Chapter 8:

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Do I have your word
Can you promise me
Does your word mean anything

Trust is such a strong word
Can I trust you
Do I have the strength to believe that you've changed

Trust is such a strong word
It's such a strong emotion
Don't let me down

Don't make me take my trust away......

Later on in the school day, Spike made his way to his uncle's classroom during fifth period. He assured Buffy earlier that he would talk to Rupert about hanging out with all of them at The Bronze later on that night. Spike could've easily saved himself the confrontation with his uncle and lied about asking his permission to go out with Buffy and her mates. In fact, that's what he was planning on doing but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to perform the act. The thought of lying to Buffy, even if it was a small harmless lie, seemed wrong.

What was it about this girl that made Spike act this way? Usually, he was all for playing with girls emotions. Being hurt by the opposite sex tends to do that to a person. By mistreating using these girls, Spike was righting the wrongs that were done to his heart in the past. Sure, making a girl believe that he liked her in order to get her to sleep with him and then dumping her like a bad habit the next morning wasn't the mature way to go about mending his broken heart but Spike didn't care.....until today.

The minute he met, or rather bumped into Buffy, his whole outlook on girls and relationships flew totally out the window. Spike actually felt guilty for his wrong doings and in one day of being around the petite blonde was starting to feel remorse about the emotional harm he had caused the woman he'd played with. Not once during Spike's interaction with Buffy did he think about getting her into his bed. Not that she was unattractive or something cause that was definitely not the case. Buffy was beyond doable but the mere thought of just getting in between her legs then treating her like dirt the next day made Spike sick to his stomach.

Spike wasn't going to do that to her.

He wasn't gonna hurt her like he had done so many girls before.

Hurting her was the last thing Spike wanted to do.

As he made his way into the his uncle's classroom, Spike found himself looking forward to tonight's little gathering at the club. He knew his uncle was going to have a mouthful to say about going out on a school night and all but Spike was willing and able to fight Giles all the way in order to get what he wanted.

And Buffy was what he wanted....

" Hey, Rupes. What's the what?" Spike greeted as he took a seat directly in front of Giles' desk, who looked up immediately from his task of grading papers at the sound of his nephew's voice.

" I've told you repeatedly not to call me that, William." Giles replied with a roll of his eyes and a drop of his pen. Spike clenched his jaw but managed to keep his trap shut at the mention of his given name.

* Starting an argument with the git is not a way to get what you want.* Spike thought with a small grin. * Doesn't mean I can't piss him off.....just a little bit anyway.*

" Oh come on. Don't be so uptight, Giles. You'll never get the attention of a lady with that sour attitude." Spike returned and had to bite his cheek in order to keep from laughing at his uncles murderous glare. * If looks could kill...*

" Is there something I can help you with, William?" Giles punctuated his name, knowing that it grated on his nerves. " I'm very busy and I don't have time to-Wait a minute." Giles cut himself off after a thought occurred to him. " Aren't you supposed to be in class?" he asked as he stood and made his way around his desk to stand in front of Spike.

" Giles-" Spike started but was cut off by a frustrated Giles.

" The terms of your stay here was that you behaved and did what was asked of you. Now, that includes going to all of your classes, young man." Giles continued to ramble on about "reverting back to old habits" and " being immature" until Spike couldn't take it anymore.

" Will you shut your gob, man!" Spike exclaimed as he got up out of the seat and rolled his eyes. " I'm not skipping class, you sod. I have a free period. Thought I'd come by and visit."

" Oh." Giles managed to get out. He was embarrassed and mentally slapped himself for thinking so little of his nephew. " P-Please forgive m-my outburst, then." he finished with a stutter and a blushing of his cheeks.

" No prob, Bob. Water under the bridge and all that rot." Spike dismissed. Giles removed his glasses and began cleaning them with the handkerchief that was in his pocket.
" What was it that you wanted?" Giles asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence on his part.

" Right. Straight to the point and all. Gotta say that I've always admired that about you, Giles." Spike teased. Giles returned his glasses to their original spot on his face and sighed.

" William, if you don't have anything important to say-" Giles began.

" Keep your knickers on, old man." pause. " I made a few friends today." Spike started.

" That's great, son." Giles looked genuinely pleased at the news.

" Glad you think so. Can I continue?" Spike asked impatiently. Giles nodded his head in amusement. " Anyway, like I said, I met a nice bunch of people. A little to the left from the people that I usually hang with but they seem like nice enough folks. You'll be glad to know that they'll probably keep me out of trouble while I'm here."

" Glad to here it." Giles hoped that what his nephew was saying was in fact the truth. He'd heard from his brother Ethan that Spike had been a bit of a handful. Skipping class, hanging out with the wrong set of people and all of the other things that made his parents send him to America.

" Anyway, these nice and wholesome group of people, asked me to join them tonight at this club-" Spike rushed out.

" Bloody hell." Giles muttered. * I knew there had to be a catch.* Like Giles, Spike was always straight to the point. Instead, Giles noticed that Spike was staling, as if he was almost nervous to speak his mind.

" Now, before you go on about me " reverting back to my old ways", hear me out." Spike pleaded.

" What exactly do I need to hear?" Giles asked with a sigh but cut Spike off before he could answer. " No, let me guess. You're nice and wholesome new friends have invited you out on a night filled with innocent adventures that will in no way result in me having to come bail you out of jail at 2 a.m." Giles suggested sarcastically. Spike stared at his uncle for a few seconds.

" You're a real riot, Rupert." Spike stated dryly after a moment." Forgive me if I don't feel need to roll on the floor with laughter."

" No." Giles returned firmly. Spike looked confused. Giles clarified. " I'm certain that you were gonna ask me if you could go out tonight." pause " Let me save you the trouble. No."

" Give me one good reason why I can't go?" Spike asked as he crossed his arms over his chest in a child-like manner.

" Did you not hear my sarcasm trip a few minutes ago?" Giles question with a wave of both hands. " I don't want you to get into any trouble while you're here. That's not what your parents sent you here for. If you staying out of trouble means that I'll have to lock you in you room for the duration of your stay, then so be it but I will not have you acting out while you're under my supervision." Giles explained in a low and firm voice that reminded Spike of the Ripper stories Ethan had told him about. The thought alone was enough to make Spike rethink he whole "piss him off" thing. Still, he held his ground and pleaded his case.

" I haven't even been here a week and already you think I'm gonna start making trouble for you. You should have more faith in me, uncle." Spike was grinning but was dead serious. " We're never gonna get along if you don't start trusting me. I want to change. I'm GOING to change." This wasn't a ploy to get what he wanted. In the short time that Spike had been here, he realized that he wanted to change. " but I'm never gonna get there if you don't give me a chance to prove myself." Spike finished with no trace of amusement in sight.

Giles regarded his nephew for a few moments, debating weather or not this was one of Spike's little games. Spike's eyes told Giles everything he needed to know at that moment. Spike really was trying to try.

" You're right." Giles fought the urge to roll his eyes at Spike's smug smile. * I'll chop him down to size.* " My answer's still no." Spike's smile was gone in an instant. He let out an exasperated sigh.

" Wha's it's take?!" Spike exclaimed with his arms outstretched at his sides. " Buffy and 'er mates are harmless-" Spike began but was cut off.

" Did you say 'Buffy'?" Giles attention perked up a bit.

" Yeah." Spike answered slowly. " What of it?"

" Buffy Summers? Elizabeth Summers? This is one of you 'friends' ?" Giles asked in a voice that told Spike he didn't believe a word of it.

" What's that supposed to mean?" Spike questioned offended. " Is it such a foreign concept that a girl like Buffy Summers would befriend a bloke like me? Am I that much of a bad person?" Giles wanted to kick himself for his blunt words.

" I didn't mean it like that. I just meant- What I was trying to say was-" At Spike's expectant look, Giles cracked. " Oh bloody hell!!! Fine! You can go!" Spike's smile was almost blinding.

" Thanks, Rupes. You won't regret this." Spike was practically bouncing on his feet.

" I hope not. Your curfew is at 11." When Spike began to protest, Giles held up his hand and continued. " Don't push me. It's a school night. You'll have until twelve on the weekends. As moving as you little 'I want to change' speech was, I have yet to see any real evidence of your claim. When I have, we'll discuss the removal of your curfew." Giles finished on a authoritive tone. Spike took in his uncle and realized that Giles actually had a backbone after all.

" Deal." and then Spike turned and went for the exit of the classroom. Giles warning stopped him.

" Be careful."

" Don't worry. I'll be fine." Spike assured. Giles sat down at his desk and said,

" That's all fine and dandy, William but I wasn't talking about you." Spike turned fully towards his uncle and waited for an explanation. " I was talking about Miss Summers." That got Spike's undivided attention." I don't know what your intentions are exactly or if you even have any but try to understand that she's....different than any girl that you've known."

