Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Joss owns it all damn him!
Just a short transition chapter. Enjoy!
***
Chapter 9 - Dinner and Blackjack
Buffy's face was slightly flushed from the glass of wine she'd been drinking. She was having a marvelous time. The whole Giles clan was with her, including Xander whose warm eyes and corny jokes had instantly appealed to her. In fact, every single person at the table appealed to her. Her eyes swept the group finally landing on Spike, who was now in a quiet conversation with his grandfather. 'Some were a little more appealing than was good for her,' Buffy thought and then sighed.
She had originally declined the dinner. After her outburst this afternoon, she had been too embarrassed to really want to see any of them tonight. But Joyce had come knocking on her door, and insisted she join them. And who could refuse such a dynamic woman? Certainly not Buffy. But now she was glad she'd accepted.
None of the family had commented on her emotional display, and the conversation had been lighthearted and easy all night. She found herself laughing more in the past two hours than she had in the past two years. She also found herself fantasizing about having this for herself someday. Right now, she knew that the family, the camaraderie, was all borrowed. She sighed again, softly.
"Those are an awful lot of sighs for an awful lucky girl." Xander teased her. "What's up?"
"Nothing." She smiled at him. "Just thinking."
"Thinking's overrated!" Thomas Giles boomed. "You need to feel! To act!" He gave her a roguish grin.
"That's probably good advice," Buffy laughed. "But I feel like I'm already living an adventure."
"Yes, but just imagine what adventures await you in the future." Rupert added.
Buffy turned to him, once again noticing the resemblance between the three generations of Giles men. "Yes, that's sort of what I was doing."
"Oh?" Spike asked, leaning forward. "And what do you see in your future, Buffy?"
Her face flushed a bit more, not escaping Spike's notice, and she ducked her head shyly. "Nothing really. It's still a bit fuzzy."
"Leave the poor girl alone!" Joyce broke in, noticing Buffy's discomfort. "She's going to have enough questions to answer at the press conference tomorrow."
Buffy noticed Spike's frown at the reminder. "Buffy, you know we can still call it off."
"I told you I don't want to call it off Will. I'm going through with it. It's time." She insisted.
Joyce smiled at Buffy's use of her son's name. As far as she knew, Spike hadn't allowed anyone besides family to call him that in years.
Unconscious of his movements, Spike reached out to grasp Buffy's hand. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as he spoke, "Are you sure luv? You know I didn't mean - "
Buffy's whole demeanor softened at Spike's concerned words, and comforting gesture. "I know Will." She squeezed his hand in return. "But I can't hide forever. And I don't want to. I want to move on with my life, and enjoy my good fortune. And I can't do that with this hanging over me. Can you understand that?"
Spike sighed, still absently rubbing his thumb over her soft skin. "Okay luv." He shook his head, and then slowly withdrew his hand from hers.
The rest of the table held their tongues, but each member of the party had noted the intimate moment. Thomas Giles was hard pressed to keep the grin off his face.
***
After dinner Joyce and Buffy had decided on cocktails in the lounge, while the men had gone off to Spike's office. Joyce wasn't exactly sure what they were going to do, but she had a feeling it had to do with the cigars that her father-in-law was always trying to sneak by his wife. She chuckled at the thought, making Buffy turn to her with a questioning look.
"Just wondering how many cigars Giles is going to try to smoke before he has to go home to mother." She answered the unspoken question.
"Oh." Buffy didn't quite get the joke, but she didn't think it mattered. "Do you think the boys will join us later?"
"Possibly." Joyce took a small sip of her wine before continuing. "What would you like to do until then? Play a few rounds at the tables?"
Buffy bit her bottom lip and chewed for a moment. "I don't really think people like me sitting with them. I'm such a novice. Do you think I can take you up on those lessons you offered?"
Joyce grinned. "Sure! I'll grab a deck of cards, you grab a couple of bowls of pretzels and peanuts."
"Pretzels and peanuts?" Buffy asked, her brow furrowed in puzzlement.
***
Buffy had built her stake up considerably. She'd only started with a handful of pretzels and small cup of peanuts, but already her winnings were mountainous. She chewed on her bottom lip, before asking for another hit. When she busted, she let out the breath she was holding and then popped some more of her winnings into her mouth.
