Spbangel, justawritier, FunkyDevil206, thank you soo much! ;)

Here's the new part..

PART 3

" Buffy, have you cleaned up the living room? Have you laid the table using the ' Special Occasions' dishes? Have you…"

" Yes, yes, and even if I don't know what you were gonna ask me, I'm sure the answer is yes! Mom, calm down: everything is perfect! Anyway, it's not like the President is going to pay us a visit; it's just Spike!" she replied, fleecing the pillows on the sofa.

" You know me, I like having guests…" Joyce justified.

" By the way, are you sure he doesn't need blood?"

" No blood, it's just a normal lunch!" she clarified.

-- After all, that sexy bloodsucker knows where to find it if he needs it! -- Buffy thought, caressing her neck unconsciously.

Suddenly, the bell rang.

" Oh my god, it's him, IT'S HIM! Maybe I chose the wrong dress, I'd better go changing; maybe I should have combed my hair better; maybe I used too much make up… or too little!" she blathered, unsure.

" You are wonderful the way you are, don't worry! So, now who is the agitated one?" her mother teased her, opening the door.

When she did it, she found the bleached guy in front, with a bunch of orchids in his hand and his eyes covered by the sunglasses Buffy had given to him.

He hadn't got used yet to go outside in the daylight without wearing them.

" Welcome Spike, it's good to see you again. Come in!" Joyce invited him in.

He obeyed, taking off his sunglasses, both due to a politeness matter and the more bearable light inside.

" Hello Joyce, it's nice to see you, too. Sorry, I wasn't really myself the last time we met…" he apologized; but she shook her head with a smile, to make him understand there was no need to apologize.

" Hello sunshine, you are a goddess in that dress…" he said, turning to the blonde and Buffy was glad to establish that wearing that wisteria long and a bit low-cut dress was a good idea.

" Anyway, you are always a goddess!" he added with the sexiest of smiles.

" You also know your job!" she smiled back, admiring him in his typical black jeans matched to a light green shirt. Then, she noticed the flowers.

" Oh Spike, thank you! But you have just bought me all those roses…"

" Don't flatter yourself, pet: these are for another beautiful woman…" and saying that, he gave them to Joyce.

" Adulator!" she exclaimed, blushing and going to the kitchen to put them into a vase.

Her mother's instinct told her it was better not to let the two blondes alone too much.

" Come here, guys, lunch will be ready in few minutes!" she called them.

They reached her, sitting at the table, of course, close!

" It's time for you to tell me your story!" Joyce incited them, taking the dishes to the table.

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After very much chatting, it was time for dessert.

Spike got up to help Joyce to clear the table, but she told him to let her do it, thanking him for the gentle move.

" You know, I was sure vampires didn't eat food!" the woman commented, taking away his dish.

" I do! And believe me, the roast chicken with the French fries was finger licking good!" the blond congratulated.

" You're so odd!" Joyce laughed.

" Yeah, you can't even begin to imagine all his oddities! Right, Willy?" Buffy said, messing up his hair.

" How many times have I told you to never call me that?" he grumbled, arranging his hair.

" I don't know why, it's so cute!" the girl justified.

" I find it cute, too!" her mother added.

" That's the point, Ladies: I. Am. Not. Cute! Cool, gorgeous, stunning if you want, but NOT cute!" the vampire clarified.

" And neither modest!" Buffy commented, rolling her eyes.

" So, Buffy, wanna share a cup of chocolate and marshmallows with me? 'Cause I'm sure that big rude vampires don't like cute stuff like that!" Joyce teased him, knowing well that was Spike's weak point.

" That's cruel, Joyce, and you know it! Well, ok… maybe… after all… at the very end… there can be some very rare moments I am… just a little… cute!" he admitting, avoiding their cocky winning smiles.

But he seemed not to care anymore when Joyce gave him a steaming cup of chocolate with his adored sweets.

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" Now, I gotta go. I promised Willow I would go shopping with her!" Buffy said, wearing her jacket and reaching the door.

