A/N Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter. This next one is quite a happy chapter, those of you who would rather I lose Hank, sorry not for now as he is part of the story I am trying to tell :) thanks all anyway!

Chapter 17

"You love me?" he asked, swallowing hard as he drew in a ragged breath.

He knew that she cared for him of course, but he had been starting to think that hell would freeze over before she would admit to it. That she had said it first meant so much more. It meant that she had finally trusted her heart and happiness to his keeping and he could guess how much it had cost her to say those few words.

"Yeah, I didn't want to, but I just did,"

Spike grinned at her. "If you're trying for flattery luv, let me tell you that you suck at it," he said teasingly.

Buffy laughed and thumped him on the arm. "Spoil the moment much. How do you feel about me?"

Spike's smile faded as he looked at the hope shining in her eyes. "Have you any idea how long I have loved you?" he asked.

"You love me too? Dawn said you did, but I wasn't sure," she said in wonder.

"Not the sharpest pencil in the box are you luv? Maybe I married the wrong sister," Spike laughed aloud at her expression before continuing. "I tried to show you with actions as you didn't seem ready for the words at the time. When we made love, I used touch instead, which if I remember rightly, you seemed to enjoy,"

He smiled at her as her face turned red.

"I did sort of wonder…I knew you wanted me," she replied.

"Buffy, as corny as this sounds, I have loved you almost from the first moment I saw you. When Ethan suggested you as my bride, I was against it. Not because I found you repulsive, like you thought, but because I read the pain in your eyes and it mirrored my own. I didn't want to be the cause of more suffering for you,"

"You haven't been. Spike, I couldn't imagine living here for one moment without you now. Having you here felt so good and I was so afraid that you would leave. I kept my distance at first, it was easier, but then you drew me in. The few short weeks you have been here have been the happiest since I can't remember when,"

Spike continued to stroke her hair.

"I hated myself when I found out your reasons for marriage. You were at your worst, but you showed your true nature in sacrificing yourself for your sister. Both you and Dawn restored my faith in the female sex," he sighed.

Buffy cupped his face with one of her hands. "Ah, I don't know, looking back it doesn't seem such a sacrifice now. Spike I want you to know that I know about Drusilla,"

Spike looked at her sharply. "How?"

"I kinda found the photo and then I asked Angel. Don't be mad at me," she pleaded.

"Then you know the story. I didn't realise I still had that picture and it wasn't kept out of any lingering affection for her," he replied.

"It's okay I didn't get jealous…well maybe a little, but I know she didn't deserve you and that her loss is definitely my gain,"

"I just need to tell you about her and then we will think on her no more," said Spike.

"Okay, I'm listening,"

"I met Dru when I was studying at uni. I thought she was what I wanted, but I can see now looking back that it would have been a real disaster. Even if she hadn't run off with someone else on our wedding day, it would have just been some other guy on some other day. What I felt for her, is nothing but a pale shadow of what I feel for you," Spike looked at her intently before continuing. "How about you, I was shocked beyond belief that I was going to be your first…pleased…but shocked,"

Buffy took a big breath before speaking. "I dated guys, but not long after my sixteenth birthday my parents split and then we moved here and I guess I didn't stray far from home because my mom was in such a state after it all happened. I started seeing this guy called Parker…and we nearly…ya know slept together until Willow saw him with someone else. Apparently he gets girls in bed for the fun of it and dumps them the day after,"

"I'd like to meet him sometime," growled Spike.

"Rein the inner caveman. He's not worth it. Getting back to caveman mentality what to do about Hank,"

"Buffy, he came here didn't he? He deserves a few points in his favour for that. He was pretty shook up about Dawn,"

"And so he should be. We'll have him at the hospital first thing in the morning to have him tested. Don't expect a big reconciliation scene between him and I Spike, okay?"

Spike looked at her, poking the tip of his tongue between his teeth. "How do you feel about you and I reconciliation scenes?"

She sat up on the bed and launched herself at him, knocking him back onto the mattress and straddling him.

"If all you wanted to do was jump my bones you only had to ask….pet,"

Buffy lowered her head and whispered in his ear "This time, it's my turn to shut you up with a kiss,"

Their mouths met hungrily, both of them sure of their love for each other as the kiss deepened and blazed out of control. Buffy pulled her t-shirt up over her head and lifted the edges of his shirt to run her hands over his flat stomach. She fumbled with his belt buckle and un-zipped his jeans.

Spike took a hold of her hands and stilled her movements. "What about your dad?" he asked.

Buffy got up from the bed and Spike cursed himself for possibly saying the wrong thing at the right time, but he heaved a sigh of relief as she walked over to the door and turned the key in the lock.

