Chapter 25
They entered the kitchen in complete silence. Buffy pointed at the stool near the isle and Spike took a seat while she opened one of the top cabinets and reached for a first aid kit. She set in on the white surface and opened it; inside there were bandages, some cotton, a pair of scissors and three small bottles– a white, a brown and a red one; Buffy’s fingers reached for the white one first and tilted it into a piece of cotton before leaving it on the counter.
“This will sting a bit.” She warned as she brushed over his broken lip with the white fibre.
He winced for a second at the first contact, but didn’t say a word. As she worked on his injury, Buffy’s mind wondered over what had caused it. She wanted him to tell her, but she was afraid to ask, especially after his reluctance to talk about it at school.
“There. I don’t know if this will work, since it’s already infected…” Buffy muttered, her eyes never leaving the small gash on the corner of his mouth as she reached for the brown bottle and poured part of its content onto another piece of cotton, staining it blood red.
Once again she repeated the motions she had done just seconds before, slowly brushing over the wound.
“Oh, stop being such a baby.” She scolded him when he winced again.
“Hey! It hurts.” He protested, frowning.
“That’s what you get for getting into stupid fights.” She grumbled throwing the two pieces of cotton into the garbage and putting away the first aid kit.
When she was finished tidying up she turned to face him, leaning on the counter, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched him, still sitting on the stool next to the isle.
“Is that all the damage?” She finally asked, desperate to break the awkward silence between them. Why was it that there were some many disconcerting pauses between them?
“What?”
“You’re face. Was that the only damage?” She questioned.
“Why? You planning on nursing my other hidden wounds?” He started with a low voice and narrowed eyes as he let his tongue slide over his lips.
“Erg! You’re disgusting.” She mumbled looking down at the floor.
“So you keep saying.”
They looked at each other for a second before he spoke. His voice was low and serious:
“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” He apologised.
“It’s ok. I told you it’s fine.” She tried to sound nonchalant about it as she turned around to look at the sink.
In a flash, he was by her side, his fingers curled around her arms forcing her to face him.
“I’m sorry.” He repeated looking straight at her.
She swallowed hard and nodded. She felt her knees threatening to buckle beneath her when his hand travelled from her arm to her neck and over her cheek, resting there as his thumb lightly brushed over her growingly flushed skin.
“God, you’re so-“
The two jumped up when they heard the phone ring. Awkwardly, Buffy scurried toward the living room, picking up the receiver.
“Hello? Oh, hey mom. No, I wasn’t doing anything.” She lied, watching from the corner of her eyes as Spike walked into the room.
He sat on the couch and observed her as she twirled the cord between her fingers.
“Oh, ok… No, it’s… um it’s fine. Have a good time. Bye.” With a loud sigh she put the receiver back in place.
“Why the upside down smile?”
“That was my mom.”
“I gathered that much. She’s got a date, huh?”
“Yes.” She exhaled dropping on the couch next to him.
“Still haven’t adjusted to the dating system?” Spike wondered.
“Not, quite.”
Spike was about to say something when she cut him off.
“If you say I’ll get used to it, I swear I will cut something off of you.” She grumbled.
Spike’s eyes widened.
“I’m sorry.” She apologised unenthusiastically. “It’s just that I know I won’t.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“No.” She immediately answered and then looked up at him. “It’s just so weird, you know? My mom, going out with some random stranger. I mean, he could be a psycho for all she knows… O-or a gigolo!” She offered, to which Spike cocked up and eyebrow. “Ok, so not a gigolo, but a psycho, he-he could be a psycho. Do you know the kind of people who exist out there? Very, very bad people. Oh, my God my mother is dating a psycho.” She said in shock.
“Buffy, calm down. You’re mom is *not* dating a psycho.” Spike reassured her.
“How do you know?” She looked at him accusingly.
“I don’t but-“
“A-ha!” She piped up triumphantly.
“Buffy…” He tilted his head sides and gave her a disapproving look.
“I don’t want my mom to have a boyfriend. It’s yucky!” She pouted.
Spike unconsciously wet ran his tongue over his lips as he watched her. She had no idea just how irresistible she looked when she did that.
“What?” She asked when the staring became too uncomfortable. “Oh, my God! Do I have something coming out of my nose?” Her right hand immediately came up to cover her face.
“No! You’re fine.” He calmed her. “I was just…”
“Staring?” She offered, letting her hand drop to her lap.
