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Author's Chapter Notes:
This one's only split into 2 parts lol

Banners by xoChantelly & Edgehead
Buffy woke up slowly. Before she had a chance to open her eyes, happy thoughts sprang to her mind. 'Spike came back to me, we really are going to be okay. He's sleeping right beside me. He was so sweet and understanding last night... He wasn't scared off by Basketcase Buffy. I really do love that stubborn, broody vampire. We can make this relationship work.'

Her eyes still closed, Buffy smiled as the pleasant memories of last night ran through her mind. She reached out with her arm trying to find Spike's body to cuddle against him. Instead of Spike's solid body, she found herself cuddling something much smaller, softer, and fuzzier.

She opened her eyes and frowned when she saw it was Mr. Gordo she was holding. "What the...?" Spike said he'd stay the whole night... Buffy couldn't help being disappointed. One of her traumatic memories was waking up after her first (and only) time with Angel to find him missing. Then a funny thought went through her mind, 'Maybe Mr. Gordo *did* fly into a jealous rage and kicked Spike out of the bed.'

Buffy noticed a note on the pillow next to her and picked it up. She rubbed her eyes with one hand to clear them of sleep, then read:


Buffy,

I thought it best if I left before your mum and Dawn woke up. Joyce might be cross if she thought you and I were doing naughty things to each other with Dawn in the next room while you were supposed to be looking after her.

I'm watching you sleep as I write this... and I want to crawl right back into bed with you. You're always beautiful, but you look so incredibly beautiful right now. It's hard for me to resist staying the night.

I put Monsieur Gordo in bed with you to keep you warm 'til I see you again. We had a talk and I trust the little bugger not to get handsy (or hooves-y, in his case) with you. He assures me that he's 'just your friend' and has no designs on you.

I haven't even left yet and I miss you already... Bloody hell, I'm turning into such a ponce. I'll see you tonight for dinner. Make my steak extra bloody, s’il vous plaît.

I love you (even though you bring out the sensitive, thoughtful ponce in me),

Spike


Buffy smiled as she read the note and cuddled Mr. Gordo. She could understand Spike's reasons for leaving. She wouldn't want to have to explain to her mom and sister that Spike stayed the night and why -- and then try to convince them that nothing naughty happened.

Buffy called Willow and Tara after she got dressed and told them that she'd finally talked to Spike. The witches were relieved to hear Spike was okay and that he and Buffy had patched things up again. Most of all they were happy to hear the change in Buffy's voice from the last time they'd talked to her; she sounded like herself again, happy and upbeat.

They wanted to hear more but had to attend a Wicca meeting that would be starting in a few minutes. Buffy said she'd tell them more at the Magic Box later this afternoon.

Dawn was just coming out of the bathroom as Buffy was coming out of her bedroom. "Hey, Buffy."

Buffy gave Dawn a hug. "Morning, little sis!"

"You're in a good mood today," Dawn observed as Buffy stepped back.

Buffy grinned. "Of course I am! I finally got that broody vamp to sit down and talk to me."

"You had a good talk on the back porch, huh?"

Buffy nodded emphatically. "A very good talk."

"I figured it had to be a good talk 'cause I heard you and Spike go into your bedroom a little while after I went up to bed."

Buffy's eyes widened slightly. "We didn't doing anything," she said quickly.

Dawn smiled slyly. "I didn't say you did."

"I know what you're thinking, Dawn, and that's not what happened. Spike and I just talked -- we had a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, I heard you talking."

"You heard what we were saying?" Buffy didn't want anyone overhearing private, heart-to-heart conversations between her and Spike.

"No, I just heard your voices, like mumbling. Spike has that deep voice you can feel in your bones, y'know?" Dawn stifled an involuntary shiver at thinking of Spike's velvety voice.

"You believe me? You don't think Spike and I..."

"Were shagging?" Dawn finished, then shook her head. "I do believe you. Wanna know why?"

Buffy looked at her sister suspiciously -- she had a feeling the answer was going to make her want to smack Dawn again. "Why?"

"Because you passed up every other opportunity to get groiny with Spike. So I do believe you, 'cause for some weird, totally bizarre reason you don't want to have sex with him."

"How the hell would you know... That's not..." Buffy groaned and rolled her eyes. "It's none of your business, Dawn. Adult relationships are... complicated. And my relationship with Spike is particularly... complicated."

"Are you 'gay now' like Willow?" Dawn asked, giving her a look of sympathy and pretending to be serious. "It's okay, you can tell me. Spike's heart would be broken -- but I'll love you just the same. You might be gay, but -- darn it! -- you're still my sister. I'll even march with you, Willow, and Tara in the parades to show my support." Dawn patted Buffy on the shoulder.

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "You're this close," she held her thumb and forefinger a few centimeters apart, "from getting dropkicked down the stairs."

"Is Spike still in there? Is he nude?" Dawn giggled and tried peeking through the crack in Buffy's door.

Buffy opened the door to her room wide enough to let Dawn see Spike wasn't in there. "No, he's not in my room -- and he was never nude."

"You had a guy -- who's the sexiest, most gorgeous man to ever walk the earth -- and who's crazy in love with you, in your bedroom... and you didn't at least take his clothes off? Not even his shirt to gaze at his sculpted chest and six-pack abs? You sure you're not 'gay now'?"

Buffy's expression became darker, she crossed her arms. "How exactly would you know Spike has a sculpted chest and six-pack abs?"

Dawn bit her lip, trying not to smile. "I saw Spike without a shirt on once when I went to visit him at the crypt, he was working out when I got there. Can I say wow? But he put his shirt on like a second later... that part sucked."

"Aren't you going to be late for school?" Buffy asked, her eyes still narrowed. "I think you need to put your brain to work on more important things other than what I am -- or am not -- doing with my boyfriend."

Dawn waved a hand at Buffy. "Yeah, yeah, you're just trying to get rid of me. I'm almost ready to go. Thank God it's Friday, I so hate getting up early... it's inhuman." Dawn went into her own bedroom to finish getting ready before heading down to breakfast.

Buffy sighed, shook her head and went downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother was sitting at the island with a cup of coffee and rubbing her tired eyes.

