***

Chapter 7 - Family

Buffy spent most of the afternoon in her room; the one-sided conversation she had overhead running through her mind. So - Will liked Showgirls, huh? It figured. He probably had his pick too. It wasn't as if Vegas wasn't over flowing with beautiful busty women he could seduce.

She looked down at her own body categorizing the flaws she saw there; small breasts, skinny figure. She certainly didn't have an hourglass appearance. She stared at herself in the mirror. She did have nice hair though, she smiled softly, especially after Henry had gotten through with her.

After several hours of brooding she finally decided to get out. So what if Will didn't want her? This was the start of her new life, dammit! And she wasn't going to let one rejection ruin it for her. Going through her suitcase she found one of the few 'nice' things she'd brought with her. It wasn't as sexy as the cocktail dress she'd worn to dinner the other night, but it would do.

Buffy twirled in front of the mirror. She loved this skirt. It was slips of overlapping silk so that the hem was an uneven line of triangles at the bottom. It was cut so that when she twirled the skirt rose up and flapped around her. To go on top she had on a glittering halter just this side of gold. The shade of the halter made the red highlights in her hair stand out even more. Satisfied, Buffy took a deep breath grabbed her small gold clutch purse and headed out the door.

***

Spike was scowling at the monitors when Joyce walked into the room. She stepped close to look over his shoulder and see what had him in such a foul mood.

"Crazy bint." Spike mumbled. "She's playing all wrong. Playing one coin at a time, holding a pair of twos and discarding a king and jack? What does she think she's doing out there alone?"

Spike jumped when he felt the hand land on his shoulder. "Bloody hell!" He turned around ready to curse out the intruder.

"Mum!" Spike's cheeks flooded with color. His mum was the only woman still able to make him blush with embarrassment. "How long have you been standing there?" He asked, hugging her at the same time.

"Just a few minutes." She answered hugging him back. "What's got you so upset this time? Card counter?" She peered over his shoulder once more.

"'S nothing." He shrugged it off, though she noticed he kept one eye on the screens. "You're early, is da with you?"

"Yes, well Dru was getting a bit tired of our visit, I think." Joyce's eyes were smiling brightly. "So we cut it short. Your da stopped in Los Angeles to talk with Xander about some contract or other he's setting up. They should both be here sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"Xan's coming too?" Spike smiled widely. It had been almost a year since the last time he'd seen his old friend.

"Yes, he said he had some business with the new winner - Buffy was it?" Joyce watched the expressions flit across her son's face.

At the mention of her name, Spike turned back to the monitors. "Right, Buffy. Buffy Summers. There she is now." He pointed out her black and white image on the screen.

'Fetching', Joyce thought as she watched the young woman sitting at the video poker machine. "She doesn't seem to know what she's doing, does she?" Joyce laughed. "She's the one who took you for 2 million?"

Spike scowled and turned back to his mother. "She's lucky. That's all you need in this town."

"Hmm.well it seems as if she could use a few lessons as well. Oh good! There's someone come to help her." Joyce pointed out.

Spike spun around again. The frown marring his face deepened. Joyce watched her son with interest. She'd never seen Will's attention so focused before. And she'd definitely never seen it focused on a single woman. Before she could query him, he pushed past her with a mumbled, "I've got to go."

'Curiouser and curiouser', Joyce thought as she followed her son out the door.

***

Buffy had wandered the casino floor trying to find something that didn't look too complicated. She watched a woman play for a few minutes before finding an empty machine herself. It didn't look too hard. Just poker, and since there were no other players she wouldn't get as nervous.

She read all the rules on the front of the machine before pulling out a crisp twenty dollar bill and inserting it in the slot. She watched as her credits increased until they topped out at 80. She hit the 'bet' button once and then pressed 'deal'.

She had a pair of twos, a king, a jack, and an eight. She pressed the 'hold' buttons under the twos and then hit 'deal again. She frowned when she saw that she had lost. Shrugging her shoulders she played another hand.

Now after having played for about half an hour she was up to 82 credits. This time she had a pair of tens, a jack, a queen, and a seven. She hit the 'hold' buttons for the tens but before she could hit 'deal' she felt a movement to her right. A handsome young man slid into the seat next to her, giving her a wide smile.

"Hello. You look like you might be able to use some help." He winked. "My name's Riley." He held out his hand to her.

Shaking his hand she gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Buffy. Is it that obvious? That I don't know how to play, I mean." Her smile turned sheepish.

"Nah. You're doing okay, just thought you might like a pointer or two." He leaned in close to her, their shoulders brushing as he pointed to her cards. "You don't want to keep the tens. At least not both of them. You want to keep the Jack, Queen, and ten of hearts." He pointed to each in turn, causing their bodies to rub up against each other.

Buffy stared at the cards he indicated. "But why? Shouldn't I keep the pair I have, what if I get another ten?"

"Well, sure a triple would be nice. But what you're really going for is the jackpot. And to get that you need a royal flush. You already got three of the five cards you need to make it. Why not go for it?" He shrugged at her, showing a line of straight teeth with his grin. "But, you won't get the jackpot even if you got the flush now because you need to play 3 credits to win that."

"Oh." Buffy processed the information, even as she did as instructed. She ended up winning one credit with a pair of Jacks and she clapped her hands. "Well at least I didn't lose!" She threw her thousand watt smile at him.

They played a couple more hands, Riley instructing her on which cards to hold for each. She was bouncing in her seat, having just one with a full house, eights over threes, when Riley reached over and took one of her hands in his.

"Great job Buffy!" He pulled her hand forward and kissed the palm. "What do you say I buy you a drink and we can continue your lessons in the bar?"

Before she could answer she felt the pressure of a firm grip on her shoulder. Looking up she saw Will's angry glower. "The lady's with me."

She turned back to Riley, who was quickly pulling his hand away from hers. "Hey man." He put his hands up in the universal sign for surrender. "Sorry. I didn't know she was taken." Then he was up and walking away without even saying goodbye to her.

Buffy stood, anger infusing her whole body. "What do you think you're doing?" Who was he to come barging in like that?

Spike was gritting his teeth, trying to calm the rage coursing through his veins. He was surprised at the intensity of his feelings, but didn't have time to question them now. "I told you not to come down here alone."

"You're not my father, or my boyfriend. You can't tell me what to do. It's none of your business!"

"My place. My business!" He answered, nostrils flaring. "There's good reason for you not to wander around down here by yourself. Not ten minutes and you're already getting hit on!"

"He wasn't hitting on me!" Buffy countered. "He was just helping me. I've never played before - "

"You really are naïve aren't you?" He asked quietly, anger slowly dissipating.

