By Ripe Wicked Plum

Buffy groaned, collapsing on the couch next to Spike, throwing an arm over her eyes, "I can't do this anymore," she muttered beneath her breath.

Spike looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow, "The bloody house was already spotless. You didn't have to clean."

"Yeah, but you don't know my dad. He sees any little thing wrong, he freaks. He's a neat freak."

"Sounds postively anal," Spike replied, and Buffy shot him a look before sighing, "Yeah, he is."

Spike tried to return his attention to his book, but Buffy's current proximity was extremely distracting. Even if she smelled like Lysol. He finally put it aside, glancing towards her, "What are you really worried about, Slayer?"

"Besides the obvious? Mainly Dawn," Buffy shook her head, "What if he tries to take her away?"

"Already told you I'd finance a custody battle, if need be," Spike reminded her but she shook her head, "I don't think it'll come to that. And even if it does, you've done enough..."

He looked at her in surprise, "Pardon?"

"I intercepted the bank letter, Spike. I know you've been putting money in there. I started out with five thousand, and suddenly, there's ten. I don't think I accumlated interest that fast..."

Spike snorted, "Don't let it go to your head, luv. Just makes it easier to access my money when I need it."

"What I want to know is if you have that much money to begin with, why do you always hit us up for cash?"

Spike shrugged, "Didn't get that much money by spending it, Slayer."

"And attempting to rob Anya?"

"Well, any type of fear in mortals works for me," He replied defensively, and Buffy rolled her eyes. "Riiighhttt...I believe you."

Spike shook his head, standing up, "Believe what you want, luv...it's all the same to me," he told her, heading into the kitchen.

Yeah...right, Buffy thought to herself, following him. "How's everything with Dawn?"

He glanced over his shoulder as he popped a mug of blood in the microwave, "Nibblet's fine. Little scared after Glory decided to put a hole through me, but she's doing all right..."

"Hmm...is that why she sneaks into your room at night?"

Spike nearly groaned, finally finding out he couldn't put anything past the Slayer. Especially when he was under her roof, "How long?" He asked, and Buffy shrugged, "Since she and Lisa bunked with you..."

"Haven't gotten any real bloody sleep since then, she kicks in her sleep," he grumbled and Buffy shook her head, "Why don't you just boot her out?"

Spike threw her a pointed look, "Don't have the heart, luv. Especially when she's looking at me with those big, brown eyes. There should be a law against them."

Buffy giggled, "Oh no...she's gotten to you. She used to do the same thing to dad."

"Do what?"

"He called them her 'puppy' eyes. She uses them against all older males. Xander fell for them too. No one can resist the power of Dawn's puppy eyes."

"Bloody absurd," he rolled his eyes, "One hundred twenty-nine years old, and I'm being manipulated by a fourteen year old girl."

"Don't feel bad," Buffy said, only a bit sympathetic, "It happens to all you male role models."

"Now I'm a role model?!" He looked absolutly horrified by the idea.

Buffy shook her head, "Maybe it'll be a good idea if you and Dawn not act so chummy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Spike...one of these days, even if I convince dad to let Dawn stay with me, I'm going to die. I'm living on borrowed time. Eventually, she's going to end up back in LA, and that's if Glory doesn't get her first..."

"You're telling me not to get too attached to the nibblet?"

"Yes, Spike. One of these days, you're going to lose her," Buffy looked a bit uncomfortable, "And how do you think you're going to feel about that?"

Spike looked thoughtful, his blood cooling in the microwave, forgotten for the moment. "Why do you care?" He asked finally, raising an eyebrow.

Buffy sighed, "Listen...I already conceeded you can love, all right? And I think...I think you love my sister as much as I do. Who knows? Maybe more. And we've both seen what happens when you love something..."

Spike scowled, opening the microwave door, "Let's talk about that..."

"There's nothing to talk about..."

"Yes, Slayer, there is. And you brought it up. so, let's talk."

"Spike," Buffy shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it, all right? Why ruin everything?"

"Ruin what, pet? Your sweet babysitter deal?" He slammed the microwave door, whirling on her, "I'm not going anywhere, Buffy, so don't worry about that. I promised Joyce I'd look after you two..."

"When?" Buffy frowned, "When did you promise my mom that?"

