Making Waves

Chapter 1: New Beginnings.


Breathe… just breathe…

A voice interrupted the young girls thoughts, and her eyes snapped open to attention. She ran her clammy hands over the knees of the dark blue denim jeans she was wearing before turning to her left. A nostalgic smile was spread across the older woman’s face as she watched her daughter wake from her thoughts. A frown crossed the younger blondes face as she spoke.

“Sorry Mom, you were saying?” she asked.

“I was just wishing you a good day,” her mother repeated. “This new town will be good for us, you’ll see,” she promised, lightly squeezing her daughter’s hand.

A worried smile flickered across her face as she watched the hesitation in her child’s eyes as she looked out from the car window and towards the school grounds. Teenagers were milling about the grounds, waiting for the bells to sound the start of a new day. As if on cue, a shrill ring sounded across the PA system and the teens slowly made their way inside the building.

“I guess it’s now or never,” the girl said nervously, fiddling with the straps of her backpack before she opened the door of the SUV.

“You’ll do fine honey,” her mother assured.

Nodding slowly she leaned across to give her Mom a quick kiss on the cheek before exiting the car and closing the door behind her, staring hesitantly at the school before her. She heard the car shift into gear behind her, and the window slide down.

“Buffy?” her mother called after her. “I’ll pick you up at 4pm ok?”

Buffy turned, nodding at her Mom and waving as the car pulled out of the lot. She stood frozen to her place for an instant, collecting her strength and taking a few deep breathes before approaching the double doors to the school. To my new life…

~~~

Clutching at her backpack protectively, Buffy wade her way through the masses of students all busily moving from their lockers and down the halls to the first class of the day. Self-consciously, she ran her fingers over the hem of her light blue singlet, tugging it a little lower. She made one attempt at getting directions to the administration office but after the look she received from the girl she had approached, she decided against trying a second time. I’ll just wander about till I stumble upon it…

A second bell rang and the halls quickly began to empty, the other students moving into their respective classrooms. It made her travels a little easier and she soon found the office.

Fifteen minutes later she had in her possession her locker combination, her class timetable, and directions to her first class scrawled on a piece of notepaper.

“Good luck,” the woman behind the desk offered with a smile before returning to her computer.

Smiling weakly in response Buffy made her way down the now empty halls and towards her locker in the direction she had been pointed. She had meant to stop by the library before class and pick up some textbooks, but considering how long it had taken her at the office she decided it best to head straight to class.

After struggling with the lock for a minute she hit the door in frustration before trying a fifth and final time. To her surprise, it yielded and the door swung open. Stuffing her backpack inside she removed a notepad and pen and closed the door quickly, jogging quickly towards her first class.

Biology… yuck… she thought as she turned the final corner.

She was so focused on her destination; that she hadn’t seen the person walking in the opposite direction. She crashed into them, books flying in all directions.

“Bollocks,” a male voice cursed.

Cursing herself, Buffy dropped to her knees to collect her belongings. Her hair fell from her shoulders shrouding her face like a curtain. Standing quickly, she tucked the unruly hair behind her ears before lifting her eyes to the person she had bowled over who was crouched on the floor retrieving the rest of his books.

The first thing she noticed was his hair; bleached almost white and slicked back off his face. He was dressed head to foot in black, from the combat boots, jeans and T-shirt. A long black leather duster hung open from his shoulder. A frown marred his face as he stood to glare at her.

“I’m sorry about that, I wa--”

“Just bloody well watch where you’re going next time,” he cut off her apology, walking passed her and down the hall she had come from.

She was taken aback by his abruptness but pushed it from her mind. She was late for class. Finding the correct room number, she inhaled deeply before opening the door to the classroom.

The teachers voice stopped at her entrance and the 20 or so students all spun in her direction. She froze a few feet into the room, her cheeks flushing lightly under the scrutiny of their gazes, and she almost considered turning around and running out of the classroom.

“Ah, yes? Can I help you?” the teacher spoke with a hint of impatience.

The teachers voice snapped her out of her frozen state and she approached the desk, her right arm extended with a note. The man accepted the note and read over it quickly, realization crossing her weary face as he placed it with a stack of papers.

“Miss Summers, I’m Mr. Perry. I’ve been expecting you. Got held up at the administration office I presume?” he stated with a slight twinkle in his eye. “Take a seat,” he instructed.

Buffy just nodded quickly before turning to face the class. There was one free desk at the back of the classroom. She quickly walked towards it and sat down, placing her books before her. A few curious glances were thrown her way but most of the students had returned their attention to the front of the class.

A young guy with shaggy brown hair threw a quizzical look in her direction, smiling when he noticed she returned the gaze. She smiled back, opening up her notebook thankful she had been spared an introduction.

“Class,” Mr. Perry spoke up, drawing the student’s attention his way. “I’d like to introduce a new student. Miss Buffy Summers. She comes to us from Hemery High in LA. I trust you’ll all make her feel welcome here.”

Spoke too soon… she groaned inwardly. A few faces turned in her direction. Great… exactly what I wanted on my first day…

~~~

The bell sounded for the end of the first double period and a sigh passed Buffy’s lips as she gathered her books and stood, quickly exiting the classroom to avoid an inquisition. This wasn’t the first time she had moved schools, and the reaction was always the same. Being bombarded with questions was not what she wanted right now.

She made her way into the hall, only making it a few steps before she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She blinked her eyes closed for a moment, irritated at her lack of speed in her escape before pasting a smile on her face and turning around.

The girl standing behind her had a shy smile on her face, and nervously tucked her long red hair behind her ears. Buffy visible relaxed. Not a jock…

“Uh, hi. I’m Willow. Willow Rosenberg,” she introduced, offering a smile. “Thought you might like a guide, someone to help you find the cafeteria, toilets, library…” her voice trailed off as her cheeks flushed.

Buffy smiled, this time genuinely. “Buffy Summers, but you know that,” she added with a laugh. “God I hate being the new kid, everyone staring at you.” she added, tilting her head in the direction of a group of students who slowed their pace as they walked passed her. Her own cheeks coloured when she saw one of the guys throw her an appreciative glance.

The red head nodded. “I know what you --”

An arm interrupted her, as it was casually thrown over her shoulder, which was attached to the body of the shaggy brunette haired guy that had smiled at her in class.

“Hey Wills, give the new girl a chance to settle in, relax a little before you start a babble fest,” he teased. Dropping his arm he dipped his head in Buffy’s direction quickly in greeting. “Xander Harris would be me, and I see you’ve already met the smartest person in our school,” he introduced, teasing his friend at the same time.

Willow frowned, trying to look indignant before shrugging her shoulders in surrender. “Can’t help that I’m gifted.” A mischievous smile crossed her face as she continued, “I’m cursed to drag your sorry ass through High School.”

“Hey!” Xander replied indignantly.

Buffy watched the pair of friends with amusement. “Well, I should probably let you two go. I’ve got places to find.”

Willow turned her attention from her best friend to the new girl. “Oh no you don’t, I told you. I’ll be your tour guide, show you around the place.”

Buffy lifted a hand to decline, but Willow wouldn’t hear of it. “It’s no trouble at all. Lets go, your locket first and then to the cafeteria, you must be starved.”

“Especially after that boring class,” Xander grunted trailing behind the girls.

Now it was Willow’s turn to be indignant as she lectured Xander. “It wasn’t that bad!” She looked from Xander’s look, which almost matched that off Buffy’s. “Ok, so today wasn’t an example of Mr. Perry’s best lectures. But he is a good teacher,” she insisted.

~~~

The trio walked towards the cafeteria after returning their books to their lockers. Buffy watched the two beside her as they teased and joked, poking fun at each other whilst trying to involve her. Nice people… she thought idly.

Her eyes widened at the pandemonium before her. Apparently half of the school was trying to get food all at once. Seeing the shock on Buffy’s face, Xander puffed his shoulders up and a look of sheer determination crossed his features as he spoke.

“I’m goin’ in!”

He quickly disappeared into the throng of students as Willow steered Buffy towards a table. “He’ll be back with a tray load of food in a few minutes. That boys stomach is a never ending pit!”

Buffy looked at her quizzically as she sat down. “Are you two dating?” she asked. At Willow’s sudden head shaking she figured not.

“No! Xander doesn’t see me that way, we’ve been friends since we were in kindergarten.” A wistful look crossed the red heads face as she enlightened Buffy with a story from their childhood.

Buffy sat silently for a moment, wondering if she should say what was on her mind or not. She didn’t want to ruin a budding friendship, but at the same time she had an outsider’s perspective. “Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?” she suggested gently.

Willow’s eyes widened in shock, and Buffy immediately began making her apologies. “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business, I shouldn’t have…. bad Buffy,” she scolded.

“Is it that obvious?” Willow asked finally, her voice quivering slightly.

Buffy looked at her for a second before nodding slowly. “It was to me but I’ve got an outside perspective on it. I don’t think he has a clue.”

“Who doesn’t have a clue about what?” a male voice interrupted. Xander sat down between the girls on a vacant seat with a thud, placing a tray loaded with everything imaginable from what was available in the middle of their table.

“Oh nothing. Just girl talk about celebrities,” Buffy covered quickly, sneaking a smile at Willow. The red head looked relieved, but she returned the gesture.

“Ok,” Xander accepted. “So. Has Willow given you the run down on who’s who around these parts yet?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Buffy shook her head slowly.

“Well,” he continued as he swiveled in his seat and pointed to a group of students, their lunch table piled with books. “There you have the nerds… Ouch!” he yelped at the elbow he received from Willow.

“The chess club, math club and science club nerds,” he clarified. “Our Wills here is a brain but she prefers to keep the company with more desirable people such as moi!” he said pressing a hand to his chest to accentuate his speech.

Both girls rolled their eyes and then shared a giggle. Xander smiled, noticing how pretty Buffy looked when she smiled before returning to his introductions.

“The group near the doors to the courtyard are the smokers and I don’t just mean of the nicotine kind.” He twisted in his seat again. “The jocks sit in a pack by the vending machines, which is also where the cheerleaders frequent.” A glimmer of a smile crossed his face before he continued.

“The punks sit on table to our right. The few people who mix in and out of different social groups sit there,” he said pointing to a large table in the center of the room. “An social outcasts such as us frequent this end of the room,” he finished proudly.

“Hey! I’m not a social outcast,” Willow denied, before giggling again.

Buffy laughed also, a mischievous grin crossing her face. “Well, thanks for that guys. Which was the table where the popular kids sit again?” she asked with faux superiority in her voice.

Willow grinned, and Xander offered a fake look of shock before nudging Buffy in the shoulder. “Yes, you are doomed to zero party invitations and few dates if you hang out with us.”

A familiar blonde head moved through the crowd before joining the group at the table in the center of the room. As soon as he sat down a dopey looking blonde Barbie immediately wrapped an arm over his shoulder and Buffy grimaced slightly. Noting the sudden change in her expression, Willow followed Buffy’s gaze, a look of knowing flashed over her features.

“Had a run in with one of them?” she inquired.

Buffy nodded quickly, turning her attention away from the table and back to the two looking at her with curiosity. “Billy Idol over there collided with me in the hall before class.” Buffy shrugged. “I guess it was partly my fault, I was in such a rush, but he just took off after yelling at me.”

Xander raised an eyebrow at the moniker she gave, instantly knowing whom she was speaking of. “Ah… yes,” he said. “I see you’ve met Spike and what a pleasure of a person he is,” he added sarcastically.

“Spike? What sort of name is that?” Buffy questioned.

“Nick-name,” Willow answered. “His name’s William. William Thornton. He’s one of those floaters Xander mentioned, friends all over the school.”

Buffy nodded, glancing at the table again, noting the blonde was still fawning over him. “And whose the leech?” she asked in amusement.

Xander laughed at her description. “That would be Harmony Kendall. Not the brightest spark, but her ‘Daddy’ is one of the rich and powerful in this town.”

“So is her best friend Cordelia’s Dad, Mr. Chase,” Willow added. “She’s the brunette with the nail file, and the few girls sitting opposite are the Cordettes.” Seeing Buffy’s confused look, she explained further, “Girls that flock by her side, popularity by association…”

“Right, knew a few people like that back in LA,” Buffy blushed. She had been friends with people like that. “At my old school I was… a cheerleader,” she mumbled.

Willow’s eyes widened in surprise, Xander’s in glee. “So does that mean you’ll be trying out for the cheer squad here?” he asked hopefully, images of the little blonde before him jumping around in a short skirt flashing through his mind.

Buffy shook her head quickly and Xander couldn’t help but show his disappointment, whilst Willow looked a little relieved. “You were a cheerleader?” she repeated.

Buffy just nodded. “Three years running we made the state championships.” She dropped her gaze to the tray before her and snatched up an apple and began munching on in it. “I gave it up a little while before we moved here.”

Willow saw the flash of pain that crossed Buffy’s face. She didn’t push, figuring that Buffy would talk about it when she wanted to. For once Xander appeared to have the sense not to either.

“So,” Willow drawled. “We should probably start heading to our lockers, the bell will ring any minute.”

Buffy nodded and stood quickly, waiting for her new friends before they left the cafeteria.

~~~

Spike pushed Harmony off of him as he half listened to the conversation that was going on at the table. He had been given another detention from being late to class. It’s all that bint’s fault. If she hadn’t run into me…

He stood, removing his Zippo lighter from the inside pocket of his duster and grabbed the packet of cigarettes that were sitting on the table before him. He needed a smoke, and to get away from Harmony’s prattling. He looked across the room and his eyes lowered into a glare as he spotted a familiar blond head walking out of the cafeteria.

“Whose the Goldilocks?” he asked to the table, effectively interrupting the conversation of the table. A few heads swiveled in the direction of the departing trio, shrugs coming all around.

“New girl, was in bio this morning,” a guys voice answered. Spike turned to look at who spoke, seeing Devon, the resident muso of their group watching the departing group. “Betty, something, I think. She’s from LA,” he added before returning his attention to his notebook, scrawling a few lines before chewing on the end of his pen.

Harmony tilted her head in confusion. “What’s wrong Spikey?” she asked running her hand up his arm.

“Bint made me late for class, and I got a detention because of it,” he snarled, pulling his arm free.

Harmony pouted. “What a bitch! Don’t you worry Spike honey, we’ll make sure she gets what’s coming to her.”

The brunette filing her nails added with a laugh. “Yeah, I’ll make sure she’s made aware that she’s not welcome at the party this weekend. Did you see who she was hanging with? Making friends with them is not the best way to climb the social ladder. She might as well just tamp loser to her forehead,” Cordelia added incredulously.

Spike smirked before turning on his heel, needing that cigarette.

~~~

The rest of the day flew by relatively quickly. Homework was assigned for almost every class, and Buffy sighed when she realized she was going to have to spend the better part of the weekend trying to catch up on the first few weeks of work. That’s what you get for changing schools a few weeks into a new year… she mused. And they couldn’t have picked a worse time to do it, senior year.

Closing her locker she hefted her bag over her shoulder, which was considerably heavier now that it was filled with textbooks from the library. She had promised her Mom she would try and stay ahead of her schoolwork, but that would mean catching up first.

Willow and Xander had exchanged phone numbers with her during the last class of the day, and had invited her out on Saturday night. She was glad she had managed to make some friends. Walking through the double doors at the entrance to the school she was immediately washed in sunshine, and a small smile crossed her face as she breathed in deeply.

First day over…

Lifting herself up onto a ledge, she dropped her bag beside her and waited for her Mom to arrive, watching as people slowly began to leave. Soon she was one of only a few left on campus. She looked down at her watch and sighed in frustration.

4:10pm…

She tapped her fingers on her bag nervously. She knew her Mom was starting her new job at the gallery today, but it wasn’t like her to be late. This is why I need a cell phone… so I can call her if I need too… she thought, planning on using that argument later.

The doors behind her swung open and a few students walked out. A jolt of surprise washed over her when she recognised one. Billy Idol. Spike… her mind corrected. And he looked pissed off. Buffy turned away, glancing in his direction again when he walked closer to her.

Looking up he felt eyes on him and soon found their owner, the reason for his detention. Betty something… he chewed over in his mind, remembering what Devon had told him. He scowled at her as he walked passed her and towards his baby, the Desoto.

Figures his cars black, just like his clothing. And his attitude… she thought as he walked passed, glaring at her. Buffy didn’t return the glare; she just stood up, noticing her Mom’s SUV pulling into the lot. A window wound down and Joyce Summer’s voice floated through the window.

“I’m sorry honey, got held up at the gallery.”

Buffy nodded, moving quickly around to the passenger side door and climbing in. “It’s ok.”

Buckling up, the car pulled from the lot. Spike watched it for a moment before starting up the engine to his car and turning up the volume to his stereo, punk music flooding the car park as he peeled out onto the street.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: If you read this, and liked it, please leave me a comment. Feedback is going to be greatly appreciated since this is my first AU story.

Chapter 2: Returning to Routine.


“How was your first day of school honey?” Joyce asked as she cleared the plates from dinner.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders, standing up to help her mother. “It was okay I guess. I made a couple of friends.”

Joyce smiled. She was glad her daughter had made some friends; it would make adjusting to their new life a little easier. The move had been sudden and she knew that Buffy was still hurting from it. So was she.

Buffy sighed, clearing the table quickly then moving to give her Mom a kiss on the cheek. “I’m kinda beat, gonna to go to bed early tonight.”

Joyce just nodded and watched as her daughter left the room.

~~~

Buffy lay in bed awake at 1am, staring at the roof. She had tossed and turned in her sleep for a few hours but now she was wide awake. Frustrated, she peeled the covers away from her and swung her legs to the side of the bed, standing up. Might as well make the most of it… she thought as she moved over to one of the boxes that was still to be unpacked.

She worked swiftly, removing her clothing and placing it on hangers in her closet or folding it away in the dresser. A few photos were stuck on the mirror, books, trophies and ornaments placed on the shelving about her room. Which is what it looked like now, a room.

She yawned as she admired her handiwork, not even realizing how long she had been up. Now that she was tired she would be able to get some sleep. Climbing back into bed slumber found her quickly, and she was soon dreaming of a time long gone when everything in her life made sense.

~~~

She awoke the next day to the ring of her alarm and she reluctantly got out of bed. It was Friday, almost the weekend. Showering quickly, she dressed for the weather in a knee length denim skirt and a thin cotton shirt, pale yellow in colour that buttoned down the front. The sunshine greeted her as she stepped out onto the porch after a quick breakfast of cereal and juice. Her mom was still inside, frantically running about the place gathering her belongings for work.

Buffy couldn’t help but smile at the role reversal; it was normally she who kept them waiting whilst she tried to find something. Lifting her hair off her neck she tied it back into a low ponytail. Day two… she thought a little unenthusiastically before she remembered; she had made friends. She brightened at the thought of having someone to talk to, climbing into the car as her mom rushed from the house juggling her stuff.

~~~

“Bye Mom,” she called as she watched the car peel out of the parking lot.

A look of surprise crossed her face, her Mom’s SUV had concealed the people walking on the other side of the lot. And now she was standing right in front of them; Spike, Harmony and Cordelia. The young man’s arm was thrown lazily over the blonde’s shoulder. A flash of recognition passed over his face when he noticed her standing there, and Buffy blushed slightly before turning on her heel and moving quickly towards the school.

Spike didn’t suppress the grin that flickered across his face at the new girl’s hasty exit. He watched her as she quickly slipped into the building. Dropping his arm from Harmony’s shoulder and ignoring her pout, he removed his cigarettes and lighter from his duster pocket and lit one up. Taking a few long drags of it, he flicked the butt towards the trashcan and entered the school flanked by the two girls.

The day looked promising.

So long as I’m not given another detention…

~~~

Buffy walked into the cafeteria at lunch and immediately scanned the room for her friends. She scrunched her nose in disgust at the sight of the gloop that was supposed to resemble lasagna, shuddering to think how long it had been there. But she accepted the tray and began moving to the table she had sat at yesterday. At least there’s fruit…

She was a little disappointed to find that Willow and Xander weren’t there yet, but figured they’d be along shortly. She ate silently, flicking over the course handout she had been provided for English and sighing at the amount of work she was going to have to complete in a few short weeks.

A group of boys noisily entered the café and Buffy lifted her gaze to follow them as they walked through the room. She gasped a little and held her breathe when she her eyes floated over the dark haired boy who walked at the front of the pack. Tall, dark and brooding… she mused dreamily, watching with interest as he made his way to the table in the center of the room.

Figures… she thought. The best looking guy in the school and he sits with THEM.

Spike made his way in for lunch through one of the side doors and started making his way towards the center table. A ghost of a smirk flickered over his face when he saw Goldilocks sitting by herself, nose in a handout. He was tempted to make a sarcastic retort in her direction when the loud entrance of half the football team interrupted his thoughts. He lifted his head in greeting to Angel, who walked in the middle of the pack. The footballer returned the gesture as he continued on his way to their table.

Spike glanced in the blonde’s direction again and was surprised to find that she wasn’t reading her notes anymore. He watched as her gaze tracked the group of football players into the lunchroom, one player in particular. He frowned at the look of awe that was stretched across her face, and then an idea came to mind. A smirk played across his face as he walked up behind her and lowered his face right next to her ear.

“See something that takes your fancy luv?”

Buffy jumped back in her seat in fright. Her cheeks coloured in embarrassment as she spun around, the look of surprise curling into one of distaste when she found the owner of the voice. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied nonchalantly, returning her stare to her notes.

Spike saw the blush creep over her cheeks and that only broadened his smirk. “He’s out of your league. Do you really think that he would be interested in you?” He punctuated his words with a chuckle.

Turning on his heel Spike walked over to the table where his friends sat, a look of curiosity splayed across both Cordelia and Harmony’s faces.

Buffy looked up to see Spike glance in her direction, that smirk never leaving his face as he leaned in to Harmony and whispered something in her ear. A burst of laughter erupted from the blonde’s mouth and she in turn leaned towards Cordelia, whose eyes widened as she heard the message Harmony passed on.

Her cheeks now aflame, Buffy grabbed the banana off her lunch tray, gathered her books and quickly left the cafeteria just as another peel of laughter resonated from the middle table.

The grin faded slightly from Spike’s face when he watched her sudden exit, before he was drawn back into his friend’s conversation.

~~~

Willow saw a flash of long blonde hair moving quickly from the cafeteria and out into the courtyard, instantly recognizing the fleeing girl as Buffy. Tugging on Xander’s sleeve to get his attention, Willow took off after the new girl, finding her a few moments later sitting on the grass by a large tree.

Frowning, she joined her on the ground, lightly touching Buffy on the shoulder. When she looked up with shining eyes, Willow’s worries sank in deeper. Xander dropped to the ground beside the girls slightly out of breathe.

“Will, what’s going --,” he stopped when he noticed the looks on the girl’s faces. “Who?” he asked angrily, clenching his jaw and fists.

Buffy looked up seeing the concerned looks on her new friends’ faces and smiled weakly. “I’m fine, really.” She tried to sound convincing, but at their disbelieving looks she knew it was of no use.

“I--I just had another run in with Billy Id… Spike,” she remembered.

Willow nodded, waiting for her to continue and Xander fidgeted nervously.

“He caught me look--looking at a group of guys who walked into the cafeteria. A particular guy. And he was just nasty. But…” She broke off, taking a deep breath. “But that wasn’t as bad as the looks and the laughter that were shot in my direction after he whispered something to Harmony and the others on the table.”

The red head drew in a sharp breath. “Wow,” she gasped in shock.

Xander clenched and unclenched his jaw—partly in anger at Spike’s behaviour, and a little because of the jealousy he felt when he thought of Buffy admiring someone that was not him.

Buffy wiped at her eyes, brushing away the tears that threatened to fall. “The last thing I need is some rumor floating around the school. This is only my second day!” she exclaimed with a nervous laugh.

Willow ran her hand up and down Buffy’s arm, trying to comfort the distressed girl, asking her a question with just as much nervousness. “Whi--which guy?” she stuttered.

Buffy frowned. “Huh?”

“Which guy were you looking at?” Willow clarified.

Buffy’s cheeks blushed. “I don’t know his name. He’s on the football team I guess. Tall, dark and brooding?” she described, a slight dreamy expression floating over her face before she snapped back to reality.

“Oh… Oh!” Willow responded to the description, knowing exactly who she was talking about. “That would be Angel, he’s the quarterback. He is pretty good looking,” she agreed with a giggle, which brought a smile to Buffy’s face.

“And he’s the guy who Cordelia is trying to get her claws into. He’s also one of Spike’s friends,” Xander added.

The smile disappeared. “Oh god, this is so embarrassing!” Buffy exclaimed. “I’m going to be laughed out of class! And it’s all Spike’s fault.”

A glare fixed on her face as she tore a handful of grass from the ground. “I hate that idiot! Why couldn’t he just keep his mouth shut?” she shouted.

“It’s not going to be that bad,” Willow tried to comfort. “Hey, at least you’ve got PE this afternoon. You could take some of that rage out on a punching bag. Pretend it’s the bleach head’s face?” she suggested hopefully.

Buffy laughed genuinely at that. “That’s not such a bad idea.”

The bell sounded for the end of lunch and the three friends reluctantly made their way to class.

~~~

“Miss Summers, may I speak with you?” Coach Jones called.

Buffy looked at Willow who nodded saying she’d wait, before she turned and jogged quickly towards the PE teacher. “What was it that you wanted to speak to me about?” she asked nervously.

Coach Jones gathered her whistle and the bag of balls and began carting them to the storage room, Buffy following her with the stack of cones.

“Thank you,” the teacher said as she locked the equipment away. She turned to face the young blonde girl who was fidgeting nervously. “I won’t keep you long.”

Buffy visibly relaxed and followed the teacher to the bleachers, sitting down beside her.

“When were you planning on joining the swim team?” Coach asked.

A look of pure shock crossed Buffy’s face as she stuttered out her response, “Swim team? I didn’t --”

Coach Jones smiled lightly. “Your transcripts were sent to the school with your grades, that included a list of your extra curricular activities. I see you made it to the state championships last fall,” she commented, lifting a file from the stack that was sitting beside her.

Buffy nodded mutely.

“Did you really think I was going to let someone with such talent slip through the cracks? There’s a training session Monday night after school. I expect you to be there.”

Buffy froze, excited and nervous about the prospect at the same time. I don’t have to try out for the squad?

As if reading her mind Coach Jones continued. “Normally we have try outs but they were held last week before you arrived at the school. Your achievements speak enough about your abilities and I want you on my team.”

Buffy nodded. “Wh--what time?” she asked.

“4pm, right after school. I’ll have a bathing suit ordered for you, until then just bring your own.” The teacher stood, gathering her papers, smiling at Buffy. “I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine with our team.”

Nodding again Buffy stood up. “Thank you.” When the teacher turned to leave Buffy turned and jogged out of the gymnasium.

~~~

“Wow, Buffy, I’m so happy for you,” Willow responded to her friend’s news. A thought plagued her at the back of her mind, and she wondered if she should tell Buffy, but she didn’t want to spoil her friend’s good mood. Especially after the day she had just had.

“Yeah, I don’t even have to qualify; I’m straight on the team. My Mom is going to be so excited!” Buffy squealed, a little spring in her step as they walked.

The girls chatted as they made their way to their lockers and packed up their bags for the day. As they stepped into the sunshine after the final bell, Xander bounded up to them.

“What’s with the happy? Get some good news?” Xander asked eyeing the smiles on both girls’ faces.

“I was asked to join the swim team!” Buffy replied excitedly “Coach Jones got a copy of my transcripts from Hemery, and asked me to join. I start training on Monday. God, you have no idea how much I’ve missed being in the water!” she finished with a bounce.

Xander frowned, “But isn’t Sp--”

One of Willow’s hands flew out and whacked Xander on the shoulder, giving him a deadly look.

Buffy having missed the attack turned to Xander. “You were saying?” she asked curiously.

“I was going to say,” he drawled slowly, looking at Willow who shook her head quickly, as he grasped for something, anything to say. “But isn’t SPECIAL news supposed to be greeted with ice-cream? My treat?” he offered, sighing internally with relief at his quick cover.

Buffy’s smile broadened and she jumped forward, wrapping Xander in a hug, then giving Willow the same treatment.

Willow nodded over Buffy’s shoulder at Xander, mouthing at him: I’ll explain later.

A car horn tooted and Buffy looked towards the lot, seeing her Mom waiting there patiently for her. “I gotta go guys, rain check on that ice-cream k?” She turned and bounced down the steps and climbed into her Mom’s SUV.

The two friends watched as Buffy’s Mom pulled the car out of the lot. “What was all
that about?” Xander demanded indignantly, rubbing his shoulder.

Willow frowned. “She was just so excited, I didn’t want to ruin it for her. And if swimming is as important to her as it sounds, I’m sure having him on the team won’t be that much of a bother. It’s not like they’ll be talking or anything during training,” she rationalized.

“I hope your right Will,” Xander replied. “But this IS Spike we’re talking about.”

~~~

“Oh honey, that’s great news!” Joyce exclaimed, sharing her daughter’s excitement. Internally she was also relieved. Swimming had been one of Buffy’s passions back in LA, one thing that seemed to give her peace even when the situation at home was like a war zone. She was glad her daughter would be getting back into it.

“I know, I can’t wait,” Buffy agreed enthusiastically.

The car pulled into driveway of their new home on Revello Drive, and Buffy climbed out of the car. This town was beginning to feel like a home; things were finally starting to settle down. Grabbing her backpack Buffy ran up into the house. Willow had said she would call, but their detour via the supermarket meant that she might have missed it.

Sure enough, the answering machine was flashing its little red light. Buffy heard her Mom move into the kitchen behind her as she pressed the button to play the message, retrieving a glass from the cupboard and pouring herself some juice.

“Hello Joyce, it’s Hank.,” came a voice over the machine.

Buffy dropped the glass she was holding, it shattered into a million pieces at her feet, juice spraying everywhere. She heard her mother gasp as she moved closer to the machine.

“I’m back in LA. Joyce we need to talk. Call me on my cell when you get the message. Give Buffy my love. Bye.”

Joyce looked at the distraught expression on her daughter’s face and moved to her side, wrapping her tightly in her arms. “It’s alright,” she shushed. “We knew he’d call.”

Buffy nodded, too shocked to respond verbally. She wondered why he was back in the country so soon, and an angry voice in her head told her she shouldn’t care. HE had left them, for his secretary no less. The memory of him walking out of the house, a few weeks back, ignoring their pleas for him to stay was just too much. Buffy felt her eyes well up with tears and she only fought them back for a moment before letting them fall, sobbing as she clutched at her mothers arms.

“Shhh,” Joyce soothed, one arm lifting from her daughter’s back to pat her hair. “We’re going to be fine.”

~~~

Buffy sat on the stairs leading to the second story of her new home, listening in on the conversation. She could hear the rage, the hurt in her mother’s voice.

“NO, Hank, that’s not acceptable. You can’t just expect to come into town and take her away for the weekend --” Her mothers voice stopped, obviously interrupted by her father.

“No. NO! Hank, give her some time.” Another pause. “Well how in the hell did you expect her to react?”

Buffy stood up, not wanting to hear anymore. She reached her bedroom door right about the time she heard her mother shout and slam down the phone. It rang again almost immediately but she just picked up and hung up again.

Buffy closed her bedroom door and threw herself onto her bed, crying into her pillow. A few minutes later there was a light knock on the door.

“Buffy,” her mother’s voice came through the door. When Buffy didn’t respond Joyce knocked a second time. “Buffy, can I come in sweetheart?”

Buffy sat up, knowing her mother wouldn’t just walk away. “I’m fine Mom, going to get some sleep.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk? What if your friend calls?”

She thought about it for a moment before replying, “I’ll call her tomorrow. Goodnight Mom.”

“Goodnight sweetheart.”

Buffy heard her mother’s footsteps retreat down the hall and a door close. The tears continued fall and Buffy wrapped herself tightly in her blankets, crying herself to sleep.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Liked it? Please review!

Chapter 3: Surprises.


Buffy gave her appearance a quick once over in the mirror before she turned to pick up her jacket from the bed. Dressed in a knee length black skirt and a silver halter, matched with new heels, she was ready to go out. Hair tied messily off her face, a few tendrils were left down to frame her features. Minimal make-up completed the look. Quickly slipping the denim jacket over her shoulders, she grabbed her purse and closed the bedroom door.

Her mother was sitting on the sofa, watching TV and going over some paperwork at the same time. She looked up when she heard Buffy’s footsteps on the stairs.

“What time will you be home?” Joyce asked for the fourth time.

“I’ll be home before midnight, I promise,” Buffy replied with a sigh. She and her mother went through this little back and forth conversation every time Buffy went out for the night.

“You sure you don’t want a lift?” Joyce worried.

“I’ll be fine, Mom, it’s just a few blocks. And I can get a lift home. Goodnight!” she called quickly, leaving the house before more questions could follow.

The coolness of the air caught her by surprise, and she rubbed her arms a couple of times before moving off the porch and walking down the street.

Somehow, she had managed to make it through the day.

Willow had called last night, as promised, and Joyce had taken a message. Buffy returned the call, giving her new friend a brief run-down of the previous night’s events, and detailing their sudden move from LA. Willow had listened quietly, sympathizing with Buffy and offering her a shoulder if she needed it.

Buffy had decided she had two choices; she could let her father leaving them eat her up inside, or she could move on with her new life. She decided on the latter. So now here she was, on her way to the Bronze to meet with Willow and Xander for some fun and dancing.

She smiled at the thought of spending some time with them. She felt really lucky to have found such great friends so suddenly. Well, technically they had found her, but still. Buffy had told Willow to fill Xander in on the situation with her father. She really didn’t feel like explaining it more than once, and Willow had obliged.

Music resonated down the street as Buffy made her way closer to the coolest club in town. The only club in town… Xander’s voice echoed in her head. Smiling, she wrapped her jacket a little tighter around herself as she approached the door. A burly bald headed bouncer nodded at her as she entered. The bass from the music bounced about the room and Buffy walked slowly through the crowd, trying to find Willow and Xander.

She got a whole three feet inside when someone bumped into her. She turned to glare at them when she realized who it was, Harmony and Cordelia. Both wore knowing smirks on their faces and didn’t bother to hide it as they gave her outfit a once over. Buffy turned away from them quickly before they could fire off any insults and pushed through the crowd. She spotted an arm waving her over and smiled when she saw that the arm connected to a Xander shaped person.

Finally, pushing through the crowd to where Xander and Willow were sitting at a small table, she joined them, perching herself on a small stool. “Hey, guys!”

“Hey, Buffy,” they both greeted in unison, bursting into laughter after the fact. Buffy smiled.

“So. How are you feeling today?” Willow asked lightly.

Buffy twisted her hand from side to side in the air. “So-so. But hanging with you guys is making me feel better all ready.”

“Good! ‘Cos its time to get your funky dancing shoes on and bust a rug!” Xander announced with a little too much enthusiasm.

Now it was Buffy’s turn to laugh. She was about to decline, but then decided what the hell. This was a club, and she had no reason not to dance. Standing up, she slipped off her jacket and draped it over her seat. Smiling at her friends she began to move toward the dance floor, calling over her shoulder, “Let’s go!”

Willow followed close behind, Xander taking a minute to admire Buffy’s outfit before taking a deep breath and following the girls.

Cordelia and Harmony watched the trio dancing together in the middle of the dance floor with undisguised distaste. “Can you believe the nerve of her, wearing a black skirt when everyone knows black skirts are MY thing?” Harmony whined.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. It wasn’t the skirt that bothered her, but the looks the blonde girl was attracting from the other males on the dance floor. Now THAT was just not right. Angel sidled up to Cordelia, giving her a warm smile as he joined the two girls at their table.

“Hey,” he greeted. “What’s so interesting out there?” he asked them both when he noted their narrowed glares.

“Nothing interesting, that’s for sure. Little Miss Wears-my-trademark,” Harmony grumbled.

At Angel’s confused look Cordelia explained. “New girl, Harmony doesn’t like her. Actually, none of us like her except the losers.” She pointed to the dancing trio.

Angel followed Cordelia’s arm, finding the small group. He recognised the boy as Xander and, if he remembered rightly, Willow was the red haired girl. He’d been in her computer class last year. Then his gaze fell on the pretty little blonde who was dancing with the two of them, a radiant smile on her face as she laughed.

A smile spread across his own face as he watched her intently. “What’s her name?” he asked the girls.

He didn’t see the horrified looks on either of their faces, as he never removed his gaze from the dancing blonde, completely captivated by her.

“What’s whose name?” a voice drawled behind him.

Angel finally broke his stare and turned to face the newcomer. “Spike,” he greeted with a grin, before he turned to point at the dance floor. “The new girl, pretty little blonde thing. What’s her name?”

Spike arched an eyebrow at his friend’s description. “Pretty? I guess she is kinda --”

An arm swung from nowhere and slapped him on the shoulder.

“HEY!” He turned towards the culprit, noting the seething look on Harmony’s face. “Harm, I was just --”

“…checking her out is what you were just doing,” she interrupted huffily, turning her back on him.

Spike rolled his eyes and turned to Angel to resume their conversation. “Devon tells me her name is Betty.”

“Betty,” Angel repeated, rolling the name over his tongue. “I might just go ask Betty to dance.”

Spike had to force himself not to laugh as the looks of horror on Cordelia and Harmony’s faces grew to epic proportions. He watched as Angel excused himself from the table and began weaving through the crowd to the dance floor.

“I cannot believe --” Cordelia started.

“Can’t believe what, Cordy? That Angel noticed her before you?” he asked, pointing at the new girl on the dance floor.

The slap came from out of nowhere and Spike raised a hand to rub his now aching cheek. Cordelia and Harmony spun on their heels and headed for the exit. “Goodnight, Spike,” the blonde threw over her shoulder angrily.

“What did I say?” he muttered.

~~~

Willow was having so much fun that she almost didn’t notice the boy who was approaching them on the dance floor until the last second. Buffy saw Willow’s eyes widen to enormous proportion, and reached for her friend. “Will is everything o--”

“Angel-is-coming-this-way,” Willow blurted out quickly.

Both Buffy and Xander looked over their shoulders at the approaching teen. Buffy’s face reddened and Xander clenched his jaw as he stood protectively in front of the two girls. Buffy noticed the gesture but was too nervous of what was going to happen to respond.

Angel stopped as he neared the group, noting the angry look on Xander’s face, deciding to ignore it.

“Betty, is it?” he asked the blonde lightly. “I’m Angel.”

Buffy nodded her head quickly. Then his words sunk in and she shook her head. “Buffy, my name’s Buffy.” She looked at him curiously. “Did I do something wrong?” she blurted out quickly.

Angel laughed. “No. Now why would you think that, Buffy?” he asked, repeating her name.

They didn’t tell him… she thought frantically, slightly relieved.

“I was wondering if you wanted to dance?” he asked offering a hand.

Buffy’s jaw dropped slightly and she froze in place, too shocked to respond. Willow gave her a little nudge in the shoulder and she blinked, realizing he was waiting for her to respond.

“Ah, sure,” she accepted softly, taking his hand.

Angel led her across the floor a little, where there was some more room. Buffy followed Angel, looking over her shoulder to mouth at Willow: OH MY GOD!

Willow just laughed and grabbed a hold of Xander to hold him back. “Down, boy. Let her dance with him. You can save the manly act until she needs it,” she teased.

Xander glared but nodded his head, turning Willow around so he could dance with her and watch Buffy at the same time.

~~~

Spike watched with interest as the scene before him unfolded. The expression on Goldilock’s face was a mixed one, part fear, and part pure excitement. The music changed from the fast beat of one song to a much slower one, and Spike watched on as his friend leaned in closer and wrapped his arms around the small girl.

The way she was looking at him… Spike clenched his jaw for a second. Why did he even care how she looked at him?

~~~

Buffy tried to contain the nervousness she felt but was convinced that her whole body was trembling. She looked up at Angel’s face in wonder, feeling his hands slide over her back as they danced slowly to the music.

He looked down at her with a smile, his hands on the small of her back, her head resting on his chest. He leaned his head on hers, taking in the scent of her shampoo as he breathed. This time Buffy did shiver noticeably. “Are you cold?” he asked.

Buffy nodded quickly, thankful that he didn’t realize why she was shivering. A surge of happiness shot through her as he held her a little tighter.

“Better?” he asked.

~~~

“Keep the hands where we can see them, buddy,” Xander growled.

Willow couldn’t help but smile at the jealous reaction from Xander. A part of her wished that reaction was about her, but she didn’t let it get her down. She and Xander were best friends and, as much as she was attracted to him, the last thing she wanted was to ruin that friendship.

Plus, Buffy had pointed out that the base guitarist had been checking her out, and he was kinda cute.

~~~

Fed up with waiting for Angel to return, Spike had ordered a beer from the bar and was sipping at his beverage. Frustrated he drank it quickly and left the empty bottle on the counter. They’d been dancing for ages now, and he was starting to get bored standing around by himself. He turned to see what was taking them so long and he was more than surprised by what he saw.

~~~

Buffy felt Angel pull away from her suddenly and she looked up at him in confusion. He smiled at her as his face came nearer to hers…

OH MY GOD… his lips are getting closer…

She closed her eyes and a shiver ran up her spine as his lips connected softly with hers, brushing lightly at first. Her arms moved with a mind of their own, snaking around his neck and drawing him closer to her as his tongue ran lightly over her bottom lip, requesting entrance.

Angel smiled into her mouth as he felt her draw him closer, her little body crushing against his own. He deepened the kiss.

Buffy had to fight the urge to moan as she felt his tongue part her lips and slip into her mouth, dueling with her own.

~~~

Spike surely would have spat out his drink if he had not yet finished it at the show that was happening before him. She’s kissing him…

He looked at his watch and was happy to notice the time. Angel had a game tomorrow and the coach would kill him if he didn’t get a full night’s sleep. Spike pushed through the crowd, making his way to the pair on the dance floor.

~~~

Xander’s eyes widened suddenly, Willow turning to look in the direction he was staring, her own eyes mimicking the action of his. She felt him pull away from her and watched for a second as he stormed over towards the pair. As if suddenly realizing what he was going to do, she chased after him.

“Xander, Xander!” Willow called as she weaved through the crowd behind him.

Xander tapped Angel on the shoulder, a determined look on his face.

Spike tapped Angel on the shoulder, a determined look on his face.

Angel pulled away from the kiss and turned to find them flanked by Buffy’s two friends, and Spike.

“Spike,” Angel said quickly, assuming it was he who had tapped him. “Something wrong?”

Spike noted the presence of the blonde’s friends, and chuckled at the angry look plastered across the boy’s face. Someone’s a little bent out of shape… he thought idly.

“It’s getting late man, coach will kill you if you don’t get some rest before the game tomorrow. The girls have already left.”

“Yeah, Buffy, we should probably take you home,” Xander suggested to his friend, glaring at Angel who still had his arms on her waist.

Buffy looked up at Angel who was nodding and stepped away from him quickly, a little embarrassed at being interrupted by her friends. She turned to see Spike standing beside her, a cocky smirk on his face. She glared at him as she moved to stand beside Xander.

Angel looked at his watch and realized that Spike was right. He grasped for Buffy’s hand in his own. “It was nice dancing with you, Buffy. I’ll see you at school on Monday.”

Buffy nodded mutely, and watched as Angel walked off the dance floor, closely followed by Spike. A little excited yelp came from beside her, breaking her train of thought.

“Oh my god! Buffy, he kissed you!” Willow bounced excitedly.

A slow smile spread across Buffy’s lips as her gaze found Willow’s. “Yeah…”

“Fantastic, now let’s get out of here,” Xander grumbled, walking towards their table.

Buffy arched an eyebrow in confusion in Willow’s direction, who just shrugged her shoulders innocently as they followed him out of the Bronze.

~~~

“Thanks guys!” Buffy fare welled, waving as the car pulled away from her house. She looked at her watch and gasped. It was almost 1am. Wrapping her jacket rightly around herself she ran up the steps of the porch to the front door and fumbled with her keys for a moment before unlocking the door.

Stepping inside, she closed it quietly and started to tip-toe up the stairs.

“Did you have a good time, honey?” her mother’s voice called out from the living room.

Buffy jumped in surprise, pausing on the stairs to answer. “Yes, Mom. It was great. I’m going to head up to bed now,” and she continued climbing the stairs.

She dreamt of that kiss all night long…



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Liked it? Leave a review! Your comments urge me to write and post faster!

Chapter 4: Unexpected.


The weekend passed quickly and come Monday morning, Buffy was anxious to get to school. “Come on, Mom!” she called up the stairs.

Joyce grabbed her bag and descended the stairs quickly, wondering why Buffy was suddenly so keen on get to school. She took one look at her daughter’s appearance and had the answer. A boy… Joyce mused.

Buffy was wearing one of her nicer skirts that clung to her hips and fell just above her knee. The purple T-shirt she was wearing complimented the honeyed tones in her hair, which was swept off her face neatly, with beaded sandals completing the outfit. She looked very pretty. Joyce smiled as she watched Buffy check her watch for the second time in a matter of seconds.

“Alright, I’m here. Let’s go.”

~~~

Buffy walked up the stairs to school, noticing the stares instantly. Is there something on my face? She worried briefly, before dropping her gaze to the ground and hurriedly making her way to her locker.

“Hey!” a chirpy voice greeted her.

She jumped, startled by Willow’s sudden materialization from nowhere. “Hey, Will.”

“So have you seen him yet??” she asked, her words spilling quickly out her mouth.

Buffy shook her head, a slow grin spreading across her face. “I don’t have any classes with him, but maybe at lunch?”

“Hopefully at lunch!” Willow bounced excitedly.

“Hopefully what?” Xander said as he joined the girls by Buffy’s locker.

Willow looked at Buffy for a second, grinning before turning to Xander. “Ah, hopefully at lunch we’ll get to discuss prom dresses,” she covered quickly.

