Chapter Six

The next day at school Buffy kept her eyes open for her health partner. Thankfully his bright blonde hair kinda stands out from everyone else. There's also the contrast with his typical all black attire; once and awhile he wore color but it was usually a button up over a black t-shirt. She had no luck spying him but she did see Xander at his locker. "Spike kissed me," she said as she hustled next to him.

Xander's head quickly looked at his blonde friend to confirm his thought of Buffy making this shocking statement. He gave her a crooked look for a minute but broke the silence with, "I'm sorry. I heard you say Spike kissed you. I'm assuming you really said you ran him over with a car."

"He kissed me."

Xander's eyes became more crooked and his mouth opened a little wider. "What- how…"

"He came over yesterday and we talked about my dad not showing up and his mom not showing up and then before he left he kissed me."

"Did ya punch him?"

"No."

"I would've," he said matter of factly. He shut his locker and Buffy followed him. "Not that I've thought about it."

"Kissing him?" Buffy asked puzzled.

"Ssshhh. There's only one possible guy if I absolutely had to but that's confidential information."

"I don't think I want to know."

Buffy spotted Willow as she walked down the hallway. "Hey guys," she greeted with a big smile.

"Willow, what would you do if someone you didn't like kissed you?" Buffy proposed.

"I would wonder why this question was brought up in the first place."

"Spike kissed Buffy," Xander informed as he took a bite out of his chocolate bar.

"Oh. Well, that's… not something you do."

"I was the receiver. I was in shock," Buffy defended. "Besides it's not like I kissed back or anything."

"But how was the shock of the kiss initiated."

"They got all touchy feely."

"There was no feel," Buffy intervened. "Or touchy. I mean there was touchy- not touchy," she said holding out her hands as if she touching someone else's breasts, "but touchy… ing. There was touching conversation without any time of feeling up."

Willow mimicked Xander's quizzical look. "So you were talking."

"And that's all. I mean, besides the kiss."

"Was it just one kiss?"

"Yes. More peck than kiss really."

"You talk to him about it?"

"That would entail me seeing him today, which I lack." As if on queue, Spike made his way through the hall. He must've been in the cafeteria.

Buffy walked ahead and grabbed him by the arm. "What the-" She pulled him out of the walkway and against the lockers. "Bloody hell Summers."

"Why did you kiss me?"

"What?" he asked as if he was just told he was Superman.

"Why did you kiss me last night? I didn't give you a signal to kiss me and I sure wasn't expecting it."

"Have you gone completely off your bird?"

"What?"

"Oh, I got it. You're startin' to like me and you're dreamin' about me. That's really touching Summers but I gotta get to class, so you run along."

"We have the same class numb skull, and what is up with you? You were the one who kissed me."

"And then what? We went to the bedroom for a little rough and tumble? I bet I was good."

Now Buffy was the one confused. Did I really dream that? No way. I was taken off guard. How could I have a dream about a kiss I wasn't expecting?

The bell rang and Buffy noticed Spike was no longer in front of her and heading into the health class two doors down. She quickened pace to the doorway and slid in before Mr. Daniels shut the door. "Cutting it very close Miss Summers."

"Sorry Mr. Daniels."

"Today we're gonna go around the class and get everyone's input on the assignment so far. We'll start in the back."

"Well, Brad isn't around very much to care for our child."

"Ryan, I had a gig."

"And you couldn't have informed me beforehand instead of on your way to Los Angeles?"

"It was last minute. I said I was sorry."

"Well I was up until eleven because Gregory was crying," Ryan said, gesturing to the doll in his arms.

"I offered to take him two days in a row."

"And that makes up for it? Typical."

"Okay, then," Mr. Daniels intervened. "I hope you two will be able to work things out, now moving on." He gestured to Cordelia and Xander.

"Well, I took Dean shopping and got him the best accessories money can buy at all the little shops in LA."

"As to his emotional needs, I think I'm the only one participating there," Xander remarked.

