Note: Wow, you people are so great! Thank you so much, for the great
reviews! Heres the next installment, hope ya like it!
*******
"We have to tell the others."
Spike sat speechless. Was he dreaming? He'd been ecstatic two seconds ago, when Buffy had said she wanted to try again. Now, apparently, she was so serious about them being a couple that she was going to bring their relationship out of the dark, secret cupboard it had been in for several months and tell the scoobies. He opened his mouth and said the first thing that came into his head.
"Are you drunk?"
"What?" Buffy said, a bit annoyed that he wasn't taking her seriously. "No! Why do you think I'm drunk?!"
"Well cos'...cos'," Spike tried to think of a reason. "You've been so ashamed of us being together!"
"I was not!"
"Were too!"
Buffy scowled. He was right of course. He was always bloody right, always having the ability to know everything about her. Was there nothing she could hide from him?
"Ok," she admitted grudgingly, "I didn't want them to know."
"So why on earth do you want them to know now?"
"You know I thought you'd be a lot happier than this." Buffy said huffily.
"Hell, of course I'm happy!" Spike laughed, "I just don't understand why you so suddenly want to come clean."
Buffy looked down. Sometimes she wished that Spike would quit asking questions for once and just agree with her. She wasn't too sure herself if telling everyone was the greatest of ideas, but she wanted this relationship to be a healthy one and it couldn't be that if it was secret. She didn't want to have to lie about where she spent her nights - sneaking into the house late at night. She wanted to be able to say "I'm staying at Spike's tonight - don't wait up" or "Spike's gonna stay over tonight". Not - "uh, patrolling took a little longer than I expected. Big demon." Now Spike was beginning to make her question what they're reaction would be.
"I want this to work," she said, "And if it's going to work it has to be an honest relationship from the start. No more lies. No more secret rendezvous. An out in the open relationship."
Spike felt a little drunk himself. He thought in exclamation marks. Buffy wanted their relationship to work! She wanted to have a normal relationship with him! She wanted to tell her friends, the scoobies all about them! He could just imagine Xander's face when he found out. Spike smirked. Then a sudden thought occured to him...he could imagine the look of satisfaction on Xander's face as he staked Spike into a pile of dust when he found out.
"Wait!" He said, starting to panic, "They'll kill me!"
"What?" said Buffy increduously, "You think I'd let that happen? You're nuts."
"But they will! I can't fight back, I'm completely defenseless! They'll run here, sure as can be, and stake me to hell! Literally!"
"Spike..."
"This is so bloody typical! Just when things start to look up, it all goes downhill! I can't believe I'm about to die! I don't want to - I'm so young! I wanted to have a good death, not be staked by the whelp after he gets pissed about us! How mortifying!"
"Spike..."
"Oh, and I can just imagine how much of a laugh this will be to the demon world! "Did you hear about Spike? Killed by a weak human, not even fighting back. And by a stake too. How common." Bloody hell! I can't..."
Spike was cut off as Buffy pulled him into a long, passionate kiss. God it felt good to be kissing him again, Buffy thought. No, scratch that, it felt great! They finally pulled apart and Buffy looked at him with a smile.
"You're not going to be killed, because I'm the slayer and I say so!"
Spike grinned and started to unbutton Buffy's shirt. "We don't have to tell them right now do we?"
"Oh no!" smiled Buffy, "We still have plenty of time."
******
Willow sat in the Magic Box, feeling a lot happier than she had in a long time. Dawn was sitting at the table doing homework, Xander was fixing a window that had been broke for while and, the main reason for Willow's happiness, Tara, was sitting helping Dawn. Tara and Dawn were going to spend the day together, on the promise that Dawn got all of her homework finished first. Willow could almost pretend that everything was normal. Only Buffy, Anya, Giles and Spike were needed to complete the picture. Anya was still avoiding the Magic Box like the plague. Not completely avoiding though - she had phoned a zillion times to make sure that Willow hadn't burned the place down or anything, and that she was getting as much money out of the customers as she could. "Not that you could get as much money as me," Anya had stated, "You don't have the ability or enough love for the money. Don't worry though - I'll just put you on commission so I don't miss out."
And then there was Spike. Willow hadn't seen very much of him lately, but he was very much a Scooby now, and she kind of missed him if he wasn't around a lot. She would never have believed in a million years that she could miss Spike, but the vampire had grown on her. He'd helped them so much, especially over the summer when Buffy was gone. Yup, Spike was definitely part of the team.
