Spike escorted Buffy back to his car and peeled out of Cordelia's driveway. A long, drawn out silence fell between the two, as neither knew how to start the needed conversation.

"I'm sorry," Spike finally said.

"For what?" Buffy asked.

"Angel. He's such a prick, sometimes I wish Uncle Wes would send him back to England." Angered seethed from Spike's every pore just thinking about his half-brother.

"You got that right," Buffy said meekly.

"What'd he-I mean did he-" Spike fumbled for the words but came up empty handed.

Buffy however knew what he was getting at. "No, he didn't do anything," she answered. "Not for lack of trying though."

Once again silence engulfed the pair. Buffy decided it was her turn to apologize.

"Spike," she turned in her seat to face him, "I'm sorry."

"For what pet?"

"Running out on you. The other day, in the car." Buffy stumbled her way through the apology, trying to work up enough courage to speak her mind. "Spike's-there's something we need to talk about."

"I think I know where this is going," he responded. Spike turned the car onto a side road that eventually turned into a dirt road.

"Where are you going?" Buffy asked. Looking around at her new surrounding, she felt lost and somewhat worried.

"There's a nice little clearing in the trees back here," Spike explained. "Better to park and talk than to have me wreck the car, don't you think luv?"

Buffy managed to stifle the cringe that wracked her when she heard him say the word "love". 'It's just a nickname,' she chided herself. 'Just some stupid British slang. Get over yourself.'

"About the other day," she started as soon as the engine shut off, "when you said-um-when you-"

"Said 'I love you'?" Spike finished Buffy's sentence.

"Yeah, that." Buffy had no idea what she was doing. It wasn't like she'd had to do this particular task very often. So, biting her tongue she just started talking.

"Look Spike, you're a great guy. You're handsome, super sweet and-but I can't be with you." Before William could utter a single syllable, Buffy continued, "It's not you, honestly. It's my step-dad. I know the second that I let down my guard and open up he'll get transferred. And then my family will have to pick up and move, and I'll never see you again. Both our hearts will get broken in the process and-it's just easier to not go through it all."

Spike sat staring. He'd known this was coming; in some deep recess of his mind he knew it was coming. He'd only hoped that he'd been more prepared for it. Lately it seemed all he could do was think about Buffy, and he knew it was a fruitless pairing. She'd told him such shortly after they'd met. But there was still that inkling of chance things might work out, and he'd die before admitting defeat.

"Spike?" Buffy asked, noting the boy's faraway stare.

"No," he said sternly.

"No?" Buffy looked astonished. 'What is he saying "no" about?'

"No, it won't be easier to just give up. Not having you isn't an option for me, Buffy." Spike talked quickly, letting his heart guide him and paying no attention to the voice in his head screaming, 'What the hell are you doing? You're gonna lose her!'

"Spike-" Buffy began, but was quickly interrupted.

"I know the thought of love scares you, and I'll be brutally honest-it scares me too. But I've never felt this way about anyone, Buffy. No one. Sure there have been other girls, but I've never had the connection with any of them that I have with you. I think about you all the time Summers. You're in my head; I'm drowning' in you."

Buffy was speechless; she knew Spike's feelings toward her were strong but she had no idea they were so deep rooted. It was a difficult task for Buffy's mind to process the idea of having such strong feelings. Sure she loved people-her mom, Giles, Dawn-but never anyone outside of her family. In all honesty she wasn't sure she was emotionally capable of such feeling.

"I know it's not what you want to hear right now. I know it'll just make your life more screwed up, but I gotta tell it to ya straight." Spike paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and continued. "Buffy, I love you. And I always will."

'Why is this so hard?' Buffy thought miserably. 'He's such a great guy and he really has feelings for me. Why can't I love him?' The internal argument went on for sometime in the recesses of Buffy's conscious. 'Maybe I could learn to love him,' she thought hopefully.

'It wouldn't be fair to lead the boy on and hen crush his still beating heart,' the other voice cried. That little annoying voice of reason and good judgment that intruded on all of Buffy's most private thoughts.

"Spike," Buffy spoke almost unconsciously, "I don't know if I could love you." She was being bluntly honest.

"Just tell me that there's a chance. Some small, microscopic chance that one day-maybe-we could end up together happily." Spike's voice trembled as he spoke. His hand slid from the cold steering wheel to take Buffy's. He cradled her tiny, well-manicured hand in his own, rubbing the back with his thumb.

Buffy looked down at the joined hands and a warm feeling washed over her. She felt as though she was being submerged into a warm, bubbly bath. A sense of security, calmness, and a sensation a sheer joy engulfed her.

'Maybe I do love him,' she thought idly, still staring at their hands. 'But how do I know? Don't I owe it to Spike to at least give this relationship a chance? What if it all crashes and burns?'

"Buffy?"