“Prom dresses?” Xander said aghast. “But Prom is months away!”

Buffy nodded, going with the story Willow had made up. “Exactly, which means we’re running out of time. If we want to look like goddesses on the night, we need to start shopping now.”

Willow giggled at the expression on Xander face as he shook his head. “Alright girls, if you say so. I better get to class.”

He waved goodbye to the two of them before disappearing down the hall. Willow said her goodbyes as well, walking down the opposite direction of the hall. That was one thing about Monday mornings she didn’t like, they didn’t share a single class. The trio had compared schedules their first day to see how many classes they had together. Getting her English books out of her locker, Buffy quickly shoved her backpack inside and closed it.

She turned to walk to her class when a hand was pressed up against the locker beside her, effectively blocking her path. Startled, she stepped back quickly, before glaring when she realized who it was.

“Did I scare you, pet?” he drawled slowly, lifting his arm from the locker.

“No,” Buffy retorted. “I have to get to class.”

“I’ll walk you,” he offered.

Buffy blinked in surprise, stunned by the offer. “No thank you, I can find it myself.”

“It’s no trouble. English right? I’m in the same class,” he explained, pointing toward her books.

“You’re in my English class, Spike?” Buffy said incredulously. “You mean you know how to read?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Spike was shocked by the comment, staring at her blankly for a moment. A frown knitted his brows as he turned and walked away. “Suit yourself.”

Buffy watched as he stormed off down the hall in the direction she had to take. She followed, keeping some distance between them. As she turned the corner of the hall she found him standing at the doorway, about to walk in.

“You following me, pet?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No! We’re in the same class, remember?” Her cheeks coloured as she pushed passed him and into the room, quickly finding a desk and sitting down.

Spike smirked when he saw how easy it was for him to fluster her. He followed her into the classroom, sitting at a desk at the back of the room and opened his notebook.

He paid no attention to the aging teacher; he knew more about the text they were studying than the old man did so there was no point listening. He was in class though, which would hopefully keep Snyder off his back.

After scribbling in his notebook for most of the class he looked up, his eyes flitting over the people in his class. He saw Buffy busily writing something down in her notebook, her head tilting to one side as she paused to think about something, before she continued. Her hair bounced around her shoulders with each movement. His eyes trailed down her back to her chair and then the floor. She was tapping one of her feet lightly on the ground. A glimmer of a smile ghosted his face when he followed the line of her leg upwards from her ankle, admiring her. Her skirt was riding a little high because of the way she was sitting, and he caught himself imagining what the view would be like if he was sitting in front of her.

What! He blinked. Did I really just think that? No…

Spike closed his eyes, trying to clear the thoughts that floated in and out of his mind. Opening his eyes, they widened suddenly when she moved, exposing another inch of skin.

“Damned short skirt,” he muttered under his breath, scowling as he returned his attention back to his scribbling.

~~~

“Maybe he was sick or something?” Willow suggested.

“Maybe,” Buffy agreed. Angel hadn’t been at school today and she was more than a little disheartened by his no show. She placed her books into her backpack, which she left in her locker. She had her first training session with the swim team this afternoon.

“I’d better start heading to the locker rooms to get changed. Practice starts in twenty minutes.”

Willow nodded quickly. “Yeah, ah… I should probably start heading home anyway. I’ll call you tonight, see how training was.”

“You don’t need to do that, Will, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Buffy said a little puzzled by the way Willow was suddenly fiddling with her hair, her books, her bag. “Is everything alright?”

“Everything is fine! See ya!” she called, quickly turning and moving towards the exit.

Buffy’s gonna kill me…

~~~

Buffy hung her towel on a hook at the end of the pool and dropped her water bottle by the edge of the lane she was standing before. Adjusting her bathers, she tucked her hair into the silicon cap and positioned her goggles, standing up on the block.

She was a little early and had the pool to herself, which was just how she liked it.

A shot went off in her brain and she sprung out from the block, diving into the clear blue water. A tingle went up her spine at the sudden chill of the water. But the shock only lasted a second before she was up and stroking, arm over arm as she swam to the other end of the pool.

She tumble turned right before the end, her body coiled tightly before she pushed off the wall with her feet. She fly kicked for a few meters before coming up for breathe, freestyling all the way to the other end of the 50-meter pool.

Her lungs began to burn as she pushed her body to the limits, holding her breath for the last few strokes. She sped towards the end, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she slammed a hand into the wall. Taking a few seconds, she lifted her head above the water, and removed her goggles, pressing her back up against the wall and looking down the length of the pool, treading water.

She heard the applause behind her and turned quickly. Coach Jones was standing a not far from the pools edge watching her closely. “Now that’s how you swim a 100-meter sprint,” she complemented, eyeing a couple of the students who were standing around watching Buffy with interest.

“Buffy, glad you could make it,” Coach continued. Turning around she looked at the unmoving students. “Well, what are you lot waiting for, time to get in the water.”

This was met with a few groans, but they slowly disrobed and made their way into the pool one by one.

“Everyone, meet Buffy. She’s the newest member of our team,” Coach Jones introduced. Buffy waved shyly at the group, still treading water. “Buffy this is J.D, Alicia, David, Brian, Beth and Carla. We’re still waiting on Will. He’s always late.”

Buffy grabbed her goggles and put them back on her head, awaiting instruction. “Alright everyone, you’ve got a five hundred meter freestyle warm up followed by sixteen 50-meter sprints on a minutes rest. Let’s go!” A whistle sounded and Buffy pushed off from the wall right into the warm up.

The coach watched with interest as Buffy stretched the distance ahead of the two girls swimming in the lane with her. “Yes, definitely a good thing she joined the team.”

Footsteps padded behind her and she turned to see her missing swimmer. “Hurry it up, Will, get in the pool. They others are already onto sprints.”

The boy scowled, dropping his bag on the ground away from the pool edge and slipping his goggles onto his forehead. Stretching his arms a few times before he approached the blocks his attention was drawn to an unfamiliar person who had managed to lap the two other girls swimming in one of the lanes. Her technique was near flawless and she was fast, slicing through the water with ease as she tumbled at the other end and began her return.

“Who’s the fresh meat?” he asked.

Clicking the buttons on her stopwatch, Coach looked up at Will with a twinkle in her eye. “New girl, Buffy Summers. Looks like we’ve got a chance at States this year; she just broke the female pool record for a hundred meter freestyle and she doesn’t even look like she’s trying.”

“Summers?” he repeated in surprise.

Coach Jones looked up at the boy and smiled. “Stop stalling and get in the water.”

~~~

Buffy felt all her worries slip away as she lost herself in the rhythm of her swimming. One, two, three, breathe…

She touched the wall for the final time and looked around at the others still swimming behind her and a smile flickered across her face. The two girls in her lane had found it hard to keep up, and she would be lying if she said that didn’t boost her confidence. It was nice to be good at something.

Sometime during the warm up the last member of the swim team had joined them but, because the coach had written the session up on a whiteboard, Buffy didn’t have to wait between sets. She just caught her breath and moved onto the next task. But now that she was finished, she watched the other swimmers with interest. When the girls in her lane tumbled passed her again, she decided it would probably be best to get out of their way and start heading to the changing rooms.

“Nice session, Buffy. See you after school on Wednesday,” Coach informed.

Buffy nodded, walking over to her towel.

~~~

He finished his final lap, having caught up and eventually overtaken the others in his lane. Looking up from the water he caught a glance of a tiny girl walking to the hooks and removing a towel. She lifted her leg up on a seat and patted the towel on her tanned skin to soak up the water.

He gasped at the sight. Then she lifted a hand to remove her swimming cap, running her fingers through her long blonde hair which clung to her shoulders in wet clumps.

Wrapping the towel around her slender hips, he realized she was about to leave pool deck. Lifting himself from the water he removed his goggles and walked over to his bag, grabbing his own towel and wrapping it around himself.

“Following me again, eh, Summers?” he called.

Buffy spun around and her jaw dropped when she saw Spike standing a few meters behind her dripping wet, a towel wrapped low on his hips. His hair was an unruly mess of curls and he ran a hand through it in an attempt to smooth it down a little. A sly smirk spread across his face when he saw her eyes flick over his towel briefly and he started to walk towards her.

“I-I’m not following you. What are you doing here?” she asked, still in shock, not even able to muster any of the hatred she felt for him in her words.

“Playing basketball,” he mocked. “What do you think I’m doing? I’m on the swim team. Captain in fact,” he added with a broad grin.

Buffy’s mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish, as she tried to find her words.

“You’re… the captain?” she finally repeated with incredulity.

“The one and only”, he nodded, the grin stretching even further. His eyes ticked over her shoulders, and down…

Buffy lifted her arms quickly and crossed them over her chest, having seen where his gaze was traveling. She was completely dumbstruck; this was the last thing she would have ever anticipated. Her cheeks were already flaming from his scrutiny and she wasn’t going to hang around any longer to give him the chance to spout off any typical sarcastic comments. Turning her back on him she walked towards the locker room. Buffy could feel his eyes burning holes into her back as she walked away from him.

~~~

Buffy showered and changed quickly, hoping to escape another encounter with Spike. She couldn’t believe he was on the swim team. Just wait till she told Willow…

Realization dawned on her, Willow had known. That’s why she was so jumpy after school. Then why wouldn’t she tell me?

She walked out of the locker room and was relieved to see that Spike was not around. Happy, she walked through the school and exited via the front doors. Her relief from moments ago was short lived; he was leaned up against the wall of the building puffing on a cigarette.

Spike spotted Buffy’s exit and walked over, stomping on the butt and smirking as he made his way over. His hair was still wet and was no more tamed than it had been before.

“You a bit surprised to see me in there, pet?” he asked, the smirk not shifting from his face.

She stared at him for a moment before finding her words. “Why do you smoke? As a swimmer you should know…”

“…what they do to your lungs. Save the speech, luv, I’ve heard it dozens of times before.”

Buffy glared and walked away from him towards the parking lot, stopping when she didn’t see the SUV. Her Mom wasn’t here yet.

Spike jogged to catch up with her, walking by her side and sitting down beside her on the park bench at the front of the school. He kept his eyes on her, and noticed how her cheeks began to flush pink under his gaze.

“So, looks like we’re going to be spending some time together,” he teased.

“What? Why?” she demanded.

“There’s a swim meet coming up in four weeks, in LA, over a weekend. We’re staying over. And if I know Jonesy, she’ll want you there,” he explained.

Buffy eyes widened in surprise. “I’ve never stayed over for a meet before!”

Spike chuckled. “That’s right, you used to live in LA, so no reason to stay over, eh?”

Why am I talking to him? She asked herself. The sound of a car driving by caught her attention and she looked up with hope.

He saw the disappointment on her face as the car drove by. “Did you want a lift?” he offered, tilting his head towards his Desoto that was parked on the other side of the lot.

Buffy shook her head a little too quickly. “No thanks, my Mom will be here soon.”

Shrugging his shoulders he stood up and walked over to his car. “Be that way then,” he called over his shoulders.

Buffy sighed and waited for her Mom to arrive.

~~~

Half an hour later Spike was driving from the mall back towards his house, mentally arguing with himself.

She’s the reason I was given detention. Why am I even bothering to talk to her…

Because Angel’s appreciation of her made you look at her differently… a voice taunted him.

No… I don’t go for other people’s seconds…

He clenched his jaw when he thought of Angel’s lips on Buffy’s, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, wondering again why it bothered him.

No… he just opened your eyes… that voice echoed again. He saw her for what she is…

If I hadn’t crashed into her in the hall that day, I probably would’ve noticed her… eventually.

Yeah, right… the voice argued back.

Spike turned up the stereo, blocking out his thoughts as he drove towards home. His eyes widened as he looked out the window when he saw something from the corner of his eye. A girl walking down the street lugging a gym bag plus a backpack, a tiny blonde girl. Cursing, he pulled the car over and wound down the window.

“Thought you were waiting for your Mom?” he yelled out the window.

Buffy jumped, glaring when she saw who it was. “She must be running late, and I can’t wait all day.” Buffy didn’t give him a second look as she continued on her way down the street.

“Get in, I’ll drive you.”

She ignored him, focusing on the path ahead.

Cursing again, he revved the engine and drove a little ahead of her, parking the car but leaving the engine running as he jumped out of the driver’s side.

“Just get in the bloody car, I’ll drive you home!” he growled as he stepped in front of her path, stopping her.

She considered arguing with him until she saw the look on his face. Nodding in acceptance she dragged her bags over to the edge of the street. He popped the trunk and lifted her bags in there for her.

“Bloody hell, Summers, you got half the library in those bags?” he teased half-heartedly.

Buffy didn’t respond, just quietly slipped into the passenger seat and waited for him to join her. Moments later they were moving. Buffy sat in silence when she didn’t have to give him directions.

Spike looked over at her curiously once or twice, wondering what it was that was causing the forlorn look on her face. He knew she wouldn’t talk to him though, so he kept quiet.

~~~

Ten minutes later they were pulling into her driveway. Spike parked the car and shut off the engine, climbing out. Unlocking the trunk he hefted her bags and started carrying them to the door. Buffy watched him from the passenger seat, a little surprised by his chivalry.

“Well, are you going inside or not ,Summers?” he asked when she didn’t move immediately.

She climbed out of the car and closed the door behind her, fumbling for her keys in her pocket as she made her way to the front door.

“You can leave my bags, I can carry them,” she finally protested.

“It’s no trouble,” he assured as he reached the door.

Buffy was overcome by a sudden shyness, unsure of why he was helping her and being so nice. A few days ago he was being a right bastard, and now… Why the sudden change?

Refusing to meet his gaze she managed to get the door unlocked and open. Spike stepped into the house with her bags and dropped them just inside the door.

“Spike, I can manage, okay? Thanks for the ride, but you should go.”

He ignored her words, flicking on a light switch that was on the wall by the door. The entry way filled with light. He could see a dining room off to the right, and a living room to the left. A set of stairs ascended straight up from the entrance, leading to a second level.

“No lights on, your Mom mustn’t be home,” he stated the obvious. “I can wait.”

Now Buffy was getting a little annoyed. “I’m not a child, Spike, I can wait for my mother in my house, by myself.”

Shrugging his shoulders he turned around and walked out the door. “Suit yourself.”

He didn’t even turn to look at the house as he climbed into his car and started up the engine, driving off quickly. His grip on the steering wheel was tight as he drove away, his mind a blur of thoughts. What was that about…?

Buffy sighed and closed the front door as the car disappeared.

I wonder where Mom is?



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Liked it? Leave a review! Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Chapter 5: A Step Too Far.


Buffy stirred from sleep at the sound of a key working the lock. She sat up bleary eyed, looking towards the front door. Sure enough it was opening, her mother walking inside looking just like she felt. Surprise crossed the elder Summers’ face when she spotted her daughter half asleep on the sofa.

“Buffy, what are you still doing up? It’s close to mid-night.”

Buffy rubbed at her eyes for a second. “I thought you were going to pick me up after training tonight,” she reminded a little forlornly.

The realization hit Joyce like a tonne of bricks. “Oh, sweetheart, I completely--”

“It’s alright, Mom,” Buffy interrupted, standing up quickly. She fidgeted for a moment before moving towards the stairs. “I got a lift home, it’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Buffy…” Joyce called, urgency in her voice.

Buffy slowly turned on the third step, waiting for her to continue.

“Work at the gallery-- We had a new shipment and I was trying to organize several things at once.” Joyce sighed as she rubbed at her temples. “I didn’t forget about you, sweetheart, your training just slipped my mind.”

Buffy nodded. “I know. It’s going to take some time to settle into a routine. I was just lucky that Spike was able to bring me home.”

Buffy frowned a little when she recalled how strangely he had acted. He was, he had been… well polite. Definitely not the same Spike from last week, she didn’t understand what had changed.

“Spike? Is this boy a friend of yours?” Joyce asked in interest.

Buffy shook her head vehemently. “No. He’s just on the team and saw me walking, made me get in his car.”

Joyce nodded, noticing the colour rising in her daughter’s cheeks. “Well, I’m glad he didn’t let you walk home.”

Buffy stifled a yawn. “I’m really tired, Mom, going to head up to bed.” She waved at her Mom before turning around and walking up to her room.

~~~

The next few days went by without incident. Classes were as normal, more and more assignments being piled upon the students. Buffy had thought the teachers gained some sort of sick pleasure in knowing their students had no time for a social life due to the heavy workload. That was until she overheard a conversation between Principal Snyder and a faculty member and it was practically confirmed. The man reveled in making the students’ lives a misery.

When she had passed this information onto Xander and Willow, they had brainstormed possible ways to give the sniveling little man some sort of payback, but hadn’t come up with anything terribly clever or worthwhile. But it had been worth a laugh.

Angel hadn’t been at school all week, and Buffy wasn’t the only person to notice. Cordelia and Harmony had been very vocal about the fact, occasionally shooting curious glances in her direction. They hadn’t been witness to her little make-out session with the boy in question, and apparently Spike hadn’t spread the word.

That boy confused Buffy. The first few days in school he had gone out of his way to make her feel unwelcome. Then there was the kind gesture of driving her home on Monday night, then nothing. No snide remarks, no cocky grins, nothing whatsoever. She had seen him at training on Wednesday night but he had turned up late, and left early. It almost seemed as if he was avoiding her, and she didn’t know why. She also didn’t know why it bothered her.

Now it was Friday—the end of the week and just five minutes before the final bell of the day. She tapped her pencil anxiously on the desk, watching the clock tick away the seconds to the promised freedom of the weekend. She was looking forward to the training session that night; yearning for the familiar burn from pushing her body to the limits in a sprint, the sensation when she first dived into the cool water and the way all her worries seemed to slip away into the water as she swam.

A piece of folded paper passed her desk and dropped on her book. Looking up she saw Willow turned around in her seat smiling at her, nodding at the note. Buffy opened it up, and read it discretely.

Smile! Just think of the Ben and Jerry’s, and movies waiting for us later tonight!

Buffy returned the smile, nodding quickly in Willow’s direction before the redhead turned back around to face the front of the class. Folding the note back up she slipped it inside her notebook just as the bell sounded for the end of class. The students eagerly gathered their belongings and quickly left the room, much to the protestations of the teacher who was trying to assign homework. It fell on deaf ears and Buffy was thankful when she heard the old woman mutter ‘never mind,’ under her breath.

“So! What time are we coming over to your place tonight?” Willow bounced eagerly by her side.

“Uh, about six-ish? That’ll give me some time to shower and de-chlorinate a little.” Her mom wasn’t going to be home until late tonight, so she’d be walking home.

“Alright, Buffy. Xander and I will see you then!”

Buffy watched as her friend darted down to the hall towards her locker.

~~~

Buffy was not the first person to arrive at training today and she was disappointed that the water had already been disturbed. She took pleasure in knowing she was the first person in, feeling solace in those moments alone. She watched the arms of the swimmer stroking above the water as she moved along the pool deck, dropping her bag by the wall and hanging a towel on a hook.

She frowned as she observed his technique—it was pretty good. She knew it was a he; broad bare shoulders gave that fact away. Returning her attention to her bag, she rummaged about inside it for a moment - an “Aha!” escaping her lips as she found the desired objects - her swimming cap and goggles.

Stripping off her tracksuit and stuffing it in the bag, she twisted her hair at the back of her head and pulled the cap on quickly. Tucking in a few stray locks, she adjusted her goggles before putting them on and approaching the blocks.


Stepping up, she watched as the boy tumbled quickly into the wall and pushed off with a burst of speed. Taking a few deep breaths, she found her position on the blocks, holding for a second before shooting off like a spring. A shiver went up her spine at the chill; the pool was a little cooler than normal. Keeping her thoughts trained on the wall at the other end, she fly kicked to the surface in a streamlined position, before bursting over the water and turning in freestyle.

A sense of calm wrapped around her as she lost herself in the motion. She saw from the corner of her eye a splash of water traveling in the opposite direction towards the wall she had come from, but paid no attention to it.

~~~

Spike punched forward towards the pool edge, his body barely slowing in time so as not to collide with the wall, touching its tiled surface and lifting his head above the water. He instantly removed his goggles and threw them up on the wall edge. He never bothered to wear caps in training, only in competitions when the coach insisted.

A splashing sound came from behind him, and he realized he was not alone in the pool anymore. He turned to watch someone, a girl, tumble turning at the other end. Reaching for his water bottle, he watched with undisguised interest as the girl sped back after completing the turn.

Squirting the water from his bottle into his mouth, he drank quickly, replacing it on the edge just as she touched. Her head lifted and he heard the gasp for breath. She dropped under the water for a moment, removing her goggles and letting the water wash over her face, before coming back up. The girl held her eyes closed for a moment and it took a second before he realized who it was.

As if feeling his eyes on her, the girl turned. She caught his stare, and blinked. “Spike,” she stated almost nervously.

“Summers…” He drawled slowly, reaching for his water bottle again. “Why so surprised?” he asked noting her confused look.

“I… ah, I just wasn’t expecting to see you in here so early,” she stammered.

Spike didn’t hide the smirk that spread across his face when he realized she was nervous. He began treading water, keeping his eyes on hers as he moved closer to her. Buffy’s eyes widened ever so slightly as he came within touching distance before stopping.

“You alright, pet? You look a little bothered,” he noted with a quirk of his brow.

Buffy’s cheeks flushed and she splashed water at him, treading backwards away from him. Spike wiped the water off of his face, a grin stretching from ear to ear. “Oh, now you’re asking for it,” he grinned devilishly.

Buffy’s mouth opened to form an O when she realized what he was going to do. Pushing off from the wall, she backstroked away from him, keeping her head high so she could see where he was, splashing as hard as she could with her feet to try and deter him.

Spike gave chase, dropping beneath the water as he swam towards her.

Kicking harder, her movements were suddenly stopped by a wall. Her legs dropped and she tried to flip around so that she could spring off in another direction, but he was already upon her. He pressed his arms up against the wall, pinning her against the edge as he inched his body closer to hers ever so slowly.

“Not the best plan, luv, getting yourself pinned against the wall like that,” he tsked.

Buffy’s heart rate almost doubled as he slowly moved closer to her. She wasn’t going to get out of this easily.

Spike could see her mind ticking over, as she searched for an escape route. “What’s the matter, Summers? Am I a little too close for your liking?” he teased.

He rushed forward before she could react, pinning her body to the wall with his before she could retort. He felt her tiny body squirm against his in a bid to free herself, and he raised an eyebrow as his grin widened. “Or not close enough?”

It took a second for his words to sink in, but once they did an angry glare consumed her face. Lifting her hands from her sides she pushed at him roughly, freeing up just enough space for her to jump out of the water.

“You’re a pig. I thought you were his friend,” she snapped angrily as she walked towards her bag and towel.

“He’s gone,” Spike sing-songed after her.

She froze, her back turned to him. Slowly, she spun on the spot. “What did you say?” she choked the words out.

Spike inhaled sharply when she faced him, partly because of her expression; she was seething with anger, but also looked crestfallen at the same time. That and the fact that she was dripping wet wearing next to nothing. The bathing suit she had on didn’t leave a whole lot to the imagination. It was a one piece racing back, clinging to her body in all the right places. He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts that invaded his mind as he tried to answer her question.

“He’s gone, left on Wednesday. Angel’s an army brat; Major O’Neil got transferred to Miami. It was always going to happen, it was just a matter of when,” he explained.

“Florida?” Her heart dropped. So much for seeing him at school… she thought echoing his words from the other night at the Bronze. She clenched her eyes tightly, before opening them again and turning around and grabbing her towel, wrapping it protectively around her body right under her armpits.

Spike was surprised at how disappointed he was when she covered up. When he saw her reaching for her bag he climbed out of the pool and quickly moved to her side, wrapping his own towel around his waist.

“Where are you going? Training starts in 10 minutes. Jonesy won’t be--” he started.

“I don’t feel like training right now, and the last place I want to be is here with you,” she spat out.

Buffy turned on her heel and stormed towards the locker rooms.

Spike watched her as she walked off pool deck. He had seen how disappointed she was when he had told her that Angel was gone.

What’s he got that I don’t have? Spike’s eyes widened in surprise to own thoughts. What the hell is going on?

~~~

“So he’s just gone? Like that?” Willow asked with a click of her fingers.

Buffy nodded sadly. “Just my luck.”

“I can’t believe Spike… and the pool?” Willow gasped again, her own cheeks reddening at the thought.

Buffy blushed a deep crimson, trying as hard as possible to push those memories out of her mind.

“If that idiot so much as looks at you --” Xander began to threaten.

Willow lifted an arm to his shoulder, patting him. “Calm down, Mr. Macho, we don’t want you to burst a blood vessel!” she giggled.

“Yeah, Xand. I appreciate the gesture, really. But he’s not going to bother me again,” Buffy said softly. “I’ll make sure of it. It’s not the Spike thing that bothers me so much, as the Angel disappearing act. I’ve resigned myself to my fate - I’m going to be single forever.”

“Hey! It’s not all that bad, you still got me!” Xander teased playfully, wrapping an arm around Buffy’s shoulders.

She chuckled a little. After that confrontation in the pool with Spike, she had changed quickly and left immediately. She knew that coach wouldn’t be too happy with her, but she would make up the session by coming in one morning early before school. She had been half expecting Spike to come speeding up alongside her as she walked home again, and was relieved when he hadn’t. She had walked a different way home, just in case.

“I don’t know why I’m so upset about this. I mean, we only kissed once, it’s not like we were together or something,” Buffy reasoned.

“That’s the spirit!” Xander cheered. “Now, let’s play this movie. I feel the need for a sugar overload. Gummy bear anyone?”

~~~

Spike flicked the cigarette butt out of his window with a twist of his hand. He was mentally kicking himself for what had happened in the pool with Buffy. Just like him to put his foot in his mouth.

He had only been messing around with her in the pool, teasing her to get a reaction. And a reaction he got, just not the one he had been expecting - hoping for. Buffy hadn’t played along. All she could think about was Angel. So he’d acted out. He would have told her about Angel’s leaving anyway; it’s not like Cordelia or Harmony would have. It just infuriated him that her first thought was of Angel.

Jealous? a voice inside his head spoke.

No… she’s not even my type… he shook his head.

Right, because that hot little body of hers did nothing for you…

He clenched his jaw, shutting his eyes for a moment and then blinking them open when he realized it only allowed him to imagine her more clearly.

So maybe I’m a little jealous…

~~~

Joyce walked into the house, the sound of laughter echoing from the living room. Curious, she placed her handbag on the kitchen table before walking towards the noise. Buffy was sitting on the sofa watching a movie with a pretty red haired girl, and a brunette male. Must be those friends I’ve been hearing about…

The coffee table before them was covered with bowls of popcorn, gummy bears, m&m’s, you name it. And the trio was happily scoffing down the confectionary between laughter.

“Buffy, I’m home,” Joyce announced as she walked into the room.

All three turned to sound of Joyce’s voice. After quick introductions and a few jokes, Joyce left the teenagers alone to enjoy their movie. She’s made some nice friends… she thought as she went upstairs for an early night.

~~~

The next morning they had woken up in a tangled mess on the Summers’ living room floor, sleeping bags and pillows strewn all over the place. Buffy yawned loudly as she tried to sit up. But it wasn’t an easy task with Willow lying on her legs.

“Morning, guys,” she mumbled.

Willow sat up quickly, running a hand through her unruly red hair, smiling at Buffy. Xander was still snoring, and they shared a mischievous glance before both reached for some of the remaining candy and began pelting it at their sleeping friend.

Xander brushed at the falling confectionary, flinching when it hit him. But it worked; he woke, sitting up to avoid any further attacks. “Alright, I’m up! I surrender. What’s for breakfast?”

~~~

Will and Xander had left a little while after lunch, the morning having been spent joking and laughing together. The house felt a little empty now after the night and morning they had shared together. But it was only for a few hours; Willow had informed her of a party that was being held at someone’s house—whose she couldn’t remember. Willow was sort of friends with one of the host’s good friends, Percy. She had tutored him late last year and he had invited her along.

“Party bound we are,” Buffy mused, opening up her closet and eyeing her outfits, trying to select something for the night.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Like it? Leave a review! All of the kind encouragements I've received have been doing a world of good for my muse. More coming soon!

Chapter 6: Green-eyed Monster.


“Willow, are you sure this is a good idea?” Buffy asked nervously as they approached the house. They could hear the music from almost a block away and as they neared it became evident exactly how big this party was. There were people EVERYWHERE. On the street, on the lawn, walking in and out of the house, on the balcony at the front of the large house… likes ants they swarmed all over the place.

“It’ll be fine!” Willow assured, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice. She hadn’t realized it was going to be this big a party. But they were here now.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun, Buff.” Xander agreed, his eyes almost popping out of his head at some of the outfits these girls were wearing.

Willow and Buffy rolled their eyes. Nevertheless they approached the house, walking in through the front door.

~~~

“And then I was totally like, ‘Mister, these are $200 shoes, if you spill something on them, I am totally going to make you buy me a new pair.’ You know?” Harmony explained to Cordelia.

Spike had an expression of mock interest on his face. Whenever Harmony would try and slip her arm through his he would brush it off. He wasn’t interested in listening to any of her stories tonight - his thoughts were still fixated on another blonde girl.

Then he saw her and his eyes almost dropped out of his head. She was dressed in a pair of low-slung pale denim jeans, and a backless pink top that had a few strings tying it up. Her hair was a mess of curls that framed her face, and her eyes danced as the whelp Xander whispered something into her ear. His jeans suddenly became a little tighter.

“What are you looking at, Spikey?” Harmony questioned, before following his gaze. “How did those losers get an invite to this party?” she threw in Cordelia’s direction.

“Beats me. Why don’t you go un-invite them Harm, Jason is your ex-ex boyfriend,” the brunette suggested with a smirk, flicking her long mane over her shoulder.

Harmony looked like she was about to approach the group but Spike put out a hand to stop her.

“Don’t, let them be. It’s a big party.” He glanced over at the incredulous look Harm was shooting him and threw his arms up in the air at her. This was just the opportunity he had been waiting for. He had been looking for a way to break up with her for weeks but Angel had convinced him not to because at the time he had been interested in Cordelia.

But then Angel had seen Buffy. And now that he was gone, Spike didn’t need to worry about ruining his mate’s chances. He smirked at Harmony. “Fine, go tell Jason.”

She smiled at that and took two steps away from Spike.

“You’ve just added another ex to your list,” he informed with a smirk as he walked off.

Harmony was left slack-jawed staring after him as he walked away. Cordelia moved next to her to comfort her.

~~~

Spike watched her from a distance, waiting for the right moment to approach. Xander walked off to get some drinks and Willow was soon drawn into a conversation with Percy. Ah… that explains the invite… he thought.

He slipped through the crowd until he was standing almost right behind her. He moved to her side, ‘accidentally’ rubbing against her shoulder as he moved by her.

“Hello, Summers,” he greeted with a smile. “Didn’t think I’d find you here.”

Buffy returned his smile with a glare. “What? Am I not good enough to go to one of these parties?” she retorted angrily. Great, so much for her good mood…

Spike sighed in frustration. He had expected her to be a little angry but not this hostile towards him. “Look, I just wanted to apologise for the other day. I should’ve told you sooner, and not like that.”

“Yes, you should have. But you didn’t.” She continued to glare. “I want you to leave me alone, Spike.”

“Summers, I just--”

“The lady asked you to leave her alone,” an unfamiliar voice spoke from behind the pair.

A tall, built, decent-looking guy with light brown hair stood behind her. He was staring at Spike with a look that said he meant business. “Is this guy bothering you?” he asked.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Listen ‘ere, mate, mind your own --”

“Yes, he was,” Buffy interrupted. “Can we go get a drink?” she asked the new guy, giving Spike the cold shoulder.

He nodded, placing an arm on the small of her back and steering her towards the kitchen.

Now it was Spike’s turn to watch, slack-jawed.

~~~

Buffy laughed as her new friend finished telling a joke. She caught him gazing at her and she dropped her gaze to hide the blush that was rising in her cheeks. Buffy sipped at her soda, shooting a glance across the room as she tried to regain her composure. In a far corner she noticed Willow and Xander looking her way; Willow giving her a thumbs up and a big grin, Xander scowling. Buffy waved at the two of them, looking at her watch as she returned her attention to her companion.

“Oh, damn,” she mumbled quietly. Giving him a dazzling smile she placed her empty cup on a nearby bench. “I’m sorry, Riley, I’ve really got to start heading home.”

He nodded, placing his own cup next to hers. “I’ll drive you.”

Buffy shook her hand. “That’s not necessary really --”

“I insist,” he said firmly, a warm smile on his face. “I want to make sure you get home safe.”

Accepting his offer with a nod, she glanced over at her friends and tilted her head in the direction of the door and gestured towards Riley letting them know he was taking her home. Willow nodded and waved, Xander just continued to glare.

“Let’s go,” she suggested.

Taking her hand in his, Riley steered her towards the front door, dodging drunken teens and saying goodbye to a few friends in the process.

A few minutes later they were outside and heading towards Riley’s car, a large green pick-up truck.

A puff of smoke rose into the air from the shadows of the verandah at the front of the house. A second later the cigarette was extinguished, and a bleach haired male made his way to his own car, eyes narrowed as he watched the couple climb into the pick-up.

Spike had attempted to apologise to her for what he’d said at the pool but she hadn’t even let him get it out. The girl frustrated him more than anyone he’d ever known. Normally he wouldn’t have bothered with the apology; for some reason he was drawn to this girl.

“He so much as touches her --” Spike muttered under his breath as he started up his engine, and began following the other vehicle, keeping a safe distance behind so as not to draw attention.

No… you’re not interested at all… the voice in his head mocked.

He followed in silence, clenching his hands so tightly around the steering wheel that his knuckles turned white. A few minutes later the pick-up was pulling into the Summers’ driveway, and Spike drove his Desoto passed the house and parked just around the corner of the next street. He had a good vantage point from where he was and he spun around in his seat to watch, a glare fixed on his face.

~~~

The engine shut off as they pulled up at her house, and Buffy looked at her feet shyly when she felt Riley’s eyes on her. She unbuckled her seatbelt quickly and climbed out of the car. Riley mirrored her actions and fell by her side, hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked her up to her front door.

She stopped, fumbling in her small purse for her keys, keenly aware of how close he was to her. Finally finding them, she slipped the right one into the lock and opened the front door before turning to look up at her escort.

“Thanks for the lift, I had a good time tonight.”

“Me too,” he replied with a smile. “Can I call you sometime?”

Buffy nodded slowly. “Do you have a pen?”

Riley reached into his pockets, checking a few before one appeared. Accepting it from him, she turned his hand over, so it was facing palm up, and quickly scrawled her phone number down, handing the pen back to him.

“Goodnight, Riley.”

“Goodnight, Buffy,” he bid farewell. He looked down at her for a moment, hesitating before he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips. “Bye,” he said again, turning and walking towards his car.

Buffy waved, eyes wide, a hand reaching up to touch her lips. She hadn’t been expecting that at all. Riley was a nice guy, attractive, sweet, but she was still interested in Angel even though she knew he was gone. She just hoped Riley was the kind of guy that would wait.

Stepping into her house, she flicked on the hall light before closing the door behind her.

~~~

Across the road Spike was seething with anger. He waited for the college boy’s truck to pull away and around the corner of the next street before starting up his own car. He was in two minds about what to do. She was already mad at him and if he suddenly turned up at her house… he doubted she’d be impressed.

Turning around in the street, he took off towards his home. Yep… definitely jealous…

~~~

~ A few days later ~

Buffy jumped when the phone rang on her nightstand. She answered it, picking up the receiver and holding it by her ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, Buffy. It’s Riley,” his voice spoke clearly down the line.

“Riley… hi.”

“How are things?” he asked making with the small talk.

“Things are fine… you?” she asked in return.

“Good.” He paused for a moment before unveiling the reason he was calling. “Look, Buffy, I was just wondering if you wanted to come to a party this weekend, at the frat house. Saturday night,, around eight-ish. It’s not going be as large as the one from last weekend, just some of the guys. I think a few other people from your school will be there as well. Does the name Harmony ring any bells?”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know her. Won’t that be a pleasure,” she answered, not hiding her sarcasm.

Riley laughed on the other end of the line. “Well, I’ll be there. And I was kinda hoping you might want to come.”

Buffy held her breath for a second. “Can I bring along a couple of friends?” she asked, not wanting to go to a frat house by herself.

“Sure, the more the merrier.” Riley replied warmly.

“Alright then, what’s the address?”

~~~

“You’re going to that party?” Beth said incredulously.

Buffy nodded, lifting her goggles up onto her forehead. “Riley told me it wasn’t going to be anything huge, just a small group of the frat guys, and a few seniors from here.”

Beth nodded, a frown creasing her brow. “I’ve heard about the parties thrown at this frat house, they can get pretty wild with the alcohol and all that. Your Mom’s letting you go?”

Buffy sighed. “Mom probably wouldn’t even notice I was gone. She’s been so busy with work lately, I barely see her anymore.”

“So you’re really going then?” Beth asked again, not being able to picture her teammate in a frat house—she was so shy.

“Going where?” a voice piped up from the next lane.

“Nowhe--” Buffy started.

“A party at the Delta Omicron House this Saturday,” Beth interrupted.

Spike didn’t hide his surprise at that piece of information and Buffy narrowed her eyes into a glare. “You going with that ponce from the other night?” he asked curiously.

Buffy’s expression hardened. “What’s it to you?”

“Guess I’ll be seeing you then,” he announced with a glimmer of a smirk on his face.

“What? Why?” Buffy demanded, her frown lifting and being replaced by a look of confusion.

“I’m mates with one of the guys from the house. Wasn’t going to go but now that I know you’ll be there, pet, it doesn’t sound like it’d be such a boring night.” Spike pressed his tongue behind the back of his teeth, grinning at Buffy in a suggestive manner.

Buffy’s cheeks flushed and Beth looked from her friend to Spike, and back again. “Am I missing something here?”

“No! There’s nothing here,” Buffy replied vehemently, putting her goggles back on again and pushing off the wall into the five hundred meter freestyle cool down.

Spike shrugged his shoulders and followed suit, leaving Beth at the wall wondering what that was all about.

~~~

Buffy anxiously waited for the weekend. The school days flew by quickly enough and she did her best to avoid Spike as much as she could. But she kept bumping into him; in the halls, in the cafeteria. And in English that morning the teacher implemented a seating plan to gain more control over the class and he, of all people, was assigned to the seat beside her.

She spent the better part of the class ignoring him, looking straight ahead to the front of the class or at her books. He didn’t speak to her, and she was thankful for that, but he kept shifting in his seat, once or twice his leg touching hers. She flinched away both times, and she knew he was probably grinning from ear to ear at her reaction but she still didn’t look up.

The bell sounded for the end of class and she hurriedly got up from her desk and grabbed her books.

“See you tomorrow night, Summers,” Spike called out to her as she left the room.

Willow was waiting out in the hall for Buffy and chased after her friend as she walked by suddenly. “Hey, Buffy, wait up.”

Buffy stopped. “Sorry, Will, I didn’t see you there.”

“Obviously.” The red head frowned. “Is something wrong?”

The two girls resumed walking. “Nothing much really. I’m just in two minds about going to this party tomorrow night, especially since Spike is going. I don’t know what he’s acting so strange. It’s like he gets a kick out of embarrassing me, and I’m sick of it!” Buffy answered, her frustration obvious.

“Uh, yeah… about tomorrow night.” Willow ducked her head. “I don’t think I can make it anymore.”

“Will! You promised you’d come with me.”

“I know, I know. It’s just, I’ve got this family thing and my Mom isn’t letting me weasel out of it.” She offered a smile of apology. “I really tried, but you know my Mom. Well, of her anyway!”

Buffy nodded glumly. “Great. I’m going to a frat party by myself.”

“It’ll be fine! Riley’s going to be there and he seems like a really sweet guy,” Willow insisted.

“Yeah, he is.” Buffy agreed. “I suppose it won’t be all bad…”

“I want to hear ALL about the smoochies,” Willow said, mischievously.

“Will!” Buffy giggled, trying to sound appalled by the idea but failing miserably. “I’ll call you on Sunday afternoon.”



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Liked it? Leave a review! Your comments mean the world to me.

Chapter 7: Alone.


Buffy walked into the frat house nervously, scanning the room for Riley. She didn’t recognize anyone else there, and was more than a little un-nerved by the looks she was receiving from the other house members. The music was slow and mellow, which suited the dim lighting. Whoever had organized the party tonight had done a good job of setting the mood. Too bad I can’t find my date to dance with…

She was wearing a navy blue dress that had two thin spaghetti straps holding it over her shoulders, the length falling to just above her knee. It was fitted around the bust, falling loosely in a way that clung to all the right places. After a shopping expedition with Willow she had bought a new pair of heels to match, and had tied her hair back into a sort of french roll to complete the look.

She knew she looked nice but she hadn’t anticipated that the frat brothers would ogle her. Or that one would be walking straight for her…

Her eyes widened in horror when she saw that the guy was stumbling, obviously having had more than enough to drink already. He was closing in on her and she looked around anxiously for an escape route. But, since she had placed herself up against a wall to wait for Riley, the likelihood of her being cornered was becoming greater as the drunken guy approached.

“Heyyyy, there, babyyy,” the drunken frat boy slurred.

Her eyes darted around the room in a panic - still no sign of Riley.

Just as the guy was about to reach for her someone stepped in swiftly and grabbed one of her arms, pulling her out of the ogre’s grasp.

“There you are, pet. I’ve been looking for you.”

Buffy was about to object when she recognized Spike’s voice, but when he steered her out of the reach of the drunken oaf she was more relieved than pissed off to see the familiar blond.

“Thanks for the save,” she said gratefully once they were out of his range.

Spike nodded in acceptance but still kept a hand protectively on her arm, eyeing the drunk off from their new position. She moved to let go and he stopped her. “He hasn’t lost interest yet, pet,” he warned.

Buffy looked up to see he was right and stepped a little closer to Spike, grateful for his shield. Her knee brushed against his leg and he closed his eyes for a moment before looking down at her, drinking in the sight of her. She looked amazing, and was surprised that he hadn’t noticed it earlier.

Earlier a few minutes ago… or earlier a few weeks ago… the voice in the back of his mind asked.

He pulled her closer, slowly moving to the music. Buffy saw the glint in the drunken frat boy’s eye and decided she didn’t want to risk giving him the chance to corner her again. Lifting her hands to Spike’s chest, she swayed along with him and the music.

Spike closed his eyes, inhaling suddenly when he felt her move closer to him. His eyes blinked open a second later, almost as if to confirm that she was actually in his arms. Her gaze was still fixed worriedly on the frat boy, and to say he was a little disappointed would be an understatement. However, not being one to pass up the moment he slid his arms around her, holding her protectively. He breathed in deeply to calm his racing nerves, only just noticing how sweet she smelled. Vanilla… god he loved that smell.

The song came to an end, and he reluctantly loosened his hold on her. He was surprised when he felt her clutch at his shirt. “Please don’t leave me,” she asked hesitantly. “I don’t know where Riley is and --”

He stepped back a little then, frowning at her. “I’m not a bloody stand in, luv. And if you need someone to protect you, maybe you should be looking for your date.”

Buffy glared at him, folding her arms over her chest. “I didn’t ask for your help,” she retorted.

“But you weren’t objecting to it either,” he pointed out.

Buffy knew that he was right, and it infuriated her. But she wasn’t willing to admit it out loud. “I can take care of myself, Spike.”

Spike stared at her for a moment before shaking his head in disbelief. “Fine then.”

Buffy blinked in shock when he abruptly turned and walked away from her.

“Where are you going?” she called after him when she found her voice, but he was already out of sight.

The frat guy from earlier noticed that she was once again by herself and she turned, leaving the room quickly before he had the chance to approach her. After wandering around for several minutes she found herself in a darkly lit room, filled with just a few sofas and a bar in one corner. Pulling up a stool at the bar she reached for one of the empty plastic cups near the bowl of punch.

It’s probably alcoholic… a voice in her head warned, but she poured a glass anyway.

One glass won’t hurt… she rationalized.

~~~

Buffy stumbled out towards the garden at the back of the frat house, drawing in a deep breath of fresh air. But it didn’t lessen the spinning she felt in her head. She’d only had one drink, the only thing she could figure was that it must’ve been stronger than she thought.

She sat down on a bench seat, resting her head in her hands, trying to stop the world from spinning. She heard a thump when someone sat down beside her, but she didn’t look up to see who it was. Please stop spinning…

A finger traced a line from her shoulder down her arm, coming to rest on her thigh, and at first she thought it was Spike. When the hand began to trace small circles on her leg, she looked up to tell him to get his hands off her when she realized that it wasn’t him. Recognizing the drunken guy from inside the main hall what seemed like hours ago, Buffy instantly inched away. But he advanced on her, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“You know you want it,” he drawled, his voice low and suggestive as he reached for her leg again.

She pushed it away and tried to stand up, but he grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her down onto his lap, wrapping his other arm around her waist to hold her there.

“Let me go,” Buffy demanded.

The frat guy just laughed. “Oh, don’t be that way,” he mocked disappointment. “I’m sure we could have lots of fun.” He had leaned in to whisper the last words into her ear, his stale breath blowing across her neck.

Buffy struggled to free her arm but he just held her tighter. Panic rose within her and she began to squirm in his lap, trying to get away.

“Oh, yeah, just like that, baby,” he grunted with amusement, arching his hips against her body.

“NO!” she shouted. “LET me go!”

“Or what?” the guy laughed. “We’re alone out here. Where’s your knight in shining armor? Tsk, tsk,” he added with a hint of sarcasm.

Buffy’s panic reached fever pitch as she began hitting him with her free arm, swinging wildly as her attacks connected with his chest, his jaw and one hitting him square in the nose.