A soft smile curved his lips as he continued to watch her.
Buffy felt the butterflies flutter in her stomach under his heavy stare, when suddenly he was up.
“I better go.” He said all of a sudden.
“Go? Why?” She questioned confused.
“I got… stuff.” He lied, he knew that if he stayed in that house for one more minute he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from kissing her and he had decided it was *her* turn to come after *him*.
“Stuff? Again? What is it this time?” A hint of annoyance squeezed itself into her voice.
“Just stuff.”
“Fine!” She grumbled as she started to storm off out of the room.
“What do you mean fine?” He called after her.
“What is it with these secrets all of a sudden? And don’t tell me there aren’t any. You walk around school talking to Andrew and then you skip classes saying you have stuff to do and the next day you show up with a purple face.” She pointed at his cheekbone.
“Buffy…”
“What’s happening?” She insisted.
“I can’t tell you.” He answered truthfully.
“Why not?” She tried as hard as she could not to make it sound whiny and childish.
“I just can’t.”
Buffy stared in disbelief at him.
“I better go.” He said walking over to the front door and letting himself out, leaving a frozen Buffy behind.
~+~
“And he just left me there going all ‘how in the hell did this just happen?’. One moment we were talking and the next he’s out the door.” Buffy grumbled into the receiver. “I don’t know what’s happening. All of a sudden he’s gone all cryptic guy and-and…”
“Breathe, Buffy, breathe.” Willow coaxed.
“I just feel all grrr.” She growled into the phone.
“Do you want me to come over?”
“No thanks, Will. I’m sorry you have to listen to my constant moaning and groaning.”
“I like your moaning.” Realising the possible interpretations of what she had just said Willow quickly added: “In a very non-gay way, of course.”
“Of course. Well, I better go to bed then.”
“It’s ten o’clock.”
“I know, but there is nothing else to do.” Buffy yawned loudly just as she restarted saying her goodbye. “See you tomorrow, Wills.”
“Bye, Buffy.”
~+~
Buffy rolled to her side and smashed her hand against the alarm clock. Grumbling something unintelligible she sat up on the bed, clumsily brushing away the wild strands of hair that covered her face. She practically jolted off the bed when she realised someone was sitting on the mattress right next to her.
“God, mom! You scared me half to death!” Buffy yelled as she rested her hand over her racing heart.
“I-I’m sorry, honey!”
“How long have you been sitting there?” The teen questioned pressing her fingers against her eyelids and blinking a couple of times before focussing her gaze back on her mother.
“Not too long…” Mrs. Summers trailed off.
There was a moment of silence between the two as they watched each other. Buffy frowned when she saw her mother nervously fidget with the hem of her blouse.
“Mom…? What do you want to tell me?” Buffy began, tilting her head.
“Buffy, we need to talk about something.”
“Oh, my God! You’re pregnant!” Buffy exclaimed wide-eyed.
“What?!”
“You’re pregnant! I just knew it!” The teen continued without attempting to mask her anxiety attack.
“Buffy, calm down. I’m not pregnant.” Mrs. Summers reassured her.
“Oh, thank God!” Buffy exhaled sharply.
“It’s something else… It’s about… my… hum boyfriend…” Mrs. Summers paused when she heard a groan coming from her daughter. “Yes, Buffy, you are old enough to know that I have a *boyfriend*.”
“Oh, please don’t say that word…” she whined crunching up her facial muscles.
“Well, it’s what he is.”
“Fine… Whatever…” Buffy grumbled crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for her mother to continue.
“Anyway… we’ve been seeing each other for over two months now and-“
“Two months? Since when have you been going out for two months?” Buffy piped up in surprise.
“I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was afraid of how you would react.”
The two eyed each other for a while before Joyce carried on:
“We’ve been seeing each other for over two months a-and I-I’m very fond of him…”
“Fond of him?” Buffy cocked up her eyebrow, but seeing the dirty look her mother threw in her direction, she decided it was in her best interest to shut up.
“I like him Buffy… and I think it’s time… I think it’s time you two met.” She suddenly blurted out.
“What?!”
“I’ve arranged for us to have a nice, quiet dinner tonight so you two can… talk and get to know each other.” Mrs. Summers continued with a firmer tone.
“But, mom… I don’t want to meet-“
“Buffy, this is very important for me.” Joyce insisted. “And I would appreciate it if you did me this favour.”