"I don't know if I could ever love you," she said bluntly.

Spike looked taken aback by her forwardness. A gentle grimace graced his fine features, turning his handsome face into that of pity.

"But I'm willing to give it a shot," she added.

Immediately Spike's arms were around Buffy, and his lips on her own. They shared a passionate moment, thoughts and doubts racing through each of their minds.

Chapter 17:

Buffy searched high and low; to the left and the right and still she could not find it. ‘Where did I put that thing?’ she asked herself silently. Tossing aside a pair of old, faded jeans she cried out in frustration.

“Ugh!” Deciding to give the closet one last try, Buffy pushed back a multitude of hangers to reveal what she was looking for. “Ah ha!” she cried triumphantly. Pulling the garment from its confines, she held the dress against her body and admires her reflection. The sundress was breezy and knee length in pastel colors of pink, lavender, and yellow. “This’ll do fine.”

Giles had decided to do up dinner right. He made reservations at one of the classiest restaurants in Sunnydale, Il Cielo Italiano-Italian Heaven. Though Buffy had never been to the place in question she’d passed it numerous times and always vowed to check it out someday.

Slipping the dress over her head Buffy relished in the feel of the silky material against her skin. She slipped her feet into a pair of sandals and took one final look in the mirror. ‘Pretty darn gorgeous-even if I do say so myself.’ Grabbing her purse off the edge of her bed, Buffy exited her room and made her way downstairs.

Giles was waiting in the living room, reading some moldy old book. He looked up when he heard someone enter the room. “Buffy,” he smiled, “you look lovely.”

“Thanks Giles,” she nodded. “You look pretty snappy yourself. Glad to see you’ve shied away from the tweed look.”

“Ah yes, well someone once told me it made me look like-” he paused for a moment, trying to recall the words, “a stuffy, British librarian.”

Buffy blushed at the memory; it was right around the time that her mother had started dating Giles and Buffy was still in the ‘I-don’t-have-to-like- you’ phase. “What can I say? I gotta tell it like it is.” Buffy and Giles shared a comfortable silence.

There was very little time anymore for the two to spend together. Giles was always working, and Buffy was either at school or out with friends. It’d been months since Giles had worked with her on training. She’d tried to work out by herself a few times but found her efforts fruitless. With no one to teach her, Buffy was pretty much just going through the motions.

“So how is William? Have you spoken with him lately?” Giles asked.

Buffy sighed. “Giles, repeat after me: Spike. He tends to get a little testy if you call him William. Some people can get away with calling him Will, but that’s only me.”

“Why anyone would prefer to be called Spike is beyond my comprehension.” Giles wasn’t a big fan of “New Age” names. Anything that slightly differed from Andrew or Matthew or his personal favorite, Rupert, was considered to be tacky in his mind.

“I’m surprised that the two of you don’t have plans tonight; it being Friday night after all.”

‘Oh man,’ Buffy thought, ‘Does Giles know that Spike was in my room today? He’ll kill me!’ Remaining outwardly cool, Buffy managed to answer in a calm voice. “We made plans for tomorrow night.”

“Ah yes,” Giles mumbled. Pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket, Rupert set to work cleaning his glasses.

“Are Dawn and mom ready yet?” Buffy asked when she could stand the ritual no longer.

“Undoubtedly not,” Giles replied with a sigh. “If the end of the world were to come in the next five minutes, those two would still be getting ready.” Both he and Buffy laughed heartily.

“I heard that,” Joyce said, descending the stairs. Dawn followed a few steps behind.

Giles moved to the bottom of the stairs to greet his wife. “You look amazing.”

“Why thank you Rupert,” Joyce laughed and kissed him softly.

“Get a room,” Dawn gagged. Buffy couldn’t help but laugh.

Giles blushed slightly at his stepchildren and carefully led Joyce down the rest of the steps. “Shall we go to dinner then?” he asked the group.

“We shall,” Buffy agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

----

“Rupert this place is amazing,” Joyce relished in the finely decorated Italian restaurant.

“Yea,” Dawn agreed taking her seat, “very classy.”

While everyone studied their menus, choosing their meal carefully, Buffy couldn’t help but notice a slight air of nervousness about Giles. He seemed to fidget with his tie a little too much and he wasn’t behaving like his normal classy self.

‘Something’s not right about that,’ Buffy thought, but opted to not bring the topic into the conversation. Deciding that it was just her paranoia, Buffy settled in for dinner and tried to enjoy herself.

----

“This is so great mom,” Dawn sighed heavily. “Chicken parmesan-my new favorite food.”

“Don’t expect it everyday,” Joyce laughed. “You know I can’t cook that.”

“Amen to that,” Buffy joked.

“Hey,” Joyce scolded her eldest daughter half-heartedly. “I resent that remark.”

