destructo-girl.com

"One Thing Leads to Another "

Author: Pamela
Contact: destructo-girl@cox.net
Notes: Thanks much to Kay and Tiarra for the beta read!

"You know, this has to be the most nutritious dinner I've had in a while," Graham commented before putting a spoonful of Trix in his mouth.

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'm doing much worse. If you opened my refrigerator, you'd probably just find a six-pack of beer and a bottle of ketchup or something," he replied. "Starting the nightly patrols again has thrown my sleep schedule completely out of whack and going to the store is not one of my priorities."

"Very very slow… you weren't kidding when you said it's pretty dead. Pardon the pun."

Buffy smiled, "I know… but it's nice… for me. It's what you get paid for, but I could use a vacation. Are you guys going out every night?"

"Yeah, for now I do it five nights a week. I have a few men that were in the Initiative working with me, so there is a veteran out there every night. Once everyone gets enough experience, we may have fewer patrol shifts. Or at least, fewer at night."

"Well, that's good. I appreciate the help… you know, as long as you guys aren't evil now."

It was Graham's turn to smile, "I swear we aren't. You know, I'm kind of surprised we haven't run into you."

"I've been taking it easy. Quick sweeps three of four times a week. I have to take advantage of the lull… and you guys have my back now," she teased, then wrinkled her nose. "Should I be careful to avoid you guys, actually?"

He shook his head, "They know all about you. Sorry for revealing your identity, but I figured it was best if they knew not to think you're evil or anything. Plus, if the Initiative taught me one thing, it's that you shouldn't send soldiers out there and just give them scraps of information. They know about slayers, that we're on the same side… and someday we may even work together."

With more light banter they finished their 'dinner' of cereal, mozzarella cheese sticks and tortilla chips, since they had worked up quite an appetite during the day. Not once had either of them brought up Riley or their vows to never repeat their actions when they'd been drunk and their encounter two days later. It seemed they had an unspoken understanding that they both wanted to continue with the... affair.

What neither understood, however, was that they also both liked each other much more than as someone to take care of sexual needs with. However, Graham figured even if he told Buffy he'd like to date her and she said yes, he would always be a stand in for Riley, and that was something he couldn't bear. He felt far too strongly for her to not let it bother him that she was only with him because her first choice couldn't be. And Buffy figured if she told Graham she wanted more than just sex, he'd either laugh or bail… probably the latter. Not that he was a jerk like Parker… that could freak out any guy.

"I'll call you later. Be careful tonight," Graham told Buffy as she walked him to the door.

After only hesitating a second, Graham went with his desires and wrapped his arms around her, dipping his head down to give her a goodbye kiss she wasn't likely to forget. Buffy reciprocated, putting her hands on his shoulders as their tongues dueled for domination.

When breathing became an issue, they pulled apart and shared smiles. Graham opened the front door and with one last look at Buffy, walked out. She stood and watched from the doorway until his car backed out of the driveway and he was on his way home.

Shutting the door, Buffy sighed and headed up the stairs. She had two hours to shower and clean up before Dawn came home.

Buffy's heart skipped a beat as she quickly tried to think of a lie to tell Dawn.

"Oh… you just seemed like you knew just where you were going," her sister commented.

Buffy didn't respond, but made a show of looking at all the numbers on the doors until they got to Graham's. She knocked loudly, hoping they could get out of the building and on the road without Dawn making any more observations.

In honor of the 4th of July, Xander and Willow had planned a day at the beach. Dawn and Buffy had thought it was a great idea so they, along with Anya and Tara were going. However, there was no convincing Giles, who used the Magic Shop as an excuse not to attend. Xander had been the one to suggest inviting Graham, since Willow had mentioned that he'd been spending time with Buffy and Xander felt the need to check him out.

He nodded and grabbed a duffel bag before shutting the door, much to Dawn's dismay. She'd done her best to peek inside before, since Lisa had told her it was imperative she tell her what it was like, but there hadn't been time. Maybe she'd get another chance.

"You know, I haven't been to the beach in ages," Graham said as they walked back to the elevator.

Buffy raised her eyebrow, surprised that her sister knew that. She'd found out that little tidbit of information one night about a week earlier when they were lying in bed after making love and had started talking about their favorite places in the world. It had been a week and a half since they'd stopped fighting the attraction between them and they'd gotten to know a lot about each other, and not just in a physical and sexual way.

"Yeah, actually, in Santa Cruz there is a boardwalk with rides and shops and it's right on the beach. It's so much fun… you'd love it Dawn."

Dawn smiled, "We'll have to go there sometime, Buffy. Maybe Graham will give us the tour."

"Absolutely," Graham agreed, wishing it was that simple. It would be so nice if he really were Buffy's boyfriend, if he could hold her hand and kiss her in public… he would love to spend days with Dawn and Buffy, doing normal stuff. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

"So, be honest with me," Xander said, sitting down in the folding beach chair next to Graham's, "what are the odds of Riley coming back to Sunnydale?"

Graham shrugged, "I'm not really sure. He loves Buffy, very much, I'm positive of that. But… Sunnydale also holds a lot of bad memories for him. I think he's a little afraid of what he might do if he comes back here. He can't handle losing himself again."

"I know… and I know he thinks Buffy doesn't love him, but she does. I used to not be sure, but I am positive now. I saw what it did to her when he left. For weeks afterward, she was an emotional mess. And I know that she seems fine now, but every so often I see her with a look on her face and I know she is missing him. She sees the way Anya and I are… even Willow and Tara and I know Buffy is thinking about being with someone she loves."

More than anything, Graham wished that man she was thinking of was him. His feelings regarding Riley had gone from guilt to envy. "Well… maybe he'll come back and they'll both get a second chance to do things right."

"Here's hoping," Xander smiled, then explained, "Riley's a good guy. In the past I have had… problems… with Buffy's choice in men, but I came to respect him. He's good for her."

"You had a problem with Angel," Graham concluded aloud, recalling the object of many late night rants by Riley. True, the thought of Buffy being with a vampire like that was rather… creepy… but he didn't feel any of the jealousy his friend did. Angel was out of Buffy's life, even if he did hold a piece of her heart.

"Yeah, you could say that. I… well, truthfully a part of me was jealous. When I first met Buffy, I fell in love with her."

Graham's eyebrows went up at that. Was there a male in Buffy's life that wasn't in love with her?

"Unfortunately for me, Buffy saw me as nothing more than a friend. And as soon as she met Angel, it was all over. Even when they tried to be apart, he was the only guy for her. And there were a lot of good reasons why they shouldn't be together. Like, if she made him too happy, we could all be killed. But most of all… I *was* jealous."

"Yeah, well it's easier to do it when you have moved out of that stage of your life," Xander grinned. "I still love Buffy, I always will, but it's more like a sister now. And that's part of why I really want Riley to come back. He treats her right… and from my brotherly point-of-view, she deserves that."

