A/N: Thanx to everyone who has reviewed.

sPiKe-bUfFy-GuRl: Thank you so much for your review, i was very touched and i'm glad you like the story so much. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 16: A Year Gone By

It was October 26th and the day of Anthony's birthday. Buffy woke early unable to contain her excitement. They had planned a little party for him. There were a few kids on their street who would attend and also the gang. It was mostly about having all of the people she cared about, who she considered family, there. She sat up and climbed out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. Smiling happily.

Spike woke up and found himself alone in bed. He had known Buffy would be like this today. He was equally as excited but Buffy was Anthony's mother, her excitement showed so much more. Spike thought about the past six months while he waited for his love to return. In the last six months so much had happened that he had never dreamed possible. He had fallen more in love with Buffy, and did so every day. He loved looking after Anthony, he felt like they were a real family. All the hurt left over from Cecily disappeared. It was still painful sometimes that he could have had a child of his own, but as far as he was concerned he loved Anthony as his own and he always treated him as such. He had started college in September, taking a lot of English classes. The people he met there all thought he was crazy wanting to take on someone else's kid when he was still only eighteen, but he didn't care what they thought. The people he cared about knew everything that had happened, they had seen how he felt and he had told them all about the Cecily ordeal. They supported him and that's all that was important. He smiled and came back to himself when he heard the door creak open.

Buffy smiled as she entered the room, Spike was laying lost in thought. He looked gorgeous, his hair still tousled from sleep. He looked positively delicious. He looked up at her with a grin on his face

"Morning sleepy head" she teased as she walked over and stood at his side of the bed

"Good Morning gorgeous" he replied

"So are you going to get up?" she asked her boyfriend

"I was thinking you could come back to bed" he suggested with a wolfish grin

"I really think you should get up" she insisted

"Something's already up baby, so you should really come back to bed, I'm sure I can give you a good reason" he said seductively

She gave him a coy smile as she replied "Well, if you put it that way, how can I refuse?" He took hold of her hand and pulled her down on top of him. He kissed her hard and thoroughly on the lips, his tongue begging entrance which she granted readily. After a moment he pulled away and started kissing his way down her neck. A moan escaped her lips as he reached her shoulders and made his way down to her breasts. Just as he was about to pull her camisole top over her head when the door opened and Giles walked in

"Oh, sorry, um, well, yes, I didn't think" Giles rambled Spike groaned as Buffy pulled her top back down and Spike rolled off her

"What can we do for you dad?" Spike asked trying to hide his annoyance

"I was wondering what you had planned today before the party, and I was also a little excited" he said sheepishly

"I'm excited too" Spike told his father and Buffy could hear the innuendo in his voice.

"Giles" Buffy cut in "we are very excited about today, I'm not sure what we have planned for before the party, but Anthony will be awake soon, so maybe we should go downstairs and get started on breakfast" she concluded

Giles nodded and turned walking out the door. Spike started his ministrations on Buffy's neck again but she pulled away. Spike groaned

"Sorry Spike, but I can't not now with Giles awake downstairs" she said apologetically

"You've never had a problem before luv" he drawled This earned him a playful punch on the shoulder

"That's it mister you're definitely not getting any now" she teased "Come on we should get downstairs"

"You go baby" he told her "I have a date with my hand in the shower" Buffy rolled her eyes as she got out of bed and put on her robe

"Have fun" she called as she left the room. Spike groaned once more as he headed for the bathroom.

An hour later Anthony was awake and was having his own breakfast. Spike had come down from the shower wearing a pair of blue jeans and tight white t- shirt, not his usual attire but he still looked hot. He kissed her on the cheek as he walked by.

"Morning baby" she said

"So, decided on plans for the day yet?" Giles inquired from his place at the table "Not yet" Buffy answered "we'll probably just hang around here"

Anthony finished his breakfast and Spike walked over to lift him from his high chair

"How's my boy today?" he cooed, to be greeted with a smile from the boy. He and Buffy made their way to the living room, to spend some quality time with the person they loved most.

Three hours later at just after noon only Buffy and Giles were left at home. Spike had taken Anthony out for some bonding time. Buffy smiled at the thought, most girls would have been jealous that they didn't have their son with them on his first birthday, but she liked the fact that she had the time to get his party ready and make his day special. And she loved the fact that Spike wanted to spend time with him. He spent as much time with him as possible and loved taking care of the child. Buffy smiled when she thought about it.

