Okay so I pushed to have this chapter up as soon as I could since I was being evil with the whole cliffhanger thing. I really hadn't planned on doing that, but it was all I had finished, I am so sorry. I also hate the fact that it has been taking so long to update and that in turn you all have to wait. Please forgive me.
As for the reviews, thank you all so so much. I really enjoy writing this, but I have to admit that at times I get severe writer's block and I just want to give up. I had actually stopped working on this for awhile and concentrated more on all the crap going on with my life. But I knew I couldn't just let the story go. I owe it to all of you to finish this. Your reviews have inspired me to keep writing, Thank you all so much. Now, what you all have been waiting for.
He took in the sight before him. She was beautiful. Her hair hung in loose curls around her almost bare shoulders. The makeup she wore was light and natural. The black dress clinging to her small frame. He watched her as she stood before him in shock. She looked as though she were trying to say something, but couldn't seem to get the words out so he spoke first. "Hello, Buffy."
Buffy felt like she was going to cry as she looked at him, still not believing that he was standing there. He was dressed in black pants and a red button down shirt. His bleach blond curls gelled backed. "Spike?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"I guess you could call me that if you really wanted to, but the locals usually call me William." He replied calmly.
"But, I...You were...?" Buffy stammered lacking the ability to form complete sentences.
"Going back to England?" He finished for her. "I was, but, got an invitation to go to dinner. Heard it was going to be a grand time. Couldn't say no." He tried to keep his voice calm and casual, as though seeing her again wasn't a big deal.
"You didn't leave for England because of a dinner invite?" Buffy asked him sarcastically.
"I was hungry when I was asked, my stomach answered for me." He was still trying to play it cool, but it was getting harder the longer he stood there and looked at her. "So, you gonna invite a bloke in, or do I have to stay out here on the porch like a bad little puppy?"
Buffy shook her head trying to clear the millions of thoughts that were flooding it. She could tell that his casual demeanor was just an act. It was clear to her, when she looked into his eyes, that he was trying not to show the way he truely felt. 'Well two can play at that game' She thought to herself. Buffy stepped to the side, "Please won't you come in." She told him using a profeesional hostess voice, and allowed him to enter into the house. "My father should be here shortly. The rest of our guests are in the living room. I'm sure you remember where it is or do you need me to show you the way?" Spike pointed in the direction of the living room as Buffy closed the door. "Then why don't you go and get acquainted with everyone. I have a few things to attend to. I will be joing you all in a few minutes."
Spike smiled to himself as he made his way to the living room. The night was definitely going to be interesting. Buffy watched him as he disappeared into the other room. She heard him say hello, specifically to Willow and Xander "Hey, Red. Whelp." Before she heard any more of the conversation Buffy ran up the stairs and into her bedroom.
Once she was inside she closed her bedroom door and let out a deep breath. "My father is going to pay for this one." She mumbled under her breath as she walked over to the mirror on her dresser. She wasn't mad at him for Spike being the surprise guest, but she was mad that he hadn't told her who it was. "If I had known I would have made sure I was the image of perfection before I answered the door. Not to mention I wouldn't have looked like a complete ass when I did." She checked her hair and make up in the mirror and sighed when she realized that she hadn't looked that bad at all. "Maybe I couldn't have done better even if I had known." There was a knock on her door. Without turning away from the mirror she said "Come in."
"Um, Buffy." Willow's voice came from behind her as she opened the door. "I was just checking to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine Willow." She replied turning to look at her a huge smile on her face. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well I just wanted to make sure that you didn't have a freak heart attack after you came up here. You know, from being over joyed. You are over joyed aren't you?"
"No." Buffy stated.
"You're not?" Willow asked with disappointment.
"No. Actually, I'm totally beyond that. I can't...Can you believe?..I mean, he's actually here. He didn't leave." Buffy ran over to Willow and squealed as she threw her arms around her hugging her tightly. "He didn't leave Willow. I have a chance to make things right."
