The walk home had been all of two minutes, lengthened simply by Spike’s wandering mind, and it had felt like forever. The time it took him to reach his bedroom and fall haphazardly onto his bed was filled with inner ranting and beatings of his own ass.
The man was, to put it simply, torn.
This whole sodding thing, this whole deal with Joyce- was making his stomach turn and knot.
This was Buffy’s mum, and the secret Spike was keeping shouldn’t have even been discovered by him. Why couldn’t he have gone over to the house earlier or something, MISSED meeting ‘Drake’, the new bloody thorn in his side?
He felt so damn confused. He’d never had to deal with anything like this in his whole fucking life! He didn’t want to be put in the middle- Hell, he shouldn’t be!
For one, he hated the thought of lying to Buffy, that’s what he despised MOST about this whole plan. Spike didn’t want to keep secrets from the woman he loved, especially ones that involved HER mother! Buffy would want to know about something like this, DESERVED to know, she had a right!
It personally took Spike a while before HE could accept the thought of his own dad dating other women after his mum died, but he would have been pissed if his father had HIDDEN the fact from him. Buffy would want to know if her mother was romantically involved with somebody. It wasn’t fair to hide something like this from her.
And if Spike lied to her about it, then she’d be pissed as ALL hell. This was BUFFY, he couldn’t lie to her- he couldn’t!
…
But Joyce...
She might not trust him if he didn’t keep his mouth shut. She might hate him, and even though he didn’t think she’d try to spite him by keeping Buffy away, she still might honestly feel that he was an untrustworthy man for her daughter. She might think he was trying to cause problems between herself and Buffy.
Hell, she could imagine some other fucking random ass reason to keep Buffy and him separated should Spike spill the beans. If Joyce was batty enough to find a “logical” reason for keeping DRAKE a secret, then who knew what ideas the woman was capable of conjuring.
Plus, this wasn’t ANY OF HIS FUCKING BUSINESS!
This was, as Joyce had said, between her and Buffy.
Spike wasn’t involved- or at least, he shouldn’t be. And so, he felt almost obligated, to Joyce, to bury his head in the sand and pretend like he didn’t know a thing. He hated betraying a trust, Spike was gold at keeping secrets. And in a way, he could see how Joyce might be right. Buffy could get hurt from seeing her mother date, she could feel like- like she wasn’t enough for Joyce or- or…
Oh sodding hell, Spike knew his girl. The only way Buffy was going to be hurt by this was with the fact that her mother had kept it from her for so long! But Joyce was scared, and Spike knew that he wouldn’t be able to coax her into telling Buffy about Drake on his own. Joyce had shut him down when he’d tried to reason with her, she wouldn’t even listen. She’d just kept saying how it was her decision and she was going to be the one to make it.
And the Brit also knew that if Joyce didn’t tell Buffy, and HE DID, then Buffy would hate her mum. She’d feel wounded even more and she’d think Mrs. Summers was never going to tell her at all. Buffy would think that, and Spike knew it.
Bloody. Fucking. Hell.
He was screwed. Royally.
With a sigh the young man sat up in bed and ran his hands through his hair. He felt like he should tell her, but at the same time he didn’t think that he really had a right…
Christ, this was just the worst thing that could’ve happened.
As he picked up the cell phone and called Buffy’s number, he knew what she’d be expecting to hear from him. She’d want him to tell her that things went great with her mum. Buffy would want him to say how they were completely off the hook and were allowed to see each other.
She would want to hear about how she didn’t have to worry about Joyce getting in between them and that everything was “peachy with a side of keen.” The girl would be hopeful, and bubbly, sweetly trusting and probably biting her lip in anticipation.
After she answered the phone and he heard her voice, he felt like he couldn’t do it.
But when Spike finally had to make his choice, when he’d finally reached that fork in the path…
***
Buffy beamed through her cell and shouted a “Whoopee!” She earned a glare from Giles but simply ignored him, she was just too happy to worry about being quiet right now.
“Okay, I’m gonna go home now. Willow already said a sleepover was fine, I explained everything to her. I’ll see you later, kay?” The girl chattered joyfully.
“I’ll be there ‘round eight o’clock, alright?”
“Perfect, see you soon. Love you!”
He chuckled a little, but not as lightheartedly as usual, more… desperate, which made Buffy frown slightly. “Christ sweetheart, you’ve got no idea. I love you too, Buffy. So much I can’t even-…”
“Spike…” Buffy inquired. “What’s the matter?”
“… Nothing. I’ll see you tonight at eight. Bye, lamb.”
She shook off the feeling she had and smiled. “See ya later!”
Buffy said goodbye to Giles and left the Moon Stream Library.
She thought about what could be bothering her guy. She knew something was off with him, but doubted it was something she’d discover until after she was able to speak with him face to face.
With a skip in her step and outfit ideas flitting through her mind, the blonde walked home in the hot weather.
***
Passing her closed school, the young Summers girl was wondering if she should wear heels tonight or not when someone hollered her name.
Stopping her movements, Buffy frowned.
“Hey Buff!”
She cringed and turned around, facing her ex and his friends.
Great.
