A/N : I promised to have this done by today and I have kept that promise. I wanna thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter, despite the fact it was very small - SpIkEs AnGeL, faith95, elven_princess88, Spoiler Babe, Lady Maria, SweetBitter, tinkerbell42 - glad you like it, and hope you continue to do so. This chapter is a whole lot longer, and I'm already really enjoying writing this fic, I have big plans and I hope they turn out as good on the paper/screen as they seem in my head! Please, keep on reviewing!
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 2 - It's All Relative
"Spike!" Giles voice bellowed from the bottom of the stairs, causing the boy to turn over in his bed, shoving his pillow over his head to block out the noise.
"William!" his mother called to him this time, "I want you down here and looking decent in the next twenty minutes" she warned, "or I'm taking 'the photograph' next door"
"Oh bloody hell" he cursed realising he would have to get up. His mothers threats were not to be taken lightly and he really didn't want Buffy to see the dreaded photo that shall not be mentioned...
"I heard that, William!" Jessica called at the sound of her son's colourful language, "Now hurry up, we have to go fetch Doyle from the station"
"Okay, okay" Spike called, "I'm coming...don't get your knickers twisted" he mumbled the last part under his breath as he rolled out of bed, pulled on his black jeans, grabbed a T-shirt (also black) and headed for the bathroom. Despite the fact that Spike's friends and family tried to convince him to wear colours, he'd got used to the black and just liked to wear it now. It was no longer a statement of sadness or anger at the world...he just liked the colour, or lack thereof as the case maybe. The same was true about his hair, he thought to himself as he grabbed the gel from the cabinet and carefully spiked his bleach blond locks. He just liked it that way and he'd kind of got used to it, so he kept it that way with no plans to change anytime soon.
"Ten minutes Spike" Giles called and the boy sighed deeply, finishing off his hair before heading down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Where's the fire, Dad?" he asked as Giles scooted past him, quickly followed by Jessica.
"Some of us would like to make a good impression on the members of this family we've yet to meet" his mother told him, straightening sofa cushions whilst Giles re-arranged the magazines on the coffee table.
Spike shook his head not understanding the big deal. His grandparents wouldn't care if the magazines were in a pile or fanned out, or if the cushions were plumped or flat. They were easy going folks, his Nana Caroline and Grandad Charlie, wouldn't give a stuff if they lived in a pig sty or a castle so long as they were happy. Then there was Uncle Johnny, Spike's favourite bloke in the world, with the possible exception of his new-found father these days. Another guy who wouldn't notice if you cleaned for three days straight or didn't bother for a month.
But they were arriving tomorrow and Doyle, who was arriving today, was a bit of a mystery. If he was anything like his Uncle Giles, well, as much as Spike loved and respected his Dad he could be a bit of a poncy bugger, if Doyle was anything like that, heaven help the Slayer's boyfriend's reputation after being seen with him in public!
"Er, you two do know that clocks running behind time don't you?" Spike frowned glancing between his watch and the clock on the mantle, "it's almost ten thirty"
Both Giles and Jessica turned to their son with shocked expressions before the female grabbed her fiancés wrist and read the time from the watch there. There were a few mumbled curse words as Giles grabbed his keys and Jessica all but pushed Spike out of the front door towards the car.
"Don't worry about me" the boy complained as he climbed in the back seat, "I don't need to eat breakfast or anything"
"You can have something when we get back" his mother told him, before snapping on her seatbelt and turning too Giles as he started the car, "Step on it"
Seated on his suitcase, just beyond the Sunnydale train station, Allen Francis Doyle was beginning to wonder if his Uncle Giles had forgotten he was coming. The young man didn't mind so much, he was fairly comfortable where he was, the weather was a lot more decent in California than at home in Ireland and the view included enough attractive women to occupy his time, but he didn't like the idea of being stranded there forever, alone and without any decent booze...oh God he couldn't even legally drink over here...it was getting worse before it had even begun...