"Um..." Spike hesistated, "Forget I brought that up..."

"No," Buffy crossed her arms, throwing his words back at her, "You brought it up, so let's talk."

He rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath, "Right. Trade. I'll tell you, and then we talk about before, all right?"

It was Buffy's turn to hesistate, then sighed, "Fine. Now tell me."

"When you found me on the porch...I dreamt of her..." He shook his head, "But it felt real. I could...feel her and everything. And she told me to watch you two. To kill and die for you if I had too..."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "It's official...you're insane."

Spike glared at her, "You asked, Slayer, and I'm telling you. It felt real!" The conviction in his voice surprised her, and she frowned in thought, "You're completely serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah," he shook his head, "And I promised her, Slayer, and as far as I'm concerned, it's as good as if she was here herself right now. Besides, it's never a good idea to not grant someone their last requests. Bad luck or something."

Buffy sighed, yep, he's crazy...but somehow, she found it oddly comforting. "Fine. I accept that," she said, starting to move away.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"Forgot, I'm supposed to meet Giles for training!" She called, and he growled as she headed out the door. Going to have to kill the chit, he thought, then rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that was real convincing, mate."

Hank Summers glanced at his watch as he impatiently waited for the light to change.

He was eager to see his two little girls.

Despite what everyone thought, he did love his daughters, and he did love Joyce, even if they couldn't be together, but he was a busy man. He was in charge of his firm. The job required extensive traveling, long hours and basically sleeping in his office night after night.

It was his job that finally drove Joyce away. She was basically raising their daughters on her own anyway, so all a divorce did was make it easier for both of them to live their own lives, and not have to worry about what the other was doing all the time. Especially behind one's back.

He didn't think that Joyce ever blamed him for cheating on her with Allison, then Mary, then Sandy, then Tracy...well, a long list anyhow. He couldn't very well maintain a real relationship with his hours! And he hadn't even wanted the kids.

He flinched at his own thoughts, Right, Hank...why don't you open with that? Hello, honey...I'm sorry your mom's dead and oh, by the way, I never really wanted children to take care of, but your mother forget her pill...and oops...there you two were...

Hank was well aware he was a total dick. That's why he succeeded so well in the business world. You had to be a complete asshole to succeed in captialist America. And he was always ready to act the part. Unfortunatly, that same attitude usually carried into his personal life.

When Buffy called to tell him that Joyce had died, his very first thought had been, Christ...I'm going to have to pay for a funeral...then I have to sell the house and move the girls back up to LA. His second thought had been along the same lines, thinking about how he would have to pay for grief counselors, (They were in style at the moment, after all,) and have to do a whole dad thing.

It took five more thoughts till he got to how Buffy and Dawn were taking it.

Another six till he hoped that it was painless for Joyce.

He was a 'prick, shitty louse motherfucker of a wanker' as Spike would later describe him.

Hank probably wouldn't have denied it either.

He pulled into the driveway, glancing at Joyce's old jeep, unused since Buffy didn't have her license, and the black DeSota on the street. Must be the English guy's car, he thought, going up to the door.

He knocked on it, waiting for someone to answer. After several minutes, a young blond man answered the door, and Hank stared at him in surprise, "Um...are you...Rupert Giles?"

Spike blinked in surprise, shaking his head, "Sorry, mate...you got the wrong Brit. What can I help you with?"

"I'm here to see my daughters...they do still live here, right?"

Spike frowned, then his eyes widened in realization, "Uh...you're Hank Summers?"

"Yes," Hank raised an eyebrow, "And you are?"

"Sp--" Spike caught himself in time, deciding that wasn't a good name to give the Slayer's father, "William. William Waldentree."

"Okay...is Buffy here?"

Spike shook his head, then nearly swore, inviting him in. He didn't want to leave her father hanging out on the doorstep either. "She's out...I'll give her a call and tell her you're here...early."

"Couldn't wait to see my girls," Hank explained as Spike headed to the phone, and Spike barely could contain his snort. Right...that's why you were here when they really needed you, he thought angrily, his voice tight as he replied, "Yeah. They can't wait too see you either."

Hank frowned as Spike spoke in a low voice into the phone, glancing over his shoulder at the older man. Why in the hell is there a man in my daughter's home?

Spike hung up, turning back to him, "She'll be here soon."

