Something New
Chapter 6
Something New
Chapter 6
�Hi Buffy. Um, you missed first period.�
�I know.� Buffy groaned. �At least I don�t usually miss it. Were there tests?�
�Um� no. Nothing big.� Willow replied.
�Good.� Buffy sighed. �I hope you took notes.�
�Always.� Willow smiled. �Sooo��
�Soo, what?�
�Whaddaya mean �what�?� Willow poked Buffy�s shoulder. �How about Spike? Did he find out? Did he go all �grr�!�
�No, no grr.� Buffy replied. �James found his way downstairs and into Spike�s arms when I woke up. They were so cute. Spike�s hair was all ruffled and much better looking than how he normally pastes his hair to his skull. It was� kind of tufty and natural. He was polite and good to my mom. And he had waffles for breakfast. He didn�t say anything obscene, either. He was even all sweet and martyr-y, saying he�d do anything to keep James safe.�
�Aww!�
�Yeah, well, I felt bad, cause I was harassing him about his crypt � filthy hole in the ground. I mean, James can�t live there! He�d die in a week! Hypothermia, heatstroke, starvation, various disease, asthma, suffocation, or just plain fall.�
Willow nodded. �It�s no place to raise a family.�
�Exactly. So I offered him a room at my house.�
�You WHAT?!�
Buffy stared at her friend, wide-eyed.
�Buffy!� Willow spluttered. �H-he doesn�t have a chip! He could ax-murder you all in your sleep!�
�Oh my gosh. That does sound cute. But he�s still potentially evil.�
Buffy nodded. �Maybe. But no one�s home, and he won�t hurt Jamie. He never tried to bite him, he just feel in love. You saw him. He proclaimed non-evilness without a second thought. Is it possible this is our Spike?�
Willow shrugged. �Lots of fathers turn from bad boys to great dads because they have a baby. It�s the miracle of life. Spike is no exception. I think that inside it�s entirely possible our Big Bad is � or was just a big bully trying to pick on weaker people so he wouldn�t get picked on.�
Buffy considered this briefly. �Naw, that can�t be it. I think he�s just a baddie turned good. Damn. Why does every bad guy I sleep with turn to redemption?�
* * * * *
Joyce returned from work in the afternoon, hanging up her coat. She noticed Spike, Dawn and James eating in the dining room. �You cook?� She asked, surprised.
Spike only looked up to see if she was talking to him. �No. Something called an �oven� does.�
Joyce frowned, then realized that Spike�s voice held no rudeness or sarcasm. �Oh, that�s right. You�re a vampire, right? Well cooking today mostly involves just that. And microwaves.�
�Huh.� Spike furrowed his brow. �In my day it involved more slicing and dicing and mixing things. And you had to kill the chicken yourself.�
�Huh!� Joyce shook her head. �Where do the years go?�
Dawn looked at James. �Before long, we�ll be eating everything out of tubes, like astronauts. I hope you like spaghetti as a paste.�
�Ewww!� James wrinkled his nose, pushing his fork through his corn.
Joyce looked at Spike. �Umm, do you prefer Spike?�
Spike blushed, but it didn�t show much. �You can call me William, Miss Summers.�
Joyce smiled, pleased. �And you can call me Joyce. Now, where is Buffy? Did she come home?�
Dawn nodded. �She did, but she got a call from Giles about a big ugly and she had to go. She says she�ll try to be back before midnight. I Just hope she doesn�t get demon slime on the carpet again! YUCK! So, anyway, she made Spike baby-sit. He�s so cool. He�s been, like, all over the world.�
Spike blushed again, silently chastising himself for being such a girl.
Joyce smiled at him happily. �Well, it�s good to know that now there�ll be two people to fight off those odd creatures. I really don�t like Buffy going out alone.�
�Slayer�s tough.� Spike said. �Really don�t know till she kicks your � well, until she really gives you stern talking to for being evil and lurking in dark crypts and stuff.�
Dawn laughed at Spike�s cover-up. �Is Spike really gonna stay here with us?�
Joyce looked confused, then realized her daughter had already invited Spike to stay. �Well, yes, I should hope so. But I don�t know. He might not want to live with a bunch of girls like us.�
�Nonsense. Lived with girls me whole life. Especially the poof.�
Dawn snickered. �Hence the nail-polish habits.�
�Hey, not every guy can give a manicure.� Spike defended.
She giggled. �Your nails look like crud.�
�Dawn.�
�Well I can�t do me own.� Spike pouted. �Plus I fight an� do manly things. They get chipped. Gimme yer hand and a color later and I�ll show you what 126 years can do besides give you good fighting skills and a great body.�
�You girl.� Dawn teased.