"Doyle!" he turned as he heard a car approach and an English voice call his name. He grinned as he got to his feet and a man and woman jumped from the car that stopped just feet in front of him.
"Uncle Giles" he greeted, coming toward the man and shaking his hand, before deciding just to hug him anyway.
"I'm so sorry we're late, we, er...got held up" the Englishman apologised.
"You're late?" Doyle frowned a little, "I hardly noticed" he lied.
"Well, this is Jessica, my..my wife to be, I suppose" Giles smiled as did the two people who were being introduced. He took her hand and kissed her cheek too, saying how pleased he was to meet the woman who would make an honest man out of his favourite Uncle. It was then that Spike approached, and despite the fact that Doyle had almost two years on his 'cousin', the bleach blond boy had almost six inches extra in height and looked pretty daunting, all moody and in black clothes, with spiked hair and a dangerous look in his eyes, or so the young Irishman thought.
"Er, Spike, this is Doyle" Giles stammered, "Doyle this is my son, Spike"
"Right" the Irishman nodded, "William known as Spike"
"Allen Francis, known as Doyle" the younger man answered in kind, neither of them offering to shake hands or even go within a few feet of each other. They were both very wary the other, especially since Giles was new-found father to one and almost second father to the other.
"Right then" Giles broke what was soon to be a very uncomfortable silence, "Shall we go" It was a statement more than a question as he put Doyle's suitcase into the trunk of the car before opening the passenger door for Jessica and then climbing into the vehicle himself.
The two young men were not so happy to find they must occupy the back seat together and both made a point of watching the scenery outside the windows go past, instead of having to look at and speak to one another.
As the 'family' arrived back in Revello Drive, Doyle spotted someone from the window that he was much more eager to meet, and it seemed she might be just as keen to meet him, since she was standing on the doorstep of the house next door, smiling particularly when she saw the car pull up.
The young man was out of the car in seconds, but he was a little disappointed when he realised the blonde's smile was not for him, but for Spike.
The bleach blond made no offer to help Giles to carry Doyle's luggage or anything as he saw Buffy outside her front door. He saw the look on Doyles face and instantly knew he found her attractive, and he didn't like it at all. Like a predatory animal marking his territory he strode over to Buffy and without a word began to kiss her senseless.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that they like each other" Doyle said with some sarcasm as Jessica got out of the car and stood beside him.
"Yes" she laughed slightly, "the girl being slowly suffocated is Buffy" she explained with a smile, "she's Spike's girlfriend"
"That's...nice" Doyle frowned a little, it seemed a shame a beautiful girl like that was dating someone like Spike, but there had to be other decent girls in SunnyD, he told himself as he tore his eyes away from the couple and headed inside with his Uncle and soon to be Aunt.
"Well, that was a nice greeting" Buffy sighed when Spike finally allowed her to breathe, she swore she didn't know how he could carry on so long without stopping for oxygen, she was sure if she weren't the Slayer with the power to go without air for longer than most girls, his kisses would have been the death of her by now.
"You want another one?" he smirked, "Cos it can be arranged"
"Spike" she giggled, "I actually came out here to meet your cousin"
Buffy instantly regretted saying that as she felt her boyfriends arms tense up around her. He had no reason to be insecure or jealous or anything, but he always was.
"I mean, obviously I'd rather stand here kissing you all day" she back pedalled "But I was trying to be polite"
Spike seemed to understand now, and he relaxed his grip on her again.
"I'll do a compromise for you" he smiled, mischievously, "We'll only snog for half the day and then we'll go be polite"
"Idiot" Buffy swatted his arm and giggled until she was silenced by his lips on hers again. They were so caught up in what they were doing they didn't here the front door open and close, in fact they didn't hear the third person clear their throat the first two or three times either.
"I was trying to subtly get your attention but hello!" Dawn practically yelled the last word so she could get some attention out of her sister and her friend, "when you two have quite finished sucking face I kind of wanted to meet the new guy!"