"Okay," said Dawn, "I'm done learning. Let's go for pizza."
"Have you finished everything?" asked Tara, taking Dawn's note book. "Remember the deal - we don't go until you're finished."
"Yes. I remember. And I've finished. Plus, it wasn't that hard, so I did okay." Dawn glanced at Willow, an idea forming.
"So, uh, Will. Whatcha doin' today? Wanna come with us?"
Willow knew immediatly what Dawn was up to - trying to get her and Tara back together. And she was grateful. But she knew Tara might not want her to go, so she just smiled at Dawn.
"Sorry Dawnie, I'd love to, but I've got to look after the shop. Dried hamster toes don't sell by themselves you know!"
"I know," sighed Dawn, "I just thought it'd be fun, if, you know..." she trailed off.
"I know," said Willow, "And it would be fun, but I really can't. But Buffy should be here soon - why don't you ask her to go?"
"She'll be too busy," said Dawn "What with fried food franchise and slaying."
"It's daytime - she won't be slaying. And she has a day off today. You should ask her."
"She has a day off? She left real early today, I thought she must be working." Dawn looked worried, "Where would she be?"
Tara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She had an idea where Buffy would be - she knew that Buffy was going to restart things with Spike, and she guessed that she was at his crypt right now.
"I wouldn't worry Dawnie," Tara reassured, "She's a big girl - she probably had shopping to do or something."
"She's always off someplace," Dawn said sadly, "Maybe it's me."
"Dawnie, no!" said Tara, "She loves you! She's just got a lot on her plate right now."
"Yeah, I know," Dawn smiled, "I'm just being depresso gal. No biggie. You ready to go?"
"Sure," said Tara, feeling bad for Dawn, "Sure. Let me just get my coat." She got her coat from the back of the shop, then they left, leaving Willow and Xander alone.
Willow sighed. She could pretend everything was alright for only so long. Dawn was beginning to feel more and more neglected by Buffy, and Buffy herself had a lot to worry about. Plus with Xander and Anya's troubles and her own situation with Tara, it was all enough to bring Willow down from her momentary happiness. Since when did their lives become so dramatic?
******
"Don't be so dramatic."
Buffy was lounging lazily on Spike's sarcophagus-come-bed. They had spent all of last night in bed and had reconvened that morning. Now they were having a discussion about how to tell the scoobies about their relationship. Buffy had suggested that they do the telling together, which had put Spike in a panic again. He thought it would be wiser if she did it alone - "Unless," He had said, "You particularly want to see me killed in front of you."
Spike pulled Buffy closer to him, his arm around her waist. "I'm not being dramatic," he said, nibbling her ear, "I'm just worried for my life. Call me crazy."
"I always call you crazy." smiled Buffy. She felt so relaxed. It was nice to be lying here like this, joking with Spike, her boyfriend. Wow, that sounded weird. But it was true. Spike was her boyfriend. She thought she'd see how it sounded out loud.
"You're the most dramatic and crazy boyfriend I've ever had."
That shut him up. Only for a minute though. He kissed her cheek.
"Thanks."
"For what?" asked Buffy, knowing full well what.
"For finally calling me your boyfriend. Was it hard?"
"Oh I thought I was going to faint for a second, but I'll be ok." Buffy grinned and sat up. "I hate to disturb this, but I said I'd help Willow at the Magic Box today. I'm gonna have to go."
Spike sighed and sat up. But he reasoned that he'd spent a lot of time with Buffy over the last few hours - he'd better let her go, at least for a time.
"So when are you wanting to do the whole admitting our relationship thing?" He asked as she put on her clothes.
"Hmmm, I dunno. Tonight? Is that too soon?"
"Tonight's good for me."
Buffy looked over at him with mock surprise.
"But what about your death at the hands of an angry Xander? Aren't ya scared?"
Spike grinned. "I was never scared of Xander, luv. Just a stake. But I trust you - if you say I'm not going to die, then I trust you."
"Good." said Buffy, leaning in for a kiss, "That cowardly ranting was embarrassing."
"Hey!"
Buffy giggled and kissed her man.
"Come round to the Magic Box at sundown. I'll hide all the stakes."
******
He he, I'm sure dragging this out ain't I? Don't worry though, the scoobies will finally find out next chapter! Ooooh, the suspense!
