First off, I'd like to thank Tam, my wonderful beta, my stories are so much better (readable) with her input. I'd also like to thank Mary and Jack for their endless support *coughnaggincough*
Chapter 10 Epilogue
He stood outside the suburban home, waiting for a response to his knock. The door opened cautiously and he smiled at the face peeking through the small gap before quickly throwing it open. “Hello, William. Is it that time already?”
“Hello Joyce. Yeah, I thought the day would never end,” he grinned sheepishly before moving inside.
“You shouldn’t stay cooped up in that little windowless apartment all day, it can’t be good for you,” she chided him, her mothering instincts kicking in.
He was delighted with her concern, it having been so long since anyone had worried about him besides Buffy. “It’s a basement apartment and the no window thing is actually why I picked it. I tend to stay less dusty that way.”
She blushed faintly surprised how easy it was to forget the handsome young man was much more than he appeared to be. “Oh right. Did you want so cocoa before you go? Or do you want some b-blood? Buffy picked some up this afternoon.”
“The cocoa sounds great. I’ll just let Buffy know I’m here.” He watched the older woman make her way into the kitchen before he took the stairs two at a time, anxious to see the slayer.
In the months after the averted apocalypse they had settled into a routine. She went to school during the day, after Rupert had ‘encouraged’ the principal to let her back in. They patrolled at night, sometimes with the help of her friends and sometimes not. On the nights when they were alone, after a few good slays, they usually ended up snogging against the nearest crypt or stumbling their way back to his apartment.
The Scoobies hadn’t been happy at all when they had learned that he was sticking around, but all had to admit that he had been a great help during the Angelus affair and the different crisis’ prior to the grand finale.
The watcher had threatened him with painful torture and a dusty ending if he ended up breaking the slayer’s heart and trust. The witch had offered truth spells to show if he was really on bagged blood and not killing. Well, not killing humans anyway. Luckily the Hellmouth was a breeding ground of demon activity and he got his dose of fists and fangs nightly.
The whelp had been the most reluctant of the bunch, his attitude sullen and wary anytime the vampire showed up. Catching him at the Bronze alone one night, he had bought the boy a beer and taught him a few pool hustling tricks. They had talked well into the night and while they weren’t the best of friends, they had reached a mutual toleration level they could both live with.
He watched as his girl pimped in her mirror, looking for all the world like a teenager about go out on a date with her high school sweetheart instead of about to take on the monsters of the night with her undead boyfriend. “When are you gonna learn that those high heels are nothing but a danger on patrol.”
She didn’t bother to turn around as she quipped, “The same time you figure out that the Billy Idol look died in the eighties.”
He silently slipped his arms around her, sliding his hands under her shirt as he watched her expression in the mirror. “You almost ready for patrol?”
She brushed his hands away before hissing, “Quit before mom sees you, and yes I’m almost ready.”
Chuckling he sat down on the bed and pulled her to him, “Your mum’s making me hot chocolate and she wouldn’t do anything to me. She loves me.”
“Correction…she likes you. If she catches you fondling her teenage daughter in her room…let’s just say I bet she still knows how to swing an ax.” She grinned when he dropped his hands immediately.
“You Summers women, always quick with the violence.” He leaned back on his elbows and watched as she gathered her stakes, tucking them discretely in her waistband. “Don’t you think your mum has an idea of what her daughter does when she doesn’t come home until almost light?”
She leaned down to place a soft kiss on his lips before pulling away to say, “Not when your happily living in denial and just thankful that your daughters supernatural boyfriend might help her live through another night. You tend to overlook things, and you should be grateful she does or no more post patrol snuggles.”
“Snuggles? Is that what they call it these days? I thought they called it-” he was cut off by her hand slamming down on his mouth.
“Watch it, mister, or your ’snuggling’ days are in grave danger,” she threatened, eepping and jerking her hand away when she felt his tongue trace a line across her palm.
“That would be a shame, luv. And here I wanted to try something different tonight.”
“Different? Different how?” she whispered, her curiosity getting the better of her.
He stood to lean and whisper in her ear, delighted when he heard her heart begin to race and felt her body heat rise.
“Oh,” she said quietly. “Well, we better get to patrol, then. Early to slay, early to…well, you know.” She blushed brightly as she grabbed his hand and rushed out the door and down the stairs.
Buffy had just opened the front door as Joyce came back from the kitchen carrying a tray with three steaming mugs.
The eldest Summers set the tray down on the table, “Where are rushing off to? I made cocoa.”
Her mom’s concerned voice stopped her daughter in her tracks, her mind whirling with excuses and alibis. “Um, demons. We have to get out there now. You know, save innocents and all that.”
“Are you sure you don’t have time for one cup?”
“No!” she yelled. “I mean, we don’t want anyone to get hurt while we’re sitting around doing nothing.”
Bewildered Joyce replied, “Oh, okay. If you’re sure you have to go now.”
“Bye mom, don’t wait up, lots of slaying to do.” Buffy rushed out the door, dragging the snickering Spike behind her.
Joyce followed them to the door and leaned against the frame. “Well at least it’s not a school night.”
Buffy turned to answer, sensing a possible cover for future ‘snuggling‘ activities. “Yeah, weekends are notorious for baddies. They love the nightlife.”
The blond vampire snorted. “They are the nightlife, pet.”
Turning back to glare at him, she hissed, “Shut up, Mr. Smarty-vamp.”
Joyce watched as her daughter dragged her vampire boyfriend off into the night to fight the forces of evil. She didn’t want to think about what went on after the slaying was done. She closed the door softly. She knew her daughter would never have an easy life and her doubts about her newest boyfriend were fading slowly. She could tell they were very happy together, and if he helped to keep her safe to come home another night, then she couldn’t complain.
Her biggest concern had been their different stations in life. With her being the slayer and him being a vampire, she expected more problems than had so far surfaced.
Maybe things would work out in the long run. Maybe he didn’t need to be in the sunlight to make her happy and maybe she would be all he needed to keep him from returning to evil.
Maybe they could find some middle ground between their two worlds. Not in the dark. Not in the light. But somewhere in between.
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Well, that's it. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. My first completed, non-oneshot fic, YAY!! lol. |
