A/N Sorry it was a long time between updates, been snowed under with beta work. Hopefully you wont have to wait so long for the next chapter! I won best fantasy angst over at the Spuffy Awards! I would love to read and review others work, but sadly at the moment, when ever I try to leave one, the page freezes, I am in the process of getting a new PC, so hopefully I can catch up in a few week (sorry)

Chapter 19

Spike looked at Buffy, took a deep breath and turned back to face his father in law.

"If I ever get a hold of that Ethan Rayne again, I am gonna personally re-arrange his face," he sighed.

"You seem to be good at that," said Hank rubbing at his nose in remembrance. "But neither of you have answered my question, what was that man talking about?"

"None of your damn business is what," Buffy snapped back at him. "It stopped being your business the day you walked out on mom, Dawnie and I," Buffy held her hands by her side; they slowly curled up into fists as she felt her anger rise, having gotten over the initial shock of Ethan's unexpected appearance.

"Am I right in assuming that your marriage to Spike was some get rich quick scheme?" he demanded.

"As you're so keen to hear the truth then I'll tell you. I had to marry this man here to pay Dawn's medical expenses. He married me because he wanted a green card to stay in the country. Ethan, whom you just met, arranged it all. Somewhere along the way it got very complicated and we had to live together, but before you go and do the outraged parent bit, save yourself the bother,"

"God how much you must hate me," said Hank, as realisation hit him of the sacrifices she had made.

Bright spots of colour burned on Buffy's face, she ignored his softly spoken words as she looked back at him, her eyes sparkling with unshed emotion.

"I love Spike, and he loves me, so it wasn't such a terrible price to pay after all. Everyone wins. Now enough of dragging up the past, we have a hospital to get to and Dawn is more important than anything I did or didn't do," she snapped as she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the house.

Hank looked at Spike.

"Don't look at me mate; Buffy wouldn't have been in this situation, if you had taken care of you and yours. So don't go holding it against her," said Spike.

"I don't blame her, I blame myself. Poor kid was just trying to get along like you said. After this is all over I am going to go back to LA. Buffy doesn't really need me now. I will try and straighten myself out and get a decent job, so I can provide for them,"

Spike shook his head. "You just don't get it, she does need you, and more than she will ever admit," Spike mumbled under his breath, and sighing at the hard-headedness of the family he had married into.

He walked off, closely followed by Hank. Hank got in the back seat; Buffy's eyes met his in the mirror as they drove off. Hank could see that she was holding back her tears as she looked away. He knew she was right, Dawn was the only thing that really mattered right now, so he closed his mind off to all else as he thought of how he could show his daughters how wrong he had been to leave them in the lurch. The past couldn't be changed, but at least the future wasn't set in stone.

Buffy sat in the hospital room, holding Dawn's hand as she stared into space.

"Earth to Buffy," said Dawn.

Buffy was jolted out of her thoughts, by her sister's voice. "Huh?" she asked.

"Nothing, just checking you were still with us," grinned Dawn.

Spike glanced at his wristwatch. "It must be about time for Hank to go in now. I'll go see if he wants a bit of moral support," said Spike.

Buffy smiled at him vaguely and nodded, before turning back to her sister.

Dawn frowned at her. "Aren't you going sis?" she asked.

"No, he's got Spike, he doesn't need me there as well," said Buffy.

Dawn arched an eyebrow at her sister, but decided not to push any further on the subject as she could see the set expression on her face as she looked back at her.

Buffy squeezed Dawn's hand. "There is something I should tell you, I think you are old enough to know and I learned from experience that these things have a way of coming out on their own," smiled Buffy wryly.

"What is it?" asked Dawn.

"I want to tell you the real circumstances surrounding my marriage to Spike," Buffy took a deep breath before continuing. "Dawnie, it was an arranged marriage, when Spike and I walked up the aisle we were barely more than strangers. You see I had allowed your medical cover to lapse and I needed money fast, can you forgive me?"

Dawn smiled at her sister through watery eyes. "Buffy, I love you, I'm sorry to be such a burden to you," she cried as she leant her head against her sister's shoulder.

"Oh Dawn, you are never that. In fact in a way I have you to thank for meeting such a wonderful man, and finding a love so deep that many search their whole lives for and never find," sighed Buffy as she stroked her sister's cheek.

"Talking about me again?" asked Spike.

Both sisters jumped at the sound of his voice. "Spike, you almost gave me a heart attack," grinned Buffy. She looked up at him, seeing her last words had moved him as he gazed at her intently.

He walked over to the bed and put his arms around his wife and sister-in-law as they all held each other in perfect silence.

Buffy was the first to break it as something occurred to her. "I thought you were gonna wait with my dad,"

Spike smiled at her slip, she almost always called him Hank, but for that moment he had been her dad. "He'd already gone in luv,"

He felt the sisters tense against him, and held them both a little tighter.

"I'm sure there will be some news soon," said Willow.

"Yeah, but it should all be over by now," fretted Dawn.

A nurse entered the room. "Can I speak to Mrs Sutton?" she asked.

No-one responded for a moment.

