Chapter 21.

The weeks that followed the sleepover had passed uneventfully for Buffy. Despite her prior protests she wasn't dating anybody and she was finally realizing what Spike had meant about knowing herself before getting to know someone new. She found herself falling comfortably into stride with the daily lives of her new found friends. What's more, she was finally allowing herself to believe that the wonderfully warm and genuine people she was getting to know indeed were her friends and considered her a friend in return.

Things appeared to be going exceedingly well for Willow and Oz, they were, in Buffy's humble opinion anyway, running head long into happily ever after and loving every minuet of it. Dawn and Conner, from what Buffy saw of them, were still happy to spend every spare minuet together and becoming more at ease around each other. Anya and Xander were still in their cycle of fighting, making up then fighting some more but it was clear that their feelings ran deep. It was both amusing and somewhat annoying to watch but mostly it was adorable to see the way their personalities complemented each other.

Buffy sighed and rolled over to examine her bedside clock. It was a Saturday and since her parents had left her home alone while once again taking some long trip to who-knows-where in Europe there was no reason for her to get up early. Buffy found herself wondering about the last of her new friends. Spike Winters was simply a mystery. He was friendly and welcoming but reserved on so many levels. She could clearly see his strength of character and loyalty to his friends, even to her, like that night after Angel, when he had come over to keep her company. At that memory she paused a moment to wonder if he ever allowed people to comfort him? There was always a subtle wariness about him, like a thin protective layer that hid the depth of his true thoughts and feelings. You could see it in his eyes, like a small yet firm 'No Trespassing' sign and it only made her all the more curious.

She kept trying to ignore it but she could never seem to stop wondering what he was thinking or doing, there were so many unanswered questions and something deep within her subconscious knew, despite having no logical reason to do so, that there was an amazing man hidden in those unexplored depths. The problem however remained that those depths were fiercely protected and strictly off limits!

Caught up in her thoughts Buffy moved across to her window and looked out directly into the Winters home. Spikes room, just like the man it belonged to, gave nothing away with it's dark curtains tightly drawn closed. The boy does like his privacy! Not that it mattered, Buffy knew that even with the curtains opened all you could see was the back of his closed Black door. Not that she had been looking. Yeah right!

As she turned from the window it occurred to her that she didn't even know where he worked. Maybe he was a part time mechanic or a security guard or something. She was willing to bet that it wouldn't be anything that required a cash register since his look resembled that of the guy robbing the register than the kid in the Wal-Mart t-shirt. Buffy was becoming increasingly aware of a desire to learn as much as she could about Spike and it was clear that it would be she who must pursue this information and gain Spikes trust. At the very least she had to try. So in the spirit of proving her friendship or at least satisfying her curiosity she called Willow to ask where exactly Spike was working this Saturday morning.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Spike walked along the library stacks re-shelving returned texts. This was usually left for one of the freshmen on Monday but he didn't mind. Actually it was one of his favorite parts of the job. Here he was left alone with his thoughts, he didn't have to be or think or project anything in particular and he didn't have to focus on preserving his 'bad ass' image or his devil-may-care attitude. The only down side to having time to think was the fact that his mind kept wondering places he didn't want to go. Places like what Buffy Summers was doing at this moment, what her room looked like now, what book she was secretly reading seeing as she still prescribed to the 'pretty girls don't need to read' line of thought.

Then he would think about how adorable she had looked that night he had stayed over with her eating ice-cream and watching movies. He would think of how radiant her smile could get although it was unusual to see it at 100 percent glow. He thought about how she always smelled like vanilla and how she was clearly unaware of how much more attractive she had become these last few weeks since she stopped being such a plastic Barbie doll and started being her self. Finally he thought about how this new Buffy Summers was a far greater danger to his heart and the carefully constructed walls that he had built around it.

Added to all of these mixed up thoughts was the annoying reality that he was having increasing trouble keeping his guard up already. He had been happy to be friendly and hospitable when she joined their group, after all their silly childhood spats were all in the past, but at the same time he could feel himself wanting to open up to her or at least the possibility of her. This was dangerous territory because something told him that if he were to let down his defenses he would probably fall willingly into a relationship with her and if that happened he wouldn't be able to hold anything back from her. Besides, he didn't have relationships.

