A/N : Usually I update this fic and my other fic alternately but I just felt like writing more of this story first. Thanx to everyone who reviewed, as always I appreciate it a lot. Here's the latest chapter, hope you like it and I apologise in advance for the cliffhanger ending, I know how much it annoys you all, but I promise to update again as soon as possible.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 24 - The Truth's Out
The day ran smoothly for the Scooby gang. It was filled with the normal classes, talking, studying and messing around, along with the not quite so normal, but very enjoyable, kissing sessions.
As planned all four of them made time to visit the library to see Giles and wish him well in his engagement to Jessica. Apparently, the wedding would be in a few months and then Giles would move in with his ready made family. Spike seemed happy, Giles seemed happy, her friends seemed happy - that was all Buffy noticed and all she cared about, and the fact she was happy too? A great little bonus.
The only thing that had her wondering, a little uncomfortably actually, was what Spike and Willow were saying to each other behind that book shelf...
"Hey Red" Spike greeted his friend, causing her to jump as she hadn't known he was there.
"Spike, you okay?" she asked as she turned from the books she was looking at to face him.
"Yeah" he nodded "I just wanted to say thanks for last night"
"Well, I didn't really do anything" Willow smiled, going back to the book shelf.
"But you did" the bleach blond persisted "more than you know. Thing is, I never really had friends" he said somewhat sadly, studying his boots and the floor in front of him, "actually, don't tell anyone this but I've only had one real girlfriend, and that relationship went to hell" he paused before continuing slightly less sadly "anyway, if you hadn't put me straight on a few things yesterday, I might have given up, and I wouldn't have the amazing girlfriend that I have now" he smiled as he looked past the book shelf at the blonde in question, Buffy, his Slayer.
"You would have been with her" Willow told him "maybe not now but eventually, you're just made for each other"
"Like you and the Wh...Xander" Spike amended, remembering his semi-truce with Xander and really not wanting to upset his witch friend by insulting her bloke.
"Yeah, well, I hope so" she smiled, looking over at the brunette she loved so much.
"Trust me Will" Spike said seriously, placing his hand on her arm "you two are for life"
That made her smile too. It was only when Spike moved to walk away that she realised something...
"Hey" she called "you just called me Will, not Red"
"So I did" Spike realised as he replayed his words in his own head "guess I should get used to it too, calling you by your proper name, I have to learn to call Xander by his apparently" he mumbled the last past with a certain amount of disgust.
"Yes you do" Willow told him as sternly as she could manage before a shy grin took over "but you can call me Red if you want too, makes me sound special"
"You are special" she was a little surprised to hear the young man beside her say "you're a real friend and like I told you I haven't had many of those"
The pair of friends shared a warm smile, before Willow spoke again.
"Well, you and me and Xander and Buffy will be best friends forever" she said with a nod of certainty.
"You can't know that for certain" Spike shook his head at her too perfect view of life.
"No, I can't" the red-head admitted "but I feel it, y'know? Like a force of good versus all the evil that is Sunnydale and the Hellmouth"
There was a moments silence as Spike considered what she'd said, and with another glance over at Buffy he understood exactly.
"Yeah" he nodded with a smile fixed firmly on his lips "Yeah, I think I know what you mean"
Everyone was much too happily in love to pay much attention to anything demon-related, and luckily there was nothing major spilling out of the Hellmouth at that time. Giles took the decline in evil activity to cross reference the latest books he had added to his collection and Buffy wasn't exactly sorry to be able to skip training and instead wander home from school with Spike, without his father, her Watcher, as a chaperone.
There was a final lingering kiss on the path outside the two young people's houses, before Buffy said she absolutely had to go inside, before her sister spotted them and made a big deal out of it.
"Will I see you tonight?" Spike asked her, as she began to move away.
"Since Xand and Will are having their first real date tonight, you can help me patrol" she told him, "Seven thirty?" she suggested.
