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Faith watched from the bedroom doorway as Buffy kept going through her clothes. "Hot date tonight, B?” she asked.

"Yes," Buffy said as she continued to look for the right shirt to go with her black jeans.

"Don't worry, once he gets a look at me, you'll be history," Faith said as she turned and walked away.

If looks could kill, Faith would be lying dead on the floor. "Guess we will just see about that," she replied loud enough for the brunette woman to hear.

Buffy turned her attention back to the three tops she narrowed her choice to. One was a simple red blouse that she really liked. Another one was a simple hunter green tee shirt, which she thought brought out the green in her eyes. The last one was a red halter she had bought but never had the courage to wear.

She decided on the red blouse, thinking the color was daring for her. Buffy gathered her things and made her way to the shower.

Dawn sat on Buffy's bed, waiting for her to finish in the shower. She had overheard Faith and their father talking about how she needed to work her wiles on Spike Carpenter and forget about Angel. She agreed there was no way Spike Carpenter, sex on two legs, would choose Buffy over Faith.

Buffy walked into her room and bit her lip when she noticed Dawn sitting in the middle of her bed, as if it belonged to her instead of Buffy. "Hey, what brings you slumming?" Buffy asked.

"Just thought I would come by and offer my condolences," Dawn offered.

"Really, for what?" Buffy asked, even though she knew why.

"For when Spike ends up with Faith, is why," Dawn answered, giving her sister a meaningful glance. "Come on, Buffy, do you really think he would want someone like you?"

Buffy hid how much those words hurt as she looked at her younger sister and said, "Some people see the beauty that others choose to ignore. And some can see the ugly that is behind the pretty face."

Dawn tilted her head as she thought about what Buffy said. "So you think Faith is ugly on the inside, and you're pretty on the inside?"

"I just know that something clicked with me and Spike, and I will not let my family try and come between us before we find out what it means," Buffy told her as she moved to her vanity to blow-dry her hair. "Dawn, I know you think Faith is all that, but I'm here to tell you she isn't. One day, she will find herself alone, and no one will be to blame but her."

"And you, do you think you will be alone?" Dawn asked, seeing her sisters in a different light for once.

"Maybe, maybe not," Buffy tried to explain. "All I can say is I can be alone and survive, but Faith, she needs to be the center of attention and could not handle being alone."

"What about me?" Dawn asked.

"You still have a chance to change and be you, not what Dad wants you to be," Buffy said as her eyes met her sister's in the mirror. "All I know is I have never fit in here- I've been the outsider from day one. It doesn't bother me like it used to, for I refuse to let the fact my father doesn't love me bring me down."

"He loves you," Dawn tried to defend her father.

"No, Dawn, he doesn't. I'm just a reminder of a part of his life he'd rather forget." Buffy felt the tears build up as she explained further, "Dawn, I really do need to finish getting ready."

"Okay, good luck," Dawn said, thinking to herself that Buffy talked a good game, but the truth would be in the meeting of Spike and Faith. She planned to be there to see who would win.

Buffy let her doubts and insecurities show once the door closed, leaving her alone to think too much about what had happened here in this room over the last thirty minutes. She wanted so much to believe the words she had just sprouted out from her lips. In her heart, she knew she was taking a big chance on Spike staying with her and not leaving her for Faith or some other sexy little number.

*******

Spike felt a case of nervous jitters as he raised his hand to ring the doorbell. He was sure he was going to have Faith somehow pushed on him tonight before he could whisk Buffy away. He just hoped he kept his temper in check and didn't tell Hank just what he thought about him and where he could stick the contract.

He waited just a few seconds after pushing the doorbell. Suddenly, a dark-haired beauty opened the door. Before meeting Buffy, his taste in women had followed along the dark hair, brown-eyed path.

"Hi, I'm here to pick up Buffy," Spike politely told her.

"Great, come on in, handsome," Faith purred as she reached out and took his hand to lead him in. "I'm Faith, Buffy's sister."

"I'm Spike," he introduced himself, pulling his hand out of hers, trying not to look at her rather exposed cleavage.

Faith silently smiled to herself when she noticed him checking out her breasts. She knew he had to be a tit man and dressed to impress. "Hello, Spike. Buffy is still getting ready and should be down shortly."

Buffy had heard the doorbell and hurried to finish braiding her hair. She had wanted to be ready when Spike arrived so she could meet him at the door. Instead, she was running just a few minutes behind since everyone had to interrupt her while she was trying to finish getting ready.

