Summary: Buffy's dad returns; S6, post DoubleMeat Palace

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em...

A/N: Sorry for the wait, but a bunch of RL stuff got in the way, with Christmas and everything. So thank you to stoney321 for the fantabulous beta (gotta love all the positive reinforcement in red :) ) and to spikeNdru, I hope your 'puter gets better soon...


Chapter 11

Hank looked around the living room, taking in the faces. Spike was standing in the corner, glaring at the floor. Dawn was sitting on the couch glaring at the man, Riley, who had interrupted dinner. Buffy looked dazed. Hank tried to resurrect the situation.

"So, you're a friend of Buffy's?"

Riley smiled uncomfortably. "Yes sir. Left Sunnydale a little over a year ago. Buffy and I were…friends."

Spike picked up the level of glare, snarling a little.

"So…what do you do?" asked Hank, going into shmooze mode, since everything else seemed to be failing.

"I work for the military," Riley replied quickly before turning back to Buffy. "That's why I'm here. We've been tracking a demon across most of the continent. It was supposed to lead us to a dealer,"

"Demons run drugs?" asked Hank, growing confused once more.

"Eggs. A dealer in demon eggs," clarified Riley. "He was supposed to be in Sunnydale to make the sale with the demon we were hunting, but Sam's blaster misfired and killed it." He turned back to Buffy. "I was wondering if you knew anything?"

Buffy frowned. "Who's Sam?" she asked.


Spike sat in the kitchen across from Dawn, turning a butter knife over in his hands. They'd left as soon as Crew Cut had mentioned the word "wife". He and Dawn didn't want to be in there to witness Buffy's jealousy and the almighty row that would follow. He could hear Buffy yelling about having this dropped on her. Riley was trying to remain calm, saying that he wasn't her boyfriend anymore, so what about that meant he couldn't move on with his life?

Spike laughed humorlessly then slammed the knife into the table. Dawn started.

"Real mature, Spike."

Spike grinned at her. "Yeah, but it was fun." His face fell again as he heard Riley asking what Spike was doing there. The living room became quiet. Wanker just put his foot in it, thought Spike.

Hank came in through the door, twirling a finger in his ear. "Well, that was loud."

Spike grunted. He wasn't in the mood for jokes.

Hank turned serious. "Spike, I want to ask you what your relationship is with my daughter."

Spike didn't look up. "Why don't you ask her?"

"I did. She wouldn't tell me."

Spike pulled the knife out of the table and began fingering the handle. "Well, then it's not my place to—"

"You don't like Riley much, do you?"

Spike scoffed. "How could you tell."

"Well, the knife-shaped hole in the table was one indication…"

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

"Look, Spike, since the alley I've pretty much known you and Buffy were together in some sense. I'm just confused as to how."

"You want a diagram?"

Hank took a deep breath. "No. As far as I'm concerned my little girl is still…well, my little girl. But realistically…"

"Realistically? She and I—" he stopped and appeared to be listening. "That bastard!" He jumped up from the table and ran to the next room.

Hank sighed. "So close." He looked over at Dawn. "Sweetie…do you know any…" Her eyes were wide, mouth open. Hank decided to drop the question. "I guess not."


"Look, Buffy, I don't know what's going on here, but this is Spike!"

"And he's none of your business!"

"He is if he's dealing eggs!"

"Look, Riley—"

Spike came bursting through the door. "Look, you wanker," he snarled, "I don't know what you think I—"

Buffy stepped between them. "Spike, stop it."

"Or what?" He growled. "You'll beat me up again?"

Buffy flinched. Riley stepped forward. "It'd be a start."

"Just try it, solider boy."

"What are you going to do? Have a headache at me?"

Spike snarled and threw himself at Riley, instantly screaming and clutching his head. Hank and Dawn opened the door, watching the scene with shock. Hank clenched his fists. That was it.

"Stop!" he yelled. Shocked faces turned to him. "You will all stop and speak to each other like civilized people. Riley! You are interrupting dinner. If you have something to ask Buffy, do it without accusing the guests of being drug dealers!"

"Sir, it's not—"

"Buffy! Treat your guests better. Stop screaming at this young man, who, as I understand it, you broke up with more than a year ago. Figure out what he wants so we can get back to our evening!"

