DISCLAIMER: Whedon's characters, any recognizable dialogue, and the canon events of their storyline are not mine.
A/N:
Thanks for the new follows, favs, and reviews. Nice to know you're enjoying it. Definitely helps motivate me to finish this story after being away from it for so long.
CHAPTER 21
Awake and Alive
A few hours later, the alarm clock began ringing. Buffy groaned as she reached for the offending device. As she settled back on her pillow, an arm wrapped around her waist pulling her to the other side of the bed.
"Hey!" Buffy was startled, as she had momentarily forgotten that she was not alone.
"You weren't complaining last night … or in the early hours of the morning."
She didn't need to turn to look at him – she could hear the crooked smile in his teasing tone. "Not complaining. Just surprised."
He loosened his hold. "You did ask me to stay, luv."
Rolling toward him, she said, "Not quite awake. Brain not processing yet."
"Fried some brain cells, did I?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow.
Admitting nothing, she rubbed her eyes as she said, "A shower … plus some caffeine … then, I should be functional." Buffy swung her legs over the side of the bed. Holding the sheet over her breasts, she began to look for her clothes on the floor.
Spike reached across the bed to run his fingertips up and down her back. "You have Slayer strength and rapid healing. Me on the other hand … gonna need some more rest after that. Not easy keeping up with you."
Looking over her shoulder at him, she teased, "Most men wouldn't admit that, you know."
"I'm not most men, pet." He tugged on the sheet, freeing it from where it was tucked under the mattress. Tossing his half of it toward her, he watched her as she took in the view – his naked body stretched out on her bed.
She blushed and turned away from him as she stood and gathered the sheet around herself. He quickly got to his feet and moved to stand behind her, taking her into his arms.
"Now, now. No need for that, luv – averting your eyes … blushing … hiding yourself from me."
Without any struggle, she let him hold her while he kissed her shoulders.
"Spike." His name fell from her lips like a moan. Then, she sighed and said, "I need to get in the shower."
Peeling the sheet away from her body, he said, "Let me help you with that." He tossed the sheet onto the bed. Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her to the bathroom.
After he turned on the water, she started to ask, "You're not planning on …"
He could tell she was uncomfortable. Shaking his head and watching her relieved reaction, he could not help but add, "Not today."
Walking back to her bedroom, he remembered when he had carried her lifeless form down this hallway after the battle with Glory. He recalled cleaning up her wounds in the bathroom the night she came back. So many memories of her, with her. Now, he had another memory to add to the collection.
[
While she was alone in the bathroom, Buffy had some time to think. She was not sure how she expected Spike to act after sex, but she was mildly surprised at the way he had continued to tenderly stroke various parts of her body long after the physical act itself was over. She felt safe and cared for – more than that, she felt satisfied in a way she never had before.
[
They went through their morning routine in much the same way they had the day before. They ate breakfast together – Buffy had Honey Nut Cheerios with milk, Spike had Weetabix with blood. In between bites, they talked. If you'd heard the conversation, it could have been any ordinary morning.
Ordinary, that is, until Spike asked, "How do you want to handle this?"
Almost choking on her cereal, she replied, "Handle what?"
"Not as if I plan to go about shouting from rooftops … just wondering what you plan on telling your friends."
"About us? Certainly not telling them about last night. Not right now anyway." She carried her bowl and spoon to the sink, taking the time to rinse them and giving herself a moment to think. Turning around, she said, "I'll start by telling them that we've gone out a few times. I don't think that will come as a surprise to anyone. I noticed the past couple days at the hospital that Xander and Giles have been watching us together."
"So, what … we're dating, then?"
She nodded slowly and said, "Yeah. Guess we are."
He walked over to the sink to rinse his glass. "Does that status come with public kissing privileges?" He grabbed her possessively and waited for her to answer.
"Magic 8-ball says: Ask again later."
Tilting his head, he considered trying to persuade her, but decided he could live with her answer. He tucked her hair behind her ear with one hand while still holding her hip with his other hand. After a long moment, he released his hold on her and turned his attention to the dishes.