" Bye mom, and Spike, if you come out for a while, I can tell you goodbye properly …." she invited him and he needn't to be told twice and went out with her.

After a quarter hour, Joyce thumped the door.

" Buffy, you'll be late! And anyway, you two, take it easy: I can hear the smooching!" the woman warned them.

After few minutes, she saw Spike coming back alone.

" Well Joyce, I'd better go as well…. Thank you for everything, I had such a good time…"

" Not so fast, boy!" the woman exclaimed, crossing her arms.

" Sit down, it's time for a ' From Mother to Daughter's Boyfriend ' speech!" she informed him.

" So, how do you feel about my daughter?"

Spike would have preferred a shower with holy water than answer at that question.

" I…I don't know: she is my first thought when I wake up and the last one when I fall asleep; I'm happy just when I'm around her; I feel the need protect her, I'd give my un-life for her, can you believe it? Words coming from the one who should be her mortal enemy! Instead, I wanna show her all my devotion. It's something I've never felt before, not even with Dru… Do you know what it is?" Spike wondered, playing with his ring to relieve the tension.

Joyce replaced her serious and inquisitive expression with a smile.

" I guess it's very close to love!"

Spike couldn't believe his ears.

" You know, I've always preferred you over that Angel…"

" Don't worry, Joyce, I'll treat her much better, I'm not that wanker!" Spike exclaimed.

" Watch your mouth, boy!" Joyce blamed him.

" I beg your pardon, Madame!"

" A poet like you shouldn't talk that way!"

" I'm not a poet! Not anymore at least! Well, maybe sometimes…" he mumbled.

" Anyway, how did you know? Sure, Buffy must have told you.."

" I read your poetry…"

" What! You read it? It's kinda personal… it's like you read my diary…. not that I have a diary, of course!" he answered, but he didn't sound very convincing.

" Buffy let me read it, believe me, it's beautiful, no doubts why she adores it! So, when I asked her about the ' chance to see the Sun again ' part, she told me about the ring; that's why I wasn't surprised when I saw you in daylight!" she explained.

" You know, I still don't understand that part 'bout Heaven…"

Spike got up, approaching the door in a heartbeat.

" Now, I really have to go…" he said, opening it.

" And believe me, Joyce, you don't want to know about that part!"

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Buffy came back to the Campus at 4 p.m.

By then, she had been carrying on that way for weeks: she studied at University during the day, then she spent evening with Spike, and Joyce very often invited them for dinner.

Sometimes, Buffy liked staying in bed with Spike for a while, until he fell asleep; sometimes he stayed awake for her, he wore the ring and drove her back to the Campus, where they usually stopped, waiting for sunrise: it was a show that never tired them.

That morning, as always, her plan was to sneak under the sheets, without making Willow notice anything.

But something went wrong.

As soon as she got in the room, the light was turned on and she found Willow sitting on her bed, watching her inquisitively, her arms crossed.

" Will, why are you still up?"

" Shut up! I 'm the one who asks questions!" her friend snapped, amazing her with her bitter tone.

" Giles was looking for you yesterday, so I called your mother, thinking you were there… and guess what she told me?"

The blonde opened her eyes wide. After all, she hadn't told her mother that the others knew nothing 'bout Spike and her.

" She told me that you were out with your boyfriend! Buffy, when the hell were you planning to tell me such big news? Who is he?"

Buffy thanked her lucky star that her mother had confined herself just to let Willow know that she has a boyfriend, without mentioning it was Spike.

" Will, forgive me, but for now I can't tell you anything, it's top secret!" Buffy answered, starting to undress.

Her friend watched her with diffidence.

" Ok, I don't know why you can't tell me, but I respect you. Just tell me it's not Angel again!"

Her only answer, Buffy chuckled.

" Believe me, he's nothing like Angel…" the blonde reassured her, going to her bed.

" … but he has got a thing in common with him!" she added, before turning the light off.

TBC

I hope you'll still like it, next past will be the last one;)

Now I go update also 'If you are me '..