Buffy's face flared with humiliation. "Even if he was hitting on me, what's it to you? Why do you care?"

"Why do I care?" Buffy backed up a step at the tone of his voice. Before she could get any further he had her back pinned to the video machine, his mouth descending towards hers. Buffy's eyes closed in anticipation, her face tilted up.

"So this is Buffy Summers the lucky winner." Joyce stated quietly. She'd watched the proceedings without interference, but decided it was time to make her presence known.

Buffy and Spike jumped apart, both their faces scarlet. "Mum!" At Will's startled exclamation, Buffy turned to study the woman watching them. So this was Will's mom?

"Aren't you going to introduce us Will?" Joyce asked.

Buffy watched with amusement as Will stuttered out the introductions. "Mum this is Buffy Summers. Buffy this is my Mum, Joyce Giles." He pointed to each in turn.

Embarrassed beyond belief to have been caught in a compromising position with her son, Buffy found she couldn't look Joyce in the face. Instead she studied the carpet in front of her feet and said a quiet, "Nice to meet you Mrs. Giles."

Buffy was surprised when a slender finger came up just below her chin, lifting her face until she was eye to eye with Will's mom. "Call me Joyce." Buffy felt an instant affinity to the woman before her.

"Thank you - Joyce." Buffy gave her a tentative smile. When Joyce returned it, Buffy's smiled blossomed into its normal irresistible state. "I was playing video poker." She pointed to the machine proudly.

Joyce chuckled. "Yes, I caught that. If you'd like some lessons, I'd be happy to teach you." Joyce grabbed hold of Buffy's elbow, leading her toward the lounge. "Why don't we have a seat and chat. I want to hear your whole story. So far I've only gotten bits and pieces."

Spike sighed and shook his head as he watched the two ladies head for the lounge arm in arm.

***

Chapter 8 - The Men (Giles and Otherwise)

Spike was sitting at his desk brooding. His mum had apparently found a new chum in Buffy, and the two were off having a 'girls day'. It seemed like forever since they had been alone together; his scowl deepened at the thought that this bothered him. He was not going to get involved with her, dammit!

Spike's musings were cut off by the entrance of his father; Rupert Giles was quickly followed by Spike's friend Xander, and then surprisingly his grandfather Thomas. "Grandda! What are you doing here?" He stood quickly to envelop the older man in a warm hug.

"Since you won't be bothered to come visit us, I've come to see what you're about." Thomas Giles' voice boomed throughout the room. "Now where's the lucky lass I've heard so much about?"

Spike smirked at the not so subtle hint. He turned to greet his father, who was looking at Xander with a 'what about us?' expression on his face "Hi da, how was your trip?" He gripped his father's hand before pulling him into a brief embrace.

"Fine. Thank you for asking, *cough*, *cough*, finally." Rupert Giles returned the embrace with equal affection, and a bit of teasing. Rupert knew that the affection his children held for Giles was strong, and didn't mind it a bit.

For a moment the three generations of Giles' men stood together. The resemblance between Rupert and Thomas was incredible. They were both rather ruggedly handsome, short light brown, though slightly graying, hair. Spike's looks were rather more rakish than rugged. His bleached blonde hair giving off a 'big bad' image he'd worked hard to produce.

"Ahem." Xander interrupted the family reunion without qualm. "What about me?"

Spike chuckled and slapped his friend on the back. "Hey Xan! How are you?" Xander grinned his goofy grin, reminding Spike why he'd missed his friend so much. "Why don't you visit more often, you bloody ponce?"

"Maybe because your constantly insulting me?" Xander offered, though his grin never wavered. Spike was like a brother to him, and as an only child Xander definitely appreciated that.

"So, where's your mother?" Rupert asked, having missed her the few days they'd been separated.

"She's out with Buffy. They're having some sort of bleedin' girls day; shopping, or getting makeovers or some such." Spike grumbled, making his grandda break out in a grin.

"Jealous boy?" Giles asked.

"What? Course not!" Spike denied. "Just thought since Xan was here and all, Buffy could get her stuff taken care of. You did get all her papers right?" Spike turned an eye toward Xander.

"Of course! Would I be here if I hadn't?" Xander chuckled to himself at the look of concern that passed over Spike as he questioned him. He softened a bit at the look and added, "I've got everything she needs, we just have to pick a bank to open the account at and she'll be all set."

They talked and laughed for a bit more, the men getting to know one another again after their short separation. "So where's grandmum?" Spike finally asked.

"She was too busy with her garden to make the trip. She's still expecting a visit from you soon young man." Giles admonished her.

"And I'm planning one soon." Spike loved the old house in Sunnydale. It was actually more like a castle. His grandda had had it built special after he'd made his first million and asked his grandmum to marry him. It was an impressive sight. There was only one road that went to the house, and it curved along a cliff at the top of which stood the Giles castle. Spike had spent more than a few days of his youth standing out there watching the waves crash into the cliff side and dreaming of his future. "Can't ever stay away from that old homestead for too long, you know that."

"Why don't we call and see if the women have returned?" Rupert suggested, impatient to see his wife again. At his father's request, Spike nodded and reached for the phone, ignoring the small knot that formed in his stomach at the thought of seeing Buffy again.

When he rang Buffy's room, his mother answered and invited them all up to the suite to finish whatever business Buffy had with Xander. The men agreed and headed up directly.

***

Joyce was smiling to herself. Buffy was in her bedroom changing into one of the new outfits that they'd bought during their trip. A cute, sexy summer dress that set off the green in her eyes and the highlights in her hair. It was a pale yellow cotton number with spaghetti straps that hung to just above her knees, showing off her smooth tanned legs. She'd asked Buffy to put the dress on with the pretense of wanting to see her in it one more time. But she knew what her son's reaction would be when he walked into the room to find Buffy in that dress, and so she smiled.

When the bell rang, Joyce crossed over drink in hand and ushered the men in. She gave her husband a brief but passionate kiss before hugging her father-in-law and surrogate son, Xander. "We're so glad to see you again Xander. You should come visit more often."

"Yes Mrs. Giles." Xander answered dutifully. Smiling at the warm affection he always felt when in the presence of the Giles' family.

"Xander! You know you can always call me Joyce!" Joyce admonished him, giving him a playful swat on the shoulder.

"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed, stopping in the archway of the door. She hadn't known anyone besides Joyce was there, too busy rummaging through the bags to find the dress Joyce had wanted to see.

