Chapter 11 - Better The Devil You Know

The afternoon passed swiftly. Dawn soon returned home from Janices’ and made a whole bunch of comments about Spike’s presence in Buffy’s bedroom. The two had actually been doing no more than kissing and talking and the littlest Summers knew it was true, she just liked to tease them.

Cordelia was happy to see her friends back together, and Spike wondered if he should say anything about Doyle. He’d almost told Buffy about the situation between his cousin and her best friend, but decided against it, it wasn’t his problem to solve.

When he got back to his own home, the family were, as he predicted, all happy and smiling again. However, they sat down to eat without Doyle, who apparently hadn’t come out of the bedroom since Spike had seen him bolt back up there and when his cousin went to investigate, Doyle had locked the door and was claiming to be ill. It was all very suspicious to Spike, but he kept the thoughts to himself. Maybe he’d been on the Hellmouth too long and he was seeing major strangeness where there was none.

After their meal, Jessica suggested that she take her parents out to the movies, she really didn’t think it was a good idea for them to be present at the Scooby meeting, especially with a vampire in attendance, albeit a souled one. Johnny said he’d planned to see Joyce and went next door, meeting Buffy and Cordelia at the front door of the Summers house.

"Hey girls" he greeted, "I’m here to see your Mom, Buffy"

"Go on in" the Slayer smiled, "she’s in the kitchen with Dawn"

"Oh, your sister is in?" he said with a slight frown and Buffy had a hard time not laughing, clearly the man wanted some alone time with Joyce.

"She is, but not for long" the blonde girl explained, "she’s going to a slumber party...I swear she has a more active social life than me" she complained to Cordelia who just nodded and laughed as Johnny, now smiling again, went inside the house.

"So" said Cordy as she walked with Buffy the short distance to the house next door, "what are you gonna say to Angel tonight?" she wondered aloud.

"I don’t see that I have to say anything" the Slayer shrugged, "I told him last night, right after he kissed me, that it meant nothing. I’m with Spike now and I love him more than anything, I’m pretty sure I made that obvious"

"You may have to make it a little more obvious" Cordelia pointed out as they reached the front door and knocked, "Angel is..."

"Angel is, what?" the vampire asked as he stepped out of the shadows right behind Cordelia. She smiled nervously.

"Angel is..right here" she covered and he smiled at her lame attempt, "Good to see you"

"You too" he nodded to the girl, "It’s been a while..." he stopped speaking as the door opened and Spike appeared, smiling at Buffy and Cordelia then frowning when he saw the vampire.

"Good evening, Spike" Angel greeted with a fake smile as Buffy and Cordelia went into the house and he made to follow, stopping just short of the threshold as a barrier prevented his entry.

"Hey, how come he can’t come in?" Cordy piped up, "I invited him in ages ago when I lived here"

"Because you don’t live here anymore, Cordelia" Giles pointed out as he joined them by the door, "The owner of the house must provide the invitation and since the ownership of this house has changed, Angel requires a further invitation"

"So he’s stuck on the porch unless I actually ask him to come inside?" Spike smirked with delight at the idea of keeping the git out of his home, as he put his arm around Buffy. She rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour but she had to admit it might be nice to just shut Angel out and not have to deal with him right now.

"Spike" Giles snapped at his son, "Angel is here for our help, could you please try to act your age for a few moments?"

"Fine" the bleach blond sighed, "I invite you in" he said begrudgingly to Angel and the vampire passed over the threshold into the house, "Great poofter" Spike added under his breath, as the vamp passed him by, and Buffy swatted him in the chest with her hand.

The group went into the dining room and sat down. There were only four chairs and Spike loved the fact that Buffy chose to sit on his lap instead of standing or finding a fifth seat. Angel was quite clearly annoyed by this.

"Now" Giles effectively called the meeting to order, "we haven’t got very far with deciphering the prophecy as yet I’m afraid" he frowned as he took off his glasses and cleaned them, "we had one or two distractions" he explained to Angel, "but what we know for certain is that no-one of importance appears to have arrived in Sunnydale over the past week or two, and no extra strange occurrences seem to have..occurred"

"Can we learn anything from the words?" Angel wondered aloud, "Do they mean anything to you?" he asked the Watcher, who shook his head.

"Not really, no. I..." he stopped as he looked for the piece of paper with the prophecy on and realised it wasn’t there, "How strange...Spike?" he tried to get his son’s attention but Buffy was quite determined to prove to Angel just how serious she was about her relationship with Spike and her current method involved having her tongue quite a long way down her boyfriends throat, much to Spike’s pleasure and Cordelia’s amusement.

"Spike! Buffy!" Giles demanded their attention and they gave it to him, somewhat grudgingly.

"Sorry, Dad" Spike mumbled, not really meaning it very much.

"Yeah, sorry Giles" Buffy added, in similar fashion.

"Okay, now, where is the prophecy?" he asked them and they looked blankly back at him, then glanced to Cordelia who said she hadn’t seen it since the morning.

"Last time I saw it was when I was in here talking to Doyle" Spike frowned as he remembered his cousins strange behaviour at the time, "He was acting weird, I think you being the Slayer bothers him, luv" he told the girl seated on his knees, "Can’t think why though"

"He’s not half demon, is he?" Buffy giggled at the joke, but stopped abruptly when no-one else did.

"How long as he been here?" Angel asked and Buffy realised why no-one else had laughed. They all seriously thought Doyle was a demon?

"Just a few days" Giles said flatly, "but he’s my nephew, and he’s human, of course he is..." he said quickly, not sure whom he was trying to convince, everyone else or just himself?

"Tell me you’re not serious?!" Cordelia put her hands on the table and stood up facing Angel, "He cannot be some kind of evil demon!"

"He wouldn’t have to be evil, Cordelia" Buffy pointed out, looking to Angel, a clearly non-evil demon, "in fact, didn’t the prophecy say he wasn’t?"

Buffy looked down at Spike who shook his head and shrugged, he simply didn’t know what to say. Could this guy, his supposed cousin, a bloke he was just starting to actually get along with, could he really be a partial demon?

"Buffy" Angel got her attention, "do you not feel anything when you’re around him, y’know like a demon presence. It usually triggers some kind of sensor with the Slayer..."

"Well, when we first met" she remembered vaguely, "I felt something, like a tingle, but...whenever I’m in the room with him Spike is usually there too and, and I kind of expect to feel that way when, well, y’know what I mean" she blushed and tried to hide her face as Angel felt sick and Spike smirked.

"Can we please get back to the matter in hand" Giles demanded, also standing up now "Are you seriously trying to tell me my nephew, my sisters son, is part demon?!"

"It’s true Uncle Rupert" said a voice from the door and five pairs of eyes turned to look upon Doyle who shifted uncomfortably under their gaze.

"Bloody hell" Spike cursed, standing up and setting Buffy on her feet as he did so, Angel was soon up from his chair too, "What are you?" Spike eyed his cousin suspiciously, there was no way of knowing if he was dangerous now his real identity was revealed.

"Human" came Doyle’s answer, "for the most part...but my grandparents, on my fathers side obviously" he explained, looking to Giles, "my grandfather was a Brachen demon, making my father half and half, makes me a quarter I guess" he shrugged, not knowing what else to do.

"I guess that’s why you don’t look like a demon" Cordelia said shakily and Spike’s eyes shifted to look at her. He could see tears in her eyes and he knew she really did like him. This news had certainly knocked her for a loop.

"I can do, princess" Doyle told her, wishing he didn’t have to but knowing he must, "Just like a vampire, I can pull the demon face forward, or I can push it back. I realised a few months back that I could but...well, there was more to it than that and I’d like to explain, I should have done when I first got here, but I didn’t know how you’d all take it. I had no idea you dealt with this kinda thing everyday"

"Perhaps you’d like to explain now" Giles said somewhat shakily, it was all a hell of a shock to him.

Doyle nodded and came further into the room, pleased that Buffy and Spike didn’t move as he passed by them, saddened by the fact that Cordelia did. She visibly flinched when he came close to her and it hurt more than he could say.

"I s’pose I should start with this" the Irishman sighed, pulling the piece of paper with the prophecy on it from his pocket and holding it up.

"You took it?" Giles realised.

His nephew nodded, "I did. When it all came out earlier about Buffy being the Slayer, I was worried, given me being part demon and all. I found this and realised it was likely about me, so I pocketed it and hid in my room like a sissy" he almost laughed at himself.

"I’m not gonna hurt you, Doyle" Buffy smiled, "I wouldn’t do that unless you were really evil or something"

"I’m not!" he assured her quickly.

"And I know that" the blonde nodded, "We all do" she looked to Spike who agreed with her.

"Just tell us what’s going on, mate" he said to Doyle as he sat back down and Buffy resumed her position on his knee. The occupants of the table all re-took their seats as Doyle remained standing and began his explanation.

"Just tell us what’s going on, mate" Spike said to Doyle as he sat back down and Buffy resumed her position on his knee. The occupants of the table all re-took their seats as Doyle remained standing and began his explanation.

"It was just a few months back when I realised I was partly...like my Dad" he stammered uncomfortably, looking mostly at his shoes, and occasionally at those he spoke to, "He’d always known he was different, but he didn’t tell my mam the truth til after they were married and I was on the way. She resented him for keeping it from her and she knew the likelihood was I’d be part Brachen too. I think, if it wasn’t for the fact she was pregnant she’d have left my Dad but she couldn’t handle a child and a house and all, especially in what was a foreign country to her. When I got older, I noticed they fought a lot and when I was thirteen my father sat me down for the big talk. I thought we were gonna do the old birds and bees bit, but when he told me I might have the demon in my blood...I was petrified at first, but he made me understand that the Brachen race wasn’t evil, they were peaceful, even the pure ones. His father was demon, his mother was human, so no-one was sure if I’d have it in me at all. It was just a year after that Dad passed on...despite all the upset mam was pretty much devastated"

"I remember" Giles chipped in, "I came over for the funeral"

"You did" Doyle nodded, "and I was glad she had someone to lean on. We held it together for a while, fine til I realised that I had that demon element in me...up until I was seventeen I thought I’d got away with it but one night I went to this club, some blokes started with this girl who wasn’t interested, I told them to leave off but then they turned on me. I got so angry, I just flipped and it was only when they ran screaming I realised what had happened..."
"The demon face" Angel stated more than guessed, knowing that anger could bring forth his own game-face without him even thinking about it.