She had gone upstairs to brush her teeth and gather her things for the day. He followed a couple minutes later to get his boots.
Standing in the doorway of the bathroom watching her, he had a thought. "Have you considered moving into your Mum's room? No one's using it right now … and with Dawn coming home soon, you'd be right next door if she needs anything during the night."
Putting away her toothbrush and toothpaste, she took one last look in the mirror. "I hadn't given it any thought. But now that you mention it, it might be a good idea for me to sleep in there. At least, when she first comes home. Not sure about after that."
"She could move down to your room after she's recuperated. She's probably been eyeing Big Sis's room for a while. That way you each get a new room … a bit of a fresh start for you both."
Buffy acknowledged that his reasoning made a certain amount of sense. "Although that sounds like a nice thought, when would I find the time to move my stuff before she gets home? And then, she'd have to move her things. Seems like a lot of work."
"Let me help. I can take care of it – your stuff anyway – while you're at the hospital today. Your new room will be all ready by the time you bring her home later."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you just want the opportunity to go through my things."
"There was a time that would have been true," he admitted. "If there's anything you'd rather do yourself, I'll leave those things alone."
After a little more thought, she decided a change would be nice. She asked him to take care of the laundry while she moved some personal items to the room she would always think of as her mom's. When he came back upstairs, she showed him what would still need to be moved. As she opened the built-in closet and saw her collection of shoes, she knew that she would need more storage in her new room.
Looking at the clock, she realized that she had some time before she needed to get going. She had Spike get some garbage bags from the kitchen and she did a quick sweep through her closet, getting rid of things that she no longer wore or simply never needed in the first place.
As she sifted through, she wondered why they hadn't gotten rid of her things after she died. Then, she remembered that Willow had planned to bring her back. A fresh wave of anger washed over Buffy. She wanted to forgive her friend for the things she had done, but was finding it difficult. Willow had gotten in too deep. The seductive, addictive nature of something powerful had diminished her self-control and decision-making ability. Under the circumstances, it was difficult to be understanding, but her friendship with Willow was more important than holding onto her anger and resentment. Much like sorting through clothing she didn't need and deciding which things she would keep, Buffy would have to sort through her feelings toward Willow and find a way to let go of things it would be pointless to cling to.
She filled two bags with clothes, including a few jackets, and another half bag with shoes. It felt so good to get rid of the excess that she decided that she should go through the rest of the house when she got a chance – sooner rather than later. But she would need to go through some things with Dawn, in case there was anything she felt strongly about keeping.
Buffy had moved her makeup, skin products, jewelry, journals, and her more girlie undergarments earlier when Spike was downstairs. What remained in her room were things she felt comfortable having him move while she was gone today. After all, he had been helping with the laundry for a while now – there were very few items of her clothing he hadn't had his hands on already.
[
By the time Buffy got to the hospital, Dawn had already eaten breakfast and had done some more of her homework. Tara dropped by around lunchtime, sitting with Dawn for a while so Buffy could go get something to eat. After Tara left, Buffy hung out with her sister until she was discharged in the late afternoon. Xander and Anya came to drive her home.
As they pulled up in front of the house, Spike opened the door. Seeing Dawn struggling to get out of the car, Spike quickly assessed that the sun had gone down enough for him to venture out. He rushed to Dawn's side and picked her up. He carried her all the way to her room, carefully setting her on the edge of the bed.
When Dawn said, "Thank you, Spike," he pressed his lips together in that not-quite-a-smile of his and nodded wordlessly. Turning to leave the room, he said to Buffy, "I'll be downstairs."
She touched his arm as he went past her. He paused beside her almost imperceptibly, but long enough that Buffy felt their connection.
After helping Dawn get settled, Buffy went downstairs to find that Xander and Anya had already left and Spike was in the kitchen preparing a glass of blood for himself.
Without looking up, he asked as she entered the room, "Did you or Dawn want anything to eat? I could …"
"Not right now. She was hungry when we were leaving the hospital. Xander offered to stop at her favorite pizza place. So we're both full." She sat down on one of the stools and looked across the island at Spike. "She's exhausted. Probably already asleep. And I gotta say, bed sounds awfully good right now."
