Title:                 Finding Home Part 8

Email:               tirel@pcnuthut.com

Site:                  https://www.angelfire.com/tv2/firebird_ascending/

Author:             Velvet Crypt

Disclaimer:        Joss is God. I own nothing.

Distribution:      Sure. Just lemme know where my baby’s going.

Spoilers:          

Summary:         A day of fluffy goodness. Oh, and someone gets smoochies.

 

Happy birthday, Woodlandchild!  For you:

 

 

When Jessica came down the stairs that morning she fairly bounced. She’d put her hair up in a ponytail and wore jeans and a tank top. Xander thought she looked more like his sister than his mom. He hugged her and twirled her hair. She grinned and swatted his hand.

 

Spike sidled up to her and kissed her cheek. “Hey, cutie,” he growled softly, “I hear one word about some git making eyes at you or whistling at your arse and I rip his arm off and beat him with it.” Jessica looked at him, caught between laughing and assuring him she didn’t want any limb rending done for her honor.

 

Xander broke the moment with a snicker. “I think someone’s a bit possessive, mom.” Spike glared at him.

 

“She’s our mum. You telling me you wouldn’t pound in some bloke’s head for messing with her?” Xander paused, then shrugged.

 

“Sorry, mom. Gotta go with the bleached menace there.”

 

Jessica rolled her eyes and sat at the table with a flip of her hair. “I love you, too, boys. Now. Where’s my breakfast?”

___________________________________________________

 

Xander hung in the doorway, watching his mom and the girls drive away. As they turned the corner, he smiled and shut the door. “So, Spike. What’s the plan while the shopaholics are away?”

 

Spike looked up from his seat at the table. “We’re inviting the scoobies to dinner, mate. So we need to plan a menu and you need to go buy the ingredients.” Xander looked incredulously at the vampire.

 

“Uh, Spike? I can’t cook.”

 

Spike sighed. “Idiot, you don’t have to cook. I will. You just have to go to the market and pick up what I put on the list.” Xander still looked leery.

 

“But what if I don’t know what the stuff on your list is? You’re like that, y’know.” He pointed out defensively. “You and mom were talking about some pretty weird shit when you were putting groceries away. I mean…radicchio? What the hell is that?”

 

Spike sighed again. “It’s lettuce. For salad.”

 

Xander snorted. “Why do you need some funky radish thingy for a salad? Just buy real lettuce.”

 

 “It’s radicchio. Not radish.” Spike shuddered. “Radishes are red. They may also go in salad, but they are not a lettuce. And as for that iceberg lettuce you like? Tasteless, it is. Never gonna grace the salad bowl at my table.”

 

Xander grinned. “Are you gay?”

 

Spike started at that. “What? Why do you ask that?” He asked, trying to control his nervousness. Xander just shrugged at him and plopped down in an empty seat.

 

“I hate shopping. You know that.” He continued.

 

“Why don’t you ring the Watcher and have him go with you? I’m sure he would know everything on my list, and we were going to invite him anyway. Kill two birds with one stone and all.”

 

Xander brightened, looking as though Spike were the most brilliant man on Earth, and raced for the phone.

 

Spike sighed for the third time in as many minutes and went back to jotting down dinner’s components.

 

Xander came back in a few minutes, grinning from ear to ear. “Giles says why don’t you just call him when you’re done with the list. He’ll pick it up and be over late this afternoon to help you cook it.” He nearly bounced. “He said that going to the grocery store with me was nightmare enough the last time. He’d rather I stay home.”

 

Spike laughed. “Bloody brill, pet. What’d you do? Sound hopped up on chocolate and espresso and Willow-babble at him?” Xander’s eyes widened in amazement. Spike burst out into a new round of laughter. “Bloody hell, you did!”

 

“Whoa, Spike. You’re good.” Xander said reverently. He sat back down, smiling at Spike’s attempts to stop laughing. “Spike?” He asked, serious enough that Spike sobered immediately.

 

“Yeah, mate?”

 

“I wanted to thank you for what you did for my mom. I’m glad someone else sees how special she is.” He paused, and then continued softly. “I’m glad that someone is you. And I’m glad you’re here.”

 

Spike felt a warm rush through his body that wound up snuggling against his chest, compressing his lungs. Had he breathed, he wouldn’t have been able to take a single breath. Xander’s eyes were so deep and dark, and so full of emotion. Spike forgot himself for a moment and reached out to cover Xander’s hand with his own. He realized what he’d done when he saw the boy’s eyes widen a bit, and he pulled away. He could have sworn Xander actually looked saddened at the loss of contact.

