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From Night to Day

Chapter Eighteen

Friends


Buffy woke as the morning rays of the sun penetrated through the curtains edge, a dim light spread through the room as she looked around her. She lay on her side with Spike cuddling her from behind, as they lay spooned together in their bed; she slightly stretched herself against him. Feeling her movements Spike pulled her closer towards his body as she arched her back, not content with that he slipped his hand under the shirt she’d gone to bed in and glided it up over her breast. Buffy could feel his breathing become deeper and increase in pace; he gently squeezed the globe in his hand, rolling the hardening peak between his fingers. With a start, he awoke pulling himself away from her, remembering his actions from the night before, he slid to the furthest point on their bed he could.

“I’m sorry,” he started to pull the linen away from his body, turning himself over to climb out. Buffy reached over halting his progress, pulling him back into the bed and covering them both with the linen.

“It’s okay,” Buffy ran a hand up to his cheek and lightly kissed him on the mouth.

“I don’t know what to say...I,” he stumbled on his own words. “Forgive me.”

Buffy pulled him closer into a deeper embrace, as she wrapped herself around him like a safe cocoon. Responding to her touch he tightened his own hold on her, he kissed the top of her head, grateful that she hadn’t left after the treatment he’d given her last night. He felt like ripping his own hands off for touching her like he had. His gut tightened in revulsion at the thought of what he could have done in his angry response to her wondering if she was just ‘a fuck to him’. So many bad memories of the last 12 months had surfaced to the top, threatening to destroy what he’d gained over the last few months with Buffy. The total truth was that he wasn’t going to let anything or anyone take her away from him, her own insecurities or any outside influences like her friends. Yet this was no excuse for how he’d reacted, he could only imagine the horror that she must have gone through as he pushed her up against the wall, as felt his own pain flood through his system.

“You scared me,” Buffy whispered against his shoulder. “You really scared me.”

“I shouldn’t have done it Luv. I have no excuse for myself,” Spike ran a hand down her hair. “You must think me an evil soulless thing.”

“No…” Buffy pulled her head away from his shoulder. “You’ve proven yourself to me over and over again, yes this isn’t what I would have hoped for you to have done, but we’ll work through it.” Buffy looked directly at him and with the inner resolved that she’d discovered so long ago with his help and as contradictory as that sounded she warned him. “You do it again and I’ll punch you in the nose!”

Spike pulled himself back from her as she made her intentions clear that she wouldn’t put up with that kind of behaviour like that ever again. He closed his eyes as he digested her words of warning, he doubted that it would just be a punch in the nose, more like leave him and rip his world apart, something that he knew he couldn’t survive a second time. Losing his wife had been bad enough, but to lose his second chance was unforgivable.

“I’ll try sweetheart, I’m sorry…so sorry,” Spike kissed her sweetly on the lips, soft gentle kisses, not demanding but reassuring her of his commitment and need of her.

“It’s not that simple, Spike,” Buffy held his face between her hands. “You get another chance, don’t fuck it or me around…..” Buffy pulled her head around to the door as her words were stopped by the soft cries of need from Imogen’s room, pulling the linen away from them she pulled herself away from his form. “I don’t want anything coming between us ever either Spike, but when are you going to learn…” Her words fade against the now howling cry of Imogen in the back round.

Disparaged at her words he abruptly pulled himself away from her and got out of the bed, he couldn’t say anything to her because he knew that he deserved every one of her words. The stung deep down into his soul, and burned his flesh deeper than any wound could. Turning away from her, he left the bedroom and made his way to his scrawling daughter, pushing the door open he saw her standing up in her cot, holding onto the bars crying her heart out, he couldn’t see her face as it was hidden by the bars of the cot. Buffy had seemed to have followed him, as she pushed passed him and went to the crying infant.

Recognising her cries, she knew what her immediate need was, a new diaper. Pulling her out of the cot, she continued to cry but not as much as before, being in Buffy’s arms soothed her mood. She cooed and patted Imogens back between getting things ready for her on the change table, laying the little girl down she unclasped her pyjama bottoms. Spike just stood there, watching on in amazement at Buffy as she concentrated on her charge, he seemed to have missed seeing that despite not being the little girls mother, Buffy recognised Imogen’s cries. It would seem that she had for a very long time, when he really thought about it, he’d been bleating on about wanting and hoping that she would take on a nurturing role in his child’s life, and it seemed like she already had. Maybe he hadn’t seen it, too frightened that she never would want too be that involved with Imogen, ‘stupid git!’ he berated himself.

“She loves you,” Spike spoke quietly behind her, “you know that don’t you?”

