Part Two. Um... own nothing. *sniffle* ARE YOU ALL HAPPY!? I SAID IT!
THERE! You've all set me back about three years in therapy. Thank you all
so much for the positive feedback. Heeeeeeeeeeeere weeeeeeeee goooooooo...
The Xand-man.
More tomorrow. To Marty. I love you, bubby. And to my ideal. May he never find out. *dreamy sigh*
Thank you. Always.
Tequila Sunrise
Two friends and three days later, the Scoobies faced Xander. Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but Spike gripped her hand, silencing her.
"Look, Xander. You don't like me. Tha's all right. You're protective of Buffy. I like that. It means a lot. But she's pregnant and the baby's mine. Tha's how it goes. And I will not leave. I will raise her as my own, and love her as such. If you've got a problem with it, step up, and we'll handle it."
"..." Xander sat, shell-shocked. Spike coming out in broad daylight, in a dress, skipping, and singing "Feelings" could not have surprised him more. "Buffy, is it true?"
"Yes, Xander..." She lay a protective hand over her still flat stomach. "The baby is ours and we love it."
Xander sat, licked his lips. The day had come. He chose his pride, or his friends. His ingrained misgivings, or chance. And only one way would guarantee him one of the best friends he had ever had. He swallowed, and stood. Face to face with Spike, he nodded.
"If you ever hurt her, or the baby, I will tie you in the morning sun to slowly fry. Until that happens... Welcome." He extended his hand.
Taking Xander's firmly in his own, Spike shook. The Scoobies let out a collective sigh.
Buffy cinched a silver chain belt low on her hips over the tight black dress. Pulling on her knee high boots, she surveyed herself critically in the mirror. The dress was short, the boots were high, and her makeup heavy. And her stomach was still flat.
He watched her critique herself in the mirror, running her hands over her stomach where his baby grew. Her makeup was too heavy for his liking. Walking up to her, he grasped her hand and twirled her slowly in a circle. Seeing the surprise in her eyes, he made a note to himself to do sweet, simple things more often.
"Do you trust me?"
She met him with an immediate, "No."
Chuckling, not half as mad as he would have been two weeks ago, the query passed his lips softly, "Will you? For just ten minutes?" Reading the wariness in her eyes, he gave a laugh. "I won't hurt you, luv."
She gave him a look, then sat back at her vanity.
Spike walked out, stopping to get a wet cloth from the bathroom. Walking back in, he said, "Close your eyes."
Still in a good mood, she closed her eyes obligingly, only muttering slightly.
He grinned at her token protest, then wiped the cloth over her face gently. Felt her freeze, then let him continue. Staring at her newly clean face, he was reminded of the one night they had together that had changed everything. Staring at her vast array of cosmetics, he grabbed a black eyeliner, and smudged it across her lashline, then added a light layer of silver dust.
"Ok... Scared... Are you done clowning with my face?"
Making at face at her closed eyes, he muttered, "No. Shut up."
Pulling a small chain with a charm out of his pocket, he fastened it around her neck. Her hand flew up to his wrist, her grip hard, eyes open.
"Slayer, slayer, slayer... Have a little faith. I got you a present." Worry flickered across his blue eyes. "Do you like it?"
Turning to look in the mirror, she drew in her breath sharply. Her fingers reached up, but didn't touch the pendant.
It was beautiful. A work in sterling, it was a carefully, painstakingly detailed angel with long hair, and a fiercely determined look on it's face. The thing that brought tears to her eyes was the sapphire heart that the angel was hugging so protectively.
"Oh..." She was awed. In a rare show of affection, she stood, and hugged Spike softly. "Thank you," she whispered, and turned to look at her makeup in the mirror. And again, was shocked. It was pretty, almost smoky looking.
"How," she questioned suspiciously, "do you know how to do makeup?"
"Hey," Spike said defensively, "everybody wore makeup in the 80's. Everybody."
Laughing, she stood, grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
The evening as well as her makeup wore well. They laughed, the Scoobies made toasts with Coke, and for the first time, Dawn felt a part.
A slow song started and Xander asked Buffy to dance. Accepting his hand, she was guided to the floor.
As people paired off, Anya sat, saying, "You all must realize what a good friend I am to Buffy; letting her touch Xander like that." She twitched uneasily.
Spike managed a smile, watching Buffy lay her head on Xander's shoulder, listening as Xander whispered in her ear. Watched as Xander gathered her close, as she squeezed him back, just as tightly. A deep breath, unnecessary, and he reminded himself that they were just friends.
"Wanna dance, Niblet?"
"Umm... Yeah.... Sure..." She giggled as he bent low over her hand.
As they swayed to the music, Spike was shocked at how well Dawn danced in his arms, and how aware the other lechers in the room were of the fact, too. He pulled her very close, moving as little as possible.
