"Will Spike be joining us tonight?" Joyce asked as she entered the living
room.
"I don't know," Willow said, looking at her best friend's mother and
shrugging.
Buffy snorted, "He's been here every night for the last two weeks, Mom.
I'd
guess tonight will be no different."
"I assumed but thought I'd ask anyway," Joyce said with a small smile.
"I'll
get a bag of blood ready for him. Good God. Did I just casually mention
preparing blood for a dinner guest?"
Willow smiled, "Scary, isn't it?"
"I'm proud of you, Mom," Buffy said with a large smile. She looked at
Willow
as her mother went back into the kitchen, "So, what are we doing tonight?"
"I have to finish this chapter for history. After that, I hadn't thought
about it," Willow said.
"I have to patrol after dinner. Think you'll be done with the reading
by the
time I get back?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, you don't have to entertain me every night," Willow said, shaking
her
head. It had been a little over two weeks since Tara had died. She
had spent
that night at Buffy's and hadn't left. For the first couple of days,
she
hadn't want to. When she had finally stopped crying and realized she
must be
imposing, Buffy had put her foot down and insisted that Willow stay.
Joyce
had joined her daughter in persuading Willow to stay. When faced with
going
to an empty house and being alone or staying where she was loved and
cared
for, there hadn't been much choice. Willow had officially moved in
the next
day, both Buffy and Spike helping her move into the spare room next
door to
Buffy. Every night, Spike would come over and eat with the family then
they'd
usually go with Buffy on patrol and the rest of the evening would be
determined. They had met Anya and Xander for drinks and music. They'd
go back
to the house and watch TV. They'd sit in the park and just enjoy the
silence.
There were some times that Buffy would patrol alone or that Spike would
go
with her, usually only when Willow had homework or was helping Giles
at the
store. She didn't want to seem rude but it was almost suffocating at
times.
"You don't want me here?" Buffy asked, looking at the table as a hurt
look
crossed her face.
Willow felt herself smiling, "I want you here. Are you sure you don't
have
something you need to be doing?"
Buffy looked at her in relief and smiled, "Nope. Can't think of a thing.
You
want to call Xander and Anya? See if they want to go to the Bronze
and listen
to some music."
"Let's wait and talk to Spike," Willow suggested.
Buffy rolled her eyes, "He won't care what we do as long as he's part
of it.
Besides, I thought you didn't know if he'd even be over."
"I don't," she said, frowning.
"Let me have that," Buffy said, taking Willow's book. "I'll read to
you until
Mom finishes dinner or Spike gets here, whichever happens first."
"Buffy, give me my book back," Willow said, laughing as she reached
for the
history book.
"All studying and no laughing makes Willow a dull girl," Buffy said
loftily
as she flipped through the pages and avoided Willow grabbing it back.
"Buffy," Willow whined, "I have to finish that damn chapter or we can't
do
anything tonight."
"Watch the language," Buffy warned, smiling. She heard the front door
open
and glanced back, seeing Spike enter the house.
"What's going on, pets?" Spike asked, raising a brow as he saw Willow
trying
to get something from Buffy.
"She's taken my book," Willow said.
"Willow is trying to do homework on a Friday night," Buffy said, rolling
her
eyes. "I'm trying to prevent her from being dull."
"Toss it to me, slayer," he said, smiling as she threw him the book.
He
looked at Willow and shrugged, "Sorry, luv. I'm with the slayer on
this. It's
Friday night. No homework."
"Traitor," Willow stuck her tongue out at them both as she stood and
started
for the kitchen. "Fine. I'll see if Joyce needs any help."
Spike put the book down and followed her, greeting Joyce and smiling
when he
saw that she had a mug ready to heat up for him.