A/N : Hey, thanx for all the awesome reviews! You guys make me so happy! I was sitting at my desk yesterday smiling like an idiot at all the kind words! So I want to say thanx to all these people and answer some stuff from the reviews; SpIkEs AnGeL - Doyle the vampire? That would be weird! lol, faith95 - yes, Doyle is a cutie, fictionfreak2 - glad I made you laugh, SouthernRain - I hope it's interesting!, mar - don't worry, Angel isn't here (yet), Imzadi - didn't occur to me to bring in Lindsay..., tinkerbell42 - yeah, I decided I needed a change too and Cordy instead of Willow will be fun to right for a while, SweetBitter - more is here!, Spoiler Babe - updating now! Okay, here's chapter 3...keep on reviewing please...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 3 - My Best Friend

"Cordy!" Buffy yelled as her friend emerged from a cab outside the house in Revello drive.

"Hey Buffy!" the brunette grinned as the girls embraced each other. Spike was soon beside them, smiling at both, truly pleased to see Buffy's best mate back in SunnyD. It made his girlfriend so happy to have her friend back for the summer and he had to admit he liked the girl too.

"Nice to see you again Cordelia" he said as she was released from Buffy's grip.

"You too Spike..." she nodded before deciding she might as well hug him too, "oh come here" she smiled, grabbing him much to his surprise and squeeezing him tight. He decided he should probably hug her back and did so breifly before moving away and shoving his arm around Buffy's shoulders, incase she didn't approve of the hugging. Of course, she didn't really care and just grinned at his attempt to keep her happy.

"You're in a very good mood" she noticed that there was a huge grin on Cordelia's face that was even brighter than her usual smile.

"Well, life is good" Miss Chase told her friends as they walked toward the house, Spike releasing Buffy to instead carry their friends suitcases and bags for her, all five of them! "School's out, I'm back in Sunnydale with you guys" the brunette listed "I have this incredible dress for your parents wedding" she smiled to Spike "and I can finally get away from Jason" she sighed a happy sigh.

"Who's Jason?" asked a confused Spike, as he carried/dragged god knows how many tonnes of clothing toward 1630 Revello Drive.

"I told you!" Buffy huffed, in a way Spike noticed that curiously she only did when Cordelia was around "The guy that likes Cordy and follows her around like a little lost puppy"

The bleach blond nodded, meaning he did remember now but was having trouble breathing enough to verbally answer, he had no idea womens clothes and makeup could weigh so much.

"He is such a complete idiot" Cordelia explained about Jason "it's like 'hello, what part of no do you not understand?'"

"Well, for the next few weeks you're free from all that" Buffy grinned as the three finally made it to the front door and went inside.

"Yes, and I've been looking forward to this for so long!"

Inside the house, Cordelia said hello to Joyce and Dawn and thanked Mrs Summers yet again for allowing her to stay. She really was so grateful to come back to Sunnydale and spend time with Buffy. LA was cool, what with all the shoe shops for one thing, and the fact she was in the right place to launch the acting career she's always dreamt of, but Sunnydale, Hellmouth Central, was still home.

Buffy and Cordelia talked about anything and everything and for the most part Spike had to admit he was bored. Makeup, clothes, and other blokes they lusted over really weren't his favourite topics of conversation, as they really wouldn't be for most men.

"As fun as it is listening to you two girls gossip all day" he said with a smile as he rose from his spot on the sofa to the left of Buffy, Cordelia to her right "I have house guests I'm suppose to 'prepare' for" he said, air quotes all present and correct.

"Oh yeah, Buffy mentioned you had family coming over for the wedding" said Cordy "but aren't they a little early, the wedding isn't for three weeks?" she asked with a frown.

"It's just my grandparents and my uncle Johnny" Spike shrugged "they want to spend some time with us anyway, get to know Dad again and all that" he paused before adding "don't know why that git Doyle had to come so early though" in a grumbling tone.

"Spike, what is your problem with Doyle?" Buffy tried not to laugh at his childish attitude about his cousin.

"Who's Doyle?" Cordelia was keen to know and, right on queue, the Irishman appeared in the living room doorway.

"Did I hear my name?" he asked, casually leaning on the doorframe "Sorry to barge in but the door was open and Uncle Giles wants you home Spike" he told his cousin who looked highly annoyed to see him there.

"Bleedin' hell, I was just coming" he cursed, and Buffy gave him a light shove as she stood up with her best fried at her side.

"Doyle, this is my best friend Cordelia Chase" she introduced "Cordy this is Spike's cousin Doyle"

"Hey" was all the girl said as she studied the man before her and he did the same to her.

"Very pleased to meet you Cordelia" he said smoothly "I'm starting to think Sunnydale must have a magnetic pull on beautiful women"

That comment made both the girls blush and Spike was hating every minute of this.

"Come on you ponce" he snapped, striding toward the front door "if Dad wants us home, lets go"

"Is he always like this?" Doyle asked as he leaned toward Buffy, Spike already out of the front door by now.

"More or less" Buffy shrugged and smiled slightly, trying not to laugh at Doyle's expression of exasperation.

He shook his head as he turned to lave, then promptly turned back "It was nice to meet you Cordelia, hope we get to see more of each other soon"

"Yeah, great" she nodded, and Buffy thought how unconvincing she was, it seemed Doyle didn't notice as he grinned and left in a hurry.

As the door slammed behind the two guys, Buffy and Cordy slumped back down onto the sofa and both giggled at the display they'd just witnessed.

"I think he likes you" Buffy told her friend and the brunette made a face.