Buffy had a smile on her face, but tried sounding stern. She put her hands on her hips. "Well, well, young lady, what time did you finally get in last night?"

Joyce looked up and laughed lightly. "I know... I stayed out too late. I'm paying for it now, I'm so tired." She ducked her head, looking sheepish. "Am I grounded?"

"Hmm... maybe I'll let it go this one time." Buffy poured herself a glass of orange juice and then sat down at the island with her mother. "I'm guessing you had fun since you stayed out so late." She nudged Joyce with an elbow.

Joyce nodded, smiling. "I did have a wonderful time. I didn't realize how much I missed just getting together with my friends. I'm sorry if I worried you and Dawnie by not coming home before midnight."

"Nah, we weren't worried, you said you'd probably be late. I'm glad you had a good time, Mom, but I don't want you overdoing it."

Joyce put her arm around Buffy's back. "You're sweet to worry about me, honey. But I'm fine, just tired from staying up past my usual bedtime. At least I didn’t have to go into work, poor Carol must be walking around like a zombie at the gallery. I didn't want to get up so early, but I had to wake Dawn for school and make her something to eat. I think I'll go back to bed for awhile after I take her to school."

"I'll take Dawn to school, you go back to bed."

Joyce didn't want the burden for everything to be on Buffy anymore. She would've said no, but she really needed to get some more sleep. "You're sure?"

"I don't mind at all, I have some errands to run anyway. And, more importantly, I want you to get enough rest."

"Just... drive carefully, alright?" Joyce cautioned.

Buffy huffed. "I had one accident with your car years ago and I still have a rep as the worst driver in the history of the world," Buffy said with an eyeroll. "And the accident only happened because I was trying to stop some evil stuff from going down."

"I'm sorry, honey." Joyce smiled and patted Buffy on the back. "I haven't given you enough credit for driving Dawn to school safely every day when I wasn’t able to."

"That's right," Buffy said smugly, raising her chin. "I haven't had one wreck or accident -- not even any near accidents -- in all the time I've been chauffeuring Dawn to school. I don't know how I got the horrible reputation as a bad cook and a bad driver."

"I'll try harder to remember how accident-free you've been this last year. I'll also try to remember that you cooked our meals for months and didn't ruin anything... well, there was that pot roast..." Joyce added with a teasing smirk.

"I'll have you know I meant to make that pot roast Cajun style." Mother and daughter shared a laugh.

A few seconds went by before Buffy asked, "Soooo... did Brian ask you out on a date?"

"Yes, he did. But we won't be able to get together for about three weeks."

Buffy frowned. "Three weeks? He wants to wait three weeks to go on a date with my beautiful, witty, wonderful mother? What's his deal?" Buffy was reconsidering what she'd said to Spike about not investigating Brian. Maybe this guy did have some skeletons in his closet... hopefully not literal skeletons.

"He's got an 11-year-old daughter, Sophia," Joyce explained. "She's living with him full-time while his ex-wife is away on business. Brian made it clear that he's very interested in taking me out, but he's worried his daughter might be upset to find out he's dating someone."

"Well... I guess I can understand that," Buffy said with a small shrug. She'd been older than Brian's daughter when her parents divorced, and Buffy had hung on to the hope (for a little while) that they'd work out their problems and get back together. Seeing them with new people had bothered Buffy at first, so she did understand the need to be discreet around the little girl. "Still... that's a long time to wait. Aren't you disappointed?"

Joyce shrugged and took a sip of coffee. "A little, yes. But we found a way around the whole 'date' thing -- Carol wants to do dinner and then drinks at her place again next week. So we'll get to see each other again and have fun without it being an official date."

"Sneaky," Buffy chuckled. "But this guy is going to take you on an official date when his daughter isn't around, right?"

"Mmhmm. And it gives us more time to get to know each other. I'm still kind of... skittish about officially dating... so easing into it is better for me, I think."

Buffy nodded, as long as her mom wasn't unhappy, she was okay with it.

"Dawn told me Spike came by last night," Joyce said, smiling over the rim of her coffee cup.

"Yeah, he finally did. You were right -- we talked and everything's okay. Well... everything will be okay, we've got to work on some things, but we got a lot of the serious stuff out of the way. Why do we have so many misunderstandings?" Buffy sighed. "First, I'm happy, then I'm sad -- happy, sad, happy again, sad again... it's like a crazy-fun rollercoaster of emotions... emphasis on the 'crazy'."

"Well, the two of you started out as enemies... I think it's natural that it's taking you longer to move into new, friendlier territory. Your relationship is completely different now; it's just taking a little more time for the both of you to adjust. You have to be more patient with each other and not jump to conclusions."

"Yeah, that's another thing Spike and I have in common -- the tendency to leapfrog to conclusions. We both do it, and of course we always assume the worst."

"You're still committed to making it work with Spike? After all the problems you've had?"

"I'm still 100% committed. I love him..." Buffy looked down and blushed pink. "We talked a lot last night, I think I can get past my insecurities now."

"I know you can, Buffy. You've faced and overcome so many terrible things in your life... I have complete confidence in you, you can get past your inner demons and find happiness. Us Summers women are tough, we don't let things keep us down."

Buffy nodded, again taking strength and comfort from her mother's words. "Is it okay if Spike comes over for dinner tonight? I kinda... already invited him... so I hope it's okay with you."

Joyce laughed. "It's customary to ask the lady of the house first, but yes, Spike's welcome to come over for dinner anytime."

"Thanks, Mom. I told him we'd be having steak."

"Oh? You even planned the menu?" Joyce raised her eyebrows. "Does that mean you're cooking for all of us?"

Buffy bit her lip. "Umm... yeah, I guess I could. I want to point out again that I'm not a bad cook, it's just not something I particularly... enjoy."

Joyce nodded, knowing that her daughter didn't like cooking and would get out of it if possible. "I'll make dinner if you'd rather not. But I think Spike would appreciate it more if you made it."

"Spike wants a raw steak, there's not any cooking involved with his dinner. See? Perfect boyfriend for me."

"What else are you serving?"

"Oh, um... I hadn't thought about it." Buffy looked up in thought. "Some form of potatoes, possibly baked. Salads for me, you, and Dawn -- Spike told me before that he doesn't do rabbit food, so no salad for him."

