A/N

RL seems to realize I want to spend time in the virtual world so it sends traumatic stuff to bite my ample derriere namely college mid terms and computers that break down as soon as break starts. Bear with me.

On a side note stuff inside the stars means someone is thinking, for example *this is a thought*. Though sometimes I put a single word into stars to *emphasize* stuff.

This chapter picks up on the same night as the other on left off. If that made any sense...

She was limp from their last argument and was lying bored and boneless on the Giles' living room sofa. After their parents had left they had spent some time sitting together, getting along, being agreeable, and even teasing each other a little. She had been surprised at how much she enjoyed his company when he was civil...maybe enjoyed was too strong a word. Tolerated? Yeah, that worked. She tolerated him.

Of course when it came to them good things never lasted (Was enjo.....tolerating Spike a good thing?) She had made a small comment on how their parents' flirting could probably pass for foreplay and any and all of his good humour had disappeared. They'd had a long, and admittedly pointless, fight and he had stormed up to his room and slammed the door hard. Rude much?? Very much. She had expected loud music to blare from within after that but after distinct sounds of him pacing everything was quiet.

*'P'. Well, that's easy. 'P' is for prick, pervert, pig, poophead, poo....Hee! Poo.* She sighed at herself. *The power of your charms Spike. You bring out the four year old in me* She scowled up at the ceiling as if expecting Spike to stick his head through it and retort. Ok, so all wasn't quiet in her head but that was a given. *'Q'...is for...How about that. Nothing with 'Q'. Ok 'R' is for rude, ratfink.....*

Suddenly Buffy's thigh began to vibrate of its own accord putting a halt to her fascinating mind game. 'Huh?'

She felt around in her jeans' pocket and extricated a small glittery blue cell phone. There was an instant message registered on the screen. She pressed the 'view' button and it popped into sight.

'Hungry?'

One word. One word after a giant quarrel. As if it had meant nothing. As if it hadn't mattered.

She smiled.

*'R' is for receptive, responsive.......*

A few hours later Joyce and Giles broke out of their embrace outside his residence. The house was suspiciously silent.

'You don't think they've killed each other do you, Rupert?' Joyce asked lightly. In reply Giles opened the door and they walked into the living room.

The obvious remains of some sort of snack littered the coffee table. Buffy and Spike were sitting at either end of the sofa not talking or even looking at each other. Both were apparently playing on their respective cell phones, small smiles on their faces.

'Well, they're sitting peacefully, in the same time zone, I'd venture that's progress,' whispered Giles.

Spike strolled unhurriedly through the corridors of Sunnydale High a good twenty minutes after the warning bell had gone. It just wasn't done for a bad ass to be punctual.

There was a lightness about his gait that suggested his mood was pleasanter than it had been for a long time. For the first time he felt his union to Buffy Summers had even a tiny bit of potential to be a success. Evading an expulsion is always a cause for cheerfulness for most people and Spike was no exception.

Deciding, in his good mood, to make an appearance in class he headed for the Math classroom to look in on Buffy.

They had overcome an obstacle last night. Communication was possible, if only through the short message service their cell phones provided. He supposed that in time they would graduate to talking on the phone and then to each other face to face. He acknowledged she could grow on you once you were successful in getting her to stop hurling insults and/or other more tangible objects at you. Ok, so maybe he was developing a soft spot for her. Didn't mean anything.

He turned a corner and spied the subject of his thoughts standing outside the Math room. Something struck him as being off. Why stand outside when you could be sitting inside enjoying an early morning Math lecture by the fascinating Mr Worthing? She looked up annoyance plain on her face one foot tapping out a dangerous staccato. Spike decided not to let that bother him. He was in a good mood after a long time and he wouldn't let her spoil that for him damnit!

'Sup, pet?' He stopped in front of her and peered into the classroom in which couples were sitting together, heads bent over their work.

'Why aren't you inside?'

She held up a rigid finger. 'One, I am neither a dog nor a cat so don't call me "pet".' She held up another finger. 'Two, he won't let *me* in because you're late. Three,' she continued holding up a third finger,'you are an ass.'

Spike grinned at her last statement. 'Maybe you should kiss me, then.' He grabbed the hand she still held up and planted a small kiss on it, watching in amusement as her eyes widened. 'Come on'. He pulled her into class and settled into an empty seat drawing her down into the one beside them.

Mr Worthing cleared his throat.

