CHAPTER FOUR
"Holy crap!" Exclaimed Dawn hiding her cell phone up to her ear
"Yeah majorly weird right?" Came Buffy's voice through the phone
"Well yeah, but it's a good thing right?"
"I dunno Dawnie, I'm still trying to process it all" whimpered Buffy putting her head in her hands
"Oh come on you know you wanna jump up and down and do a happy dance" chuckled Dawn
"Maybe a little" Buffy confessed
"I knew it! Anyway me and Jack should be with you guys on Thursday, we're picking Faith up along the way"
"Huh? Oh right birthday" Buffy remembered
"How can you forget your own birthday?"
"Sorry it's just with Ava turning sixteen next month and Spike showing up my mind has gone into overdrive" grumbled Buffy
"Totally understandable, are Willow & Xander flying in?"
"I think so, hey look Dawn I gotta go. Call you later"
"Okay Buffy, just chill and say hi to Spike for me"
"I will" with that Buffy disconnected the call and turned to face Spike, who stood in his usual stance of leaning against the kitchen wall with his hands in his pockets. 'Damn, he still looks so hot. Perks of being immortal' Buffy thought to herself.
"How's the Nibblet" he asked
"She's good, she says hi" Buffy smiled "think she misses you"
"I've missed her too, I hear she's hitched"
"Yeah, two years ago now Jack really is a great guy. I've not even had to threaten him once" Buffy giggled
"Always good to know, but then again Dawn did always have good taste in men. I mean she had a crush on little old me way back when" he smirked
"Spike she was fifteen, of course she was gunna have a crush on the bad boy type"
"And you?" He asked
"What about me?"
"Did you get your bad boy kicks when you were fifteen?"
"No... I got mine much later" she blushed a nice crimson colour
Thankfully at that moment Ava rescued her mother from further questioning "I'm home!" She bellowed
"In here honey" said Buffy
"Hey Spike" Ava smiled walking past him heading for the fridge
"Hey Lil Bit"
"So how was school?" Asked Buffy
"Bleh it was okay, though there were some high points. Luke made Miss Dimond freak out and leave the class so it was basically free period and then Kerry y'know 'miss I stuff my bra head cheerleader' fell and broke her ankle... I think it's been a good day"
"Certainly sounds entertaining" smirked Spike
"Yeah I guess it's kinda different to being schooled in Victorian England" said Ava
"Just a bit" chuckled Spike
"Right now we've recovered from the daily gossip from Misty Waters High, Aunt Dawn called she, Jack and Faith should be here Thursday" said Buffy
"Aww great! I haven't seen Aunt Faith in like forever! Maybe she'll teach me some new moves" smiled Ava "you're staying right Spike?"
"What's that?" He asked
"Mom's birthday bash? The whole gang is coming, I'm sure they'd be glad to see you" said Ava
"That's nice of you to ask love but I really should be off" said Spike
"You're leaving?" Asked Buffy
"Yeah don't want to keep the grand poof waiting, you got a message for him?" Asked Spike
"No" Buffy said firmly giving him a look
"Aww c'mon Spike you can't leave now, can he Mom?"
"If Spike needs to leave I don't think we should keep him" said Buffy
"What's Angel got that we haven't?" Asked Ava mischievously
"Uh well, it's just been a long time pet" said Spike
"Yeah but Mom would really like it if you stayed. Right Mom?" Ava elbowed her mother slightly
"Sure it'd be nice to have you around for a few more days, I know Dawn will be so excited to see you" smiled Buffy
"If you're sure? I don't wanna out stay my welcome" said Spike
"Don't be silly" smiled Buffy
"Well that's settled, hey maybe we can go out for dinner tonight? Just the three of us? And you guys can tell me everything like how you met" said Ava excitedly rushing out of the room
"She's rather excitable isn't she?" Chuckled Spike
"Uh no not usually, normally she's a moody teen. You're having a positive effect on her, you keep it up I might ask you to stay till she goes to college" giggled Buffy
"Really?" Asked Spike
"Sure she likes you" said Buffy
XXXXXX
"I dunno Ava, I don't think this is gunna work" whined Andrew
"Look Andrew, how many times have I done this and got caught?" asked Ava
Andrew sat looking up at the ceiling trying in vain to recall a time when one of Ava's carefully thought out and majorly fake bouts of sickness had been exposed
"See! This is gunna work now, I need you to go downstairs and get my Mom and Spike to get their butts up here to witness my sickness okay?" Said Ava jumping into her bed and putting a hot water bottle on her head
"Okay okay" Andrew complained
XXXXX
Buffy had taken almost two hours on deciding the perfect outfit and accessories, in the end the little black dress won. She wore her hair in loose curls remembering how Spike loved it when she wore it this way; she'd been sat in the living room for the last few minutes waiting for Spike and Ava's arrival.