Spike sat on the grass in the park on a blanket. He watched as Anthony crawled around at his feet, he had been crawling for a little over a month and Spike loved to watch. He loved seeing him grow a little bit more every day, learning new things. It made him feel like he was a part of something, but he was always afraid that something was going to take it away. But he put that thought to the back of his mind. They weren't going anywhere. He was perfectly content when he heard a voice cut into his thoughts

"Hey man" it was Owen

"Hi mate" Spike greeted lifting Anthony onto his lap

"You spend an awful lot of time with that baby Spike" Owen observed

"That I do, Owen, that I do"

"Why" asked his friend curiously "I thought you said he had nanny"

"So did I, turns out he had a mother with a manipulative bastard for a father. His mother just happens to be my girlfriend" Spike informed him

"Oh man, why get involved with a girl with a kid. You're only eighteen"

"Because I love her, I love them" Spike said

"Are you sure?" Owen asked

"Positive" Spike insisted "Well if you're happy" the other man finished

"I am" Spike said simply, smile on his face.

Spike walked in the door at three o'clock sharp. He walked into the living room, Anthony in his arms. The whole gang was there already. A big pile of gifts sat on the table. In the kitchen was a huge birthday cake. They had decided there would be nothing but the best for this birthday. Buffy greeted them both with a kiss on the cheek

"You're home" she said gleefully

"Yes, I am. You're looking even more excited now than when I left" he observed

"She's been like this for the past hour or so" Willow told him "she's like hyper girl or something"

"The party guests will be here soon" she exclaimed, he excitement evident

"Sweetie, there are only three toddlers in the street. There aren't many guests" he reminded her

"I know that, but still. It's my son's birthday and those three toddlers are coming to his party. This time last year, I didn't think I'd get to experience this" she said softly

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear "You get to experience a lot more of them baby. And if you still want me I'll be right there with you" he promised. He kissed the top of her head and then took Anthony from his arms.

"Gonna let uncle Spike help you open your pressies later bit?" he asked the smiling child swinging him around in the air.

The group watched the interaction between man and boy. Spike's adoration for the boy was evident, but there was one thing none of them understood. And that was why he referred to himself as Uncle Spike, but none of them ever said anything. They left them be because at least they were happy. The doorbell rang signalling the tart of the party and Buffy swung into hyper mode again. She ran and opened the door for the other parents, greeting them warmly. The next two hours passed with the children crawling around and playing with an assortment of toys in Anthony's play pen. Buffy and Spike watching the birthday boy with nothing but love in their eyes. Five o'clock came and Buffy decided it was time for cake. Giles ran to the kitchen to get the cake while Willow grabbed for her camera. Buffy and Spike were sitting cross legged at the coffee table in the living room, Buffy holding her son on her knee. Giles walked into the room and everyone broke into Happy Birthday. Giles put the cake down and Buffy and Spike helped the child to blow out his candles. She snapped a picture of it, thinking that in that they had never looked so happy or so much like a family. After the cake came the presents. There was an assortment of gifts from books to cuddly toys and other toys that children liked to play with.

"Ok, one last present" Buffy called out over the excitement "but we have to go out back, this last gift is from Spike and me" she told them as they made their way to the back door. Everyone looked on in amazement at the final present, it was a huge children's playground set with a shoot, a special baby toddler swing, and sandbox as well as a few other bits and pieces. They had been saving up to get it for months. Buffy had been working shifts at Giles' shop to earn extra money and Spike done some part time works as well. But they wanted to get the gift so badly they hadn't cared how much work they had to do to get it

"It's amazing" Willow breathe

"Yeah guys, I'm impressed" Xander concurred

"Yeah, we liked it Spike told him.

A few minutes later everyone went back inside and the other toddlers parents took them home. The house was quiet and bit by bit the rest of the gang left too. Leaving just Spike, Buffy and Giles and Anthony, and Giles was leaving soon too. Spike was glad he was hoping for an early night to pick up where they had left off that morning.

Giles was still doing the cleaning up and Buffy was putting Anthony down, he was beat after the long day, and everyone had been gone for about an hour. Spike was sitting peacefully on the couch when the doorbell rang

"I'll get it" he called as he got up

He answered the door to find a tall, brunette man standing at the door.

"Can I help you?" Spike asked politely

"Yeah, I'm looking for Buffy" the brunette answered Spike looked at him curiously

"Can I ask who you are ?" No one heard Buffy come downstairs, she was shocked by the face at the door. She had hoped never to see it again. When Spike asked who he was she answered for the man at the door

"Angel" Spike hadn't expected to here Buffy behind him, but when he did and when he heard what she said his world crashed down around him.