Last Date

Disclaimer: Not my people, just my world.

Summary: A sequel to 'Her Last One'.

Reviews: Yes please. Readers Rock but Reviewers RULE!

A/N: Love and kisses to WayWard Childe for his brilliant contribution to this fic. I love the way you think.

This fic will be done in four very short chapters. I'm just evil that way.

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Joyce replaced the phone receiver and closed her eyes, nearly giddy with excitement. She'd just been asked out for a date. She couldn't help the delighted smile that spread across her lovely face. She's just gotten a clean bill of health from her doctor, returned to work and been asked out on a date with the man of her dreams. Her fingers idly caressed the cool plastic of the receiver, lost in a daydream about the upcoming evening.

"Mom?" Buffy asked anxiously. "Are you okay?"

Joyce started when she realized her daughter had managed to sneak up on her. She grinned excitedly. "I have a date!"

The Slayer frowned. "With who?"

"Who do you think?" Her mother teased.

"Who's paying?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

A frown crossed Joyce's pretty forehead. "He is, of course."

The blonde crossed her arms across her chest. "Uh huh." She said disbelievingly. "How?"

Joyce smirked, knowing full well how her boyfriend made his money. "Probably by hustling rich college kids at pool." She informed her daughter sassily and escaped up the stairs to search her closet for something pretty to wear.

An hour later, Dawn and Buffy were lounging on their mother's bed while she threw one dress after another out of the closet door. The sisters exchanged knowing looks as their frazzled mother stuck her head through the door. "How about this one?" She held out a dark red silk sheath.

"Spike's favorite color aside from black is red. Good choice, Mom." Dawn nodded cheerfully.

Joyce pulled it back into the closet and slipped it over her head. It settled over her curves lightly. She moved into the bedroom and stood in front of her grinning daughters. "Well? Does it look all right? It's not too…." She shrugged when she couldn't think of the word she was looking for.

"Momish?" Buffy tried to keep a straight face. "I don't know. Why don't you turn around so we can see all the angles?" She twirled her finger in the air with her suggestion. The older woman spun in a slow circle. "Gee, I don't know. Dawnie, what do you think?"

"Maybe you should show us from the other way." She motioned with her hand for her mother to spin the opposite direction. Joyce obligingly twirled slowly the other way.

Buffy smirked. "Well, it certainly fits well. How is the length? I think we need another spin this way." She indicated with a pointed finger.

Joyce got halfway through the turn when it occurred to her that her daughters were messing with her. "You're both grounded. How many times did you think you could get me to do that?" She shook her finger at the giggling girls.

"Gee, Buff, how many was that? Three or four?" Dawn snickered.

"Two and a half." The older girl grinned. "You're so funny. I didn't think you'd go more than one. You've got it bad."

Joyce moved back into the closet and carefully slipped the dress off, hanging it on a padded hanger on the inside of the door. She slid back into her slacks and blouse before bending down to search her shoe rack for the perfect shoes for the dress. She brought them out and inspected them in the better light for dirt and scuffs. Her white teeth worried her lower lip for a moment. "Do you think I'm being silly?" She turned pleading hazel eyes on her daughters.

"No!" Dawn exclaimed. "You love Spike and he loves you. I think it's cool." She beamed at her mother.

Buffy nodded slowly. "While I can't say I'm thrilled about you and Spike, I've been the object of his love thanks to Willow's spell and to be the center of his attention…" She shivered. "You're lucky." She admitted.

Joyce closed her eyes and smiled dreamily. "Yeah." She agreed.

"So what time is he picking you up?" Dawn asked with an elbow nudging her sister's side.

The older woman opened her eyes to look at the clock and promptly panicked. "Just after sunset. Oh my God, I only have three hours to get ready." She shooed her daughters off the bed and out of the room. "Go away!"

