A/N Thanks for the reviews they were wonderful as always :) Sorry for the weird page break if they show up, the horizontal rule didn't want to co-operate

Chapter 18

The noise died down in the hospital room, but the occupants still wore huge smiles on their faces, but none of them as much as Dawn. Spike shook Hank's hand in the euphoria of the moment before turning to Buffy and picking her up and kissing her soundly. Hank looked at Buffy expectantly for her reaction to the news, but she was studying the floor. He sighed and walked over to his younger daughter and put his arms around her.

"Well Dawnie, it may not be much in the way of making up for my past transgressions, but it's a start," said Hank swallowing emotionally. He looked at the nurse who was still in the room with them. "How soon can the operation be performed?"

"The doctor said sooner would be better than later. He will need to explain what's involved for the procedure and if all goes well how do you feel about the day after tomorrow?" asked the nurse.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replied.

Buffy had to bite her lip at the sharp retort that hovered on the tip of her tongue after Hank had spoken, but not wanting to be the one to ruin the moment. Him staying put anywhere was a miracle, she thought to herself.

"I feel like a celebratory drink coming on," said Angel.

Buffy glanced at her watch doubtfully "I don't know…"

"You go ahead Buffy. I'll stay here with Dawn. I have a lot of lost time to make up for, your sister will be fine," said Hank.

"Yeah by the looks of you and Spike you have a lot to celebrate," grinned Dawn innocently.

"What do you mean?" asked Hank.

"Nothing big dad, but sis knows what I'm talking about," said Dawn conspiratorially.

Spike laced his fingers through Buffy's "C'mon luv," he said pulling her gently from the room.

After saying their goodbyes to Dawn, Angel, Faith and Willow joined them in the corridor. Spike and Buffy were oblivious to their arrival for several moments until they heard a discreet cough behind them.

"You guys coming up for air anytime soon?" asked Angel.

"Looks like someone else is trying to make up for lost time too," said Faith archly.

"Can I help it if I love my wife?" asked Spike.

Buffy looked up at him, her expression melting at his words before she leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him again.

"Oh God," said Faith rolling her eyes before leading Angel down the hall with Willow trailing after them. "I need a drink,"

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Somehow after a couple of drinks, they had ended up at the diner after Buffy had suggested that they should fill in the others on the good news concerning Dawn. They entered their workplace and sat down at one of the larger tables. Anya saw their arrival and walked over to their table.

"I hope you are going to order something," she said waspishly as she got out her note pad.

Giles came out of the back. "Ah Anya staff don't have to pay as long as the order is within reason," he informed her.

Anya looked at him disgustedly. "I don't know how you hope to make any real money around here,"

"Keep your panties on Anya we just want a round of coffees and maybe some pie," said Faith.

Giles sat down next to them and removed his glasses. "So how did the tests go?" he asked.

Buffy looked at him, a big sappy grin on her face. "They went just fine. My father is a match," she informed him. "Hopefully they can perform the operation in a couple of days and then it's just a matter of keeping our fingers crossed,"

"Well you and Spike could make a baby if that doesn't work," said Anya as she walked off.

"That girl really has no idea what's coming out of her mouth does she?" asked Faith.

"Unfortunately, no," sighed Giles "But Xander is more than 50 more productive with her around, so it makes sense to keep her," He glanced down as the light caught Faith's engagement ring. "Good lord is that what I think it is?"

"Yep, he proposed to me right here in the diner after some rough and tumble," grinned Faith. She enjoyed the shock on her employee's face for a moment before continuing "And I have the naughty mind? Not that kind of rough and tumble, well maybe a little," she finished, looking at Angel.

They were all interrupted by the sound of Spike's cell phone going off. He reached inside his jacket and answered it. "Hello?" He begun a one sided conversation with the caller and the others continued to talk quietly among themselves. He put his phone away and looked at Buffy.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm sorry luv I have to be somewhere," he sighed apologetically.

"Where? Can't I come with?" she asked.

"Not really gorgeous. I have an appointment with my agent. Don't want to get my hopes up too high," he told her.

"Is it to do with your writing?"

"Yeah," he replied getting up from his seat "Want to walk me out?" he looked at Buffy.

"Of course," she smiled at him.

"Always knew those crazy kids would make it," said Faith, satisfied.

"What about us?" asked Angel.

"Now you were another matter altogether," she teased him.

Giles wiped his glasses before replacing them, and he looked at Willow. "Feel up to starting your shift an hour or two early?"

