Title: Class Of
Series: The Unexpected Series (Story 8)
Author: M. Jade
Summary: It’s reunion time in Sunnydale, and all the Giles’ are having fun. Or perhaps maybe not
Rating: PG-13
Email: If you have comments or suggestions, email me at jaderozegirl@yahoo.com
Spoilers: Only if you haven't read the series
Feedback: It simply makes my day, so please!!!!!!
Disclaimers: Joss is the man with the rights. I am just a lowly admirer
Distribution: Strange Brew, the W/G list, any others that ask
Notes: Eighth installment in the “Unexpected” series, following “From One Giles to the Next”. Takes place the summer following “Next”

“Mom, we’re here,” Michaela Giles shouted as she and Gabriella Valenti entered her parent’s home.  The young women came in and deposited their coats in the hall closet, then went back into the living room to wait for Mike’s parents.  A few moments later, Mike saw her mother come down the stairs wearing an elegant purple dress and Willow came over to hug her.

“Hello, Mike, Gabby” Willow said as she pulled her daughter into a hug.  A short moment later, both redheads disengaged and three grinned at each other.

“Hi, Mom,” Mike greeted her mother.  Willow smiled as she, Gabby, and her daughter sat down next to each other on the couch.  “Where’s Dad,” Mike asked.

“Your father is still not ready,” Willow informed her.  She gave Mike a wry look.  “Personally, I think he’s stalling,” she added.  Willow and Mike chuckled, but then Willow decided to change the subject.  “How are you, Gabby,” Willow queried to the dark skinned Slayer.

“I’m doing fine, Mrs. Giles,” she answered politely.  “I’m beginning that new job at the radio station, so I’m fairly excited.  Definitely ready for the pay raise.”  Willow shook her head.

“My daughter and her friend out in the real world.  It’s hard to believe.”

“Is Dad still worrying about it?”  Willow shrugged her shoulder.  When their daughter had moved from her college dorm into an apartment of her own a few months before, Giles had been nervous, but he had mellowed as Michaela proved that she would be fine.  Even though he had had more than enough time to adjust to it, he was still nervous about their daughter living on her own, but he had accepted it eventually, in small degrees.  It also helped that Willow was there to remind them that their daughter had to begin life on her own at some point.

“He’ll be okay,” Willow assured Mike.  “Just give him some time to get used to the fact that he doesn’t have his little girl around him as much.”  Mike nodded her understanding.

“I’ll just have to remind him that I miss you guys, too.”  Mike shifted in her seat and casually began, “So, how does twenty-five years feel, Mom?”  Willow gave her daughter a dirty look.

“Don’t even bother to ask,” Willow groaned.  “I’m still not sure.  I feel like I’m back at the ‘It’s reunion time already’ thing.  Twenty-five years!  It’s just too unreal,” Willow finished.  Mike flashed her mother a smile and Gabby grinned.

“But you and Mr. Giles should celebrate,” Gabby insisted.  “It’s not often you get an excuse to go out and dance to old music and show off to your old classmates,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, and I’m sure you and Dad are more than ready to celebrate,” Mike added.  “It’s been how long since you actually went out together on your own?  You’ll party hardy to the strains of “Living La Vida Loca” and “Mambo Number 5”!  I can see it now, you and Dad burning up that dance floor and putting all other couples to shame,” Mike declared with a teasing flare.  Willow glared at her.

“Ha.  Ha.  Ha.  That’s very humorous, Mike.  Meanwhile, you, Gabby, and Neil are so hard up for something to do, you have to hang out here, of all places,” Willow teased back.  Mike gave her mother a dirty look in return.

“You never did play fair, mother,” Mike grumbled mock-seriously.  Willow grinned.

“I’m your mother.  I’m not supposed to play fair.”  The three broke out in laughter until they head footsteps on the stairs and they were forced to stop.  Michaela got up and watched as her father came down into the living room, his eyes gleaming.

“I thought I heard the bell,” he said as he came in and gave his daughter a hug.  “How are you, Michaela,” he greeted her.  Mike grinned at her father.

“I’m good.  You’re looking pretty good yourself, Dad.  Are you ready to dance the night away?”  Rupert gave his daughter a wry smile.  “I’m sure you’ve got plenty of styling dance moves to spare,” Mike pointed out.

“Yes, well that’s a matter of opinion,” Giles muttered.  “It’s good to see you again, Gabriella.  I trust the Hellmouth has been treating you well as of late.”  The Slayer smiled.

“Sure, Mr. Giles.  Unless you count a wannabe yuppie vamp and a Pythdera demon with a nasty cold, I’ve been doing peachy.”  The room’s occupant’s broke out in a rolling laughter for the next few moments.  Just then, the doorbell rang, causing everyone to calm down and stop laughing, and Giles went to answer it.  Buffy and Riley Finn were standing out on the porch, along with their seventeen-year-old son, Neil.  The Finns had planned on showing up at the reunion with the Giles’ and had decided to drop off Neil, who had been planning on spending a friendly night with Mike and Gabby watching some movies he had brought with him.

Neil had been spending a great deal of time with Michaela in the previous months, but both sets of parent’s had chalked it up to an easy friendship that had been building up since the two were young.  Behind the veil of friendship, though, the younger Giles and Finn help a deeper truth.  They had fallen in love and their parents had no idea.

“Buffy!  Riley!  Come in,” Giles instructed them as he stepped aside.  The Finns came in, followed by Neil.  The shy blonde-headed teen looked at Mike and smiled as his parents took their seats in the living room.

“Can I go ahead and go into the den to listen to that new song of yours I heard the other day,” Neil asked Mike softly.  Mike smiled and nodded.

“You know where it is.  You’re more than welcome to hear it.  Just watch out for my stuff that’s in there,” Mike added.   Neil smiled and headed down the hall to what had once been Mike’s room before she had moved out.  The room was now a sort of den, but some of Mike’s old trophies and plaques from high school still held the places of honor she had given them.  The adults of the group chatted away for the next few minutes as Mike and Gabby went into the kitchen to make popcorn for their moviefest.

Neither set of parents knew was that their children had began to date the year before, but Gabby did.  Neil and Mike hadn’t told the Finns or the Giles’; mainly for fear that their discovery would lead to their parents insisting on a break-up.  Neil was only seventeen, and Mike was six years older, a situation no one would like, so they used the reunion as an excuse to spend some time alone.  Gabby had promised Mike that she would be over with them for a few moments, but she planned to leave soon after their parent’s left, helping to cover for Mike and Neil.

Both sets of parents were admittedly suspicious of how close the two had become, but no one had seen any evidence suggesting that the two were more than just friends, so they had continued to believe that.  What harm could they find in three friends spending a Saturday evening watching movies?  It seemed a perfect ruse for Mike and Neil to spend and evening alone.  Only Xander and Anya Harris, who were expected at the reunion festivities, knew that the evening had been a ruse, and Mike had already sworn them to secrecy.

