Sorry it took me so long to update. Real life had gotten really crazy between work, illness, burns, roommates. . .everything!! So, I'm really really sorry.

Anyway, I know I've kept you waiting a long time, but this is a short chapter. . .kind of to set up what's going to happen (also to get me back into the swing of things). Other chapters should follow shortly.

Thanks and enjoy!!

41. Hopeless

DAY 21

Spike stood in front of the large wooden door and lifted a trembling hand to knock on it. He couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd been more nervous.

"Come in," a soft voice called from the other side of the door, beckoning him to enter.

Spike poked his head inside and searched the room for the woman he desperately needed to speak with. "Joyce?"

The woman's head popped up from her notes, her eyes resting on the young British man before her. "Oh. Hello Spike."

Spike grinned weakly in her direction and entered the room, taking a seat on the couch in the center of the floor. Leaning forward on his knees, he looked down at his own hands, afraid of meeting the camp director's disapproving gaze. He took a deep breath and began to speak. "Ms. Summers, before I begin I think I ought to . . ."

"Apologize?" she piped in before he had a chance to finish. Joyce rose from her place at the desk and joined Spike on the couch.

The young man tensed even further when he felt the couch give-in from the added weight. "Yeah," he said sheepishly.

"No need." Joyce patted his hand lightly. "I mean, thank you. . .but I think I may have overreacted slightly that night at the lake."

Spike's eyes went wide and he turned to her, a look of sheer disbelief plastered across his handsome features. "What? No, you were right. It was inappropriate and we were way out of line."

Joyce let out an airy laugh, and waved her hand in his direction. "No more out of line than I was when I led the entire counseling staff on a midnight streaking of the campgrounds when I was your age."

Spike's mouth dropped open, still unable to comprehend the woman's words.

"What? You don't honestly think I was always this uptight do you?" She held her hand up. "Don't answer that." Taking a deep breath, Joyce rose to her feet and walked over to the wall of photos opposite the couch. "I guess I just forgot what it was like to be young and in love." On the last word, she turned around and shot Spike a knowing look, before returning to the pictures.

Spike's eyes darted back to his hands. "Yah. . .about that-"

"Are you and Buffy 'off' again?" Joyce asked quietly, as she poured water from the kettle into a big white Sunny-D mug.

Spike shrugged and began pulling at his fingernails. "I guess you could say that."

"Who's fault is it this time?" She took a seat on the couch and placed the hot cup of cocoa on the table in front of Spike.

His eyes lit up at the gesture and he quickly lifted the cup to his lips, slurping up one of the mini-marshmallows he loved so much. "Hers. . .mine. . .ours. It's hard to say," he explained between gulps. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Although, I think, towards the end, it was mine."

Joyce nodded and rested one arm along the back of the couch. "At least you'll admit that much. Most men will never admit they're wrong about anything."

Spike chuckled and grinned at the woman beside him. "So what do I do?"

She patted him on the shoulder lightly. "Well, that depends on what you did? How do I know that it wasn't something completely awful? That you're not a lousy creep I don't want my daughter mixed up with?" Joyce had to repress a laugh when Spike looked up at her with pain-filled eyes, and a hot cocoa mustache. "I take that back," she said, using her sleeve to wipe the mess from his mouth. "If I know Buffy - and I do - I'd say that she's not going to let you get away with anything too easily. Especially after how stubborn she'd been about getting together with you in the first place." Off of another one of Spike's disbelieving stares, she shook her head and continued. "What? You think I haven't been pushing for this relationship since the day you got out of the airport van? I know my daughter, as much as she hates to admit it," she said, lifting her hands in concession, before dropping them to her lap, "and I know my counselors. I had you two pegged the second you signed your contract."

Spike laughed and rested back against the couch. "So what do you suggest . . .oh wise one?"

"Think big," Joyce replied, poked her finger to his chest for emphasis. "Buffy likes grand gestures. No little bottle of bubbles or flowers will cut it this time."

"How did you. . .?" Spike asked in bewilderment, before shaking his head. "Never mind. I'll just accept the fact that you know all."

"And don't you forget it," she said, slapping his knee playfully. "So go on, get out of here." She rose from the couch and pulled him to his feet. "And go think big!"

"But I don't. . ."

Joyce pushed him towards the door. "That's all you're getting out of me."

Spike pouted slightly and opened the door to exit.

"And Spike," she said, halting his retreat. "Don't forget that the end of session banquet is in two days. You'll want to look sharp."

Spike grinned widely and nodded in her direction.

"Are you planning anything for the post-dinner festivities in the theater?"

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing really," Joyce shrugged innocently. "It's just that, some of the classes put together a little something. . .special. . .for the rest of the camp. You know. . .as a surprise."

Spike furrowed his brows at the woman and shook his head again. "I still don't. . ."

Joyce let out an exasperated sigh, much like one her daughter would make. "Goodbye Spike." She pushed him the rest of the way out of the door before closing it behind him. "Hopeless," she said with a sigh before moving further into her room. "They are all hopeless."

