Dawn giggled on the other end of the phone, "Tell him I said hello!"

"You can tell him yourself." Buffy grinned as she handed the phone to Spike.

"Niblet." Spike spoke into the phone, "I'm guessing I owe you a thanks."

"Yeah, you do." Dawn giggled again, then became serious, "How are you, Spike?"

"I'm good, better then I have been for a long time." He smiled at Buffy as he talked.

"You'll take care of her and the girls right?" Dawn asked.

" Till the end of the world." He answered as Buffy took his hand and gave it a warm squeeze.

"Then I guess this a mutual thank you fest." Dawn's voice was full of happiness.

"Ask why she called?" Buffy whispered from beside him.

"Sis wants to know why you called?"

Dawn answered excitedly, "Carson and I are coming to town next weekend. Make sure that's okay with her, not sure she'll have time for us now that "you're" there." She teased him.

Spike turned to Buffy, "She's coming for a visit. Wants to know if that's okay?"

Buffy leaned into the phone, "That's wonderful. When will you be here?"

"She said next weekend." Spike answered for Dawn.

"I guess I'll let you go, I'll call with more details later in the week. You two have a "nice" evening." Dawn laughed softly as she said her goodbyes.

Spike hung up the phone and turned to Buffy again, "Now where were we?"

She leaned forward catching his bottom lip and lightly nibbling on it, "Just about here....."

His hand inched her shirt up and he began to feel the smooth skin of her tummy.

"Mommy!!" The cry interrupted his ministrations, Spike pulled back.

"Tierney?" Buffy rushed down the hallway to the little girls room.

She found Tierney crying in her bed, "Whats wrong, sweetie?" She held the little girl on her lap.

"Scary." Tierney answered with a sob.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Buffy asked as she smoothed the blond curls back from Tierney's face.

"Uh huh." Tierney nodded as she held her mommy tighter.

"She okay?" Spike asked from the doorway.

"Bad dream." Buffy answered as she gently rocked the little girl.

"It's okay, Tierney." He stepped into the room and patted her back.

"Maybe it was just too much excitement tonight for her. " Buffy continued to rock back and forth as the little girl sniffled against her.

"Maybe I should just go on home, let you take care of her." Spike kissed the top of Buffy's head.

"But...." She gave him a small smile, "I really did have other plans for you."

"I know you did, but that can wait. We said the girls were the priority." He smiled at her as he walked towards the door, "I'll call you tomorrow afternoon, I've got some apartments to look at tomorrow evening and I'll try to stop by after."

"You're sure you're okay with this?" Buffy asked raising her eyebrows.

"I am. We've got plenty of time, Buffy. I'll let myself out and lock the door. Goodnight." He said soflty as he left the room.

"Goodnight." She replied with a sigh.

Tierney finally fell asleep an hour later, an exhausted Buffy crawled into her bed and smiled as she thought about what almost had happened earlier, her smile grew bigger as she fell asleep dreaming of strong arms around her and sweet kisses all over her face.

***

Saturday mornings were special for Buffy, it was the morning she and the girls slept in. When they did wake up they enjoyed a special waffle breakfast and cartoons. Buffy did some laundry and played a game of Candyland with the girls, soon it was lunch time and after the girls decided to play in the sandbox in the backyard. Buffy finished the dishes as she watched them through the kitchen window. Around one o'clock the phone rang, she dried her hands off on a dishtowel and answered it, "Hello."

"Hello, luv. What are you doing?" It was Spike's smooth voice.

She smiled instinctively at the sound, "I'm watching the girls play in the sandbox."

"Sounds fun, Tierney feeling better now?" He asked with genuine concern.

"Yes, she fell asleep about an hour after you left." Buffy leaned against the counter to get comfortable and a better view out the window.

"Good."

"Did you sleep well?" Buffy asked hesitantly still not completely sure he had been okay with how the previous night had ended.

He laughed, "Yeah after a very cold shower." She could almost see the smirk on his face.

"I'm sorry about that." She replied softly.

"I told you it was okay, and it is. Just had to tease you a bit. I'm not worried about when we....I mean it will happen when it should." He assured her.

"So, when do you have to go look at the apartments?"

"I meet the lady at six thirty tonight, it sounds like the perfect place. Two bedrooms and a balcony. I'll have to do some furniture shopping and such."

Buffy grinned into the phone, "Shopping, I can help with that!"

"I knew you could, pet." He laughed again.