"Yeah, not a pretty sight...anyway I managed to force it back after a while, taught myself to bring it forth and push it back, me mam never knew thats why I spent so long in the bathroom in front of the mirror, she just thought I was your average vain teenage boy"

"You didn’t tell her about it?" Buffy asked with a frown, knowing how hard it was keeping something so huge from your family, she’d done it herself, hiding her Slayer status from her mom and Dawn.

"How could I?" Doyle shook his head, "The one thing she hated about Dad was that his blood line was half ‘tainted’. If I’d told her I was the same...well, eventually I had to cos it got worse" he admitted.

"Worse?" Spike asked, wide-eyed. Finding out you were part demon must be bad enough whatever could make it worse was a mystery to him.

"Couple of months back...I thought I going crazy when it happened the first time...I saw something...like a vision, pictures and noise, like a TV show but only in my head. It was a pub that I’d been to before, and a girl. I didn’t know what it meant but I went to find out. The girl was sitting by the bar when I came in and I went to sit a few stools down. She seemed normal and happy, then her bloke came in, they were getting sort of friendly and then they went outside. Now I’m not the kind of man to get in the way of two people and whatever they want to do in the alley behind a building, but after seeing this girl in my head, well, I knew there had to be a reason. I followed them, they were kissing and such, he had her up against the side of the building. I was close enough to make out their faces in the dark, but only just...and his wasn’t so smooth all of a sudden..."

"A vampire" Buffy knew what he meant and Doyle nodded that she was right.

"Well, I got him away from the girl, beat him up a bit, managed to stake him but the girl had already run, it was only after that I realised I’d...changed, must’ve scared her half to death"

"But you saved her" Giles said encouragingly, "that was very brave"

"Maybe" Doyle shrugged, "Anyway, after I went home, I completely freaked out about the whole thing and decided to come clean with my mother. It wasn’t pretty. When she knew I had the demon in me it was bad enough, but she thought I had some kind of evil curse when I told her about the vision. Long and the short of it is, she threw me out. Said she didn’t want something as unclean as me in her house"

"That’s awful" Buffy gasped, feeling terrible for him. She didn’t know what she would have done if her family hadn’t understood about her being the Slayer. She clung to Spike, suddenly even more grateful than ever for him and everyone else in her life who loved her. He noticed her arms tighten and knew why as he absently rubbed her back with his hand.

"I can believe that of Sarah" Giles nodded, thinking of his sister and how anti-Watcher she was, never mind demons.

"Well, I stayed at a mates house for a few weeks but I knew I was out staying my welcome. Mam was still forwarding my mail onto me and I got your invite to the wedding. I figured I could hang around here for a while, then worry about what I’d do next after that...I never expected you to all know, Mam never told me you were Watcher to the Slayer"

"Looks as if we’ve all had a bit of surprise today then" Spike piped up, wondering if he would have been more shocked by Doyle’s revelation, if he hadn’t spent the last few months learning that his girlfriend was the Slayer, his father was a Watcher, and that Buffy’s ex was a vampire!

"Well" Giles sighed, cleaning his glasses yet again, he’d already done so at least three times during Doyle’s little speech, "I suppose before we get into anything else we should work out what this prophecy says about you, given that it does seem likely it’s you it speaks of"

Everyone agreed to the Watchers suggestion and he took the paper from his nephew. Doyle was now looking at Cordelia. She had remained silent throughout and the Irishman/demon had been too afraid even to look at her. He liked her, a lot, and he was hoping she might like him too, but the way she’d flinched as he walked past her and now the way she couldn’t even bring herself to look at him nevermind speak to him, it confirmed his fear that the demon element of him would repel her, that she’d never love him, probably wouldn’t ever even like him now.

" ‘Not of evil, yet devil made, hybrid creature, his part to be played’ " Giles read aloud just as Buffy had done in the cemetery the night before, "That certainly sounds as if it might be you" the Watcher said with a nod.

"What about the rest?" Spike asked, unable to remember for himself what the rest of the words said.

" ‘Link to masters of our fate, twenty years from bearing date, to bring assistance to inhuman souled, he shalt be a warrior bold’ " his father read the second and final line, "Well, inhuman souled is quite clearly Angel" Giles reasoned, glancing at the vamp in question and then back at his nephew, "Oh I’m sorry" he suddenly shook his head, "You two haven’t been properly introduced..."

"I think I know what I need to know about him" Angel half-smiled, "He’s the guy I came here to see"

"He’s a vampire?" Doyle frowned jerking his thumb toward Angel and looking strangely at Buffy.

"Vampire with a soul" she told him, "We used to be...well, he used to live around here and help us fight the evil" she explained badly, glancing only briefly at the ‘man’ in question before lowering her eyes.

"I’m guessing" Angel said as he took the piece of paper from Giles’ hands, "that you’re twenty years old?"

"Yeah" Doyle nodded, "Got the first vision a week after my birthday"

"So really the prophecy’s gotta be about you" Spike shrugged, "Can’t see you’d get a coincidence this big, not even on the Hellmouth"

Again Doyle was not completely listening as he studied Cordelia. She kept her eyes on the table for the most part and only glanced at Doyle when she was sure he wasn’t looking at her. She’d come to quite like the young man this past week or so and knowing that he’d lied to her was painful...

"‘Masters of our fate’" Buffy repeated the phrase, "so the visions come from the Powers That Be, right?"

"Seems that way" Angel agreed, "Presumably we’re supposed to work together, me and Doyle. I mean, he sees people in danger and I help people in danger..."

"...and he’s got no place to go" Spike continued for him, "Like it was all planned, ain’t it?"

"It kind of was" Buffy pointed out to him, "The Powers know what they’re doing"

"So what happens now?" Giles asked, "I mean, it seems the Powers expect you to go to LA with Angel" he told Doyle.

"I s’pose you can’t argue with the Powers" he shrugged "and besides, I want to put my gift to good use, I don’t want to see it as a curse...though I doubt any of you will look at me the same again" he said sadly, looking pointedly at Cordelia who looked as if she might cry.

"Of course we do" Buffy shook her head, "You’re still you, and you’re a nice guy and everything...nothing’s really changed"

"Everything has changed" Cordelia said quietly, her tears finally falling down her cheeks as she ran from the room and out of the front door. Buffy stood up from Spike’s lap and they both moved to go after her but Doyle had already gone.

"Cordy!" he yelled behind her, Buffy and Spike watched from the open front door as he bolted down the street behind her.

"Should we go with them?" Buffy asked her boyfriends opinion, "It could be dangerous out there at this time of night"

"Leave them be, luv" Spike suggested, "it’s not like they don’t know what could be out there" he pointed out, "I think they just need time to talk"

"Cordelia, please wait!" Doyle continued to call to her as she barrelled down the road at top speed, turning suddenly and sharply into the graveyard. Amongst the headstones and the shadows they made, it was almost impossible for him to know where she’d gone. He called her name again, despite the fact he knew that would probably only make her more likely to run and hide. He’d never meant to hurt her, of all people. He really liked her, thought he was probably falling in love with her, and now it hurt so much that she seemed to hate him. He knew her pain, however, must be greater, her disgust probably even greater than that.

Suddenly there was a scream that rang out across the cemetery and Doyle knew instantly it was Cordelia in distress. Following the sounds of her screams he ran across the ground and round behind a mausoleum. A vampire, a large and very nasty looking one, had his precious girl against the wall and was moving in to bite her. Ordinarily the brunette would have put up a decent fight and she knew how to handle a stake, Buffy had taught her friend well, but she’d been distressed and confused and not paying full attention - it had almost cost her life, almost.

With a mighty roar, Doyles anger exploded and brought his Brachen face and strength to the surface. He tore the vampires arms from Cordelia and proceeded to wail on him, punch after punch, until the vamp was momentarily on the ground. It gave him the precious seconds he needed to grab a branch from a nearby tree. Before the vampire could make it back to his feet, he was dust.

Breathing heavily, Doyle began to calm down but he knew the demon face would still be there. He desperately wanted to go to Cordelia who stood huddled against the wall, crying and shaking, he wanted to hold her and tell he it was all over now, but he daren’t go near her looking like this. He turned his face from her view and just listened as her sobbing subsided and she became much calmer.

Cordelia looked at the floor where the vamp had been, now where only dust remained. She glanced at Doyle’s back, just a few feet away. She knew why he wouldn’t look at her, he was ashamed of the face he wore right now, but she had to know if it was so bad. During the fight things had moved to fast that she’d barely noticed he’d changed, now she needed to know.

Tentatively she made the few steps needed to bring her right up behind him. Her hand reached out to his shoulder and tugged to make him turn around, but he wouldn’t.

"I’m sorry, princess" he said quietly, "I never wanted to upset you"

"If you want me to accept your apology" she said just as softly, "Why don’t you look at me when you say it"

The shock that she would ask made him turn anyway, without thinking, his demon face still visible for her to see. His features were still his own, but pale green, and with blue spines sticking out all over.

Cordelia forced herself not to look shocked and was surprised at the very little amount of force she had to use. She’d seen a lot of demons, all different kinds, and some of them had been extremely ugly, maybe if she’d seen a random Brachen demon she might have thought the same thing, but this wasn’t a demon, it was Doyle. His eyes were the same and that’s what she focused on, that and the words that still reached her ears in that same voice.

"You don’t want to see me like this" he shook his head and turned away, willing his human guise to come back which it did, "You probably don’t want to see me at all..."

"Hey" Cordelia interrupted, pulling him by the shoulders til he looked at her again, "I was upset" she admitted, "but not because of what you are" she assured him, "It hurt that you didn’t tell me the truth, but then I guess you weren’t too sure how I’d react. I haven’t exactly been little miss honesty either" she admitted, "at least not when it comes to my feelings"

"Your feelings?" Doyle echoed, unsure as to what the girl meant and getting shivers from the fact that her hands were still on his arms.

