Spike woke the next morning, to the sound of a phone ringing and Dawn calling, “I’ll get it, Buff.”
Spike looked down at the girl snuggled in his arm--his love and sunlight--and smiled. She always looked so innocent when she slept. The next second the door was flung open by Dawn, who walked in with the phone to her ear.
“Hey, Buffy, it’s Gi—Spike! Um what? No, Giles, I didn’t say Spike, I said…um… OK, I said Spike. Don’t yell in my ear….um… OK leaving the room now.” Dawn left the room still trying to calm Giles down. Spike felt Buffy trying to hide a fit of the giggles.
“Your face! Oh, God! I so wish I had a camera. Please tell me you were fully covered up.”
“Glad you think it’s funny, pet, but that was Giles she was talking to. I doubt he’ll be too happy ‘bout me and you.”
“Do you think that matters to me anymore? I did my job for over seven years, I died twice and he still gets to decide what’s best for me? No way and no more. He can be happy with it or not. All that matters is that we are happy. Now I’m gonna shower...on my own, then I’ll book tickets to go to London to the training school. I think the gang needs to be formally re-introduced to my lover.”
Spike gave her a quick kiss and grinned. “What did I say about big speeches?”
“Make breakfast now. Simple enough, Spike?”
“Very simple.”
Buffy slipped out of the bed and headed to the en suite. “Oh, and put some clothes on first. I don’t want you to scare Dawn.” She shut the door behind her.
Spike quickly dressed and headed into the main room where Dawn was sitting patiently by the breakfast bar.
She smiled at him and asked, “Still know how to cook Spike special pancakes with hot chocolate marshmallow sauce?”
He grinned at her. “Surprised a young woman like you still wants my pancakes.”
“I’m still surprised that Big Bad Spike knows how to cook them.”
“OK, OK, you win, Niblet. I’ll make ‘em.” He took a quick glance round the bar. “Um… Where is--ah there, bit premature, Little Bit?”
Dawn had everything sitting out ready. “Nah, not really. We tend to make them most days…well when I say we I mean me, Buffy always burns the pancakes.”
“Do not.” Buffy entered the room with her wet hair trailing down her back and her bathrobe on. Dawn grinned when she saw Spike gaping at her sister – she leaned over and pushed his chin, shutting his mouth with a snap. “Ouch! That wath my tongue.”
“Maybe you’ll learn to hold your own jaw up then. Now, please make the pancakes.”
“Aww, don’t you look just adorable in your pink fluffyslippers and puppy dog eyes, Niblet.”
“Do not.”
Buffy shook her head. “Now, now kiddies, play nice or do I need to start kicking butts?”
“Ah, Buff, you know what it’s like with family, always fighting about something. Right, Spike?”
Spike was lost for words. He had Buffy, he had claimed Buffy and now he had a family; talk about a whirlwind ride.
“Um...Spike?”
“Don’t bother, Dawnie, he’s got that look on his face; the million miles away from here look. There’s only two ways to bring him out of it.”
“What?”
“Either a punch on the nose or a kiss.”
“Eww. So not kissing him. Don’t know where he’s been.”
“So punch him.”
Dawn punched him on the nose.
“Ouch! That hurts! Have you been getting tips from big sis?”
“Yep. And doing some minor patrolling, well supervised.”
Spike smiled at Buffy. “Nice to see the family kick-vampire-butt trait is carrying on.”
“Yeah, yeah whatever, Spike, but I want pancakes!”
“Coming right up, Bit.”
Spike turned and set about making the pancakes while Buffy sat next to Dawn with a whimsical smile on her face as she watched him work. Well, Angel, you wanted me to have a normal life. This is about as normal as I’m gonna get. Bet you never thought I’d have a normal life with another vampire, least of all Spike.
Spike set a plate down in front of his girls and waved a hand at Buffy. “There you go, girls – pancakes in need of major slayage,” he announced with a grin.
She playfully swatted him. “Jerk.” Then she tucked into her pancakes.
Dawn was already halfway through hers when she said, “Oh yeah, you know how Giles called earlier. Well, he’s booked all three of us tickets back to England tonight.”
Buffy choked, causing Spike to whack her on the back. “Oh he has, has he? Trying to organise me again? Well, I’m fed up! I’ll decide if I want to go anywhere and I’ll be the one to decide if I wanna go. Not him!”
“But, luv, you wanted--”
“He assumed, yet again, that as soon as something unusual happens I’d go running to him about it. I’m not sixteen anymore! Change happens and I deal! Why won’t he learn that! That’s it! I’m calling him right now.”
“Sure that’s wise, pet? After all, you’re all het up an--”
“Now don’t you start!”
Spike recoiled and let Buffy pick up the phone.
*
Over the channel in England, Giles was sitting in his office reading a file on Sarah, one of the new intake of Slayers at the school when his phone rang. He reached out to the corner of his desk to pick it up.
“Hello, Rupert Giles here. How may I help?”
“You can start by not trying to run my life…again.”
