CHAPTER TWO
Joy stood outside the car rental office keeping watch on their luggage while Will sorted out the car rental, the weather was warm and she felt sick. It was time to face her dad, but looking through the large glass window to the office she knew it was worth it.
The flight had been long, hot and sticky, but both Will and Joy wanted it to last longer, so that they could enjoy being happy rather than arguing with their parents.
Will strode out of the office car keys in hand, "Right your house first then." The young couple walked off towards the red convertible.
~*~
Joy tapped her fingers on the dashboard as they pulled into the road where her dad lived she looked at Will.
"I think you should wait in the car while I talk to him, k?" Joy said as the car stopped.
"Honey your dad can't be that bad, so he's a little too protective but I'm sure when he see's how much I love you he'll be happy for us."
Joy gave him a half smile, knowing that soon enough Will would understand what she meant about her dad. She stepped out of the car and Will watched as she headed up the path.
~*~
"Daddy?" Joy shouted as she pushed the door open and walked into the house, "Daddy."
Her father stepped out in front of his daughter causing her to jump back. Her dad was always creeping up on people, but he only ever did it when he was mad with her. Sure enough when she looked at him she saw his angry scowl.
"Hello Joyce." he said pulling a smoke from the packet and lighting it.
Joy sighed, he was mad, calling her Joyce that always meant something big. Like the time he found her making out with Mark Foundry in the cemetery one night in her freshman year.
"Hi daddy." She said pulling him into her arms, his expression softened, he could never stay mad at his little girl.
The man looked around the room searching for the man that thought he was good enough for his baby.
"So this bloody poof not man enough to come face me then pet?"
He knew he'd pushed it too far when he saw the flash of anger in his daughter's eyes, she was a passionate and stubborn girl and she got that off him so he could read the emotions.
"You haven't even met him! He's outside I told him to wait there while I sort you out." Joy shouted.
"Sort me out? Joy I love you but I don't want you to do this." Spike scoffed at her.
"Well I am."
"Even if I tell you I can't?"
"Daddy you always taught me that woman were strong and beautiful, I want to do this and I will. But I want you to be there with me, you wouldn't let your little bit down would you?" Joy said in a calmer manner than before, she moved onto the sofa and her dad followed her.
He looked into her eyes, he saw an amazing young woman there but he still desperately searched for his little girl.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm in love and it's a love that burns and consumes just like you always told me I deserved. I found it Daddy."
Joy noticed how this seemed to work, a look of calm passed over her fathers face. But it soon changed to a look of longing, a look of despair. Joy had seen it before, it was the same every time she asked him about how what he was like before he met her mom.
Joy reached for his hand, "Now if you promise to be nice we'll go out to the car." She grabbed his bag and headed towards the door.
"I'll promise to try." Spike said, "Not try very hard mind." He added under his breath.
~*~
Will noticed the door open and saw Joy coming through it, smiling, that had to be a good sign. Then he saw his father-in-law to be behind her, Will looked at him, he didn't look too tough.
The man was scowling as he approached the car, scowling right at Will. Joy tossed her fathers bags on to the back seat of the car.
"Dad this is Will." Joy said motioning towards the young man sat in the driver's seat.
The man looked at Will, didn't look like a drug dealer or a wife beater, but you can never tell.
"You can call me Spike." He said as he jumped on to the back seat.
Joy's head shot round and her eyes stared at her father, Will was confused. "You promised!" She shouted.
"What?" Spike asked smirking at his daughter.
"You know what no one ever calls you Spike anymore, well unless you hate them or they hate you."
"Just reliving my youth sweetheart." He told her, keeping a close eye on Will.
Will shifted in his chair, feeling Spike's eyes on the back of his neck. His mom had told him a lot of scary stuff about Sunnydale and the things that lived there but he had never been as scared as this. In fact he wondered if Spike was a vampire, but then he'd just seen him walk to the car in perfect sun.
'Maybe he was another sort of demon then' Will thought as he pulled out of the street.
The silence was murder, Will really wanted to talk to Spike if only for Joy sake but he had the distinct feeling that nothing he could say would do. As thoughts of possible conversations filled his mind Spike spoke.
"Right you know I don't like this but I have to hear it, do you love Joy?" Spike asked breaking the silence.
Will looked up so that he could meet Spike's eye in the rear view mirror, "Yes I do. I can't tell you how much because my love for Joy is beyond comprehension."
Spike was about to laugh at the nancy boy in front of him when he saw the look that came onto Joy's face, he let it drop she was happy.