As the adults chatted away about their plans for the evening, they were oblivious to their children’s true intentions.  After a few moments before Buffy finally declared, “So it looks like all are present and accounted for.  Are we ready to roll?”  The others nodded and all eyes turned towards the kitchen, where Mike and Gabby were just coming out with a full bowl of popcorn.

“You how to reach us if you need to,” Giles told his daughter.  “We won’t be too late,” he promised.  Mike rolled her eyes.

“I’ve heard that one before.  We’ll be fine, don’t worry.  Enjoy the reunion!”  The others began to grab their coats and say good-bye.  After enough time to get their things together, the adults began to head out the door, leaving Mike and Gabby alone in the living room.

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to get away with this,” Gabby commented as they watched the taillights of the car disappear from the front window.

“Well, it took some work, but I was up to the challenge,” Mike quipped.  Gabby shook her head at her friend.

“Just don’t do anything stupid, okay?”  Mike gave the Slayer a look of mock-innocence.

“Me?   Do anything stupid?  Parish the thought!”  Gabby grinned and began to chuckle at her friend.

“So, I’ll talk to you later?”  Mike nodded.

“Have a safe patrol,” she told Gabby.

“I’m sure Liam and I will be able to handle it.  You take care.”  With that, she gave Mike a quick hug and left out the front door, shutting it behind her.  After seeing her friend off, she went in search of Neil.  They hadn’t quite lied when they told their parents they were going to watch movies, they were going to do that, but they figured what’s the harm of a few smoochies in between.   Mike headed into the den carrying the bowl in her hands, and smiling to herself, to find Neil fiddling with the controls to the player.

“I can’t get the volume control to work,” he groaned.  Mike smiled, placed the popcorn on an end table by the couch and joined Neil.  She found the correct dial and gently turned up the volume up to a sensible level.

“There,” she declared as the music began to fill the air.  Neil smiled and pulled Mike towards him, placing his hands tenderly around her waist.

“Perfect,” he told her as he stared into her eyes.  She placed her hand along his face and looked into his eyes in return.

“Definitely perfect,” she agreed.  The two stood there for a few moments until Neil leaned in and caught Mike’s lips in a kiss.

“I can’t believe they found that old Ripper picture of you, Giles,” Buffy chuckled out as the two couples approached the Giles’ house several hours later.  “I thought you’d lost it.”  Giles had a scowl on his face.

“So had I,” he grumbled.  Willow grinned as she looked towards her husband.

“It wasn’t that bad,” she assured them.  “And even you had to admit that you had a good time,” she reminded him.  “Unless you count Jonathan and Ginger Levinson winning the Best Couple Award.  I can’t believe they beat us!”

“And that ‘hey, it’s the librarian and that Rosenberg chic’ comment from Percy, now that was harsh,” Riley pointed out.

“Yeah, that too, but he was plastered, so I don’t think that it counts,” Buffy commented.  “He probably won’t ever remember he said it.”  They had finally made it up to the door, and Giles gently unlocked and entered the house as the others followed him inside.

“I just can’t believe that Xander finally won the Class Clown Award.  He was so proud, I think Jonathon nearly cried when he heard the acceptance speech,” Willow giggled.  Buffy and the others laughed.

“I never expected Xand to have that much of a drama king in him.  He was tearing up before he even began!  I’m sure Anya will not hear the end of it.”  The other three had to agree with the former Slayer.  The four had made their way to the den, where the volume of the television was turned up loud enough that the room’s occupants couldn’t hear their parents enter.  The walked into the room to a shocking sight.

Mike and Neil and been sitting on the couch, and to their parent’s horror, they were in the middle of a passionate kiss.  The four parents stood in a few moments of abject silence as they watched their children carry on, too dumbfounded to react.  The younger Giles and Finn didn’t take any notice of their captive audience until Buffy finally found her breath and whispered, “Oh, God.”

Both Mike and Neil snapped their heads back at the same time to meet their parent’s angry gazes.  Their eyes went wide as they realized that they had been caught.  Neil instantly stood up, and it was then that Giles took note of the fact that his right hand had been on Mike’s thigh.  Giles’ face got grimmer, as did that of Riley when he took note of the same thing a moment later.  There was going to be a lot of explaining to do.

“Dad,” Neil frantically began.  Riley cut him off with a quick gesture.

“We.  Are.  Leaving. Now,” the ex-soldier intoned coldly.  Mike closed her eyes to the onslaught that was coming.

“Dad…”  Neil just stood there, attempting to give his parents a few moments to reason with him.  It didn’t work.

“You heard your father,” Buffy hissed.  “Now!”  Neil gave a defeated sigh and headed towards the door, giving Mike a quick glance as he left.  The Finns stayed behind for a few moments, staring at Mike.

“Buffy, Riley,” she began.

“We have nothing to say to you,” Buffy cut her off.  She spent the following silence staring Mike down.  Mike cringed under the ex-Slayer’s blazing gaze until Buffy finally turned that gaze to Giles.  “Giles, I’m sorry we couldn’t say a proper good-bye, but I think you understand,” Buffy told him.

“I believe I do,” Giles said flatly, not taking his eyes off his daughter.  The Finns hastily left the room, leaving Mike alone with her parents.  Two very angry parents.

“Dad,” Mike pleaded, but Giles cut her off with a wave of his hand.

“What the bloody hell were you thinking, Michaela,” Giles spat out before Mike could finish.

“Dad, it’s not what you think…”

“Then you really weren’t throwing yourself at some high schooler,” Willow shot back, adding her part to the fray.  Mike turned to face her mother.

“Mom…”

“Don’t ‘mom’ me,” Willow retorted as she glared at her daughter.  Mike gave a defeated sigh as she met her mother’s furious gaze.  “I am NOT in the mood.”

“Neil Finn,” Giles exclaimed.  “Bloody Neil Finn!”  Mike quickly turned back to meet her father’s eyes.

“Dad, you don’t understand…”

“Oh, I think it’s crystal clear, Michaela.  I think it’s damn clear.”  Mike was now standing in the middle of the room, facing two very angry parents.

“Dad, you’re not being fair…”

“And you screwing around with my best friend’s son is,” Willow shouted.

“Mother!  Is that what you think we’ve been doing,” Mike said incredulously.

“Isn’t it,” Willow asked coldly as she crossed her arms.  Mike shook her head.

“Absolutely not!  We were kissing, that was all, I swear!”  Giles wasn’t convinced and was more than ready to tell Mike just that.

“And why should we believe you when you were lying to us in the first place.”  Mike took a deep breath as she tried to answer her father calmly.

“Because that is the truth.  I didn’t invite Neil over here so we could get pelvic,” she said as evenly as possible.

“Then why the hell did you have him here,” Giles shot back.

“So we could spend some time together, just like I told you!  Is there anything wrong with that,” Mike said quickly as her emotions began to get the best of her.  She was very close to losing control and doing her best impression of her father in a Ripper mood, and she knew that was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment.