“Yes I know,” Buffy finished changing the child and lifted her back into her arms, holding the girl against her chest, smelling the lovely scent that the baby now gave off. “I love her too.”

“You’ve got her wrapped around your little finger.” Spike continued just to talk above a whisper. “Just like you have me.” He quietly moved away from the doorframe he now leaned on and walked down the corridor down towards the staircase.

Looking down at the little girl in her arms, she thought about his departing words, talking a deep breathe she moved the baby higher onto her hip, as she carried the youngster down the corridor and onto the landing of the staircase. “Your dad can be so thick sometimes, I just want to hit him over the head,” Buffy ruffled her soft hair as Imogen began making ‘ba ba ba’ sounds. Surprised at the new sounds out of the little girl she clambered down the staircase and into the kitchen where Spike stood in front of the microwave heating Imogens’ milk. ‘Ba-ba’ Imogen squealed out the sounds, clapping her hands together as Buffy sat down at the dinning table, her surprise forgotten once she saw how lost he looked. Spike taking the bottle from the microwave he handed it to her, as Imogen flapped her hands in direction of her drink, Buffy held the bottle until she began sucking on the teat.

“So lit bit, after breaky are we going to get ready?” Buffy spoke to the youngster as she feed her. “Maybe your pretty red dress and stripy stockings?”

“Ready?” Spike questioned her. “For what?”

“Coffee,” Buffy looked defiantly at him. “Remember café, coffee, seats, table, chatter and….my friends.”

“Friends? Right. You’re gonna meet your friends for coffee?” Spike turned back towards the sink and threw a pile of cutlery that lay on the side of the sink into it. “I would have thought that we could have spent the day together Buffy.” The large clang was enough to startle Imogen as she drank, looking around her she saw her father in distress and began pulling away from Buffy, struggling against the tight hold she had on the youngster, Imogen held her hands out for her father.

“Spike,” Buffy took the fidgety child over to him. “We are spending the day together. Remember day to meet the friends? Need to introduce boyfriend to friends and friends to boyfriend’s baby. Does that ring a bell for you?”

“God, I can be a right fucking stupid git?” Grasping onto the sink she watched as the blood drained from his hands at the pressure he was exuding on them. “Fuck! Can I get anything right?” Running a hand through his short curly hair he whispered more profanities, watching him struggle within himself Buffy placed a hand over one of Imogens ears.

“Spike please…innocents in the room!” Buffy handed Imogen finally over to her father. “Please don’t pull yourself apart about this…what’s happened…we’ve both been through enough grief today and last night Spike...let it go okay. I need you to let it go.”

“Fine,” he spoke quietly, pulling Imogen onto his hip he looked at his daughter as she played with a tuff of a curl of hair. “Okay lil bit time for a bath.”

Buffy stood there as she watched him disappear upstairs, she glared a little bit at the uneaten baby food on the table; Imogen would have to be brought back to eat the poor mite. But quickly as the thought entered, it was replaced by a more pleasing one, one that would show him that she was really serious about what she said. Running up the stairs she heard the faucet of the bath go on as she ended up at the doorframe of the bathroom, she looked on as Spike undressed Imogen, letting the water fill the bath. Holding the baby in his hand, he held the thermometer in the water making sure that it wasn’t to hot, he placed Imogen into the bath ring that was suctioned onto the bath floor, giving stability and something for the youngster to hold onto as she sat in it.

Spike began to wash her, fully aware that Buffy stood at the doorframe but what he didn’t expect was for a naked Buffy to touch his shoulder and pull him away from the bath. With little delay, Buffy pulled Imogen out of the bath ring and pulled it out of the bath and onto the floor, making sure she was careful as she lowered herself into the bath with Imogen squealing in her arms. With a gobbed smacked Spike looking on, he sat back onto his haunches as he watched the two play in the water, Buffy squeezing the squeaky toys at Imogen as she tried to take them from her hands. Buffy played with Imogen for a while until she finally looked at him, smiling she turned the taps back on letting the water begin to cover them both, careful not to add too hot water.

“Well Spike?” Buffy looked questionably at him. “You look like you need a bath, too.”

Taking the hint he stood and undressed himself quickly, standing now naked on the side of the tub he felt a little awkward. Buffy pulled herself forward as she made room for him to climb in behind her, feeling the swish of the water, she looked back as she watched him settle himself behind her. Pushing her herself back between his legs, she made a groove for herself and Imogen as she lay back onto his chest, she arranged Imogen onto her shoulder letting his daughter begin to pull on her fathers nose.