The guy roared, picking her up and carrying her kicking and struggling against him towards the house. They got inside the doors and she swung her head around, trying to find Spike. But he wasn’t to be seen. “Help me!” she begged another partygoer as she was dragged by, but the guy just turned his back and walked outside.

The room began to spin and she had a sudden moment of clarity—her drink must have been spiked when she went to the toilet. She had stupidly left it on the bar, returning a few minutes alter to finish it off.

“No,” a strangled cry escaped her lips as her attacks began to weaken, her arms beginning to lose their strength.

She could feel herself being carried up the stairs, and terror coursed through her veins when she realized his intentions. A door came into view and she tried to will her limbs into fighting back, but they wouldn’t respond.

They entered a dark room, fear giving her one last surge of resistance.

“No!” she screamed. “Help! Someone, Spike!!” she called as the door slammed closed.

~~~

Spike picked up his pace as he searched the frat house, a wave of guilt washing over him. He shouldn’t have left her alone, even though she was acting like a right bitch. He had gotten all the way to his car, and sat inside it with the engine idling for god knows how long after the little spat with her inside.

This wasn’t the sort of place a girl should be left alone, especially a girl like Buffy. So after going through half a pack of cigarettes he had re-entered the house, searching all the rooms downstairs, before heading out into the garden via one of the many doors.

Having not found her anywhere he came back inside. The place was starting to clear out, most of the guests pairing and moving upstairs for privacy.

A sick feeling of dread washed over him when he imagined her being up in one of those rooms with that meathead Riley. Or worse, someone else. A shiver rolled over him when he remembered the way the drunk from earlier had been staring at her, and his concern for her safety grew. He had to make sure she was okay before he left.

He was halfway up the stairs when he heard her voice, every bone in his body telling him something was wrong. Reaching the top of the stairs he stood perfectly still for a moment, just listening, trying to gauge where the sound had come from. When all he got was nothing, his worries upped a notch. This is bad… very bad.

Two steps down the hall he heard her again and this time there was definite panic in her voice when she called his name.

Oh dear god… let her be safe…

“Buffy!” he shouted down the hall, approaching the first door and swinging the door open.

Bathroom.

“Buffy!” he shouted again.

Door after door was opened, mostly finding occupied bedrooms, the inhabitants raising their gaze to scowl and mutter abuse at the intrusion as he slammed the door shut and moved onto the next.

“BUFFY!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Then there it was, a muffled sound coming from a room two doors up. Then a crash from another. Adrenaline and guilt ran through his veins. If only I hadn’t left… Spike forcibly pushed the thoughts out of his mind. Now was not the best time to lament. There were only a few doors left; Buffy had to be behind one of them. He instinctively went for the one the thumping sound had come from. He reached for the handle and twisted…

It was locked.

Banging on the door with his fists, he yelled for her. “BUFFY!”

~~~

Buffy’s head lolled from one side to the other, as she felt something heavy press down on her, subconsciously knowing it was another person. Strength had long since abandoned her, her attempts to put up a fight only weakening her more quickly. Her eyelids began to flutter closed as noise began to fade out. Shouting broke through the quiet, and it took her a moment to realize it was her name that was being called.

“Spike?” she whispered, fighting a losing battle to stay conscious as everything went black.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Liked it? Let me know!

Chapter 8: Panic.


Spike was certain he heard her call his name, and his fear kicked into overdrive. Please be okay…

“Buffy!” he yelled as he pounded on the door. There was no getting inside. He had to find another way in. Running down the hall he tried the next room, knowing that sometimes they joined with connecting doors. This door was unlocked, and a young couple was mid-way through disrobing each other. They yelled abuse at him but he ignored it as he walked further in, finding the connecting door in the far corner and twisting the knob.

It was unlocked!

Pushing the door open, he was stunned to a standstill by what he saw. Buffy was lying beneath a large blonde guy, who was busily trying to pull down the straps of her dress. Her eyes were struggling to stay open, her head shaking slowly from side to side.

“No…” she murmured, moments later losing her fight with consciousness.

The sound of her voice woke him from the shock of the situation, and he rushed at the guy taking advantage of her, picking a lamp up on the way and slamming it into the back of the guy’s head.

“Get OFF HER!” he roared in fury.

Spike’s attacks were fuelled by rage as he kicked viciously into the bastard’s ribs, followed by a fist being slammed into the shoulder.

That got his attention. The frat guy was up off the bed in seconds, a menacing glare on his face, making sure to stay close to his prize. “Back off, mate, this is none of your business.”

“You damned wrong it’s not my business. You stay away from her,” Spike threatened through clenched teeth.

“Or what?” the frat guy mocked, as he grabbed clumsily at one of Buffy’s breasts and squeezing it firmly. Spike saw her body flinch and a moan of pain escaped her lips.

That one little sound she made was more that enough to make him move into action. He launched himself at the fraternity brother, swinging punches brutally into him. The first few connected, he had the advantage of speed, but the other guy definitely beat him in the strength stakes. One of his punches connected with Spike’s jaw and he saw stars as his head snapped back suddenly. He almost thought he was going to black out, and under normal circumstances he might have let the sensation take over him to block out the pain. That is, if it wasn’t for Buffy lying on the bed defenseless.

Spike attacked again, this time spinning a kick to the side of the frat brothers’ head. It was enough to send him flying—head first—into a chest of drawers. Not waiting for him to get up, Spike rushed to the bed and lifted Buffy up as swiftly and as gently as possible, before running towards the connecting door.

He didn’t look back as he heard the other guy stirring. Adrenalin took over as he found the edge of the stairs and bolted down them and out the front door, carrying Buffy’s limp body in his arms.

Spike didn’t stop running until he was next to his car. Unlocking it quickly he laid her in the front seat, rushing around to the driver’s side door and jamming the key in the ignition. Looking towards the house he saw the large blonde guy running towards them. Spike’s foot hit the gas and the car peeled off down the street, leaving the frat house and the bastard behind.

~~~

And he didn’t let up on the speed until he was safely a dozen blocks away. He looked anxiously over at Buffy, who was still unconscious. Gotta get her inside…

Spike prayed that her Mom wasn’t home.

~~~

Spike parked in the driveway, more than a little relieved to see her Mom’s SUV was absent. Jumping out of his car, he moved to the passenger side and carefully lifted Buffy out, locking the doors behind him. He wasn’t leaving her side until she was conscious.

They reached the door and Spike realized he had no way of getting inside. He looked down at her and didn’t see a bag strap on her arms and he cursed himself for not thinking of that. About to turn back to car, he saw that one of her hands was clenched tightly. As carefully as he could manage, he lowered her to the porch. Now that he had two free hands he slowly spread her fingers. A tiny little pouch with a string had been crushed beneath her grasp. He shook his head in wonder. After everything, she had still clenched onto that little bag. Opening it up, he found a lipstick - and a key.

Trying it in the lock he closed his eyes and twisted. A click signified the door unlocking and Spike basked in the relief for a second. “Thank god, Summers.”

Lifting her off the ground he carried her inside, kicking the front door closed with his leg as he moved toward the sofa in the living room, laying Buffy down gently. Searching the wall he soon found what he was looking for. Flicking the light switch, he came to sit by her side, brushing a few stray locks of hair from her face.

“Never should have left you,” he whispered guiltily.

Spike didn’t want to leave her, but he knew he had to keep her warm and have fluids ready. He was convinced that something wasn’t right. The way her head had lolled on the bed, the glassiness in her eyes—it took more than alcohol to put someone in a state like that. Removing his duster, he wrapped it over her body to keep her warm.

Spike sat beside her as time ticked by. First an hour, two, then two and a half. It seemed she wouldn’t be waking anytime soon. Deciding now was as good as time as any to get himself acquainted with the place, Spike began to walk around the house trying to find the kitchen. Once he did he had to check the cupboards for a glass, which he quickly filled with water.

He’d only been gone a few minutes before he’d returned, and while Buffy was still out, a frown had worked its way onto her face. Her face crumpled even further as she began to shake her head to the side, moaning. Spike placed the glass on the coffee table and sat on the edge of the sofa, leaning close to her.

“Buffy.” He shook her arm ever so slightly. “Buffy, wake up, luv.”

Buffy’s eyes fluttered open and closed a few times, before she managed to keep them open. Her vision was blurry, and when she tried to focus it, all she could see was a blob of a face leaning towards her. Panic filled her immediately as she sat almost bolt upright, holding her hands out protectively. “No!” she whispered in terror. “Get away, get away from me!” She clenched her eyes shut, tears beginning to stream down her face.

“Shhh, luv. It’s me, Spike,” he soothed, reaching out and holding her tightly against his chest, rocking gently.

Buffy blinked her eyes a few times before her vision cleared a little more. She pulled away and felt her whole body relaxing when she recognized the voice. Her head was still spinning, but she could make out the shock of blond hair and the little scar over his left eyebrow. Looking over his shoulder, identifying the familiar the room as her living room, Buffy broke into tears, reaching for Spike as he drew her into his protective arms once more.

Her body quivered there in his embrace as the sobs became louder and more violent. Spike felt helpless, not knowing what he could to take the pain away, just knowing that she couldn’t be left alone right now. Holding her gently he began uttering soothing words into her ear, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “I’m not going anywhere, you’re safe now.”

Buffy had never been so relieved in her life to hear his voice. She clutched at his shirt, scrunching it in her hands. Her breathing became more labored as she gasped for breath.

“Breathe, luv, you need to breathe,” he urged.

Buffy breathed in deeply, and then coughed as her chest heaved from the force of her cries. She closed her eyes, trying to calm so that she could take control of herself. Slowly her body began to ease as the quivering became less violent, and the tears became a trickle as opposed to the flood they had been a few minutes ago.

Spike slowly drew back from her when she calmed down. His hands rose to the sides of her face, and he stared into her eyes. The fear had lessened, but it wasn’t gone completely.

“I should never have left you in there.” His voice was choked up with guilt, with grief.

“You --” She tried to speak, but her throat was dry. “You came back for me.” Her bottom lip quivered as more tears threatened to fall.

“Of course I did! But I should never have left you there in the first place.”

Reaching for the glass of water that was on the coffee table, he handed it to her, urging her to take it from him. Buffy’s hands were shaking so he wrapped his over hers, helping to steady her. She drank it quickly, and he took the empty glass from her, returning it on the coffee table.

“I--I didn’t think I was going to get out of there,” she said a little more freely now that her throat wasn’t burning as much.

“You’re safe now, luv. And I’m not leaving until you know that,” he promised, moving back further on the sofa, wrapping one arm around her shoulders, and drawing her to him with the other.

She grasped at his shirt, clutching at him tightly as she felt her eye lids begin to droop.

“Spike,” she whispered as she slowly began to drift off to sleep.

The steady rise and fall of her signifying sleep brought Spike a little relief. Pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead he settled himself for the night, knowing that there was no way he going to leave her tonight.

“Goodnight, Buffy.”

~~~

Spike squinted as sunlight shone down on his face, eyes blinking a few times as they adjusted to the light. Confusion washed over him for a moment when he didn’t recognize his surroundings. A movement next to him caused him to look down and see a sleeping girl, her golden hair spread across his shoulder. Buffy… The memories of the previous night flooded through his mind, and he clenched his fist in anger.

She stirred again, and he touched her lightly on the shoulder. “Buffy,” he whispered.

Spike’s voice broke through the haze as Buffy yawned, eyes blinking at the light a few times before they opened fully. That was when the memories returned to her, dismay filling her. Then something occurred to her.

“You stayed with me, all night,” she stated with disbelief.

Spike cricked his neck—it was a little stiff from the way he had slept on the sofa. “I told you I wouldn’t leave,” he reminded with a little smile.

She was frowning, and Spike was just waiting for her to tell him to leave. But then a smile crept across her face and she reached forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Spike was frozen with surprise, before seconds later he wrapped his own arms around her.

“I was so bloody scared when I couldn’t find you. And then when I did…” His voice broke with emotion as he spoke, holding her tightly. “I knew what those guys were like. I’ve been to those parties before, and still I walked out.”

He shook his head, disappointed in himself. The disappointment soon changed into anger, jaw clenching as his mouth forming a thin angry line. “I could’ve killed the guy that.”

She released her grasp on him, and he reluctantly let her move away, searching her face for any kind of response.

Buffy’s gaze dropped to her hands; her fingers playing with the edge of a cushion as if it were the most interesting thing she had ever seen. “I was so stupid. I never should have…” She looked up at him, her cheeks reddening at her pending confession. “I left my drink on the bar when I went to the toilet… and… and when I came back…” she stammered.

Spike’s temper flared when he realized what she was saying. “Buffy, how could you be so naïve? I --” He stopped himself, knowing that she was punishing herself enough for her actions. “It still doesn’t excuse his behaviour. Even if you hadn’t finished the drink, he probably would have tried…”

Buffy nodded. “Did --” she bit her lip, not knowing if she wanted the answer. “Did anything happen? He didn’t…”

She doesn’t remember?

“No, nothing happened.” He didn’t know how much he should tell her; he knew how distressed she was already. But if she found out something and he hadn’t told her…

“He grabbed at you, and if I hadn’t come in when I did…” Spike’s voice filled with anger as the scene played out in his mind. “Your straps,” he identified, touching her shoulders gently. “But I stopped him.”

Buffy’s stomach knotted, and she felt like she was going to retch as an image of the drunken frat leering at her as he approached across the hall played through her mind. His hands on her… She shuddered, and had to fight to control the urge to throw up. Pushing the images from her mind Buffy reminded herself that she was lucky. If Spike had come when he had…

Leaned back against the sofa, fresh tears began falling from her eyes. “I just…”

Spike leaned forward, turning her face to his. “Shh, luv, it’s ok. You’re safe now. I won’t ever let anything happen to you,” he promised as he pressed his lips against her forehead.

~~~

Spike had stayed with her for most of the day, only leaving after her mother called to let her know she was on her way home. Buffy had explained to Spike earlier in the morning that she had gone overnight to LA to sort out some shipping problems with one of the new displays. And that her mom had no idea she had gone out. Spike had sworn not to mention it to anyone.

“I’ll see you on Monday?” she asked hopefully as he opened her front door to leave.

“Definitely,” came his immediate reply.

~~~

“So, honey, how was your weekend?” Joyce asked when she had settled in.

Buffy was silent for a few moments before lying. “Pretty quiet,” she answered softly.

They ate dinner together, Buffy excusing herself almost immediately afterwards to go to bed. Joyce watched as her daughter cleared the table before disappearing upstairs. She was worried by how withdrawn she seemed to be, and hoped that Hank hadn’t called again.

The phone rang and when Buffy didn’t pick it up, Joyce answered and took a message. I wonder who Riley is…?



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Comments are loved so if you have an opinion of this fic, share it!

Chapter 9: New Friends.


That Monday morning Buffy kept her eyes peeled for Spike in the halls, but she couldn’t see him anywhere. Slightly deflated by his no-show, she grabbed her books and moved on to class, cursing more than once that Monday was the day neither Willow nor Xander shared a class with her. By the start of lunch, Buffy still hadn’t run into Spike and she was starting to become a little panicked. Xander offered to get the girls their lunch for them and Buffy gratefully accepted, keeping her gaze on the table as Willow left to get them all sodas from the vending machine.

Someone sat beside her, and she jumped in fright. Turning quickly, the alarm that had risen dissipated as soon as she saw him. Buffy leapt forward and threw her arms around his neck.

“I looked for you this morning, and when I couldn’t find you I thought…” Her bottom lip quivered.

“Shh, pet. I’m here now. Had a meeting with Snyder is all,” he informed her, a sneer crossing his face as he thought of the sniveling little Nazi.

Buffy unlatched herself from him, a look of sympathy spreading across her face. She had only been a student at the school for a short time but she’d heard the stories, and witnessed first hand what the Principal considered ‘doing his job’. She didn’t know why he worked in a school when he had such obvious disdain for the students. “Is everything okay?” she asked uneasily.

“Nothing to fret about. Just riding me about overdue assignments - the usual.” It was true, but only half the story. He reached forward and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Buffy visibly relaxed. “He, he tried calling me. Last night.”

Spike’s nostrils flared and his grip on her hand tightened. “Who tried calling you?” he demanded.

Buffy winced. “Riley. I didn’t speak to him. Mom took a message.”

“Soddin’ hell! Prat thinks he can just --” Spike cut off his rant, releasing his hold of Buffy’s hand slightly when he realized he was holding it tightly. “I’m sorry, pet, didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s okay,” she mumbled quietly.

“What was the message?” he asked, clenching his free hand.

“He wanted me to call him back, nothing else. Whatever it was he didn’t tell my Mom.” Buffy was relieved about that. If he had heard about what had happened at the party, he had the sense not to mention it on the phone to her Mom.

“Are you going to?” Spike asked, searching her face for an answer.

“Probably not,” she replied awkwardly. A part of her wanted to let him know exactly what situation he had put her in by not turning up.

Spike just nodded, squeezing her hand again. “Don’t, pet, he’ll just --” He cut himself off when he saw her friends approaching the table.

Xander and Willow both returned to their regular table at the same time, frowning at Spike’s presence. Xander noticed the handholding, jealousy rising within him.

“Don’t you two hate each other?” Willow asked with amusement, sitting down beside Buffy.

“He’s not bothering you, is he Buff?” Xander asked as he eyed Spike suspiciously.

Buffy shook her head. “No, everything is fine.” She looked to Spike for confirmation, and he nodded in agreement. “I’ll explain later, I promise.”

Willow shrugged her shoulders. “I’m guessing by the death stares we’re receiving, you having lunch with us was not something that was consulted with them first?” she jabbed a thumb in Cordelia and Harmony’s direction. Both girls were staring at the other table in utter shock.

“Who cares,” Spike replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

Xander sat across from Spike, and sized him up. There had to be a reason why he was at their table. Buffy’s the reason… a voice in his mind sarcastically informed him. He stifled a bitter laugh. No, there was more to it than that. If Buffy were all he was after, he would’ve dragged her over to his table in the center of the cafeteria, not sat on the outer with them. Since he didn’t look like moving any time soon, Xander turned his attention to the two girls at his table.

“So Buff, how was the party at the weekend?” Xander asked.

The colour rushed from Buffy’s face and was followed by a sharp intake of breath. It was enough for Xander to realize that something not of the good must have happened. “That bad,” he said a little quickly, trying to change the topic. “So, you got a training session tonight?”

Willow saw the looks Spike and Buffy shared and realized that whatever had happened, they’d been there together. A faint smile graced her lips when she saw Spike squeeze her friend’s hand reassuringly.

Buffy figured she might as well tell them now.

“I—I…” Buffy stammered. “I was attacked, at the party. Spike was there and…” She saw the glowering look on Xander’s face and quickly continued. “… and he helped me get out of there. There was a drunken frat guy.”

“Being drunk doesn’t give him an excuse,” Spike growled through clenched teeth, gripping the edge of his seat tightly.

Willow had a hand held over her mouth in horror. “Oh god, Buffy, I am so sorry.” Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of her friend being in that situation. “I was supposed to go with you.”

Buffy immediately unhooked her hand from Spike’s and turned to reassure Willow that she was alright. “You have nothing to feel guilty about Will,” she started.

“Red, listen to her, she’s right. The meathead had his eye on Buffy all night long, even when I was around.” Spikes eyes narrowed. “Don’t go blaming yourself.”

Willow relaxed a little but she still felt partly responsible. She couldn’t help wondering if it would’ve happened if she had been there to look out for her friend.

“What does Riley say about all of this?” Willow asked quietly.

Buffy’s expression fell and Spike’s hardened. “I didn’t see him there, he never showed up. He called last night but I was in bed already.”

“Bastard, leaving you alone with his drunken friends,” Spike muttered beneath his breath.

Xander heard the blond guy’s words and fought back the smirk that wanted to cross his face. He was being awfully protective of Buffy, which was a complete turn around from the way he had treated her the week before. Then ideas as to why he might be acting nicer floated in and out of Xander’s mind and it was his turn to glower. First Angel, then Riley, if he had to compete with Spike as well…

Willow reached for Buffy’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Maybe he was running late. Or maybe he had to --”

“Leave town suddenly because the thought of having to see me again was too horrible?” Buffy finished before Willow could.

Three faces looked at her incredulously, and they all argued with her comment, their voices overlapping.

“Buffy, that’s not true!” Willow shook her head vehemently.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, pet?”

“Buff, that’s ridiculous, where would you get an idea like that?”

She looked up at Willow as she answered Xander’s question. “Angel left.”

Spike’s azure eyes danced with anger, the edge of his mouth twitching at the name of his friend. She couldn’t seem to get him out of her head.

“Angel’s dad moved across the country, what did you expect him to do?” he asked. “Why does it matter so much? It wasn’t like you two were together - it was one damn kiss. Get over it already.” Spike stood quickly, abruptly leaving the table.

Hurt and shock flashed across Buffy’s face at his words and she chewed on her lip as her gaze fell to the floor. Whilst Xander wanted Buffy’s mind off of Angel, he never would’ve said it like Spike just had. Willow squeezed her hand again. “Let’s go get some fresh air, shall we?”

~~~

Buffy had thought about skipping her training tonight but Willow wouldn’t allow it, practically pushing Buffy into the locker rooms and threatening her with withdrawing her history tutelage if she didn’t get changed immediately. A few minutes later Buffy walked out in her bathing suit meeting her friend’s smirk with a frown.

“You do realize this is extortion,” she started.

“Get in the water, Buffy, I’ll be watching. I don’t have anywhere to be today after school and we can go for mochas once you’ve finished.”

Buffy brightened at the thought. Willow would get to see her swim, and the thought of mochas afterwards was too tempting to resist.

Diving into the empty pool Buffy lost herself to the water, her troubles escaping her as she let the familiarity of the water wash over.

Willow watched from the stands as Buffy swam gracefully through the water, gliding through it with seemingly no effort. A noise to her left startled her, breaking her stare. She turned to see the door to the pool slamming shut and Spike walking across the pool deck.

He didn’t notice her immediately and she watched as his gaze flitted to Buffy as she swam, apparently taken with the view. A knowing smile spread across her face as she turned away from him and stomped her feet on the seat below, purposely making a loud noise to alert him of her presence.

Spike’s attention snapped towards the sound, and Willow turned towards him looking surprised. “Hey, Spike,” she called, waving him over.

Frowning for a moment he reluctantly moved towards her, sitting on the bench beside her. He didn’t know why she was here. “Red,” he greeted. “What you doin’ here?”

“Watching Buffy swim,” she answered.

“Oh, is that Buffy?” he tried to sound disinterested.

Willow snickered and Spike knew that he hadn’t managed to pull it off. “Yes, it’s Buffy,” Willow replied. “But you already knew that. I saw how you were watching her as you walked in.”

Spike looked stricken at her words and Willow laughed for a moment before a serious look crossed the red head’s features.

“You care about her, don’t you,” she stated simply.

Spike’s mouth opened and closed like a fish a few times as he tried to think of a retort. “What?” He was completely flabbergasted.

“You. care. about. Buffy.” Willow said plainly in a monotone voice. “If you didn’t, then you wouldn’t have gotten so pissed off when she mentioned Angel in the cafeteria today.”

Spike didn’t know what to say, but didn’t get the chance as Willow continued.

“I don’t know the full story, but I DO know that you were there for her when she needed someone at the weekend.” She said this with regret in her voice, her head dropping in shame.

“Red, like I said --”

“I know,” she interrupted. “And you’re probably right. Still doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“If I ever see that ponce again,” he seethed.

Willow raised an eyebrow. “Over-protective much?” she quipped.

“It’s not bein’ over-protective. The guy got off too lightly. If he so much as looks at her again…” he trailed off.

Willow smiled, his words un-consciously confirming her suspicions. Spike had feelings for Buffy. She wondered if he realized it yet.

“Well, I should probably let you get in the water, you’ve got training to do,” she fare welled. “Tell Buffy I’ll meet her at the Espresso Pump.”

Spike nodded as Willow turned and left, a smirk flickering across her face.

Buffy hasn’t been to the Espresso Pump yet… Willow thought wickedly.

~~~

Buffy lifted herself from the pool at the end of the training session and quickly wrapped a towel around her hips. She could see Spike getting out of the pool from the corner of her eye, and wanted to escape to the locker rooms before he had the chance to talk to her.

A hand tapped her on the shoulder, startling her. There was no way that he could have been that quick! She let out a sigh of relief when she identified the person as the Coach. “Buffy, may I speak with you for a moment?”

Buffy nodded, following the coach over to the table she had her files set on. “Buffy, I’m sure you are aware that we have a few meets coming up soon.” She continued when Buffy nodded, “Well, I wanted to register you with our team, for both relay and individual events.”

Buffy nodded again. “Uh ha.” She had been planning on registering anyway, once she felt her swimming was back on track.

“The first event is in two weeks and I want you on my team. It’s in LA, and the team will be staying over the weekend from the Friday night to Sunday afternoon. I’ll give you the details next training session.”

Buffy’s face blanked. Stay the weekend… she didn’t know if her Mom would let her. A mixture of excitement and hesitation built within her. It would be a chance to be free, to do what she wanted for a few days. She knew the mornings would be time for herself; so she would be able to shop, catch up with old friends. Plus if she did well in her events it could help her qualify for state championships. Then there was the hesitation. It would be a weekend in LA, where her Dad was, with his secretary. And she knew if she went down there, he would want to see her.

“When do you submit the teams? I--I would have to check with my Mom is all.”

“End of next week. Get back to me as soon as possible Buffy.”

Dismissed, Buffy moved quickly towards the locker rooms avoiding Spike’s glance.

Spike sighed at the way she avoided him, then made an effort to get changed himself. He needed to be out before she did, so he could let her know where Red was.

~~~

Buffy walked out from the female locker rooms and back onto the pool deck, and a frown spread across her face when she found the seats empty. Willow was supposed to be waiting for me…

“Buffy,” Spike called to her from behind.

Buffy jumped in fright and spun to face him. She hadn’t heard him come up behind her. “Spike! Were you trying to scare me!? You don’t just sneak up on people like that.”

Spike suppressed the smirk that wanted to spread across his face at her reaction. “If you’re looking for Red she said she’d meet you at the coffee house, the Espresso Pump.”

A frown crossed her feature. Buffy hadn’t been there before. She really didn’t want to ask Spike for directions, but at the same time, she didn’t want to wander around town aimlessly. She saw him turn to walk away from her, reached out to grab his shoulder.

“Uh, where exactly is that? I haven’t been there yet,” she asked tentatively.

Spike nodded, the smirk he had been holding back spreading across his face. “I’ll drive you there, goin’ that way anyway.”

Buffy paused hesitantly for a moment before nodding and following him out to the car park.

~~~

Spike drove in silence, and Buffy didn’t make any effort to start a conversation. He sighed, knowing why she was mad at him. He still stood by his words; he did think she was too hung up on Angel. But at the same time he didn’t want her to be hostile towards him, and then there was the whole thing with the college boy, Riley. He was sure he had heard uncertainty in her voice when she had said she wasn’t going to call him. She was considering listening to what he had to say and that infuriated Spike.

Buffy was angry at Spike for what he had said at lunch, but she also knew that if it wasn’t for him the situation on the weekend would have been a hell of a lot worse. And the look on his face when she had hesitated when he asked if she was going to call Riley back - he didn’t believe her.

The car slowly pulled up on the main street, and parked in front of a coffee house. Buffy unbuckled her belt and quickly opened the door. She spotted Willow sitting at a table, waving her over.

“Thanks for the lift,” Buffy said as she closed the door swiftly.

Spike saw Willow waving him over and shook his head. Buffy had made it quite clear she didn’t want him to be around by her silence in the car and she hadn’t tried to make conversation once. He nodded at Willow as he pulled away from the street.

Buffy glanced over her shoulder at his disappearing car and for a second was disappointed. Shrugging her shoulders she walked over to Willow and sat down. “You coulda waited for me! I haven’t been here before.”

“Oh, really?” Willow replied, feigning innocence.

“Will, I told you last week,” Buffy reminded with a frown.

“I guess it slipped my mind, sorry. But Spike was nice enough to drive you, why didn’t he join us?” Willow asked. She was disappointed her little scheme hadn’t worked.

“I dunno.” Buffy frowned, not wanting to talk about Spike right now. “Oh! Guess what? I’m registering for a swim meet in LA, I’ll be spending a weekend there.”

Willow smiled. Spike was on the team and more than likely he would be going to the meet. “Tell me ALL about it.”



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Liked it? Leave a review!

All of the wonderful responses I’ve received are doing wonders for my confidence with this fic – and a new idea for *gasp* another AU has started to formulate in my head. And I thought I was just a canon fic writer.

And *squee!* I picked up a runner up award for Best Newbie Author at the SunnyD Awards. *happy dance* The pretty will be up on my LJ soon, I'll post a link when I put the next chapter up.

Chapter 10: Spanner in the Works.


Buffy walked in the front door of her house and dropped her school bag at the bottom of the stairs as she searched for her Mom. “Mom, are you home?”

As she walked into the kitchen she caught sight of her mother hunched over the sink, her shoulders shaking slightly. “Mom?” Buffy whispered.

Joyce turned around to face her daughter, wiping tears from her face with the back of her hand. “Hi, honey. How was school?”

Buffy stepped forward quickly, wrapping her arms around her mother and completely ignoring the question that was posed to her. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

Joyce gulped back more tears that threatened to fall as she stroked her daughter’s back. She didn’t want to upset her, but she knew that Hank wasn’t going to let up easily. Joyce released her hold as she spoke to her.

“Your father called. He keeps insisting he see you. It’s not the first time he’s called either. I’ve been told that if I don’t send you to LA to visit him, he’ll come here and pick you up himself. He accused me of being selfish and of holding you here against your will.”

Buffy’s breath caught in her throat. For a moment she couldn’t believe her father would accuse her mom of those things, but then all the fights before the move came rushing to mind and she clenched her jaw in anger.

“I don’t want to see him. I’ll tell him myself.”

“No, honey, it won’t do any good. Your father… he won’t listen. He’ll just accuse me of forcing you to say that.” Joyce sighed in frustration. “Your father can be pig-headed at times. I–I don’t know what to do.”

“I do,” Buffy said quietly. “I’ll be going to LA in a few weeks, I’ll see him then.”

Joyce looked at her daughter a little confused. “Going to LA since when? What for? And why haven’t I been told about this earlier?”

“For swimming, the coach wants me to swim at a weekend event in two weeks. I’d be staying at a hotel in LA for the weekend then coming home. I could always drop in and have lunch with him one of the days,” she reluctantly suggested.

Joyce’s expression was a mixture of joy and pain. She was happy for Buffy and that her swimming was back on track again. But she also knew her daughter wasn’t looking forward to seeing her father, was only going to do so in an attempt to curtail his harassment.

“Honey, I’m so proud of you.” Joyce professed, pulling Buffy forward for another quick hug. “If you don’t want to see your father alone, I could come with you?”

Buffy shook her head. It would be best if she saw him on her own. “So I can go?” she asked hopefully.

“Of course you can sweetheart! It’s with the school, and will obviously be a chaperoned event.”

Buffy smiled. “Alright then, I’ll let the coach know tomorrow.”

~~~

The following day Buffy walked up the steps at the front of the school, a slight bounce in her step. She was allowed to go on the swim trip to LA! Apart from staying overnight at friend’s houses, she had never gone away on her own before. She had to tell the coach, and she couldn’t wait to find Spike and tell him as well

With a bright smile stretched across her face she pushed her way through the halls and out the doors at the other end leading to the courtyard. She smiled apologetically at a girl from her maths class that she narrowly missed bowling into, and turned to move towards the pool when something caught her eye.

A familiar flash of peroxide hair…

Buffy had raised her hand to wave at Spike when a pretty brunette snaked her arms around his neck and drew his head down for a kiss. Buffy’s jaw dropped and she squeezed her eyes tightly at the sight, only opening them again as she turned on her heel and stormed off to the pool. Her cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment, her fists clenching by her sides as her temper got the better of her.

How dare he judge who I’m interested in… when he has been hiding this…

“Why do I even care who he’s seeing?” she muttered to herself when she pushed through the doors to the pool deck.

~~~

Spike felt her arms snake around his neck and before he knew what had hit him her lips were pressed against his. Anger surged through Spike and he pushed her away roughly, the shock he felt evident in his expression.

“Dru, what do you think you’re doing?” He demanded. “Why are you even here?”

Dru smiled slowly, inching toward him again, her eyes dancing as they raked over his toned torso. “Am I not allowed to come visit my boy? I’ve missed you.”

“What, college guys aren’t as great as you thought they were?” he spat out.

She paid no attention to his obvious stab at her. Apparently he was still angry. Placing a hand on his arm, she walked her fingers up to his shoulder and traced a finger along his jaw line. “I just thought that --”

“That what, Dru? You’d show up and I’d come crawling back to you? Sorry, it doesn’t work like that.” His anger faded but that only gave way to the pain he felt when he looked at her.

He closed his eyes as the memories flashed through his mind, as if it had only happen a few days ago.

Spike had dropped by Dru’s dorm room on campus to surprise her, and the scene he’d stumbled upon when he’d opened the door had brought their relationship to an end. He’d found her rolling around in her bed with some random guy - who apparently wore more eyeliner makeup than she did.

He’d run from the dorms and she’d quickly followed. A small part of him had hoped that they could work through it, but she didn’t apologise for her actions or seem to care that she had hurt him in the first place.

"You’re a junior in high school - I’m a freshman in college. We’re too different, and we’ve both got so many new experiences before us. Maybe we should see other people."

Obviously she had decided to see other people before even discussing it with him. He’d tried to sort things out, tell her that age didn’t matter to him, but she was adamant. She wanted to experience life, be with more people. So they’d broken up.

That was a little over a year ago now. And now here she was on the high school campus.

“Spike… my darling boy… you know we were good together. It can be like that again,” she promised in a lilting and seductive voice.

“Yeah, we were bloody fantastic. So great you decided to sleep around. I can do better,” he retorted angrily.

A weight lifted from his shoulders as he become conscious of the fact that he no longer cared for Drusilla. She had smashed his heart to pieces when he’d walked into her dorm room on that fateful day. But now he was over it. He had moved on with his life. Even whilst he had been with Harmony he’d still felt closed off, was still burned by Dru. But now that was over.

An image of Buffy’s smiling face passed through his mind - the way her nose crinkled when she laughed, the way she moved on the dance floor - it all brought a sense of calm over him, and he realized he was right. He could do better than Dru.

“Goodbye, Dru.”

Spike turned on his heel and stormed off towards the pool, leaving his ex-girlfriend staring after him in shock.

~~~

Spike walked from the locker rooms a different man. He was looking forward to seeing Buffy. Stepping onto pool deck he searched for her, eyes falling to her tiny form speeding through the water. A slow smile graced his features as he dropped his bag on the ground and flung his towel on the bleachers, diving into the cool water.

He stroked towards her, wondering how close he would get before she spotted him. Spike stroked down the pool towards Buffy, stopped when her head lifted from the water in surprise. Smiling as he moved closer, he met her half way down the length of the pool.

“Hey, Buffy,” he greeted warmly.

Buffy’s face turned stormy when she realized who it was and she turned from him, sprinting toward the other end of the pool.

Spike frowned, clueless as to what had just happened. He followed after her, having to drop his head beneath the water to avoid the wave of water her kicking feet sent towards him.

They reached the other end and Buffy was a little surprised to see he’d followed her. She began to lift herself from the pool when she felt his hand wrap around one of her ankles, and pull her back in.

“Buffy, what’s going on?” He was confused by how hostile she was being.

“Spike, leave me alone,” she snapped, pulling her leg free from his grasp.

He responded by grabbing one of her wrists, moving his other arm over the lip of the pool to support himself mirroring Buffy’s position.

“NO! Not until you tell me what’s wrong. Why are you acting this way?” he questioned.

Buffy tried to pull her hand free, but his grasp on her was strong. “Let me go now,” she demanded in a low tone. “Let me go or I’ll scream.”

Spike’s jaw dropped at her words, and the detestation he heard in her voice, forcing him to oblige and let her arm go. “Buffy…”

“Save it, Spike,” she spat over her shoulder as she boosted herself out of the pool, grabbed her bag and ran for the locker rooms.

“What the hell did I do?” he wondered out loud.

~~~

Buffy sat in her room cradling the phone. Inhaling deeply a few times, she dialed the number scrawled in her mother’s handwriting and listened as it began to ring… and ring, and ring. Her heart began to beat a little more fiercely and she was ready to hang up when she heard it connect at the other end of the line.

“Hello?”

She froze.

“Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Buffy,” she finally responded.

“Oh, Buffy, hey,” a male voice replied.

“So ah, you called the other night.”

“Yeah. I was just worried, and I wanted to apologise. I heard a vague story about the other night.” His regret was obvious in his tone of voice.

“Riley,” Buffy almost whispered. “Where were you? I thought you were going to meet me there.”

He paused for a moment. “I was there in the beginning but then I had to leave. One of the brothers had to pick someone up at the airport, and since I was the only sober one…” he trailed off. “By the time I got back, you were already gone.”

Buffy wanted to believe him, she really did. “Why... why didn’t you tell me you were leaving, I would have come with you.”

Again he paused. “I saw you dancing with that blond guy in the leather jacket. And then when I got back you were already gone and was told you’d left with him.” He tried to control the jealousy he felt, but didn’t think he was hiding it very successfully.

“Well, what did you expect me to do? You weren’t there, I was all alone.” She felt the tears welling up in her eyes, lifting a hand to brush at them roughly.

“So you left with the first guy you found?” he retorted.

Buffy inhaled sharply. “I can’t believe you just said that, you didn’t just say that.”

Riley kept silent, aware that he had hurt her feelings. But he was hurt also and wanted an explanation from her.

“What did you expect me to do? Hang around after one of your brothers,” she spat with sarcasm, “tried to rape me?”

Now it was Riley’s turn to inhale sharply. “What, what did you say?”

“You heard me,” she answered bitterly.

“Oh god, Buffy.” Riley’s voice broke with emotion. “I had no idea… I wasn’t told… they told me that… that you left with some guy… and…”

Buffy didn’t know why, but she believed him. And she was shocked into silence by his words, by the emotion behind them.

“Yeah, I left with some guy. Spike. He’s on my swim team. He danced with me early on to stop a drunken guy from approaching me. I had one drink, and something must have been slipped into it because within thirty minutes I was almost out cold. The same drunk carried me up to his room.” Buffy voice quivered, and the tears rolled freely down her cheeks. “If it hadn’t been for Spike breaking into the room when he did…”

Her breathing was coming in short bursts and her sobbing was no longer silent. “So yes, I left with him, unconscious in the back seat of his car. He brought me home and looked after me until morning.”

“Oh god, Buffy,” Riley gulped when it came to him. He knew who it was. The brother in question had sported a shiny blue bruise underneath one eye, and had long scratch marks up one arm. Everyone else had brushed it away after he had blamed it on an over-eager female companion. He had bragged about his conquest. Riley clenched his jaw.

“I am so sorry. I don’t know what I can say, or do to make you not hate me for this. If I had been there…” he trailed off. “He’s going to pay for this.”

“Riley, I don’t think you being there would have changed things much,” she said quietly, wiping the drying tears from her face. “He’d been watching me all night.”

“You’re damned wrong about that!” Riley fumed. “If I’d been there he wouldn’t have come within thirty feet of you.”

“Riley…”

“No, Buffy, he needs to pay for this. I-- I’m pretty sure I know who it is. I’m going to make a formal written complaint to the university, and the local law enforcement.”

“No, Riley!” Buffy interrupted. “I couldn’t. He would know it was me and I don’t want him coming after me again. I couldn’t take that… I…”

“Shh,” he shushed. “I’ll leave the police out of it, but it needs to be reported to the Dean. It can be anonymous.” He sighed. “And this isn’t the first time he’s attempted something like this, although last time his lawyers stepped in and paid off the girl. This will probably get him expelled.”

Buffy gulped. “But he would come after…”

“No, he won’t. I won’t let him come anywhere near you.” He promised. “He’s not a local anyway, and once he gets booted, he’ll have to move back home. To New Jersey.”

She sighed lightly. New Jersey… that wasn’t even remotely close to Sunnydale.

“Alright, but on one condition.”

~~~

“Oh-my-god,” Willow breathed. “He’s really doing that?”

Buffy nodded.

The final bell of the day had just been rung, and Buffy had just finished retelling Willow of her conversation with Riley from the previous night. And what they had planned for this afternoon.

“So he’s going to get kicked out of school.”

“Probably,” Buffy interjected.

“No probably about it, Buffy, if he’s a repeat offender… that’s it. He’s gone. Across the country gone. That’s got to be a minor relief,” Willow asked hopefully.

“It is,” Buffy replied.

“So,” Willow probed. “What does Spike think of all this?”

Buffy shrugged her shoulders and her expression darkened. “Why should I care what he thinks?”

“Buffy,” Willow teased. “He cares about you. You know he does.”

Buffy’s expression softened slightly, before her mouth formed a straight line again. “He looked out for me, kept me safe. And I’m grateful for that. But he doesn’t care about me. If he did, he wouldn’t have had his hands and lips all over a brunette yesterday.”

Willow gasped in surprise. “Oh, Buffy, are you sure?”

Buffy raised an eyebrow in response.

“Maybe, she’s…” Willow was clutching at straws, trying to justify Spike’s behaviour.

“I don’t care what she is,” Buffy interrupted. She looked at her watch and realized that Riley was going to be waiting for her.

“Will, I gotta go. Update Xand for me?” She turned away from her friend and walked towards the parking lot before Willow could argue.

Willow watched after her friend, troubled by the news she had just been privy to. She knew Spike liked Buffy. She could see it in his eyes when he was around her. So why was there another girl around?

“Hey, Red.”

Willow jumped, a surprised squeak escaping her lips. “Spike! Don’t sneak up on people like that!”

A sly smirk passed over his lips as he gave her a second to calm her nerves. “You seen Buffy? I really need to talk to her. She didn’t turn up to English Lit this afternoon.”

Willow’s lips pursed, her brows furrowing. “Why do you want to talk to Buffy?”

Spike sighed. Whatever had pissed off Buffy yesterday, Willow had obviously been filled in on. “What’s she told you?”

Willow pursed her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest. “She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“Red!” he snapped with exasperation. “Please, just tell me where she is.”

Shrugging her shoulders she answered bluntly. “She’s with Riley.”

Spikes jaw dropped. “Riley… what? She’s WHAT?”

Willow took a step back as Spike became enraged. “Why do you even care who she’s with? She’s not your girlfriend. You’ve got that brunette to keep you occupied.”

Spike’s expression turned stormy. “What brunette? Occupied? What the hell are you talking about, Willow?” he fired in quick succession, his voice low and dangerous.

“Hey! Don’t shoot the messenger. She SAW you. Yesterday, in the courtyard.” Willow frowned, holding her position.

“Courtyard?” Realization flickered across his face. “You mean Dru? She saw me and Dru?”

“I don’t know,” Willow snapped.

“Dru is my ex­-girlfriend,” he clarified.

Willow froze for a second. “If she’s you’re ex-girlfriend, then why did you kiss her?”

“She kissed me!” he replied with frustration. “And I pushed her away, told her it wasn’t going to happen. Because I had feelings for someone else.”

Willow’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. “Feelings for someone else… someone… BUFFY!” she squeaked. “I knew it!” She bounced up and down on the spot. “I could so tell!”

A faint smile crossed his face. “Yeah, well you coulda given a guy a the heads up.”

Willow laughed. “Like you would’ve believed me.” Her expression became serious. “So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” he responded truthfully.

“Well, I can tell you what’s happening this afternoon. Come with me.”



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Hope you like!

Chapter 11: Despair.


Buffy walked out of the Dean’s office, Riley’s arm wrapped protectively around her shoulder. She’d done it, formally reported what had happened. And it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She exhaled slowly; releasing the tension she no longer had to bottle up. Resting her head against Riley’s shoulder the pair walked through the exit doors of the building and out onto the street.

It was dark. She hadn’t realized how long they had been in there: obviously it had been a longer meeting than it had seemed.

Spike was leaning against a wall to the side of the buildings entrance when he heard the doors open. Finally… he thought. He’d tried to get inside, go into that meeting, but they wouldn’t let him.

He stepped one foot forward and froze at the sight he saw. Buffy was leaning against Riley, the college boy’s arm slung around her as he led them to his truck. Spike watched in silence as they climbed into the vehicle.

The sound of the engine revving as the truck pulled away woke him from the daze, and he moved a whole two footsteps towards the vehicle before it took off down the street.

She hadn’t even seen him.

~~~

The rest of the week went by in a blur. Buffy caught up on her homework and assignments that she’d missed due to starting school a few weeks into the year. Training was going well—her sprint times were improving marginally—and the coach was happy with her results. Free time had been spent with her friends, and bit-by-bit Buffy began to feel like her old self again. The previous night she, Willow and Xander had gone to the movies. And now it was Friday. It had come so fast, the week a haze of activity. Tonight she was meeting Riley at the Bronze for their first official date.

They’d spoken on the phone every night since the meeting with the Dean. He’d picked her up from swim practice on Wednesday night and driven her home. That night the two of them had talked for almost an hour in the driveway, and he it was then that he’d asked her out… as his girlfriend.

Buffy had been flabbergasted, she was pretty sure her jaw hit the floor when he had told her that he wanted to be with her. Before she could think it over Riley had leaned forward, kissing her lightly before pulling back and looking deeply into her eyes. He looked so hopeful, and nervous all at once. It was endearing. When she’d said yes, he’d drawn her forward into a tight embrace, prompting Buffy to laugh.

He had promised that he would make her so happy, and to that Buffy had just smiled.

Now it was Friday. Buffy walked toward her final class of the day, turning the last corner in a hurry and crashing into someone walking quickly in the other direction. Her books flew from her hands and spilled across the floor.

She dropped to her knees and began scooping them up, apologizing as she went.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” A moment later she lifted her gaze from the floor to find that she was alone in the hallway.

A door opened behind her and she turned to see it closing. Rude much…

Frowning she continued to pick up her books and quickly made her way to class. Willow waved to her when she entered the room, and Buffy smiled as she weaved through the desks. She kept an expression of nonchalance at the sight of Spike’s empty seat beside her, but she silently wondered where he was.

She had barely seen him all week.

And she didn’t know why she cared. She was still angry about the situation she had caught him in with that brunette in the courtyard. If she was truthful with herself, she was a little hurt by it as well.

Why, Buffy? You’ve got a boyfriend now… her subconscious reminded her. She gave in. She really didn’t have a reason to stay angry with him. So he had kissed that brunette girl, it didn’t matter. She had a boyfriend now.