“Oh, I’m thinking yes,” Willow answered as she pointed to Mike.  The younger Giles closed her eyes once again to the continuing onslaught to try to contain her frustration and anger.

“Xander was right, you don’t understand,” Mike said under her breath.

“Xander knew about this,” Giles shouted, shocked by the revelation.  Mike’s eyes popped open and she flailed her arms in frustration.

“Well, isn’t not like I intended to have him find out.  I just happened.”

“He is so dead,” Willow retorted, rolling her eyes.  All three knew that this was quickly getting out of hand, but there was little they could do to stop the tide of anger that was filling the room.

“Don’t drag him into this, mother.  He had nothing to do with it,” Mike insisted.

“But he knew,” Giles pointed out.

“Yes.  Xander knew,” Mike admitted.  She took a calming breath that seemed to calm the storm that was building in her, and she remained somewhat in control.  The same could not be said for her parents.

“How long,” Willow remarked icily.  “How long has this been going on.”  Mike braced herself before she answered.

“I’ve been seeing Neil for almost a year,” she finally squeaked out.

“Bloody hell,” Giles sighed with frustration.  “And when we you planning on telling us?  When you ran off to some tawdry little chapel and eloped or when you found out you were pregnant or God knows what else.”

“Aren’t you listening,” Mike shouted, finally losing her temper completely.  “I am NOT sleeping with Neil!”

“I’m having a very difficult time believing that,” Giles declared.

“Don’t you trust me?”  Before she even finished, Mike knew those were exactly the wrong words to say at that moment.

“Oh, don’t you dare lecture us about trust, young lady,” Willow began.  Giles cut his wife off.

“You are not to see Neil again, Michaela,” Giles exclaimed.  Mike’s face got red with anger.

“You can’t order me around, Dad!  I’m not some child!  I am old enough to see whomever I chose, to sleep with whomever I chose, or to marry whomever I chose.  Soon, Neil will be as well,” Mike finished with a whisper.  Willow snorted.

“Not if his parents have a say in it,” Willow muttered.  Giles ignored his wife’s comment, focusing on what Mike had said.

“So what?  Do you think that this thing between you and Neil, whatever it is, is going to last forever?  Not bloody likely,” Giles spat out.

“Well, that is for me to decide, father, not you!”

“Michaela, I am your father.  I can damn well...”

“No, you can’t,” Mike yelled at full force, cutting off his comment.  Giles finally snapped all the way and slapped his daughter across the face.  Mike gave her father a stunned, hurt, and defeated look.  It seemed to match the look on both her parents faces.  “I’m leaving,” she said after a long silence.  As she grabbed her things and swiftly headed for the door she turned to face her parent once again.  “I should never have expected YOU, of all people, to understand this,” she whispered coldly.  “Grandpa Ira would be proud.”  Before her parents could react, Mike was gone, slamming the door behind her.  Both Willow and Giles felt like they had been slapped in the face.  Willow stood next to her husband in stunned silence.

“What have we done, Rupert,” she whispered to her husband as they heard Mike’s car speed away.

Mike spent some time wondering around town after that until she finally came upon a certain cemetery.  She parked her car by the gate, cut the engine, and made her way among the headstones.  After a few minutes, she had found what she was looking for.  A certain crypt with it’s door wide open and a light beaming out of it.  She silently entered to find its occupant lounging on his bed.

“What’s going on, mate,” Spike greeted his guest.  The look on Mike’s face was enough of an answer.  “What happened,” the blonde vampire questioned as Mike walked towards him.

“My life is over, that’s what,” Mike groaned.  Spike sat up and allowed the young woman to sit down next to him.  “Mom and Dad know about Neil,” she finally clarified.  Spike let out a slow whistle.

“Bloody hell, woman.  You really are in a bind now, aren’t you?”  Mike nodded.  “How did it happen?”  She took a deep breath before replying.

“Neil and I were at my parent’s house.  Mom, Dad, Buffy, and Riley came in to find us kissing.  They went ballistic, to say the least,” Mike explained.  Spike shook his head.

“So, in other words, you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar,” the vamp surmised and Mike snorted.

“Don’t joke around, Spike.  I’m not in the mood to put up with it right now,” Mike warned.  Spike gave her a look.

“Okay, okay.  Don’t get touchy.  I get it.  What did your dad tell you?”

“More or less that he was disappointed in me, no big surprise there.  And that he thought Neil and I were mattress dancing.  Of course, I denied it,” Mike added.

“And so you think he overreacted in seeing you with a nubile teenage boy in a fairly compromising position,” Spike guessed and shook his head.  “I’m surprised you didn’t give old Rupes a heart attack, love.”  Michaela gave him a dirty look.

“Well, if you put it that way…” she gave it some thought.  “Do you have to put it that way,” she groaned as she placed her hands on her face.  “I have really screwed up, haven’t I?”  Spike gave her a meaningful look.  “Okay, understatement much.  God, can I just crawl under some rock now and stay there, oh, say, forever?”  Spike shrugged his shoulders.

“As I like to say, love is a funny thing, ducks.  We don’t tend think straight when we’re thinking with our …” Spike cleared his throat before he finished the thought.  “Hearts,” he finally added, but Mike still got the drift.  She still gave Spike the eye and punched him in the arm, but she soon broke out in a smile.

“Why do you always have to be so damn smart,” Mike teased.

“Me?  I’ve always been this astute,” he informed her.  “It’s part of my character.”  Mike grinned, but her look soon sobered.

“What am I going to do, Spike?  Right now all I have are visions of Buffy and Riley grounding Neil until the end of time and me never seeing him again.  Ever.”  Spike sighed and shook his head at Mike.

“You really are quite the drama queen, aren’t you, love?”  He didn’t give Mike a chance to reply before he went on.  “Look, this isn’t some Romeo and Juliet thing going here.  You’re parents can’t keep you and Neil apart forever.  Not unless you do it for them,” Spike finished.  Mike nodded.

“I just don’t want to lose him, Spike,” Mike said softly.  “I can’t lose him,” she emphasized as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“I know, love.  I know.”  Mike stayed silent for a few moments until she decided to ask a question.

“Is this what it was like for you when you got that anti-violence chip?  The whole world falling around me type thing?”  Spike gave the idea some thought.

“Actually it was more like ‘what the hell have I ever done to deserve this’ and ‘why can’t I ever get ahead’ on that one, Mike.”  Mike gave him a chuckle.  “What’s so bleeding funny, mate?”

“I just still can’t get over the image of you trying to bite my mom and not being able to.  It must have been horrible for you,” she said teasingly.  Spike glared at her.

“It wasn’t that funny when it happened, love.  I mean, I couldn’t kill Red!  The one person I wouldn’t have minded killing at the time, I couldn’t bloody well touch her!”  Mike gave a scoffing laugh.

“Well, I, for one, am glad you weren’t able to kill my mother.  And you’ve gotten along pretty well for yourself as a Slayerette, haven’t you,” she asked.