 

Naw. Bloody imagination.

 

“Where did you get the money, Spike?” The brunette changed the subject. Spike shrugged and settled in to tell him the repeat of the life story he’d shared with Jessica earlier. Xander stared openmouthed for most of it, wincing in all the right places, Spike thought. He was interested to see a slow burn building in those dark eyes each time he spoke of Angelus. He wondered if the boy really hated the older vamp so much that the mention of his name set off a wave of hate.

 

“Thank you.” The boy said quietly when Spike had finished. “I-I’m really honored that you’d share your money with us.”

 

Spike snorted. “Just money, pet. No big deal.”

 

“But it is,” Xander protested. “It is a big deal. Dru and Angel…Angelus, they’re you’re family. Your Sires. People you were supposed to love. And you wouldn’t share with them. So it is a big deal that you’d even consider sharing with mom and me. I mean, you hate us scoobies and you just met mom.”

 

“I don’t.”

 

Xander stopped, mid tirade. “Don’t what?”

 

“Don’t hate you lot.” Spike grumbled. “Haven’t hated you for a long time. And your mum is a good person. Don’t need to know her ages for that. ‘Sides. I wasn’t supposed to love ‘em. I was just sposed to do what I was told.”

 

Xander watched the blonde for a long moment, then reached out and placed his hand over the cooler, pale one fidgeting with the tablecloth. “But you did, didn’t you?”

 

Spike looked like he was considering snatching his hand from Xander’s grasp, but Xander tightened his grip. Spike slouched in his chair and glared at his hand’s captor. “Yeah, fine. So bloody what. I loved them. Doesn’t mean they loved me back. I didn’t want to love them.” His voice grew softer as he fell into remembering. It took on a Gilsean cadence, rather than a guttersnipe accent.

 

“He could make a virgin choirboy fall in love with him. He just had…something…about him that drew you to him. He could make you think you were the only one in existence. The way he looked at you. The way he spoke to you. Touched you, like only you mattered in his world. The sick part? He could make you feel that way even when he was beating you unconscious or fucking you raw in a pool of your own blood.”

 

Spike laughed a humorless laugh watching his fingers pick at the material on the table, not noticing the rage building in Xander’s eyes. “And Dru. Ah, my dark princess. She made me feel needed. I needed to be needed. To be wanted. When I was with her, I could pretend that it was me she wanted. I could pretend that her need was love. That she loved me in return. But then Daddy would waltz back in the room and I’d be slapped in the face with how she only needed someone to occupy her until he came back into her field of vision.”

 

“Bloody hell.” Spike ran the fingers of his free hand through his ungelled hair. “I guess I just fall in love to easily. I take a crumb of affection and turn it into some bloody lifelong bond.” He snorted. “Angelus and Dru always hated that. How easily I fell in love. How I treated it like the be-all, end-all of existence when I should have been keener on killing and destruction. They told me I was the only vamp in existence who was more likely to die of a broken heart as one pierced with a stake.”

 

Xander squeezed his hand. “I like it. It makes you different. It also gives you something in common with me.” He added with a wry smile. “I’d give anything to be in love with someone who loved me back. The rumor says I fall in love too quickly and for all the wrong reasons. I think I just fall in love with all the wrong people. I keep falling for people who can’t or won’t love me back.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t really surprise me, though. I mean my own father can’t bring himself to love me. How can I expect someone else to.”

 

He yelped as Spike squeezed his hand hard. “Your father is a wanker, Xan.” He growled. “If he took a bloody moment to look at the treasures he has at home, he’d never hurt them. He’d never say anything in anger. He’d love them to his dying breath. He has two people in his life who truly want to love him, God knows why, and all he does is grind that love under his boot heels.”

 

Spike leaned in closer. “If you two were mine? I’d never let a day go by when I didn’t tell you how happy you made me. How honored I was that you chose to love me.” Xander watched Spike with dazed eyes. Spike met his gaze and tried to will into the boy the knowledge that he was special, that he was…loved.

 

Xander’s lips parted and Spike’s gaze dropped to them. Soft, warm lips that begged to be nibbled. He mentally shook himself and pulled his hand away from the boy. “But we know that’s not going to happen, now don’t we? So, you think Italian, Mexican, or Chinese?”

