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Author's Chapter Notes:
Are you ready for some fluffy Spuffy? Buffy and Spike go on their first date.

This chapter's a two-parter :)

Thanks to my beta Passion4Spike for being made of awesome :)

Banner by xoChantelly
The next day, Buffy went to the Magic Box to see her friends. She asked Spike to let her tell the others about them being an official couple without him there. Spike had a bad temper, to put it mildly, Buffy knew someone would say something to set him off; it was probably going to be tough enough to control her own temper, she didn't need to worry about Spike's too. Plus, she didn't want him getting another attack of the 'I'm not worthy's by having to hear her friends say negative things about Buffy getting involved with him.

Spike had wanted to go to the Magic Box with her (mostly just to see the looks on her friends' faces and gloat a bit), but he understood her wanting to 'break the news' to them by herself. So he waited at the crypt for Buffy to come to him and tell him how it went. He was nervous; he knew how much her friends meant to her. What if they could talk her out of being with him? But Spike vowed to not get bogged down in self-doubt and insecurity again. He believed Buffy cared for him and she wouldn't let her friends sway her. Still... the sitting around and waiting to hear how it went was difficult to say the least: waiting was another of Spike's under-used talents.

He tried occupying his mind by making final plans for the big date tomorrow night; he'd taken care of a lot of the details the night before, after Buffy left for home. He'd run around late night Sunnydale like a chicken with its head cut off trying to make the necessary arrangements. Spike didn't think two days was nearly enough time to plan the perfect, romantic date with Buffy, but he also didn't want to wait any longer than that to start the new phase of their relationship.





An hour into her visit to the shop, Buffy was surprised that none of her friends brought up the way she'd left the house in a rush the night before and they hadn't asked what she found when she got to Spike's place; she thought they would've had some follow-up questions which would give her the perfect opening to tell them about her and Spike. But then she realized that they were purposely not bringing any of that stuff up -- they had worried looks on their faces when they thought she wasn't looking at them.

Buffy answered questions they had about her kidnapping, leaving out bits her friends didn't need to know.

"Spike really came through for you," Tara observed, earning a frosty look from both Xander and Giles.

Buffy grinned. "Yeah, he did. I was blown away that he would do what he did for me, especially considering the way I've treated him."

"You treated him a lot better than he deserved," Xander grumbled, repeating his thoughts on the matter that he'd previously shared with Willow and Anya. "He did one good thing, one," Xander held up a finger to emphasize his point, "the whole time we've known him. I don't have enough fingers to count the number of bad things he's done."

"Well, the one was a big thing," Buffy pointed out. "Saving my life was pretty big, don't you think?"

"It's just a matter of time before Spike does something nasty and evil again. The chip doesn't change the fact that he's a soulless monster. I still would've dusted him after the chipping if I'd had anything to say about it."

"And I'd be dead right now if you had," Buffy stated matter-of-factly, leveling a gaze at him. She knew Xander would be the hardest to convince -- he'd never accepted Angel, even with a soul.

Her assertion that she'd be dead right now if not for Spike, and her cold stare made Xander look down guiltily.

"I want all of you to be nice to Spike from now on," Buffy said, looking to each of them. Anya, Willow and Tara nodded slowly, looking more surprised to hear Buffy saying it rather than upset. But Giles and Xander couldn't hide their discontent. "You have a problem with that, Xander?"

He grimaced. "It's just... being nice to Spike? I don't know if I'm physically capable of that."
"Call me crazy, but I'm grateful when someone saves my life. And me being one of your bestest friends in the whole wide world, I'd think you'd be a little grateful to Spike for helping me, too."

"I am, I'm downright ecstatic that you're okay, Buff. And I really am grateful that Spike helped you. I'm just cautious when it comes to that guy, and with damn good reason. Spike is always looking to get over on us -- on you, especially. How do you know it wasn't some kind of act to make you feel grateful to him?"
Buffy didn't like what Xander was implying, and she didn't believe it, either. She shook her head. "It wasn't an act, I know it wasn't. Everything Spike's said and done after Dru chained me up has shown me he deserves a chance at redemption. And you still owe him one for not believing him when he was telling the truth about helping me escape Dru's evil clutches."

Xander sighed. "Yeah, I know... Okay, I'll try to be nice. But Spike makes it really hard to be nice to him... he always says something to piss me off."

"I know he can be... hard to get along with, but all I'm asking is that you try. You tend to push his buttons a lot too, y'know; I want a lot less button pushing in the future. By the way, none of you asked, but Spike was fine when I went to see how he was last night. And the chip does work, so you don't have to worry about that."

"That's... good," Willow said carefully.

"I wanted to ask why you acted the way you did last night, but they said I shouldn't," Anya said resentfully, shooting Giles and Xander a look. Giles and Xander tried looking innocent. "It seemed like what you feel for Spike is a lot more than simple gratitude and acceptance. You seemed panicked, like it was someone you had feelings for that might be hurt, dead, or left town."

Buffy took a breath, preparing for their reactions to the next thing she was going to say. "Funny you should mention that, Anya... because I do have feelings for him. In fact... Spike and I are going to start dating."

The Scoobies just stared at her for several moments. This is what they'd been afraid of and had discussed before Buffy came to the shop today. Her reaction the previous night to the suggestion that Spike might have dusted himself or left Sunnydale had concerned them -- it looked an awful lot like Buffy was in love (or at least deeply in like) with Spike. And now Buffy was confirming those fears.

Buffy closed her eyes, put a hand to her forehead and massaged. "Stunned silence... yep, that's pretty much the reaction I expected. Well, I expected stunned silence followed by anger and shouting. Nobody has anything to say, huh? Nobody wants to yell at me? C'mon, you know ya want to."