* Ain't that the truth.* Spike thought.

Giles not only knew this because he was good friends with her mother but he was also good friends with the girl in question herself. She wasn't like all the other teenage females that attended Sunnydale High. She was special and had a lot going for her. It easy to tell that Giles cared about her as if she were his own flesh and blood. If that meant protecting her from his nephew, who was known for his treatment towards women, then so be it.

" Be. Careful." Giles warned once more. Spike nodded and then was gone.

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Chapter 9:

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Oh, why do I feel the way I do?
When all I can think about is you
What was in the line
that made me fall for you
Do you know
Why I'm digging' diggin' diggin' diggin' on you?

Buffy spent the remainder of the school day in a daze. As much as she tried otherwise, her mind kept drifting back to the peroxided blonde that had literally rammed his way into her life not too long ago. Buffy was sure that she had never felt this way about anyone. She had crushes and even a few infatuations but never something like this. As strange as the feeling was it didn't even come close to the shock that Buffy felt knowing that Spike could possibly be feeling the same way.

All the guys never really took notice of Buffy. Not the way she wanted anyway. They always thought of her as a good friend or someone to help them pass one of their classes. Whenever she'd make an attempt at getting a guy of her own, they'd turn her down. For example, sophomore year, Buffy had the biggest crush on a guy named Billy Fordom. He was in the class above her and was totally drool worthy. They were practically inseparable. They were always hanging out together and doing friendly stuff like that. The second that Ford found out Buffy liked him, however, he started acting strange around her. He'd avoid her in the halls and whenever she did catch up to him, their conversations were awkward and short. After a while, Buffy took the hint and stop trying to get his attention. Unfortunately, their friendship was stained and after Ford graduated, they stopped speaking with one another.

There have been countless instances like that one since then and every time it's hurts just a little more to feel like no one wants her. With everyday that passed, Buffy felt like she was slipping into this deep hole and no one seemed to understand. Buffy had a lot going for her. She was smart, funny, easy going, a great person to talk to and she was attractive. She couldn't understand why she didn't have a boyfriend. High school wasn't just supposed to be about hanging with friends and getting an education; it was also about going to lots of school dances with your honey and chatting with one of you best friends about how much you've fallen for that certain person. Buffy believed that she was supposed to have someone to share her high school career with. Even if it didn't last beyond graduation, it would be nice to have the memories of a first love. With tithe way things were going, Buffy wasn't gonna have that luxury.
But then there was Spike....

Buffy felt something for him. The moment he entered her life, he just made her feel.....noticed. In the very short time that she had known him, she already decided that she loved the way he looked at her. It was like he focused all of his attention on her. She liked the way he smiled and his sexy British accent was to die for. He could reduce her to a puddle with just a glance.

And that scared her.....

If Spike was able to go to The Bronze with her, Willow and Xander, what would happen? What would Buffy allow to happen? Spike openly admitted that going to The Bronze would be pointless if she wasn't there. Did that mean he liked her? Could it be that he felt something for her? More importantly, was Buffy willing to find out?


BRRRRRRRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The ringing of the bell brought Buffy out of her thoughts. It was the end of another day. As Buffy gathered her books and prepared to exit the classroom, she wondered if she was going to run into Spike again.

* You'd just love that, wouldn't ya, Summers?* Buffy teased herself as she put her combination in to open her locker.

Buffy put her books away. As soon as she closed her locker door, she was met with the very face that had been consuming her thoughts all day.
Spike.

Buffy didn't even hear him come up to her and had to fight the urge to scream. Instead, she settled for a little jump in surprised and a glare.

" So...you not only knock innocent girls on their asses but you also get a kick out of scaring the shit out of them as well?" Buffy questioned sarcastically. Spike smirked at her a little and made a tsking sound with his tongue.

" You kiss your mother with that mouth, Summers." Spike chided playfully.

* No but I'd sure like to kiss you with it.* Buffy thought, almost saying it out loud. * Bad BAD Buffy. No thinking of his lips....although, they do look rather tasty...and soft....and oh shit his talking!*

" Huh." Buffy came out of her little ogling fest to answer him. The smirk was still on Spike's face as he repeated his question.

" I said, " Would you like a ride home?" Spike repeated. He noticed that her eyes got a little glazed over before at his little jibe and wonder what she was thinking about. His fought the urge to groan with he saw pink tongue moisten her lips. * I bet she tastes sweet. I bet she tastes like...heaven.*

" Oh. Ummm..." * Say yes, dammitt!* " Sure." then she began to stammer nervously. " I-I mean, only if y-you don't mind. I wouldn't want you going out of your way to-"

" It's not out of my way." Spike cut her off with a shake of his head. Then he gave her one of his gentle smiles. " Even if it was out of my way, I wouldn't have asked if it was gonna be a problem."

Buffy regarded him for a moment and then smiled. " Okay then. Lead the way."

Buffy completely forgot that Angel was supposed to be driving her home....

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Spike had surprised them both when he opened the door for Buffy and helped her inside the his car. Sure, he always played the 'gentleman' role when he wanted to get in good with a girl but this time it seemed required. It was like he was trying to prove himself without her knowing what he was trying to prove. He wanted to show her that he was more than just a 'badass'.

Buffy noted the way he opened the door for her and had to bite back a giggle. No one had ever opened a door for her. * Must be more to that 'badass' personality than I thought.*

Other than giving Spike directions to the house, the first few moments of the drive was made in silence. Often, both of them would sneak glances at one another just to turn away when the other realized that the other was staring. Both of them wondered what the other was thinking.

* What's going on in that adorable blonde head of 'er? Why is she so quiet?* Spike inwardly asked himself. He wanted to hear her voice. He found it comforting. He established early on that he could listen to her talk for hours. Buffy voice was just one of the many things that Spike was beginning to adore. Spike never really adored anyone before. * Except for....NO! I'm not gonna think about her.* Spike refused to let his thoughts wonder towards his past love. Too many painful memories....He decided to focus on the young woman sitting next to him. If he wanted to hear her voice, he would have to make the first move cause Buffy sure as hell wasn't.

" Had a talk with my uncle today." Spike started, pleased when Buffy gave him her attention by looking intently at him.

" Really? How'd that go?" Part of Buffy wanted to hear that Spike was able to hang out with her and her friends but the terrified part of her wanted him to tell her that he couldn't.

" All systems go." Spike answered. Buffy looked over at him unsure of a moment, obviously confused about his response. " I'm all yours tonight." Spike hadn't meant for the words to slip so freely from his mouth but it was too late and they had * Great, you wanker; Make this situation more complicated that it already is.* he thought, fighting the urge to groan. As true as he wanted his words to be, he hadn't meant for then to actually come out of his mouth.

Buffy just stared at him with wide eyes at his 'I'm all yours' comment. As soon as the words left him mouth, Buffy realized how much she wanted that statement to be true.

Could Spike ever be hers?

Could she ever be his?

More importantly, would Spike want her to be his?

Buffy spared one long look his way before her embarrassment got the best of her. Then, she turned her head and found the scenery that they past as he drove very interesting.
They drove the rest of the way in silence.

Comfortable yet uncomfortable silence.

When Spike pulled up in front of Buffy's house and turned the ignition off, neither one of them knew what to say. Buffy took the plunge and spoke first.

" Thanks for the ride." Buffy looked over at him a flashed him a shy smile.

" No problem, pet. Anytime." Spike returned with a smile of his own. * God, she's beautiful when she looks all shy and innocent. Makes me wanna grab and kiss the breath right out of her.* he thought.

" Ummm.....I guess I'll see you tonight then?" Buffy asked with a slight shake of her voice.

" Yeah." pause. Spike suddenly got an idea. " How about I pick you up and we go together?" he suggested. Buffy looked at him stunned for a moment. Spike knew by her surprised expression that she was expecting him to say that. He couldn't believe that he worked up the courage to ask. Buffy mind was pretty much on the same page.

Was he actually asking her out?

* No. He couldn’t' be. He just wants to make sure that he doesn't get lost. Of course he'd offer to me a ride there. I'm the girl with the directions.* Buffy didn't stop to think that maybe Spike could've already known how to get there.

" S-Sure." Buffy stuttered out. Spike's smile was wide.

" Great. I'll pick you up at eight. That cool?" He asked, not wanting to be too forward or anything. For some reason, he could sense her nervousness and didn't want to scare her.

" T-That's fine." Buffy mentally slapped herself for her stammering answer.

" Great." Spike gave up another dazzling smile that Buffy smiling in response. " I'll see you in a couple of hours then."

