Author's Chapter Notes:
thanks for the reviews and enjoy. I won't be able to update for a week since I will be out of town. i apologize and I will try to update asap when I get back
Chapter Two


“Hey, Mom,” Buffy called out, opening the door. She slipped her bag behind her back as Joyce appeared.

“Hi, honey. How was shopping with Willow?”

“Fine,” Buffy replied casually, trying to shift the bag so it was hidden.

“Did you girls buy anything?” Joyce asked.

“Nope,” Buffy said with a winning smile. “Willow had to stop back at her house and then she’ll be here. Maybe she could stay over night?”

“I don’t know,” Joyce said slowly. “It all depends on whether or not you tell me what you bought and how much it cost.”

Buffy held out the bag meekly. “A shirt. Forty dollars.”

“On one shirt?” Joyce asked, crossing her arms.

“But I didn’t exceed my limit,” Buffy reminded her.

“All right,” Joyce conceded. “Willow can stay over tonight.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Buffy said quickly, kissing her cheek. She raced up the stairs and dialed Willow’s number.

“Hello?”

“ Hey, Wills. My mom is cool with you staying tonight. What time do you want to come over?” Buffy asked, pulling her new shirt out the bag.

“My dad made his special pasta, so I can come over after we eat,” Willow replied. “Maybe seven?

“Great. And bring your new shirt,” Buffy told her. She heard a knock at the door, and quickly said goodbye.

“Yeah?” Buffy called out and her mother stepped into her room.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Joyce began. She sat on the bed next to Buffy.

“Does it have to do with why you’re all dressed up?” Buffy asked, taking notice of her mom’s nice dress and heels.

“Yes, it does.” She took a deep breath. “I have a date tonight. Well, not a date exactly, just drinks.”

“Mom, that’s great. So, who’s the lucky guy?” Buffy grinned.

Her mother smiled, looking excited. “His name is Rupert Giles. And he’s the—“

“Giles?”

“Yes, Rupert Giles. He and his son live down the street. Buffy, what—“

“Giles as in father of Spike Giles the biggest asshole ever?” Buffy squealed.

“Buffy! That’s not a very nice thing to say,” Joyce admonished, frowning.

“Neither is his compulsive need to annoy and humiliate me,” Buffy retorted. “I can’t believe you’re dating his dad.”

“Not dating,” Joyce corrected. “Drinks only. It’s not that big of a deal, Buffy. And Rupert is very kind.”

“Seriously, have you met Spike? He hates me. You can’t date his dad.”

“Buffy, this really isn’t up to you,” her mother said. “And it’s not serious. If it was, I’d say so.”

“This is so humiliating,” Buffy bemoaned.

“Honey, be happy for me, like you were before you found out Rupert just happens to be Spike’s father,” Joyce said, touching her daughter’s hair lightly.

“Fine,” Buffy resigned. “Go ruin my life.”

“Thanks, sweetheart,” Joyce said, kissing her daughter’s head. “Have fun tonight, and be safe.”

“You’re leaving now?” Buffy frowned.

“I have some things to finish at the gallery. I’ll see you later,” Joyce said and shut the door with a smile.

“Bye, Mom,” Buffy replied and then laid her shirt and pants out on her bed. But her early excitement had dissipated, instead Buffy felt apprehensive about her mother’s ‘date’.

She could only hope a night of Bronzing would cheer her up.

************

“Buffy, I’m not so sure about this,” Willow said nervously, smoothing a hand over her tight shirt and tighter pants.

“Trust me, Wills,” Buffy replied, putting her earrings in. “You look hot.”

“I don’t know.” Willow frowned at her reflection. “And the make-up is too much.”

“No,” Buffy said, gently steering Willow out the door. “It’s just fine.”

“And the shoes are too high,” Willow added as Buffy propelled her down the stairs.

“No, they’re sexy,” Buffy corrected. She grabbed their jackets and eased

Willow out of the house. “Here are your keys. Are Xander and Anya meeting us there?”

“Maybe,” Willow replied as she buckled up and started the car. “They have a date tonight.”

Buffy’s mouth dropped open. “God! Does everyone but me have a date tonight?”

“I don’t,” Willow said. “Who else does?”

“My mom,” Buffy said grudgingly. “And you’ll never guess who it is.”

“Who?” Willow asked, backing out of the driveway.

Buffy waited until Willow was driving down the street to say, “Rupert Giles.”

