Chapter 13

"I can't believe we're living together now. Did you ever think this would happen?" Buffy asked as she looked at Spike. They were sitting in their new house. It didn't take them long to find one that was perfect. It was only about a 10 minute drive from Joyce's house.

"Can't say that I did, but I wouldn't have it any other way." He said as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face. Katie was asleep in her new nursery and they were both enjoying their time alone together. Buffy then started to laugh and Spike looked at her in confusion. "Care to let me in on the joke?" He asked and she shook her head as she tried to control herself.

"I just keep thinking about everything in high school. If someone told me that I would end up living with you, I would have thought they were crazy." Spike smiled a little at that.

"I would have to agree with you, love. If you remember correctly, there was a time when we were actually somewhat decent to each other." Buffy smiled also as she remembered.

Flashback

Buffy was waiting for Angel at the Prom. It was the most important night in a senior's life and he had to work, so he said he would have to meet her there later. She knew that everything with Angel wasn't as good as it was at the start of their relationship. They wanted too many different things and she had a feeling that they wouldn't last after high school. She was brought out of her reverie when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Well, what is Cinderella doing at the dance without a date?" Buffy rolled her eyes as she turned around to look at Spike.

"He should be here soon. I never expected you to show up. I thought you hated all school events." She said and Spike shrugged.

"I was bored, figured I would see what all the fuss was about." He said as he looked her up and down. "You look good, Goldilocks." He told her and Buffy was surprised at the compliment. She decided to let his nickname for her go as she answered him.

"Thanks, so do you. It wouldn't kill you to wear a tux though." Spike shook his head.

"I refuse to dress like a pansy." He stated and Buffy nodded.

"Right, of course. So, do you actually have a date?" She asked and Spike laughed at that.

"Yeah, like I would wanna be seen with any of the twits at this school. I'll be sure to save you a dance though." He told her with a wink and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"You wish, bleach boy." She said with a hint of a smile. This was probably the most civilized Spike ever was to her. She then noticed Angel walk in and looked at Spike one more time. "I should go meet Angel now." She said and started to walk away, when Spike called her back. She looked at him with raised eyebrows and he took a deep breath before he spoke.

"You do look really nice tonight, pet." She gave him a genuine smile.

"Thanks," she replied as she walked over to Angel. Spike watched her go with a sigh and then turned in the other direction. He decided that he would be going back to England after graduation. There was nothing for him in Sunnydale.

End Flashback

"See, I was nice to you and everything." Spike told her.

"I guess you could say that. I was starting to see you as more than a jerk and you just ended up leaving town. I didn't even get to see you at graduation." She said with a pout and Spike felt like nibbling on her lower lip, but he got back to the conversation.

"I didn't think anyone would miss me. I never actually planned on coming back, but you know what happened. I couldn't exactly stay in England anymore and I knew that Jenny had a baby on the way, so I figured I would use that as my excuse to come back. I was also hoping that you would still be around. You think a girl that was born and raised in this town would want to leave it one day." He said and Buffy shook her head.

"Nope, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. My whole life is here." Spike smiled as he placed a peck on her lips.

"Yeah, so is mine." He whispered and she rested her head on his shoulder. She could definitely get used to this.

Spike walked into his house the next day to hear laughter coming from inside. He frowned when he saw Buffy laughing with a man that he didn't recognize. The same man was holding Katie and he didn't know what to think about that. He wondered if this bloke could be Riley. Buffy stopped laughing long enough to notice him standing there. "Spike, this is Lorne." She said as she introduced them and Spike sighed in relief when he realized the man wasn't Riley, but he was still another man that was holding the child that Spike considered to be his own.

"So, this is Spike." Lorne said as he looked him up and down. Spike felt uncomfortable and figured that the other man was sizing him up. "Buffy has told me quite a bit about you." Spike gave a small smile and still wondered how this bloke knew his girlfriend, but he didn't have to wonder for long.

"Lorne is a friend from college. I haven't seen him in months." Buffy explained and Spike nodded. He didn't like the way Buffy's face lit up when she was around Lorne. Lorne could sense the awkwardness in the room and handed the baby back to Buffy.

"I should probably get going now. It was great to see you again, sweetie." Lorne said as he placed a kiss on Buffy's cheek. "You're still as gorgeous as ever. Thanks for letting me see the little darling. She's just the cutest thing." Buffy smiled at his compliments.

"I really missed you. Feel free to stop by anytime." Lorne nodded and gave her a smile in return.

"I'll keep that in mind. Nice to meet you." He said the last part to Spike as he then walked out of the house. Buffy could tell that Katie was starting to fall asleep and she put her back in the nursery. She closed the door and looked at Spike, who was still being quiet.

"You okay?" She wondered and he was brought out of his thoughts by her voice.

"Who was that, Buffy? Is he just a friend because it looked like more to me?" Buffy was surprised by his outburst and then started to laugh. Spike was confused and she decided to clarify for him.

"Are you actually jealous of Lorne? Trust me; you really don't have to be." Spike crossed his arms over her chest.

"Why the hell not? I come home to find a somewhat attractive man flirting with my girlfriend and holding my daughter. I think I'm allowed to be upset." Buffy stopped laughing when Spike called Katie his daughter. She always knew that he felt like Katie was his own, but that was the first time he ever said it. She moved closer to him and grabbed both of his hands in hers.

"Lorne is just a friend, Spike. I'm not exactly his type, so you don't have to worry." She explained and Spike raised his eyebrows.

"What, beautiful women aren't his type?" He said and Buffy gave him a smile.

"No, but beautiful men are. You're more his type than I am." Spike felt embarrassed when he realized what she was talking about.

"You mean he's gay?" He wondered just wanting to be clear and Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, big time. I can't believe that wasn't obvious." Spike shrugged and looked shy for a moment.

"I don't know, I just saw him with you and I guess I got a bit crazy. Forgive me?" He said with a pout and Buffy couldn't resist that.

"Of course I do. It's cute that you were jealous though, but you really don't have to be. You're the only one I want, Spike." She told him and Spike sighed in relief as he gave her a kiss on the lips.

"That's a good thing to know." He said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. She rested her head on his chest and knew that everything would be okay. This was the man that she was going to spend the rest of her life with.