Disclaimer: I own nothing. Joss Whedon owns everything.

Notes: Rated M for future chapters just in case. lol New author so any help is appreciated. Thank you. :)

Full Summary: After Buffy Summers suffers a tragic accident involving her parents, she moves to California with her Godfather and legal guardian Rupert Giles, Dawn Giles, and William Spike Giles. Originally from Tennessee, Buffy Summers isn't used to Dawn's pace of weekly parties and socialite lifestyle while her father Rupert goes out of town on business almost every week. Without the hope of her cheerleading scholarship to her top choice college, the University of Tennessee, Buffy finds herself needing to stay focused her senior year in order to maintain a competitive GPA to attend any university. Even if it's just the local state university she's been contemplating. Buffy finds the ability to stay focused on her academics in the pool house where Rupert Giles' adopted son William "Spike" Giles stays while attending he's at university. Buffy finds, not only a place to study for her courses, but a friend who may not understand what she's going through, but is willing to listen and ultimately provides healing and hope for a future after her parents' death. AU. SPUFFY.

Buffy sat in her room glaring at the pulsating door. Was it really necessary to have the music that loud? The door to her room was vibrating. Her room was vibrating. As if it couldn't get any worse she heard a guitar strike a high squealing noise followed by lots of cat calls and whistling.

That's it! Buffy let out an exasperated cry throwing her pencil against her textbook. AP Calculus quiz failed. She sat there for a few minutes devising a plan. Dawn had warned her there was going to be a party. That was basic grounds for, look whatever studying you planned on getting done tonight won't happen. She looked outside her window for some sort of assurance that this night wasn't going to be utterly useless. Her eyes caught something, lights being turned on in the pool house. Someone drawing the curtains. Spike was home. A place to study for AP Calculus. Buffy nodded in determination and stood up picking her graphing calculator and her Calc textbook off her desk. She loaded her backpack up with snacks she'd stowed in her room, her books, and cans of soda she'd stole from the kitchen for the sole reason of avoiding the party. She grabbed her jacket and opened the door to her room.

She immediately closed her door wishing she had a key to lock it. There were too many people out in the hall. Some were couples practically having sex with clothes on. Others were just being social and drinking from red plastic cups. A few smiled politely and let her pass without issue and others stared at her like she was a freak. She finally found her way to the bottom of the stairs. She squeezed her way in between people gyrating to the loud band and other people lining the kitchen.

"Heyyy Buffffyyy!" she recognized the voice and rolled her eyes before turning around.

"Xander." She smiled with tight politeness.

"Whoahh, what's with the look?" Xander slurred clutching, what was sure to be, not his first drink of the night. "Dude, where are you going. You can't study at a party. Are you wearing a book bag?" He snorted. Dawn had clearly not told him that Buffy hated parties and wasn't (read: didn't want to be) invited. Her and Spike were simply warned so that they could make alternate plans for the night.

"I'm actually going to study. Away from all the loud noise. You know. AP Calculus quiz tomorrow." She turned to leave having about enough of this boy and everyone else in the house. All this gyration and stench of alcohol was sure to make her sick. Being in the in crowd was not what it was made out to be. Clearly. She stepped around Xander ignoring any attempt at further conversation.

"Heyy, Bufffyyy, where are you going?"

"Xander, please. I've had enough tonight." Her eyes flashed with anger. She had little patience already and could see herself delighting in taking it entirely out on this annoying, obviously drunk, dude.

Xander lifted up his hands, "Alright, I'm offff. Havvee a greaattt night. I'll be here all night if you chhhhange your miinddd."

"Trust me, I won't." Buffy snipped. She pivoted on her heel and headed for the porch door. The night air hit her face like a baby's breath. Soft and new. She breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards the back lawn. She managed to make it past a few people hanging out on the porch without tripping over them. The farther she went in the backyard the quieter it became and the more in heaven she felt. She reached Spike's door at the pool house in a better mood than when she'd left the party. She knocked quietly.

Maybe she should have texted first...duh Buffy.

His head peeked out the curtains seeing her, "In a second, bit."