~~~

Spike pressed himself up against the wall of the empty music room, and took a deep breath. He couldn’t believe he’d run. He’d accidentally crashed into Buffy in the hallway, in a way not too dissimilar to how they had first met. Except this time he hadn’t stuck around.

He caught a flash of her blonde hair, heard her voice and ran for cover to the closest room he could find. Why on earth did I run? Whatever it was possessed him to hightail it out of there, Spike had no clue. Maybe it was the shock of seeing her after playing the avoidance game for the last few days. Ever since he’d seen her with Riley.

“I’m a bloody fool,” he muttered to himself. I should’ve talked to her.

Clenching his jaw Spike bashed his closed fist against the door, causing items on a shelf beside it to rattle. Taking a deep breath he walked out of the music room and headed towards the exit to the front of the school.

~~~

Buffy entered the Bronze awash with nerves. And she didn’t know why. It was a date, something she’d been on many times before. And Xander and Willow were going to be there as well, but still she was nervous. Her friends knew Riley would be joining them tonight, but Buffy hadn’t yet told them he was now officially her boyfriend.

Sub-consciously she ran her fingers through her hair, making sure it was behaving. Having decided against putting it up tonight she’d let it dry naturally after her shower, a slight wave coming through. Make-up was kept to a minimum as usual, light mascara and a hint of eye shadow matched to the deep green of her halter.

It was fitted around the bodice, and flowed lightly down to her hips. The bodice itself was beaded intricately around the keyhole that was cut out, the top shining when the beads caught the light. It was a little dressier than she would normally go for, so she’d matched it with a pair of tight fitting pale blue denim jeans that flared out from the knee, and a pair of black boots to make it more casual.

She kicked herself for not wearing a jacket as she’d walked to the club, but soon remembered why she’d decided against it when she stepped inside. It was a muggy heat, the warmth caused by a combination of a weak air-conditioning system and the sheer amount of people who had turned up tonight for the live show. The band—Dingoes Ate My Baby—was apparently very popular with the locals. Buffy had heard them play once and thought their reputation was well warranted.

She walked passed the pool tables, and toward the regular table where Xander and Willow were both waiting, deep in conversation.

Xander looked over Willow’s shoulder, noticing Buffy as she walked toward them and caught his breath as he took in her appearance. He realized it wasn’t likely that anything would happen between the two of them, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate her. Nor would he stand by and let any guy step in and easily sweep her away. They would have to prove themselves worthy, something he’d not yet seen.

Willow frowned at Xander’s distracted gaze and turned to see what, or who, he was looking at. Spotting Buffy a smile spread across her face.

“Hey, Buffy! You look great!”

“Yeah, Buff… you look… amazing,” Xander agreed.

Buffy smiled as she sidled up to her friends, sitting between them on the free stool. “Thanks! You two look great as well.”

Xander was dressed it dark khaki’s and a cream shirt. A much tamer outfit than she normally found him in. And Willow was wearing a deep blue shirt that had a scoop neck, and a pair of tan pants. Her hair was out, and Buffy noted that she was even wearing a little make-up. She wondered what the occasion was.

“So, Buffy, what time is Riley getting here?” Willow asked curiously.

“Yeah, when’s Captain Cardboard going to make his appearance,” Xander asked dryly.

“Xander!” Buffy scolded, swatting at his arm. “That’s my boyfriend you’re talking about there.”

“Boyfriend?” Xander’s jaw dropped. “Since when and why wasn’t I…”

Willow nudged him in the ribs.

“Why weren’t we, told about this?”

Buffy blushed. “I’m sorry, guys, it’s kind of a new development. Tonight will be our first official date. I was going to tell you. And I thought you guys liked him. Riley is a really sweet guy… and...”

“You don’t need to sell how great he is to me, Buff. I’m just looking out for you, you know that,” Xander said with a smile. “Just next time keep us informed, okay?”

“It’s a deal,” Buffy grinned. “So… tell me, what have we been talking about?”

~~~

Spike scanned the floor from his elevated position on the catwalk. He didn’t even know why he was here; he knew she would probably be here with him. Willow had been on his back all week to talk to her, even after he told her it was hopeless. He’d even informed the redhead about the collision in the hallway when he’d bumped into her after school today. But she wouldn’t take no for answer, practically ordering him to be here and for some strange reason he’d listened to her.

His eyes floated over the entrance, waiting for her to arrive. So far he’d been standing up here in the shadows, growing consistently more bored the longer he waited and she didn’t appear.

And then…

Spike’s breath caught in his throat and his heart instantly beat faster when Buffy entered through the door, her long blonde hair bouncing lightly around her shoulders as she walked towards her friends. She looked… beautiful. Keeping to the shadows above, he observed the trio of friends as they joked and laughed together.

His sharp eyes scanned the crowd for the college boy and he was pleasantly surprised to find him a non-attendance. Spike gathered his confidence with a deep breath; it was now or never.

Finally moving, he made his way down a set of stairs, keeping his gaze on her as he approached the group. He caught Willow’s line of sight, and she nodded slowly, a move-your-sorry-ass-or-else look in her eyes.

Spike walked up to the table, coming to stand behind Buffy. The scent of her shampoo mixed with vanilla teased him as he breathed her in. Reaching out he placed one hand gently on her shoulder to alert her of his presence.

Buffy tensed at the surprise contact on her shoulder, and turned to see who it was.

“Hey,” he greeted the group, smiling lightly at Buffy when she turned toward him. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her to react, relaxing when he saw her face soften.

“Hey, yourself,” she greeted.

“Hey, man,” Xander acknowledged. He looked from Spike to Buffy and back again, before shooting a confused look in Willow’s direction. Willow had an excited grin on her face, and she nodded furiously at Xander’s confusion. The penny dropped and his mouth formed an O. Not wanting Xander to put his foot in his mouth, she stood up reached for his hand.

“Xander and I are going to dance,” she informed Buffy and Spike, dragging the dumbfounded brunette onto the dance floor before he could object.

“What was that about?” Xander asked when they were a safe distance away, dancing to the music.

Willow rolled her eyes. “Just giving Spike and Buffy a nudge is all.”

“And what about Riley?” Xander questioned.

The colour left her face. “Oh, crap!”

~~~

Real smooth Red… Spike thought as he saw the grin she flashed him as she dragged Xander away to the dance floor. Suddenly feeling a little awkward, he stepped around Buffy and moved onto the seat beside her. “Hey,” he said again.

Buffy felt awkward, and dropped her gaze to her hands as she fiddled with the hem of her halter. Finally she looked up at him. “Spike, why weren’t you in class this afternoon?”

He was surprised by her question, but silently thrilled that she had noticed his nonattendance. She was aware of my absence… that’s a start…

“Another meeting with Snyder,” he informed quietly.

“Oh.”

The silence between them was deafening. Spike watched as she fidgeted with her top and flicked her gaze over the table, her hands, his knee, and the floor.

“You look beautiful,” he complimented. And she did. He wanted nothing more than to sweep forward, wrap his arms around her and…

Buffy blushed under his scrutiny. “Thanks.”

Spike could see how nervous she was, and he didn’t want to mess things up before they even had a chance to begin. He reached out for one of her hands, holding it in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You wanna dance?” he asked a little shyly.

Buffy saw the uncertainty in his eyes and felt a faint smile float across her features. “Okay.”

Spike stood up, lacing his fingers with hers as he drew her onto the dance floor. As if on cue, the tempo of the music shifted, a slow song playing throughout the club. Couples paired up, pressing against each other as they swayed to the music.

Buffy kept an awkward distance between the two of them, as she looked around at all the other dancing couples, suddenly feeling out of place.

Spike saw the expression on her face, saw the hesitation and knew she was thinking of running. Taking one step forward he wrapped his arms around her before she could leave. Her body went rigid for a moment before she began to relax, her arms snaking around his neck. When Buffy rested her head against his chest Spike breathed in her scent deeply.

They held each other closely as they danced, moving as one to the music. Buffy sighed as she relaxed into his arms, all thoughts escaping her mind.

The song peaked and slowly came to an end. Spike held onto her for a moment longer, before reluctantly releasing his grasp enough that she could leave if she wished. But she didn’t make a move to step away.

He looked down at her, lifting one hand from her hip to beneath her chin, tilting her head up towards him. Buffy didn’t resist his guidance, her green eyes meeting his deep blue ones. Shock washed over her as she read his thoughts in those eyes, seeing that look of longing. Her own eyes widened with realization a second later when she saw his face dipping towards hers.

~~~

“Oooh! Look!” Willow exclaimed excitedly, all thoughts of Riley pushed from her mind as she saw Spike inching closer to Buffy. It wasn’t too late for him to make a move. Just like Buffy had said, she and Riley was a new thing. It wasn’t set in stone… right?

Xander rolled his eyes at Willow’s reaction, but watched on with intrigue and the smallest amount of jealousy.

~~~

Spikes lips captured Buffy’s with a softness that was impossible to describe, his lips ghosting over hers light as a breath of wind. His heart soared when she didn’t resist, if anything she relaxed to his touch. His arms wrapped more tightly around her, pulling her flush against him as he parted his lips. His tongue darted out from the cocoon of his mouth, lightly running the length of her plump bottom lip, begging for entrance.

For the briefest of moments Buffy lost herself in that kiss. It just felt… right. Her mouth parted to give entrance to Spike’s tongue and that was the moment her brain kicked into gear.

Buffy’s eyes snapped open and she tore her lips from his, pushing her hands against Spike’s chest to break from his embrace.

She raised a hand to her mouth, touching it lightly as she tried to process what had just happened, not understanding how she had let it. “Oh, my god,” she whispered, turning away from him.

Spike felt her wrench away from him, and his eyes blinked open as the heat of her flesh abandoned his. Her back was turned to him and he reflexively reached out for her, grabbing her wrist to turn her to face him.

“Buffy?” That one word, her name, expressed all the confusion and hurt he felt.

“Spike, don’t,” Buffy pleaded, pulling her hand from his grasp. “Please, just leave me alone.”

“Buffy, what ---”

“Spike, I’m supposed to be meeting Riley. I shouldn’t have let you --”

“Riley,” he interrupted, speaking through clenched teeth. Apparently his earlier thoughts had been correct. He threw his hands in the air in frustration. “You’re unbelievable you know that?”

“Hey!” she snapped. “I don’t owe you anything. I never should have let that happen.”

“Why?” he demanded. “Because of College Boy.”

Buffy glared, crossing her arms over her chest. “Riley is a nice guy,” she defended. “At least he’s been honest with me.”

“He’s been honest? And how exactly have I been dishonest, please, do tell me.”

“Riley isn’t the kind of guy that flirts with someone behind the back of his girlfriend,” Buffy retorted.

“Neither do I!” he exclaimed. “Do you really think that I’m that sort of person? I told you that I wasn’t with Harmony anymore.”

“Not Harmony. Some brunette, I saw you, in the quad the other day,” Buffy snapped angrily. Before he could answer she turned away and began walking towards the bar to get away from him.

Spike caught up with her, spinning her to face him. “She’s not my girlfriend. Dru and I used to go out, but we’re not together anymore.”

“Well for exes you two seemed to be very friendly with each other,” she retorted sarcastically.

Spike glared at her. “Jealous are we, Summers?”

The instant the words left his mouth he wished he could take them back.

Buffy looked like she had been slapped. She resisted the urge to hit him as he fumbled to make an apology.

“Buffy, I didn’t mean --”

“I would never be jealous. Not over you. You’re nothing to me.” Buffy turned and fled from him and pushed her way through the crowd.

Her words stung him, freezing him to the spot. She had yelled at him before, and they’d exchanged nasty words to with each other before, but that was as strangers. Her words now were filled with spite. When Spike finally reacted and stepped forward to follow her through the crowd, she was out of sight.

“Buffy!” he called, his voice drowned out by the music.

She was gone.

“Damn it!” he cursed. He didn’t know how he had managed to mess it up but he had. He thought Red had spoken to Buffy about Dru. Pivoting on the spot, he scanned the crowd before he spotted the offending girl and moved toward her.

Xander and Willow looked up as Spike approached. They’d witnessed the scene between Spike and Buffy but had no idea what had caused it. One second they were leaning toward each other for a kiss, and a second later they appeared to be exchanging heated words, before Buffy took off.

Willow saw the look on Spike’s face. “Uh oh…”

“I thought you spoke to her about Dru,” he demanded as he joined the pair.

The colour washed from Willow’s face. “Oh god, Spike. I---I completely forgot,” she stuttered.

Spike looked like a coiled spring, ready to bounce out at any second. A few seconds later, he calmed himself down, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Spike,” Willow called tentatively. “Where’d she go?”

“She walked out of the club,” he answered. He saw the worried looks Xander and Willow shared and instantly demanded to know what was going on. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Buffy’s Mom is out of town again this weekend,” Xander informed. “She’ll be walking home.” He paused for effect. “Alone.”

The colour drained from Spike’s face when he thought of something happening to her. “I’ll find her,” he assured, quickly turning away from the duo and rushing towards the exit.

“But, Spike, there’s something you should know,” Willow called after him.

But he was already gone.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Still with me? Let me know.

The feedback I have received from you all over this little ficcie of mine has been phenomenal and I greatly appreciate the fact that people have taken a few moments of their time to let me know their thoughts.

Chapter 12: Strained.


Spike drove the streets for almost thirty minutes, his panic rising when every street he checked got him no closer to finding her. Flipping a U-turn he sped towards her house, hoping she was there. Five minutes later his car was turning into her driveway and he parked it quickly, shutting off the engine.

There were no lights on, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t home. He ran towards her door, banging on it with his fists.

“Buffy!” he called.

He banged on the door again. “Buffy, are you in there? Open up!”

He heard a shuffling sound inside the house. The hall light flicked on and the door swung open a fraction. Pushing it wider he swept inside and closed the door.

“Why the hell did you run off like that?” he demanded.

Buffy looked at the ground, turning her back on him to walk up the stairs. Spike wasn’t going to let her get away with it that easily, grabbing at her wrist he pulled her towards him forcefully.

“Buffy, why?” he demanded.

She blinked her eyes up towards him and he instantly dropped her arm. She’d been crying, and for a split second, she’d almost looked scared. Of him. That was the last thing he wanted. Stepping back slightly, he asked her again.

“Buffy, why did you run off like that? Do you know how worried Willow and Xander are? You just left… and then they tell me your mom’s out of town. What were you thinking? Walking the streets by yourself. You of all people should know it’s not safe to do a thing like that.”

Buffy’s eyes flooded with tears. “Spike, just go home please. I got home safely, you know I’m okay.”

Spike reached a hand to her face and Buffy flinched. He paused for a second before his hand swept up to her face and brushed the tears from her cheek. “Luv, what’s wrong?”

“Spike just go. GO!” she ordered. “I… I need to call Riley.”

Spike threw his hands up in the air. “Pet, I don’t know why you persist with this guy. He’s not good enough for you. He’s just after one thing.”

“No, he’s not!” she retorted.

“How do you know that? He’s a college boy, Buffy. You saw the kind of people he hangs around with, what makes you think he’s so different?”

“He’s my boyfriend, Spike,” she answered quietly.

Spike froze, not believing his ears. “What?”

“He’s my…” she trailed off, knowing he had heard her. “Just go please.”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he nodded his head once and obeyed. “Call Willow, let her know you’re alright,” he said as he opened the front door and walked out of her house, closing it behind him.

Buffy slid to the floor as the tears she’d been holding back broke free.

~~~

Spike heard her sobbing and he wanted nothing more than to walk back inside and sweep her up into his arms to hold her, soothe her. But she had made her wishes clear.

Walking down the steps from the porch he got in his car and drove off into the night.

~~~

Buffy slept restlessly that night. She’d called Willow shortly after Spike had left. Her friend had scolded her for her actions but was glad she was okay. Xander had threatened to take up residence on her porch if she even pulled a stunt like that again, her own personal shadow for the next time she left the house. Buffy had laughed, agreeing not to run off like that again.

After speaking with her friends, she had called Riley and explained that she wasn’t feeling too well. It was lucky she called when she did; she’d caught him just before he was about to leave the dorms. He’d offered to come by and check up on her but she declined. A new date for coffee was planned for the next day.

The alarm buzzed, insisting that it was time for Buffy to get up and get ready. Flicking the alarm off she climbed out of bed and padded towards the bathroom, hoping a shower would wake her up.

She stripped off her pyjamas and turned on the taps, the room soon filling with steam. Some of the tension she had felt last night washed away with the water, but not all of it. Confused was an understatement about how she felt right now.

Spike had done nothing wrong; she knew that. And all she had done was be nasty to him. She closed her eyes, pressing her hands up against the tilled walls of the shower as the hot stream of water sprayed over the top of her head, and down her back. Memories of that kiss drifted through her mind, and she sub-consciously licked at her lips.

A little over a month ago they’d been at each other’s throats. He hated her, she detested him. And now… now things were muddled. Things weren’t as black and white anymore. She missed that clarity.

For a fraction of a second she let herself become lost in that kiss, not thinking, just acting. And then Riley’s face had come to her and the guilt she felt in that one moment was unbearable. She thought of her mother and how gutted she’d been when she’d walked in on her dad with his secretary that day.

Buffy never wanted to cause someone that much pain, ever. And if Riley had walked in at that moment she never would have forgiven herself. She wouldn’t have said yes to him if she didn’t like him.

She knew she had hurt Spike and she hated herself for that. The way his face had closed up when she had told him she and Riley were a couple; that had opened the floodgates to her tears. But she had to do it; she had to tell him.

Buffy was lost. That kiss had evoked so many feelings, made her feel so alive. But she also felt consumed with guilt. She and Spike were getting along, and he was obviously interested in her, but she’d also made a commitment to Riley. Would it be fair to throw that away without giving it a real chance? What should I do?

Turning off the taps she wrapped a towel around herself before walking back into her bedroom. She dressed casually, in jeans and a fitted red t-shirt. Tying her hair back into a loose ponytail she slipped on her sneakers and walked downstairs.

~~~

Buffy laughed at the joke, placing her mug down so that she didn’t spill any of the coffee.

Riley squeezed her left hand in his right, happy to see a smile on her face. She had seemed so gloomy a little while ago, but he hadn’t pressed her to tell him what was wrong. She would open up when she was ready to. Right now, he was just going to be there for her. That’s all he could do.

“I love that smile,” he informed her. “I hope I can make you smile many more times just like that.”

Buffy blushed, taking her hand from his she finished off her coffee. “So, what are you’re plans for today?” she asked politely.

“I’ve got to study for exams,” he grumbled. “I’d much prefer to spend the day with you.”

Buffy blushed again. “Next time.”

“So… next weekend. Coffee again? I was thinking I could take you to a movie?” he asked hesitantly.

“That sounds great, it really does but I can’t. I’m going to be in LA next week. I’ve got a swim meet.”

“Oh,” Riley said quietly. “Well, maybe we can do something when you get back?” he asked hopefully.

“Definitely,” she promised.

~~~

The next few days flew by quickly. Riley came over on the Monday night after her training, and Buffy introduced him to her Mom. Joyce had found him quite pleasant and he obviously adored Buffy. Buffy seemed to be at ease around him, but she wondered if her daughter was truly happy.

She’s old enough to make her own decisions, Joyce…

~~~

It was Wednesday and she had another training session. Buffy bit her bottom lip as she walked towards the pool. Spike had been avoiding her all week. He’d sat silently next to her in English Lit, and the second the bell had gone off he’d jumped up from his seat and was out of the door before she could blink. He didn’t even look at her when they passed in the halls.

She didn’t want things to be like this between them, but she didn’t know what she could do to smooth things out.

She saw him the second she stepped on to the pool deck, stretching his arms using a wall for resistance. Buffy took a deep breath before approaching him, placing her bag on the ground near his.

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Summers,” he responded curtly, before pulling his goggles over his eyes and turning away from her.

She sighed as he walked towards the diving blocks.

Quickly stripping off her tracksuit, she tucked her hair up into her cap and placed her goggles over her head.

“Miss Summers, have you spoken to your mother yet?” Coach Jones’ voice broke the awkward silence as she strolled towards the pool.

Spike half listened to the conversation as he finished his stretches.

“Ye... Yes I have. I’m coming,” Buffy replied quickly.

“Good,” Coach replied. “See me after training, I’ll give you all the necessary documentation for the meet, and information about the hotel we’ll be staying at.”

Buffy nodded and turned towards the pool, seeing Spike watching her. She blushed slightly under his gaze as she stepped towards the blocks.

“So you’re coming to LA then?” he stated more than asked.

“Yes,” Buffy nodded, hoping he would talk to her.

“And your boyfriend is allowing that, is he?” he asked sharply.

“Spike…”

He hit the water with a splash, effectively cutting her off. Buffy’s shoulders slumped. Oh well… if he doesn’t want to talk to me, I’m not going to force him.

She stepped forward to her blocks and took position before springing into the water.

~~~

“That was a good session everyone. Hit the showers, I’ll see you all at 4pm on Friday. Don’t be late, we can’t hold up the bus.” With that the Coach dismissed them.

Spike watched as Buffy moved quickly to the locker rooms. He had purposely been avoiding her all week and he knew that it bothered her. He didn’t want things to be this way, but she was the one who had caused it. Clenching his jaw he left the pool.

~~~

“Red, just give it up will you,” Spike snapped with frustration.

“But, Spike, I know that…” Willow began.

“She’s got a boyfriend, Willow. That’s that.”

“No, Spike, that’s not that. She cares about you,” Willow insisted.

“Then why is she with that git? Explain that to me?” he demanded.

When Willow could offer no explanation he turned his back on her. “Spike, wait… she’s just confused is all. Give her time.”

“She’s made it perfectly clear what she wants - me to stay away.”

“You’re going to be staying in the same hotel together!” Willow exclaimed. “And the bus ride, are you just going to ignore her the whole time?”

“If I have to.” Spike turned around and stalked towards the other end of the hall.

Willow gave up. There was no convincing him. She just hoped he wasn’t so hostile tomorrow; it wasn’t a short trip to LA.

~~~

“Have fun, honey!” Joyce fare welled as Buffy walked towards the bus.

“Bye, Mom! I’ll call you when I get there.”

Joyce nodded, watching as Buffy climbed the stairs to the bus. Joyce returned to her car and climbed in. She hoped her daughter would be all right, she knew she wasn’t exactly looking forward to seeing her father. Starting up the engine, she pulled the SUV away.

Buffy climbed the few steps up into the bus and quickly made her way to the rear, sitting a few seats away from the back of the bus. Their team wasn’t going to have the whole bus to themselves; it seemed they were going to be picking up another two semi-local teams on the way. But until then, she could spread herself across the two seats.

Removing a book from her bag, she flicked it open and began to read. She might as make use of the time the long trip was going to take and finish off her English Lit homework.

She didn’t look up when she heard someone slump into the seat opposite hers. She knew immediately that it was him. Biting her bottom lip Buffy continued with her reading, trying to focus on the words.

Spike watched as Buffy concentrated on her book, not even looking up when he sat down. He hadn’t exactly been quiet either. He watched her closely, noting her chewing on her bottom lip. It was a nervous habit and he smiled knowing it was because of him, she’d realized he was there.

He pulled out the same book. Might as well finish the reading that was set as homework. It wasn’t like there was anything better to do.

~~~

Buffy read the same passage over about six times, before finally giving up and slamming the book shut. She couldn’t concentrate with him sitting there; she could feel it every time he looked up at her. Finally dragging her eyes away from the cover of her book, she looked over at him and found his eyes on her.

The stare was vacant, and she dropped her gaze immediately. Why does it have to be like this?

She hated things being so strained between them. You’ve brought this upon yourself… she scolded.

“Alright everyone, we’re going to have to share seats now,” Coach’s voice broke through the silence.

Buffy looked up to see that the bus had pulled up outside the gates of a ritzy looking private school, the team waiting patiently for the bus, all wearing matching uniforms. She sighed, not wanting to have to share a seat with one of them.

There was a thump beside her and she turned around, startled by the noise. Spike had moved across and was sitting next to her now.

Her brows knitted in confusion. “Spike, what are you…”

“You heard, Jonesy, we need to share now, not enough seats to spread out. It’s not my ideal situation either, pet, but it’s either you or one of them,” he said jabbing his thumb towards the students climbing on the bus.

“Oh,” she murmured quietly, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice. She opened her book again and pretended to be deeply engrossed in the passage she was reading.

A smirk spread across Spike’s face when he saw how flustered she was. He shifted in his seat, purposely rubbing his leg up against hers for a second as he adjusted himself. She didn’t flinch but he saw the colour rising on her cheeks.

“Pet, that was last week’s reading,” he pointed out.

Buffy’s cheeks flamed when she realized he was right. She had been focusing so hard on pretending to read she hadn’t even noticed she was on the wrong page. “I knew that,” she said quickly.

He chuckled as she turned the pages and found the right one. The new students now settled in their seats, the bus pulled out from the street and continued towards LA.

~~~

Spike could see how uncomfortable Buffy was and a small part of him was glad. He shifted in his seat again. One of his hands was resting on his left knee and when his leg touched hers, his fingers grazed lightly across her exposed leg.

This time she did flinch.

“Why so jumpy, pet?” he asked innocently.

Buffy glared as she looked up at him. “Pig.”

“Bitch.”

“Ass!”

“Snob!”

He smiled wickedly at her and she could feel her anger dissipate. “There’s my girl,” he said with a laugh as a smile crept across her face.

Buffy faltered, her smile fading slightly. “Look, Spike…”

Spike’s own smile disappeared at her serious tone. This wasn’t part of his plan. “Buffy, I get it. You don’t need to explain anything to me.”

“But I do,” she insisted. “I should have told you.”

“Save it, princess. I don’t want to hear the ‘I’m sorry but...’ speech.”

Buffy’s shoulders sagged in defeat. Why did she have to open her big mouth? And just when he was opening up to her again. Real clever, Summers…



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Liked it? Let me know! More will be up soon.

Chapter 13: Decisions.


Beth watched Buffy and Spike with intrigue. The air between the two of them was… tense. She didn’t know why they fought it, when they both obviously wanted the same thing. Each other. She turned back to her conversation; occasionally throwing glances their way.

~~~

An hour or so later the bus pulled up in the valet parking section of a large hotel. Buffy waited for Spike to get up, gathering her stuff once he left. He hadn’t spoken to her since the ‘wrong page’ conversation, and she had made no attempt to get him to speak. His body language was quite clear.

Slipping her small backpack over her shoulders, she moved off the bus and waited while their larger bags were unloaded from the stowage. She soon found her duffel, and hauled it over her shoulder before she walked towards the lobby where the Coach was sorting out their rooms.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn’t even heard the person sneak up behind her.

“Honey!”

Buffy’s jaw dropped, her hold on her bag tightening at the sound of that voice, a voice that she instantly recognised.

“Dad?” she asked nervously.

Hank Summers took a step towards his daughter and frowned when she flinched. “I thought we could go get something to eat, catch up. I have someone I want you to meet.”

“Dad, I can’t tonight,” she started, closing her eyes for a second painfully, knowing exactly who it was he wanted her to meet.

The woman you left Mom for…

“It’s just dinner, Buffy,” he pointed out smoothly, taking hold of her arm. “We’ll drop your bags off in your room and then head out.”

“No, Dad, I can’t. We’ve got a team meeting.”

“So someone else can fill you in,” he insisted.

“Dad, I really can’t.”

Hank took her duffel from her shoulder and placed it on the ground, Buffy reacting by taking another step back.

“Buffy, why are you being so difficult? You agreed to visit me whilst you were here.”

“Yes, but tomorrow, when I have more time. Dad, please, I have to go,” Buffy pleaded, reaching for her bag.

Hank frowned. “I don’t see what the big deal is, Buffy, I thought you’d be happy to see me. Now let’s go.”

“Dad, no…” Buffy struggled against his hold.

“Buffy,” Hank’s voice was low as his anger slowly crept into his words. “You will come with me now or…”

“I believe she said she couldn’t come with you tonight,” a voice interrupted.

Buffy turned to see Spike standing beside her, holding her duffel over his shoulder. His expression was firm, and she had never been so relieved to see him looking so angry. “You coming, Buffy? We’ve got a team meeting.”

Buffy nodded quickly. “Yes… I’m coming.”

Hank clenched his jaw, but let his daughter’s arm go, not wanting to draw any more attention to them. He slipped her a piece of paper with a number scrawled on it. “Call me at this number later, so we can organize dinner for tomorrow.”

Buffy took the paper and turned away from him.

“Love you, sweetheart,” she heard her father call to her as she followed Spike to the elevator, Buffy only relaxing when the elevator doors shut safely behind them. She sighed, and let her shoulders slump against the wall.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“What a piece of work he is,” Spike muttered, placing her bag on the elevator floor.

“Yeah,” she agreed.

Spike had walked into the hotel after her and seen the older man approach before she had. He’d watched with interest at first, and then walked over to the registration desk to get his room key. He was headed towards the elevator when he saw the panicked look on Buffy’s face as the older man grabbed hold of her arm.

Spike clenched his jaw. He couldn’t understand how the man hadn’t seen how scared Buffy was of him. He had put his own reservations aside and stepped forward to help her when he had seen that the older man—her father—wasn’t going to let go.

“You all right?” he asked softly, lifting her chin up to look at him.

Buffy’s eyes glistened with tears, but she nodded. “Yeah, thanks to you,” she answered with a weak smile.

The elevator stopped and Spike stepped away from her as the doors opened, picking up her bag and carrying it down the hall. He stopped at the appropriate door and slid the card key into the lock, a little light flashing green as it unlocked. Opening the door her walked in and placed her bag on the double bed, dropping his beside it.

Buffy frowned. One bed… I’m not staying in here am I…?

Spike caught her confused look and chuckled. “No, you’re not staying here. Jonesy had already left so I couldn’t get your room key. We’ll get it off her at dinner.”

“How come you’ve got a double bed?” she asked curiously.

“Only room they had left and I offered to take it.” He grin was broad as he lay back, sprawling across the bed. “Much prefer a large bed and room to myself than sharing a twin single room with someone who snores.”

Buffy laughed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Fair enough.”

Spike lifted himself to his elbows to watch her. Her shoulders were trembling slightly.

“He really scared you, didn’t he, pet?” he asked sitting up to place a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

Buffy nodded. Her dad had frightened her, but that wasn’t the only reason why she was shaking. She was sitting on Spike’s bed, alone with him in his room. And a part of her was excited by it. She closed her eyes as she felt him draw her back into his arms, holding her protectively. Her body relaxed instantly.

Spike’s heartbeat quickened when her body molded against his. She smelled of vanilla and shampoo, a smell he was beginning to grow accustomed to. His hold of her relaxed slightly, when she twisted on the edge of the bed to face him.

Buffy felt her heartbeat quicken when she realized how close they were. “Spike, I --”

“Shhh,” he shushed.

She shook her head. “No, I just wanted to… to thank you. For what you did in the lobby. You didn’t have to.”

“I told you, pet, I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again,” he answered quietly, staring down into her green eyes. He lifted a hand to brush away her tears, inching closer to her.

Buffy’s eyes flickered over his lips, as memories of that kiss in the Bronze flooded back. Cheeks flushing crimson she quickly dropped her gaze. She knew if she looked into his eyes again she would give in, and she couldn’t do that to Riley.

Her stare hadn’t gone unnoticed. Spike saw how she had been eyeing his lips. Look up… he begged silently.

But she didn’t.

Spike unwrapped his arms, wiping a few more of her tears away before he stood up and walked towards the door. “We should probably go; Jonesy will be waiting for us downstairs.”

Buffy nodded, and followed him out the door, thankful for the distraction.

~~~

They stood silently next to each other in the elevator as they rode down to the lobby. Spike stepped out first, quickly searching the floor for Buffy’s father. The gesture didn’t go unseen and she flashed him a smile when he nodded to give her the all clear.

They walked side by side as they headed towards the restaurant. Their Coach was sitting at the head of a table, the other six members of the team seated around. Buffy took one of the free seats, Spike sitting down beside her.

“All right, now that we’re all here,” she said pointedly, looking at the two latecomers. “Let’s go over the events schedule then we’ll order some dinner.”

~~~

Buffy clutched at her stomach. “Stop!” she begged between laughs. “I feel like I’m going to split in two from laughing so hard!”

Beth giggled along with her as David and Brian finally began to calm down. Whilst chatting after dinner it had come to light that the two boys were fearless when it came to dares. Of all the tasks that had been set tonight, they hadn’t backed down from one.

From walking up to the bar whilst pretending to be gay lovers, to swiping bread rolls from another diner’s plate—while they were eating from it, or asking an elderly woman for her phone number.

Buffy wiped the tears of laughter from her face and took a deep breath. Beth snickered as she conjured up a memory of one of the stunts, and Buffy shot her a death glare. The two girls exploded into a fit of giggles again.

Spike walked into the restaurant after stepping outside for a smoke, seeing that the girls were still laughing. He raised an eyebrow as he looked to his male teammates. “They been drinking anything?” he asked with a raised brow.

Beth shook her head vehemently between laughs. “No! You wouldn’t believe what they just did.”

“Stop! I need to stop laughing,” Buffy pleaded, her cheeks hurting from the strain.

“Just breathe, luv,” Spike suggested.

Buffy exploded into another fit of giggles at Brian’s expression, and Beth quickly joined in.

“Right. That’s it,” Spike walked over to Buffy and took her arm, lifting her from her seat and leading her out of the restaurant.

“Goodnight, guys,” she called over her shoulder to the three remaining.

“You should have gone to bed when the others did,” Spike grumbled, as he dragged a giggling Buffy to the elevators. They stepped inside and he pressed the button for their floor.

“WAIT! I need a key,” Buffy reminded, reaching for the door open button.

Spike swatted her hand away and pulled a card out of his pocket and waved it in front of her. A grin spread across his face as he lifted his arm, keeping it just outside her reach. Buffy jumped, grabbing at his arm, trying to drag it down so she could retrieve the card.

He twisted easily out of her way and switched the card to his other hand.

“Hey! No fair!” she pouted, jumping again. “You’re teasing.”

Buffy’s shirt rose up exposing her taught midriff, and Spike groaned silently. You’re not the only one being teased here…

She jumped forward again, this time grabbing his arm more firmly. She used his strength against him, straightening her arms to lift herself up. Her body rubbed up against his, causing Spike to freeze, Buffy taking advantage and she snatching the card from his unmoving hand.

Spike groaned, this time audibly as their bodies made contact.

Buffy slid down, her cheeks burning as she caught his gaze, Spike’s eyes as wide as hers. It was only then that she realized how close they were. Her feet touched the floor of the elevator and she immediately made a move to step back from him, closing her eyes in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

Not one to let a moment pass twice, Spike swept her up into his arms, crushing his lips against hers.

Buffy’s eyes darted open at the contact, and she pressed her arms against his chest weakly in a bid to stop him.

Spike pulled back, his eyes searching hers. “Buffy,” he breathed hoarsely.

“Spike, we can’t… I…”

Buffy licked at her lips and that was all that he needed.

Spike lifted her up in his arms and turned around, pressing her against the wall of the elevator as his lips descended towards hers again. This kiss was nothing like their first at the Bronze, nothing gentle or slow about it. Spike’s lips attacked with a desperate frenzy, his body pressing and rubbing against Buffy’s as he lifted a hand from around her back to tangle in her long golden hair, the other running up her spine and pulling her more forcefully to him.

Tongues dueled for dominance, a tiny moan escaping Buffy’s mouth in response to his ministrations. It was enough all the encouragement Spike needed to continue his exploration of her, the hand on her hip sliding to cup her arse.

Buffy’s body responded to Spike’s ministrations before her mind was given the opportunity to object, finally just giving in to her desire. Her hands clenched tightly at the material of his shirt as she pulled him closer to her, molding her body against his as they she returned the urgency of his kiss, sucking on his bottom lip and drawing it into her mouth.

They were so wrapped up in each other they didn’t hear the elevator ding as it reached their floor.

“Huh-humph.”

The two teenagers jumped away from each other at the sound of the deep voice. A middle-aged couple was standing at the open door to the elevator, grinning at the embarrassed looks Buffy and Spike wore on their faces.

“Sorry,” Spike muttered as he grabbed Buffy’s arm and steered her out of the elevator.

“Oh, my god,” Buffy mumbled in shock as she followed Spike down the hall.

He slipped the card key into the door, and quickly opened it, ushering Buffy in as he closed it behind them.

“They probably got a kick out of it,” he shot her a grin filled with embarrassment, which faded the instant he saw the look on her face. “Buffy, what’s wrong?” Spike held his breath for what seemed like an eternity as she tried to find her voice, praying that she didn’t regret what just happened.

“Oh, my god… we just… and they just…” she finally babbled, finding it difficult to form coherent sentences.

Spike smiled softly as he took a step towards her. Taking of one of her hands in his, he brought it up to his lips, gently pressing a kiss against her knuckles. He looked down at her as he drew that hand behind him, effectively closing the distance between them.

Buffy’s breath caught in her throat when his leg rubbed against hers. His gaze held so much intensity, so much passion. No one had ever looked at her like that before. It sent shivers up and down her spine.

Noticing the quake in her shoulders, Spike unzipped his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “Better?”

Buffy nodded mutely as she stared up into his eyes. She saw his gaze flick over her lips and her heartbeat quickened. She had two choices here; walk out, or stay. Both had consequences.

“Buffy, I…”

Buffy didn’t let herself think. She took one deep breath, and then cut off whatever Spike had been about to say as she flung herself into his arms, her own wrapping around his neck. She moaned when her lips made contact with his.

Spike was caught off guard by her boldness, but that didn’t stop him from responding. He instantly wrapped his arms around her tiny body, holding her tightly against him as he returned her kiss, their tongues picking up the dueling match where they left off in the elevator.

When Buffy wriggled against his body in an attempt to boost herself up into his arms, Spike groaned. Giving her a helping hand he lifted her lithe little body up into his arms, his hands wrapping around her back. Buffy instinctively curled her legs around his hips; a move which elicited another groan from Spike.

“You’re killing me here, luv,” he groaned as she wiggled in his arms.

Buffy pulled her head back from his, a mischievous grin spread across her face. “What?” she asked with mock innocence.

Spike returned the grin, taking two steps forward before bending his knees to drop them both onto the large bed. Buffy shivered again as she felt his body press against hers.

Holding himself up on his elbows Spike ran one hand through her hair, twirling a few strands around his fingers. “God, you are so beautiful,” he murmured as he placed soft kisses along her jaw line.

Buffy smiled despite herself, her breath coming in ragged gasps as his kisses trailed down her neck and along her collar bone.

Tangling her fingers in his hair she drew his face up to hers, her eyes begging him to kiss her again. She needed him to kiss her, when his lips were pressed against hers all rational thoughts left her. And she didn’t want to think right now.

Spike drank in that look of longing in her eyes for a moment before giving in to what they both wanted. His lips moved gently across hers, sucking, nibbling and licking as he slowly deepened the kiss. Buffy responded, parting her lips and running her tongue along his.

Spurred by her actions, Spike rolled slightly to one side to support his weight and moved his now free arm down to her hip, tracing small circles on the exposed skin between her blouse and the hem of her skirt.

Buffy’s skin burned like it was on fire where he touched her, and she arched her body against his, needing more contact.

Spike’s hand slipped beneath the cotton of her blouse and trailed up her toned stomach, and towards her lace covered breast. He cupped it with his hand, feeling himself harden instantly when his fingers found her pert nipple pressing against the soft material.

A combination of fear and desire rippled through Buffy. Spike shifted on top of her and it was then she felt something hard press into her thigh. She immediately broke the kiss and scrambled from beneath him.

“I should go, it’s late, and the meet is tomorrow and…”

One second she was beneath him, and the next she sitting up and about to leave, rambling as she voiced excuses.

“Yeah,” he agreed hoarsely looking over at the clock. It was an excuse to escape but it was getting later. Sitting up he watched her move nervously about the room.

Buffy scanned the floor for her missing card key to her own room, kneeling to pick it up when she spotted it. Becoming aware of how much skin she was exposing, Buffy tugged her skirt down when she stood. Grabbing her bag from the floor she walked towards the door and opened it, throwing one last look over her shoulder at Spike. He hadn’t moved.

“Goodnight.” She left quickly, closing the door behind her as she moved into the hall.

How did I let that happen? she cursed herself, as she stood outside his door, trying to regain her composure. A few seconds later, she walked down the hall towards her room.

~~~

Inside his room, Spike stared at the closed door in wonder. Buffy had been lying in his arms, he’d been kissing her. A happy smile spread across his face. And she had kissed him back.

The smile soon faded.

One second he had been touching her, kissing her and the next she was gone before he could protest. He flopped back onto the bed, running his hands through his hair as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Why did she run?

~~~

Buffy slipped quietly in her room, seeing Beth’s sleeping form in one of the beds. As quietly as she could Buffy moved to her side of the room and carefully placed her duffel on the ground at the foot of the bed.

She wanted to call Willow but she knew it was much too late and that she would be asleep. She was so confused. Undressing quickly to get ready for bed, the events of just moments ago played over and over in her mind.

“What have I done?” she mumbled, as she slid beneath the covers of her bed.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Hope you guys liked.

Chapter 14: Decided.


The next morning Buffy rose from bed early and changed into her bathing suit. A clear head was what she needed, and nothing worked better than doing a few laps in a pool.

Soon reaching the floor where the gym was situated Buffy stepped off the elevator, making her way toward the pool deck. It wasn’t quite twenty-five meters long, but it was decent enough for a hotel of this size.

Dropping her bag on a bench, she removed her goggles from her bag before she turned and ran at the water’s edge, leaping into the air to dive deeply into the water. Clenching her eyes shut she mentally sighed as the cool water washed over her, swimming along the bottom of the pool until she surfaced near the other end.

What am I going to do…?

Her hair was loosely tied up into a ponytail before she slipped the goggles on over her head. Kicking up onto her back she stroked to the other end of the pool, tumble turned and came back again.

She’d never done anything like this before. Buffy wasn’t the kind of person who fooled around on a partner. A part of her wanted to blame Spike, if he wasn’t so darned impossible to resist then maybe…

No, it’s not just him. Buffy knew she was just as responsible as he was. She had kissed him back.

Images flashed through her mind causing her skin to burn with the memory of his caress. No one had ever had such an effect on her before. The few boyfriends she’d had in the past had not been serious, even though she’d had feelings for them, none of them had had this effect on her. Not Riley, not even that kiss with Angel compared to what she had felt last night. All Spike had to do was look at her in a certain way and she could feel her knees tremble.

The desire and need she felt for him had come so quickly it had scared her. Buffy had never been intimate with a guy before, yet after those few kisses last night she had wanted to strip Spike’s clothes from him. Even now the temptation to explore his body was overwhelming, the deviant side of her mind providing lots of little images in her minds eye of exactly what she could do to and with a body like that.

That was why she had run last night.

The need she could barely restrain, and also because of Riley. He was a sweet guy, but she knew now that it wouldn’t work. Not after Spike had woken this fire within her. I’ve made a decision then… she thought idly.

Once she got home she would break it off with Riley. She couldn’t continue to go out with him when she wanted to be with someone else. And Spike wanted her as badly as she wanted him; she had seen it in his eyes last night.

Making herself a promise that she wouldn’t let anything else happen between them until she returned home Buffy lifted herself out of the pool. No more kisses with Spike, not until she had broken up with Riley. She owed him that much.

Buffy shivered as she made her way to where she’d dropped her towel, quickly lifting it and wrapping it around her body. She was late for breakfast.

~*~*~

Buffy walked into the restaurant and instantly found her teammates seated around a long table. Moving quickly, she headed over to the buffet and served herself some bacon and eggs, reaching for a couple of pieces of toast before making her way to their table. I can do this… I have to be strong. Just don’t look in his eyes…

Spike looked up from his plate when he heard someone join the table, the light in his eyes brightening when the girl who occupied most of his waking thoughts took a seat opposite him.

Buffy...

Her hair was wet, clinging wildly to her neck and shoulders. The simple green of her shirt set off her eyes, and the denim jeans she wore clung in all the right places. She looked heavenly. “Buffy,” he murmured reverently, her name too quiet for anyone to hear.

“Hey, Buff!” Beth greeted chirpily. “What happened to you last night? I went up to the room after you left the restaurant and you weren’t there?”

Buffy blushed at Beth’s pointed question. “I went for a walk and lost track of time.”

Beth nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation. “And been for a swim this morning I see,” she teased, fingering some of the blonde’s wet hair.

Buffy just nodded again, and lifted a piece of toast from her plate, carefully avoiding Spike’s gaze.

Spike frowned when he noticed that she was looking everywhere but at him, so he returned his attention to his toast.

Of course, this was when Buffy snuck a look at Spike. A part of her wanted him to look up, wanting to see those beautiful blue eyes. But apparently he was captivated with his breakfast. Buffy sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy. Tucking into her own breakfast, she kept her gaze lowered as she listened to the excited chatter at the table. They had a few hours until the competition started and there was talk of going shopping to kill some time.