"You're... serious?" Xander asked, finally finding his voice.

She chuckled. "It's not April Fool's Day, so yeah, I'm serious. I've got squishy feelings for Spike, and he's not shy about telling me how he feels about me, so... we're together now."

Xander swallowed and blinked, the gears in his mind were spinning as he tried to think of a way to talk her out of dating Spike. "Buffy... did some of Drusilla's crazy cooties jump onto you? No offense."

"Gee, why would I take offense to that?" Buffy said rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.

Xander shook his head. "Spike? Dating? Dating Spike? What are...? How can...?"

Buffy attempted to be a little sympathetic to their points of view. "I know this is going to be weird for all of you, but Spike and I went through a lot together, I think of him so differently now. He can be one of the good guys, I know in my heart he can. If we encourage him and make him a part of the team, he can do great things. And he'll prove me right if all of you just give him a chance."

"That's... fine," Giles said cautiously. "But we can encourage Spike and try to include him... without you dating him."

"I'm sorry, Giles... I know you don't like it, but Spike's my boyfriend now. I have a really good feeling about the two of us -- don't ask me why, I just do. We're going out on our first date tomorrow night."

Anya said, "I like Spike, but you're taking a big risk, Buffy."

Buffy nodded. "I know, believe me, I know."

Anya continued, "You've had bad luck with men, and the one vampire you were with turned --"

"I said I know," Buffy talked over her. "Nobody knows how horrible my luck with men has been better than I do. I've thought about this and being with Spike is what I want. You can't talk me out of it, so please don't even try. All you'll do is piss me off."

"Your relationship with Angel was unorthodox, but Spike... he doesn't even have a soul, Buffy!" Giles pointed out in frustration.

"There are humans, with souls and everything, who wouldn't do what he did for me. Spike was ready to give everything up, including his own life, to save me. I don't know what it is -- a soul or a demony version of one -- but Spike has something that makes him special."

"You know what this is, don't you?" Xander asked seriously.

"No, please tell me. I'm all a' twitter with anticipation," Buffy said in a monotone.

"You're hurting and on the rebound from Riley. You made a bad dating decision because you want it to stop hurting... and Spike says that he loves you, so you're latching onto him. We understand that, Buffy, and we're here for you; you can talk to us."

The others nodded, showing they thought the same thing.

Buffy groaned at Xander playing therapist. "You guys must've talked a lot about the possibility of me dating Spike... interesting theory you have there, Doctor Harris. There's no need for an intervention, it has nothing to do with Riley and I'm not on the rebound. If anything, what happened with Riley just made it more terrifying for me to open my heart to anyone again."

"That doesn't make sense," Xander said. "You were afraid to start another relationship... and you chose to get into one with Spike -- the absolute worst person on the face of the earth you could get involved with?"

"I can't explain to you any better than I already have why I feel the way I do about Spike; I don't think anything I could say would change your opinions, anyway. I care about him a lot, I believe in him, and I hope you guys can learn to deal with it."

"God, you're talking like you're a teenage girl with her first crush..." Xander whined. "Hearing you talk like that about Spike makes my skin crawl. Were you taken over by a pod person? Are you Pod Buffy?"

"And on that note..." Buffy sighed, standing up. She stopped and looked at each of her friends. "I love all of you, you know that. But I care about Spike too. So please... please try to accept and respect my decision and trust me. I'm living for myself and doing what I think will make me happy -- when I'm not saving everyone else's asses and saving the world in general. I think I'm due a little happiness, don't you?"

No one answered her question. It saddened Buffy to see the unhappy looks on their faces, but her relationship with Spike wasn't up for debate -- she'd made up her mind and nothing they could say or do would change it. She had thought at least Willow would've been supportive, because Willow had been the one person who was encouraging to Buffy when she was with Angel. Tara looked more sympathetic than the rest of them. Buffy gave Tara a small, sad smile, then turned and left the shop.

"What do we do? We can't let her make another huge mistake," Xander said once the door closed behind Buffy.

"What can we do?" Giles sighed, taking off his glasses and polishing them. "Buffy's made up her mind, and only Spike proving that he can't be trusted will make her see the truth."

"And then it will be too late... I don't want Buffy getting hurt again." Xander sighed. "Maybe this is some kind of spell Spike cast on her? Or he had her drink a love potion? I bet it was a love potion!"

"If it was a spell or a love potion, he didn't buy the ingredients from me or Giles," Anya said, frowning. "If Spike was going to do something sneaky and devious, he could've at least spent his money here. I bet he went to our arch-nemesis -- that damn 'Abracadabra' shop two blocks over! Those bastards are always taking our business!"

Willow glanced at Tara who was looking down and shaking her head slightly. She could tell Tara thought they were wrong to be so judgmental and quick to condemn Buffy's decision. But Tara didn't understand, Willow reasoned. Though she'd heard about it, Tara wasn't around to experience the fallout from Angelus; she didn't know firsthand how horrible it was for all of them when Buffy's boyfriend went all evil and murderous. And Tara wasn't around when it was Spike and Dru terrorizing them; Tara hadn't seen Spike at his worst. But Tara was a kindhearted soul who believed in giving people second chances, that was just one of the many things Willow loved about her.

Willow would still be worried about Spike being so close to Buffy, and she'd keep a watchful eye on the Bleached Wonder, but maybe he did deserve a chance to prove them wrong. She knew he couldn't physically hurt Buffy, not with the chip -- but if Buffy fell in love with him and he broke her heart, that would be even worse. Too bad Buffy's super Slayer healing didn't extend to broken hearts. Willow just hoped that Buffy knew what she was doing this time.