“Ah, Buffy, I thought it would be easier if I arranged it and wrote it off as expenses.”
“Do you think I’m completely incapable? I can do things myself you know! ”
“I never said you couldn’t. I just thought I’d make it easier on you; give you more time for you and um…Spike to catch up.”
“Don’t bring him into this! If you think bringing me over there is a way to try to convince me how bad Spike is for me, well you’re wrong. He’s the best thing to ever happen to me. Sure, he’s made mistakes. We all have. What does he have to do to prove to you that he is good for me? He’s died once. Does he have to again? Then you’ll accept him?”
Spike slipped his arms round Buffy trying to calm her a little.
“Buffy, believe me, we all know what he’s done and what he tried to do--”
“What? Kill me? You? My friends? Spike’s not Angel, Giles. Stop acting as if he is. He’s never killed anyone close to us or tried to end the world. In fact, if memory serves, he helped me stop it! More than once. So tell me again how he’s bad for me.”
“I wasn’t going to say he was bad for you. I was going to try to tell you to be careful and to remember that he’s still a vampire. Soul or no soul.”
“He loves me and I love him!. I’m gonna have to go. I need to pack for my flight. We’ll continue this when I’m in England.”
She hung up and turned to hug Spike
*
In his office, Giles returned the phone to its rest and sighed deeply, taking his glasses off and cleaning them. “This is going to get very interesting.”
*
Spike was unwilling to let go of Buffy; he didn’t want her wrecking the place.
“Stupid tweed man. Needs to get that stake outta his--”
“Dawn! Wherever did you hear that?” Buffy turned around and regarded Dawn with a slight smile on her face. “From our other resident Englishman. In fact, I learned a lot from him, that summer.”
Buffy turned and regarded Spike with a mock serious expression. “Leading my little sister astray, Spike?”
“Well, luv, I am the Big Bad.”
“Don’t we know it? Now you and Dawn finish up eating, then Dawn can go and get you a couple of pints of blood from the butchers and if you give her your hotel key, she can go get your stuff.”
“And what will you be doing?”
“Packing of course,” Dawn answered for her. “You know, for someone who had to leave all her clothes in Sunnydale, she’s got a load more.”
“Pot, kettle, black. Look into it, Dawn.”
Dawn stuck her tongue out at Buffy. “Hey, I’m a teenager. I’m built to shop.”
“Ok ladies, break it up. Dawn here’s the keys. I’m staying at Au Sourire de Montmartre B&B a couple of minutes walk from the tower. . I’ve got a mini fridge stocked up, so if you bring that along, you’ll be fine. Get a taxi back. Here’s the cash.”
Dawn caught the keys and the money. “Got it, now you two behave. Make sure you pack, Buffy. See you later guys.”
“After you get dressed,” Buffy said with a chuckle.
Dawn look down at herself. “Oh yeah, that would be a good idea.”
Dawn headed to her room and Buffy went to the sink. She turned the water on and added the dishes. Then she turned to Spike.
“I know he means well; they all do. I can’t really blame them after what happened with Angel. I know you’re not him, but they’re cautious for themselves and me. After all you’ve done for them, for Dawn, and for me, they still don’t trust you. If anyone is insane around here it’s them.” She dazzled him with one of her genuine smiles. “We’ll just have to show them when we over there just how un-Angel like you are. A blind man could see that.” She turned back to sink to switch off the tap and start washing the dishes.
Dawn came out dressed in a short red summer dress, causing Spike to gape a little.
“You’re going out like that? In Paris? Do you want all the Frogs tripping over their tongues?”
“Frogs?”
“Frenchies. The locals. They’ll be over you like dogs on a bone.”
Dawn spun around. “You really think so? I mean there’s this really cute baker’s boy.”
She started to giggle at the look on Spike’s face as he turned to Buffy. “You’re letting her? This from the same big sis who wouldn’t let her stay home alone?”
Buffy finished the dishes, dried her hands and faced Spike with a smile on her face. “Nope this is the new and improved Buffy. If Dawn wants to make friends that’s her choice; the only rule is no parking with vampires. Been there done that. Not forgetting we aren’t on a Hellmouth anymore.”
“See, Spike, it’s cool. Anyway, gotta go. See you.” And then Dawn breezed out the door.
Buffy stepped away from the sink and headed to her room. “Make yourself comfy, Spike. There’s a TV in the corner. I think it has an English channel. Give me about thirty minutes to pack my stuff and change.”
Spike sat in front of the TV and settled down for a long wait.
*
Two hours later Buffy emerged pulling a suitcase behind her. “Sorry, I have more stuff than I thought. There’s another case in the room. Isn’t Dawn back yet?”
Spike rolled his eyes and hung his head over the back of the seat. “Not yet. You ever heard of travelling light, luv?”
“I’ve only bought what I needed to replace the stuff in Sunnydale, plus a few extras.”
Just then, Dawn walked in the door followed by a bus boy, struggling under the weight of Spike’s bags and fridge. “Just put them over by the bar. Hey guys, I got us some chocolate croissants.”
