Chapter 3:
Buffy stood in front of the law firm that she had to go into. Her legs didn't seem to want to move. She fixedly stared at the building and the huge sign the said Harris and associates. She didn't know what worried her more: the possibility she might have to let Riley see Dawn or the fact she had to see him again. She was being stupid and she knew it. She barely knew the man and she was already acting like a teenager. He just seemed so nice and understanding.
Buffy looked at her watch and realized that she was already five minutes late. She wanted to hurry, but she wasn't moving. She sighed and realized that sooner or later she would have to talk to the man she hired as her lawyer. It was just no matter how much she said she was ready to take that step in her life she knew she was scared.
The thought of losing to someone as controlling as her ex-husband was too much for her. Also the fact that the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes was waiting for her inside those walls. Buffy knew she had to face the music and started to walk again only to stop right in front of the doors with her arm reaching out for the door knob. She slowly put her arm to her side and wondered why is this so hard.
Spike had been waiting for her all day. He had nothing better to do. She was ten minutes late no and he wondered if she hadn't decided to go with a more power hitting attorney. No, he thought, she would have pulled her retainer if that was the case. Still she didn't seem like the type to forget an appointment as serious as this one. He wondered if maybe she got held up in traffic or something when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Spike said. A brunette in a lab coat entered the room. She was tall and wore glasses. Her hair was shoulder length and wavy. She was wearing a huge smile that she reserved only for him.
"Spike hi." She said. Her voice was very upbeat and cheery.
"Hello Anya. How are you?" Spike said to his little sister. She was very grown-up, but Spike still saw the same goofy looking teenager with glasses that used to follow him around everywhere.
"Fine Spike. I just dropped by to have lunch with Xander. I figured why not say hi to one of my favorite brothers."
"I'm only one of two Anya. But it was nice of you to drop by." He couldn't but smile. Anya always had a smile plastered on her face, especially when she was around Spike.
"Spike, why haven't you taken your lunch break yet? It's very late and you should eat. I hope Xander isn't giving too much work. I could talk to him of you want?" Anya was babbling on and on, she knew that, but she couldn't help the fact that she cared a lot about her older brother.
She knew that Spike didn't want this job and that she had goaded him into taking it. She just want to make sure that he was adjusting to it. Family law was totally different from criminal law. She knew he thought that it was for the weak lawyers, but a job was a job.
"No don't do that. Everything's fine. I was just waiting for a client."
"I thought you said you didn't want to take any cases?"
"Sometimes I can be a stubborn jack ass, but Xander and Angel helped me see that I love being in front of judge. Maybe it is the ham side of me, but I love being in a court room."
"Wow, Xander and Dad couldn't have inspired that much of a change. Is there something you aren't telling me?"
"You still call Angel by his nickname. That's sweet." Spike said trying not to let his sister see that there was in fact a change in his attitude.
"Don't change the subject. Now spill what is making you all happy."
"Ahn, you know that I love it when you visit me. I'm always happy when I'm around my baby sister. You bring it out in everyone."
"That isn't it, but if you want to be secretive about this girl go ahead, but know that it won't last for very long. I know you better than you know you. Which scares me at times, but it was its fringe benefits."
Spike laughed at the assessment of their relationship. It was true despite the fact that Spike didn't want it to be. Anya knew him better than most people. The only person who knew more about him then her was Wes.
"So, this client, is she a woman?" Anya was trying to pry into her older brother's life some more with out being direct about it. The problem was Anya was always direct about everything. She said what was on her mind and didn't hold back. Sometimes it was brutal, but most people she knew learned to accept it.
"Yes, most people who come to this law firm are women going through divorces. You know that. Your husband owns this law firm." Spike knew she was trying to get the scoop, but didn't want to re-hash everything. Buffy might walk through the door any minute now. "That's fantastic." Anya looked at her watch and knew she had to go. Xander had reservations at a very nice restaurant.
"I have to go. Xander has this big surprise planned at some fancy restaurant for our anniversary."
"That's right. You guys have been married for two years now. That is excellent."
"Yeah I know. Now all we need is to have some kids and we'll be Angel and Cordelia. Maybe one day you could join us?"
