Disclaimer: I do not own the Buffy or Angel verse but I like to play in it!
Chapter Five
When Dawn awoke the next morning she was surprised to see her sister and Spike entwined on the sofa. She smiled broadly and then coughed loudly to get their attention. Both Buffy and Spike jumped with fright. Both vampire and slayer awkwardly extricated themselves from the sofa. Buffy had a good night's sleep despite the crick in her neck but she knew there was a reason why she had not wanted the previous night to end. She could not shake the feeling that things were going to go wrong. Spike also shared her ominous feeling. The previous night had been a brief respite from the drama that was their relationship. The night they had spent asleep in each other's embrace had been sweet. However in the light of the morning their close proximity did not seem right. They had too much to work out and discuss before things between them could be right between them again. A loud snort interrupted their musings.
"You two are just too cute! I wish I had my camera" Dawn grinned.
"I am not cute." Spike protested with horror at the insinuation.
"Yep you are the Big Bad, blah blah!" Dawn mocked, "Bed hair looks good on you by the way."
Spike consciously played with the curls that were beginning to show on his tousled head while Dawn caught her sister's eye.
"Ignore her Spike! I know I do!" Buffy said patting the embarrassed vampire on the arm.
Suddenly there was a familiar piercing yell from the other side of the room.
"Spike!"
They turned to look in the direction of the familiar voice and saw Andrew Wells with a big beam on his face.
"Here we go again" Spike muttered so only Buffy could hear.
"Gandalf the White has returned" Andrew declared much to Spike's chagrin.
Andrew threw his arms around a reluctant and discomfited Spike much to the amusement of the two sisters.
"Andrew" Spike acknowledged.
Buffy's expression had changed from mirth to resentment and she turned on Andrew.
"Spike told me you visited him out in LA and you never bothered to let me know."
Her eyes narrowed in anger and the young quailed at the sight of her righteous fury.
"Hey Slayer you know I told the boy to keep quiet!" Spike pointed out putting his hand on her arm. She shook it off.
"Don't you interfere Spike. I am stilled pissed at you by the way" she snapped at the vampire. He held his hands out in surrender while Buffy rounded on Andrew again.
"Don't ever keep something so important from me again!" she said menacingly.
Buffy stormed out of the room leaving silence in her wake.
"She is not a morning person" Dawn said drily finally breaking the silence.
Once Buffy got to the sanctuary of her room she threw herself down on the bed. Andrew's appearance had finally burst the bubble of that perfect night. She was reminded yet again of the pain of the last year when she had no idea that Spike was running around the place with Angel. Despite the truce of the night before, she was not through being angry with Spike yet. They had a lot to talk about and she was not sure if was ready. She was also reminded that she had to go into work today and face Giles and Willow. Buffy was not too worried about Willow's reaction but her former Watcher was sure to be furious. Her relationship with Giles since his attempt to get Spike killed had not been the same but it was a lot better now than it had been the last few days on the Hellmouth. Buffy took a deep breath and pulled off her dirty clothes and headed to her shower.
Spike was nervous. The night before had been like a nice dream but he knew they had been simply delaying the inevitable. They clearly still had a lot of talking to do and her friends also would be yet another breaking point. The Watcher would surely be unwelcoming and he was unsure as to how Red would react. Still he had been pleasantly surprised by Harris so maybe he would be again. Spike sighed. Andrew was still talking a mile a minute but Spike was not listening. Dawn could see that Spike was distracted and why.
"Andy you had better get moving if you want to get to that meeting with Giles"
Andrew suddenly stood up straight.
"Oh yes if you will excuse me Spike, I have a very important meeting to attend" he said importantly.
Spike caught Dawn's eye silently thanking her. Spike got up and headed up the stairs trying to figure out which room belonged to Buffy. He sniffed the air and quickly identified which room Buffy was currently occupying. He smirked to himself. Vampire senses were terribly handy he mused only to find that the room in question ironically bore the sign "Buffy's room". He rolled his eyes and knocked softly on the door.
"Buffy" he said quietly.
"One moment Spike. I am getting dressed" she called out.
"Nothing I have not seen before Slayer" he pointed out but he waited as she asked.
Buffy opened the door to let him in. He looked around the Slayer's room.
"Sorry for snapping earlier" Buffy said apologetically.
"No matter pet. I probably deserved it" he conceded.