___________________________________________________

 

The ladies piled into the kitchen like puppies, laughing and jostling each other. Xander grabbed a bag before it knocked over the flower vase. Spike righted Tara as she tripped over Buffy and lurched towards the sink. Then he and Xander backed up against the fridge carefully out of the way of the flying bags and waving arms.

 

Finally Jessica saw them and snickered. “You two look like you’re up for a firing squad.”

 

Xander smiled and shrugged. “Just keeping out of the way of the insane persons in our kitchen, mom.” Jessica pshawed him and he stepped out to give her a quick kiss. “Go. Upstairs. Put clothes away.” He looked at the others. “Spike is making dinner for everyone tonight, so you can just stay here if you want, or go home and come back. Whatever. Just be here at 7.”

 

Blink.

 

Blink. Blink.

 

Shrug.

 

“Okay,” Buffy chirped. “We’ll be upstairs helping Jessica put her stuff away and getting ready.” They clomped off up the stairs in a herd, leaving Xander and Spike alone in the kitchen.

 

“Um, Spike?”

 

“Yeah, pet?”

 

“Why do they have to get ready just to eat?”

 

“Dunno, mate. I think it’s a female thing.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I’ll be in the living room calling Giles. Why don’t you find some candles and nice music for dinner? Oh, and put a different tablecloth on the table. And the extra leaves.”

 

“Uh…okay. But why are we eating with leaves on the table? Oh, geesh! You’re not putting them into the salad too, are you?”

 

Sigh.

______________________________________________

 

Giles arrived around 4 p.m., bags in hand and kicking at the door. Xander opened it to see two large brown bags attached to legs just before said brown bags were thrust into his arms. Struggling to catch them, he heard, “Take those in to Spike. I’ve more in the car.” He was thankful he’d lived in this house his whole life. Otherwise, he’d never have found the kitchen since the only thing he could see was the ‘recycle me’ logo.

 

He dropped them on the table and went back outside to help Giles finish up. That was apparently the last thing the two ‘chefs’ felt him capable of because he was sent into the living room to watch TV. Well, maybe it had something to do with sneaking bites of food while the two Englishmen were working their arses off. And then sneaking some again after he was glared at. And after they told him to knock it off. And after Spike rapped him on the knuckles with a spoon. And after…~Oh, fine. Shut up brain.~

 

He was finally called back in to pour sparkling cider and light candles while the finishing touches were put on the food. As he was doing so, the ladies came back down the stairs from their continued bonding session. Xander noticed that this time, no one clomped. He saw why when they entered the room.

 

All three men froze and stared, mouths open, eyes wide. The ladies had dressed to the nines. Each woman wore a dress and heels, sported makeup and a fancy hairdo. They posed for a moment before the giggles overcame them. Giles stepped up and offered an arm to Jessica and Buffy. Xander blinked for another moment then offered his arms to Willow and Tara. 

 

He kept a close eye on Giles and attempted to imitate his actions. The older man pulled out a chair for Jessica and gently pushed her in. He then turned to Buffy and did the same. Xander pulled out a chair for Willow but pushed to quickly and nearly took her out at the knees. Tara giggled at the startled expression on her girlfriends face.

 

Willow grinned up at Xander. “See, this is why I decided to go with girls.” Xander blushed, but dropped a kiss on her forehead before turning to Tara. She was better prepared and made it up to the table without mishap. Giles took a place next to Jessica and smiled at her.

 

“You look enchanting, Mrs. Harris.”

 

Jessica blushed. “Thank you, Mr. Giles. Please, call me Jessica.”

 

Giles nodded. “And you may call me Rupert. Or Giles, if you will.”

 

She smiled a tiny, shy smile. “I think Rupert suits you.”

 

“Thank you.” He pulled his glasses off and began to polish them with the dinner napkin. “That’s a lovely dress, Jessica. It sets off your complexion.”

 

“Ehem?”

 

Giles looked up, startled. Buffy was glaring at him across the table. As Giles became more flustered she sighed. “Hello, Giles? Jessica isn’t the only one wearing new clothes!”

 

Giles laughed self-consciously and placed his glasses back on. “Oh, of course, Buffy. Er…you look quite lovely yourself. A-as do you Willow. A-and Tara.” Xander snickered. ~This was gonna be good.~

___________________________________________________

 

Xander looked around the table as everyone finished up eating. He smiled and felt comfortable warmth take up residence inside him. Never in his recollection had there been so much laughter in this house. Or so many people…people who wanted to be there. Never had he been so at ease at the dinner table. Of course, now that he thought about it, he’d never really sat down with his ‘family.’