Buffy pouted as she listened to her mother, but seeing the fear in the older woman’s eyes made her heart melt and eventually, she nodded and sighed:
“Fine… I’ll be a good little girl. I’ll meet him.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Buffy. I’m so proud of you, honey!” Mrs. Summers brought her hands together for one single clap before leaning in and placing a kiss on Buffy’s cheek. “I’ll see you after school.” She waved as she stood up and left the room.
“Great… just great.” Buffy mumbled as she climbed out of bed.
~+~
“So you’re gonna meet your mom’s boyfriend?” Willow asked as she sat next to Buffy on the bleachers.
“Don’t call him that, Will.” Buffy grumbled as she squinted, her eyes scanning the football field. She was sure Spike had gym class during that period.
“What? That’s what he is, right?”
“Yes. But it just sounds… *wrong*! Very wrong!”
“Well, what do you want to call him?”
“How about the evil he-man who wants to steal my mom away from me?” Buffy offered with a forced grin.
“That sounds good. But it’s kinda long.” Willow joined in the sarcasm.
“Yeah, but still better than *boyfriend*.” Buffy practically chewed the word out as she continued to search the field.
She felt her heart jump to her throat when she saw a herd of teenagers coming from the locker rooms to flood the field.
“Oh, there’s Xander!” Willow piped up and the teen slouched his way after the rest of the group. “Doesn’t he look yummy in his grey shorts?” She mocked as both girls cringed simultaneously.
Xander looked up at the stands and a huge smile lit up his face as he waved at them and they returned the greeting.
Willow watched from the corner of her eyes as Buffy scanned the small crowd on the field.
“He’s not there.” Willow said in a low voice.
“Huh? What?” Buffy shook her head and turned to face her best friend.
“Spike… I talked to Xander… He skipped classes today.”
“Oh…” Buffy tried to sound nonchalant about it.
“You worried about him?” Willow asked after a short pause.
“No.” The blonde answered straightaway, but seeing the smile on Willow’s face she grumbled: “Ok, so I’m a little worried.”
“I’m sure there is a good reason why he hasn’t been telling you stuff.”
“He better!” Buffy said with a threatening tone.
The two sat in silence, watching as Xander was barely able to do four sit-ups in a row.
“It’s just that…” Buffy started out of the blue. “He’s just been acting so strange and…” She trailed off feeling a bit silly. “He’s… hum… distant…”
Willow didn’t say anything. She knew her friend needed to talk and so she remained in silence, hugging her knees.
“Ever since… you know, *that* night… he hasn’t tried anything.”
“Has he been pulling away?” Willow had to ask.
“No… he just hasn’t been very… you know…”
The blank look on Willow’s face told her she would have to elaborate on the subject.
“He hasn’t tried anything…” Buffy grumbled. “Well, he does start… but we never get to finish.” Buffy said frustrated. “It’s either my mom coming home, or the phone, or an impending fight…”
“You want to get to… finish?” Willow questioned.
“I-I… Oh, who am I trying to fool – God, Yes!” Buffy exclaimed burying her flushed face in her hands.
Willow couldn’t help but giggle.
“It was amazing!” Buffy sighed getting a dreamy look on her face. “You know how I used to say that sex wasn’t all that was cracked up to be in the movies…” Willow nodded. “Well, I lied! It *is* all that’s cracked up to be!”
“So… it was good?” The redhead questioned.
Buffy bit her lip and then nodded enthusiastically. The two girls giggled wildly as they continued their conversation.
“What about you and Oz?” Buffy was finally able to ask once she regained control over herself.
“We’re still waiting for the right moment.” Willow answered with a low voice and a grin on her face.
“I’m sure it’ll be amazing for you too.” Buffy assured her leaning into her friend and giving her a light shove with her shoulder.
~+~
Buffy let out a deep sighed as she dragged her feet across the threshold and let her backpack drop to the floor on her way to the couch.
“Hey, honey!”
Buffy sat up straight to see her mother standing in the hall.
“Mom, you’re home early!” The teen noted.
“Yes, I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for tonight.” Mrs. Summers explained, unable to hide the anxiety from her tone.
Buffy stood up and walked over to her mother.
“Everything *is* going to be perfect. Don’t worry.” She assured her before wrapping her arms around her for a hug.
“I’m glad you are taking this so well.”
“Well, I have no choice, if you like him…” Buffy shrugged as she walked past her mother. “I’ll take a shower.”
“Ok, honey.”
