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Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for your reviews. I appreciate them very much and am really glad to be back.

Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox studios. This story is not meant to infringe upon anyone's rights, only to entertain.

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Chapter Sixty-Seven
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We Don't Need No Thought Control

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Ah, finally the upside of the school day: being able to spend so much non-date time with Spike. Totally worth it.

Buffy leaned comfortably into Spike's side as they sat together against a tree in a little area off the library. It was beyond the end of the curved walkway so no other students wandered by there and although it wasn't really private it was, by this late part of the lunch period, secluded enough to offer some small respite from the constant stares and questioning glances of other students. It was just the place Buffy needed to regroup.

"I'm so sorry, luv," Spike whispered.

"I just didn't know it'd be this hard."

"Yeah."

"It's more than me just being new, you know?"

He gave her a one-armed shoulder squeeze by way of support, and sighed. Yeah, he knew.

"Harmony is passing notes about me in class and all her friends are staring at me like I've got some disease or something," she continued bitterly.

Spike shook his head as he envisioned what he'd like to do to Harmony.

"And then there's Drusilla."

Spike was still as the dead. "Drusilla?"

Buffy half turned in his arms and looked up to see that Spike had closed off suddenly, as though waiting for some long-expected blow. She wished she knew what he was thinking, but wasn't brave enough to ask the question. Instead, she chose to tell him about her meeting with his strange ex.

Spike listened to Buffy describe her first meeting with Drusilla and the subsequent observations in class and the cafeteria with increasing distress. Dru had never paid the slightest attention to any of his prior girlfriends and conquests and Spike had been under the impression that she had no interest in the fact that he had moved on. He didn't know why Dru would confront Buffy like that but he didn't trust her in the slightest. The situation bore watching, but he didn't want to alarm Buffy by saying so.

"Be better to ignore her for now, pet," he advised. "She likes to play games with people's heads and no doubt she'd heard about us and decided to see if she could shake you up a bit. She'll tire of playing and move on quickly." He hoped.

Buffy nodded and was about to respond when the bell rang for fifth period. If Spike wasn't worried she'd take his advice and try to put the strange girl out of her mind for now.

As the pair walked side by side to the first class they shared together, Spike's mind was spinning. Harmony was annoying and abrasive and had the potential of causing some trouble but was otherwise harmless. Drusilla, however, was cunning and wicked and could pose a far greater threat if she chose to turn her sights on Buffy. He'd have to make sure that didn't happen, although he didn't yet know how.

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"I realize that in the past this class has been considered to be a fun class, an easy class, a class that requires no real preparation or study." She turned her steely gaze upon the rows of students gathered for her fifth period class. "I am here to tell you that this is my class now and it will not be easy, it will not be fun, and I will work you all as hard as I see fit to do. I do not care to hear excuses, I am not interested in the intricacies of your personal lives, I have no desire to be a shoulder to cry on, and most importantly I will not be giving any extra credit for missed tests or projects, regardless of the reason given."

She leaned back against her desk and crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked over the uneasy students before her. "The name of the class is Life and Health," she stared hard at a poor student in the second row who dipped her eyes to avoid the teacher's gaze, then considered the entire class solemnly. "Welcome to your life."

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"I don't think Dr. Walsh likes kids," Xander observed as the friends walked to their next classes.

Willow agreed soberly. "I don't think she likes anybody."

"That was supposed to be my easy class," Buffy pouted as they reached her locker.

"At least there shouldn't be any 'There there, dear, tell me all about your embarrassing personal problems,' conversations in our future," Willow noted brightly. "Mrs Garcetti used to live for that stuff."

The bell rang overhead as Buffy slammed her locker closed, and she hefted the books she'd be taking home tonight in her right arm. Spike narrowed his eyes and shook his head at her reproachfully as he reached for the heavy load. Buffy considered arguing with him that she was a strong independent woman but the books were heavy and she didn't have the energy to fight it at the moment. She'd let him do the boyfriend thing since he seemed to want to anyway. Her independence would survive to fight another day.

While Xander wandered off to Algebra I and Willow headed for Computer Science, Buffy and Spike entered their last class of the day, Creative Writing. Mr. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce was the instructor and Spike nodded solemnly to his family friend as they came into the room.

Wesley was a nervous officious young man but had a good heart and an overwhelming love of English literature and poetry. Because it was the first day of school, Officious Wesley was the one standing at the head of the class right now. He'd made an alphabetic seating chart which separated Spike and Buffy by one aisle and two rows, and then explained that they would be doing a lot of writing this semester, and that in his class both grammar and spelling would count.

Buffy gave a little whispery whine and Spike glanced back at her with an amused grin. She mock-glared right back at him and threatened him with a stabbing motion of her pencil. He just grinned wider as he turned back to face the front of the room where Wesley had stopped speaking and was frowning in their direction. Spike wiped the smile off his face and sat up straighter. He really didn't need any lectures from Wesley and Giles regarding paying attention in class, not this soon anyway. Buffy just slunk down into her seat while making a pretense of taking notes.

