MrEeee's apologies to everyone... Again.
It makes me feel terrible leaving everyone hanging with my one and only Fanfic for so long. It's amazing how much everyone has still stuck through despite my shitty updating skills. For that I thank everyone, it's truely amazing, but i have a confession. I am a serial computer killer, I have a serious problem, and am seeking medical help. Because of my terrible habit, it's left me with limited internet access, and no spell check. So for all of your sake's I've been putting off updating a little longer than I would have liked. Personally I would rather give everyone a decent story then have it packed full of errors in spelling and horrifically rubbish writing. And as before, I have re-read the story for the umptenth time and have concluded once more that I suck at writing. So at some point in the near future, expect to see many updates to chapters as I elaborate further on our story.
Once again, MrEeee sends his deepest apologies to everyone of you who have stuck through. He will be doing his best to make you happy, until he kills another computer that is. If he fails so miserably that you are all raving mad, feel free to visit the Falling Down To Summerset reviews, pitchforks and torches in hand, to electronically attack and verbally abuse him thoroughly. Or send a PM, with the same basic harassment entailed within.
Chapter 46:
It was fifteen minutes before Mr. Giles was due to arrive and the tension had finally reached its peak in the house. As Buffy set the table, Joyce and Spike had a moment alone, "I have something..." She said quietly as she peeked around the corner to verify Buffy was busy. Seeing that her daughter was in fact very engrossed in setting the table, making sure to move each item a minimum of twenty times before she was satisfied with its position. Quietly as possible Joyce pulled a small bottle of vodka from a hidden place amongst the pots and pans, "Wonderful thing about having a daughter who's completely inept to culinary activities is that she'll never get into the cookware."
Spike's brows rose in surprise but he didn't object, "You are a brilliant woman, mum. I now know where your little girl gets it from…"
Joyce smiled warmly taking out two glasses and filling them with a hefty amount of their poison. "To manage and keep you a secret for so long… I'm coming to believe I should be keeping a closer eye on her. If that girl is anything like I was at her age…" That single thought seemed to smack Joyce in the face suddenly. She quickly picked up her glass and knocked back all of its contents in one gulp.
Seeing the liquid disappear, he quickly followed suit, guzzling his down and setting it on the countertop, "Oh no…" He thought a moment, "Nononono…" Joyce filled their cups once more as he continued, "Nooo… She's…" He paused for far too long, "Good." It was his turn to down his booze first as images of more intimate times with his lover flashed through his mind. There was another pause as he found the right word to restore Buffy's virtue in Joyce's mind, "Innocent… Yeah… that's better…" Once again the contents of Joyce's glass disappeared
"I'm not stupid you know…" She ground out as she filled the glasses once more and stashed her booze beneath the countertop.
Spike sipped slightly, "Oh yes… I know… Just trying to help you out a bit there…" he smiled, "Trying to… ease your quarreled mind…" He chuckled and held his glass up, "To… a night without the police being called…"
"Amen to that brother…" Joyce clanked and they both took a sip simultaneously as Buffy walked in.
A pout hung on her lips, "It looks terrible in there… everything is all… askew…"
"Nice way to work one of our 'Words of the Week' in there…" He was happy to see Buffy did pay attention in class, so he praised her.
Buffy's demeanor changed immediately as she smiled, "Oh look! See. I might look like I'm daydreaming all the time but I do pay attention… Can't help that you're a distraction…"
Spike scoffed, "Yeah I'm the distraction…" He stood up quickly, and wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist, "Let us assess how terrible your table setting skills are…" They left Joyce to finish up with dinner and wandered into the dining room, "Oh what are you complaining about! This is lovely!" He said with a smile.
Buffy still appeared worried though, "I don't know… it all looks lopsided…" She pouted still and Spike chuckled. Slowly he leaned in and bit her bottom lip as it jutted out. Buffy let out a giggle and playfully swatted at him, trying to remain serious about the table. Soon though, she melted into the strong arms that wrapped around her waist as he deepened their flirty little game into a kiss.
