Chapter 19:

*

Dinner had been wonderful. Spike had suggested that rather than be alone again, he and Buffy go to spend time with her mom and sister.

It was now past 10 o'clock and they were still up watching movies with Dawn. Buffy was asleep, sprawled out in Spike's arms with her feet on Dawn's knees.

"I think you kids should go to bed." Joyce said sleepily as she came downstairs. "Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Spike made a face but got up, stirring Buffy slightly. "Come on, luv, let's get you upstairs."

She mumbled something but wrapped her arms around Spike's neck, and her legs around his waist, and he carried her up the stairs as though she were light as a feather.

He tucked her in when the doorbell sounded throughout the Summers house. He heard Dawn run to get it and scream out happily, and a moment later he recognised it was Giles.

"Who's that?" Buffy asked sleepily, trying to pull Spike into bed beside her.

"I'll be back in a sec, okay?" Spike hurried downstairs. "Hey Uncle Rupe."

Giles raised his eyebrows at Spike. "You have school tomorrow, should you be up so late?"

"I'll survive."

"I needed to talk to you and Buffy, actually." Giles peered past Spike. "Or has she already gone to bed?"

Spike was about to suggest that Buffy needed her rest when he heard her feet on the stairs behind him.

"What's up?" Buffy asked, trying poorly to conceal a yawn.

"It's about.." Giles motioned for the three of them to go and sit down. He sat in the armchair, and Spike and Buffy sat entwined on the sofa. "Angel and Parker."

"What about 'em?" Spike asked, his voice a low growl.

"Buffy wasn't the first." Giles said quietly. "A lot of other girls have come forward to say the same happened to them."

Buffy had gone rigid in Spike's arms, completely tense with fear. "Who else was there?"

"Quite a few girls in your year. I can't name them."

"What happened to these girls?" Joyce asked worriedly, carrying a tray with four cups of tea into the living room.

"They were gang-raped as well, the circumstances very similar to Buffy's." Giles explained.

Wishing he could kick his uncle, Spike watched as Joyce's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide. "Excuse me?"

"You haven't told her?" Giles turned to Buffy.

It was as though time stood still. Her mother's teary eyes were trained on Buffy, and then ever so slowly, they turned to Spike, and she whispered angrily, "You knew."

Spike felt Buffy's grip on his arm tighten protectively, as they both sensed her mother's anger.

"You knew this happened to my little girl! You kept it from me!" Joyce screamed. Spike was speechless. "Get out! Get out of my house!"

"Joyce-" Giles started, but fell silent when she turned to glare at him.

"It's not Spike's fault!" Buffy said, watching in horror as Spike went to get his jacket. "Spike, don't go."

She turned to her mother. "If you'd had the time to pay a little attention, you'd have figured it out. I tried to tell you."

"Buffy.." Joyce couldn't find words, waiting for a moment, and then settled for throwing her arms around Buffy.

"Don't." Buffy hissed, pushing her mother away. "You can't just step in all of a sudden and be the sympathetic 'mommy' figure."

Spike was still frozen in the doorway, unsure what to do. Snow was blowing in through the open door, and eventually Giles hurried to shut it.

"Why did.. how did.. who did.." Joyce sat down, staring up at her daughter sadly.

"It was Angel, Parker, and..." Buffy almost felt like smirking, but stopped herself, and concluded, "Riley."

"Don't be ridiculous." Joyce said. "Riley would never..."

Buffy felt tears sliding down her cheeks and turned back to Spike. "Let's go."

"Don't you dare leave this house with my daughter." Joyce hissed.

"I'd rather go with Spike than be with you." Buffy retaliated, glaring at her mother. "He's the only one who understands me.. apart from Tara. And Spike's the one who bothered to get me a psychiatrist! He's the only one who really tried."

"I think you should stay here." Spike said softly, taking Buffy's hand and kissing it. "I think you two need to talk."

Buffy felt more tears gather in her eyes, aching inside for some reason. Spike was being reasonable, she knew that, but all Buffy wanted right now was to go back to his house and snuggle up near the fire with him and their kittens.

"Fuck you." Buffy spat and ran upstairs, slamming her door shut and making sure all of the three locks were locked.

She flopped down on her bed, tears silently rolling down her cheeks. She wanted to scream, to shout and to smash things until the pain disappeared.. but there was no strength left inside her.

*

August 2001

Spike came downstairs and saw Drusilla sprawled out on the couch, tears rolling down her face. She stared at Spike, and he was confused by the emotion embedded in her dark eyes. "Mom?"

"Spike, darling, come here."

He wandered over to her and knelt beside her, all the more shocked when Drusilla wrapped her arms around him. Her sudden show of affection almost frightened him - was this the end, or just the eye of the storm?

"I'm sorry, my love." She whispered and kissed him gently on the nose. "Get mama some tea?"

Spike returned hurriedly with chamomile tea for his exhausted mother. "Here you are."

"You know your father," Dru started when she'd finished the tea, "He wasn't always bad."

"Really?" Spike helped her sit up, propping cushions behind her. Drusilla rewarded him with another kiss on the cheek.

"He was a wild man, but good at heart. He just.. he had a taste for the dark side. You know what I mean?"

Spike nodded, grimacing slightly just at the thought of what she might have meant, but kept listening intently as his attention seemed to make his mother happy.

"Well, he and his friends.. they all wanted me at once." Dru chuckled bitterly, her eyes beginning to glitter with the rage that made Spike's skin crawl. "I didn't want that.. but that didn't matter, oh no. Hairy, violent, ape-like bastards. That's how I got pregnant, m'love."

She cackled wildly, glaring at Spike madly. He felt about to choke. "You mean.. you don't even know who my dad is?"

"No!" Drusilla screeched as though it were hilarious. "It could be anyone.. from Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z!!"

Spike backed away from her slowly. He'd seen her angry, he'd seen her drunk, and he'd seen her in pain - but right now Drusilla was completely insane, cackling and clawing at her own hair. He turned and ran back upstairs, fighting back tears. It wasn't only the thought of his mother being gang-raped, or the fact there was no chance of ever finding his father. Spike doubted he'd ever want to meet the man that had hurt him and his mother so.

But they'd been so close to having a real family moment back there, and she'd destroyed it. Spike went into the bathroom and threw up.

*

Present Day

"I can get in through her bedroom window." Spike suggested as Giles rocked a crying Joyce in his arms.

"Please." Joyce murmered, and Spike hurried out the back door.

He climbed up the ladder he carefully propped against the wall and got to her window in no time. She'd thought to lock the door three times, but Buffy hadn't remembered Spike could still easily get through her window.

Spike pushed it open and swung his leg aside, rolling the curtains back. Buffy had her back to him, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking violently as she cried. Spike gently shut the window and walked slowly over to her. "Luv?"

"Fuck off." Buffy hissed and yanked away from his touch.

"What's the matter?"

"I said to fuck off!" Buffy pushed him away and buried her head in her hands.

Spike noticed the blood staining her shirt and the bedsheets. "What the fuck?"

He grabbed her hands and noticed tiny wounds on each of her fingertips. His eyes flew to the nail file on her beside table, stained with blood.

"Oh holy fuck!" Spike yelled and dragged Buffy into the bathroom. "This has to stop."

He opened the medicine cabinet and took out bandages, wrapping them around her bleeding fingers. "Buffy..."

She glared at him and stormed back into her room. Spike followed, kicking the door open when she tried to slam it shut. "Buffy, look at me."

Buffy could hear misery embedded in his every word, and was sure that he too was close to tears. She reluctantly turned and gazed at him. "What?"

"I've been through this once. I've been through the pain, both with myself and my mother. I pushed past it, alright? I'm not going to do this again."

"So just abandon me then!" Buffy cried and turned away.

She expected him to try and reason with her, hold her or kiss her. But Spike didn't do anything for several long moments.

Buffy turned around and saw he'd sat down on the edge of her bed and buried his face in his hands. His sobs were muffled but recognisably pained.

"I love you." Spike choked out, staring up at her. "Why do I have to lose you?"

"You won't." Buffy whispered and wrapped her arms around him. "You'll have me forever."


Again Spike was clueless - he had thought she was better, he'd actually convinced himself that she was going to be okay. It had merely been the eye of the storm. Right now she was whispering to him that she would be better, without a doubt in the world, but Spike didn't know anymore.

From here, the storm seemed endless.

