A/N : Big thanx to; Baby Girl Geller-Green, Bittersweetbloodbaby, katie, spuffygrl, Mita427, spuffymonica, KelleyTheSelfToastablePopTart, Ape18, Spuffy2008, Lifes-Slayer (yes, Dawn does know she's adopted), souled-angel, -little oro-, Moluvsnumber17, Brunettepet, bella-lover, Sandra, alba's room, and Rebel Goddess, for the lastest reviews. So gald you still like this fic!
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 19 - The Game Of Life

"Well, we certainly picked the right day to have a picnic" Spike said sarcastically as he and Dawn stood by the living room window watching the rain pour down the glass. It was still early in the morning and Buffy wasn't due to join them to go out til lunch time, but it was looking increasingly unlikely that the weather would improve sufficiently for them to go to the park as planned.

"Stupid rain" Dawn grumbled as she flopped down on the couch and flipped on the TV. The guy in front of the big map of California was ready to tell her that it was no use hoping for better weather either later today or tomorrow. The whole weekend was set to be a wash out for Sunnydale and the surrounding area.

With a little annoyed sound, Dawn turned off the TV and looked at her father.

"I guess you should call Buffy, tell her it's all off" she sighed.

"Probably should" Spike agreed, hating that he wouldn't get to see his woman today after all. He loved spending time with her, both alone and with Dawn around. His daughter had accepted the blonde into their lives quite easily over the past month, and things had been great ever since that first dinner they'd had at the house.

As great as it was to feel so comfortable with a woman, to be in love as he knew he was, sometimes Spike dreaded being alone with Buffy. She got so upset at times when they talked about Dawn. It was now almost certain that the two girls were mother and daughter and still the younger of the two had no idea. Buffy wanted to tell her, but she just didn't know how and she was so afraid of losing both her little girl and Spike too. He wanted to help, had offered to tell Dawn the truth on several occasions, but he too had no idea where to begin and was so scared of being torn between the two people who meant the most to him in the world.

"Hello, luv" he said when she picked up the phone.

"I'm guessing the picnic is a no go, huh?" Buffy replied, "The rain was hitting on my window so hard it woke me up, I've been watching it come down for hours"

"Set to go on for a while yet too" Spike told her, "If that bloke on the telly's got it right of course"

"It's not fair" Buffy sighed, "I was really looking forward to today. I was going to wear that sun dress that you love me in" she smiled to herself, knowing exactly what she was doing to him by mentioning the infamous dress that flattered her figure and made him want her so much.

"You tryin' to turn me on, Summers?" he asked, glad Dawn had gone back upstairs by now and switched on her stereo.

"Maybe" Buffy giggled, knowing she was safe to behave in such a way on the other end of the phone. Things were a little different when she was face to face with Spike. She liked him a lot, loved him even, and of course she wanted him but they had yet to take the big step of spending the night together. Partly it was because their having the chance to be alone all night hardly ever came up anyway, but even when it did, something stopped them going all the way.

Buffy knew a lot of the problem was her lying to Dawn. Until she could be honest with her about their connection and deal with the fallout she just couldn't let things go any further between herself and Spike. She didn't want to give herself so completely to him only to have to walk away in the end, it'd hurt too much. Of course she knew it was sort of pointless, it would already pretty much kill her if she had to let both her daughter and her boyfriend go now.

"Well, y'know, luv" Spike said, bringing her out of her thoughts, "There's nothin' to stop you comin' over here to eat anyway. Me and the Bit did all the food for the picnic last night, we can just as easy eat it in the house" he suggested.

"Yeah, I guess" Buffy agreed, "I was kinda looking forward to seeing you" she admitted, feeling like such a ditzy teen but not caring at all that she was behaving like one. This was the first time in years she'd felt so happy.

"This is so weird" Dawn laughed, "A picnic in the house" she said as she surveyed the scene of her Dad and Buffy sitting either side of a rug that was spread out on the living room floor, complete with sandwiches and cakes and all manner of food waiting to be eaten.