" Looking forward to it." Buffy responded flirtatiously. * Oh my God!! Did I just flirt with him. Openly?!!* Before she could let anything else slip from her mouth, she practically jumped out of the car and ran into the house, leaving a confused but pleased Spike in the driver's seat.

" So am I." he muttered with an excited grin right before driving off.

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A/N I know. I know. This chapter didn't have as much spuffy as you readers would have liked but I promise the next one is gonna be filled with it. Next chapter, our favorite couple get to know one another a little better. Anyone in the mood for a little dancing? (hint hint) The lyrics used in this chapter from TLC's "Diggin' On You". I thought that that particular part of the song expressed how Buffy was feeling about Spike. Please PLEASE leave me a review. Even if it's a bad one, I want to know what you people think. Stay tuned!!! I’m gonna up the rating of this story in about another two chapters or so.

Before I forget....I don't know if anyone read my message yesterday about the trouble I was having with the sequel to 'Changes'. As I said before, people have probably already figured out who the surprised guest is. Dru. I really don't know how to write her character in my fic. She crazy!!! Although I'm not the perfect picture for 'normal', I'm having a hard time writing the next chapter because of this. I could easily write her as a normal person but what's the fun in that. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I'm open to anything. Thanks
 

Chapter 10:

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I wanna know everything
Tell me everything
Let me know everything……



Buffy wasn't even all the way inside the house before Angel started on his whole 'protective big brother’ gig.

" You were supposed to meet me outside of the school. Where were you? Are you okay? I was worried sick!" Angel got out all in one breath. As annoying as it was to witness her brother's protective side, it was also very funny too. He'd get this wild look in his eyes and a big vain would form right in the middle of his forehead. Naturally, Buffy had to prolong her explanation. It was just so fun to see her brother squirm.

" Hey, Angel. How was your day? How was mine, you ask? Oh, it was peachy with a side of keen. Thanks for asking." responded Buffy with a cheery smile but sarcastic tone to her voice. She brushed passed him and headed for the kitchen to get a snack. Angel, as she expected him to be, was right on her heels.

" Where were you, Buffy?" Angel repeated. Although he was more calm than before, he still wanted to know where she had been. " I waited for you outside for like an hour. I thought something might've happened to you."

" Well, as you can see I'm fine." Buffy rolled her eyes as she made her way to the refrigerator for a bottle of water. The 'funny' part of his over protectiveness was wearing off. Now she just wished he would give it a rest already. He was annoying the hell out of her.

" That's all you have to say?" Angel asked incredulously. Buffy turned to look at him with a really annoyed expression.

" If you really must know, Mother, I got a ride from someone else. Happy now?" she moved to leave the kitchen and escape her brother but he blocked her path.

" Who?" he pushed. " Willow doesn't have a car yet and no sane human being would EVER give Xander a license." Buffy rolled her eyes at that last comment. Angel and Xander were always throwing jibes at each other. It was really quite childish. Harmless but still childish.

" Is it so hard to believe that I have friends outside of Willow and Xander?" she asked. Angel looked at her as if she had two heads.

" Yes." He knew that those three had been joined at the hip ever since they moved here to Sunnydale. They did everything together. Buffy had always been a friendly type of person and hung out with everyone but she knew who her REAL friends were. Willow and Xander. Angel would never admit it to his sister but he envied the friendship that she held with the two of them.

" Why?!" Buffy hoped that her distraction would work. She really didn't feel like dishing out any info about Spike at the moment, especially to her brother of all people. She was still trying to figure it all out herself. Too bad Angel saw right through her.

" You're side stepping the issue, Buffy." He glared at her. " Who were you with?"

" Will you please PLEASE leave me alone if I tell you?" she asked and had to fight the urge to roll her eyes once more when Angel gave her the scout's honor sign. * Dork wasn't even a boy scout.* " Fine. A guy from school offered me a ride and I guess I forgot that you were driving me home when I accepted his offer." Buffy explained.

Angel took in the information. Slowly, a small grin began to form on his lips.

" You really must dig this guy, Buff." Angel teased. Buffy just looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.

* Ooookay...wasn't expecting that.* Buffy thought as she stood in the kitchen doorway with her mouth wide open.

" Huh?" was all she managed to get out.

" How stupid do you think I am?" When Buffy smirked and readied her snippy answer, Angel quickly backtracked. " Don't answer that." Buffy sighed out and crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive manner.

" Where are you taking this, Angel?"

" Oh come on, Buffy." he started. " You're gonna stand there and tell me that you "forgot" that I was supposed to be driving you home?" At Buffy's 'duh' expression, Angel responded the only way he knew how.

He laughed.

Buffy gaped at him. He was actually laughing at her. The lunkhead was belting a full blown laugh at her expense. She didn't get it. What was so damn funny? When Buffy thought she could take it anymore, she threw her water bottle at his head and headed for the stairs but not before screaming,

" Asshole!"

Angel must have recovered quickly from the hit because he was right behind her.

" I've been driving you to and from school since the day after I got my license so please forgive me if your memory lapse is a little unbelievable." Angel replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. That alone should've sent Buffy storming off in a huff towards her room but it was what he said that made her stop. " This guy must really be something special if you just happened to forget something so.....unforgettable.

Angel was right.

For a moment, Buffy really had forgotten about Angel driving her home. Once she remembered, she had made the choice to ignore it. What else was she supposed to do? Spike had offered her a ride home!

* I may be inexperienced but I'm not stupid. A guy offers you a ride home, you accept, especially if the guy is Spike.* she thought.

" So....who is he?" Angel questioned with a teasing voice. Buffy focused on anything else in the hallway except her brother.

" He's just a guy." she answered with a light blush to her cheeks. Just the thought of Spike made her skin burn. Angel seemed to notice the tint of her cheeks and called her on it.

" Must be some guy to have you blushing like that." he continued with his playful teasing but only because he wanted to get her to spill the info about her new 'friend'. " Who is he? Do I know him?"

" You might." Buffy continued to look everywhere but at Angel. " You might not. He's the new kid so-" her statement was cut off.

" The new kid drove you home?!"

Angel wasn't expecting that. Sure, he knew that it had to be someone at the school but he was definitely not expecting that it was the new kid. He'd heard his mom and Giles talking about how his nephew would be living with him for the remainder of his senior year two weeks before. Angel had also overheard Giles telling his mom that his nephew was a bit of a rebel and had a reputation for using women. Suddenly, his teasing wasn't so funny anymore.

" Yeah." Buffy answered slowly. " Why do you sound so shocked?"

" I just didn't think you knew about him, that's all." Angel tried to be calm and casual about the whole thing on the outside but on the inside protective Angel wanted to order his little sister to stay away from the new kid.

" I didn't. Not until today anyway." Buffy returned. " We uh....kinda ran into each other in the hallway at school this morning and kept running into one another for the rest of the day. He found me at my locker after the last period and offered me a ride home." she finished with a shrug of her shoulders, hoping that Angel wouldn't read too much into it.

Angel didn't like the sound of any of what she said. Was this guy following her? It did seem a little weird that they repeatedly ran into one another all day. Could this guy be setting Buffy up so he could do her like he did all those girls? Offering her a ride seemed nice but that could be all a part of his plan to get in good with her before he got what he wanted and ditched her.

* Maybe I should warn her.* thought Angel. * I could tell her what I know about the guy so she won’t fall for him and get hurt in the end. *

Angel almost shook his head at the silliness of his thoughts. He was reading way too much into this whole thing. The guy was probably really trying to be nice to her.

" Look, if you're done interrogating me, I'd like to go get my homework done so I can be ready for tonight." Buffy broke him out of his thoughts. Angel looked at her with a confused expression.

" What's happening tonight?" he asked. Buffy let out an exasperated sigh and replied,

" If you must know, Willow, Xander and I thought it would be nice if we took Spike to The Bronze and showed him a good time. You know, show him the night life that is Sunnydale. He's gonna be here at seven to pick me up so we can go together."

" His name is Spike?" he questioned with a sour look on his face. All of his thoughts of warning his sister came back full force. Buffy just shrugged innocently.

" I know. I don't get the name thing either." Buffy headed up the stairs to her room.

" Buffy, listen-" Angel was just about to tell her what he knew about this 'Spike' guy but Buffy apparently had enough of talking with him.

" Give it a rest, Angel." Buffy cut in. " I've already shared more than I wanted to. Leave it alone." Buffy was in her room before Angel could say anything more.

With a sigh, Angel made his way back into the kitchen. This 'going out with Spike' thing wasn't good. Buffy didn't even know the guy but Angel did.

And he was gonna do everything in his power to protect his little sister from Spike.

Angel grabbed his cell phone off the counter and dialed a familiar number. After a few rings, someone picked up.