Three hours later…

Spike tugged nervously at the unfamiliar brown leather jacket and smoothed a non-existent wrinkle from the dark blue silk shirt he wore. He looked down to make sure he hadn't gotten his freshly shined black boots dusty and inhaled needlessly. He was standing at the end of the sidewalk leading up to the Summers house. He checked the small bouquet he held tightly in his cool hand to see if it had wilted, it hadn't. A small but expensive box of chocolates was clutched in his other hand.

"Come on, Spike. You know the lady loves you. You love her, what's your deal? Just get your wanker ass up to the door and ring it properly. Can't start the date until you do. They're not gonna hold the reservations all night, you know." With his little pep talk over, he strode up to the door and pushed the doorbell.

Buffy pulled it open with a snarky grin. "Hey. Look at you. All cleaned up." She backed up to let him enter.

Spike chose to ignore her snark and hovered fretfully in the entry way. A noise drew his attention to the top of the stairs and was immediately thankful he didn't need to breathe. He watched closely as Joyce descended. She blushed at the heat in his sapphire eyes.

"You look amazing." He breathed. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and reached up to kiss him. The familiar gesture eased his nerves and he returned the kiss happily. "Hi." He said softly.

"Hi, yourself." She smiled. "Are those for me?" She indicated the gifts in his hands preventing him from wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

"Yeah." He extended the offerings shyly. "They're okay?"

"Wonderful." She sniffed the mixed flowers and smiled at the sweet scent.

"Are you ready, Luv?" The blond vampire watched as she opened the chocolate and sampled one. He smiled as she offered him one and accepted. She replaced the lid and nodded.

"Dawn? Can you please put these in some water?" Joyce held the bouquet out to her youngest tormentor and tucked the chocolates under her arm.

"Not leaving the goodies, Mom?" Buffy pouted.

"No, they're mine and I'm not sharing. Just like Spike." Joyce laughed at the 'ewww' expression on the Slayer's face.

Spike grinned in delight. "Reservation's in twenty minutes. If you're ready…" He extended his elbow as he'd been taught and flashed a cheeky grin at Buffy.

Joyce looped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her out the door.

Hours later, early morning…

She slipped her shoes off in hopes that she would be silent enough to make it to her room undetected. Spike watched from his spot under the tree in the front yard, smiling at her efforts, knowing full well that her eldest daughter was waiting in the living room. He licked his lips again, tasting the last vestiges of her goodnight kisses. With a final wicked smile, his love waved at him and closed the door carefully.

She jumped when Buffy spoke from the darkness of the living room. "Have fun?"

"Oh, yeah." The older woman smiled mistily. "He's so…" She shivered when words failed her.

Buffy frowned as her green gaze scanned her mother. "Weren't you wearing stockings earlier?"

Joyce's hazel eyes sparkled. "Why I do believe I was. I wonder where I left them." She pretended to think about it before she shrugged. "I'm sure Spike will bring them back if he finds them."

Buffy's face scrunched up in distaste. "I really don't want to know." She moaned.

"Oh, then I guess you didn't want me to mention that I think I left my bra in the restaurant?" Joyce asked innocently.

"Eeewwww! Mom!" Buffy stuffed her fingers in her ears. "That's just gross!"

Outside, Spike snickered at his lady's evil sense of humor before heading off to his lonely crypt.

The next day….

Joyce was still brimming with happiness from her romantic date with Spike. He'd taken her to the best restaurant in town and then to a small jazz club she hadn't even known existed. He'd catered to her every whim and had treated her far better than any other man she'd ever met.

She answered the door to a huge bouquet of red roses arranged beautifully in an exquisite crystal vase. She slipped the delivery man a couple of dollars and let the door slide closed. A card teased her in the velvety red blooms. She pulled it out to read. She left the vase sitting on the table next to the door until she could decide where to put them for maximum enjoyment.

'These roses pale beside you.

Thank you for a wonderful evening.

I love you so very much.

Yours forever,

Will'

Excitement made her dizzy so she sat down on the sofa to catch her breath. He'd done that several times during their date, saying or doing something that would literally take her breath away.

The card drifted to the floor as she slowly slid down onto the cushions. She didn't notice.

TBC