The laughter between them was new and nice, they both felt it. After a few minutes more, Spike let her go with the promise of a call after the apartment viewing. She went outside and played with the girls for a bit then brought them inside to lay down and try to take a nap. "Don't want a nap." Brenna complained loudly.

"Then just rest for a few minutes okay?" Buffy told her as she put them in thier beds.

The phone rang and she rushed to answer it, "Hello, Buffy." Giles voice came across the line.

"Giles, I'm really not in the mood to be told how wrong I am." Buffy sighed.

"Good, because I'm not going to tell you that." Giles answered calmly.

"You're not?" Buffy asked surprised.

"No, I think....I think it's time I quit judging what was right and wrong for you. Buffy, you've been an adult for a long time now. I should be trusting you to make adult decisions about who you have in your life." He sighed.

"Even Spike?" She asked unconvinced.

"Even Spike. Now that I've got that out of the way how are the girls?"

Buffy had to laugh at the sudden change of subject but she didn't push him on it, over the years she had learned that this was a typical Giles apology, "The girls are good, they are both napping right now."

After catching up for another thirty minutes, Buffy hung up the phone a smile on her face.

********

Two nights later

"This is beautiful." Buffy held Tierney on her hip as she ran her hand across the foot of the antique cherry sleigh bed.

Spike had found and apartment and was now busy shopping for furnishings. He, Buffy and the girls had stopped at one of Memphis' many antique shops. "It is pretty and look a matching armoire." He held Brenna's hand as he went to inspect the large piece of furniture, "You really like this, Buffy?"

"Yeah, look at the craftsmanship, it's lovely." She sighed wistfully, "It's probably not quite manly enough for you though."

"Hmm..." He mumbled, "Brenna and I are going to look over here, okay?"

Buffy nodded at him as she went to look at a display of depression glass.

"Your wife, she really likes the sleigh bed? I can make you a good deal on it." An older woman stepped from behind the counter.

"She's no ....." Spike caught himself, "Yes, she really likes it. How much for the bed and armoire?"

The saleswoman smiled and quoted him a price, "That's not too much to make her happy is it? "

"I'll take it and thank you." He smiled as he pulled out his wallet, Brenna still tightly holding his hand.

"It will be delivered tomorrow." She told him as she handed him a reciept.

Buffy joined him at the counter, "So what did you decide on?"

"I went with the sleigh bed." He grinned at her.

"We'll throw a masculine bedspread on it and you'll be happy." Buffy grinned back at him.

"You have a lovely family." The saleswoman smiled at the couple in front of her.

Buffy started to explain but noticed that Spike wasn't rushing to correct her, almost at the same instant they both replied, "Thank you."

Once out of the store, Buffy looked at Spike, "It seemed easier to go along with her."

"Yeah, it did." He kissed her cheek, "And I have to admit, it's nice to be thought of as someone's family."

Buffy put Tierney down and took her hand, she took Spike's hand in the free one, "Family is nice."

****

Dawn arrived late Friday night with a sleepy little boy in tow. Spike carried her luggage in for her as Buffy led her to the guest room where she put Carson to bed. They stopped and peeked in at the girls who were already sleeping soundly.

While Spike and Buffy got comfy on the couch, Dawn settled into the chair grinning at both of them, "It's so good to see you two together!"

Buffy smiled shyly, "So Dawn what do you want to do while you're here?"

"I want to babysit my wonderful neices while their mom goes out with her boyfriend for a real date." Dawn smiled brightly.

"You didn't come all this way just to babysit?" Buffy shook her head.

"No, I wanted to see you and the girls and Captain Peroxide over there. But I know you and I bet you haven't spent any time away from the girls together, have you?"

"Well, no but it's okay, I love the girls." Spike started defensively.

"Spike, I know you love the girls. But it would be kind of nice to go out alone, don't you think?"

Buffy took his hand and began to rub small circles with her thumb across his knuckles.

"Well, dinner might be nice." He warmed up to the idea quickly.

"And then maybe back to your place to see the new furniture?" Buffy added her eyes wide.

"And then maybe we could try out the....." Spike stopped midsentence as Dawn cleared he throat to remind them she was still there, "Yes, a night out would be nice. Thanks Dawn."

"Your welcome, and you can stay out as late as you want, all night even." She gave them a wink.

Spike stood up, "I suppose I should go, leave you two to the gossip. I'll be back tomorrow night."

He kissed Buffy lightly and then hugged Dawn before he left.

"Okay, big sis it's time to spill!" Dawn laughed as she joined Buffy on the couch.

TBC