Chapter 16
A/N: Joss Whedon owns all of this, except Bella….keep reviewing and giving me your honest feedback much appreciated J
*2 years later*
"Bella, time to eat" yelled Spike from the dining room
Pre-hunt dinner had become a bit of a tradition since the Fang Gang started scheduling area's to patrol across LA around 18 months ago. Despite the demise of Wolfram and Hart in LA, demons and vampires still walked the streets terrorizing the innocents of the city of angels. The hellmouth was open long enough to let out all sorts of creepy crawlies that only now was starting to dwindle down.
Demons were a lot rarer and the vampire population had shrunk, but still constant vigilance was needed.
Connor, Cordelia, Angel, Blue, Charlie and Spike would always meet for dinner before they all went out to take out the baddies in their designated areas across the town. Spike had become one hell of a cook and always had something delicious on the table.
Bella bounded down the stairs wearing a black mini skirt and red silk shirt with some knee high boots.
She did the round of the table kissing hello and sat down at her usual seat next to Angel.
"Has he seen your outfit yet?" grinned Angel knowing exactly what was coming.
"Or what's left of it" smirked Connor
Bella rolled her eyes did an extra button on her shirt and sat down under the table hiding the bottom half of herself.
"Honey are you sure you don't want to wear something warmer it's cold out?" said Cordy
Bella laughed "It gets hot killing baddies Cordy I'm sure I'll be fine"
"Dinner is served!" exclaimed Spike bringing in a giant pot of casserole and plonking it on the table.
Gunn, Connor and Angel dove straight for the pot greedily as Cordy and Bella sat back and waited there turn.
"So it's Friday night sweet cheeks, what's on for you post patrol?" asked Gunn
"Just some dumb house party that will practically be over by the time I get there anyway" sighed Bella
"Still need a ride home?" asked Connor
Bella shook her head and dug into the hearty beef casserole Spike had slaved over the stove for.
"I wasn't told about no party missy" said Spike furrowing his brow
Bella grimaced "I told you remember? Last night after patrol"
Spike shook his head "Will this girl's parents be home?"
Bella blushed knowing she was busted…" ummm no they are in Cabo"
"Then Connor goes with you or you come straight home, no arguments ok pet" said Spike firmly
Cordy sighed "Spike you're going to have to trust her eventually"
"She's 15 Cordy, do you remember when you were 15!" exclaimed Spike
Cordy laughed "Yes, I was a bitchy hot cheerleader..she's a intelligent young woman."
Angel purred "Damn that uniform was hot"
Connor and Gunn gagged at the loved up couple, who still after two years could barely keep their hands off eachother.
"I also am sitting right here guys, and I'm 16 next week!" growled Bella unimpressed at the adults in her life talking about her and not too her again.
"I know poppet…I just am not comfortable you going to some strange party without supervision anything could happen!" frowned Spike
Bella sighed knowing she would lose this one and smiled at Connor "Can you please come with me Connor?"
Connor grunted "Ugggh ok but you owe me"
Bella blew him a kiss and jumped up from the table "I'm done with food, want to get my patrol done by 2 so I'm going now"
Spike's eyeballs nearly fell out of his head when he saw the length of her skirt and the height of her boots but Bella flashed out the door to her cemetery patrol before he could say a word.
"You saw her wearing that!" He said accusingly to his so called friends
Angel laughed 'Yeah we were all just waiting for that look on your pasty English face"
"Worth it!" cackled Gunn enjoying the dumbstruck look on Spike's face
Cordelia elbowed Angel in the side "Honey leave him no reason to be cruel and delight in our friends pain"
Spike gave Cordy a winning smile "Thanks cheerleader, and might I say you look bloody fetching tonight"
Angel's growled and Cordy laughed at her possessive husband. Cordy and Angel had eloped in Vegas as soon as Gunn had come home from the hospital after the fall.
Spike had stayed single along with Gunn and Connor enjoying the hero status demon fighters had and also getting used to sunlight and being human.
The first weeks were difficult without the support of the whole fang gang and Bella he didn't know how he would have survived.
As much as he still burned to see Buffy, he knew she was happy with the Immortal in Italy somewhere and would never want to create more chaos for her.
Besides he would never abandon Bella who had become the daughter he never got to have.
Still, in his most lonely moments Spike still wondered what if….