Chapter 21

"You know me love, I'm always up for a party, but I think that'll have to wait. We've got company, and it feels like family from the old days." Spike said with a subdued snarl, covertly extending his senses.

Buffy stiffened. "Where?"

"Just left. Listen, you stay here with the kiddies, I'll go check it out."

"But-"

"No. The old bitch may know that I've mated, but she definitely won't know that I've mated with the Slayer. Best to leave that little tid-bit until we really need it, like say, when you're ramming a tooth pick through her chest."

"Anyone ever tell you you have a way with words?" Buffy asked with a wry smile.

Spike smirked. "Oh luv, you have no idea."

With a parting kiss, Spike slipped into the shadows and out into the night.

"Whoa." Said Jonathan from behind Buffy, who had turned to watch Spike leave.

"What?" She asked, turning back around.

"H-he really has the whole 'creature of the night' thing down, doesn't he?" Jonathan stuttered slightly, still nervous about knowing a vampire.

"Jonathan, buddy, you have really got to get over this whole being scared of dad thing. I mean, look at it this way, now, whenever anyone picks on you, you can just sick dad on them." Xander joked, patting Jonathan on the back.

"Forget that, next time Cordelia gives me one of her snooty, stuck-up, 'Queen C' comments, I'm going straight to mom." Willow huffed at the look Xander was giving her. "Hey, you haven't seen her in action. Buffy can be scary."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Will you guys stop. Come on, I want to dance!" She grinned, leading them onto the dance floor.

Unconsciously, the little group formed a small circle on the center of the dance floor. None of them noticed when the four 'young men' from earlier stood at the edges of the circle, 'discouraging' any males or females that attempted to approach the group.

"Well, well, well…what have we here? A pimply faced toddler sniffen' around a dried up, diseased, old cunt? Though, I suppose you do smell nearly the same. Only real difference is the new-to-used ratio. Isn't it…grandmum?"

"William." Darla hissed, pulling herself away from her latest catch.

"Um, do you two know each other?" Jesse asked, looking uncomfortably between the two blonds.

"Better make yourself scarce boy. Trust me; you don't want anything found between that troll's thighs. Got to talk to old Darla here about a present she "accidently" gave me last weekend, if you get my drift."

"Oh, ah, ya, wow, ok. I'll, ah, see you a-around." Jesse said hurriedly, not even giving Darla another look as he rushed back into the Bronze.

"Fuck you William. You just cost me my dinner!" She raged. She didn't dare take a swing at him. She maybe older, but he had much more fighting experience.

"Ya, I know, I'm really broken up about it." Spike shrugged with a smirk, placing a cigarette between his lips and lighting it.

"So. Grandmum. What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"Family. What about you William? Are you here to introduce me to this new mate of yours? Well? Where is the latest 'love of your unlife'? Did you have to cage this one up too? Oh, or is she insane like good old Drusilla, and completely dependent on you?" Darla asked, her taunts falling short. When she noticed that she was having no effect on the usually hot headed vamp, Darla picked up her game.

"Speaking of, where is that insane piece of trash? Not off fucking another Larkas demon, is she? Well, she always was so…fickle." Darla gave an evil smirk, when she saw Spike stiffen. "Though never with Angel, now that I think about it. Strange, how she never tired of his bed." Darla got frustrated when Spike just continued to stand there, silent, no longer tense.

"So William, tell me about your new whore? When are you going to introduce her to the family? Let us break her in?" Darla smiled wickedly, licking her lips.

"I've noticed," Spike finally spoke up, tossing his finished cigarette to the ground, and grinding it beneath his Doc Martin. "That you've mentioned 'the family' twice now, so, I'm curious…just who are we talken' about, hag?"

Darla's smile disappeared. "You always were such a disappointment, William. Here's an idea. Why don't I send you a little…care package for your new mate? Hum? How does she feel about torture?" Darla snarled, her eyes glinting.

"I'd be careful about whose company I make those kinds of comments in if I were you, Grandmum. Threatening my mate is punishable by beheading in this dimension."

Darla through her head back and laughed. "Oh please William, is that supposed to be some sort of threat? Tell me, how old is she? 5, 6 years dead?"

"No, actually."

"What? Don't tell me she's a Master. What Master Vampire in her right mind would willingly take you as her mate?"

"She's not a vamp, actually."

Darla screeched with laughter.

It was unknown who would through the next barb, because at that moment, Jesse came stumbling out of the Bronze once again, with another vamp hanging off his arm.

"Bloody hell boy, can't you find one that doesn't want to use you as a chew toy?" Spike asked, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

Jesse looked at him confused. "I thought that was the point."

Despite himself, Spike chuckled. "Ya mate, but you still want to be breathen' come sun rise."

Spike then turned to the vamp girl hanging off of the boy, continuing to ignore Darla. Who had decided to stay and simply watch the byplay.

"Sorry luv, Bridgette, is it? But not this one, not tonight. Why don't you go munch on someone who deserves it, eh? Dish out a little death and dismemberment to some rapist or pedophile, somewhere. Make a night of it."

The seconds seemed to tick by, as Bridgette the vamp girl just looked at Spike in confused incredibility, before recognition dawned and her expression turned star-struck. "Y-yes, your majesty, of course. Sorry!" She called after letting go of Jesse and running down the alley, not looking back.

"Damn it dude! That's the second girl you've made me lose tonight! What the hell is your problem?" Jesse asked, now fully ticked.

"You know lad, your right." Spike was at the boy's side before he had finished speaking. "I just can't leave you alone for a minute." With that, Spike punched the boy in the back of the head, prompting him to pass out.

Darla narrowed her eyes. She had assumed that he had made her dinner leave just to annoy her. But now…she wondered.

"What the hell are you playing at William?" Darla seethed.

"You know, Darla, that's a very good question. Too bad I'm not one for spilling all my secrets on the first data eh? But then, you never know, stick around. Oh, and do me a favour, will you; tell great great granddad that my mate and I are expecting quite the party from your side of the family. Wouldn't want her to feel less than welcomed, would we?"

There was something going on here. Darla could feel it. This situation was all wrong, William was supposed to fall to his knees and weep at the first mention of Dru. But this was different, he was different. Through all of her taunting, William hadn't lost his temper. In fact, he had almost given her orders. Not to mention that he had saved that humans life twice tonight. And then the way that that fledgling had reacted…no, something was definitely wrong here. She had to tell her master.

"No William, we definitely wouldn't want that. Well, it's been fun, but I really must be going. Can't leave the Master waiting." With that said, she turned on her heals and strode away from the Bronze.

"Well, looks like it's just you and me floppy." Spike said, lifting the boy in one hand, and tossing him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Hey luv." Spike's voice whispered into her ear, just minutes after she had watched him leave the club.

"Hi hunny. Everything ok?" Buffy asked before turning around. When she did turn to face him she stopped.

"Is, is that Jesse?" She asked. Her senses told her that he wasn't dead, and if he were injured badly, Spike wouldn't have been carrying him so roughly.

"Is that his name?" Spike asked, casually shrugging his shoulder and making Jesse's head bounce.

The rest of the family had gathered around them at this point, and Willow and Xander both nodded their heads at his question.

"Huh, stopped this one from becoming a midnight snack. Twice." Spike rolled his eyes again.

Buffy smiled sweetly, and stroked Spike's cheek. "You're such a good man."

The others could tell that, if it were possible, Spike would have blushed.

"Thanks luv." Spike smiled shyly. "What do you say we get out of here? Drop this one at home, and go set up the house?"

Buffy grinned. "Ya, let's go home."