A/N : Back to this story again, on the merry-go-round of my fic updates! Thanx to; SouthernRain, fashiongrrl, theoneandonlygurl, fictionfreak2, SpIkEs AnGeL, Buffy Fan, DarkAngel. All of you are so nice to review and say complimentary things about my little fic, and don't panic the Spuffy will return soon, I promise you that. Oh, btw Rachel, Angel doesn't have a gang in LA, at least not yet anyway...and VaderJM, I understand what you're saying, but y'know, I look at it this way, Buffy was telling Spike that the night she spent in his arms meant so much in End Of Days and then by the end of the ep she's kissing Angel, and by the end of Chosen she's telling Spike she loves him, so go figure! Now, on with the story...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 9 - Relatively Speaking
Despite the fact that Doyle kind of wanted a quiet walk on his own around the town of Sunnydale, he'd managed to walk right into his future Aunt's family and they had decided he should spend the day with them, given the fact they were all to be related very soon. When the group finally arrived back in Revello Drive, close to lunch time, they found what appeared to be an empty house.
Giles had ventured upstairs to find Jessica and was currently completely distracting her from her housework in ways that are not appropriate for discussion. Spike was in the next room, completely oblivious to the giggles and noises that usually made him want to heave. He was too hurt by what had happened with Buffy and Angel to pay attention to anything else, he really wasn't even reading the book in front of him...just staining it with his tears.
Cordelia had gone back to the Summers house when the noises from upstairs had become unbearable, especially when her brain decided to picture what might be happening, can you say eew?
Buffy had run for the front door as soon as Spike had retreated to his room, and it didn't occur to anyone who left the dining room that they had left certain texts on the table that perhaps they shouldn't have...
"Hello?" Caroline Hart called as she came into the house, her husband, son, and future great-nephew, right behind her. When there was no response, the three older people walked through to the dining room as Doyle decided to go upstairs to the room he currently shared with Spike, hoping perhaps the bleach blond was out and he might get some peace and quiet for five minutes.
Originally the Irishman was going to take the spare room but after much protesting from Spike, the young man had been convinced to let his 'cousin' sleep on a cot in his room, so Caroline and Charlie could have the spare room. Johnny happily took the sofa and no-one asked what he meant when he said 'he'd slept in worst places'.
Since Doyle had assumed Spike was out, he walked straight into the bedroom without so much as knocking. He found his cousin seated on the bed, a book in front of him and another on the floor, he appeared to simply be reading but there was something wrong, Doyle was sure of it.
"Don't you knock!" Spike snapped, looking up at the slightly older man, "Stupid wanker" he muttered under his breath, as he turned back to the book that he couldn't seem to focus on.
"Sorry" came Doyle's barely audible reply, he answered more out of reflex than anything else, he was quite shocked by what he thought he'd just seen. Tears on Spike's face? Or at least the tracks formed by previous droplets. However unlikely it was, it seemed the boy had been crying over something and Doyle was sure only one thing could crack the bad boy image that Spike fought so hard to maintain.
"Is Buffy okay?" the Irishman asked carefully as he walked around the bed and sat on the edge of the cot on the other side.
"What bloody business is it of yours?" came the angry reply, but Spike didn't raise his head from the book again, he knew why Doyle had asked, he knew he'd seen his tears and there was no way he was discussing his problems with his bloody poof of a cousin.
"I was only asking" he heard in reply to his question, and hoped rather than believed the matter would be left at that.
The room was silent for a while before Doyle dared to speak again.
"Girls, eh?" he scoffed "They can be more trouble than they're worth, can't they?"
"What would you know?" Spike said in similar fashion, head still firmly in his book, "Stupid poofter"
"Is this answering a question with a question thing some kind of test?" Doyle asked, getting quite sick of it now, "Cos all I'm trying to do is help you out" he told the young man he'd had trouble accepting as his cousin. He wasn't sure why he wanted to help but after all they were family...
"Don't want your help" Spike said grumpily, reminding Doyle of a small child who'd just been told off or something.
"Well, if you won't talk to me about your problems" the Irishman sighed, "I'll just have to bore you with mine" he reasoned as he stretched out to lean back on the cot.
No response came from Spike but a low grunt as he continued to pretend to read the book in front of him, in truth his mind was whirling in response to the news that Angel had kissed Buffy and she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about her ex-love. Despite his head being busy with thoughts and his eyes pretending to scan the text, he managed to keep one ear open to Doyles ramblings and became intrigued by what he heard...
"It's Cordelia" the man nearer the window sighed as he glanced out at the sky, "She's blowing hot and cold on me" he complained, "Like before she hardly knew I existed, then yesterday, when there was all that big deal about your uncle and Buffy's mam, well, my princess and me, we came back here and got something to eat. We were talking, not about anything much but things were moving along nicely and, well, long story short there was kissing, but I called later and she wouldn't even talk to me...maybe I scared her off? I dunno..."
"The girl likes you, you dozy git!" Spike exploded before the other young man had any further chance to continue, "Any ninny can see that!"
"How the hell would you know?" Doyle asked, sitting up straight again.
With a sigh, Spike discarded his book, wiping his hand across his face as he did so and making sure his crying fit was no longer obvious.
"I just know, okay?" he said vaguely but it was clear from the look on his face that Doyle wanted a better answer than that, "It's the way she looks at you, behaves around you..." Spike tried to explain, "It's obvious from the outside, I s'pose you just don't see it when it's happening to you"
"I get what you mean" Doyle nodded as he replied, "It's like you and Buffy, I've never seen to people as in love as you are" he said honestly, before amending a little "'cept maybe your parents"
"Yeah" Spike laughed humourlessly, "Me and Buffy, loves young soddin' dream" he sighed and looked at the floor and against his better judgement Doyle felt bad for him. Something had obviously happened between Spike and Buffy to get him this upset.
"Look, Spike" he said, getting the boys attention again, "I know you don't wanna tell me whats going on and thats fine, it's really none of my business anyway, but I know that girl thinks the world of you and it's pretty obvious you love her too"
"What if love isn't enough?" Spike grumbled more to himself than to Doyle, and his Irish cousin sighed, it was going to be a long afternoon...
Downstairs...
"What is all this?" Johnny wondered aloud, picking up a book that had been left strewn across the dining room table, "Demons? The Hellmouth? The Slayer?" he read out words and phrases that he found on the page, frowning at each and every one.
"Witchcraft?" Caroline gasped to her husband as she picked up another book, Charlie only shook his head, not understanding all this anymore than his wife and son did.
"Oh, you're back" Giles said as he arrived in the door way, tucking in his shirt and breathing somewhat heavily, as Jessica stood beside him, re-arranging her hair and smiling like a idiot.
"Yes, we're back" Caroline nodded once, holding up the book in her hands, "and we're all a little confused and worried about these books"
"Oh" was Giles' only response as various old volumes were waved in his face by his future in laws. This was not exactly how he's planned to share the complexities of his life with his soon to be family members.
"I think there's a few things we need to explain..." Jessica sighed gesturing for her family to sit down, "You see, there's things you don't know about Rupert..."
"I suppose we should start from the beginning?" Giles said to his future wife before turning back to her family, "You see, to every generation there is born a Chosen One..."
To Be Continued...
[Coming Soon...Oh Brother! - Chapter 9 : Mommy and Daddy (1987)]