~+~
She let the warm droplets race down her back as she leaned her forehead on the wall and inhaled sharply. Reluctantly, she reached for the faucet and turned it, the string of water cascading on her coming to an abrupt halt. While one small hand ran through her soaked hair, the other reached for the white towel.
A cloud of smoke flooded the hall when she opened the bathroom door and headed down to her bedroom. She let her tired body drop numbly onto the mattress as she stared up at the ceiling, her stomach doing strange flip-flopping motions at the thought of meeting… it. She cringed as she pictured a disgusting forty year-old, bald man wearing a myriad of golden strings around his neck as a black mass of chest hair peeked from a half open silk shirt.
“No… mom would never be that desperate.” Buffy tried to convince herself.
She was snapped from her thoughts by the sharp ringing sound coming from the phone on her nightstand. Rolling on the bed she reached for it.
“Hello? Hey, Wills.” She greeted.
“So, is he there yet?” An anxious Willow asked.
“Nope. But he should be here any minute now.” Buffy grumbled as she looked at the alarm clock.
“Well, you know I’ll be here waiting for you to call and tell me all about what an absolutely horrid person *it* is.”
Buffy couldn’t help giggling at the name they had finally chosen for the stranger who was dating her mother.
“Don’t worry! I’ll keep you in the loop. I’m sure after tonight I’ll really need to vent out a bit.” The blonde reassured her.
“I’ll be waiting.” Willow responded with a peppy tone.
A moment of pause filtered between them before the redhead asked:
“Any news on the British front?”
“No.” Buffy answered in a low voice. “I think he skipped classes all day.”
“Are you gonna call him?”
“No!” She answered immediately.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, Willow.” Buffy grumbled.
“Ok… Talk to you later then.”
“Later.”
“Bye.”
Buffy let out a deep sigh as she set down the receiver and stood up to investigate her wardrobe.
“What to wear…” She wondered out loud as her fingers travelled over the sweaters and jumpers.
Eventually she settled for the casual look. If she was going to have to endure a night of seeing her mother making lovey-dovey eyes at *it*, she might as well feel comfortable.
She let the towel drop to the floor as she slipped on her panties, quickly followed by her old, worn-out blue jeans. Stumbling her way to the dresser, she searched the various drawers until she found what she was looking for.
With the blow-dryer in one hand she let her head fall and started brushing her hair. After a few minutes she stood up straight, watching in the mirror as her hair cascaded down her back. Satisfied with the end result, she put the dryer away and reached for her turtleneck sweater. A light knock on the door was heard.
“Yeah?” Buffy’s voice was muffled by the red fabric as it slipped past her jaw.
“Buffy? Hurry up, they’ll be here any minute!”
“Ok, mom!” She grumbled before her eyes lit up and she frowned: “They?” She asked out loud as she put on one of her shoes.
She mumbled something unintelligible when she looked around the room and failed to find the rest of the pair. She froze when she heard the doorbell ring.
“Oh, God! It’s here!” She braced herself before dropping to her knees.
She looked under the bed, the dresser and finally under the wardrobe:
“There you are.” She said triumphantly as she grabbed the missing shoe and put it on.
Taking in a deep breath she headed for the door and made her way downstairs. She almost tripped on the last step when she saw who was standing in the hall nervously running his hands through his hair.
“Spike? What are you doing here?” She asked as he turned around, a desperate look plastered on his face. “What happened?”
“Buffy, is that you?” She heard her mother call from the living room.
Awkwardly, she pulled at the sleeve of his duster, dragging him closer to the staircase and away from the living room.
“Hum… Spike this isn’t a very good time for this. My mom is expecting company and-“
She was cut off by the sight of her mother entering the hall.
“Mom!” She jumped up. “Spike was just leaving…” She trailed off when she saw a man walk in after Mrs. Summers. “Mr. Giles?” She frowned recognising him. Then turning to the blonde teen still standing in front of her she questioned in a low voice: “Spike? What’s you’re father doing here?”
When she didn’t get an answer she looked back at her mother. She watched as the older woman blushed furiously, her gaze buried in the wooden floor. She felt the air being pushed out of her chest when she saw Mr. Giles rest his hand over her mother’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Mom?” She managed to breathe as realisation hit her.
“Buffy… I-I would like you to meet Rupert Giles…” Joyce swallowed hard before she added in a faltering voice: “… my boyfriend.”
Click here to continue to Part 2.