Chapter 9

Brrrrng! Brrrrng!

Buffy sleepily reached over to answer the phone

"Hello?"

"Hey there sleepy head, you enjoy last night? Did you get home o.k. after I left you?"

Think Buffy, you know it can't be Spike. Your mind is playing tricks on you again. Sure he's still in England. . .. oh no wait, last night was his first night back. Memories came flooding back to her, him smiling, them dancing, him kissing her, oh my god he'd kissed her

"Spike! Last night was good, one of the best I've had in a long time" She cringed, she'd just put her foot in it hadn't she? Now he'd think that she thought it'd had been a good night cause he was back! Great going Buff. Cover up, think of something to say "It was good to see you again, I still can't believe Will didn't tell me you were coming back! We got home ok though thanks"

"I was wondering, would you . . . would you like to go for a coffee later . .. . you know emm to catch up on old times and stuff"

"err . .. . emmm yeah sure I'd love to!. Say two at the espresso palace. That ok with you?"

"Sure is, I'll see you then, luv, g'bye"

Willow rolled over to see her best friend with a stupid grin plastered from ear to ear "Who was on the phone, or do I even have to ask?"

"It was Spike, he wants to meet for coffee, to catch up on old times and stuff . .. oh my god what am I going to wear?"

"This from the girl who claimed less then a week ago and I quote 'I'm not ready for anything resembling a male right now'?" Willow said with a smile

"Its not a male . . .its Spike! I didn't just say that did I?"

"Oh yes you did I'm sure Spike would take kindly to knowing you don't think of him as a male, don't you"

"But he won't know will he? Please?"

"What else won't he know. Are you going to tell him what happened between you and Angel. Because someone better, before Angel comes back to reclaim 'his girl' and somehow I don't think Spike will take too kindly to that. He's going to have to be told and I think it would be better if it came from you."

"I will I'm just not ready yet. O.k. I promise if it feels right I'll tell him today, and if I haven't told him by the end of the week you can. I just want to catch up with him and find out what's been going on in his life before I burden him with my problems"

"Don't you see, he wouldn't think of it as a burden! But I'll let you do it your way but you have three days to tell him otherwise I will."

"O.k . . . . . So what do you think I should wear?"

Willow just sighed, and then started laughing at her friend frantically throwing her clothes everywhere while complaining that she had nothing to wear

Buffy looked at herself in the mirror one last time before heading out to meet Spike. She'd finally decided to wear a simple pair of blue jeans, and a purple tank top. She'd got Willow to do her hair in gentle waves that framed her face, and hid the last of Angels bruises. 'Shit' she thought as she looked at her watch 'it was time to go, she was late . . .. '

She ran in the door of the espresso palace, almost ten minutes late. She spotted Spike over in the booth in the corner and quickly made her way over to him

"Sorry for being late, I kinda lost track of the time"

"Don't worry about it. For a while I thought maybe you just weren't going to turn up but I should have remembered the customary Buffy lateness. Remember how we used to be late for all our classes back in the day?"

Buffy smiled, and he cheeks flushed slightly, "But that wasn't all my fault now was it?" She retorted catching his eye

He winked at her "Well I didn't hear you complaining at the time, did I? "

Buffy's faced flared up. She had to get off this topic before she decided to relive some of those good old days. "So what's with the whole new peroxide look?"

He gave her one of his infamous smirks "Couldn't have you the only bottle blond could I?"

"I don't dye my hair!" she protested and went to hit him playfully across the shoulder pretending to be hurt. And before Buffy had a chance to drop her had, he caught it in his.

"But the roots tell another story don't they pet?"

Her free hand went up to the top of her head. "Ha gotcha Goldie locks, don't worry I won't tell anyone"

"Get lost Spike!"

His voice lowered as he whispered across the table "if you want me to leave you can just put your hands on my hot, tight little body and make me"

"Your hot chocolate sir, with the baby marshmallows that you asked for. Can I take your order ma'am?"

"I'll just have a cappuccino, thanks"

"So what do you want. Will I stay or will I go?"

"You know the answers always stay"

Spike grimaced slightly but decided not to pick her up on her oh so subtle dig, this was no time for an argument, those had always ending in one of two things. Her crying and him being a mass of guilt for days afterward, or a serious make out session. Not that he'd mind one of those right now, but hopefully that would happen in its own good time. Right now he just wanted to catch up on what was going on in her life.

"So what made you come back so soon, last time I was talking to you you didn't know when you were going to be coming home"

"Emmm" should her tell her why he wondered, maybe it was best to take the bull by the horns. "I just found out something and wanted to check it out, you know"

"About what? Was it from Will? Was that why she didn't seem surprised to see you at the Bronze last night. She knew you were coming back didn't she ?"

"Yeah to both, she picked me up from the airport"

"She told you didn't she?"

"Told me what?"

"Please don't patronise me like that Spike"

"No I swear she told me nothing, just hinted that I needed to come home. And in my time away lets just say she hasn't learnt the act of subtlety"

"So she didn't say why she wanted you home?"

"No all she said was that you were in some sort of trouble and said if you wanted to tell me about it you would. But it might help if I was around. That's all I know. I swear to you. So do you want to tell me about it?"

"Do I want to tell you . .. . I suppose I do. But not here. Its gonna be hard enough to tell you with out airing the dirty linen in public"

"O.k. but before I put my foot in it when she said you were in trouble she didn't mean 'in trouble'. .. did she?"

"Buffy laughed "If you're asking me am I pregnant, the answer is no I'm not! But I do want to .. . need to talk to you about it later . . maybe even after this coffee, that is if you want to come around to mine, you don't have to if you don't want, but you could also pick up your duster at the same time"

"I'd like that"
First of all i'd like to thank everyone whos reviewed.
Infogal:angel won't kill buffy, but you never know how evil he can be when he gets a spoon in his hand. (never mind me its my lifes aim to kill someone with a spoon!)

About half an hour later, both Buffy and Spike were finishing up their coffees. They had chatted about everything and everyone - except what was troubling Buffy, but none the less as the conversation got underway Spike noticed that Buffy had become more and more comfortable and a lot less jumpy. They paid their bill and got up to leave, on the way out the door Spike put his arm around Buffy's waist, all of a sudden her whole body seemed to stiffen under his touch, she looked at the hand that was wrapped around her and visibly relaxed. When he found out who had fucked her up so bad that she was like this . . . he'd kill them