He studied her face as he began, "Since she's home … did you want me to …" He gestured toward the door, asking if he should go.
She rested her elbows on the counter and dropped her face into her hands. "You can if you want, but you don't have to. You could sleep in my room … my old room. Since I'll be in Mom's room."
"But not …?"
Looking up at him, she said firmly but tenderly, "Not together. Not with her here. Not yet anyway."
"Not yet." He repeated her words as he considered their meaning. He decided that he liked those words better than an outright 'No.' He walked around to where she was seated. "Must admit ... after last night, I'm gonna have a hard time sleeping anywhere without you in my arms."
As she dropped her head slightly, she closed her eyes and a smile came to her lips. He lifted her chin to kiss her.
Pressing his forehead to hers, he whispered, "I missed you."
"I wasn't gone that long."
"That's where you're wrong, pet. It was too long."
She playfully smacked his arm. "Maybe you should leave," she said. "Removing the temptation might make things easier."
He chuckled at that. "If that's what you want, luv."
After kissing him again, she said, "You haven't been home much in the past couple days. You probably don't want to leave the place empty too long."
"Right you are about that." He considered for a moment. "I'll go then. You want me to come over tomorrow?"
"Yes. But you don't need to leave right now." As much as she thought it was better for him to go, she did not want him to leave.
"Actually, with Niblet home and you needing to be here for her, I should probably patrol tonight." He rinsed the glass after drinking the blood. Then, he headed into the dining room where he had left his coat on a chair.
She walked with him to the front door. As he stepped out onto the porch, she thanked him for everything he had done the past few days. Giving him one last kiss, she felt his absence before he left.
Locking the door behind him, she walked back into the kitchen to check the back door. As she made her way upstairs, she turned off lights as she went. She washed her face and brushed her teeth before checking on Dawn. When she turned to walk into her mom's room, it felt strange and familiar at the same time. After undressing and putting her clothes in the hamper, she easily found the PJs she went looking for. Spike had taken great care in moving her things.
[
The night was uneventful. Dawn woke once to go to the bathroom and wanted something to drink, but then, she went right back to sleep. She liked knowing that Buffy was next door if she needed anything.
Buffy was glad beyond words that her sister was home. She had not realized exactly how worried she had been until the relief hit. The moment that it hit her was when she saw Spike carry Dawn into the house.
Dawn was safe. And Spike was a big part of that. He had been since earlier in the year.
[
[
The Summers sisters were getting breakfast when Spike came through the door. Dawn practically tackled him before he could get out from under the blanket.
"Yay! You're here!"
"Nice to see you too, Niblet." When Dawn let go of him, he looked over at Buffy and said, "Good morning."
Buffy smiled at him warmly. "Good morning, Spike."
Unaware of the subtext that surrounded her, Dawn said, "I'll be right back. I need to run upstairs for a …" She was still talking as she rushed out of the room.
Neither Buffy nor Spike had heard a word she had said. Their eyes were fixed on one another. Spike sauntered over to where she stood. Cautiously, he reached out to brush a strand of hair off her face. Her eyes remained locked on his and she did not shy away. He leaned toward her, his lips seeking out hers. Although he would have preferred to get lost in that kiss, he kept part of his attention on Dawn's footsteps – in the second-floor hallway, coming down the stairs, on the floor of the hall … coming toward the kitchen.
He pulled away from Buffy to softly say again, "Good morning," just as Dawn came back into the room.
"Can you stay all day or do you have stuff to do?" Dawn practically pleaded with him.
"I was planning to stick around," he said to Dawn and then turned to Buffy, "unless Big Sis kicks me out."
Dawn started to beg Buffy to let him stay, but Spike could tell by the look in Buffy's eyes that she had already made up her mind – she had no plans to kick him out any time in the future.
"He can stay. But no games or tv until you get some homework done. And you still have to rest even though you're not in the hospital."
"Fine." Her voice was whiny as she turned to leave the room again.
Spike's attention immediately returned to Buffy. "Now … where were we?"