" Hey, Cordy. It's me." he greeted his girl. " You feel up to going out tonight?"

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Chapter 11:

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What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive

I can't keep up
And I can't back down
I've been losing so much time


As Spike lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling with both hands behind his head, his thoughts continued to wonder towards the beautiful goddess that had turned his world upside down all in one day. He couldn't take his mind off of her, not that he wanted to. No one had ever gotten to him like this before. He was letting his guard down around her. That wasn't supposed to happen. As scared and annoyed as Spike was of this, he didn't dare think of a way to cease these feelings that were flowing through him.

No matter how much Spike tried to push the thoughts of the past away, he couldn't help but notice that he was turning back into his former self. He'd almost forgotten that part of him, having it being buried deep inside of him for so long. Before Buffy, Spike had convinced himself that 'William' didn't exsist anymore.

* That git was lost the day that bitch-* Spike abrubtly cut his thoughts off. He didn' want to think about Dru or his life as 'William'. Whenever he did, he'd just resent women more and if at all possible his treatment of them got worse.

William was just a miserable sap who could get a girl if his life depended on it. He was always writing poetry and burying his head in a book. He never went to parties or hung out with friends because no one would be caught dead hanging out with him. He stuck to the shadows and rarely came out of the house unless it was to go to school or the library for more books. His looks alone always left him open for public mockery. ( Tweed wasn't ANYONE'S friend. ) William had always feared that he'd be alone for the rest of his life. Girls always made fun of him and always turned him down whenever he'd ask them out.

Until Dru came along......

Dru showed him things that he didn't think were possible. He had never met anyone like her. She was all dark and mysterious. The word 'beautiful' wasn't even close to discribing her doll like features.Her long, dark locks and porcealin colored skin just made him itch for a pencil and drawing paper. She was truely a work of art.

Drusilla had given him hope that there was someone out there for him and at the time he thought it was her. Dru didn't care about his nerdy ways or how he dressed. If anything, Dru thought that William had potential to be someone great. She was always saying how he could do anything and be anyone if he only believed in himself. If that someone was sappy, poetry writing William, then so be it.

Never once did Dru push William into changing who he was. In fact, she embraced him. Yet, she knew that he could be more. At first, it was little things that started to change. William started wearing contact lenses instead of the big, goofy glasses that took over most of his face. Then he cut his hair a little so it would no longer look like a big curly mop on top of his head. All the while, Dru stood by him but never encouraged or hindered his ideas on how to make himself the man that he'd always wanted to be.

" I love you for you, my sweet." Dru would tell him. " Don't change or stay the same for me. Do it for you. Always for you."

Soon, his tweed-like wardrobe began to have more of a 'black jeans and t-shirt' type quality and his accent became more street-like. William had even started working out more than usual, not that he needed to really. His body was already to die for and spending long nights worshiping it was one of Dru's favorite pasttimes......or so he thought.

Two years had passed and still he and Dru were as together as 'together' could be. He was no longer the wimpish sod that no one paid attention to. As a matter of fact, William got all the attention and a little of the envy that came with it. However, William was no longer 'William' anymore.

Now....he was Spike.

Spike was tough and didn't take any crap from the people who had once made his life a living hell. He no longer had a problem defending himself and those who needed his help. Everyone wanted a piece of him. He was mysterious and interesting. The only time he showed his 'William' side was when he was around Dru. She had been the only one who had truely accepted that part of him so he always saved that part of him for her.

Drusilla was his everything....

* Too bad I wasn't hers.* Spike thought resentfully.

The day that Dru had ripped his heart out, Spike became a shell of a man. Everything that was once 'William' was now gone and Spike vowed never to let that weak prat loose again. He would only get hurt. He'd never show a girl that side of him. They weren't worthy of that side of him. The only person who had been turned out to be a lying and cheating tramp so he kept 'William hidden.

Or at least he had.......

Why did meeting Buffy suddenly make Spike want to pull out a notebook and start writing countless poems about her? Why was he acting like the gentleman that he use to be? Why did he care about her feelings or well-being? Why did she affect him this way? More importantly, why wasn't Spike making an effort to stop these feelings?

* I shouldn't be flirting with her or making her think that I care.* he thought. * I should be figuring out a quick way to get in her pants.*

So why wasn't he?

Why did he care?

'William' was scratching at the surface and Spike didn't care if he got loose. He wanted to show Buffy all of him. He wanted to show her everything.

Was Buffy worthy?

Spike jumped out of his thoughts and sighed. He looked over at his clock on his nightstand and saw that it was almost five o'clock. Even though he wanted to do nothing but shut his eyes until it was time to go pick up Buffy, Spike reluctantly moved to his desk across the room and removed his homework from his bag. He figured he might as well get some of it done before he went out. Giles was gonna make sure the work got done anyway and if it wasnt', Spike wasn't going anywhere later on tonight.

* You're willing to suffer through homework just to see a girl? You've really got it bad, mate.* Spike thought as he picked up his pen and began working.
 

Interlude:
********************************************************************************

It was only 5:30 when Buffy finished her homework that evening. She knew that it was too early to begin getting ready for her date-Wait! NOT A DATE-and was sure that she would never hear the end of Angel's teasing if he caught her acting so eager and impatient for the night's activities. Instead, Buffy decided to look for something to wear in order to pass the time. Nearly an hour later, she had finally had an outfit picked out. It wasn't something she usually wore to the Bronze but Buffy always thought that she looked good in it.

After freshening up with a shower, Buffy sat at her vanity, dry and dressed, putting on the last of her make-up. She didn't understand why she was getting so dolled up just to go to the Bronze. Usually, a pair of jeans and a nice blouse was more than enough for that place.

* Quit pretending, Summers. * she thought. * You know exactly who you're getting all dolled up for. His name is Spike and he's drop dead sexy. Get with the program already. *

Buffy never could lie to herself for long. She knew exactly who she had in mind when she picked out her clothes. Everything she was wearing was picked out with Spike in mind, even the nail polish and she hardly ever wore nail polish. Why did it matter to her what Spike thought?

* It's not like this is a date or anything. * apart of her reasoned.

* Keep tellin' yourself that, blondie.* the other part of her teased.

Buffy didn't want to make too much out of nothing. It always came back to bite her in the ass. When she finished with her make-up, she stared herself down in the mirror.

" Listen up, You; " she began, " You're just gonna hang out with your two best friends and the new kid. The fact that you like the new kid is not gonna stop you from having a good time. You will have fun and act normal. Understood?" she asked as though she expected her reflection to answer her. When it didn't, she sighed and shook her head.

" I'm doomed."

********************************************************************************

To say that Spike was eager to see Buffy again was the understatement of the year. It wasn't even six o'clock yet and he was in the shower. He barely managed to rinse all of the suds off of his body in all of his excitement. Once he was dry, he went on to picking out what he was going to wear. Usually, Spike just stuck to his usual black pants, black t-shirt and duster but tonight, he decided to wear something a little more....William-ish.

* Burned all my tweed along time ago. * Spike thought as he searched through his closet holding the white towel wrapped around his waist. Finally seeing something that didn't look as dark and gloomy as his usual attire did, Spike removed the towel and started getting dressed.

" This is as close to 'William' as I'm gonna get." Spike muttered as he put on his clothes. He decided to wear a blood red, buttoned down, dress shirt with some casual dress pants. For some reason, Spike went against slicking his hair back like he normally did. Instead, he left it in a mess of unruly curls.

Spike didn't even try to pretend that he wasn't dressing for Buffy. Sometime while Spike did his homework, he had sort of come to terms with the way he felt for her. He still didn't understand it but wasn't gonna try to fight it. He knew that he'd loose anyway. He always did when it dealt with matters of the heart. Spike was gonna see where his feelings would lead him but he was gonna do it right. He wasn't gonna lie to her or pretend with her. Of course, Spike was still a bad ass and damn proud of it but he wanted Buffy to know that he wasn't all hard and rough around the edges. He wanted her to know all of him.

Spike wanted her to know William.

********************************************************************************

" Lookie what we have here." Angel teased from the Buffy's doorway. " Don't you look....neat." He could see Buffy's reflection glaring at him in the mirror. Chuckling lightly, he continued. " All ready for your date?" Buffy turned around with flushed cheeks and replied defensively,

" Who said it was a date? I never said it was a date. It's not a date!" Her eyes were all wide and nervous. Angel just gaped at her for a moment. Finally, recovering from his sister's surprise outburst, he continued to tease.

" So....you're saying it's not a date?"

Sighing, Buffy asked, "Shouldn't you be groping Cordy in a closet somewhere?" She turned around and finished putting on the rest of her jewelry.

" Funny." he smirked. " She's meeting me at the Bronze."