She hurried down the steps only to stop short as she noticed Spike checking out Faith's favorite assets. In that department, she knew there was no competition- Faith had her beat easily. Buffy almost turned to run back up the steps until she heard her name.

"Buffy, there you are, dear," Maggie greeted her stepdaughter, having seen the look of defeat cross her stepdaughter's face. She knew it wouldn't take much to make Buffy throw in the towel.

Spike pulled himself away from the view, looked over to see the hurt in his girl's eyes, and knew he'd made a serious blunder. One he would do anything to make right and bring the smile back to her pretty green eyes.

"Evenin', pet," Spike said as he moved to wait for her at the bottom of the stairs. "Hope you are wearing your dancing shoes?"

Buffy nodded her head yes, not trusting her voice as she descended the stairs slowly. She tried to think of a feasible explanation on why she couldn't go tonight. Suddenly, it came to her she could say that Xander called and needed her at the garage.

She stopped on the last step and was about the give her excuse when Spike leaned in and kissed her on the lips. All thoughts of forgoing tonight fled as she began to kiss him back.

Faith felt a urge to walk over and separate them. She was sure he was just doing this to make her jealous- no one in their right mind would ever chose Buffy over her. There was no way plain, little Miss Buffy was going to get her little claws in this man.

Maggie had noticed the look on the young man's face and recognized it for what it was. He really was attracted to Buffy, and she could tell that Buffy was very attracted to him as well. This was a fine mess that Hank had on his hands. She would have to talk to him later in private and then see about making Faith cool her heels. The last thing they needed was losing this contract over a simple fact the man was in love with the wrong daughter.

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Spike asked when he reluctantly pulled away from her lips.

"Are you sure it's me you want to take out?" she asked low enough, so only he heard her question.

"Only you, baby," Spike leaned in to whisper right before he kissed her cheek. "We have somewhere to be."

Buffy couldn't help but smile at his words and deed. "Okay, then you lead the way." She sighed.

"Gladly, pet. Giles and Wesley want to meet us for drinks, if that's okay with you?" Spike asked as he stepped back so she could take the last step down.

"Okay by me," she replied, feeling suddenly nervous.

"Don't worry, luv, they won't bite," Spike reassured her as he took her hand in his. He hoped everyone in the room got the hint. He wanted this woman and no one else.

Spike turned to the older woman who had kept herself off to the side. "You must be Mrs. Summers?" Spike asked.

"Yes, please call me Maggie," she answered politely.

"Maggie, I wish we had longer to stay, but I have people waiting," Spike explained as he gave his excuse for their need to leave now. "Please call me Spike, and I hope we get a chance to get to know each other better."

"That would be nice, since you might be working with my husband," Maggie agreed.

"And dating his daughter no matter what happens on a business level." Spike decided to lay his cards on the table. He didn't want any misunderstandings about where his true interests laid.

"I understand." Maggie said, understanding the message the young man was sending. He wasn't interested in playing games, his interest was in Hank's middle daughter.

"Good." Spike smiled as he looked over at Faith. He noticed the hateful look, before she covered it up, she had directed toward Buffy. "Hope you ladies have a pleasant evening. Shall we go, pet?"

"Where are we going?" Buffy asked as he led her toward the door.

"It's a surprise." Spike replied, knowing either way Buffy would not be living here much longer.

Faith's anger grew as she watched Spike kiss the little twit. There had to be a reason that Spike Carpenter was using Buffy. It about made her want to throw up the more she watched him fawn all over Hank's biggest mistake.

She watched as Buffy was led out the door, and as soon as it shut, blocking her view, she started, "That bitch! Who does she think she is thinking she will get him? I will make her pay for this, so help me. He will be mine, and that's all there is to it."

"Faith, shut up," her mother told her.

"What? I just was saying he will be mine," she reassured her mother.

"No, he will not. Are you that blind, girl? He is truly smitten with Buffy, and if you would have been paying attention, you would have seen it." Maggie walked over and stood in front of the misguided daughter.

"He was interested in me," Faith said, knowing she'd have him doing her in a heartbeat.

"He was like any hot-blooded male, interested in your over-exposed assets," her mother explained. "Not all men can be won over with a flash of skin. He was just admiring what you were advertising, which I'm hearing you advertise a lot these days."