"Yes" she nodded, "I wasn’t sure about it before, I thought I might like you but I was afraid of what that meant...when you admitted the truth about yourself, it hurt so much that you hadn’t told me before, but it also scared me that it bothered me so much. I wouldn’t have cared that you kept it from me if I didn’t care about you" she looked away shyly as she finished what she was saying and Doyle realised she’d been talking in the past tense. Maybe she had liked him but how could she now?

"So what happens now?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"I don’t know" Cordy admitted, her hands falling from his shoulders as she turned her back to him and looked up at the night sky, "I guess we carry on where we left off, see what happens"

"Where we left off?" he repeated and Cordy turned around with a sigh.

"My God, you sure you’re not half parrot too?" she almost laughed, "You keep repeating everything I say!"

"Everything you say?" he frowned before his face broke out into a smile, and they both laughed. Cordy swatted his arm, before using the backs of her hands to wipe the old tears from her face.

After a moment the laughter died and Cordelia looked perfectly serious as she stepped closer to him, "Y’know I should say thankyou" she smiled, "You saved my life just now"

"And I should say sorry again" he realised, "Not for saving your life obviously" he corrected himself, "but for keeping things from you, lying, and putting you in danger in the first place..."

"Hey, enough of that" Cordelia silenced him with a finger on his lips, "You apologised and I accepted it, end of" she told him, moving her hand away from his face again as she realised what she was doing, for a moment there eyes locked together.

"When you said, we should start from where we left off" Doyle said quietly, looking deep into her eyes, "what exactly did you..." he was cut off by her lips on his, a kiss that was more spectacular than the one they’d shared yesterday in the kitchen of his Uncle’s house, because this time he knew she meant it. She knew his true self and she wasn’t afraid or disgusted, she still liked him and she’d actually kissed him, answering his half-asked question in the most perfect way possible.

"I hope they’re okay" Buffy said mostly to herself as she looked out of the window into the dark night.

"They will be, luv" Spike told her as he looked out over her shoulder, "Don’t fret"

Buffy nodded that she knew he was right, but she wouldn’t be happy til her friends were home safe. She barely heard the phone ring, her attention fixed almost completely on the empty street beyond the glass. The pair of arms that slid around her waist gave her some comfort, until their owner spoke.

"I’m sorry if I surprised you last night" Angel whispered and Buffy physically jumped from his grasp.

"What the hell are you doing?" she snapped, trying not to be too loud and have Spike come running.

"Buffy, come on, you can’t seriously tell me you’re in love with that boy" Angel jerked his thumb back toward the hall where Spike was talking on the phone, "I know you still love me"

Buffy looked at her feet and sighed before looking back up at her one time love.

"Angel, I do love you, okay? I do, but no more than I love any of my other friends" she confessed, "I love Xander and Willow and Cordelia and I love you, but I am in love with Spike and I always will be"

"But seriously..." Angel began to protest - the girl would not hear a word of it.

"No Angel, let it go" she told him sternly, "I refuse to keep on having this same conversation with you" she told him, looking him directly in the eye. He looked away and glanced toward the hall, toward Spike, before looking back at Buffy. She knew what was happening inside his head, despite his soul, there was a demon inside of him too.

"If you so much as look at him wrong" Buffy told him, her tone cold as steel, "I swear to God, I’ll earn my title of Slayer"

As Angel looked back at her, his face was full of shock at her words, and almost disbelief, until he caught her eyes, the totally serious and angry look in them. There was no disbelief left in him now.

"Buffy!" Spike called to her for the second time, though she had no idea he’d tried to get her attention before. Leaving Angel standing alone in the dining room, she walked through to where Spike held the phone in his hand.

"What’s up?" she asked him and he passed the phone to her.

"It’s Red" he smiled, "apparently she tried to call your house but got no answer..don’t even want to know why" he shuddered violently as rather nasty images of his Uncle and Buffy’s mother slipped through his head. He stood beside his girlfriend as she spoke to her friend.

"Hey Wills, how are you?" she asked and Willow told her just how wonderful everything was and how great it was to have Xander with her.

"We seriously need to have a girls-only talk when I get home" she told her best friend, blushing despite the fact no-one could see her.

"Really?" Buffy giggled, trying to ignore the look Spike gave her, he could only imagine what those two were gossiping about. He walked into the next room to find Angel still there.

"So, I s’pose you can sod off now we’ve solved your prophecy for you" the bleached blond sneered at the vampire, just as Giles came through from the kitchen with a tray of cups and coffee.

"Spike, must you be so rude!" he snapped.

"He’s right, I guess" Angel sighed, "I mean, it’s obviously planned for Doyle to come work with me in LA but that’ll wait until after your wedding" he shrugged "I have no other reason to be here" he added, staring longingly into the hallway.

Spike couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his lips then. Buffy had quite clearly given the poofter his marching orders now, he wouldn’t be trying anything on with her again.

As Angel made for the front door, Giles called to him.

"You’re leaving immediately?" he asked, "Don’t you want to say goodbye to Buffy?"

The vampire paused with his hand on the door knob, then turned back to glance at the Slayer in the hallway. She had her back to him as she talked on the phone, winding the cord around her fingers and giggling.

"No, not this time" Angel sighed, as he opened the door. He turned back just once to glance at Spike then Giles, speaking to them in turn "Take care of her...I’ll see you soon"

It was a moment later that Buffy hung up the phone and excitedly told Spike and Giles what a great time Willow and Xander were having on vacation. It seemed strange to think they’d been gone ten days and would be back in one more week, just in time for the wedding of Spike’s parents.

"Buffy" Giles managed to interrupt her rambling a she stopped briefly to draw breath, "Angel has gone back to LA"

"That’s good" she nodded once as she moved to stand beside Spike, "We don’t need him to be here" as she smiled at her boyfriend and he grinned back, Giles looked confused.

"Did something happen that I missed?" the Watcher asked them as they kissed briefly.

"Don’t know what you mean, Dad" Spike smirked as Buffy held back a giggle. What had happened was not important anymore, it would soon be forgotten.

A key in the door alerted the three to the presence of Cordelia and Doyle. They were laughing as they came into the house, hand in hand, but Buffy was not so quick to smile when she saw them.

"Oh my God" she gasped, rushing at her friends, worried when she saw that the back of Cordy’s hand was grazed and part of Doyle’s jacket was ripped, "What happened to you guys?"

"Oh, vampire" Cordelia rolled her eyes like it was no big deal, "but we’re fine, and there is something kind of more important to tell"

Buffy thought she knew what it was, her suspicions confirmed as she notice Cordelia’s other hand was firmly grasped within Doyles.

"Whatever you had planned for tomorrow night" the Irishman told Buffy, Spike and Giles, "It better not include us two, cos I’m taking my princess here out on a date"

"Nice one, mate" Spike grinned, "Didn’t I tell you..." he stopped abruptly and Buffy looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"Didn’t you tell him, what?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"He told me precisely what I told him" Doyle explained, not at all ashamed to admit he and his cousin had a serious man-to-man the other day, "I knew he and you were perfect for each other" he said to Buffy, "and he reckoned me and this beautiful woman here were the same way" he smiled at the girl whose hand he held and Cordelia uncharacteristically blushed.

"Well, it does seem to have been quite an eventful evening, doesn’t it?" Giles commented as Buffy glanced toward the clock.

"My God, is it really so late?" she said wide eyed as she took in the time, "Mom’s gonna freak if I don’t get home soon"

"Pretty sure she’s too busy to notice, luv" Spike smirked, and Buffy would have laughed if she wasn’t too busy being disgusted at the very idea of her mother doing things like that with Spike’s Uncle Johnny.

"Where’s your man Angel?" Doyle asked, suddenly noticing the vamp wasn’t around.

"Gone back to LA" Spike happily reported, "He said there was no point him hanging around, since you wouldn’t want to join him in LA til after Mum and Dad get hitched"

"He left without saying goodbye?" Cordelia complained, "That’s just rude"

"Well, it’s not like you won’t see him again" her ‘boyfriend’ told her, "I mean, it couldn’t have worked out much more perfectly if we planned it, what with you living in LA and me coming to work with Angel there soon"

"Oh, I hadn’t thought of that" Cordy grinned, "It’ll be so great"

Everyone turned to look as the front door opened and Jessica entered with her parents. Buffy and Cordelia decided they really should be going, making sure they kissed their men soundly before they left. Thankfully no embarrassment was caused next door, as the girls met Johnny on the front porch in the opposite way to how he had met them earlier that night.

"You girls have fun tonight?" he asked with a nervous grin.

"It was cool" Buffy nodded, "Yourself?"

"Just fine, thanks" he nodded back, as he shuffled away and Cordelia laughed.

"Whats so funny?" her blonde friend asked as they went into the house.

"His shoes were on the wrong feet" she explained, "I wonder why he took them off?" she asked as if she didn’t know and both girls weren’t sure whether to laugh of shudder with disgust at the very idea.

"So, are you really glad that Angel’s gone?" Cordelia just had to know, and Buffy sighed as they went into the house and upstairs to her room.

"Y’know, I really am" she admitted, "It was all big with the complex when he was here, for a while at least. Now it’s clear, but it’s better not having him around, he’d only get broody and weird seeing me with Spike everyday...I may not be in love with Angel anymore, but I don’t want to hurt him like that"

Cordelia was about to answer when Joyce came practically floating out of her room in nothing but a robe.

"Oh, hi girls" she stammered, when she saw them there, "I was just gonna, uh, take a bath"

Pushing back the grimace that wanted to be on her face so badly, Buffy smiled instead.

"Okay Mom, we’re gonna head to bed"

"See you in the morning" Cordelia added as the two girl hurried into Buffy’s room, not sure whether to laugh or puke at the idea of adults and their bedroom activities.

"So" Buffy said, wanting to talk about anything so long as it was not her mother and Spike’s Uncle, "you and Doyle are in love, huh?" she teased her friend.

"I don’t know" Cordelia blushed, "I like him a lot, I maybe love him, he’s just so sweet and hot and everything of the good, y’know?"

"Maybe it runs in the family" Buffy shrugged, "I mean, he and Spike are cousins after all"

"Yeah" Cordelia nodded as they both got ready for bed, "but they’re also both related to Giles..."