"You should go to the Bronze and order a blooming onion for him," Dawn suggested as she entered the kitchen.

"Great idea, Dawn!" Buffy smiled at her sister. "Thanks."

"No prob. Spike's gonna be so surprised and happy, he loves those things." Dawn sat down to eat her breakfast of eggs and toast that Joyce had prepared. She'd tried making a blooming onion for Spike a few months ago... it didn't go well. After putting out the grease fire, Dawn decided to wait until she got better at cooking before trying it again.

"Why don't you buy two onions? Spike's always going on and on about those things." Joyce chuckled. "I'd like to try them myself to see if they live up to his glowing reviews."

Buffy got a memo pad and a pen, and wrote down what she wanted to have for dinner.

"I'll make spumoni for dessert," Dawn said between bites of food.

Joyce and Buffy both looked at her with raised eyebrows, Dawn had never made that before. And, like Buffy, the youngest Summers woman wasn't known for being a wiz in the kitchen.

"What?" Dawn asked self-consciously when she noticed them staring at her. "It's something I want to try. I know it should go with an Italian dinner, but it'll still be good. I have been watching cooking shows, I'm getting better."

Buffy kept her mouth shut about the alleged 'goodness' of anything Dawn cooked.

"That sounds... great, honey," Joyce replied carefully, trying to sound encouraging and not doubtful. "Just write down what you might need from the store."

Dawn took the memo pad and pen from Buffy and quickly scribbled away (as if she'd been planning to make the dessert for a while and had it memorized), listing ingredients she'd need with one hand, as she wolfed down her breakfast with the other. Then she slid the paper across the table to Buffy, and resumed eating her breakfast normally.

Buffy took the paper and scanned it quickly. She did a double take at the list. "Blood? Since when does spumoni have blood in it?"

"That's just for Spike. I'll make it the regular way for us."

Buffy blinked. "Well... that's a relief. You sure you can make that dessert? It seems like it'd be hard to get right.”

Dawn rolled her eyes and let out a put-upon, teenage sigh. "Yes, I can make it. I can follow a recipe, ya know? Geez!"

"Okay, okay, don't get all defensive. What's all this other stuff? Hot sauce, horseradish..."

"That's for the dipping sauce for the onions. Spike likes spicy food. I'll make a mild version for us."

Buffy shrugged then stood up from the kitchen island. "I'm driving you to school again today. Want to get goin'?"

Dawn made a face, obviously not looking forward to another day of school. She wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Yeah... I'm ready. Oh, you should get some extra blood for Spike to drink, too. Write that down,” she said, pointing to the memo pad.





Later that afternoon...

Buffy had a busy morning. She dropped Dawn off at school, then went grocery shopping for the stuff she'd need for dinner (including a stop at the butcher's for blood -- it was funny how no one blinked an eye when you asked for containers of blood in Sunnydale), and then she picked up two blooming onions at the Bronze. They weren't technically open for business yet, but a friendly, sympathetic employee (who thought Buffy was hot) let her in and made the food for her. Buffy couldn't wait to see the look on Spike's face when he discovered she'd be serving one of his favorite foods in the world. Buffy only wished she was the one who'd thought of that and not Dawn. And she wished she could've cooked the onions herself instead of buying them at the club, but she doubted she could make them as good as the ones at the Bronze -- and that grease fire Dawn started last time she tried to make one made Buffy reluctant to try it herself. After all, setting the house on fire might put a damper on the evening.

After stopping at home to drop off the groceries, Buffy went to the florist to get something she'd need for her and Spike's special night, then went on to the dorm to visit Willow and Tara. She needed Willow to put a few more romantic songs on the CD for her, and it was a good excuse to visit her friends to tell them more about what happened the previous night. Tonight was the big night with Spike, she needed to get everything ready, ASAP. Buffy was still nervous, but also very excited about finally being with Spike in the biblical sense.

Buffy sat in the wicker chair, talking to Tara who was sitting on the bed and Willow who was at her computer burning the CD for the Slayer.

"You want to finish telling us what happened when Spike showed up in your backyard last night?" Tara asked.

"He wouldn't let me talk at first -- he had a speech prepared. But once we started talking, things went very well. Can you believe he didn't even check his messages? He forgot he had the phone with him and it was turned off."

Willow and Tara both groaned and shook their heads.

"And you were going crazy wondering why he wouldn't call you back," Willow said with another shake of her head.

"I was pissed that he didn't call me back after I left allll those messages, but... he was so sad; there was no way I could stay mad at him for more than a minute. He said he didn't call because he thought he'd hurt me or forced himself on me... Spike didn't want to upset me by coming to see me or calling me again. He thought I hated him and wouldn't return his message, so he never checked."

"Aww," the girls said in unison.

"That could've been avoided if he'd just listened to his messages -- which I made him do immediately -- but he said he thought he'd be the last person I wanted to talk to. He was planning on trying to kill Glory by himself to show he really did love me and to spare me the trouble of having to do it. His friend Clem talked him out of it, thank God."

The witches made sad faces again.

“Spike has friends?” Willow asked with surprise.

Buffy nodded. “Clem’s the same guy who owns the hansom cab company, he’s really nice -- especially for a demon. Clem tried helping me find Spike before he could carry out the 'blowing up Glory' plan. Luckily, Spike came to talk to me before he did anything.”

"Sounds like Spike was going just as crazy as you were," Tara commented with a sad frown.

Buffy nodded and sighed. "We were both miserable and we didn't have to be if we'd just talked to each other. We made a deal to call each other every day from now on, no matter what. Hopefully that'll put an end to the series of stupid, frustrating misunderstandings we've had."

Then Buffy smiled as she got to the good parts. "We had the night."

"Oh?" Willow's red brows shot up. "You did?"

"Mmmhmm." Buffy leaned back in the chair looking pleased, which the witches interpreted as a look of sexual satisfaction.

"Well... um," Willow blushed. "Not to be nosey and rude -- you know, Anya-ish, but... how did it... um, go?"

"It was great; Spike was so sweet and understanding." Buffy sighed happily.