Willow cleared her throat. "Let's... calm down, guys. Buffy's convinced that Spike can be good if he's given a chance, so... there's nothing we can do but wait and see what happens. Who knows... Spike might surprise us."

Tara smiled softly at Willow and reached over to hold her hand under the table.

Anya shrugged and recounted the money from the register. "You're right, maybe Spike can do it. Even though no other vampire in history has ever 'gone legit' without the benefit of a soul."





Spike stood up and looked anxiously at Buffy when she entered the upper level of the crypt.

"How'd it go, luv?" He could tell by the look on her face the answer wasn't 'good', but he still had to ask.

Buffy heaved a sigh. "They didn't tie me to a chair and try to deprogram me, so I guess it wasn't as bad as it could've been. I'm a glass half full kinda gal."

Spike gave her a sympathetic smile. "That good, eh?"

Buffy looked mopey, so Spike went to her and put his arms around her. Buffy wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and put his cheek against her forehead.

"They weren't able to change your mind about wanting to be with me, were they?" Spike asked as he rubbed her back.

"I'm here and in your arms right now, ain't I?" she asked, giving his middle a hard squeeze.

Spike smirked. "That, you are, luv. I knew they'd try to change your mind, though."

"I told you I don't care what anyone else says, that includes my friends. I had to tell them, and I did -- end of story."

"But I know how important they are to you... they're your family just as sure as Joyce and the Nibblet are."

"You've recently become very important to me too, and I'm not giving you up."

Spike held her tighter for a moment and smiled. "I love when you say things like that. Want to tell me what they said?"

Buffy broke away from the embrace and began pacing. Spike was usually the one doing the pacing, but now it was him standing still and watching her going back and forth in front of him. He could understand how his pacing might make an observer dizzy.

Buffy growled, thinking about the conversation at the shop. "I got no support -- none! I didn't think they'd be throwing a tickertape parade with seventy-six trombones and hoisting us up on their shoulders, but I thought at least Willow might stick up for me. I was super supportive of her when she told us she was dating Tara -- and what about Oz? He was a werewolf -- and in a rock band! I never made her feel like I was judgey about her choices. Willow barely said a word the whole time..." Buffy pouted more and more as she paced.

"Willow nodded along with the rest of them when Xander said I was just on the rebound from Riley -- and that is so not true! I can see how they might think that... but I know what's going on in my own head better than they do. I don't like being treated like I'm a stupid little girl who doesn't know her own mind and what's best for herself."

Spike stepped in front of her and held his arms out. Buffy didn't need a formal invitation, she gladly accepted another hug.

Spike was angry with her friends, but he tried focusing on being calm and positive for Buffy for now. "I'm sure they'll come around in time... or at least a few of them will. Probably just caught them off-guard, is all. They'll get over the shock and be alright."

"I hope so... Could you do me a favor?"

Spike pulled back to look into her eyes. "Anything."

"Could you not... start arguments with them about this?"

Spike looked up at the ceiling and took a breath. He'd just been thinking how he couldn't wait to get in the Scoobies' faces for upsetting her. "I'm not s'posed to say anything to them? That's gonna be one big, fat bloody elephant in the room, luv."

"I just don't want you starting any fights. I want them to accept that you're in my life, but I'll settle for no arguing for now."

"What if they start somethin' with me? You want me to turn the other cheek? I'm not exactly known for my Christ-like qualities..."

Buffy sighed and hugged him again, taking comfort in his arms. "I wouldn't want you to just take being insulted or talked about like a dog, and I wouldn't want you to take that kind of shit without giving as good as you get. I don't know what the hell I want... I'm confused."

"But not about me, right?" Spike asked, tipping her face up to look at him and smiling.

She smiled and kissed his lips. "No, I'm not confused about you. I just want to make everything right with everyone and I don't know how to do it. I want everyone to be happy -- including me, for once."

Spike was about to say that it might not be possible to make everything with everyone right, not as long as she was dating him. But he swallowed that remark, not wanting to upset her any more. "It'll work out, pet. If I can't shout at them and make them quake with fear, I'll go on a mission to make them adore me." He grinned.

Buffy giggled. "Yeah, but I'm sure you'd prefer to have them fear you."

"That was the old Spike -- the new Spike only wants them to be afraid of how much they love me," Spike joked.

Buffy giggled again, then sighed and rested against his body. "Thanks for making me laugh, I needed a good laugh."

"Anytime, pet." Spike wanted to say how much he hoped she would love him in the future, but he bit his tongue again. He didn't want to pressure Buffy in any way -- he would not screw this up. He was already getting better at censoring what he said. "What're your plans for the rest of the day?" he asked, switching to a new subject.

"No solid plans, just biding time until sunset. You want to patrol with me tonight?"

"I'd love to... but I still have errands to run before tomorrow night."

Buffy smiled. "Ooh, did you think of a cool place for us to go?"

Spike smirked. "Yes, but I ain't tellin' ya, it's a surprise. I'm planning a mystery date for you."

She bounced on the balls of her feet like an impatient child. "Aww, why can't you tell me? Don't you want to make sure I'll like what you have planned?" Buffy had no idea what Spike would consider a good date, and she had no idea how he planned on paying for anything since he was always broke. It was going to be an interesting evening.

"I only get one first date with Buffy Summers, I'm goin' all out. I've got a hunch you'll enjoy yourself."

"Oh, you don't have to do anything special," Buffy said, batting her eyes.

"Too late, I've already got the wheels in motion. I just need to take care of a few more details to make it the best date you've ever had."

"I can't wait," Buffy said, kissing him tenderly.

"The only snag so far is my car bein' trashed."

