A/N: This will probably be the last part for a little while, my daughter's wedding is June 21rst. So I am busy, busy ~ Andra

Buffy pulled away from Spike and faced Brenna who was now pointing at Buffy and Spike as Tierney came to stand beside her. Tierney was grinning now, "Kiss?"

Brenna nodded her head enthusiastically, "Brenna, you are so silly, come here you two." She knelt down on the floor and held her arms out for the girls to come give her a hug.

"Mr. Spike kissed you, mommy." Brenna mumbled from her place pressed against her moms shoulder peeking at Spike standing close by, she grinned at him.

"Yes, he did." Buffy pulled the little girl back a bit and looked in her eyes, "Is that okay?"

"Uh huh!" Brenna nodded.

"And you, sweet bit?" Spike asked Tierney as he knelt beside them.

"Um huh." Tierney grinned as she wrapped chubby arms around his neck.

"Then it's settled." He smiled and winked at Buffy.

"Well, at least part of it." Buffy grinned back, "Now, I guess we should all go finish supper."

Brenna took one of her mom's hand and Tierney took the other. As Spike walked behind them he was glad that unlike Angel his soul was anchored, because as Brenna looked over her shoulder at him and offered her free hand, he was sure that classified as a moment of true happiness. He grasped her small hand in his and walked to the kitchen.

"Here is a salad for mommy." Spike took the grilled chicken salad from the bag," and a burger for me."

"Come on girls, you need to finish your food." Buffy encouraged them as she sat down next to Spike and began to eat her salad.

"Finish it all and we'll read a book before I have to go."

"Goodie!" The girls called out and began to finish their meals.

Spike watched them with a smile on his face, he'd never thought much about children, but these two had certainly claimed his heart already. He glanced at Buffy who was watching him interact with the girls and grinning, that had to be a good sign.

"Okay, I'll clean this up and you can go listen to a story." Buffy told them as she began to clear the table.

Spike and the girls headed into the livingroom where they chose a book, Buffy could hear his comforting voice in the kitchen and it made her feel safe and warm. Sure she had to hit the streets tomorrow for a job search, but now listening to Spike reading a Winnie the Pooh book and her girls sweet giggles was enough to make her happier then she had been in a long while.

"The End." Spike's words signaled the end of the book.

"Now it's time for little girls to go get ready for a bath." Buffy called from the kitchen doorway where she was leaning watching them.

"Mommy!" Brenna whined.

"Brennnnnnnnaaa" Buffy whined back at her, "go and get your jammies laid out and I'll be in to run your bathwater in a few minutes."

"Okay, bye Mr. Spike." Brenna called to him as she left the room.

"Bye, Mr. Spike." Tierney copied her sister as she followed her down the hallway.

"I think that's my cue to leave." He stood and reached for his coat.

"I better get some sleep tonight, it's job hunting Buffy tomorrow. At least I'm paid till tomorow on daycare." She sighed and suddenly leaned into his chest resting her head there.

He was happily surprised at her action and promptly began to run his hand over her hair, "I'm sorry about that."

"It really wasn't your fault, I would have hit him anyway." She giggled softly against him and it sent a shiver through him.

"I better go." He pulled away from her and grinned, "Can Mr. Spike kiss mommy again?"

"He better." She returned his grin before he leaned towards her and this time lips parted, and they explored each other as if it was the first time, yet something so familiar brought back a flood of passionate memories for both.

Buffy finally pulled away to breathe, "Wow!"

"Yeah, wow!" He agreed, "Now, I'm leaving or I'll never go."

"Come by tomorrow night and I'll let you know how the job hunting went." She walked him to the door her hand clasping his hesitant to let go of him.

"See you then, good luck. I'm going to start looking for a place tonight."

"That sounds good." She let go of his hand, "Talk to you soon."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead, "Goodnight."

She stood at the door and watched him leave. Her silent reverie was interrupted by the sound of bathwater running. She ran down the hallway and found the girls in the bathroom. "Let me adjust that water for you, you could get burned." She scolded them.

"Like mommy?" Brenna asked as she pulled the bubble bath from under the sink.

"Like mommy." Buffy looked down at the faint white burn scars on her hand,another memory from long ago, "Now lets get you two in the tub."