"About to do dishes." She smirked at him as she handed him a towel.
While she washed and he dried, he took every opportunity to make contact with her – touching her fingers as he accepted a dish she handed him, brushing his arm against hers as they stood side by side, playfully bumping his hip into her.
When they had finished putting everything away, he asked suggestively, "Now … what else can I do for you, m'lady?" With a bow and a flourish, he added, "I am at your complete disposal."
She swallowed as she struggled to regain control of her thoughts. "I have a few things to take care of down in the basement. You could help me with that."
He followed her to the stairs, pulling the door closed behind them.
At the bottom of the stairs, Buffy asked, "Why did you do that? What if she needs something?"
"Shh." He placed a finger over her lips. "I just want a few minutes alone with you." He took her in his arms and lifted her off the ground.
Giving into his embrace and kiss, she wrapped her legs around him as he carried her across the basement. He set her down on top of the dryer and pressed himself against her.
Coming up for air, she laughed lightly. "Let me guess … you missed me again?"
He groaned near her ear as he continued to kiss her neck. "I've hardly seen you in the past 24 hours. Need to hold you, touch you, … hear the sounds you make when I touch you."
Her body became more alive under his touch. She needed the contact as much as he did. She allowed herself to get lost in the sensations he caused.
Just as Buffy was considering unbuttoning Spike's jeans, they heard Dawn come down the stairs to the main floor, calling their names.
Spike gave her a quick kiss before saying, "I'll go see what she needs."
As he headed for the stairs, she said, "Thanks." Buffy was glad to have a minute to button her top and run her fingers through her hair.
Since neither of them called down to her, Buffy figured Spike had it covered. While she was in the basement, she put a load of wash in and then took a basket of clean clothes upstairs with her.
She found them in the dining room pouring over history books. Standing at the table to fold laundry, she listened to them talking about Dawn's school project. It was a surreal moment. The three of them sharing one space – it felt like family. It was one of the few times since their mom died that Buffy did not feel like she had to shoulder the load by herself.
Later, when they were getting lunch, Spike seemed to find any excuse to touch Buffy, even more than he had while they were doing dishes. A hand on her back, at her waist, cupping her elbow. It was subtle and neither of them thought much of it. They certainly did not think that Dawn would notice, but they were wrong.
When Buffy took the folded laundry upstairs, Dawn followed her.
"Buffy, what's going on?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Spike. You've been different with each other since the costume night at the Bronze. But today … seriously … his hands are all over you."
"I think you're exaggerating."
"I might be, but not that long ago, you'd have freaked if he touched you at all."
Buffy sighed as she put the last of the laundry away and closed the drawer. "We've been hanging out quite a bit since I … uh, came back, but it has been different lately." She paused, because she was not quite sure how much she wanted to tell Dawn.
"Has he kissed you?"
Looking her younger sister in the eye, her reply was simple. "Yes."
"More than once?"
"Yes."
"Is he your boyfriend?"
"Not sure I'd say that. But we have gone out a few times."
"Does everyone else know you're dating?"
"No. He and I just talked it through recently. With the accident and you in the hospital, there wasn't really a good time to bring it up. I was planning to tell everyone the next time I saw them all together. Maybe later today."
"When were you planning to tell me?"
"Right before I told them."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Buffy picked up the laundry basket and walked down the hallway. When she got downstairs, she turned into the dining room where Spike was still sitting at the table. "I just had a little talk with Dawn," she said cryptically.
"About what?"
"She wanted to know why your hands have been all over me today."
Just then, Dawn came around the corner. "So, I hear you're dating my sister." She attempted to make an intimidating face, staring him down as she waited for him to reply.
Spike looked back and forth between them, trying to read how much Dawn knew. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Are you going to hurt her?"
"I would never—"
"I mean break her heart, treat her badly. After what Riley did …"
"Bit … Dawn, you have my word … I don't want to see her heart broken any more than you do. It would detroy me."
