Spike stood idly in front of his white board, his session with Buffy making him feel like more than a man than ever. He laughed a little at himself as he continued writing on the board in front of him. He pranced about as he continued prepping for class, chest puffed in inebriated manhood, when suddenly the door to his classroom quite literally burst open and Mr. Giles came storming in. He turned quickly as the older man approached him and cornered him against the board causing the marker to rub off on the back of his shirt.

"Miss Summers?" Giles was seething at the thought that this man, who he had become fairly fond of, was harming a student, "What is going on between you two!" His voice was raised but not loud enough to leave the confines of the room.

Spike's breath became shallow and he gulped, having nowhere to go, "Rupert..." He used a calm voice, still in his American cloak. He trusted the man quite a bit, as did Robin Woods, now would be a grand time to explain his second job, perhaps win him over with the fact they were originally native of the same country. "It's much much more complicated than you'd think..."

Giles backed away slowly, allowing the smaller man breathing room, "Explain then why something like this would be... legitimate in anyway?" He leaned against the desk behind him and crossed his arms, waiting for the explanation.

"Spike..." It was the only thing he said for a while and Giles stared at him trying to follow, "He retired, or took a vacation... He went looking for the woman he'd dreamed of... after getting quashed and turned to dust by a-ah... whore!"

Giles knew of the man, not the biggest fan of the man himself, but enjoyed some of his acoustical cored songs. Either way he was having issues following, Mr. Pratt's point, "What are you talking about, man!"

"What if... said man... Spike... were too have retired somewhere less populated... like California... Sunnydale to be specific. Then took up a job he'd rather not be suited for in his usual persona? Like... teaching." Giles still stared as if the man across from him had grown a second head, "And him... being Spike... were stupid enough to... fall in love with someone... that his current job would never allow..." HE looked up meeting Giles's eye's for the first time since this began, "Because he's Spike... he'd fall into love with a gorgeous, intelligent, mature, sweet, strong, beautiful girl... And for the first time... felt loved himself."

The references to Spike made it obvious what the formerly Mr. Pratt, was hinting too. "Because he's Spike shouldn't be an excuse..." Giles said quietly.

Spike nodded, and reverted to his usual accent for the first time in front of Giles, "Well... He is Spike... And he asked her to marry him."

Giles's jaw dropped and Spike swore he heard it clunk to the floor, surprised not by the sudden shift in voice, but by the engagement, "Are you crazy William! She's underage here... And you seriously think her mother will go on without realizing she's... engaged?"

"She knows... and approves... There's not a set date or anything..." Giles still stared in disbelief, "We have a few options... get hitched now... in Oregon with her mum signing off that she approves the marriage. Or wait till summer when she does turn of age... I just pray to the gods that she wants to wait until summer..." Giles still stared comprehending everything, "This definably not something I encouraged... but... she just captivated me... no matter how much I berated myself... she managed to wrap me around her finger. Rupert... please." He sighed, opening himself completely to the man, "Knowing a bit about me... the real me... not who I pretend to be here. Let us have this... in so many ways I regret stealing a life from her but she's given a life back to me, don't take it from me, mate..."

Giles watched the full grown man in front of him slowly breakdown over the course of his speech. There's no way he could have practiced it, it was sincere, honest, and desperate. He pitied the man, to be in such a predicament, have the world against the one thing that truly made you happy, "Today... whatever you two snuck off and did, is not happening... not on my watch." He slowly approached him, "You made it far too obvious, her neck has some ridiculous red mark on it-" He stopped himself there, getting rather angry now. He stopped and took a breath, "I'm talking to Miss Summer's at lunch, her mother after school, and to Robin, right this moment about the Spike thing..." He turned, starting to leave.

Spike caught him though, "How about this... I'll call Joyce, and ask about a nice dinner tonight... the four of us will have a chat, and you can still go talk to Wood's about the rest of the lot..." Giles turned slightly to him, thinking for a moment, then nodded and turned once more towards the door, "Oh, and... the mark... we did... snog a bit... It was completely out of line, and I have no excuse for it other than... I'm an idiot, and had the wrong head thinking. It will not happen again. I swear it."

Giles's jaw tightened for a moment, and he nodded again before turning and leaving. Walking through the hall's he returned to his own office in the library, deciding that the talk with Wood's was unnecessary about his identity. He could already tell that was the truth, but was he was very restless regarding the relationship the man held.

The first two periods inched past Spike, he basically set his one morning class up with book work and moped in his office most of the period. Second period, his free period, he called Joyce, telling her the issue, and taking the rap for Buffy with the in-school 'snog fest.' He just thank the gods she believed making out was all they did. Luckily she and Giles knew each other through various school events which gave Spike some hope the man could be swayed their way. That and he also believed they both would be a great match for each other. Playing cupid could also work to his advantage.

Third period came and Spike had serious issues getting the class settled. Buffy and her close friends actually shut up when he asked, as for the rest of them, "Everyone, please... silence... settle down" When the yammering didn't stop he had to result to a higher volume, "EVERYONE! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The room went silent. He looked around eyeing everyone in the room. "Chapter 12... read it. Finish the questions. Due at the end of class." With that he left going into his office and shutting the door, but leaving the blinds open to watch the class.

Buffy turned, watching him leave, What the hell is wrong with him? Willow gave Buffy a look and she shrugged not knowing anything. His office door clicked open and Spike poked his head out, "Miss Summer's, in here please."

Buffy gulped and everyone in the room follow her as she passed with their eye's, all thinking she was in some sort of deep shit filled hell hole regarding school. Timidly, Buffy entered the office and closed the door behind her, "We are in serious shit sweetheart..."

Buffy frowned not quite understanding. "What are you talking about? We're fine..."

Spike shook his head moving her so they were out of view of the rest f the class through the window, "Giles knows..."

Buffy's jaw dropped, "What are you talking about, he knows?"

"He's a smart bloke sweetheart... just figured it out. I guess I left a mark somewhere on your neck... and he just caught on when he saw it... or some rubbish..." He tilted Buffy's chin up and looked seeing the nice bite mark he had in fact made this morning.

Buffy grabbed her neck covering the mark before looking away from him, "This cannot be happening..."

"Now... I persuaded him into dinner with mum and us tonight... but I don't know how well that will play out..." he sighed not knowing what to do.

"Well for one it would probably look better if you didn't take it out on your classes... book work is not your style..." Buffy said sounding more adult than he was acting.

"I know I'm just... stressing..." He put his arms around her waist, "I'm sorry... I'll pick up the slack next period..."

Buffy nodded leaning up and giving him a quick kiss, "We'll worry after school, alright?" He nodded and she left the room, leaving him with some time to think. How could she handle everything so much better than he could he'd never be able to figure out.

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