"Sure, all this sentiment is getting to me. Kinda makes me wish Oz wasn't touring at the moment," she sighed sadly.

Giles and Willow walked down the aisles to the main counter. "So when does he get back?"

"Christmas eve…boy does he have a lot of changes to come home to. I didn't even think to tell him about Buffy what with everything going on,"

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Buffy went back to the hospital after her prolonged goodbye with Spike. She touched her hand to her lips, still able to taste him on them. Her heart ached for every moment that they were apart, just going through the motions of life until she could be back with him again. She was definitely still in the honeymoon phase of her marriage she mused and she would work hard to keep it that way.

Buffy had her fingers and toes crossed mentally for the outcome of his meeting. He had been cagey about the details as he hadn't wanted her to get her hopes up about it all, but she could see the hope in his eyes, that same hope she had read when she had told him that she loved him. Suddenly Anya's suggestion of having a baby didn't seem like a bad idea after all. Maybe one was already growing inside her at this moment? She touched her flat abdomen almost instinctively. Surely not, she thought as she shook off her fanciful thoughts, besides it was way too soon to tell.

She opened the door to her sister's hospital room and walked in. Her father was on the bed, holding Dawn in his arms. Buffy was alarmed to see tears pouring down his cheek. "Oh my God…Dawn is she okay?" asked Buffy fearfully.

Hank wiped at his face. "Calm down, she is just fine. She's sleeping,"

Buffy breathed a huge sigh of relief at her father's words. "You just about scared the life out of me, I saw the tears and I thought…" she said slumping down in the bedside chair.

Hank moved from his position on the bed to sit up and look at Buffy. The awkward silence filled the room, making them both uncomfortable.

"Buffy,"

She looked at her father. "Hmm?"

"They scheduled the surgery for the day after tomorrow. I have had the risks explained to me, apparently there is always a margin for risks in any procedure, but I want you to know that if anything should happen to me…that I have left provision for you and your sister in my will,"

"I don't want to hear that kind of talk. No one else is dying in this family, no matter how dysfunctional it is," she snapped as she got up from her seat and slammed out of the room.

Hank sighed; it seemed he had said the wrong thing again.

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Buffy stood at the bus stop, wiping at the angry tears that streamed down her face. Hank's talk of dying had made her as mad as hell, as to why she wasn't really sure, she just knew that she had had to exit that hospital room before she'd made a fool of herself and broke down in front of him.

"Hi sexy wanna ride?" drawled a familiar voice.

Buffy looked up in surprise as she saw him grinning from behind the wheel of a black Cadillac. "Spike? Oh my God is that yours?"

"No it's a hire model, but I am thinking of getting one. Thought we needed to be mobile with all the travelling back and forth to the hospital and such. Well, woman you going to get in or just stand there with your mouth open all day?" he asked.

Buffy hurried round the passenger side and Spike leaned across and opened the door. "I am going to ruin my ruin my reputation," she giggled.

"Why so?" asked Spike.

"You are the second man to give me a ride from that stop. Angel picked me up from there the other day,"

"You can ruin yourself all you want, as long as it is with me," he purred in her ear, as he kissed along the line of her throat.

Buffy thrust her fingers into his hair. "How quickly can you get us home?"

Spike's head snapped up as he turned round and pulled away from the kerb. "Is five minutes quick enough for you?"

"No, but I would like to get there in one piece," She grinned, placing a hand on his inner thigh before sliding higher.

Spike sucked in a breath "Naughty touching will definitely get us a bed in ER love, not really the place I want to make love to you," he replied, gently moving her hand to rest on his knee.

"So how did the meeting go?" she asked.

"Damn I forgot all about that, one look at you and all rational thought left me,"

"Really?" she asked.

"Can you doubt it?"

Buffy licked her lips. "Drive faster,"

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"Well that was embarrassing," said Buffy as they both got back in the car and waited for the cop to ride off on his motorcycle.

"Yeah, being pulled over for speeding did kind of dampen the mood. Might as well tell you about what happened at the meeting while we are at it. Or even not at it, unfortunately," he amended. "I had a meeting with my agent. He touted my manuscript to a friend of a friend and some big cheese at a film studio is interested in it. I mean when I wrote that I was hoping for a play in some back water theatre company, but they want to make it into a movie,"

"Oh Spike that's wonderful!" she cried.

"What makes it even better is that I have you and Dawn to share it with," he told her seriously.