It was a good thing Graham was so quiet to begin with, or else Xander may have realized that he was brooding as opposed to silently observing the girls laughing and splashing each other in the shallow water of the ocean. He would treat Buffy right. He'd treat her like a freaking goddess and worship her every day for the rest of his life! Unfortunately, he didn't come from a happy family in Iowa and wasn't the epitome of all-American. His mother had been great, but she was gone. His father was a loser. He did have his aunt, a wonderful, loving woman that he was sure Buffy would really like... but how did that compare to Mr. and Mrs. Finn, who owned a big farm with grass and trees all around, who always had delicious home made food in the kitchen and five loving children? Riley had everything to offer Buffy and he had nothing... except his love.

"Yeah… he's a vampire. You guys put one of those chips in his head, so he is basically harmless. And he *has* been really helpful lately... but it's only because he's in love with Buffy."

Xander nodded, "Yup… and if Riley were back, maybe Spike would get the message that he'd never have Buffy and leave town."

Graham shook his head. There really *wasn't* a man around Buffy that wasn't in love with her.

"Hey, I brought a volleyball, want to see if everyone else wants to play a game?" Buffy asked Willow as the two of them walked back to where they had their towels laid out, after they'd had enough of playing in the waves.

"Yeah, for you! The rest of us uncoordinated people associate it with torturous gym classes. Besides, we're supposed to relax and have fun today, not get such a workout that we won't be able to move tomorrow."

"Jeez, sorry I asked," Buffy muttered, flopping down on her towel and grabbing a coke.

She looked up and Graham and found him engaged in conversation with Xander... sort of. Xander was talking and Graham appeared to be listening. But with Graham that was sometimes as close as you got to a conversation.

"Buffy, you just need to learn to relax. You used to be great at it," Willow commented.

The blonde sighed, "Yeah, well I used to not be my sister's guardian and have to worry about bills and grades and the car along with saving the world from vampires. Face it, Will… I've turned into an adult."

Willow rolled her eyes, "There are adults who can relax. Just tell yourself everything is and will remain fine and you need to enjoy yourself."

Buffy grinned and jumped to her feet. As the two of them jogged off to go toss the frisbee at each other, Willow stood as well, moving to sit in the chair Xander had vacated. She'd been wanting to talk to Graham for quite some time, since she'd been wondering about some things since she met him when he'd fixed Buffy's car. And now was her chance.

"Good… it would be really nice if you started joining us in our little group excursions. Do you spend a lot of time with Buffy?"

"Yeah… lately we've been hanging out a lot," he answered, forcing himself not to smile as he reflected on what they really did when they hung out.

"I think she is doing fine. Buffy has a lot on her shoulders and it takes some time to adjust to all the responsibility, but she's handling it like a pro."

"Yeah, she's probably the strongest person I have ever met… not just physically."

"She definitely is. Buffy's gone through much much more in the past few years than most people go through in a lifetime."

"I know… I mean, she's told me a lot of what has happened," Graham told her. Seeing Willow's questioning look, he explained, "We talk a lot."

She was surprised, since Buffy really didn't like to talk about a lot of things that had happened… mainly Angel. After all, she'd been in a relationship with Riley for months before she'd said anything about her former lover… and that had only been when she'd had no choice. Obviously she and Graham were quite close...

"You know, a lot of guys have a problem with Buffy being so strong, in both ways. They want a girl who needs them to protect her and to need him to hold her when she cries. Why is that?"

Graham was quiet as he thought about that. He had firsthand experience with this since he'd had to listen to Riley go on and on about his issues with Buffy and this was something that Riley had a slight problem with as well.

"Well, I think that a lot of guys like knowing they can be strong and protect the woman they love, and I sort of understand that, because it's an instinctual thing. And I think the same goes for being the strong one in the relationship when it comes to emotions," he explained. "But the fact is that if you are in a relationship with someone, they'll need you. In big and small ways, they will have needs that you can fulfill. The problem with a lot of guys is that they aren't secure enough just to be there as support whenever a need presents itself."

"So did you have fun today?" Buffy asked as she pulled the jeep into the parking lot of Graham's apartment building.

After the long day at the beach, everyone had moved on to Xander's apartment, to continue the party until dark when they could all go out on the balcony and see the fireworks. Graham, however, had to patrol that night, so Buffy had volunteered to drive him home after they'd all eaten dinner.

"Nobody came on too strong, did they?" she asked, actually referring to Xander. She knew he meant well, but he tended to forget that Buffy was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

"Nope, they were all fine," Graham said, then smiled at her as she pulled the jeep into a spot, "By the way, I like your swimsuit."

In truth, he was hoping she'd come up to his apartment with him. After that talk with Xander… he really needed to be with her, skin on skin, as close as two people could be. It was far from healthy and he knew it, but he needed to forget for just a little while that Buffy could never be his. So he pretended he was just turned on by seeing her in the black bikini, not overly skimpy... but it was pretty sexy and didn't make it hard to believe that it had turned him on quite sufficiently.

"You know… because of the parade, there was all that traffic. And maybe on your way back, you'll have a hard time finding a way to get through because roads are closed."

She turned off the engine, but before either of them got out of the car, they leaned over and met each other halfway, sharing a kiss filled with passion and promises of what was to come in mere minutes. Hastily unbuckling their seatbelts, they both climbed from the jeep and hurried into the building.

Once in the blessedly empty elevator, Graham had Buffy leaning against the wall and resumed their fervent kisses, stroking his hands up and down her sides. Before it could go any further, though, Buffy pulled away.

They didn't see one, but figured it could be a hidden one and since Graham really didn't want to get funny looks from the security guards, he impatiently waited until the elevator reached his floor.

At long last, the doors slid open and they rushed down the hallway. No sooner were they in the apartment with the door closed that Buffy was pushed against the wall with Graham planting hot kisses along the side of her neck.

One of the last thoughts Buffy had before she was overcome by mind-numbing pleasure was that she really needed to find a way to get into bikinis around Graham more often.

If anyone noticed that it had taken Buffy over an hour to take Graham home, they didn't comment. She came back to Xander's apartment to find them all gathered around the television watching some movie on HBO.

As everyone watched the movie and munched on popcorn, Buffy reflected on what had occurred at Graham's. As usual, it was great. She may not have been the most experienced girl, but she knew Graham was a great lover. not that she'd had any exceptionally bad ones. Parker had been the worst and even he could have been better if only he'd been half as considerate as Angel, Riley and Graham.