Willow smiled and said, "And I bet Spike was very happy and had a biiig smile on his face... afterwards. All that stuff about you being bad in bed was just a bunch of hooey."

"Oh, no, uh... we didn't have sex," Buffy explained. "We just slept together -- actual sleeping."

Willow frowned in confusion. "But... you said you had 'the' night?"

"I meant that we talked and then talked some more, Spike held me when I cried, and then we laid in bed together, just holding each other and looking into each other's eyes until we fell asleep. We talked about a lot of the things that were bothering us, he was share-y about his worries too, which made me feel a lot better."

"Oh... guess my mind's in the gutter," Willow chuckled, blushing a darker pink and hiding her eyes.

Tara laughed lightly at her girlfriend's mistake, grateful that she hadn't been the one to ask Buffy any questions about the sex that didn't happen. "I have to admit I thought you meant sex, too. But you had a sweet, romantic re-bonding session instead? That's even better."

Buffy nodded, her smile still in place. "I told him about my fears and he reacted the way I hoped he would. Spike was understanding and completely open to working on the problems. He doesn't expect me to be... perfect."

"That must've been a big relief." Tara smiled. Buffy had told her how scared she was about being able to live up to Spike's fantasies.

Buffy blew out a breath and nodded. "Oh yeah, it was definitely a big relief to hear him say that! Spike said it might take some time for us to learn what makes the other happy in bed. So... if I'm not good, I can tell myself that the next time will be better."

"And I'm sure the second time will be better than the first," Tara affirmed. "First times with a new partner can be all asses and elbows."

Willow and Buffy laughed.

Tara laughed too, but went on with her thought. "What? It's true! Nervousness, inexperience with what your partner likes, lots of things can contribute to the first time being more awkward than spectacular. The important thing is to learn along the way and not just sulk that it didn't go as well as you hoped it would. Second times are much better -- you've got a little more experience with your lover and have a better idea about what they like and what they don't like."

"Yeah, I told him the stuff you told me, and Spike agreed about communicating and telling each other if there's something we do or don't like." Buffy fidgeted and winced slightly. "I'll still feel funny saying anything, though..."

"I think Spike will want to do anything to give you happys, he'll probably appreciate any feedback," Willow said. She was very grateful to Tara for helping to ease her nerves and doubts when they first became intimate, and she presumed Spike would be just as eager to please as she'd been.

"That's what I'm telling myself. Tonight is the night -- the night you thought I was talking about before."

"You're going to sleep with Spike -- without the sleeping this time?" Willow asked.

"I’m sure there’ll be sleeping... eventually, but hopefully there’ll be a lot of sweaty fun before that. I don't want to wait any more, I feel ready -- and I know he'd rather not wait any more. I want it just as much as Spike does, my fears were just holding me back. So... yeah, I'm facing my fears and seizing the day -- carpe diem... fish of the day and all that stuff. I keep going over the list in my head of everything I want to have prepared and what I'm going to wear, trying not to get too nervous about all of it."

"It's going to be great, Buffy, you'll see," Tara said confidently. "You love each other, and you're both going to be open and honest."

Buffy felt herself blushing again as she thought about tonight. She touched her hot cheek. "With all the natural blushing I've been doing lately, I've saved a bundle on makeup. I swear, I don't think I've gone red and hot in the face this much since I was fifteen and had a crush on the star quarterback in school."

They giggled.

"Well, that's a good sign," Tara stated positively. "If someone makes you blush in their presence -- or even just thinking about them -- and gives you butterflies in your stomach like a giddy teenager..."

"All it takes is for me to picture Spike..." Buffy automatically imagined Spike lying naked in a pool of honey (that was the best cloud vision ever). "Or when he's saying risqué, or poet-y things, or just when he's saying something incredibly romantic." Buffy emitted a happy sigh.

Then she shook off her romantic musings. "I still have a bunch of stuff to get ready for tonight... so nervous," she said with an anxious giggle. "You have the incense and things I'll need for the spell, Willow?"

Willow nodded as she took the CD out of the disk drive, and then put it in a crystal case. "Yep. And your love songs CD is all done and ready to put you and Spike in a romantic mood." She grabbed the special incense too, then handed them to Buffy. "All you have to do to activate the spell is light the incense and say 'So mote it be'. It's like Easy-Bake magick!"

Buffy gratefully took the items from Willow. "Thanks. I really can't thank you guys enough for being supportive and giving me advice. I felt all alone there for a while..."

"We're sorry it took a while for us to get onboard the Love Train, Buffy," Tara apologized. "But you know you can count on us to back you up 100% from now on."

Buffy smiled, nodding. "Well," she said getting up from the chair. "I've got a ton of things to do, I'd better get going."

Willow and Tara took turns giving Buffy a hug.

"Good luck, Buffy," Tara said supportively. "Tomorrow you'll see you had nothing to worry about."

Buffy smiled and nodded again, tamping down the anxiety that tried creeping in.

"Call us tomorrow to tell us..." Willow bit her lip. "Well, I guess it'd be too personal... never mind, you don't have to tell us anything."

Buffy smiled more broadly. "Come on, you guys are my bestest friends! It's in the 'BFF Code' to dish about romantic activities. If things go the way I hope they do, I'll definitely be sharing my joy with my friends. I'll be at the Magic Box in the afternoon."

"If you can still walk after the night you're gonna have," Tara giggled, blushing at her risqué comment.

Willow and Buffy looked at Tara, they were shocked for a moment before busting out laughing.

"Willow has obviously been a bad influence on you, Tara," Buffy said with a smirk.

Willow put an arm around Tara's waist and pulled her against her to kiss her on the cheek. "Nah, she's always been like that, she's just been too shy to say stuff like that around anyone but me. My little turtle is coming out of her shell," Willow giggled, nuzzling Tara's ear.

Tara laughed and playfully ducked away from Willow. "Stop! You know I have ticklish earlobes!"

"Just be careful you don't take the bawdy talk to extremes like Anya," Buffy warned.

Tara shook her head. "Oh, I could never talk like Anya... I never use the word 'penis' outside of an anatomy class... I used it just now, but that didn't count."

"Send good vibes and positive thoughts my way for tonight," Buffy said on her way to the door. She hesitated, turning back to the witches. "Um... are there any... spells or potions that would make someone the best lover in the world? I'm asking out of curiosity only... not because I would... use something like that."