The girls looked at each other for a second before shuddering in unison.

"Speaking of, wedding is fast approaching now" Buffy pointed out, "and just a week to go til Xander and Willow get home"

"It’ll be great to see them again" Cordelia nodded, "and they can meet Doyle"

"Yeah, I think it’s all going to work out just fine" Buffy smiled as she climbed into bed, "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Hey guys!" Buffy practically squealed as she opened the front door and found her two best friends on the other side. Willow and Xander had arrived back in Sunnydale quite late the night before, but still they had gotten up the next morning, desperate to see their friends.

Hugs were shared between the arrivals and Buffy, Spike, and Cordelia. Doyle was introduced, his semi-demon status one of the first things to be explained, so that no-one got any nasty shocks later. Joyce didn’t seem to mind having a living room full of noisy young people. She was in a kind of love-haze since she’d started dating Spike’s Uncle Johnny, and no-one minded since she was happy enough to agree to things that maybe she wouldn’t have done in a non-loved-up state. She soon vacated the house anyway, as her ‘boyfriend’ was taking her to lunch, the gang barely noticed her leave the house, they were so deep in conversation.

Doyle and Cordelia had had two official dates in the past week and had spent most of their time together, as Spike and Buffy did the same. There were many stories to be shared about all that had happened in the past three weeks, in Sunnydale and abroad. Naturally the conversation soon turned to the upcoming nuptials, that everyone was looking forward to attending.

"Just two days to the wedding, I can’t believe it" Willow grinned, thrilled by the impending happy day "Are your parents excited Spike?" she asked the bleach blond who shared a chair with his girlfriend, opposite the sofa that held Xander and Willow and the other armchair in which Cordelia sat, with Doyle on the arm of it.

"I s’pose so" Spike shrugged "but you know what Dad’s like, not huge with the showing of emotions" he winced a little as he realised he sounded very much like Buffy during that sentence, as much as he loved her, he had no wish to become her "Mum’s been so busy arranging things up to now, I don’t think she’s really had enough time to actually look forward to the day" he continued "but I know she will when she realises how close it is"

At that point the doorbell rang, just as Buffy began to speak and so Xander, being closest, got up to answer it.

"Giles" they heard him greet from the door, "hows it going?"

They didn’t hear his reply as Spike turned to his cousin.

"That means we should be making tracks Doyle" he realised, turning his head to look at a disappointed Buffy "Gotta make sure our suits fit for the wedding" he told her.

"I bet you’ll look so handsome" the blonde smiled.

"I don’t usually?" he asked her with mock pain, making her giggle.

"You know that you do" she smiled, as he smiled back and they moved in to kiss each other. Willow watched with amusement as Doyle said goodbye to Cordelia, promising to see her later and kissing her soundly. It was so great to have all her friends so happy, and herself too of course, she smiled wider as Xander came back into the room.

"Oh great" he complained as the front door banged shut "All the guys are gone and it looks like a slumber party in here" he sighed as the three girls giggled from their positions on the sofa and two chairs, before throwing cushions at him. The sudden burst of laughter finally alerted Dawn to the fact there were more people than usual in the house and she emerged from upstairs.

"Oh, hey guys!" she grinned as she noticed Willow and Xander. They had been Buffy’s best friends since kindergarten so she’d grown up with them always being around.

"Hi Dawnie" Willow smiled at her friends sister "Hows everything?"

"Just great" the younger girl nodded "And you?"

"Can’t complain" the witch smiled particularly at Xander, the reason for her happiness of late.

"I can’t stay" Dawn explained to the whole room "I’m meeting Janice and Amanda - we’re going bowling"

"Did you check with Mom?" Buffy snapped immediately, knowing as she did, the kind of things that happened in Sunnydale, she worried a great deal for her sisters safety.

"Yes, I asked this morning" Dawn huffed, she knew her sister worried, but she already had a mother, she didn’t need Buffy to be Mom #2.

"Okay, then I’ll see you later" her older sister agreed as the brunette girl made for the front door, swinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"Hey Dawnster, you want an escort?" Xander offered "I really should be heading home and I think these girls need some time to talk nailpolish, shopping and boys for a while" he smirked.

"Totally true" Buffy nodded that she agreed with that statement as Willow and Cordelia did too.

"Sure Xand, thanks" Dawn agreed to let him walk her. She always liked Xander, in fact back when she was younger, she’d really liked Xander, but she was so totally over him now.

"Bye guys" he nodded to Buffy and Cordy "Bye sweetie" he said to Willow, going over to her and kissing her sweetly.

"Yuck" was Dawn’s immediate reaction, but on receiving four glares she apologised with a quiet "sorry"

"Come on, small fry" Xander smiled, not really annoyed by her comments at all. She was young, one day he knew she’d feel much differently about the public displays of affection. As soon as the front door clicked shut again, the girls started giggling and talking about things that only girls ever did.

"Oh Wills, it’s so great to have you back" Buffy enthused as the three lie across the floor on cushions pulled from the sofa, a half eaten box of chocolates between them on the carpet "but I’ll bet you wish you were still away, right?"

"Some" Willow admitted "it was so awesome Buff. We laid on the beach and we played in the ocean, there was music in the evenings and we danced and sat under the moonlight...it was all big with the fun days and romantic nights" she smiled wistfully at the past two and a half weeks worth of memories that she wouldn’t part with for the world.

"Romantic nights?" Buffy smiled a certain way "You two didn’t...?"

"Oh my God, you really did!" Cordelia interrupted with a squeal as Willow’s face started to match her hair in colour.

"Kind of...yeah" she muttered under her breath, putting the nearest chocolate into her mouth so she had something else to do, other than look at or talk to her two friends.

"Wow, thats like a major deal..." Buffy gasped "and was it...?" another question was left hanging since both the other girls knew precisely what she meant.

"It was perfect" she sighed, a little less embarrassed as she remembered just how wondrous it all had been "the most wonderful thing in the whole world"

"You are so lucky" Cordelia told her, picking the pieces of hazelnut out of the sweet in her hand "My first time was a total disaster"

"Cordy, I never knew that you’d done...that thing" Willow gaped and Buffy looked kind of sad. She knew all about it.

"Yeah, well, Buffy is the only one that knows" Cordelia admitted, concentrating on the chocolate in her hand and not on the other people in the room "It’s not something I’m proud of"

"Who was it?" the red-head asked, almost afraid of what Cordy’s reaction would be. She could be volatile, it was unclear right now whether she would burst into tears, get very angry, both or neither.

"This guy I met in LA, Parker" the brunette shrugged after a while "I thought he really liked me and I liked him and, well, everyone else seemed to be doing it so..." she laughed humourlessly at how stupid she had been "it was big with the ick factor" she explained with a shake of her head, giving up on the hazelnut cluster and throwing it in the bin "not about love, just another notch on the headboard for him"

"I’m sorry" Willow said sincerely, reaching over to out her hand on Cordelias.

"It’s okay" she smiled "not your fault...Anyway, happy now with Doyle" she smiled more brightly at the thought of her boyfriend "not that we’ve..." she quickly added "but, well, y’know...What about you Buff?" you said, turning sharply toward her best friend, anything to get the subject off of herself. Usually Cordelia loved to be all center-of-attention-ish, but not when this was the topic. The one time she’d liked a boy enough to go that far and he’d treated her so badly.

"What about me?" Buffy asked, nervously as her two friends looked at her.

"Well, I guess with Angel’s curse and all" Willow mused "Spike must’ve been your first"

"Yeah...right...sure" Buffy mumbled, looking everywhere but at her friends.

"And...?" Cordelia prompted, wondering why her friend was suddenly so quiet. The Slayer was just wishing the floor would open up and swallow her, not that she had anything to be ashamed of or feel bad about, but she was kind of embarrassed to be the only one who’d never...

"And...y’know I think we need popcorn" she said with a shake of her head, diving up from the floor and practically running to the kitchen.

"Buffy..." her friends called after her, a little bemused. Willow made to follow but Cordelia stopped her with a hand on her arm

"Maybe she and he haven’t, y’know, sealed the deal yet" she guessed.

"Oh, I never thought about it" the red-head gasped as she sat back down with a thump "I just assumed...oops" she shrugged, wondering what she was going to say to Buffy when she finally returned from the kitchen. She didn’t have to worry for long as a knock on the door was heard.

Cordelia moved to answer it and Willow followed her. On the other side was a young man, of about twenty five, not bad to look as both girl noticed, with several bags at his feet and a nervous look on his face.

"Hello" Cordelia greeted, hoping the man planned to introduce himself.

"Oh, hello" he smiled slightly as he answered her in a smooth English accent "I’m looking for a Rupert Giles? I thought he lived here" he frowned slightly on realising it was unlikely he did live there, given two young girls had answered the door.

"Oh no, you want next door" Willow informed him, pointing out of the door to the next house "but he’s out right now. You want us to tell him you stopped by?"

"I was hoping to see him actually" the Englishman said, looking over at the house Willow had been pointing too.

"Whats up?" Buffy’s voice broke through as she joined her friends by the door and spotted the man on the other side "Hi" she said to him, warily.

"Buffy, this guy was looking for Giles..." Willow explained "I guess, you’ve come a long way, right?" she said as she turned back. English accented guys were not huge in number around Sunnydale, except for Giles and Spike.

"Yes, from England actually" the young man nodded.

"So, you must be one of the many relatives right?" Buffy smiled, though, being the Slayer and knowing what she knew, she was a little uneasy about strangers on her doorstep, she was only glad it was daylight.

"Er, well, yes" the mystery man agreed, slightly confused as to why he was one of ‘many’ relatives. With a shake of his head he dismissed the girls words and finally introduced himself properly "my name is Wesley Wyndham-Pryce" he said "but...I’m Rupert Giles’ son"

To Be Continued...

"Be kind, rewind" Buffy said with a frown to the young man on the doorstep before her.

"My name is Wesley Wyndham-Pryce" he repeated slowly as if she were mentally challenged, "And I am Rupert Giles’ son"

"Oh my God..." was all Buffy could find to say next and it was eventually Willow who invited Wesley to come inside, dragging with him his luggage.

