Title: Dealing

Author: Joy

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Spike sipped at his Jack Daniels for a minute before Lorn joined him at the bar. "What's up man? You did great." Lorn asked his bleached friend.

"I don't know if I'm ready to deal with…the boy," Spike muttered.

"His name is Wolf… Stop with the grinding of your teeth. He is an amazing person…Oh, wait… I've told you this before," the green man commented sarcastically.

Spike looked at him angrily, "That is my LilBit… I just found out about this… So give me a break. Aren't father's allowed to dislike boys sniffing around their daughters? I didn't even get to worry about her dating the wrong type of guy. She just went straight for her finding the right one. She's going to be sixteen soon. It's just hard."

Lorn slightly frowned, "I'm sorry you feel like your missing out…but aren't you at least happy she's not going to experience the heartache Buffy had too. Wouldn't you have rather been drawn to her like a magnet when she was sixteen then watch her heart to be burned so badly?"

"I don't know Lorn…Buffy learned to stand on her own two feet because of those experiences. If she hadn't gone through them I don't know if she would've been able to jump… I guess you're right though. I was immediately drawn to Buffy, but I thought it was just my taste for Slayer blood. Dru knew better," Spike growled in despair.

Wolf looked over to the bar seeing Lorn with condolence face on, he knew Spike wasn't really happy about him being there. He decided to go ahead and risk the verbal damage now rather then later when he had more of a chance to get Dawn cuddles. "I'm gonna get another coke… I might be up there for a while," Wolf said nodding to the bar.

Dawn and Buffy both looked over to the bar to see Spike and Lorn conversing rapidly. "Maybe, you should let me talk to him before you try," Buffy said sweetly.

"I want to talk to him…alone. I want him to ask me all the parent questions that he has, sooner rather then later. I'll even be up for him threatening violence. I just would rather get through all the protective parental stuff, before we get any further along… Maybe its stupid but I really don't like the idea of visiting when your husband can't stand to be around me," Wolf stated clearly.

Buffy smiled broadly as Dawn tried hard not to laugh. "Uhh… I still think it might be best if I try talking to him first. We can do all the fun threats afterwards," Buffy smirked and turned her attention to Dawn. "Why don't you take this opportunity to introduce him to Angel… And be good!" Dawn smiled and led Wolf over to the souled one. "Dawn you might want to explain things to him about Spike and I first." Dawn laughed.

Buffy walked over to her morose love. She looked back to see Dawn holding both of Wolf's hands in front of them. Dawn swung their arms back and forth. Wolf turned a little pink and Dawn giggled a little. Buffy turned back toward Spike as he wracked his fingers through his hair.

"What's up baby?" Buffy cooed at Spike. "Why haven't you come over to play?"

"I don't know if I ready for this," Spike said as he took another swig.

Lorn deposited himself in front of the couple, "Spike is having a severe case of Father of the bride syndrome."

"Don't you even mention marriage with Dawn's name attached. I know I'm not ready for that," Spike snipped.

Buffy stroked the back of his neck to calm him. "Wolf is definitely the boy from my dreams, Spike. As weird as it may sound, we knew this was coming and we knew it was coming fast… They sent me the dreams so I wouldn't get in the way, so do me a favor and not get in the way either."

Spike sighed and said, "I don't want to get in the way. I just want her to be her own person rather then feel like she can't do things on her own… I don't know Buffy, would you have rather falling in love with me when you were sixteen? You never would have had to deal with Angelus, or the Riley stuff. If you could go back would you trade that confidence and pain for the time we would have had together? Would I have been chipped sooner? I just don't know."

Buffy smiled, "You're calling up too many 'what ifs' right now. I think the Powers would have found other ways to teach me confidence and I think they will with Dawn. She's gotten very good at speaking her mind and exercising her natural authority in some situations… I think Wolf likes that about her, the way you like it in me." She leaned her head against his.

"You're really alright with this, pet?" Spike asked softly stroking her cheek.

"You're the one that got me ready for it… So why don't I send Wolf over and let you have your man to man that he so wants to have with you," Buffy said back. Spike looked at her more fully and wrinkled his brow. "First of all, he argued with me over who should talk to you first. Then he says, get this, 'I really don't want to come visit with your husband not being able to stand me' or something like that.'"