Spike's demeanor stiffened and he tightened his grip, one hand going to Buffy's hair as he desperately kissed her as if it would be the last time. Buffy knew immediately what of a kiss this was for him; it wouldn't be the first time he kissed her senseless in desperate fear. Her own hands found their way to his hair and she held him still for a moment giving him a hard harsh ending to the kiss as if trying to imprint her own DNA onto his lips. They broke their kiss simultaneously, standing in silence together before Buffy finally spoke first, "It'll be okay…" She whispered
Spike took a deep breath and dropped his head to her shoulder, taking in his favourite scent. "Yeah…" He could feel the strength Buffy gave him. He was a man. A manly man at that. He could do this, "Fine… It's going to be fine…" Suddenly there was a knock at the door that made everyone in the house jump. A worried look crossed Spike's face but Buffy quickly grasped his face in her hands and met his eye's in a strong encouraging gaze. Joyce passed by behind them, quiet fluently on account of the sauce her and Spike had indulged in.
Going to the front door Joyce flung the door open enthusiastically, smiling brightly at Giles, "Mr. Giles! How nice it is to see you this evening! Won't you come in?"
Following through the now open doorway Giles entered and shrugged out of his coat, "Yes. It's lovely to see you as well, Ms. Summers. I just wish it was under different circumstances…" He trailed off turning to Joyce with a sad smile.
Joyce put a comforting hand onto Giles's shoulder, "The circumstances are not nearly as dire as you believe, and please. Call me Joyce."
"Joyce, yes." Quietly he followed Joyce into the dining room to see Buffy bringing the food to the table. Politely Joyce pulled out a seat at the head of the table for Giles and took a seat directly across from Buffy as her daughter sat down.
"Where's William?" Joyce asked seeing the seat next to Buffy empty.
"He stepped outside for a minute; he'll be back momentarily…" Buffy turned to Giles with a rather bitter look of disdain, "How has your day been, Mr. Giles?" Buffy's voice was as cold and serious as it had been the last time they spoke.
Giles gulped feeling as though he had declared a war without realizing it. Suddenly Spike entered the room and took a seat on the other side of Buffy, sitting furthest from Giles. His hand found Buffy's shoulder as he rubbed softly, "It's alright sweetness…" He said softly.
There was an awkward silence amongst everyone. Spike stared at the floor; Joyce gazed at the food, Giles looked anywhere but at Buffy who was sending searing daggers of hate at him with her eyes.
No way is this guy ruining my happily ever after… She thought. Suddenly a hand was grasping desperately at her leg, searching blindly for a hand to clutch onto. A soft smile crossed her lips as Buffy turned, her fingers linking with Spike's. There was a moment of harmony between the two that could be felt around the entire table. Everyone seemed to physically relax for a moment as Buffy and Spike just stared at one another. Though the moment was a sweet break from the tension, Buffy wouldn't have it that way for long. She was prepared to show Giles that she was a big girl and that she was prepared to stick by Spike no matter what circumstance. So, she made the first attack in this war for love. Simply she pulled their entangled hands from below the table and set them out for all to see.
Giles's eyes grew wide as the couples entwined hands appeared before him, having thought for sure that they would keep some overly appropriate distance between them in his presence. He stared for a long moment before turning to Joyce to gage her reaction. He hadn't known what to expect, but the warm assured smile across her lips was the last thing he had anticipated. "You really approve of this?" He asked Joyce, causing her to suddenly snap out of her revere.