****

Morning came bright and early, Buffy hit the off button on the alarm and lay in the bed for a few moments. She was going to drop the girls at daycare and start combing the want ads for a job. She sighed as she went to shower, job hunting was never fun.

"Jan, today will probably be the girls last day for awhile, I...I kind of lost my job, so I'm looking for a new one today." Buffy explained as she handed the girls backpacks to the daycare owner.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Buffy. It's none of my business but did Jim Brannon try anything with you?" Jan asked a frown on her face.

Buffy flushed slightly and nodded in affirmation.

"I don't know how you lasted that long with him, he has a terrible reputation." Jan smiled at Buffy, "But his loss may be my gain."

Buffy looked confused, "Pardon?"

"Lydia who runs the office for the daycare is moving at the end of next week, so I have a secretarial position open." The older woman smiled.

"Really? I'd love that!" Buffy grinned.

"I don't think I can pay as much as Brannon did, but, there are some perks to working here, for instance, your children's daycare is free." Jan led Buffy into a small office.

"That would be wonderful, Jan." Buffy fought back a tear, maybe things were going to be better.

"This is Lydia and she'll start training you on Monday if that's okay?" Jan gestured towards a pretty girl sitting at the desk.

"I'd be happy to train you." Lydia smiled.

"Let's get some details worked out and then I'll see you Monday." Jan offered Buffy a chair.

Buffy left the daycare feeling lighter, she had a job and she could be near her children. What could be more perfect? She wanted to share her good news and even though it was still early she found herself on the road to the hotel where Spike was staying. She parked in front of the hotel hesitating for a few moments before getting out the car and walking to his room.

Spike was startled from his sleep by a soft knocking on his room door, pushing the covers aside he called out sleepily, "Be right there." He pulled on a pair of sweat pants and went to the door he opened it cautiously, "Buffy?" He opened the door a bit wider and let her in.

"Sorry to wake you." She suddenly felt quite shy as she stared at his bare chest, "I should go, let you rest."

"No, I needed to get up anyway. I found some apartments to look at in the paper last night, need to call to make some appointments for tonight. Is everything okay? The girls?" He asked concern heavy in his voice.

"The girls are good, I'm good, in fact I have good news. I've already found a job!"

"Tell me all about it, sit." He patted the bed beside him.

She sat down and excitedly explained about the job. He listened to her every word smiling at ther excitement, "That's perfect for you."

"Yes, it is. I just feel so good, like everything is going right for a change." She took his hand in hers, "Thank you."

"Me? You did this on your own." He rubbed his thumb across her knuckle staring at her beautiful, scarred hand. Scarred hand? "Buffy, how, when did this happen?" He held her hand up looking at the pale scars.

"That night, Spike. When I took your hand in mine, funny I saw the flames, but I didn't feel them. I didn't even realize I was burned till hours later." She gave him a half smile.

"I guess we both have scars from that night," He held out his own hand for her.

Buffy took a closer look at his hand, it held pale scars matching her own, "You kept the scars even after you came back?"

"Yeah, the one above my eye and these on my hand." He shrugged,"don't know why."

"I kept wanting to believe that you survived somehow, I missed you for so long." She leaned back against the headboard.

"I missed you too, all these years, I thought about you everyday." He stretched out on the bed beside her tilting his head so that it touched hers ever so lightly. He reached for her scarred hand and held it tightly in his own. "You said something to me yesterday about not picking at old wounds. Do you really think we can do that?" He brought her hand to his lips

and placed a kiss in her palm.

"Honestly I don't know....." She squeezed his hand, "I do know that I want to try though. Are you sure you're ready to take on the girls? I'm a package deal now you know."

"Terrifies me , but that's nothing new." He smiled as he put his hand to her cheek, "But it's going to be worth it."

"So I still have the ability to terrify you, that's something." She leaned over and placed a light kiss on his lips.

The kiss grew in it's intensity within minutes, as hands roamed freely, small sighs escaped from them both as they lost themself in the moment. Spike sighed loudly and pulled away suddenly.

"What?" Buffy asked worry shone in her face.

"As much as I would love to finish this," he raised his eyebrow at her meaningfully, "I....I want to to do this properly, no rushing just like you said last night. We know we're good at this part of a relationship, lets give ourselves time to get good at the other parts." He held his non breath waiting for her reply.