"Excuse me." Faith looked at her mother with a look of disdain on her face. "This coming from the woman who got pregnant by a married man, ran off, had the kid, and then few years down the road came and stole him out from under his wife's nose?"

"I love your father, and I will not apologize for that," Maggie said as she glared at her daughter. "If you choose to go after him, you will only get hurt. That man is truly interested in Buffy, I know. He looks at her the same way Hank looked at me when we first met."

Faith's eyes grew big. "You're telling me that Spike might already be in love with Buffy?"

"Yes, and I know Buffy has already fallen for him," Maggie explained to her daughter. "Your interfering could cause your father to lose this contract."

"Who do you think told me to nab the blonde boy wonder?" Faith snorted.

"I don't think he realized just how deeply Spike feels for Buffy," Maggie said, thinking her husband was not going to like what she was about to tell him.

"Are you sure you read the situation right?" Faith asked.

"Yes, I do," Maggie replied as she turned to go and tell her husband he had missed Spike's visit. He was in his office, going over his plans on how to renovate the racetrack if the deal between Giles goes through.

"Damn little bitch," Faith mumbled as she pulled out her cell phone to call a few friends so they could go out and party.

Dawn stood back from the landing so her mother and older sister didn't see her. She was shocked at what she had seen and heard. The fact that Faith was actually truly her sister and not half-sister as she had been told all her life hurt. It meant her parents lied. It also made her feel sorry for Buffy, too.

*******

Maggie walked into her husband's home office and sat down in the chair across from his desk. "Honey, we need to talk."

"About what, dear?" he asked, not paying full attention to his wife as he continued to study his plans for the racetrack.

"Spike was here," she told him.

That bit of news caused him to direct all of his full attention toward her. "Why didn't you come and get me? Did him and Faith hit it off?"

"Well, he didn't stay long- he and Buffy were meeting people," she told him before dropping the bomb. "No, he and Faith did not hit it off. In fact, you need to rearrange your Faith and Spike plans altogether."

"No, she can win him over," Hank said, refusing to accept the alternative.

"Sorry, honey. From what I witnessed, he is truly only interested in Buffy," Maggie informed her hard-headed husband. "If I understood him correctly, he is more interested in her than any deal you could offer. I think he warned me he wouldn't tolerate anyone interfering with his plans for your middle child."

"What in the hell could he possibly see in her?" he fumed as he threw down his pencil. "I mean, look at the difference between her and Faith."

"Honey, do you remember when we first met?" Maggie asked, wondering if he'd remember.

"Loved you on first sight," Hank smiled at his wife. "Unfortunately, I had met and married Joyce first."

"Well, I see that with Spike and Buffy." Maggie decided to bite the bullet and tell him what she thought about the couple. "I think you will get your wish about him coming into the family, but not with the daughter you want him with."

Hank's eye widened in shock. "But she is nothing to look at, doesn't know how to dress or act like a lady."

"Hank, have you really looked at your daughter?" Maggie asked him seriously. "You should have seen her tonight- she was glowing."

Hank rolled his eyes and laid his head down on his desk. "God, what am I to do? I have no control over her."

"You don't have any control over any of your daughters, Hank. In fact, your oldest and youngest control you. They manipulate you at the drop of a hat, but you either refuse or truly don't see that they do," Maggie tried to explain to her poor, confused husband. "Buffy is the only one that stands up to you, where the others know just how to get you to do what they want."

"So, you are telling me I should accept the fact that Spike wants Buffy?" Hank moaned into the desktop.

"If you want this deal to go through, yes, you are going to have to accept the fact he wants Buffy. You are also going to have to tell Faith to back off, or it could end the deal. You could end up losing the deal and Buffy at the same time," Maggie warned her husband. "So, start trying to accept what you cannot change without possible dire consequences."

"Fine, I will do my best to accept it." Hank looked up, his chin resting on his arm. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No, but it might look good to appear happy for them," she told him. "Also, have a talk with Faith, make sure she fully understands to stay away from the idea of stealing Spike away from Buffy."

"I will, dear, I promise," Hank agreed. He knew this contract was important if he wanted to expand his operations.

He watched as his wife threw him a kiss before she left the room. He knew he'd have to have a heart-to-heart with Faith and tell her to not pursue Spike. It meant he would have to show more interest in his middle child than he cared to. He couldn't explain it, but he had never been able to bond with Buffy like his other two girls.

*******





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