�Well don�t tell nobody or they�ll all want to get theirs done. I�m a reserved sort of guy.�
Joyce shook her head. �Is there anything you can�t do?�
�Can�t write for crud.� Spike shrugged. �Can�t suntan, either.�
�Still,� Joyce persisted. �You are very accomplished. It�s rare to find a half decent man these days.�
Spike was about to correct her, but didn�t care to. �There�s lots of extra chicken, Joyce, if you�re hungry.�
�Oh!� She smiled gratefully. �You�re an angel.�
Spike chuckled at the irony and went back to eating.�
* * * * *
At 11:27 pm, Buffy returned home aching from being used like a girl-shaped punching bag. All she wanted to do was to slither into bed. She hung up her coat and jumped when she saw Spike watching TV in the gloom, James asleep on the couch next to him with Mr. Gordo.
�Spike?� She squeaked, trying to clear her tired eyes. �What�re you doing?�
�Watching the telly.� The blonde replied. �S�the shiny box.�
�Let me rephrase that. Why are you on my couch watching TV in the dark?�
�Makes the images on the screen sharper, and makes you focus on the film.�
�Okay, and this time I emphasis, why are you NAKED?�
Spike didn�t even look away from the movie, completely relaxed, even though he was wearing nothing but a towel. �Bloody sneaky woman, your mum.�
�My mom stripped you naked, gave you towel and left you here.�
�She told me I stunk an� make me take a shower. Then the minx stole all me clothes an� put them in the washing machine.�
Buffy sighed deeply. �All right, Spike. I�m too tired to bother tonight. But you�d better at least have a blanket on you in the morning. And not falling off of your hips. My sister lives here, too. She doesn�t need to see anyone naked � especially not you!�
�Don�t worry, Slayer. I�ll be all decent.� Spike looked at her for the first time that night. �By the way, where will I be sleepin� when I move in like?�
Buffy frowned. �We have a cot we can set up in the basement.�
�You�re gonna make me sleep on a cot in the cold damp basement?�
�Oh please, Spike. The basement here is a lot better than your crypt. It�s roomy, even. Dark during the day. I think you�ll like it. Either that or you can live in my sister�s closet.�
�All right, I�ll sleep in the cellar. But I don�t want a cot.�
�Then you�ll have to sleep on the floor. We don�t have extra beds lying around.�
�I do.� Spike replied. �I can bring up my bed.�
�Ew. You go shopping at the dump.�
�Yeah, but I got that from a demon buddy of mine who was getting one of those �new science� beds. It�s fine.�
�Fine, Spike. I don�t care what you sleep on.�
��K. Night Slayer.�
She headed upstairs exhaustedly, wondering how her immortal enemy had ended up like an annoying roommate sleeping on her couch.
* * * * *
When she woke up Buffy threw on her favorite pair of pants that cut off below the knee, and a casual blue shirt. She headed downstairs to see Spike was true to his word. Instead of a naked vampire sprawled on the couch there was a lump where he�d covered himself completely with his blanket. Only a slight breathing motion gave him away.
Buffy shook her head and went into the kitchen to find that James and Dawn were already up.
�Hi honey.� Joyce smiled. �I�m making French toast. Do you want some?�
�Sure.� Buffy agreed. ��Mom? Did you steal Spike�s clothes?�
Joyce blushed but played innocent. �Of course not, dear, they�re in the dryer. I had to wash them four times to get the smell out. Did William live in the sewers?�
Dawn snickered.
�No, mom. But every once in a while he liked to jump in.� Buffy replied. �He�s a vampire. He lived in a crypt. Sewers are the only way to get around in the day.�
�Well it must be awfully lonely there. I�m glad he�s staying here. And between us girls, I think you finally picked a good one.�
�Mom!� Buffy looked horrified that her mom had used her motherly role to see Spike naked. �I�m dating Riley.�
�Good. You can keep him. If you don�t like Mr. Right then I am going to marry him when I turn 18.� Dawn informed.
�Ew. He�ll be even older then.� Buffy objected.
�So? You two already have a, like, 300 year age difference. What�s five more? Plus he�ll always be totally hot.�
�Drool on, lover girl. You can�t marry a guy who�s had a child with your sister. He�s practically your brother-in-law.�
�But you�re not marrying him.�
�Mom, tell Dawn she can�t marry Spike.� Buffy complained. �What if he doesn�t want to marry a little pain?�
�It�s better than marrying a big pain!�
�Both of you, be nice and stop arguing.� Joyce smiled at Buffy. �He really is prefect though.�
�Nah, he�s got a temper, and he burnt the corn.� Buffy said. �Spike�s not totally perfect.�
�Picky.� Dawn accused. �I�m sure Riley is a much better boyfriend. What does he do? Walk around like a big idiot?�
�Dawn!�
�I don�t like riley.� James agreed. �He�s bad.�
Buffy sighed. �You both hand around the Blonde Wonder too much. Dawn, you�d better be ready for school. And mom, give Spike back his clothes. I don�t want to come home to that again.�
Dawn�s eyes lit up. �OOOooooooh!�
�Shut up, Dawn. Please mom. No more abusing your rights to check Spike out.�
�Okay, honey, I�m honey.� Joyce laughed. �It will never happen again. I promise.