Scrunching her face up, she looked more goofy than menacing, but her words had the desired impact. "If you hurt her, I will dust you in your sleep." She jabbed the air in front of her, pointing emphatically to reinforce her threat. Satisfied that they had an understanding, she said, "Alright, then. I'm gonna go watch some tv. Give you guys some alone time."
"Did you want to play cards later?" Spike asked her, mostly to suss out her feelings toward him.
"If you can keep your hands off my sister that long," she teased him as she turned to leave the room.
Spike was relieved to hear the tone of her response.
Buffy tilted her head in the direction of the kitchen. She led him down to the basement so they could talk privately. Also, she could get the next load out of the dryer.
She told him what Dawn had asked and what she had answered.
"Are you upset that I … ?"
"No. I had planned to tell everyone in the next couple days. I just wasn't expecting her to ask. I honestly didn't notice how much you were touching me today, but apparently, she did."
About half an hour later, they reemerged from the basement. Buffy went into the kitchen to make a shopping list; Spike went into the living room to see if Dawn wanted to play Rummy.
Dawn reminded him that Passions was about to start. Changing the channel, they began to watch the continuing storyline of Spike's favorite show. When Buffy came into the living room, Spike made space for her on the couch. He waited to take his cue from her about how much contact she was comfortable with. She sat down on the floor in front of him. He assumed that she was expecting her usual backrub.
As Passions was ending, the phone rang. Spike lifted his hands off of Buffy's shoulders as she moved to stand. It was a brief conversation, but Spike could tell that something was up.
Making a gesture toward the kitchen, Buffy asked, "Spike, can I talk to you a minute?"
"Why don't I ever get to know anything?" Dawn whined.
"As soon as I talk to Spike, I'll be back to talk to you."
In the kitchen, Buffy explained, "That was Giles. He also called Xander. Wants the two of us to come over."
"Reunion dinner for the original Scooby Gang?"
"Sort of. He wants to talk about what happens next with Willow."
"Sounds ominous."
"Actually, no. He sounded … hopeful. I think it's good news about the rehab program."
"You need me to stay here with Dawn?"
"Yeah. I need to talk to her first. Maybe you can check on dinner options … give us a few minutes alone?"
He nodded as he put his hands on her waist. "Maybe when you get home, we can have a few minutes alone?"
"After we talk and eat, I should patrol. So, I'll be gone a while."
"Not planning on going anywhere, luv."
They shared a brief kiss before she went back into the living room.
"What gives?" Dawn's tone was demanding.
Buffy sat down next to her on the couch. "We need to talk about Willow."
"We have. I'm done talking." Her jaw was set, her stubbornness on full display.
"Dawn … I understand. I do. I'm angry with her, too. But she needs help. She wants help. And she needs her friends right now."
"Fine. You be her friend. Leave me out of it."
"It's not that simple." Buffy paused while she waited to see if Dawn's expression would soften at all. Seeing no movement, she went on anyway. "That was Giles on the phone. He and Willow have been talking about her options. He wants Xander and I to come over so they can talk to us."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"It probably means that she's going to be going away for a while. The last time I saw her, she said she would like to talk to you … to apologize. She's not expecting you to just forgive her … or even be happy about seeing her. But she's hoping you'll give her a chance … that you'll be willing to listen to her at least. If she's going to be leaving soon, I figure she's going to ask me tonight if she can see you before she goes. I'd like to be able to give her an answer."
The anger and resentment were easy to read on Dawn's face. That was the only response she gave.
"Would you be willing to see her? For just a couple minutes?"
Finally, Dawn replied, "Maybe."
Buffy did not want to push her any further. "Okay. I'll tell her that." She gave Dawn a big bear hug. "I'm so glad that you're okay and that you're home." Releasing her, Buffy stood and began to walk toward the front door. "I'll be gone at least a few hours. I'll do a quick patrol after I leave Giles' apartment. Don't stay up too late. Ask Spike for help if you need anything."
She put on her jacket and got a couple stakes to put in her pockets. Spike must have heard when she opened the door. He came through the dining room, grabbing the door just as Buffy was closing it.
Stepping toward her, he whispered, "What? No goodbye kiss?"