------------------------------------

"What do you mean, you don't get it?" the angry brunette asked, fuming at her boyfriend.

"I'm just saying that Buffy was out of line, and I understand why Spike decided to take a step back," Xander said, explaining his position. He and Cordy had been having the 'Buffy versus Spike' debate for the last half an hour behind his cabin. At the moment, he seemed to be losing.

"Of course you do!" Cordelia exclaimed in exasperation. "Just like a man. . .take the guy's side. What about your precious Buffy?"

Xander rolled his eyes at his girlfriend. "Well, little Buffy got herself a little drunk," he said, drawing out the word 'little' in a high-pitched voice. "I mean, can you really blame Spike for wanting to get off the roller coaster before the cart completely flew off the track?"

"Oh, and Spike is sooooo innocent." Cordelia took a step away from Xander and placed her hands on her hips. "You were there Xander. You know, when he nearly blew chunks all over the floor of the Bronze after screaming obscenities into a karaoke mic."

Xander took a step towards his girlfriend, and spoke in a soft, even tone. "That was a long time ago, Cordy. That was before . . ."

"A long time?" she asked in disbelief. "It was a week, Xander. One. Week."

"Camp time sweetie," he said, patting her head in a condescending manner. "You know the drill."

Cordy let out a groan and smacked his hand away. "Whatever. Like that matters anyway, ALEXANDER, they both screwed up. I just can't believe you're taking his side over Buffy's."

"I'm not taking anyone's side Cordelia. Why can't we just go back to what we were doing before?" He batted his eyelashes at the angry woman and pulled her closely to him.

Cordelia felt her resistance waver as Xander placed light kisses up and down her collarbone.

Xander inhaled her scent deeply and hugged her flush against his body. "See," he whispered softly into her ear, "isn't this nicer than fighting over a stupid-"

Cordelia snapped to attention and pushed him away. "It is NOT stupid. You guys keep pushing and pushing for what you want, then the second you get it, you don't want it anymore. And then you're off playing footsie with skinny redheads under the table!"

"Cordy, I already explained that Willow and I were just goofing around. It was completely innocent." Xander grabbed Cordelia's hands trying to make her understand that what she had seen earlier that day was NOT what it looked like. He and Willow were just tormenting her campers. Sometime during the first session they had gone from thinking Willow and Spike were an item, to convincing themselves that Willow and Xander were engaged.

"Don't you think I know that?" Cordy spat, dropping Xander's hands. "Like she could ever steal you away from me anyway!" Cordy flipped her hair and smoothed her blue tank top over her skin.

Xander froze and eyed his girlfriend curiously. "What is this really about Cordy? Cuz I know you're really not that vested in other people's relationships. That would defeat the whole 'Cordy first' policy you have going on. And, like you just said, you're not threatened by Willow. So, what gives?"

"What gives? WHAT GIVES? First of all, I resent that you think I'm so self-centered not to care about the well-being of my good friend Buffy." When Xander scoffed at that remark, Cordelia's eyes flashed and she poked him sharply in the chest. "I'm talking. It's my turn now." She brushed away the hair that had fallen into her eyes. "Second of all, I would think that you would know by know that . . ."

"Hey guys, is this a bad time?"

Cordy and Xander both turned to see Spike standing on the back steps of Xander's cabin, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets.

"Oh. . .look who it is Xander," Cordelia drawled sweetly. "It's the soulless thing who left Buffy heartbroken."

"Cordy-" Xander said, trying to silence his girlfriend. He hadn't talked to Spike about what had happened, but by the look of him, he could tell that he wasn't in the best shape.

"There you go again, defending him! I am soooo out of here." With that, Cordelia stomped off in the direction of her own cabin, leaving Spike and Xander standing in silence.

"I take it, by her reaction, that you already know about me and Buffy," Spike said sheepishly, slumping down on the steps.

"Are you kidding?" Xander asked, taking a seat beside his friend. "The whole staff knows about it. It's the hottest gossip of the moment. You know, ever since the whole, 'Jonathan peeing in the pool' incident died down."

"I heard about that. I didn't even know we had a pool." Spike said, looking at Xander quizzically.

"Me neither," Xander said with a shrug. "But that's a different story. So you and the Buffster off again, huh?"

"Same with you and the Queen-C, from the looks of it." Spike tilted his head in the direction of Cordelia's exit and raised an eyebrow at his friend.

Xander nodded rapidly. "Yeah, girls are weird."

"Tell me about it," Spike said with a sigh, letting his face drop into his hands. He pushed his palms into his eyes and rubbed them for a few seconds before returning his gaze to Xander. "But no matter. I think we need to take some action. Do some sort of grand gesture," he added, waving his hands around.

"Got something in mind?" Xander asked curiously, eyeing the Brit with new found interest.

"I may have a few ideas," Spike said with a smirk. "But I need your help. . .and Oz's too."

Xander rubbed his hands together conspiratorially. "So what's this plan of yours?"