Buffy had forgotten that the DeSoto was vandalized. "Oh right... your poor car, we left it for dead in the driveway. You think it's still at the mansion?"

Spike shook his head. "Me an' Clem hired a tow truck and hauled it to the garage next to the junkyard. Clem's cousin-in-law owns the place, said I could keep and work on the car there until I get it roadworthy again. You know the garage?"

"Nope, I didn't know there was a garage near the junkyard. But the image of you working on the car... all streaked with oil and sweaty, is kinda hot." It was more than 'kinda' hot -- it was very hot. "Who's Clem?"

"I haven't mentioned him before?"

"Not that I can remember, no."

"He's my one good friend in this bloody town. Clem's a good bloke -- a demon, but still good."

"I hope he is a good bloke... I wouldn't want to have to slay your only friend if he causes trouble."

"Nah, he'll never be on your hit list," Spike said confidently. "Clem's a pussy."

Buffy laughed. "Nice way to talk about your friend! But I guess calling your friends names is a 'guy thing', huh? I'll never understand why you men behave the way you do."

Spike snorted. "I meant he's a pussycat -- in England we usually just say 'pussy'."

"Well, don't say that around Clem unless he's a British demon. Back to the issue of the car... since yours isn't available for tomorrow night, I could borrow my mom's car and pick you up?"

Spike was shaking his head no before she finished the sentence. "Uh-uh, no bloody way. The man picks his lady up, not the other way around."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I didn't think you'd be so old-fashioned about that kind of stuff."

"Well, I am. My notions about romance and how to woo a lady are carved in stone, not easy for me to shake 'em at this point in my life."

"Woo," Buffy giggled at his use of that old word. "I don't think I've ever been 'wooed' before."

"If you'd been wooed before, you'd know it," Spike said with a smirk.

"Alright, fine, I'll leave the driving to you. But you don't have a car, so what are you going to pick me up in?" She gave him a warning look. "And I don't want you stealing another car."

"Yeah, I reckoned goin' on a crime spree before picking you up would be just the thing to start the night off right. We could get chased by the police down the freeway, wreck the car, then give 'em a good ole foot chase... we'd be on TV! It'd be bloody brilliant!" Spike said sarcastically.

Buffy gave him a look, he could practically hear her thinking, 'Sarcastic much?'

Changing to a serious tone, Spike said, "Buffy, I'm not gonna steal anything, alright? I want you to have a grand time, and that means not having you wonderin' where everything came from or if I stole the money to pay for it. I promise you, pet, everything associated with tomorrow night will be completely above board."

Her un-amused look melted into a smile. It made her feel so good to know Spike was taking that kind of thing into consideration. "That's so thoughtful of you, I appreciate it." She just had to put her arms around him and kiss him again. He really was trying to change his ways.

After she broke for air, Buffy asked, "But how can you pay for anything? You don't have a job or any way of making money."

"You let me worry 'bout that," he replied enigmatically, kissing the tip of her nose. "But I will tell you this: wear somethin' fancy."

Her eyebrows went up. "Fancy?"

"Mmhmm, wear your best dress; I'm takin' you someplace real nice. I can't wait to see you dressed to kill -- figuratively speakin', of course."

"That sounds great, but seriously, Spike, I understand if you want to do something that costs little or no money. We can go to a movie or get cheeseburgers, it doesn't matter. Us spending time together and getting to know each other is the important thing. I don't want you going to too much trouble or going into debt just for me, okay?"

"Just for you? Buffy... I'd give you the world if it were mine to give." Spike cupped her cheek with his palm, looking at her with so much love in his eyes... he was making Buffy swoony again. "You deserve nothing but the very best, and I aim to give it to you."

"Keep saying things like that," Buffy said with a shy smile, "I like it."

Spike pulled her to him for a thorough snog.





The day of the big date...

Dawn was sitting on Buffy's bed, just hanging out.

"I have nothing to wear!" Buffy whined as she went through her closet again, tossing another dress she deemed unsuitable out and onto the large pile on the floor to join the others. "Why didn't I buy a new dress? Oh, that's right -- because I have no damn money. The stupid Watchers' Council should've been sending me a big-fat paycheck every week -- they owe me years of back pay! I'll fly to England and take it out of Quentin Travers' hide if I have to!"

"Chill, Buffy. You've got some cool clothes," Dawn said.

"Spike said to wear something fancy, he wants to see me 'dressed to kill'. I don't have anything fancy."

"Sure you do." Dawn got off the bed and went to the pile of dresses on the floor. "What about this slinky, red dress?" She picked up a red dress she'd always wanted to steal -- or rather, borrow -- from Buffy.

Buffy scrunched up her nose. "No, I kept worrying one of my boobs was gonna pop out when I wore it last time."

"Spike wouldn't mind if that happened," Dawn giggled.

Buffy was sure that was true, but still... "Keep looking."

Dawn went over to Buffy's closet and dug around, finally bringing out a sequined, short dress. "How about this?"

"That's an old figure skating costume I only kept for sentimental reasons. And it doesn't exactly scream 'fancy'."

"Well, it's sparkly. I read that it's good to wear something shiny on a date, it keeps your guy's eyes riveted to you."

"Have you been reading Mom's Cosmo again? Try finding an outfit that won't show the marks on my body. I still haven't healed from Dru carving me up like a turkey."

"You're almost all healed, the marks are barely noticeable." The quick healing ability was another thing Dawn envied about her sister; it really was hard to tell anything had been done to Buffy mere days ago.

"But they are noticeable, Spike will notice for sure. I don't think he'll find healing wounds attractive."

"This is Spike we're talking about, Buffy. He's not put off by cuts and scrapes, he'll think they're hot."

"You think so?" Buffy asked skeptically, looking down at her marred skin.