" Uh huh." Buffy answered but didn't really hear anything he said. She just wanted him to leave.

Angel watched her as she continued to get ready. He had never seen her so...interested in her looks before. Sure, she always paid enough attention so that she looked presentable but this was a little much. It seemed a little influenced. He noticed that she was wearing the earrings that their mom had gotten her for Christmas last year and remembered that she only wore them on special occasions. As beautiful as she looked, Buffy's appearance made Angel nervous. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Spike was her reason for dressing this way and no matter what she said, Angel knew that it was a date.

" Buffy, we need to talk." he started. Buffy looked at him through the mirror, surprised that he was still there.

" What about?" she asked as she put on her silver cross.

" Spike." he answered simply and nearly had to clench his mouth shut to prevent from gagging. Buffy turned around with an terrified expression her face. Angel wasn't sure as to what caused it.

" This isn't you trying to give me the 'birds and the bees' speech is it? 'Cause I'm still reeling from the talk I had with mom." Buffy shuddered at the thought of it. "Besides-"

" It's not a date." Angel finished with a roll of his eyes. " Anyway, that's not what I want to talk to you about. Ever." Angel could barely live with the fact that his sister was gonna one day have sex. There was no way in hell he was gonna give her a lesson on the subject. Laughing, Buffy got up from her seat and went to look for her heels. Once she found them, she sat on her bed and put them on.

" Well, what is it?" she pushed. Angel sighed and moved further into the room until he was standing over her.

" How much do you know about this guy?" Angel asked cautiously. Buffy just looked at him with an annoyed look on her face.

" Considering that I haven't even known him for a day, not much." she answered.

" Maybe you can't trust him." he continued. " What if he's a complete asshole?"

" Do you honestly think he'd be hangin' around me and my friends if he was?" Buffy asked seriously. Angel had to agree with her on that one. Buffy was usually a pretty good judge of character but Angel was stubborn. He knew Spike was dirty. He just had to make Buffy realize it too.

" Well, what if-" Angel tried again but was cut off.

" Will you knock it off already?!" Buffy interjected exasperatedly. " Look, I appreciate the 'brotherly' gesture but every thing's fine. Spike's not like other guys. He's....different." Buffy got this dreamy look in her eyes that Angel really didn't want to see.

" You couldn't possibly know that. You just met him." Angel argued. Buffy got up from her bed and walked over to him. Angel could tell that she was getting defensive now.

" Well, you haven't met him at all. How would know what kind of guy he is? Buffy countered and Angel had to agree that she made another good point. Still, his overprotective side wouldn't let up.

" I just want you to be careful, sis. I don't want you getting hurt." Angel said softly. The fire that burned within Buffy's eyes died down a bit and her frown was replaced with a small smile.

" I know that but it's okay. If I thought that Spike was even a little bit of a jerk, I wouldn't be anywhere near him." pause. " Actually, he's a lot like you." Angel answered her with a glare that could melt ice. " I'm serious. I think the two of you would have a lot in common."

" Maybe." Angel said but inside he was screaming, * Not likely! *

********************************************************************************

" I'm off, Giles." Spike called as he practically flew down the stairs. He would have made it out the door too if his uncle's voice hadn't gotten in his way.

" Not so fast." Giles called from his study.

" Bloody hell." Spike muttered. He turned and walked towards his uncle's sanctuary. " Yes, uncle?"

" You're leaving?" Giles asked without looking up from his book. Spike rolled his eyes and sighed.

" I thought "I'm off." would have made that clear to you." Spike answered smartly. Giles looked up at him and was a little surprised at his appearance.

* Good heavens, he looks so…..normal.* Giles thought appreciatively. * Now, that's the way a young man should dress. *

" Did you want something?" Spike never was a patient bloke. It didn't help that Giles was stalling.

" Hmm? Oh yes." Giles decided to ignore the roll of Spike eyes. " I just wanted to make sure that you were aware of the rules."

" Ah, yes. The rules." dramatic pause. " Let's see if I remember: No drinking, no fighting and no human/animal sacrifices of any kind. That about right?"

" Ha bloody ha. You're a real comedian." Giles said dully.

" I try." he smirked then sobered. " Can I go now?" he almost whined impatiently. Giles nearly laughed at how eager Spike seemed to be. He was practically bouncing on the heels of his shoes.

" Just remember to behave yourself." Giles warned. Spike sighed and nodded his head.

" I promise I'll be a good boy. Can I go now?" he asked. Giles just shook his head and returned his attention to his book. Spike to took that as a sign that he could leave. " Have a good night, Rupes."

* I know I will.*

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Chapter 13:

********************************************************************************

After his 'William' phase ended, nervousness was no longer a burden that Spike had to deal with. Tonight, however, he was nothing but nerves. Butterflies had managed to take shop in his stomach and he could barely keep his shaking hands steady on the wheel of the car. Spike couldn't understand why he was so nervous.

*That's a lie and you know it, mate.* Spike thought.

It was her.

It was Buffy.

Spike quivered with anticipation of the thought of seeing her again. He had only known her for a few hours and already he felt like a part of him was missing when he wasn't around her. He had never been this excited about a date before.

* Is that what this is? A date?* Spike asked himself. It was never really established that tonight was a date. In all of his excitement, Spike hadn't really thought of the possibility that Buffy could already be involved with someone. Sure, Buffy never mentioned that she was seeing anyone but that didn't mean that she wasn't. She didn't have to tell Spike anything. He was practically a stranger to her after all. All of the nervousness that Spike was feeling suddenly multiplied by 100. What if she already had a boyfriend? That wasn't the only possibility that he had to worry about. Even if Buffy was available, it didn't mean that she would be interested in someone like him.

*What if I'm not even her type? What if she laughs in my face?* A little bit of William began to show in Spike's thoughts. He chose to push the insecurities aside.

"There's only one way to find out, mate." muttered Spike as he walked up the path to Buffy's front door.

********************************************************************************

If there was ever a time that Buffy wanted kill her brother, now would be it. The dork just couldn't get past her hanging out with Spike. It was as if Angel was convinced that Spike was nothing but bad news. She couldn't understand why though. Angel had never met Spike and it wasn't as if he was being all open with where he was getting his assumptions about him. It was grating on her last nerves.

"Angel, everything is gonna be fine. If thought for one minute that Spike was bad news, I wouldn't be anywhere near him." Buffy tried to assure her bullheaded brother for the fiftieth time. "You have nothing to worry about."

"I just think that you should be careful around this guy." Angel said as if he hadn't heard her previous statement. "No matter how 'sure' you seem to be about him, you just met him. Don't let him-"

DING DONG

Both teens looked in the direction of where the noise was coming from. Buffy's eyes wondered over to the clock on her nightstand and widened comically when she realized that it was after eight o'clock.

Spike had arrived.

"Oh my God! He's here!" Buffy exclaimed nervously. Angel sighed.

"And so it begins." he muttered. Buffy looked at him expectantly. He did the same. After a few moments, Buffy spoke.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get the door."

"Why do I have to go get it?" Angel asked with a confused and annoyed tone to his voice.

"I may not be experienced in all of this but I do know that the girl isn't supposed to go answer the door when the guy arrives at her house." Buffy answered. " It would make me look too desperate if I did that."

"This isn't a date so why would it matter if you looked desperate or not?" he questioned. Angel knew how badly Buffy wanted this outing to be a date. It was written all over her face. She just wouldn't admit it to him. The doorbell rang again.

DING DONG!!!!

"Go get the door." she commanded.

"I just don't understand why you can't-" Angel started as if she hadn't spoken.

"If you don't get the door, everyone at school will know that you listen to Barry Manilow 'Mandy' every night before you go to bed." Buffy threatened. Angel's face lost all of it's color and Buffy had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

"You wouldn't." Angel glared. " You don't have the guts."

"Try me." she held his gaze without blinking for several moments. Angel sighed and broke their intense gaze.

"You're evil." he said as he made his way out of her room to go answer the door.

"It's why you love me." Buffy commented with an evil grin.

Angel wasn't to eager to meet this new 'friend' of Buffy's but wasn't going to lie about him being curious. He wanted to put a face to the name and the reputation. Angel wanted to know exactly who he was dealing with.

Once that was over, Angel could proceed with getting rid of the prick.

When Angel opened the door, he couldn’t help widening is eyes at the sight that he was met with. On his door step stood a bleached blonde, medium built male. His eyes were the deepest of blue and he had cheek bones like a Greek statue. Angel wasn't sure what he was expecting the guy to look like but he sure wasn't expecting this. Despite what Spike was wearing, Angel could tell that he had a bad boy persona about him. That made Angel's head spin with confusion because Buffy didn't usually go for the bad boy types.

" 'ello, mate." Spike greeted. “I'm here to pick up Buffy."

