Author: Bitten And Staked

Title: City of Angels - Chapter Eight - Meet the parents.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary: Buffy and Spike finally arrive in LA with Dawn in tow, Spike realises that he's the first boyfriend her fathers met.

Timeline: set in between season 5 and 6, in my alternate world where Buffy didn't die. Spike's crypt is trashed during the final showdown and Dawn convinces Buffy to let him stay since he protected them both.

Series: Part 8 of ?

Pairing: Buffy and Spike. Romance, love and nooky.

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: everyone else owns Buffy and all associated with her.

Feedback: always welcome so email me - webmaster@talesoftheslayer.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back on the road again Spike was soon the only one awake. He turned the music down low as Buffy started to snore softly against his shoulder. His thoughts turning to his precious cargo, he looked at the two girls and smiled. As he had told Buffy only a couple of months ago, he would do anything to protect them both, they were dear to him in a way he never thought was possible. If he lost either of them it would be like losing a part of himself.

Spike was soon headed into LA, as he joined the freeway on its outskirts he nudged Buffy.

"Pet, some directions would be nice." He smiled as she just snuggled into his arm, wrapping her arms around it tightly, it felt nice her being by his side like this.

"Buffy, I love you." He whispered into her hair and kissed it lightly.

"Mmm love you." She echoed as she slept on.

Spike took it to mean nothing as it sounded like she was just repeating what he was saying, but it still made a fiery feeling in his abdomen. He sniffed and nudged her again a little harder.

"Spi.." He saw her nose wrinkle up and a little frown cross her face.

"Buffy Anne Summers." He hollered at her and she shot up, eyes still firmly shut in sleep.

"Meh?" She stretched and rubbed her eyes. On opening them she saw LA in the distance. "Oh. How long was I asleep?"

"Ages. You don't half rabbit on when you're sleeping." Spike gave her a cocky little grin and she decided not to ask.

"Take a left up ahead captain."
When they pulled up outside her fathers house it was still over an hour until daylight would break over the hills. Spike looked up at the house he'd come to park outside, it was massive and Buffy's comment about his family being modestly well off came back to him. Summers must be pretty modestly well off too.

"Nice house, daddy got a nice job pet?" Spike grinned at her as she rounded the car.

"Lawyer." Dawn stretched and grabbed her bag from the back of the car, she suppressed a yawn as she shut the door.

"Stay." Buffy stopped Spike in his tracks and started fussing over him, straightening his clothes out so he looked more presentable.

"Buffy, love. Do you mind?" Spike gave her a warning glance.

"Okay, remember what we went over. No talk of demons, apocalypses, slaying or anything occult. Okay?"

"Fine, but what if he says to you 'so Buffy what first attracted you to William?' can't I respond with 'I'm a demon in the sack.'" He grinned at her as she slapped him hard on the arm and gave him that look. "Okay, lighten up I was just messing."

Buffy took a deep breath and looked at the house. "Now or never."

"I'm the first one he's met aren't I?" It dawned on Spike as he watched an array of nerves flicker across her looks.

"Yes. Shut up and let's go." She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him up the path behind Dawn, when she looked at him she saw he was grinning like mad and she couldn't help but smile too.
Hank Summers opened the door to find his daughters and a grinning madman stood at his door, in the half dark small hours of the morning.

"Hey." The girls said in unison. Spike hung back a little as they shared a group hug that seemed to make their father uncomfortable.

"Girls, I wasn't expecting you for a while. Nice ride." Hank looked to Spikes Desoto.

"She's a beauty." Spike looked at Buffy and she blushed.

"Ah, you must be William. Dawns told me so much about you." Hank took hold of Spikes hand and shook it vigorously; Spike instinctively took the opportunity to size up his opponent. Buffy noticed what he was up to and interrupted.

"We're absolutely shattered now. William insisted in driving all the way here without a break." She hooked her arm through his and he looked worried as Dawn walked into the house.

Panic crossed Buffys face, she knew her invite wouldn't get him into the house; it had to come from her father. She purposefully hung about on the porch smiling at Spike, she could see the sun starting to turn the horizon purple. Spike smiled back but looked a little pained, he took hold of Buffys hands and held them together encompassed in his like a silent prayer.

"Come on in you two, your stepmother is dying to see you."

A look of relief washed over both their faces as they looked into each other's eyes and then stepped over the threshold into the house.