"In all honesty…" Joyce began as she stood up and started dishing out lemon chicken, potatoes, and cornbread to everyone, "It's exactly like having your daughter go out with one of those gorillas from school, all new love, sweet and mushy. Except that William is a gentleman, caring, sweet, and wouldn't dream of breaking her heart." Having served everyone she sat down finally, "This is the only person in the world who realizes just how amazing my daughter is…" She began cutting up her meat, "And he's old enough to have finally gotten over farts and boobs like any regular high school hooligan is still obsessed with…" She took a bite and stopped a moment to relish in her own cooking, "It's a very unorthodox relationship yes, but... well worth the happiness I've seen in Buffy… This man will do anything for her, and never ask for a thing back." Joyce's voice deepened, becoming serious and sounding eerily like her daughter had earlier that day, "And if you do anything to ruin their contentment, Rupert. I will personally castrate you and keep your dick as a trophy…"
The piece of corn bread Spike had been nursing throughout Joyce's speech suddenly fell from his mouth to the floor along with his jaw, as Buffy spat potatoes and gravy all over her plate. Giles's face became a blank slate as all of the colour drained from him. Though he was quite factually scared shitless, he couldn't help but suddenly laugh, uncontrollably in fact. Buffy and Spike looked around utterly confused as to what transpired. Finally Giles' laughing died down to a chuckle and he began cutting up his own chicken, "Oh my lord…" He broke his cornbread in half, "I now see where you daughter gets her fire from…" He was still chuckling but it was quickly becoming nervous as Giles felt the undying urge to cross his legs as his only defense.
"These Summers women'll kill you…" Spike finally said as he leaned down to pick up his lost bread. He sat back up and took Buffy's hand in his own before taking a sip of his drink.
Giles laughed at the joke, "Oh yes, killing and… the castrating…" His fork shook slightly as he felt a bit of pity for Spike having to handle these women by himself. The elder man had begun regretting getting involved in this matter. The Summers women seemed firm in their decision and he wasn't one to go against their grain at this point.
Since Joyce ended her speech at neutering she hadn't stirred; merely sat and stared at Giles as if awaiting confirmation that he was going to keep everything to himself. It took a moment but soon Giles was locked in a stare that he could do nothing to break from. On one hand he had always taken a liking to Joyce Summers, seeing a certain confidence and grace that he was highly intrigued by. On the other hand, somehow in a twisted bit of fate, Giles suddenly found his own bollocks on the line as opposed to Spike's. "Well…" Giles cleared his throat, picking up his napkin and lightly dabbing at nothing on his face in polite habit, "I see my worst fears of William being… untamed have been put to rest. He appears to be completely restrained by you both."
"He's our bitch…" Buffy blurted out, making it Spike's turn to spit out the potato he was just starting to chew on.
"Buffy Anne!" Joyce cried out.
Buffy gave her mother a perplexed looked, "It's true! He's either here or at his house. At his house, he's fixing things we sent home with him. Then while he is here hanging out with us, what is he doing, mom? Cooking… helping you clean… We've even had him in an array of blouses while you tailored them correctly… And how many times have you two polished spoons together?"
A small voice came from Spike, "I like polishing…" He silently hoped they would skip over the women's blouses subject.
Joyce reached across the table and patted Spike's free hand lightly, "I know honey. You and I both find it very relaxing…" Spike just nodded dumbly. She turned to Giles once more, "What exactly was your fear, Rupert?"
Without thinking about it Giles pulled off his glasses and began anally cleaning them, "I'm not exactly sure… at work, William is very… suave with the faculty. I merely figured he had wormed his way into your lives… I don't know… Leading you blindly so he could take advantage of Buffy…"
Joyce and Buffy both laughed simultaneously. The noblewomen of this castle were now clearly presiding before Giles, and he felt the urge to chuckle along with them just to be included with the sovereigns. Buffy seemed to be laughing hardest, "Really Mr. Giles, you have nothing to worry about… I've got William wrapped so tight around my little finger… I'm most likely the manipulator in this relationship."
Spike remained silent as he pushed his potatoes around on his plate until something resembling a single tit had appeared. Giles laughed, "Perhaps he has yet to completely grow up from a hooligan…" He pointed to Spike's plate.
"William!" Buffy quickly squashed the lonely boob with her own fork.
This brought a pout to Spike's lips, "I spit up all over my food when you spoke with such blatant truth about me being pussy-whipped… what else am I supposed to do with this food?" Both Joyce and Giles laughed and Buffy picked up their plates.
"Let's go get clean plates and let mom and Giles talks for a moment…" With that the younger couple excused themselves retreating to the kitchen while mom chatted up their guest.