Angel just looked at him from head to toe before settling on his face again. Spike stood in the doorway, a little uncomfortable with the stare fest that was going on with who he had guessed was Buffy's older brother Angel. It was obvious to Spike that this guy was the football type. He had the bulky body for it. Spike also noticed that the guy wasn't big on the whole talking thing. He stared at him as if he wanted to tear him apart. Spike really didn't give any thought to it at first. He just figured that it was the whole 'overprotective brother' thing.

"Is she home?" Spike asked. Angel just looked him over again, moved aside and gestured for him to come on in. Spike nodded in thanks and entered. He looked around and took in his surroundings. The living room was filled with pictures of Buffy and Angel at various stages of their life. Most of the photos had Buffy and Angel in them together. This proved that the two of them were close. He was pulled out of his exploration by Angel's toneless voice.

"Buffy will be down in a minute. You know how females are; never being ready when they're supposed to be." Angel commented. Spike smirked.

" It's okay. I don't mind waiting." pause. " So...you're Buffy's older brother?" It was more of a statement than a question. " Angel right?" Angel nodded. " She mention you today at school." Spike put his hand out in an offering of a handshake and continued. " It's nice to meet you. My name is-"

“I know exactly who you are, Spike.” Angel said his name as if he had a bitter taste in his mouth and didn't even bother to shake his hand. "I've heard quite a bit about you and your....colorful past.” he said cryptically.

Spike slowly pulled his hand back and put both hands in his pockets. He nodded his head a bit and gritted his teeth. Big bro' must of heard some not so pleasant things about his past. He so wished that Buffy would show up and save him from the threats he was sure he would receive.

" I see." pause. " I'm guessing by the expression on your face and tone of you voice that you weren't too pleased with what you heard.” It wasn't as if Spike hadn't dealt with Angel's type before. It was nothing new to him but he could tell that he would have a hard time getting Angel to trust him...or even like him.

"You could say that." Angel replied. Spike sighed. It was time to get to the point.

" So what? Are you gonna try to scare me out of seeing Buffy or somethin'?" questioned Spike. That's what the other brothers had done. Angel had actually looked surprised by this.

"Honesty, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. I figured that one conversation with you would be enough to make you re-think your intentions with my sister. Now that I've met you, I know that it's gonna take more than a conversation to get you to back off. I'll just have to settle for scaring you shitless." Angel answered a little too calmly for Spike's liking.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't scare easily." Spike returned. Angel grinned a little, shook his head and replied,

"No, I don't imagine that you do but that doesn't mean I won't try anyway." he walked so he was standing directly in front of Spike. Angel really didn't care if he wasn't respecting Spike's personal space. "Let's just cut to the chase here. No beating around the bush. No bullshit." pause. "I don't want you anywhere near my sister. I don't trust you and above all else, I don't like you."

"You don't know me." Spike shot back. Angel smirked and took a step back.

"I know more than you think. You're William Giles from merry ol' England. You’re the nephew of Rupert Giles, school librarian and since your parents weren't handling your....extra-curricular activities so well, they shipped you over to uncle Rupert, in hopes that you'd learn some discipline." said Angel. That wasn't all that Angel knew but he just wanted to Spike to get the idea that he wasn't at all clueless.

Spike wasn't impressed with anything that Angel had said. After all, it was the truth. Spike did, however, wonder just where Angel got his information. He really didn't want to think that his uncle had sold him out and told Angel all about his not so innocent past. Giles could be a prat at times but he would do something like this, no matter how disappointed he was in his nephew.

" Did my uncle tell you any of this?" Spike just had to ask. There was no dishonesty in Angel's eyes when he answered.

" Not exactly but does it really matter where I got the information. It's true, isn't it?" Angel asked.

" Yeah. It's true. It's all true." Spike replied with no hesitation. Angel chose to ignore the glimpse of regret that he saw swimming in Spike's eyes. " I know anything I say probably means less than shit to you right now but I don't want to hurt your sister. I’ll tell her all about my past when the time calls for it. I won’t be trying to keep it from her. If she decides to stop seeing me is an entirely different matter. One that has nothing to do with you. You can try to scare me out of seeing her all you want but it'll be a cold day in hell before I let you keep her away from me." Spike had no idea where those words came from but he knew that they had to be said. He wasn't gonna let anyone keep him away from Buffy and he certainly wasn't gonna let anyone keep Buffy from him. He knew that he had made some mistakes in the past with the other girls that he had hurt but this time was different.

Buffy was different.

He was different.

Too bad Angle didn't see it that way.

" We'll see." was all that he said.

Both guys stood in the living room glaring at one another. Spike was the first one to break their staring match when he heard footsteps descending down the stairs. All of Spike's previous thoughts fled his brain when she appeared. It was as if everything continued in slow motion. Angel didn't matter. Spike, himself, didn't matter. All that matter was her.

Buffy.

Down the stairs she came in a above knee length, black skirt and v-neck, blood red top. She was wearing three inch heels which drew attention to her toned and tanned legs. Her hair was pulled up into a pin of curls. Some of them fell to frame her angelic face. The make-up Buffy was wearing was hardly noticeable but beautiful just the same. All and all, Buffy looked...perfect. It didn't escape his attention that their clothes matched. He could tell that she noticed the same thing when she looked at him and then down at herself. Spike's mouth practically watered at the sight of her. She looked good enough to eat.

What Spike didn't know was that Buffy was thinking the exact...same...thing.

Buffy took in his appearance and had to bite back a moan she didn't even know she was capable of. Spike stood in her living room wearing a blood red shirt, similar to her own. There were two buttons at the top of his shirt undone, which made Buffy's mouth water at the thought of what lay beneath his clothing. Gone was his usually slicked back hair and in it's place was a mess of blonde curls. Buffy could only imagine what it would be like to run her fingers through them. Buffy could think of only one word to describe the way Spike Giles looked.

* Yummy.* she thought as her tongue unconsciously snaked out to lick at her lips. Spike seemed to notice this and moved his attention to her mouth. He looked as if he wanted to devour her whole. That's when Buffy decided that it was time she broke the trance she was in and offered a greeting.

" Hi, Spike." Buffy noticed Spike come out of his trance as well when she spoke. His face broke out into a gentle and boyish smile.

" Hello, luv." he returned. Spike knew that Angel was glaring holes into the back of his head but he didn't care. Angel wasn't the reason why he was here.

" I hope I didn't keep you waiting long." Buffy laughed nervously. " I sorta lost track of time."

" No worries, pet." assured Spike. He then looked over to Angel and smirked. " Your brother was nice enough to keep me company." Angel smiled a little but his eyes told a different story that Spike was very familiar with.

" Oh no! Angel please tell me that you didn't talk Spike's ear off about football." Buffy suddenly looked horrified. Spike laughed a little and Angel just rolled his eyes.

" No, sis. I didn't talk Spike's ear off." answered Angel. He looked Spike square in the eyes and said, " We were just...getting to know one another a little bit." Buffy giggled.

" Should I give you two more time to....get to know one another." she teased. Angel and Spike both looked at her almost terrified that she would suggest such a thing. At the same time, the two of them shouted,

" NO!"

Buffy just looked at them funny. She could tell that something serious had been said between them. Angel's warnings before Spike got to the house wasn’t the only thing that tipped her off. She didn't know what it was but she knew that Angel held something against Spike.

" Ooookay." pause. " Well, I'm ready now. We should probably get going, Spike. I don't want Will and Xander to think that we changed our minds about coming."

" Let's get going then." Spike returned. He wanted to get as far as possible from Angel.

Buffy grabbed her coat off the coat hook. Before she could put it on, Spike took the task right out of her hands and did it for her.

" Thank You." she responded softly. Spike just smiled and held out his hand to her. Buffy took it without hesitation and nearly gasped at the electricity that came with the feel of his skin on hers.

* It's just hand-holding, Buffy.*

It was more than that though and Buffy knew it. The funny thing was that Buffy knew Spike had felt it too.

" I guess I'll see the two of you in a bit." Angel's voice pulled Buffy out of musings She looked at her brother with an confused and dazed expression. " Cordy's meeting me at the Bronze, remember?"

" Oh yeah!" Buffy remembered. " Yeah. Okay. We'll see you there." she turned to look at Spike. " Shall we?"

" We shall." he answered. Spike held the door open for Buffy and she headed towards the car. Spike spared Angel one more glare before closed the door and followed Buffy out.

Angel had seen the way Spike and Buffy had responded to one another. It was like no one mattered but the two of them. He chose to ignore the way Spike's entire mood changed at the sight of his sister. It was just an act. Angel was sure of it. If he didn't get rid of Spike soon, Buffy was gonna be in for a lot of heartache and Angel didn't want that to happen.

