A/N : It's time for Buffy to meet Spike's family, but just before she does, I wanna say thanx to everyone who reviewed chapter three - SpIkEs AnGeL, fictionfreak2, Spoiler Babe, tinkerbell42, fashiongrrl, SweetBitter. For fashiongrrl and anyone else who doesn't know, Doyle is a character from AtS, I didn't think about the fact that some BtVS viewers may not be AtS viewers too, sorry! As for the questions from SpIkEs AnGeL and fashiongrrl, you'll just have to keep on reading to find out... oh btw, I'm also posting more of Oh Brother! today and chapter 4 of One Wild Night should be up in a couple of days. :-)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 4 - Meet The Family

"Buffy, are you okay?" Spike asked his girlfriend as they headed up the steps to his front door "You're shaking" he observed with a frown.

"I guess I'm a little nervous" she half-smiled "I really want your family to like me" she told him as he put one hand on the door to open it.

"They'll love you" he assured her "exactly like I do"

Buffy frowned at that and he almost laughed as he amended his sentence.

"Well, not exactly like I do because that would be weird, but you know what I mean" she giggled at that too.

"Yeah, I know" she nodded as they both turned back from each other to the front door of his home "Okay" Buffy took a deep breath "let's do this"

Spike thought it was strange how Buffy got so nervous about meeting his family, when she went out every night, slaying vampires and demons, without a hint of fear. Still, he appreciated the fact she cared so much what his relatives thought of her, and he was convinced his grandparents and uncle would love his precious Buffy.

"Buffy, this is Caroline and Charles Hart, my grandparents" he introduced as he brought her into the living room and stood her in front of the sofa where his grandparents sat "Nana, Grandad, this is Buffy Summers, my girlfriend" he told them proudly and both the old people smiled.

"Oh William, she is beautiful" Caroline gushed as she looked Buffy over and clearly approved of what she saw.

"Absolutely" Charles agreed with his wife, and Buffy blushed furiously at the complimentary attention she received.

"You come and sit right here next to me, dear" the elderly lady insisted, scooching over on the sofa and making room for her grandson's girlfriend. Spike practically glowed with pride.

"It's very nice to meet you both" the Slayer smiled as she spoke "Spike has told me all about you, he thinks a lot of you both"

"Oh, is he still using that vulgar nick-name...?" Spike's grandmother made a face as she looked up at the boy in question and Buffy wished she hadn't opened her mouth as Spike looked to his grandfather in exasperation.

"Caroline" he warned his wife not to start again on the subject of William's nickname and Buffy was glad when she changed the subject.

"Oh well, it's really none of my business but...anyway, so tell me about yourself Buffy" Caroline asked her.

"Well, what do you want to know?" the Slayer asked with a shake of her head. She really had no idea what to say or where to start.

"Oh, everything sweetheart" the old lady told her, taking her hand "If you mean so much to our William then it's all vital"

"Oh well, um..." Buffy laughed nervously and looked pleadingly at Spike who only smiled sympathetically. She was just about to make some kind of answer when there was a loud interruption.

"Hey Spike!" a voice shouted from the kitchen doorway and Buffy's eyes went wide as the owner of it came into view. A man that looked no more than twenty five stood before her now, black boots on his feet, worn out jeans and a black T-shirt covering his obviously toned body and a leather jacket over the top. His hair was mid brown with bleach blond highlights and his eyes were bright blue.

"Oh my God" she gasped without realising, this guy could so easily have been Spike's brother.

"I've barely gotten a chance to talk to you yet" the mystery man complained to Spike "So, how is my favourite nephew?"

'Nephew?' Buffy screamed in her head, 'This guy was the famous Uncle Johnny? Now she understood why Spike loved him so much, he'd obviously played a big part in the boy's life as he'd grown up.

"I'm you're only nephew you daft..." Spike began, only to be interrupted by a stern word from his mother before he made it to the derogatory term that no doubt was planned to finish his sentence. With a roll of his eyes, Spike turned to Buffy and gestured for her to get up from the sofa as he spoke to his uncle.