"I'll think about it."
Anya got up and started walking to the door. Spike followed her and opened the door. Once in the hall, the two hugged and said good-bye.
"Now promise me you will try to meet someone new. The whole brooding thing doesn't work on you."
"I'll try. It isn't like you can just snap your fingers and instantly your soul mate would be standing in front of you."
"I know just try looking then." Anya said as she started to walk away. Anya worried about Spike, but she just couldn't tell him how to run his life. It was hard because he was always the grounded knew what he was doing one while she was the one who had no clue.
Spike watched as his sister walked away. He was happy for her success, but he felt himself becoming jealous. She had a good job and a husband. Angel had a good job and a family. Both his siblings were happy as could be, but he wasn't. He had been the one dreaming of a family for as long as he could remember.
Anya never wanted a family and Angel had thought that he would be too busy to keep one. Now both had families and he was the one who was single and alone. Life works in mysterious ways, he thought before entering his office and going back to waiting for his no-show client.
Buffy had finally managed to walk inside the building. When she reached his office she saw him hugging some women. Buffy didn't know why but she felt jealous.
Why do you feel jealous over a man you don't even know. The women walked away and he stood there watching her walk away.
Must be a girlfriend or something, Buffy thought. Good anyway, no way am I going to go after a guy who is attached. No matter how good looking he is. Buffy walked the remaining steps to his office. She knocked on the door. "Come in." Spike said. He was hoping it was her otherwise he would go on his lunch break. She walked in to the office and sat down in the chair that faced him.
"Sorry I'm late, but Dawn was a little sick so I had to call a baby- sitter." Buffy said. She knew that she was lying but what was she going to say, I was late because I was worried I might jump you if I saw you again.
"S'okay. I wasn't waiting. I had some company earlier so everything is okay. Would you like something to eat?" Spike said. Buffy thought for sure that the girl who left his office was a girlfriend now.
"No I had something to eat before I got here."
"Well I hope you don't mind if I order something from the lunch cart. I haven't eaten all day so I'm famished."
"No that's perfectly alright."
"I'll just be a minute." He got up and went out of the door.
Buffy looked at his desk. It had a computer and papers were scattered everywhere. There were picture frames too. About six or seven. Curiosity got the better of Buffy and she walked to the other side of his desk to see what they were pictures of. There were three on one side and five on the other. The side with three were pictures of him with the same people. There was one of him with a guy and a girl and they seemed to be friends. There was another one with the just him and that same guy. The last one was of a wedding where that same guy and girl were getting married and he appeared to be the best man.
The other side had a picture with a family. She assumed that it must be his brother or something. There was a picture of him and his brother with a whole bunch of cops. Buffy could tell they were cops because they were in uniform. There was a picture of him as a little boy with his family. There was also one with him and an older man who might have been an uncle or something. The last one was of him and that girl. She was wearing a wedding dress! He wasn't wearing the usual wedding attire, so he couldn't be getting married to her. This was very interesting to Buffy, that she didn't even hear Spike come back inside the office.
"Are you looking at the pictures on my desk?" Spike knew that he was stating the obvious, but he had no idea why she would be doing that.
"Yes, I was just looking around."
"Would you mind putting that picture back where it was. I'm sort of a neat freak." Buffy didn't even realize that she was holding the picture. She hurriedly put it back in its place and sat down in the chair.
Spike went back to his desk and fixed the picture. He wasn't trying to make a joke about him being a neat freak. He looked at the picture she had been holding. It was of him and Anya dancing on Anya's wedding day. He wondered why she was holding that picture.
"Mind telling me why a picture of me with my sister would interest you so much?" It was his sister. Buffy could have hit herself for being so stupid.
" Just thought it was nice that a man had pictures on his desk."
Good cover.
"Oh well I like to have pictures on my desk of important people or events. Whenever I feel stuck I just remember something good that happened by looking at a picture. Huge stress reliever."
Okay so he doesn't have a girlfriend and he said that pictures help relieve his stress. He must be gay. Yes he's a faggot.
"Oh that's nice."
