Title: Unexpected places

Author: Spuffygrl

Summary: Buffy is a romance novelist who has been burnt by love FAR too many times. Then she meets Spike, a young, single dad, who makes it his personal duty to change that.

Disclaimer: despite all my letters and death threats, Joss Wheddon has remained stubborn and won't relinquish his ownership of the Buffy and Angel verse. But that may change soon (evil grin as I turn back to the tied up Joss Wheddon) Now, where were we? Lol.

Rating: PG-13 for now. May be R later

A/n: Sorry this took so long to update but my teachers think that homework is away of life at my school. They've been loading us up on tests and homework which makes me appreciate my upcoming vacation that much more. Lol. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Almost

Spike sat looking at his drink depressed. Things had been going great until Buffy's cell phone had gone off and she had had to leave. She didn't even have time to give him her number. Damn Powers that be he thought annoyed.

Xander walked back to the table apparently done swapping spit with the girl he was supposedly not dating anymore. "What's up peroxide boy?" he asked earning him a glare from Spike. "Where's the girl? Bunny or whatever?"

"It's Buffy" he corrected downing the rest of his scotch.

"Yeah her" agreed Xander. "You offered to pay her money to get laid didn't you" he accused. "But it's an hones mistake. I myself have done that…"

"That's not it whelp" growled Spike. "She had an emergency." Xander's face colored but he quickly recovered.

"Ah, the old 'I-have-an-emergency' trick. I know it well."

"Not surprising" grumbled spike. He tuned the rest of whatever Xander was saying out.

It couldn't be a trick he concluded.. The whelp can't be right. She had a real emergency. We were having too good a time or at least I thought we were.

"Will" whined Buffy as she followed her best friend around the apartment. "Please. Come with me to the movies. I'll look dumb going alone."

"No" was the response. "I told you that I'm babysitting my niece tonight."

"Bring her along. It'll be a girl's day out. My treat. Besides, I just wanna get my mind of my grandmother dying and all." The guilt card was always the way to go with Willow.

Willow sighed. "Well William should be bringing her by in a few minutes. The movie has to be approved by me first" she concluded.

"YES!" yelped Buffy hugging her. "You're the best."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Do you have everything?" spike asked his daughter as they pulled up in the parking lot.

"Yup" answered the brunette.

"Are you sure?"

"Dad" whined Dawn. "I'm gonna be at Aunt Willow's house. What are you worried about?" Spike frowned.

"No need to get all shirty" he muttered.

Laughing, Dawn got out the car, killed her father goodbye, and rang the bell to Willow's house.

"Coming" she heard from inside. Waving to her dad, she watched as the old Desoto pulled away as the front door opened.

"Hey Dawnie" said Willow with a smile. She stepped aside so that she could enter the house. "Feel like a movie?"

"Shall we dance?" Dawn smiled innocently. She looked more like her father everyday.

"Oh! I wanna see that too. Looks good" came a semi-familiar voice from the kitchen. A pretty blond walked into the room and smiled. Dawn knew that she was Willow's best friend besides uncle Xander but they had only met on a dew occations.

"Hi buffy" said Dawn.

"Dawnie."

"So, Movie or what?" interrupted Willow.

"Shall we dance it is" concluded Buffy. Grabbing their jackets, they walked out into the chilly afternoon towards the car.