Buffy didn’t think anything special about shopping in LA, but that was probably because she used to be a native. The rest of the team weren’t. Withdrawing into her thoughts, she blocked out the conversations and focused on finishing her breakfast.

“Penny for your thoughts, luv?” Spike’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Hmm?” she looked up, and suddenly realized they were the only two left at the table.

“Where’d everyone go?” she asked, her voice betraying her surprise.

Spike chuckled. “They left ‘bout ten minutes ago. They said g’bye but you had seemed so interested in those bread crumbs.”

“Oh.”

Spike studied her face closely, not missing the colour that was rising in her cheeks. “You have any plans for today?” he asked curiously.

Buffy shook her head quickly. “Been there, done that. Used to be an LA local remember? Figured I might catch up on some homework.”

“Bollocks to that!” he exclaimed. “We’re going out.”

“We’re what?” she repeated, startled by Spike’s enthusiasm.

Spike stood up at the table and reached over, taking her hand and lifting her to her feet. “Let’s go.” Before she had a chance to object, Spike led Buffy out of the restaurant and toward the hotel exit to the street.

Buffy tugged her hand from his grasp. “Spike…”

“Just come with me, please?” he pleaded.

Watching him closely for a second she finally relented, nodding once.

With a pleased smile Spike took hold of her hand again and led them both out onto the street. “Do you really want to be cooped up on a beautiful day like this?”

~*~*~

“Wow,” Buffy breathed as she looked out at the view that stretched before her. They were high up in the bluffs that overlooked LA, a mere twenty-minute drive from the hotel. The city stretched before her and after that the ocean.

“How’d you find this place?” she asked, finally tearing her gaze away from the vista and turning to find him watching her intently. Blushing, she turned back towards the city. “It’s beautiful up here,” she admired quietly.

“Yes, it is,” he murmured in response as he watched her in wonder. The sun was behind her, and it set off a sort of glow from behind, her hair looking even more golden in the light.

Tearing his thoughts away from the vision before him he finally answered her question. “I came up here with my Mum once, when I was younger. Whenever I’m in LA I come visit here, and just sit. I feel closer to her when I’m up here, you know?”

Buffy didn’t miss the pensive tone to his voice. He spoke of his mother as if she weren’t around anymore. “What happened to her?” she asked carefully as she turned to face him.

Spike’s face hardened as the memories surfaced. “Car accident, drunk driver… She didn’t even see him before it hit us.”

Buffy gasped. “I didn’t know, I’m sorry I--”

“It’s okay,” Spike interrupted. “You couldn’t have known.” He inhaled sharply before continuing. “She didn’t suffer. That much I’m thankful for.” A tear slipped down his cheek and he brushed it away quickly.

Buffy stepped towards him and lifted a hand to caress his cheek. “You were there, weren’t you?” she whispered.

He nodded rapidly. “I was in the back of the car. Got away with barely a scratch. They said if I’d been ridin’ up front I mightn’t ‘ave been so lucky. I was only twelve at the time.”

Spike clenched his fists at his side. “Sometimes, I just wish --”

“Don’t,” Buffy shushed as she traced her fingers down his jaw line until her hand rested on his chest. “She wouldn’t want that,” she pointed out, knowing exactly what it was he wished.

He nodded, blinking away the tears that threatened to escape. “Sorry,” he mumbled before laughing bitterly. “This wasn’t s’posed to be like this.”

“It’s alright,” Buffy replied. For a long moment she just watched him, wishing they could stay up here all day. But they couldn’t. “We should probably start heading back to the hotel,” she said reluctantly, showing him her watch.

Nodding again, Spike took her hand in his and led her back to the street.

~*~*~

“Take your marks.”

Buffy crouched over on the blocks and coiled her body, ready to spring.

The whistle sounded, and every muscle in her body tensed as she waited for the starter’s gun.

BANG!

Buffy sprung from the starting blocks and propelled her body into the air, stretching towards the water. She hit the water kicking, and her lungs burned from the first long swim under the water. Pushing herself as far as she could, she finally broke the surface, her speed increasing as her arms began stroking above the water.

One, two, three, breathe.

One, two, three, breathe.

One, two, three, breathe.

Kick harder…

… two, three, breath.

~*~*~

Spike watched Buffy power through the water with the rest of the team high up in the bleachers. Beth was standing up on her seat beside him, clapping her hands and cheering loudly for her teammate, much to Spike’s amusement.

“Go, Buffy!” she shouted.

Spike laughed at the girls’ enthusiasm. You can do it, Buffy… he urged. Keep going, luv…

~*~*~

Buffy tumbled at the wall, kicking off with all her might. From the corner of her eye she could see the person in the lane beside her inching slightly in front.

Oh, no you don’t…

She kicked ever harder, her feet moving at a blinding speed. A wake of white water shot out behind her as she pushed her body to its limits. Her lungs screamed for air and her muscles burned as she drew closer to the wall.

Almost there… a few more strokes… she urged herself on desperately.

One, two, three, breathe…

The wall could be seen ahead as Buffy dropped her head down into the water, sprinting as hard as she could for the last ten strokes without lifting her head again for air.

Buffy’s hand slammed into the wall, milli-seconds later her head surfacing as she gasped for much needed air. The noise hit her with the force of a truck, the screaming and cheering voices all blending into one. She turned to look up into the stands and found her teammates all clapping and cheering along with the crowd. Spike was smiling at her, and she returned the grin.

A whistle sounded, alerting her that all swimmers had touched, and she lifted herself from the water, her arms quaking with exhaustion. Wobbly legs carried Buffy to where she’d dropped her towel behind the blocks. Using a hand to lean against the wall for support as she bent over, she picked up and wrapped her towel around her hips. All she wanted to do was rest. Although her lungs were still burning from lack of oxygen during the race, her heart rate was slowly beginning to return to a more normal pace. As quickly as her weary muscles would allow, Buffy moved off the pool deck and towards the stands.

It had been her last race for the night, and she was relieved by the fact. Buffy didn’t think she could swim another stroke if her life depended on it. Slowly but surely she climbed the bleachers and reached her teammates, instantly finding herself drawn into a tight embrace by Beth.

“Oh my god, Buffy, you won!! Did you see?”

Buffy shook her head and looked over her shoulder at the scoreboard. In her fatigue she hadn’t even looked for her results. There it was, in black and white. Lane 4, first place. She smiled a giddy smile, as Beth let her go and bounced off towards one of the other girls.

Coach Jones walked towards her star swimmer, stopwatch in hand. “You smashed your own P.B. by almost a second. Well done, Summers,” she clapped the young girl on the back in congratulations.

Buffy smiled tiredly and slumped into a seat.

Spike leaned down from behind her, whispering in her ear, “You were amazing, luv.”

Buffy whipped her head around to face him, her grin stretching to epic proportions. “I feel like I’m going to melt into a puddle of goo I’m so tired,” she confessed.

Spike just laughed as he gathered his bag. “Time to hit the showers.”

Buffy nodded and followed suit.

~*~*~

The team returned one by one to the stands, where their Coach was waiting with their ribbons. They had definitely cleaned up this year.

1ST place in the men’s medley relay, 2ND in the freestyle relay and 4th in the butterfly relay.

Spike, Brian and J.D all gained individual ribbons for their solo events, three first place and two second place ribbons between them.

The girls had performed equally as well. Placing 2nd in the freestyle, and 3rd in both the butterfly and medley relays. Beth placed 4th in her individual backstroke event and Alicia 3rd in the breaststroke.

But it was Buffy who had been the star performer, walking away with two 1st place ribbons, for freestyle and backstroke, and a 2nd place for the butterfly.

“I think this calls for a celebratory ice-cream,” the coach announced, handing out the ribbons.

Beth squealed in excitement and the others all laughed.

“That sounds great, but I’ll have to take a rain check. I’ve got to meet my Dad for dinner,” Buffy announced.

Coach Jones nodded in acknowledgment. “Alright, we’ll see you back at the hotel later.”

The group slowly began walking towards the exits. Spike took Buffy’s arm and steered her towards an empty hallway. “You sure this is a good idea?” he asked with worry in his eyes.

Buffy nodded slowly. “I’ll be fine. If I don’t do this then he’ll follow me back to Sunnydale.” She looked at the floor. “He’s already threatened to fight my Mom for custody; he thinks she’s stopping me from visiting him.”

Spike clenched his jaw. “I’m coming with you.”

Buffy looked up, shaking her head quickly, her eyes wide. “No… don’t. That’s REALLY not a good idea.”

“Buffy, he can’t make you go and live with him,” he said quietly.

She laughed resentfully. “Tell that to his lawyers.” Her face relaxed when she saw how angry Spike was. “I’ll be fine… honest. As long as I visit him every now and then it’ll be okay. I’ll be able to live with my Mom. I’ll be eighteen in a few months, and then he won’t be able to threaten us anymore.”

Spike nodded. He dropped his bag on the ground and bent over to search through its contents. Finding a pen he ripped off the corner of the events schedule for the swim meet, and scribbled something down. Picking up his bag, he stood up and handed the piece of paper to her.

“That’s my cell phone number. If anything, anything starts bothering you; excuse yourself to the toilet and find a payphone. Promise me you’ll call me if you need help,” Spike insisted.

Buffy accepted the piece of paper, and slipped it into her jeans pocket. “I promise.”

Spike drew her into his arms, holding her tightly. Buffy closed her eyes, feeling safe in his embrace. Finally releasing her, Spike pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and turned to walk back to the hotel with the rest of the team. Buffy watched him leave, before heading in the other direction.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Thanks for the continued support guys, it means a lot.

Chapter 15: Spiteful.


“All I’m saying is you could have gotten one of your teammates to take your bag with them,” Hank snapped.

Buffy nodded, and dropped her gaze to the tabletop. She had only been sitting at their table for five minutes, and already she wanted to leave. Her dad’s girlfriend had been unavailable to meet them tonight, something she was mildly thankful for. It being just the two of them, there was no one else to take some of her father’s attention away from her, which meant the critical comments were laid on a little thick. And he wonders why I don’t want to live with him…

“How is your mother?” Hank asked with feigned interest.

Buffy’s eyes snapped up from her plate, anger rising in her as she bit back the words she so desperately wanted to throw in his face. Why would you care? You left us remember?

“She’s fine. Busy with the gallery,” she responded in an even tone.

“Not too busy to look after you, I hope. Perhaps I should come down there --” Hank began, frowning.

“No!” Buffy cut him off. “We’re doing fine. Her workload is big but she never neglects me,” she added, stretching the truth slightly. It wasn’t her mother’s fault that she had to work late nights occasionally. It was his. Buffy clenched her fists beneath the table, as she plastered a fake smile across her face.

“Let’s order shall we?” she suggested, picking up the menu.

~*~*~

Spike paced his room. She promised she’d call… and she hasn’t so she’s fine… he told himself.

Flopping onto his bed, he switched on the television and tried to distract himself with the movie that was showing. But it wasn’t working. All he could think about was Buffy.

~*~*~

“So what are your plans for next year? Which colleges are you applying for?” Hank asked between mouthfuls of his steak.

“I haven’t decided exactly, but I have a few places in mind,” Buffy answered truthfully. All she knew was the school she finally decided on would have to have decent pool for her to swim in, and hopefully a swim team. She would apply on a scholarship of course; she didn’t want to burden her Mother with tuition fees.

“Well you really should start sending applications out Buffy,” Hank chastised. “I’ll speak to Howard over at admissions office LAU and see if there is anything I can do to --”

“No,” Buffy interrupted. “That’s not necessary.”

“Buffy, if you think I’m going to pay for you to go to some lousy little college so you can be near your friends, then you’ve got another thought coming. No daughter of mine is going to waste her college years away in some dump,” he said pointing his hand at her as he spoke.

“What I meant, is I’m applying for scholarships,” Buffy tried to explain.

“Nonsense,” Hank admonished. “Now, let us finish our dinner and then we’ll order some desserts.”

Buffy ate the rest of her meal in silence.

~*~*~

Spike paced his bedroom in silence, occasionally opening the door and sticking his head out into the corridor to see if she had returned. Every time he found the hall way empty. Frustrated didn’t begin to explain how he felt right now.

Buffy had promised. If something was wrong she’d call. There’d been no call.

So why was he getting himself so worked up with worry?

~*~*~

“But…” Buffy struggled to find words. “Mom needs me.”

“And I don’t?” Hank reached for his wine glass, finishing the last few drops before signaling a waiter for a refill. “You know I never wanted you to move to that pathetic little town.”

Hank certainly wasn’t sugarcoating his opinion that was for sure. Buffy didn’t know why she was surprised; her father had always been domineering and commanding. Bastard was a choice word that came to mind, not that Buffy would ever have the courage to call him that out loud. The one time she’d sworn at him as a child, Buffy had been left with a red handprint on her face for two days that’s how hard her father had slapped her.

“I want to stay in Sunnydale.” Try as she might, she couldn’t manage to keep the tremors from her voice. “I won’t ask you for money for college, and if I apply at UCSD then I’ll be close enough that I can live at home with Mom.”

Buffy’s father despised renting. He hated to think of his hard earned money paying off someone else’s mortgage. Hence the finance tactic she was trying in the conversation. She was hoping her money saving ideas would get her on his good side, and could help to convince her father that she was old enough to make decisions for herself.

“Your mother couldn’t afford to buy the place and if that gallery she’s working at fails like I expect it will, she’ll have to move into something more… compact.” Hank smiled arrogantly. “Who do you think paid the deposit Buffy?”

Her jaw dropped. Buffy hadn’t known this, why hadn’t her mother told her? Shaking away the thoughts for a later time, she came forward with another suggestion. “I could get a job, to help Mum with bills, and --”

“You will not be sacrificing your education just because your mother can’t manage money. When you come out here to live next year, I’ll help her out.”

Buffy shook her head adamantly. “No, dad, I want to stay. I can --”

“Are you answering me back, girl?” Hanks face was red with fury. This argumentativeness obviously came from spending so much time with Joyce. Well, he was going to put a stop to that. “You will be living in LA with me, and that’s final.”

Seeing that Buffy was about to object again, Hank interrupted. “My name is on half of the papers for that house in Sunnydale, you do not want to make me angry.”

Buffy blinked away the tears that threatened to fall.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, Buffy?” Hank questioned seriously.

“Yes, Dad…”

~*~*~

A bell-dinged, sounding that the elevator had just stopped on his floor and Spike threw the door open, taking a couple of steps into the hallway.

Buffy exited the elevator; her shoulders slumped in defeat, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she stared at the floor.

“Buffy!” Spike called in relief as he jogged towards her. He took her bag from her, throwing it over his shoulder. He instantly noticed the tears shining in her eyes, and reached for her chin, lifting her face up to his. “Buffy, what’s wrong?”

Buffy let out a sob and threw herself into Spike’s arms. Spike walked her back to his room, steering her towards the bed and sitting her down on the edge as he got up to close the door to give them some privacy. Placing the bag on the floor, he joined her, sitting down beside her. Once again he tilted her face towards his.

“Talk to me, luv,” he whispered softly.

“He-- he’s going to make me move back to LA,” she said between sobs.

Spike’s face blanked. “He’s what?”

“For college. He’s spoken to some friend of his, who has basically shot down every college I said I was applying for, even the ones outside of Sunnydale. He’s going to make me apply at LAU, and a couple of Ivy League schools.”

Spike didn’t know what to say. All he knew was that he couldn’t make her do that. “Pet, he can’t make you leave Sunnydale if you don’t want to. Like you said, you’ll be eighteen soon, he won’t be able to make you leave then.”

“Yes, he can,” Buffy replied sadly. “The house… my house… he helped Mom to buy that. His name is on some of the paperwork, and if I don’t apply where he wants me to, and move back to LA and live with him, he’s going to sell it from under her.”

She dropped her head into her hands. “So you see? It doesn’t matter that I’ll be eighteen soon. If I don’t do as he demands, my Mom isn’t going to have a place to live.”

Buffy leaned against his shoulder, sobbing into her hands.

Spike held her tightly, his jaw clenching in anger. He wanted nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of her father for pulling a stunt like this. “Shhh. It’s all right, pet. We’ll figure something out,” he promised. “You won’t have to leave if you don’t want to.”

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes brimming with more tears ready to fall. He traced his fingers across her cheek, wiping the fallen tears away as he looked down at her.

Buffy didn’t even think about what she was doing as she tilted her head upwards, seeking out his lips. She captured them with her own and kissed him gently, her shoulders shaking from the sobs that were trying to escape.

Spike broke away from the kiss a moment later, holding her protectively. She was hurting, and needed comfort. He didn’t want things to go somewhere they wouldn’t have if not for these circumstances. “You should probably get some rest,” he suggested regretfully. He didn’t want her to leave, but he knew that it was the right thing to do.

“You’re right,” she sighed, wiping at her face as she slowly stood.

Spike stood with her, drawing her to him for one last quick hug, pressing a gentle kiss in her hair. “It’ll be okay. You’ll see.” He dropped his arms from around her. “Goodnight, pet.”

“Goodnight, Spike.”

Buffy turned and left his room, closing the door quietly.

~*~*~

Headlights flashed through the side window, the brightness blinding as William turned toward the sound of screeching tires on asphalt.

A warning scream…

The crunch of metal against metal…

The long drone of a horn…

Darkness.

Spike sat up abruptly, gasping for breath as remnants of the dream latched claws into his conscious thought, refusing to fade as most dreams did upon waking.

It was dark within his hotel room and it took a few deep breaths and the flick of a light switch before he realized where he was. The dream had been so real… so vivid. Except it wasn’t a dream, it was a memory. Two silent tears trailed down his cheeks as he flopped back against his pillows.

The events of that night hadn’t visited Spike in sleep for quite a long time and generally speaking, when it did it wasn’t without reason. In fact, when he thought about it long and hard, the last time he’d dreamed about the accident was those first few weeks after Drusilla had broken his heart. Only when his world was crumbling down around him, did the vision of his dead mother in the driver’s seat of car haunt him so.

However life at the moment was pretty good. Relations between Spike and his father were good, his training was going well and even the teachers at school had been keeping off his back. So what had worried him enough to return the memories from that night like a ghostly specter?

Buffy…

That rat father of hers was going to take her away from him.

“Like to see him bloody well try,” Spike muttered into his pillow, rolling over to find a more comfortable position. He’d made a promise to Buffy that they’d find a way to allow her to stay in Sunnydale.

And that was a promise he intended to keep.

~*~*~

In her room, Buffy had wrapped herself up in a little ball beneath the covers, arms wrapped protectively around her knees. A pillow muffled her more vocal cries while tears ran unbidden down her cheeks and onto the sheets.

Buffy didn’t want to live in LA, it would mean leaving too many things behind in Sunnydale.

Her mom.

Willow and Xander.

…and Spike.

With a vocal sob Buffy clenched her eyes shut, crying herself to sleep.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: So this chapter was definitely not as light-hearted as previous ones have been, we’re getting heavy into the angst. And expect lost more to come. It’s not going to be easy for these guys.

Thank you to everyone for the continued support, each and every review does my confidence wonders.

Chapter 16: Home, Sweet Home.


Buffy rubbed the towel over her upturned head, smiling when she thought over the day’s events. Spike had met her downstairs for breakfast, and they had been eating in a comfortable silence. That is, until Beth had joined them, chattering away excitedly about the most random of topics.

The rest of the team had soon joined them and they made their way together to the pool. They walked away with another five ribbons for the events they competed in that morning.

Buffy smiled when she remembered how Spike had picked her up and spun her around when she had won one of her solo events, the 200metre freestyle sprint. And now here she was, packing her duffel and waiting for the bus to arrive for their trip home. There was a knock on the door.

“The bus is here,” Coach Jones’ voice filtered through.

“Coming!” Buffy called, throwing her duffel over her shoulder and giving the room a once over to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind. She could hear her coach knocking on the next-door down, alerting Alicia and Carla that they had to leave.

Spike had managed to keep her mind off of her father’s ultimatum for most of the day, always finding something to tear her out of her thoughts. And she was more than grateful for it. If anything, it convinced her even further of how breaking up with Riley was the way to go. Buffy felt guilty, knowing she would be ending things with Riley immediately. He seemed like a decent enough guy and she really hadn’t given them a chance. But she was certain it was the right decision to make, especially after the last two days she’d spent with Spike.

~*~*~

Spike flashed Buffy a warm smile when she walked out of the elevator and into the lobby. A bright smile mirrored her own face when she saw him, walking over to his side before they both left the hotel and made their way to the bus.

Buffy climbed in first, and sat a few rows from the back just like on the ride up. In the quiet she found herself withdrawing into her thoughts, and her eyes glazed over again. Spike slumped down beside her a few moments later, noticing the look in her eyes. Taking one of her hands in his, he gave it a quick squeeze before leaning his hand against his leg, not letting hers go.

Buffy smiled and rested her head against his shoulder, preparing for the long drive home.

~*~*~

Buffy had slept part of the way back to Sunnydale, and for a while Spike had just sat there and watched her rest. She looked so peaceful, a hint of a smile gracing her face as she dozed. He wanted to protect her from her father; he had to find a way to allow her to stay in Sunnydale. A small part of him felt guilty for wanting her to stay, felt selfish for wanting to keep her in town so he could be near her. But he pushed that thought away. She wanted to stay.

They had talked for a while before she had drifted off to sleep, avoiding mentioning her father. And Riley… Spike thought with a frown.

He was certain Buffy had feelings for him. And as far as he was concerned, she should tell the frat boy to sod off. But she hadn’t even brought up his name, even when he had hinted about him in the conversation.

“So, you catchin’ up with everyone when you get home?” Spike inquired.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. “Willow and Xander I’ll see at school. It’ll probably be just me and mom tonight.”

Spike sat silently in for a moment, before changing the topic, but not his motive for the questions.

“And after training on Monday night, you goin’ to need a ride home or is someone pickin’ you up?”

“Not sure yet,” she responded.

She had avoided talking about Riley. And that worried him.

Buffy shifted in her seat, and Spike kept his gaze fixed on her as she slowly woke from slumber. Her eyes fluttered open slowly a few times before she woke fully. She turned towards him, as if sensing his eyes on her.

Smiling shyly, Buffy sat up properly, moving herself off his shoulder and looking out the window. But she didn’t let go of his hand. Trees flew passed the window on her left as the bus drove through the outskirts of Sunnydale. They were getting close to the High School, close to home. She was looking forward to seeing her Mom.

Spike sighed in relief when ten minutes later the bus finally pulled up in the parking lot at school. Reluctantly removing his hand from Buffy’s, he grabbed his backpack and began walking off the bus.

Joyce Summers was waiting for Buffy anxiously, and Spike recognised her instantly. There was a striking resemblance between mother and daughter. He moved to collect his and Buffy’s larger bags from the under carriage, and handed hers to her as she got off the bus.

Buffy’s jaw dropped.

What is he doing here…? she panicked.

Spike caught Buffy’s look and followed her gaze. Walking up to stand beside her Mom was a tall, sandy brown haired guy.

Riley… he thought through clenched teeth.

“Buffy!” Joyce called to her daughter, waving her over.

Buffy walked towards her mother, and dropped her bag on the ground, immediately finding herself being swept up into her mother’s arms. She hugged her tightly, fighting back the tears that wanted to escape at the relief she felt to be home.

Spike walked up beside her, and Joyce frowned slightly. Buffy looked over at him, and blushed.

“Mom, this is Spike. Spike, this is my mom.” She took a deep breath. “And this is Riley.”

Riley tensed at the name. So this was the knight in shining armor who had saved Buffy at the party. Riley gave him a once over, not missing the way in which Spike had been looking at her moments ago. He took a second, before extending a hand out for him to shake. “Nice to meet you, Spike.”

Spike shook Riley’s hand, his expression hardening.

“Spike, I’ve heard so much about you,” Joyce exclaimed, smiling warmly. She too had seen the way in which the boy had been looking at Buffy.

Buffy blushed. “Mom…”

Joyce laughed. “Okay, so truthfully, all I know is you’re on the swim team, and that you drove my daughter home from practice one night. Which I am very grateful for,” Joyce added with a genuine smile. “Did you need a lift?”

From first impressions, Spike liked Joyce. “No thanks, Mrs. Summers. I’ve got my car here,” he said pointing to his Desoto.

“Great,” Riley spoke up. “The car is over this way, Buffy,” he continued, pointing in the opposite direction and holding out a hand for her.

Buffy blinked in surprise. “You came together?” she asked with a frown as she looked at her mother.

Joyce nodded. “Riley insisted on being here, he dropped by the house and offered to drive,” she added with a smile.

“I’ll bet,” Spike muttered. He waited for Buffy to make a move, waited for her to tell the Ponce to bugger off. But she didn’t. He clenched his jaw, his cheek bones jutting out even more sharply than normal when he saw Riley step forward to take Buffy’s arm. The college boy leaned towards her, placing a soft kiss on her lips, and she didn’t flinch away from him.

“Well, I’ve got somewhere to be. See you, Summers,” Spike said coolly as he turned on his heel and walked towards his car.

Buffy’s face fell a little when Spike walked off. She’d been caught off guard by Riley’s kiss and hadn’t had a chance to react. And now Spike was walking off. But it was probably for the best. First she would sort things out with Riley, and then at school tomorrow she would talk to Spike.

“Bye, Spike,” she called, but he was already halfway across the parking lot.

~*~*~

Buffy sat down on her bed and picked up the phone, dialing the number scrawled on the scrap of paper. Spike’s cell phone number. Tapping her free hand nervously on her bedside table, she waited for it to pick up at the other end.

“Hello?”

Buffy’s shoulders relaxed when she heard his voice on the other end of the line. “Spike, it’s Buffy.”

Spike was surprised, but didn’t let her know that.

“About before… I didn’t have any idea that Riley was going to be there… I…” she explained, trailing off when words failed her.

“No need to apologise, Summers, I get it. Your boyfriend wasn’t with you and I was close by. Convenient,” Spike replied sarcastically.

“No, Spike, it wasn’t like that at all. I wasn’t going to tell you this yet, but…” she started to explain.

Wasn’t going to tell me what? Spike wondered when her words cut off suddenly.

“Buffy, your mom said dinner is ready.”

Buffy swiveled towards her door; Riley was standing just inside the door. She almost forgot that she was on the phone.

Spike heard the voice and clenched his jaw.

“Tell her I’ll be down in a minute. Thanks,” she said quietly as Riley nodded and turned to walk back down the stairs. Buffy turned her attention back to the conversation. “Spike, I--”

“Save it, Summers. Go have dinner with your boyfriend, he’s waitin’ for you,” he interrupted angrily.

“Spike…”

Click.

Buffy sighed, placing the receiver in its cradle and going downstairs.

~*~*~

Spike paced his bedroom floor, kicking the edge of his bed as he walked passed it. Why did she affect him so much? The girl drove him completely insane. Just being around her this weekend had made him realize how much he liked her, how much he cared for her. When he’d kissed her his whole body had seemed to come to life. And when she had kissed him back, it had felt so right.

It was just a couple of kisses… it’s not like she’s your girlfriend… His subconscious told him, throwing what he had once said to her back in his face.

“Why didn’t you let her finish what she was goin’ to say, you stupid git?”

He kicked at his bed again.

He had to speak to her…

Picking up his keys off the nightstand he swept out of his room, muttering an explanation to his father who was reading in the lounge, before slamming the front door and running out to his car.

~*~*~

Buffy walked down the stairs slowly, meeting Riley at the bottom. He looked up at her questioningly.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, leaning forward to brush a few strands of hair off of her face, tucking them behind her ears.

Buffy closed her eyes, guilt washing over her. Riley had been so kind to her and she didn’t want to hurt him, but she had to do what she felt was right. He deserved someone who wanted to be with him, no reservations. Buffy had reservations. She’d developed feelings for Spike. Who knew if anything would come of them, especially after the way he had hung up on her. But she could do the right thing by Riley, and end things before they got too serious.

“No,” she replied quietly. “I need to talk to you about something.”

Riley took a deep breath, having a vague idea what they were going to talk about. “I’m listening.”

Joyce walked into the hall. “Dinner’s ready.”

Buffy turned quickly and nodded at her mother. “We’ll be right in.”

Joyce nodded and walked into the kitchen. She had sensed right away that something was up, and she just hoped everything was okay.

“After dinner?” Buffy suggested hopefully.

Riley nodded, following her as they walked into the kitchen.

~*~*~

Spike drove in circles around the town for almost half an hour before he finally turned around and started to head towards Buffy’s house. No time like the present…

The longer he delayed it, the more nervous he got. She had sounded so upset on the phone when he hadn’t let her finish, and his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Maybe this weekend wasn’t just about convenience…

Maybe she felt something for him, just as he felt for her. Her kisses had told him she had.

He turned down her street and parked his car across the road from her house, holding the steering wheel tightly for a few seconds before climbing out and walking towards Buffy’s home. A familiar green truck was parked in the driveway, and he balled his fists in anger, hesitating for a second before walking up the driveway.

~*~*~

“I’m really sorry,” Buffy apologized with shining eyes as she looked up at Riley.

Riley’s suspicions had been confirmed. I’m not sure I’m ready to be in a relationship… there is just so much going on in my life right now… it wouldn’t be fair to you…

He’d argued that he would wait, but that had only upset her further. Riley had a feeling that this Spike guy had something to do with it all. They’d spent the weekend together, and Riley hadn’t missed the looks the two had been giving each other before they’d noticed he was there in the parking lot.

Riley felt a jealous pang when he thought of that guy replacing him. They were on the same swim team; they were always going to spend lots of time together. Could he ever compete with that? Riley just hoped Buffy came to her senses sooner rather than later. He knew she hadn’t given them a real chance, but he did suppose it was better to get out before he started to feel deeply for her.

Riley raised a hand to wipe the tears away from her eyes as she opened the front door for him to walk through. “I’m okay, Buffy, really.”

Buffy was relieved, and she smiled softly as she stepped outside onto the porch with him.

Riley took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on it. “If you ever need anything, I’m just a phone call away.”

If you change your mind, I’m a phone call away…

Buffy nodded, blushing slightly when at the gesture.

Riley caught movement out of the corner of his eye, immediately recognizing the guy from her swim team, Spike, walking up the driveway. Smiling at Buffy, he leaned down to capture her lips in a gentle kiss, knowing that it wouldn’t be missed.

Buffy was once again caught off guard, but Riley ended the kiss pulled away before she could react. She looked up at him with surprised wide eyes as he let go of her hand.

“Goodnight, Buffy,” Riley bid farewell with a smile, stepping off the porch and walking towards his truck.

Spike stood frozen half way up the driveway, his expression hardening as the college boy’s stare flickered over him, a smug smile creeping across the taller guy’s face.

Buffy’s gaze followed Riley as he walked to his car, and her jaw dropped to the floor when she saw Spike, standing halfway up her driveway, his expression hard as he looked up at her.

Riley’s car backed out onto the street, the movement shaking Spike from the daze he had been in. He caught Buffy’s surprised gaze, and his expression turned stony as he turned around to walk back to his car.

“Spike!” Buffy called, jumping down the two stairs from the porch to the path, and running across the grass to catch up with him. She reached for his arm to stop him, but he shook off her hold.

“Spike!” she pleaded. “It’s not what you think.”

Spike whirled around, his eyes flashing with anger. “Really?” he asked sarcastically. “Because it looked pretty clear to me.”

Guilt flashed over her face as she tried to explain. “Spike… Riley and I were just talking.”

“And most people talk with their tongues shoved down the other person’s throat!” Spike retorted angrily. “Whatever, you know what, I DON’T care. I don’t know why I even bothered drivin’ over here.”

Buffy opened her mouth to object but he continued speaking.

“I should’ve known you were that sort of girl, lead a guy on then move to the next one. That explains Angel’s interest in you, he always was one to go for the easy ones,” he sneered.

Buffy eyes widened in shock at what he was saying to her, tears welling up in her eyes. “Spike, you know that’s not true. I’m not like that, why would you say --”

“Whatever,” Spike interrupted. “I was never that interested anyway, I was just tryin’ to see how far you’d let things go.”

The tears broke free from her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she gasped in shock. He did not just say that!

Spike felt a stab of guilt when he saw how deep his words cut, but he quickly shook it off. He walked away from her, never looking back as he jumped into his car. It roared to life when he turned on the ignition and peeled off down the street, leaving Buffy behind crying on her front lawn.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: *runs and hides* I did warn that there would be more angst!

Chapter 17: Tit-for-Tat.


Buffy woke up the next morning with puffy eyes. Climbing out of bed she headed for the shower, hoping that the water would wash away some of the sadness she felt. But all it did was turn her fingers pruney. It also did little to help hide the obvious signs of shed tears.

She dressed simply in a navy long sleeved polo shirt and jeans, only applying a little eye makeup to disguise her red eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was go to school, the thought of running into Spike, and him ignoring her, enough to make a girl long to crawl back into bed.

Last night hadn’t exactly been a barrel of laughs after Spike had tore off on her. After giving her mom a brief run down of her breakup with Riley, and filling her in on her successes at the swim meat—not to mention the disastrous dinner with her father—Buffy had excused herself to go upstairs and sleep.

She had immediately called Willow to repeat everything she had just informed her mom, filling in a few details extra about Spike, like how they had kissed in LA. That was a small fact she hadn’t divulged to her mother. After her father’s cheating, the last thing Buffy wanted was for her Mom to think she was like her father.

Buffy had also tried Spike’s cell phone a few times, but he’d ignored her calls.

She was dreading going to school today and seeing him. She had even thought about playing hooky and pretending to be sick to get herself out of school. The small consolation of having Willow and Xander there for any suspected badness, and knowing that she would have to go back eventually, forced Buffy to realize there was no sense in hiding. She walked out of the house with bolstered courage.

That courage dissipated the moment she arrived at school.

Spike’s car was already parked, meaning he was definitely there today.

Crap...

“Have a nice day, honey,” Joyce fare welled.

“I’ll try,” Buffy mumbled.

~*~*~

As she walked towards her locker she realized that people were looking at her. Staring at her in fact. At first she thought that Spike must have said something and somehow word had gotten around. That was until a member of the basketball team approached her, clapping her on the back.

“Way to go at the swim meet!”

Buffy frowned in confusion.

“Coach Jones put the results up on the notice boards, everyone knows how well the team swam, and you!” he exclaimed. “You’re Buffy Summers right? You wiped the floor with those other swimmers!”

Buffy relaxed, giggling at the excited gestures the guy was making.

“The name’s Percy. You can hang with me and mine whenever you like,” he informed, quickly giving her a head to toe once over.

Buffy blushed, but nodded. “Thanks. It was nice to meet you, Percy.”

When Percy left Willow bounded over and threw her arms around her from behind. “Oh my god, everyone knows how much butt you kicked on the weekend. The WHOLE school is buzzing about you and the rest of the team!”

Buffy laughed, her anxieties about Spike slowly fading as the two girls chatted on their way to their lockers. Xander soon joined them and he too offered his congratulations, picking Buffy up and spinning her around in a circle.

Just like Spike did yesterday at the pool…

She pushed the thought away as they made their way to the first class.

~*~*~

Spike had seen Buffy enter the school, and watched on as several people approached her with congratulations for her efforts in LA. He had felt a twinge of jealousy when Percy had gone over to her. Spike wasn’t blind; he had seen how the basketball player had checked her out.

And she didn’t even notice. No wonder she gets herself into trouble, she doesn’t even realize the effect she has on people…

He’d thought about telling Percy to back off, but changed his mind. He was going to keep as far away from her as possible.

Harmony, Cordelia and Devon had soon approached him and he walked with them to class.

~*~*~

Things had gone smoothly for the morning, no Spike related incidents, which Buffy was thankful for. But now it was lunchtime. And Buffy knew she would probably see him in the cafeteria. Willow saw the worried look on her friend’s face and grabbed hold of her hand, giving it a quick squeeze before they entered through the double doors.

Buffy couldn’t help looking towards his table, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Spike was lounged back in a chair, talking with the other people at his table. And Harmony was sitting in his lap, her hands running all over his face and chest.

Buffy inhaled deeply and made her way to her table, sitting down quickly, feeling her cheeks burn. The sight of that bimbo all over Spike made her want to cry and retch at the same time.

“Buffy, he’s probably just upset. You didn’t get to tell him did you?” Willow suggested hopefully.

Buffy nodded sadly. “It doesn’t matter. He’s not going to listen to me.”

The two girls had brought their lunch from home today and opened up their brown paper bags, swapping items before munching down on their food.

Xander soon joined them, and instantly noticed their deflated moods. “Why the long faces girls?” he asked as he sat down with them, biting into a candy bar of some sort.

Willow had given Xander the short version of what had happened at the weekend before school today, leaving out a few details; namely the kisses Buffy and Spike had shared. But she did tell him about how Spike had come to Buffy’s aid with her father, and how they’d been getting along. Xander hadn’t hidden his happiness at hearing that Buffy had broken up with Riley, even though he knew that the two of them would share nothing but friendship.

“Spike’s ignoring Buffy,” Willow filled in, answering Xander’s question.

“And that skank is pawing all over him,” Buffy added quickly.

Willow’s eyes widened in surprise and Xander’s broke into a wide grin. “MEOW, Buffy! Someone’s got their claws out,” he said with a laugh, then his face fell when realization hit home. “I did not just say that,” he groaned. “Could I sound any gayer?”

Buffy laughed and Xander grinned, glad his little ploy had succeeded. But her smile faded when they heard Harmony’s annoying laughter filter across the room, an ‘Oh Spike’ punctuating her sentence.

“His loss,” Willow shrugged.

Buffy nodded, returning her attention to her food. “I’m going to try and talk to him after lunch, I’ve got a study period anyway.”

Willow nodded and Buffy changed the topic before her friend could say anything. She really didn’t want to talk about him anymore. “So, you guys know how my weekend went, what did you both do?”

“Oh, you know, the usual avoiding my parents’ drunken binges.” Xander groaned before a devilish grin stretched across his face. “And we went to the Bronze on Saturday night.”

Willow blushed, and it did not go unnoticed by Buffy.

“Will, what happened at the Bronze?” Buffy nudged.

“Nothing,” Willow answered quickly.

“Oh no, nothing at all,” Xander mocked playfully. “The bass guitarist of ‘Dingoes Ate My Baby’, asked her for her phone number,” he added with a teasing roll of his eyes.

“He asked for your phone number?” Buffy screeched excitedly.

Willow nodded, her blush deepening.

“That is so exciting!”

Willow laughed at Buffy’s excitement, even though she was still embarrassed. “Keep it down Buffy, Devon is in the band remember…”

Buffy tapped her nose. “And we don’t want it getting back to what’s his name about how excited you are.”

“Oz,” Xander filled in. “He’s a student here as well, he just doesn’t turn up to a whole lot of classes is all.”

Buffy laughed. “Oz, you’ll have to point him out to me Xander, so I can suss out whether or not he’s good enough for our Willow.”

“No!” Willow objected quickly. A smile slowly stretched across her face to replace the worry when she saw the teasing looks Xander and Buffy were sharing.

“So, tell me ALL about it Will,” Buffy demanded.

~*~*~

Spike heard Buffy’s laughter and looked over towards her table. She was deep in conversation with Xander and Willow, a laugh escaping her lips every now and then. Those lips…

Spike pushed the memory of the feel of her body pressed up against his out of his mind, and tried to concentrate on the conversation at his own table.

“Spike, honey… hello…” Harmony waved a hand in front of his face.

He snapped out of his daze and frowned at the blonde who had found her way onto his lap. “Harmony, why don’t you find a seat of your own to sit on,” he suggested.

“But, Spike,” Harmony cooed. “I was thinking that maybe, you know…” she trailed off with a suggestive smile. “I realized this weekend whilst you were away in LA that I was stupid to let you just call things off like that. I mean, you have no idea how boring it was at the party at Aura’s this weekend without you there.”

The bell rang, sounding the end of lunch and students began to get up from their tables and head towards their respective classes.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I gotta get to class.”

He stood up, pushing her off of him as he did. Harmony immediately responded by throwing herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his. Spike’s first thought was to push her away, because of Buffy. But then he remembered seeing her kiss that ponce Riley last night. He didn’t make any effort to deepen the kiss, but he didn’t end it either.

A few seconds later he felt Harmony pull away, a smile on spreading across her face. “I’ll call you tonight, Spikey.”

Spike watched her walk off, wondering what he had gotten himself into, and turned to head towards his class. He made it a whole two steps toward his class before he almost crashed into Buffy. Her mouth was opened in disbelief, eyes betraying her obvious shock. She looked like she had been slapped.

Spike’s own mouth curled into a smile when he realized that she must have witnessed the kiss from Harmony. It hadn’t been his intention for her to see that, but he was glad. Now she knew what it was like.

“Summers,” he greeted tersely.

“What was all that about? I thought you and Harmony broke up?” Buffy demanded, anger and hurt creeping into her words.

Spike shrugged his shoulders in nonchalance. “That’s my business, not yours.” A sneer spread across his face, surprising himself with the venom in his words. “But if you have to know, since it didn’t seem like I was going to get some from you any time soon, I decided to return my attentions to someone who was willing and able to scratch any itches I may have.”

Buffy gasped, a pained expression flooding her face. “I can’t believe you’re saying these things to me.” She turned and fled before he could see the tears welling in her eyes.

Spike watched Buffy leave before turned to exit the cafeteria. And almost crashed into another female. “What is it with you bloody women and getting in my way?” he snapped, recognizing Willow immediately.

Spike blinked when he saw something in the eyes of the normally shy girl that he had never seen before. She was furious.

“You’re an idiot! You know that, Spike?” Willow snapped, her disdain obvious.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Save the preaching for someone else, Red, I’ve got places to be.” He walked around her.

Willow watched as Spike sauntered past her, calling out when he was a few feet away. “She’s not with him anymore you know.”

Spike froze instantly, turning around slowly. “What?”

“You heard me.” Willow crossing her arms over her chest. Walking toward Spike, her gaze focused intently on his face, so she could pinpoint the exact moment her words sunk in. “She broke up with Riley… LAST night.”

Spike tried to act nonchalant, shrugging his shoulders. “And why should I care?”

“If you didn’t then you wouldn’t still be standing here, listening to me,” Willow shrugged.

Spike was stumped, until he remembered the kiss he interrupted. “No, you’re lying to me. I SAW them. He kissed her,” he snapped angrily, balling his fists by his sides.

“Yes,” Willow said simply. “And she wasn’t expecting it. I’m guessing he must have seen you in her driveway.”

Spike opened and closed his mouth a few times, not knowing what to say. His shoulders sagged when he remembered the words he had spoken to her last night.

“Whatever, I was never that interested anyway, I was just trying to see how far you would let things go…”

He slammed one of his fists into the locker next to him, cursing his impatience. He should have let her speak. But no, he’d gotten angry and spouted off the worst possible thing he could think of. “I’ve really messed things up, haven’t I?” he asked quietly, looking up at Willow.

Willow’s expression softened, surprising Spike. “Probably. She’s really hurt, Spike. She told me what you said to her last night, and I heard what you said to her just now.”

Willow narrowed her eyes; her face hardening and Spike dropped his gaze in shame.

“I didn’t really mean anything, I was angry and --”

“And you took it out on her before you let her explain,” Willow finished for him.

Spike nodded. “What am I going to do?” he muttered, running one of his hands through his hair.

Willow shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but I’m telling you this. You hurt her again, and you’ll have me to answer to.”

Spike didn’t disbelieve her.

“She’ll be swimming after school today, even though there’s no training on. But I didn’t tell you that,” Willow informed softly.

Spike smiled broadly, and took a step towards her, wanting to hug her but then thought better of it. “You won’t regret this,” he promised.

“I hope not,” Willow said with a faint smile before she turned and walked to class.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: And more angst…

Chapter 18: Making Things Right.


The end of the day came quickly, and Buffy made her way through the halls and toward the pool. There was no training on today; Coach Jones had given them a session off because of the teams’ stellar efforts at the weekend. But Buffy needed to get in the water, needed to clear her mind.

A few minutes later she was diving into the empty pool and freestyling to the other end. She kicked away the pent up anger, the hurt and the embarrassment she felt. Fifteen minutes later she was beginning to feel a lot better.

Buffy continued to swim, oblivious to her audience.

~*~*~

Spike watched Buffy swim gracefully through the water from the stands. She really was a great swimmer. He watched her in silence, trying to figure out in his head exactly what he was going to say to her. So caught up in his thoughts, he almost didn’t see her exiting the pool.

But when he did see her he gasped in a breath quickly. She was wearing a two-piece suit, her lean and toned stomach exposed to his gaze. She removed the cap from her head and shook out her hair, turning her head upside down and rubbing a towel over her locks to dry them quickly.

Spike stood up and walked over to her as she wrapped the towel around her hips.

Buffy looked up from her bag, only seeing his approach at the last second. Her first response was shock, which quickly turned into embarrassment when she saw his eyes flicker over her exposed skin. Leaning down to grab her T-shirt she quickly pulled it on over her head.

“Spike, what are you doing here?” she asked quickly, her cheeks flushed.

Spike stopped within touching distance, reaching out with one hand to caress her cheek.

For a brief moment she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. Then his words from last night—and in the cafeteria at lunch—echoed in her mind and she recoiled from his touch as if she’d been burned.

“What are you doing here?” she repeated through clenched teeth.

Spike dropped his hand to his side, knowing she had every right to be angry with him. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

“HA!” Buffy spat out. “So because you want to talk I’m supposed to stand here and listen? When you wouldn’t listen to me?” She shook her head and waved her hands at him in rejection. “Nope. I’ve got places to be,” she snapped as she leaned down to pick up her bag, turning to leave.

Spike quickly stepped around her so that she was facing him. “Summers, just bloody well listen would you?”