So maybe she *was* wrong, but she couldn't imagine it being much better than it was with Graham. Even if he didn't love her, he made sure she always had an orgasm, and he seemed to know even better than she how to give her one. And it was different with Graham than it was with all the other guys. Her only time with Angel had been filled with relief that they were both still alive and together, and all the anxiety that came with making love for the first time. With Riley, she had always held back a little bit, scared to get hurt again like she had been with Angel. And Parker. well, that was a train wreck. She'd slept with him for all the wrong reasons and had learned to regret it immensely. And even if Graham gave her no promises of a real, emotional relationship, she trusted him.

But still, it was starting to get to her. In the past week and a half, she'd had a lot of fun. Not just with the sex. she saw Graham nearly every day and Dawn was often around, stopping them from even kissing. He was fun to talk to, or just watch television with. His presence calmed her, made her feel warm and happy in a way she hadn't experienced in longer than she could remember. She'd come to the realization that she didn't just like him - she loved him. It was nothing near what she still felt for Angel, but it grew a little more with every passing day. And as those feelings grew, so did the darkness she felt when she was alone after being with Graham. While it felt incredible to be with him, to feel him inside her and his lips caressing hers. when it was all over, she felt so cold and alone that she had to wonder if it was worth it.

Now she knew how Riley had felt, to make love to someone, to open yourself up so much and love them, but to know that those feelings would never be returned. And unlike Riley, it was her own fault because she had gone into this knowing Graham just liked having sex with her.

It made her feel horrible. She was a fool, a whore, and so undeserving of Riley's love. Not only had she held back the love she honestly felt for him when he'd needed it so much, not only had she slept with his best friend over and over and *enjoyed* it. now she was falling in love with him.

Someone knocking loudly at the door interrupted her reverie. Since everyone else was entranced by the television, Buffy rose and answered it, surprised to find Spike on the other side of the threshold.

"Sorry," Buffy replied, smiling at him. After all he had done to help her with Glory, the two of them had managed to forge and maintain a friendship.

She shook her head, "Not much except pizza and whatever movie they are watching. I haven't really been paying attention."

Buffy chuckled; it never ceased to amaze her how human Spike could be. She'd never seen a vampire who liked people food so much. She followed him into the kitchen, deciding Spike's company was better than sitting back down and thinking about Graham again until she got all depressed.

"So when do the fireworks start?" Spike asked as he put a couple slices of pepperoni pizza on a place and put them in the microwave.

Spike turned and smirked at her. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Buffy. For instance, I happen to have a birthmark on my-"

He laughed and pulled the now heated pizza out of the microwave. "Fine, fine. you'll change your mind."

His banter may have been playful, but a part of Spike was very serious. He loved Buffy just as much, if not more, than when she'd still considered him an enemy, or at least not a friend. Still, he'd decided that if he were to win her over, it wouldn't be by following her around and harassing her about it. He'd be her friend, earn her trust. and hopefully, someday, her love as well.

"Sister, content you in my discontent. Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe: My books and instruments shall be my company. On them to took and practice by myself."

Buffy smiled from her position leaning against the door frame leading to the living room where Graham was helping Dawn practice lines from 'Taming of the Shrew', which was the play her drama group was going to put on at the end of the summer.

Dawn gasped and jumped up from her seat, "Oh my God, I have to get to bed! I need a full eight hours of sleep for the audition tomorrow."

"Thank you for helping me!" she said, surprising him by bending down to give him a hug.

"Thanks," Dawn grinned, than rushed to the door of the room, only stopping to kiss Buffy on the cheek before running up the stairs, "Night!"

"Good night," Buffy called after her, amused. It was good to see Dawn so excited about something.

Graham leaned back on the couch as she came into the room and sat down beside him.

He shook his head and grinned, "Not at all. I was big on cliffs notes when I had to endure lit classes."

His eyes took on a dark glint as he smiled seductively, "Does that mean you want me out of your house?"

Buffy recognized his hunger and felt an answering cry deep inside herself. "I don't know, I think you might be able to redeem yourself."

"Oh really?" he replied as Buffy moved to straddle him and dipped her head down. Their lips met, expressing their mutual need for one another.

Things progressed quickly, and they both found themselves incredibly turned on. Breaking apart to catch their breath, Buffy leaned her forehead against Graham's and looked him in the eye.

"Yeah," Buffy sighed, "But if we go upstairs together, we stand a better chance of her seeing us."

"She probably won't come back downstairs. if we're quiet," Graham said optimistically.

Even though she knew it wasn't the best idea, Buffy went with her hormones and nodded before turning off the lamp on the end table, leaving the room bathed with only dim light from another lamp. As their lips met once again, Graham's fingers found their way to her head, running through her golden hair as their mouths melded together.

Upon reaching her bedroom, Dawn changed into her pajamas and said her prayers - something she only did for special occasions when she needed help from anywhere she could get it. Climbing into bed, she continued to read from the script, hoping she'd get sleepy soon. However, after a few minutes she was positively antsy. There was no way she'd be falling asleep soon!

Remembering how her mother used to sometimes give her warm milk to help her fall asleep, Dawn decided to give it a shot and got back out of bed before creeping down the stairs. Seeing that there was hardly any light in the living room, she figured Graham must have already left, but then frowned when she heard some strange sounds coming from that direction. As she went down a few more steps, she realized it was moaning.

Being as silent as possible, remembering not to step on the squeaky third step from the bottom, Dawn sneaked over to the living room doorway. The sight that greeted her was something she would never have dreamed of seeing in a million years.

Buffy was sitting on Graham's lap with his hands up her shirt as they kissed. It wasn't your normal 'good friends' kiss. Hell, it wasn't even as tame as the kisses she used to witness between Buffy and Riley.

Coming to her senses enough to realize she didn't want to be caught, Dawn rushed back up the stairs, her glass of milk forgotten, as she tried to wrap her mind around what she'd just seen.

Back in her room, Dawn got back in bed, still in shock. She began to second-guess all the times she had seen Buffy and Graham hug each other goodbye or that way they looked at each other and seemed to say so much with just their eyes. At the time she had figured they were just close friends, and perhaps they had the potential to be a great couple, but now she wondered what had really been going on.

They were obviously. close. Dawn wasn't sure if they were going to do it - although she hoped they wouldn't on her *couch* - but even if they didn't, she was pretty sure people didn't make out like that on their first date. Buffy certainly didn't; Dawn had eavesdropped on enough conversations between her sister and Willow to be sure of that.

So what was up with them? Were they dating? Why had they been acting like they were just friends?

Dawn turned the light off, all thoughts of the play gone from her mind. She had an entirely new problem to keep her up that night.

"So, was Graham here for very long after I went to bed?" Dawn asked, studying her sister very closely.

Buffy looked at her suspiciously, but didn't comment on it any further. "Are you ready to go? You have to be there in twenty minutes. I figured you would be going crazy with fear that you might be late. What if the car breaks down?"

"Do *not* jinx me!" Dawn shrieked, getting up from the kitchen table and rinsing her plate in the sink.