"Uncle Johnny, I want you to meet my girlfriend"

"Hi" Buffy waved nervously as she came to stand beside them.

"This is Buffy Summers" Spike proudly introduced her "Buffy this is..."

"Jonathan Hart" his uncle interrupted, taking the girls hand and kissing it "at your service" he grinned and Buffy couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips.

"It's very nice to meet you" she said honestly.

"Well, I can quite easily say the same" came the older man's response "Spike has great taste in women, get's it from his uncle, ain't that right Spike?" he said to his nephew, messing up the boy's hair.

"Somethin' like that, yeah" said Spike, putting a hand to his head and rolling his eyes again.

"So, other than the obvious, what makes this one so special?" Johnny asked Spike without removing his eyes from a blushing Buffy.

"Everything" the younger man grinned, making Buffy's cheeks even redder til she was sure she resembled a tomato.

"Ain't it cute, young love and all" he asked the room in general and Caroline couldn't help but smile slyly when she spoke up.

"What's the matter Johnny, jealous that he's got a nice girl and you haven't?"

"Mom" Johnny sighed "you know I could have any girl I wanted, I'm just choosy is all" he shrugged.

"You're not married?" Buffy asked him with a look on her face that said 'Why the hell not?'

"No way" Johnny shook his head as if the idea of marriage disgusted him "what you think cos I'm over thirty that I should be?"

"No" Buffy denied it "I just, well..." she stumbled uncomfortably on her words, unable to voice her real reason for her disbelief. Wasn't this guy just too damn attractive to still be single???

It was several hours later when Buffy realised she should be going and excused herself from Spike's house. He walked her to her door, all twenty seven steps of the journey, needing to know her opinion of his family. It mattered a great deal that she liked them.

"Well, pet, whats the verdict?" he asked as they walked together, his arm around her shoulders.

"They're nice" she smiled as she spoke genuinely "all of them"

"They certainly seem to like you" he smiled back, glad of both the fact she liked his family and they approved of her too "but then, who wouldn't?" he grinned, leaning down to kiss her briefly.

"Your grandparents kept asking me about my life and I must have sounded so boring but I wasn't sure mentioning the Slayer thing was a good idea" Buffy admitted as they reached her front door and faced each other.

"Er, well, best to wait a while" Spike nodded "I think Mum plans on dropping the bomb about Dad soon then it's bound to come out that you're the Slayer" he considered "Is that okay?"

"Of course" Buffy agreed "I mean, they're your family and I trust you, so I trust them"

"Thanks, pet" her boyfriend smiled "I'm really glad you like them" and he truly was.

"I do..." she trailed off, thoughts playing in her mind that she didn't like at all.

"But?" Spike sensed her discomfort, however slight, and needed to know what was wrong, find out if he could help in any way.

"It's nothing" she shook her head, but he knew her better than that and gave her a look that made her explain "it's just your grandmother was talking about the future" she sighed "one day maybe us being the one's getting married...I don't know if I'm even going to have a future" she said sadly, studying her shoes.

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, coming forward a step.

"Early expiration date kind of comes with the Slayer package Spike, you know that" she reminded him with a frown, glancing briefly at him before her focus returned to her feet.

"Yeah, but you've got me watching your back now Slayer" he told her, encouraging her to look at him instead of the floor "plus my dad and your other mates too. Nothing bad is going to happen to you" he promised her, his eyes boring into her eyes "and you are going to have a wonderful future, with me, if you can bear too"

She smiled at his words and the trust and love she saw in his eyes.

"Oh I think I could do that" she told him with a playful smile on her features that disappeared quickly a she turned serious again "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I do" came his response, barely more than a whisper as he put his arms around her "and I love you too" he told her truthfully, before bringing his lips to hers and showing her just how much.

To Be Continued...