Disclaimer: I own nothing, but if I ask real nice to you think Joss will give me Spike for my birthday?

A/N: Well I'm glad you liked the last chapter – it gave that nice warm fuzzy feeling! Love you all

Chapter 8: Dates

It is a known fact that as soon as one area of your life is going well, another spirals hopelessly out of control. It was the awareness of this fact that was making Spike very nervous. Everything was going too well! He was getting along with Buffy ever since their conversation in the kitchen yesterday, and he was starting to admit to himself that she was actually okay if you gave her the time of day - he was amazed at the discovery that it was possible to get a long with a female he had no intention of sleeping with. Also, unless he was very much mistaken, she seemed to be warming up to him as well.

Then there was his improving relationship with Jenny. It was still quite tentative; he was constantly worried about saying something that might hurt or offend her…and he was desperately trying to remember not to swear around her – the girl may be a genius but there were some words he really shouldn't add to her vocabulary! He was finding Buffy's presence very helpful in curbing his tendency to speak without thinking.  But despite all the little problems left to work around, things were looking better for their little family unit – for starters she'd agreed to start calling him Spike instead of uncle William. That was unpleasant on so many levels!

Perhaps the most surprisingly good news he had received that day was that Rupert and Anne were coming to visit (read: check up on him). He wasn't sure whether to be offended or amused about the fact that his parents were paying a lot more attention to him now than they ever had for the last twenty-eight years. He had barely heard off them once a year before Jenny had come to live with him, and then it was usually only to berate him for missing the birthday party or wedding or funeral of some distant family member he'd forgotten he even had. Now they were constantly on the phone and visiting for the second time in only a fortnight. It was definitely final proof that Liam had been the preferred son – why else keep in touch with him if not to be close to the golden boy's offspring? Thinking about it however, Spike couldn't bring himself to be that upset about their overt favouritism. He hadn't wanted their approval for a long time and didn't care if he had it or not now. Eventually he settled for mild bemusement and left it at that!

Usually a visit wouldn't rank highly on his list of 'good things that could happen' but this time it meant that he was free to invite Buffy to meet his friends like Xander had suggested since his parents would be looking after jenny for the evening. Now his problem was how to ask her without it sounding like he was coming on to her…

"You want to come out with me and Xander tomorrow night while my parents are in town?" Spike asked later that night while they sat at the kitchen island, picking at food from their Chinese take out cartons after Jenny had gone to bed. Buffy had protested of course – saying that spoiling Jenny with takeout wasn't a good idea. She had come round however, as soon as Spike encouraged her to make the most of their freedom before Anne refused to let anyone eat anything but Tofu and Lima beans…she seemed to have had a midlife crisis health kick a decade or so later than most people. Buffy had gone decidedly green before asking for the menu!

"Oh I'm sorry I've already got plans." She replied as calmly as possible, silently cursing the fact that the one night she actually had a social life was the time Spike was asking…not that she wanted him to ask her out or anything…not at all! She just wanted to get to know him in a none work related setting…yeah! Right! And I have this water front property in Arizona for sale as well! It wasn't her fault she had seen him wearing nothing more than a towel and a smirk as he'd opened the bathroom door that morning!

"That's too bad." Spike shrugged.

"It is?" she asked in response, wondering if he noticed the hope in her voice.

"Yeah." Spike nodded, missing her tone completely in that oblivious way men mange sometimes. "Xander's gonna be disappointed. I think he was hoping to get to know you better!"

"Oh…well maybe next time." Buffy sighed. Good job she hadn't started to realise just how hot Spike was really, otherwise she would have been quite disappointed by Spike's apparent lack of interest! Oh who was she kidding? Guys like Spike never went for her kind. She didn't delude herself into thinking she was anything special! She was just lucky that anyone at all had bothered to ask her out…

Buffy had left for her date just before Spike had headed out to meet Xander. Spike had been surprised when Buffy had told him she had a date. Not because he thought she was celibate or anything, it was just…well…she didn't seem particularly dressed for the occasion. In fact she looked no different than she did everyday except for looking a little more excited than usual. She'd been dressed in dark blue jeans and a black blouse, and while it was a nice ensemble it didn't exactly scream 'I'm hoping to get luck tonight.' He had seen the look of disappointment that had flashed on the guy's face when Buffy had answered the door…what was his name? Peter, Paul…Parker!  Apparently he and Spike had been thinking the same thing!