Spike walked into the living room and was blown away "you look nice" he smiled
"Oh thanks" said Buffy standing up and smoothing down her dress "so you do, is that a new shirt?" She asked
Spike looked down at the light blue button down shirt he wore "uh not recent new but yeah" he smiled
'Damn, that shirt brings out his eyes I never noticed how blue they actually were until now' Buffy was disrupted from her thoughts by Andrew rushing into the room
"Uh guys you better come take a look at Ava, she's got a fever or something" he said turning his back and going back up the stairs
Buffy and Spike followed Andrew into Ava's bedroom where she lay in her bed looking rather pale. "Hey sweetie, what's wrong?" Asked Buffy sitting on her bed and feeling her head
"I just don't feel so good" Ava whined
"You do feel a little warm" said Buffy worriedly
"I don't think I can go to dinner but you guys go" said Ava softly
"Are you sure Lil Bit? We can stay, your Mum can take care of you" said Spike
"No I don't wanna ruin it for you guys, you go ahead. Andrew can look after me"
"Are you sure honey?" Asked Buffy
"Yeah you go" Ava smiled weakly
"Okay, well Andrew you have my cell phone number right? Call me if you need me" said Buffy
"Hope you feel better soon Ava" said Spike
the two blondes left the room. "See I told you! They totally fell for it!" Giggled Ava
"You could be an evil genius" said Andrew fearfully
"Not really, I just wanna see my Mom happy and Spike being here is just fate I know it!" Smiled Ava
"Being an evil genius is hard work, I wouldn't recommend it"
XXXXX
Buffy & Spike sat down at the table and their waitress set a menu in front of each of them "Hi I'm Becky, I'll be your waitress this evening, and would you guys like anything to drink?" Asked the young brunette
"Uh sure glass of red wine please" smiled Buffy
"I'll have the same"
The waitress excused herself and went to get their drinks
"Nice place" said Spike studying his surroundings.
The restaurant was small and intimate, only a few tables surrounded them. The fresh roses and candles made it a number one spot for romance.
"Yeah I like it here the food is so good"
"Bet you bring all your dates here" Spike smiled mischievously
Buffy gave him a look "date?"
"Y'know like uh well this is obviously not a date" he stammered
"Spike, relax I was kidding" she smiled
"Thanks Slayer, you just love to watch me squirm"
"Kinda" she smiled mischievously
The waitress came back with their drinks "are you guys ready to order?" She asked
"Uh could you give us a few minutes?" Asked Buffy
"Sure, just give me a yell"
"So nice little trick Ava pulled" said Spike examining the menu
"What are you talking about?"
"Well you know she wasn't actually sick right?"
"How do you know that?" Asked Buffy setting down her menu
"Pretty obvious pet, vampire. I can smell illness remember she was healthy as they come" he smiled
"Wow you really are handy to have around" she smiled "wait Ava set us up!" She said
"Sure did, she's a clever little thing"
"She is, she gets that from her father" said Buffy sadly
"I'm sorry about him pet, Ava tells me he was a great man" Spike said sympathetically
"Yeah... He was. What do you say we skip dinner? I know this great club a few blocks away. Best part? They have those blossoming onion thingies you like so much" Buffy smiled
"I'm sold, could do with a nice pint. This?" He said holding up his wine glass "just ain't cuttin' it" he smiled
"Let's go"