'I am so glad you could join us Mr and Mrs Giles.'

Beside him Spike felt Buffy flinch at the teacher's chosen form of addressing them. He smiled at Mr Worthing.

'Our pleasure. Glad to oblige'

There were a few snickers from around them and Mr Worthing cleared his throat again. 'We have all been informed of the special circumstances your marriage has taken place under and I am glad that our esteemed principal,' (Spike snorted and Buffy elbowed him warningly),'will receive all my help in his efforts to discipline you two. Is that clear?'

Spike opened his mouth to say something smart aleck-y and rude, he was sure, when Buffy glared at him and answered Mr Worthing sweetly. 'Crystal'.

'Then by no means let me stop you from working. The assignment is on the board. Remember this is meant to be team work'.

Spike glanced at the board.

"Form a budget for one month for your respective spouse, yourself and one child. It should be realistic, taking into account your chosen carrier, expenses, luxuries etc."

'Well. Should be easy enough.' He turned to Buffy who looked askance at him.

'I tell you, Rock Star is not a listed carrier!' Buffy hissed fifteen minutes later, rifling through the booklet on carriers the students had been given on the previous day.

'But musician is listed isn't it, genius?' Spike retorted, staring in confusion at the mass of calculations in her notebook.

'What's this?' He pointed at something in her notebook. 'Money for building a private skating rink in the basement! Do you know how much that would cost? It's certainly not going to be...,' he peered at the book again,' ten thousand dollars! Even a decent house doesn't come for ten thou!'

Buffy continued going through her booklet as she replied,' Ice skating rink.'

'What?'

'Not skating rink, ice skating rink.'

'Oh good because that makes it a whole lot cheaper.'

'Hey, I wasn't the one who wanted to,' she glanced at his book,' put aside the baby's money for an electric guitar.'

'We're not having a baby. How do you know we'll have a baby? The rate we're going at we're probably gonna be sleeping in different rooms! No sex equals no babies.'

'Congratulations Mr and Mrs Giles! It's a boy!' The Home Ec teacher Mrs Kendall trilled, placing an egg with a blue sticker into Buffy's outstretched hands.

'You still gonna be buying that guitar Big Papa?' Buffy smirked.

Spike looked at the egg and swallowed.

Then he leered at Buffy. 'I guess this means no separate bedrooms, huh?'

'You will be working together, of course. But you will also have to write one individual essay for the end of the project stating a few things you don't like about your partner and how you tried to change one of them. Yes Willow?'

'But Mr Williams, what if we can't find anything wrong with our partner,' Willow questioned the English teacher, glancing shyly at Oz.

Both Buffy and Spike snorted at that and looked each other up and down, brows raised.

French class was about as fruitful as the other periods had been.

The French teacher, Mrs Hall, had set them a composition. They were to write about their first meeting. Spike was trying his level best to coax some French into Buffy's head before they began their assignment.

'Tu', Buffy consulted her French text book and continued,' n'es pas un stylo vert.

Spike sighed. 'For the fifth time woman, I *know* I'm not a green pen!' he snarled through gritted teeth. 'Do you know any French at all?'

Buffy looked insulted, 'Of course I do!' she sputtered. As if to demonstrate her linguistic skills she raised her voice a bit and said, 'Voulez vous couchez avec moi! She was so obviously clueless about the meaning

Angel, sitting beside Drusilla, let out a whistle and called, 'Yeah, baby.'

Spike's eyes twinkled as he looked at Buffy. 'Definitely, luv. But not now.'

A couple more people let out catcalls at Spike's words.

The entire class was held up for fifteen minutes as Mrs Hall lectured them.

When the bell went for lunch the despondent couple trudged morosely toward the lunch room. It hadn't been a happy day for them. Each and every teacher had spent large portions of their classes going on about how they would be punished if they did not behave. During the intervals between periods they had been pointed at and whispered about. Each passing period progressively blackened their moods. Any breakthrough the previous day had caused was drowned.

*One step forward and four behind* thought Spike.

'I s'pose we have to eat together too.'

'Yeah,' sighed Buffy as she struggled to keep up with him through the swarm of students.

Spike put out his hand and wrapped it around her small wrist, leading her through the crowded halls. She let him.

*Well. Maybe not +four+ backward*

A/N

What do you guys think? Because I'm open to criticism and I'm really surprised there's none. Anything you don't like (or like) tell me.

Thanks for reading. I'll try to get more up soon.

Review!