Spike's head turned at the sound of her voice. His eyes took in the length of her, his hands itching to do the same. The dress she wore inspired images of her beneath him, skirt ridden up above her waist, smooth legs wrapped around him. He could feel his penis stretch and lengthen in his denims. He swallowed hard, his adams apple bobbing in his throat.

"Buffy! Didn't I tell you that dress looked beautiful on you?" Joyce grinned at her. Then she introduced all the men, ending with Xander. "Oh, the boys are here to do a little business. This is Xander, I believe he's your lawyer?"

"Oh, hello." Buffy was extremely nervous. She'd never been around so many handsome men in her life. And the way Spike kept looking at her and not saying a word was very disconcerting. "Thank you for all you've done for me." She addressed the young man Joyce had introduced.

"No problem Buffy. Anyone who takes 2 million away from Spike, is a friend of mine." Xander grinned at her, and she smiled back at the goofy expression and easy camaraderie he inspired.

Pulling out his briefcase, Xander got down to business. He gave Buffy copies of her birth certificate and the other papers he'd gotten to hasten the transfer of her money. "Now, you just need to let us know what bank you want the account opened in, and we can finish up the rest."

"Bank? Uhm." Buffy thought, but didn't really know any of the banks here. "Can we just leave it in the one it's already in?"

"Sure!" Xander agreed heartily. "That's a good idea, less paperwork, and the bank chieftans will definitely do a rain dance for you."

Buffy laughed out loud at the crazy things Xander was saying. Her head was thrown back and her eyes sparkled with mirth, while Xander laughed right along with her.

Spike's gut churned and twisted.

"So that's it then, luv. As of tomorrow morning, you'll be a millionaire." Spike announced.

Buffy's laughter tapered off, her face paling. Her hand came up to cup her cheek, and her eyes widened just a bit. The deer in the headlights look, Spike gulped. "Wow! I think I'm in shock." Buffy whispered.

Spike was by her side instantly. "Don't think too much about it luv. It'll overwhelm you, but we'll all help. I'm sure Xan can get a list of financial advisors with good reputations for you." Spike looked up at Xander and waited for his nod of agreement before continuing. "And anything else you need just ask, luv, and I'll make sure you get it. Okay?" He'd taken her hand without thinking, stroking it with his own while he talked in soothing tones to her.

Buffy was grateful for the calming effect Will always had on her. But it confused her as well. Were they to be friends now?

"Let's celebrate shall we?" Joyce asked. "This calls for some champagne!" Rupert called for room service, while Joyce and the rest of the clan gathered around Buffy to congratulate her.

Buffy's head was spinning. She was still in shock over the finality of her winning. And now she was caught up in a whirlwind of congratulatory hugs and kisses. And when Thomas Giles bent down to envelope her in a hearty embrace he whispered sweet words to her, "you are a pretty lass after all," before pulling away.

There was talk of a big family dinner to follow, and her eyes began to mist when she realized that she was included in the planning. Without warning tears began to fall. Muttering a quick, "Excuse me", Buffy rushed from the room. She locked herself in the bathroom before she let the sobs wrack her tiny frame. She was leaning her back against the bathroom door when they finally hit. Sliding to the floor she wrapped her hands around her knees and hugged, waiting out the crying jag.

Once her eyes had dried, she stood to examine herself in the mirror. Splashing cool water on her face she was glad to hear silence beyond the door. Finally exiting the room she walked back out to the bedroom relieved that the Giles' had left her alone. 'How humiliating to have broken down in front of them all like that', she thought.

Sitting on the edge of the bed she contemplated putting away all her new purchases for the day. She wasn't really in the mood, but it would give her something to take her mind off what had happened earlier. Before she could open the first bag, her eye caught movement at the bedroom door and she turned to find Will watching her with a concerned expression.

A crimson blush stained her cheeks and she quickly looked away. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "I didn't mean to.that is...I couldn't help it." She finished lamely.

"No need to apologize Buffy. We know it's a bit crazy, your whole life turning upside down this way. We didn't mean to crowd you, or upset you. Winning that much money is a life altering and overwhelming experience for anybody." He walked closer, wanting to join her on the bed and wrap a comforting arm around her, but he didn't trust himself.

"It's not that." Buffy couldn't face him, so she continued to hang her head. "It's your family. They.they should have been mad. They should have been upset, to lose all that money. But instead they were *happy*. They congratulated me! And they were so affectionate. And warm. And - " Buffy broke off. She didn't really know how to explain it to him. He'd obviously been around that kind of warmth and affection his whole life. Would he understand how someone who'd never received that, would feel?

Finally she turned her face upward to meet his gaze. "My family, wasn't very big. It was just me and my mom. My dad left before I could really remember too much of him. And my mom was never very affectionate, or touchy. She never gave big hugs or sloppy kisses." Buffy shrugged. "I know she loved me. But she just wasn't like that." 'And I'd never really known what I was missing until today', Buffy thought.

No matter how bad an idea it was, Spike crossed over and took a seat on the bed beside her. His hand came up to grip her chin and force their eyes to meet. An ache went through him at the sad look that hid behind her emerald eyes. "Buffy, luv. You don't have to be ashamed of that. And you don't have to be embarrassed to want those things. That affection and love. You deserve them."

They sat studying each other for a moment. After awhile the ache Spike felt twisted and grew into the sweet burn he'd come to associate with being alone with Buffy Summers. His head tilted and descended, their mouths meeting in an open passionate kiss.

He groaned at the first touch of her soft lips, his tongue snaking out to trace the outline of her mouth before plunging in to its depths. His hands slid down to her shoulders, reveling in the feel of her skin. She mewled and arched toward him, trying to gain more contact, and he complied. His hands wandered her body, as his tongue explored her mouth.

He'd been hard since the moment he first saw her in that dress, but now he was practically throbbing in pain. Caught up in the feel of her, he hadn't noticed her movement until she was already straddling his lap. When she let her weight fall on top of him, her moist heat landed on top of his erection causing them both to groan and thrust.

Spike wrenched his mouth off hers, taking in big gulps of air trying to cool himself down. What was he doing? Damn! Why couldn't he control himself around this woman? Slowly he pushed her off his lap, rubbing his sweaty palms on his trouser legs as he stood.

"I'm sorry Buffy. I shouldn't have - "

"What?!" Buffy was fuming. "You shouldn't have what? Kissed me? Touched me? Made me want you?"

"No. I told you, you don't know the rules of the game." Spike insisted.

"And I told you, you don't have to protect me! I can take care of myself." She answered back.

Consumed with frustration and guilt, Spike lashed out. "Really? I find that hard to believe, when you can't even face your ex!"