The slayer smiled and loaded Dawn's plate and the rest of the dishes in the dishwasher while her sister ran a brush through her hair once more and put on some lipstick.

The two sisters headed out to the jeep and Buffy started driving them to UC Sunnydale, where Dawn's drama classes were held. While her sister mostly worried about everything she had to do that day. and not focus on that icky way she felt having this immoral sex thing going with Graham, Dawn tried to figure out why Buffy was acting like nothing had happened with Graham. If she hadn't caught them, she would have no idea that they'd been making out and more on the couch the night before. It was all very strange and she didn't understand. Still, there was no way she was going to *tell* Buffy what she had witnessed - it would be way too embarrassing.

"A little," she answered honestly, although she realized this whole thing with Buffy and Graham was a great distraction from worrying too much about getting the part.

"You're going to be fine, I just know it. Are you sure you don't want me to stay and watch? Mr. Dannen said it was fine."

Dawn couldn't help but smile at Buffy. She could be a huge pain in the butt, but she really loved her.

Buffy wasn't sure she could keep this thing with Graham up. but on the other hand, she wasn't sure that she could stop it. As pathetic as it was, being in love with a guy who was having a purely sexual relationship with her when she had *agreed* for it to be that way, she needed it. She needed Graham and the intimacy that she found with him. Not just the sex - though that was certainly intimate - but also just having someone with her to talk, someone who knew what it was like to lose their mother, it was so.. nice.

Sighing, she shook her head and pulled away from the curb outside Satterfield Hall, the auditorium where Dawn's class was held. Her sister had already gone inside, but Buffy had gotten rather lost in her thoughts. One thing she had learned over the past few weeks was that the days went by much faster when she avoided thinking about Graham until she saw him and all bad thoughts disappeared.

As she pulled out onto the street, Buffy headed towards the grocery store, trying to decide if she should go ahead and get a cake that said congratulations on it. They were supposed to announce who got what role before the kids went home that day, so Dawn would know by that night. She figured she should be safe; she may think Dawn was the best actress in the class, but she *was* biased. Perhaps she would just go to Marie Callendar's instead and get Dawn's favorite pie. Then they could either have a celebratory dessert. or pig out and whine together.

She stopped at a red light and bent over to fiddle with the radio, not seeing the car coming from the cross street to her right, making a left.. badly. The next thing she knew, it slammed into the front of her jeep.

Graham awakened slowly to the shrill sound of the telephone ringing. Groggily, he picked it up. "Hello?"

"I wish I didn't have to call you, but Anya and Xander went on their little vacation so Giles is running the store alone and I can't find Willow or Tara so I had no choice."

"Would you mind coming to pick me up from the hospital?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Yeah, I just have a sore ankle and have a few bumps and bruises, but I'll be fine in a few days," she explained, "Unfortunately, the accident killed my car and I really can't drive well anyway, so."

The nurse on the other side of the registration desk smiled at her. "Did you reach someone?"

"Good, let's get you back to the exam room. Dr. Padget should be able to see your x-ray soon so we can get you on your way," the nurse replied, walking around the counter and grabbing the handles of the wheelchair they had insisted Buffy sit in. Not that she'd argued - her ankle really was quite sore. Luckily, being the slayer, she doubted that she could have hurt it too badly.

As the nurse pushed her back to the exam room, Buffy frowned and squirmed uncomfortably. No matter how fast Graham got there and she was discharged, it wouldn't be fast enough. She'd already had an aversion to hospitals, but after all the time she'd spent there while her mom was sick, she hated being there even more.

Lisa rolled her eyes, "You can't tell me you have something important to tell me and then honestly expect me to tell you not to tell me!"

"Well, first I was worried about the audition but now that it's over with I started thinking about-"

"I was *trying* to!" she said defensively, "Anyway, last night after I went to bed I decided to get some milk and when I came downstairs I saw Buffy and Graham in the living room, kissing."

Lisa's eyes widened. "Kissing? Kissing how? Kissing like you'd kiss your brother or kissing like you'd kiss your *lover*?"

"Well, since I don't have a brother, I can't be *sure*, but I think if I kissed him like she was kissing Graham, it would be illegal in some states. Plus, she was sitting on his lap, sorta straddling him, and his hands were up her shirt."

"Yes, but you can't say anything. Buffy doesn't know I know and she would *kill* me for telling you."

"I won't," Lisa assured her, then grinned. "This is so exciting. Our matchmaking is working, don't you see?"

"I do, and I like the idea of him dating Buffy. He's really cool and she deserves some happiness," she explained, "It's just that this morning, he was gone and Buffy acted like nothing had happened."

"Of course not. It's kind of embarrassing. At least I didn't walk in on them doing it. Do you think they did it?"

Dawn shook her head and put her face in her hands, "I am never going to look at that chair the same way again. Forget sitting in it!"

"They probably want to announce their relationship together. Do you think they just decided to get together last night and then they consummated their love? That is so romantic!"

"I don't know, I've been thinking about it, trying to look for hints that they had something going. I mean, Graham would hug her goodbye, but Xander does that sometimes and I *know* they're just friends. They'd better be, because if Buffy does it with Xander, Anya will rip all her hair out."

"Well, they'll tell you sooner or later. They are probably so in love that they don't want anyone to know because they want to keep their precious love to themselves."

"Ooh, I bet you'll get the part of Bianca. Then you can have Buffy take you out for a celebratory dinner and invite Graham and maybe they'll decide to tell you. You'll be in a good mood so then they will feel safer telling you, because maybe they're scared you won't take it well. Oh, this is so exciting!"

Graham walked into the emergency room, absently noting that for a small town their hospital was always busy, and made a beeline for the front desk.

"Yes, a friend of mine is a patient. She called me to come get her. Buffy Summers."

"Oh, yes. Things are taking a bit longer than we originally expected. I'll take you to her," she smiled, walking around the counter and leading him to a makeshift room with curtains for walls.

He felt a mixture of relief and sympathy as he saw Buffy sitting on the edge of the hospital bed looking quite miserable but not very injured.

"Your friend is here," the nurse announced. "Dr. Padget still hasn't talked to you?"

"X-ray is probably just backed up, I'll call and check for you," the nurse replied, leaving the two of them alone.

"Buffy, I doubt I went to bed last night much later than you did and I didn't get up nearly as early."

"Nope, so I can catch up on my sleep later," Graham told her, "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, considering the state of my car. It's totaled," she lamented, rubbing her forehead.

"I was stopped at a light when this guy was coming down the cross street and was busy fumbling with his cell phone while attempting a left. Unfortunately, he got the wrong side of the road and smacked into the front of my car with his stupid Expedition."

"God, you're lucky you escaped with as few injuries as you did. How's your ankle, by the way?"

"Throbbing, but I'm sure my great healing will take care of that soon. Any time now. Hopefully within a few minutes."