He wasn't going to let that happen.

********************************************************************************

The first few minutes of the drive to the Bronze was made in complete silence. In those brief moments, glances were stolen between the two blondes. Spike had always had a way with words but they were failing him now. He didn't want to say anything that would make him sound or look stupid.

Buffy was having the same exact problem. She'd thought giving him directions to the Bronze would be a perfect way to spark up a conversation but Spike seemed to know exactly where he was going so Buffy decided against it. It occurred to her then that maybe Spike hadn't offered to pick her up just so he could get directions.

* Maybe this was a date! * Buffy thought. Before she could think about it anymore, Spike's silky smooth voice pulled her out of her mind.

" You look really beautiful tonight, kitten." Spike complimented. He grinned when Buffy began looking around the car as if she was wondering who he was referring to.

" Me?" she asked with a genuinely innocent expression on her face. No one had ever called her beautiful before...not a guy anyway. Hearing it come from Spike made it all the more special.

" Yeah you." he chuckled. " You look really beautiful tonight." he repeated. Even though it was dark, he could tell that Buffy was blushing. He realized earlier that he loved when she did that and would have to make it his business to get her to do it all the time.

" Thank you." she replied softly. She summed up enough courage to continue. " You, uh, look pretty good yourself. Love the hair. It looks really good curly like that.”

* I knew it!!!!* Spike thought happily. * Score!!!!!!*

" Thanks, pet."

" You excited about the Bronze?" Buffy asked. They couldn't spend the entire drive in silence. The conversation had to start somewhere.

" Nervous is more like it." Spike answered with a small laugh. Buffy turned to him.

" Why nervous?" she asked.

" I'm the 'new kid' remember? I guess I'm just a bit worried about whether your friends accept me or not." he admitted. This wasn't a ploy to get a reaction out of her. He was a bit nervous. If her friends didn't accept him then Buffy probably wouldn’t either.

" You'll be fine. I'm sure of it. Besides, you've already met Willow and Xander so you don't have to worry about winning them over." Buffy said, turning to look out the window. They had stopped at a red light.

" And what about you?" Spike asked and Buffy turned back to face him. " Have I won you over?"

Buffy just stared at him for a few seconds before a flirtatious smile crossed her face. " It's still too early to tell. You'll have to wait and see." Spike chuckled again in response.

" I think I can live with that."

The red light turned to green and off they went.

This was going to be a very interesting night.

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Chapter 14:

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Spike turned the ignition off, finally reaching the Bronze. They were parked more than twenty feet from the club but Spike could here the music loud and clear. Buffy unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to look at him with a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her green depths.

"You ready for this?" she asked with a small smile. Spike took a deep breath, smiled and nodded. Buffy could tell that even though he had assured her that he was ready, he was still kind of apprehensive about meeting her friends. She decided to say something that would comfort him a little. "Look, I wouldn't worry too much about fitting in. Just be yourself and I promise that everything will fall into place." pause. "Okay?"

Spike gratitude and adoration. He smiled grabbed her hand gently and placed a chaste kissed upon it. Buffy gasped at the feel of his lips upon her skin. It was like a fiery tingle was left where his lips had been. Breathing suddenly became an issue for Buffy.

*I have to get out of this car now before I say or do something that will ruin any chance of ever getting anywhere with this guy.* thought Buffy as she tried to regulate her breathing, hoping that he hadn't noticed the change in the first place.

"Thanks, luv. I'll keep that in mind." he returned softly with a gentle smile that Buffy immediately returned. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and nearly groaned at the loss of contact. What she didn't know was that Spike was feeling the loss as well. She took a deep breath, reached for the car door handle and asked,

"Ready to rock?"

Spike looked at her with a smirk on his face and answered. "Ready to roll."

Let the fun begin..

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As soon as the blonde duo entered the club, the were assaulted with the sight of over-excited, adrenalin driven teens. Spike couldn't help the small groan that escaped from his lips when he took in his surroundings. The Bronze wasn't the type of club that Spike usually went for. It was full of hyperactive teens dancing (if you could really even call it that) all over the place to very bad pop music. Spike usually steered clear of places like this He was use to hanging out in the underground shitholes that only cool badasses knew about. The places he usually occupied made this place look like a bloody church gathering. Spike took a deep breath to prepare him for the night's hangout. He hoped that he would make it to the end of the night with out going out of his mind. When he looked at the beauty standing next to him, he knew that having a great time wasn't going to be a problem

Just then, said beauty decided to speak.

" So...what do you think?" Buffy yelled over the very loud music. Spike leaned in closer to her ear and replied,

" It's kind of loud."

" Oh, that's normal! You'll get use to it!" Buffy retorted. Spike just nodded and smiled.
Without thinking, Buffy grabbed Spike's hand and pulled him towards the sitting area of the club. Spike purposely wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close to his front as they walked. When Buffy glanced at him sideways with a surprised expression on her face, Spike placed his mouth near her ear and simply said,

" It's bloody crowded in here, luv. I don't want to loose you." Of course, Spike just used that as an excuse to touch her. She felt so good in his arms...so right. The touch was so simple yet so intimate. The gesture made his body temperature rise as well as lower parts of his anatomy. He hoped she would move soon or they were going to have a real problem on their hands.

*Don't want to scare the girl off, you nit!* he thought. *Control yourself!*

Buffy couldn't believe that Spike was holding her. She wasn't expecting such contact at all, if ever. Sure, it was only to keep up with her in this swarm of teens so he wouldn't get lost but still....Being in his arms felt so right. She felt safe and warm. Buffy had never been this close to a man before so she had nothing to compare it to. It just felt right. Complete.
Realizing that she was just standing in the middle of the dance floor with Spike's arm around her waist, Buffy gave him an understanding nod and resumed walking.

All the while, Buffy decided to ignore unmistakable and very hard....body part poking her in the lower back. It was just her imagination. She was sure of it.

Wasn't she?

*That cannot be what I think it is. It just isn't possible! If it is what I think it is and that's just crazy cuz I know it's not, that would mean that Spike is attracted to me in some way and that's just crazy right? Right? RIGHT?!!!* When Buffy got no answer, she just groaned inwardly and continued on to the table.

Yep, it was going to be one hell of a night.

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"Hey everybody!" Buffy greeted her friends once she and Spike reached the table. A chorus of

"Hey, Buffy's" were returned.

"Whoa, B!!" Faith spoke up. "Who's your friend? He is one major hottie!" she looked him from head to toe and licked her lips.

Buffy glared in response and Spike just fidgeted nervously. He was usually use to girls throwing him compliments from all directions. There was just something about this particular girl that made him a little uncomfortable. She looked at him like she wanted to eat him whole.

"Umm...Hello!!! Boyfriend of a year sitting right next to you!" Charles Gunn interrupted with a scowl directed at his flirtatious girlfriend. Faith just rolled her eyes.

Buffy was so close to saying, "Yeah, he's mine!!! Mine Mine MINE!!!" Knowing that it would inspire looks that she wasn't nearly ready to deal with, Buffy just shook her head and mouthed "I'm sorry." to Spike. He smiled reassuringly and shook his head, letting her know that it was cool.

Buffy had no idea where the jealous side of her was coming from but it unnerved her a little. She knew that Spike wasn't hers, no matter how much she wanted him to be. She couldn't just stake claim on him but that didn’t mean that she was going to take too kindly to some other girl, especially Faith, ruining her chances with him. It didn't help that she and Faith weren’t all that close anyway. The only reason why Buffy hung around the flirtatious cow was because she and Gunn were such good friends.

"Look, I may be off the market as far as the single life goes," Faith said to her boyfriend but loud enough for everyone to hear, "but that doesn't mean that I've developed a vision impairment in the year that we've been together." she finished. "I just call 'em like I see 'em, yo. Your boy is one fine piece of ass, B." Faith looked Spike over once more and winked when she reached his eyes.

"Thanks." Spike outwardly smirked but on the inside, he was cringing. It was obvious that this bird was a big flirt, among other things. He could tell that this chit was going to be a problem.

Buffy watched the exchange of words between Faith and Spike and misread his smirk for something other than what it actually was for.

*He likes her.* Buffy thought, sadly. *Well, my chance just went right out the window. I don't even know why I'm surprised. It IS Faith.*

"You'll have to excuse Faith." Willow cut in, interrupting Buffy's thoughts. "She skipped school the day they taught manners. We've tried giving her lessons ourselves but it's no use." sighs. "She's a lost case."

"Watch it, nerd!" Faith shot back playfully. Faith turned back to Buffy and asked, with a smirk, "So Buff, aren't you gonna to introduce us to your...friend?"