"That's good and all, but Buffy," Willow said trying to push her friend off of her. "Air is starting to become an issue." When Buffy let go and took a step back Willow noticed the blond woman's eyes were teary.
"Sorry, I'm just so happy. I mean, I thought for sure he was gone, that I had missed my chance. But, he's here."
"Yes, and he is sitting down stairs waiting very impatiently, I might add, for you to come and join the rest of us."
"Impatiently? But at the door he acted like seeing me was an everyday thing. I could tell it was an act and all, maybe he finally broke down."
"Well he hasn't actually said anything, but you can tell that the only one he is interested in is you. He keeps watching the stairs. If I were you I wouldn't make him wait. Besides, I think maybe you're dad is here. I just heard the door close downstairs."
"Elizabeth!" Hank's yelled from the bottom of the staircase. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, Dad. I'm ready." Buffy answered as she and Willow appeared at the top.
"Good. There is someone here I would like you to meet. We have another guest for dinner." He told her as he headed to the living room. "Everyone," Hank addressed the group of young people in the room. "I would like you to meet Crystal."
Buffy took in the sight of the older lady standing beside her father. She was slim, fairly attractive, her dark brown hair pulled back into a bun, she wore very little makeup, and she was stylish, yet professionally dressed. Buffy looked at her father and raised her eyebrows in question. Hank smiled back at her.
"Crystal, this is my daughter Elizabeth." Hank introduced her as he put his arm around his daughter's shoulders.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Elizabeth. Your father has told me so much about you." Crystal smiled at her. She seemed to be a very pleasant person and Buffy smiled back.
"Probably not very many good things, though." Buffy commented.
"Don't be silly. I have never heard your father say anything but nice things about you."
Buffy looked at her father and raised her eyebrows again. Hank gave her shoulders a light squeeze and removed his arm. "Crystal this is Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and William." He introduced the rest of the dinner party gesturing to each of them as he said their name. "And just to set the record straight before we go to dinner, Crystal and I are not dating, she works for me at the office. I asked her to come with tonight because, well the truth is everyone here has a date and I didn't want to feel like the odd man out in the group."
'A date?' Buffy thought to herself. 'I don't..' Her thoughts stopped as she looked across the room to where Spike was sitting. He was watching her a smile on his face. She smiled back at him. 'Somebody is really going to pay for setting me up like this.'
"Is everyone ready for dinner?" Hank asked. He was answered with a number of yes' and a "let's grub" from Xander. "Okay. Then let's head out. We are going to have to take two cars. Elizabeth, why don't you and William ride with Crystal and me. Xander can take the others with him in his car and follow us there."
Buffy nodded her head in agreement and watched as everyone stood from their seats to file out of the house. "After you." Spike gestured to Buffy when he was at her side. She smiled at him and walked out of the house.
"You know." Buffy said as she walked to the car, Spike by her side. "If you wanted a date all you had to do was ask."
"Funny, I was going to tell you the same thing." Spike replied opening the car door for Buffy.
"Just so you know." Buffy said as she got into the car. "I didn't ask for this." She tried to make herself sound serious, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Neither did I, Goldilocks." Spike told her mocking the same tone she had used then shut the door.
"Jerk." Buffy mumbled under her breath as Spike climbed in beside her.
"I heard that. You better play nice or I'm telling." Spike retorted.
"You always were a tattle tale."
"I was not."
"You were too."
"I bloody well was not."
"Yes, you were, and you always did that, too."
"Did what?"
"You always got mad when I was right and you were wrong."
"I did not."
"Yes you did. You would argue with me about something stupid. Then you would get mad because you knew I was right. Afterwards you would run and tell my parents I was being mean to you and I would get in trouble."
"I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about." Spike said trying to hide the smile on his face. He knew she was right. He remembered several occasions in which little Elizabeth was sent to her room because he had told her parents she was being mean.
"You do too. Look you can't even keep that stupid grin of yours off your face."