"When the front of the car got crushed, my foot twisted and got stuck. The EMT's had to get it out." Buffy sighed, "God, my car, Graham! I have no car! Okay, I went for a very long time without a car but now I have all these adult responsibilities like groceries and Dawn and I really need a car. What am I going to do?"

"Well then his insurance company will send you a check and you can use it towards getting a new car."

Graham smirked, but before he could respond, a middle-aged man in a white lab coat entered the room.

"Hello, Graham, I'm Dr. Padget," the man said as he glanced over Buffy's chart and made a few notes. "I looked at the x-rays and it turns out that you sprained your ankle. Actually, you're quite lucky that it didn't break, getting stuck like it did."

The doctor smiled, "I'm going to have someone come in and wrap it for you. We're going to give you some crutches, but I want you to stay off your feet for a couple days. It will probably take a week or so to heal and then you should go see your regular physician. I'm also going to prescribe some Tylenol with codeine. I want you to take one before you leave the hospital and then you can take another when the pain gets to be too much as long as it's been 8 hours."

"Oh this is great, how can I take care of Dawn if I am doped up and can't walk?"

"Don't worry, I'll help. And everyone else will be glad to pitch in too," Graham told her.

"Take it easy. If you push yourself too hard, you'll only set back your recovery," the doctor warned her.

Buffy frowned, but decided she should listen to him. That would be the mature thing to do. She just hoped Dawn didn't run wild without constant supervision. This was turning out to be a really crappy day.

Graham frowned as he watched Buffy struggle with her crutches as she made her way to the couch. He had offered to carry her several times, since her nerves were shot and the pain meds were making her drowsy, but she had insisted she could do it herself and he knew when Buffy was going to stand firm.

She collapsed on the couch and sighed, "I know I didn't have to avert an apocalypse or get my heart broken… but this really sucks, you know?"

"I know… and I know you won't believe me, but after you take some time to calm down and get some rest, things won't seem as bad."

"You're right, I don't believe you," she retorted, then gave him a sad smile. "My mom kept it together for all these years. She took care of the bills and us and even ran the gallery and made it look easy. I've just been at it for months and I wrecked the car."

"Hey, for one thing, the same thing could have happened to your mom. And for another… your mother wasn't twenty years old when she all of a sudden had to start raising a fifteen year old and take care of bills and a house. Nobody expects you to take this all on with no problems," Graham told her. "And in all honestly, I look at you and all you do and I am amazed."

"I'm not! I'm a good friend… if you were screwing up, I would tell you," he promised her. "Now… do you want anything to eat or drink?"

Buffy would have liked to tell him that she didn't need anything, but she was really thirsty and since she sincerely doubted she'd be able to get herself into the kitchen anytime soon, it only seemed smart to fess up.

"Sure," he smiled and went into the kitchen. He emerged a moment later with a glass of soda for her.

Insisting on getting her comfortable, Graham had Buffy tell him where to get her a blanket and some pillows before the two of them relaxed with the television on.

"Don't worry, I'll leave in a little bit and Dawn will find me waiting for her as soon as she's done."

At half past twelve, all the students sat anxiously in the seats of the auditorium and watched with bated breath as Craig Dannen stood on the stage and announced who got what part.

When he said that Dawn Summers would portray Bianca, the brunette sat in shock, frozen still. As much as she had hoped and prayed she would get the part over the past few weeks, she had never imagined what it would feel like to really get it.

Once he was finished, Mr. Dannen allowed the kids to socialize until their rides came to pick them up. It was only after talking to Lisa for ten minutes that it started to sink in. By one o'clock, Dawn rushed out to the parking lot, excited to give Buffy her news.

However instead of finding any sign of the black jeep or her sister, she found Graham standing in the lot beside his Mustang. Her heart stopped as she immediately was filled with fear. Buffy would never have Graham pick her up without a good reason.

Instantly, dozens of reasons why Buffy wasn't there passed through her mind, most of them along the lines of something horrible happening to her sister. She couldn't lose Buffy… she was all Dawn had left! Panicked, she broke into a run until she reached Graham.

"But she's *fine*. She just has a sprained ankle, that's it," Graham explained. "The doctor gave her some pain killers and they made her drowsy, so she is asleep at home right now."

"Dawn, she's just sleeping and it's not for that long. Come on, we can go back right now."

Dawn nodded and allowed him to help her into the passenger seat of the car. Graham climbed in his side and quickly started the engine, eager to get her home so that she could see her sister. It hadn't occurred to him before, but upon seeing the look on her face when she had spotted him waiting, Graham realized that Dawn was terrified of losing Buffy. And with good reason… she'd learned far too young what it was like to lose a parent. That's what Buffy was to her now… and Graham had to prove to her that everything would be okay.

At long last, they pulled into the driveway in front of the Summers' home. Graham had just barely stopped the car before Dawn tore out and raced into the house. He quickly followed and found her standing in the doorway to the living room, staring at her sleeping sister.

Graham nodded, "I promise, she's fine. She'll have to rest her ankle for a few days, but then she will be good as new."

Dawn moved to kneel beside the couch, just to be sure Buffy was breathing. After a few moments, she felt more confident of her sister's health and turned to Graham and smiled, "Buffy's going to go crazy if she has to rest for a few days."

He returned the smile, "Probably… so you really should try to go easy on her, okay?"

She nodded, "Sure." At that moment, she was so filled with relief and gratitude that Buffy was indeed fine, it was easy to agree to something as simple as that.

"She's going to be asleep for hours, she won't need anything for a while. Besides, we'll be able to hear her in the kitchen. Come on," Graham persuaded.

Reluctantly, Dawn stood and went into the kitchen with him. After a few moments, they found a frozen pizza and put it in the oven.

"That's great! Not that I'm surprised… you nailed it last night. Wait until Buffy wakes up, she's going to be so happy."

Her smile widened at that. Buffy would be really happy for her, she was positive. That would be the perfect thing to tell her when she woke up. Dawn couldn't wait to talk to her… and she was so caught up in everything that was happening that what she had witnessed the night before completely slipped from her mind.

She looked over at him, still somewhat in a haze, before she tried to reply and found her throat was extremely dry.

Graham got up and left for a moment before returning with a glass of water. Helping her sit up a bit, he assisted her in drinking until she'd finished the glass.

"You're welcome," he replied, sitting down in the chair again, "How are you feeling?"

"She had to use the restroom. She'll be very disappointed that she didn't get to witness your awakening," he half-joked. "She's spent the past few hours not so patiently waiting for you to wake up."

"Do you feel up to eating something? You probably should get something in your system soon."

Groaning, she replied, "I was supposed to go to the grocery store today! We have hardly any food."

