raid his shop whenever they wanted. Her prom dress had been a Caritas original, which had been wonderful.
They were all so very happy.
The wedding had been spectacular. A private jet had whisked them all over to The Grand Canyon where a celebrant had been waiting. Harri, Anya, Riley and their kids had joined them. Dawn had been flown in by helicopter and with Lorne and Xander, Fred and Wesley in attendance, Buffy and William had shared their vows at sunrise.
They even managed to escape the paparazzi.
Buffy looked amazing in a soft flowing green dress. Her head was crowned with flowers and she carried peach roses; one of the roses was dried. Buffy had had it for a long time, it was one of her most prized possessions.
Afterwards the helicopters took them all on a wonderful flight and then down to a waiting picnic, champagne and strawberries, then home before anyone caught them. It was very romantic.
The girls soon settled into a good routine. Fran got a phone call at six pm every Friday from Buffy, and Willow made herself scarce. Fran vanished when Willow got her calls from her sister, who was studying in LA. They shared everything and were getting on just as well as Fran hoped.
The other member of their unusual group was Cordelia Chase. She looked like a prom queen but studied hard and worked to pay for tuition. She had teamed up with Willow and Fran when she’d met them at the coffee shop. Fran had assumed that she was another rich bitch, but when Cordy had protected Fran from some cheerleader want-to-be’s they had become friends. Cordy was nothing like the other two. She was interested in boys, fashion, shopping and more fashion. She was studying fashion and design and always had her head in the latest magazines. But they got on great.
Fran had let them in on most of her life. Her mom’s pregnancy, her new step-father, her life in general, everything. The one thing Fran hadn’t done was tell anyone who her stepfather was.
She had money, Spike saw to that, her allowance was stupidly high, and there was always the emergency credit card and the accounts at the bookshop and the pizza place, and the Chinese and the limo service and about anything else he could think of.
She hadn’t wanted to boast and after keeping quiet for a month didn’t know how to broach the subject, so she hadn’t. She had a photo of her dad, and she’d told Willow and Cordy one night that he’d died when she was little; she said her Mom had remarried a wonderful, amazing man called William, who spoiled her rotten and was good to her. She’d had to spend ages reassuring Cordy that no, he hadn’t made a pass at her, and eeww, and he really was a nice guy and not like that at all. He was besotted with her mom and treated her just like he treated her stepbrother, who was at MIT. Cordy was still worried by it, so over ice-cream one night Fran explained that her Mom was an abuse survivor and now worked as a counsellor. So there really was no need to worry. She had two great step uncles, who also spoilt her rotten but as they were both more likely to fancy RJ the quarterback than any of the girls, her virtue was safe.
It was nearing midterms when Willow stormed into the room slamming the door. She threw herself onto her bed and hugged her pillow. ‘Melody?’ asked Fran.
‘Melody,’ answered Willow. Although neither of them had done anything to her Melody had made their lives as difficult as possible. She had pointed and laughed at clothes, hair and everything else she possibly could.
Melody had a car, of course. Melody went out with the Star Quarterback, Melody was a cheerleader, Melody had a rich daddy who paid for everything, and although Fran had a rich step dad, Melody made sure everyone knew how rich her Dad was. Melody’s dad had had to pay for a new wing for the library just to get his girl a place at UC Sunnydale, whereas Willow, Cordy and Fran had all earned theirs the hard way with good grades. Melody was a spoilt little girl who had never grown up.
Melody wanted to be a model, but having seen how hard the models worked Fran thought that Queen M would never make it, she was pretty enough but didn’t work anywhere near as hard as she’d have to.
Fran smiled to herself at the thought of Queen M getting a 5am wake up call to be on set for 6, as William had to be sometimes. Fran had met some of the biggest names in Hollywood but none were as selfish or self-centred as Melody. She just wished she were evil enough to bring her down a couple of pegs. Queen M’s daddy was a middle level lawyer somewhere. But from what Queen M told every one you would have thought he was as powerful as you could get.