Buffy winced at his direct hit. She stood for a moment collecting herself before answering calmly, "You're right. I need to face him. You'll always see me as a coward or a child, until I can show you that I can stand up for myself." She was panting and her breasts were heaving with each lung full she took in.

"How do we do it?" She asked.

Spike was taken aback at the question. Racy images flitted through his mind, and he tried to focus. "Do it?"

"Yes. Inform the press? Do I need to call a press conference or something, or will you just give them my name?" She waited patiently for his answer.

Guilt assaulted Spike at the question. She wasn't ready for that, and yet he'd pushed her into it with his stupid words. "Buffy, you don't have to." He tried to approach her, but she shrugged him off.

"No, I do. I have to do this for me. You said yourself I wouldn't be able to hide from them forever. And I'd rather deal with the press on my own terms, rather than theirs. So are you going to call the press conference?" She asked, pointing her upturned chin at him.

Spike sighed heavily before heading toward the phone to call his assistant.

***

Chapter 9 - Dinner and Blackjack

Buffy's face was slightly flushed from the glass of wine she'd been drinking. She was having a marvelous time. The whole Giles clan was with her, including Xander whose warm eyes and corny jokes had instantly appealed to her. In fact, every single person at the table appealed to her. Her eyes swept the group finally landing on Spike, who was now in a quiet conversation with his grandfather. 'Some were a little more appealing than was good for her,' Buffy thought and then sighed.

She had originally declined the dinner. After her outburst this afternoon, she had been too embarrassed to really want to see any of them tonight. But Joyce had come knocking on her door, and insisted she join them. And who could refuse such a dynamic woman? Certainly not Buffy. But now she was glad she'd accepted.

None of the family had commented on her emotional display, and the conversation had been lighthearted and easy all night. She found herself laughing more in the past two hours than she had in the past two years. She also found herself fantasizing about having this for herself someday. Right now, she knew that the family, the camaraderie, was all borrowed. She sighed again, softly.

"Those are an awful lot of sighs for an awful lucky girl." Xander teased her. "What's up?"

"Nothing." She smiled at him. "Just thinking."

"Thinking's overrated!" Thomas Giles boomed. "You need to feel! To act!" He gave her a roguish grin.

"That's probably good advice," Buffy laughed. "But I feel like I'm already living an adventure."

"Yes, but just imagine what adventures await you in the future." Rupert added.

Buffy turned to him, once again noticing the resemblance between the three generations of Giles men. "Yes, that's sort of what I was doing."

"Oh?" Spike asked, leaning forward. "And what do you see in your future, Buffy?"

Her face flushed a bit more, not escaping Spike's notice, and she ducked her head shyly. "Nothing really. It's still a bit fuzzy."

"Leave the poor girl alone!" Joyce broke in, noticing Buffy's discomfort. "She's going to have enough questions to answer at the press conference tomorrow."

Buffy noticed Spike's frown at the reminder. "Buffy, you know we can still call it off."

"I told you I don't want to call it off Will. I'm going through with it. It's time." She insisted.

Joyce smiled at Buffy's use of her son's name. As far as she knew, Spike hadn't allowed anyone besides family to call him that in years.

Unconscious of his movements, Spike reached out to grasp Buffy's hand. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as he spoke, "Are you sure luv? You know I didn't mean - "

Buffy's whole demeanor softened at Spike's concerned words, and comforting gesture. "I know Will." She squeezed his hand in return. "But I can't hide forever. And I don't want to. I want to move on with my life, and enjoy my good fortune. And I can't do that with this hanging over me. Can you understand that?"

Spike sighed, still absently rubbing his thumb over her soft skin. "Okay luv." He shook his head, and then slowly withdrew his hand from hers.

The rest of the table held their tongues, but each member of the party had noted the intimate moment. Thomas Giles was hard pressed to keep the grin off his face.

***

After dinner Joyce and Buffy had decided on cocktails in the lounge, while the men had gone off to Spike's office. Joyce wasn't exactly sure what they were going to do, but she had a feeling it had to do with the cigars that her father-in-law was always trying to sneak by his wife. She chuckled at the thought, making Buffy turn to her with a questioning look.

"Just wondering how many cigars Giles is going to try to smoke before he has to go home to mother." She answered the unspoken question.

"Oh." Buffy didn't quite get the joke, but she didn't think it mattered. "Do you think the boys will join us later?"

"Possibly." Joyce took a small sip of her wine before continuing. "What would you like to do until then? Play a few rounds at the tables?"

Buffy bit her bottom lip and chewed for a moment. "I don't really think people like me sitting with them. I'm such a novice. Do you think I can take you up on those lessons you offered?"

Joyce grinned. "Sure! I'll grab a deck of cards, you grab a couple of bowls of pretzels and peanuts."

"Pretzels and peanuts?" Buffy asked, her brow furrowed in puzzlement.

***

Buffy had built her stake up considerably. She'd only started with a handful of pretzels and small cup of peanuts, but already her winnings were mountainous. She chewed on her bottom lip, before asking for another hit. When she busted, she let out the breath she was holding and then popped some more of her winnings into her mouth.

"Corrupting our lucky winner are you?" Rupert bent down to place a soft kiss on Joyce's left temple. "Hello darling." He whispered into her ear. Straightening up to his full height he asked, "So is the Crypt winning any of it's own back?"

"I'm afraid not." Joyce mock-frowned. "She's a lucky one all right."

Buffy laughed. How she loved to see the Giles family interact with one another. It was so different than any relationship she had ever been in. Even now, she watched as Rupert Giles sat down in the chair beside his wife, absently raising his hand and twisting strands of Joyce's hair between his fingertips. It was a gesture of long and intimate familiarity. One that Buffy had never been privileged to witness outside of a movie theater or television set before now.

Rupert wiggled his eyebrows at Buffy in a leering gesture. "Let a *real* gambler show you how it's done little lady." He turned to his wife. "That is if the game is open?"

"You got a stake, you got a chair." Joyce answered, gesturing for him to place his bet.

When Spike found them an hour later, Buffy was giggling and piling more pretzels onto the precarious mound in the middle of the table. He stood and watched her for a moment. She was so innocent; so sweet. He felt something stir inside him. He shook his head quickly to dispel whatever feeling was creeping into him.

It was because of that innocence, that wholesomeness, that he couldn't get involved. She wasn't his type of girl. And he wasn't her type of guy. She didn't belong in this city; she was too good for it. When he shook the increasingly morose thoughts out of his head, he heard Buffy question his father.

"You had seventeen, why did you hit? You're not supposed to his when you have seventeen."