*******
"We have to tell the others."
Spike sat speechless. Was he dreaming? He'd been ecstatic two seconds ago, when Buffy had said she wanted to try again. Now, apparently, she was so serious about them being a couple that she was going to bring their relationship out of the dark, secret cupboard it had been in for several months and tell the scoobies. He opened his mouth and said the first thing that came into his head.
"Are you drunk?"
"What?" Buffy said, a bit annoyed that he wasn't taking her seriously. "No! Why do you think I'm drunk?!"
"Well cos'...cos'," Spike tried to think of a reason. "You've been so ashamed of us being together!"
"I was not!"
"Were too!"
Buffy scowled. He was right of course. He was always bloody right, always having the ability to know everything about her. Was there nothing she could hide from him?
"Ok," she admitted grudgingly, "I didn't want them to know."
"So why on earth do you want them to know now?"
"You know I thought you'd be a lot happier than this." Buffy said huffily.
"Hell, of course I'm happy!" Spike laughed, "I just don't understand why you so suddenly want to come clean."
Buffy looked down. Sometimes she wished that Spike would quit asking questions for once and just agree with her. She wasn't too sure herself if telling everyone was the greatest of ideas, but she wanted this relationship to be a healthy one and it couldn't be that if it was secret. She didn't want to have to lie about where she spent her nights - sneaking into the house late at night. She wanted to be able to say "I'm staying at Spike's tonight - don't wait up" or "Spike's gonna stay over tonight". Not - "uh, patrolling took a little longer than I expected. Big demon." Now Spike was beginning to make her question what they're reaction would be.
"I want this to work," she said, "And if it's going to work it has to be an honest relationship from the start. No more lies. No more secret rendezvous. An out in the open relationship."
Spike felt a little drunk himself. He thought in exclamation marks. Buffy wanted their relationship to work! She wanted to have a normal relationship with him! She wanted to tell her friends, the scoobies all about them! He could just imagine Xander's face when he found out. Spike smirked. Then a sudden thought occured to him...he could imagine the look of satisfaction on Xander's face as he staked Spike into a pile of dust when he found out.
"Wait!" He said, starting to panic, "They'll kill me!"
"What?" said Buffy increduously, "You think I'd let that happen? You're nuts."
"But they will! I can't fight back, I'm completely defenseless! They'll run here, sure as can be, and stake me to hell! Literally!"
"Spike..."
"This is so bloody typical! Just when things start to look up, it all goes downhill! I can't believe I'm about to die! I don't want to - I'm so young! I wanted to have a good death, not be staked by the whelp after he gets pissed about us! How mortifying!"
"Spike..."
"Oh, and I can just imagine how much of a laugh this will be to the demon world! "Did you hear about Spike? Killed by a weak human, not even fighting back. And by a stake too. How common." Bloody hell! I can't..."
Spike was cut off as Buffy pulled him into a long, passionate kiss. God it felt good to be kissing him again, Buffy thought. No, scratch that, it felt great! They finally pulled apart and Buffy looked at him with a smile.
"You're not going to be killed, because I'm the slayer and I say so!"
Spike grinned and started to unbutton Buffy's shirt. "We don't have to tell them right now do we?"
"Oh no!" smiled Buffy, "We still have plenty of time."
******
Willow sat in the Magic Box, feeling a lot happier than she had in a long time. Dawn was sitting at the table doing homework, Xander was fixing a window that had been broke for while and, the main reason for Willow's happiness, Tara, was sitting helping Dawn. Tara and Dawn were going to spend the day together, on the promise that Dawn got all of her homework finished first. Willow could almost pretend that everything was normal. Only Buffy, Anya, Giles and Spike were needed to complete the picture. Anya was still avoiding the Magic Box like the plague. Not completely avoiding though - she had phoned a zillion times to make sure that Willow hadn't burned the place down or anything, and that she was getting as much money out of the customers as she could. "Not that you could get as much money as me," Anya had stated, "You don't have the ability or enough love for the money. Don't worry though - I'll just put you on commission so I don't miss out."
And then there was Spike. Willow hadn't seen very much of him lately, but he was very much a Scooby now, and she kind of missed him if he wasn't around a lot. She would never have believed in a million years that she could miss Spike, but the vampire had grown on her. He'd helped them so much, especially over the summer when Buffy was gone. Yup, Spike was definitely part of the team.