Queen M went to big parties, where all the big stars fawned over her, if you believed her stories. Fran didn’t. When she met the big stars it was at her place for dinner with her mother cooking and them all relaxing, being who they really were. And the only fawning that was done was over her mother, who had become a little mother to so many. Harrison adored her, Anya was just happy that William had someone to share his life, although she put it a little more bluntly than that. Anya’s and Riley’s other kids thought of her as the ‘cool aunt’ and most of the younger members of the cast saw Buffy as some sort of Den mother. She always had a mug of cocoa and a sympathetic ear.
It was Friday and when the phone rang at six Willow got up to leave but Fran shook her head. ‘Stay,’ she whispered to the upset Willow, Fran felt she couldn’t chase her out of the room when she was still crying. Fran picked up the phone.
‘Hi Mom.’
‘It’s not Mom, Niblet, its me,’ came that damn sexy voice. ‘She’s late home from shopping and asked me to phone to let you know, didn’t want you worrying or staying in when you should be partying.’
‘Not much chance of that: Queen M has blackballed us from the campus parties. Geeks don’t get to go.’
‘Giving you a hard time, Princess? You want me to come up there and sort her out?’
‘Part of me says yes, but it’s a no, got to do this myself.’
‘Want to come down to LA this week? We’re having a bar-b-queue at the house for the cast of Vampire Chronicles: Nick Marsters will be here.’
‘I would love to but don’t want to leave Willow alone.’
‘Bring her with you: in fact ask the other girl, Cordy, as well. Look, you’re only two hours away: I’ll send a car, don’t tell your Mom, and you can come for the weekend.’
‘Willow, do you fancy a weekend in LA? My step dad has offered to have us picked up and he’s having a barbeque for his work, both of us and Cordy.’
‘You sure it won’t be a problem?’
‘No, he’s got plenty of room,’ she answered with a smile, then turned her attention back to the phone.
‘Yes please, three of us for the weekend, could we go shopping tomorrow?’
‘I’ll even lend you my credit card.’
‘You’re the best William, thanks.’
‘Nibblet, what time does Queen M head off for her parties?’ William asked casually.
‘About half seven.’
‘Car will be there at half seven then, poppet,’ with a smile on his face. No one upset his Niblet and got away with it. And with that, William Atherton put down the phone.
Fran sprung into action. She grabbed what books she needed for her assignments and loaded a bag with clothes, hurrying to pack everything she needed.
‘Are you taking the laptop?’ Asked Willow.
‘No, I’ll take the discs and use my step-dad’s; he’s cool about things like that.’
‘Are you sure its ok me coming? I don’t want to intrude on a family thing.’
‘No, he’s got work colleagues coming over so we’ll most probably end up in a pool party, so don’t forget your costume and some good walking shoes: he’s offered us a shopping trip as well.’
She tried ringing Cordy’s phone but it went straight to answer. Damn.
‘We’ll have to hunt Cordy when we’re ready.’
With that they soon had everything packed.
‘I’m starved, forgot lunch today,’ said Fran. Looking in the fridge, she grabbed a couple of microwave meals and put them on to heat.
They were just finishing when there was a knock on the door. Willow got up to answer it only to find Cordelia there in tears.
‘We were just about to ring you again,’ said Willow. ‘We’ve been invited to Fran’s folk’s place for the weekend; do you want to come?’
‘God, yes please, I’ve just had about enough of Queen M and the rest of her gang. I’ve finished work for the weekend, I just have some artwork to finish on my project; I was working in the library when some asshole from the football team started making trouble. Queen M didn’t want me around it seems.’
‘Bring it with you,’ shouted Fran, ‘there’s plenty of room at William’s place, there’s a party tomorrow but he’s sending a car so pack quick.’
It took just fifteen minutes for Cordy to be back with a huge portfolio case and a weekend bag and a suitcase.
Melody was in the hall as Fran started to take out the bags.
‘As you three losers aren’t doing anything this weekend, I know you haven’t been invited to any of the frat house parties, I thought you might like to earn some extra money and do my homework for me.’
‘No can do, we’re going to my step dads,’ answered Fran, picking up her case and sports bag.
‘Oh yeh, what’s he like, short, fat, bald and broke?’
‘Something like that,’ replied Fran, with a grin.
She grabbed her bags and led the way downstairs to where a Limo had pulled up.