Spike took the seat next to Buffy, his arm coming up to land lightly on her shoulders. "He's a card counter." He turned to his father. "We don't like card counter's at the Crypt." He gave Rupert his most menacing look.

"I taught you to count cards before you were out of your nappies!" Rupert replied.

Spike's grin spread, until it became contagious. "Yup. That's why I can spot 'em."

"You're father hasn't changed. He's still the same gambler that bet me a walk in the moonlight on one hand of blackjack. He hit on seventeen then too." Joyce turned to smile at her husband in fond remembrance.

Spike turned to answer Buffy's unspoken question, "Da met mum while she was dealing blackjack on a cruise ship."

"Oh how romantic!" Buffy exclaimed, turning her starry eyes to the older couple.

Rupert smirked, and Buffy caught her breath. She definitely knew where Spike got his appeal!

"Joyce didn't think so at the time. But I managed to change her mind." Rupert commented.

"I thought you were presumptuous, brazen, and that a walk in the moonlight with you would be nothing short of perilous. I still do." Buffy caught the wink that Joyce threw at her husband. "I just learned to like it."

They all laughed at that. Buffy leaning into Spike to catch her breath; neither noticed the close contact, nor made any move to change it. But knowing looks passed between Mr. and Mrs. Giles as they watched their youngest son.

They played a few more rounds, Spike joining into the game with a small stake of his own. Eventually Buffy couldn't stop from yawning and stood from the table. "Well, I better get some rest if I'm going to be any good at the press conference tomorrow."

"I'll walk you up luv." Spike stood automatically wrapping his arm around Buffy's waist.

"You don't have to." Buffy tried to beg off the escort.

"Buffy, I told you I don't like you wandering around the casino floor by yourself." His eyes narrowed.

"I'm just walking to the elevator!" Buffy stated with an exasperated puff of breath.

"Still, I'd feel better if I escorted you."

"You know, if I wanted the attentions of an overbearing man I could have stayed in Kansas!" Buffy rejoined.

"Overbearing? I'm just trying to keep you safe!"

"I told you I can take care of myself!"

Joyce and Rupert watched the exchange with a mix of amusement and sympathy. They gave each other fond 'remember when?' smiles.

Buffy turned to the couple still sitting at the table. "Thank you for a lovely evening. I'll see you again tomorrow?"

"Of course dear. Why don't we meet for breakfast before the conference? How about 9am, that will give your stomach plenty of time to settle before the butterflies start up!" Joyce gave her an encouraging smile.

"Sure, that would be great. Goodnight." Buffy turned, not waiting for Spike.

Spike's lips thinned into a narrow line. "Mum. Da." He nodded at each in turn before following Buffy out of the room.

Rupert shook his head turning to his wife he stated quietly, "Our poor boy. Years from now he'll look back at these last few days and wonder what hit him."

***

Chapter 10 - Press Conference

Buffy stood nervously chewing on her bottom lip, while Spike watched from a comfortable distance. He itched to go to her side and soothe her, but knew from previous arguments that she wanted to do this on her own. He didn't have any doubts that she could. That she had the grace and poise necessary, but he wished that she would allow him to offer some comfort to her anxious nature.

Xander was giving Buffy some last minute advice. "Don't let the crowd get to you. You only have to answer one question at a time, no matter how many they throw at you. Just point to one person and answer that person's question first, ignore the rest."

Spike listened to make sure Xander wasn't forgetting anything, until he felt the light touch of his mother's hand on his arm. He turned to greet her with a half-hearted smile.

"You look almost as nervous as Buffy!" Joyce pointed out. "And I know you've been in front of the cameras plenty of times."

"I know. I just keep thinking I pushed her into this. She's not ready." Spike replied.

"Oh, I think she'll surprise the lot of us." Rupert answered, coming to stand by his wife to wrap a possessive arm around her. His other hand came up to play lazily with a few escaped strands of her hair.

Spike watched all of this, making note of the small gestures and quiet touches his parents had constantly shared throughout his life. Buffy had been right. He never noticed those things, because they'd always been there. But now that she'd mentioned it, he could see the love and affection practically rolling off his parents in waves. And he knew that it was an affection that infected his entire family. They had always been a hugging, kissing, and clapping group.

"What is it?" Joyce finally asked after enduring several minutes of scrutiny.

Spike sighed and reached up a hand to cup his mother's cheek. "I haven't appreciated you two enough." His voice was soft and caring. "Not nearly enough." And then he placed a gentle kiss on his mother's cheek and a warm hand on his father's shoulder before walking out toward the podium to greet the reporters.

"What was that all about?" Rupert asked, bemused.

"I'm not sure, but whatever it is I hope it continues." Joyce smiled back at him.

***

Buffy listened as Will spoke to the reporters, letting them know what the press conference was about and that they would be meeting the lucky jackpot winner soon. She marveled at the ease in which he spoke to them, his charm shining through in its entirety. She turned at the clasp of a strong hand on her elbow, meeting Thomas Giles' searching look.

"Don't worry girl." He whispered roughly. "You've got more than just beauty in you. You've got strength and intelligence. Don't let that crowd intimidate you." Then he was pushing her forward while Will gestured her toward the podium.

The microphone screeched as she made her first attempts at speech. "Uhm.Hello.I'm Buffy Summers.and I won the jackpot." The crowd of reporters laughed at that.

She really hadn't prepared anything specific. She had assumed that she would just answer any questions that came up. But she found herself panicking as the questions were fired non-stop in her direction.

"Where are you from?" "Do you plan to stay?" "How do you like Vegas?" "What do you have to say about the Giles family?" "What about the Crypt?" "Are you going to quit your job?" "What is your job?"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Will stepping up to take over for her. Shaking her head at him she took hold of the microphone once more. "Please!" She called out waiting until silence descended. "I'm not very good at this. I've never done this before." She gestured toward the reporters. "Maybe it would be better if I just told you my story?"

She began with her birth in Trader's Corners. Leaving out Angel, she explained her desire to explore the world outside of Kansas, and her subsequent road trip ending with her lucky pull at the Crypt's Big Bertha slot machine. Spike watched the crowd as she spoke, and wondered at her ability to capture the audience. None of the reporters had tried to break in with a question, or comment the entire time she told her story. His da was right. He shouldn't have worried.

The conference was over within half an hour; the press buzzing about their latest story as they were ushered out the door. Buffy turned with an exhausted smile on her face. "So it's over?"

Spike strode up to her, enveloping her in a warm hug. "Yeah luv, all over. You were wonderful." He whispered in her ear.

Buffy felt the tingling start in her toes and spread throughout her body. Will's nearness and soft praise making her flush with pride and warmth. But before she could return the embrace he was already pulling away.