"Well to be truthful my sister came in her and put them on my desk. She said it was sad that all the other guys had pictures of their families and I had nothing, but paper on my desk. She's so sweet always thinking about me which can get annoying."
Damn it. Why does he have to totally ruin the image of all my guesses. Why can't he just be gay?
Spike wasn't sure if he was babbling or not. She seemed like she really didn't care about what he was talking about.
Of course she doesn't. She's here to get a divorce not meet nice people.
" So anyway you came her to discuss the case? I had a few questions about what is exactly you want." He had slipped into a professional tone in a matter of seconds. Buffy wondered if she had accidental asked the wrong question. She wanted him to talk more about his life.
"You know I was wondering if the shop talk could wait. I'm actually really nervous and I was wondering who all those people in the pictures were?" She didn't care if it sounded flirty.
"Oh, okay. Um well this one is one of my best friend, Wes, his now wife, Fred, and me. I think we were in college at the time." Spike said holding up a picture of him, Wes, and Fred.
" This one is just Wes and me. This one was taken at Wes and Fred's wedding. This is one of me when I was little with my family. This one is when my brother became a detective. Those were all his cop friends. This is one of my mentor Giles and me. The last one is of my brother's family." Spike finished.
He wondered why she cared at all. It was all pretty boring. She seemed so interest though. " Well it's nice that you have a lot of people who care about you. I just have my one friend Willow. She's great and everything, but it's only one person." Buffy said it relieved her some.
Spike wondered where the nice small talk was coming from. He liked it though so he continued on with it.
" What about family members?"
"My dad left when I was young and my mom is mad at me for the divorce. She said that it was selfish of me to put Dawn through something like this at such a young age. Go figure."
"You're an only child?"
"Yes. My parents didn't stay together long enough to make another kid. I knew that my mom and dad loved each other even if they didn't stay together. Then he died and I really didn't get to have any brothers or sisters. It must be nice to have siblings."
"Some say it's easier when you aren't the middle child. It's great, but I have an older brother who is way too overprotective."
"Nothing wrong with your sister?"
"No. Well she married a guy I don't like, but other than that she did everything I dreamed for her."
"That's great. I mean that you have such a good relationship with her. It must make things easier." "Well I can't talk to her about weird things like sex or anything but it does relieve some tension." Buffy started to laugh. He was making her laugh. It had been such a long time since anyone had made her laugh.
She was laughing. She is very beautiful when she laughed. Her face seems to light up, Spike thought. No bad thoughts she is a married woman who is your client. You don't go there. Mixing business with pleasure never works. Just start talking about the case.
"Um I think we should start talking about the case now. I really have to do some work after you leave." He had changed the subject so abruptly, Buffy thought.
He must not be comfortable talking about his family in front of me. Or he's nervous because of something that had nothing to do with me. Whichever it is he isn't going to talk about his family any more. Buffy thought as she started to answer his question.
The meeting had lasted for the better part of two hours. Spike had heard all he needed to hear about the situation that the case was in. Apparently, Buffy's ex-husband was in the army and his parents had money. They had hired the best lawyer for this case. Spike thought that in a, twisted way, this little girl was lucky to have people that cared so much.
Maybe it was just the fact that if his father and mother had divorced that his father wouldn't fight that hard to see him. Anya and Angel, yes, but Spike was the odd-ball of the bunch. His father never cared that much for Spike or Spike's life. When Spike's grandfather died it had been the hardest time of his life. Not just because he was dead although that was hard, but because his father started to pick on him after that. Spike was home more because he spent most of his time at his grandfather's house. His father would always say that Spike was a screw-up who would never amount to anything.
Buffy had talked about all of it. She had let it out. Everything Riley did to her and their daughter. She thought it would be hard, but it wasn't. they had discussed everything that was needed to be discussed about the case. She felt more assured that things would be just fine.
"So when is the court date set for?" she asked. She wanted this all over with.
"Um, well, it is set for two weeks from now." Spike saw Buffy's face drop into a frown. He wanted to saw something that would reassure her that things would be okay. Suddenly the thought popped into his head.
"I have a friend who is a judge. If you give me a couple minutes I could probably persuade her to move the trial up."