"Corrupting our lucky winner are you?" Rupert bent down to place a soft kiss on Joyce's left temple. "Hello darling." He whispered into her ear. Straightening up to his full height he asked, "So is the Crypt winning any of it's own back?"
"I'm afraid not." Joyce mock-frowned. "She's a lucky one all right."
Buffy laughed. How she loved to see the Giles family interact with one another. It was so different than any relationship she had ever been in. Even now, she watched as Rupert Giles sat down in the chair beside his wife, absently raising his hand and twisting strands of Joyce's hair between his fingertips. It was a gesture of long and intimate familiarity. One that Buffy had never been privileged to witness outside of a movie theater or television set before now.
Rupert wiggled his eyebrows at Buffy in a leering gesture. "Let a *real* gambler show you how it's done little lady." He turned to his wife. "That is if the game is open?"
"You got a stake, you got a chair." Joyce answered, gesturing for him to place his bet.
When Spike found them an hour later, Buffy was giggling and piling more pretzels onto the precarious mound in the middle of the table. He stood and watched her for a moment. She was so innocent; so sweet. He felt something stir inside him. He shook his head quickly to dispel whatever feeling was creeping into him.
It was because of that innocence, that wholesomeness, that he couldn't get involved. She wasn't his type of girl. And he wasn't her type of guy. She didn't belong in this city; she was too good for it. When he shook the increasingly morose thoughts out of his head, he heard Buffy question his father.
"You had seventeen, why did you hit? You're not supposed to his when you have seventeen."
Spike took the seat next to Buffy, his arm coming up to land lightly on her shoulders. "He's a card counter." He turned to his father. "We don't like card counter's at the Crypt." He gave Rupert his most menacing look.
"I taught you to count cards before you were out of your nappies!" Rupert replied.
Spike's grin spread, until it became contagious. "Yup. That's why I can spot 'em."
"You're father hasn't changed. He's still the same gambler that bet me a walk in the moonlight on one hand of blackjack. He hit on seventeen then too." Joyce turned to smile at her husband in fond remembrance.
Spike turned to answer Buffy's unspoken question, "Da met mum while she was dealing blackjack on a cruise ship."
"Oh how romantic!" Buffy exclaimed, turning her starry eyes to the older couple.
Rupert smirked, and Buffy caught her breath. She definitely knew where Spike got his appeal!
"Joyce didn't think so at the time. But I managed to change her mind." Rupert commented.
"I thought you were presumptuous, brazen, and that a walk in the moonlight with you would be nothing short of perilous. I still do." Buffy caught the wink that Joyce threw at her husband. "I just learned to like it."
They all laughed at that. Buffy leaning into Spike to catch her breath; neither noticed the close contact, nor made any move to change it. But knowing looks passed between Mr. and Mrs. Giles as they watched their youngest son.
They played a few more rounds, Spike joining into the game with a small stake of his own. Eventually Buffy couldn't stop from yawning and stood from the table. "Well, I better get some rest if I'm going to be any good at the press conference tomorrow."
"I'll walk you up luv." Spike stood automatically wrapping his arm around Buffy's waist.
"You don't have to." Buffy tried to beg off the escort.
"Buffy, I told you I don't like you wandering around the casino floor by yourself." His eyes narrowed.
"I'm just walking to the elevator!" Buffy stated with an exasperated puff of breath.
"Still, I'd feel better if I escorted you."
"You know, if I wanted the attentions of an overbearing man I could have stayed in Kansas!" Buffy rejoined.
"Overbearing? I'm just trying to keep you safe!"
"I told you I can take care of myself!"
Joyce and Rupert watched the exchange with a mix of amusement and sympathy. They gave each other fond 'remember when?' smiles.
Buffy turned to the couple still sitting at the table. "Thank you for a lovely evening. I'll see you again tomorrow?"
"Of course dear. Why don't we meet for breakfast before the conference? How about 9am, that will give your stomach plenty of time to settle before the butterflies start up!" Joyce gave her an encouraging smile.
"Sure, that would be great. Goodnight." Buffy turned, not waiting for Spike.
Spike's lips thinned into a narrow line. "Mum. Da." He nodded at each in turn before following Buffy out of the room.
Rupert shook his head turning to his wife he stated quietly, "Our poor boy. Years from now he'll look back at these last few days and wonder what hit him."