Tara and Willow glanced at each other.

"Well... yeah," Willow answered. "There are potions and spells that can do that. But I really don't think you'll need that kind of help, Buffy."

Tara added, "And you never know what kind of side-effects something like that can have. It's better to not use magick if it's not absolutely necessary."

Willow didn't share Tara's opinion about that; Willow's view was why not use magick in any situation if it can help? But Tara was probably right in this instance, love or sex potions or spells could go wrong with disastrous results. Xander's attempt to make Cordy love him again back in high school was still a prime example of those kinds of spells going awry.

Buffy sighed, frowning a bit. "Okay... just thought I'd ask. I want to leave Spike a quivering, sweaty, very satisfied heap of flesh by the end of the night... but I guess I can try it without using magick."

Her insecure inner-voice whispered, 'You could go to that Abracadabra shop and see if they have any... *enhancement* spells or potions...'





Since she still had some time to kill before she had to start dinner, Buffy went to the Magic Box to do a little training. It was always a good idea to hone her fighting skills, and it was a good way to get rid of some of her nervous energy about tonight. She worked out for about an hour, then cleaned up and went back out into the main room of the shop.

Giles looked up from the counter and smiled as Buffy approached him. "Did you have a good training session?"

Buffy nodded. "Yep. And you'll be happy to hear I didn't break any of the equipment this time."

"That does make me happy."

"Well, I should head for home, I'm cooking dinner tonight."

Giles raised his eyebrows. Buffy wasn't known to be the best cook in the world. "Oh? Well, that's... good. If you were thinking of inviting me... I'm sorry to say I already have plans."

Buffy rolled her eyes upward and sighed dramatically. "You're the second person today to show extreme dubiousness about me cooking a good meal."

"I'm sorry, Buffy. I think you're... a very good cook."

"Uh-huh, say that once more with feeling, Giles. You think I'm a good cook, huh? That's why you immediately started thinking of a way to politely get out of an invite. I'm a good cook -- Dawn's the one who makes stuff like peanut butter and Skittles burritos. Did I, or did I not, make a wonderful, deeelicious Thanksgiving dinner at your place last year? And, I might add, I accomplished it with a lot of distractions."

Giles chuckled, acquiescing, "Quite right, you did. And, yes, you were able to prepare a lovely meal even while battling vengeful spirits."

"I'd like to see one of those fancy celebrity chefs cook a big-ass dinner for friends and family while fighting Indian spirits bent on revenge. I'm a damn good cook," Buffy said with a firm nod of her head. "I could have my own cooking show like that guy who says 'Bam!' all the time -- but I won't be as annoying."

Just as Buffy was about to say goodbye, Giles remembered something he wanted to give her. "Oh, I almost forgot... I wanted you to have this." He took one-hundred dollars in twenties out of the register and placed it on the counter in front of her.

"You're giving me money?" Buffy asked with bright eyes and a wide smile. She picked up the money and sniffed it, she just loved the smell of cash. "You're the bestest Watcher ever! Is this some of my back pay for slaying? That stingy jerk Quentin Travers owes me a lot more than this."

"Actually... that's Spike's money; he gave it to me."

Buffy looked up from the cash she'd been sniffing and frowned. "Huh? Spike... was here? Today? And why would he be giving you $100?"

"No, he hasn't been here today. The other night when you and Spike stopped in after your date I reminded him that he still owed me money from when we protected him and extracted that homing device the Initiative shot him with."

Buffy's frown deepened. "Giles, that was like... a year ago! God, you were trying to make Spike angry, too? Were you and Xander conspiring to break us up? And do you have to take what little money Spike gets as soon as he gets it? Is taking his money your subtle way of making sure he can't take me out on dates?"

"Calm down, Buffy. I had no idea Xander was going to do what he did that night; I told him to be quiet but he wouldn't listen. I asked Spike for the money before Xander goaded him into violence. I wanted to see if Spike was serious about trying to be more... agreeable. He groused about it, but he did give me the money. I only wanted to see if Spike would willingly give me the money without causing a scene and upsetting you; I didn't really want it."

Buffy sighed and shook her head. "Oh goody, so I can look forward to you regularly giving Spike little tests to see if reacts the way you think he should? He's my boyfriend, not a lab rat."

"I promise I won't make a habit of testing him. I was curious to see if he's really trying to be a better, more even-tempered man. He did pass the test... but then he attacked Xander."

"You're holding that against Spike? That was bullsh--" Buffy started going into 'defend Spike' mode again, which Giles knew would result in another rant.

Giles held up a hand to stop her tirade before she could really get rolling. "I know that was essentially Xander's fault. He set out to intentionally provoke Spike; I don't fault Spike for losing his temper that time."

Buffy relaxed a bit, standing down but still feeling testy. She crossed her arms. "Okay, good... Because it wasn't Spike's fault. Spike shouldn't have let Xander get to him and try to hit him, but any guy -- vampire or human -- would've taken a swing at Xander after what he said."

"I know," Giles said simply. The Watcher could see how touchy and defensive Buffy was about Spike, he thought it best not to say anything more that she might take as insulting her new beau.

"You're okay with me dating Spike?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow and giving Giles an 'I dare you to bitch at me about him' look.

"I... My feelings on the matter are..." He stopped and sighed. "Honestly, I'm not thrilled about it... no. But, as you said, it's your life and you get to decide who you want to be with. I just... worry it won't work out the way you hope it will. I don't want you getting hurt, Buffy... none of the people who love you want that."

She smiled softly and put her hand over his on the counter. "I know it must be tough for you to accept, but I really appreciate that you're trying to respect my decision. I know Spike and I can be happy together. He won't hurt me like the others."

Giles nodded, managing a small smile for her. He only hoped she was right... he was far from being convinced that Spike could be one of the 'good guys'.

"One thing I don't understand... if you were just testing Spike to see if he'd give you the money and you didn't really want it, why didn't you just give it back to him?" Buffy wondered.

"I doubted he'd take the money back from me, that's why I'm giving it to you." While Spike was never one to turn down money, Giles was certain Spike wouldn't take the money back under the circumstances -- male pride could occasionally get in the way of being reasonable. "You can either give it to Spike or keep it."