"Who are you, exactly?"

Spike frowned, "William..."

"I got that much, but who are in relation to my daughters?"

"Me?" Spike swore inwardly, "I'm...um..."

Hank scowled at Spike's hesistatince, and Spike blurted out, "Boyfriend! I'm her...um...boyfriend." Great, you're staked.

"Oh," Hank eyed him warily, "How long have you been dating my daughter?"

"Um...six months?" That sounded like a nice, round number to him.

"And you're staying here?"

"What? No! I'm just waiting for the nibblet to show up! I watch her till Buffy gets home," he hastened to explain.

Just then, the door opened, and Dawn shrieked, seeing her father, "Daddy!" She flew into his arms, and he grunted as he picked her up, "You're getting heavy..."

"You're here early! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you guys, honey," he grinned at his daughter, "And making Buffy's boyfriend sweat."

"Her boyfriend?" Dawn looked confused then looked towards Spike who was making wild gestures behind Hank's back that didn't make any sense, and she rolled her eyes, "Are you torturing Spike, daddy?"

"Spike? I thought his name was William."

"Duh, dad. It's his nickname," Dawn said as he put her down again. "You know...like punkin belly."

Hank looked saddened for a brief second, then smiled widely, "So, what do you guys want to do tonight? Dinner? Movie?"

"Um...all of the above," Dawn said and Hank laughed, ruffling her hair, "Fine...fine...you win."

Spike groaned softly as Giles' car pulled up, and Dawn threw him a reassuring look as she dashed outside to intercept her sister.

Hank turned his attention back to Spike, "What are your intentions for my daughter?"

Try not to die at her hand, he thought, saying aloud, "Absolutly nothing, sir."

Hank shook his head slightly as Buffy came in with Dawn by her side. Buffy shot a glare at Spike and he beat a hasty retreat into the kitchen to make coffee before she could say a thing to him.

"Hey, dad. This is Giles, you talked to him on the phone..."

"Yes...nice to meet you, Mr. Summers," Giles held out his hand and Hank shook it firmly, "Place is being overrun by you Brits, I see. Makes me think we lost a war."

Giles' laugh was strained as Buffy kissed her father stiffly on the cheek, "I'm going to go help Spike out in the kitchen," She said, "Why don't you three sit down and talk?"

Giles looked at her with wide eyes, silently pleading not to be left alone, but Buffy was already stalking towards the kitchen, her eyes narrowed.

"I panicked, all right!?" Spike hissed at the Slayer as he fumbled with the coffemaker, swearing beneath his breath, "He wasn't supposed to be here for two more days!"

"Boyfriend, Spike?" She glared at him, taking the coffeepot out of his hand and shoving the filters at him, "Why not babysitter...or friend of the family? You had to jump right to boyfriend?"

"I could have told him I was your cabana boy!" Spike snapped, running a hand through his hair, "Christ...what a mess..."

"Yeah, what a mess!" Buffy scowled as she watched him put the instant coffee mix in the filter, "Don't you know how to do that?"

"I'm not a big coffee drinker," Spike replied as she snatched the filter out of his hands, "What are you going to do?"

"We are going to act like every other normal couple on the planet, like either of us know what that is, and then you're going to lay low till he leaves. Got it? I'll stake you when this is done and over with."

"Right," Spike nodded, slightly relieved.

"And whatever you do, don't call me Slayer. I don't think I want to explain that to my dad."

"He doesn't know?" Spike looked surprised, and she rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I told my dad I'm a Vampire Slayer. You saw how long it took me to tell my mom..."

"Oh...she didn't take it too well," Spike looked into the living room, "Pillock's touching my computer!"

"Don't call my dad a whatever the hell you called him!" Buffy smacked him upside the head, then grabbed the mugs from the counter, quickly pouring the coffee, "And behave yourself, no growling, snarling, biting or any of the other crap you vamps do that's really weird to us humans."

Spike rolled his eyes, mumbling something about certain Slayers not knowing important aspects of their jobs as they headed back into the living room, "Shut up, honey," she muttered beneath her breath.

Spike glared at her as she preceeded him, then let a grin spread over his face. I'm so dead...but at least she called me honey...

Giles looked completely relieved when Buffy returned, jumping to his feet, "Right...maybe I should leave you alone so you can...talk..."