"Buffy, please"

"Cordy" Buffy sighed with exasperation "you didn't see the way he looked at you? To be honest it would be a blessing if he liked you, Spike seems to think he likes me and he's got this whole jealous thing going on" she complained "As sweet as it is, it's really starting to drive me crazy now"

"No way" Cordelia waved her hand in a gesture to match her words "I don't want him to like me too much, I just got rid of Jason, I don't need a replacement..." 'even if he is kind of cute, and he has a gorgeous accent' she added in her head, glad her friend couldn't read her thoughts and completely unaware that the blonde didn't need too. Buffy knew Cordelia too well to doubt that she at least found Doyle attractive, in the physical sense and vocal-chord-wise, she couldn't wait to see what would happen over the next few weeks.

It was a couple of hours later when the girls heard noises outside the house and peered out the window to see what was going on. They were a little late as they saw everyone who had been outside disappearing into the house next door.

"I guess Spike's relatives are here" said Cordelia, "You wanna go next door and say hi?" she asked, but Buffy shook her head.

"No, I don't wanna be all pushy girl, I'll meet them later" she shrugged, "it's no big"

They settled back onto the sofa and the brunette remembered something she had yet to ask her friend about.

"Oh so how goes the slayage?" she asked, "I can't believe we haven't mentioned that yet!"

"It's fine" Buffy told her, "I patrol, I slay, sometimes the gang comes with, sometimes not...actually, it's all kind of boring lately"

Cordelia's mouth dropped wide open.

"Since when did the Slayer get bored with the slaying and how is it even possible?!" she gasped.

"I'm not bored with it" Buffy insisted, "It's just, well, there haven't been any major demons or particularly dangerous vamps or anything in a long while, just the regular easily stakable kind, and there's not a lot of secrecy anymore, cos Mom and Dawn know about the Slayer deal so, I dunno it's just not as glamorous as it used to be" she grinned and Cordy laughed.

"Yeah, glamorous" she giggled, "I still remember spending three days trying to get that green slime out of my cashmere sweater last year!"

"I did tell you not wear that when we patrolled!" Buffy argued, unable to contain her own laughter as she remembered the day when she, Cordy and the rest of the gang had been attacked by a Schworkovia demon, green slime had gotten everywhere when the monster was finally slain...by Angel.

"Hey that must have been the last time Angel fought with us" Cordelia observed.

"Yeah" Buffy answered absently nodding her head, her mind in a totally different place now. She remembered the fight and afterwards when she and her vampire love had 'gotten close' as he walked her home. It was then he'd dropped the bombshell. Told her she was just a kid, truth was she kind of was, only fifteen after all, plus she was the Slayer and he was a vampire and soul or not he was still supposed to be the enemy. She'd cried, knowing what was coming. After just a year he was going to leave her.

He said he had good reasons. He'd only end up hurting her, he'd be too old for her even if he were human, but as the 240 year old vamp he was he was definitely too old and experienced. Plus, even if it did work out, they could never have a normal life. True happiness, which he knew would come if one day they ever consummated their relationship, would cause his soul to leave him, and return him to the killer he truly was. So he'd left her, she never knew where he went, still didn't know to this day where he was, even if he were still alive, or undead at least...

"Buffy!" Cordelia called for the fourth time, clicking he fingers in the girl face and finally bringing her out of her daze.

"Sorry, I must have zoned out" the blonde shook her head and brought herself back to the present.

"Well, I'm glad you're back I'm getting kind of hungry here"

After they'd raided the kitchen for a snack, the girls were trying to decide what to do next when there was a knock at the door. They didn't hurry to answer it since they knew either Joyce or more likely Dawn would go. It was the youngest Summers who made it there first.

"Spike!" she grinned when she saw her brother-type guy on the other side.

"Hey Little Bit" he greeted, "Big sis around?"

"She's in the kitchen with Cordy" the girl told him, "probably still discussing guys" she told him as she let him into the house, "I swear, it's like the only thing they think about" she rolled her eyes and Spike smiled at her attitude. He knew full well that when she got together with her friends they probably talked about boys too, but she liked to act like she was above these things around Spike, she was desperate to be an adult and loved the fact that he treated her like one, whilst still cleverly protecting her from anything or anyone he felt he needed to.

"And here was me thinking the only bloke Buffy was interested in was me" he said, pretending to be hurt as he followed his 'little sister' to the kitchen.

"Oh I don't think she's stupid enough to let you go" the young girl told it how she saw it and Spike grinned as they entered the kitchen.

"Thanks Bit" he ruffled her hair as he walked passed and over to his girlfriends side, "Hey there, Slayer"

"Hey you" she replied, kissing him briefly, as Dawn made a gagging sound and Cordelia smiled thinking how sweet they looked together.

As the pair pulled apart they both shot a look at the youngest Summers who proceeded to giggle and run from the room just in case she found herself under attack as she sometimes did from her sister and almost-brother.

"Did you want something in particular?" Buffy asked her boyfriend, "Or is this just to top up on kisses" she grinned before he claimed her lips again.

"Actually" he said as they pulled apart once more, "the kissing in a bonus" he explained, "I actually came to fetch you, take you next door. I want you to meet the rest of the Harts"

Buffy smiled but inside she felt a little nauseous. The thought of meeting Spike's extended family, the people who he thought the most of and who thought a great deal of him too, well, she wanted to make a good impression, who knows, if things turned out well, they could be her family someday.

"Let's go" she grinned, hopping down from her stool, "You coming Cordy?"

"No, you go" the brunette shook her head, "I'll just be in the way and I can meet the folks later"

"Okay" Buffy sighed, she'd been hoping to have one other person that she knew there when she met these people, but she'd deal. She'd fought demons and vamps for years now, these people were just Spike's family, how scary could they be?

To Be Continued...