Dawn noticed the evil look he gave the other dancers and smiled. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheek and cuddled into him. She gasped softly as, on the other side of the floor, Xander and Buffy leaned toward each other...
"What? Niblet-" Spike tried to turn his head, succeeded against Dawn's restraining hands, until, desperate, she grabbed his face and kissed him, full on the lips.
Xander and Buffy pulled apart, smiled at each other, and walked together to the Scooby table.
Fighting back an intense urge to gag, Dawn waited until Xander and Buffy were walking away, she pulled away, and looked up at Spike shyly.
His face registered shock, horror, and complete confusion. His eyes were huge, his hands out at his sides, fingers spread.
"I... Umm…" she smiled faintly. "Congrats on the baby? Come on... I'm sitting down."
The evening ended, and after they had been home for a bit, Dawn holed up in her room, Buffy asked, "Would you go check on Dawn while I jump in the shower?"
"NO!!!!" Spike's shout reverberated through the house. "I... I mean... she's... A grown little lady, and she deserves her privacy... Not... Not that I'd... hmmm... ever think of her like that... Um... YA know.. All... Ummm.. Grown... and... Womany... and... such... And... Ya know? I think I left something at my crypt. It might take a while to get... so... Um... don't wait up."
As Spike turned and stalked out of the Summer's home, Buffy was already up the stairs, knocking on Dawn's bedroom door. Without waiting for an answer, she walked in. Dawn was sitting on her bed, a toothbrush hanging from her lips, a book in front of her.
"What the hell is going on?" her older sister demanded.
Dawn glared, then replied, "Brushing my teeth at ten minute intervals."
"For... A half an hour?"
"Yeah." Defensively, she turned a page.
"Umm... Ok... I'll bite. Why?"
Giving her sister a droll look, Dawn looked her in the eye and said calmly, "Because I kissed the undead father of your child, your fuck-buddy, the vampire, Spike."
Registering her shock on a scale of one to ten, she had just hit a seventy-three. She blinked. Again.
"Why?"
"So he wouldn't see you kissing Boy #2, Scooby Gang original, engaged to recently human, ex-demon Anya, Xander." 'Goddess of Truth,' she praised herself sarcastically.
Buffy groaned. "You didn't..."
Dawn waved her toothbrush incriminatingly.
"Shit. Ok... Let me tell you what happened..."
The BRONZE tomorrow, I swear, it will be longer. Please bear with me.... I'm helping get the house ready to sell, so I'm really busy. *sniff* I love my house. At 16, one shouldn't be forced to move. SO, please.... just patience. This's my baby. Be kind w/ it.
More tomorrow. To Marty. I love you, bubby. And to my ideal. May he never find out. *dreamy sigh*
Thank you. Always.
Tequila Sunrise
Two friends and three days later, the Scoobies faced Xander. Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but Spike gripped her hand, silencing her.
"Look, Xander. You don't like me. Tha's all right. You're protective of Buffy. I like that. It means a lot. But she's pregnant and the baby's mine. Tha's how it goes. And I will not leave. I will raise her as my own, and love her as such. If you've got a problem with it, step up, and we'll handle it."
"..." Xander sat, shell-shocked. Spike coming out in broad daylight, in a dress, skipping, and singing "Feelings" could not have surprised him more. "Buffy, is it true?"
"Yes, Xander..." She lay a protective hand over her still flat stomach. "The baby is ours and we love it."
Xander sat, licked his lips. The day had come. He chose his pride, or his friends. His ingrained misgivings, or chance. And only one way would guarantee him one of the best friends he had ever had. He swallowed, and stood. Face to face with Spike, he nodded.
"If you ever hurt her, or the baby, I will tie you in the morning sun to slowly fry. Until that happens... Welcome." He extended his hand.
Taking Xander's firmly in his own, Spike shook. The Scoobies let out a collective sigh.
Buffy cinched a silver chain belt low on her hips over the tight black dress. Pulling on her knee high boots, she surveyed herself critically in the mirror. The dress was short, the boots were high, and her makeup heavy. And her stomach was still flat.
He watched her critique herself in the mirror, running her hands over her stomach where his baby grew. Her makeup was too heavy for his liking. Walking up to her, he grasped her hand and twirled her slowly in a circle. Seeing the surprise in her eyes, he made a note to himself to do sweet, simple things more often.
"Do you trust me?"
She met him with an immediate, "No."
Chuckling, not half as mad as he would have been two weeks ago, the query passed his lips softly, "Will you? For just ten minutes?" Reading the wariness in her eyes, he gave a laugh. "I won't hurt you, luv."
She gave him a look, then sat back at her vanity.
Spike walked out, stopping to get a wet cloth from the bathroom. Walking back in, he said, "Close your eyes."
Still in a good mood, she closed her eyes obligingly, only muttering slightly.
