Spike had rushed downstairs roaring about Buffy being in danger and about how Xander was invading the house. Joyce watched him as he stood in the living room posed for a fight. Sure enough Xander slammed open the door and walked over to Spike and punched him. Spike stared at him not wanting to hurt the whelp but instead asked, “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?”
Xander stated back, “Saving Buffy!”
Spike glared at the whelp, “Been there, done that. She’s already rescued now go home and release Buffy on your way back.”
Xander whipped out a stake and went to throw himself at Spike but Joyce came into the room yelling, “Get out of my house, Xander. You are no longer welcome here.”
Xander turned towards Joyce surprised, “You’re okay with this claiming thing with Buffy and Spike?”
Joyce nodded, “He loves my daughter and my daughter loves him. He’ll take good care of her and if not then I’ll stake him myself.”
Spike didn’t have the nerve to tell her that staking him would only lead to Buffy’s death.
Xander yelled towards Joyce, “But he’s a killer!”
Joyce shrugged calmly replying to Xander, “Everyone changes and he’s changed for my daughter.”
Xander practically pleaded with Joyce, “He has no soul!”
Spike responded, “Souls are overrated. You have one and just look at what you are willing to do. Hitler had one and he was willing to kill off thousands of Jews. So get past this whole soul thing and move on to bigger and better things. Just let this go Xander. It’s not your fight and it doesn’t affect you.”
Xander threw another punch at Spike hitting him in the nose and Spike backed off, “I’m warning you whelp, leave this alone.”
Xander retorted back, “Or what? You will eat me? Drain me until I’m dead? Isn’t that what you vampires do? If you attack me Buffy wouldn’t ever forgive you.”
Spike yelled back loudly, “Wasn’t planning to hurt you, boy. If I were, you would have been dead by now. Fastest way to get dead in this world right now is to threaten Buffy or myself or Joyce. So back off boy!”
Xander screamed, “But she’s supposed to be dating men not vampires!”
Joyce looked horrified, “Spike is a man. He might not be human but he’s still a man. Now get out of my house before I call the cops.”
Xander looked shocked at Joyce and tried one more thing, “He helped Angel to end the world you know, him and his skanky girlfriend.”
Joyce put her hands on her hips and shook her head looking at Spike as though he were her little boy, “Actually, no. While you guys were doing whatever it was you were doing without my daughter, he was risking his life to stop Angel. He was in my house in the living room offering Buffy help. Did any of you go after her when she ran away? Did any of you support her through killing Angel? Hell, did you even say you were sorry she had to go through so much pain like good friends do? No you kidnapped my daughter, and are keeping her from me and her ‘mate’?”
She looked towards Spike and he nodded that she used the right word so she continued, “You are keeping her from me and her mate who love her enough to search high and low to find her and bring her home. So leave my family alone!”’
Xander pleaded with Joyce, “Just let me stake Spike. Then you can have your daughter back.”
Joyce stood in front of Spike, “You won’t be staking anyone in my house. He’s family now. You aren’t. So leave.”
Xander decided to back off because he couldn’t hurt Joyce. She would be protecting Spike it appeared so he stalked out of the house hoping Giles found another way to fix this since Captain Peroxide seemed to be off limits for the minute.
Buffy was so tired. She wanted Spike to hold her so she could sleep. Just another 30 minutes and Spike could come save her. Of course Spike couldn’t get into Giles’s house but she didn’t want to think about that. She just wanted Spike. She sighed as Giles read another spell at her. This was growing tiresome. She stated again, “It’s unbreakable and I’m happy. Bonds can’t be broken. Get over it people!”
Giles tried reading another spell at Buffy but again nothing happened. Willow frowned saying out loud, “You think it is really unbreakable.”
Giles sighed, “I’m beginning to think that is the case.”
Buffy growled, “Just let me go. I’m hungry, tired and I want Spike.”
Giles flipped a few pages reading another spell. Then the door flew open to show Xander and Buffy glared at him as she stated quite angry, “I hope you didn’t hurt him. I know he’s alive. I can still feel him but please tell me you didn’t hurt him.”
She opened the bond he had closed earlier and felt a wave of relief that he was just talking to Joyce and seemed happy enough. She thought, ‘Love you Spike. We have only 5 minutes left.’
Spike replied, ‘Actually Joyce is heading over there now to put a stop to this so I don’t have to. She protected me from Xander. You would have been proud of her.’
Buffy smiled, “We will have a visitor soon.”
Xander shrugged, “The royal undead can’t get in here without an invitation.”
Buffy nodded and then the doorbell rang and Giles opened the door to find Joyce standing there with her hands on her hips stating, “I want my daughter now. Spike misses her and so do I.”
Giles stuttered removing his glasses, “She’s not well.”
Joyce yelled, “She’s my daughter and she’s healthy as can be. Now give her to me.” Joyce pushed Giles aside and stormed into the room to find her daughter chained to the floor. She was pissed, “Unchain her and I won’t press charges.”
Giles motioned to Xander who unchained her. Buffy sighed in relief and gave her mom a big hug then sent to Spike, ‘I’m free. I’ll be home soon.’
Spike sent back, ‘I’ll be waiting for you, Cutie. You’re okay right?’
Buffy replied, ‘Yea, they are just stupid people who are jealous or something.’
Spike didn’t say a word and instead went into the kitchen to find something to fix for his new family for dinner.