Disclaimers: All the characters in this story belong to Joss Whedon.

Chapter 17: Rumbled

No Buffy. Check. No sign of mom. Check. Coast clear? Check! Dawn had wanted to go and read Buffy's diary ever since she started acting weird. The other day she had come close to reading it but unlucky for her, Buffy had got to her room just before she had chance to read it. Now was completely different. Her mom was downstairs sorting out yet more shipments for the gallery and her sister was in the backyard, studying. The brunette quickly sneaked into her sister's room and began to look for the key. It took her all of a minute to realise that Buffy had left her diary out. On her bed. She grinned to herself, picked up the book and went to her room. Dawn took off her sneakers, sat on her bed cross-legged and began to read it. Dawn had to double check at first to see if she was reading right. Vampires? Vampire slayer? What??? she shook her head and carried on. On a later entry she read more about these vampires and how Buffy thought she was a vampire slayer and there was something else that interested her. It read:

Tonight was scary. Three biker looking vampires jumped me and I tried to fight back, but it was no good. Lucky for me Spike came and unlucky for him he ended up getting stabbed. I patched him up and we had hot chocolate. God I can't believe I'm saying this but...WOW he's a hunk! And those eyes of his??? how dreamy, like they are penetrating or something.

Dawn dropped the diary and started giggling. Buffy fancied Spike? That was priceless. By this point the blonde had come in from the backyard and was in her room and she really freaked out when she saw her diary was missing.

"DAWN!" she yelled and she thundered her way to her little sister's room. Dawn's eyes grew wide. Oh no! Buffy stormed into her room and was scowling at Dawn. The scowl turned more angry as she spotted the brunette trying to hide the boom behind her back.

"Please tell me you didn't read that? (looks at Dawn) OHMYGOD! My diary? You read my diary? (takes it off her) That is not okay! A diary is like a person's most private place! (comes back to stand at the door) I... You don't even know what I was writing about! 'Hunk' can mean a lot of things, bad things. And, and when it says that his eyes are 'penetrating', I meant to write 'bulging'," Buffy was panicking.

Her little sister had read her diary and now knew about the vampires and the fact that she was a vampire slayer. Not only that she now knew about her fancying the pants off Spike.

"So...vampires? And you're the vampire slayer?" Dawn said seriously.

"Shhh! You do not say a word of this to anyone do you hear?"

She nodded and began to sing.

"Buffy and Spike sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

The slayer screamed in anger and threw a pillow at Dawn.

He dragged the last of his cigarette out and threw the stub on the floor, crushing it with his boot. He didn't know why he was here but strangely when his mom and sister showed up it was the only place he wanted to be. Spike wanted to talk to Buffy and tell her what had happened. Really he should have been talking to his friends but they were all busy. Oz was on a date with Willow, Devon had some family do and no one had seen Mike all afternoon. He smoothed out his his and rapped his knuckles against the door. A few moments later the door was opened to reveal Dawn. The girl grinned at him and he just looked at her perplexed.

"Hey Spike, whatcha doin' here?" she said, saying it loud enough so that Buffy, who was in the kitchen could hear it.

"Hey lil' bit, is Buffy around?"

"You mean queen dorky? She's in the kitchen," she piped

Joyce had just appeared behind her, laundry basket in hand and smiled.

"William, don't just stand there, come in...honestly the amount of washing these girls make is amazing,"

She entered the kitchen and noticed Buffy looking rather worried. She didn't get chance to ask her what was wrong because Dawn and Spike had entered.

"Hey pet," he greeted her

"Hey..." she mumbled

Buffy had made fresh lemonade. She poured out a glass and passed it to Spike.

"Here, have a try,"

He took a sip, coughed a bit at the sour taste but covered it up with a smile.

"not bad," he covered up

As the littlest Summers left the room she hummed the k-i-s-s-i-n-g song. Spike looked at her perplexed and Buffy looked worried again. The petite blonde took a taste of her lemonade, wrinkled her nose up and spat it out.

"it's really not that nice, is it?" Buffy looked to Spike, who looked back at her sheepishly.

"Didn't want to upset you...but on the upside, good try,"

She poured the remainders of the sour liquid into the sink and got out some apple juice. When she had turned back to him his look had changed. Before he was happy but now his expression had darkened, sadness shining right through his eyes and directly at her. Buffy stood looking at him for a moment, took in a deep breath and spoke.

"So, what's with the visit?

He sighed and sagged his shoulders.

"Just, er, you know how I told you about me mum and everythin'?"

"Yeah," she replied slowly, nodding her head.

His Caribbean blue eyes threatened to spill tears as he tried to get the courage up to explain.

"She and my sister are apparently now living here in Sunnydale and she wants to get to know me...I don't know what to say to her (groans with frustration) why is this so bloody differcult? She hasn't been here for me the past seven years, so why now? I just don't get it," he whispered the last part.