“Oh! I know him! He’s the librarian at school and he does some things for the historical museum. And his son is—“ Willow’s eyes went wide. “Oh my god!”

“Yep,” Buffy muttered. “Spike. My personal pain in the ass.”

“Oh, Buffy. I’m so sorry,” Willow said, making a sympathetic face. “Does your mom know?”

“Yeah, and her response was pretty much ‘Too bad for you’.” Buffy sighed, tugging on the loose string on her purse.

“Well, does he know?”

Now, Buffy’s eyes went round. “Oh god I hope not. He’ll torment me with this for the rest of high school. Probably until I die.”

“I’m sure he won’t. He doesn’t seem like the type to be up-to-date on who his father dates.” Willow turned the corner, slowing down as they neared the Bronze. “Do you think all of that stuff is true? About why he moved here?”

“No,” Buffy snorted. “Some of it is so stupid. I mean, in jail? A porn star career? Please, he couldn’t porn his way out of a paper bag.”

“Funny image,” Willow giggled. “Yeah, you’re right. But what about—“

“Wills!” Buffy interjected. “No more Spike talk, please. Let’s just enjoy Bronzing while eyeing cute guys.”

Willow grinned. “Deal.”
**********
After three hours of nonstop dancing, Buffy was ready to call it a night. She flopped down in her chair, exhausted. Sipping her water, Buffy watched as Xander and Anya continued dancing, and on the band’s break, the guitarist had come up to Willow to talk to her, and now they were dancing, albeit slowly on the floor.

Sitting back in her chair, Buffy kept drinking her water. She checked the door occasionally, hoping Angel’s dad let him out early, but he was a no-show.

“Buffy! How could you miss practice this afternoon?”

Buffy turned, inwardly groaning. “Hey, Cordelia.”

“We had to do the pyramid without you. Smelly had to take your place at the top!” Cordelia Chase’s perfect nose scrunched in distaste.

“Ew!” Harmony Kendall added, tossing her fried blonde hair.

“Sorry,” Buffy lied. “I had a doctor’s appointment that my mom forgot to tell me about.”

Cordelia’s disdain morphed into a knowing smirk. “Please,” she said haughtily. “Helen and Brianna saw you at the mall with that redhead.”

“Willow,” Buffy corrected with a mocking smile.

“Whatever,” Cordelia said. “Just don’t make Smelly Nelly ever stand on my shoulders again.” With a swish of her sleek hair, Cordelia walked away, Harmony scrambling after her.

“What was that about?” Xander asked, panting as he and Anya plopped down in their seats.

“Cordelia bitching Buffy out for missing practice,” Anya replied for the blonde, drinking her water.

“You could have warned me, Anya,” Buffy said pointedly.

Anya shrugged. “Sorry,” she said, not sounding it. “Who is that Willow’s talking to? An orgasm buddy?”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “No, it’s the band’s guitarist. Oz, I think.”

“Hm.” Anya stared at him. “He’s cute for a short person. And he’s cool. That’s bonus points for Willow.”

“I don’t think Wills cares about that,” Xander said, staring at the pair as well.

Buffy sighed. “Stop with the staring, you’ll making them nervous.” Despite her words, Buffy couldn’t help but glance over at Willow as well. But instead of red hair, Buffy spotted a flash of almost white spikes moving towards her.

Buffy ducked low, trying to stay out of sight. She watched as Spike walk past her hand-in-hand with his girlfriend and resident crazy person, Drusilla.

She let out an audible sigh of relief, and sat up again. Clearly, Spike either didn’t know about his father’s date or didn’t know who it was and that Buffy was her daughter.

As Buffy grabbed her water, she caught both Xander and Anya staring at her.

“What?”

“What?” Xander exclaimed. “You were hiding underneath the table.”

“Ducking under,” Buffy amended. “And I just didn’t want Spike and Craze-illa to see me.”

“Okay then,” Xander said, giving her one last weird look.

“Xander, let’s go back out and dance,” Anya commanded, tugging on his shirtsleeve.

Xander resigned, letting himself be dragged out to the dance floor. Buffy laughed at his expression, and took another sip from her water.

Willow bounced over to their table, smiling like an idiot. “Hey.”

Buffy grinned. “So?”

“Oz is so awesome and funny in a monosyllabic way. His band is going back on stage to play a couple more songs.”

“Then, it’s our duty to get up front and do some sexy dancing,” Buffy told her, hopping out of her seat. She and Willow pushed their way into the middle of the dance floor. Buffy let herself go, trying to shove her worries away and just dance.





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