"Buffy! You were wonderful!" Joyce swept her up in her own embrace. "This calls for a celebration."

'Déjà vu,' Buffy thought as she was twirled and hugged and congratulated. At least this time she was semi-prepared and there were no emotional outbursts to follow. She smiled and accepted the warmth and affection, almost as if she deserved it.

After all the congratulations and the obligatory champagne, Xander stepped up with some last minute advice. "Now the hard part is going to start."

"Hard part?"

"The phone calls, the solicitors. You need to get yourself a financial advisor as soon as possible. I've left Spike a list of names that are reputable. You should contact them to see if any of them are free to handle your affairs for you." Xander explained.

"Do you really think it will be that bad?" Buffy asked with trepidation.

Spike's hand caught hers. "Don't answer your phone for the next few days Buffy. In fact, we'll just have the front desk hold all your calls, until things settle down a bit."

"Do you really think that's necessary?"

"Oh, quite." Rupert answered for his son. "You're going to discover an entire slew of relatives you've never heard of before." He gave her a chagrined look. "I'm afraid that's the price you pay for the fame and fortune."

After a few last warnings, Buffy excused herself begging off dinner. She was exhausted from the emotional roller coaster she'd been riding all day. Fear of the press conference, fear of Angel, and now anxiety over how to handle this new found fame was giving her a bit of a headache. All she wanted right now was to lay down and shut her eyes.

***

The next morning Buffy strode out onto the roof patio of the Crypt. There was a small crystal blue pool, surrounded by several lounging chairs, and small patio dining tables. The rooftop café was beautiful especially on such a bright and cool morning. She spotted Thomas Giles sitting at one of the tables, in the shade of a large patio umbrella.

"Good morning Mr. Giles." Buffy greeted as she took the offered seat. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me this morning.

"I never turn down a beautiful woman's request." Giles answered affably. "And call me Giles, please. Or Thomas, if you like."

"Thank you Giles. I asked you here beca - " Buffy broke off as the waitress approached.

"What will you have lass?" Giles asked. He shook his head when Buffy declined any food. "Bring the lady a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. And a large glass of orange juice. I'll have the same, but bring me coffee instead."

After ordering, Giles turned to find Buffy gaping at him. "You are much too skinny. You need to put some meat on your bones." Prepared for an argument, Giles heart warmed when he heard Buffy's tinkling laughter instead. "It doesn't matter Mr - Thomas, I can eat all day and nothing sticks."

"Then indulge an old man." Giles answered with a grin of his own.

"You're far from old Giles." Buffy didn't think she'd ever seen a more robust figure, unless of course it was the other two Giles men.

When their table lapsed into silence, Giles urged Buffy to speak her mind. "So, why did you ask me up here Buffy? Besides the desire for my company, that is." He winked at her, causing another bubble of laughter to surface.

"Well, I was hoping I could solicit your help. I wanted you to take a look at the list Xander left me and maybe let me know what you think?"

Giles took the proffered list and studied the names. "These are all top firms. Any of them would do well by you. I suggest you contact the top five and make appointments with each. Just pick the one that you're most comfortable with after meeting them."

"The thing is, Giles, I sort of already have someone in mind." Buffy hedged.

"You do? Who?"

"You." Buffy waited for a response and was met with only silence. "Well? What do you think?"

"Why me?"

"Because I want the best, and you're it." Buffy explained. "You made your own fortune, and you're damn good with money. The investments you've made since earning your first million will leave more than triple that to each of your descendants."

Giles' eyebrow arched at Buffy's detailed description. "Did your homework now didn't you?"

Buffy smiled. "Will you do it?"

"Yes." Giles agreed willingly. "Now, what do you want out of your money?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you want it to do for you? Keep you from working? Travel the world? What?" Giles asked, trying to get a feel for what Buffy would need.

"Well." She chewed on her bottom lip in thought. "I'd like to take some a donate it to charity. I don't feel right not giving some back, you know? I'd like to find one that deals with domestic abuse, if we can."

"Of course. That part will be easy. What else?"

"I would like to travel for a bit, but I don't want to stop working altogether." Buffy answered.

"What do you do for a living child?" Giles asked.

"I used to run a small martial arts studio in Trader's Corners." Buffy's mouth curved into a frown, her eyes darting down to stare at the glass tabletop. "Until Angel had the building closed. They said it was for structural damages, but I knew it was because Angel didn't want me working anymore."

'Bloody bastard!', Giles thought. "Okay, so would you like to continue doing that, or try something new?"

"Oh no! I love teaching Aikido. It really made me feel good to see my students learn and progress; they're the ones I miss the most."

"Okay. So now that we know a few of the things you'd like from your fortune, what else do you want?"

"Else?"

"Yes. A new studio, some travel, and a donation will only use a small percentage of what you've won. What do you want from the rest of it?" Giles inquired.

Buffy's eyes lifted to meet his before answering. "More."

Giles threw his head back in laughter. The warm rich tones surrounded Buffy and ignited soft chuckles from her as well. "A gal after my own heart." He smiled at her. "That's smart Buffy. You make your money work for you, and you won't have anything to worry about in the future." He nodded at her. "Can do. Why don't we start with just a million for now? You'll need the rest for living expenses anyway."

"That sounds good." Buffy's heart was racing. She couldn't believe that she was having this conversation. It was all so casual, handing over a million dollars to another person. As she was pondering this latest series of events, their food arrived and they both dug in.

That's where Spike found them, laughing and eating, on the patio roof. His heart lurched at the sight of Buffy in the sunlight, her hair shining and eyes sparkling as she laughed at one of grandda's corny jokes.

"Well, good morning." Spike greeted them both.

"Good morning my boy!" Giles answered. "'Bout time you left that bloody office! There's a beautiful woman out here just waiting for a leisurely drive through the desert with a handsome bloke like you." Giles hinted.

Spike sighed. He knew his grandda just couldn't keep his hand out things. "Grandda I'm a bit too busy to be taking drives through the desert just now."

"What? It's a sign of the apocalypse when a Giles can't take a few moments to spend time with a pretty lady. Here, at least sit and have some coffee." Giles stood, pulling the chair out for Spike. "Buffy I'll be sure to keep in touch to let you know what's happening." He addressed her before striding off.

Spike sat, thinking this would be a good time to let Buffy know that she couldn't take Giles seriously about these things. "Sorry Buffy. I know grandda can be a bit pushy. I'm sorry if he got you up here on some pretense."

Buffy's brow furrowed in displeasure. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, he's got it in that head of his that you'd suit me."

"Suit you?" Buffy willed her heart not to dance at the thought.