"I don't think Spike will take it from me either," Buffy said with a sigh. "He's a proud and very stubborn vampire. He's got some old-timey ideas about what a boyfriend should and shouldn't do -- his girlfriend giving him money is probably on that list. I should tell him you gave it to me though, give him a chance to take it back if he wants it."

Giles shrugged slightly. "Whatever you think is best."

Buffy tucked the money into her purse. "Well, I've got things to do, I'd really better get going now. See ya, Giles." Buffy hurried to the front door of the shop, but she stopped and turned back toward Giles to say, "Um... unless something terrible happens tonight that urgently needs my attention, don't call, okay? I'd like to just hang out with my family and Spike and relax."

Giles nodded. "You deserve a night off."

"Thanks, Giles." As she exited the shop, Buffy said a little prayer to the PTB asking that nothing apocalypse-y happens tonight. She'd be majorly pissed if something came up and ruined her plans.





Buffy saw a large bouquet of red roses on the small table in the foyer as soon as she came in the front door. She walked to the table and sniffed the sweet fragrance of the roses. "Ooh, nice... Hmm, could these be from the mysterious Brian?" She looked over the bouquet, searching for a card.

"That's what I thought at first," Joyce said as she walked down the stairs. "But the deliveryman said they were for 'Miss Buffy Summers'. I'm trying not to be too green with envy," she joked.

"Oh, they're for me?" Buffy located the card attached to the roses, it said 'Buffy' in fancy, calligraphy letters. She grinned and picked it up and removed the card from the tiny envelope. Her grin expanded as she read it:

There’s this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger, and your whispers softly echo. It's the place where a part of you will forever be a part of me.

Love you always

Spike

Buffy sighed languidly and tilted her head, feeling all warm and melty inside. The card was definitely going in her growing 'tokens of Spike's love' collection. She thought to herself, 'Oh yes, tonight is *definitely* the night.' If she hadn't already been planning to make love to him tonight, the card and flowers would've sealed the deal.

"What's it say? Or is it too personal for a mother's ears?" Joyce asked with a slanted smile.

Buffy showed her the card, Joyce sighed as she read it. It'd been a long time since a man sent her something like this, she missed this part of dating, when a lady would get a new romantic surprise almost every day from her boyfriend. Maybe she was more ready to start dating again than she thought. "Now why can't I get bouquets of roses with romantic cards like that? It was very sweet of Spike to send these."

"I'm sure you'll be getting things like this from Brian, too, when you start officially dating," Buffy said encouragingly, not wanting her mom to feel bad the flowers weren't for her this time.

"We'll see. Spike's setting the bar pretty high for romantic gestures, though." Joyce laughed.

"How long ago were the flowers delivered?"

Joyce looked at the clock in the living room. "Only about a half hour ago. Why don't you go call Spike to let him know you got them?"

"I should probably wait until I see him tonight... He sleeps during the day, I wouldn't want to wake him up." Buffy bit her lip, wanting to call Spike right away, needing to hear his voice right now. But she still wondered if being too clingy was one of the reasons she couldn't keep a man.

"I bet he's waiting by the phone."

Buffy pictured Spike staring at his phone and tapping his fingers on a tabletop impatiently or staring at the phone and pacing back and forth, also impatiently. "You're right, he might be waiting for me to call. I'll just call to tell him I got the flowers -- that can't be considered clingy." Buffy took one of the roses from the vase and raced up the stairs to her room to call Spike.





Buffy called Spike's number and waited to see if it would be picked up or if she'd have to leave another message.

After a few rings, Spike answered. "Hello, luv," he said, sounding sleepy.

Buffy wanted to rib him a little bit after the ton of messages she'd had to leave the past few days. "Wow, I-I am shocked... I didn't have to leave a message this time! You actually answered your phone!"

Spike snorted and smirked as he sat up in bed. "Yeah... alright, I deserved that."

"You were sleeping... Sorry I woke you up."

"I was dozin', yeah. But I don't mind bein' roused by you, pet. I was expecting you to call sometime this afternoon. Were there any deliveries to your house... by any chance?"

Buffy smiled, touching the soft petals of the rose to her cheek. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there was a delivery. You romantic l'il devil, you. Thank you for the flowers, Spike."

"Welcome. I woulda got you orchids again but didn't want to repeat myself so soon. I just wanted to do something to make you smile... since you'd been so miserable 'cos of me the last few days."

"It was very sweet and unexpected -- and I did get a big smile on my face when I saw they were for me. I haven't been able to stop smiling since I saw them. My mom's kinda bummed that they weren't for her, though -- Brian better step-up his game. You can be so damn sweet... You're just a big teddy bear with fangs, ain't ya?"

Spike laughed. "Only when it comes to you, luv. I'm glad you fancy the flowers."

"And the card," Buffy added, holding the card and reading it silently again. "You know how much I love it when you get all romantic and poet-y."

"You liked what I wrote, then?"

"Mmhmm, I love what you wrote. I actually emitted a dreamy sigh, put my hand over my heart and tilted my head."

Spike laughed again, pleased that she'd had the reaction he'd hoped for. He'd decided the wise thing to do was write something not overtly sexual, but more romantic this time. "I'll have to send you little love notes on a regular basis."

"You don't have to... but I'd like it if you did," Buffy replied, still grinning. Most women her age had a collection of love letters from boyfriends, but Buffy didn't. The closest things she'd gotten to love letters were the creepy, crazy messages from soulless Angelus.

"You can count on getting more of the same in the future, luv."

"Goody," Buffy giggled. She couldn't believe how giddy and lighthearted she felt right now; she felt like she could walk on air. It was such a switch from the dread and misery she'd felt until she talked to Spike last night. "You're still coming to dinner, right?"

"'I'll be there with bells on right after sundown. I'm lookin' forward to my raw steak -- and seein' you, 'course."

"You'll be wearing just the bells?" Buffy said coyly, teasing him the way he'd teased her once before.

Spike chuckled. "Well... since I'll be dining with your mum and sis too, I think I should wear a bit more than just the bells."