He grinned at her token protest, then wiped the cloth over her face gently. Felt her freeze, then let him continue. Staring at her newly clean face, he was reminded of the one night they had together that had changed everything. Staring at her vast array of cosmetics, he grabbed a black eyeliner, and smudged it across her lashline, then added a light layer of silver dust.
"Ok... Scared... Are you done clowning with my face?"
Making at face at her closed eyes, he muttered, "No. Shut up."
Pulling a small chain with a charm out of his pocket, he fastened it around her neck. Her hand flew up to his wrist, her grip hard, eyes open.
"Slayer, slayer, slayer... Have a little faith. I got you a present." Worry flickered across his blue eyes. "Do you like it?"
Turning to look in the mirror, she drew in her breath sharply. Her fingers reached up, but didn't touch the pendant.
It was beautiful. A work in sterling, it was a carefully, painstakingly detailed angel with long hair, and a fiercely determined look on it's face. The thing that brought tears to her eyes was the sapphire heart that the angel was hugging so protectively.
"Oh..." She was awed. In a rare show of affection, she stood, and hugged Spike softly. "Thank you," she whispered, and turned to look at her makeup in the mirror. And again, was shocked. It was pretty, almost smoky looking.
"How," she questioned suspiciously, "do you know how to do makeup?"
"Hey," Spike said defensively, "everybody wore makeup in the 80's. Everybody."
Laughing, she stood, grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
The evening as well as her makeup wore well. They laughed, the Scoobies made toasts with Coke, and for the first time, Dawn felt a part.
A slow song started and Xander asked Buffy to dance. Accepting his hand, she was guided to the floor.
As people paired off, Anya sat, saying, "You all must realize what a good friend I am to Buffy; letting her touch Xander like that." She twitched uneasily.
Spike managed a smile, watching Buffy lay her head on Xander's shoulder, listening as Xander whispered in her ear. Watched as Xander gathered her close, as she squeezed him back, just as tightly. A deep breath, unnecessary, and he reminded himself that they were just friends.
"Wanna dance, Niblet?"
"Umm... Yeah.... Sure..." She giggled as he bent low over her hand.
As they swayed to the music, Spike was shocked at how well Dawn danced in his arms, and how aware the other lechers in the room were of the fact, too. He pulled her very close, moving as little as possible.
Dawn noticed the evil look he gave the other dancers and smiled. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheek and cuddled into him. She gasped softly as, on the other side of the floor, Xander and Buffy leaned toward each other...
"What? Niblet-" Spike tried to turn his head, succeeded against Dawn's restraining hands, until, desperate, she grabbed his face and kissed him, full on the lips.
Xander and Buffy pulled apart, smiled at each other, and walked together to the Scooby table.
Fighting back an intense urge to gag, Dawn waited until Xander and Buffy were walking away, she pulled away, and looked up at Spike shyly.
His face registered shock, horror, and complete confusion. His eyes were huge, his hands out at his sides, fingers spread.
"I... Umm…" she smiled faintly. "Congrats on the baby? Come on... I'm sitting down."
The evening ended, and after they had been home for a bit, Dawn holed up in her room, Buffy asked, "Would you go check on Dawn while I jump in the shower?"
"NO!!!!" Spike's shout reverberated through the house. "I... I mean... she's... A grown little lady, and she deserves her privacy... Not... Not that I'd... hmmm... ever think of her like that... Um... YA know.. All... Ummm.. Grown... and... Womany... and... such... And... Ya know? I think I left something at my crypt. It might take a while to get... so... Um... don't wait up."
As Spike turned and stalked out of the Summer's home, Buffy was already up the stairs, knocking on Dawn's bedroom door. Without waiting for an answer, she walked in. Dawn was sitting on her bed, a toothbrush hanging from her lips, a book in front of her.
"What the hell is going on?" her older sister demanded.
Dawn glared, then replied, "Brushing my teeth at ten minute intervals."
"For... A half an hour?"
"Yeah." Defensively, she turned a page.
"Umm... Ok... I'll bite. Why?"
Giving her sister a droll look, Dawn looked her in the eye and said calmly, "Because I kissed the undead father of your child, your fuck-buddy, the vampire, Spike."
Registering her shock on a scale of one to ten, she had just hit a seventy-three. She blinked. Again.
"Why?"
"So he wouldn't see you kissing Boy #2, Scooby Gang original, engaged to recently human, ex-demon Anya, Xander." 'Goddess of Truth,' she praised herself sarcastically.
Buffy groaned. "You didn't..."
Dawn waved her toothbrush incriminatingly.
"Shit. Ok... Let me tell you what happened..."
The BRONZE tomorrow, I swear, it will be longer. Please bear with me.... I'm helping get the house ready to sell, so I'm really busy. *sniff* I love my house. At 16, one shouldn't be forced to move. SO, please.... just patience. This's my baby. Be kind w/ it.