“Sure I have.  I could have done worse for myself,” he admitted.  “I could still be with Harmony,” he decided.

“Or you could still be living with Angelus and Dru,” she added playfully.  Spike gave her an incredulous look.

“Don’t even go there, Mike.”
 

It was a clear, cloudless night outside of the Finn residence.  The house was completely dark, save for one solitary light coming from Neil’s bedroom.  His parents had fallen asleep after their “Discussion” earlier that night, but Neil had been too upset to sleep.  Neil stood at the window, looking out into the star filled night.  He had no idea he was being watched from his own lawn.

“There he is,” Drusilla cooed as she eyed the teen.  “The Slayer’s son.  Look, Miss Edith,” the insane vamp instructed her doll.  “He’s all alone, with mumsy and daddy safely in their beds.”  The other vampire’s surrounding her let the crazy vampiress go on with her tirade.  “Come on, boys.  Let’s go pay the little boy a visit,” Dru instructed.  The minions surrounding her sprang into action and began to approach the house as Dru followed.

“Neil,” Riley Finn quietly asked as he crept into his son’s room.  “What are you still doing up?”   Neil turned back from his perch at the window and looked at his father.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said matter-of-factly as he continued to face the window.  Riley nodded as he walked into the room and joined Neil by the window.

“I know it seems like me and your mother were being harsh about tonight, Neil, but it’s not as bad as it seems.”  Neil glanced from to the window to his father with sad eyes.

“I’m more mad at myself right now than anything, Dad,” he admitted.  “I didn’t handle it very well,” he confessed with a whisper.  Riley placed an arm around Neil’s shoulder.

“We’ve all made some mistakes, Neil.”  Riley gave the idea some thought before he went on, but decided to anyway.  “Did I ever tell you about the first time I met Angel?”  Neil looked back at his father and shook his head.  “Well, I was already dating your mother at the time, and I basically went very medieval.”  Neil glared at his father, not believing what he was being told.  “I tried to kick the shit out of him,” Riley continued.  “And your mom could have kicked my ass for doing it.  The point is, Neil, that I let my heart override my brain, and I could have caused some real damage that night.”  Neil nodded.

“Thanks, Dad, but did Mom have to say those things about Mike?  She’s not some kind of user,” Neil reminded him.  Riley sighed as he shifted his weight.

“Your mom was very upset tonight, Neil.  I’m sure she didn’t mean it that way,” Riley tried to explain.

“That doesn’t mean that it hurts any less to hear her say that,” Neil told him and Riley nodded.

“Just give your mother and I a chance to calm down some and we’ll discuss it some more later, when we’re all a little more clear headed, okay?”  Neil turned back to the window.

“Fair enough,” he agreed.  “All things considered, it’s better than I had thought it would be,” he added.  Riley patted his son on the back.

“We’ll get through this, Neil,” he promised him.  “You’ll see.”  With that, Riley turned and began to leave the room.  Neil suddenly turned back to the door.

“Hey, Dad, you weren’t joking about the Angel thing, were you,” he asked.  Riley turned and shook his head.

“No,” he replied casually.  Neil smiled.

“I’m sorry I missed it, then.  It must’ve been fun to see Pretty Boy get knocked down a notch,” Neil said, grinning.  Riley grinned back.

“Just don’t let Mike or your mom hear this,” Riley warned.  “But between us, it was.”  With that, Riley left the room and shut the door behind him.  Neil turned back to the window and began to look back out again.  After a few minutes, Neil started to hear something coming from outside.  He couldn’t quite place the noise, but he wanted to investigate it a little further, so he lifted up the glass to hear it better.  That was his mistake.  As soon as the window pane was all the way up, a pair of large, burly arms grabbed onto Neil’s wrists.

“What…” Neil shouted as he was forcibly hauled out of the window and thrown to the ground.  He rolled down the roof and hit the lawn feet first with an “umph”.  After taking a few moments to regain his breath, Neil slowly rose to find himself surround by five vampires, all with their game faces on.  “Oh, shit,” Neil muttered as he rose to his full height and faced his opponents.  From his left, a sixth vamp joined the circled the others had formed around Neil, and he suspected that this one had been the one who had pulled him out of the window.  Neil was trapped.

“Hello, dearie,” Dru cooed.  “Would you like join me and Miss Edith for a tea party?  It will be great fun,” she mused.

“What the hell are you trying to do,” Neil said hastily.

“All the voices are singing for you,” Dru said.  “They tell me that you’ve been a big disappointment to mommy and daddy and that she would be so very upset if you were to be hurt after they said such mean things to you.”

“Oh, God,” Neil whispered as he began to realize the full ramifications what was happening to him.

“Night, night, Neil,” Dru cooed as Neil felt the blow to the back of his head, plunging him into darkness.

After a chance to talk to Spike, Mike finally decided to call it a night and began to head home.  She crossed the deserted cemetery and headed to her car.  The windows were dark, and the light coming from the near-by street lamp was dim, making her unable to see inside the car.  She open the door driver’s side door and sat down in the seat, sticking the key in the ignition, and paying little attention to the rest of the vehicle.  She never got it started.  As soon as she leaned back close enough to the back seat, a hand came from her right and covered her mouth with a damp cloth.

Mike tried to struggle and resist, but her assailaint held firm.  She soon began to weaken under the drug and soon passed out into darkness.  The vamp smiled.

Mike was the first to come to consciousness.  She slowly awoke to take in her surroundings.  They were in some old house on the outskirts of town, in the basement she figured.  The room was cold and dank and the brick walls did little to help the interior.  The only piece of furniture was a small table with an old fashioned oil lamp sitting atop and a mattress for each of them to sleep on.  The lamp had been lit and provided the only meager light in the room, but it was enough for her to see Neil laying on the mattress next to her, still out cold.  She stared worriedly at his face for a few moments, before he began to stir, and she exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

“MMM,” he grumbled as he awoke.  He placed a hand lazily on his forehead to quell the last vestiges of his headache.  Then he turned and noticed Mike looking over at him, smiling like an angel.

“Hello there, Finn,” she greeted him.

“Likewise, Giles,” he said as casually as possible through partially gritted teeth.  The bastard had hit him hard, and he still felt it.  Mike gently reached out and placed her hand on his head.

“What did they do to you, Neil,” she asked sympathetically.

“Same old, same old.  You know brute force is in the bad guy manual, Mike.” he quipped.

“Does anything ever change,” she murmured as she gently ran her fingers through his hair.  “You’d think they’d have enough time to learn different tactics,” she decided.

“Hellmouth forbid,” Neil returned with a wane grin.  “So do you have any idea where we are or who took us or why,” he asked.  Any information they could get may save their lives, so he had hoped that Mike had some idea.

“On the where, I’d say we’re still in town.  I remember Dad saying that some of the old mansions were built like this, and it’s close enough for a base.  Also, I’d guess we haven’t been out long.  The lamp wick is barely burned up,” she observed.  “As for the who or why, your guess is as good as mine.  The only thing you can be sure of is that it wasn’t random.  They wanted US, other wise, we’d probably be dead by now,” she added grimly.