"Please, sit down" the blonde managed to say, "We won’t be a second, I just need to talk to my friends" she told him quickly, grabbing an arm of both Willow and Cordelia and dragging them to the kitchen.

"Wow" was the brunettes first word when they were out of earshot of the latest arrival, "Giles has another son?"

"It can’t be true, can it?" Willow shook her head, "I mean, he would have told us, especially after Spike and all"

"But he didn’t know about Spike" Buffy recalled, "and if he didn’t know about him, maybe he doesn’t know about this Wesley guy either"

"Who do you think his mother is?" Cordelia frowned, "I mean, he’s not Jessica’s son, her surname is Hart, plus she would have mentioned it"

"And he looks older than Spike" Buffy pointed out "it has to be someone Giles was with before Jessica"

"But weren’t they together in High School?" Willow threw in.

"He cheated on her?" Cordelia guessed, "That bastard!"

"Cordelia that’s not fair" Buffy snapped, "I’m pretty sure Giles didn’t date Jessica until later, but I’m not certain....Still, we don’t know what really happened, we don’t even know if this guy is telling the truth"

"Why would he lie?" Willow wondered allowed and Buffy admitted she didn’t know, "I mean it’s not like it’s worth his while money-wise, Giles isn’t super-rich or anything"

"I honestly don’t know what to think" Buffy sighed, her head in her hands as she leant her elbows on the counter top. There was a moments silence before Cordelia piped up with something highly unhelpful.

"You do realise this is all your fault, right? she said to Buffy, hands on her hips.

"How is it my fault?" the blonde exploded, as Willow opened her mouth the calm the situation - she wasn’t given a chance to speak.

"What did you say right before this guy arrived?" Cordy challenged "‘What else could possibly go wrong?’" came the dreaded quote, "That’s what you said, and now it’s just a couple of days before Giles and Jessica’s wedding and it’s all gonna get blown to hell"

"Er, excuse me" came an English voice from the doorway, interrupting whatever Buffy was about to yell back at Cordy, "I don’t wish to be rude" Wesley said as he entered the kitchen, "but there seems to be rather a lot of yelling going on and I’d hate to think I was the cause"

"Sorry about the yelling" Willow smiled, as she tried not to blush, "It’s really not your fault it’s just, well, it’s kind of a surprise finding out Giles has another son" she told him as they all walked back to the living room.

Wesley resumed his place on the sofa with Willow at the other end while Buffy and Cordelia took an armchair each.

"Another son?" Wesley echoed, "He has other children?"

"Just one" Buffy told him and shot Cordy a look when the brunette added;

"That we know of"

"Again, I don’t wish to be rude" the polite Englishman began again "but might I ask how you know my father and who you all are?"

Buffy hit herself in the forehead with her hand, she was such an idiot. She had been so shocked by the revelation that this guy was Giles’s son that it hadn’t even occurred to her to introduce herself.

"My name is Buffy Summers" she said, figuring it was a good place to start, she then told Wesley her friends names and that they all knew Giles because he was the school librarian. They gave a vague summary of how Jessica and Spike had come into their lives as well as Giles, and managed to quite successfully leave out of the conversation, all mentions of demons and the like, just in case.

"It seems then that surprise sons are my fathers speciality of late" Wesley smiled, though his heart wasn’t really in it. He was almost disappointed that Giles’ had found another son. It meant of course, that he may not be so thrilled to know him.

"So, what’s your story?" Cordelia was eager to know. Gossip was her life and she thrived on rumours, but real life stories were just as fascinating, or they could be if you asked the right person. What could possibly be boring about a young Englishman searching for his estranged father in a foreign country?

"It’s not so much a story as there’s not a great deal to tell" Wesley told her, "I was raised by my parents, or whom I believed to be my parents, in Oxford. I attended school there, grew up believing I was the son of Julia and Robert Wyndham-Pryce, it was only when mother died suddenly, I was told the truth" he told them, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes - he looked tired, Willow noticed with a frown, and maybe a little upset.

"You don’t have to tell us" she told him softly, "It’s really none of our business and..."

"No, it’s quite alright" he smiled at her, touched by her concern, before continuing his narrative, "The man I had called father all these years told me that he was in fact an impostor. The truth was he’d been in love with my mother since they were very young but she wasn’t as sure in her feelings for him. When she was fifteen she met a boy she knew only as Giles. She apparently believed herself to be in love almost at first sight, and she gave him...everything, within a month of their first meeting"

"She gave him everything?" Buffy frowned not understanding. Cordelia rolled her eyes and leant over to whisper in her friends ear.

"Oh, everything" the Slayer’s eyes went wide with realisation. Was she really the only one who hadn’t done...that thing? It seemed she didn’t even know as much about the subject as she thought.

In a moment, Wesley took a deep breath and continued his story.

"It was another month later that mother realised I was on the way, by which time Giles seemed to have completely evaporated. It was really not done, especially in my mothers family, to have children out of wedlock. She was too afraid to tell her parents of the state she had got herself into and so confided only in Robert. He proclaimed to love her still and promised to marry her and raise her child as his own. The day he told me the truth, I knew I had to find my father. It took a lot of research, but I knew I had to meet my biological father, despite the fact he disappeared...I just need to know why I suppose..."

All three girls were completely shocked to hear this story that presumably meant Giles had got a girl pregnant and then disappeared. It couldn’t be true...could it? And where did Jessica fit in to all of this?

A knock on the front door meant no-one got a chance to comment or voice there opinions and the room stayed silent as Buffy got to her feet and answered the door.

"Jessica" she greeted the blonde on the other side, "I, er..." she wasn’t sure what to say to the woman who Giles may have cheated on so many years ago!

"Buffy, I needed a quick word with you about the bridesmaids dresses" the woman explained as she came into the house and through to the living room, Buffy closing the door and following, "Oh, hi there" she smiled as she saw a man she didn’t recognise on the sofa.

"Jessica Hart, this is Wesley....erm, sorry, what was your surname again?" Buffy was forced to admit she didn’t remember, all she could think about was the fact she was introducing Giles future wife to a man that was apparently his son.

"Wesley Wyndham-Pryce" the young man smiled, standing a shaking hands with Jessica, "I believe you know my father quite well" he continued and the three girls in the room winced as they knew what was coming.

"That all depends" Jessica smiled, "Who’s your father?"

"Rupert Giles" came the answer, at which Jessica laughed somewhat hysterically, looking around the room at the girls for some kind of sign this was a bad joke or a hidden camera show. They all nodded that Wesley spoke the truth, and the future Mrs Giles promptly passed out.

"How?" was Jessica’s first question as she came to, staring up from the floor at a concerned Buffy, Willow, Cordelia and Wesley, "How?" she repeated as she was helped to her feet and placed in a chair, the four younger people standing around her still.

"It’s a long story" Cordelia told her, "Gist of it is Giles had a thing for a girl back when he was like sixteen or something, they kinda did it one time and then he disappeared and this girl had a baby and called it Wesley...oh and she married this other guy who liked her and he adopted Wes, who is this guy" she explained matter-of-factly, pointing to the man in question at the end of her explanation.

"Oh God" Jessica gasped, as the words sunk in. She’d not started dating Rpert until she was eighteen and he was almost twenty, but before that he’d left another woman to bring up a child alone, and he’d kept it all a secret from her. How could she marry a man like that?

"I have to go" she told her captive audience, levering herself out of the chair and making for the door.

"Jessica" Buffy called behind her, "Please, let Giles explain when he gets home" she begged, hating the idea that her father-figures marriage plans may be ruined over something that could be a misunderstanding - though she had to admit the evidence against him was pretty convincing.

"I need time" Jessica told her, turning back just briefly, "I don’t know..." she trailed off as she disappeared beyond the front door, closing it behind her.

"Should someone go after her?" Willow suggested.

"No" was Buffy’s immediate answer, "She said she needed some time"

"Personally if I were her I’d rather have an explanation" Cordelia huffed and her best friend looked daggers at her.

"Your version of events hardly helped matters, Cordy" she snapped a little, "That was hardly a great way for her to find out her future husband and the man she loves, might have lied to her"

"I beg your pardon but there is no ‘might’ about it" Wesley interrupted, "He is my father, whether you like it or not"

"Hey" Willow half-yelled before anyone could say anything else that might develop into an argument, "Let’s all just calm down, okay? And when Giles and the guys get back we’ll work it all out" she said slowly, watching as the three more argumentative people in the room nodded their heads.

Now all they could do was wait...

Whilst Cordelia and Buffy attempted to make polite conversation with the possible other son of Giles, Willow kept one eye glued to the window. As soon as she saw the car pull onto the drive next door, containing Giles, Spike and Doyle, she was on her feet and looking worried.

"They’re back" she told the room and Buffy ran at the door, wanting to catch them before they went inside and sort this all out as soon as possible, not only for Wesley’s sake or for her own piece of mind, but also for the sake of Giles and Jessica’s wedding that was looking a little doubtful right now.

"Giles" the blonde called from the front porch, earning a strange look from the man himself, his son, and his nephew as they exited the car "could you come to our house for a minute...actually you two better come too" she realised, knowing Spike at least would not want to be left out of a family matter and probably his cousin wouldn’t either.

"Whats up, pet?" Buffy’s boyfriend asked rushing to her side with the other two men close behind.

"Long story" she frowned as she led them inside "and its really not mine to tell..." she trailed off as she went into the house with the three men.

"Oh, hello" Giles smiled a little bemusedly as he found Cordelia, Willow and a man in the living room.

"Giles, hey" Willow smiled and immediately Wesley was on his feet, right in front of the man he believed to be his father.

"Rupert Giles?" he checked, stepping so far forward that the older man found he needed to step back just to breathe properly.

"Yes. Can I help you?" he asked, completely baffled by this young man and his strange behaviour. He seemed almost enthralled by the sight of him and in was all very unnerving.

"My name is Wesley Wyndham-Pryce" he introduced himself "I’m your son" he added proudly and Giles’ face went ashen with shock.

"Bloody hell!" came Spike’s opinion, loud and clear, Buffy grabbed his leather clad arm as her boyfriend stepped towards Wesley in a somewhat threatening way.

"You’re his what?" Doyle frowned deeply at hearing the news, looking to Cordelia for some kind of explanation. His girlfriend only shrugged, for once in her life keeping her mouth shut.