*

 

Chapter 20:

"I wanna go too."

Spike turned and stared at Buffy. "You want to come to school?"

Buffy nodded and opened the passenger door, sliding in with a smile on her face.

"Is your mom okay?"

"She said it was cool."

"I meant after last night. Finding out. You know." Spike started the engine, afraid to look at Buffy for embarrassment. He'd broken and cried like a litte child, and Spike knew that acting in such a babyish manner wasn't good for Buffy.

"I guess she'll be okay. We have to go to the police now." Buffy cranked the radio up, grimacing slightly for unknown reasons.

"Princess?" Spike stopped the car at the lights and gazed at her. Buffy stared back, green eyes sparkling. "I love you."

"I love you too." Buffy leant towards him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Sit next to me today, alright?" Spike pulled into the student carpark. "I think the rest of the school hates me."

"Okay." Buffy smiled at him as he parked the car. "I love you."

Spike got out of the car and jogged around to her side to open the door. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I love you too, sweetheart. You'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Buffy kissed him again quickly. "Spike.. about last night.."

"Hey!" Xander raced up with a stupid smile on his face. "Anya says hi to both of you."

"Hi." Spike said quietly, still watching Buffy carefully. She smiled at him, rolling her eyes slightly as Xander rambled about how much they had missed.

"Spike?" Cordy approached him with a frown on her face. "Why are you talking to the Fag and the Frigid?"

Buffy and Xander waited for Spike's reply, both tense.

"They're my friends, Cordelia." Spike grabbed Buffy's hand. "And Buffy's my girl again."

"Aww." Cordy sneered and turned on her heel. "Losers."

"Fuck you." Xander said under his breath.

"Come on. We've got English." Spike took Buffy by the hand and nodded for Xander to follow them. "Is Willow coming today?"

"Don't know."

*

"Can I come in?" Willow tapped on the doorframe gently, smiling at Tara.

"Sure." Tara ushered her in. "You want something to drink?"

"No thanks." Willow sat down on one of the yellow couches. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Shouldn't you be at school?"

"I guess." Willow played with a stray lock of her red hair. "If you're too busy, I can go."

"No, of course not!" Tara sat beside her. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

Willow went bright red, a shy smile playing on her lips. "I like you."

"Willow.."

"I know you said that the age difference is too big. But the thing is... I think I really like you. Like.. more than just liking you. Like.. love."

Tara stared at Willow for a moment, shocked by this admission. "You love me?"

"I think I could." Willow lent in a little closer, brushing her hand over Tara's knee. "And I am really mature."

"I know." Tara said breathlessly. "But you.. you're just a kid."

Willow shrugged and kissed Tara ever so softly on the lips. "Kids can fall in love too. Spike and Buffy did when they were seven."

"I know." Tara whispered. "Wait a sec."

She rushed to the door and locked it. Returning to Willow's side, Tara kissed the redheaded girl passionately.

*

Buffy watched as Spike sped up and down the pool, as though it were no physical strain to him at all. She clicked the button on the timer and marvelled at how much he'd done in so little time.

"Did I beat it?" Spike asked, climbing up the ladder slowly as water cascaded off his body.

"Yep." Buffy jumped into his arms and kissed him, not at all bothered by his wet chest soaking hers.

"You getting bored?"

"A bit." Buffy said reluctantly. "But you can keep going."

"Nah, we can go home, luv." Spike kissed her on the forehead. "I just have to get changed."

He disappeared into the change rooms. Buffy felt a smile grow on her face and hurried after him. But just as she got to the door, she froze, falling to her knees. Pain shot through her legs as they connected with the cement floor. A strangled sob escaped her and Buffy started to cry.

Spike was putting his shirt back on when he heard Buffy crying. He cursed to himself and ran back outside to see what was wrong.

"Luv?" Spike helped her up, almost falling to the floor himself when Buffy launched herself into his arms.

"I can't go back in there." She mumbled into his chest.

"I didn't ask you to."

"I just wanted to.. you know." Buffy glanced down at his crotch. "Umm.. it's just.. I liked doing that."

Spike smiled. "You're just amazing, you know that? C'mon. Let's go home."

*

"You know, luv.." Spike replaced the guard in front of the crackling fire and went to sit next to her. "Some girls don't like doing that. Especially one's who have been.."

"Raped?" Buffy filled in.

"Yeah." Spike pulled her into his arms. "Yet you seem fine with doing stuff."

"But I love you. I trust you. What's the problem?" Buffy moved into his lap, straddling him as she kissed him.

"No problem." Spike replied softly, pulling her as close as possible. "I love you too."

Buffy ran her hand through his wet locks of hair, and asked in the gentlest tone possible,"Why are you embarrassed about last night?"

"Should I be?" Spike shot back defensively, frowning at her.

"You just.. when you cried. You seem embarrassed about that now."

"I'm not." Spike said weakly, caving in as Buffy hugged him tighter. "Well.. I shouldn't have done that. You were all upset enough without me acting like a baby."

"You weren't being babyish." Buffy leant down and kissed the smooth skin on his neck. "It's okay to hurt."

"Sometimes..." Spike sighed. "It just never stops hurting."

"I know." Buffy played with the curls at the nape of his neck. "But you said you pushed past it."

"Sometimes I'm not so sure." Spike swallowed hard, trying to make the lump in his throat disappear.

Buffy wasn't sure how to respond to this. She'd seen Spike weak, but that was when he was a child, only her height, a puny little thing in comparison to how big and strong he was now. Physical appearances aside, Spike was the only one who was there for her unconditionally, who held her until her fears subsided. He always put on a brave face, even when Buffy could see he was scared for her, and the only time he'd let that slip was last night. She had never been so frightened in her life.

"I love you." Buffy whispered, pulling him close. "No matter what, we're forever. Promise?"

Spike sealed the vow with a kiss, breaking away when the doorbell rang.

"Spike? Buffy? It's me." Joyce called through the door. Buffy made a face, but Spike ignored it and went to answer the door.

"Hey Joyce." He smiled at her, relieved when she returned the gesture without any signs of strain. His smile almost dropped off his face when Spike saw two policemen behind her.

"Buffy," Joyce said kindly as she came inside, "These are two officers who would like to speak to you about the little incident that occured."

"You mean when I was raped?" Buffy snapped, glaring at the two policemen and her mother.

"Yes." Joyce said quietly. "Raped." She cleared her throat and continued, "This is Officer Gunn, and Officer Levinson."

"Hi." The first of the two men said stiffly. The other one, shorter and chubbier, smiled at Buffy warmly.

"Hi." Buffy turned to look at Spike. "Make them go away."

"Sweetheart-"

"Don't "sweetheart" me! I want them gone!"

"Miss Summers.." The second man moved past her mother and his partner and sat beside her. "Can I call you Buffy?" He smiled hopefully.

Buffy glowered back at him.

"Okay, maybe not. Look.. I'm the resident counsellor at the police department, and you can call me Jonathon. You can talk to me about this any time, okay? Maybe it'll take time, but I'm here to help."

"May I suggest a physical examination?" Gunn interrupted. Jonathon glared at his partner, angry for his intervention when Buffy had just started to relax in their presence a bit.

Buffy's eyes darted to meet with Spike's, suddenly filled with fear.

"It's for the best." Spike said softly. "They're here to help."

"I don't want their help!" Buffy cried.

"I know this is hard." Jonathon jumped in, putting his hand on hers. "But we can put these guys in jail for hurting you."

Buffy relaxed slightly at the thought of Riley, Parker and Angel behind bars.

"We can only do that if you tell us everything." Jonathon added.

Everyone waited, the atmosphere beyond tense, as Buffy thought about this. Ever so reluctantly, and after several long minutes, she said quietly, "Okay."

"Would you like us to go somewhere private?" Jonathon suggested, taking her hand. "It might be best."

"Can Spike come too?" Buffy asked, noticing that Spike was glaring at Jonathon. She smiled, and whispered in Spike's ear, "He's just here to help. Remember?"

Spike chuckled and squeezed her hand affectionately.

As Jonathon led them into the kitchen, Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy, staking his claim. Buffy giggled softly, touched by Spike's sudden insecurity and possessive nature.

"Okay. Tell me everything." Jonathon said quietly as he sat down across from the cosy couple, taking both of Buffy's hands as a symbol of trust.

Buffy was still silent, trembling slightly. Jonathon glanced at Spike, silently pleading him to do something.