 

Jessica laughed again and touched Giles on the arm. Xander caught Spike’s gaze and they traded raised eyebrows and grins. Xander took a moment to contemplate the questions that touch brought up. He liked Giles. A helluva lot more than his dad. Giles would be good to Jessica. Good for Jessica. ~Good for me.~ He decided that, whatever his mom chose to do, he would support her.

 

Then he took a moment to contemplate the questions the look he shared with Spike brought up. Was he really having…feelings for the blonde vampire? Feelings beyond, ‘hey you’re not so bad’ and ‘thanks for comforting me’? Did that quirky smile really tug at his heart? Did he really think there was no one he’d rather spend an afternoon with than Spike? Did he want so desperately to see if Spike’s lower lip was as tasty as it looked? ~Okay, Xander! Bring it down a notch!~

 

Jessica pushed her plate away and leaned back. “Spike, Rupert, Xander, that was the best meal I think I’ve ever had. Thank you boys for preparing it. And thank you for the lovely dinner party.” She smiled fondly at Xander and Spike. “You two are going to spoil me rotten.”

 

“You deserve it, mum.” Spike mumbled, looking at his plate.

 

“Rupert? I feel like a walk. Would you like to accompany me?” She turned shyly to Giles. His face lit up in a smile and he nodded.

 

“Certainly, Jessica. It would be my pleasure.” He stood and pulled Jessica’s chair out and helped her stand. His head shot up at the warning whistle Spike made and he caught the two stakes the vampire tossed his way. Giles looked between the stakes and Spike. “I truly do not want to know where you had those.”

 

He led Jessica out the front door and it closed softly behind them. Silence reigned at the table, but the eye contact was extensive. Eventually, Buffy broke. “They are so cute together!” she squealed.

 

Willow bounced in her chair. “Have you ever seen Giles so attentive?”

 

Tara smiled gently. “I think it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”

 

“I’ve never seen my mom flirt before,” Xander grinned. “She’s pretty good at it. And it’s really nice to see her so happy to have a male notice her.” His expression faltered as he thought of how often Jessica played invisible.

 

“Well, I hope they shag soon. It’ll give me one more piece of leverage to get you and your mum outa this shithole.”

 

Buffy looked at Spike, shocked. Willow just nodded. “I agree. Anything to get Jessica and Xander out of here. I grew up watching Tony hurt them. I hated feeling so useless. I hated that they acted like they deserved it.” She looked pointedly at Xander, who vacillated between trying to become invisible himself and looking amazed.

 

“I didn’t think anyone noticed.” He whispered.

 

Willow smiled gently at him. “Of course we noticed, honey. Why do you think Jesse and I begged you to stay over so much?  I just wish we could have done something to help your mom.” Xander climbed out from under the table and wrapped Willow in a tight embrace.

 

“I love you, Wills.” He whispered into her hair.

 

“I love you too, Xan. Now, lets help Spike with the clean up here.” Xander pulled away, sniffing loudly and smiling.

 

“Yeah, sounds good.”

_________________________________________________

 

The dishes were done and everyone was piled on couches in the living room watching TV when Giles and Jessica came back through the door laughing. Jessica had her hand through the crook of Giles’ arm and was wearing his jacket. Giles shut the door and Jessica pulled his jacket from her shoulders.

 

“Thank you,” She said as she handed it to him.

 

“Of course, Jessica. Wouldn’t do to have you cold, would it?” He smiled at her. She blushed prettily.

 

“I think it’s time I took my leave.” He sighed. “I must open the shop early tomorrow. By the way, Jessica, you know you’re certainly welcome at the Magick Box any time you like. You needn’t wait for Xander or Spike to bring you. It’d be nice to have someone to talk to during the day between sales.” He looked nearly mortified by his boldness.

 

“Thank you, Rupert.” Jessica replied softly. I’ll do that. Until tomorrow?” Giles lifted her hand and gently kissed the back of it before returning it to her side.

 

“Until tomorrow, Jessica.” He smiled. The girls uncurled from the couch, yawning.

 

“Yeah, we need to get going too.” Buffy added. “See you guys later.” Xander echoed goodbyes at everyone; Spike just raised a hand, still watching TV. When everyone had left, Jessica sighed, unconsciously holding her hand to her chest.

