Buffy stood outside of the Bronze not really knowing what she was doing there. The pace wasn't open yet and there was no one around, but she just had to get away for a while. She couldn't believe her mother was going to let her father take her back home. All she knew was that she wasn't going back and he couldn't make her. What was he going to do, knock her out and drag her home? She could feel tears starting to fall again and she sighed, sitting on the curb outside of the club. She buried her head in her hands, resting on her knees and began to cry.

"Buffy?" she heard Spike say and looked up quickly, wiping the tears away. "You okay, luv?"

"I'm fine" Buffy attempted a fake smile, but he wasn't buying it and she knew it.

"So you just cry for no reason?" he asked, sitting next to her on the curb. "Look, we don't know each other very well and obviously you don't have to talk to me, but…I'm a good listener if you wanna talk." She smiled at him again, but this time it was a real one.

"My dad's gonna try to make me go back to L.A." she told him after a couple beats of silence. "I don't wanna go back there, Spike, I don't."

"Did something happen there? I mean, did your father ever…hurt you?" he asked, careful not to cross the line by prying too much.

"No, god, no, nothing like that. He's just…he cares more about working and Francine than me and my sister. I hate Francine so much, and she obviously hates us" Buffy told him. "I wanna stay here. I've missed my mother terribly and I like it here. I like Faith and the gang…and I like you." He looked at her and she began to regret her statement. "I-I mean—"

"I like you too, pet" he cut her off. "I told you that already." He gave her a little smirk and she smiled.

"I don't wanna go back there." He put his arm around her, allowing her to lay her head on his shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay, luv" he comforted her.

"How? I mean if I refuse to go back with them—which I'm going to—I don't know what my father's gonna do. I don't know if he could have my mother arrested for kidnapping, even though I'm almost eighteen. He has a lot of money and many lawyers and I'm just…scared" Buffy said.

"Come on, Goldilocks" he said, getting up and pulling her up as well.

"Wait, where are we going?" she asked him as she began to follow him to his car.

"I'm gonna show you a good time" Spike said and smirked when he saw the look on Buffy's face. "A good day I mean. If, for some reason, your father does make you go back to L.A. with him then I won't have a chance to ask you out. This way we both win, you get your mind off of your problems and I get to spend the day with a beautiful woman." She couldn't help but blush, but she was smiling too. She couldn't believe that he was being so sweet to her. He opened up the passenger car door for her and gestured that she get in. "After you, luv."

"Okay" she smiled, getting in the car. He shut her door and went around to the driver's side, getting in as well and starting the car. "Where are we going?"

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked.

"No" Buffy told him.

"Then we're off to breakfast" he said, continuing to drive. "Where would you like to eat?"

"Anywhere I guess" she said. She didn't know what was around, but wasn't too picky. Spike pulled into the parking lot of an iHop and parked. "Ooh, I love this place."

"Good" Spike said, getting out and opening her door for her. They walked into the restaurant together and were seated by the hostess and given menus.

"Can I start you off with something to drink?" the waitress, who's name tag read Molly, asked.

"Coffee please and some milk" Spike said.

"Um…some coffee and some orange juice please" Buffy told the waitress who nodded and wrote down their drink orders.

"I'll give you a couple minutes to decide on your meal and I'll be back with your drinks" Molly said and left.

An hour later they had eaten, Spike paid the bill and they were back in his car driving again. She had called her mother to tell her she was with Spike and Joyce told her to be safe and have fun. She also added that her father would be there at six that evening and to be back by then.

"How was your breakfast?" Spike asked as they drove.

"Amazing, thank you" Buffy told him and he nodded. She felt really comfortable with him, like she'd known him for years instead of days. "So, where are we going now?"

"There's somewhere I wanna show you, it's a surprise" Spike told her as he turned off the main road onto a gravel road. He pulled through a short wooded area and then stopped once the trees cleared. Once again, after getting out, he opened Buffy's door for her. Buffy looked around confused.

"Where are we?" she asked as he took her hand to lead her over to a small cliff. She was a little nervous and hesitated a bit.

"It's okay, this is my favorite place in the city, the view is amazing" he told her, gently pulling her towards the cliff. There was a barrier along the edge so that people wouldn't fall over. Buffy looked around in awe. This was a totally different view of the city and it was absolutely beautiful.

"Wow" she breathed, taking in her surroundings.

"Yeah, it's better at night, but it's still pretty brilliant" Spike told her, leaning on the metal barrier. He looked over at her and saw a tear running down her cheek. "Did I upset you?"

"No, no of course not" Buffy told him. "You're…incredible." He gave her a small smile.

"You're the incredible one, luv" he told her. They both turned to face each other. She looked into his eyes and moved to his lips. Wow, those were some nice lips. She wanted so badly to kiss him, but wouldn't dare make the first move. She saw his eyes moving from her eyes to her lips, back and forth a couple times as he leaned over, brushing his lips against hers softly. That's all Buffy needed. As he began to pull away, she deepened the kiss, pulling him closer to her. Her tongue danced across the part in his lips, begging for entry and he happily obliged, opening his mouth and touching her tongue with his. He heard a moan escape from her as they continued the fiery kiss. After a minute or so he broke the kiss for much needed air.

"Wow" was all he managed to say.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry" she said, looking mortified. What had come over her?

"Don't be, luv, that was an amazing kiss" he told her, smirking at her embarrassment. "I like your enthusiasm."

"I don't know what came over me" she told him, seemingly trying to justify herself to him.

"Hey, you can kiss me like that anytime" he told her, half joking, half serious. She smiled at him.

"Thank you for today. It may not seem like much to you, but…it means a lot to me" Buffy told him.

"Do you think you might wanna…" he trailed off, not sure how to ask her what he wanted to ask her.

"I might wanna what?" she asked him.

"I know we just met and all, but…I don't know, would you wanna maybe see how things go with us?" he asked her.

"Are you asking me out?" she asked.

"It depends" he told her.

"On what? You're either asking me out or you're not" she joked.

"On if you say yes or no" he told her. She couldn't believe how insecure he seemed to be feeling. He usually seemed so confident.

"Yeah, I think we could do that" Buffy finally said. His expression changed from nervousness to excitement and his eyes lit up.

"Okay, good then" he told her. They sat there for a couple beats of silence before Buffy looked back at Spike.

"I just wish I was eighteen already and no one could tell me what to do" she told him with a sigh. He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. Even though they had only known each other a few short days, she felt incredibly comfortable with him and the more time they spent together the more comfortable she felt.

"Look, luv, if—god forbid—your pop forces you back to L.A. it won't be long before you turn eighteen, right?"

"Three months."

"Okay, well…no matter what happens, I'm here for you. And if you have to go back to your father's house then I guess I'll just be waiting until you turn eighteen and come back to me." She smiled though her head was still on his shoulder.

"I just hope he sees I'm serious about staying and gives up and leaves me a lone" Buffy said. "Although…"

"Although…?" Spike asked.

"I don't know how I'm going to get my sister here. Even if he gives up the fight about taking me back with him there's no way he's gonna let Dawn come here" Buffy told him. "Either way I lose. I either get to stay here without my sister or go back to where my sister is and be miserable." Spike stroked her arm with his thumb.

"We'll figure out somethin, luv" he promised her. She sighed and stood up, walking a couple steps forward before looking at her watch and turning around.

"Well, it's almost one o'clock. What do you wanna do now?" she asked him as he stood up also.

"You wanna come see my apartment?" she raised her eyebrow at his question. What did he think they were gonna do there? "I didn't mean for…I just mean to hang out."

"Sure" she said after he clarified what he meant. Spike nodded and they both got into his car and he headed toward his place.