"Princess? Would you rather I told Jonathon some stuff, and then you just fill in the details?"

"No." Buffy said firmly. "I'll tell him..." She smiled back at Jonathon, again cheered by thoughts of getting her three attackers behind bars. "I'll tell him everything."

*
 

Chapter 21:

Buffy emerged from the hospital room and threw herself into Spike's arms. The examination hadn't been as bad as she'd expected, but still embarrassing. Telling Jonathon everything had been horrifying - he'd been comforting and sympathetic, but afterwards she'd broken down and cried for half an hour straight.

"Are you okay, luv?" Spike held her to him, rocking her gently as she cried into him.

"No." Buffy mumbled.

"You ready to go, sweetie?" Joyce took Buffy's hand gently.

"Is it okay if I go?" Buffy asked, turning to Jonathon.

Jonathon smiled back at her. "Sure. From what the doctor tells me, we'll have a warrant for arrest."

"Thankyou." Buffy said softly and grinned up at Spike. He leant down and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"It's gonna be okay now, sweetheart." He whispered, holding her close. "Everything's gonna be alright."

"Let's get you home, huh?" Joyce led them towards the exit. "We'll get you some dinner, and-"

"Can I stay with Spike?" Buffy asked in a tiny voice, clinging to him desperately.

Joyce looked at Spike, frowning slightly. She looked back at Buffy, pursing her lips. "I'd like you to come home."

"My home is with Spike!" Buffy snapped.

"Buffy-" Spike warned softly, watching as Joyce's eyes filled with tears.

"You want me there." Buffy said angrily. "So don't try and send me home with her."

Spike put his hand on Joyce's shoulder to try and comfort her. "She is your mother, Buffy. Don't be so horrible."

"I hate her!" Buffy shrieked, drawing attention from the people surrounding them. Joyce started crying.

Spike glared at Buffy. "Stop it, Buffy. She hasn't done anything wrong."

"She has so! She doesn't even care!"

"I do!" Joyce insisted tearfully.

"Let's just go to the car." Spike snapped and dragged both of them outside away from the critical eyes of the people watching.

Spike shut Buffy in the car and turned to Joyce. "She's being bloody difficult, I know. Why don't I take her back to my place and have a chat to her?"

He offered her his handkerchief. Joyce forced a smile. "Thanks."

"I would've told you about what happened.. she made me promise though. I'm sorry." Spike opened the car door for Joyce.

"It's okay." She replied quietly.

But everyone in the car knew that it wasn't.

*

Spike slammed the door shut behind him and watched as Buffy flopped down on the couch and scooped Tabitha into her arms. She smiled down at the furry animal, cooing at it.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Spike snatched Tabitha away and sat beside Buffy.

"Huh?" Buffy tried to snuggle into his arms, but Spike was rigid and she could sense how angry he was.

"That was your mom, Buffy. She was trying to help you and you treated her horribly!"

"She treated me horribly!"

"Oh, right, did she hit you? Did she beat you until you couldn't breathe or speak or see anymore?" Spike glared at Buffy. "You have a wonderful mother who cares about you. You should count yourself bloody lucky, Buffy."

Buffy hung her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's not me you should be apologising to." Spike pointed out.

"Was your mom really that bad?" Buffy asked as he pulled her into his arms.

"Yes." Spike said quietly.

"I'm sorry, baby." Buffy brushed her lips against his softly, deepening the kiss slowly.

"Why don't you go talk to her, okay?" Spike helped Buffy to her feet. "Stay there tonight."

"Come with me." Buffy whined, dragging him along with her as she went out the door.

Buffy knocked on the door and wriggled out of Spike's arms when her mother opened it. She smiled shyly at her mother and hugged her.

Joyce felt relief was over her as Buffy hugged her and looked at Spike, mouthing, "Thanks."

"We're gonna stay here tonight." Buffy grabbed Spike's hand and led him inside. "Is dinner ready?"

"Well.. the office just called. I have to go out." Joyce smiled apologetically. "Can you guys babysit Dawnie?"

"I don't need babysitting!" Dawn yelled from inside her room.

"Spike's here!" Joyce called back and grabbed her keys. "I'll see you two later."

Dawn raced downstairs and hugged Spike. "You said you'd come more often and you didn't."

"Been busy, Nibblet." Spike said as Buffy pried her sister off him.

"Dawn, why don't you go do homework?" Buffy said, hinting she wanted her sister gone.

"I'm hungry." Dawn complained, looking at Spike. "Can you cook?"

"Of course." Spike took his jacket off and went into the kitchen. "What do you want?"

"Aren't you going to ask me?" Buffy asked angrily, pushing past Dawn.

"I was." Spike said as he went to the pantry, and when he shut the door again, Dawn was scowling at him.

"You were asking me, weren't you?"

"You two choose together." Spike said, irratated by their competitiveness.

"What about pasta?" Dawn suggested. "We have lots of pasta."

"Sure." Spike agreed and went to get a saucepan.

"I don't want pasta!" Buffy said hotly. "And I don't want her around."

"What did I do wrong?"

"Luv, we can't just kick Nibblet out."

"Fine." Buffy spat and stormed out of the room.

Dawn grinned at Spike winningly. "Forget her. She's silly. I'll put the water on to boil."

"I'm not going to 'forget her'." Spike muttered and followed Buffy, taking the stairs three at a time.

"Go away." Buffy glared at him when Spike came into the room. "You're not wanted here. At least not by me."

"Luv-"

"If you like Dawn so much, go and be with Dawn."

"You expect me to ignore her? I've seen her twice in the past seven years!"

"Whose fault is that?" Buffy pointed to the door. "Get out."

"No." Spike said firmly and pulled her into his arms. Buffy wriggled slightly and pulled a face, but she didn't seem to mind so Spike held her closer. "Why are you being so horrible to Dawn?"

"I hate her." Buffy said in a child-like voice. "She's horrible to me."

"How so?" Spike sat down, cocooning Buffy in his arms.

"She always looks down on me and says I'm ruining the family." Buffy pouted. "It's not true, is it?"

"Of course not." Spike said softly, smoothing his hands over her hair in attempts to comfort her.

"She hates me, so I hate her." Buffy frowned at Spike. "And now you seem to like her better."

"I don't 'like her better'. That's ridiculous. I just want to spend time with her as well, luv. I care about her too, you know. I care about all of you lot."

Buffy smiled at him lovingly. "Thats so sweet."

"Let's go get you some dinner, alright?"

Buffy considered this and smiled. "Alright."

*

Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy, planting tiny kisses over the soft skin of her bare arms and neck. "Princess? I love you."

"I love you too." Buffy murmered sleepily. "Am I really your princess?"

"Always and forever." Spike said in a hushed voice. "Only the best for you, sweetheart. I'm going to give you everything.. and take you to wonderful places.. and buy you wonderful things."

"Mmmm." Buffy purred happily. "Where will you take me?"

"France, England, Greece and Italy.. and then all around the Caribbean." Spike nibbled gently on her earlobe, caressing her breasts gently.

"And to New York again?" Buffy asked, snuggling further into him.

"And to New York again." Spike promised. "This Christmas.. we'll go to New York. We'll get lost in the shops again.. we'll see them light the tree.. we'll stay at the Plaza.. we'll do everything. Sweet dreams, luv."

That night, she had the sweetest dreams she'd ever had, safe in her man's strong arms.

*

 

Chapter 22:

Buffy went downstairs the next morning and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Hi."

"Hey sweetie. How were things last night?" Joyce yawned slightly as she poured herself a cup of tea. "I had to stay at the office until almost midnight. Ick."

"Things were good. Spike and I have decided he's gonna take me to New York for Christmas." Buffy grinned. "He's so sweet."

Joyce's face fell. "Oh. Okay."

"What's wrong?"

"I wanted you to stay here this year, and maybe have a quiet holiday." Joyce shook her head and forced a smile. "No, no. You go to New York, sweetie."

"If you don't want me to.." Buffy sighed. She'd already gotten worked up over the idea of spending Christmas in the Big Apple, and didn't want to disappoint Spike as well.

"No, you go. It'll be a nice thing to do with him."

Buffy kissed her on the cheek again and smiled. "I'm sorry I've been so horrible. Spike's right, you know. You're a great mom to me."

"I do try." Joyce said softly. "I just wish you'd talk to me more often."