"I know, that's why I went to the store earlier and got you some essentials. You know, milk, bread, lunchmeat, cereal… not a lot, but enough to get you through a few days until you fill up to making a full list for me," Graham told her.

"You went grocery shopping for me?" Buffy asked, surprised. Sure, Graham was a very considerate guy, but that was definitely above and beyond the call of duty. Actually, his still being there was quite generous of him.

"Yeah… I hope you don't mind, but I left Dawn here with you. I know she was basically unsupervised, but she refused to leave your side and she was so anxious about you that I knew she wouldn't do anything bad."

"No, that's okay," she said quietly, then gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you for all your help. I really owe you."

"You're awake!" Dawn exclaimed as she walked into the room before running over to the couch and bending down to hug Buffy tightly.

Dawn grinned at him, blissful that he had been telling the truth. Turning back to Buffy, she took a deep breath. "Guess what?"

Buffy's eyes widened and she beamed at Dawn, "That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks!" the younger girl said, ecstatic that she finally got to share her news with her sister.

"That's okay, we can do it when you're all better. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt worse. The jeep is really totaled?"

"Well, I'm not happy that you were in an accident, but at least we're rid of that hunk of junk."

Rolling her eyes, her sister told her, "Easy for you to say. You don't have to worry about getting a new one… the hassle it will be and the whole money thing. But remember that we have no car for a while now."

"That's easy!" Dawn retorted, holding her hand up to her ear like a phone, "Hello Avis, I'd like to rent a car, preferably a convertible!"

Despite all her worries, Buffy smiled and tucked Dawn's hair behind her ear. "Yeah, we will."

As the teenager trotted out of the living room, Buffy and Graham exchanged amused looks.

"Yeah… she was really upset when I picked her up, but she calmed down when she saw you. And now that you're awake, she is sure you're fine and so she is fine."

Buffy sighed again, "Poor Dawn… when I was scared of losing her… I just couldn't imagine going through life without her. And at least I don't have to rely on her to take care of the house and bills and make sure there is food on the table. I imagine it must be pretty scary for her."

"But she is a good kid… she'll get through this. She's got a great sister to make sure she does," Graham replied.

Buffy granted him a smile and wished, not for the first time, that he wasn't Riley's best friend and that they could be a real couple.

"Yeah, she sprained her ankle, but she's fine," Dawn explained, "The car is totaled… I know I should be all mature and say that's bad, but we're getting a new car!"

"Not so much… Graham's been here and he's more than happy to cater to her every need. You know, with all the freaking I did about her being hurt I forgot about it, but this morning I realized that neither of them have said anything about them being a couple."

"Hmm, that's weird," her friend frowned. "Well, maybe they're just dealing with this for now. Once Buffy gets better, they'll probably tell you."

It was Dawn's turn to frown. "I don't understand why it's such a big deal. I mean, if they just told me out of the blue that they were getting married, it would be a shock, but dating isn't that big a deal."

"Yeah, but Buffy is dating her ex's friend and that's sort of against the rules. They're probably nervous about being judged, so I think they're putting it off to avoid your possible disapproval."

"Well that's silly. Sure, if I was Riley, I probably wouldn't be too happy. But I like Graham better anyway."

Dawn rolled her eyes. Lisa may be her best friend and a very cool person, but when she read romance novels, she could be such a fruitcake!

"We'll be fine. In fact, it's not even necessary that Xander's here. I feel a lot better today and can use my crutches," Buffy said.

Dawn and Xander were busy in the backyard… allegedly watering plants, but Graham had a feeling they would be having a water fight. Nevertheless, he knew they were otherwise occupied and probably wouldn't walk in on he and Buffy.

With that in mind, he sat down on the edge of the couch and bent his head down to capture Buffy's lips in a passionate kiss. Her arms found their way around his neck as she eagerly reciprocated.

All too soon, Graham had to pull away, out of fear of being caught as well as getting too carried away. He supposed if they were careful, they could make love with Buffy's ankle being hurt… but this was not the time nor place.

Closing her eyes, Buffy rested her head against the cushions and wondered for probably the millionth time… what the hell was she doing?

"Buffy, you don't need to walk me across the street," Dawn sighed as she grabbed her backpack and walked to the door.

"Mom always did and I don't want Melinda's mother thinking I am some sort of a... bad guardian."

"Mom went over and talked about boring stuff with Mrs. Roberts. You have nothing in common with her."

"You're on crutches, you have a great excuse," Dawn countered, "And we're going to look totally bizarre."

Her sister sighed, but opened the door, with Buffy following closely. It had been four days since her accident and she was absolutely tired of the couch and had been all over the house on her crutches all day. She'd never admit it to Dawn, but now she was rather tired and planned on taking a nap as soon as she left Dawn at Melinda's for a slumber party.

When Mrs. Roberts answered the door, Dawn greeted her before unenthusiastically announcing that her sister had come along. She'd soon gone upstairs to be with the other girls, leaving Buffy alone to be doted on by the older woman.

She made it clear that she already felt just terrible about the girls being without their mother… and to add Buffy's accident to it… she was just amazed Buffy could put on such a brave face. The woman meant well, but Buffy couldn't take much of that before using her nap as an excuse to go home.

She didn't lie, though, because as soon as Buffy made her tedious climb back up the stairs - since she refused to get back on the couch - she climbed on the bed and conked out. When she awoke, several hours had passed and it was dark out. She managed to make herself a TV dinner and sat down on the couch to eat it.

After spending the next few hours vegging out watching television, there was a knock at the door. Buffy frowned, since it was kind of late, but climbed up to get it. She found Graham standing on her porch, still in uniform.

"Well, I remembered Dawn telling me about her sleepover, so I figured you could use some company," Graham replied, walking into the house and shutting the door behind him before giving Buffy a gentle kiss. "And I come bearing gifts."

A moment later, Graham sat beside her on the couch and cut them both slices of the cake. For a while, they were content just so sit beside each other and eat while watching Maury Povich. The episode was about teenage girls that were completely out of control.

"I meant, can you see Dawn becoming a total slut and doing drugs and stealing and all that because she has no father and *I* am the closest thing she has to a mother?"

Graham thought a moment before replying. "Not really… I think that what happened to her could cause her to have problems, but I also think she has a great role model in you and that you won't allow her to let the things that have happened cause her to be a bad kid."

"Well, I think there are instances where a parent can't do anything to stop their child from becoming… messed up. However, Dawn had a good start and we know how great she can be… so we know she is capable of not being bad," he explained. "I don't think that just because something happens to you, you have to end up dysfunctional. We're all made either good or bad. Like me… I had no father. I could have ended up hating women or shooting up my school according to what the studies say. But I'm not like that. I think I could probably even get away with being a selfish jerk, using women and all that… because I lost my mom and my dad was like that, so life just done me wrong… but I have good in me."