Just a short transition chapter. Enjoy!
***
Chapter 9 - Dinner and Blackjack
Buffy's face was slightly flushed from the glass of wine she'd been drinking. She was having a marvelous time. The whole Giles clan was with her, including Xander whose warm eyes and corny jokes had instantly appealed to her. In fact, every single person at the table appealed to her. Her eyes swept the group finally landing on Spike, who was now in a quiet conversation with his grandfather. 'Some were a little more appealing than was good for her,' Buffy thought and then sighed.
She had originally declined the dinner. After her outburst this afternoon, she had been too embarrassed to really want to see any of them tonight. But Joyce had come knocking on her door, and insisted she join them. And who could refuse such a dynamic woman? Certainly not Buffy. But now she was glad she'd accepted.
None of the family had commented on her emotional display, and the conversation had been lighthearted and easy all night. She found herself laughing more in the past two hours than she had in the past two years. She also found herself fantasizing about having this for herself someday. Right now, she knew that the family, the camaraderie, was all borrowed. She sighed again, softly.
"Those are an awful lot of sighs for an awful lucky girl." Xander teased her. "What's up?"
"Nothing." She smiled at him. "Just thinking."
"Thinking's overrated!" Thomas Giles boomed. "You need to feel! To act!" He gave her a roguish grin.
"That's probably good advice," Buffy laughed. "But I feel like I'm already living an adventure."
"Yes, but just imagine what adventures await you in the future." Rupert added.
Buffy turned to him, once again noticing the resemblance between the three generations of Giles men. "Yes, that's sort of what I was doing."
"Oh?" Spike asked, leaning forward. "And what do you see in your future, Buffy?"
Her face flushed a bit more, not escaping Spike's notice, and she ducked her head shyly. "Nothing really. It's still a bit fuzzy."
"Leave the poor girl alone!" Joyce broke in, noticing Buffy's discomfort. "She's going to have enough questions to answer at the press conference tomorrow."
Buffy noticed Spike's frown at the reminder. "Buffy, you know we can still call it off."
"I told you I don't want to call it off Will. I'm going through with it. It's time." She insisted.
Joyce smiled at Buffy's use of her son's name. As far as she knew, Spike hadn't allowed anyone besides family to call him that in years.
Unconscious of his movements, Spike reached out to grasp Buffy's hand. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as he spoke, "Are you sure luv? You know I didn't mean - "
Buffy's whole demeanor softened at Spike's concerned words, and comforting gesture. "I know Will." She squeezed his hand in return. "But I can't hide forever. And I don't want to. I want to move on with my life, and enjoy my good fortune. And I can't do that with this hanging over me. Can you understand that?"
Spike sighed, still absently rubbing his thumb over her soft skin. "Okay luv." He shook his head, and then slowly withdrew his hand from hers.
The rest of the table held their tongues, but each member of the party had noted the intimate moment. Thomas Giles was hard pressed to keep the grin off his face.
***
After dinner Joyce and Buffy had decided on cocktails in the lounge, while the men had gone off to Spike's office. Joyce wasn't exactly sure what they were going to do, but she had a feeling it had to do with the cigars that her father-in-law was always trying to sneak by his wife. She chuckled at the thought, making Buffy turn to her with a questioning look.
"Just wondering how many cigars Giles is going to try to smoke before he has to go home to mother." She answered the unspoken question.
"Oh." Buffy didn't quite get the joke, but she didn't think it mattered. "Do you think the boys will join us later?"
"Possibly." Joyce took a small sip of her wine before continuing. "What would you like to do until then? Play a few rounds at the tables?"
Buffy bit her bottom lip and chewed for a moment. "I don't really think people like me sitting with them. I'm such a novice. Do you think I can take you up on those lessons you offered?"
Joyce grinned. "Sure! I'll grab a deck of cards, you grab a couple of bowls of pretzels and peanuts."
"Pretzels and peanuts?" Buffy asked, her brow furrowed in puzzlement.
***
Buffy had built her stake up considerably. She'd only started with a handful of pretzels and small cup of peanuts, but already her winnings were mountainous. She chewed on her bottom lip, before asking for another hit. When she busted, she let out the breath she was holding and then popped some more of her winnings into her mouth.