Spike shook his head. “You ate half your weight in pancakes and you still want more?”
“It’s chocolate. You can never have enough chocolate. All packed, Buffy?” asked Dawn.
“Finally. She spent two hours in there. I was going to send in a search party,” said Spike with a sigh.
“Hey! I resent that. Hurry up and pack Dawn. Then we can get our passports and stuff sorted, you do have a passport, Spike?”
“Yeah, how else did I get here? I hope Giles had the presence of mind to book us flights that land at night.”
“Yeah, he did,” replied Dawn. “I checked this morning when he rang. OK I’m off to pack. You two behave now and keep the noise down.”
“Sure thing, Niblet.”
“Spike!”
Dawn shook her head and headed to her room, while Buffy settled in Spike’s lap.
“What you watching?”
“What looks like French Passions.”
“Trust you to find that.”
“I haven’t changed my tastes. And nor it appears have you.” Spike rolled his hips and smiled at Buffy’s squeak.
“Pig.”
“Shush, Dawn said to keep it down.”
“I’m not the one who is up,” Buffy replied with a fair attempt at Spike’s smirk.
“Ahem, can I go now?”
Buffy looked over the back of the chair at the bus boy. “Oops, yeah sure. Thanks.”
After he left, Buffy collapsed in a fit of giggles against Spike. “Did you see his face? I think we scarred him for life.”
“Not half as much as you’ve scarred me,” Dawn said from her bedroom door.
“Dawn, packed already?” Spike asked surprise in his voice
“Yeah. I didn’t unpack completely. Want some croissants?”
“Sure thing, Dawnie,” said Buffy. “You want some, Spike?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Knew I’d get you to say it someday.” Buffy replied through a fit of giggles
“Huh?” Spike glanced at her quizzically.
Dawn laughed at the bemused look on Spike’s face. “You, the Big Bad, just said that you are good.”
“Oh, bollocks.”
Buffy just shook her head and started to get the croissants plated and turned the coffee maker on. “Anyone want a coffee? Tea? Blood chaser?”
“Eww, Buffy, I’m just about to eat.”
“I’ll have a coffee, with a splash of the red stuff. Hey, you haven’t got any weetabix have you?”
“No, but one coffee special coming up.”
“I’ll just have a straight up coffee, sugar and milk please, Buff,” said Dawn.
She sat on the sofa next to Spike, nabbed the remote, and flipped the TV to a music channel.
“Hey! I was watching that!”
“Operative word being was.”
“Buffy, tell her,” complained Spike.
“Dawn, turn it up will you? I like this song.”
Spike threw his hands in the air. “I give up with you two. Buffy, luv, you do know that the New Kids on the Block are now the Old Men on the Dole, right?”
Buffy walked over carrying a tray bearing the coffee and croissants. “Sure I do. Yours is the red mug, Dawn yours is the blue.” Buffy set the tray down on the coffee table and was promptly pulled onto Spike’s lap. “Grabby much?”
“Can you blame me? I’ve missed you.”
“Eww, too much mushy stuff.” Dawn rolled her eyes. “Last time I checked you two were adults, over and above the teenage make out constantly thing.”
Buffy laughed. “Spike? Grown up? Are we talking about the same vampire here?”
“I take offence at that. I am grown up thank you very much.”
“Sure we believe you, Spike.” Dawn said, hiding a smirk behind her hand
Spike leaned forward to pick his mug up, wrapping one hand around Buffy’s waist and letting his hand rest on her upper thigh, causing Dawn to lead to another bout of eye rolling. “If you guys wanna be alone, I can go out for a bit.”
“Nah, it’s OK, Dawn. Spike needs to sleep.” Buffy answered with shake of her head
“I do?”
“Yeah, can’t have you looking all…dead when we get back to England,” said Buffy.
“So you only love me for my looks?”
“That’s just one of many things I love about you.”
Dawn coughed and spluttered. “Do you two mind? I like my breakfast in my tummy not for open view.”
“OK,OK.” Spike downed his coffee. “I’ll go hit the sack for a few hours.” He stood lifting Buffy off his lap and putting her in the seat, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Don’t miss me too much now.”
As Spike headed to Buffy’s room, Buffy turned to her sister. “You let him off pretty easy last night. Considering that you were really angry the last time you and him were around each other. Apparently you really scared him.”
“I did? Cool. Yeah, I was pretty cross with what he tried to do to you. I was pretty much with Xander and the whole ‘let’s stake Spike camp’ but he proved himself all over again in the build up to the big fight. Plus, the whole dying to save us thing. So I’m firmly back in the ‘lets not stake Spike camp’ now. Unless he leaves his icky blood mugs everywhere, then I may change my mind”
“I know what you mean, Dawn. Now that he’s gone, put that show back on.”
On the other side of the bedroom door, Spike smiled. His girls hadn’t changed a bit. He decided to keep his jeans on just in case he forgot about Dawn. He slid under the covers and soon fell asleep.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
once again thanks ot my betas: Dawnofme and Mabel