 

“I’m going to take a shower and go to bed, boys. Have a good night.” She nearly floated up the stairs. Xander and Spike grinned at each other and went back to watching TV.

 

Xander started squirming halfway thought the show. He toed off his shoes and tucked his socks in them before turning sideways and laying lengthwise on the couch, his feet in Spike’s lap. He waited with bated breath for Spike to shove them off and tell him to get the hell on his side of the couch. But it never came.

 

Instead, Spike began rubbing his arches. He couldn’t stop the moan that escaped his lips. He froze and shot a glance at the vampire. Spike smiled, but never took his eyes off of the screen. He continued rubbing, massaging muscles Xander never even knew he had. When he’d finished one foot, he moved onto the other. Then up to Xander’s calves. Xander was a warm mushy pile of goo. Then he realized he had to pee.

 

Groaning, he got up, pointing to the bathroom. Spike nodded and Xander walked away on totally relaxed legs. He finished his business and washed his hands, eager to get back to his vampire. As he walked past Spike’s legs to get back to his seat, arms went around his waist and tugged him down. He went, assured that Spike wouldn’t let him fall.

 

Spike arranged him so that Xander’s head was in Spike’s lap. Xander settled in, enjoying the weight of Spike’s arm across his chest. A moment later, Xander felt fingers carding through his hair. His scalp tingled and he smiled, closing his eyes to focus on the feeling. He felt a vibration begin and opened his eyes in confusion. Then the sound came. Purring. Spike was purring. Xander’s smile grew and he closed his eyes again, succumbing to the relaxing sound; letting it lull him to sleep.

 

Spike continued playing with Xander’s hair, content for the first time in longer than he could remember. When he heard the boy’s heartbeat slow and his breathing even out he switched off the TV. Gently, he stood, pulling Xander into his arms as he did so. He carried him downstairs and set him in his bed. Spike tugged off the human’s shirt and maneuvered his jeans off as well. Once Xander was undressed, he tucked him under the covers and went to move away.

 

A hand on his wrist halted him. He looked down to see sleeping brown eyes peering at him under a great shag of hair. “Stay? Please?” he mumbled. Spike paused a moment then nodded. He shucked down to his own shorts and climbed in too. Xander curled up against his chest and burrowed his face into the crook of Spike’s neck. Spike wrapped arms around his boy and let his heartbeat send him into slumber.

_____________________________________________________

 

Xander slowly came back to consciousness. He smiled sleepily when he realized that Spike’s arms were still wrapped around him. He extricated himself and looked at the clock: 10:00. He stumbled to the bathroom wiping the sleep from his eyes and turned on the shower. As the water warmed up, he brushed his teeth.

 

Ten minutes later, his hair was washed and he was as clean as he was going to get. He dried off and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He wondered why showers never woke him up like other people. Even as he watched himself, his eyelids wanted to close again. ~Screw this.~ He decided to go back to bed. After all, it wasn’t everyday he had a nice comfy vampire to snuggle up to. As he moved to the bed, Spike’s eyes opened.

 

Xander pondered what drugs had been in his toothpaste for about 5 seconds and then crawled up onto the bed from the foot of it. He didn’t move up on his side. He started at Spike’s toes and crawled up the vampire’s body until he sat straddling the vamp on all fours.

 

Spike stared up at him, endless blue eyes curious. Xander slowly lowered his head, pausing a mere inch from Spike’s lips. He waited for argument much like last night. And much like last night, Spike seemed willing to let him do whatever he wanted. So he did. He closed the rest of the distance between them. Spike’s lips were cool, soft, and pliant. They allowed him to claim them, to mark them as he ran his tongue across the lower one on his way back up.

 

Spike’s eyes opened back up when the pressure of Xander’s lips was gone. “What was that for, luv?” He whispered. Xander smiled from his perched position above Spike.

 

“Don’t really know, Spike. It could be because you’ve been so wonderful the last few days with my mom and me. Or cause you let me cry myself asleep in your arms. Or cause you filled our house with laughter. But I’m thinking I’m going to be selfish and say it was for me. Cause I wanted to.”

 

Spike smiled up at him. “Oh.”

 

“You mad?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

“Good. I’m glad.”

 

Spike brought his hand up from between them and cupped Xander’s face. Slowly, he pulled Xander’s face down to him and lifted his own head. This time, Spike explored Xander’s lips. He tasted mint and sunshine. His tongue carefully probed at the part between the boy’s lips and was thrilled to be given admittance. He cautiously tasted Xander’s tongue, ran his own tongue over the surface of Xander’s teeth and then pulled back out again to nibble on his bottom lip.

