"Mom, Dad," Neil began as he righted himself, but Buffy cut him off with a quick gesture of her hand, her eyes misting a little at the corners.
"Don't worry honey, it's okay," she assured him with a grateful smile, her voice wavering with emotion. "We are just so glad you're okay," she finished, giving Neil a quick hug. Neil let out a small sigh of relief, knowing that the worst was over for them.
"Thanks Mom," Neil whispered, hugging her back, his voice showing the great weight that had been lifted from his young shoulders.
"And we are very grateful to see you as well," Giles added as he embraced Mike as well.
"I was so worried that I wouldn't see you again," Mike admitted, her voice breaking at the last syllable. She looked into her father's eyes, her own telling him her heart. "I am so sorry I yelled at you and Mom."
"And I apologize for striking you," Giles added, his voice small.
"Looks like we all have some making up to do," Riley observed, looking at Neil. Spike snorted, gaining their collective attention as he reentered from the entrance Dru had left by.
"No sign of Dru. It's doubtful she'll be back here anytime soon. She didn't like Sunnydale anyway," he added as he casually lit a cigarette.
"Hopefully this will teach her a lesson," Willow offered optimistically. "You know, don't mess with the good guys? Maybe she won't be back."
"To be on the safe side, I think we should ask Gabriella to step up her patrols, in case Drusilla attempts something else," Giles replied, the others agreeing.
"I'll talk to her and Liam about it tomorrow," Mike assured him. Spike nodded and took a drag from his smoke.
"Well, as much as I like the goody-good family thing, it's almost daybreak, so I think I'll make myself scarce," the vampire interjected. He began to head towards the door, but have a quick glance to Mike. "See you later, love."
"Thanks for coming to get us," Mike returned.
"What kind of friend would I be if I just sat on my bum?" he asked rhetorically.
"Not very much of one," Mike admitted with a short laugh. Spike gave his own quick laugh and headed out the door from which he came. Mike turned to Buffy and Riley and took a deep breath. "I know that Neil and I lied to you, and we have absolutely no excuse for what we did, but I hope you would consider giving us another chance. I love Neil very much. Please don't force us to end this because we made a stupid mistake. One that I swear to you will never happen again. I know we should have told you about us when this began, and I'm sorry that we didn't." Buffy and Riley kept their gazes even.
"You have spent the past six months knowing deceiving us and your parents, encouraging our son to do the same. God only knows the things that have run through my mind in the past twenty-four hours. My son's very life was in danger." Mike kept the look on her face as calm as possible, but inside she was starting to crumble. "God also knows that I've made some very bad decisions in my time, and that I've paid for them, and I can't say that I was always completely honest with the people I cared for. What you and Neil did was wrong, but that's over now, and everything came out well in the end," Buffy finished.
"So are you're saying it's okay for us to see each other," Mike asked with a bit of hope, with was reflected in Neil's eyes as well.
"We're saying we'll consider it," Riley corrected her, his voice stern. "On a strictly probationary basis," he added, looking at both her and Neil collectively.
"Probationary meaning…" Neil asked as he looked his parents over. Buffy gave him a wicked smile.
"Meaning your father and I set the rules, and if you don't follow them, there will be no more smoochies. You will be home when we say you are to be home, you will be where you say you will be when you do go out, and you will only do what we say you can do. Otherwise, forget it," Buffy told him. "Take it or leave it." Neil sighed, but then smiled.
"I agree," he answered, then glanced over and took Mike's hand.
"I agree as well, Mrs. Finn," Mike replied, looking into Neil's eyes and squeezing his hand. Buffy and Riley smiled at each other, savoring their victory.
"Then we'll see you tomorrow to discuss the specific terms of our agreement," Riley told Mike. "Eight am, Ms. Giles."
"Yes, sir," she assured him, and Riley nodded.
"Then I think it's time for us to go home," he told them. "Let's go son," he added, and Neil smiled, giving Mike's hand one last quick squeeze, then changed his mind and gave her a tight hug.
"See you tomorrow," he offered, turning to face his parents.
"As always, Finn," Mike called after him.
"Likewise, Giles," Neil returned with a grin as he and his family left, leaving Mike with her own parents. Willow shook her head at the dreamy sigh Mike gave as Neil left.
"Are you sure you're ready for this probation thing," she asked her daughter skeptically. Mike gave her a grin. "They're asking a great deal from both of you."
"If that's what it takes, that's what it takes," Mike told her decisively. "I feel lucky to be getting this much from them at all," she admitted.
"Then I trust you'll stick to the terms of the agreement," Giles replied.
"For Neil? Yes, I will," Mike answered, looking into her father's eyes, and he know she was telling the truth.
"Then I suppose Buffy and Riley haven't make such a terrible decision after all. Please promise us, Michaela, no more lies. No more secrets."
"I promise, Dad," she replied as she gave him a hug. As she let him go, she gave her parents a sad look. "Sorry, but I have to get home. Gabby's probably looking for me, so I should check in before she goes out to find me." Willow and Giles nodded their understanding.
"Of course Gabriella will be worried," Giles told her. "We'll call you later. Perhaps you should join us for dinner," he added tentatively.
"What's on the menu," Mike asked with a wry grin, teasing them.
"I believe we have some of my famous lasagna," Willow said causally as she looked at Giles, her eyes gleaming with mirth.
"A mother who always knows how to speak to my stomach," Mike chuckled. "I'm there."
"Six o'clock," Giles reminded her.
"I'll remember," Mike assured him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Shall we see you to your car," Giles offered, and Mike smiled, nodding.
"Um… sure," Mike answered, slightly perplexed. The three of them made their way out of the desolate mansion in silence, finding Mike's car parked on the street, Mike's amazement growing, now understanding what her father had meant. "Wow. Talk about your curbside service," Mike mused. "Remind me to thank whoever brought it over here." Giles gave a short nod.
"That would be Spike," Willow admitted, giving Mike a knowing look.
"Well, he deserves a big thank you." Mike gave Willow a tight hug, then turned her attention to Giles, hugging him tightly as well. "I'll see you tonight, Daddy," she finished in a whisper.
"Good-bye, Michaela," he replied as she got into the car, then closed the door and started the engine. As she pulled out onto the street, Giles and Willow watched on, until Mike's vehicle was no longer in sight.
"That's our little girl, Rupert," Willow said with a wry smile.
"I still can't believe she bloody agreed to Buffy and Riley's probation," Giles replied.
"Neither can I. I guess this means they're serious, because only serious people would agree to something like that, Rupert," she gently reminded him, and Giles nodded. However the situation turned out, he knew they were not likely to forget it. "This could turn into something permanent," she reminded him.
"Lord help us all if it does." he told her. "I don't know if this town could stand one more marriage made on the Hellmouth."
"Or one more father," she teased, getting him to smile. As always, Willow had been able to discover the heart of the matter.
"Shall we go home, my dear," he offered, "Before we start speaking of announcements and other things that shall remain unsaid," he asked. Willow smiled.
"Sure. I've got a few things in mind that
may keep you from thinking about that." With that, they walked towards
their own car, hand in hand.
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