"Corrupting our lucky winner are you?" Rupert bent down to place a soft kiss on Joyce's left temple. "Hello darling." He whispered into her ear. Straightening up to his full height he asked, "So is the Crypt winning any of it's own back?"
"I'm afraid not." Joyce mock-frowned. "She's a lucky one all right."
Buffy laughed. How she loved to see the Giles family interact with one another. It was so different than any relationship she had ever been in. Even now, she watched as Rupert Giles sat down in the chair beside his wife, absently raising his hand and twisting strands of Joyce's hair between his fingertips. It was a gesture of long and intimate familiarity. One that Buffy had never been privileged to witness outside of a movie theater or television set before now.
Rupert wiggled his eyebrows at Buffy in a leering gesture. "Let a *real* gambler show you how it's done little lady." He turned to his wife. "That is if the game is open?"
"You got a stake, you got a chair." Joyce answered, gesturing for him to place his bet.
When Spike found them an hour later, Buffy was giggling and piling more pretzels onto the precarious mound in the middle of the table. He stood and watched her for a moment. She was so innocent; so sweet. He felt something stir inside him. He shook his head quickly to dispel whatever feeling was creeping into him.
It was because of that innocence, that wholesomeness, that he couldn't get involved. She wasn't his type of girl. And he wasn't her type of guy. She didn't belong in this city; she was too good for it. When he shook the increasingly morose thoughts out of his head, he heard Buffy question his father.
"You had seventeen, why did you hit? You're not supposed to his when you have seventeen."
Spike took the seat next to Buffy, his arm coming up to land lightly on her shoulders. "He's a card counter." He turned to his father. "We don't like card counter's at the Crypt." He gave Rupert his most menacing look.
"I taught you to count cards before you were out of your nappies!" Rupert replied.
Spike's grin spread, until it became contagious. "Yup. That's why I can spot 'em."
"You're father hasn't changed. He's still the same gambler that bet me a walk in the moonlight on one hand of blackjack. He hit on seventeen then too." Joyce turned to smile at her husband in fond remembrance.
Spike turned to answer Buffy's unspoken question, "Da met mum while she was dealing blackjack on a cruise ship."
"Oh how romantic!" Buffy exclaimed, turning her starry eyes to the older couple.
Rupert smirked, and Buffy caught her breath. She definitely knew where Spike got his appeal!
"Joyce didn't think so at the time. But I managed to change her mind." Rupert commented.
"I thought you were presumptuous, brazen, and that a walk in the moonlight with you would be nothing short of perilous. I still do." Buffy caught the wink that Joyce threw at her husband. "I just learned to like it."
They all laughed at that. Buffy leaning into Spike to catch her breath; neither noticed the close contact, nor made any move to change it. But knowing looks passed between Mr. and Mrs. Giles as they watched their youngest son.
They played a few more rounds, Spike joining into the game with a small stake of his own. Eventually Buffy couldn't stop from yawning and stood from the table. "Well, I better get some rest if I'm going to be any good at the press conference tomorrow."
"I'll walk you up luv." Spike stood automatically wrapping his arm around Buffy's waist.
"You don't have to." Buffy tried to beg off the escort.
"Buffy, I told you I don't like you wandering around the casino floor by yourself." His eyes narrowed.
"I'm just walking to the elevator!" Buffy stated with an exasperated puff of breath.
"Still, I'd feel better if I escorted you."
"You know, if I wanted the attentions of an overbearing man I could have stayed in Kansas!" Buffy rejoined.
"Overbearing? I'm just trying to keep you safe!"
"I told you I can take care of myself!"
Joyce and Rupert watched the exchange with a mix of amusement and sympathy. They gave each other fond 'remember when?' smiles.
Buffy turned to the couple still sitting at the table. "Thank you for a lovely evening. I'll see you again tomorrow?"
"Of course dear. Why don't we meet for breakfast before the conference? How about 9am, that will give your stomach plenty of time to settle before the butterflies start up!" Joyce gave her an encouraging smile.
"Sure, that would be great. Goodnight." Buffy turned, not waiting for Spike.
Spike's lips thinned into a narrow line. "Mum. Da." He nodded at each in turn before following Buffy out of the room.
Rupert shook his head turning to his wife he stated quietly, "Our poor boy. Years from now he'll look back at these last few days and wonder what hit him."