Dawn nodded. "He likes that you're tough -- the fact that you made it through what Dru did to you, and that you're okay now, will remind him of your toughness. Wear your battle wounds with pride. And he likes your confidence and grace. You'll look gorgeous, and you'll be sexier 'cause you'll be all confident and not caring that you have a few barely noticeable marks on you."

Buffy smiled, thinking her sister really was a smart kid. Dawn was most likely 100% right: Spike would find battle wounds sexy. After all, he'd been eager to kiss and lick her when she still looked like hell right after they sent Dru packing. Buffy had to remind herself who it was she was going out with, Spike wasn't like any other man she'd dated -- what might have turned off another guy would probably be like catnip, or vampire-nip, to Spike.

"You're full of good advicey-ness today," Buffy remarked.

"You forget that I spent more time actually talking to Spike than anyone else. I've thought about what he'd like and wouldn't like; I've felt him up. Out! I've felt him out..."

Buffy couldn't help but burst out laughing at the Freudian slip, at least she hoped that's what it was, which made Dawn laugh nervously.

"Um," Dawn continued, her face hot from blushing, "my point is that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to Spike's likes and dislikes 'cause I've listened to him and paid attention."

"That's true," Buffy acknowledged with a sigh, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye. "You're the only one who treated Spike like a person..." Buffy remembered how bringing up Dawn's name to Spike, while he'd been under Dru's hypnotic influence, had made him pause and seemed to get through to him for a moment; Dawn's friendship obviously meant a lot to Spike. And Spike obviously meant a lot to Dawn too... Buffy hoped this wasn't too painful for Dawn's teenage heart to take.

Dawn rummaged around in the closet some more, trying to move past her slip of the tongue a minute ago. "Ooh, where'd you get this one?" She pulled out a black cocktail dress. "This is beautiful!" Dawn exclaimed, holding it up to her own body. "You have to let me borrow this sometime. I don't know where I'd wear it, but I'd think of something."

Buffy couldn't remember where she'd gotten that dress for a second. "Oh... that's the dress Dad bought me almost a year ago. Remember when he said he'd have us up to his house in L.A. and take us to that ritzy gala at his country club?"

Dawn groaned. "Oh, right... he sent us pretty dresses and got us all excited about it, then canceled -- like always -- at the last minute. I still got the dress he bought for me too. I've probably outgrown it already."

"I can't wear this dress," Buffy sighed, fingering the material, "there's too much negative stuff associated with it."

"You should wear it, Buffy. You never got a chance to wear it even once, you'd look beautiful in it, and you could make good memories with Spike while wearing it. You can't go wrong with a little black dress. And it's a Halston, Buffy..." Dawn looked at her seriously. "It'd be a crime to let a dress like this sit in the back of your closet -- I'll call the fashion police on you. Or you could give it to me...?"

Buffy smiled and took the dress from Dawn, turning and holding it up in front of herself as she looked in the mirror. It really was a great dress, a jersey-knit with a modest neckline, shiny studs dotted over it (reminding Buffy of stars in the night sky), the skirt ended with a jagged handkerchief hem at the knee, making it more daring. She loved it and she thought Spike would love seeing her in it. It would be silly to never wear such a fabulous dress just because her dad was an ass.

"Maybe you're right. You stun me when you say smart things like that. Teaching you to talk is finally paying off."

"It's about time you and Mom realized I'm smart." Dawn playfully flicked Buffy on the arm. Then she got back down to business. "Okay, all you need now are black pantyhose and black pumps, a matching clutch, and maybe Mom will let you borrow her cool Pashmina."

"I like the sparkly studs on the dress, but shouldn't I wear something more colorful? I was telling Spike he needs more color and variety in his wardrobe."

"Black is elegant," Dawn assured her. "And Spike likes the color black. But, you know you could show up in dingy grey sweats and Spike would still be ooh'ing and aah'ing at how beautiful you look."

"Are you sure you're okay helping me get ready for my date with Spike?" Buffy asked, concerned. She knew this must be hard for Dawn.

Dawn took a breath and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay with it. It's fun doing sister-y stuff like this with you. I still think Spike is awesome, but I'm moving on. There's this really cute guy that sits next to me in art class, Sean, that I like. I still might strike out with him, but my chances are a lot better."

Buffy hugged her. "I wouldn't want you to help me with picking out the dress and everything if it would just make you miserable."

"I told you I'm having fun helping you," Dawn insisted. "I'll even help you do your hair. I think you should wear it up, like in a French twist," Dawn said, taking Buffy's hair and holding it up. "That would look so cool."

"Anything I should know about this Sean who sits next to you in art class?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow. "He's not a vampire, werewolf, or other miscellaneous supernatural being, is he?"

"Nope. He's just an average, human guy. A really cute one, though. I'll go ask Mom about the Pashmina." Dawn raced out of the room.

Buffy was happy that Dawn seemed alright with everything. She hadn't expected her sister to act so maturely. Buffy didn't know if she would've been able to let go so easily if she were in Dawn's shoes.





Spike paused at the Summers' front door to gather his wits; he was so nervous -- he felt like a wet behind the ears schoolboy! Clem had tried calming his nerves, telling him he looked great and the evening he'd planned was sure to make Buffy's heart all a' flutter. Spike couldn't help but be anxious with what was riding on this date -- if Buffy didn't enjoy herself, she wouldn't be too keen on going out with him again -- this might be his one and only chance with her. This was his night to shine, and he'd better do a bloody good job of it. Though he was jittery on the inside, he would do his best to project an air of calm and be charming, no girl wanted to go on a date with a shaky, nervous git.

Spike took a breath, put a suave smile on, and knocked on the door.