"Sure, pet" he smiled, "I'll be there"
She smiled and gave a small wave as she headed into the house and he did the same.
At seven twenty nine there was a knock on the front door of 1630 Revello Drive and Buffy rushed to answer it, knowing who it would be.
"I'm going out with Spike, Mom!" she called.
"Where exactly?" Joyce wanted to know as she followed her daughter toward the door.
"The Bronze" Buffy quickly lied and as she nodded her head, Buffy knew her mother had bought it.
"Don't be too late" Joyce warned as Buffy practically threw herself out of the house, the only answer to Mrs Summers words being the slamming of the front door.
"Hey Spike" Buffy smiled widely at her patrolling partner and boyfriend, standing just inches in front of him.
"Hey there Slayer" he murmured, pulling her into his arms and kissing her like he'd never stop. When they finally broke for air, he explained why.
"I missed you"
Buffy laughed at that.
"Spike you saw me less than five hours ago" she said as they began walking towards the nearest cemetery, "but" she admitted, "I did miss you too"
They smiled like idiots in love which they more or less were before Buffy realised something was wrong. The bag on her shoulder was too light, it should be full of weapons for the slayage and weighing her down, but it wasn't.
"Oh God" she exclaimed, "I left my bag open" she realised, "I've probably been dropping stakes and holy water all the way from home to here"
"How did we not notice?" Spike wondered aloud.
"I think our concentration was kind of not on the vampire and the weapons, more on each other" Buffy exclaimed with a smile, "not that you're a bad thing to concentrate on but we can't do much good slaying like this"
"True" Spike conceded, "Let's head back and pick up what we've lost"
"Sounds like a plan Buffy agreed as they took the path back the way they came, scouring the ground in the darkness for lost demon-fighting weaponry.
At he same time, Joyce had decided to visit Jessica and Giles. Buffy had told her about the pairs engagement and she was pleased for her friends. She left Dawn in the house playing CDs and slipped next door for a few minutes. The happy couple were clearly pre-occupied when Mrs Summers came over as Giles' shirt was unbuttoned when he answered the door and Jessica looked decidedly dishevelled when she joined him.
Joyce stayed on the doorstep just long enough to say congratulations and to apologise for disturbing whatever they were doing - as if she didn't know what that was!
Unfortunately, she was there just long enough to make a difference. As Spike and Buffy moved back towards their homes, picking up the last of the weapons the Slayer had inadvertently dropped, they disturbed a vampire who had ventured too far from the graveyard - a mistake that would be fatal.
"Buffy, vampire" Spike alerted her as she bent to pick up the final stake. She dropped the bag off her shoulder and held the weapon in her hand ready for attack.
"Spike, grab the bag" she ordered, "I'll deal with him" she gestured to the vamp with a tilt of her head before lunging in it's direction. She was a little surprised when, instead of fighting her, the vampire just ran, but then it was probably just a fledgling and the Slayer would be scary to him.
Buffy thought nothing of where she was chasing the demon to, but Spike had noticed and frantically he went after her, not as quickly as he would have liked since the bag on his shoulder was weighing him down. If she slayed that vamp outside their houses and someone saw...
"Got you now" Buffy told the vamp as it trapped himself between two trees and the Slayer. "Say goodnight" she quipped, shoving her stake through the unbeating heart of the creature and watching it's horrified face turn to dust along with every other apart of it.
"Buffy!" Spike called to her, and she turned expecting to see him smiling, proud of his girlfriend ability to kill the undead single handedly, but that wasn't what she saw. He looked pained and decidedly out of breath as he gestured near his front door.
Buffy was now only too aware of where she was and who had just watched he display of Slayer skills. Giles, Jessica - not a problem, but there was another person there too, looking equal parts shocked and confused and horrified.
"Buffy...what, I mean how and..." Joyce rambled incoherently.
The Slayer took a deep breath and bit the bullet as she knew she had to.
"Mom" she said slowly "I'm a Vampire Slayer"
To Be Continued...