“Oh Spikey, are you in here?” a voice filtered in from the locker rooms.

Spike turned around and shouted as the blonde appeared on pool deck. “Not NOW, Harm!”

When he returned his attention to Buffy he found that she was no longer there, the doors leading to the parking lot swinging closed. He sighed, realizing that she was gone.

~*~*~

Spike dialed the number for the Summers’ house as he drove through Sunnydale. It rang a few times before someone finally picked up.

“Hello?”

“Buffy, it’s Spike, can we talk for a minute?” Spike asked.

There was a pause on the other end of the line for a second before Buffy responded. “No, Spike, I don’t think we can. Goodbye.”

“Buffy, don’t hang up!” Spike begged.

Click.

He frowned in frustration and dialed her number again. It rang twice before she picked up.

“Hello?”

“Buffy, please, just listen to --.”

Click.

“God dammit!” Spike shouted as he turned left onto the next street. He dialed the number again, hearing the line pick up, then the crash of the phone being slammed down again. Spike punched his steering wheel, the horn blaring.

He dialed the number again, but was met with the busy tone. She’s taken the phone of the hook… he thought.

Making a quick decision, he spun the steering wheel quickly to make a right hand turn into the next street, cutting off another driver who proceeded to yell abuse at him through an open window.

~*~*~

A few minutes later Spike pulled into Buffy’s driveway and switched off the engine. She had to listen to him, he had to make things right.

He was certain she had heard his car pull up and wouldn’t answer the door, but if he had to he would find a window to climb through. He walked up the path quickly to her front door and knocked on it three times in rapid succession.

~*~*~

Buffy heard a knock on the front door and reluctantly lifted herself from her bed, replacing the phone receiver in its cradle as she left her room. She bounded down the steps two at a time when she heard another knock.

“I’m coming,” she called, frowning at the impatience. Buffy twisted the handle and pulled the front door open. When she saw Spike standing on her doorstep her mouth gaped, before trying to slam the door in his face.

Spike had expected that reaction, and he pushed his way into the house before she could get the door closed.

She glared at him angrily, the door slightly ajar. “Get out,” she demanded.

Spike kicked out with his foot, closing the open door. “Buffy, I just need to talk to you.”

“Get OUT, Spike!” Buffy yelled, turning her back on him and proceeding to run up the stairs two at a time.

Spike almost turned for the door, but he knew if he did there would be no going back, he wouldn’t be able to smooth things between them if he just left. She was angry, but he would make her listen.

Quickly climbing the stairs he found himself in unfamiliar territory. He’d been inside her house before, but he’d never traveled upstairs. There were several doors to choose from, but he knew immediately which one she was in, the last on the right at the end of the short hall. He could hear her stomping her feet about the room, cursing his name.

He moved swiftly to the door and threw it open, his gaze flickered about the room. His eyes scanned the room, spotting the dresser top cluttered with photo frames, the posters that hung about the room, the clothes thrown messily over her bed. The whole room smelled of vanilla and honey, and he breathed it in deeply. And then he saw her.

Buffy’s didn’t hide her shock. She’d told him to leave, and thought he had. But now here he was, in her room, watching her closely. “Get out, Spike, just leave me alone!” Her earlier anger wasn’t present in her words; she sounded defeated more than anything else.

“Buffy, I need to talk to you. Just listen to me, god dammit!” Spike demanded forcefully as he took a step towards her.

Buffy backed up in response and found her knees backed up against her bed. She looked at him expectantly, remaining silent with an expression that she hoped resembled loathing. For a long moment there was silence as she waited for him to say something, but when he didn’t she rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. “I don’t have time for this crap, Spike. Close the door on your way out.”

She turned her back on him, suddenly finding the old posters from LA which adorned the walls of her room incredibly interesting.

Spike quickly walked the four steps it took to cross the distance between them, and spun her around in his arms to face him. Before she had a chance to object his lips were descending to hers, his arms tightening around her body and crushing her tiny frame against him.

For the briefest of moments Buffy didn’t resist him, and then she remembered who he was, what he had said to her and she raised her hands from her sides to push at him roughly. “You can’t do that! You can’t just walk in here and take what you want!” she objected.

She lifted her arms to push at him again, but he loosened his hold on her and captured her wrists, keeping her still and close, but allowing room between their bodies. “Buffy, I’m sorry,” he started to apologise. “For everything. For jumping to conclusions last night, for what I said today.” His gaze dropped to the floor at the shame and guilt he felt.

“You have no idea how much you effect me. Just being near you makes me crazy. When I thought that you were going to just forget everything that happened between us in LA, just return to your boyfriend…” He didn’t hide the spite in his voice when he spoke that word. “Well, I guess I over-reacted.”

Buffy snorted. “I’ll say.”

Spike smiled faintly, thankful that she wasn’t screaming at him to get away, that she was listening to him even though her expression was still hard and angry. “Then Willow told me --.”

“Willow told you what?” Buffy interrupted, mentally cursing her meddling friend.

A slow smile crept across his face. “Willow told me that you’d broken up with him, with Riley. I was so god damned happy you wouldn’t believe.” The smile disappeared, and was quickly replaced by a frown. “Then my words from today flew back in my face and I knew how badly I’d messed things up.”

He let go of her wrists, lifting one of his hands to her cheek, gently brushing a lock of hair from her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. Buffy’s expression softened slightly at the gentle gesture, and he continued before she could interrupt.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised again. “And I know I’m pushing my luck here, but I was wondering if…” his voice faltered, “… if you would like to come to the Bronze with me this Friday night.

Buffy’s eyes widened, and Spike knew he had to act fast, not wanting to hear her shoot him down. He lowered his lips to hers again, gently pressing his against hers in a soft kiss. Reluctantly breaking away a moment later, he continued hopefully, “You don’t have to give me an answer immediately, please just think about it? I’ll give you all the space you need.”

Buffy nodded numbly.

Spike smiled, turning away from her to walk out of the room, stopping at the door. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Summers.”

And with that he left.

~*~*~

Willow cringed.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Buffy exclaimed down the phone.

“I’m sorry, Buffy!” She tried to sound genuine but to be truthful she wasn’t. Spike and Buffy, they just fit. And if it was going to take a little prodding from her to convince her friend of that fact, then prodding it would be. Still, Spike could have made it easier on her by not blabbing like he had.

I’m going to kill Spike for telling her that…

Willow heard Buffy sigh at the other end of the line and realized that the mini temper tantrum her friend had thrown for butting in had lost its steam. “So,” she asked tentatively. “Are you going to?”

“Going to what?” Buffy repeated the question.

“Going to go to the Bronze with him?” Willow heard Buffy mutter below her breath, and she smiled.

“Tell me everything, from the beginning,” Willow insisted.

~*~*~

Hanging up the telephone Buffy slid beneath the covers of her bed. The conversation with Willow had helped to clear her mind, and she liked the clarity it brought. Spike had messed up, badly. But at least now, she seemed to understand why. Buffy cared about him more than she wanted to admit, and the fear that one day he could just turn around and morph into the cruel alter-ego she’d seen today seemed enough to convince her to stay away.

Willow on the other hand had offered an alternate explanation for every argument that Buffy could present. While it seemed her red-haired friend was obviously enjoying the role of matchmaker, Buffy could see Willow genuinely believed that she and Spike would make a great couple. The little girl inside Buffy, the one who had fantasies of meeting her Prince Charming and living out a happily ever after, was eager to give Spike the chance Willow seemed to believe he deserved. And the more her friend encouraged her, the more confident Buffy became.

So here she was, at a crossroads. She could either cut her losses and hope to find someone less volatile that made her feel the way Spike did; or, she could put her faith and trust into the boy who’d one day made her feel more alive than she ever had, and then broken her heart with his easy cruelty the next.

In the short time she known him, there had been plenty of times when Buffy had wanted to hit Spike for how he’d spoken to or treated her. But the good times outweighed the bad. There were more times that she’d felt gratitude, friendship and maybe even something deeper towards the bleach haired former menace cum friend. Spike had been there for her when her father had made things difficult in LA, kept things light and fun and done anything he could to distract her from the unhappiness brought up from seeing her dad. To Buffy, that was probably more special, more important than his timely rescue at the frat house. Saving her was one thing. Offering to be there—and just listening—was another. And Spike did that, most of the time.

With a deep sigh Buffy snuggled further into her blankets. Sleep would not find Buffy easily tonight, not with the buzz of questions that were flying through her mind. Spike had promised her time and she just hoped that he kept his word because she was going to need it.

Closing her eyes, Buffy tried to get some sleep.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Does anyone else sense a turning of the tides? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Chapter 19: First Date.


The days flew by quickly, and with the exception of a phone call from her father the week had been a good one. Buffy had yet to inform her mother about the incident in LA regarding her dad. Part of her was hoping he’d back off, another desperately seeking an alternative to the forced move. But regardless of the outcome, the most important thing to Buffy was that her mother had somewhere to live. So she kept her lips sealed.

Spike had given her space, just as he’d promised, their contact for the week restricted to a few hello’s in the hallways. At training he kept his distance, and the one time he’d had to speak to her it had been short and to the point, with more than a hint of longing in his eyes, before he’d pushed off from the wall.

If she were honest, Buffy missed the lighthearted banter between them from the swim meet in LA. On several occasions she’d had to bite her tongue to curb the urge to initiate a conversation with him. She was still hurt and very upset with the way he had treated her. Their contact may have been limited but she was certain he paid more attention to her when he thought she wasn’t aware. Because when he was near, she knew. She could feel his eyes on her.

Buffy knew she should have spoken to him sooner and she felt guilty about not doing so. Things were going to be weird between them now—they were already strained—and that was the last thing she wanted.

Once bitten twice shy, wasn’t that the expression her mother had used when her father had first deserted them? Well Buffy had been bitten. Spike had changed so suddenly and so drastically, that she almost didn’t believe he wanted to go out with her at the weekend. That somehow, this was all part of his plan to make her feel even worse than she had on Monday morning.

Those fears were soundly quashed yesterday at lunchtime. Harmony had finally spat the dummy publicly at Spike’s lack of interest in her. Accusations of running hot and cold had been thrown from the cheerleader, among other things. Someone should have informed Harmony that if she wanted to have a private conversation, the cafeteria probably wasn’t the best place to do it. The entire exchange was witnessed by pretty much the entire senior class, including Buffy. She had watched in secret, maintaining her focus on her lunch and only daring to shoot a glance in her teammate’s direction when she thought she wouldn’t be caught.

Despite the fact Buffy wasn’t actively watching the public spat she did hear every word. Spike shot the bimbo down, telling her she wasn’t worth his time. Harmony’s screeched accusations that he’d lead her on caused a snicker to sound from the amassed crowd. Apparently the best response was no response, Spike just ignored her.

With a huff of annoyance, and spiteful glares shot in Buffy’s direction, Harmony had flounced out of the cafeteria. Buffy smiled.

It was now Friday afternoon, last class of the week. English Lit.

Walking into the classroom, Buffy found Spike already seated in his regular spot. She approached the desk and put her books down on her side and slid the chair out.

Spike immediately looked up at her, flashing a warm smile. “Hey, Buffy.”

“Spike.” Buffy smiled quickly back, turning her attention to the teacher, and frowned when she didn’t recognize the woman standing before them.

Spike watched Buffy’s face closely, openly observing the confusion that caused the pretty blonde’s brows to scrunch together. “Substitute…Gordon’s not in today.”

Buffy nodded and turned her attention to her book.

Spike waited for her to say something, anything… but she didn’t. He sighed in resignation. All week he had been waiting for her to talk to him, to either shoot him down or accept his request to go to the Bronze tonight with him. Ignoring him almost completely was not a response he had expected. But he supposed he deserved it.

With another sigh, this time at his own stupidity, he turned his attention to his notebook, scribbling away as the substitute yammered on about the task.

Buffy snuck a look in Spike’s direction when she knew his attention was no longer focused on her. He was furiously scribbling away in a notebook. Interest piqued, she wondered what it was that he was writing, but she wasn’t game enough to lean across.

After what seemed like forever, the bell finally sounded for the end of class. Abruptly, Spike pushed his chair out from his desk, stacked his notebooks together and snatched them up in his arms, walking out of the classroom without so much as a muttered goodbye.

Buffy watched his speedy exit and sighed.

Slowly collecting her own books, she walked out of the classroom and into the hall. Barely had she made it into the throng of students before Spike was upon her, eyes flashing with frustration.

“Why couldn’t you just turn me down?” he demanded of her, taking a deep breath when he realized how angry he had sounded. “I’ve been going crazy all week. Not knowing what you were going to say… not knowing if you’d bite my head off if I tried to talk to you.”

She looked surprised, shame flickering through her eyes momentarily.

“I need to know…” The words trailed off. Spike didn’t like his chances, but he had to ask. “Are you ever going to talk to me again, or should I stop hassling you?”

Buffy took a deep breath, clutching her books tightly to her chest, hoping she was making the right decision.

“All right.”

Spike looked at her blankly. “All right what? All right you’ll give me an answer?”

“All right… I’ll come with you,” she clarified, the words slowly escaping her lips.

A broad smile broke across his face, and he took a step closer to her, reaching forward with one hand to toy with her hair. Twisting the lock around his fingers he had to restrain himself from leaning down and kissing her. Trust had been broken and he was determined it should be rebuilt. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

Buffy smiled nervously, and nodded. “What time should I meet you there, at the Bronze?”

“Meet me there? Are you kidding?” he scoffed.

Buffy’s expression froze. “Wh-what?”

Spike smiled warmly. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”

Buffy’s entire being clenched in apprehension, his words conjuring up rejection scenarios in her mind. When his words finally registered her whole body relaxed, and she released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Eight it is.”

Spike leaned forward, the temptation to touch her becoming too much. With feather light pressure his lips gently caressed her forehead.

A couple of students had stopped to gawk, mouths dropping open in surprise. Genuine, open affection was apparently not something Spike expressed all too often. Buffy, being the recipient, was in just as much shock. As far as most of the student body knew, save Willow and Xander, Spike and Buffy didn’t get along. Her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment.

Whispers followed her as she walked towards her locker, a slow smile stretching across her face. She had a date tonight…

~*~*~

Joyce watched as Buffy ran from the bathroom to her bedroom, hair recently blow-dried, bath towel wrapped around her torso. A gasp of panic came from her daughter’s bedroom, and Joyce walked in anxiously.

“Buffy, is everything okay?”

Buffy’s eyes were wide as she shook her head. “He’s going to be here in twenty minutes, and I’m not even dressed!”

Joyce stifled a laugh. “If he shows up early, I’ll stall him.”

Buffy smiled with gratitude, but it only remained on her face for a few seconds before she returned to her desperate rummaging through her closet in search of the perfect outfit.

Despite the panic in her daughter’s actions, Joyce could see that Buffy was happy. Excited even. A person would have to be blind to have not noticed how gloomy Buffy had been during the week. Joyce was not a stupid woman; she suspected the sadness was not solely because Buffy had ended her short relationship with Riley. When answers to why were not forthcoming, Joyce understood she’d just had to wait—she would never force Buffy to talk to her about something if she didn’t want to. Whatever the reason for the smile that had returned to her daughter’s face, she was grateful. Smiling, she made her way downstairs and busied herself in the kitchen.

~*~*~

Buffy threw the umpteenth outfit on her bed, almost ready to tear her hair out at the roots. Or at least given it a good, hard tug. Had it not been for the fact she had spent so much time on her hair, she might have.

It shouldn’t be this hard to pick an outfit…

Finally, she decided on a black skirt, which meant she could wear any colour top. The skirt itself was made of a thin material which flared out around her body when she danced, but otherwise clung loosely to her legs just at knee level. A pretty blue corseted top was chosen to complete the outfit. It was almost the colour of peacock’s feathers and tied up at the back with black straps, a thin line of black lace on the hem around her hips. It had tiny, see-through black sleeves and sat off the shoulder.

Eyeing herself in the mirror, she closed the clasp of a delicate chain that had a tiny silver cross hanging from it around her neck, and put on a pair of large silver hoop earrings.

Realizing that she was running out of time, she sat in front of her small vanity table and quickly applied a small amount of make-up. Dark brown tones on her eyelids, black mascara and a clear gloss on her lips brought out her features.

The outfit was complete.

The doorbell rang and Buffy stood to attention, her ears pricked and listening for voices. She heard her mother answer the door warmly. The conversation floated up the stairs.

“Hello, Mrs Summers. I’m here to pick up Buffy,” Spike informed, nervously shifting his weight from one side to the other.

“Please, come in. Buffy will be down in a moment.” Joyce smiled warmly, a twinkle of merriment in her eye as she continued. “And do call me Joyce. Mrs Summers makes me feel old.”

Allowing herself a moment to calm her nerves, Buffy began to make her way to the stairs, the plush carpet beneath her feet sinking as --

Shoes!

Buffy ran to her closet on her toes, careful not to stomp, and selected a pair of simple black heels. As she was buckling the second shoe she listened as the conversation downstairs continued.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” Joyce gasped in surprise. “They’re lovely, thank you.”

Buffy frowned, wondering what was going on. Grabbing her black leather jacket from her bed, she slipped it over her shoulders and slowly made her way down the stairs.

“It’s my pleasure,” Spike said graciously, some of his earlier nervousness slipping away in the warmth of Joyce’s smile. “Buffy told me that you --” Spike stopped mid-sentence when he heard a noise on the stairs, and turned to see Buffy walking slowly down towards him.

Joyce turned from the dining room where she was placing a bouquet of daisies in a vase on the table, her attention shifting to the entryway. She smiled again when she saw the enraptured expression on the boy’s face.

Spike was astounded; Buffy looked breathtaking.

“Hello, Spike,” Buffy greeted with a shy smile, giggling at the expression of wonder on his face. Her voice seemed to wake him from the daze he was in, and Buffy had to fight not to giggle again when he shook his head.

“You’re beautiful,” he complimented almost breathily, taking her hand in his and placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.

Joyce did not miss the gesture. He seems like a nice boy…

“You don’t look half bad yourself,” Buffy replied, ducking her gaze to hide the blush that had risen on her cheeks.

Spike was wearing a pair of black jeans and a deep blue shirt, the top two buttons rebelliously left undone. His hair was a mess of loose curls, not slicked back like it normally was. The outfit looked good on him, and Buffy couldn’t help admiring how the shirt fit around his arms and shoulders.

“Buffy,” Joyce called as she walked into the hall, interrupting the two teenagers who had yet to tear their eyes off each other. “You look beautiful, honey.” Stepping forward, she gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

Buffy blushed again, slightly embarrassed by her mother’s affection. She silently prayed she wouldn’t be giving a curfew lecture. Buffy had spoken to her mother earlier on in the evening and hoped to avoid its delivery when Spike was around.

“Well, have fun you two. And don’t stay out too late.” Joyce beamed as she departed into the dining room.

Buffy sighed in relief.

“Shall we go?” Spike suggested, offering Buffy his arm.

Buffy accepted, her smile stretching as he walked her to the door. “Goodnight, Mom.”

Spike stepped forward to open the door, ushering her out before closing it behind them.

The air was fresh and cool, making Buffy glad she had decided to bring a jacket, even though she knew she wouldn’t need it inside the Bronze.

Spike let got of her arm and moved to the passenger side of his car, opening the door for her before moving over to the driver’s side and slipping in. Once more he looked over at Buffy in adoration, pleasantly surprised when he found her watching him. He smiled and started up the car, the engine roaring to life. Turned on the stereo and making sure the volume was low—it was just for ambient noise after all—he backed the car out of the driveway.

“To the Bronze?”

“The Bronze,” Buffy agreed.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Hope it didn’t disappoint!

Chapter 20: If three’s a crowd, what are four?


Spike led Buffy into the Bronze, his hand placed protectively on the small of her back as they entered together.

Buffy searched the crowd for Willow and Xander, knowing they would probably be in here somewhere, and smiled when she spotted them.

“Can we go say hello?” she asked Spike.

“Of course,” he replied immediately. Spike had genuinely grown to like Buffy’s friends - that Willow sure was a feisty one when she wanted to be. And Xander was funny, if overly protective of Buffy. He liked them, he just hadn’t planned on having an audience for their first date. However, when he felt Buffy’s fingers entwine with his as she led him toward the pair he relaxed slightly. She was here with him, that’s all that mattered.

“Hey, guys!” Buffy greeted with a bright smile.

“Buffy, you look awesome!” Willow complimented with a smile, nodding to Spike. “Hey, Spike. So, what are you two doing here tonight?”

“We’re on a date,” Spike informed proudly, his grin borderline giddy as he gave Buffy’s hand a gentle squeeze.

Both Willow and Xander looked to Buffy for confirmation, and she blushed under their gazes. “Yeah. Is anyone thirsty? I think I might go get a drink.”

Once she had their orders she quickly left the table and made her way to the bar to get the four cokes.

Spike smiled again, this time nervously as he stood beside the table, shifting his weight from one side to the other. He could feel their eyes on him, practically burning holes in him. It was unnerving. Willow’s expression was one of excitement; Xander’s was a frown of distrust.

“So,” Xander said, nodding his head and looking around.

“So,” Spike repeated.

“I can’t believe you guys are on a date!” Willow exclaimed with an excited bounce in her seat.

Both guys rolled their eyes, laughing together.

The group slowly struck up a conversation, Spike’s gaze ticking nervously to the bar every now and then in search of Buffy. Willow smiled when she caught the look of longing in Spike’s eye as he glanced at Buffy.

He’ll make her happy… she thought.

~*~*~

“Thanks,” Buffy said as she handed over her cash, waiting for the drinks to get poured.

“Hey, how are you?” a male voice spoke to her left.

Buffy turned to see a casually dressed guy standing beside her, a smile on his face as he drank in her appearance appreciatively.

“Parker Abrams,” he introduced, offering a hand. “And you are?”

“On a date,” Buffy replied quickly, smiling at the bartender when he deposited her drinks in front of her. Scooping them up she turned to walk back to the table, leaving the bewildered guy staring after her.

~*~*~

Spike’s smile had disappeared. Not due to the company, the conversation had been genuine, something he rarely experienced with the group he hung out with at school. No, it was when he looked toward the bar that a glare fixed to his face.

Willow and Xander both looked over their shoulders, seeing the reason for his frown. A brunette guy had approached Buffy, and was trying in vain to start up a conversation. Buffy paid him no attention, and turned away, seemingly unaware of the way his eyes raked over her body.

Xander looked back towards Spike and noticed that he was clenching his jaw in anger. Well, he sure is protective… that’s a good thing right?

Buffy made her way back to the table, placing the glasses of coke before her friends.

“There we go, cokes all around,” she said with a smile.

“Was he bothering you, luv?” Spike asked with a scowl in the direction of the bar.

Buffy shook her head. “Nope. All is good. He tried to start up a conversation but I told him I was here on a date.”

Spike’s face broke into a broad smile, his annoyance fading at hearing the ‘d’ word. He liked hearing Buffy say that. “Oh yeah?” he said with a smirk. “So tell me about this guy?”

Buffy grinned. “He’s kind and funny and good looking…” She made a show of lifting her arm up to examine her watch. “And he’s running late.”

Spike’s face blanked for a moment, before he saw the grin creeping across her face.

“Oh, you don’t know him, I met him at --”

Spikes arms shot out to wrap around her, pulling her tightly towards him. “It’s not nice to joke, luv,” he growled playfully, his grin widening as he played her words over in his mind. “You think I’m good looking?” He cocked an eyebrow.

Buffy felt her cheeks flush, but before she could respond Xander interrupted.

“Give me a break!”

Buffy and Spike both looked up to see Willow swatting Xander on the arm.

“What?” he asked with faux innocence.

Buffy smiled and pulled herself away from Spike’s embrace, standing up. She held her hand out for him. “Dance with me?”

Spike felt his breath catch in his throat and he smiled as he stood, taking her hand in acceptance of her offer. Buffy felt his hold on her tighten as she led him through the crowd, and passed a large group of guys. She smiled. It seemed Spike would forever be the knight in shining armor. Finding some space on the dance floor, she turned to face him, just as the music shifted to a slower song.

Buffy stood awkwardly before him for a moment, having not expected the tempo switch. Spike saw the hesitation in her eyes, and quickly took a step forward, closing the gap between them as he took her in his arms. As his arms wrapped around her lower back he felt Buffy’s snake around his neck. He sighed into her hair when she rested her head against his chest.

This felt right. Having her in his arms. And this time it was because they both wanted to be there. He held her a tighter, a little afraid that she might disappear on him.

~*~*~

Willow and Xander watched from their table as Buffy and Spike danced. Willow looked on with an excited, yet soft smile, Xander with a little hesitation. Whilst he could not deny that Buffy seemed incredibly happy, he was still wary. Buffy had become close friends with Willow and himself since her arrival in town a little over a month ago, and he didn’t want to see her hurt. The protectiveness he felt for her was something originally born from adoration, which had quickly turned to admiration. Xander knew that he and Buffy would never be, and it no longer bothered him. Her friendship was enough.

But god help any guy who broke her heart.

~*~*~

One song came to an end, another slow song following it, and Buffy sighed as she let herself mold into Spike’s protective embrace.

Hearing her sighs Spike loosened his hold on her slightly, and lifted a hand to tilt her head towards him. Her green eyes met his blue ones and he was relieved to see the happiness there. “Everything all right, luv?” he asked.

Buffy just nodded, smiling brightly at him. “Everything is great.”

Spike returned the smile, dipping his face towards hers, brushing his lips gently over hers.

A shiver rolled up Buffy’s spine when his lips captured hers.

It was not their first kiss, in fact there had been numerous before it. But this was the first kiss they shared that was all about them. No boyfriends or girlfriends in the way. And he loved it. He loved it even more when he felt her hands pull at his neck, deepening the kiss.

The song ended too soon and the pair reluctantly pulled away from each other. Buffy opened her eyes to find Spike looking down at her in awe.

“What?” she asked a little self consciously, biting on her bottom lip.

“You,” he breathed. “You’re here with me, and you kissed me.”

A smile broke out across his face and Buffy giggled. She didn’t want the night to end, but she knew it would soon.

~*~*~

Willow’s excitement over the new couple grew with each passing minute, and her gushing only subsided when Xander pointed out that the bassist from the Dingoes, Oz, was checking her out. Her cheeks flamed and she dropped her gaze to the table.

Now it was Xander’s turn to grin.

~*~*~

“Well, guys, it’s time for me to leave,” Buffy fare welled as she walked up to the table where her friends were still seated, despite the fact she and Spike had been on the dance floor for well over an hour. Spike followed behind her, nudging her and looking at Willow. Buffy noticed the pink blush that had spread across Willow’s cheeks, and she looked over to Xander with a question in her eyes. He inclined his head towards the stage with a grin.

Glancing over her shoulder, her own smirk appeared. “Oh, look, Willow. He’s looking this way,” she announced. “Oz, right? Maybe we should call him over here and --”

“NO!” Willow yelped, mortified that Buffy was joining Xander in the teasing. “No,” she said a little more calmly. “I’ll go talk to him after they finish their set.

“Promise?” Buffy asked with an unconvinced stare.

“Cross my heart.” Willow drew a cross over her chest with her hand.

“Hold her to it, Xander,” Buffy ordered with a grin.

“Oh, I intend to,” the brunette replied with a matching smirk.

Willow looked helplessly towards Spike who shrugged his shoulders. “There’s no way out of this one I can see, pet. You shouldn’t have promised.”

Willow’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Go home already,” she said sulkily.

Buffy drew her friend in for a quick hug, kissed Xander on the cheek and then turned to Spike. “We ready?” she asked.

He nodded. “Ready when you are, luv.”

Buffy waved to her friends and Spike repeated the action, taking Buffy’s hand in his as they walked towards the exit.

As soon as they were out of sight, Willow’s gushing began. “Aww, they’re sooo sweet! Did you see how he took her hand as they --”

“Oz is looking this way again,” Xander interrupted.

Willow’s cheeks coloured and she looked to the table again. “Beast.”

~*~*~

Spike walked towards the car, shooting glances at Buffy who stood by his side. He was in awe of her, of how she looked tonight, of the fact she was even here, with him. Especially after the way he’d mistreated her. Every time she smiled at him he shook his head in disbelief. He didn’t understand why she was with him, when she could obviously have any guy she wanted. Not that he was going to complain about it.

Opening the door for her to slide into the passenger seat, he quickly moved to the driver’s side, throwing her a grin before starting up the car.

She’s here with me…

~*~*~

Buffy fidgeted nervously as the car came to a halt in front of her house. The night had been fantastic. They had danced, talked, hung out with her friends—albeit briefly—and shared a few fleeting kisses.

But now…

Now they were alone.

Joyce had left the porch light on, and Buffy could see a light shining from the dining room where her Mom was probably working on something for the gallery’s inventory. But she didn’t know they were home, yet.

Spike flicked a nervous glance in Buffy’s direction before exiting his vehicle and moving to her side of the car to help her out. Buffy accepted his hand, smiling softly. Her breath hitched in her throat when he placed his other hand on the small of her back as he led her to the house, effectively drawing their bodies closer to each other.

Buffy halted at the door, turning around the face her date.

Spike’s expression was one of contentment, and she smiled at the fact that it was because of her.

“I had a great time tonight,” she offered shyly.

Spike had to clear his throat before responding with a similar sentiment. Even though he knew the night had to eventually come to an end, he hadn’t expected it to come along so quickly. “Me too.”

Movement inside the house alerted Spike to the fact they wouldn’t be alone for too much longer. “Can I see you again?” he asked tentatively. He was pretty certain that she wouldn’t turn him down, but a little bit of uncertainty plagued his mind. She’s too good for me.

“I’d love that,” Buffy replied with another shy smile, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

A broad smile broke across his face when she replied, and he let out the breath he had been subconsciously holding. She said yes!

When her eyes finally lifted up to him again, he dipped his head to capture her lips in a soft kiss. Buffy leant toward Spike, placing her hands on his chest as she returned the kiss. When his tongue ran the length of her bottom lip as if seeking permission, Buffy parted her lips. Slowly their tongues tangled and their lips brushed against each other’s before noise inside the house interrupted them.

Regretfully, Spike broke the kiss, lifting one of Buffy’s hands to press a soft kiss on it as he stepped away.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he promised.

“Okay,” Buffy replied quietly, her lips still tingling from the heady kiss. She leaned up to give him a quick peck on the lips before he turned, walked off the porch and back to his car. She waved as his car backed out of the driveway, only moving inside when the tail-lights faded into the dark.

---

A/N: Hope you liked! Sorry about the delay guys, was focusing on my fic entry for the current round of Seasonal Spuffy - the first chapter of which has been posted up here! It’s called “A Mother Knows Best” and the first chapter you can find HERE.

---

Chapter 21: Narration.


Buffy woke up the next morning with a fixed smile. Absolutely nothing was going to be able to destroy her good mood. The covers were thrown back as she slid to the floor and padded toward the bathroom. First a shower, then get dressed, followed by a quick breakfast. Then it was off to school.

She had a boy to see.

~*~*~

The moment her Mom’s SUV pulled into the parking lot at school, Buffy’s door was open and the eager teen was practically diving from it. A rushed “goodbye, mom,” was thrown over her shoulder as she jogged up the stairs at the front of the school and made her way inside. It was quieter than she had come to expect of a morning, but then, she was there a good thirty minutes earlier than she normally arrived.

It was Willow’s fault.

Buffy made her way to her locker and swiftly stowed her books, keeping only those she’d require for first period. She was almost to the quad when she finally spotted her friend, seated on the bench where they’d agreed to meet.

The redhead lifted her gaze from her textbook; a bright and wide grin stretched across her face as she waved Buffy over with palpable excitement. “You promised details and I want to know everything.”

Willow patted the seat beside her and scooched over to make room for Buffy, which sent the blonde into giggles. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

“Well, you know about our date on Friday night, he drove me home and—”

“Were there smooches?! I bet there were smooches,” Willow babbled animatedly.

“Willow, are you going to let me tell you, or should I let you guess?” Buffy asked with a raised brow.

“Oh, I’ll be quiet, just talk faster.” Lifting her hand to her mouth, Willow made a zipping motion over her lips.

“Yes, there were smooches.”

Willow squealed delightedly before she repeated the zipping action.

“The next morning…”

~*~*~

…Buffy walked downstairs and into the kitchen. She was still on a high from her date with Spike at the Bronze the night before. In fact the smile had yet to move from her face. Happy, cheerful, positive; these words and more described Buffy’s mood.

Breakfast was shared with her mother, another reason for her to smile. Over the last few weeks, the opportunities to spend quality time with her mom had been minimal. It was nice to spend time with her, even if it was for just an hour. When Joyce left for work Buffy returned upstairs to shower and dress.

Today was going to be a quiet one, she’d made no plans to see her friends and her mom was going to be gone until dinnertime. Homework was waiting to be completed but she decided to save that for the evening. Maybe I could go for a walk, or go shopping, or…

The doorbell rang.

A confused frown made its way across Buffy’s face as she bounded down the steps two at a time. “Coming,” she called as she reached the door, twisting the knob and turning it quickly to open and reveal—

“Spike?” Buffy blinked in surprise.

~*~*~

“Oh, my god!” Willow gasped with enthusiasm. “He came and saw you the next day as well?”

Buffy nodded. “As I was saying, I hadn’t expected him to come over, so to see him on the doorstep was surprising, to say the least. If I’d known he was going to come over I would have dressed in something nicer than—”

~*~*~

“Hey, Buffy,” Spike smiled warmly. “Are you busy?”

Buffy shook her head and half stepped behind the door. She was wearing an old tracksuit, one of the ones she would throw on over her bathers after a training session. Not exactly her hottest outfit. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to come see my girl,” he answered honestly. He’d wanted to surprise her and judging by the bewildered expression on her face, he had. “Can I come in?”

“S-sure,” Buffy stuttered as she pulled the door wider. “I was just in the middle of some laundry. Let me get changed and I’ll be back in a minute?” Not waiting for an answer she disappeared up the stairs.

~*~*~

“You ran?”

Buffy nodded. “Will, it was my oldest tracksuit.” She scrunched her nose up in disgust.

“I bet he didn’t even notice,” Willow replied matter-oh-factly, a smug grin making its way across her face.

A rose blush rose on Buffy’s cheeks. “He didn’t.”

~*~*~

When Buffy came downstairs a few minutes later, dressed in a pair of fitted jeans and black v-neck t-shirt she felt a lot more comfortable. But Spike was no longer in the foyer. “Spike?” she called out hesitantly.

“In ‘ere,” his voice called from the living room.

The partition doors had been pulled almost all the way closed, and the room was darkened. When Buffy walked through she saw that Spike had closed the curtains. On the coffee table lay an assortment of sugary lollies and candy, a couple cans of soda and bag of corn chips.

Spike himself was crouched in front of the TV unit to insert a DVD into the player.

“What is all this?” Buffy asked, pulling the doors closed behind her.

“I thought it might be nice to spend some time together, just the two of us.” Spike rose to his feet and walked over to Buffy. Taking her hand, he led her toward the sofa and they sat down. “Last night was fun, but I thought it would be nice if our second date was just the two of use. So stayin’ in and watchin’ movies it is.” He was pretty pleased with his logic.

“Date?” Buffy repeated.

~*~*~

“Aww!” Willow gushed.

“I know.” Buffy ducked her head, blushing.

“So what did he say?”

“Shh, and I’ll tell you.”

~*~*~

For the first time Spike’s smile faltered. He thought he’d covered everything. Spike knew Buffy liked watching movies, so bringing over DVD’s seemed like the perfect plan. This way there was no chance of bumping into people they knew so they wouldn’t be interrupted. Nothing would make Spike prouder than to let everyone in town known that Buffy was his girl. But he wanted to spend some time alone with her as well. Money was shelled out on snacks so they wouldn’t even have to get up to go to the kitchen. They could spend the next couple of hours in relative darkness, snuggled on the sofa. And he liked that idea.

It hadn’t even occurred to him that Buffy might not be so keen.

“Well… ah, yes. Date,” he answered sheepishly. “But only if you want it be. I could go, or…” he trailed off as he fidgeted beside her, before finally making move to stand. “I’m sorry, it’s just last night was great and—”

Buffy’s hand on Spike’s thigh stilled his movement and stopped his words. “Last night was great. And this is very sweet of you.” She smiled warmly, linking her fingers with his as she relaxed back against the cushions. “What movies did you bring?”

~*~*~

“Aww!” Willow squealed, repeating herself. “So you guys spent the day watching movies together?”

Buffy nodded. “We completely lost track of time.”

A mischievous grin spread across Willow’s face. “Huh. What movies did you watch and what was your favourite part of each? With details.”

The blush that rose on Buffy’s cheeks was all the response Willow needed. “I so knew it! You guys spent the whole time making out, didn’t you?”

“Not the… whole time,” Buffy mumbled.

“Go on. Lost track of time, then what?” Willow prodded.

~*~*~

The movie they had been ‘watching’ was well over, the title screen for the DVD going through the motions on the television, neither paying any attention whatsoever to the repeating sequence. Mouths fused together Buffy and Spike began a gentle exploration of the other’s skin. As their kisses became more heated, more adventurous did their wandering digits become. Somewhere around the exposition scene toward the end of the film the pair had shifted from their side-by-side seating. Currently they were lying on the sofa, Spike’s knees between Buffy’s legs, his weight gently pressing her into the plush cushions.

Buffy’s fingers twined in Spike’s hair, his caressed her face. When of their own volition his hands wandered down her neck, ghosted across her breasts, before settling on her exposed stomach, she made no attempt to hinder him. Shivers of delight mixed the stomach churning nervousness that came with first investigation of another’s flesh washed over Buffy. This felt right.

Nervous excitement filled Buffy as she began her own discovery. One hand held him to her, her fingers dancing across his back, while the other traced a slow path down his chest. With a flattened palm she mapped his pectorals, feelings his nipples harden beneath her touch. She continued further south. Touch feather light she traced over Spike’s defined abdominal muscles. A feline smile curled her lips, momentarily breaking their kiss, when she felt how they rippled and convulsed as she mapped his flesh. His body’s reaction to her attentions filled her with womanly pride.

The satisfied smirk left her face, her mouth dropping open in surprise when Spike’s warm hand pushed beneath her bra.

“Spike,” Buffy gasped, pressing her hands to his chest to stop him.

“We take this only as far as you want to,” Spike assured when he saw the flicker of panic in her eyes, his own expression gentle.

Buffy nodded slowly. Biting her bottom lip to settle the fluttering in the pit of her stomach, Buffy lowered her hands to the hem of his t-shirt, hooking her fingers around the bottom of it. With a timid little pull upward she hinted her desire for more freedom with his flesh.

Sensing her hesitancy Spike completed the task, lifting himself to his knees and removing the t-shirt with one fluid movement, throwing it carelessly over his shoulder.

It wasn’t like she’d never seen Spike shirtless before. In fact she’d seen him in next to nothing dozens of times thanks to swim training. But up close and personal like this, in a more intimate setting, it was liked seeing him for the first time.

Spike ducked his head at Buffy’s open appreciation. His reaction was surprising to himself. He wasn’t the sort of person who became shy around others when in a state of undress, partly because of swimming, mostly because of his general confidence with women. Normally he exuded confidence, or arrogance depending on who you spoke to. Something about how Buffy was looking at him caused the cockiness to retreat and shyness to appear. It’s because it’s Buffy, not just some girl.

Buffy’s gaze finally returned to Spike’s face. There was something in his eyes, something that was holding him back. Like he was waiting for her permission, or something. Funny how quickly roles can be reversed… she thought.

With a boldness that came from nowhere Buffy grabbed Spike’s hand and yanked him back on top of her.

~*~*~

Of course, Buffy was glossing over the details, only sharing the bare minimum of information, but it was obviously enough. Kissing, couch, wandering hands, buttons. Willow’s eyes were the size of saucers.

“Did he…did you…was there…buttons?” Willow was exerting incredible control to keep her jaw from dropping to the ground. She cleared her throat before attempting to make her question more…comprehensible. “Clothes were removed?”

At Buffy’s hurried nod Willow’s eyes grew to even larger, and seemingly impossible, proportions.

Buffy giggled. “Spike’s t-shirt.”

“Wow,” Willow breathed. “Gosh…just, wow!”

A dreamy sigh escaped Buffy’s lips as she nodded in agreement. Shirtless Spike was very wow.

“Did he…did he, you know?” Willow’s cheeks blushed as red as her hair. “Don’t make me ask.”

“No. Nothing else came off,” Buffy responded with an answering blush. “We were kinda interrupted.”

A squeak of horror left the redhead’s mouth. “Interrupted?”

~*~*~

Spike’s wandering fingers had found their way to top of Buffy’s jeans, and there they paused, toying with the button before releasing it with a pop. Thumb and index finger slowly dragged the zipper down, the noise loud and exaggerated in the quiet.

Emboldened by the feel of his fingers dancing low across her abdomen, Buffy mirrored Spike’s actions. She traced one finger down the length of his erection that strained against his jeans, before she reached for the zipper.

At that precise moment a car abruptly pulled into the driveway.

The startled pair practically dove apart when they realised their privacy was about to be interrupted. Spike immediately began searching for his missing t-shirt, while Buffy smoothed her hands over her hair in an attempt to tame the mess it had become.

A key turned in the lock.

Frantically, Buffy removed a hair band from her wrist and tied her hair up off her face.

The front door opened as Buffy and Spike gave each other’s appearances a once over. Spike re-buttoned Buffy’s jeans whilst she ran her fingers through his hair to tame the curls that had sprung forth.

“Hi, honey, I’m home.”

---

A/N: Hope it was worth the wait!

---

Chapter 22: Deal with the Devil.


“Oh, my, goodness! That is so embarrassing!” Willow squealed.

“What’s embarrassing?” a masculine voice interjected.

Both girls immediately flicked their gazes toward the intruder, paired exhalations of relief leaving their mouths when they recognised Xander.

“Nothing,” Buffy replied with a rueful smile, twin pink dots rising on her cheeks.

“Y-yeah,” Willow stuttered. “Girl stuff.”

Xander sat down beside his two friends, an exaggerated pout on his lips. “You girls have so many secrets, I never get told anything anymore.”

“Oh, Xander,” Buffy cooed as she wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “You know we love you, right?” she added with a pointed tilt of her head as she looked at Willow.

“Yeah, we do, lots,” the redhead added, before she wrapped her own arms around him.

“Well, that’s alright then,” Xander replied with a nod, a goofy grin spreading across his face as he soaked up the attention.

The bell for homeroom rang and the trio of friends begrudgingly stood to make their way to class. Xander groaned about the pending pop quiz he would be taking this afternoon, earning encouraging words from Willow. With a wave he bid the girls adieu and headed for class.

Buffy walked in silence, a fact not missed by Willow.

“Buffy, are you alright?”

Blinking out of the daze she’d been wandering in Buffy nodded. “I’m fine. Just thinking is all.”

“About Spike?” Willow probed. The answering blush on Buffy’s cheeks was all the response Willow needed.

“I really like him, Will,” Buffy confessed. Memories of her time spent with Spike over the weekend brought a soft smile to her lips.

“I know,” Willow replied, a smile of the mischievous variety lighting her face. “Can’t say I blame you. I mean, have you seen him without his shirt on? Boy, those swimmers sure are pretty to look at.”

Buffy giggled before vehemently nodding in agreement. “Oh yeah, I’ve seen.”

The girls laughed all the way to class.

~*~*~

Gravel scattered in every direction as Spike’s car squealed to a standstill in the parking lot. First period had already begun and he was seriously late. All he could hope for was that Snyder was otherwise indisposed. If the snivelling little dictator were wandering the halls when Spike walked in, it wouldn’t be good. With countless detentions, several overdue papers, and a suspension for fighting, the last thing he needed was another black mark on his permanent school record, for tardiness no less.

With bated breath he darted toward the school, bounding the steps three at a time before throwing his full weight at the door and rushing down the hall toward study hall, the slap of his boots against the linoleum floor the only noise he encountered. A door behind him opened with a squeak of its hinges and Spike silently cursed himself as he ducked into the library, hoping the little weasel hadn’t caught him. Bag dropped unceremoniously beside the table near the stacks, he reached for the nearest textbook and opened it, just as the library doors swung open. To the casual observer Spike would appear immersed in study.

The click of expensive heels identified the entrant as a non-Snyder like, female person.

“Hard at study I see, isn’t this a surprise.”

A head to toe glance identified the intruder, but her identity was exposed entirely in the sarcastic tone of her voice. Expensive shoes, hands on cocked hips, designer outfit, heady perfume, all added up to one Miss Cordelia Chase.

“To what do I owe this…” Spike scrunched up his nose in displeasure. “Delight, of your company?” His tone was as barbed and sardonic as hers.

“Now, now, Spike. No need to get catty,” Cordelia chastised. She perched herself upon the desk, making a show of crossing her legs. On any other male the action would have elicited a long, deep examination of the length of her supple legs. But not Spike. No, he was infatuated with the little blonde thing on the swim team. That’s why she did it, to irritate him.

It worked.

“Do you mind? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“I can see,” she replied with faux sincerity. “Reading last year’s Biology textbook.”

Spike slammed the book closed and made a move to lift in his seat but Cordelia stopped him with a heel on his chest.

“I’ve got a proposition for you.”

“Flashin’ skin my way now, Cordelia?” A brow lifted skyward, his eyes remained fixed upon the unkind twist of her smirk. “Why don’t you go peddle your wares to the football team, I’m not interested.”

With the over-dramatised gesture of a hand pressed to her breast Cordelia feigned hurt feelings. “You cut me, Spike.” With a roll of her eyes she slid off the edge of the desk and stood before him, arms folded over her chest. “You’ll want to hear me out.”

“I think not,” Spike snorted in response, lifting himself from his seat and making his way toward the library doors.

“Guess, who’s, ba-ack,” she sing-songed in response.

