Disclaimer: Joss owns it not me.
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Chapter 17: Thanksgiving with the Summers

“He’s coming for dinner,” said Buffy as she returned to her gravy, after she had handed the phone to Dawn. “He just invited himself over. In fact he‘s in the car on his way right now.”

“You don’t sound happy about that luv,” said Spike as he finished off the last of the potatoes.

“Why should I feel happy about it? I haven’t seen my father since his funeral, in which I found out that he had a whole other family that he never told us about.”

“He’s bringing some woman called Caprice,” said Dawn as she plopped down on a bar stool around the island.

“That would be her.”

“Her what?”

“Caprice, the step mom.”

“Huh?”

“Caprice will be our step mom, and Dad won’t tell us about it or even invite us to the wedding.”

“Why not?”

“Cause after tonight, Caprice will think we hate her. And she won’t be far off.”
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Buffy looked around the table. Everyone was chewing in silence. It was sad really. Everyone was petrified of saying the wrong thing in front of Hank and Caprice.

Not that Buffy blamed them. The thing was that she wasn’t afraid. In fact she wanted to see her dad’s face when someone mentioned demons or vampires.

Spike was carefully sipping his blood from a mug, and Anya was discretely munching on some Portantus.

“So Dad, I think it’s time I told you something. I’m a Vampire Slayer,” said Buffy between bites of mashed potatoes that had been pulverized to perfection by a slightly irate vampire.

Hank Summers spat out his wine. “Excuse me? Vampire Slayer? That nonsense that we had to put you in the home for?”

“That’s right Dad. Except I’m not crazy. Vampires are real. Demons are real and I fight the bad ones.”

“Oh this is ridiculous.” Hank dropped his fork on his plate. “I don’t have to sit here and listen to this crazy talk.”

“Although I do not agree with your daughter’s way of disclosing the information to you Mr Summers, Buffy is telling the truth,” said Giles. “Buffy is a Slayer, the one girl in all the world chosen...”

“That’s a load of crap,” interrupted Hank.

“It’s not a load of crap,” said Dawn forcefully.

“That’s right!” said Anya, “I was once a vengeance demon, I feared the Slayer until I was cast into this mortal coil once more to life and die as a human.”

“What about him?” asked Caprice pointing to Spike.

Buffy smiled. “He’s a vampire.”

Hank laughed out loud. “Really let’s see his fangs then, he looks like just another punk kid if you ask me.”

“Spike’s no kid Mr Summers,” said Tara.

“He’s 121 in vamp years,” said Dawn proudly.

“And them?” asked Caprice pointing at Tara and Willow.

“Witches,” supplied Xander,

“And I’m a mystical Key that opens portals between dimensions,” said Dawn. “I was created last year, I’m not really your daughter!”

“Dawn, you don’t know what you are saying! I remember you being born, bringing you home from the hospital.”

“The result of a spell,” said Giles, cleaning his glasses. “Buffy do you really think that this was wise? Telling your father and his friend about all of this.”

“Oh I think this was an excellent time to discuss this. It just made up my mind to take Dawn away from all this madness,” said Hank.

“I won’t go!” yelled Dawn.

“You can’t take her, Dad, she’s not yours. I’ll have them do a paternity test,” said Buffy. “And don’t you dare say that mom cheated on you. Dawn’s mine. She was made from me. She was made from my blood. She’s mine and Spike’s.”

Spike dropped his glass of blood, creating a puddle of red liquid in the middle of his empty plate.

“Ewww, is that blood?” said Caprice.

“Got yourself a real brain surgeon there Hank,” said Spike. “What did you mean about Dawn being mine and yours Slayer?”

Buffy gulped. “I think that was something I forgot to mention in our little secret tell all session...”

“Dear Lord,” muttered Giles.

“Ya think?” shouted Spike.

“Squee!” clapped Dawn.

“I always thought that Dawn looked a little like Spike,” said Anya, “Dawn doesn't look a thing like Buffy.”