"Okay," said Dawn, "I'm done learning. Let's go for pizza."
"Have you finished everything?" asked Tara, taking Dawn's note book. "Remember the deal - we don't go until you're finished."
"Yes. I remember. And I've finished. Plus, it wasn't that hard, so I did okay." Dawn glanced at Willow, an idea forming.
"So, uh, Will. Whatcha doin' today? Wanna come with us?"
Willow knew immediatly what Dawn was up to - trying to get her and Tara back together. And she was grateful. But she knew Tara might not want her to go, so she just smiled at Dawn.
"Sorry Dawnie, I'd love to, but I've got to look after the shop. Dried hamster toes don't sell by themselves you know!"
"I know," sighed Dawn, "I just thought it'd be fun, if, you know..." she trailed off.
"I know," said Willow, "And it would be fun, but I really can't. But Buffy should be here soon - why don't you ask her to go?"
"She'll be too busy," said Dawn "What with fried food franchise and slaying."
"It's daytime - she won't be slaying. And she has a day off today. You should ask her."
"She has a day off? She left real early today, I thought she must be working." Dawn looked worried, "Where would she be?"
Tara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She had an idea where Buffy would be - she knew that Buffy was going to restart things with Spike, and she guessed that she was at his crypt right now.
"I wouldn't worry Dawnie," Tara reassured, "She's a big girl - she probably had shopping to do or something."
"She's always off someplace," Dawn said sadly, "Maybe it's me."
"Dawnie, no!" said Tara, "She loves you! She's just got a lot on her plate right now."
"Yeah, I know," Dawn smiled, "I'm just being depresso gal. No biggie. You ready to go?"
"Sure," said Tara, feeling bad for Dawn, "Sure. Let me just get my coat." She got her coat from the back of the shop, then they left, leaving Willow and Xander alone.
Willow sighed. She could pretend everything was alright for only so long. Dawn was beginning to feel more and more neglected by Buffy, and Buffy herself had a lot to worry about. Plus with Xander and Anya's troubles and her own situation with Tara, it was all enough to bring Willow down from her momentary happiness. Since when did their lives become so dramatic?
******
"Don't be so dramatic."
Buffy was lounging lazily on Spike's sarcophagus-come-bed. They had spent all of last night in bed and had reconvened that morning. Now they were having a discussion about how to tell the scoobies about their relationship. Buffy had suggested that they do the telling together, which had put Spike in a panic again. He thought it would be wiser if she did it alone - "Unless," He had said, "You particularly want to see me killed in front of you."
Spike pulled Buffy closer to him, his arm around her waist. "I'm not being dramatic," he said, nibbling her ear, "I'm just worried for my life. Call me crazy."
"I always call you crazy." smiled Buffy. She felt so relaxed. It was nice to be lying here like this, joking with Spike, her boyfriend. Wow, that sounded weird. But it was true. Spike was her boyfriend. She thought she'd see how it sounded out loud.
"You're the most dramatic and crazy boyfriend I've ever had."
That shut him up. Only for a minute though. He kissed her cheek.
"Thanks."
"For what?" asked Buffy, knowing full well what.
"For finally calling me your boyfriend. Was it hard?"
"Oh I thought I was going to faint for a second, but I'll be ok." Buffy grinned and sat up. "I hate to disturb this, but I said I'd help Willow at the Magic Box today. I'm gonna have to go."
Spike sighed and sat up. But he reasoned that he'd spent a lot of time with Buffy over the last few hours - he'd better let her go, at least for a time.
"So when are you wanting to do the whole admitting our relationship thing?" He asked as she put on her clothes.
"Hmmm, I dunno. Tonight? Is that too soon?"
"Tonight's good for me."
Buffy looked over at him with mock surprise.
"But what about your death at the hands of an angry Xander? Aren't ya scared?"
Spike grinned. "I was never scared of Xander, luv. Just a stake. But I trust you - if you say I'm not going to die, then I trust you."
"Good." said Buffy, leaning in for a kiss, "That cowardly ranting was embarrassing."
"Hey!"
Buffy giggled and kissed her man.
"Come round to the Magic Box at sundown. I'll hide all the stakes."
******
He he, I'm sure dragging this out ain't I? Don't worry though, the scoobies will finally find out next chapter! Ooooh, the suspense!