He heard commotion inside and whispers, then the door opened.

Joyce smiled. "Hi, Spike."

"Hello, Joyce. Is Buffy ready?"

"She'll just be a few more minutes, you can come in and wait if you'd like." When Spike entered, Joyce got a good look at his outfit.

He was wearing a navy blue suit with a light blue dress shirt, and a blue and purple striped tie. "You look... great." She was going to say gorgeous, but didn't think that would be appropriate. "I've never seen you so dressed up. You look very dashing in a suit."

Spike smiled shyly. "Thanks. You think Buffy will like it?"

"I think it's safe to say she will. Aw, and you brought flowers, too -- Buffy's favorite, purple orchids. That was so thoughtful of you."

"Well, flowers are high on the date checklist. I want to do everything right." Spike checked (again) to make sure his suit jacket was buttoned and his tie was straight.

Joyce could tell he was nervous despite his effort not to show it. She touched his arm and smiled. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself, Spike. Buffy likes you, she'll be happy just spending time with you."

"Yeah, Buffy said the same thing. But I want to treat her like a princess tonight, she deserves it."

"Remember, everything doesn't have to be 'perfect' for a girl to have a good time. Sometimes it's the 'imperfect' things that we ladies remember most fondly. Just try to have fun, okay?"

Spike nodded and smiled. "Been a long time since I went on a first date. And this is the most important one of my life... but I'll try to relax a bit."

Spike looked upstairs and saw Buffy starting down. He stared without saying anything at first, awestruck by Buffy's beauty; his phantom heartbeat was racing again. He'd never seen her look so elegantly beautiful. The fact that she'd dressed up just for him added to the awe he was feeling.

Buffy had taken Dawn's advice about her hair, it was done up in a neat French twist. And she'd gotten her mother to lend her the burgundy-colored Pashmina to complete the ensemble. The black dress fit perfectly, like it was made for her. By the look on Spike's face, he definitely approved.

Buffy was similarly struck by the sight of Spike in the suit. He looked like he stepped right off the pages of GQ magazine. Spike in his street clothes was sexy as hell, but there was just something about a touch of refinement that made him even more gorgeous.

Buffy was afraid she'd fall down the stairs (wouldn't that be just her luck?), but she made it down to the bottom without incident. They smiled sappily at each other.

"Buffy... you look fantastic. I've never seen anyone look quite so beautiful," Spike said, his eyes moving over her.

She blushed. "Thanks." Buffy's eyes moved up and down his body too. "You look amazing in a suit... and," her eyes widened and she reached out to finger the lapel, "holy crap -- that's Armani!"

Spike grinned. "You know your fashion."

"Where did you get an Armani suit?" Buffy asked, hoping that he hadn't dug up a grave and borrowed it from a well-dressed corpse. "They're like $1500 and up!"

"I know people. I called in a few favors to make tonight special."

"People owe you favors?"

"Not so much anymore -- and some weren't actually 'people', but yeah, they did."

"Favors for what?" Buffy pressed.

"Buffy," Joyce interrupted, "it's not good manners to give your date the third-degree. Spike didn't even give you the flowers yet."

"Sorry, Spike," Buffy apologized with a darker blush. "I was just curious, I wasn't accusing you of anything."

"It's okay, luv. I brought you some posies." Spike held out the orchids.

Buffy hadn't noticed the flowers in his hand until her mother mentioned them, she'd been so dazzled by how he looked. She took them from him and sniffed their fragrance. "You brought flowers, and they're my favorites! Thank you, Spike, I love them."

"Dawn mentioned once that you liked purple orchids best, I made a note of it just in case."

"Why don't I put those in some water," Joyce offered, taking the flowers from Buffy. "You two go on and start your evening."

"Thanks, Mom. I'm not sure what this guy has planned," Buffy said, smirking at Spike. "So I don't know when I'll be home."

"I'll leave the porch light on for you, honey. Have fun!" Joyce didn't expect Buffy home until very late.

"Shall we?" Spike asked, extending his arm to Buffy.

"We shall." Buffy hooked her arm through his and they walked out of the house.

Dawn sighed and leaned against Buffy's bedroom door when Buffy and Spike left. She was trying to 'move on' like she'd told Buffy, but it still wasn't easy. Dawn had opted not to go downstairs while Spike was there. She'd peeked out the door when she heard him come in the house, and nearly melted into a puddle when she saw him all dressed up in a suit -- he looked soooo gorgeous! Dawn didn't trust herself to not stare at him and drool like an idiot, so she'd wisely stayed upstairs.

Putting aside her lingering traces of jealousy, Dawn thought Buffy and Spike would make a good couple. She sincerely hoped the two of them really could be happy together. But if it didn't work out between them... it was only a few years until Dawn turned eighteen.





"So, did you resolve the no-car situation?" Buffy asked as they walked out onto the porch.

"'Course I did."

Buffy raised her eyebrows at not seeing anything parked in front of the house. "Is it invisible? Because I'm not seeing anything."

"Our transportation is on its way," Spike said, coaxing her to walk with him to the front curb.

As they got to the curb, Buffy heard the *clip clop* sound of a horse approaching. She turned her head to see an old-fashioned hansom cab coming toward them. She looked back at Spike who was smiling.

She laughed, delighted by his solution to the lack of a vehicle problem. "Wow, I did not expect this. There were no hansom cabs in Sunnydale the last time I checked. How did you arrange this?"

"I have my ways. I hope you're not allergic to horses."

When the cab got closer, Buffy saw that the driver was some kind of demon -- a pale, wrinkly-skinned demon with red eyes, floppy ears and wearing a top hat.

"That's Clem, the friend I told you about."