"Well yeah you really did but I do not want to go into that conversation right now" she said, "Can you stay here and we can talk then as I really need to get to work."
"Don't see I have much choice, luv" he said gesturing towards the curtained window"
"Not that it ever stopped you before" she replied. He shrugged.
"Don't know this place as well as Sunnyhell"
"I guess you don't" Buffy laughed hollowly, "That is sorted then. No adventures for Spike today. Buffy can't yell at dust in the wind after all."
"Might be a better end than a Slayer's wrath" Spike quipped.
He immediately knew he had said the wrong thing.
"Don't even joke about that!" she said heatedly.
"Sorry luv. It was just a joke. Besides you were the one that brought it up."
"Some joke!" she scoffed, "is that what you were thinking when I was clueless."
He winced as if she had slapped him. She knew she was being unreasonable but she could not help herself. He considered her for a moment tilting his head to side. He shook his head in exasperation.
"I am not even going to answer that. You are looking to pick a fight and as usual it's a round of Kick-the –Spike. Yes I am a jackass. That has been covered already. I am not your punch bag any longer and when you are through being a bitch we need to talk proper like."
Spike turned to leave the room as he could tell that Buffy was about to explode.
"Did you just call me a bitch?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"Yes your ears did not deceive you and you are acting like a bitch. I know you Buffy and while you are pissed at me, you are also worried about your precious do good friends."
"How can you say that? Back in Sunnydale I chose you over all of them and you still think I am afraid to go against them."
"Funny isn't it?"
She really hated the fact that he could read her so well and that he had a point. Buffy's irritation died down. How could he do that? She could tell that he was also worried about the reaction of the Scoobies. He had killed thousands but yet here he stood looking vulnerable. They did not have time to go into everything now but despite her reticence regarding emotions she felt obliged to give him something before she went to work.
"Spike you were never my dirty little secret" Buffy began shyly.
Spike raised his brow ironically.
"Sorry I guess you kinda were" she admitted, "but what I mean is that you were important to me back then after I was brought back. I could not have got through it without you. I want you to know that."
Spike's heart lightened with Buffy's words. He was momentarily stuck for words.
"Thanks" he said simply.
"Guess I had better be off then" Buffy said with a forced cheerfulness that she did not feel.
"Buffy you don't have to tell them yet if you do not want to" the vampire offered, " I sort of liked being your dirty little secret."
Buffy smiled and kissed him chastely on the cheek.
"I want to but thank you" she whispered.
Buffy and Spike left the room in a much better frame of mind then they entered the room in. Spike was surprised to see that Andrew had not left yet. Obviously the boy was too nosy for his own good. Andrew looked at Spike and then turned to look at Buffy and grinned even wider if possible.
"It is just so romantic." Andrew said teary eyed, "The vampyr and the slayer reunited despite all the odds. They can be together, get married and have babies. I would be best man, right!"
The other three were looking on incredulously at a clueless Andrew, who was waxing lyrical.
"Yes I think they would make beautiful babies" he declared.
"Don't be stupid boy, vampire here and I can't have.." Spike interrupted impatiently.
"Oh my bad. Wow did your soul come with a curse like Angel or are you just not able to perform?"
"What! No!" Spike spluttered, his male pride abashed. Buffy and Dawn were in tears with laughter. Spike's face was a picture. He turned helplessly to the sisters.
"Help me out Slayer!" Spike pleaded. Buffy stayed quiet but Dawn obliged taking pity on the vampire.
"He means vampires can't have children not that he can't have sex" Dawn explained.
"Yes I happen to have had no complaints" Spike said indignantly.
"Mmm fun times" Buffy murmured but until she spotted Spike with a huge smile that she realised she had spoken aloud.
"Oh I bet!" Andrew said suggestively.
Spike did not like the look that Andrew was giving him.
"Well Andrew I am off the Slayer Central now if you want to come with" Buffy said to the young man.
Today Buffy resolved that she was not going to make sure everything was out in the open this time. She did not want Spike to be her dirty little secret. She still was not fully sure exactly what she wanted him to be and what was possible with their complicated history. She was sure of one thing though. She could not bear to lose him again and her friends if they truly loved her would respect her decision.
To be continued..
Author's Note: I feel like I am milking the hell of this but bear with me as I am almost done. Thank you so much for reading and please review.