“Don’t worry mom, your cooking is wonderful,” Dawn smiled.

Buffy leaned over and whispered in her sister’s ear, “Suck up.” Dawn playfully elbowed her older sister in the ribs.

“So Giles what’s the occasion for the whole fancy dinner thing?” Buffy asked.

“What do you mean?” Giles replied nervously.

“Well it’s not ever day that you splurge to take us to a fancy restaurant, so I figured something’s up,” Buffy said. “So spill.”

Giles and Joyce shared looks of anxiousness. The exchange didn’t go unnoticed by both Buffy and Dawn.

‘Not so sure I wanna know anymore,’ Buffy thought ironically.

“Girls,” Giles started, his voice shaking slightly. “Your mother and I have something to tell you.”

‘This is so not good,’ Buffy braced herself. ‘Whenever Giles gets nervous things never turn out good.’

“You’re not pregnant are you?” Dawn asked her mother, a look of sheer terror on her face.

“No I’m not pregnant,” Joyce laughed.

“That’s a relief,” sighed Dawn. “So what is it then?”

Giles took a breath and looked at his wife, but before either could say a word Buffy supplied the answer.

“We’re moving,” she said aloud, to no one in particular. The thought had hit her like a ton of bricks.

“How did you know dear?” Joyce asked, fully astonished at her eldest daughter’s revelation.

“Because that’s the same look the two of you got when we had to leave Boston.” Although Buffy was speaking to her mother, her eyes never left the tablecloth. Her mind refused to believe the words coming out of her own mouth. ‘We can’t move,’ she argued internally. ‘Not now, not again.’

“Where to?” Dawn asked. Her expression had fallen; she looked as though she would burst into tears at any moment.

“Florence,” Giles said just above a whisper, “Italy.”

Buffy nearly laughed out loud as the pieces came together in her mind. ‘No wonder he took us to an Italian restaurant.’ Silently she rose from the table and pushed her chair in behind her.

“Buffy, honey, are you okay?” he mother asked, voice full of concern.

“Yeah,” Buffy lied offhandedly. “Just have some indigestion.”

Sorry it took so long. My computer decided it doesn’t like my floppies anymore so I had to rewrite all my chapters.

Don’t forget to review!!

Chapter 19:

The sun was bright and the sky was clear; it was a beautiful day in southern California. Trees on every street corner turned their emerald leaves upward, desperately trying to soak up every available sunray. Within the hidden branches, birds bellowed sweet songs of summer time.

Buffy looked around dejectedly, noting all the small things that she had never noticed before. ‘It really is beautiful here,’ she thought offhandedly. She still couldn’t believe that school was over for the year. Through some miracle and a number of tough negotiations, Giles had managed to delay his transfer for a few weeks so the girls could finish off the school year in Sunnydale.

Dawn joined her sister on the porch steps and stared. Though the two shared no verbal communication, both sisters knew what the other was thinking. A common bond was shared between the two. Both Dawn and Buffy knew that the other was the only person in the world that understood just what they were going through.

“I can’t believe we’re leaving here,” Dawn finally spoke up.

“I know,” Buffy agreed somberly.

“I’m not sure what it is about Sunnydale, but I don’t want to leave here. It’s not the most exotic, or the most exciting place, but there’s something about it. It just feels like-“

“It feels like home,” Buffy finished. Dawn nodded in silent agreement.

“You girls ready to go?” Joyce asked coming out onto the front porch.

“No,” Buffy said. “I told the guys I wouldn’t leave until they got here.”

Joyce nodded, “Well we can wait a little while longer but our flight leaves at 5 o’clock.” She hated to see her daughters in this mood, but she’d seen it before and was fairly certain that she would see it again.

“I know mom,” Buffy said. Turning her attention to the road, Buffy looked longingly for her friends. ‘Come on guys. Please show up.’ Not two minutes after the thought graced her mind, Buffy noticed the group of figures making their way slowly towards her. ‘I knew they’d come,’ she thought happily. ‘I just knew it!’

Jumping up off the porch steps, Buffy met the group on the sidewalk in front of her once house. An awkward feeling enveloped them as everyone stared down at their shoes.

“So,” Xander started, “you’re gonna email right?”

“Of course,” Buffy smiled.

“Everyday?” Tara added.

Buffy only smiled and embraced the girl in a long hug. Buffy had come to really like Tara; she was a refreshing personality in a chaotic world. Shy as she may be, get her on the right topic and Tara would talk your ear off.

“Make sure if you meet any hot Italian girls that you give them my number,” Xander teased, wrapping his arms around his friend. “Tell ‘em that the Xand man is looking.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” Buffy laughed. She looked at the two other people in front of her and smiled. “Oz,” she said softly, “I’ll miss you.”