Buffy waited for few minutes. She tried to listen to any noises but heard none.

He answered the door. His hair was askew, not it's typical slick back appearance. A fresh shower smell of goodness emitted from his warm body. Buffy blushed lightly and looked at him through her lashes, "Do you mind if I look over my Calculus notes here? It's so loud in my room. I could hardly concentrate." She flashed an apologetic smile for her intrusion.

He blinked, "Yeah, no course not, love."

The manly smell of the pool house hit Buffy's nose so strong she almost groaned. God it smelled good. Collogue and a faint smell of musk. She looked around at all the papers and clothes. She blushed again realizing she'd just stepped into a man's private home...without giving him much notice. A place where he did all sorts of stuff. Private things. Sexy things. Involving his strong and calloused hands. And on that note Buffy you're a perv.

Spike started pulling clothes off of the couch and tables. Here and there he moved around. "Sorry the place is a mess, pet. Don't have much time to clean between work and school. Please come in." He spun around and tossed some clothes towards his bedroom. They landed in a scattered pile just outside of the door.

"How is that by the way?" Buffy quietly shut the door and walked into the tiny house setting her backpack down next to the couch. "The whole college thing?" Buffy was seriously curious.

"It's a 'college' thing. A bit different from high school. Loads more work." Spike had finished tossing stuff about and turned to his guest situated on the couch. She looked out of place and yet... yet she looked like she'd been sitting there like this was a routine every night. There was just something about this girl that made everything fit around her. He'd noticed it the first time he'd met her, when Giles had brought her home after...He ran his hands through his hair to distract his sullen thoughts.

"I have to start thinking about all that soon." Buffy admitted softly. Her plans had changed after...She was no longer a cheerleader and she was sure her cheerleading scholarship to the University of Tennessee was no longer available. She was on her own. Kinda like an average person who didn't play sports. Fighting with the masses for top choice colleges. "I might just settle for a state school close to here." She offered off handedly. Not really thinking she had much of a choice now. She felt that her college plan was blown.

"Oh no, bit. You deserve so much better for yourself." Spike sat down on the couch giving Buffy enough space of her own. She looked at him. Aware of how close he was. He was aware too, but he made an effort not to take notice. This wasn't about that, this was about her and what she was talking about at this moment. She needed to know that she deserved better because of everything that had happened to her. She deserved so much better than the hand life had dealt her.

"You should study up and retake the SATs or take them if you haven't already. See where you end up. I wouldn't settle now. You settle now and you'll end up like me."

"Yeah," Buffy's eyes were clouded with frustration of some sort. Spike couldn't place it. Mysterious young woman. "You don't have it so bad. Giles is generous for letting you stay here. I'm sure I could just attend class and stay."

"What was your plan originally? I know you had one." He asked trying to draw her out. He turned towards her lifting his arm to drape across the sofa. He lightly touched her arm then. Just slightly to spur her into conversation.

Buffy felt goose bumps rise on her arm as he touched it. She knew he meant it to be friendly but she couldn't help the way her heartbeat picked up. She kept looking at him to see if he realized what it was doing to her but he never showed a sign, the only thing on his face and in his eyes was concern. "I had a full ride to my first choice." She looked down at the floor through her lashes. And that's all she wanted to say about that, making it clear the subject of her parents and her previous life were off limits. He just looked at her, saw her sadness, unwillingness to talk about it, he furrowed his eyebrows, and pursed his lips. He looked as if he was considering something.

Good job, Buffy, now you sound like a huge downer. "I don't know. I could still probably apply anyways." She smiled at him and reached down to unzip her backpack pulling out her calculator and textbook to continue her homework she'd started in her room. She tossed him a snack from her bag and motioned to a soda. He shook his head so she just grabbed one for her herself. She ripped the snack package open with her teeth and began studying wiping away tiny crumbs she dropped into the textbook.

Spike took the cue and walked over to the door grabbing his own bookbag and returning to the couch. He eyed her cautiously. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to study with her, to breath the smell of the skin on her neck. To kiss her neck. He was surprised by these feelings. He swallowed them down and turned his attention to reading for one of his college classes.