Spike began to laugh at the notion. "I guess I shouldn't be too worried about a guy who can't conceive of two people living together who aren't married. That also bodes well with Dawn staying a virgin for a while longer."

"Very true… We can always hope that when she does lose her virginity she doesn't have to send him to hell," Buffy giggled back.

Spike's face got very serious. "You never told me that was your first time."

Buffy smirked, "We don't talk about when I was with Angel, now do we?"

"But still… God that must have been…"

"Awful," Buffy responded. "It was and it's over… and you know it helps to know that I was never supposed to go there with him… Maybe we should have gotten together when I was Dawn's age. It would've saved me a lot of heartache."

Spike took Buffy's face in his and pulled her to him. He kissed her very passionately. "I love you so much," he muttered before diving in to kiss her again.

"You should lighten up on the hot and heavy over here… The youngins are starting to comment," Cordelia said holding Connor on her shoulder.

"Oh yeah… What they sayin?" Spike asked in his broken English.

"Well Dawn had to explain that you weren't married, which totally flustered the boy… And… Wait, Lorn… I need the bottle from behind the counter," Cordelia said as the child wiggled wanting food badly.

"Heated?" Lorn asked.

"Yes, please and a blood for Angel," Cordy ordered.

"Coming up… That little guy loves you. If he were in his papa's arms he'd be screaming for food," Lorn commented.

"Yeah well, I have the touch," Cordy said with a smile.

"You're good at the whole family thing… I hope you and Angel figure out a way to make it work," Buffy said with a smile.

"What?" Cordelia asked in shock.

Spike and Buffy looked at each other then to Cordy. Spike spoke first, "If you and Peaches aren't together then ya should be!"

"Wow… Where'd this come from? I mean, yeah I guess I'm surrogate mom but Angel and me?" she tried to comprehend.

Lorn approached with the blood and bottle, "There you go… And with my two cents, I say go for it too. You guys are a great team and…"

"Wait a minute here… Has everyone put this together in their brains and not informed me… When did this whole me and Angel thing begin to circulate? Because I really hated him last year," Cordelia insisted.

Buffy looked at her funny, "Well yeah…that's when it started. It got to you so badly when he left. Then when he came back you were not up with the forgiveness thing. From the way Willow was describing it, it sounded like you put him through severe penance to get back in your good graces… Then of course, there was the way you called me all pissed about the baby and Darla. It was like Angel had cheated on you. I guess I assumed that something was up with you two prior to Connor's arrival…" Buffy took Spike's hand and went on, "I know you love him… And I know he loves you… You're a very good team. Much better then he and I ever were. You compliment each other rather then competing for dominance… And you can say whatever you want about his sabbatical this summer after my death, but he was always coming home to you…"
            Spike piped in saying, "And the way he was furious with you for keeping your illness from him… You only get that mad with someone you love."

Cordelia just kept opening and closing her mouth saying nothing. Connor began to fuss as Angel came up to them. "Hey, I'll take him and feed him. You continue your talk," Angel said taking his son and the bottle. "I'll come back for that in a few minutes," he said pointing to the cup. Angel caught Spike's eye, letting him know that Angel had heard a lot of the conversation. Spike instantly knew that Angel wanted to keep up the appearance that he hadn't heard any of it. Angel walked away and Spike smiled brightly at the two women in front of him.

"Ya know, I bet the only reason he hasn't actually said the words to you is the whole curse thing… You should really think about having it looked at by the witches. Willow is staying off the magic but she and Tara could probably find a way to alter the curse or let him keep his soul and remove the curse part," Spike offered.

Cordy's eyes went big. Angel was keeping pretty good eye contact with Spike in order to know where things were going. "You're serious. All of you are serious… I can't breathe… How on earth would this work? Why does it take your coming to town for me to find out about this?" she grumbled.

"Look Cordelia, we didn't mean to spring a new concept on you. We just assumed by the way you talk to each other and how you're so in sink with one another that you two were together," Buffy emphasized. "I'm sorry if this seems scary or out of left field but it is there. Maybe you need to sort out what that means."