"Yeah. I love the old man, but he's got this thing. He thinks he's some sort of bleedin' matchmaker. Always trying to setup anyone of us that's still single. Just last month he orchestrated this whole thing for my cousin Darla."

"And how did that work out?" Buffy asked.

"Well, in that case it worked. But still. I'm sorry if he tricked you up here."

Buffy's mouth thinned out into a scowl. "What are you implying?"

"Implying? Nothing. I'm just trying to apologize for grandda's meddling ways."

"For your information Mr. Giles, everybody's world does not revolve around you! *I* asked your grandfather up here, and he was good enough to meet me."

"You? Why would you want to meet with grandda?"

"Business." She answered succinctly.

"Business? What kind of business?"

"The kind that is none of yours!" Buffy stood. "But since you clearly won't let it go, I've asked Thomas to be my financial advisor." Buffy noted Will's arched brow. "What? You think I've made some type of mistake?"

"No. I think you couldn't have picked a better person for the job." Buffy's tension eased just a bit at that comment.

"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. I just didn't want grandda putting ideas in your head."

Buffy's eyes narrowed once more. "Ideas?"

"Yeah. You know the matchmaking. Thinking that you'd suit me as a wife - "

"Which you clearly don't believe I would." Buffy cut him off coldly.

"No! I mean, it's not that *you* wouldn't. It's just that I'm not the marrying kind. At least not yet, I'm not ready to settle down like that." Spike tried to explain. He could see Buffy's features darken, and knew that he'd already dug himself a pretty deep hole.

"Well, don't worry." Buffy's voice was calm as she spoke though she was trembling on the inside. "Just because I was willing to sleep with you, doesn't mean I wanted to spend the rest of my life by your side." She took a few steps away from the table, and turned away from him before dropping the final blow. "And you don't have to worry about my getting any *ideas*. I know how you feel about me, and I'll try to stay out of your way from now on."

"Buffy, wait I - " But she was gone, the doors of the lift closing silently behind her.

***

Chapter 11 - Apologies

Buffy spent the next few days ensconced in her suite. She'd lost the desire to explore the casino, not wanting to run into Will. She'd been a fool to get her hopes up, to think that there might be something between them. He was right. She was naïve.

After the horrible scene on the rooftop, she hadn't known what to say to him. She knew he was attracted to her, as was obvious from the few encounters they'd already had. She'd held out hope that maybe it was more than just a physical attraction. But his words from the other day made it plain that it wasn't.

So instead of wandering the casino floor, or exploring the Crypt's many shops Buffy did what she always did when she needed to center and focus herself. She moved all the furniture in the main room clearing the floor. She spent most of the day running through her Aikido exercises. She also worked up some new lesson plans for when she found a new studio.

The rest of the time was spent reading through the commercial real estate section of the newspaper and making a few phone calls. Buffy's first major decision was that she would not, under any circumstances be returning to Trader's Corners. So she had begun searching for two things. The first would be a studio for her new school. And the second would be a house for her new home. Both were to be located here in Vegas. She'd fallen in love with the desert, and she saw no reason to leave it.

Buffy was just finishing a few warm-up kicks when the doorbell rang. Unsurprised to find another hotel delivery man, she accepted the flowers and gave a generous tip. She placed the vase next to the others on the coffee table she'd pushed to the side of the room. Giving in, she bent down to take a quick sniff of the lilacs. She took the card and added it to the small stack she had hidden in her underwear drawer, not bothering to read it. She knew what it said. The same thing that had been written on each card previous. 'Buffy I'm sorry. Please call me. - Spike'. Instead she went back to her exercises, counting out each repetition as she went.

***

Dammit! Why wasn't she calling him? Spike stared at the phone, willing it to ring. He'd already tried calling her several times since that day on the rooftop. But she refused to answer her phone. What more did she want from him? He'd apologized. More so than he could ever remembering apologizing to any other woman, and he hadn't even done anything wrong! He was just trying to warn her about Giles. Okay, so he'd jumped to conclusions, but was that his fault? And had it been that horrible a mistake that she couldn't even accept his apology?

Spike sighed, and sank down into the chair behind his desk. He turned to the monitors, scanning them quickly. He'd been watching the floor constantly, trying to catch a glimpse of Buffy, but she hadn't shown. He'd even made the trip up to her suite several times, but if she had been there she wasn't answering the door. He'd toyed with the idea of using his pass- key but even he thought that was going a bit far.

His head snapped around when the door creaked open, "Buffy?"

"I take it you weren't expecting me?" Joyce smiled at the disappointed look on her son's face. "Were you supposed to meet Buffy here?"

"No." Spike answered. "Just thought maybe you were her." He shrugged.

"She is a bit busy. And I think all the attention has been getting to her."

"You've talked to her?" Spike asked, curious for any news.

"Well yes. We had brunch in her suite yesterday."

"She let you in?" His voice sounded hurt; Joyce hid a grin.

"Of course. Is there some reason she shouldn't have?"

"No." Spike tried to hide his frustration. "Just thought you said she was busy, is all."

"I convinced her to take a break. It's no wonder she's so skinny. Those moves she can do are quite something. It must take an incredible amount of strength, practice, and patience to become that good."

"Moves?"

"Yes. She gave me a quick demonstration the other day. She's been working up some new lessons for when she starts up her new school."

"Oh." Spike wondered why Buffy hadn't spoken to him about starting a new school. He felt inexplicably left out.

"Well, I just stopped in to say hello. I'm meeting your father for lunch downstairs. Maybe we can all have dinner tonight?" She kissed Spike on the cheek before heading out the door.

After his mother had left, Spike sat brooding in his chair. What was he supposed to do now? Buffy refused to see him. Refused to accept his apology. Well, he wasn't about to grovel on his bloody hands and knees that's for sure! He had a business to run! He wasn't going to spend the rest of his day brooding over Buffy Summers. That decided Spike turned his attention back to the black and white images floating through the monitors.

He was up and running before he had time to fully process the fact that Buffy was standing by the reception desk engaged in conversation with a man Spike had never seen before.

***

When the phone rang for the hundredth time, Buffy had had enough. She reached across to pick up the receiver intending to give the caller a piece of her mind. She'd been expecting Will's rough accent, but when she was greeted with a curt, "Buffy," her breath caught in her throat.

"Angel?" Oh god! He'd found her already!

"Buffy." She heard his heavy sigh. "This has all been extremely inconvenient. Tell me what room you're in and I'll come up to collect you this instance."

"You're here? In the hotel?" Buffy's mind was racing. He was here! He wanted to come up to her room. Her sanctuary. She couldn't allow that.