At least the day was almost over.

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"Now this is more like it," Buffy sighed contentedly as she settled back into the arms of her boyfriend and gazed out at some kids playing in a yard nearby. For the first time all day she felt utterly at peace with herself and the world.

Spike had driven her home after school, and the couple were parked on the street one house down from Rosemary and John's home. For awhile now they had just relaxed and quietly discussed their respective school day, both matters large and small. Spike reassured her that he was not one of the guilty swim team dopers and commiserated with her first period PE woes.

"Weight training, eh? Coach Pettit, right?"

"Yep. There are only five girls in the class and he looks like he wishes there were none."

"Well, he coaches football and teaches driver ed and math. He's kind of a throwback, born fifty years later than he thinks he should have been. Otherwise a good bloke, though," Spike explained. "Five girls? Which five?"

"Um… Me, some girl named Lisa Sweeney I think, a girl named Morris something something - it's a hyphen, I don't remember the other two but they were really buff. I mean really. I'm a skinny stick with no muscles next to them." Spike laughed and tried to squeeze her biceps but she elbowed him back and settled down again into his side, her head leaning into his shoulder. "Oh! And there's this total jerk named Larry in the class too. Kept leering and making all these dirty jokes about us girls working out, watching our butts, that kind of thing."

She could sense Spike tensing up but didn't want it to get all serious so she decided to play with him for a bit.

"But he's all right really. And it helps to have a big strong guy around when you need to set up the equipment and stuff, plus he's kinda cute --"

"Larry'd better not lay a hand on you --" he stopped short when he felt her shaking with suppressed laughter beside him. "Oh, I'm gonna get you, little minx!" He grabbed her with both arms and pulled her up his chest so he could kiss her silly.

She pretended to fight him for a moment then melted into his arms and lost herself to his kisses. Coming up for air again, they settled back once more to simply enjoy sitting together apart from the rest of the world. Buffy thought again that she'd never been more at peace with herself than here in his arms.

After a few minutes, Spike broke the comfortable silence.

"S'pose we should go do the homework thing." He kissed the top of her head when he heard her little whine. "Get it out of the way, yeah?"

"Yeah," Buffy grumped. She was in no hurry to go home, but Spike was right. She had some work to do and she had to get good grades or there'd be dire consequences. "Let's go do the homework thing." She disentangled herself from his arms and slid out of the car while Spike grabbed their books. She hoped against hope that no one else was home to bother them.

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"I had no idea that homework could be so much fun," Buffy smiled as she pulled back for air. "I like homework."

Textbooks and notepads were spread out on the coffee table and floor, while Buffy and Spike were snuggled together on the sofa in the family room. It had been some time since any actual studying had been going on, that task having been abandoned in favor of a heated make-out session instead. By this point Buffy was happily ensconced on her boyfriend's lap while he sucked and nibbled on that spot she so loved, right below her ear, and his hands wandered purposefully beneath her sweater.

"Mmmmm…I like what I'm studyin' right now," he purred into her neck, then dove back in for another taste of her lips and tongue. As he fumbled beneath her sweater for the front clasp of her bra Buffy sat up suddenly and slid off his lap.

Startled, Spike fell back against the sofa with a "Wha--"

slam-thunk

"Shit!!"

While Buffy scrambled desperately to put herself back together Spike straightened the study materials that had slipped haphazardly around their feet. Within moments they were a tableau of the perfect virtuous teens, seated on the floor at opposite sides of the coffee table, studying their respective books with single-minded intensity.

Rosemary watched them carefully as she came in through the garage and deposited her keys on the kitchen counter. She didn't for a moment believe that those two had nothing but books on their minds and she couldn't help but notice that Buffy's face looked a little flushed and that her lips had an unmistakable kiss-swollen aspect to them. Their little display of studiousness was laughably transparent.

She knew that she should be lecturing the pair and setting up more rigid boundaries regarding their activities and about being in the house alone but she had other concerns. Where other guardians of teens might be worried, Rosemary's take on things was that as long as Buffy preoccupied herself with this boy then she wouldn't have any time or interest in her husband. Rosemary had no illusions about her ability to prevent the young couple from sleeping together if they were determined to do so, and she had supplied plenty of condoms to the girl. Beyond that, her primary responsibility was to her marriage.

"Buffy," she called over as she started going through the mail left on the counter.

"Mrs. Smith. Nice to see you again." Spike offered a polite smile to Buffy's foster mother, who nodded in his direction but did not otherwise respond to his greeting.

"Hi," Buffy smiled in what she hoped was innocent sweetness.

Rosemary walked over to stand over Buffy. "A lot of homework?"

"Um, no, we're almost done actually."

"Good," Rosemary was all business. "I think it's time for William to go home now. I'm sure his parents will be waiting dinner on him."

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"So, pet, first day all you thought it would be?"

Buffy had walked Spike out to his car to say goodnight and was loathe to see him go. They had been leaning against his car, wrapped loosely in each other's arms, for ten minutes and Spike was no closer to leaving.