"He's got great timing."

"Not really. I told him to wait a few houses down the street while I went in and fetched you."

"Evenin' folks!" Clem greeted them, tipping his hat and then waving a clawed hand when he stopped the cab.

"Hi, Clem." Buffy waved back.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Buffy. Spike's told me a lot about you. You're even... prettier than Spike said!" Clem was just being polite, of course; Buffy was not what he considered an attractive female. Though, with some extra skin, more meat on her bones, and a little less hair, she could be a real looker.

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you too. And thanks for helping us car-less pedestrians out."

"Aw, no thanks are necessary. Spike's my pal, and friends help each other out when they're in a bind. It's my pleasure to do a favor for two crazy kids in love."

Spike cleared his throat. He'd told Clem about Buffy not being in love yet.

"Uh, I mean, two crazy kids... who dig each other," Clem amended. "Um, Spike told you I'm a good demon, right?"

Buffy nodded. "He said you were a... cool guy." She thought of bringing up the 'pussy' misunderstanding, but she didn't want Clem to possibly get offended and drive off without them.

Spike smirked. "I told her you were a big pussy...cat."

"Spike," Buffy whispered, nudging him with her elbow. "Don't piss him off, be nice."

Clem laughed. "Don't worry about it, Buffy. If I was easily pissed off, could I be Spike's friend?"

She smiled. "Good point."

Spike sneered at Clem.

"And don't let Spike's rough exterior fool ya, he's a huge pussy...cat, too." Clem winked.

"You're bein' paid to drive, not chat," Spike said in mock annoyance.

"I'm not bein' paid at all -- I'm doing this out of the goodness of my hearts."

"Ah, right. Let's climb aboard, pet." Spike offered her a hand to help her step up into the carriage.

"What a pretty horse," Buffy said, moving to the front of the cab. A beautiful chestnut gelding with a white blaze on his nose was pulling the carriage.

Spike sighed silently. He was anxious to get their evening started. But if it made Buffy happy to pet the horse, then that was alright with him. Her being happy was the goal of the night.

"His name's Rusty." Clem smiled, showing his lower fangs. "You can pet him if you want to, he's friendly."

Buffy petted and stroked Rusty's neck, telling him what a beautiful boy he was.

"You like horses, eh?" Spike asked, already making a mental note to include a moonlit horseback ride in a future date... if he was lucky enough to get another one.

"I love horses. They're such majestic, graceful animals. It's an amazing feeling to have a powerful beast under you, responding to your commands."

Spike nearly bit his tongue hard enough to make it bleed to keep from making a lewd remark. Oh, it wasn't easy to keep his mouth shut, especially when sexual innuendo was involved.

"I haven't gone riding in years, though," Buffy lamented.

"I'll keep that in mind. We should get goin', pet. We've got reservations at eight o'clock."

Buffy noticed some of the neighbors curiously watching them. "Right, we don't want to be late."

She gave Rusty a kiss on the nose, and then let Spike help her into the cab. They settled in and Rusty started for their destination.

"We'll be there in about fifteen minutes," Clem said over his shoulder. "Just relax and enjoy the ride."

"Will do, mate."

"Where do we have reservations? It's okay to tell me now, isn't it?" Buffy asked Spike.

"Chez Henri." Spike was expecting to see a pleased smile on Buffy's face, but she looked puzzled. He was worried now that'd he'd been so hush-hush about the evening -- what if Buffy hated French food? "Please tell me you like French cuisine..."

"I like French food," Buffy assured him. "I've just never heard of that restaurant. Is it new?"

"It's been around for a few years. One of the swankiest places in town, it is. Great food, and a very elegant, intimate, romantic atmosphere." Spike put an arm around her shoulders.

"I like the sounds of that." Buffy snuggled against his side.

"You really do look sensational tonight, Buffy. My knees almost buckled when I saw you comin' down the stairs. I had to make an effort to keep from staring at you and babbling like a fool in front of your mum."

She giggled, proud that she'd been able to affect him that way. "I'd probably still be frantically tearing through my closet if it wasn't for Dawn. She was so sweet and helped me get ready. I wanted to look nice for our big date."

"You look a helluva lot better than nice. I knew you'd look beautiful, but..." he nuzzled her ear, "you look absolutely radiant... you're a goddess."

Buffy grinned and sighed as Spike softly kissed her ear, she was getting tingly again. "I was afraid I'd come rolling down the stairs like the boulder in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'," she joked. "The sight of you looking so gorgeous in that suit almost made my knees turn to jelly, too."

Spike had to do a lot of bargaining and convincing to get the suit, he was pleased that Buffy approved of his attire. They rode in silence for a minute, just enjoying being close and the comfortably warm evening air.

"This is so neat, I've never ridden in a carriage before," Buffy said.

"You like it, then?"

"Mmmhmm." She kissed him on the cheek. "I was wondering, isn't Clem worried about people... commenting on how he doesn't look human?"

"They tend to think his 'skin condition' is sorta one of those triumph over adversity stories," Spike explained. "When he got the permit for the hansom cab the officials were fallin' all over themselves saying what an inspiration he is to others."

"Clem actually went and got a license for the cab just for tonight? He's a great friend!"

"He is a great friend, but he didn't do it just as a favor to me. This is a new business venture he's just getting off the ground, he thought there might be a market for this sort of thing in SunnyD. Clem's a very enterprising young demon; he's got a few irons in the fire. Being our chauffeur for the evening is a favor, but he's also hoping other people will see us livin' the good life and want to try it out for themselves."

"That's pretty cool." Buffy was about to ask Spike why he couldn't get a little ambitious like Clem, but she didn't want to criticize him at all tonight. It seemed that Spike had gone through a lot of trouble to make tonight special.