Buffy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Well maybe you should go and ask her...let her explain to you and then if you still don't wanna know then you have that right...I mean she can't force you into having a relationship with her," she pointed out and he smiled slightly.

"I guess you're right...you don't think I could stay the night do you? It's just I don't want to go back home and see her right now,"

"I'll have to check with my mom, hang on,"

Buffy went down to the basement. Joyce was still sorting out the laundry. Huffing and puffing as she sorted it into different piles.

"Mom, can Spike stay tonight? (Joyce frowns) it's just because he is having a bit of trouble at home...please?" she went all doe eyed and did the trademark pout.

Joyce sighed and rolled her eyes.

"As long as he confirms it with his father, then it's fine by me,"

The slayer smiled and kissed her mom on the cheek.

"Thanks!" she exclaimed and bounced back up the stairs.

9:30 PM. Spike had gotten the permission off of Giles to stay at Buffy's. They had decided that had would sleep on her bedroom floor. The reason she gave to her mom and Spike was that she didn't want him to be all alone in the basement. He bought it but her mother didn't. She knew that there was something more going on with her when it came to the peroxide teen, she just needed more time to figure it out. So here they were, 9:30 PM, studying. Buffy was crossed legged on her bed, wearing her 'I love sushi' Pjs and hair in pigtails and Spike was sat opposite her, legs stretched out and he was wearing PJ bottoms and a white vest top. The slayer found herself looking up from her notepad and taking a peek at his arms and chest. Man did he have muscles! But as soon as he lifted his head up she instantly returned to what she was doing, biting her lip in the process. Suddenly, the phone rang, causing Buffy to jump and Spike to laugh at her. She frowned at him as she picked up the phone.

"Hello...Oh hey Wills...okay calm down and take a breath, what happened? (Spike looks bewildered) wow I mean that's just...ON THE LIPS!!!!...Willow you saucy vixen!...ok ok I'm sorry, anything else happen?...I can't believe it, you two are actually going out...oh, me? Nothin' much, just studying, you know...see you tomorrow, bye Wills," she hung up the phone to see Spike grinning.

"I see from that very interesting conversation I actually don't need to know the other half,and do you realise you sounded just like Cordelia then"

Buffy huffed and threw Mr Gordo at him square in the face. He picked up a pillow and threw it at her and before they knew it, it had turned into a full blown pillow fight. She swung at him and he fell off the bed and banged his head on the table. But he was still in a giggling fit. She rushed over to him, hand over mouth, kneeling beside him.

"Oh god Spike, I am so sorry...are you okay?" she gasped

He rubbed the back of his head and smiled up at her.

"M'fine (grabs Mr.Gordo) you better run, missy!"

The next day, after school he had decided to go and visit his mother. He was less than pleased to find out that she lived next door to Buffy. Last night for the first time since he and Dru had split up Spike had actually had a laugh and he least expected it to be with her. The more time that he spent with her, the more he was beginning to like the chit. The more he liked her, the more he was noticing how cute she was. The little thing she did with her nose and the way her eyes lit up when she was laughing. Ok Spike snap out of it he thought. He knocked on the door and was greeted by Anne.

"William, come on in," she said ushering him in.

"The name's Spike now," he corrected her

He entered and took in his surroundings. It was full of old English nick nacks. Photos of his mother and sister were up on the fireplace. Spike went up to them and studied them closely.

"Can I get you anything? Tea? Juice? Maybe something to eat?" she offered.

He shook his head and sat down on the sofa.

"No, I've only come here to hear what you've got to say for yourself...so explain to me why you haven't seen me for the past seven years...Anne, what went on?" Spike refused to call her mum and that saddened her.

Anne cleared her throat and sat next to him and began to explain.

"Firstly, I just need you to know that there hasn't been a day that has gone by that I haven't thought about you (tries to put a hand to his cheek but he pulls away) Your father and I were having problems for two years before we parted...I was absolutely convinced he was having an affair with a slayer...Wesley's slayer (he looks disgusted) but it turned out I was wrong...it was all too much for us, tearing us both apart and it wasn't doing any good for you or Tara...so one day I wrote your father a note, telling him I'd had enough and that I was leaving for New York, with Tara..."

He glared at her. Nostrils flared and a look of pure hatred had washed over his features.

"You just bloody well up and left? You left me! Why didn't you take me, huh?"

"It wasn't like that, Spike please listen...(sighs) after you were born me and your father had agreed on something, that if we ever did get divorced that I would have Tara and he would have you, please understand,"

He shook his head violently and abruptly stood up.

"I understand that but what I don't get is why you never visited...look I'm going, need to calm down,"

And that was it. Spike stormed out, leaving Anne feeling upset and useless.

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