Spike halted, his back facing Cordelia for several long moments before he slowly spun.

“What are --”

“Angel,” she interrupted.

Spike was never one for gaping like a fish, but at that moment it took considerable restraint to keep his jaw still. Teeth clenched he balled his hands by his side.

“Oh, Spike,” Cordelia sighed, continuing with the over-dramatisation. “I thought you’d be happy to hear of your friend’s return to Sunnydale. And with Angel back, you know what that will mean for your budding relationship with Buf--”

“What do you want?” Spike growled. There had to be some ulterior motive, some reason why Cordelia Chase was giving him the heads up. Not that Angel being back was an entirely terrible thing; the two of them had been great friends for several years. No, it was what the self appointed Queen of the high school was alluding that had him barely containing his rage. There was nothing more he would like at this moment than to wipe the smug grin from her face.

“We have a common goal, Spike. We both want the same thing.” The teasing, the sarcasm, it was all gone from her voice. Cordelia was dead serious.

“And what is that?” Spike spat out.

“Buffy, not with Angel,” she answered simply.

“Buffy’s not with --” Spike began, but once more Cordelia interrupted him.

“Not now she isn’t, but what happens when she bumps into him at the Bronze? Or at the Espresso Pump?” she conspired. “Or in these very halls?”

“Buffy wouldn’t, she --”

“Is with you?” Cordelia laughed. “That didn’t stop Drusilla, now did it? What makes you so sure Buffy won’t do exactly the same thing? You two have been together for what, a week? Do you think that’s long enough for her to forget about her past interest in Angel?”

Straight for the jugular… Bluntness was something Spike had once admired in Cordelia. Being on the receiving end made him see just how truly vindictive the girl could be. As much as Spike wanted to dismiss her accusations, predictions, whatever, he found that he couldn’t. He cared deeply about Buffy, and Cordelia had very cleverly planted the seed of doubt in his mind. Spike was afraid of what would transpire between them when tall, dark and broody returned.

“What’s your point?” It was meant to be a snarl, meant to express the anger he felt toward Cordelia. To his ears his voice sounded defeated. Judging by the confident glint that had appeared in Cordelia’s eyes, his ears had not deceived him.

“Angel will be arriving tomorrow morning but he won’t be returning to school until next Monday,” Cordelia began to explain.

“How do you know all this?”

A manicured brow lifted in much the same manner as his had just minutes ago. “Do I need to remind you of who my father is? I told Daddy how upset I was that Angel and his father were being forced to move across to country. Strings were pulled and voila! They’re back.”

“How… considerate, of him.”

“I always get what I want,” Cordelia stated.

Part of Spike wanted to grin smugly at the brunette. Cordelia proclaimed to being able to get whatever she wanted, yet in the case of Angel, Buffy had stood in the way without even trying. However these feelings were quickly suppressed at the thought of losing Buffy, when he’d only just got her. Spike knew he couldn’t take that. With a regretful sigh he nodded.

“What do I have to do?”

“Just keep her busy.” Inside Cordelia was dancing. When her father had first informed her that Angel was returning to Sunnydale she was elated. Elation soon faded and gave way to apprehension. With no desire to lose the object of her affections to the little blonde swimmer a second time round Cordelia knew she had to take action.

Angel was honourable. If he saw Spike and Buffy together, happy, he would do nothing to step between them. However Spike’s new romance was only in its early stages and Cordelia was all too aware of just how long it had taken Buffy to stop moping over Angel’s departure. If he reappeared now, before a concrete foundation for the new relationship had set, it could mean disaster. Keeping Angel occupied over the weekend before he returned to school was going to be easy. So long as Spike held up his end it would be smooth sailing from here on out.

“Keep her busy? That’s it?”

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “You’re at the beginning of a new relationship. Butterflies in the stomach, goofy grins and happy sighs are about what Buffy would be feeling at this time. Romance her. What you need is for those butterflies to become elephants, elephants that will blindly crush any outside influences.”

“Such as Angel.” Spike rolled his eyes. “And I suppose you’ll be around to pick up the pieces.”

“Of course,” Cordelia replied smugly. “Not that I expect him to be too broken up about it. After all, it was only one kiss.”

Part of Spike agreed with her sentiments but he kept his mouth shut.

“You’ve got five days to make her fall for you Spike, or risk losing her and ruining my happiness.”

The bell sounded for the end of first period.

“Shoot, I’ve got to get to class.” A smug grin spread across her face. “Daddy said he’d buy me a new Mercedes if I had perfect attendance this semester.” With a flick of her hair Cordelia swept past Spike and pushed through the library doors.

After a moment’s hesitation, he followed.

~*~*~

Buffy exited class with relief, glad it was over. One down, five more to go…

“Hey, what are you doing after school this afternoon?” Willow questioned as she fell in step beside Buffy. “Got any plans with Spike?”

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. “Not sure, haven’t seen him this morning.” Of their own volition her eyes began to roam the halls in search of her missing boyfriend. “I wonder why he --”

The sentence died on her lips when she spotted him leaving the library.

“Oh, there he --” Willow began before she too noticed he wasn’t alone.

Spike had walked out of the library with Cordelia. It looked like they were going their separate ways, but then Cordelia turned around and whispered something in Spike’s ear. The bleached swimmer nodded once before he turned to walk down the hall and stopped when his eyes fell on Buffy and Willow.

Buffy’s first reaction was to turn and walk away. Sensing her friend’s confusion Willow linked arms with Buffy to keep her from moving. “I’m sure it’s nothing,” she whispered her reassurance.

With less confidence than she felt, Buffy nodded.

“Hey,” Spike greeted Buffy warmly, leaning forward to press a soft kiss on her cheek. Not ignoring the fact they had company, he turned to nod his greeting to Willow. “‘lo Red.”

“Spike.”

Noticing the halls were beginning to clear Willow unlooped her arm from Buffy’s and waved at the pair. “See you at lunch.”

“Hey,” Spike repeated.

“Hey,” Buffy replied.

Silence.

Spike wasn’t blind, he could see that something was bothering Buffy. “Everythin’ alright, luv?”

“Ah huh,” she nodded.

Silence.

“So I was thinking we --”

“Cordelia looks nice today,” Buffy blurted out.

Spike frowned for a moment before realisation dawned. Buffy was jealous. The question was on the tip of his tongue, ready to be spoken out loud but he held it in. The last time he’d called her on being jealous the outcome hadn’t been too pretty. He wisely kept his mouth shut but couldn’t help feel a little pleased with the knowledge. It settled some of his insecurities the brunette bitch had dredged up earlier. Maybe everythin’ will be alright… he thought. But he didn’t want to take any chances.

“Really? Didn’t notice,” Spike shrugged. “Too busy appreciatin’ my girl.”

A blush rose on Buffy’s cheeks and her brow unfurrowed. With a deep exhale she blew out her jealousy. It was nothing and she shouldn’t be worried.

Standing on her tiptoes, Buffy pressed a gentle kiss to Spike’s lips, breaking away a moment later. “See you after class?”

“Definitely.”

---

A/N: Hope it was worth the wait!

---

Chapter 23: Sugar Sweet.


~ Monday lunchtime ~

Class was blissfully ended by the sound of the bell and Buffy had never been more relieved. In her mind History was an unpleasant subject on the best of days; on the worst it was the uber of all suck-fests. Two words explained why. Pop quiz.

“Ugh,” Buffy grimaced, as she tried to shake off the unpleasant feeling the test left behind. It had been… bad, and she’d be thrilled if she scraped a passing grade. Hopes would not be held high.

“Stupid History. It’s not like I’m ever going to need to know how the government was formed, or why the constitution was written,” she muttered. “Democracy, shamocracy.”

An exaggerated gasp drew Buffy’s attention away from her forceful shoving of books into her locker.

“Miss Summers, I’m shocked and disappointed by your low opinion of our Country’s administration.”

Buffy scowled. “Xander, please don’t add to the non-fun of my day.”

“Sorry, Buff.” Xander grinned as he threw an arm around her shoulder. “What’s with the scowly?”

“Pop quiz,” she grumbled.

He smiled sympathetically.

“Plus I’ve got to write a fifteen hundred word paper on…” she trailed off as she pulled a piece of paper from her notebook. “A key European political figure of the nineteenth century.”

“Ouch!”

“Tell me about it.” Crumpling the piece of paper in her hands she threw it into her locker and slammed the door. “I barely know anything about the current government here, let alone people who governed on the other side of the world a hundred years ago!” She leaned against the wall, folding her arms across her chest in protest.

“It’ll be okay,” he consoled. “I’m sure the Will-meister will be your study buddy.”

Before Buffy could respond, the schools’ resident brain appeared. “Did someone say my name?”

“Willow, just the book-geek we were looking for!” Xander greeted cheerily.

“Hey!” Willow protested indignantly.

“I say it with love,” Xander clarified apologetically.

“Well, okay then. So long as it’s said with love.” Willow grinned impishly. Truthfully, she didn’t mind being pigeonholed as a geek. In fact, she found pride in the label.

“Guys!” Buffy complained. “I’m the one with the sucky assignment, attention my way please!”

Suitably chastised, Xander offered a rueful smile. Willow, on the other hand, had a grin on her face that stretched ear-to-ear having just spotted Spike approaching the trio, his expression indicating he’d overheard the last part of the conversation.

Buffy frowned and opened her mouth to comment on Willow’s beam, only to have the words mute before they were spoken when cool lips caressed the side of her neck and strong arms banded around her waist from behind.

“Attention enough for you, luv?”

The squeak of surprise in response elicited a chuckle of mirth from Spike. When she relaxed in his hold after the initial shock of his presence, Spike couldn’t suppress the smile that tugged at his lips. As much as he’d love her to remain in his arms, it wasn’t the most practical of positions while they walked to the cafeteria. Moving to her side he settled for a possessive hand on her hip, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead as the group began the trek to lunch.

“Buffy was just telling us about her assignment for History,” Willow filled in.

“Oh?” Spike’s gaze dropped to Buffy’s pout and it took considerable restraint to not kiss it from her face. “What’s the focus?”

“European political figures of the nineteenth century,” Buffy groused.

“My uncle used to be a curator at the British Museum in London, is quite the scholar on all things History. I could ask him for some information, if you want?” Spike offered.

“Really?” Buffy squealed. Before he could respond Buffy threw her arms around Spike’s neck and peppered kisses on cheek and lips. “You’re the sweetest!”

Spike was bowled over and at the same time encouraged by Buffy’s exuberant reaction. Emboldened by her affection, the doubts Cordelia had raised earlier began to lose their weight. Maybe Cordelia was wrong…

“You’re the sweetest!” Xander mimicked in a high-pitched voice, clasping his hands together in front of him coquettishly.

The action earned him a slap on the arm from Willow and a glare from both blondes.

Buffy lifted herself on tiptoes, pressing her body closer to Spike’s so she could whisper her gratitude. “Thank you.”

The brush of her breasts against Spike was enough to render him momentarily speechless. With a nod, they continued to lunch. Everythin’ is goin’ to be alright…


~ Tuesday morning ~

Buffy arrived at school a little later than usual having overslept her alarm, thanks in part to a late night phone call to Spike. She quickly pushed through the throng of students in the hall as she made her way to her locker. It wasn’t until her fingers reached for the lock that she saw it.

A perfect red rose.

It was threaded through the loop of the padlock, and rested against the steel door.

“Aww!”

Her gaze flicked up and down the hall in search of the culprit, but there was no bleached head in sight.

With a contented sigh she gently removed the flower, brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply. It smelled just as good as it looked. Distracted by the gift she almost missed the bell for first class. The required books were quickly removed as she tossed up the idea of placing the rose inside. But it was too pretty to shut away. Locker shut, Buffy made her way to class with the surprise gift still in her hand.


~ Wednesday after school ~

“What about training?” Buffy questioned. “Coach Jones will have a fit if we don’t turn up.”

“We’ll be there, just a little late is all,” Spike promised. Linking Buffy’s hand with his, Spike led her toward the roof access of the gym.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” With a reassuring smile and a squeeze of her hand they ascended the stairs. “Close your eyes.”

“Spike…” Buffy said nervously.

Stopping before her, Spike held her face in his hands. “Do you trust me?” Her nod was immediate, the certainty of the action encouraging him. “Then close them.”

Buffy nodded a second time as she took a deep breath before complying. When her eyes were closed Spike reached for the door handle, pushed it down and swung it open. Taking her hand in his again he led her onto the roof. Her footsteps were cautious but she didn’t resist his direction. Spike led her to the far corner and then stopped when they reached their destination. He released his hold and moved to her side.

“Okay, open your eyes.”

“Oh, wow!” Buffy gasped at the view before her. From the roof of the school gym they could see the lake behind Breaker’s Woods, a favourite local hangout in warm weather. The sight of the deep blue water against the rich green of the trees was remarkable. “It’s so pretty.”

“I used to come up here to smoke,” he informed her with a grin, a moment later his expression became more serious. “It’s just, I remembered how much you liked the view from the bluffs in LA, and… and I thought…”

Bashful was not a word Buffy would have used when describing Spike, but right now it fit. His hands were fidgeting by his pockets and his gaze kept dropping to where he was scuffing his shoes on the ground.

“Thank you, it’s beautiful.”

Not as much as you… Spike silently thought. “I… ah, I also…”

“Also…” Buffy repeated when he stopped whatever he was going to say.

It’s too soon… you’ll scare her away… Spike’s mind was a whirl of thoughts and the doubt Cordelia had planted in his mind began to sprout again. Now she’s expectin’ you to say somethin’ and if you don’t you’ll look like a right git…

A light touch of Buffy’s hand on his was all the reassurance he needed to continue. “A present, got you a little…” He fished inside his pocket and retrieved a small box.

Buffy gasped. He got me a gift… we’re at gift giving all ready? “You… you got me something?”

Spike nodded, not trusting his voice to cooperate at that moment. She was looking at him with such wonder, awe, and it was a sight that he hoped to see many times in the future. He held his hand out toward her.

The little box sat in his the middle of his outstretched palm, staring at her, and Buffy could almost here a little voice saying open me. With trembling fingers she accepted the small package and examined it for a long moment.

When she paused Spike began to worry. Definitely too soon… “If you don’t want it, I can --”

“No!” Buffy interrupted abruptly. “I’m sure I’ll love it. Just a little surprised is all.”

Spike let out a small sigh of relief, his worry slightly abated.

With a smile for show, Buffy found the side hinge with her fingers, held her breath and then opened the present. Inside was a delicate gold link bracelet, with a charm attached. On closer inspection she identified it as a cluster of three dolphins. She ran a finger over it gently.

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathed.

“I saw it and it reminded me of you.” At the hint of confusion in her eyes he explained. “When you swim, it’s like you and the water belong together.”

Buffy’s eyes misted. “Thank you, I love it. I’ll put it on right after training.”

Spike breathed another sigh of relief, the nervousness that had been hammering away in his stomach disappearing when a brilliant smile lit up her face. The way she was looking at him now, it was another expression he hoped to see again.

Carefully closing the box she wrapped her arms around Spike’s neck and drew his head toward hers for a passionate kiss. Spike’s arms reflexively wrapped around Buffy, pulling her flush against him as the kiss was deepened. It was not a kiss of duelling for dominance, but one of ardour, both of them pouring their growing affection for each other into every brush. Breaking away a moment later, Buffy hesitantly checked the time. They were going to be at least ten minutes late already and after the last thing she wanted was this perfect moment to be shattered by their grumbling coach. “We should probably head in for training.”

“Yeah,” Spike reluctantly agreed. He could have stayed there with Buffy wrapped in his arms all night. Linking his hand with hers, the pair walked toward the stairwell.


~ Thursday night ~

The buzzing in Buffy’s stomach couldn’t in anyway be described as butterflies. The way they were pounding at her insides, they were most certainly something larger, more destructive. Her anxiety was at fever pitch, and it was all because of her mom.

It was the night of the dreaded ‘meet the parents’ dinner. Or parent in her case. That thought brought her mild relief. The prospect of having to introduce Spike as her boyfriend to her father was a truly terrifying notion; that conversation would so not go well especially considering the confrontation in LA a few weeks ago.

Still, the lack of fatherly presence only caused her uneasiness to subside slightly. Buffy really liked Spike and she really wanted this relationship to work. She was in no way ashamed of her mother but a small part of her was terrified Joyce would bring out the embarrassing stories, lame jokes, or childhood photographs and scare Spike away. Not that Buffy thought it would be that simple to intimidate him, especially considering how attentive and sweet he’d been the since the night of their first date. In a word, it had been perfect. The more time they spent together the more childish notions, of a happily ever after, seemed possible. And the thought of losing what she had was the cause behind the larger than butterfly nerves.

Buffy wasn’t intentionally trying to be dramatic, but all she could think was that her future happiness was dependent on this night going smoothly.

Beneath the table she crossed her fingers.

“So, Spike, tell me a little about yourself.”

Buffy waited for the deer in the headlights look from Spike, but it never came. In fact his expression was relaxed and his voice was calm, the complete opposite of how Buffy herself was feeling. Each question was answered deftly and politely; he graciously complimented the meal, and used his manners on more occasions than Buffy had for the last week. Spike’s a gentleman, who knew? Judging by the “he’s a good one, sweetheart, hang on to him” her mother had whispered her way when Spike had excused himself to clear the table, he had made a stellar impression tonight. Added to the numerous romantic gestures over the last few days and the suspicions she’d had all week were solidifying.

Buffy was falling for Spike.

---

The title for this chapter fits, don’t you think? Hope you liked it.

---

Chapter 24: Ardent Adoration.


It was Friday night and the Bronze was pulsing with life. Music wasn’t just heard - it was felt, thanks to the bass created by the live band that thumped from the speakers. Darkened corners were the favoured territory of young lovers consumed by their passion for one another, safe havens from prying eyes.

I wonder if… A thrill rolled up Buffy’s spine, setting aflame the tingles of apprehension that resided in her belly.

“You all right, pet?”

The sound of Spike’s husky voice whispered in her ear was cause enough to send another shiver through her body. Whether intentional or not, his voice was seductive, a purr that caused her knees to quake. That voice could talk her into anything. “I’m fine.”

Concern slipped from his face to be replaced by a brilliant smile, and Buffy melted a little more. It was strange, how quickly things could change. A few months ago she could barely stand to be in his presence, and now…she couldn’t get enough of him. The feelings he’d awoken in her were powerful, frightening. Feelings that grew deeper and stronger by the day. She trusted in him, trusted him. But at the same time she couldn’t help but be a little scared by the intensity of her emotions. It shouldn’t be possible to care for someone so much, after so little time. The fact they were reciprocated was the only thing that stopped her from taking flight. Her mother had loved her father far more than he did her, and look where that relationship ended.

Love…? Buffy blinked in fear. I wasn’t just… I didn’t really compare… love?

Spike didn’t miss the look of panic in Buffy’s eyes and a frown returned to his face. So far she’d been abnormally quiet and deep in thought. He was concerned.

This last week, things had been perfect. Every moment he wasn’t with Buffy, he was thinking about her. At night, he dreamed of her. Each smile from her filled him with overwhelming happiness. Each kiss shared left him aching for more. Buffy wasn’t just a conquest, a notch on his bed—and honestly, there had been a few of those. She was more. Spike was slowly coming to realise was that she was everything.

The seed of doubt Cordelia had planted no longer had strength; the last few days had shown that. It was in Buffy’s eyes, the way she looked at him. She cared about him and it filled Spike with such hope and happiness. He was no longer worried of how she might react to seeing Angel, that’s how confident he was in his assessment of her and their relationship. At the back of his mind was the tiny reminder of his manipulations, of how he’d monopolised her time. And he felt guilty about it. That he hadn’t put complete faith in her, in them. That he’d made an accord with Cordelia to distract Buffy long enough for the brunette bitch to dig her claws into Angel. That he’d allowed his doubts to cloud his judgement. There was no reason for uncertainty any longer. Buffy cared about him...and Spike was happy.

“Dance with me?”

Before she could reply Spike pulled her flush against his chest and circled his arms around her waist. Buffy’s hands automatically snaked up his chest to settle around his neck, a happy sigh escaping her lips as she melted into Spike’s embrace. This, them together, felt right. More right than anything she’d ever known before. And she was going to show Spike just how much he meant to her.

Hands unhooked from around his neck and fell to his chest long enough to grasp a handful of material. With a forceful tug Buffy pulled Spike’s lips down to meet hers in a searing kiss. Tongues danced as lips brushed and teeth nibbled, tasting and devouring at the same time. The kiss was demanding and passionate, filled with promise and only broken when breathing became an issue.

“What was that for?” Spike murmured in awe.

Buffy shrugged in what she hoped was nonchalance. In reality, she was just as affected by the passion between them as Spike was, judging by the hardness she felt pressed against her stomach. A few weeks ago the obvious evidence of Spike’s arousal might have alarmed her. Now though, it just felt right. “Can’t a girl kiss her boyfriend when she feels like it?”

Spike smiled from ear to ear. “Anytime, anyplace. You feel the need, there won’t be any complaints from me.”

Buffy laughed. “Shut up and ki--”

The sentence was never completed. Buffy was cut off as Spike’s hands threaded through her hair, their lips meeting in another passionate kiss. Unlike any earlier make-out sessions, this one was pure and raw and unrestrained. Spike’s need for Buffy was desperate. What he felt for her was more real than anything he’d ever experienced before. His tongue delved into the warm cavity of her mouth, tasting her just as she’d tasted him.

A cat-call sounded nearby, followed by a shout of, “Get a room.”

Buffy tore her lips from Spike’s, a hot blush rising on her cheeks. They hadn’t exactly been discrete, if they’d wanted privacy they should have headed for the darkened corners of the upstairs mezzanine. The embarrassment Buffy felt came not from their ardent actions, but from the stares and whistles. If the loudmouth had kept his comments to himself who knew what they might have --

So glad they were obnoxious… Buffy thought.

“Let’s get out of here,” Spike suggested, linking his fingers with Buffy’s.

With a nod of agreement, the pair made their way to the exit.

~*~*~

“Well, here we are…” Spike trailed off. The porch light shone brightly on the car, intruding on any privacy they might have had.

Buffy fumbled with her seat belt. The fact both the porch light and the dining room light were both on suggested that her mother was waiting up for her. She loved her mother and was glad she was spending more time at home lately, but --

Why did she have to choose tonight—of all nights—to wait up?

With a click her seatbelt was unlatched. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” she informed earnestly, shyly glancing at Spike.

Spike nodded his agreement. “Me too.”

Silence stretched between them, evidence that neither party wanted the night to end.

Buffy sighed. “Well, I should probably…”

“Yeah, you prob’ly should…”

Blue and green locked together and any plans of ending the night flew out the window. Spike dove toward Buffy—who met him half way across the bench seat of his car—and once more their lips joined.

~*~*~

Fifteen minutes later Buffy was standing in front of her house, fingers occupied with her keys while Spike hovered awkwardly beside her, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. What was meant to be a good night peck on the lips turned into another make-out session, one that ended suddenly when one of them accidentally hit the car horn. Not wanting to wake the entire neighbourhood, Buffy had exited the vehicle. And being the gentleman he was Spike walked her to the front door. Which is where they were now. Standing next to each other. Awkwardly.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow maybe?” Buffy asked.

“Definitely.”

Buffy smiled and leaned up on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on Spike’s cheek, who mistook the farewell as an opening to pick up where they left off in the car.

Again lips fused and arms wrapped the other in a tight, desperate embrace.

They parted breathless and discontent a few minutes later.

Buffy had to go inside and Spike had to go home—didn’t mean they had to like it. Knowing the risks that would result from closing the distance between them, Buffy bid goodnight with a wave, opened the front door and stepped inside the house.

Spike remained on the porch for a few minutes, tossing up the idea of knocking on the door so he could see her again. He was reluctant to leave, even though he knew he’d see her tomorrow. Standing on the porch all night was not an option. The last thing he needed was a nosy neighbour to mistake him for a peeping tom and call the cops. So home it was.

With a sigh he turned and made his way to the car.

~*~*~

Doing laps in the pool at Sunnydale High was as effective a ‘cold shower’ as the real thing.

After last night’s mammoth make-out sessions at the Bronze, in Spike’s car and, lastly, on her front porch, a swim was exactly what Buffy needed to cool off. A clear head was something she had lacked for a full week now. All it took was Willow mentioning Spike’s name to cause a dreamy smile to spread across Buffy’s face. Actually being in his presence, being a recipient of his affections, evoked a more pronounced response. She couldn’t think clearly around him, hence the early morning swim; one of the perks of being on the swim team was unlimited access to the school’s swimming pool.

Buffy was well and truly smitten.

The realisation was both terrifying and exciting. Terrifying because she had never felt this way about someone before, and exciting because she was one hundred percent certain the feelings were reciprocated. Words had not been spoken but actions told her the truth.

She tried to push thoughts of Spike out of her head, tried to focus on her swimming, but it was impossible. That was the thing about swimming—plenty of time with your thoughts. With a sigh she tumbled at the wall and began the return trip to the other end of the pool. Willow would be at her house in about an hour and the two had planned to spend some girly time together shopping at the mall. If Buffy had any chance of de-chlorinating before then she needed to hit the showers now.

Her fingers touched the wall and Buffy lifted herself from the water. Towel wrapped around her waist she grabbed her bag and made her way to the change rooms.

~*~*~

“Earth to Buffy…” Willow waved her hand in front of the blonde’s face, trying to break through the dreamy eyed expression and reach her friend.

Buffy blinked. “Huh?”

“You were all happy sighs and far away looks again,” Willow chastised gently.

“Sorry, Will. I don’t know what has me so distracted.”

Willow lifted a bow.

“Okay, so maybe I know why…” A sheepish smile curled her lips. “I just can’t seem to stop thinking about him.”

“So I’ve noticed,” Willow replied dryly.

Buffy winced apologetically. “I haven’t been that bad, have I?”

“No, of course not,” Willow shrugged. “I mean I’m used to my best friend acting like a zombie.”

“Zombie? That bad?”

“Buffy,” Willow began. “We walked into the dreaded clothing store of doom and you didn’t even batt an eyelid. You even reached for something to try on.”

Buffy shuddered. The store in question catered for members of the public whose dress sense was more…bondage style. Leather and rubber and other badness that did not correspond to Willow’s or Buffy’s usual dress sense.

“I didn’t…”

Willow nodded.

“I am so sorry.”

“I know.” Willow shrugged. “I’m equating your bad judgement to Spike-on-the-brain syndrome. So far, there’s no known cure.” She managed to keep a straight face for a little over ten seconds before she burst into laughter. “I’m sorry, Buffy. It’s just so funny! You get these expressions and make all these sighing noises. It’s like you’ve stepped right out of a rom-com movie.”

Buffy frowned. “I don’t know whether I should be flattered or offended.”

“Oh, flattered, for sure.” Willow nodded eagerly.

“All right,” Buffy agreed hesitantly. “I am genuinely sorry for going all space-cadet on you though, it’s bad friendy to do that.”

“No problem.” Willow shrugged. “You and Spike, it’s all new with the smooches and the googly eyes and the sweetness. It actually kinda cute how you both get shy around each other at school.”

“I do not,” Buffy lied, a rosy blush rising on her cheeks.

“You so do!” Willow giggled again. “But don’t worry - Spike being all shy is way funnier.”

Both girls burst into laughter.

“Right, let’s do this shopping thing,” Buffy suggested after they’d calmed down. “And this time, if I space out, please don’t let me near anything I wouldn’t in my right mind buy.”

“Deal.”

---

A/N: More fluffy happiness! *jaw drops* I'm surprised myself, and I wrote it! The story writes itself (the muse doesn't like to co-operate) and he wanted smoochies! But don't get too used to it...

Hope you liked the chapter!

---

Chapter 25: Blast from the Past.


An empty pool… there was nothing quite like it. Sundays were always the quietest, everyone using the ‘day of rest’ for other activities. Which is why Buffy had come here—to be alone. For the second time this weekend Buffy had shut herself away from the world in the quiet comfort of the water. And, for the second time, it was only a matter of minutes before her thoughts drifted to a particular bleach blond swimmer.

Stop… just don’t think.

Of course, there was almost zero chance of her mind obeying that, especially when she was taking it easy. The only way to completely shut it down was to push, as hard as she could. So she doubled her speed.

Buffy tumble-turned off the wall and dolphin kicked under the water, pushing herself as far as she could go before her lungs burned with the need for oxygen. Her hands broke the surface, ripples on top of the water moving outward as she sped toward the other end. She pushed herself toward—and beyond—the point of exhaustion, swimming as hard and as fast as she could. Her surroundings, her problems, the thoughts plaguing her mind, they all melted away leaving her with only the now. The next stroke, the next breath, the next turn at the wall before she sped to the other end, again and again, over and over, until her muscles finally gave up and demanded rest.

She surfaced, peeling her goggles off her head and swam breaststroke to the ladder. Her knees quaked as she hauled herself out of the pool.

She was going to hurt tomorrow.

~*~*~

Alone again. Shortly after her return from the pool her mother had received a call from the gallery. Something about a problem with a new shipment, and if the past was anything to judge by her mother was going to be gone all day. Not that Buffy minded, she hadn’t any plans anyway and curling up on the sofa to watch some movies by herself would be a great way to spend the afternoon.

Buffy had just settled on the sofa to watch a movie when the telephone rang. Reaching for the cordless she pressed the talk button and held it to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Buffy, it’s me. Guess what I heard today!”

Buffy smiled at her friend’s excited chatter. “Hey, Willow. Ahh, I dunno.” She gave in immediately, knowing that if the gossip was as good as it sounded Willow wouldn’t be able to contain her excitement. Or keep her mouth shut. “Spill.”

“Someone’s back in town,” Willow sing-songed.

“Someone?” Buffy frowned, drawing a blank at first. Realisation struck and Willow confirmed her thoughts.

“Angel,” they both said at the same time.

“Can you believe it?” Willow squealed excitedly. “Apparently his dad transferred back because Angel’s in his final year and everything and he felt it was best for his son to have consistency during his final year because we all know busy we get and—”

“Will, take a breath,” Buffy instructed, unable to contain her giggles.

Willow inhaled a deep over exaggerated breath, bursting into laughter herself.

“I didn’t think he’d be back.”

Buffy’s quiet musing was like a flashing neon light, and Willow clapped her hand over her mouth at her own stupidity. “Oh, Buffy, I completely forgot about—”

“Spike?” Buffy guessed. “I didn’t.” It was what she’d been trying unsuccessfully to do all morning. But it was just impossible. She might as well carve a space out in her head because he was looking to become a permanent fixture in her thoughts.

And in her heart.

Willow caught Buffy’s sniffle and immediately began to worry. “Buffy, what’s wrong? Is everything okay between you two?” She inhaled deeply before steamrolling on. “Gosh, I’m such an idiot, bringing up Angel like that when things are going so well with you two. You make a really cute couple, you know that? You and Spike. Of course I’m talking about you and Spike, why would I be talking about you and anyone else? No reason whatsoever.” As was customary with Willow’s babbling, it eventually lost momentum. “Things are going well, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they really are,” Buffy answered, nodding to back up the sentiment, despite the fact Willow couldn’t see it.

“Then…then what is it Buffy?”

Buffy’s inhaled a shuddery breath, trying to keep her emotions at bay.

“I think I’m in love with him.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but judging by Willow’s excited gasps and squeals it was loud enough.

“Oh my god, Buffy! That’s wonderful.” She paused. “It is wonderful, right? You’re not having second thoughts or anything?”

“A world of no,” Buffy replied adamantly. “I guess I’m just a little…” She trailed off but Willow understood.

“Scared?”

“Yeah.” Buffy chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe just a teensy bit.”

“Well, it’s totally understandable, Buffy.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” Willow reassured her friend. “Falling in love is a scary thing. You’re opening yourself up to that person, and there’s always the chance someone will get hurt.”

“Uh huh.”

“Not that I think that will happen with you and Spike,” Willow added quickly. “You two are just too cute and too sweet together for it to not work.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Will.” Buffy sighed. Willow was right. There was no point worrying herself over nothing. Things with Spike were great. Beyond great in fact. Wonderful. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say their relationship was in the realm of perfect.

She knew why she was worried. Because of her parents. The relationship each child grows up with and is supposed to use as a model. It was no secret Buffy’s parents’ relationship was a disaster. But it hadn’t always been. She had many fond memories from her childhood of the three of them playing happy families. Her father would look at her mom and it was as if he were staring at an angel, a feeling that had been more than reciprocated. Why was it that one day her mother’s love was not enough? Where had it all gone wrong? And what could Buffy do to ensure she didn’t make similar mistakes in her love life?

“I mean it. You two are perfect together.” Willow’s reply was firm and left no room for argument.

Buffy brightened her tone of voice for her friend’s benefit, knowing that Willow had her best interests at heart. “I know, Will. Thanks.”

“Talk to you later?”

“Sure. Bye.”

Buffy ended the call and reached for the remote, preparing once more to start her movie, but was interrupted by a knock on the front door.

“What now…” she muttered.

Padding over to the door Buffy flicked the lock and opened it wide. A bunch a beautiful daisies was the first thing she saw. And behind the flowers, the previously mentioned perfect boyfriend.

“Hey, you.” Buffy smiled.

Spike returned the grin, stepping forward to wrap Buffy in a tight embrace. “Thought I’d come pay my girl a visit. Wouldn’t want her to feel lonely when she’s in this big house. All alone,” he added, leaning back so she could see his grin stretch into a smirk. He made a show of looking around before asking, “You are alone, right?” Spike waggled his eyebrows.

“Yes I am, and nuh uh.” She shook her head, fighting the grin that was creeping across her face.

“Don’t you get any ideas, Mister.” Buffy swatted Spike on the chest playfully. Wiggling out of his embrace a few moments later she snatched the flowers from his grasp and brought them to her nose. They were beautiful. “I’m just going to put these in some water. I’ve got a movie ready to go, be back in a sec.”

Buffy walked into the kitchen and removed a vase from an overhead cupboard. Filling it with cold water she arranged the flowers, inhaling their sweetness once more before she placed the vase on the counter. Satisfied with her work she set about getting some snacks to share while they watched the movie.

Spike watched Buffy from the doorway as she went about her business, a happy smile curling his lips. If it were even possible he thought she looked more beautiful now in shorts and a baggy t-shirt, with her hair tied messily in a ponytail, than when she was dressed to the nines and ready to party.

The more time he spent with her, the more he was getting to know the person she was inside. Like for instance, she hummed to herself as she busied herself about the kitchen. It was adorable, and Spike doubted she was even aware of the subconscious habit. When she disliked something but wanted to be polite about it, she’d crinkle her nose up before offering a gracious reply or comment. Again, it was another thing Spike believed she probably wasn’t aware of.

He catalogued each of these nuances, these little patterns, and kept them close to his heart.

When Buffy turned around, snacks all prepared, and caught Spike watching, her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t even realised he’d followed her. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Since you took the flowers,” Spike answered honestly. “Just wanted to be near my girl.”

My girl…

The last few days he’d referred to her as his girl a lot, and it always caused butterflies in her stomach.

“Well, Mister Impatient Much,” she teased. “Why don’t you make yourself helpful and grab us a couple of sodas from the fridge?”

Spike mock saluted, which sent Buffy off into a fit of giggles. It was then he decided he’d do anything to keep her this happy always, to be the one that made her laugh and smile like this.

As Buffy disappeared into the other room, Spike grabbed the drinks and hurried to join her.

~*~*~

“Yeah, sure, mom. Of course.”

Spike focussed his attention on the television screen in an attempt to give Buffy some privacy, even though he could hear her side of the conversation quite clearly.

“I’ll be fine. Really.”

Sneaking a quick glance at his girlfriend the first thing he noticed was that she was biting her bottom lip. That was Buffy code for worried. Obviously her mother wouldn’t be home this evening as planned. He knew he shouldn’t be happy about it, especially as Buffy was obviously upset, but he couldn’t help himself. More time just for them.

“Bye, mom.” Buffy ended the call.

Spike smiled, getting to his feet as Buffy joined him in the living room again. She’d pasted a bright smile on her face but Spike could see the cracks underneath.

“Let’s go out,” he suggested quickly, an idea coming to mind.

“Out?” Buffy frowned. “But I thought we were going to wat—”

“Too nice outside to spend it cooped up indoors,” Spike explained. “I know just the place.”

Buffy hesitated for a moment before nodding her consent. “Oh, okay. Do I need to bring anything?”

“Nope. Just your delectable self.”

Buffy blushed. “All right, just let me change into something a little more presentable and a little less I’ve-been-bumming-around-on-the-sofa-all-morning.”

Before Spike could object Buffy disappeared up the stairs to change.

~*~*~

They’d been driving for about ten minutes when curiosity finally got the better of Buffy. She couldn’t help herself, she had to ask.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Spike replied with a smile.

Buffy’s bottom lips jut out in an exaggerated pout. “Aww, can’t you just tell me?”

“Nope, it’s a surprise.”

Obviously pouting wasn’t going to work, so Buffy frowned. “I hate surprises,” she muttered beneath her breath, to which Spike just laughed again.

“All right, grumpy, I’ll tell.” He removed one hand from the steering wheel and pointed off to the left of the car. “Over that way is the high school, and the gym.”

“I know that,” Buffy rolled her eyes. “But that doesn’t tell me where we’re going.”

“Well,if you’d let me finish it would’ve,” Spike teased. “Do you remember how I took you up onto the roof the other day? The view?”

Buffy gasped in realisation. “We’re going to the lake?”

Spike nodded.

“But won’t it be busy?”

“I know a little spot where we can be by ourselves,” he promised. “You’re going to love it.”

“Okay.” Buffy turned her gaze away from Spike to stare out the front of the windshield, waiting to catch her first glimpse of the lake. As they rounded the last bend on the edge of town the woods parted and the deep glistening blue of the water stretching out before them. It was even more beautiful up close.

The car pulled up at the main lot and Buffy quickly unbuckled her belt, exiting the vehicle with a bright smile curling her lips.

“Oh my god, it’s gorgeous!”

Spike, having visited the lake many a time before, paid no attention to his surroundings and kept his focus entirely on Buffy.

To him, she was the most beautiful aspect of the view.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Buffy tore her attention away from the water and back toward Spike, her eyes going wide when she saw just how prepared he was for this. In his hands he had a blanket and a small picnic basket.

“You planned this!” she squealed.

Spike shrugged nonchalantly, even though inside he was elated that she was so happy. He could easily become accustomed to it. “So, surprises not such a bad thing?”

“Oh! Not a bad thing at all, surprises are very much of the good,” Buffy declared.

“Good. Well, shall we?”

“Lead the way.”

---

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter – I have another one for you later on in the week!

---

Chapter 26: Fun in the Outdoors


Spike led Buffy along a bike path that skirted around the lake. After a five-minute walk the path veered off to the side away from the water’s edge, and that’s where they deviated from the track. A couple of minutes later, when Buffy was about to voice concerns about being lost, the thicket they’d been passing through broke.

In front of them was a sheltered little cove. Large rock formations to the right offered a large impenetrable shield, blocking the line of sight of anyone the more populated area near the car park. There was little wind either, it too held back by the boulders.

The water was clear and sparkling and oh so tempting, so much so that Buffy was disappointed they hadn’t brought their bathers with them. Sitting on a small rock she removed her shoes, then tucked her socks inside them before standing to approach the water’s edge to dip her toes in.

While Buffy explored Spike busied himself with laying the blanket on a patch of grass and unpacked some drinks.

Buffy looked over at Spike, who was bent at the waist over the picnic basket, fishing around inside for some thing or another. Her gaze flicked down to her feet, a devilish grin tugging at her lips before looking at him again.

“Hey, Spike,” she called.

“Yeah?” Spike replied as he turned around.

He was completely caught off guard by the splash of water that showered him, courtesy of one Buffy Summers. His jaw dropped in shock.

Buffy clamped her hand over her mouth, as if the action alone could force the giggles bubbling up inside her to subside. It didn’t work. The stunned expressed on Spike’s face was just too much. Laughter erupted from within her.

“You think that’s funny, eh?”

The fierce glare Spike shot her, intended to express his displeasure, did little to quell her amusement. Buffy again clamped her hand over her mouth, and for a moment the laughter ceased. When an inelegant snort escaped the prison of her hand the giggles started anew, with enough force to double her over.

“You should have seen your face!” she gasped between breaths, another bout of laughter rippling through her.

“Right, that’s it,” Spike declared, kicking off his own boots and bending to tear the socks from his feet. “You’re in for it now.”

Buffy’s eyes widened in realisation, Spike’s intent clear in his eyes. “Oh no, back away, mister!”

But Spike didn’t back away.

Trying to deter her boyfriend from exacting the revenge his expression promised, Buffy sent another shower of water at Spike, and promptly burst into laughter again when he froze, his hair clumped about his head like a wet mop. “Stop, you’re killing me! I can’t take this anymore!” she guffawed.

“You’re gone!” Spike lunged toward Buffy, sending a shower of water toward her with his feet.

Buffy squealed in merriment, then did the only thing she could. Turned and ran. And Spike gave chase.

He caught her easily; evidently running while fighting back tears from laughing so hard made forward momentum difficult. His arms banded around her waist from behind and he pulled her back against his chest.

“Do you give?”

Buffy snorted. “Never!”

“Ooh, baby’s gonna get it now,” Spike vowed, hoisting Buffy into his arms.

“Spike, what are you doing?” Buffy exclaimed, trying to wriggle herself from his grasp. “No, Spike! Put me down. Put me down this instant or—”

“Or what?”

Buffy paused, meeting his mischievous gaze, her eyes widening in realisation.

“Nooo!”

As promised, Buffy got it. Just not as planned. Spike’s intent had been to drop her, flat on her butt. But when his foot caught on something under the water he lost his balance, toppling both of them into the lake.

Buffy came up first, coughing and spluttering, her hands pushing her matted hair off her face. Spike surfaced a moment later. His hair was plastered to his face, a look of displeasure curling his lips. He lifted an arm out of the water and shook it, in a vain attempt to dispel the water from his shirt. Which, of course, set Buffy off again.

A moment later Spike joined in, their laughter ringing out across the lake.

~*~*~

While it sounded appealing—frolicking fully clothed in the lake with your beloved—It kind of wasn’t. Buffy’s clothes were plastered to her body and when she tried to swim away from Spike, and his dangerous tickle fingers, her sweat pants stretched over her ankles—dragged back by the water—and slowed her down. Despite the fact there was not a mirror in sight Buffy knew her hair had to be an absolute mess. And she was beginning to get cold.

Buffy had been fighting to control her teeth from chattering for about five minutes, but finally she gave up.

Concern flitted across Spike’s face. “Cold, love?”

“J-just a l-lil-little,” Buffy confessed, a wry smile curling her now purple lips.

“All right, playtime’s over.” Spike tilted his head toward the cove and began swimming.

As soon as she could reach the bottom Buffy stood and began wading out of the water, wrapping her arms around herself to stave off the chill of the wind. Once out of the water her clothes suctioned to her skin, and Buffy dreaded the thought of having to remove them when a thought occurred—she didn’t have a change of clothes.

“Spike, how are we going to dry off?”

Spike froze. He lifted his gaze to meet Buffy’s, apology flooding from his eyes. “I didn’t bring anything with me. I hadn’t planned to get wet.”

“My fault,” Buffy mumbled unhappily.

“Now, don’t be like that,” Spike pleaded. Moving toward Buffy he wrapped his wet arms around her and pulled her close. “It was fun, yeah?”

Buffy nodded.

“Well, then there’s nothing to be sorry ‘bout.”

“But we can’t stay like this, we’ll get sick,” Buffy pointed out, extricating herself from his cold embrace. Wet clothes wrapped in more wet clothes did not equal fun.

Spike frowned. “I might have some towels in the car. I could always—”

“Walk all that way?” Buffy gasped, before shaking her head. “Nuh uh, no way.”

“But you’re frozen,” he commented.

“It’s not so bad. If we stay in the sun we’ll dry off eventually.” Buffy tried to feign nonchalance, but of course her traitorous body chose that precise moment to shiver.

Spike shook his head. They needed to dry off and he needed to get Buffy warm. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised as he reached for his boots.

“No, don’t go!” Buffy begged. Her eyes darted toward the blanket. It looked thick and inviting. “Maybe, maybe we could use—”

Following her line of sight, Spike nodded consent. “All right. But we’ll need to get you out of those wet clothes. We can lay them on the rocks to dry off while you keep warm.”

Leaving her side Spike retrieved the blanket from the ground, shaking it to remove any grass or leaves that may have attached to it.

Meanwhile, Buffy hadn’t moved. She’d thought he might suggest that. A shred of panic rolled through her at the realisation that the first time Spike saw her naked it was under these circumstances. Just thinking about stripping off in front of him brought a rosy tint to her cheeks.

Noticing her discomfort, Spike turned his back. “Promise I won’t look.”

Trusting Spike to keep his word Buffy reached for hem of her t-shirt and tugged it up and over her head, a loud squelching noise sounding when the material reluctantly separated from her skin. Once it cleared her head Buffy dropped it onto a rock, her track pants following suit. She felt awkward standing in the middle of nowhere in just her underwear, and the thought of being wrapped up in the blanket was becoming more and more appealing. Buffy reached behind her back for the clasp of her bra, her fingers finding it before they stilled. Checking once to ensure there was no one around to see her, she unclipped her bra and slid the straps over her shoulders. Her underwear quickly followed, landing on the rock with the rest of her clothes. Hands flew to cover her privates.

“Spike, I’m ready.”

A shudder rolled through Spike at her words and the imagery they presented. Without turning he passed the blanket back to her. Maintaining his cool these past few moments, while listening to the sounds of Buffy undressing, was one of the hardest things he’d done in a long while. The temptation to sneak a glance had been so great… but he’d promised. And he wouldn’t go back on his word. So he was left to imagine the sight, thoughts of which had him as hard as nails in a matter of seconds.