"Clem offered me a position in one of his businesses, I'm still mullin' it over," Spike said, knowing what she was thinking. "Having cash would be beneficial with us dating an' all, but I wouldn't want all my time taken up by workin', either." Spike wanted to be available at all times if Buffy needed him, but it was tempting to have a steady flow of money coming in.

"I have the same problem. I need money, but I don't want to be tied up working if something bad happens... What am I saying, if? When something bad happens. And what kind of work could I possibly get, anyway? I'm only qualified for minimum wage crap jobs."

"Maybe Clem will have something for you too. You could be my secretary," Spike said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Maybe you can be my secretary," Buffy countered with a smile.

"Hmm, I do like a woman with power, it's dead-sexy. Either way, I hope there'll be some bum pinching and chasing around the desk."

"The business world isn't like a Playboy cartoon anymore, Spike. Buxom secretaries can now easily sue a guy's ass off for any sexual harassment. That being said, I'd enjoy chasing you around my big desk."

"You can pinch my bum anytime you want, Ms. Summers. I promise I won't sue. And, if you play your cards right, I might even let you catch me."

Buffy giggled, put her hand on his thigh and gave it a flirty squeeze. She noticed passersby looking at them curiously, just as her neighbors had done. "Clem's plan to get people interested in his cab service seems to be working, everyone's looking at us."

"Good, let them look. I want people to see me with the most beautiful woman in the world," Spike said, raising her hand to his lips and giving her knuckles a gentle kiss.

Buffy batted her eyes and smiled. "You sure are pouring on the charm tonight... keep it up. This is a side of you I'd love to get to know better."

They were passing by a coffeehouse, The Java Cafe. A sign out front announced a poetry slam would be taking place there in two days.

"Oh, look, they're going to have poetry readings." Buffy pointed to the sign.

Spike smiled. "You like poetry?"

"Are you kidding? I love poetry -- that's my favorite class!" Buffy said with enthusiasm. "I had to drop a lot of classes... but that's one I'm not gonna give up." She regretted having to cut back so much on the courses she was taking at school (and that it'd been necessary to move back home), but she'd done it to help and be there for her mom and Dawn; her family was her #1 priority.

"Would you want to go together?" he asked, excited at discovering something he didn't already know about Buffy, and that they had something else in common.

"You'd be interested in poetry readings?" Buffy asked doubtfully. "You don't want to go just so you can heckle and pelt the poets with rotten fruit and vegetables, do you?"

Spike chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of doin' that; I have a lotta respect for artists."

"I thought you'd hate that kind of thing."

"Au contraire. I love poetry, always have." Spike laughed at seeing her still looking at him with a skeptical smile. "It's true! I'm not just sayin' that to score points with you. I have books of poetry back at the crypt I can show you to prove I'm not lying."

'Okay, Poetry Boy, tell me who your favorite poet is and your favorite poem," Buffy challenged.

"I can't pick a favorite, there are too many brilliant poems and poets. Lord Byron's one of my favorites, another is Shakespeare, naturally. Sonnet XVIII makes me think of you..." Spike took her hand and gazed into her eyes, reciting with feeling:

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

Buffy blinked, attempting to snap out of the trance she was drifting into from looking into Spike's blue eyes and listening to him recite those beautiful words with his deep, silky voice. "Okay... you weren't lying to score points, you really do like poetry. You, a member of the Dead Poet's Society... I'm trying to wrap my mind around the concept."

"Did you like it?" Spike asked. "Or was it just too strange comin' out of my mouth?"

Buffy blushed, and squeezed his hand. "I loved it. I could listen to your voice all night." It was almost dizzying how quickly and drastically her opinion of Spike had changed in such a short amount of time. It wasn't long ago that the sound of his voice did nothing but grate on her last nerve... Well, there were also some secret tingles every now and then when he'd sounded especially sexy saying something, but Buffy had squelched any squishy sentiments back then, and she'd chastised herself for thinking of Spike as 'sexy' for even a moment. But those days were over. "I also love finding out more about the 'softer side' of Spike."

"Poetry can be deceptively soft and saccharine, but it's really about passion; passion for a lover, or over an injustice, or whatever the subject happens to be. There's a fire burning in a poet's belly and he, or she, has to channel that passion through their pen."

"Have you written any of your own?" Buffy asked knowingly. The way he talked about it told her that he'd put pen to paper in the past. "Ooh, you could read one of yours at the coffeehouse!"

Spike balked at that, he wasn't nearly comfortable enough to share his 'work' with others, especially not with Buffy. If she laughed at him or thought he was no good... it would hurt far too much. He swallowed and looked down. "I... I've scribbled a few words over the years... but they're not very good, really."

Buffy could see him tense up at the suggestion. Poetry was usually very personal, and Spike wasn't one to advertise his softer side to others. Buffy felt bad for putting him on the spot like that, she didn't mean to make him feel nervous and self-conscious. She took his left hand in both of hers. "Well, maybe you can let me read some of your stuff someday. No pressure, I'd just love to read what you wrote. I'd let you read some of mine, too -- if you wanted."

He smiled up at her and gave her a little kiss. "I'll wait until this date is over before I officially ask you out for a second."

"Why? Is that some old-timey, traditional thing like 'the man picks the woman up'?"

"No, I just don't want to jinx this date. And I want you to be absolutely sure you want to see me again when you say yes."

"I'm sure already," Buffy said with confidence. The suit, flowers, and horse drawn carriage had Buffy feeling optimistic about the rest of their evening. "But you can officially ask me again when we're saying goodnight. That will be a good thing to end the evening with."

Spike leaned in and kissed her again.


Continued...





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