“Don’t talk that way, Mike.  We will get out of this,” he assured her as he softly kissed the top of her head.  “We will,” he added for good measure.  He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

“Sorry.  I guess it’s the Giles in me,” Mike replied with a wry grin.  She began to lean in for a kiss when they heard the door open.  Drusilla walked daintily down the stairs, clutching Miss Edith.  Mike got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.  “Fuck,” she swore under her breath.  Neil gave her a strange look.

“Look, Miss Edith.  The love birds are finally up,” Dru cooed to her doll.  Mike had never met Drusilla, but she’d gotten a good description of her from Spike, and Miss Edith only clenched it.

“Drusilla,” she confirmed, and Neil suddenly got it.  He tried to look calm, but his heart had begun to race.  He, too, had heard stories about the insane vampiress, and knew she was no one to mess with.  Now she had them.  “What brings you back to Sunnydale?” Mike dared to ask as Dru came over and knelt by them.

“Why, vengeance, dearie.  The voices have told me to hold on, that it wasn’t the proper time, but they stopped.  Now I’ll have it all.”  Mike kept her composure.

“Vengeance for what?  What did we do to you,” she questioned Dru evenly.

“Your mother took away my Angel, and the Slayer took away my Spike!” she cried.  “I figured I’d take away their babies,” she told Mike. She could feel Neil’s hand grip her shoulder from behind.  “I’ll turn you.  Make you like me,” she declared.  Neil’s grip got tighter.  “But not before we play,” she added as she took Neil’s chin into her hand.  “So young,” she cooed as she looked into his face.  “You’ll have lots of fun with me and Miss Edith,” she told him, but his face remained expressionless.  He didn’t dare show her the terror he felt.  Mike sat up quickly and grabbed Dru’s wrist, pulling her away from Neil.

“Leave.  Him.  Alone.” she intoned coolly.  Dru gave her a smile and viciously backhanded her with her free had, sending Mike flying across the room.

“Be careful, dearie.  I wouldn’t like to have to play rough with a pretty thing like you,” Dru warned her as Mike wiped a smear of blood from her lip.  Dru took Neil’s hand and gave it a polite kiss, then silently left the room.

“Procrastinate much, you crazy bitch!” Mike angrily yelled up at the stairs as Neil made his way over to her.

“What did you think you were doing, Mike,” he hissed as he examined the damage.  Her lip was slightly swollen, and the bluish tint of a bruise was already forming on her left cheek.  “She could have killed you.”

“What did you expect me to do, let her paw you like that,” Mike shot back.

“This is no time to lose your head, Mike!  Now stop acting like a child and get a grip!”  The forceful anger in his tone and his eyes was enough to force Mike back into reality.  Neil was rarely one to lose his temper, and she knew it had to be serious for him to go so far.

“You’re right,” she muttered, relenting to him.  “Now is not the time to act like that.  I’m sorry.”  His eyes got a little lighter, and he smiled.

“Well, I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing if she would have come on to you,” he said teasingly.  “Just keep your temper,” he warned.  “And we may get out of here alive.”

“Yes sir,” she told him with a mock-salute.   He smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then held her close to him, his face grim.  If only he could be so sure.

As the sun rose, Buffy Summers Finn was awakened and began to start her day.  She was downstairs cooking pancakes when she called for Neil and Riley to come down and eat.  When Neil didn’t answer, she began to worry.  Even if he was still upset over last night, he wouldn’t intentionally skip his breakfast.  As a sleepy Riley came down the stairs, Buffy rushed up to check on her son.

The door to his room wasn’t locked, and she quietly opened it and peered inside.  The bed was still made, looking as if no one had slept in it at all, and then she noticed the window.  The opened window.  Her heart sank into her chest, and it took her a moment to find her voice.

“Riley!” she called.

“Thanks, Will,” Buffy said as Willow handed her a cup of coffee.  After making a frantic call to Willow and Giles after her discovery, and Giles own inquiries into Michaela’s whereabouts brought a similar end; Buffy and Riley had headed over to their house to see that would do next.  Both of the children were missing, and no one was in a good mood.  Willow had even suggested sending Spike out to look into his old circles to see if anyone knew what had happened to Mike and Neil.  Spike hadn’t checked in yet, so all the parent’s could do was sit around a wait for the next move.

“How are you holding up,” Willow asked softly.  Buffy shrugged her shoulders.

“The holding pattern is fine, but I’m ready to go out and kick whoever took the kid’s ass, and if they dare touch my son, they are dead, Will.  No questions asked.”  Willow nodded.

“I know what you mean.  Rupert would have staked Spike when he told him he had found Mike’s car if he hadn’t done it over the phone.  It took me half an hour to calm him down, not to mention my own frazzled nerves.”  Buffy put a sympathetic hand on Willow’s shoulder.

“I know.  You want so badly to know they’re safe, but we can’t know that until we find them.”

“We said such horrible things to her last night, Buffy.  She was so angry, and now she could be dead.  I just can’t think about that now.  All I want to do is apologize and let my daughter know everything is okay.”  Willow was nearing tears as she said this, and Buffy hugged her even harder.

“I know what you mean,” the former Slayer whispered.  They gave each other some friendly comfort as Giles Riley walked into the room from the kitchen.

“Spike’s on his way,” Riley announced as he sat down on the other side of Buffy and Giles took a seat next to Willow.

“Does he have any information?” Willow asked hopefully.  Giles nodded.

“There’s some rumors he looked into, and he thinks he’s turned up a lead, but he has to check it out first, then he’ll come here,” Giles explained.

“Did he say what he found,” Buffy inquired.  Giles gave Riley a questioning look, then the former soldier nodded.

“There’s been talk about Drusilla returning.  Spike thinks she was spotted last night.  Not far from your home,” Giles reported with a grim air.  “He thinks she may have went to the old mansion to hide.”

“Oh, God,” Buffy whispered.  “If Dru took them, there’s not telling what she could do.”  Riley nodded his understanding, but he still looked a little puzzled.

“Now tell me again why I should be worried about this Drusilla,” he asked.  “I remember something about dating Spike, which is bad enough, but not much else.”  Giles chose to field that question.

“She was sired by Angelus,” Giles explained.  “Before he turned her, the bastard decided it would be fun to torture her and drive her insane.  He succeeded, all too well.  Spike came along some time later and fell madly in love with her.  Then they broke up over Spike helping Buffy stop Angelus from raising Acathla, and she hasn’t been seen since.”  Riley nodded.  This didn’t look good.

“And Spike thinks she’s the one who took the kids,” Riley finished.  “God, does it ever stop,” he muttered.  Giles shook his head.

“Not yet,” he answered dryly.  “The Hellmouth is as active as ever, and we seem to be it’s favorite targets,” he added.