"I have no complaints with that," she sighed. "I don't deserve to be this happy, it's like I am expecting some bad karma to come along or, wake up and find this has all been some dream,"

Spike smiled at her. "You do deserve this happiness, and I aim to make sure that it lasts for a lifetimes worth. We will have our ups and downs Buffy, but I want you to know I will be right there with you, through the good and the bad," he said, squeezing her hand gently.

She returned the pressure of his hand. "I know," she replied softly. "Let's get home, I am suddenly in the mood again, but without the police escort this time would be a big bonus,"

"Your wish is my command my lady," he replied in his best proper English accent.

"Good because when we get home the first thing I want to do to you is get you in bed," she replied cheekily.

"Oh, that is very do-able, and so are you Buffy Sutton,"

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Two Days later

"Well I'm all set," said Hank as he took his holdall and waited by the front door.

"I'll just see what's keeping Buffy," said Spike as he went off upstairs.

Spike arrived outside her bedroom door; it was deathly silent, so he turned the handle and walked in. He was surprised to find Buffy sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring into space.

"Sorry to rush you love, but we do have to get Hank to the hospital. Today's the big day and all,"

Buffy looked up at Spike, unshed tears glistening in their depths. "I'm scared," she replied.

"It will be okay, you'll see. Once this is all over all we have to concern ourselves with is Dawn's speedy recovery and a new life for the three of us,"

"I was thinking of my father actually. I know this sounds dumb, but I have been so busy hating him, that I only realised that I still love him. I mean I don't like him, but all the same, good or bad he is my father,"

Spike sat next to her on the bed and put an arm around her. "Buffy, love is a funny thing; we can't always choose whom we love, but what we do with that love is the more important thing. I really think you should be having this conversation with your father. Hank doesn't expect instant forgiveness, but you have to give him a chance to start somewhere, no matter how tiny that may be or not,"

"I want to, but I'm scared of letting him back in just to be hurt again," she admitted.

"Well do it on your own terms then, you set the markers,"

Buffy turned to him and smiled. "I love you," She leaned in and kissed him.

Spike pulled away and growled at her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Now we are going to be another five minutes, before I can go back downstairs," he sighed.

"Why, what's the problem…oh!" she giggled as she looked downwards to where his gaze rested. "I didn't mean to turn you on,"

"Like hell you didn't and isn't that the name of a song?" he asked.

They both turned at the sound of the doorbell.

"Damn, who can it be at this time of the morning?" said Buffy, checking her watch. "It's only seven-thirty am,"

"Well whoever it is, it sounds like your father has taken care of it," said Spike.

Buffy glanced at him. "Well you look like you have returned to normal, we'd better go see who our early morning caller is,"

They both got up to leave, Spike hung back for a moment.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well I don't know if I am hearing things, but that other voice I can hear downstairs sounds rather familiar,"

"Like whom?" she asked.

"Try Ethan bloody Rayne," Spike replied.

"Oh, no and he's alone with my father," gasped Buffy.

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Hank opened the door to the well dressed man. "Hello can help you? It's not a good time right now, we have to be somewhere," He explained.

"Don't worry this won't take a moment. I'm Ethan Rayne, by the way. Close friend of the family,"

"Funny I don't remember my daughter ever mentioning you, or my son in law for that matter,"

Buffy and Spike ran down the stairs to stand at their base, both of them out of breath.

"Ethan, how nice to see you," said Buffy with false brightness.

"Buffy dear girl you are looking marvellous, which brings me to why I am here, good news children," said Ethan.

"Yeah?" asked Spike, looking as nervous as Buffy. "Maybe we can talk about it later over coffee at the diner?" he suggested.

"Sorry no can do, I have a million things to sort out since I skipped town, so I'd better come out with it,"

"Really don't" said Buffy.

Ethan looked at them both in confusion. "I thought the news that immigration won't be on your back after all for your arranged marriage would have been the best news I could give you. You and Spike don't have to live together anymore as the happy couple. Seems it was just a rival of mine that put about that nasty rumour about immigration investigating me. So it's green cards ahoy Spike,"

Hank looked at Spike and Buffy before turning to their visitor. "Thank you Mr Rayne, that is interesting news, thanks for stopping by," said Hank as he showed Ethan out the door.

Hank turned back to Spike and Buffy. "Anyone want to tell me what's really going on here?"

Buffy bit her lip. "Umm Spike?"

TBC