 

He let his head fall back onto the pillow and looked up at Xander’s flushed face. The brunette slowly opened glazed brown eyes, his tongue darting out to capture every last taste of the blonde vampire. He smiled. “What was that for?”

 

“Well, it could be cause you saved my life. Or you shared your mum with me. Or you gave me someone to take care of again, making me feel needed. Or because you’ve made me feel wanted here. It could be cause you trusted me enough to fall asleep in my arms. But I’m going to be selfish too and say it was for me. Cause I’ve wanted to forever.”

 

“Well, what kind of host would I be if I didn’t cater to the every whim of my guest?” Xander smiled and lowered his head again, capturing the vampire’s lips. ~What the hell am I doing?~ He wrapped his tongue around Spike’s and sucked. The vampire moaned deep in his throat. ~Oh, yeah, I’m giving in to my latent homosexual desires and kissing the fuck out of the man I have a crush on.~

 

~Where the hell did he learn to kiss like that?~ Spike opened his mouth further, sealing it against the sweet cavern that begged to be tasted. ~He tastes as good as he feels. He feels as good as he looks. And he wants me.~ Xander broke the kiss and licked a trail from Spike’s chin to his ear. The vampire shuddered against him.

 

~Oh, yeah…Xander the sex god has entered the building!~ He hummed slightly against the dip behind Spike’s ear and felt him shudder again. ~I made Spike quiver!~

 

~Oh, bloody Christ, Xander…do that again! Why do I have to decide where he puts his mouth? Why can’t he be kissing me and licking my ear at the same time?~ he mentally whined.

 

~Okay…must stop now. Before I start dry humping his leg.~ Xander pulled away and looked into Spike’s flushed face. He smiled. “Cool, I didn’t know vampires could be flushed.”

 

Spike cracked an eye open and grinned. “Sure pet. We can get our blood to go…lots of places.” He thrust his hips up, rubbing his erection against Xander’s leg. Xander was the one shuddering now.

 

“God, Spike. We have to quit while I still can.” He moaned. The vampire took pity on him and dropped his hips back to the bed. Xander sighed and rolled off. “Okay. Let’s get dressed and see if mom is up yet.”

 

Spike nodded. “Sure, pet. If that’s what you really want to do.” He said innocently, snickering when the bulge in Xander’s boxers twitched.

___________________________________________________

 

They came out of the basement to find Jessica sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and the paper. She looked up and smiled. “Morning, boys.” As one, they walked to her sides and kissed her on the cheek. She lifted her face to give them access and caught the tail end of the look that passed between them. She smirked.

 

“Well, well, well.” She took a sip of her coffee. “I was wondering when you two would figure it out. Congratulations.” Xander blushed and busied himself at the coffee pot. Spike just dropped into a chair and smirked back. “Alexander, honey, I’m happy for you.” She reassured him. “I love you. I love William. I think you two are wonderful for each other. I couldn’t be happier.”

 

Xander smiled shyly as he set a cup of steaming black liquid in front of Spike and took his own seat. “Thanks mom. But I’m wondering how much of that happiness is due to us, and how much is due to a certain English gentleman who owns a magic shop.” He laughed at Jessica’s sly smile.

 

“He asked me to dinner last night on our walk.” She said smugly. “I said yes.” Suddenly, her smile fell and she looked seriously at the two males. “Can I ask you something and have you answer honestly?” Xander nodded. Spike snorted, then nodded.

 

“Do you think I’m acting…whorelike…by going to dinner and flirting with Rupert?” She asked in a small voice. Spike leaned over the table and took her hand into his.

 

“Mum, if I had my chip out, I’d widow you so you could get on with your life. I don’t consider your relationship with that smarmy bastard a marriage. It’s more of a case of slavery. If the Watcher treats you good, more power to both of you.”

 

Xander took her other hand. “I can’t guarantee I’d kill him, mom. I’m not really the evil-dead-kill-them-if-they-look-at-you-funny kind, but Giles is a good man. It’s nice to see someone treating you the way you deserve to be treated. It’s nice to see you smile. I love you.”

 

Jessica sniffed and smiled through a sheen of tears. “Thank you, boys. I love you both too. Now, where do you think Rupert will take me to dinner?”