Giles had still yet to speak and all eyes were on him and the man in front of him.

"I know it’s a great shock but..." the younger man began to say but he was cut off by the man he believed to be his father.

"It’s impossible" he said simply and surprisingly calmly.

"Too right it’s bloody impossible!" Spike yelled as Willow blushed at the sound of her cellphone ringing in the relative silence.

"Oh, excuse me" she mumbled, hurrying into the kitchen to take her call. It was Xander asking if she was still at Buffy’s and if he was going to see her tonight.

"Xand, you won’t believe what is going on here" she whispered into the phone, "but meet me in the Espresso Pump in ten minutes and I’ll explain" she left her boyfriend slightly confused as she hung up the phone and crept out the back door, deciding it was best not to go interrupting the strange family reunion type event in the living room. She left a note on the fridge saying where she had gone, just in case anyone worried though she doubted anyone would even notice her absence given the circumstances.

"Maybe we should go?" Cordelia suggested to Doyle as she glanced around the room. Giles and Wesley standing toe to toe unsure who should speak next or what they should say. Spike looking daggers at his possible brother, Buffy clinging to his arm with all her Slayer strength to stop him from doing something stupid, and Doyle just looking completely bemused.

"I dunno, Princess" the Irishman replied, glancing at her briefly "You want me to go Uncle Giles?"

"I don’t see why everyone should leave" Wesley answered instead "We are related after all...my mother’s name was Julia Stevenson, she lived in Oxford. She fell pregnant with your child, with me" he told Giles matter-if-factly "but you disappeared and she married her friend Robert Wyndham-Pryce, the man I believed to be my father until not-so-long ago"

The thoughts running through the librarian’s head were many and varied but one thing he knew for sure was he was not this man’s father. He had never known a woman by the name of Julia Stevenson, which begged the question, how did this young man’s mother ever come to the conclusion that he’d fathered her son?

"How old are you?" he asked Wesley, eyeing him suspiciously, a possible explanation forming inside his brain that was not entirely pleasant but definitely possible. This young man had said he was from Oxford after all...

"Twenty four" Wesley smiled like a proud child, momentarily forgetting that he’d just been told this man could not possible be his father. He was about to be reminded...

"Wesley, I’m terribly sorry but, I truly am not your father..." Giles sighed, sinking into the armchair behind him. The rest of the room wondered why he looked so worried and possibly sick.

"But Robert wouldn’t lie to me" he young man protested as the others looked on, hoping some explanation would soon come to light "and I know my mother wouldn’t lie to him, why ever would she?"

"I’m sure neither of them lied" Giles assured the somewhat deflated Wesley who dropped back into his seat on the sofa "but I know someone who probably did..."

"You want to explain that riddle, Dad?" Spike asked, an edge to his voice that said he really wasn’t too happy with what he was hearing right now.

"Perhaps you should all sit down" the oldest man in the room urged the others and Spike muttered to himself as he shared the other chair with Buffy;

"Oh great, cos things are always ‘hugs and puppies’ when you start an explanation with that line"

"Spike, please" his father snapped "You’re not helping"

"I’ll be helpful" the bleach blond spoke through gritted teeth "when I hear the story of how I magically got an older brother!"

"Well if you give me two moments" Giles sighed yet again "I will explain...There was a time, when I was young, before I even met your mother Spike, I was attending the Watcher’s Academy and I fell in with a somewhat unsavoury crowd, the head of which turned out to be one of the nastiest thugs I had ever had the misfortune to meet" the Watcher explained to the room full of young people, each one hanging on his every word "There was an occasion when the group had got into a fight with another gang, the long and the short of it being that a young man ended up dead" he said with a frown, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes, the memories he’d tried so hard to repress all flooding back so hard and fast it gave him a headache "I knew only too well at whose hands that man’s life had been taken"

"So, what?" Spike shrugged "You grassed up the murderous git?" trying to put all this together and make some sense of it.

"I had to" Giles nodded slightly, replacing his glasses and staring at a spot on the carpet "A man’s life had been lost and I knew who was to blame. I’d been in on the gangs petty thefts and ridiculous scams" he admitted, somewhat uncomfortably in front of his son and other young people that should respect him "but I would feel unimaginable guilt if I let a bringer of death go unpunished"

"I’m not understanding what this has to do with your man here" Doyle piped up, gesturing a hand towards Wesley "and the possibility that you’re his father"

"I was just coming to that part" Giles told him, taking another deep breath "This louse of a man went on the run as soon as he knew I’d reported his crime. It wasn’t just that he’d get thrown out of the school that was his problem of course, there was the police to consider" he told all the people in the room, who were eager to know what had happened next and how all this connected Giles to Wesley "He took it into his head to blame me for ruining his life, when truly he’d done it for himself. After he’d gone I waited for the beating I was sure his friends would inflict upon me but it never came" he sighed "In my heart of hearts I knew I couldn’t be that lucky, that he’d have some other vengeance planned and I was right..." Giles’ sentence tailed off as he knew he was going to have to tell Wesley the horrible truth that he had just realised for himself.

"Go on, Dad" Spike prompted, literally on the edge of his seat.

"The police caught him in Oxford" Giles said quietly, still looking at the floor "the year was 1980"

"The year I was born..." Wesley all but whispered, now he understood.

"Oh my God!" Buffy gasped, realsing the truth, that Wesley was actually the son of this awful man, this murderer!

"Bloody hell!" came Spike’s equally shocked repsonse "Are you saying this bastard’s punishment on you was be a total wanker and knock up some girl using your name?" he asked his father in disbelief.

"It does rather seem that way, doesn’t it?" the older man frowned, hating the fact he had to bring up such an awful topic and that he’d just had to tell this young man before him that his male parent was far from a pleasant man.

"You’re truly not my..." Wesley stammered, immediately on his feet, "my father was...he was a monster" he realised, looking like he might cry or something. Everyone looked the other way, surprised and astounded by the revelations they’d just heard, and feeling so bad for this poor young man but not knowing what to say to him.

"No Wesley, he wasn’t" Giles assured him, also getting to his feet, everyone watching the two, each wondering if it would have been better for them to be related or not, "Yes, Ethan Rayne was a monster, but your father was the man who’s name you carry" he explained "the man that brought you up, cared about you, and loved you. Biology makes you genetically connected to someone but a father is the one who is there for you and who tries to do his best by you" he didn’t notice Buffy and Spike standing behind him until he turned around and they both smiled. He may not have been there all of Spike’s life, but Giles was making up for it now, and he’d certainly been a better Dad to Buffy than her real parent ever had.

There was silence for a moment before the Watcher noticed the time and turned to Spike and Doyle.

"Jessica will be wondering where we all are" he told them both as he headed for the door and Wesley dropped back into his seat still trying to process the information he’d just received.

"No, she won’t" Buffy called behind the three men who turned back suddenly.

"Whatever do you mean Buffy?" Giles asked as the girl looked uncomfortable. She sighed and said;

"You might wanna sit down again..."

It had been early afternoon when Wesley had showed up on the doorstep of 1630 Revello Drive, several hours later he sat, watching and listening, as Buffy explained to a man Wes had thought might be his father, and the man’s real son, where their fiancé and mother respectively had gone and why.

"So Mum thinks Dad’s some kind of bastard and she’s flitted off somewhere in a state?" Spike summed up afterwards, looking thoroughly frustrated.

"Pretty much" Buffy shrugged her shoulders, looking a little guilty "I’m sorry Giles, truly I am" she said as he stood up and paced in a similar fashion to his son.

"William, will you please refrain from such language, you’re not helping" he snapped as the bleach blond continued to curse under his breath "It’s not your fault, Buffy" he continued, turning to the Slayer "not really"

"No, I do believe it’s my fault" said Wesley sadly, looking down at his feet and feeling highly embarrassed.

"No, no, it’s no-ones fault" Giles assured him "just an unfortunate mis-understanding" he suddenly had a thought and turned to his actual son "erm, she has a telephone, Spike do you know the number, I confess I hardly ever call it"

"Er, yeah, just a sec" Spike patted his pockets trying to locate his cellphone. Pulling it out he speed-dialled his mothers number and handed the phone to Giles.

"Jessica?" he said as he heard her voice on the other end of the line "It’s Rupert, please I need to...hello? hello?" there was a click and beep and a distinct lack of reply causing Giles to look strangely at the phone in his hand, shaking it about as if that might help. Rolling his eyes, Spike took the phone from his father.

"She’s cut you off" he announced, before dialling again and exclaiming "and now she’s turned the bleedin’ phone off completely!"

"It’s getting dark outside" Giles muttered "Whatever possessed her to run out like that?"

"I think she was kinda upset over finding out you might have another son" Cordelia threw in, unhelpful as ever with her obvious comments.

"But I haven’t got another son!" Giles shouted, uncharacteristically angry "How could she think I would do that to someone, leave them pregnant and alone without so much as a goodbye"

"Well, er..." Spike looked at his father, not really sure whether he should point out the situation that had occurred around his birth.

"Oh, that was different" Giles frowned, the main focus of his mind being Jessica, where she might be and what awful things might be happening to her.

"Look, whatever happened or didn’t happen, we need to find her" Doyle pointed out, not liking the fact that his uncle was getting so upset, or that his future aunt might be in some kind of danger.

"He’s right" Spike nodded, looking to Buffy "I mean I know Mum’s a little more aware than some about things that do more than just bump in the night, but I don’t like the thought of her out there alone"

Buffy was about to answer when Wesley jumped in with both feet, shocking the whole room.

"Indeed, with vampires and demons on the loose as they are in this town, I suppose it is rather fortunate that you’re the Slayer" he commented, making Buffy’s mouth drop open.

"Was there like a national announcement or something?"
"Oh no, of course not" the Englishman assured her "I simply stumbled across the information whilst researching my fath...Mr Giles" he corrected himself, catching the older man’s attention and making him feel a little bad for the man who’d turned out to be the son of such a hateful person as Ethan Rayne.

"I am sorry that things didn’t work out how you planned them Wesley" he told him, the younger man just shook his head.