Buffy was about to release him, but Hank peered at him curiously, "You are staying here, aren't you?"

"Um..." Buffy nodded at him, "Yes, I am. In the guest bedroom...right?" He looked towards Buffy for confirmation and she rolled her eyes, nodding again.

They really should have had a back-up plan just in case, but who knew her father would show up anywhere early, let alone on time?

"So, dad, what happened? I thought you were on business," She said, bringing the attention away from a very grateful Giles as he went towards Spike. The vampire explained things in a low voice as Hank turned towards Buffy, "I was, but I decided, that hey, my girls need me."

Yeah, right, "Well, everything is in order here. Spike took care of the money part for us, and Giles has been helping out around here..."

"Yes. And Spike, is it? Told me he was babysitting."

"Uh...yeah, he looks after Dawn when she gets home from school..."

"You're at school a lot?" He cocked his head, "Have you decided your major yet?"

Spike and Giles looked towards him, then at each other, "What kind of bleeding question is that?" Spike asked beneath his breath, unknowingly echoing Buffy's very thoughts, and Giles shook his head.

"No, dad, I haven't," Buffy replied, and Hank sighed, "Buffy, I'm not paying you to go to college just so you can go to parties..."

"What? Dad!" Buffy glared at him, "Do we have to do this now? Isn't there something important we should be talking about instead?"

"Like what?" Hank said, then immediately regretted it as Dawn shot him a hurt look, standing up, "I'll be in my room," she muttered miserably.

"Dawn, wait..." Buffy reached for her sister, but the younger girl sidestepped her, stomping up the stairs. Great...just great, dad...here five minutes...

"I got it, luv," Spike replied, already moving. When he was out of Hank's vision, he flipped him off, shaking his head, "You take care of things down here."

Buffy sighed, knowing she should really be the one talking to her sister, but she let him go. He was right. She needed to take care of things down here.

"Nibblet?" Spike knocked on Dawn's locked door.

"Go 'way," her voice was muffled, and Spike sighed, twisting the knob the wrong way till the lock gave and he stepped in.

Dawn sighed, rolling over to her back, "I need a disinvite on my room."

"You don't mean that, luv," Spike said with false cheer as he sat on the edge of her bed, "What's wrong?"

"Duh, Spike. You heard what he said!"

"Yeah, pet, I did at that," Spike sighed, "He's an insenstive prick, luv...but you can't let him get to you. We can't fuck this up...or we might lose you."

"Why does it matter?" Dawn swiped at her teary eyes, "Maybe if I'm in LA, Glory can't find me..."

"She'll just track you there, luv," Spike stroked her hair as she leaned her head against his shoulder, "Besides, your big sister needs you, you know. She loves you. Plus, with mum gone, you're all the family she's got."

Dawn snuggled deeper against his side, sighing, "I don't want to leave either..."

"I feel the same," he assured her, pressing his lips against the top of her head as his keen ears picked up the conversation downstairs.

"Dad, we have to talk about Dawn..."

Hank nodded, putting down his mug, "Yes...I'm going back to LA in two days. I have a business meeting. She can come with me then. I'll make arrangements to sell the house. You can live at the dorm till you finish up the school year, and then transfer to LA, if you like..."

"Dad. I want to keep Dawn," Buffy said softly, and he looked at her in surprise, "Buffy, you have no idea of the responsibility that goes into raising a child..."

She lifted her eyes angrily, wanting desperately to ask how the hell he knew, but bit it back, but just barely. "Yes, I do. I want to keep her here, with me."

Hank shook his head, "I'm her father, Buffy. I can't afford for her to stay here. I can't afford to have her live here, and I don't want her living in a dorm room either!"

"The cost isn't your problem, dad. It never will be. I'll take care of her and make sure she has everything she needs..."

"How? By getting a job at the mall?" He asked snidely, "Buffy, you can't possibly afford to keep her."

"Um...Mr. Summers...if I may..." Giles cleared his throat, "I am willing to take up the slack..."

"Mr. Giles, I will not have my daughters accepting charity. I do have my pride, thank God..."

"It's not charity," Giles insisted, "I care very deeply for them. They're like my own daughters..."

"Nevertheless, no one will be able to say that Hank Summers is a slouch," he pulled himself up importantly, "I will take care of my own children, thank you very much..."