"I—"

"And stop being so defensive about Spike! If you two are together then you are, but stop yelling at people about it!"

"We're—"

"Spike! You stop being defensive about Buffy! And stop trying to attack this young man!" He glared around the room. "I may not know what's going on here, but there is no reason why you can't sit down and have a civilized meal!"

"But—"

"He—"

"We—"

"I don't want to hear it!"


Willow put her book on the re-shelving trolley and headed to the door. She'd been spending considerably more time in the library since Hank had come back. She knew that Buffy wanted him around, probably simply because he was her dad, but Willow didn't approve. Mostly because she could hold onto her anger at him with her position as best friend.

As she walked towards Revello Drive she wondered about that position. Buffy hardly told her anything anymore. Buffy hardly told anyone anything any more, but she definitely didn't tell Willow.

Willow figured that she'd lost major trust points after the magic-freak-out-o-rama, but she was trying to make up for it. Trying to be there for Buffy. It was just hard when her father kept asking about her life, trying to be so involved. It was hard to keep up the hate with him trying all the time.

A tap on the shoulder started her. She whirled, first instinct to ready a spell. Willow calmed herself and took in the tapper. It was a brunette woman. Tall, dressed in black, looking confident and uncertain at the same time.

"Willow? Willow Rosenberg?"

"Umm, hey. Do I know you?"

"Yeah, well, no. You know my husband."


Dinner was awkward. Hank tried to make conversation, but Riley, Spike, and Buffy kept glaring at each other while Dawn picked at her food.

"So…Riley. You follow any sports teams?"

Riley tore his glare away from Spike and tried to smile pleasantly at Hank. "Used to, sir, but I've been in South America for the last year."

"So soccer, then," said Hank, smiling.

"No," said Riley. "We've been under radio silence the whole trip. I miss watching the Lakers, though."

Hank smiled a relived smile. Basketball. Common, non-threatening ground. He turned to Spike. "What about you, Spike? You follow the Lakers?"

Spike tried to stop glaring also. He was having a hard time keeping his game face under control. "Basketball's not really my thing, mate. Used to watch a lot of Rugby." He grinned. "My ex, Dru, always used to get invited to the fan parties afterwards and we'd—"

Riley ground his teeth. "You'd what, Spike?"

Spike turned to him and looked him straight in the eyes. "Give the lot of them fluffy, little puppies that we found homeless on the street."

Dawn snorted into her food. Buffy looked like she was trying to decide whether to be disapproving or amused.

Riley's face went blank. He turned to Buffy. "Buffy, can I have a word with you in the hall?"

Hank slammed his glass down. "That's IT!" Everyone turned to stare. "I don't care what all the tension is about, this ends now!"

Hank glared around the table. "Riley! What is it that's so important?"

Riley looked at his plate. "Well, sir, this demon…"

"Try again."

Riley shut his mouth. He'd been trained to withstand torture. No way this guy was getting anything.

There were several minutes of silence as Hank eyed Riley. Hank turned to Buffy, figuring that Riley could wait. "What about you, Buffy? What's the problem?"

Buffy tightened her lips. He wasn't getting anything from her either. Nope…nothing. She shifted in her chair. She remembered this look from when she was younger. The stare of doom. The stare that had never failed to make her fess up. Never failed, that is, until she had killed her first vampire. She'd forgotten how uncomfortable it could make her. But she was an adult now. She was past feeling obliged to spill everything just because her father gave her The Look. She…

"I guess I'm jealous." Hank grinned to himself, hiding it when Buffy looked up. The Look still worked. He vaguely heard the front door open as his daughter continued. "I've always wanted a normal life, and here Riley is, sporting his. And he just expects me to drop everything and help him, even after how we broke up, with him leaving like that after the…women."

Riley opened his mouth to speak but a look from Hank silenced him.

She turned to Riley. "And now you're back, telling me to get rid of Spike because our relationship is unhealthy and all I want to know is how you even found out?" Buffy calmed herself. "Have you been spying on me, Riley?"

"That's a good question." Everyone seated at the table turned to the door where Willow stood next to the tall brunette who had spoken. "So, Finn…you gonna answer it?"