"Hmm, true. Your bells shouldn't be on display around anyone other than me. Okay, I'll let you get back to sleep. I just wanted to thank you for the flowers and that insanely romantic card." Now that Buffy could say it (and mean it), she wanted to say it again and often. "I love you, Spike."

Spike closed his eyes and smiled, his mind and body warmed and tingled every time he heard her say those three little words with his name tagged onto the end. He wanted to record her saying it, and be able to play it over and over again. "I love you too, Buffy."






Buffy didn't have much time to beautify herself. She didn't want to get all dressed up just to make dinner, anyway; she was kind of a messy cook, her clothes were bound to get stains on them. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she had the lightest of makeup on. She chose a practical outfit to wear while cooking: a pair of jeans, black boots, and a red, button-up blouse. She intended on glamming herself up later, hoping to look alluring and sexy for Spike.

Buffy put the vase of roses in her bedroom, but put one in a bud vase and set it on the kitchen counter while she prepared dinner to remind her why she was cooking and to keep herself in a good mood. Joyce was happy to help Buffy with dinner, for which the Slayer was grateful. She was having a hard time keeping her mind on cooking and off of what she planned on doing with Spike later; there was a squadron of nervous butterflies in her stomach.

When Dawn got home from school, she helped Buffy in the kitchen too. She worked on the dessert, the spumoni -- regular for them, and with blood for Spike. Buffy was glad she didn't have to prepare that dish -- she would've liked to have made Spike something special, but cooking with blood? Kinda squicky. Dawn didn't seem to have a problem with it, though.

Dawn also insisted on making the homemade dipping sauce for the blooming onions. Buffy had to wonder again just how determined Dawn actually was to get over her crush on Spike. It seemed like Dawn was making dinner for her own boyfriend, not Buffy's boyfriend.

Spike rushed through the front door covered with his smoking gray blanket. He tossed it on the floor and stomped on it to make sure it didn't catch fire.

Buffy came out of the kitchen to see what the commotion was. She stopped and smiled when she saw Spike in the foyer. "Hey you, you're early. I thought you were going to wait until sundown?"

Spike looked up and smiled at her once the blanket stopped smoldering. "You know I'm keen on being unfashionably early for everything, luv." His smile became more flirtatious as he walked toward her. "I couldn't wait to see you again."

Buffy took a few moments to admire his ensemble as he walked slowly toward her. He was wearing a sweater with striations of grey and rich, ripe plum that seemed to be airbrushed across his body, his trusty black leather duster, black slacks, and what looked like a shiny new pair of Doc Martin boots. He also had on some bling like he did on their second date -- a simple silver chain necklace, a clunky silver chain bracelet, and a few silver rings (including the mashed up one Buffy had given him, Spike couldn't bring himself to take it off, even dented and mangled, the ring held great sentimental value for him).

His hair was gelled back but not severely, it had that wavy look which Buffy found especially sexy. Buffy didn't know how she could not have seen and acknowledged how absolutely gorgeous and sexy Spike was even back when they were enemies.

Buffy put her arms around his neck and gave him a little kiss. "You look very yummy tonight. I love the shirt, it looks great on you." Her hormones were going off the scale now that she'd made up her mind to be with Spike tonight. She couldn't wait to peel the clothes off his sculpted body and ravish him.

Spike's arms wound around her waist. "You look amazing." He breathed in her scent, detecting mango and steak combined with that unique, mouthwatering smell that was pure 'Buffy'. "Mmmm... and you smell amazing, too." He dipped his head down to sniff her neck, nuzzling her for a few moments.

Buffy giggled as his nose and lips brushed against her throat. "Yeah, right -- I look like a mess from laboring over a hot stove. And I doubt I smell that great."

Spike pulled back, then kissed her lips softly. "You're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. And I love the way you smell... intoxicating."

Buffy stared into his azure blue eyes. Spike's eyes said so much, she could tell he really did think those things about her... it wasn't just a line to make her feel good. She checked around them to make sure her mom and sister weren't peeking, then went in for a longer, deeper kiss. She held the sides of his face in her hands, loving how his high cheekbones felt under her fingertips while their lips were locked.

Dawn called from the kitchen, "Is that Spike? Is he here?"

Buffy broke the kiss and stepped away from Spike, clearing her throat. "Yep, um, Smokey the Vampire just came in the front door with his blanket."

Spike raised an eyebrow at how quickly Buffy stopped when she heard Dawn's voice, but he didn't ask why. He had a feeling he knew the reason.

Dawn peeked around the corner, smiling at Spike. "Dinner's almost ready. You're gonna love it!" Then she quickly disappeared back behind the wall.

Spike sniffed the air, smelling the food in the kitchen as he took off his duster and hung it up by the door. "Smells delicious. I thought you were makin' dinner, luv? The Bit's helping you out?"

"I am cooking it... but Mom and Dawn helped... a lot." Buffy didn't want to lie and make him think she did it all. "Well... I did a lot of supervising. Coordinating the meal is just as hard as cooking everything."

"Can't wait to sink my teeth into that steak, been thinkin' about it all day."

"I made sure that'll be nice 'n bloody for you. We've got lots of good stuff to eat, I hope you brought your appetite."

"I brought everything," Spike said with a sexy smirk and suggestive raising and lowering of his eyebrows.

"Can we go out on the front porch for a minute? I want to talk to you about something. The porch is shady enough that you won't sizzle?"

"Yeah... should provide me with cover from direct sunlight." Spike wondered if what she wanted to talk about was good or bad.

"We'll be right back," Buffy called to the kitchen. She took Spike's hand and went out onto the porch with him.

They sat on the porch swing like they had after their first date.

"You know, it's a good thing you left the note on the pillow this morning, I might've thought you were magically transformed into a stuffed pig sometime during the night," Buffy joked.

"Well, I didn't want to leave you all alone... and the little bugger wanted to cuddle with you -- in a purely platonic way."

"It wasn't as satisfying as waking up with you in my arms, but I do like cuddling Mr. Gordo."

Even though she'd said it jokingly, Spike sensed her disappointment that he was gone when she woke up. "You were upset, weren't you? I shoulda stayed..." he said in a sigh, looking down at his hands.