"I sure hope the two of you aren't going to act this way through dinner." Hank's voice interrupted the two people in the back seat. Buffy and Spike had been so engrossed in their disagreement that they hadn't even noticed Cystal and Hank had entered the car or that Hank had started driving to the restaurant.
"Daddy, he started it." Buffy whined like a little girl.
"I did not. You called me a jerk." Spike also whined. It reminded Hank of the way the two of them had acted when they were little.
"Elizabeth tell William you are sorry and while you are at it you can apologize to Crystal as well for your behavior." He told her using the same stern voice he had used with her in these same situations when she was younger, only this time Buffy could see the corner of a smile on his face.
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "I'm sorry you had to listen to William's immature argueing, Crystal. But I'm not about to apologize to you, Willy." Buffy said emphazising the name she had called him when they were little. She knew he hadn't liked it then, but he had let her call him that anway, only because they were best friends. Now that he was older she figured he would hate it even more, especially with a nickname like Spike.
"Mr. Summers, please, tell her to stop." Spike whined again.
"Children, please. Elizabeth, if you don't stop tormenting William you are going straight to your room tonight. Do you understand me young lady." Hank scolded his daughter again trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.
"But, Daddy, that's not fair." Buffy whined.
"Elizabeth, please. Could you just try to behave yourself for once in your life." Hank said before apologizing to Crystal as he began to laugh. "I'm sorry. You'll have to forgive them. They were friends back when they were little. William moved away when Elizabeth was eight. This is the first time they have been together in awhile, atleast in a positive way. I suppose they are just making up for lost time."
Crystal laughed at Hank's statement and turned to face the couple in the back seat. "It's okay, Elizabeth. You don't have to worry about your father grounding you. I'll be sure to take care of him at work if he does."
Elizabeth smiled at Crystal. "Thanks. I like you." Buffy then turned to Spike and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Oh, you are going to pay for that one. Just you wait." Spike sneered at her.
"Please you can't take me. I am way out of your league, buddy."
"We'll just see about that after dinner."
"Bring it on Willy."
"Don't worry I will."
"Worry? Are you kidding me?"
"Are you two kidding me?" Hank interrupted them again. "Can the two of you honeslty carry on this way all night?"
"I'll stop when she does. She's the one that started it." Spike argued.
"I didn't start anything. You were the one that was threatening to be a tattle tale." Buffy argued back.
"You called me a jerk, and I didn't even do anything."
"Yes you did. You were being rude, and you called me Goldilocks."
"Yeah, I did, but..."
"Okay. Okay." Hank butted in one more time as he shut the car off. "Elizabeth, William we are here. Can we please try to act like civilized adults while we are eating dinner?"
"Yes Daddy." Buffy answered quickly.
"It won't be a problem Mr. Summers." Spike added.
"Good. Then let's eat." Hank said as he stepped out of the car followed by Spike.
Crystal turned in her seat to face Buffy again while they waited for Xander to park beside them. "He sure is something isn't he?" She asked.
"Who? My dad?" Buffy responded looking confused.
"No. William. I mean he must be really special to you. The way the two of you act, I bet you're really special to him as well."
"It's kind of a long story." Buffy replied not sure how to answer her.
"Maybe we can talk about it one day, over lunch or something."
"Yeah, that would be nice." Buffy agreed with a smile. She liked her and the thought of having someone else to talk to, someone older that didn't know anything about her past with William, was appealing.
Both Buffy and Crystal's car doors opened and they stepped out of the car to join the others. "May I escort a lady to dinner?" Spike asked offering his arm to Buffy.
"Only if you promise to be nice." Buffy replied placing her arm in his.
"I'll be nice, for now." Spike said then leaned a little closer so he could whisper in her ear. "But once dinner is over, I think all bets are off. Oh and by the way, I never did get a chance to tell you that you look absolutely mouthwatering tonight."
"You're a pig, Spike." Buffy hissed at him, but couldn't keep the smile from crossing her lips. 'Job well done.' She thought to herself as the group entered the restaurant.