Chapter Ten:

Fears

A tap on her window brought Buffy out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Spike sitting on her roof and knocking on the window. "Spike what are you doing here?" she asked, opening the window

"Well, I don't really know why I came here in the first place, but now that I'm here, you look like you saw a ghost." Spike said, coming into the room

"Not a ghost, and I didn't see it, but it was terrifying." Buffy muttered, sitting on her bed

"What happened?"

"My dad called, he invited himself over for dinner with his new wife."

"WHAT?!"

"Yep, he did all of the talking and assumed he was totally welcome, he's coming next Saturday." Buffy explained

"And your mom didn't tell him he was not welcome?" Spike asked, sitting down next to her.

"She tried to, he basically called, said he was coming and hung up." Buffy said

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." she said, letting her head fall onto his shoulder

"Um... Buffy? What are you doing?"

"I don't know, but it feels good." she mumbled, then sat bolt upright "Oh my god, I did not just say that out loud." she said in a horrified voice

"I think you did pet." Spike said, smiling

"No. No I didn't." Buffy insisted

"But you meant it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you were surprised that you said it out loud not that you said it at all." Spike explained

"Well aren't you... observant." Buffy said in a rush

"So you don't deny that you meant it."

"Yes I do, I deny it strongly... No." Buffy mumbled the last part, but Spike heard it none the less, and a triumphant smile spread across his face at not only her admittance, but also at the adorable shade of red her face had turned.

"What?" Buffy asked

"You're blushing." he said, and if possible his smile got wider

"OK, shut up." Buffy said, her hands going to her face to try and hide that blush

"Don't hide it, it's cute." he said, bringing her hand down, and her blush got brighter at hearing the compliment.

"Stop trying to distract me, what am I going to do about Saturday?" Buffy asked, trying very hard not to think about the way he was looking at her.

"You could say that you had plans and you just forgot about them." Spike suggested

"I can't do that, I have to be there, my mom will need the support." Buffy explained

"Then what do you want to do?" he asked

"I don't know. I need support, I don't get it because I to busy giving it to my mom and sister." Buffy said, lowering her head and looking at the floor so she didn't have to look at Spike.

"Hey now, I offered to help, in any way I could, and if that means giving you support, that's what I'll do." he said softly, putting his hand under her chin and raising her head to look him in the eyes.

"Thanks, but you won't be able to give me the support I need because it's not like you can be here for the dinner." Buffy said sadly

"I know but will it help to know I want to give the support, I could be with you in spirit." he offered

"You and spirit in the same sentence, it sounds odd, but not a bad idea." Buffy said, half to him half to herself

Spike smiled and slipped off the silver neckless he wore and put it in her hands. "What's this?" she asked

"I can only be there in spirit right?" she nodded and slipped the neckless around her neck as she gave him a weak smile.

"Thank you. You know I was always scared that my dad would do something like this and only do it to rub this whole situation in our faces." Buffy said, deep in thought.

"Can understand that. Everyone has fears luv, most people just don't voice them, and the people that do normally tell them to shrinks and that sort, the people who don't well... it's one of my fears to find out." he said, earning a small chuckle in response.

the comfortable silence was interrupted when a loud knock sounded at the door and Dawn's voice was soon to follow. "Buffy! Mom wants to talk to us!"

"I'm coming!" Buffy called

"I guess I'd better leave." Spike said, hesitantly

"I guess so, I'll see you tomorrow." she said, as she watched him climb onto the window sill and onto the roof.

"Bye Buffy, good luck." he said, then went off to his roof and left her to go talk with her mom.