Joy, his Joy had grown up and fallen in love and he could see she was right it was a love that burnt and consumed, he just hoped that it worked for then. And if it didn't he would rip Will's throat out.
FLASHBACK
Spike walked up the stairs and saw that his bedroom door was open, 'Joy' he thought as he walked in.
He saw his daughter sat on at the end of his bed holding a small picture in her hand, she had his wooden box open in front of her.
"Always the noisy one pet." He said as he bent down to take the picture off his five-year-old daughter.
Her big blue eyes looked up at him, "Daddy I'm sorry I know you said this was private but.." She trailed off not being able to think of a suitable excuse.
"It's ok pet." He said packing his things back up into the box.
"Who is she Daddy? She's pretty."
Spike looked at her, what should he say, 'the only woman I ever really loved.' No that would lead to far too many 'What about mommy' questions.
"Just someone Daddy use to know sweet."
Joy started to skip out from the room, but she turned and said, "On day I'm going to be that pretty Daddy."
END OF FLASHBACK
The rest of the journey they didn't talk much, Joy thought that best because she knew her father wouldn't be able to hold his tongue. He had seemed to except the situation, but then again her father was known for his angry outbursts.
~*~
Spike had spent the whole trip lost in his own thoughts, thoughts of his baby when she was a baby, thoughts of her mother, thoughts of his own love that burned and consumed.
So caught up in these thoughts that he didn't notice where the car was taking him, the familiar roads didn't strike any recognition in his mind. Spike didn't even notice the large and colourful 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign that he use to love to hate as they passed it.
Joy turned in her seat to face Spike, "We're staying here Dad, we thought you could get settled in while we go and see Will's mom. Then maybe tomorrow you could meet her."
Spike nodded, he knew why Joy didn't want him to meet Will's mom just yet, he'd only try and get her on side to stop the wedding.
"Great are you staying with her?" Spike asked.
"No, Will's mom's got a good sized house but it's always full of people." Joy explained.
Spike nodded.
The car stopped outside a motel and Spike got out of the car grabbing his bags.
He watched as the car pulled out of the parking lot, he had no idea where he was. As he made his way to reception he wondered to himself what Will's mother was like.
TBC.
Joy stood outside the car rental office keeping watch on their luggage while Will sorted out the car rental, the weather was warm and she felt sick. It was time to face her dad, but looking through the large glass window to the office she knew it was worth it.
The flight had been long, hot and sticky, but both Will and Joy wanted it to last longer, so that they could enjoy being happy rather than arguing with their parents.
Will strode out of the office car keys in hand, "Right your house first then." The young couple walked off towards the red convertible.
~*~
Joy tapped her fingers on the dashboard as they pulled into the road where her dad lived she looked at Will.
"I think you should wait in the car while I talk to him, k?" Joy said as the car stopped.
"Honey your dad can't be that bad, so he's a little too protective but I'm sure when he see's how much I love you he'll be happy for us."
Joy gave him a half smile, knowing that soon enough Will would understand what she meant about her dad. She stepped out of the car and Will watched as she headed up the path.
~*~
"Daddy?" Joy shouted as she pushed the door open and walked into the house, "Daddy."
Her father stepped out in front of his daughter causing her to jump back. Her dad was always creeping up on people, but he only ever did it when he was mad with her. Sure enough when she looked at him she saw his angry scowl.
"Hello Joyce." he said pulling a smoke from the packet and lighting it.
Joy sighed, he was mad, calling her Joyce that always meant something big. Like the time he found her making out with Mark Foundry in the cemetery one night in her freshman year.
"Hi daddy." She said pulling him into her arms, his expression softened, he could never stay mad at his little girl.
The man looked around the room searching for the man that thought he was good enough for his baby.
"So this bloody poof not man enough to come face me then pet?"
He knew he'd pushed it too far when he saw the flash of anger in his daughter's eyes, she was a passionate and stubborn girl and she got that off him so he could read the emotions.
"You haven't even met him! He's outside I told him to wait there while I sort you out." Joy shouted.
"Sort me out? Joy I love you but I don't want you to do this." Spike scoffed at her.
"Well I am."
"Even if I tell you I can't?"
"Daddy you always taught me that woman were strong and beautiful, I want to do this and I will. But I want you to be there with me, you wouldn't let your little bit down would you?" Joy said in a calmer manner than before, she moved onto the sofa and her dad followed her.