"Er Buffy that would be you," Spike smiled at her.

Buffy looked at apologetically at the nurse. "Sorry, what can I say, I'm a newly wed, still getting used to the new name. Spike come with?"

Spike took her hand and followed her out of the room.

"Mrs Sutton, the operation was a success," she informed her.

Buffy let out a huge sigh.

"But…Mr Summers developed a reaction to the anaesthetic, there were some complications…"

"He's not dead is he?" Buffy whitened.

"No, but it was touch and go for a while. Mr Summers was clinically dead for several minutes, we're not sure if there was any neurological damage,"

"Then I have to go…be with my father," Buffy ran off down the corridor.

"Buffy…luv," Spike called after her.

He would have gone with her, but there was a younger daughter waiting on the outcome of the operation. Spike turned away and re-entered the hospital room.

"Where's Buffy?" asked Dawn.

"She's gone to see your father. It went fine, your dad is in recovery," Spike saw no reason to distress the teen any further. He looked at Willow. "You'll be okay with the nibblet?" he asked.

"Yeah sure," nodded Willow.

Spike left the room and headed off in search of his wife. After asking around he finally found her in a private room with her father. He looked as pale as the sheets he lay on. Buffy sat in the chair by his bedside holding his hand and wiping away the tears that fell down her cheeks. He walked over to her and put an arm around her.

"You okay love?"

"No, I've been sitting here thinking about how horrible I have been since he came back into my life. What if he hadn't made it today Spike? How could I live with all those things I said to him? What if he doesn't wake up?" she asked.

"That's a whole load of what ifs pet and Hank understands better than you think,"

"How could he? I never told him that I loved him…or thanked him for helping with Dawnie,"

"Buffy he never wanted your thanks; he just wanted to do the right thing no matter how belatedly. I should have told you…when I went to his apartment, he had just one picture in the whole place…it was a framed photo of you and Dawn. He may have been the absentee father, but he loves you and he loves your sister,"

"Then why didn't he just tell me?" asked Buffy.

"Because he was afraid you would tell him where to shove it little lady," croaked a weak voice from the bed.

"Dad, you're okay?" she cried.

"Hello there, sorry for giving you a bit of a scare seems I am good at that. Takes a lot to kill off this old man,"

"Don't talk, there is plenty of time for that later," Buffy placed a finger on his lips.

Hank smiled at her tiredly before closing his eyes again and drifting off.

"C'mon let's leave your father get some rest. He's gonna be just fine and so is Dawn, and we need to tell someone that he came round," Spike re-assured her.

"You have a lot of confidence," she replied as she took his hand and they left the room.

"Of course, I am a firm believer in happy endings since I met you,"

"You are making me a believer in them too," Buffy smiled up at him.

TWO WEEKS LATER

"Spike did you find that box of tinsel? It's the third one from the right next to the dryer," Buffy called out.

"Ow," came the muffled reply, followed by a crashing sound. "Damn, bugger,"

"Spike? You okay?" asked Buffy as she put down the box of Christmas baubles.

There was no reply and she ran to the basement door. It was quiet and dark inside.

"Spike?" she asked fearfully. What if he had fallen? She ran down the basements steps, hardly able to see a thing in the dark. "Spike?" she called out again. "This isn't funny if you are playing games,"

A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and lifted her off the ground. She knew it was Spike, but she screamed, and turned around in his embrace and thumped him on the chest.

"Hey, that's some right hook you have there," he groaned.

"Aww baby, sorry, I didn't mean to hurt the big strong guy," she teased.

Spike reached out for the light cord and pulled it. They both squinted at the harsh light as it illuminated the room.

"There, that's better, now I can see what I am looking at," he grinned at her.

Buffy felt the heat creep into her cheeks, she was beginning to understand that look very well, and with her father staying in the house there had been little time for fun and games the last couple of weeks.

"Spike, we can't,"

He pouted at her. "Why not? We have the house all to ourselves,"

"Because my father is at the hospital collecting my sister as we speak and we have a tree to decorate before they get back. I want it to be perfect for Dawn's homecoming," Buffy told him sternly.

Spike slipped his hands underneath her t-shirt, and she slapped them away half-heartedly. Spike could see her resolve wavering in the depths of her eyes. He grinned knowingly, as he hands crept back up her top.

"We have plenty of time for both luv, and I've wanted to try the basement for some time. Look there's even a comfy old sofa in the corner," he urged, taking her by the hand and leading her towards it.

"What's in the basement that's so sexy?" she asked as Spike lay down on the sofa and pulled her on top of him. She landed on him in a giggling heap.

Spike ran kisses along her throat before nibbling at her ear. "I am," he grinned at her saucily.

"Ego much?" she asked as she succumbed to his touch.

"Only when I'm with you,"

"Dammit, was that a car door I heard?" asked Buffy as she scrambled off of Spike.

"Wha-at," he asked still half asleep.

"Way to go Spike, getting all horny just before my dad and sis were due home. Great way to meet them, in the nude," She grabbed her jeans and t-shirt off the basement floor and quickly pulled them on.