“Makes you really appreciate prophesy,” Willow murmured.  “It would have helped if we could have seen this coming.”

“There’s nothing you could have done to stop this, Willow,” Buffy reminded her.  “If Dru wanted our kids, she would have found some other way to get to them.”

“Buffy’s correct, love,” Giles told his wife.  “Drusilla may be insane, but she’s quite cunning.  She would have found some other way to play her twisted games.”

“At least we could have forced her to take the game to us.  This never involved our children, Rupert.  That’s the part that pisses me off.” the redhead explained.

“I feel the same way my dear, but there’s nothing we can do to change that.”

“Giles is right,” Riley offered.  “All we can do is find the kids and make sure this Dru pays for hurting them.  And believe me when I say she will pay,” he added grimly.  “No one touches my son.  Period.”  Giles and Buffy nodded.  As they chatted on, they were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.  Spike rushed in with a jacket draped over his head to protect him and closed the door behind him.  Willow and Buffy quickly got up and pulled the curtains to keep the sun out of the room.  As soon as it was clear, Spike took the jacket and dusted it off, then put it back on.

“Well, the old pipeline is still working, I’m sorry to say.  Dru’s got about ten lackeys around the house, and I’d venture that she’s put Mike and Neil in the cellar,” the blond vamp reported.

“How do you know its Dru?” Buffy ventured.  Spike gave her a pointed look.

“I saw her,” he answered simply.  “The bint was in the dining room have one of her bloody tea parties.”

“And no one saw you,” Riley asked skeptically.  Spike audibly sighed.

“Bloody hell… you don’t live in a lair and not know a few hiding places, soldier boy.  It may have been awhile, but I’m not that much of a dunce.  I can find my way around the sodding mansion if I want to.”

“Well, you’re going to,” Buffy interjected.  “I want you to get us in and to Mike and Neil. Riley, you, and me can keep Dru and her boys busy while Will and Giles get the kids.  Then we get the hell out of there.  Any questions?”  Buffy was in full take charge mode and no one was willing to contradict her.  The all shook their heads.

“We’ll need weapons,” Giles reminded her and Buffy gave a nod.

“Giles, you’re on weapons duty.  Spike, I want you to explain to me how we get in.  I don’t’ want any mistakes, got it?”

“Yes, I got it.” the vamp said.  The others nodded.

“We should wait for sundown,” Riley said offhandedly.  “It should be easier to get in,” he decided.

“Any advice on how to sneak into a vamp nest, Mr. ‘I got the A in cover ops’?” Willow asked weakly.

“Well, for starters, I wouldn’t wear that,” he quipped as he pointed to Willow’s bright blue top.  The comment seemed to break some of the tension in the room, and they all seemed to visibly relax.

“Very funny,” Willow said.

“I happen to like that blouse,” Giles commented wryly, giving his wife a knowing look.  Willow gave him a grin as their eyes met.

“Later, Rupert.” the hacker smiled.

“Of course, love.  Now I have to retrieve Buffy’s favorite battle axe and that crossbow I made for you, plus some stakes and holy water for good measure.”  Willow gave a small laugh.

“I love it when you talk like that,” she joked as they waked off into another part of the house together.

“Do they ever stop,” Riley asked as he watched them leave.

“Not yet,” Buffy replied with a wicked grin.  “And some day I’ll ask Will what her secret is,” she added.  Riley raised his eyebrow.

“Just let me know when you do, okay, honey?”

“Me?”  Buffy answered with mock innocence.  “Would I do that to you?”

“In a heart beat, Slayer.” Spike murmured under his breath.  “Can we start with the breaking and entering already?  Dru won’t wait forever.  Mike and Neil may be safe now, but not for long,” he reminded them.

“The let’s get started.” Buffy told him.

“Did I ever mention that I really hate this place?” Buffy whispered to Riley as they crept through the hedges around the familiar old mansion, Spike, Willow and Giles following closely behind.

“Only a time or two,” Riley replied evenly.  The area surrounding the mansion had not been maintained for some time, and the thick debris, paint peelings, assorted trash, and other various degrees of decay that had been left on the grounds over time greeted them.

“Apparently Drusilla didn’t hire a cleaning crew,” Willow mumbled as she brushed some flecks of paint from her dark jeans as they stopped on the other side of the hedges.

“You’d be surprised how few landscapers a vampire generally knows,” Spike answered wryly.  Giles came up behind Willow and gave the deteriorated structure a curious eye.

“Are we sure where they’ll be hiding?” he asked Spike, and the vamp nodded in affirmation.

“In the old hall,” he replied to the former Watcher, as he pointed to a set of great windows to their left.  “They’re sure to be having some sort of posh celebration, and the kids are likely to be in the basement, unless Dru invited them to the party,” he added.  Giles nodded his understanding as Spike glanced over to Riley, who nodded back to him.

“Okay, stay here,” Riley ordered the others, the soldier in him taking over.  “I’ll check it out.”  He gave Buffy’s shoulder a quick squeeze and silently headed to the window, the others losing sight of his movements.  Buffy tried to look in the general direction of the window in an effort to find her husband to no avail.

“This is the part that’s less fun,” Willow mused quietly as they waited for Riley to finish his reconnaissance.

“I thoroughly agree,” Giles answered from behind her.  “This is far from my idea of how to spend a marvelous night in Sunnydale, or anywhere else for that matter,” he finished.

“Dru sure knows how to pick a hideout,” Spike added as he looked on.  “Fond memories, murders, and mayhem.  That’s our girl all right,” he finished with a grim smile.

“Just get us in there when we ask you to,” Buffy hissed as she turned to face him.

“Hey, I want the juniors out of there as much as you do, Slayer,” Spike assured her.  “We aren’t exactly playing tag here you know.”

“We just have to be patient,” Giles intoned to both of them, still keeping any eye on the ever-present window that had all their attention at the moment.  From the right, Riley rejoined the group as quietly and quietly as he had left.  “Did you see them?” Giles asked quickly.

“They’re all in there,” Riley confirmed.  “Dru, about half a dozen of her lackeys, and the kids.  They looked scared,” he said grimly.

“Then we’ll give them a reason not to be,” Willow spoke up with as much hope as she could muster.  Spike nodded, stepping closer to the group to be heard.

“Okay, then, we all head into the hall.  We’ll go in through the side door I showed you.  After that, there’ll be a hallway.  Red, you and Rupes will go left.”  Willow and Giles nodded, accepting their instructions.  “You’ll end up on the far side of the hall, behind Dru and her merry buggers.  Slayer, you, Soldier Boy and I go right, and we’ll end up at the entrance in the front.  Now, either way, they’ll be a few guards at both doors, but not enough to get your skivvies bunched up about, and they shouldn’t be expecting us to use that hallway, so we’ll gain a little surprise while we’re at it.  The three of us come in, confront Dru and her lot, and Red and Rupert will come behind to make sure that Mike and Neil are okay and back us up.  And with any luck, the kids’ll join us in all the bloody fun,” he finished.  Buffy and Riley nodded, already fingering their chosen weapons.