"It’s quite alright, I shall survive" he said, extending a hand to him "It’s been a pleasure to meet you Mr Giles, all of you in fact, and I hope everything works out between you and your future wife"

Giles smiled as he shook his hand, but his frown soon returned to his face.

"Thankyou, but I’m starting to wonder if I shall have a wedding at all"

"Don’t stress Giles, we’ll find her" Cordelia said with more confidence than she really felt. Having grown up on the hellmouth, and as best friend to the Slayer, she was only too aware of the dangers of Sunnydale, especially in the dark of night.

"Yes, we will find her" Buffy promised, taking charge "Doyle, Cordelia, get Wesley to a hotel in town, I don’t want anything hell-mouthy getting him on the way there" the pair nodded as they helped their latest acquaintance to pick up his bags and headed for the door "Giles you go back to your place in case she calls or comes home" she told her Watcher, who followed the others out of the door "I’ll make a sweep of the town" Buffy completed, pulling on her jacket and reaching for her stake. As she turned she found Spike standing right behind her, jacket on and ready to leave "Spike, I think you should stay with your Dad" she told him, but he shook his head.

"No bloody way, I am coming with you to look for her" off her unconvinced look, he explained "I can’t sit around and wait Buffy, Dad can handle that but it’ll drive me crazy"

"Okay" the Slayer sighed, holding her stake in one hand and taking her boyfriends hand with the other "just stay focused"

They walked in silence, eyes and ears open at all times, not just for signs of Jessica but also for demon activity. As they passed the first of Sunnydale’s cemeteries two vampires emerged. They were only young and didn’t last long against the Slayer and her well trained boyfriend. As the dust cleared around them, Spike sighed.

"God today’s getting bleedin’ worse" he complained "First I get trussed up in some nancy boy suit, then I’ve magically got a brother, next thing you know I haven’t but I’ve got a devastated father and a missing mother instead" he stormed passed Buffy and headed through the cemetery gates, his girlfriend hurrying after him and grabbing his arm.

"Don’t worry, Spike" she tried to calm him down "We will find her and it’ll all work out, I swear"

"How can you be so sure?" he stopped walking as he seemed finally willing to pay attention and calm down a bit.

"Cos your parents love each other" she assured him "and nothing is stronger than that"

Of course he knew it wasn’t just his parents love she was talking about, she meant them too. They were stronger together than apart, that’s the way real love was.

"You’re right, pet" he nodded, leaning down to kiss her but their lips never quite met as a scream pierced the silence of the graveyard. They both had a good idea about who had made that sound and in a flash they were running amongst the tombstones and mausoleums, feet pounding on the grass.

Buffy, being the Slayer, had a speed advantage and reached Jessica and the vampire before Spike did. It was just a fledging and it wasn’t even out of it’s grave yet, but the shock of it appearing from the ground, teeth bared and hungry had obviously given Jessica an understandable fright. She was cowering behind a tombstone as the vamp seemed to be having trouble getting itself out of the dirt. Buffy staked it just as Spike arrived and he immediately ran to his mother and helped her up.

"Seeing that..." she said, swallowing hard "never gets any less weird, or scary"

"You okay Mum?" Spike checked and she nodded as he sat her down on the headstone.

"It didn’t touch me" she assured him as Buffy walked over, coughing up a lungful of demon dust.

"I didn’t just mean the vamp" the bleach blond pointed out and Jessica looked away. She knew that, but she wasn’t sure what to say about her situation with his father.

"Jessica, I know it’s really none of my business" said Buffy, clearly going to voice an opinion anyway, despite the fact she was just saying that she had no right "but please come back with us and talk to Giles"

"Buffy, sweetheart" the older woman smiled "I know you want to help but, it’s not as simple as that" she said sadly, studying the grass. She didn’t want the kids to see her crying over this.

"Mum, please" Spike begged, kneeling on the floor in front of her, trying to see her face "You know what I’m like, you know I don’t do the forgiving and forgetting thing easily and you also know that I only want good things for you" she nodded that it was true and he continued "You mean the world to me, and that’s why you have to believe me when I tell you that Dad loves you and he is one of those good things that I want for you"

Buffy suddenly felt very spare-part-ish, as there was a real mother-son moment going on, but she was glad she was there to see it. Spike was so sweet sometimes and if anyone could fix what had happened between Giles and Jessica it would be him, she was sure.

"Maybe he was once" she heard his mother sigh "but now..."

"Nothing’s changed" Spike interrupted, as he was prone to do "That silly git you met is not my brother" he promised her "He’s just a bloke who got his wires crossed. Some louse back in the day knocked up some girl from Oxford and blamed it on my old man"

Jessica smiled at her son, partly relieved to hear that Giles was innocent of his crime so to speak, and also because she wondered, how could her son be so sweet one moment and butchering the English language so horribly the next. She didn’t have the strength to comment on that now, it didn’t matter.

"Everything’s different now" she thought aloud, despite the fact she hadn’t gained a step-son today, what had happened made her realise something "we were apart so long" she explained "we had to start over and this just showed me how little I really know about him now"

Spike looked pleadingly at Buffy for help, knowing he was fighting a losing battle in trying to get his mother to see sense. All he wanted was for his parents to be happy together, and he couldn’t see a reason why they shouldn’t be.

The Slayer went at this problem the only way she knew how - jump in with both feet, consequences be damned.

"Jessica" she got the other woman’s attention "when I first met Spike, my God he drove me crazy" he admitted, making the bleach blond frown.

"Thanks a lot, luv" he said grumpily, making Buffy smile.

"But the point is" she continued, glancing between the young man and his mother "a lot of the crazy-drivey-ness was because I knew I was in love with him. I barely knew him as a person but I saw something in him and I was lucky cos he saw something in me too" she explained "We were in love from practically the first time we met, and look how happy we are now"

Jessica smiled genuinely at the two young people before her, they were so right for each other, she had no doubt about that at all.

"I know honey" she nodded "and I’m so happy for both of you" she assured them, though neither she nor Spike were seeing what this had to do with the upcoming wedding.

"Well, we were happy knowing you and Giles were getting married" Buffy continued "Now it looks uncertain, and it shouldn’t because deep down I know you love him too much to just walk away" she looked from Jessica to Spike as she added "just like I know I could never walk away from Spike. We’ll be in love forever"

"Too right, pet" her boyfriend smiled, wrapping an arm around her and giving her a squeeze. Now he saw the point to what she was saying. It wasn’t about knowing everything about a person, it was about loving someone no matter what, and nothing was stronger than that.

They were both surprised to hear light laughter coming from Jessica and they turned to see her wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"I’ve been stupid, haven’t I?" she realised "Running away like a kid, not waiting for an explanation, and here you two are..." she mused "I’m having serious doubts about which one of us is the teenager" she told Spike with a fake-worried expression.

"You’re not stupid Mum" he smiled "just upset, but it’s not too late y’know"

Standing up and straightening herself out, Jessica smiled too.

"Take me home kids" she said "I need to see Rupert"

"So the wedding is still on?" Buffy said excitedly, hoping this meant it was all fixed like she and Spike so desperately wanted it to be.

"If he still wants me" Jessica promised, looking decidedly worried that he might not after her distrust of him.

"I know that he does" Buffy grinned, reaching to hug her boyfriend’s mother. She’d got to know Jessica pretty well since her and Giles had got back together. She couldn’t have wished for a nicer person for her father-figure, she realised, as the three walked back to Revello Drive.

"Spike?" Giles called, hurrying into the hallway as he heard the front door. He was so pleased to find Jessica there with his son and Buffy "Oh I was so worried" he smiled at the sight of them "Jessica, you have to let me explain" he rambled "that boy..."

"Is not your son" his fiancée interrupted "I know, and I should have waited for an explanation, it was ridiculous" she admitted "It’s just, I love you so much, the thought that something might come between us..." she trailed off, feeling upset all over again just from thinking about the possibility.

"Nothing ever will, I promise" Giles assured her, taking her in his arms "I have no secrets from you. I love you" he assured her, the pair of them quite clearly forgetting about Spike and Buffy who could see what was going to happen next from a mile back! They edged out of the door again, just as the disturbing parental snogging occurred.

"Thanks for helping me find my, Mum" Spike said as they stood on the porch, though somewhat disgusted by the sight of his mother and father kissing like that, he was pleased they were back together like they should be.

"All part of my duty as a Slayer and a girlfriend" the blonde smiled, earning herself a kiss which she thoroughly enjoyed.

"What you said really helped y’know" Spike told her, his arms still holding onto her "Made me think too" he smiled mischievously "You really loved me from the first day we met?" Buffy giggled at that.

"Well, I didn’t realise it at the time" she told him "but, yeah, I think I did" she smirked in a similar fashion to the way he always did when she added "there’s no way you could have annoyed me so much if I didn’t love you"

Spike rolled his eyes at that, but didn’t argue, then suddenly Buffy had a thought.

"How about you?" she asked him.

"How about me, what?" he shook his head slightly, not understand her question.

"When did you realise you were in love with me?" she asked almost shyly, looking down. He lifted her chin with his fingers, looking straight into her eyes.

"First time I laid eyes on you luv" he said sincerely "never any doubt in my mind that you were the one for me"

The kiss they shared then went on for some time til neither of them could stand the lack of oxygen anymore. Buffy stepped away from him, knowing if she didn’t go now she wouldn’t want to go at all, and it was getting late.

"I should get home" she told him "Mum and Dawnie will be home soon and wondering where I am" he nodded as she descended the steps the turned back to speak again "besides we have a wedding to go to, in less than thirty six hours" she counted as she glanced at her watch "some of us need our beauty sleep...I’ll let you get that" she giggled as she hurried to her own front door.

He was smiling when he called a threat over to her.

"You’ll pay for that, Slayer" he promised, but she just laughed as she let herself into the house.

"I’ll look forward to it"

The day of the wedding finally arrived, and practically everyone was nervous. Spike went with Giles to the church, proudly playing the part of best man, though he did complain a great deal about wearing a suit instead of his usual black and leather. Doyle was also there, of course, proud to have Cordelia on his arm. Xander and Willow looked a picture together, as did Joyce and Johnny, though they quite embarrassed the young people by being so close all the time.