"Excuse me? How am I not helping?"

"You throw him in his carrier and only hold him when he cries. I at least let him sleep in my bed."

"So you can roll over and crush him?"

"So he's close to someone. It's better than stuffing him in some Louie the fourteenth seat all night."

"It's Louis Vuitton and if he didn't have nice things, he would be an outcast in society like his father. I am helping him emotionally by not accepting those shabby clothes they were given to us in." Cordelia quickly glanced at the teacher. "No offense Mr. Daniels." He held up his hands, showing no offense.

"Well, ya know what the Beatles say, 'all ya need is things.'"

"You're just jealous that you're childhood wasn't as good as his will be."

"Yeah, that's it."

"Moving on," Mr. Daniels announced. He went through the rest of the class, thankfully finding two pairs that actually got a long really well; the rest were in the 'ok' zone. Second to last was Buffy and Spike, who were watched closely by everyone; everyone was just sad they didn't have popcorn for this recap.

"It's going fine. We've had some issues but nothing major," Buffy summarized.

"Well there's an understatement."

"What?"

"Is that the word of the day or somethin' Summers?"

"Maybe if someone would stop talking like a psycho, I would be able to keep up."

"Figured ya understand your own language," Spike quipped. The class chuckled.

"Are you shaving yet?" Buffy retorted. The class 'oooo'-ed.

"And last but not least," Mr. Daniels said, staging another intervention. The last couple did the summary and thankfully the class ended. Buffy made sure she left Spike far behind and slipped into an unoccupied classroom so she could watch him leave. Xander and Willow looked both ways for a second but moved on to their lockers when Buffy was MIA. Spike did the same but he walked towards her. She slid down and leaned against the door. Her breath became shallow as if she was being stalked by a killer. I'd rather have Michael Myers out there instead of- the door opened and she fell on her back.

"Found ya."

She quickly sat up and got on her feet. "How did you know I was in here?"
"You went this way and there's three doors down here. Process of elimination." He walked in and shut the door behind him. Buffy took a couple steps back.

"I may seem little but I got a decent pair of lungs. Good for screaming."

"Listen Summers, that thing that happened last night, didn't happen."

"You mean you kissing me?"

"As far as everyone else is concerned, nothing happened last night."

"So we didn't talk."

"No."

"And we didn't kiss."

"No."

"Why?"

"I got a reputation. 'Sides, you want everyone knowin' we snogged?"

"No," she quickly confirmed. "But now you got everyone thinking I'm in love with you."

"If ya hadn't of blabbered about it then I wouldn't have said that. Ya couldn't take a hint."

"There was no hinting. You looking at me like I'm crazy, is not hinting. You could try to be a little more-" Buffy's sentence was stopped by Spike's lips colliding with hers and his hands on her cheeks, pulling her closer. After a minute they parted with complete shock. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't' know."

Their eyes starting darting around the room, expecting to find some explanation as to what happened. "We gotta get out of here."

"Yeah."

"I mean, not 'we.' Separately. Separately, get out of here."

"Yes, with the separate. Not together in any way." He pushed open the door and turned into the library.

Buffy quickly walked to the door but paused when she saw the torrential downpour outside. "Great." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the house. "Pick up. Pick up." She sighed when the all too familiar answering machine picked up. She shut her phone and tried to think of who else to call. She didn't have Oz's phone number and Xander lacked a car.

"It was so bloody awful that-" Spike stopped when he saw Buffy standing at the door. His dad was walking next to him, carrying a maroon and gold umbrella.

"Buffy," Mr. Giles stated.

"Hi Mr. Giles."

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"Uh, no. I was just trying to call my mom because of the Day After Tomorrow scene that's happening outside."

"Well, I'm sure one of us could give you a ride," the British librarian offered.

The doll Spike was carrying started to cry. He placed the carrier on the ground, took Melanie out and started feeding her the bottle.

"This is definitely one of the most… original assignments I've ever seen," Giles informed.