"It's not that easy." Buffy replied. "We have grown apart."

"That's only because you got more and more distant after your little spat with Spike!" Joyce snapped.

Buffy glared back at her mother. "Do you not want me to be with him?"

"No... he's good for you. I can see he makes you happy. I just wish you'd remember you can trust someone other than him.." Joyce sighed and left the room.

Buffy buried her head in her hands and wished she could cry. But the tears just wouldn't come.

*

Dawn snuck into Buffy's room, planning on stealing her sister's white skirt that she adored. She stopped still when she noticed Spike was still in bed. "Oh. You're still here."

Spike sat up, yawning. "Yeah, didn't end up going home."

"Where's the bitch?"

Spike was suprised by Dawn's bitter referal to Buffy. "She's having breakfast, I think."

Dawn made a rude noise and went to Buffy's closet to get the desired item of clothing.

Spike put his shirt back on, watching Dawn carefully. "What's your problem with her, Nibblet?"

Without skipping a beat, Dawn replied, "She's ruined this family."

"I don't think she's ruined the family, Bit-"

Dawn turned on him, furious. "She has so! She's the reason Mom cries all the time, isn't she? She's a nasty bitch! She's awful to me, she's awful to Dad whenever he visits, and because of that I never see my own father!"

For one moment, everything was quiet. Spike could see Dawn's lip trembling, and she punctuated her angry rant by bursting into tears. Spike gathered her into his arms and hugged her until her tears subsided.

"Buffy's been through a lot, Bit. Has your mom told you what happened?"

Dawn nodded. "I feel awful for her.. but she doesn't have to make us hurt just 'cos she is."

As much as he loved Buffy, he had to agree. He ruffled Dawn's hair and held her tighter as she started crying again. "I know."

*

The next day..

"I just wanted to come and wish you luck for the competition." Buffy said softly, approaching Spike from behind. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed the back of his neck.

"Thanks, princess." Spike said distantly, digging through his bag for goggles. "Are Willow and Xander here?"

"And my mom, and Dawn, and Giles, and Anya, who came with Xander, of course... and Tara. She came with Willow." Buffy added with a smile. "They're dating."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "Tara's almost 15 years older, though."

"I know. But does age really matter?" Buffy kissed him softly. "I'd still go out with you if you were thirty-something."

Spike chuckled and kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you too." Buffy jumped as the loudspeaker came on, announcing that all swimmers had to go to their starting blocks. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Spike watched as Buffy hurried out the door to return to her seat. Taking a deep breath, he started out the door himself.

"Spike!" Andrew glared at him. "Hurry the hell up!"

"Yeah, alright." Spike rolled his eyes and followed his coach out to the pools.

*

"What if he doesn't win?" Buffy cried out suddenly as she watched Spike dive into the pool. "I mean, he'll be crushed!"

"I'm sure he'll do great." Tara said softly, eyes trained on Spike.

"No, he won't! He was distracted! I distracted him! Oh, god, Bad Girlfriend award!" Buffy buried her head in her hands. "I can't watch. He'll lose. He'll lose and it'll be my fault. He'll hate me forever."

"Buffy, if you'd actually watch the race, you'd see Spike is metres ahead of everyone else!" Xander said over the roar of the crowd.

Buffy's head snapped up and she cried out happily as Spike sped towards the finish line.

"And the winner by far in the 15-20 division is William Blake, who completed the race in record time!"

Buffy stood up and waved to Spike as he got out of the pool, her heart fluttering as he grinned back.

"Buffy, I think your phone's ringing." Willow pointed out, alerting Buffy to the ringtone sounding from inside her handbag. Buffy dug through it and finally located her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"It's Jonathon. Can you come down to the station?"

For the first time since she'd met him, he sounded serious. "Why?"

"Can you just get down here?" He asked again, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Okay." Buffy said and hung up, running after her friends who were already leaving. Spike was waiting at the door with the same huge smile on his face.

It faded when he saw Buffy looked slightly upset. "You okay?"

"I have to go to the police station. Drive me?"

"Sure, princess." Spike pulled her to him. "Where's my congratulatory kiss?"

"Right here." Buffy murmered and kissed him passionately.

*

Jonathon met them at the front steps. "We've got them."

Buffy froze. "Are they in there?!"

"Yes." He replied tersely. "You think I let them go?"

Buffy flinched.

"Don't talk to her like that." Spike warned quietly.

"Sorry." Jonathon took Buffy's hand. "Really, sorry. I've just had a bad day. Let's go inside."

"Not if they're there!" Buffy yelped and backed away.

"Buffy, they're cuffed. They can't hurt you. If they say anything bad, they'll regret it." Jonathon led her and Spike inside, and after greeting two fellow policemen, he led the couple down the hall to his office.

"Are these the guys?" Jonathon asked, pointing to the three men sitting down. Gunn was standing in the corner, holding a gun, which Riley, who was staring at it wide-eyed, seemed to terrified of.

Buffy backed away, falling back into Spike's arms.

"Buffy, are these the guys?" Jonathon snapped, again impatient.

"Yes." Spike answered for her as Buffy cried into his shirt.

"Hi Buffy." Angel sneered, then leant over to whisper something to Parker. They both looked her up and down and burst out laughing.

Riley was still mesmerized by the guns Jonathon and Gunn were sporting, trembling slightly.

"Would you like to share that with us?" Jonathon snapped, ready to hit the cackling boys.

Parker fell silent, but Angel's smirk grew. "We were just saying that she's either pregnant with one of our babies, or she's just gotten really fat."

Spike advanced, fists ready to fly at them, but Jonathon held him back. "Stay out of it."

"They hurt my girl, I won't stay out of it." Spike growled, glaring at his former friends.

"Fag." Angel hissed. Spike shoved Jonathon aside and flew at Angel, hitting him square in the jaw.

"You fucking jerk!" Angel cried, blood seeping from his mouth. "He's the one who should go to jail!"

"Oh, yeah, a bit of a smack compared to gang rape! That'll stand in front of a judge!" Spike yelled, ready to strike out again. Gunn crossed the room and pushed Spike back.

It was only then the five men noticed Buffy sunken against the wall in the corridor, crying her eyes out. Spike rushed over and scooped her up.

"You see what you've done?" He yelled, noting that Riley and Parker both wore guilty expressions, yet Angel was still smirking. "You stay the fuck away."

"Try and make me!" Angel retaliated.

"Good luck getting out of prison." Jonathon murmered.

"Can I take her home now?" Spike asked, trying to hush Buffy as she sobbed into him. Jonathon nodded and Spike hurried away from the room, noticing that her tears slowed the further they got away from the room.

He deposited her in the passenger seat and went around to his side. Once the doors were shut, Spike leant over and kissed her. "It'll be okay, princess."

Buffy gazed up at him with mournful eyes.

"They're gone now. They're gonna be put behind bars, hopefully 'til they're old and grey."

"Okay." Buffy murmered and snuggled into him as Spike drove them home.

*

TBC - please review :-)

Chapter 23:

Buffy came out of the bathroom, wrapped in Spike's bathrobe. She'd cried most of the afternoon away, still horrified after being confronted by all three of her attackers at once. But the hot water of the shower against her skin had soothed her. She'd left Spike to do his homework, and now with his book still spread over his chest, he was asleep, purring slightly as he dozed among Tabitha, Ginger and Mickey. Tabitha was batting at Spike's nose every few seconds, and he grumbled in his sleep, but didn't wake.

Buffy slid into bed beside him, and planted a tiny kiss on his nose. Spike stirred again, rolling onto his stomach, and almost squished Mickey, who wailed loudly and jumped off the bed. Buffy straddled Spike and started massaging his back gently.

"Princess?" Spike mumbled drowsily.

"Shh. Stay still. You're all tense." Buffy leant down and kissed up and down his back as she kneaded around his shoulder blades. "That feel good?"

"Feels bloody brilliant."

Buffy got off him and Spike rolled over where she met his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. As they broke apart, Buffy whispered, "Touch me."

"Where?" Spike ran his hands over her body, keeping his touch ginger, aiming not to scare her again.

Buffy took his hand and guided it down to between her legs. "Here."

Her skin was still damp from the shower, yet the moisture seeping from her sex was unmistakably a sign of arousal.