Spike wondered if he should have warned Buffy that her date was not going to go well. He knew guys like Parker! Hell, he was a guy like Parker! Only taking a girl out because you were hoping to get a bit of the out rough and tumble at the end of the night. The difference between them being Spike only went for girls who knew the score – they knew not to expect anything from him in the morning. When Buffy didn't put out - Spike just knew she wasn't the type -  he hoped Parker let her down gently when he told her they should just be friends. It might take the sting out when he never calls her back! As he sat in the club at their regular table, nursing a large scotch while waiting for Xander he continued to question A) Why he hadn't told her and B) Why he was even giving this a second thought. He was supposed to be enjoying his night of freedom while it lasted, not worrying if some wanker was going to be breaking his nanny's heart!

"Hey man, what's with the long face?" Spike looked up from his drink at the sound of Xander's voice.

"S'nothin'." He replied, not to eager to share his concerns.

"You didn't bring Buffy?" Xander asked as he took his seat opposite his best friend, sounding somewhat disappointed. "I thought you were gonna ask her to come."

"I did ask, but she had other plans." Spike replied coolly, wishing he could have one conversation with Xander that didn't revolve around the petite blonde.

"Too bad." Xander shrugged. "Guess you get to be third wheel tonight!"

"Meaning?" Spike asked suspiciously. He'd assumed Xander wanted Buffy present so he could make a play for her but if that wasn't the case then what the hell –

"Spike?!"

"Oh God!" Spike muttered as he heard a voice he'd no particular wish to hear again…their last encounter had been confusing enough!

"Ahn?" Xander questioned, turning to his date for the evening. "You two know each other?"

"Oh yes!" Anya supplied happily as she took her seat next to Xander. "We were orgasm friends for a short time!"

"What?" Sputtered Xander. Was there anyone in this town that spike hadn't boinked?

"Uh-huh. Spike has a very nice penis!" Anya informed Xander in her perkiest tone of voice – she was discussing her favourite subject after all! "Is your penis as pleasing as his?"

If looks could kill, spike was pretty certain he would have been on a slab in the morgue within the hour the way Xander was glaring at him. He banged his head off the table repeatedly – this was going to be a VERY long night…

Buffy quickly tried to hide the fact that she had been crying when she heard the apartment door opening. She was embarrassed enough without having to explain this. She should have known that it was going to happen really, but stupidly, she had hoped that this time it might be different…always the same story! They'd take one look at her, assess her social leaper and generally frumpy status and see one thing – easy lay! What none of them seemed to realise however was that she had a little thing called self-respect! Sure she didn't get too many offers where men were concerned, but that didn't mean she was going to sleep with them for the sake of it. She'd decided long ago that she was saving herself for that one special person.

Buffy cringed as Spike came into the living room. Of all the people who could have seen her in this state it had to be him! What was he going to think about a nanny who broke down in tears just because her date turned out to be like nearly every other male on the planet i.e. a complete jerk! She was supposed to be mature and responsible dammit! She wasn't supposed to fall apart just because she'd had her feelings hurt. What kind of example did that set to Jenny?

She winced when Spike took one look at her and walked into the kitchen without saying a word, but she wasn't particularly surprised. After all, who want's to be around a –

"Looks like you need this as much as I do!"

Buffy's pity ditty was interrupted when Spike walked back into the lounge and settled next to her on the couch, passing her the tub of cookies and cream and a spoon while he set about opening the chocolate. She looked at him, beyond confused. What was he doing?

"So," Spike began after his first spoonful, "Do you want to begin or shall I tell you about my horrendous evening first?"

"You go." Buffy offered, still too stunned to form coherent sentences just yet. As Spike spun his tale of ghosts of dates past and horrifying conversations about orgasms and penis's, she couldn't help but smile. It looked like her night wasn't a total disaster after all!

A/N: I actually did another chapter – yay me! And thank you all for the lovely reviews! I still love you all!!! Please let me know what you think!