She smiled the sweetest smile then, "You mean that don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. Gonna do it right this time." He disentangled himself from her and stood up.

"Thank you...for caring so much." She kissed his cheek, " I noticed that the fair is starting tonight, would you like to go with the girls and I. It's not much of a date but....it could be fun." She stood up and reached for her purse.

"I'd love that, I'll come by at dark." He walked her to the door, kissing her briefly before closing it behind her. A smile lit his face.

Spike spent the afternoon on the phone with realtors and apartment managers, he had found two places close to Buffy and had appointments the next evening to see them. He had also circled another listing in the paper, a four bedroom with a large yard, he knew they were taking it slow, but as soon as he had seen the ad he knew he had to at least see it.

Buffy went home to make some phone calls, first to Dawn who was very excited to hear that she was giving Spike a chance. The second was a call she dreaded to make but she had to have some answers from him, she dialed Gile's number nervously. After three rings his machine picked up, she left him a message, "Giles, this is Buffy. I need to talk to you. I'll call back tomorrow."

She picked the girls up from daycare and let them in on the plans for the fair. They giggled with excitement all the way home. "Let's have a quick supper and then you can have dessert at the fair!"

"What kind of dessert?" Brenna asked as she finished her sandwich and milk.

"Candied apples, cotton candy, funnel cake or kettle corn. Lots of good stuff." Buffy answered as she cleaned up Tierney's face.

"Tierney let's go change your clothes you have kool aid on your shirt." Buffy led the little girl out of the kitchen in time to get the door.

"Are we ready for the fair?" Spike asked as he entered the house.

"Yep!" Tierney grinned at him, "Candy apples."

Brenna came into the living room chanting, "We're going to the fair!"

"I told them they could have dessert at the fair." Buffy explained as she took Tierney's hand, "I've got to go change her shirt before we go, I'll be right back."

Brenna sat beside Spike on the couch, "Have you been to a fair before?"

"Yes, I've been to lots of fairs. Have you been to a fair before?"

"I don't 'member, maybe when I was little." Brenna told him with a grin.

"Oh, that long ago, huh?" He laughed softly.

Brenna nodded her head and smiled, "Mommy says it's lots of fun."

The phone rang and Buffy called from the bedroom, "Spike, could you please get that?"

"Sure." He called back as he picked up the phone, "Hello."

There was no answer on the other end, "Hello." Spike repeated.

"With whom am I speaking?" The caller asked.

"Who do you think it is, Rupert?" Spike answered with a smirk.

"It can't be who I think it is, he's dead...has been for years." Giles sighed loudly into the phone.

"Funny thing about that." Spike began to speak but was soon interrupted by Buffy returning to the room.

"Who is it?" She asked as she sat Tierney on the couch and began to change her shoes.

"Giles." He handed her the phone and took over shoe duty.

"Giles, this is Buffy."

"Buffy, was that really Spike? Is that why you needed to talk to me? How..when..how is he there?"

Giles strung the questions together.

"Yes it's Spike. He really is here, and yes, that's partly why I needed to talk to you. But mainly I wanted to know why you've been lying to Angel all these years. You let him believe that David was still alive, that we were living happily ever after. Why, Giles?" Buffy's voice broke softly.

"It was for you, dear. As long as Angel thought you were happy, he stayed away, if he had known that you were widowed he would have felt like he had to come and help you. You don't need Angel in your life again and you most definitely don't need Spike in it! Have you learned nothing, Buffy?"

Giles sighed again and reached for his glasses.

Buffy could almost hear him cleaning his glasses, "So it was you trying to teach me another lesson, like when you and Wood set up Spike to kill him for my own good? I believe that was before he sacrificed himself to save us all, wasn't it?"

"Buffy, I do realize that he did sacrifice himself, but that does not mean he is any better for you now than he was then. I realize you have a soft spot for him but really you have the girls to think about now." Giles tried to reason with her.

"The girls already love him, he reads to them and really listens when they talk to him. This is my decision to make, Giles. I can't talk to you now, I'm taking the girls to the fair."

"With Spike?" Giles asked dissproval in his voice.

"Yes, with Spike. I'll talk to you later." She hung up the phone and swallowed the lump in her throat. Why couldn't he understand?

TBC