"You sure?" Spike asked, his voice shaky. Buffy nodded, closing her eyes as Spike's touch became stronger. His fingers located her swollen clit and stroked it until she trembled violently. Spike stopped for a moment, reaching up to untie the robe concealing her body. He pushed it away and his hands returned to her thighs, pushing them apart slightly.

"More.. please.." Buffy gasped, throwing her hips up as he slid one finger inside her, still rubbing her sensitive nub gently. Buffy's sighs and moans encouraged him all the more, and Spike brought his tongue down to meet with her moist lips, tracing around her labia. Buffy cried out, grasping locks of his hair with her fingers as she came closer to climax. He ran his tongue over every patch of her sex, and removed his fingers from her pussy, hesitating slightly before slipping his tongue inside her. Buffy screamed out his name as she came, her entire body shaking from the power of her climax.

"Oh god.." She gasped, gazing at Spike lovingly. "That was amazing."

"Mmm." Spike said softly and slid his arms around her, drawing her closer to him.

"I think you need to peel me off the ceiling." Buffy giggled and snuggled into him, letting sleep take over.

*

"Hi Tara." Buffy practically danced into her office, still on a high from the previous night with Spike.

"Hi sweetie. How are you?

"I'm good." Buffy said cheerily, sitting down on the sofa.

"Okay." Tara frowned slightly.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's just.. Spike has expressed concerns for you." Tara fiddled with the necklace she was wearing. "He said that.."

"He said what?" Buffy's good mood was gone, and she now felt tense and almost sick with worry.

"He's worried about your relationship with your sister, and your mom. He thinks he might be getting in the way." Tara blushed, already mentally berating herself for discussing Spike's private feelings with Buffy.

"He's not thinking of leaving me is he?" Buffy asked in a terrified whisper.

"No, no!" Tara almost laughed, the idea of Spike wanting to leave Buffy was so absurd. "No.. he'd never do that. I just think you need to think about rebuilding relationships with your family as well."

"I want to." Buffy said quietly. "I really do. But they don't get me."

"But Spike does." Tara said softly, taking Buffy's hand. "I know that you love him. But even though you might be mad at them right now, you love your family as well. And they love you."

"Where do I even start?" Buffy asked, tears stinging her eyes. "Everything's screwed up so bad."

"Just so you know.... Officer Levinson and Officer Gunn came to see me." Tara put her arm around Buffy's shoulder. "They told me everything.. I'm so sorry."

Buffy swallowed hard but the lump in her throat refused to disappear, and promptly burst into tears.

*

Spike waited for Buffy to come out of Tara's office, already impatient after ten minutes. He grabbed a magazine and started flicking through it aimlessly, when Buffy burst through the door and ran to greet him.

"Sorry I'm late. Me and Tara just lost track of time talking and all. Guess what?" She kissed him on the cheek quickly.

"What?"

"Well.. we talked about Dawnie, and Mom, and we had the best idea!" Buffy grinned up at him happily, and Spike knew that no matter how ridiculous her idea was, he'd have to say yes. He almost melted from seeing her this happy.

"Well, aren't you going to ask what the idea is?" Buffy prompted, almost jumping up and down on the spot for joy.

"What's your idea, kitten?" Spike led her to the car.

"We take Dawnie and Mom to New York as well. Won't it be the best?"

"That would be wonderful, sweetheart." Spike kissed her softly, gathering her into his arms. "But as long as we have a seperate room, so I can have you all to myself at night."

"You'll just do naughty things to me." Buffy giggled and pressed her body to his. "Not that I mind."

Spike started kissing her neck gently, his hands roaming up and down her body, lingering around the swell of her breasts. "You're so beautiful. Blood perfection, you are."

"You're wonderful to me..." Buffy whispered in his ear, nipping at his earlobe.

She could feel Spike had gotten hard, and Spike could see that Buffy had become flushed and was breathing deeper than she had before.

"We should probably.. stop." Spike mumbled.

"Let's go home and tell Dawnie the good news." Buffy said softly and opened her car door, smiling to herself.

"What are you laughing at?" Spike asked as he slid inside the car.

"Nothing. You're just cute." Buffy kissed him on the cheek.

Spike smiled. "And you're beautiful."

*


"Hi Spike!" Dawn grinned at him, then turned to Buffy. "Hi."

"We have good news, Dawnie." Buffy said with more affection than she'd shown her sister in over seven years. Dawn was shocked into silence.

"We're taking you and mom to New York too!" Buffy cried. Dawn gasped and glanced at Spike, wondering if it was true or if Buffy was messing with her. Spike nodded, and Dawn screamed and threw her arms around her sister.

"Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!" Dawn mumbled into Buffy's shoulder. "I've always wanted to go!"

She broke away and hugged Spike. "Was this your idea?"

"No, Nibblet, all credit goes to Buffy."

Dawn giggled madly and hugged Buffy again. "When do we go? When do we go?!"

"We go on December 24th, and stay until January 2nd." Buffy grinned at her sister. "You happy?"

"Are you kidding? This is the best news ever!" Dawn smiled back at Buffy. "Let's go pack!"

Spike watched as they ran upstairs together, deciding not to tell them they still had two weeks to go. He'd never seen them this close and didn't want to spoil their moment.

He smiled to himself, going into the kitchen to get them all hot chocolates to celebrate.

*
 

Chapter 24:
"Please tell me it's not true." Angel's father said, his head in his hands. "Please tell me that they're lies, that these girls are deluded."

"I swear, dad, I don't know what's going on!" Angel forced fake tears into his eyes. "I swear.. I'm innocent."

"Seven girls, Angel! Seven girls have come forward to say you've raped them! You expect me to believe you, against these seven girls?"

Angel burst into tears. "I swear, I'm innocent. They're lying! I don't know about Riley and Parker, but I didn't do it, Dad! You raised me good! Please.. believe me. I'm innocent."

There was a long silence, and Angel feared that his father didn't believe him.

"Thank god." His dad mumbled and smiled at his son. "I knew that you were too good to do this.. you're a good kid, an angel, as your mother always says. No O'Conner would ever harm another.."

"No sir." Angel said firmly. "Hey, dad.. Officer Levinson won't let me use the phones here.. can I borrow your cell?"

*

Buffy was lying asleep in his arms as Spike waited for Tara's call about rescheduling his Tuesday appointment. He didn't want to disturb Buffy, so Spike gathered her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to bed. He tucked her in and scooped Mickey off the floor and planted the black kitten next to Buffy.

"You look after her, right, mate?" The kitten gazed up at him sleepily, then tripped over his own feet and fell over Buffy's shoulder, where he settled in to sleep.

Buffy stirred slightly, and Spike knelt beside the bed, waiting for her to either wake or rest again. Downstairs, he heard the phone start ringing, and raced to get it. The machine clicked on just as he reached it.

"Yeah?" He said, yawning as he spoke.

"Hi Buffy." Angel sneered down the phone. Spike froze, unable to speak for shock. "My dad's here with me.. he's promised I'm going to get out. And when I do, I'm going to come and find you, and fuck you silly. Just like last time. You liked it, I know you did. And I-"

Spike broke out of his trance and screamed down the phone, "You stay away from her! You stay the fuck away!"

The next thing he heard was Angel curse, proceeded by a dial tone.

"Spike?" Buffy wandered down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. "Was that you yelling?"

"Uh, yeah.." Spike cleared his throat. "Stubbed my toe, bloody hurt."

"Poor baby." Buffy whispered. "Let me kiss it better."

She pulled him over to the couch and sat down next to him, taking his foot in her hand and rubbing it gently. "That better?"

"That's wonderful, sweetheart." Spike took her hand and pulled her closer to him. "Hey.. listen to me for a sec. I love you."

"Duh." Buffy said, rolling her eyes with a smile.

"Well, yeah... but I just want you to know that..."

"That what?" Buffy prompted, straddling him.

"That you're the girl I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. And I'm going to do exactly that.. keep you safe, and love you forever. Alright?"

Buffy felt tears fill her eyes, touched by his heartfelt admission. "I love you."

Spike hugged her to him, trying to keep his mind off the phone call he'd recieved earlier.

*


Buffy returned to Spike's house after spending a quiet night in with Dawn and her mother. On the side table was a note, reading,

Princess,

I've had to go see Tara as this was the only time she could book me in. Can you check the mail/messages and have a nice hot chocolate ready for me when I get home? Xander left a message about dinner tomorrow, but he got me on my cell and we're meeting tonight. Is that okay? Hope you had fun with your mom and Dawn last night, luv.