Graham leaned over and soon the two were kissing and touching each other all over. Pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "Do you want to go upstairs? I know you're still hurting, so you may not want to, but we can be careful."

Instead of letting her struggle with the crutches, Graham stood and lifted Buffy up, carrying her bridegroom style up the stairs. "Is Dawn coming home in the morning?"

"No, she has to get up early and go to her drama class. One of the other girls there is in the class too, so her mom is driving them since I can't," Buffy exclaimed.

Buffy returned the smile before lifting her head and kissing him once again. Finally, they reached her room and Graham was laying her on the bed. He climbed on beside her, lying on the opposite side of her wounded ankle so as not to cause her any pain. His hand moved to the side of her face, turning her towards him a bit before dipping his head down to kiss her slowly. Buffy melted into the kiss, her fingers finding their way into his short hair as she arched her back.

Their need for one another grew stronger as hands explored flesh, pulling garments off each other, caressing, stroking… until both were nude and Graham was on top of Buffy, still mindful of her ankle. Buffy carefully spread her legs, knowing if she moved her ankle the wrong way, she'd be *so* out of the mood.

Graham slid inside her with painful slowness before pulling back and thrusting inside her, again unhurried. As they set a decidedly leisurely pace, their mouths melded together, tongues imitating the actions of their lower bodies.

Feeling his climax approaching, Graham reached between their bodies and lightly stroked her distended nubbin. Less than a moment later, Buffy was crying out and arching her back as orgasm slammed through her. Graham allowed the enhanced pleasure of her strong muscles squeezing him to bring him over the edge as well, moaning her name as he spilled his seed deep inside her.

"Hmm?" she replied, cracking her eyes open and finding Graham peering down at her in the dim light.

He smiled, "Hey... I was wondering if maybe I should go now? Dawn may see my car when she goes to class and could get curious… we could tell her I just came over early, but I'd rather not arouse her suspicions."

Buffy nodded quickly, "You're right. Besides, knowing Dawn, she could come over here before she leaves."

"Okay… it's only six-thirty, but if I go now, we can be sure she doesn't see me," he said, climbing out of the bed and pulling on his boxers.

Buffy sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest, "That would be the best thing to do."

"Sure," Graham replied, pulling his shirt over his head before he walked back to the bed to bend down and give her a kiss. "I'll call you later. Go back to sleep."

Buffy lay back against the pillows, listening to his footfalls on the stairs followed by the sound of the front door opening and closing. She stared at the ceiling for a long while until tears blurred her vision.

Why did she do this? Why did she act like she was fine having casual sex with Graham when it was tearing her apart? She didn't like having to sneak around and lie. She wanted to be able to tell her sister about the guy she was seeing and have him there to go out on dates when she wanted romance, to hold her in the mornings with the sun shining down on them… she wanted love.

As she drifted back off to sleep, Buffy wondered what she had done in a past life to have such crappy luck with men. First Angel, who loved and accepted all of her, and she in turn loved with her whole heart... but that love lead to soul loss and death. The Riley, who was so wonderful, so perfect… but he couldn't deal with her being the slayer. And now Graham… sensitive, generous, kind... and not at all interested in her for anything besides sex... and possibly friendship.

"God, this is a hassle. Remind me not to get in another wreck," Buffy half-joked as she struggled to sit down in the passenger seat of the mustang.

Graham stood and held open the door for her, having learned the hard way earlier that morning that she didn't want any help.

"At least now it's all taken care of. We'll get the last of the information about the accident to the insurance company and they can do whatever they have to do to get you a check."

"Good… I can tell my ankle is getting better. I want to be able to buy a new car as soon as possible. I hate having to bug other people for rides."

"I really don't mind," he insisted, shutting the door as she was settled in her seat. He walked around the car and climbed in the driver's side, before asking, "Did you ever check and see if your insurance covers a car rental? Then you don't have to worry about it."

"It doesn't matter. The youngest you can be to rent a car is twenty-one," she sighed.

"I didn't even realize that," he tried to sound sad for her, but truthfully, it kind of pleased him. He knew it was shameful… but it was nice being able to spend time with her as he drove her around.

"Yeah, it sucks, but what are you going to do?" Buffy looked at him as he started the engine, "How much do you think they'll give me?"

Graham shrugged, "When I called your insurance company last Friday, they told me that the other guy's company would have to go to the junk yard and look at the jeep, then factor in the Blue Book price and the condition of the car prior to the accident to give you a check."

"I hope I get a lot. My parents bought it just before they separated and it was pretty expensive, so even though it was six years old, I should still get enough to at least have a big down payment on another car, right?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "But I'm not sure my savings can handle a new car right now. I'll have to call Mr. Boyd."

"Sounds smart to me," he agreed, feeling really guilty for actually taking pleasure in Buffy's misfortune… even if it wasn't a *lot* of pleasure. She had a sister and house to take car of and now no vehicle and he was enjoying the fact that she was relying on him for transportation?

"Hey, I just realized that it's almost one. Do you need me to pick Dawn up from her class?" Graham asked as he came into the living room after using Buffy's bathroom.

She looked up at him and smiled, "That's okay, Mary's mother Polly - the one who drove her this morning - told me she will be happy to take Dawn to and from there until I get another car."

"I'll say… I'm going to have to be the one to take Mary and Dawn to class and the mall… and the movies… everywhere… when it's inconvenient for Polly for the next month," she joked.

"I figured I should check out the prices of used cars. I have no idea how much I am getting, but when I get the check, I will know whether or not to be happy or depressed. Unfortunately, I'm not trusting myself here… I know nothing about cars. I'll probably get ripped off."

"Well, you trust me, right? I have some idea of the good cars and I can do research. I'll check stuff out for you."

"Of course," Graham grinned, leaning over so their lips were less than an inch apart. "You're a great kisser."

"Probably only fifteen minutes," she replied, "But I suppose we can make do with the time we have…"

"I suppose…" he agreed, before covering her mouth with his own. He wished he could take her upstairs… or even just strip her right there on the couch… and love her like there was no tomorrow… but it looked like he would have to settle for making out and some heavy petting.

All her earlier thoughts about how crappy this affair was making her feel when she was all alone flew out of her mind when Graham's talented hands and lips worked their magic on her. How could anything that felt so good be bad?

"Hi!" Dawn greeted cheerfully as she opened the front door and found Graham standing on the porch.

"Not too good. Buffy's being weird… maybe you can fix her," she said, stepping aside to allow him in.

"Well, for one thing, she decided to quit using the crutches today so she is hobbling all over the place and I don't think that's helping. Plus, she's being really quiet and stuff… I know she is thinking about something bad, but of course she won't tell me."

He sighed before heading through the house to the kitchen, finding Buffy standing in front of the sink. She appeared to be washing dishes, but was currently staring out the window instead.

Startled, Buffy whirled around, hurting her ankle in the process. She grimaced, but didn't lose her balance.