Buffy and Spike broke apart, he smirking at Dawn's remarks, her scowling at her brat kid sisters interruption.
"Come on then, Bit" Spike took one arm from Buffy and put it around Dawn's shoulders as he led his two favourite girls down the porch steps and around to his house, "Time for you to meet the git I s'pose"
"Is he that bad?" Buffy asked, from the glance she'd gotten he certainly looked nice enough, but then she wasn't so good at judging people, her first impressions about Spike had been completely wrong.
Her boyfriend didn't answer her question as he took his arms from the sisters shoulders and led them into his house. Giles, Jessica and Doyle were in the living room when they came in.
"Buffy, Dawn" Giles greeted, "I take it you've come to meet our guest"
"Hey" Dawn grinned bounding up to the young man beside Giles, "you must be Doyle, I'm Dawn and that's Buffy, we live next door. You're Irish right? That's cool, I've never even been out side of California! But I'd love to see Ireland and England too of course" the girl rambled not giving Doyle a chance to answer at all, so he just smiled at her and her enthusiasm, before turning to her sister.
"You're Buffy?" he checked with the blonde and she nodded.
"Yes, Buffy Summers, pleased to meet you" she offered a hand for him to shake and while he did take it, he kissed it instead of shaking.
"Pleasure to know you Miss Summers" he smiled and Buffy decided that he really was kind of attractive, not as attractive as Spike though, obviously, but then no-one ever could be, a tingle did run up her spine however when he'd taken her hand and raised it to his lips like that.
"Yeah, so, Buffy's my girlfriend" Spike dropped in, not so casually, "We're dating, in love actually"
Buffy was highly embarrassed, but she did understand why he was doing it. Just wanted to make sure everyone understood the situation, and that wasn't a bad thing really, saved on misunderstandings later.
"Well, if these two are so much in love" Doyle sighed, turning to Dawn, "where does that leave us two, sweetheart?" he winked and the young girl turned a dozen shades of scarlet.
"I...I'll...see you later" Dawn said fast as she bolted out of the front door.
"Not again" Buffy sighed as she rolled her eyes and Doyle looked questioningly at her.
"My sister has a crush on every guy that comes within ten feet of her" the blonde shook her head, "and they never last. She had a thing for Spike when he first moved in, well, I guess we both kind of did" she smiled adoringly at her man, "but I won"
She kissed him then, leaving no doubt in his mind that she was his always, that whether Doyle liked her or not he stood no chance, of course Buffy also managed to embarrass Giles and Jessica to the point where they left the room to make a cup of tea in the kitchen.
"I'm going to get this case upstairs" Doyle mumbled, mostly to himself, when Buffy and Spike still hadn't come up for air after a couple of minutes. He squeezed past the couple and dragged his luggage up to the spare room, beginning to wonder whether he'd made the right decision coming to Sunnydale or not.
"Be honest, pet" Spike said to Buffy, when his cousin was finally out of ear shot and their lips had parted from one anothers, "that was just to make me feel better about him liking the look of you, wasn't it?"
"Maybe" Buffy conceded, "But I just wanted you to know how much I love you"
"I do know, luv" he smiled, holding onto her, "just don't understand it is all, how someone as amazing as you can love a useless waste of space like me"
"I don't want to hear that from you" Buffy snapped, a little anger evident in her tone, "You are the greatest guy I have ever met, and I don't want anyone but you, and I never will" she assured him. He smiled at that and she knew he understood by the way he looked at her then, by the way he kissed her once more, softly and tenderly, also telling her without words that he loved her above and beyond all else too.
"So, when are the rest of your house guests arriving?" she asked after a while.
"Tomorrow, I reckon" Spike told her, "though where we're gonna put everyone I have no idea" he shrugged.
"Well, Cordy arrives from LA tomorrow too" Buffy told him, "so with all these other people around, we might not see much of each other" she frowned slightly at the thought until Spike kissed her yet again.
"Then we'd better make the most of today" he told her between kisses, and she didn't mind that idea at all.
To Be Continued...