All my love. I owe you a kiss when I get home.

There was no mail, but the machine had three messages waiting. Buffy clicked the button and listened to them, a pen and paper ready.

"Spike, it's Giles.. make sure you call me ASAP. I'll be at the school."

"Spike, Xander here. Anya wants to organise a double date for tomorrow night, would that be cool? Are you there and not picking up? Pick up.. come on... okay, so maybe you're not there. See ya, buddy."

"Hi Buffy. My dad's here with me.. he's promised I'm going to get out. And when I do, I'm going to come and find you, and fuck you silly. Just like last time. You liked it, I know you did. And I-"

At this point it cut off to Spike, screaming,

"You stay away from her! You stay the fuck away!"

Buffy dropped the pen and paper as though they burned her, and backed away from the phone. She lost her footing and tumbled to the floor, her head striking the banister. The last thing she heard was Angel's cackling echoing in her mind, and then Buffy saw black.

*


"So it's true, then." Anya said softly as Spike turned into his driveway. "All the doctors saw the bruises.. but Buffy said they were nothing and wouldn't let us check her for anything."

"It's so.. it's not.. I mean.. it's impossible." Xander stuttered.

"It's not bloody impossible. Angel's a right wanker, but he's behind bars now, so let's just forget it. Alright? Buffy doesn't need you lot bugging her." Spike removed the key from the ignition. "Alright?"

Anya and Xander nodded reluctantly.

"Good." Spike muttered and got out of the car.

"Ooh, it's cold." Anya shivered as they stepped out into the snow. Xander stopped to wrap his jacket around her as Spike opened the front door.

Spike stopped still and stared at Buffy's still form on the floor. "Holy fuck!"

"What is it?" Xander asked, hurrying up the steps.

Spike dropped to his knees and shook Buffy. "Anya, get here right the fuck now!"

"What's the--" Anya's eyes went wide at the sight of Buffy. "Oh, my."

"Help her.. make her wake up." Spike said shakily, scooping Buffy up off the floor.

"Get her on the couch.." Anya ordered.

Buffy started mumbling something incoherently as Spike laid her down on the sofa.

"Is she cold? Cover her up with something.. Xander, tea, now." Anya knelt beside Spike, gingerly touching Buffy's cheek. "She must have hit her head - she's not feverish."

Spike gently ran his hands around the circumference of her head, and found a large bump at the back. "Jesus Christ.... Buffy, wake up. Sweetheart, please.. wake up!"

"Don't yell, you'll frighten her." Anya warned, taking Spike's hand to stop him from shaking Buffy.

"Spike.." Buffy said breathlessly, stirring. "Spike?"

"Right here, sweet pea." Spike helped her sit up. "What happened?"

"Angel.. message.." Buffy blinked several times, trying to clear her vision. She gazed at Spike with tears in her eyes. "He's gonna get me, Spike. He said he's going to get out."

"He won't!" Spike insisted, taking her hand and covering it in gentle kisses. "I promise, you're safe."

Xander emerged from the kitchen and handed Buffy her tea. "You okay?"

Buffy looked around at Spike, Xander and Anya, who all stared back with concern crumpling their faces.

"No.. I.. I'm not." Buffy whispered and started crying softly. Spike pulled her into his arms.

"Might be best if we save dinner for another time." He said softly. "I'm sorry about this."

"It's okay." Xander said and led Anya to the door. "We'll come around some other time."

Spike picked Buffy up and carried her upstairs. "You're safe, I promise. I promise you, alright?"

Buffy didn't reply, and when he laid her down on their bed, she pretended to sleep.

She just wanted the awful memories to all fade away.

*

 

Chapter 25:

Buffy was wriggling around in her seat, trying to get comfortable as the plane took off. She gripped the armrest and cursed under her breath, failing in attempts to calm herself.

"Something tells me you've never been on a plane before." Spike said, frowning at her.

"No.. I've been on plenty." Buffy lied, sucking in deep breaths. "Well.. we drove up to New York the first time, remember? No turbulence then.. perfectly safe.. this, however.."

Spike took her hand and kissed each of her fingertips. "Relax, sweetheart."

Buffy laid her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes. "Tell me when it's over."

Spike lifted the armrest up so there was nothing between them and pulled her closer. "Is the plane the only thing upsetting you?"

Buffy looked up at him. "Huh?"

"We haven't talked about what happened yet. Maybe it's important we do." Spike stroked her hair gently.

Buffy considered this for a moment, then spoke quickly. "Do you think the kittens are okay?"

"Don't change the subject, Buffy."

"I'm not.. seriously, I'm wondering how the kittens are."

"I gave Jonathon the tape.. it's damning evidence, he said."

"What tape?" Buffy asked, playing dumb. The last thing she wanted was to have a lengthy, miserable discussion about Angel.

"The bloody tape of bloody Angel!" Spike snapped. "You know, we're all trying to help.. you don't have to be so stubborn."

"I'm not." Buffy said and leaned over to kiss him. "I just don't want bad memories to ruin our holiday."

"Okay." Spike said reluctantly and kissed her back.

*

"How do you do this? How are you so calm?" Buffy gasped as the plane started to descend.

"I go to England every year, luv."

Buffy vaguely remembered as a child crying her eyes out at the start of every Autumn because Spike would be gone for the next month. The plane jumped slightly and Buffy clung to Spike's hand desperately.

"Are we going to crash?" She asked in a squeaky voice, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Sweetheart, for the love of god.. shut up."

"Excuse me?"

"You're scaring the kids behind us."

Buffy glanced back and saw two children of about seven gaping at her with wide eyes. "Are we really gonna crash?"

"No, no.." Buffy turned back to Spike. "We aren't, right?"


Spike glared at her. "I'm not sitting next to you on the way back. Now, if you'd look out the bloody window, you'd see we've arrived."


Buffy glanced out the window and cried out happily, clapping her hands together. "We're here!"

*

"How was Buffy on the plane?" Joyce asked as they collected the luggage.

"Don't ask." Spike muttered.

"Spike, can you carry this bag? It's too heavy." Dawn smiled at him winningly and handed him her bag.

"Bloody hell." Spike cursed and looked around for Buffy. "Where is that stupid chit now?"

"Right here." Buffy said from behind him, startling Spike. "Are we ready to go?"

"Where are you two staying?" Joyce asked. She'd insisted on arranging her own flight details and accomodation rather than let Giles pay for everything.

"The Plaza." Buffy said smugly.

"Spike!" Joyce frowned at him. "You made your uncle pay for that?"

"My grandparents chipped in as a Christmas gift." Spike said as they went to find a cab. "Where are you staying?"

"Not at The Plaza." Dawn said glumly.

"We're staying at the Parkview. It's just as nice." Joyce said, ignoring Dawn's grumbling as she hailed a second taxi. "Shall we meet later for dinner?"

"Okay." Buffy kissed her mom and sister on the cheek. "See you later."

"Bye sweetie." Joyce said, and kissed Buffy on the cheek, before ushering Dawn into their cab. She turned to Spike as he helped Buffy into theirs, "You keep her safe."

"I will." Spike promised and got into the cab beside Buffy. "You excited, sweetheart?"

Buffy nodded, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"The Plaza." Spike instructed the driver. "Where do you want to go today?"

"The Rockefeller Center, and Bloomingdales, and The Statue of Liberty, and Macy's, and.."

"Princess, it's already one o'clock. We only have a while til dinner, and we still need to unpack." Spike edged closer to her and brushed his lips against hers. "How about we save some of that?"

"Can we go ice-skating?" Buffy smiled at him lovingly. "It'll be cold, but all I need is you to keep me warm."

Spike chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "You know how corny that is?"

"Probably a lot." Buffy pouted.

"Well, it was still very sexy coming from you." Spike nuzzled her neck as the driver stopped the car.

"Here's the Plaza, kids." He smiled back at them. "It's $20 for the ride."

Spike handed the driver the money as Buffy pulled him out of the cab. They gazed up at the hotel in awe.

"It's so big.. and pretty.. like something in a fairytale." Buffy whispered.

"Only the best for my girl." Spike led her up the steps. "I got us the best suite in the place."

"Really?"

"Well.. maybe not the best suite." Spike bit his lip. "But it's pretty damn nice."