"Quite welcome to go sit in the back yard if you want, Bit" Spike pointed out, "Just don't blame me when the cookies start floating across the lawn" he smirked, making Buffy and Dawn both laugh.

"I didn't say it was bad weird" his daughter pointed out, "It's cool, all the fun of picnicking and without the ants to carry all the food away"

"Plus no fear of badness from too much sun" Buffy added, "Y'know like the burning or the faintage"

"Oh that happened one time when we went to this theme park..." Dawn began enthusiastically rambling off a story from when she was a kid, not worrying about the fact her mouth was full of food as she went on and on.

Though Buffy was trying to listen, Spike's fingers had found hers on the carpet and his thumb was rhythmically stroking the back of her hand. When she glanced at him he had this intense look in his eyes that sent shivers up and down her spine and concentration on anything but him was almost impossible.

"...you remember that, Dad?" Dawn said suddenly, snapping both Spike and Buffy from their little moment rather sharply.

"Er, yeah, course I remember, Nibblet" her father said, re-running the few words he'd actually heard in his head and then genuinely realising he did know what she was referring too. Buffy blushed as she pulled her hand far enough away that Spike couldn't get hold of it again and though Dawn noticed they'd shifted away from each other sharply, she didn't mind that they'd been closer.

"You guys are so obvious" she giggled as she popped the top off a can of soda and took a gulp. Spike and Buffy shared a look but didn't make any kind of reply, they were a little too stunned to realise that Dawn knew they'd been paying more attention to each other than to her, and moreover that she didn't seem to mind too much.

"Well, the picnic and food thing you can fake inside" Dawn sighed as Spike cleared away empty packets and the rug, "but if I throw the Frisbee in here I think I'd be grounded forever" she smiled over at Buffy who did the same.

"Well, there must be something else fun you'd like to do" the blonde suggested, "I mean I don't mind playing a board game or whatever... or are you too old for that?" she said frowning suddenly, "Did I just suggest like the lamest thing ever?" she checked.

"No, honestly you didn't" Dawn giggled at the panicked expression on the older woman's face, "Actually me and my Dad usually break out the board games when it rains and there's nothing good on TV" she admitted, "You know how to play the Game of Life?" she asked Buffy who nodded and said that she did.

At that point Dawn bolted off upstairs to fetch the game, right when Spike came back into the room.

"Where's she off to?" he asked Buffy as he held out a hand to her and she pulled herself up off the floor.

"To fetch the Game of Life" the blonde told him as her arms went around his neck, "I offered to play"

"You" Spike grinned as his hands held her by the waist, "Might just be the most thoughtful, wonderful, beautiful woman in the world" he said honestly, leaning in closer and whispering in her ear, "And all I've wanted to do since you came in that door is snog you til you can't think straight"

"I wish you would" she admitted as he put his lips to hers and took her breath away beautifully. As soon as Dawn's footfalls could be heard on the top few steps of the stairs they sprang apart again and were soon helping in the process of setting up the game, as if nothing had happened at all.

"Well, this sucks" Dawn complained as she took her turn, "I got another kid! I wanted more cash"

"Dawnie" Spike said warningly, "'S not exactly a great attitude now is it, pet"

"Everybody wants different things from life" he heard Buffy say softly as she took her turn and moved her playing piece around the board. Though Dawn took the blonde's words at face value, Spike suspected they meant something much deeper in reality.

"...I mean, I don't know if I'll ever get married" Dawn was saying as Spike tuned back in to his little girls rambling whilst taking his turn at the game, "but there is no way I want kids"

"Sweetheart, we're playing a game" Spike reminded her, "Don't expect you to plan your real future. Plenty of time for that when you grow up" he said, ruffling her hair which made her protest and straighten it out again.