“Lead on,” Buffy replied softly.  Spike gave a quick look to Giles.

“You have the extra weapons, right, mate?”  Giles nodded.  “Then make sure the juniors get them as soon as you get in.  Dru isn’t going to play any games here, got that?”

“Yes,” Giles answered softly.

“Then let’s go,” Spike declared, heading off towards the far side of the mansion, the others close behind.  They approached the door, and Spike knelt down, using a small pick to work the lock.  After a few moments, he was rewarded with a soft click and tested the knob, which gave easily.  “We’re in,” he whispered, then stepped back, keeping his fingers edged on the door’s knob.  Buffy and Riley stood in front, aiming their crossbows at the entrance.  Once they were ready, Spike gave a quick nod and opened the door.

“Tell me again what we’re celebrating,” Mike whispered to Neil as they watched the merriment around them.  Both were sitting in a chair side by side, a minion directly behind either of them, neither of their guards paying much attention to their quiet chatter.

“I think it’s supposed to be for us, to celebrate our last night as humans,” Neil replied dryly.   “Drusilla wants us to go out with a bang, I guess,” he added.

“Oh, yea us,” Mike said sarcastically.  “So this is the vampire version of a happy funeral, with us being the guests of honor.”

“Sort of.  Any last requests for the condemned,” He offered.  Mike shook her head.

“None I’d care to tell a vampire.  You?”

“Nope.  I’d just as soon get it over with and pray someone stakes me quickly,” Neil told her calmly.  The look in his eyes told a different story, his glance tinged with fear

“God, we are morbid,” she scoffed, pushing a few strands of her long hair from her face, attempting to seem as casual as possible.

“We were raised on a Hellmouth.  There’s a difference,” Neil corrected her.

“Have you ever wondered what you’d be like?  As a vampire?” Mike whispered to him, her face full of open apprehension.

“Okay, now you’re morbid,” he answered.  Mike shook her head.

“I’m serious, Neil.  Do you think … that our parent’s would be in danger?  Or… or our friends?”  Neil know that it was times like this that Mike had displayed the old Giles habit of stuttering, so he had expected it.  He kept listening.  “I … I mean, what would we do to them?”  She hated to ask it, but she knew the possibilities.  They both did.  Neil gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“Don’t think about that, Mike.  We are not going to be vampires, ever,” he assured her, squeezing her hand for reassurance.  “I’m sure of it.”

“I’m just … scared is all,” Mike replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.  “Can you let me know when it’s okay to wake up,” she added wryly.

“Sure, baby,” he whispered back into her ear.  As Mike began to close her eyes, Drusilla walked up to them, humming some indistinguishable tune.

“The stars say it’s time, dearies,” she cooed.  “You’re going to be one of us.”  She took Mike gently by the chin.  “You’ll be so strong,” Dru said softly.  “You’ll cause so much destruction!” Dru mused happily.  “The whole city will cry out in pain because of you!”

“Don’t do this,” Mike offered weakly, but still remained calm as Dru gestured for her to stand, and she obeyed, but she kept a tentative hand in Neil’s.

“Oh, but I’ve already begun!  You’ll so enjoy your party.  But first,” Drusilla’s feature began to change, the vampire within unleashing itself.  In full game face, she finished the thought. “You must die.”

“No!” Neil yelled as Drusilla began to pull Mike from his grasp.  “Let her go!”  He had begun to sit up, only to have the strong minion behind him forcibly sit him back down.

“You’ll wait your turn like a good little boy,” Drusilla admonished him, as she stood in front of Mike and began to finger her throat.  Mike closed her eyes and silently began to pray to whoever would listen, a silent prayer for her soul.  Dru began to move her long red hair back, exposing her neck fully.  She was closing in on Mike’s neck when a commotion caught her attention.  The minion holding Neil was struck with a crossbow bolt, falling into dust before her eyes.

“Sorry we’re late, but I’m sure our invitations must have gotten lost in the mail,” Buffy quipped as she began to aim for Dru.  Riley stood to Buffy’s right, holding another crossbow, also aiming for Dru.  Spike was to Buffy’s left, his own crossbow trained on one of the half a dozen or so minions left around the room.

“Mom!” Neil cried.  Mike took advantage of the momentary distraction to give Dru a sharp elbow to the vampire’s gut, forcing the vampire to double over, then she gave her a quick knee to the stomach for good measure, backing away from her would be killer.  From behind them, another bolt shot through the air, hitting a guard that was headed towards Buffy, the one that had been watching Mike.  Mike and Neil twirled around to see her parents standing a few feet behind them, both armed, Giles deftly reloading his own crossbow.

“Hi honey,” Willow greeted Mike brightly.

“Great timing as always, Mom,” she returned.

“Well, we would have been earlier, but your father…”

“Could we do this later, Willow,” Giles cut her off, quickly tossing a stake to Mike, then another to Neil, both catching their weapons.

“Sure,” Willow answered, firing her crossbow and hitting another minion as Riley took our a fourth.

“No!  This is all wrong!” Drusilla cried, flailing her arms in a tantrum.  She quickly reached for Neil’s wrist, batting the stake out of his hand, and then she was suddenly holding him to her.  “I can’t abide by this!”  Buffy began to rush towards them, but was knocked back by a large minion, who was quickly subdued by Riley.

“Oh, you don’t want to do that,” Mike hissed, raising her stake.  “Get your hands off my boyfriend.”  Her voice was hard and grim as she gave the order, but she emphasized her threat by pushing the tip of the stake to Drusilla’s chest.

“He’ll be gone before you can hurt me,” Dru mused, placing her hands around Neil’s neck as if to break it.

“Then you won’t live to regret it,” Mike returned, her voice seeping with the promise of her intent.  Dru shrieked, pushing Neil towards Mike, knocking both roughly to the floor, while her remaining minions scrambled towards the intruders with perfect timing, and Drusilla disappeared out the near door in the ensuing chaos.  There were two minions left, who were quickly taken out by Spike and Willow as the others headed over to attend to Mike and Neil.

“That was not my idea of fun,” Neil announced sarcastically as Buffy and Riley helped him up from the floor.

“Sure it was, Finn.  I say we do it again,” Mike said as she brushed off her pants, Giles standing behind her.  She looked over to Buffy and Riley.  “So are you still officially mad at us?”

“Mom, Dad,” Neil began as he righted himself, but Buffy cut him off with a quick gesture of her hand, her eyes misting a little at the corners.

“Don’t worry honey, it’s okay,” she assured him with a grateful smile, her voice wavering with emotion.  “We are just so glad you’re okay,” she finished, giving Neil a quick hug.  Neil let out a small sigh of relief, knowing that the worst was over for them.

“Thanks Mom,” Neil whispered, hugging her back, his voice showing the great weight that had been lifted from his young shoulders.

“And we are very grateful to see you as well,” Giles added as he embraced Mike as well.