She tilted her head and pulled a face at him. "I'll see you later, Spike," she said warmly.
He wanted to kiss her, but was aware that they hadn't settled the issue of public displays of affection. With Dawn sitting in the next room, he waited to see what Buffy would do.
Spike made no attempt to disguise his feelings. She could practically read his thoughts on his face.
Rising up on her toes, she placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you later," she said again with a suggestive smile on face.
He raised one eyebrow in response. "Hurry home, pet." After closing the door behind Buffy, he walked into the living room. Seeing the look on Dawn's face, he said defensively, "What?"
"Ew! Are you guys gonna be like this all the time now?"
[
After dinner, Dawn finished some more homework. She would be missing at least a few more days of school and she didn't want to be behind when she got back to school. She wanted to be able to spend her first couple days getting caught up on all the latest gossip.
Around 9:30pm, she started yawning uncontrollably. Although she did not want to admit that she was tired, she really just wanted to curl up under a cozy blanket and close her eyes. Spike helped her up the stairs and made sure that she had a glass of water on her nightstand.
He told her that he would be back upstairs in a couple minutes. He checked the doors and turned off most of the lights. Then, he found a book to read and climbed the stairs again.
Tapping lightly on Dawn's door, he said, "I'll be next door in Buffy's room … reading … until she gets home … in case you need anything."
[
That's where Buffy found him when she returned.
She stood in the doorway of the bedroom looking at the sleeping vampire in her bed, book open beside him. She got a piece of note paper from her desk and placed it in the book to mark the page where he left off. Then, she put the book on her bedside table.
After the way Spike had been with her all day, she expected to come home and have him carry her to the basement where they would not be overheard. Definitely did not expect to find him asleep … in her bed.
Carefully climbing onto the bed, she stroked the side of his face. Softly, she said, "Spike?"
"Mmm." He did not open his eyes, but he did not need to. He wrapped his arms around her and said, "You're home."
"Did she wear you out?"
"Came in here to read when she went to bed."
"In case she needed anything," Buffy finished his thought. "Thank you." She placed a kiss on his lips.
He moaned into her mouth as he returned the kiss and rolled her onto her back. "So … did you want to tell me about your dinner meeting? Or can we just cut to the—"
"Not with her right next door," Buffy said, rolling her eyes.
"Basement works for me."
"Color me surprised."
After a few minutes of quietly making out, they sat up, leaning against the headboard. Spike held her while she told him about the discussion that had happened at Giles' apartment.
As she had suspected, Willow would be leaving soon. Giles had heard from his friend who runs a rehab program for people who had become addicted to the dark arts. Someone was due to complete the program in a couple days, so they would have an opening. It was hers if she wanted it. Why wouldn't she? They had a great track record for helping gifted Wiccans learn to harness their power, give up destructive habits, and use their abilities to help rather than harm others and themselves. After speaking to members of a coven Giles was familiar with, he was hopeful that they could help Willow – particularly because she wanted to be helped, wanted to get better and be useful during the next apocalypse.
It was a 90-day program. If she left right away, she should be back in time for Xander and Anya's wedding. She would miss Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukkah, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, and everything in between. Not to mention that she would have to drop out this semester and would not be back in time to start next semester. For an eager student, that was no small disappointment.
"Is it weird to say that it was nice for the four of us to get together? I mean … the circumstances … less than peachy. But it's been a while since it was just us." Buffy paused, but Spike did not interrupt her thoughts with prompts or questions. She was glad for that. It reminded her of their conversations after she was brought back from the dead – he would just let her say things when she was ready to.
Finally, she continued, "We talked about old times … you know, before the rest of you joined our group. So much has happened since then. We're all so different – I mean, in some ways, we are the same, but things have definitely changed." She had been absentmindedly ghosting her fingertips up and down his arm. Looking up at him, she added, "It was nice to … reconnect before she goes away. I think it was good for her too … to know that we still love her and support her … even though we're angry and disappointed and concerned."
For the first time in a while, Spike spoke. "I imagine that will make it easier for her to return after she finishes the program."