"I can know now that I won't want babies y'know" she huffed, "I'm not a little kid anymore, and not everyone wants to be a parent just cos you are. Buffy's not" she said, causing said blonde to choke on a mouthful of soda. She breathed unevenly for a moment before getting up from her seat.

"I'm sorry, I'll fetch a cloth" she said, gesturing vaguely towards the patch on the table where she'd spat a little of her drink.

Spike went with her without a word to Dawn about what she'd said. Poor kid didn't realise just what an impact her innocent words had. How could she?

"Buffy" the bleached blond said gently as he came into the kitchen and found her by the sink, her back to the door, "Luv, she didn't mean anything by it. She's got no idea"

"I know" Buffy sniffed as she turned and found Spike standing right there, "It's just so hard" she said, desperately fighting tears.

"We've got to find a way to tell her" he sighed as he pulled the poor woman into a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head, "This isn't fair on any of us, we've waited long enough"

"Not today, Spike, please" Buffy begged, words a little muffled since her face was buried in his chest, "I know we have to do it but I can't spoil today, it was all going so well"

"Not today then" he agreed, kissing the top of her head, "But soon"

Buffy nodded her agreement before taking a deep breath and pulling out of his arms. She picked up a cloth and walked back through to clean up the mess at the table as originally planned. Spike followed and they both wondered where Dawnie had gone til they heard her voice in the hall. She was just hanging up the phone, and grinning like a Cheshire cat when she appeared.

"Oh my God, you so will not believe this!" she enthused, "It finally worked! It took a whole month, but that was RJ on the phone!" she giggled, "He finally asked me out!"

"Bugger that!" Spike exploded without thinking about the improper language in front of his daughter, "There is no way in hell that Senior sod is taking you out of an evening, Dawn" he said sternly and the poor girl went from bouncing like Tigger on speed to looking like Eeyore in a rain storm not disimilar to the one outside.

"Dad!" she whined like a much younger child than she actually was, "You cannot do this to me! I'll look so lame!" she complained, and Buffy felt strangely compassionate to both people's arguments. Spike just wanted to keep his girl safe, their girl truth be told, and Buffy completely respected that. At the same time she had once been in Dawn's shoes and knew how such things as dating seemed like life and death to a fourteen or fifteen year old girl.

"Dawnie, do not make me lose my temper" Spike told her, "I told you weeks ago when you started this daft obsession with that boy that you would never be steppin' out with him"

"But I like RJ!" the brunette all but screamed, tears welling up in her eyes, "And you never let me do anything! It is so unfair!" she went to storm away but Spike grabbed her wrist and held her still.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, young lady" he told her, "You are bloody privileged, spoilt rotten in fact compared to most" he reminded her, causing Dawn to look a little shame faced but still very angry and upset.

"I know" she conceded, "but you have to let me do this, don't make me cancel and look so lame, please Dad" she begged of him, "Buffy, you think I should go, right?" she called across to the blonde who had been trying to ignore the fracas to no avail.

"Dawnie, I..." she began, glancing at Spike who told her with his eyes it was okay for her to have an opinion on this one. He trusted her to say the right thing, after all she'd experienced first hand the dangers of being so young and dating a more experienced man.

"Sweetie, maybe your Dad is right" she said gently to the irate teen before her, "RJ is older than you and it might not be safe for you to go out with him, you're so young and..."

"What do you know about it!" Dawn yelled at her, "This has nothing to do with you, just cos you come here and make googly eyes at my Dad all the time!" she said nastily, "You can't tell me what to do! You're not my Mom!" she screamed as she turned to run up the stairs.

Buffy's sudden and tearful declaration made her stop in her tracks.

"Yes, I am"

To Be Continued...

A/N2 : I know, I know, what a terrible place to stop! Sorry, about that, but I do like my cliffhangers! The truth is out and as I mentioned before this fic is on the home straight, just a few more chapters to go. I think I can have it all done in about three or four more chapters depending on how it goes when I'm writing it. In the in between time, you guys know what to do... ;-)