"I'm healing, I can tell… and I'm sick of those things. Give me another day and I will be fine."

Graham rolled his eyes, but knew it wouldn't do him any good to try and persuade her otherwise. "Is something wrong?"

Buffy rinsed the soap off the plate and set it in the rack before limping over to the table and sitting down, gesturing for Graham to do the same.

"Mr. Boyd came over today and we went over the finances. Apparently he has been trying to avoid giving me bad news until I've had some time to mourn my mother."

Buffy shook her head and took a deep breath, "Mom had us set up pretty well. She had life insurance and all that… but the hospital bills were killer and wiped a lot of that out. We still have some savings, plus I'll get social security for Dawn until she is eighteen… but with the house and our little habit where we like to eat… I don't have the money to be buying a car."

"What are you going to do?" he asked, not bothering to try and suggest the check she got would cover the cost of an entire car.

She smiled, "It's not like working for a living is such an amazing hardship. I hear a lot of people have been trying it!"

"No… maybe retail or waitressing… first I need to worry about my damn ankle healing."

"No! Absolutely not. Look, we don't have money to go on like we are for the rest of our lives, but Dawn and I are fine. And even though I am going to have to earn some money for a new car, I can use the check for a down payment… we're going to eat, get a new car, I'm going to work.. everything will work out," she assured him.

"You certainly are," he nodded, feeling a renewed sense if admiration for her strength.

"But I do have to admit that before you came in here, I was full of worries and all that… so talking to you made me feel better," Buffy told him honestly.

Graham beamed; it felt good to help her. And to be the one she could open up to, confide in… and help her work through her problems… that was pretty important. Unfortunately, whenever his thoughts drifted off in that direction, Riley soon entered his mind... and he was reminded that what he really wanted, he could never have.

"Come on, Spike, one more game!" Dawn grinned, after beating the pants off the vampire at their last round of rummy.

She rolled her eyes, "I promise not to tell Buffy that you let me stay up late."

"Goodnight, Niblet," Spike called after her as the girl headed up the stairs. He spent the next ten minutes cleaning up the mess left over from their card game and snacks. Buffy was supposed to make it a short night and would be home soon. He would have preferred to be out patrolling with her, especially since she wasn't back to full health yet, but she had asked him to stay with Dawn… and there was no way he would deny her that. After all, for her to trust him with the care of her sister… he chose to be flattered.

Spike went into the kitchen, washing the few dishes that were in the sink before he restlessly did a once-over of the entire downstairs. Finding that there was nothing to do, he sighed and sat down on the couch. Perhaps there was something on the telly.

There was a time when this would have been a prime opportunity for him to go explore the Slayer's bedroom, steal her knickers and read her diary… but things had changed. For one thing, there was the whole part about where he had to be serious and respectful in order to win her over. If she caught him in her room, she would kick his ass.

Hearing the key in the lock, Spike looked to the foyer and saw Buffy enter the house. "Hey."

Spike chuckled, "Only those of us who have nothing that makes us want to stick around."

"Well, don't get me wrong, I appreciate the break," Buffy told him, sitting down in a chair. "So how did things go tonight?"

"Great, Dawn and I had some hot cocoa and popcorn, watched some TV and played cards."

"She loves to play rummy," she said, "I don't know how, so it's always a special treat for her to play with you."

Spike shrugged, not quite used to getting compliments from Buffy. "I like to play it."

"Well, I really appreciate you staying with her. I know babysitting isn't exactly your thing."

"I don't mind," he replied, feeling a bit awkward. "So… Dawn says you should get the check soon for your car. That's good."

"Yeah, it will be nice to be mobile soon. *I* can handle a purely pedestrian life, for the most part, but it's hard with Dawn. I've been relying on other people to give her rides to class."

A smile spread on Buffy's face, "Spike, you love the DeSoto! You'd really let me borrow it? That's sweet."

Spike was glad he was unable to blush as he shyly averted his eyes from Buffy's. Shrugging again, he replied, "Well, it's a standing offer."

"Uh.. I'd better go. Got things to do and all that." He stood up and grabbed his duster.

Buffy sighed tiredly, locking the door behind him. A few months earlier, she'd never imagined she would have to deal with a vampire in love with her while having feelings for her ex's best friend that she was having a sex-based relationship with him. Only a freak like her could have such a bizarre love life.

"Graham says I should probably get a used car, maybe from a rental place. He knows people who have done that and gotten some really great deals," Buffy told Giles as she helped him carry books to the front of the store from the stockroom.

She nodded, "He has this old Mustang… cool old, you know? Anyway, he rebuilt the engine or something. And he fixed the jeep before, remember?"

"That's right, he did," Giles replied. "Now, the check that the insurance company sent you, it won't cover the cost of another car, will it?"

"No… unless I get a crappy one, and that doesn't sound smart. Graham says for just about five thousand more, I can get a really good car. You know, one that's reliable so I won't have to pour money into it's repairs and stuff."

"That sounds like a good idea to me," he told her as he began shelving books. "The reason I ask is that you will need to get a loan since you can't pay for a new car outright."

Xander had taken her to the doctor the previous morning to have her ankle checked out. The doctor had been pleasantly surprised to find her ankle completely healed, deciding it mustn't have been as bad as he had originally thought. After that, she had gotten Xander to take her to a few stores and restaurants to fill out an application. She had an interview on Monday, so she would hopefully be gainfully employed within a few days.

"Yes, but when you ask for a loan, they like for you to have had your job for quite some time. At least several months."

Buffy sighed, "So you're saying they won't give me one? Just great… so either I keep bumming rides off others or I get a crappy car."

"There is another option," Giles said, halting his stocking to turn and face her. "If you have someone co-sign for you, someone who has had steady employment and the lender feels confident that they *can* pay if you don't… they will give you the loan. That person will be liable should you back out, but I don't think it would be hard for you to find someone who has faith in you."

Her smiled turned into a grin and she hugged him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are a life saver!"

And he wasn't lying… he knew Buffy wasn't his real daughter, but the fact that they didn't share blood seemed so unimportant. Being able to do this, to help her out with something that didn't have to do with the Hellmouth… it felt wonderful.

"Now, this means I need to be with you to purchase the car. However, I know that you had planned to go with Graham."

Buffy shrugged, trying to play it cool, completely unaware of the fact that for the past twenty minutes Giles had heard her spout 'Graham says' countless times and already had his own ideas about her feelings for the young man. "I'm sure Graham wasn't looking forward to spending the day looking for a car for me. He'll probably be relieved."

"Actually, I was thinking that since Graham does know so much about cars, the three of us should go together," he explained, not adding that he really wanted to spend some time with Graham and get to know the fellow… if he was spending so much time with Buffy and Dawn, he wanted to be sure that Graham was of the good sort.