Everyone turned to look at Anya. “Portantus?” she said offering her small bowl of the treats. “What?”
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Hank Summers ranted and raved for an hour before he decided that it wasn’t worth the effort and plopped down in front of the TV to watch Football.

Buffy stared disbelievingly at her father. She just couldn’t believe that he was still in her house given his outburst. It was completely like him to make everyone move to accommodate him. Spike was sulking off in a corner because he wanted to watch a Man U game instead of the Raiders game that Hank was watching. Spike had this strange notion that he should be nice to her dad.

Buffy crossed the room and turned the channel to Spike’s international Sports channel.

“Sorry Dad, but it’s Spike’s house, and he’s been looking forward to this game for a week.” Buffy tossed the remote to her mate and walked out of the living room.

“What do you mean that it’s his house?” asked her father getting up and following her into the kitchen.

“Spike lives here. He’s my mate. Vampire equivalent to marriage actually. In essence he’s my husband.”

“Excuse me?”

“Congrats Buffy!” said Caprice happily bounding into the kitchen. “Anya just told me that you were recently mated!”

Buffy smiled.

“Thanks Caprice.”

“Are you planning a human ceremony soon? I’d love to come. I love interspecies weddings, they are just so fun. Anya was telling me about her union with Xander. And the engagement party! What a great idea! I just wish Rowan would have let me know she was going.”

“You know Rowan Greentree?”

“She’s my cousin.”

“You’re a Brownie?”

Caprice nodded.

“You’re a what?” exploded Hank.

“The woman you love Hank dear,” Caprice said to Hank. “I was so scared when your father told me who you were. Rowan told me the Slayer’s name last year. When I met Hank it never occurred to me that he was the father of the Slayer. I mean, it’s so strange! Imagine a Brownie falling for the Slayer’s father!”

Buffy smiled weakly. “But you didn’t know that Spike was a vampire?”

“No, I’ve never seen William the Bloody in person, and Brownies don’t have a sense to tell the difference between demons and humans, just that they aren’t Brownies.”

“I did not know that.”

“William the what?” asked Hank.

“William the Bloody, Dad, Slayer of Slayers is my mate. I call him Spike. In public anyway.”

“What do you call him in private?” asked Anya coming into the kitchen. “Have you got anymore Portantus?”

“No I think that was the last of it. Ask Willow to whip up some more,” said Buffy.

“I think Willow and Tara went up stairs for some post feast sex...”

Buffy looked at her father expecting an outburst. He just stood there his mouth gaping.

“Willow and Tara are lesbians, Dad.”

“I need to sit down,” said her father trudging back to the living room.

“Huh, Vamps and demons he can handle...Lesbians not so much.”
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“So did it go like last time?” asked Anya after Hank and Caprice had gone back to LA, Giles had left for home and Spike and Xander were watching Monty Python’s Meaning of Life. Dawn had fallen asleep on the couch.

“Not really, no,” said Buffy. “Last time, I was all I was pulled from Heaven Girl. I was having secret sex sessions with Spike and beating him up at the same time. Giles wasn’t here. Willow and Tara were broken up, so Tara didn’t come. Dawn wasn’t speaking to me. It was a very different Thanksgiving last time.”

“But was this one better?”

“Absolutely.”
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“So you gonna ask Buffy to marry you?” asked Xander as he sat on one side of the sleeping Dawn.

“I don’t know what business it is of yours whelp,” responded Spike.

“I ask, because I’ve been instructed by my fiancée to do some intelligence gathering.”

“Which means Buffy subtlety let Anya know that she was wondering as well.”

“The womenfolk have their own ways of finding things out. It’s scary.”

“And you’re a bloody cog in the machine.”

“Hey, if I want to get laid tonight, I do what I’m told.”

Spike snickered.

“So?” prodded Xander.

“I’ll ask the bint when I’m good and ready.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“That’s a yes.”

More than half the movie passed before the two men spoke again.

“You tell anyone that I sat and watched Python with you I’ll bloody tear out your soddin’ throat.”

Xander nodded.

“Duly noted.”
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tbc...