Buffy linked her arm through his. "Well... I've woken up too many times to find the guy gone the next morning."

Spike winced. Once again, his instincts were bloody awful.

"But it's okay," Buffy assured him. "Once I read the note, I understood why you left. And you said you were still coming to dinner, so I wasn't upset. You didn't just... disappear without a trace, you were trying to be considerate and didn't want me to get questioned if my family saw you leaving my bedroom in the morning."

"You're really not upset, then? If you are, don't try an' hide it. I want you to be honest with me, luv."

She shook her head. "I'm not upset, promise. The note made it alright."

Spike smiled. "And I promise you that if I should be so lucky to share a bed with you again, I'll stay as long as you want me to."

"I guarantee that you will be that lucky again," Buffy purred, then gave him a soft kiss.

Spike steadied himself before his desire for Buffy got out of hand. "You want to go back in the house?"

"There is something else I want to talk to you about."

"Yeah?"

"Actually," she said as she reached into her pocket, "it's something I want to give you." Buffy took the $100 Giles had given her out of her pocket and held it out to Spike.

His brows knit, he didn't make a move to take it from her. He looked from the money in her hand up to her eyes. "Why are you giving me money?"

"It's what you gave Giles at the shop the other night. He wanted you to have it back."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Had a change of heart, did he? He whinges about me owin' him money from a bloody year ago... and then, what? He suddenly changes his mind about it?"

"Giles said he..." Buffy wasn't sure how well Spike would take finding out Giles was 'testing' him. "He just thought it wasn't fair to take what little money you get as soon as you get it," she fibbed. Little white lies to keep the peace were okay... right?

"You had a talk with him, eh?" Spike asked, smirking slightly.

"Yeah... we talked about the money. I bitched at him about making you give it to him."

Spike nodded once. "I hope you gave him a good bollocking. How much is there?" He looked back down at the money in her hand.

"Uh, give him a... bollocking?" Buffy had no idea what a 'bollocking' meant -- she didn't even want to think of doing anything with or to Giles'.... bollocks.

"Tellin' him off."

"Ah, okay. Yeah, I did do that. There's, um, a hundred bucks here." Buffy held it out to him again.

Spike frowned. "I only gave him $80... Oh, that's right." He smirked as he remembered. "I gave him an extra $20 to go an' buy himself somethin' pretty."

"Why didn't you tell me Giles made you give him money?" Buffy asked. That's something she would've liked to have known. She didn't enjoy bitching at her friends, but Giles deserved a good bitching (or bollocking) that night, right along with Xander.

Spike shrugged. "Figured we had enough problems with Xander. Rupert askin' for cash he thought I owed him paled in comparison to what Harris did that night. You were already so stressed about what happened with the Whelp... I didn't think you needed to know another one of your mates wasn't playin' nice with me."

Buffy frowned for a moment and nodded. "You're probably right... I might've gone ballistic and made Anya's nightmare come true by trashing the shop. But I want to know if my friends treat you like crap, no matter how upset I am -- I'm not going to let them insult or be unfair to you. You'll tell me if one of them pisses you off in the future?"

Spike nodded, smiling slightly. Another thing that made him feel like he was dreaming, Buffy sticking up for him with her friends. "I don't want to keep things from you, but I'm not gonna go running to you every time one of them pisses me off. It'd be like a little boy running to his mummy when he's gettin' picked on. I'm a big boy, pet, I can take it."

Buffy sighed. "Just tell me if it's serious then, okay? If one or more of them gang up on you about anything, you'll tell me so I can set them straight. I don't want you to start avoiding being with me when they're around. They have to accept that you're a part of my life and a member of the Scooby Gang."

"Yeah, I'll tell you if it gets that bad. Not much they could do to make me avoid wanting to be with you, though."

"Are you going to take this money from me or what?" Buffy asked, nudging him with her hand. "My hand's starting to get sweaty."

"Nah, you keep it, pet."

"But it's yours, you should have it back."

"Alright, you've given it back to me." Spike touched the money in her hand. "And now I'm choosing to give it to you," Spike said, gently folding her fingers around the money in her palm, and then holding her hand closed with both of his. "You never get to save any mad money to buy yourself anything."

"Spike..." she groaned.

"Just take the bloody cash, Slayer. You call me stubborn? I don't need the money, I'm gonna be makin' more soon thanks to Clem. And Rupert doesn't want it, so it's yours. Do with it as you like, you could even flush it down the toilet -- or give it to Dawn."

"Same difference," Buffy joked. She took a breath and looked him in the eyes. "Okay... I'll keep it. But I don't want you just giving me money all the time... it'd make me feel weird."

"Well..." Spike smiled saucily, "I'm sure we could think of a way for you to earn..." His smile disappeared when he realized Buffy might take offense to what he was saying, whether he was joking or not. Buffy's eyebrows were raised as she waited for him to finish his sentence. "I was... just joking, pet... I didn't..." Spike hung his head, rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed. "God, I'm such a git..."

Buffy snorted a soft laugh. “It's okay, Spike. I'm not mad.”

“You... aren't?” Spike asked, keeping his head lowered and looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

She shook her head and rubbed his arm. “I knew you were joking. Just don't make risqué jokes like that in front of other people. If you said something like that in front of -- oh, let's say Giles -- I'd have to kick your ass. But when it's just you and me, it's okay. You've got a naughty sense of humor, I don't want you to change that about yourself.”

Spike raised his head to look her in the eyes and took her hands in his. "I'd never want to make you feel... like I'm paying you for services rendered or tryin' to keep you by throwing money and gifts at you. I want to give you money, but just 'cos it's not bloody fair that you don't have any of your own. And I want to give you pretty things 'cos you deserve 'em... and I just love to see you smile."

"I know. You're my sweet little teddy bear with fangs." Buffy leaned in to kiss him.

"Dinner's ready!" Dawn shouted from inside the house, startling them.

Buffy and Spike jumped in their seats.

"Bloody hell... that girl's got a healthy pair of lungs. Coulda used her as an air raid siren during WWII."

"Well, let's go eat the wonderful meal I," she said the next part lower, "but mostly my mom and Dawn," her voice went back to normal volume, "prepared."

They joined hands as got up and went back into the house.


Continued...





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