Buffy shot a desperate look at Giles, "Dad, please...I really want this..."

"Dawn isn't a puppy, Buffy. You can't say you want to keep her, and then find out later the problems with your choices. This discussion is over..."

"But Spike's helping out too!" Buffy gestured at the computer, "You saw our finances..."

"And he did a bangup job, Buffy. But no man wants to be saddled with someone else's children. How long do you think he'll stick around if you tell him you want him helping to take care of Dawn?"

"But..."

"Buffy! This is over!" Hank stood up, his stance firm.

"Everything's taken care of!" She refused to be intimidated. She was the Slayer after all, "And Spike's agreed...!"

"Buffy, be quiet!"

"No!" She shouted, "Why don't you go back to fucking LA and pretend you don't have kids, dad?! You're pretty good at that!"

Hank brought his hand up as if to strike her, and then his hand was grabbed, and he felt his bones grind together as he looked over his shoulder, hearing a low, dangerous growl.

"You might want to rethink that, mate," Spike's yellow eyes narrowed as Hank's mouth dropped open in shock, "JESUS CHRIST!"

"Spike!" Buffy glared at him, "Let my dad go!"

Spike growled again, but obeyed, taking a step back.

"What in the hell is that?"

Buffy rubbed the bridge of her nose wearily as Dawn came downstairs at the commotion, raising an eyebrow at Spike, who grinned at her, forcing his demon back, his face returning to their normal, handsome planes.

"That, dad, is a vampire," Dawn said proudly as Giles shook his head, glancing towards Buffy, "Maybe we should just put out a memo. I think our secret identies are shot to hell anyhow."

Hank stared at his youngest as she took the blond's hand, shaking her head at him, "Well...that lasted a whole five minutes."

"A vampire? Buffy, have you cracked?"

Spike flashed his true face at Hank again, "Have you?" He asked as Hank stumbled backwards with a startled cry.

"Spike, you're going to give him a heart attack," Buffy sighed.

"You're dating that thing?"

"No! I'm not dating him, dad. I don't date vampires...well...there was that one time..."

Hank paled, staring at his daughter, "I'm taking Dawn...and I'm recommanding a therapist for you!"

"Dad," Buffy shook her head, "I'm a Vampire Slayer. I fight evil demons and stuff...and save the world..."

"How many times is that now, pet?"

"I think four," Buffy shrugged, "You can't take Dawn, because then I can't protect her..."

He looked towards Giles, "What is this...?"

"I'm her Watcher," Giles said, and Spike chuckled, "Guess what he does."

"Great...and what are you?" He shot a look towards Dawn, "Are you a Slayer too?"

"Nope, just a ke--" Spike covered her mouth, muffling the rest of her words, "Just your ordinary fourteen year old girl..." He finished for her. Dawn glared at him when he removed his palm from her mouth, "Shut up would have worked, you know."

"I was mistaken...you all need therapists," Hank shook his head, "Come on, Dawn, pack up your stuff, we're leaving..."

"No," She sidestepped his grab for her, "I'm staying with Buffy and Spike..."

"Your mother taught you this...she always had crazy ideas in her head...and she was bitter after the divorce..."

Spike growled, still in game face as Giles stepped forward, his gaze steely, "You'll do well not to disparge that fine woman...ever!"

"I love you, dad, I really do...but under the circumstances, Dawn's safest with me and Spike. I want her to be in your life, but right now...that's not the best thing for any of us."

Hank eyed Spike warily, "I don't believe any of this. This is a scheme cooked up to make me look foolish."

"Surprisingly, dad, this isn't all about you," Buffy sounded a bit disgusted, "If you cared for us at all, you'll just leave it in my hands."

"You don't understand the responsibilities..."

"That's where you're mistaken, mate," Spike corrected, "I've been around for two centuries, and they don't come more responsible then her. She's got her priorities straight," he cocked his head, "My question is...do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hank bristled as Spike started to circle him predatorily, and he turned with the vampire, not willing to turn his back on him.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, glancing at Giles, reconginizing Spike's intimidation tactic, and from the look on her father's face, it was working quite well.

"When you told the Slayer you wanted Dawn, what were your reasons?" He purred almost seductively, "I heard them quite clearly. Money, papa Summers, that's all I heard. Worried about paying child support, perhaps? Wanting the fat check from this nice house that Joyce worked so hard to earn while she waited for alimony that never arrived?"