"Much much better," Buffy grinned as she reached around to play with the hairs on the nape of his neck. "Best first day ever."

"Uh … what?" The girl was an absolute puzzle sometimes.

"Yeah," Buffy drawled playfully, then went on to explain. "There was drama, there was misery, there was way too much homework." She paused. "But mostly, there was you. And that put the day right over the top." She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. "Best first day ever."

Spike grinned. "Well, I do have that effect on people," he nodded with an infuriating smirk.

She thwapped him indignantly on the chest and started to walk away. "Conceited."

He grabbed her arm and spun her back around and into his arms again for another kiss. Holding her close within the folds of his coat he became more serious. "It'll get better, you know. People's attention spans're pretty short."

"I know," she conceded. "Plus, you're there, and Willow and Xander and Oz. And there are some girls that've been kinda friendly so far. I'll be fine," she assured him as much as herself.

"Yeah." He leaned down and kissed her gently, then pulled back slightly to stare deeply into her eyes. He was falling hard and fast for this beautiful girl and he longed to tell her so but he knew it was far too soon for such declarations. He was looking forward to spending their days together now, and never before had he been so glad for school to have started up again.

He couldn't wait to see her again tomorrow.

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Buffy gathered her books together in her bag and with a sigh started to walk toward the stairs.

"Buffy."

She turned to see Rosemary standing at the sofa holding the shoes Buffy had kicked off when she got home from school. Buffy returned and took the shoes from her hands and turned to leave again.

"And Buffy?"

This was becoming tiresome. Rosemary always seemed to have some problem or other when Buffy was otherwise in a good mood. She turned and waited to hear whatever Rosemary's problem was now. "Yeah?"

"You looked very pretty today."

Startled by the unusual compliment, Buffy gave her foster mother a small smile in gratitude. "Thanks."

They stood a moment in silence, and then the moment passed. Rosemary was all business again. "Dinner's in an hour." Turning her back on Buffy, Rosemary started to rummage in the refrigerator.

Realizing that she had just been dismissed, Buffy continued upstairs to her room.

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Meanwhile, In a Home (not so) Far Far Away…

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"I can't believe that little bitch has the right--"

"Shh…not in front of the baby. You're scaring her," he tried to soothe his wife's temper.

In her high chair, the little girl chewed on an apple slice and watched with huge eyes as the big man and the woman talked furiously over their own dinners. They had been arguing since the blonde lady left half an hour ago and the little girl was quite confused. Usually her home was very very quiet. Tonight it was loud and scary.

The woman sat back in her chair and took several deep calming breaths. "You're right. I'm sorry. But what Pat said just makes me so mad!"

"I know," the big man nodded sympathetically. "But it's not like it's the end of the world. Lots of babies grow up without it. I did. You did. We turned out fine."

The woman glared at him. "It's not the point. Yes, I wanted to do this for Kathy, to give her every advantage in life and a leg up on the competition in pre-school and school. And I will do it, too." She challenged him to contradict her, and when he remained silent she continued with more force. "But it's the idea that that … that … little slut can just shut me down when I'm raising her child and trying to give her the best education we possibly can, it just infuriates me. Who is she to tell me no?! She can't even take care of her child, but she can just say no?!" She was getting loud again.

He shook his head in frustration. "She didn't say no. She doesn't even know yet, for Christ's sake. Pat just said she'd have to ask her and let her decide. She's the mother, she gets to make these kinds of decisions." He saw the rage rise once again in his wife's eyes and raised his palm to stop her. "Wait. Just wait. Let Pat ask her and then, if the girl says no, I will be right there with you, arguing for this. But until we hear her decision all this anger is just wasted energy."

"Don't tell me how to feel," she warned him darkly as she threw her napkin down on the table, stood, and stalked out of the kitchen.

Well, I walked right into that one, he thought ruefully. He could hear the bedroom door slam and it shook the house a little bit. He looked over at the little girl who was staring quietly at him with the beginnings of tears pooling in her large blue eyes. Damn it all!

"C'mere, pumpkin," he smiled at the baby and rose to lift her from the chair. "Let's get you a bath, okay?" His heart melted at how she lifted her little arms to him and held tightly to his neck as he carried her to the tub. In such a short time she had twisted herself around his heart and he couldn't imagine his life before she came into it.

As they entered the bathroom he whispered into her ear, "Don't cry baby, it's gonna be all right. Daddy's gonna make it all better."

Somehow, he was gonna make sure it was. Pat would just have to make the baby's mother see how they had Kathy's best interests at heart here and let them proceed with the classes.

Who wouldn't want their baby to have a head start in their education?

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See? Two chapters! This is me, trying to rebuild the trust. Hope you liked, and please please please leave a review. They are my crack and I am their … um … I need them. Thanks. :-

As for the last part, as the mother, Buffy doesn't have custody but she still retains the legal right to make educational decisions for her child. Weird, huh? Not wrong at all, in my opinion, but it is kind of a weird law. And clearly something for which the foster parents had no expectation. More will become clearer within the context of the story.

Sara