The doll stopped crying and Spike returned her to her carrier. He picked it up from the floor and stammered, "I'll give ya a ride. I was gonna drop her off anyway."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked, both understanding the extent of that question.

"Yeah. I come with an umbrella," Spike said, gesturing to the one held in Giles' hand.

"Oh, yes," Giles confirmed, holding it up as proof.

"Okay. Thanks." They pushed open the door and Giles opened the umbrella with his arm stretched out the door. He waited for Spike and Buffy to run under its protective shield before jumping under himself. He didn't really fit, the wetness of his back and shoulders can prove it, but he didn't want Buffy and Spike to worry over who would be the one subject to the pelting of the rain. Spike opened the back door to put the carrier in while Buffy got in the front seat. Giles quickly took cover under his umbrella before taking Spike over to his side.

"I'll see you later," Giles said. "Drive carefully."

"Always do." He shut the door, started the engine and put it in drive. Buffy and Spike remained silent on yet another drive together. Buffy watched the rain glide down her window as Spike kept his eyes on the road; with occasional glances at his live passenger. He pulled up in his usual spot and unbuckled.

Buffy watched him move to the back seat and lean over. He's got a nice butt. She quickly turned around as he sat up. He revealed a blue umbrella, smaller than his dad's but still capable of fulfilling it's umbrella duties. Spike unbuckled the carrier and handed it to Buffy. "For you." He got out of the car, opened the umbrella and opened Buffy's door. "Ready?"

"I can walk this far."

"And risk Melanie getting sick? Are ya daft Summers?" She rolled her eyes and conceded to sharing the small safeguard. They rushed up the walkway and onto the porch. Spike dropped his arm with the umbrella and ran his hand over his hair.

"Thanks. For the ride. In the car," Buffy said, still not reaching a place where her sentences couldn't be conceived as promiscuous. He nodded. "Did this not happen also?"

"I think we'll be all right with this one," he said. Suddenly the rain came down much harder as if they were being thrown down at full speed. The noise of the rain was broken up by a loud crack of thunder. They both jumped in surprise. Melanie started to cry, making them jump a second time.

"Do you want to stay here until this passes? Or at least tones down?"

"No, I'll be fine." Lighting sliced the sky and was followed by a loud noise after ten seconds. "Well maybe for awhile." He held the umbrella up and was going to run out but Buffy took it from his hand. "What're ya doin'?"

"Why not just run out there with a lightning rod?"

Spike gritted his teeth and ran out to his car. He threw open the door, flicked the ignition switch and turned off his lights. He jumped out and ran back to the porch, nearly missing the chance to close his door. He looked like he had just jumped into a lake.

"Oh my God you're soaked."

"That'll happen when you lack an umbrella."

"So getting struck by lightning would've been better?" Melanie was still crying. "Let's go inside." She opened the door and took Melanie to the couch. She picked her up and put the bottle to her mouth. Her crying continued so Buffy put down the bottle and started rocking her and humming a tune Spike couldn't identify. When Buffy reached the end of the chorus Melanie had stopped crying. "Good girl," she said sweetly. She kissed her on the head and gently put her in the carrier.

"What were you hummin'?"

"A song my mom used to sing to me when I was little. I know, typical, but I don't know what else to do. I don't like saying 'sshhhh' because it sounds harsh to me, so I hum."

"Whatever works."

Buffy nodded. "Well, let's get you out of those soaked clothes."

"Definitely."

"I mean… I didn't mean," Buffy quickly recovered.

Spike quickly agreed, "I didn't mean…"

This is gonna be majorly weird. And awkward.

Author's Note: Yes it will be, because I'm the writer I decided it. Mwah haha… That was supposed to be an evil laugh. Anyway, moving away from the craziness, I hope you are all enjoying this story. I know some of you are because you review, but even the non reviewer's (::sad face::) I hope you're enjoying it too. If you're not, then you probably won't even bother reading this. If you do read this, then… I got nothin'.