Jessica’s mother was constantly sniffing into a handkerchief, so happy for her daughter. She had started to think her dear girl would never find the happiness of marriage and yet the day had come and it even seemed that Johnny may be finally settling to one woman!

The bride arrived in style with her father, and Buffy and Dawn as her bridesmaids. All eyes turned to watch as the three woman glided down the aisle and the sight of Buffy took Spike’s breath away, she had to admit, seeing him dressed so differently had quite a similar effect on her.

Vows and rings were exchanged by the bride and groom, but Spike and Buffy had to admit they were only half paying attention to the ceremony. They simply couldn’t keep their eyes off each other, as was the case with many of the other couples in the room.

Giles was told he may now kiss the bride, and thoroughly embarrassed everyone including himself by making a big deal out of it. All the respective couples filtered out of the hall, arm in arm and smiling. It was a beautiful day that many wondered if they’d ever make it to, but here it was and no-one could be happier than this group of friends and family today.

After the ceremony, everyone headed back to Revello Drive for the reception at the Giles household. Even the kids were allowed to sample the champagne, although only a half glass each, and there was of course a beautiful cake that Joyce had iced as her present to the couple.

It was getting dark outside but everyone was so involved in conversations, eating and drinking and being merry, that they barely even noticed. Buffy only had one thing on her mind now, the same thing that’d been the centre of her attention all day, and that was Spike.

He was talking to Doyle on the other side of the room when she walked over and said she needed him. He went willingly with her through to the kitchen and out of the back door to the back porch, where she began to kiss him. He kissed her back in equal measure though he was unsure why he’d been dragged out of the house for this, it’s not like the rest of their family and friends hadn’t seen them snogging before.

He began to realise the reason for their exit, when Buffy finally pulled away, leaving them both breathing heavily from lack of oxygen.

"They could all be talking in there for hours" she said, just above a whisper "...my house is empty"

"What are you saying, pet?" Spike asked her, holding her at arms length for a moment, thinking he knew precisely what she meant but checking before he got a slap for saying and/or doing the wrong thing.

"I’m saying, I love you" she told him honestly and he sighed, removing his hands from her arms but not getting any closer yet.

"And I love you too" he assured her.

"So..." Buffy drew out the word as she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck "do you want to?"

"Do I want to...?" Spike stammered, eyes wide as ever "oh Slayer" he said slowly, backing off again "you really know how to mess with a bloke’s head" he sighed, turning his back on her briefly, "and other things" he added under his breath as he tried to regain control of himself.

"I don’t understand what the problem is" he heard Buffy say behind him "if you love me..."

"I do" he protested, turning back to face her "you know I do, I just said it" he assured her, hands on her arms again as he looked her straight in the eye and she knew it was the truth.

"But?" she asked, knowing there had to be a ‘but’ in this sentence somewhere, either that or a ‘however’ which was basically just a fancy ‘but’ anyway...

"Why the sudden rush to do this?" Spike asked her, head tilted to one side, the way it always was when he was trying to figure something out. He did love her and was sure she loved him, but they’d never even mentioned going that step further before and all of a sudden she was practically dragging him to her bed!

"Because...I don’t know" she mumbled, shifting her eyes away from his intense gaze "I just...well, Willow and Xander, when they were on vacation, they..."

"Buffy" Spike interrupted with a sigh, taking a cigarette from his inside pocket "you don’t do something like that just because everyone else is doing it" he told her as he lit his cigarette and blew out the smoke "If all your mates decided to jump off a bridge, would you do it too?"

"Of course not" Buffy said grumpily, turning away from him, before adding "and you do know you sounded like my mother just then, right?"

Spike just sighed and rolled his eyes as Buffy sat down on the porch step with a decidedly moody expression and he joined her there.

"Anyway, it’s different for Willow and Xander" he told her, "They’ve known each other for-bloody-ever, they know everything about each other and they have this deep bond"

"And we don’t?" Buffy asked wide eyed, she thought that she and Spike had this huge connection too. Did he not believe their relationship was as strong as their friends?

"We do" Spike sighed again, eyes begging her to understand what he was explaining so badly "but it’s different" he tried to make her see "Every relationship is different, and I’m not going to ruin ours by rushing into something we might not be ready for"

It was the way he said it that made Buffy wonder if she’d been selfish. She had been unsure if she was ready to take this next step in their relationship but it was her standing there calling the shots right now. She hadn’t considered, not for a moment, that maybe Spike was scared too, maybe he wasn’t ready for this yet.

"You’re not ready?" she asked him with a slight frown. Spike studied her face, not wanting to offend her or make her feel he didn’t want her, because in all honesty there was nothing on this Earth he wanted more than her, but at the same time this was a hell of a big deal for both of them, though she didn’t realise why it was for him.

"I don’t know, luv" he told her gently "Are you? I mean, really positively ready?" he checked, something in her eyes told him she was not half so confident as she seemed at first glance.

"I don’t know either" she admitted quietly, fiddling with the lace on her dress "I’ve never actually...y’know" she mumbled, eyes always down, trying to hide how embarrassed she was about it "...have you?" she asked, looking up only for a brief second.

"Honest answer?" Spike sighed, looking out across the yard instead of at Buffy "Once" he admitted, not daring to look at his girlfriend, wondering what her reaction would be to this, as he threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stamped on it with his heel.

"Wow" he heard her say in a flat tone "With Drusilla?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, with Drusilla" he answered, still looking straight ahead "But it wasn’t a big romantic thing...in fact I barely remember what happened" he looked over at her then and saw more or less what he’d expected - Buffy’s ‘yeah, right’ look.

"I’m serious..." he assured her, before turning to face her properly and explaining what he’d never told anyone before "It was about six months before I moved over here. Our relationship wasn’t going anywhere, I told you we were better off as friends than anything more, but she’d had another falling out with her Dad, and my Mum was out of town for the weekend, so she came over, bought two bottles of scotch she’d nicked from Daddy’s drinks cabinet. Didn’t take her long to get wasted and I wasn’t far behind. I vaguely remember some sort of pillow fight, and then we were kissing and, well, that was it" he ended somewhat lamely with a shrug of his shoulders, and after a moments silence Buffy had one question she had to ask.

"Did you love her?"

"Not in the way I should have, pet" Spike replied honestly with a shake of his head "not like I love you" he told her, taking hold of her hand "and she didn’t love me like that either. In the morning we agreed to forget it and go back to being just friends. In all honesty I didn’t see much of her from that day to when I left, things couldn’t be the same after all that had happened, which is a shame I s’pose but...that’s just how it is sometimes"

Buffy stayed silent, watching his thumb as it moved up and down the back of her hand. She was starting to wish she’d never opened her mouth on this subject today.

"So, you and Angel never..." Spike said eventually.

"No" Buffy all but whispered in reply "And not just cos it might make him lose his soul either" she told him, "it was never really like that with us...I guess, without knowing it, I kind of saved myself for you" she smiled shyly, eyes flitting up to meet his just briefly before going back to the ground.

With a smile on his lips, Spike lifted her chin with his finger and placed a sweet kiss on her mouth.

"Wish I’d have done the same, luv" he told her sincerely "but I’m not going to sleep with you now just to erase an ugly memory" he explained "...or lack of ugly memory, if you see what I mean" he amended with a smile, "and I’m not gonna rush into this just because everyone else is doing it"

"Yeah, it’s okay, I understand" Buffy nodded, maybe a little disappointed that the afternoon hadn’t quite gone according to her plans, but also a large part relieved. Spike was right, as usual, they shouldn’t make a step that big just because everyone else had.

"One day, Buffy" he said softly, seeing the slight sadness in her eyes "when it’s right, then it’ll be perfect, for both of us, I promise you that"

"I believe you" she nodded and smiled, realising she really did mean that, as their lips met and they kissed each other soundly. It was enough, for now, they both decided as they headed back inside, to the celebration that would go on for hours yet.

This wedding had seemed like it might never arrive, but here was the day and it was one that many of those people present would never forget.

The sun shone in through the crack between the curtains and Buffy screwed up her eyes against the painful brightness. Still, she was smiling. It was going to be a perfect day today, just like yesterday had been and just like tomorrow would be too. Okay, so she was still the Slayer, and the demons of Sunnydale still required staking and beheading most nights, but near-apocalypses had been few and mostly patrols had been uneventful.

It was just a few weeks since the wedding of Jessica and Giles, and they’d return from their honeymoon tomorrow, just in time for the librarian to go back to his job when school started up again on Monday. They’d sent postcards saying what a wonderful time they were having, but Buffy was just grateful they hadn’t gone into details about it!

Doyle stayed around Sunnydale longer than intended, keeping Spike company, and seeing Cordelia regularly, until it was time for her to head home. They travelled to LA together, where the Irishman continued to see his girlfriend whilst helping Angel to fight the evil of Los Angeles.

With the absence of his cousin, parents, and grandparents, Spike felt like the house was suddenly very empty, so he’d spent a lot of time the last few days at Buffy’s house. Of course she had no objections at all, and neither did Joyce or Dawn who loved to have the bleached blond around. By the same token, the Summers’ women also enjoyed the company of the boy’s Uncle Johnny.

When his parents had gone home, Johnny realised he’d really fallen for Joyce and just couldn’t leave her now he’d found her. He’d been the love them and leave them type of guy since High School, believing that he may never settle down, but now here was this woman, the mother of his favourite nephews girlfriend no less, and she was all he ever wanted.

Buffy couldn’t be happier for her Mom. Johnny was great and a lot like an older version of Spike, though thankfully he wasn’t too similar because that would just be too freaky for everyone.

Buffy sighed and stretched out her body, thinking perhaps she ought to get up, though there was one particular reason why she didn’t want to.

"Hey pet" aforementioned reason said as he opened his eyes and noticed her looking at him, "You been awake long"

"A while" she told him, leaning over to kiss his lips, "I was just thinking how perfect everything is right now" she smiled as she turned and laid her back against his chest, snuggling back down under the covers and nestling into his arms.

"I told you it would be" he said softly, kissing the top of her head, "And it always will be"

Buffy only smiled, loving the feeling of knowing it was true, and also knowing that what ever trouble arose, they would get through it, so long as they were together.

~The End~