After those first awkward moments she could feel him begin to relax against her, as Imogen tried to crawl over her and get to her father as he pulled faces at her. Buffy sighed at the feeling of contentment she felt, they were together enjoying a quiet moment they deserved considering the line of fire they maybe heading into this afternoon. Feeling Spike kiss her shoulder, she turned around and kissed him gently on the lips as much as their awkward positioned allowed. Not happy at missing out Imogen banged her hand between the adults and lifted her face towards Buffy as she demanded a kiss too.

Buffy looked behind her, “I think Daddy brought his own toys with him into the bath.” Buffy giggled as Spike’s trademark cocky smirk filled his face and as she looked down into the water, couldn’t help but add, “Down boy!”


~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

Later that day both approached the main street of the city shopping district, Buffy pushed the stroller that Imogen sat in, as Spike walked with his hand around her shoulder. Occasionally stoping to look at the windows of the stores, or going into them to pick up a few items that caught their eye, especially the new skirt that caught Buffy’s keen eye, she almost revolted when Spike pulled out his wallet to pay for it. Giving in to him only after she noticed the price tag and knew she could never afford it, putting it back on the rack at one stage only to have him rip it out of her hand and taking it himself to the sales clerk.

Looking at her watch she noticed the time and mentioned to him that it was time to meet with her friends. With an even slower pace, they made the way to the Espresso Pump, the popular coffeehouse of the area, from the outside it looked like no one was there yet. Sitting herself at one of the tables, pulling a seat aside to make way for the pram, Spike sat himself next to her.

“Nervous?” Spike took one of her hands that sat on the table.

“A kinda little scared,” Buffy tightened her grip on his hand. “But only a little.”

Weaving her way to them a waitress asked for their order, shrugging her shoulders to Spike in reply to what she wanted, he ordered them a coffee each. Moving around to the pram he took out a juice for Imogen and handed it to Buffy, at the site of a drink the youngster greedily made a grab for the bottle. Leaning over the pram she held it for the youngster as she drank from it, her ears pricked up as she heard familiar voices behind them coming from the shop. She could hear their chatter as they sat down inside, not sure what they were doing she turned to face them, trying to catch one of their attentions, she began to wave her hand.

Tara was the first to notice them as she turned her attention to the frantic hand movements of her friend, with an unsure smile on her face, she placed a hand on her girlfriends arm and pointed to the couple seated outside. Willow turned her face towards them, a look of shock filled her face as she looked over the three people that sat in front of her; quickly whipping the look of her face, she waved and began to get out of her chair. Xander as usual was the last to catch on, doing a double take, his jaw hit the ground as he watched his friend with the stroller beside her with a baby on board, Spike still hadn’t caught his attention yet.

Buffy could hear Willow’s words to Xander, ‘that he’d better pick his mouth of the floor’, as the two women got out of their seats to join the couple seated outside, leaving the young man seated by himself. Walking their way to the front of the seats, Willow and Tara came to stand in font of the couple; Imogen spat the bottle out of her mouth now that she had new people looking at her so quizzically. Buffy quickly retrieved the bottle from the stroller and placed it onto the table, wiping the youngster face with a serviette as the drink poured down her face.

“Hey Buffy,” Willow was the first to sit down next to the pram as she ran a hand down Imogen’s head smoothing the curls of her hair. “Who’s this little angel?”

“Willow and Tara, this is Imogen,” Buffy sat back in her chair and leaned back towards Spike. “And this is William.”

“Willow. Tara,” Spike leaned over to grasp gently each of the young women’s hands in greeting. “Finally we meet and I must say very beautiful ladies. You never said Buffy,” with that comment, he got a quick jab in the ribs from Buffy.

It would seem that finally a very reluctant Xander joined the group, standing behind the last vacant seat next to Spike, he just stood there. Spike stood himself up, and placed a hand out, “William, but Spike to me mates.”

“Xander,” was all that the man could garble out of his mouth, his look of distrust all over his face. With some reluctance and evil looks from Willow and Tara, he took the other mans hand and shook it, almost too painfully he applied too much pressure, and was returned with an even firmer hand shake. “Ouch!”

“Sorry,” Spike looked back at Buffy as a frown covered her face. “Don’t know my own strength sometimes.”

With some relief, the first awkward moments were over as the waitress interrupted on cue with the original coffees ordered by the two earlier. The remaining trio ordered themselves a variety of drinks and cakes, still Xander just stared at the couple with the baby in tow. Buffy could see the cogs go around in Xander’s mind, and she just wanted to reach over the table and tell him to ‘get over’ whatever was going through his mind. She would have been a fool not to imagine that he would be some what resistant to Spike and Imogen, but out and out rudeness was not acceptable.

“So you’re not a bit of Buffy’s imagination then?” Willow turned away from playing peekaboo with Imogen. “She’s been very secretive about you two.”