*

It was pretty damn nice. There was a huge bathroom, equipped with a jacuzzi and spacious shower. The bedroom was decorated in lush gold and cream colours, with a king-sized plush bed that Buffy thought she could lie on forever. They could see Central Park from their bedroom, covered in a blanket of Winter whiteness. In both the bedroom and their loungeroom were chandeleirs and fireplaces, casting glows upon the room.

"Let's order room service while we unpack!" Buffy cried and ran for the phone. She jumped onto the bed and grabbed the receiver, dialling the kitchen as their bellboy had instructed. Spike slid onto the bed beside her and covered her slender body with kisses, peeling away the layers of clothing slowly.

"Yes, could we please have champagne and mudcake... no, I'm 17.. so is my boyfriend..." Buffy frowned. "Fine. Just send up the cake and some ice-cold lemonade? Merci."

She turned to face Spike and dropped her lips to his. "Thankyou for this."

"S'okay, kitten." Spike pulled her into his lap and continued the kiss passionately.

"Have you got me a present yet?"

"Not just yet.. but we'll go shopping tonight, eh?"

"Okay." Buffy grinned and jumped off the bed. "We'll have our cake, and unpack, and then can we go?"

"Sure thing." Spike smiled to himself as Buffy ran to the door. She returned seconds later with a trolley carrying their cake and drinks.

"First we have to go to Bloomingdales, Macy's, then I've always wanted to go to Agnes B, Jimmy Choo, and Aaron Basha, Barney's, and Mimi So..."

Spike watched as she listed off every store in New York and wondered how many loans he'd have to take out to cover one night of shopping. He cut off a portion of mudcake and lifted it to her lips. Buffy eagerly accepted it, licking her lips afterwards. "I hope all New York food is that delicious. And that reminds me.. we have to get pretzels. Oh, and we HAVE to go to La Maison du Chocolat!"

"Isn't that in Paris?"

"No, they have one on Madison Avenue." Buffy said, entwining her fingers through his hair. "Can we go to Paris next year?"

"Sounds expensive." Spike said with a frown.

"Fine, deprive me!" Buffy poked her tongue out at him.

"Come here." Spike pulled her to him roughly and kissed her. "I would never, ever deprive you."

"Then let's go!" Buffy ran to get her coat. "Bloomingdale's first."

*

"How do I look?" Buffy asked, emerging from the dressing room in her latest - a hot pink, knee length satin concoction of a dress with a black gem clasp adorning the low neckline.

"You look.. amazing." Spike was almost breathless at the sight of her.

"It's a little pricey." Buffy said dismally.

Spike pulled her over to him and checked the price tag. "That's not too much."

Buffy spun around and grinned at him. "Really?"

"Really.. I love it on you. In fact, Im going to buy it for you, princess."

Buffy squealed happily. "Can I wear it out of the store?"

"If that's okay with the nice lady over here." Spike said, gesturing for the sales assistant to come over.

"Very nice choice. Are you wearing it out of the store?"

Buffy nodded vehemently and turned so she could check the dress. "Sir, if you'd like to come and pay?"

Buffy went back into the dressing room and sunk against the wall, completely elated from their night of shopping together. She pulled on her coat and admired herself in the mirror - the dress was by far the prettiest thing she owned.

"You ready, luv?" Spike took her hand and led her out into the main part of the shop. "Anything else you want to look at?"

They'd looked at everything from perfume to jewellry to books, but Buffy suddenly had an idea. "This way."

She led him over to the lingerie section. "Choose something for me."

Spike pulled her close and nuzzled her neck. "Really?"

Buffy giggled and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Anything.. I want to look sexy for you on our holiday."

"Okay." Spike wandered around for a while, still holding her close, as he admired the various garments of lingerie on display. Finally, he picked up a black satin nightgown, trimmed with hot pink lace. "This is awfully sexy, luv."

"Mmmm." Buffy smiled at him. "And what would I be wearing under that?"

"If I had my way, nothing." Spike pressed his lips to hers, kissing her hungrily.

Buffy dragged him over to the counter. "Well, we'll have to wait and see."

*
 

Chapter 26:

Winter snow is falling down
Children laughing all around
Lights are turning on
like a fairy tale come true...

Buffy and Spike's bodies were pressed close together, their arms and legs entwined as they lay together kissing on their bed. Buffy removed Spike's shirt slowly as he slid his hands under the newly-purchased black nightie, caressing the soft planes of her skin.

Buffy straddled him and was about to undo his jeans when the phone rang. Spike reached for it, but Buffy slapped his hand. "Leave it."

"It could be your mom." Spike said softly as he brought the reciever to his ear. "Hello?"

Buffy sighed angrily and got off him. She stormed into the bathroom and splashed her face with cool water, trying to rid herself of the burning desire building within her.

Spike appeared in the room a moment later. "It was your mom. She wants us to meet at Adrienne - it's a French restaurant on Fifth Avenue."

"Fine." Buffy said abruptly and pushed past him on her way back to their bedroom. She picked her dress up off the floor and slid it on.

"Why are you mad at me?" Spike spun her around to help with the zip Buffy was fumbling with. He kissed his way up her back, slowly taking the zip with him on his ascent.

"I'm not. Let's go." Buffy grabbed her purse and hurried to the door. Spike grabbed her, turned her to face him, and kissed her softly.

Leaving her breathless, Spike pulled away, then took her hand and kissed it. "Vous êtes si beau mon coeur a sauté beaucoup de battements. Je t'aime, ma princesse."

Buffy went weak at the knees and had to grip onto him tight so she didn't tumble to the floor. "What did that mean?"

Spike chuckled and led her out the door. "Attendez et voyez, mon amour."

Sitting by the fire we made
You're the answer when I prayed
I would find someone,
and Baby I found you...

"Spike speaks French!" Buffy cried as soon as she saw her mother and Dawn waiting at a table. She turned back to Spike. "Say something else."

"Cessez d'être un imbécile, Buffy. Êtes-vous des filles affamées?" Spike helped Buffy into her seat.

"That was something about being hungry, right?" Dawn said. "I do French at school.. but I'm not very good."

"I'm sure you're great, Nib-"

"Say it in French!" Buffy said, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at him lovingly.

Spike sighed and continued, "Je suis sûr que vous êtes grand, Nibblet."

Buffy squealed and clapped her hands together. "Isn't he sweet?"

Joyce smiled and handed Buffy and Spike a menu to share. "This is on me, so be as extravagant as you like."

"What is all this stuff?" Buffy hissed, eyeing the menu suspiciously.

"It's food, kitten."

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked in a thick accent.

"We'll have-"

Buffy cut Joyce off and said, "No. Let Spike do it."

He sighed and turned glanced down at the menu. "Un verre de chardonnay pour Joyce, et trois verres de faux champagne pour nous trois. Sautons l'entrée, car il est tard, et passons au premier cours. Je crois le poulet de citron voulu par aube
et d'olive, poulet voulu par Joyce Paillardes, et Buffy aura le poulet de Cajun avec un service de salade. Et j'aurai la gaine avec des olives. Merci."

Buffy grinned at him, reaching underneath the table to take his hand. "That was wonderful. It's such a beautiful language."

"Cela a pris du temps, mais je crois qu'il est en valeur lui." Spike leant over and kissed her. "Je t'aime."

All I want is to hold you forever
All I need is you more every day
You saved my heart
from being broken apart
You gave your love away
and I'm thankful every day
for the gift...

"How do you know French so well?" Buffy asked.

"I spend a lot of time in England with my family, and when you live in England, France is right next door. It becomes your second home."

"Yeah, if you're loaded with cash!" Dawn said, raising her eyebrows. "God I'm full.."

Spike turned to Buffy. "Don't you do Italian at school?"

"I guess I started learning Italian.. but you know how I am with schoolwork." Buffy blushed.

"Yes.. we do know." Joyce said tersely, tut-tutting at her elder daughter jokingly.

"I'll get better." Buffy insisted. "Spike can be my tutor."

"Aucune manière dans l'enfer." Spike muttered.

"What did you just say?" Buffy asked, frowning at him.

"He said, 'no way in hell'!" Dawn explained, doubling over with laughter.

"And what are you two doing tomorrow?" Joyce asked Spike and Buffy. "Christmas Eve.. it'll be wonderful here in the Big Apple."

"We're gonna go to the Rockefeller Centre!" Buffy said happily as the waiter handed Joyce the bill.