"Don't you think that Riley's lawyer would pick up on that? I mean if your friend was the judge that was presented with the case." Damn it. Spike hadn't thought of that.
"No, I could talk my friend into talking the original judge into moving the case up. It shouldn't be too hard. I know most of the judges at the courthouse."
" Oh. Well if you could pull some strings to make the case earlier then I won't say no to some help. I really want this over with." Buffy knew that she was being a little too over-dramatic. She would be very happy if he could make the date earlier.
"Of course I can. You are the only case I currently have. I worked out the kinks with Xander yesterday." Spike said keeping up the image that he worked there as a lawyer and not as a shitty paper filer.
"I never met someone that was on a first name basis with their boss."
"Oh well Xander is married to my sister."
" Ah nepotism at work for you." Buffy said and laughed at her own joke. Spike couldn't help but laugh. It was what actually happened.
"Well I guess you're right on the nose with that. So I'll see what I can do and than I'll cal you with any news."
"Right. Okay then I have to be on my way. Like I said Dawn isn't feeling very well."
" Right." Buffy got up and walked to the door and Spike followed closely behind her. She turned towards him and said,
"Thank you for being so helpful."
"I think you need to stop saying thank you. Some how I don't see you as the saying thank you type."
" No really," she said as she touched his hand, "It isn't necessary to your job to be nice and all. I thought that lawyers weren't exactly the nicest people in the world."
"Well not all of us are like that."
" Yeah thank you for showing me that." She said as she let go of his hand and walked out the door.
Crap what the hell just happened. She touched my hand! Why? What the hell just happened?
Spike thought. He sighed, closed his door, and walked to his desk.
Why did things have to be so fucking confusing. Was she giving me signals are was I just imagining it. Why was it that she could smile and I could turn into pudding. She is very pretty, but I can't do this. I can't. I can't. right?"
Buffy practically ran out of the building. Why did I touch his hand? Why is my hand feeling all tingly? Why do I feel all tingly? Why am I allowing myself to go down this path. It is the wrong path. He maybe very handsome, but I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't. right?"
Buffy stood in front of the law firm that she had to go into. Her legs didn't seem to want to move. She fixedly stared at the building and the huge sign the said Harris and associates. She didn't know what worried her more: the possibility she might have to let Riley see Dawn or the fact she had to see him again. She was being stupid and she knew it. She barely knew the man and she was already acting like a teenager. He just seemed so nice and understanding.
Buffy looked at her watch and realized that she was already five minutes late. She wanted to hurry, but she wasn't moving. She sighed and realized that sooner or later she would have to talk to the man she hired as her lawyer. It was just no matter how much she said she was ready to take that step in her life she knew she was scared.
The thought of losing to someone as controlling as her ex-husband was too much for her. Also the fact that the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes was waiting for her inside those walls. Buffy knew she had to face the music and started to walk again only to stop right in front of the doors with her arm reaching out for the door knob. She slowly put her arm to her side and wondered why is this so hard.
Spike had been waiting for her all day. He had nothing better to do. She was ten minutes late no and he wondered if she hadn't decided to go with a more power hitting attorney. No, he thought, she would have pulled her retainer if that was the case. Still she didn't seem like the type to forget an appointment as serious as this one. He wondered if maybe she got held up in traffic or something when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Spike said. A brunette in a lab coat entered the room. She was tall and wore glasses. Her hair was shoulder length and wavy. She was wearing a huge smile that she reserved only for him.
"Spike hi." She said. Her voice was very upbeat and cheery.
"Hello Anya. How are you?" Spike said to his little sister. She was very grown-up, but Spike still saw the same goofy looking teenager with glasses that used to follow him around everywhere.
"Fine Spike. I just dropped by to have lunch with Xander. I figured why not say hi to one of my favorite brothers."
"I'm only one of two Anya. But it was nice of you to drop by." He couldn't but smile. Anya always had a smile plastered on her face, especially when she was around Spike.
"Spike, why haven't you taken your lunch break yet? It's very late and you should eat. I hope Xander isn't giving too much work. I could talk to him of you want?" Anya was babbling on and on, she knew that, but she couldn't help the fact that she cared a lot about her older brother.