“Likewise,” Oz said. The two shared a tender embrace, silent yet filled with emotion. She and Oz had never really spent any quality time together, but Buffy felt as though she knew him personally; like they had been old friends.

“Will,” Buffy said with a wavering voice. She held her arms out in front of her and Willow nearly jumped into them. A sob escaped the latter’s lips. “Please don’t cry Will,” Buffy pleaded.

“I’m sorry,” Willow apologized wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s just that-well-it’s a sad occasion.”

“I know,” Buffy said struggling to clear her misty eyes, “but if you start crying I’ll end up crying. And I’m all out of tears.” Without another word, the two friends fell into an embrace, holding each other tightly, never wanting to let go.

“I bought you something,” Willow said producing a small envelope from her sweatshirt pouch.

“Will, you didn’t have to buy me anything,” Buffy chastised. Taking the package from her friends she opened it and peered inside. “I don’t get it.”

“They’re calling cards,” the red head explained. “This way you can call me every weekend. You know-let me know what’s happening way over there.”

Buffy smiled brightly and hugged Willow again. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to call every weekend.”

“Cause you know if you don’t I’ll hurt ya,” Willow laughed.

Buffy looked around at her assembled group of friends. Although she’d only known them for a few short months, she felt as though they had been friends for their entire lives. Never before had she bonded with a group as closely and as quickly as Buffy had this time. Glancing from one face to another, Buffy finally noticed a body hanging back from the group; watching at a distance.

‘Spike,’ he mind screamed, ‘he came!’ Moving briskly through the crowd, Buffy suddenly found herself in the muscular arms of her boyfriend. Her feet left the ground and the world spun around her, but all Buffy could see, all she could sense was Spike. His arms encircled her, his essence surrounded her, drawing her in and comforting her. Cautiously their lips found each other and met in a fury of emotions.

“I knew you’d come,” Buffy whispered after their lips had parted.

“Course I came,” Spike reassured her. They were still in each other’s arms, faces inches apart. “I had to see you before-well-before-” He couldn’t bring himself to admit that she was leaving town, leaving the state, leaving the country, and leaving him.

“I couldn’t leave without seeing you,” Buffy said. A stray tear slid down her cheek only to be wiped away promptly by Spike.

“No crying,” he whispered. “Gotta be the strong girl I know you keep hidden in there.”

Buffy smiled and nodded sheepishly. ‘He knows me better than most people I live with,’ she thought idly. “I’ll never forget you,” she said.

“I know you won’t,” Spike said.

----

Buffy stood on the terrace staring out at the scene before her. The sun was rising over the distant, sloping hills just beyond the vineyard that occupied the land next to the house. The trees swayed lightly with a warm breeze, their amber leaves tossing wildly.

‘It’s paradise,’ she thought ironically. ‘So then why am I not happy?’ She knew the answer to her own question but refused to think about any of her friends for fear that her heart would begin breaking again.

“Buffy?” Dawn called from within the house.

“I’m out here,” the elder shouted back. In a moment Dawn appeared in the large doorway separating the terrace from the rest of the house.

“Hey, mom and I are taking a trip out to Signore Cantalupo’s farm. We’re going horse back riding. Wanna come with?”

“No thanks Dawnie,” Buffy declined not even sparing her sister a glance.

“Ok then,” the younger girl merely backed out of the room. Dawn had learned not to push certain subjects with her sister. All it proved to do was put Buffy in a horrid mood, making everyone avoid her for the rest of the day.

‘It’s a beautiful Saturday morning in Florence, Italy and what am I doing? Moping around, just like every other day.’ Before Buffy could formulate another thought, she felt the strange feeling of being watched.

“Ciao bello,” came the greeting from behind. Slowly Buffy turned around and stared, mouth agape with astonishment.

“Spike?” she asked softly, fearing that if she spoke too loudly she would wake up to find it all a dream.

“As always,” he answered. Immediately she was in his arms, nearly sending him sprawling on the floor. Her lips attacked his, desperate for contact of any type.

“How? When? Why?”

“By plane; just now; because I love you,” Spike mumbled between passionate kisses.

“I love you too,” Buffy sighed. “I can’t believe you flew all the way form Sunnydale to-wait-why aren’t you at college? Don’t tell me you dropped out!”

“Breathe luv,” Spike chuckled. “I transferred. Hear there are some pretty good schools over here.”

Buffy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Spike had transferred out of Sunnydale, where his friends and family were just to be with her. ‘God, I couldn’t love him more.’

“I’m surprised you didn’t see this coming,” Spike said.

“What are you talking about?” Buffy asked, bewildered.

“You’re an army brat aren’t you?” Buffy nodded, still confused. “Well don’t brats always get what they want?” Spike joked.

Buffy smiled brightly. “That’s true. I am an army brat.”

“You’re my army brat,” Spike corrected, embracing once more in a tender kiss.

THE END!!!