"Hank can take care of himself for tonight. I intend to take care of you," she replied as she removed the rest of her clothing on the way back to the bed.

Spike watched her impromptu striptease as he threw his jeans and boots off, left wearing nothing, but his shirt.

"You are still dressed, not fair," she pouted.

"Ah, but I wanted you to finish the job. Any good a sewing shirt buttons back on?" he asked, reminding her of their first night together.

Buffy joined him on the bed. She took the edges of the shirt in her hands and pulled them apart. The buttons popped satisfyingly as she removed it. "There that's better and with Christmas coming, I think I owe you a new shirt at least," she grinned as she ran kisses up along his throat.

Spike flipped her over on the bed and covered her body with his own. "I am sure you can think of a way to make up for it,"

"You bet ya," she grinned as she pulled his head down to her breast.

Buffy woke to brilliant sunlight flooding the room. She winced at the brightness, but it was nothing to the inner warmth she felt from the knowledge that she loved and was loved in return. Her whole body felt languid and achy at the same time, but in a very good way, she decided. She turned her head to look at Spike. He was still fast asleep an arm wrapped tightly around her waist, the other resting on her naked breast. It felt wonderful to be held and loved so. Now she had Spike she would never let him go. She snuggled down into the quilt, not wanting to break this wonderful moment. Buffy felt sleep begin to claim her once more and she welcomed it. "I love you William," she breathed as she drifted off.

Spike kissed her shoulder. "I love you too," he replied sleepily.

An hour later, they were both awoken by the harsh trill of the bedside alarm clock.

"Okay, back to reality. Which by the way is a pretty good place to be right now," giggled Buffy.

"Oh, yeah," Spike replied as he turned over in the bed to kiss her.

Buffy pulled away. "I have morning breath,"

"So do I," he grinned at her before kissing her again.

It was another forty-five minutes before either of them left the bedroom. Buffy belatedly remembered about her unwanted house guest as they scrambled off the bed together to get a shower. Eventually they made their way downstairs to find Hank sitting in the lounge reading the morning paper.

"Morning," Hank muttered before hiding his face behind the newspaper once more.

Spike looked from father to daughter. "I think I'll go brew some coffee," he said, slapping Buffy firmly on the rear before leaving them alone.

"Thanks Spike," Buffy looked daggers at him before he disappeared into the kitchen.

Hank lowered his newspaper to look at her. Buffy noticed for the first time, the slight swelling on his nose and the faint shadow of a black eye. He noticed the direction her gaze had taken. "Like the shiner? You can thank your new husband for that," he smiled self depreciatingly.

"Don't worry I will," said Buffy as she walked over to the window, preferring to look anywhere, but at her father. "Look, Hank as we are both adults let me be straight with you…you decided to do the fatherly thing for Dawn, for that I am grateful. You want anything more than that from me, I don't know if I can give it right now,"

Hank sighed and got up from the sofa. "Buffy I'm not asking for forgiveness here. I know you are mad at me and rightly so, but I can wait. I have no real excuse for how I behaved towards you both. I'll go to the hospital with you this morning and do the test and hope to God I am a match. After it's all over I can go back to LA and if you chose, you never have to see me again,"

Buffy spun round on her heels. "Yeah that's right Hank run back to LA. All I ever did see when I was growing up was your back. Why change a habit of a lifetime?"

Spike heard the raised voices from the lounge and hurried back in. "What the bloody hell is going on here?" he demanded, walking over to stand next to Buffy.

"It was a mistake for me to come here. I think it's best if I check into a motel somewhere," sighed Hank in defeat.

"No, you are staying here," said Buffy firmly. "Trying to take the easy route again?"

"No, I just thought it would be for the best," he replied.

"Best for whom?" asked Buffy.

"Fine, I'll stay. You always were a mass of contradictions young lady,"

"Great, now that's settled, maybe we can focus on what's really important here…Dawn," Spike emphasised.

Hank and Buffy both looked at Spike shamefaced.

"I'll go get my jacket," she replied.

"I'll go get in the car,"

Buffy leaned up on tiptoe to kiss her husband as she walked off to the closet. Spike took the keys to Angel's car and Hank followed him outside.

"That didn't go too well,"

"You think mate?" asked Spike sarcastically. "She is hurt and angry, those things don't just go away overnight any fool could tell you that,"

Spike unlocked the car and got in while Hank sat in the back. Buffy joined them a few moments later. The trace of a scowl was still marring her face as Spike drove out of their driveway and headed for the hospital. The awkward silence in the in the car stretched out before them, broken only by the sound of Spike's cell phone as it rang. He took it out of his pocket and passed it to Buffy to answer.