She knew that Spike didn't want this job and that she had goaded him into taking it. She just want to make sure that he was adjusting to it. Family law was totally different from criminal law. She knew he thought that it was for the weak lawyers, but a job was a job.
"No don't do that. Everything's fine. I was just waiting for a client."
"I thought you said you didn't want to take any cases?"
"Sometimes I can be a stubborn jack ass, but Xander and Angel helped me see that I love being in front of judge. Maybe it is the ham side of me, but I love being in a court room."
"Wow, Xander and Dad couldn't have inspired that much of a change. Is there something you aren't telling me?"
"You still call Angel by his nickname. That's sweet." Spike said trying not to let his sister see that there was in fact a change in his attitude.
"Don't change the subject. Now spill what is making you all happy."
"Ahn, you know that I love it when you visit me. I'm always happy when I'm around my baby sister. You bring it out in everyone."
"That isn't it, but if you want to be secretive about this girl go ahead, but know that it won't last for very long. I know you better than you know you. Which scares me at times, but it was its fringe benefits."
Spike laughed at the assessment of their relationship. It was true despite the fact that Spike didn't want it to be. Anya knew him better than most people. The only person who knew more about him then her was Wes.
"So, this client, is she a woman?" Anya was trying to pry into her older brother's life some more with out being direct about it. The problem was Anya was always direct about everything. She said what was on her mind and didn't hold back. Sometimes it was brutal, but most people she knew learned to accept it.
"Yes, most people who come to this law firm are women going through divorces. You know that. Your husband owns this law firm." Spike knew she was trying to get the scoop, but didn't want to re-hash everything. Buffy might walk through the door any minute now. "That's fantastic." Anya looked at her watch and knew she had to go. Xander had reservations at a very nice restaurant.
"I have to go. Xander has this big surprise planned at some fancy restaurant for our anniversary."
"That's right. You guys have been married for two years now. That is excellent."
"Yeah I know. Now all we need is to have some kids and we'll be Angel and Cordelia. Maybe one day you could join us?"
"I'll think about it."
Anya got up and started walking to the door. Spike followed her and opened the door. Once in the hall, the two hugged and said good-bye.
"Now promise me you will try to meet someone new. The whole brooding thing doesn't work on you."
"I'll try. It isn't like you can just snap your fingers and instantly your soul mate would be standing in front of you."
"I know just try looking then." Anya said as she started to walk away. Anya worried about Spike, but she just couldn't tell him how to run his life. It was hard because he was always the grounded knew what he was doing one while she was the one who had no clue.
Spike watched as his sister walked away. He was happy for her success, but he felt himself becoming jealous. She had a good job and a husband. Angel had a good job and a family. Both his siblings were happy as could be, but he wasn't. He had been the one dreaming of a family for as long as he could remember.
Anya never wanted a family and Angel had thought that he would be too busy to keep one. Now both had families and he was the one who was single and alone. Life works in mysterious ways, he thought before entering his office and going back to waiting for his no-show client.
Buffy had finally managed to walk inside the building. When she reached his office she saw him hugging some women. Buffy didn't know why but she felt jealous.
Why do you feel jealous over a man you don't even know. The women walked away and he stood there watching her walk away.
Must be a girlfriend or something, Buffy thought. Good anyway, no way am I going to go after a guy who is attached. No matter how good looking he is. Buffy walked the remaining steps to his office. She knocked on the door. "Come in." Spike said. He was hoping it was her otherwise he would go on his lunch break. She walked in to the office and sat down in the chair that faced him.
"Sorry I'm late, but Dawn was a little sick so I had to call a baby- sitter." Buffy said. She knew that she was lying but what was she going to say, I was late because I was worried I might jump you if I saw you again.
"S'okay. I wasn't waiting. I had some company earlier so everything is okay. Would you like something to eat?" Spike said. Buffy thought for sure that the girl who left his office was a girlfriend now.
"No I had something to eat before I got here."
"Well I hope you don't mind if I order something from the lunch cart. I haven't eaten all day so I'm famished."
"No that's perfectly alright."