“No, definitely not part of her imagination, she probably didn’t want to share my dashing good looks and charming personality.” Spike chuckled.

“Confident of yourself aren’t you?” Xander started in on his target.

“Xan…der!” Tara quietly added taken aback by his words.

“What…what?” Xander asked Tara back. “What I do wrong now?”

“Opened mouth and inserted foot in the first five minutes of meeting someone,” Willow glared back at him. Looking at Spike with an apologetic smile, “Please forgive him, he still hasn’t mastered the tricky complicated social aspect of manners yet.”

“I’m sure that he’ll be a fast learner,” Spike laughed at the younger man at the table. “Sure we’ll be great mates.”

“I’ve seen you at the campus, you must work at the university?” Tara asked the obvious question to move them away from what Xander did and didn’t need to learn.

“Yeah….Tara?” Spike turned towards the pretty quiet girl seated a few chairs away, as she nodded to his question. “Work in the money division, nothing interesting but it pays the bills.”

“Work in the money division,” Buffy nearly splattered the sip of coffee she had out of her mouth and over Imogen. “You’re the head of the division,” a few surprised looks went around the table between the trio of friends.

“So if we want a discount on our fees we just come and see you?” Willow laughed.

“Sorry no discounts….even family,” Spike smirked as he ran a hand over Buffy’s shoulder, in silent observation to others of marking his family for the world to see.

“You’re English?” Xander enquired. “If your English what brings you to little old Sunnydale?”

“Grew up in merry ol’ England and moved here a few years ago with me dad, once my folks split.” Spike answered him.

“Your wife where’s she? I mean a baby doesn’t pop out off thin air?” Xander started in on Spike again, “Ouch!” he spluttered out as Willow kicked him under the table.

Quietness covered the table as Spike glared at the man’s insensitive questions, Buffy’s mouth dropped a little, Willow looked like she just wanted to disappear under the table, and Tara looked away and down from the group. Imogen began to bang on the table after hearing ‘baby’ and began with a litany of ‘ba-ba ba-ba’, Buffy pulled the baby closer to her body and tightened her hold on the little girl in a protective gesture towards the questioning.

“Imogen’s mom…”Buffy stopped as Spike put a hand over one of her own, and gave her a half hearted smile with a ‘let me explain’ look.

“I’m a widower,” Spike spoke quietly. “I lost my wife in a car accident if you must know, she died having Imogen.” Gasps from the girls broke the silence on the table, Xander’s mouth dropped as his head dropped in disbelief that he’d asked such questions, not realising what he was really asking.

“I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, you shouldn’t have Xander,” Buffy accused her friend her anger boiling to the surface. “Are you happy with your answer?”

“Sorry.” Xander stood and pushed his chair away from the table. “Maybe I should just um…go.” Willow began to nod her head, and started to get up as well.

“Hey…no need to go,” Spike looked at the standing two and Tara pushing her chair back. “I’m sure that the boy meant nothing by it. Let’s just forget about it. Start again?”

Buffy motioned with her hand for the others to sit back down, as she turned to the man seated next to her, she gave him a brilliant smile and a quick gentle kiss as she expressed her pleasure at his gesture towards Xander. They sat quietly for a few moments before the waitress came with the others coffee and food that they’d ordered, stirring sugar and other condiments into their coffee’s they sat there in silence. Until Buffy hit on an idea that might just break the ice, she knew that the girls would probably cringe but it might at least give the boys something in common.

“So Xander, still think Chelsea’s going to win the UFA?” Buffy spoke towards him.

“Chelsea! Those bunch of wankers…no way.” Spike almost salivated at the mention of football. “Bugger…a Chelsea fan?” shaking his head he continued. “Manchester mate…Manchester are gonna beat the living sh…”

“Spike!” Buffy interjected.

The girl’s raised their eyebrows towards Buffy as she smiled and shrugged her shoulder’s, ‘at least it’s something for them to talk about’ she mouthed at them as both men where no engaged in animated discussion over the football season. Both of the girls shrugged there shoulders in return and began fawning over the baby, as they talked about assignments and the latest shoes available at the mall.

Glancing over the group it would seem to any passer by that they were just a group of friends, plus one baby having coffee and chatting. Buffy smiled into Imogen’s hair as she held the youngster in her arms, hopefully this first meeting would lead to many more, as long as Xander kept his mouth shut on occasion. She just hoped that Manchester won over the weekend so that it didn’t give Xander something to dig Spike at in the future, but then again she didn’t doubt the fact that it would give Spike something to gloat about over to Xander. That thought gave Buffy something alone to rub her hands in glee with, Xander being goaded by someone else for a change.





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