"Hi Angel, yeah he is back and the car is just fine, thanks for asking," Buffy replied dryly, rolling her eyes at Spike.

She ended the conversation and replaced Spikes phone, almost tempted to keep her hand inside his jacket if it wasn't for the presence of her erstwhile father in the back seat.

"Angel is meeting us at the hospital. Apparently he has grown tired of public transport," Buffy informed him.

"I really need to get us some wheels. Have to see into that at some point,"

Thankfully the journey to the hospital was soon over and they were walking across the parking lot to the entrance. Buffy turned to her father before they entered it. "If you say anything to upset Dawn…" she warned him.

"I'm not heartless Buffy," Hank snapped.

"The jury is still out on that one," she replied airily as she walked ahead of him. They stopped outside Dawn's hospital room. "Let me go in and talk to her first,"

Hank let out a heavy sigh and nodded in agreement.

Buffy opened the door and walked in. She was surprised to see that her sister was not alone. Willow was napping in the chair in the corner. Dawn was awake and sitting up in bed, listening to her CD player. She pulled out her earphones as she saw Buffy. "Hi sis,"

"Don't hi sis me," said Buffy.

Dawn swallowed visibly. "So you know,"

"Yeah I know. I'm not mad at you Dawn. I should have thought of it myself, I guess I would have if I wasn't so angry with Dad," she sighed as she sat down on the bed with her sister.

"So he's here then?" asked Dawn.

"Yeah, he's right outside,"

"I want to see him," said Dawn eagerly.

Buffy tried to control the resentment she felt at her sister's happiness, but being a few years younger than Buffy she hadn't really experienced or understood a lot of the circumstances of their parents break-up and his subsequent absence. She got off the bed and walked over to the door and opened it. "You can come in now," she told him.

Buffy walked over to her sleeping friend and woke her. "Huh," asked Willow, disorientated for a moment. "Buffy hi," she smiled at her sleepily.

Hank walked in the room. "This is Hank," Buffy told her.

"Hank? Isn't that your father's name?" asked Willow.

"Yeah," said Buffy.

"How's my little pumpkin belly?" asked Hank as he saw Dawn.

"Dad!" she grinned happily.

Buffy saw her sister hold out her arms to their father and looked away.

"C'mon I'll explain it all over some icky hospital coffee," said Buffy as Willow followed her and she left her sister alone with their father.

Spike was still waiting for them in the corridor. "Hi red," he smiled at her.

"Hi Spike, so you were responsible for Hank?" she asked.

He nodded and closed the door on Hank and Dawn and the three of them made their way to the hospital dining hall. Buffy and Spike' hands were tightly linked, they walked so close it would have been impossible to wedge a postage stamp between them. Their actions were not lost on Willow.

"Is there something you two aren't telling me?" asked Willow.

"Um let me think…Spike?" asked Buffy teasingly.

Spike turned to Willow. "Buffy and I love each other. We've decided to make it a real marriage,"

Willow gasped before wrapping her arms around her best friend and then to Spike, awkwardly giving him a quick hug.

"I kinda hoped you two would see sense. So is this the end of all those sad puppy dog eyes I've been seeing around here lately?" grinned Willow.

"It sure is, nothing but happy Buffy from now on," she replied as she kissed Spike and they continued down the corridor.

"Good, because I missed her," said Willow.

Dawn's hospital room was on the nearside of overcrowded as Buffy, Spike, Angel, Faith and Willow and Hank all waited for the news of Hank's blood test.

"What can be taking so long?" asked Buffy edgily. She was perched on Spike's knee due to the lack of available seats, something that she had no problem with at all.

Angel and Faith had found Spike, Buffy and Willow in the hospital dinner hall after they had arrived at the hospital. They had been quick to share their good news with everyone. Buffy mused that it would have been pretty hard to ignore anyway due to the way Faith had been deliberately using her left hand for everything to show off her ring.

The occupants of the room shifted around restlessly, wishing the time away. They all sucked in a collective breath as the door opened and a nurse entered the room. She frowned disapprovingly at seeing so many people crammed into the little room, but softened as she saw their looks of hopeful anticipation.

"Which one of you is Hank Summers?" she asked.

Hank rose up from his seat. "That would be me," he replied.

"I have the results of your test,"

"Well give em' to us already," snapped Faith impatiently.

"Okay, okay. Mr Summers, you're a match," she informed him.

The cries and the whoops of laughter and joy coming from the little room could be heard far down the corridor.

TBC