Chapter 17: Granny Lilly's words of wisdom

Mr Giles sat at the kitchen table, nursing his novelty mug. He looked around at the sound of footsteps crashing down the stairs like a herd of baby elephants. "I thought you had book club?" Spike asked as he swept into the kitchen and grabbed his keys off the side. His 18th birthday might actually be an enjoyable occasion this year. His father looked at him, "yes I should be…I'm waiting for a phone call from Joyce, terrible business…"

Spike sat opposite him at the table, his birthday arrangements momentarily forgotten, "Is everything ok?" he asked. Spike listened intently as his father explained about the ambulance that had not long driven away from next door. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, when he realised that Buffy wasn't hurt, but he was concerned about Granny Lilly. The young man had become quite fond of the batty old lady.

Once his father had stopped, Spike stood, "I'm sorry Dad, I got to go," he said as he reached for his leather duster.

"Quite right," said Mr Giles, "enjoy your birthday date with that Dreadsilla!"

Spike raised an eyebrow, "Sod Dru, I told you we broke up, nearly a year ago actually, it's Xander and Willow I was meeting tonight…"

"Was?" Giles asked.

"I have someone who needs me. I've really got to go." With that Spike left and Mr Giles let out a small smile. For a brief moment, he'd noticed a flash of his little William. He wandered over to the window and looked at the empty house next door. That family moving in had been the best thing to happen to him and his. Joyce was always ready with a cuppa when he missed Jenny, Dawn shared his love of reading, making frequent use of his personal library and Buffy; he couldn't thank her enough. She'd breathed new life into his son; he was starting to think there maybe more than friendship blossoming between them.

At Sunnydale general, Dawn was curled up comfortably in her mother's lap and Joyce, who had protested that she was simply resting her eyes, was snoring peacefully. Buffy sat opposite, unable to rest, unable to take her mind of her granny, who was still in for X-rays. Bedside monitors beeped, the phones rang consistently and doctors scribbled on their clipboards as they held whispered conversations with the nurses. Oblivious to the hustle and bustle around her Buffy leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling, 'I wish Spike was here!

"Buffy,"

As if on cue, Spike came bursting through the double doors to the waiting room, he looked like he'd been running and almost sounded out of breath.

Buffy jumped up and launched herself at him, hugging him tightly, "What are you doing here? She asked, "It's your 18th, you should be…"

"Sod my 18th!" Spike interrupted, "Dad told me," he said guiding her back to the hospital seat, "thought you'd need… a friend."

"You thought right," Buffy said as she began to explain what had happened, "she had a fall, they're not sure how bad the damage is yet…" Buffy looked up at him teary eyed and he put his arm around her. Buffy leaned in closer. Spike had done what he always did; he made everything seem and feel so much better. Within minutes she had drifted off to sleep with her head buried in his chest. Spike's heart was pounding again. He had her in his arms, his mind was in overdrive, 'she's so perfect, God Buffy I wish you knew how I felt, just tell her! No stick to the plan! Coward!'

Joyce Summers' eyes flickered open and she smiled at the sight in front of her. Her eldest daughter curled up in the protective arms of her neighbour and best friend, who was looking adoringly at Buffy and stroking her arms soothingly. She liked this young man, she liked him very much.

It was sometime later when the Doctor happened upon the slumbering family. He spoke in soft tones to Spike, "when your girlfriend wakes, tell her, her gran is back on the ward and nothing was broken, she was a very lucky lady, just call a nurse when they're ready to go and see her." With that the Doctor continued on his rounds, leaving Spike in a state of shock. 'Girlfriend'. He looked down as she began to stir and he smiled.

"Morning Goldilocks," he said as she sat up, "your gran's out and already terrorising the nursing staff, told you, you Summers' were made of strong stuff."

Buffy hugged him tightly, "thank you for being here when I needed you,"

"Count on it," Spike smiled.

Granny Lilly lay in the hospital bed. She'd been in and out of consciousness more times than she could count and each time she woke up grumpy, mumbling that she had better things to do with her time. On this occasion, she awoke to find an audience, a sleeping lump of hair and denim that she expected to be there and a streak of black and blonde that she didn't. The latter of which was eat all of her grapes.

"No-one notices if you take a few!" she grumbled at Spike, who jumped out of his seat.

"How else was I supposed to get your attention," he said smirking at her. Granny Lilly smiled back and gestured to the heap of granddaughter curled up in the chair; her hair completely covered her face, "which one is that?" she demanded groggily.

Spike shook his head laughing, ""that's Dawn, Joyce and Buffy are out taking to the doctor's I'll go and get…"

"Don't you even think about it," the old lady interrupted him sternly, "I want a word in private." She caught Spike's gesture at Dawn and shook her head, "Oh I'm not worried about that one; she could sleep on a galloping hedgehog!" Spike laughed again but he soon stopped when she lunged forward and grabbed his hands. She thrust something into his palm and sealed his fingers around it, "my gift to you, while I've still got all my marbles." She told him as he risked a look in his hand concern and confusion spreading across his handsome features, "you'll know what to do with that when the time is right," Granny Lilly winked, "until then, it's our secret."

Several hours later, Joyce had taken Dawn home and she was so grateful to Spike for offering to wait and bring Buffy back when she was ready.

Spike leaned respectfully on the door frame watching Buffy and her gran talk. He couldn't shake the words her gran had told him as he fumbled with the item in his pocket. He shook his head to clear it but all that did was rearrange his thoughts of Buffy. He remembered the words the Doctor had said to him, 'girlfriend'. The more the word circled in his head, the more he realised any man able to call her that would be the luckiest man on the planet.

As Buffy turned to leave, her gran gripped her by the arm, "He loves you, you know?"

"Who?" Buffy asked completely caught off guard.

"That young man of yours," Granny Lilly said with a smile.

"I don't have a…" Buffy's voice trailed off as she noticed who her gran was looking at. Spike was sat outside reading through a comic he'd swiped from Xander. Buffy gave an awkward laugh, "Spike?" she clarified, "Oh no, Gran, we're just friends."

Granny Lilly chuckled at her granddaughter's naivety, "I've seen the way he looks at you, and I've only seen that look once before."

Buffy looked at Spike and suddenly became very nervous, "how…how does he look at me?"

Granny Lilly squeezed Buffy's hand to ensure she had her full attention, "The way your grandad used to look at me."