Angel stared at her face. “Howya been?” he held a self satisfied smile on his face that could make the joker cringe.
“Are you ACTUALLY trying to start a conversation with me?” She said to him with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Yeah, why- Can’t we be friendly towards each another?”
“Pfft! Don’t think so. Goodbye, Angel.” And she turned to leave.
“How’s ‘Spike’ doin?” She heard his friends laugh a bit and the girl had to clench her jaw to stop from slapping Angel again. Buffy plowed on and ignored them all.
“Oh, c’mon?!” He yelled to her. “What- Did Joyce not like him too much after he assaulted me?!”
Deep breaths Buffy, deep breaths. Don’t kill the overgrown jackass. Don’t do it, you’re too young to rot in a jail cell.
She kept walking.
“Oh I get it! You guys broke up- Spike left you for his other girlfriend, didn’t he?!”
That did it.
The blonde very slowly turned around and tilted her head at Angel. “Since you’re so interested in my life, I’ll give you a little recap!” She smiled a saccharine smile and quickly trotted up to her ex. “Spike’s still my boyfriend, my mom still loves him, more than she EVER cared for you- And you failed to break us up.” Buffy then laughed smugly. “Really Angel, I can’t believe you went to that much trouble just to try and get me back.”
She swirled around and spoke over her shoulder in a way that would have made Ali Rose from “Burlesque” proud. “It’s a tad on the desperate side, dontchya think?”
The teen’s long blonde hair spun around her shoulders and she reveled in every “Ooh!” and “Sorry man.” Angel’s pals offered him as she walked away.
Her shocked and miffed ex-boyfriend spoke out to her in a last attempt to piss Buffy off before she could get too far. “Yeah, well who needs a girlfriend who doesn’t put out anyway? Sorta feel bad for Spike, ya know? Havin to play patient with the uneducated virgin.”
His buddies chuckled and snickered again, but then the Summers girl swiveled back around and narrowed her eyes, spilling the truth.
“Spike changed what I deemed you weren’t man enough to do anything about, Angel. I’m not so ‘uneducated’ anymore.”
Then, leaving a group of gaping teenage boys in her wake, Buffy continued her journey home, wondering if her black stiletto boots would go well with jeans and a pink camisole…
Maybe a red camisole.
***
Spike chugged down his second beer and swiped his hand across his mouth; throwing the bottle away as he paced by the garbage can. He’d been at this now for what had to be an hour’s time, and only a few minutes ago had the Brit thought of consuming alcohol.
He was a wreck. Spike was busy hating basically everything at the mo’.
He’d gone over the whole situation in his head about ten thousand times already, and he still couldn’t find a way out of this. It wasn’t like he had experience with girlfriends’ parents.
Drusilla’s guardian was her mother’s aunt, and the lady never paid much attention to young Dru, therefore Spike had never had to worry about impressing her; hell he’d only seen the bird a couple of times. And after Drusilla, the rest of the girls he’d gone with had all been flings. Harmony had once asked him to meet her father, but Spike had been trying to shake that brawd ever since after the first lay. Damn clingy chit she was.
He shook his head of the memories just as his father walked in.
“You know you’ll wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing like you’re impersonating a metronome.”
“Metronome’s don’t bloody pace, da.”
“No, you’re quite right…” Charlie retrieved a pitcher of iced tea from the top shelf in the refrigerator. “But they do tick an awful lot, are incredibly agitating, and you-” He pointed at him while taking a glass from the cupboard. “-are being just as rightly irritating as one.”
Spike simply muttered an angry “bugger off” as he continued his circling. His father poured himself a cool drink and offered none to the teenager.
William had been pacing for an hour and it was starting to drive Mr. Pratt out of his mind. The young man Charles called his son was bothered about something; the pacing, the boxing session which had lasted over two hours down in the basement, and the attitude which had been worse than normal all day long- all signs of William’s distress.
And when William was upset, then so was his dad. Not so much out of parental empathy, although that too was present, but more because whenever the younger Pratt boy was in a foul mood he made it known. It wasn’t like he tried to irritate his dad, and Charlie knew that, but William had a tendency to be very annoying when angered.
He would pace excessively, groan and mutter under his breath for hours on end, and blare loud music (which gave Charles a headache) until he felt he’d heard enough. So to put it simply, the older man was ready to figure out what was bothering the teenager.
Or kick him out of the house, whichever worked out first.
“Shitty luck- Women! Should tell her and jus- No I- *I* should just bloody well tell her an-”
“What on Earth are you yammering on about now?” His father snapped after shutting the fridge door again.
Spike groaned and looked at his father, his feet still moving in a memorable pattern. “Nothing! S’not important!”
He sipped his drink. “Well you’re an awfully good liar son- really. You could be-”
“Will you shut your gob an let me think! M’tryna-”
“You’re trying to get your arse beat. Do yourself a favor and remember that I am still your father and I will not be talked to in-”
“In such a manner, yeah, yeah, yeah. Save me the speech pops, m’not in the mood.”