Fran looked at the driver and recognised Wesley, her Stepfather’s driver/ bodyguard. He looked as dangerous as a kitten but it was a false impression. He was ex special forces and deadly.
‘Hi Fran, you all packed ready?’
‘Yep, this is us.’ Melody watched as the good-looking guy lifted the bags as though they weighed nothing and put them in the trunk of the car. He held open the door for Fran and Willow then ran round to hold open Cordy’s door as well. Cordy gave him a dazzling smile, which Wesley returned with a grin.
‘Mrs Atherton was just getting home when I left, Ms Doyle, and said she’d wait dinner on you lot arriving. She’s put you all in the pool house, thought you’d like the freedom.’
‘Pool house?’ asked Willow, looking at Fran. ‘Just how big is your place?’
‘You know I said my Dad died, and I got a step dad, well I think I better tell you his name.’
‘William,’ said Cordy.
‘Well that’s true, but I don’t know how you’re going to take this so I’m not saying anything till Wesley pulls away and you can’t escape.’
Wesley grinned again and put the car into gear and headed for LA.
‘We’re moving so spill, lady, what’s the big secret?’
‘William has another name he uses for work, and I wanted to be liked, or hated, for me, not because people wanted to meet my step-dad. If Melody had found out who he was I’d never have been rid of her.’
‘So what, he’s like a producer or a movie star or something?’ joked Cordy. Fran hung her head and looked worried.
‘Come on sweetie, we’re not going to stop being friends with you because he’s a mobster; hey, we could get a good Italian meal!’
‘He’s not in the mob, or anything else. HisName’sSpikeAtherton,’ she mumbled.
‘You’re going to have to say that slower sweetie,’ Willow tried to see Fran’s face but it was hidden under hair.
‘His name’s Spike Atherton, please don’t hate me!’
‘SPIKE ATHERTON????’ Screamed Cordy. ‘You mean to tell me the Hottie I’ve got posters of all over my room is your stepfather, and you never said anything?’
‘I can sort of understand it, but why tell us now?’ asked Willow.
‘Cause you’re my friends, and I trust you.’
‘I had so better get his autograph, but I promise I won’t tell Melody where I got it from. Can you picture her face if she ever found out? Girl you were right: you would never be rid of her, it would be like teenage zits, you treat them and they keep coming back.’ Cordy exclaimed.
All three girls started laughing at the same thought. Melody Baker finding out the ‘short, fat, bald and broke’ man was in fact the one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
‘So who on earth are we going to meet this weekend?’ Willow eventually asked.
‘Don’t know, other than Nicholas Marsters, he’s coming over…’
Willow started squeaking, he was her idol. ‘I am going to be so embarrassed.’
‘No you won’t, if you want to upset him ask how his computer’s doing, he’ll go all geeky on you and show you his latest games, then swear at the machine when it jams. Wes, who else is coming?’
‘I can’t give you the full list Ms Doyle.’
‘Wesley will you please call me Fran, when you say Ms Doyle like that I think I’m in trouble.’
‘OK Fran: Lorne’s coming, and I think Oz is going to try and be there. Charisma and her husband.’
‘Oz?’ asked Willow.
‘Daniel Osbourne from the Dingoe’s, William met him when they were doing a talk show together.’ Answered Fran.
‘Is that Charisma Carpenter, the girl who plays the DA in ‘Vampire Chronicles?’ asked Cordy.
‘Yes that’s her, well, she’s coming, and quite a few others. It’s always like this at Sanctuary since Mrs Atherton moved in.’
‘Lorne and Xander will be there as well,’ explained Fran. ‘Cordy, you’ll love Lorne, he’s chief designer at Caritas’.
The girls settled back in the limo and relaxed as it sped towards LA. Each happy that they had good, true friends around them. They caught each others eye and the same thought occurred to them. What would Melody say on Monday!!!
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Author's Chapter Notes:
many thanks to those who've stuck with it. Angela I hope it was Spuffy enough for you
Ariadne thanks for the encouragement and Cordy kitten with the evr faithful reviews/ they kept me typing
Ariadne thanks for the encouragement and Cordy kitten with the evr faithful reviews/ they kept me typing