New Beginnings

New Beginnings

Part 11

Chatter filled the Summers' living room: The plans for tonight. The hot weather predicted for tomorrow. Has anyone seen my red shoe? I don't think that show's so great. What? Her deviled eggs were terrific. Oh, please, Lanier Demons? They're so last century.

The faint echo of conversation misted up the stairs, falling deaf on Xander's ears. He sat outside Buffy's door, leaning against the wall, his face a ghostly white and eyes focused on nothing.

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Buffy broke the kiss to look in Spike's sparkling eyes. Shaking her head slightly, she mumbled, her smile never waning, "I'm gonna regret this."

"I won't let you."

That was one of the things about Spike that was a constant. His devotion. That, combined with his uncanny ability to impart upon others the bare, harsh truth, helped make up for all the reasons their relationship was so wrong. Spike was completely unlike any man she had ever loved. And not just physically. Given her history with affairs of the heart, perhaps this was of the good.

Buffy was the first to reluctantly exit the room. She didn't get far before tripping over a pale lump of Xander.

"What the hell are you doing? Eavesdropping?"

He slowly looked up at her with eyes near rage.

"There is something seriously wrong with you, Buffy!"

Suddenly, those in the living room scampered to the bottom of the stairs and all eyes were on Xander. All except Spike's. He was watching his Slayer, determined to keep his word.

"And YOU! You soulless, evil dead monster! I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but you're not doing it with my friend!"

At that, Xander lunged at the vampire, clocking him squarely in the jaw. His hand stung, but he bit the inside of his cheek, willing the pain away. Spike's head flew to the side minimally. When he turned to face the angry boy again, his expression was unreadable. The vampire was forced to walk the line between sticking up for himself and doing damage control.

Buffy looked down toward the stairwell. Willow's eyes were wide, as was her mouth, which she covered with her hand. Tara's face was one of confusion. Dawn tried hard to disguise her grin. Anya was mortified by her fiancé's behavior. Giles stood dumbfounded and on the verge of turning Ripper loose to aid Xander in his assault.

Xander gathered himself and went in for another strike. A strong, feminine hand caught it. Spike did not flinch.

"This is not about some game." Buffy met gazes with each and every one of them as she spoke. "None of you know him the way I do now. I will not accept any snide remarks about him or us until you know what the hell you are talking about."

That left little room for discussion. Spike breathed and unnecessary sigh of relief. Buffy had stood by her decision to follow her heart. Perhaps The Powers That Be didn't have a grudge against him after all.

In a bold and unexpected move, Tara spoke up above the pregnant silence. "Th-th-there's an u-us?"

Buffy searched her mind for a second, as if the answer to this question would commit her to that path forever more. "Yes."

One simple word. Three letters. One syllable. Once meaning. Yet it changed their lives forever. No longer was it a black and white world with the humans against the demons. There were now evil humans and good demons with the whole world becoming shades of gray.