Even now, just newly having become friends, she was able to draw topics up in his mind that he though he had closed out years ago and stir up emotions that were decidedly William and totally unwelcome! No, he couldn't just be physically involved with Buffy, she deserved better than that and so, as always, that meant that there could be nothing between them at all. He would just have to settle for friendship and make sure he kept those boundaries and borders up because if there was one thing life had taught him it was that being vulnerable was not a good place to be!

Just as his internal dialogue was reassuring him he was tough and cool, man of ice, show no weakness, feel no fear, somebody cleared their throat behind him and he jumped a clear foot into the air in surprise completely spoiling the effect.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Buffy figured she wouldn't get anywhere with Willow since the girl could talk about nothing other than her essay which was due Monday and how wonderful the resources were at the Uni library. Instead of getting the information she needed the call only served to remind Buffy that she too had a paper due in just under a week and as such she found herself entering said library, on a Saturday no less, something she had not done once in all her time at UC Sunnydale.

However, to Buffy's great delight and more than slight amusement she found not only the texts she had needed but Spike as well. It wasn't Wal-Mart but it definite wasn't within the 'acceptable jobs for a leather clad bad boy' handbook either. She walked up to him but he appeared to be deep in thought and then he began to nod his head slightly as if agreeing with his though process. For a brief moment she felt guilty for intruding but if she wanted to get to know the man she was going to have to actually talk to him at some point so she cleared her throat and then had to stifle hysterical laughter as he jumped a good foot in fright. Apparently William is still in there somewhere. Buffy wasn't quite sure why she was so pleased by that and so decided to ignore the little fluttery feeling her stomach was giving.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Bloody Hell Woman! What are you doing sneaking around like that?"

"Shouldn't you be wearing horn rim glasses and a pocket protector to do that?"

The quip was no less than he expected but unlike a few months ago there was no malice in it, he could see it in her smile, what's more he could see it in her eyes. A man could happily drown in eyes like hers. Damn it, don't go looking into her eyes you ponce!

"Oh shut up! If you ever bothered to come in here occasionally you would have known I worked here years ago"

"So, how did you end up working here of all places?"

"Giles offered me a job back when we were in high school and before you say anything Yes I spent a lot of time here during our senior years. How else was I going to graduate if I didn't study?"

The truth was Spike could have spent his finally year of school staring at the ceiling without ever cracking a book and still passed those exams but passing wasn't good enough, he wanted better than that and he wanted to prove to himself that he could outsmart and outperform all of those supposedly superior rich kids. He had gotten equal or better grades than all of his classmates in most subjects but no one knew since the principal, totally disgusted to find that the school rebel had out done his prize students refused to announce Valedictorian that year. Spike didn't really mind, it was written on his transcripts, he knew and his friend knew, what else did he need?

"Ok Spike, when's your lunch break?"

Spike looked a little confused at the shift in topic but didn't need to bother answering as Giles turned the corner just at that moment. The kindly but slightly uncomfortable looking British man considered Buffy carefully before looking meaningfully at Spike and …was that a smirk?

"Well now you must be Buffy Summers. I have heard a lot about you Miss Summers, it is a pleasure to finally put a face to the name and what a pretty face it is too. Why she is even more lovely than you gave her credit for Spike"

Buffy felt a blush stain her cheeks at the older mans complements and giggled a little at the mortified look on Spikes face. It was clear from the teasing look Giles was giving his assistant manager that Giles and Spike were more than just fellow employees.

"Summers, this is Rupert Giles, he used to run the Library before I hunted him down and murdered him in his sleep."

Spike glared at the man menacingly but Giles looked unrepentant however it was Giles turn for a little teasing as Spike added with a mischievous glint.

"He is dating my mother and doing a very poor job of hiding the fact that he is in love with her. Poor old coot can't even string together a definitive sentence when she's in the room can you old man?"

Giles pulled of his glasses and began to clean them vigorously as his face coloured.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about. Miss Summers, if you will excuse me."

"Come on Spike, come have lunch with me?"

"Fine, I'm off at two."