“I was so worried that I wouldn’t see you again,” Mike admitted, her voice breaking at the last syllable.  She looked into her father’s eyes, her own telling him her heart.  “I am so sorry I yelled at you and Mom.”

“And I apologize for striking you,” Giles added, his voice small.

“Looks like we all have some making up to do,” Riley observed, looking at Neil.  Spike snorted, gaining their collective attention as he reentered from the entrance Dru had left by.

“No sign of Dru.  It’s doubtful she’ll be back here anytime soon.  She didn’t like Sunnydale anyway,” he added as he casually lit a cigarette.

“Hopefully this will teach her a lesson,” Willow offered optimistically.  “You know, don’t mess with the good guys?  Maybe she won’t be back.”

“To be on the safe side, I think we should ask Gabriella to step up her patrols, in case Drusilla attempts something else,” Giles replied, the others agreeing.

“I’ll talk to her and Liam about it tomorrow,” Mike assured him.  Spike nodded and took a drag from his smoke.

“Well, as much as I like the goody-good family thing, it’s almost daybreak, so I think I’ll make myself scarce,” the vampire interjected.  He began to head towards the door, but have a quick glance to Mike.  “See you later, love.”

“Thanks for coming to get us,” Mike returned.

“What kind of friend would I be if I just sat on my bum?” he asked rhetorically.

“Not very much of one,” Mike admitted with a short laugh.  Spike gave his own quick laugh and headed out the door from which he came.  Mike turned to Buffy and Riley and took a deep breath.  “I know that Neil and I lied to you, and we have absolutely no excuse for what we did, but I hope you would consider giving us another chance.  I love Neil very much.  Please don’t force us to end this because we made a stupid mistake.  One that I swear to you will never happen again.  I know we should have told you about us when this began, and I’m sorry that we didn’t.”  Buffy and Riley kept their gazes even.

“You have spent the past six months knowing deceiving us and your parents, encouraging our son to do the same.  God only knows the things that have run through my mind in the past twenty-four hours.  My son’s very life was in danger.”  Mike kept the look on her face as calm as possible, but inside she was starting to crumble.  “God also knows that I’ve made some very bad decisions in my time, and that I’ve paid for them, and I can’t say that I was always completely honest with the people I cared for.  What you and Neil did was wrong, but that’s over now, and everything came out well in the end,” Buffy finished.

“So are you’re saying it’s okay for us to see each other,” Mike asked with a bit of hope, with was reflected in Neil’s eyes as well.

“We’re saying we’ll consider it,” Riley corrected her, his voice stern.  “On a strictly probationary basis,” he added, looking at both her and Neil collectively.

“Probationary meaning…” Neil asked as he looked his parents over.  Buffy gave him a wicked smile.

“Meaning your father and I set the rules, and if you don’t follow them, there will be no more smoochies.  You will be home when we say you are to be home, you will be where you say you will be when you do go out, and you will only do what we say you can do.  Otherwise, forget it,” Buffy told him.  “Take it or leave it.”  Neil sighed, but then smiled.

“I agree,” he answered, then glanced over and took Mike’s hand.

“I agree as well, Mrs. Finn,” Mike replied, looking into Neil’s eyes and squeezing his hand.  Buffy and Riley smiled at each other, savoring their victory.

“Then we’ll see you tomorrow to discuss the specific terms of our agreement,” Riley told Mike.  “Eight am, Ms. Giles.”

“Yes, sir,” she assured him, and Riley nodded.

“Then I think it’s time for us to go home,” he told them.  “Let’s go son,” he added, and Neil smiled, giving Mike’s hand one last quick squeeze, then changed his mind and gave her a tight hug.

“See you tomorrow,” he offered, turning to face his parents.

“As always, Finn,” Mike called after him.

“Likewise, Giles,” Neil returned with a grin as he and his family left, leaving Mike with her own parents.  Willow shook her head at the dreamy sigh Mike gave as Neil left.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this probation thing,” she asked her daughter skeptically.  Mike gave her a grin.  “They’re asking a great deal from both of you.”

“If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes,” Mike told her decisively.  “I feel lucky to be getting this much from them at all,” she admitted.

“Then I trust you’ll stick to the terms of the agreement,” Giles replied.

“For Neil?  Yes, I will,” Mike answered, looking into her father’s eyes, and he know she was telling the truth.

“Then I suppose Buffy and Riley haven’t make such a terrible decision after all.  Please promise us, Michaela, no more lies.  No more secrets.”

“I promise, Dad,” she replied as she gave him a hug.  As she let him go, she gave her parents a sad look.  “Sorry, but I have to get home.  Gabby’s probably looking for me, so I should check in before she goes out to find me.”  Willow and Giles nodded their understanding.

“Of course Gabriella will be worried,” Giles told her.  “We’ll call you later.  Perhaps you should join us for dinner,” he added tentatively.

“What’s on the menu,” Mike asked with a wry grin, teasing them.

“I believe we have some of my famous lasagna,” Willow said causally as she looked at Giles, her eyes gleaming with mirth.

“A mother who always knows how to speak to my stomach,” Mike chuckled.  “I’m there.”

“Six o’clock,” Giles reminded her.

“I'll remember,” Mike assured him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Shall we see you to your car,” Giles offered, and Mike smiled, nodding.

“Um… sure,” Mike answered, slightly perplexed.  The three of them made their way out of the desolate mansion in silence, finding Mike’s car parked on the street, Mike’s amazement growing, now understanding what her father had meant.  “Wow.  Talk about your curbside service,” Mike mused.  “Remind me to thank whoever brought it over here.”  Giles gave a short nod.

“That would be Spike,” Willow admitted, giving Mike a knowing look.

“Well, he deserves a big thank you.”  Mike gave Willow a tight hug, then turned her attention to Giles, hugging him tightly as well.  “I’ll see you tonight, Daddy,” she finished in a whisper.

“Good-bye, Michaela,” he replied as she got into the car, then closed the door and started the engine.  As she pulled out onto the street, Giles and Willow watched on, until Mike’s vehicle was no longer in sight.

“That’s our little girl, Rupert,” Willow said with a wry smile.

“I still can’t believe she bloody agreed to Buffy and Riley’s probation,” Giles replied.

“Neither can I.  I guess this means they’re serious, because only serious people would agree to something like that, Rupert,” she gently reminded him, and Giles nodded.  However the situation turned out, he knew they were not likely to forget it.  “This could turn into something permanent,” she reminded him.

“Lord help us all if it does.” he told her.  “I don’t know if this town could stand one more marriage made on the Hellmouth.”

“Or one more father,” she teased, getting him to smile.  As always, Willow had been able to discover the heart of the matter.

“Shall we go home, my dear,” he offered, “Before we start speaking of announcements and other things that shall remain unsaid,” he asked.  Willow smiled.

“Sure.  I’ve got a few things in mind that may keep you from thinking about that.”  With that, they walked towards their own car, hand in hand.

BUTTERFLY KISSES