He looked into her eyes, he saw an amazing young woman there but he still desperately searched for his little girl.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm in love and it's a love that burns and consumes just like you always told me I deserved. I found it Daddy."
Joy noticed how this seemed to work, a look of calm passed over her fathers face. But it soon changed to a look of longing, a look of despair. Joy had seen it before, it was the same every time she asked him about how what he was like before he met her mom.
Joy reached for his hand, "Now if you promise to be nice we'll go out to the car." She grabbed his bag and headed towards the door.
"I'll promise to try." Spike said, "Not try very hard mind." He added under his breath.
~*~
Will noticed the door open and saw Joy coming through it, smiling, that had to be a good sign. Then he saw his father-in-law to be behind her, Will looked at him, he didn't look too tough.
The man was scowling as he approached the car, scowling right at Will. Joy tossed her fathers bags on to the back seat of the car.
"Dad this is Will." Joy said motioning towards the young man sat in the driver's seat.
The man looked at Will, didn't look like a drug dealer or a wife beater, but you can never tell.
"You can call me Spike." He said as he jumped on to the back seat.
Joy's head shot round and her eyes stared at her father, Will was confused. "You promised!" She shouted.
"What?" Spike asked smirking at his daughter.
"You know what no one ever calls you Spike anymore, well unless you hate them or they hate you."
"Just reliving my youth sweetheart." He told her, keeping a close eye on Will.
Will shifted in his chair, feeling Spike's eyes on the back of his neck. His mom had told him a lot of scary stuff about Sunnydale and the things that lived there but he had never been as scared as this. In fact he wondered if Spike was a vampire, but then he'd just seen him walk to the car in perfect sun.
'Maybe he was another sort of demon then' Will thought as he pulled out of the street.
The silence was murder, Will really wanted to talk to Spike if only for Joy sake but he had the distinct feeling that nothing he could say would do. As thoughts of possible conversations filled his mind Spike spoke.
"Right you know I don't like this but I have to hear it, do you love Joy?" Spike asked breaking the silence.
Will looked up so that he could meet Spike's eye in the rear view mirror, "Yes I do. I can't tell you how much because my love for Joy is beyond comprehension."
Spike was about to laugh at the nancy boy in front of him when he saw the look that came onto Joy's face, he let it drop she was happy.
Joy, his Joy had grown up and fallen in love and he could see she was right it was a love that burnt and consumed, he just hoped that it worked for then. And if it didn't he would rip Will's throat out.
FLASHBACK
Spike walked up the stairs and saw that his bedroom door was open, 'Joy' he thought as he walked in.
He saw his daughter sat on at the end of his bed holding a small picture in her hand, she had his wooden box open in front of her.
"Always the noisy one pet." He said as he bent down to take the picture off his five-year-old daughter.
Her big blue eyes looked up at him, "Daddy I'm sorry I know you said this was private but.." She trailed off not being able to think of a suitable excuse.
"It's ok pet." He said packing his things back up into the box.
"Who is she Daddy? She's pretty."
Spike looked at her, what should he say, 'the only woman I ever really loved.' No that would lead to far too many 'What about mommy' questions.
"Just someone Daddy use to know sweet."
Joy started to skip out from the room, but she turned and said, "On day I'm going to be that pretty Daddy."
END OF FLASHBACK
The rest of the journey they didn't talk much, Joy thought that best because she knew her father wouldn't be able to hold his tongue. He had seemed to except the situation, but then again her father was known for his angry outbursts.
~*~
Spike had spent the whole trip lost in his own thoughts, thoughts of his baby when she was a baby, thoughts of her mother, thoughts of his own love that burned and consumed.
So caught up in these thoughts that he didn't notice where the car was taking him, the familiar roads didn't strike any recognition in his mind. Spike didn't even notice the large and colourful 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign that he use to love to hate as they passed it.
Joy turned in her seat to face Spike, "We're staying here Dad, we thought you could get settled in while we go and see Will's mom. Then maybe tomorrow you could meet her."
Spike nodded, he knew why Joy didn't want him to meet Will's mom just yet, he'd only try and get her on side to stop the wedding.
"Great are you staying with her?" Spike asked.
"No, Will's mom's got a good sized house but it's always full of people." Joy explained.
Spike nodded.
The car stopped outside a motel and Spike got out of the car grabbing his bags.
He watched as the car pulled out of the parking lot, he had no idea where he was. As he made his way to reception he wondered to himself what Will's mother was like.
TBC.