"I'll just be a minute." He got up and went out of the door.
Buffy looked at his desk. It had a computer and papers were scattered everywhere. There were picture frames too. About six or seven. Curiosity got the better of Buffy and she walked to the other side of his desk to see what they were pictures of. There were three on one side and five on the other. The side with three were pictures of him with the same people. There was one of him with a guy and a girl and they seemed to be friends. There was another one with the just him and that same guy. The last one was of a wedding where that same guy and girl were getting married and he appeared to be the best man.
The other side had a picture with a family. She assumed that it must be his brother or something. There was a picture of him and his brother with a whole bunch of cops. Buffy could tell they were cops because they were in uniform. There was a picture of him as a little boy with his family. There was also one with him and an older man who might have been an uncle or something. The last one was of him and that girl. She was wearing a wedding dress! He wasn't wearing the usual wedding attire, so he couldn't be getting married to her. This was very interesting to Buffy, that she didn't even hear Spike come back inside the office.
"Are you looking at the pictures on my desk?" Spike knew that he was stating the obvious, but he had no idea why she would be doing that.
"Yes, I was just looking around."
"Would you mind putting that picture back where it was. I'm sort of a neat freak." Buffy didn't even realize that she was holding the picture. She hurriedly put it back in its place and sat down in the chair.
Spike went back to his desk and fixed the picture. He wasn't trying to make a joke about him being a neat freak. He looked at the picture she had been holding. It was of him and Anya dancing on Anya's wedding day. He wondered why she was holding that picture.
"Mind telling me why a picture of me with my sister would interest you so much?" It was his sister. Buffy could have hit herself for being so stupid.
" Just thought it was nice that a man had pictures on his desk."
Good cover.
"Oh well I like to have pictures on my desk of important people or events. Whenever I feel stuck I just remember something good that happened by looking at a picture. Huge stress reliever."
Okay so he doesn't have a girlfriend and he said that pictures help relieve his stress. He must be gay. Yes he's a faggot.
"Oh that's nice."
"Well to be truthful my sister came in her and put them on my desk. She said it was sad that all the other guys had pictures of their families and I had nothing, but paper on my desk. She's so sweet always thinking about me which can get annoying."
Damn it. Why does he have to totally ruin the image of all my guesses. Why can't he just be gay?
Spike wasn't sure if he was babbling or not. She seemed like she really didn't care about what he was talking about.
Of course she doesn't. She's here to get a divorce not meet nice people.
" So anyway you came her to discuss the case? I had a few questions about what is exactly you want." He had slipped into a professional tone in a matter of seconds. Buffy wondered if she had accidental asked the wrong question. She wanted him to talk more about his life.
"You know I was wondering if the shop talk could wait. I'm actually really nervous and I was wondering who all those people in the pictures were?" She didn't care if it sounded flirty.
"Oh, okay. Um well this one is one of my best friend, Wes, his now wife, Fred, and me. I think we were in college at the time." Spike said holding up a picture of him, Wes, and Fred.
" This one is just Wes and me. This one was taken at Wes and Fred's wedding. This is one of me when I was little with my family. This one is when my brother became a detective. Those were all his cop friends. This is one of my mentor Giles and me. The last one is of my brother's family." Spike finished.
He wondered why she cared at all. It was all pretty boring. She seemed so interest though. " Well it's nice that you have a lot of people who care about you. I just have my one friend Willow. She's great and everything, but it's only one person." Buffy said it relieved her some.
Spike wondered where the nice small talk was coming from. He liked it though so he continued on with it.
" What about family members?"
"My dad left when I was young and my mom is mad at me for the divorce. She said that it was selfish of me to put Dawn through something like this at such a young age. Go figure."
"You're an only child?"
"Yes. My parents didn't stay together long enough to make another kid. I knew that my mom and dad loved each other even if they didn't stay together. Then he died and I really didn't get to have any brothers or sisters. It must be nice to have siblings."
"Some say it's easier when you aren't the middle child. It's great, but I have an older brother who is way too overprotective."
"Nothing wrong with your sister?"
"No. Well she married a guy I don't like, but other than that she did everything I dreamed for her."