"Of course." Buffy answered with a tight smile. "Everyone, this is Spike." Buffy gestured to the blonde standing next to her. "Spike this is...well….everyone." Buffy then proceeded to go around the table introducing everyone. "That's Tara and Oz." Both redheads waved in greeting. "You've already met Xander and Willow."

"Hey, man." Xander greeted with a friendly smile.

"Glad you could make it, Spike." Willow added. Spike just smiled and waited for Buffy to continue with her intros of everyone.

"Then we have Fred and Wesley." Said people waved as Buffy went on. "This is Charles. We call him Gunn." Spike and Gunn exchanged nods. Buffy turned her attention to the last person of the group. Faith. "And last but certainly not least, Faith." she finished with a forced smile.

"Pleasure to meet you all." Spike replied with a small smile that everyone returned. He was only half telling the truth. It was a pleasure to meet everyone except Faith. She was just like so many birds that he had met and dealt with before and Spike was going to be sure to keep his distance from her. He had noticed the tension between Faith and Buffy and decided to ask her about it later. He could probably take a guess as to why though.

"Hot and British. Double threat." Faith commented with a wink in Spike's direction. Buffy resisted the urge to shove her fist down her throat. This girl just would let up. Spike just shifted from one foot to the other.

"Oookay...now that Faith has done her part of making our new friend uncomfortable, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself." Gunn suggested. He would've suggested anything to get Faith to let up. He could tell that her advances were both pissing Buffy off and making Spike feel out of place. "Is it true that you're related to the librarian?"

"Guilty as charged, mate." Spike answered with a sigh.

"Don't look so embarrassed by it." Oz cut in with a small laugh. "Giles is one of the good guys. Always had my back when I was a student."

"When you were a student?" Spike looked a little confused. Buffy chose that moment to speak up.

"Oz, Tara, Fred and Wesley all graduated last year. They're all freshmen over UC Sunnydale." Spike nodded in understanding.

"Soooo.....Spike, do you like what you see?" Faith purred at him. Buffy, Spike and Gunn looked at her with wide eyes. "Of Sunnydale, I mean." she clarified but the three of them knew exactly what game she was playing. "Have you seen anything worth writing home about?"

Spike immediately looked over to his right and smiled at the vision standing next to him. He was starting to realize how great of an idea it was for him to come live with his uncle. Never taking his eyes off of Buffy, Spike answered,

"As a matter of fact, I have."

Buffy couldn't meet his eyes, for fear that they were looking Faith instead of her. She had to get away from that table before she embarrassed herself and caused physical damage to Faith.

"I'm gonna go get a drink. I'll uh... I'll be right back." Buffy announced and headed toward the bar, not waiting for a response from anyone, especially Spike.

Spike's eyes followed Buffy as she made her way over to the bar. He didn't know what had made her rush off like that but he could tell that Faith was responsible. Luckily, he wasn't the only one who had noticed this.

"Spike, why don't you go and help Buffy." Willow spoke up. "Make sure she doesn't get lost." she suggested. Willow had noticed the tension between Buffy, Faith and Spike. She could tell that Spike wasn't feeling Faith at all. Faith being the ’can’t take a hint’ type of person that she was, just continued to make an ass out of herself. Willow decided to intervene before Faith ruined Spike and Buffy’s relationship….or possible relationship.

" B's a big girl." Faith dismissed as she got up from her seat and walked around the table towards Spike with a predatory gleam in her eye. "She'll be okay."

Willow chose that moment to elbow her soda on Faith's blue jeans as she walked by.

"Dammit, Willow! My new pants!" Faith glared at the blushing redhead.

"Oh goddess! I am so sorry! It was an accident." Willow grabbed some napkins off the table and began helping clean herself off. "I am such a klutz." She turned her gaze to Spike, who was observing the scene with wide eyes. When he looked into Willow's eyes, he could tell that what she did was no accident. He realized that it was all an act to keep Faith away from him. "Spike, would you be a prince and get me another soda while I take care of Faith here."

"Uhh…..sure, Red. You got it." he mouthed "Thank You" and followed the same path that Buffy had taken but not before he saw Willow's 'don't mention it' smile.

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Bufffy took a deep breath once she reached the bar. She knew that she should be surprised by Faith's behavior but she wasn't. Faith always behaved that way around guys. It was a wonder the girl had a boyfriend like Gunn with the way she acted. She didn't deserve a guy like Gunn.

Faith wasn't exactly known for her ability to stay with one guy for more than 24 hours. "Love 'em and leave 'em" was her motto and for the longest time she stuck by it. That's why Faith and Buffy didn't get along that much. Buffy thought that Faith was a skanky bitch and Faith thought Buffy was a stuck up tight ass. They had barely been able to have a decent conversation until Faith started dating Gunn and even then their talks were strained. Faith was always doing something to piss Buffy off. The only reason why they tolerated one another was because of Gunn. Buffy didn't know what he saw in her and never asked. Gunn was convinced that Faith had changed but Buffy knew better. Everyone knew better but kept their mouths shut for Gunn's sake. He was the type that had to see it to believe it and unless Gunn saw it with his own eyes, Faith was being faithful to him. He'd soon learn though.

Buffy took a deep breath as she waited in line at the bar. She tried not to let the thought of Faith and Spike get to her. She kept reminded herself that Spike wasn't hers but just thinking of Spike and Faith anywhere near one another made Buffy's skin crawl. Faith wasn't good enough for him.

*How do you know that you're good enough for him, Summers?* her thoughts countered. *You barely even know the guy. You don't know what his type is. By looks alone, Faith would be the perfect girl for him and his bad boy image.*

Buffy hated to admit it but her inner self was right. Faith was certainly a bad ass and that fit perfectly with Spike's personality.

This night was not turning out the way Buffy had planned.

"Bloody hell! You move fast, pet." a voice that Buffy knew all to well said from behind her. She whirled around so fast that she almost gave herself whiplash. She wasn't expecting him to come and follow her. Spike seemed to notice her surprise and smiled. "Got thirsty." he answered her unasked question. She nodded in response but said nothing. Spike didn't know what had changed her mood so drastically. Before, she was so excited and glowy. Now, it looked as if she had gotten her favorite toy taken away. Before he could say anything that could possibly comfort her, the bar tender interrupted him.

"Hey, Buff." he greeted.

"Hi, Whistler." she returned with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"What'll it be tonight?" he asked, not really noticing her down mood.

"I'll just have a bottle of water for now." she replied.

"And your friend?" Whistler acknowledged.

"I'll have the same." Spike was this close to ordering a whiskey but remembered that he was in an under aged club and that probably wouldn't go over to well with the bartender or with Buffy. Whistler went to go fetch their order which left Buffy and Spike to themselves once more.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Buffy looked at him with a innocent wide eyed expression before answering.

"I'm fine." she was covering with a fake smile and Spike could tell. Before he could call her on it, she continued. "What about you? You having a good time?" Spike looked at her for a moment and then said,

"The best."

Whistler, the bar tender returned with their water before anything else could be said. Buffy pulled some money from her purse and started to hand it to Whistler but Spike beat her to it, handing him a 20 dollar bill.

"Keep the change, mate." Spike said without taking his eyes off of the girl standing in front of him. She looked at him with a shy but grateful expression. Whistler nodded in thanks and walked away to deal with the other customers.

"It was just a bottle of water. You didn’t' have to do that." Buffy replied. Spike smiled one of his boyish smiles and said,

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to." pause. "Besides, what would my mother think if she knew that I was letting my date pay for her drinks?"

Buffy was sure that she didn't hear what she thought she heard. *He couldn't have said that this was a date. It couldn't be a date. Could it?* she thought.

Not wanting to dwell on the thought of it, Buffy decided to ignore his last comment and get back to her friends.

"We should get back before they come and send out a search party." Buffy suggested. She didn't noticed Spike's frown.

Spike had tried to get some sort of reaction from her with his words. She did know that this was a date, didn't she? She was aware that he was interested in her, wasn't she?

*Bloody hell! She probably doesn't even know you fancy her.* Spike thought. When Buffy began moving towards her friends, Spike was brought out of his mind and back to reality. If he let her walk away now, he'd probably lose all chances of being with her. He had to think of something to get her to stay.

"Wait!" he reached out and grabbed her arm to keep her from moving any further. Buffy awaited whatever he was going to say but he didn't say anything, He just stared at her. Buffy was beginning to feel a little nervous. His eyes just looked right through her and his hand was sending lovely tingles up her arm.

And still he said nothing...

Spike didn't know what to say. She was looking at him with this expectant expression and he was at a loss for words. When he thought all hope was lost, he hard the beginning cords of a familiar song.

"Spike?" Buffy was a little worried now. Almost a minute had passed and he hadn't said anything.

"Dance with me."

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