"Of course I'm here! Look at all the trouble you've caused! Now tell me what room you're in!" He demanded.

"No!" Buffy refused. "I m-mean, I'll c-come down." And she hung up before he could command she do otherwise.

"Okay, you knew you'd have to deal with Angel sooner or later." She told herself. She just didn't think it would be this soon. She had counted on a few more days at least, maybe a week. But now? Well, she had no choice, did she? She collected her key card and stepped out the door.

When she stepped out into the lobby, she didn't have to search long before her eyes lighted on Angel's mane of dark brown hair. He was standing next to reception with an annoyed and disgusted look on his face; no doubt because of the staff's refusal to tell him her room number, and the garish, at least to him, décor of the main lobby.

She strode purposely forward, trying to mask her own trepidation at the meeting. "Angel." She greeted him.

"Buffy." Angel moved forward to grab hold of her elbow. "Let's go get your things."

She shook his hand off and took a step back. "No."

"No?" Angel's expression was full of shock. "Did you just say no to me?"

"Yes." Buffy admitted. "I'm not leaving."

"What did you think you were accomplishing running away from home like that?"

"I wasn't running away from home. I was relocating." Buffy answered.

"Relocating? To this place? That's ridiculous!" Angel once again tried to make a grab for Buffy's arm.

Buffy sidestepped the maneuver. "I said no." Buffy let the indignation and anger sweep through her. It went a long way to pushing aside the fear. "I'm sorry if you came all the way out here for nothing, but if you'd called first you would have known I wouldn't come back with you."

Buffy watched as Angel's eyes turned dark and angry. His mouth twisted itself into a deep scowl, and his body went tight with tension. She could see his fists clenching at his sides, and wondered whether he would actually try to hit her. She moved subtly, changing her stance to allow for quick movement.

"You can't be serious? You are my fiance, and as such everything you do has an affect on how people see me. Do you know how much embarrassment you've caused me?" He asked, his voice low and rough.

"That's where you're wrong Angel." Buffy tossed back at him. "I'm not your fiance. I broke our engagement several months ago. You just refused to accept it. But that doesn't make it any less broken. And as for any embarrassment I've caused you - well that's entirely your own fault. If you hadn't hidden the fact that our relationship was over, no one in Trader's Corners would care one whit about me!"

When Buffy saw Angel step forward, she automatically went into the first stance she taught in any of her classes. The basic defense stance. But before anything could happen, she felt a cool hand grip her shoulder and a smooth voice drift over her head. "Is there a problem here mate?"

When Buffy turned she was shocked to see the sparks of anger flying behind Will's steady gaze. "Everything's fine Will." She could handle this. Now that the initial shock had worn off, she knew that she could take care of this on her own. "I've got it under control."

Will canted his head toward Buffy, searching her eyes with his own. After a brief moment he nodded and took a step back.

"Who are you?" Angel demanded. "This is none of your business."

Spike's nostrils flared, and his pupil's dilated. He was using all his control, just to keep from pummeling the man standing before him. He'd known the moment he stepped off the elevator and saw the two of them together, that this was Angel. "My place. My business." Spike spoke through gritted teeth.

Angel's eyes narrowed as he stared at the two people before him. "So you're William Giles?" Angel's gaze swept up and down Spike's body his expression clearly stating that he found Spike lacking. "Is this what you're staying for?" He gestured toward the fuming brit. "Don't kid yourself Buffy. If you think for one minute that this guy wants anything more than a quick fuck, and the chance to win his money back from you, your dumber than I thought."

Buffy couldn't help cringe at his words. Mostly because they were closer to the truth than she wanted him to know. But she didn't have time to dwell on Angel's cruelty. Will was struggling to get loose from her grip, and she couldn't allow that to happen. "Will!" She called to him until he stopped struggling in her arms. "Let it go."

Just as she was getting Will to calm down, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Angel's fist was poised to punch and as his hand shot forward Buffy reacted. She spun in a half circle to the left, her right arm reached out to grasp his wrist. On contact, she tightened her hand until Angel's fist was forced open. Then she twist up, spinning the half circle back, until she'd forced Angel onto his knees. As soon as he fell to the floor, Buffy took several steps forward causing Angel to turn and land on his stomach, with his arm pinned backward.

"You never did come by the studio to watch any of my classes Angel." Buffy whispered sweetly. "Maybe you should have. You might've learned something." She twisted his arm a bit for emphasis.

Angel whimpered.

"Now, I'm going to stand up and step away from you. You are going to get up, and leave. And you're never coming back. Do you understand me?" Buffy spoke slowly, as if to a child.

When Angel nodded, Buffy released him and stepped away. She eyed him warily as he stood, rubbing at his wrist and shoulder. "If you mention my name to the press, I'll have you in court so fast your head will be spinning." He tried to sound menacing, but Buffy thought he only sounded pathetic.

"Don't worry Angel. I have a feeling that after today, I'll never mention your name ever again." Buffy watched sadly as Angel walked away. She almost couldn't believe that she had allowed Angel to intimidate her for so long. She shook her head at her own folly.

"That was quite impressive luv." Buffy started at Will's voice. She had forgotten that she hadn't been alone.

"Thank you." She answered curtly.

Spike watched as Buffy began to make her way back toward the elevator bays. He followed quickly, not wanting to allow her to get away from him again.

The further Buffy walked from the scene, the more reaction set in. Now that it was all over, her body was finally registering the tension and shock. She could feel her body begin to tremble, and tried to hide the fact from Will. But she wasn't able to fool him.

"Come on luv. Let's get you back upstairs." Spike tried to take her elbow, but she shrugged him off.

"I can get there just fine on my own, thank you."

"Buffy! This is ridiculous. You're shaking, I'm not going to let you go up by yourself." Spike was exasperated. "I've already apologized for the other day. What more do you want?"

"Nothing! I don't want anything form you Will!" Buffy answered, her shaking becoming more pronounced.

"So, you're just going to stay mad at me?"

"I don't normally hold grudges."

"But you're making an exception for me?" Will asked.

Buffy only shrugged and continued toward the elevator. "Buffy, you only have two choices here." He turned her until they were facing one another. "You can forgive me, and let me help you up to your suite. Or you can stay mad and let me chase down that bastard of an ex so that I can take my frustrations out on him."

"You wouldn't!" Spike only arched an eyebrow in answer.

Buffy sighed. He would. "Fine. You can help me upstairs."

Spike smiled taking Buffy's elbow and drawing her near. He wrapped a protective arm around her waist, and led her through the elevator doors and up to her suite.

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