"Yeah …" Her voice trailed off. "She asked if I could ever forgive her for Dawn getting hurt. I told her that I'm working on it, but I'm not quite there yet."
After several minutes of quiet, he asked, "When does Red leave?"
"Three days. She asked if we could have an early Thanksgiving dinner before she goes. So, day after tomorrow we're gonna have a big turkey dinner here … well, as long as Dawn doesn't freak about the idea. If she doesn't want to see Willow, then … I don't know. I guess someone will have to stay here with her and we'll eat at Giles' place."
It wasn't long before they started to nod off in each other's arms.
"Do you want me to go?"
Buffy sat up and shook her head. "No. But you can't …"
"Can't stay in here. Got it." After giving her a brain scrambling kiss, he said, "I'll be down on the couch."
Just as he was walking through the doorway into the hall, she said, "I told them."
Turning to look at her, there was a confused expression on his face. "Told them what?"
With a head tilt and a smile, she answered, "About us."
He leaned against the doorframe waiting to hear what she had to say.
"That we—"
"Had mind-blowing, earthshattering …?"
Her eyes grew wide and she pointed toward Dawn's room as she said, "Shh! I did not tell them about that. Just told them that—"
"I'm your boyfriend?"
She studied his face. "Do you want me to call you my boyfriend?" She watched his silent reaction. "Spike, I'm not sure I'm ready to use that word. But I am sure that they're not ready to hear me say it. I just said we've been going out together."
"Well, then for the time being, I will try to content myself with being your dirty little secret – since you didn't tell them about ..."
Moving over to the bed, he leaned down to kiss her. When her hands moved to his face, he lowered himself onto the bed. With one arm, he supported his weight. With his other hand, he had a firm hold on the outside of her upper thigh. Things probably would have progressed further, but when they heard Dawn's bed creak, Spike jumped up quickly.
He peeked around the corner into her room. "False alarm. Just moving in her sleep."
Sitting on the edge of Buffy's bed, Spike ran a hand up and down her leg. "So how did they react to … what you told them?"
"Xander and Giles weren't surprised. Like I said, they've been watching us together. Willow was surprised, but not shocked. After dinner, they went with me on patrol – the nostalgia level was up to eleven. But Willow and I had a few minutes alone to talk. She asked me about our 'dates' and then watched my face really carefully when I answered. She said she hadn't seen me this happy in a while."
It thrilled him to hear her say these things – one, that she had told them; two, that her best friend could tell by the way she talked about him that she was happy. It seemed to him that things were going better than they had in the original version of the timeline.
He sat there staring at her as he got lost in thought.
"What's with the goofy grin?"
"I guess I haven't been this happy in a while either."
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The next morning, Buffy told Dawn about the conversation at dinner the night before and Willow's request for an early Thanksgiving. After her initial reaction to the idea of having Willow over at their house, Dawn settled down and decided that not only was it time for her to see Willow – it had been a week since the accident – but if Willow would be gone for the next three months, she could try to get past her anger for one day.
Buffy called everyone to tell them what to bring the next day – she decided on an easy menu with as little prep as possible so they could enjoy their time together. Giles offered to get a precooked turkey. Willow would make green bean casserole. Xander and Anya would bring drinks, rolls, and dessert. Buffy would buy canned cranberry sauce and gravy. Also, she planned to make the mashed potatoes – well, with some help from Spike.
Before the others arrived at the Summers house for the pre-Thanksgiving dinner, Buffy was in the kitchen starting on the potatoes. She and Spike had peeled a five-pound bag of spuds. While Spike put a large pot of water on to boil, Buffy cut the potatoes into quarters. The knife slipped and cut one of her fingers. Without giving it a second thought, Spike jumped to her side and took her finger into his mouth.
Looking in her eyes, he quickly realized that he had overstepped. Removing her finger from his mouth, he walked her to the sink to rinse the wound and get a paper towel to hold on it. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't mean to … it's just that … I was concerned. Just trying to stop the bleeding."
"I know." Lifting the paper towel to see if the bleeding had slowed down, she asked, "Can you get me a Band-Aid?"