"If remember correctly, someone else was right there with me…getting horny," he reminded her as he sat up and she threw his jeans at him.

"That's neither here nor there," she told him haughtily.

"Buffy," called her father's voice.

"Coming dad," she answered.

She looked at Spike, seeing his mind working overtime at her innocent words.

"Buffy? Spike?" Dawn called out.

"Spike get your things on before my sister sees more of you than I would want," hissed Buffy.

Spike pulled his jeans on and buttoned up the fly just in time as Dawn came bounding down the stairs.

"Where were you two?" asked Dawn.

"Er, uh, Buffy and I were looking for the Christmas decorations," said Spike.

Dawn looked at them both. "Uh huh, it's the usual thing to look for them shirtless?" asked Dawn.

"Yeah, it got hot down here," said Spike, looking at Buffy meaningfully.

Buffy looked away, blushing. "Oh Dawn it's great to have you home again. We wanted to have the tree done before you got back, sorry," she said apologetically.

"It's no big sis, we can do it together later," said Dawn, as she ran back up the stairs.

"Think she suspected anything?" asked Spike, grinning at her.

"I don't know, maybe the shirtless decoration hunting, kinda gave it away," said Buffy sarcastically as she located his shirt peeking out from under the sofa.

"You loved every minute of it woman, admit it," he replied before lowering his head and kissing her softly on the lips.

After a few moments, Buffy pulled away, she had suddenly turned very pale. There were beads of perspiration sticking to her upper lip. She swayed unsteadily on her feet, looking at Spike in horror before she bolted up the stairs towards the nearest bathroom.

"Buffy luv, what is it?" Spike called out as he followed after her.

He found her in the bathroom bent over the toilet bowl. He held her hair and stroked her back while she dry heaved. After a few moments she sat down on the bathroom floor. Spike put his arms around her.

"You feel any better?" he asked.

"Yeah, I skipped breakfast and with Dawn coming home and all the other excitement that followed I kinda skipped lunch too," she replied, sagging against the warmth of his chest.

Spike got her gently to her feet, she still looked too pale for his liking. He surprised her by lifting her into his arms and carrying her to their bedroom.

"Spike, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Taking care of you," he replied firmly as he deposited her on the bed. "Now don't move until I have brought you up a tray of food young lady,"

"Yes sir," she replied mockingly, knowing there would be no use protesting on her part. She felt glad that she had stayed put as she settled back against the fluffy pillows.

She was awoken by Spike re-entering the room, with a tray laden with goodies. She smiled at him sleepily as he set it down on the bed.

"Hello cutie," he returned her weak smile.

"Bet I look far from cute right now," she replied as she struggled into a sitting position.

Spike passed her some toast.

"Oh, peanut butter, extra crunchy, just how I like it," she replied as she bit into it, her earlier bout of sickness forgotten.

The next morning, Buffy groaned as the alarm went off. She wanted nothing more than to stick her head back under the covers and sleep the day away. She sighed as the buzzer continued like an angry swarm of bees. She switched it off and got out of bed, the nausea of the previous day returned with a vengeance, she ran to the toilet before she disgraced herself in her own bedroom.

She returned back to her room several minutes later, feeling slightly better. Checking her watch in horror, she quickly slipped on her uniform and crept downstairs, not wanting to wake anyone. Her stomach was still churning, so she settled on some plain toast and a glass of milk before exiting the house.

She was surprised to see Spike sitting behind the wheel of their new car. In the end he had settled on a good second hand Cadillac.

"Spike," was all she could think of to say.

"Gave you a shock did I?" he asked.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving my wife a ride to work, you think I would let you go alone after last night's episode. You shouldn't be going in at all, but I know your stubborn streak," he sighed.

He leaned across and opened the passenger seat and Buffy got in.

"Thanks," she replied.

"All part of the service,"

They took the journey to the diner in comfortable silence, neither of them particularly chatty first thing in the morning. He pulled up outside and she turned to him and smiled. "Looks like it's my stop,"

Spike studied her intently; he still didn't like her colour. The skin around her mouth was almost white. They were both startled as someone knocked on the window of the car.

Faith smiled at them both. "You lovebirds gonna keep on making out or are you gonna let your wife come in and make some money? Jeez I am I starting to sound like Anya or what? Somebody shoot me,"

"Bye, love you," sighed Buffy as she leaned over to give Spike a swift kiss on the lips.

"Love you," he smiled at her.

Spike watched Buffy enter the diner with her friend, but he was reluctant to move off. He stayed where he was for several minutes, surprised when Buffy re-emerged from the diner, being led out by Faith and Anya.

"Looks like someone shoulda stayed home today. Poor kid tossed up her cookies the moment she entered the diner," said Faith sympathetically.

"Yes and vomiting employees really isn't good for business," said Anya, hastily trying to bundle Buffy into the car.

"Hey, slow it down there," said Faith as she saw Buffy grow pale again. "Lady with a baby," she added before she closed the door on Buffy and Spike and walked away.

Buffy's eyes flew to Spike's, seeing the shock on his face as he turned almost as white as herself.

TBC