Buffy blinked in surprise, glancing at Dawn. Their mother had never told them that!

"No...that's not it..." Hank muttered, but Spike's eyes narrowed.

"Pride too," Spike smirked at him, "Don't want those suits back at work thinking you can't take care of your children, right? Might look bad during a job review...might not get that new promotion you're lusting after...or the new skirt. The nibblet's a cute one," Spike smiled at her, then looked back towards Hank, the corners of his mouth turning up to reveal his sharp canines, "Might make the ladies a little more receptive to a balding, middle aged, womanizing, petty, deadbeat, prick, shitty louse motherfucker of a wanker, like yourself."

Hank gaped at him, struggling for a response to the vampire's verbal abuse, and Spike snapped his teeth at him, "Get going, mate, before I find out if this chip works on sub-humans..."

Buffy, Dawn and Giles stared at Spike, "That was...quite...verbal," The Watcher muttered, wishing he could have said the same, but that would have been a little more Ripper-like then he would have liked.

Hank took a step back for everyone Spike took towards him till he was against the door, and Spike's face was right in his, "And you ever, ever try to touch my women again... I'll rip your intestines out through your nose..." Hank's eyes widened as Spike moved forward even more, nose to nose with the terrified man, "Got it?"

Hank nodded with some difficulty as Spike turned the knob and threw it open, making him fall out onto the porch.

Hank landed on his backside with a grunt, still staring up at the furious vampire, "GO!" Spike roared, the sound sending Hank scrambling for his car hastily.

"You'll hear from my lawyer!" He screamed from the percieved saftey of his auto, and Spike raised an eyebrow, his human mask melting back into place, "And then you'll hear from mine...and believe me, mate, you don't know an evil lawyer till you meet a Lairk demon..."

Hank paled very visibly as he slammed his car door, peeling out.

Spike chuckled, turning back to the others, "Bloody hell...but that was FUN!"

His grin disappeared when he saw Buffy glaring at him, "Now what?!"

"You just scarred my father for life," Buffy sighed, rolling her eyes, "Thanks."

"Wow...he is so coming to my parent-teacher conference. No one's going to give me a bad grade!"

Giles still looked troubled, "Not that I don't completely agree with the method...but what if he makes good on his threat?"

"I was serious about my lawyer," Spike told him, "He's a mean son of a bitch...he could make Satan himself weep and sign over the deed to hell."

Buffy smiled slightly as Dawn ran up to Spike, and he picked her up, kissing her cheek, "Everything's going to be fine, nibblet, don't you worry..."

"I'm not," She beamed at him, "Remember, it's your turn for dinner tonight. You lost at monopoly again..."

"That does it, from now on, no more bets on board games!" Spike said, and Dawn looked at him with her big, liquid doe eyes, and Spike groaned, "I hate you."

"No, you don't," She said confidently as he strode into the kitchen, and he growled in response.

Buffy shook her head, glancing at Giles, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to give me the lecture about letting Spike have free rein in turning my dad into a basketcase?"

"No, I don't think I will," Giles smiled as he grabbed his coat, "My heart wouldn't be in it."

Buffy smiled gratefully at her Watcher as he went out, then glanced into the kitchen as Dawn let out a small shriek of laughter.

No...mine wouldn't be in it either...

Buffy yawned as she returned from a late patrol, peeking into her sister's room and sighing when she didn't see her in bed.

She went towards Spike's door, and peered through the crack of his semi-open door.

Dawn was leaning against Spike, fast asleep as the blond sat up in bed, reading a book. One of his hands absently stroked a strand of Dawn's soft, brown hair and he smiled as she murmured sleepily.

He finally set down his book, kissing the top of her head,"Night, nibblet," he muttered fondly, then switched off the light.

Buffy backed away from the door, a wave of tenderness washing over her. Both for her sister and the vampire who apparently loved her.

Her eyes widened as she realized what she had done, and she groaned inwardly, shaking her head. Dad's right...I do need a therapist...

However, she did sleep sounder then she had in a long while. Before she drifted off, Spike's words echoed in her mind, my women...

Somehow, in her tired brain, it sounded right...

The End

Next in Series: Family