He nodded as he turned to go. Quickly returning, he carefully put the bandage on. Placing a kiss on her fingertip, he said, "There. All better."
"Thank you." She had been shocked by his action, but also aroused. She tried not to think about how much she wanted to tear his clothes off – after all, they had had one crazy night of passion and then, not much contact since Dawn came home from the hospital. She thought she had a decent grip on her hormones until he sucked on her finger. But the sensation of his mouth on her skin, the look in his eyes as he tasted her blood. Now, she was downright horny.
Feeling the need to repeat himself, he glanced away as he said, "I'm really sorry. I didn't think before I … anyway, I'm sorry."
She did not want him to waste time being concerned about how she would react to what he did. "Don't worry about it right now. We can talk about it later." And she definitely planned to – she wanted to know what it had felt and tasted like to him. She had not decided if she would tell him what it was like on her end.
Eventually, everyone else arrived – well, everyone except Tara, who was not quite ready to see Willow. After the table was set, food reheated and put in serving dishes, and drinks poured, they sat down at the table to give thanks and break bread together.
As they began filling their plates, Willow jumped up from her chair. "I almost forgot!" She came back in with a canister of fried onions. Placing it next to Spike, she said, "When I bought the ingredients for the green bean casserole, I bought an extra canister for you." Seeing the confused look on his face, she explained, "Buffy told me you like fried onions."
His eyes lit up as he realized that not only had Willow thought to do something nice for him, Buffy had shared personal details about him with her best friend. "What I really love are those flowering onion things. Onion rings are an acceptable substitute. And …" He lifted the canister to open it and pour the contents on his plate. "… so are these. Thanks, Red."
Buffy got up from the table to mix up a batch of Spike's signature dip. When she placed the bowl in front of him, he was mildly surprised. After she sat down again, he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek and thank her. The other five at the table watched the interaction. Although it was strange for them to see, it was clear that it was perfectly normal for Buffy and Spike.
Conversation during dinner was mostly Willow telling Dawn, Anya, and Spike what Buffy and Xander had found out the other night. While the others cleared the table and got dessert, Willow had a few minutes alone with Dawn. Willow spoke; Dawn listened respectfully, but had nothing to say in reply. Willow thanked her for listening and told her that she understood why she was upset.
Willow and Giles were the first to leave. Everyone said their goodbyes to Willow since Giles would be taking her to the airport early in the morning. Xander and Anya hung around for a while. The group discussed that the day had gone as well as could be expected. Buffy and Xander were sad that Willow would be leaving the next day, but everyone agreed that it was good that she was going to get help.
After Xander and Anya left, Dawn went up to bed, exhausted from the long day and more socializing than she had done since before the car accident. That left Spike and Buffy alone.
"Buffy, can we talk?"
She headed for the back door and they stepped out onto the porch.
"I'm s—"
She cut him off. "You already said that. Twice." She gave him a long look, trying to read his eyes. "I know why you did it, but what made you stop?"
"I didn't want you to think that I … well … that I was looking for any opportunity to drink your blood."
"Are you?"
"No."
"But you liked it. Don't deny it. I was watching your face."
"Of course, I did. Vampire here. Human blood is what I crave. And Slayer blood is top-shelf." He looked out across the yard. "But just so you know, I don't plan on making a habit of it."
When she didn't respond to that, he turned his face toward her. She nodded, letting him know that the subject was closed – for now, at least.
He had a question on the tip of his tongue, but kept biting it back.
Buffy noticed this and finally asked, "Something else on your mind?"
"Wondering when we can find some time to repeat the other night … when we had the house to ourselves."
"Dawn's home now, so …"
He groaned, assuming that she meant there would not be a repeat performance.
She continued, "Until she goes back to school …" Although she left the thought unfinished, her smile said so much more than words ever could.
His face brightened considerably at her words and their implication. They had spent a lot of time alone together during daytime hours in the months since she had come back. Once Dawn was cleared to return to school, he and Buffy could again spend their days together without interruption.
Definitely something to look forward to.
A/N:
Thanks for reading. Until next time …
~Jen
1 November 2017