"I'll go pay for this. Spike, join me for a moment?" Joyce led him away from the table. "Did you buy her that dress?"

"Yeah. She looks wonderful, doesn't she?"

"I saw the same dress with Dawn in Bloomingdales." Joyce said sternly. "I remember looking at the price and almost dying of shock."

Spike hung his head as she handed the cashier her credit card. "I was just buying her something special."

"She's walking all over you." Joyce said quietly. "Just be careful."

She took her credit card and walked back to the table to get her purse.

Spike bit his lip, and muttered, "Merde."

But the colors fade away
And the years will make us grey
But baby in my eyes
You'll still be beautiful.

"Tonight was fun." Buffy said, giggling as they returned to their room. "Say it in French?"

"Le ce soir était amusement." Spike replied, smiling at her lovingly. "C'mere."

Buffy snuggled into his arms and kissed him. "What do you want to do?"

"Seeing as it's midnight, sleep would be the first thing that comes to mind." Spike suggested, unsuccessfully attempting to stifle a yawn.

"Okay." Buffy kissed him, taking his hand and leading it to the zip at the back of her dress. Within seconds it was puddled around her feet, and Buffy was only wearing a black bra and panties. "Carry me to bed?"

"Oui, mon amour de bonbon à sucre." Spike swept her up into his arms and carried her into their bedroom. "J'espère que vous dormez bien."

"Oui." Buffy murmered as he wrapped his arms around her. "Umm.. Je t'aime?"

"Oui, Je t'aime, mon amour." Spike whispered, kissing her neck. "Wait here a sec."

He got out of bed and walked to the curtains, pulling them wide open to reveal the stars twinkling in the night sky.

"Much better." Buffy agreed as he kissed her, the moonlight washing over the bedroom, casting a romantic light.

"Votre étincelle d'yeux aiment ces étoiles, avec amour seulement signifié pour moi."

Buffy smiled sleepily, and although she had no idea exactly what he had said, she had a faint idea.

All I want is to hold you forever
All I need is you more every day
You saved my heart
from being broken apart
You gave your love away
I can't find the words to say
That I'm thankful every day
for the gift...

*

 

Chapter 27:

The phone's sharp ringing woke Buffy.

"Hello?" Buffy said sleepily, easing herself out of Spike's arms.

"It's me." Joyce replied. "I'm not interrupting?"

"No.. Spike's still asleep." Buffy closed the bedroom door behind her and went to sit down in front of the fire that was still crackling slightly. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you about Spike. I'm not exactly happy.." Joyce paused and took a deep breath, "With the way you treat him."

"Huh?"

"You're walking all over the poor boy.. making him pay for all this stuff, and you're very demanding."

"I am not!" Buffy cried, seeing red. "That's not fair!"

"That dress he bought you cost a lot, Buffy, and he-"

"He insisted on buying it!" Buffy snapped. "And I don't think I'm taking advantage of him in any way!"

"I realise you have problems, and you need him to be there. But think of the problems you're causing for him."

Buffy felt close to tears. She gritted her teeth, and hissed, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to realise that no one person is more important than another in a relationship. You're being incredibly selfish and it almost reminds me of your fath-"

"Don't say that." Buffy yelled and slammed the phone down. "How dare she?"

Buffy sat still for a moment, considering what her mother had just said. She crawled across the floor and picked up her dress, admiring it for a long while. It had cost a lot - but Spike had appeared to be okay with buying it. Buffy knew that their time together might have been taking an emotional toll on Spike, but he never let it show. He was her rock - Buffy hated to think of him crumbling.

"Princess?" Spike pulled her to her feet. "Why are you up so early?"

Buffy burst into tears, launching herself into his arms. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

Spike was utterly bewildered as she cried, clutching to him as though it were a matter of life or death.

"What's the matter?" Spike asked softly, leading her over to the couch. He sat her down then went and restacked the fire.

"I treat you so awfully.. I'm a horrible, horrible person." Buffy pulled him down to sit next to her and crawled into his lap. "I'm sorry.. I really am."

"For what?" Spike asked slowly, still confused. "You don't treat me badly."

"But I use all your money."

"Princess, who insisted on buying the dress for who here?"

"But I dump all my worries on you."

"I want you to talk to me.. I'd be worried if you kept it all to yourself." Spike pulled her into his lap. "Who put these crazy ideas into your head? Your mom?"

"She thinks I'm using you for your money."

"Are you?" Spike asked softly, brushing a stray lock of her hair away.

"No." Buffy kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, and I always have. Do you think she's being silly?"

"Of course I do!" Spike said, laughing. "She just doesn't understand."

"I love you.. I promise, I'll be better." Buffy smiled at him then lowered her lips to his, parting his lips with her tongue. Her tongue danced with his, and when she broke apart to take a breath, they said simultaneously,

"I love you."

*

Buffy and Spike sat down on the bench, eating their pretzels together. Buffy jumped off the seat a moment later.

"This seat is really cold."

Spike smiled and pulled her into his lap. "That better?"

"Much, much better." Buffy replied softly, snuggling into him to get comfy.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Spike asked, kissing the nape of her neck.

"Get lots of presents." Buffy grinned. "That's what Christmas is all about."

"It's also about being with the people you love." Spike reminded her.

"Yeah.. that too." Buffy said slowly. "But I still like presents!"

"Well, I promise you'll get plenty."

"Can I go off on my own for a while?" Buffy asked, standing to wipe the crumbs off her blouse. "I need to get you and my family presents."

"Want to meet back at the hotel then? I'm a bit tired." Spike said, faking a yawn. He had his own plans to go and buy Buffy another gift that he'd seen in Macy's.

"Okay." Buffy kissed him, running her hands up the length of his body. "Love you."

"I love you too." Spike checked his watch. "Let's meet back at the room around 2:15, alright? Then we can go skating, all in time to have Christmas Eve dinner with your mom and sister."

"I'll see you then, baby...bye." Buffy said with a smile, turning and walking off down the street. She felt like a princess, a Carrie Bradshaw kind of girl, free in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. She'd already gotten part of Spike's present, but her mother had given her some money for a more special gift. Buffy headed off towards Bloomingdales.

*

Buffy smiled madly as she left Bloomingdales, carrying three bags on each arm. She'd been a little extravagant - among her purchases were shoes for Dawn, a skirt for her mom, a shirt for Spike, a book on art for Willow, and cologne for Xander, plus perfume for herself.

She checked her wristwatch and slapped her hand to her forehead. It was past 4:30 by now, and in her shopping frenzy she'd forgotten the time.

She hailed a cab and ordered him to speed to the Plaza.

*

"Where the hell have you been?" Spike yelled as soon as she got in the door. Buffy jumped back, startled by his rage.

"I'm sorry.. I was in Bloomingdales and I just lost track of time!"

"You could have called!" Spike glared at her. "I was worried sick."

"I'm sorry." Buffy leant up and met his lips in a soft kiss. "I really am.. I was just having so much fun. You're not too mad, right?"

"No.. it's okay." Spike pulled her closer to him. "Why don't we go skating now? We can go for an hour or so, then I've arranged for dinner at Caffe Grazie. Maybe you can speak some Italian to me?"

"Ummm..." Buffy went bright red. "Ciao?"

"That's all you know?"

"Come stai?"

"Right then." Spike chuckled and went into the bedroom. "Come and look at this."

Buffy followed him and gasped. "My mom is going to kill you."

A beautiful dress was laid out on the bed, black, short and strappy. It was low cut to show off generous amounts of cleavage, but not enough so that Buffy would look trampy. She grabbed it and spun around the room, clutching it to her. "It's so wonderful!"

Spike grabbed her and kissed her. "You'll look damn sexy in it, kitten."

Buffy broke away and pulled off her coat. She shimmied out of her dress and pulled on the new one, sighing happily - it was a perfect fit, the silk hugging her every curve.


"You look.." Spike was speechless. He swept her up into his arms. "You're so beautiful, Buffy. I can't believe you're all mine."

"In French." Buffy reminded him with a smile as his kisses covered her entire face, descending her neck to her chest.

"Je ne peux pas croire que vous êtes tous à moi." Spike whispered in a husky voice, thick with lust. He kissed her passionately, lying her down on the bed so he could mount her body. "I love you."

Buffy gasped as Spike kissed her neck. "Oui, oui.."

"In Italian." He reminded her, smirking slightly.

Buffy pressed her lips to his. "Si."

*

 

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