"That's great. I mean that you have such a good relationship with her. It must make things easier." "Well I can't talk to her about weird things like sex or anything but it does relieve some tension." Buffy started to laugh. He was making her laugh. It had been such a long time since anyone had made her laugh.
She was laughing. She is very beautiful when she laughed. Her face seems to light up, Spike thought. No bad thoughts she is a married woman who is your client. You don't go there. Mixing business with pleasure never works. Just start talking about the case.
"Um I think we should start talking about the case now. I really have to do some work after you leave." He had changed the subject so abruptly, Buffy thought.
He must not be comfortable talking about his family in front of me. Or he's nervous because of something that had nothing to do with me. Whichever it is he isn't going to talk about his family any more. Buffy thought as she started to answer his question.
The meeting had lasted for the better part of two hours. Spike had heard all he needed to hear about the situation that the case was in. Apparently, Buffy's ex-husband was in the army and his parents had money. They had hired the best lawyer for this case. Spike thought that in a, twisted way, this little girl was lucky to have people that cared so much.
Maybe it was just the fact that if his father and mother had divorced that his father wouldn't fight that hard to see him. Anya and Angel, yes, but Spike was the odd-ball of the bunch. His father never cared that much for Spike or Spike's life. When Spike's grandfather died it had been the hardest time of his life. Not just because he was dead although that was hard, but because his father started to pick on him after that. Spike was home more because he spent most of his time at his grandfather's house. His father would always say that Spike was a screw-up who would never amount to anything.
Buffy had talked about all of it. She had let it out. Everything Riley did to her and their daughter. She thought it would be hard, but it wasn't. they had discussed everything that was needed to be discussed about the case. She felt more assured that things would be just fine.
"So when is the court date set for?" she asked. She wanted this all over with.
"Um, well, it is set for two weeks from now." Spike saw Buffy's face drop into a frown. He wanted to saw something that would reassure her that things would be okay. Suddenly the thought popped into his head.
"I have a friend who is a judge. If you give me a couple minutes I could probably persuade her to move the trial up."
"Don't you think that Riley's lawyer would pick up on that? I mean if your friend was the judge that was presented with the case." Damn it. Spike hadn't thought of that.
"No, I could talk my friend into talking the original judge into moving the case up. It shouldn't be too hard. I know most of the judges at the courthouse."
" Oh. Well if you could pull some strings to make the case earlier then I won't say no to some help. I really want this over with." Buffy knew that she was being a little too over-dramatic. She would be very happy if he could make the date earlier.
"Of course I can. You are the only case I currently have. I worked out the kinks with Xander yesterday." Spike said keeping up the image that he worked there as a lawyer and not as a shitty paper filer.
"I never met someone that was on a first name basis with their boss."
"Oh well Xander is married to my sister."
" Ah nepotism at work for you." Buffy said and laughed at her own joke. Spike couldn't help but laugh. It was what actually happened.
"Well I guess you're right on the nose with that. So I'll see what I can do and than I'll cal you with any news."
"Right. Okay then I have to be on my way. Like I said Dawn isn't feeling very well."
" Right." Buffy got up and walked to the door and Spike followed closely behind her. She turned towards him and said,
"Thank you for being so helpful."
"I think you need to stop saying thank you. Some how I don't see you as the saying thank you type."
" No really," she said as she touched his hand, "It isn't necessary to your job to be nice and all. I thought that lawyers weren't exactly the nicest people in the world."
"Well not all of us are like that."
" Yeah thank you for showing me that." She said as she let go of his hand and walked out the door.
Crap what the hell just happened. She touched my hand! Why? What the hell just happened?
Spike thought. He sighed, closed his door, and walked to his desk.
Why did things have to be so fucking confusing. Was she giving me signals are was I just imagining it. Why was it that she could smile and I could turn into pudding. She is very pretty, but I can't do this. I can't. I can't. right?"
Buffy practically ran out of the building. Why did I touch his hand? Why is my hand feeling all tingly? Why do I feel all tingly? Why am I allowing myself to go down this path. It is the wrong path. He maybe very handsome, but I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't. right?"