Charlie chugged the rest of his iced tea and slammed the glass down on the counter before crossing his arms. “Alright. F’you want to keep prancing around here like a pathetic berk whilst ignoring me, that’s fine. But you an I both know that I can help you and you’re just being stubborn.”
“I am NOT being stubborn!” He kicked the wall out of childish exasperation.
“This is about Buffy isn’t it?”
Spike didn’t answer, which was all the answer his dad needed.
It had become incredibly obvious to him that his son and the sweet blonde girl a few houses down were an item. With a few questions here and there, the nervousness William showed when he’d mentioned the Summers’ barbeque, and the boy’s reverent words which slipped out about the girl when her name was brought up, it hadn’t taken Charles Pratt long to figure things out. And it had actually been a while since he’d seen Spike so enraptured with a lady.
“So what happened, a disagreement perhaps? Something go wrong at that barbeque her mother was holding?”
Spike stiffened but continued his steps. He really didn’t think his dad was going to be able to help with his current problem.
“What, how long’ve you two been dating? Less than three weeks an you’ve already managed to frighten the poor girl off?” The man snickered and smiled at his son’s glare. “Really William, never thought you’d be the type of bloke to scare off a lady so fast, thought I raised a gentleman.”
“Will you just can it.” Spike mumbled.
“Come now, tell dear old dad what you did.”
The boy was silent.
“Oh for the love of- William please jus-”
“Will you stop fucking calling me that?! I’m under enough stress as it is right now an I don’t need your bloody HELP or the poncey nicknames!”
“Alright that’s it.” Charles walked up to his son and slapped him across the face.
Spike groaned and rubbed his jaw, looking at his father in annoyance. “What the hell!”
“Look, in the last few days you’ve been happier than I’ve seen you be since we left Chicago, maybe even before perhaps. And frankly, I don’t want you to lose something good over your incredible lack for thinking things through! So now will you stop acting like a toddler and just talk to me?!”
With an eye roll and a groan the bleached male finally answered his father. “Not goin into any details. M’just stuck in the middle of somethin s’all. Just can’t make a damned choice.”
“What’re your choices?”
“What did I just say?!”
“Oh you can tell me what your choices are without describing the whole bloody situation! Just talk for Christ’s sake, you do enough of it when I want you to keep your mouth shut!”
With a slight growl Spike’s jaw clenched. “Do I keep a secret from her that I’ve got no business even knowin ‘bout, or do I tell her what I know even when it could bloody well tear her apart?”
“I assume you’re talking about Buffy, yes?”
“Who the-!” He took a breath to calm his temper and started pacing again. “Who else would I be talking about?”
“Alright then… What’s the secret?”
“Da-!”
“Just kidding, calm down. Now… you said this ‘secret’, it’s not something YOU did- it isn’t any of your business?”
“None whatsoever, it was a fucking accident I found out ‘bout it at all.”
“Watch your language or I’ll start callin you Willy like I used to when you were a tot! Now anyway, this supposed secret can hurt her, s’that right?”
“It’d gut her.” Spike mumbled resentfully. This was a HUGE reason why he didn’t want to TELL her.
“Alright… will she find out about it on her own sooner or later, or is it something that could harm her in the future should she not find out now?”
“Oh she’ll be informed soon enough, s’just I don’t-… I don’ think I’ve got a right to keep this sort of information from her.”
“Hmm… Well, in my experience, you should never lie to a woman, son; even if it’s for her own good.” The teenager gave an answering groan. “However…” Spike’s ears perked up. “If she’s going to find out soon enough anyhow, and you telling her would just be painful… And I assume that if she DOES find out on her own it wouldn’t harm her as much as it would should you tell her yourself, is that where you’re getting at?”
“Yes! If I tell her she’s gonna feel betrayed by someone close to her an that’ll-”
“Then don’t say anything.” The man walked over to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. “If you telling her is only going to hurt her more than should she find out about this ‘secret’ a little whiles from now, I suggest keeping it to yourself.”
Spike was silent for a moment. He stared plaintively, resignedly at his dad. The older man was making sense, putting points Spike felt mattered into words anyone could understand. They weren’t just jumbled screams in his head any longer, voices fighting with other voices for the prize. The boy’s father was lending an ear and a helpful opinion and Spike suddenly felt- not so wrong. Like he wasn’t being a completely horrible person or lying to his girlfriend. He was truly protecting her.
The teenager nodded and murmured thanks to his father.
“Remember, I don’t know the whole story so I could be wrong but… Well, just do what you think is right.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's 26, hope you enjoy!! :) The reviews are appreciated so please keep sending them! *huggles*
- Anyways, read on! :)
- Anyways, read on! :)
Chapter End Notes:
I was really tired writing and editing this chapter so I hope the wording is good.
Also, the slap was not meant to make it seem like Charles is a bad father in any way, it was just him being fed up with Spike's pouting and attitude. He was also trying to protect him from being stupid and losing Buffy.
Let me know what you think of this chappie please! :) Have a good one everybody
Also, the slap was not meant to make it seem like Charles is a bad father in any way, it was just him being fed up with Spike's pouting and attitude. He was also trying to protect him from being stupid and losing Buffy.
Let me know what you think of this chappie please! :) Have a good one everybody