“I’m decent.”

With a deep breath Spike slowly turned around. Buffy was perched on the edge of a large flat rock, the blanket draped over her shoulders and wrapped securely around her body. She was covered completely from the neck downward—apart from her toes which peeked out from the bottom.

“I’ll go put these out to dry,” Spike suggested, gathering Buffy’s clothes and making his way toward the higher formations.

Buffy watched as Spike laid her clothes out gently, a smile softening her features. Romantic gestures were one thing, but a girl knew she had a keeper when he’d hang her clothes out to dry.

Climbing down again, Spike took a seat beside Buffy, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “Better?” he asked.

Buffy nodded. She was already beginning to dry and feel warm again. Judging from the blueish tinge to Spike’s lips, he was not. Guilt washed over her. Here she was, hogging the entire blanket while her boyfriend froze his cute butt off beside her.

“Spike,” she said softly, a little anxious of the words she was about to speak. “We could, I mean, if you wanted to, it would be all right… we could, share. Share the blanket, if you want?”

“Pet, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” Spike replied. There was no delicate way to say this. “The thought of you underneath all that, certain articles missing, is every guy’s fantasy. Sharin’ with you might make certain… aspects, a little hard.”

Buffy’s mouth dropped open, forming an ‘O’, seconds before she voiced the word. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Spike shifted uncomfortably.

Buffy understood what he meant, and appreciated his forwardness. But being a gentleman was likely going to make him sick, and she couldn’t have that hanging over her.

“Spike, it’s big enough for two.”

Spike lifted his gaze to Buffy’s, seeing the concern in her eyes and he couldn’t help but feel warm all over. “’t’s all right, luv. Really.”

Buffy frowned. “Don’t be so stubborn. Get your ass out of those wet clothes now.”

A grin tickled Spike lips. “Okay, okay!” He laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “If you wanted me naked all you had to do was ask.”

Buffy snorted, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up, before you get sick.” With a cheeky and mischievous grin she continued, “I promise I won’t look.”

“Oh, you can look if you want, baby.” Spike’s grin became predatory, then stretched even further when Buffy’s jaw dropped. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

When he whipped his shirt off over his head Buffy squeaked in surprise, her cheeks blushing profusely as she turned her back to give him some privacy. A few moments later she heard retreating footsteps. Worried he was going to leave her she turned around, her eyes widening at the sight of Spike’s naked ass walking toward the rocks where her own clothes were drying. Turning around again she bit her lip, trying to stop her smile.

Cute butt…

Buffy almost missed the fact Spike was about to walk toward her again, and the implication of what that would mean, what she would see, that she’d get caught, brought a blush to her cheeks as she whirled around quickly. When his footsteps neared she took a deep breath and stood up.

“So,” Spike drawled. “How do we do this, love?”

Spike was close enough that his breath tickled her ear. With a deep breath she turned around, struggling with the urge to look down. When she met his gaze all her concerns faded to be replaced with a sense of calm. She knew she was doing the right thing. She trusted Spike, knew he cared about her just as she cared for him. Despite his bravado he was obviously cold.

Keeping her eyes locked on his she opened the blanket and welcomed him into her arms.

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A/N: Hope you liked it, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

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Chapter 27: Heated


He never hesitated. The moment her arms and the blanket opened he was upon her, his arms slipping behind her back and pulling her against him in a tight embrace. He couldn’t have resisted. Anything but absolute compliance to her command would have been next to impossible. The fact she would even consider this, allowing him to share the blanket and her warmth—when they were both somewhat noticeable clothes-less—filled him with an incredible sense of completion. When he was with her Spike felt whole.

They stood together, arms and blanket snugly wrapped around them, no attention paid to the passing of time as they just enjoyed the feel of each other.

Unbidden, Spike feathered kisses against the column of Buffy’s neck. When she tilted her head to the side, providing easier access for his insistent lips, a smile broke across his face. Her coo of contentment in response to his attention only made him beam more. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this happy, and it was all because of her.

Buffy leant into Spike’s embrace, the lack of a clothing barrier providing all sorts of new sensations. They’d yet to progress to this part of their relationship and, while the lack of clothes should be sending all sorts of warning bells off in her head, all Buffy could think was more. When Spike nibbled on the shell of her ear she shivered, pressing her body more intimately against his. The hardness of his body was delicious, and she delighted in the way the muscles of his back rippled under her touch. They were chest-to-chest and hip-to-hip, and Spike’s broad torso was not the only hardness she felt between them.

The feel of Buffy’s pebbled nipples grazing his chest elicited a groan from Spike, his arms banding more tightly around her waist. Developing minds of their own his hands ghosted her shoulders, skimming the length of her arms before settling firmly on her hips. It was with great hesitancy when he finally removed his lips from her flesh. She was too tempting, the moment too enticing, and Spike wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to maintain control. He had surprised himself for holding it thus far. This moment was the realisation of every night’s dream over the past long weeks. The fact they were here, now, like this, was more than he could ever have wished, and he wanted nothing more than to hold onto her forever.

So it was with great regret that he pushed her back gently.

Once created, the space between them offered Spike room to think clearly, allowed him the chance to take her in. He would never tire of looking at her. And right now, she took his breath away. Her breathing was irregular and rushed, indicative of the reaction to his ministrations. Her hair was a tousled mess from their play in the lake. Removing a hand from her hip he twirled a lock around his fingers.

A frown creased Buffy’s brow before her eyes even opened. One second Spike was creating all sorts of wonderful sensations within her and the next he was gone, made obvious by the slight draft created by his movement. He’d put space between them, moved away from her, and she cast her eyes to the blanket. When one hand abandoned her hip she chewed on her bottom lip.

“Spike?”

“Hmm?”

Buffy looked up at Spike to find him eyeing her lips like he wanted to devour them, which confused her further. First he was all with the closeness and the kisses and the nice touching, and the next he’d put a barrier of air between them. Her arms were half wrapped around his shoulders, keeping the blanket secure, but it felt weird. She was, in effect, embracing him. In a way their stance was none to dissimilar to how pre-teens held each other in middle school dances. Buffy wasn’t sure what he wanted, but she was too afraid to voice her concern.

“Did you—” she began, only to lose her confidence at the sound of her words. “Never mind, it’s not important.”

Spike met her gaze, a small frown of his own appearing at the image presented before him. Buffy looked… uncomfortable. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised as he removed his other hand from her hip. “I knew sharing this wouldn’t be a good idea.”

He tried to step away again but Buffy countered it by locking her hands together and taking a step forward.

“Don’t,” she begged, embarrassment colouring her cheeks. Now he was looking at her quizzically. Feeling self conscious Buffy dropped her eyes to the blanket once more. “How many times do I have to say there’s plenty of room for both of us?”

Spike considered her answer for a moment. Convinced her reason for ducking his gaze was because she was uncomfortable being in such a state of undress around him, he once again suggested they separate.

“I’ll check on our clothes,” he suggested.

Buffy snorted. “Puh-lease,” she rolled her eyes, “they won’t even be close to dry yet and you know it.”

Now it was Spike’s turn to duck his head in embarrassment. It was an excuse to put space between them and they both knew it.

“Is there a specific reason why you want to get away from me?” she asked, unable to mask the hurt in her expression despite her earlier bravado.

“If I don’t put space between us I might do somethin’ we’ll both regret.”

“Such as?”

The vehemence in her tone was surprising, and had she not been holding the blanket around them Spike was certain she’d be folding her arms across her chest right about now.

“Buffy, you know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout.”

“And you’d regret that, would you?” she accused. “Thanks a lot, Spike.”

“No! That’s not what I meant!” Spike argued. “And you know it.”

“And just how am I supposed to know that, Spike?” Buffy lifted an eyebrow in question. “First you can’t keep your hands off me and then you go all Mister Avoidy.”

Spike curled his tongue behind the back of his teeth arrogantly. “D’you miss my hands on you, pet?” His tone was suggestive and left no room for speculation. He was trying, hoping, to embarrass her into dropping the subject. Buffy’s response was not what he expected, at all.

“Maybe I do!”

“Thought s— come again?”

Buffy laughed at the dumbfounded expression on Spike’s face.

“I said, mayb—”

“I heard what you said,” he interrupted.

“Then why ask?” she retorted impatiently.

“Because you can’t really mean that.”

Now it was Buffy’s turn to be incredulous. Both eyebrows lifted skeptically, her lips thinning in annoyance. “And why’s that?”

“Because you can’t!” Spike insisted desperately.

“Since when was it your job to decide what I can and can’t mean?” Buffy questioned. “I’m the one saying it so I think I’d know what it is I’m thinking I’m saying.”

Spike frowned in confusion. “That didn’t make sense.”

“Yes it did, it made perfect sense!” Buffy snorted. “I’ll simplify for you. My brain, my thoughts, my words.”

He shook his head in denial. It wasn’t possible she was saying what he thought she was. It just wasn’t. He couldn’t let himself believe it; because if she was serious there was no way he was going to be able to not touch her afterward. His restraint had limits, on which she was pushing, quite forcefully.

“But you can’t mean them.”

“Oh my god! Arrogant much!” Buffy threw her arms up in frustration and Spike scrambled to keep the blanket wrapped around them while she vented her frustration. “I meant what I said, okay? So deal with it.” She finished her argument with a pointed jab of her index finger against his chest.

Spike remained silent while Buffy fumed, drinking her in like a starved man upon finding a utopia. She was gorgeous when she was angry. He could practically feel the fire shooting from her eyes, and when she huffed in annoyance her breath kissed his flesh. A smiled teased its way onto his face. Spike would be more than happy to just stand back and watch her. But when he saw how her eyes narrowed further he realised admiring her too openly wasn’t exactly the smartest course of action. She was serious and wanted to be treated as such, and he was not the sort of man to deny his girl.

“Buffy, do you mean it? I mean, do you really mean what you said?” he asked quietly, needing to hear her say it again before he could believe.

“Yes! I meant it the firs—”

Spike gave her what she asked for. Before she could finish what she was saying his lips had fused to hers, his arms banded around her waist. Miraculously the blanket didn’t fall from his gusto.

Thrown by his sudden acceptance she remained still, completely stunned for a moment, before she returned the kiss with just as much enthusiasm. Yes! her mind shouted in triumph.

Buffy wound her arms around Spike’s neck, her fingers toying with the hair at the base of his neck. Her breasts flattened against his chest as she pushed herself closer, wanting no space between them. As their kisses deepened she could feel Spike’s ardour grow, the hardness pressing against her belly an indicator of just how aroused he was.

A few weeks ago she would have shied away from such intimate contact, but not anymore. Not now. Buffy ground herself against Spike’s erection, and she moaned her pleasure into their kiss.

Spike answered her with a groan of his own. Forcing himself to slow down he tore his lips from hers, peppering a couple quick pecks on her swollen mouth before leaning back to take her in. He’d heard her words, felt her response to his touch, but he needed to see for himself that she really meant what she’d said.

The instant their eyes met he was filled with a sense of awe unlike anything he’d felt before. Trust. It shone from her eyes like a beacon; absolute and pure and unwavering. Buffy trusted him. Completely.

In that precise moment, Spike was hit with a realisation so strong his knees threatened to buckle beneath him.

He was in love with her.

Spike was in love with Buffy.

I love her…

The thought both terrified and filled him with incredible peace. When the words found his lips he pushed them back with another kiss. While he realised whole-heartedly he would not deny his feelings for Buffy, he was not yet ready to voice them.

He must have been staring because Buffy began to fidget.

“What?”

“You.” He smiled. Her shyness was enchanting, and once more Spike found himself drinking her in. “Have I told you today how beautiful you are?”

Buffy blushed with happy embarrassment. “I am not,” she denied, although secretly she was pleased.

“Adorable,” he insisted.

Determined not to blush again—or at least not let him see it—Buffy claimed Spike’s mouth with her own for another kiss. A kiss which quickly became more heated by the second.

She was insistent; he’d give her that. Every time he tried to pry their lips apart, or put even a modicum of space between them, a well-timed roll of her hips was all it took to have him whimpering with need.

“Vixen,” he murmured against her mouth.

“You love it,” she replied.

If only you knew how much… he thought.

Spike’s hands found her hips. His fingers dug into her hips and stilled them, before her rocking action caused him to lose the ability of coherent thought. “Buffy, please.”

If Spike thought holding her still was going to stop her when she had her mind set on something, he was dead wrong. She had other methods of persuasion she could use. Like the sensitive skin where his lobe connected to his neck.

“What?” she asked cheekily, a grin curling her lips as she began to tease.

Spike groaned. “Buffy, please. We need to slow down. We need to stop.”

Finally, Buffy halted. “Stop?”

Spike regretted the hurt in her voice, knowing he was the reason for it. “Baby, if we keep this up I might not be able to stop later.”

“But what if I don’t want to? Stop, that is.”

“Buffy—”

“I mean,” she fidgeted restlessly. “What if I think I’m ready for us to—”

Spike cut her off, shaking his head in denial. “You don’t know what this means to me, hearing you say you might be ready for this. But you can’t think, you need to know. Until then we can wait.”

“I know.”

“No,” Spike refuted. “Pet, I’m serious. This, between us,” he indicated with a wave of his hand between them. “This is the real deal. It means something. It’s special. I… I have… feelings for you.” He swallowed an invisible lump in his throat. “And when we take that step I want it to be because we both know we’re ready.”

Buffy melted at Spike’s confession. “Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Ready?”

Spike nodded. “But that doesn’t mean—”

“So am I,” Buffy announced.

Again Spike shook his head in disagreement. “Love, you don’t need to say that just because I told you I am.”

“Someone’s full of themself!” Buffy proclaimed heatedly. “Are we really going to repeat what we argued about ten minutes ago? I know what I want. And I want you.”

Her confession was unwavering, and Spike finally realised she was serious. He wanted to believe, god, he wanted to more than anything. Buffy was nothing like the girls of his past. She was different. She was special. She was… Buffy. Which was why he was on the brink of hesitation once more. Because when it came to Buffy he was determined everything would be… perfect. Just like she was to him.

Buffy considered ending her little rant there. Judging by the look on Spike’s face he was finally beginning to believe her. And for a brief moment she toyed with the idea of shouting her relief. She’d promised herself there would be no secrets in this relationship. As far as she was concerned this was it. The big one. The relationship that songs were sung about and poems were composed about. Buffy wanted all of Spike, including the scoop on his past. And it should… no, it would be reciprocal. If she expected him to share all his secrets she should do the same, especially considering their current topic of conversation. With a deep—if slightly shaky breath, she continued. “Spike I want you. I wouldn’t lie, I wouldn’t admit this just because you did. I’m not that sort of girl… anymore.”

She recognised the second her words sunk in, finishing her confession with a whisper. “I made that mistake once before, and trust me when I say I’m not going to make it again.”

Spike was dumbfounded. At first he was happy, joyous beyond belief. His girl wanted him and she wasn’t afraid to admit it—numerous times in fact. However, happiness quickly gave way to fury. The thought that Buffy had been with someone, that way, and that she’d done so out of some sort of obligation filled him with blinding rage. The demand was on his lips immediately.

“Who is he?”

“What?” Buffy asked, dumbfounded by his sudden change. It was as if a storm cloud had settled over Spike’s head, and the lightning looked about ready to strike.

“Who is he?” he demanded. “I’ll kill him. No-one forces my girl—”

“Spike!”

“—to do anything, and when I find him I’m goin’ to—”

“SPIKE! Relax.” Buffy pulled him in for a quick kiss. It was fierce and demanding and she could feel Spike’s rage still simmering beneath the surface. With each gentle swipe of her tongue she slowly felt his fury begin to dissolve. Obviously bringing up her past at a time such as this was not the smartest thing she could have done, but it was like he said; this meant something and she wanted to lay all her cards on the table. While she seriously doubted her past was anywhere near as… colourful as Spike’s, it was still hers. Some of her life experience was far from blissful but without it she wouldn’t be where she was now.

It was with startling clarity Buffy realised, for the first time ever, she was thankful for her parents’ divorce. If not for the public revelation of her father’s infidelity, and resulting split of her parents, she never would have moved to Sunnydale. The heartbreak of Hank’s deceit had shaken both Buffy and her mother to the core, but without the experience of that loss she never would have met Spike. As far as Buffy was concerned it was worth it.

“Buffy,” Spike began, only to be cut off once more by the girl in question’s insistent lips.

“It was a mistake. A terrible, horrible, unfulfilling mistake,” Buffy admitted gently. With a shrug and a wry smile she continued with complete confidence. “But I would do it again.”

Spike was aghast. She couldn’t possibly mean that, could she?

Recognising Spike’s confusion she explained. “The day I…” She thought about her words carefully. “The day I took that step, well, that was the very same day my father walked out on us.”

Buffy’s expression was pained, and Spike didn’t understand why either event she’d just explained could be anything short of distressing. “Love, I’m a little confused. That was a good thing how?”

Inhaling a deep breath she smiled. “Because that’s when my life changed. He walked out on us, disappeared overseas and sent divorce papers in the mail. A few weeks later they were officially divorced and we packed up everything we owned and moved to Sunnydale.”

Realisation dawned in Spike’s eyes.

“So you see,” Buffy began, “if not for my philandering father we never would have met. And if not for my mistake that day, which sent me home early to discover him packing, Mom and I wouldn’t have even known he was leaving. Which means we may have stayed in LA.”

Spike remained silent, thoughtful for a moment, taking in all she was saying. “Do you mean to say he wasn’t going to let either of you know he was leavin’?”

Buffy shook her head sadly. “No, he wasn’t. Like I said, I came home upset and found a heap of luggage at the door and thumping sounds upstairs where stuff was being thrown around. I called Mom immediately, something he really didn’t like. Not that being there made much of a difference. He still left us.”

“Buffy…”

“It’s okay, really. We’re better off without him.”

Spike nodded slowly. He’d only met the man once and from what he gathered Hank Summers was not a pleasant person to be around. He agreed whole-heartedly that Buffy and her mother were better off without the bastard in their lives. “If you need to talk, you know where to find me,” he offered gently.

“I know. And thank you.”

Silence stretched out for a moment and Spike shifted nervously. The previously playful mood between them had evaporated. Spike was thankful for the distraction. After the seriousness of Buffy’s little revelation he was convinced, unequivocally, she’d meant every word she had said earlier about being ready. And Spike didn’t want their first time to be on a dusty rug out in the elements. Buffy deserved to be cherished, and if he had anything to say about it that was exactly the sort of treatment she was going to receive.

“What do you say I go collect our clothes and we’ll get out of here, yeah?” he suggested lightly.

Spike wanted to take care of her, the sentiment shone from his eyes like a beacon. And she was loath to reject his offer. With a nod she consented and their afternoon at the lake came to a close.

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A/N: I hope you liked the chapter!

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Chapter 28: First Step


It was some hours later before Buffy’s dark mood lifted. After they’d dressed, returned to the car and driven away from the lake, Buffy expected Spike would just drop her at home and be done with her for the evening. To coin a phrase of her grandmother’s, ‘no one wants to spend time with a Grumpy Greta.’

The adage was as dated as it was flawed, or perhaps Spike was just the exception to the rule. While they had returned to her home, it was not before a surprise trip to the grocery store.

“I didn’t know you could cook!” Buffy exclaimed.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” Spike responded with a smirk.

“Well, I look forward to finding them all out.”

Not only did he pay for the items required for the meal, he cooked and cleaned up afterward as well. Currently they were cuddled on the sofa in the living room, the TV on low as they talked. Mostly, Buffy gushed about the extent to which Spike had spoiled her that day. She was in heaven.

“Are you sure you’re not related to Prince Charming?” Buffy queried.

“I’m sure,” Spike laughed.

“I think I can honestly say that meal was the tastiest thing I’ve ever eaten. My mouth is in heaven!”

At the reference to her mouth Spike’s gaze lowered. Instantly the light-hearted mood evaporated, to be replaced with something much more heated. Buffy was the first to react by throwing herself into his arms. When their lips met there was no pretence, no denying where this would lead if they allowed it to continue.

Any restraint Spike had quickly spiralled out of his control when Buffy suckled on his lower lip. It wasn’t just a kiss; it wasn’t even a subtle taste. In fact this was far beyond the realm of subtle or innocent or pure, or anything else he’d previously associated with the girl seated on his lap. Grinding against him. It was sensual and seductive, a very clear expression of intent. Buffy was marking him, claiming ownership, her lips mating with his. The kiss was scorching; she was burning her essence into him, declaring in very blatant terms that he was hers. After a kiss such as this there would be no escape, even if he wished it—which he very much did not.

Coherent thought fled his capability as Spike gave into the positively sinful pleasures of her mouth. And he wanted more. He’d realised earlier Buffy had captured his heart. Her kisses now stole his free will. If asked he could say, without a shadow of doubt, she owned him.

Spike mourned the loss when contact broke momentarily, only to have his desire surge moments later when he realised the reason for the separation.

Buffy was shirtless, her blouse carelessly discarded to the floor.

Before Spike could give voice to the question in his eyes Buffy was upon him again. She wanted this, he wanted this—the hardness beneath her clear evidence of just how much—and she wasn’t going to let Spike’s propriety to come between them again. His concern was touching, the fact he wanted her to be sure a testament to the sort of man he was. And it only strengthened her conviction. What she had with Spike was special, and she wanted to show him just how much she cared, how much she wanted him.

Spike was having a great deal of trouble maintaining a clear head. The combination of Buffy’s ardent kisses and free roaming hands sent his blood rushing to a very specific part of his anatomy. Ignoring the warm body wiggling between his legs was not a possibility.

He broke the kiss, murmuring against her lips with equal parts desire and hesitation. “Buffy… please, pet…”

“No, don’t stop,” Buffy begged against his throat, her tongue laving a trail from his ear along his jaw line, before returning to his lips again. She kissed him fiercely, fisting the hem of his t-shirt in her hands. When they parted for breath she tugged the offending material upward. She thought he’d fight her, thought he’d try and make her stop. But Spike didn’t resist. He just stared at her with that look again, the god-I-want-this-but-please-make-me-stop look she’d become very familiar with recently. A brilliant smile lit up her face at the realisation he wasn’t going to try and talk her out of anything.

Buffy’s hands snaked down his toned chest, and Spike groaned. She lingered at his nipples, pinching and twisting one between her fingers before replacing her hands with her lips. When her mouth and his chest connected, a hoarse cry escaped Spike’s lips. She smiled around his nipple, proud of the effect she was having on him. As her lips and tongue teased his aroused flesh her hands continued on their journey, searching for the key to the barrier of denim between them—his belt. Her fingers found the clasp, lifting it up to release the hook before tugging it open.

Spike was lost in a haze of lust, completely at her mercy. She was slowly driving him mad with desire, her lips taunting his over-sensitised nipples while her hands flirted with his abdomen. When Buffy’s fingers fumbled with the button fly of his jeans reality snapped back.

Not here, not like this. Not on a sofa…

His hands wrapped around her wrists, halting her movement. “Buffy, no.”

Buffy heaved the frustrated sigh of one who was so close, yet so far, from what she desired. She’d been wondering how far she could take things before Spike’s moral code—where she was concerned at least—would force him to stop.

“Buffy, look at me, love,” he pleaded.

It was with great hesitation she did so, not wanting to confirm the rejection she expected in his gaze. However when she met his gaze rejection was nowhere to be found. She saw desire, adoration, and longing. He wanted her.

“Not no?” she questioned with a slight frown.

Spike chuckled quietly. “Definitely not no.”

“Then what—” She trailed off.

“Not here,” he stated softly.

“Oh.”

A few moments passed before realisation sunk in, a rosy blush tinging her cheeks.

“OH!”

Spike’s smile was hesitant, almost shy, and Buffy didn’t fight the giddy grin that crept across hers in response.

“Upstairs?”

Spike nodded.

“Right.”

Buffy didn’t move. Her courage fled her now that she’d won, now that she’d finally convinced Spike she wanted this. After a moments hesitation she removed herself from his lap and stood before him. A sudden shyness overcame her at her state of undress and she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Pet?”

She had to keep the mood light or else risk one of them backing out. A mischievous grin curled her lips, the smirk stretching at the questioning arch of Spike’s brow.

“You want me,” Buffy said shyly.

“Yes.” Spike nodded vehemently. “But if—”

“Then you’ll have to catch me.”

With a squeal, Buffy darted out of range and toward the kitchen.

Spike remained still for a moment, stunned by his girlfriend’s sudden flight, before taking off after her.

~*~*~

She’d managed to elude Spike for just under a minute before he caught her. A few circles around the kitchen island and he had her well and truly trapped, stuck in a corner with no way out. Spike prowled toward her with intent, a devilish leer curling his lips. Prepared and expecting capture, Buffy resorted to distraction tactics. She reached behind her back and, with a flick of her fingers, released her bra.

The skimpy garment hit his chest with a thwap but he didn’t even notice it. Spike’s eyes had bugged at the sight of Buffy’s naked breasts, any plans of advancement immediately forgotten at the sight of her bared chest.

Distraction successful, Buffy wrapped her arms around herself—to minimise the bounce factor—and shot off toward the stairs, a giggle bursting from her lips.

“Why you sneaky little…”

Buffy was halfway up the stairs when Spike reached the first step.

“Oi, that’s cheating.”

“All’s fair!” she sing-songed over her shoulder, another squeal escaping her lips when she heard the thump of Spike’s feet on the stairs behind her. Running with your arms wrapped around yourself wasn’t easy!

“Rot! Resorting to dirty tactics, distracting a bloke like that. It’s downright despicable.”

Buffy giggled again as she rounded the top of the stair well. “But it worked, didn’t it?”

He was gaining on her, fumbling with the handle to her door costing her precious seconds. It finally opened with a whoosh just as Spike’s arms reached her shoulders. Buffy pushed through the doorway and the pair collapsed in a heap on the floor.

“Minx,” Spike growled against her neck, his tongue darting out to trace the shell of her ear.

Buffy’s giggles tapered off slowly, her mirth quickly replaced with desire. She’d never felt anything quite like this before, the way his tongue was dancing across her neck. The warmth of his body, pressed so intimately against hers, sent a shiver through her spine and caused the rest of the world to blink out of existence. Everything faded away except for Spike, herself, and the sensations he was creating within her. He was waking delicious new feelings inside of her, and she didn’t think she would ever get enough.

More…

“More,” she gasped.

Spike didn’t let himself think, he knew he wanted Buffy, wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another person, and right now there was no room for anything but absolute certainty. She was lying beneath him, her lips parted, eyes glazed with lust, and he’d never seen a sight so enticing. And it was largely because he wasn’t alone with the longing; his desire for her was fully reciprocated. The feel of her soft curves pressing against him drove him wild, and when she arched her back off the ground, causing her breasts to brush against his chest, Spike knew there was no going back. He tasted her lips, beckoning her to let him inside and deepen the kiss. When she responded by eagerly parting her lips, her tongue darting out to caress his, Spike felt another wave of pleasure wash through him.

When their tongues collided Buffy moaned. Spike had kissed her numerous times before, they’d spent countless hours making out before, during and after their many dates, but this was different. This wasn’t just a regular kiss, this was one of the toe curling, nipple hardening, desire mounting kisses that weakened the knees—or would have had she not already been lying on the floor.

Spike’s mouth left hers and travelled down the nape of her neck, nipping and licking and sucking the sensitive flesh. When he ground his erection between her thighs she gasped, clutching at his shoulders and wantonly pressing herself against him. Her breasts flatted against his chest, her over-aroused nipples scraping against his sculptured pectorals, sending shocks of pleasure to spider through her. His lips trailed down her collarbone, peppering kisses across her skin and then lowering, forging a pathway to her breasts. At first contact Buffy gasped, arching her hips off the floor to collide with his, causing his hardness to press more intimately against her. Which in turn elicited another gasp. He was driving her mad with lust and they’d barely even begun.

Spike groaned when Buffy thrust herself against him, the knowledge that it was his ministrations making her so wild filling him with all sorts of pride. He lifted himself above her, seeing that her eyes were clouded with desire, her lips swollen from their earlier kisses and just begging for more attention. Spike knew if he kissed her there would be no turning back. He didn’t even hesitate. This just felt so right, so perfect.

Buffy gasped when their mouths collided once more. Driven purely by passion she deepened it, almost daring Spike to back off. But back off Spike did not. When his tongue met with hers she moaned, her need for him making her dizzy and light headed. She pushed her leg between his, rubbing against his erection, a purely feminine smile curling her lips when Spike broke the kiss and groaned.

“Buffy, god…” he whispered against her jaw. One hand snaked around through her hair, holding her closer, while the other hesitantly traced irregular patterns at her side.

Buffy felt like she was going to combust, Spike’s touch sparking a fire in its wake. She was burning up and it still wasn’t enough. Reaching for his hand she lifted it to her breast, a contented moan escaping her lips. Her own hands began their own exploration, her nails scraping his back before settling on his behind and clutching him to her. A deliberate thrust of her hips had them both groaning in need.

“Spike, god! Spike I need—”

“Make me stop,” Spike pleaded. “Buffy, please, tell me to stop.”

Buffy froze beneath him, terrified of being rejected.

“Spike?” she whispered hesitantly.

“Tell me to stop, Buffy,” he begged. “If you don’t tell me I—”

Buffy saw it for what it was, not a rejection but a last ditch effort at preserving the way things were. An escape, if she so decided.

Escape was the furthest thing from her mind.

“I want you.”

“Buffy!” Spike groaned.

That was it, the death of his self control. There was no way he could deny her, not when she urged him on with her breathy sighs and her not so innocent thrusts against him. He’d hardened even more at her confession. Reaching between them he found the button of her jeans and popped it, then dragged the zipper downward.

Aiding in the removal process Buffy lifted her hips from the floor, shimmying out of the offending material. When her jeans bunched around her ankles she used her feet to kick them off. Now all that was between herself and Spike was her lacy underwear and… Spike’s jeans?

“Jeans, off.”

Spike chuckled at the order, silencing himself at the fierce glare Buffy shot his way. Rolling back onto his haunches he stood up. One by one he popped the button fly, his cock springing free the moment the material loosened. Hands on his hips he pushed the jeans downward, kicking his feet free when they dropped to the floor.

Buffy’s eyes had widened impossibly. Spike was naked. Bare as the day he was born. And he was standing in front of her as if it were the most normal thing in the world. In fact, when she finally dragged her gaze from his… appendage, she found his eyes dancing with mirth.

“It’s… are… so…” Coherent thought fled her capability, apparently along with the ability to string a sentence together.

Spike contained his mirth, barely. “You goin’ to sit on the floor starin’ at me or did you wanna join me somewhere a little more comfortable?”

She opened her mouth to speak, honestly she did, but when her eyes dropped downward again the words dried up in her throat.

“P’haps not?” He arched a brow, a devilish grin on his face as he continued suggestively. “Well, while you’re down there…”

Buffy spluttered in disbelief, quickly scrambling to her feet. “Why you arro—”

“Much better,” Spike cut off, wrapping his arms around her to pull her flush against him, his lips swooping for hers.

“Not nice to tease,” she mumbled when the kiss broke a few seconds later.

“Who said I was teasin’?”

“Oh!” Buffy wriggled in Spike’s arms, trying to free herself.

Spike chuckled loudly, unable to keep a straight face any longer. “’M sorry, baby. I’m a bad rude man.”

“Boy,” Buffy corrected, poking her tongue out in defiance.

“Oi!”

“Well, you are.”

Spike arched a brow. “How so?” he asked with mock curiosity and a pointed thrust of his hips. “Because I can assure you, love, I am anything but a boy.”

Buffy bit her lip to contain the groan his action elicited. She should’ve known he wouldn’t let her comment slide, but if he could tease then so could she. “Well a man wouldn’t just stand around when he had a naked gi—”

The words were kissed off her lips. One hand fisted in her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss while his other snaked down her back and grabbed a handful of her behind. Greedy lips swallowed her surprised squeal and with a tug she was pulled toward him again. Buffy wrapped her arms around Spike’s neck and returned the kiss with equal fervour, all the while taking slow steps back toward the bed. When her knees hit the edge of the mattress she threw herself backward, pulling Spike along for the ride.

The landing was soft, lips never parting.

Spike hands were everywhere. Caressing her face, fondling her breasts, tickling her sides, exploring her—

“Oh!”

A pleasured sigh rolled off her lips and was quickly followed by another when his lips lowered to her pebbled nipples.

“Oh, oh god… Spike!”

Spike dipped one hand between Buffy’s legs and pushed aside the scrap of material she called underwear, his fingers ghosting the lips of sex. She was warm to the touch, and his fingers slid with ease against her aroused flesh.

“So wet for me, baby,” he groaned. “All for me.”

It was more a statement than a question but that didn’t stop Buffy’s answering moan. “Yes, yes! Just for you.”

“No one else.” His fingers parted her pussy lips and dipped inside. Spike smiled against her breast when her hips immediately rose from the bed to deepen the contact.

“No. Just you, only you.” Buffy writhed against his hand, a gasp tearing from her lips. It was too much and not enough at the same time.

“Buffy.”

Her name was a prayer on his lips. In the one word she could hear everything—his desire, his pleasure, his need, his affection. When he said her name like that Buffy felt cherished. She loved it, loved everything he was doing to her but she needed more.

So she spread her legs wider in invitation.

Spike was surprised by her action, his gasp a testament to his awe. But he didn’t slow. He didn’t question. This was her choice and he knew, knew they wouldn’t regret this. Grasping the lacy material in his hands he slowly slid the final barrier between them down her shapely legs. Buffy shivered in anticipation.

Placing a kiss on the top of both feet Spike prowled up Buffy’s body, hovering above her as he settled between her legs. He captured her lips once more.

Delighted as she was by his kisses Buffy was becoming impatient. They were so close. She could feel the hardness of Spike’s erection pressing against her thigh. Taking matters into her own hands, literally, Buffy encircled a hand at the base of his cock, rubbing the head against her opening.

Spike hissed in appreciation, his hips thrusting forward involuntarily. The warmth of her hand coupled with the heat from her sex was a dangerous combination.

“Buffy,” he gasped. “Buffy, love, we—”

With her hand guiding his hard length Buffy surged her hips off the bed. Her mewl of satisfaction was answered by a strangled cry of pleasure when Spike entered her.

“Oh god!” Her hand flew to Spike’s forearms, her fingers digging in as she held him tightly.

“Buffybuffybuffy…”

When she shifted below him he slowly pulled out of her before pushing back in. His eyes rolled back into his head. She was so warm, so wet, so tight. So bloody perfect, my perfect Buffy…

“Oh god, Spike!”

“Perfect, my perfect Buffy.” He withdrew again, this time thrusting forward with a little more force. Spike was having trouble maintaining a semblance of control. It was getting harder and harder to maintain control over the speed of his thrusts. The noises she was making, the way she thrust against him, the look of pure unadulterated lust that burned from her eyes, all of it made the primal need to furiously pound her into the mattress that much harder to resist. The one thought which managed to stop him was that this was happening. Buffy was really here, in bed with him, and the last thing he wanted to do was mess it up and spoil any chances of a repeat in the future.

Buffy’s fingers bit into Spike’s arms so hard they’d likely bruise, but he barely noticed the pain. He pumped into her a little faster and was rewarded with a pleasured groan. She gasped, she moaned, she panted, and her sounds were driving Spike insane. He wanted to hear more, wanted to give her more.

“Uhn!”

“My Buffy, mine! Oh god, you—”

“Oh my god!” she breathed, arching her back off the bed.

“Buffy… so beautiful, so perfect.”

“Spike!”

When their rhythm increased again Buffy was the one responsible. Spike kissed her passionately, pouring all of his emotion, all of the love he felt for her into her lips, before moving to suckle her neck.

“Oh god, Spike! More!” Buffy demanded. She was burning up, a swirling pool of desire and sensation building deep in her belly. Her lips tingled from Spike’s ardent kisses and her flesh seared where his fingers trailed. She’d never felt anything so… so… she was lost of words. It was just right.

“Good, so good!” She scraped her nails up his back and down again, before grasping his behind and encouraging him to speed up his thrusts. “More,” she demanded.

Spike started thrusting in earnest, desperate for release. A light sheen of sweat coated their flesh, glistening in the moonlit room, aiding the slip and slide of their bodies. Spike was not a selfish lover by any stretch, and when he felt his pending release near he slipped a hand between their bodies, his fingers working Buffy’s clit. And she met him thrust for thrust, moaning and sighing and gasping, just as needy to reach climax as he was.

The bed frame hit the wall, the sound a steady staccato that resonated throughout the room, but neither paid it any attention.

Buffy wrapped her arms around Spike’s neck and her legs around his waist, pulling him as close to her as possible. She was close, the combination of his talented fingers and heated strokes lifted her to the edge of ecstasy, and it would only be a matter of time before he pushed her over.

Spike was teetering on the brink of orgasm, trying his hardest to hold back as he stroked Buffy frantically.

“Come for me, baby, need to feel you come. Need you to let go,” Spike urged, a cry of pleasure strangled from his lips when he felt her inner muscles fluttering.

It didn’t take much encouragement, he’d already driven her wild with his touch and now his words were pushing her over the edge.

One… two… three…

And then she was falling.

Stars burst behind her eyes as her body quaked with pleasure. It shook her to the core as incoherent noises escaped her lips.

“Oh god! Spike! Uhnnn!”

When Buffy convulsed around him her pussy damn near strangled the life from his cock and triggered his own release. Orgasm washed over him and he emptied himself, crying out her name as he collapsed on top of her, completely spent. Spike buried his face in her neck, whispering words of love against her skin as he rode out the wave.

The room was silent save for their shuddery gasps for breath.

---

A/N: *bites fingernails* I hope you all liked the chapter - please let me know what you think.

---

Chapter 29: Morning After


When Buffy woke up early the next morning it was with a smile on her face. How could she not? A wonderful day spent with her considerate boyfriend, followed by an incredible night, what’s not to love?

Love... such a powerful little word. Who’d have thought something so small could mean so much? But it did. She’d been afraid of it, afraid of falling in love with Spike and opening herself up to pain. She should have known better. Buffy could honestly say she trusted him with her life. Her heart was safe with him. For days she’d known she loved him and last night had only increased that feeling. Even better, she could feel it wasn’t one sided. Spike cared for her. It was more than she’d ever anticipated.

She shifted slightly; leaning on her left elbow she rested her head on her hand so she could gaze at him. Really have a good stare, without having to feel self-conscious about it when he caught her—something he always did.

Beautiful, it was the only word which really did him any justice. Like this, asleep, he looked so innocent. She took it all in, his pouty lips, the fullness of his eyelashes—which she was totally jealous of, and the teeny tiny scar which sliced through his eyebrow. Gently she lifted her free hand toward his face, her fingers tracing the scar before running the length of his cheekbone. She removed her hand a moment later so as not to disturb him, but when she was pinned with those sapphire depths she realised it was too late.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

“’T’s alright love,” Spike smiled, sleep colouring the rumble of his voice. “I was dreamin’ ‘bout you.”

“Yeah?” she asked curiously.

He nodded. “Yeah. But there’s no comparison to the real thing.”

Buffy felt her stomach flip-flop, her cheeks reddening as she looked at the sheets. “Flatterer.”

Spike smiled gently, reaching to cup her cheek as Buffy had his just moments ago. When she met his gaze again he gently guided her lips toward his for a kiss. It was unhurried and tender, the perfect wake-up. The urgency they’d exhibited the night before was long gone, replaced with an ease which came only with intimate familiarity, something they now shared. Spike could easily spend all morning doing just this, kissing her, and had it not been for his exploratory hands he would’ve been content in doing just that. However, the moment he felt the softness of her skin he wanted more. She was like a drug and he couldn’t—wouldn’t ever—get enough.

Despite how much she’d love to continue Buffy knew they couldn’t. They had school in a couple hours and there was also her mom to consider. Breaking the kiss she extracted herself from Spike’s embrace, a purely feminine smile curling her lips when he groaned in frustration. Taking one of the sheets with her she wrapped it around herself to hide her nudity.

“Buffy, we—”

“Have school to get ready for,” she interrupted. Seeing the protestations on his lips before he even voiced them she continued, “Unlike some who can roll out of bed and look perfect already,” she looked pointedly at him as she said this. “I need time to make myself look presentable. I need a shower, I want to brush my teeth and I’m really hungry.”

“So am I,” Spike smirked lasciviously. “Come back to bed, love. You’re perfect as you are.”

The innuendo in his words had not been missed, but she chose to ignore it. “No,” Buffy warned. “I won’t. My hair’s a mess!”

“Looks like you’ve had sex,” Spike replied proudly. “And trust me pet, it’s a look that’s very good on you.”

Buffy laughed, shaking her head in amusement. “Spike—”

“You’re beautiful.”

He’d told her as much, countless times, but hearing it still took her breath away. Her mirth faded and her resolve weakened. A little more time couldn’t hurt, could it?

“You’re so beautiful,” Spike repeated, adoration shining from his eyes. “I feel so lucky to have you.”

Buffy’s eyes began watering immediately. All thoughts of school and responsibility fled, all that mattered was him. It was still early, they had plenty of time. She dropped the sheet to climb back into bed, causing Spike’s eyes—and other parts of his anatomy—to bulge in response to her nakedness.

The first touch of their lips ignited the passion within them, eager hands of both parties exploring the other’s flesh.

“Oh god, Buffy.”

Her name was said with such reverence she melted all over again, and before Buffy could censor herself the words were falling from her lips.

“I love you.”

The second the words were out there she froze. She knew Spike cared for her but it was still early in their relationship, the last thing she wanted to do was scare the guy off by being too needy. Oh god, what did I just say? WHY did I have to say that now?

Spike had also frozen, the shock of hearing her speak those words effectively turning him into a statue. She said— She loves, Buffy loves me. He didn’t believe it. The words had been said but he almost didn’t trust his hearing. He wanted nothing more than to hear her say those words, again, so he could be sure. And then lots more times after that, because it’s something he’d never get sick of hearing. Buffy loves me!

“Buffy—”

“Just forget it.”

When she’d said the words it had taken her a moment to confirm that yes, they’d actually been said aloud and she hadn’t imagined it. When Spike had hesitated she’d immediately began imagining the worst.

“Pet—”

“Please, Spike, I—”

Downstairs the front door opened.

“Oh my god!” Buffy exclaimed, clamping a hand over her mouth when she realised how loud she’d been. “It’s my mom! You’ve got to get dressed now! You’ve got to get out of here!”

While Spike knew Joyce liked him he didn’t want to wear out his welcome. Walking in on your daughter in bed, no matter who she was with—and didn’t the thought of Buffy being with anyone else hurt—was not going to be good. So the thought of being caught had Spike in just as much of a panic.

Footsteps on the stairs.

“She’s coming!” Buffy cried, her voice at a hush. “There’s not enough time, you need to hide!”

“Hide?” Spike repeated. “Hide where?”

“I don’t care! Just get gone before she walks in here or you’ll never see me again!”

Spike began to argue, worried at what she meant by that statement. She couldn’t possibly mean she’d throw what they had away, could she? “Buffy—”

“I’ll be grounded for life, so do it!”

Without another word he scooped up his clothes from the bedroom floor into his arms, looked around the room once or twice before settling on the closet. Buffy had managed to slip a night shirt and some pyjama bottoms on. When Spike opened her closet door and realised he wouldn’t fit he started to back away but Buffy was having none of it.

“Get in!”

“But—”

With a shove she pushed him into the small space and closed the door. “Hold it shut from the inside, it’ll just be a couple minutes,” she whispered urgently.

“What about my shirt? It’s downstairs,” he whispered back.

Oh god...

So was hers. And her bra.

“Hopefully she hasn’t seen it yet, I’ll go get it as soon as—”

“Honey, are you up here?”

“In my room, Mom!” Buffy called loudly in reply, before whispering to Spike, “Whatever you do, don’t move.”

She examined the room to ensure nothing looked suspicious. Say, for example, one of Spike’s boots which was sitting in the middle of the floor. Scooping it up she tossed it under her desk just as her mother walked into the room.

“Morning, sweetie.”

“Morning!” Buffy replied cheerily, pasting as big a smile onto her face as possible in an attempt to cover her nerves.

Obviously it wasn’t convincing enough.

“Is everything alright, honey?” Joyce asked with concern.

“Sure!” Buffy chirped. “Everything’s great. Right as rain. Peachy keen. I’m full of great today.” And clichés apparently...

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” She nodded for extra emphasis.

“Alright. If you’re certain.” Joyce was unconvinced but she wasn’t going to force the issue. Her eyes roamed the bedroom, taking in the state of disarray.

Following her mothers wandering eyes Buffy provided an explanation. “Oh, I had a bit of a nightmare last night, tossed and turned a bit.”

“So I can see,” Joyce replied, stepping forward and running her fingers through her daughter’s tangled tresses.

Buffy brushed her hair behind her ears self-consciously. “So how was work?”

Joyce sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Hectic. It took half the night to fix everything and the other half to fill in all the extra necessary paperwork.”

Taking the extended hand which was offered, Buffy joined her mother on the edge of the bed.

“I’m so sorry things have been chaotic. Getting the business off the ground has been difficult, and I know I haven’t been home much lately.”

Buffy nodded in agreement and understanding. “It’s alright, mom, really. You need this job, we need it.”

Joyce smiled, pressing a kiss to Buffy’s forehead. “What did I ever do to deserve a daughter like you?”

“Just lucky I guess,” Buffy smiled gently.

“You got that right.” With a yawn Joyce stood up and moved toward the door. “I’m going to go to bed for a few hours to catch up on missed sleep.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” A yawn of her own escaped Buffy’s lips. Her night, while not as late as her mother’s, had been no less energy consuming. A raised brow of inquiry was enough to snap Buffy from her thoughts. “And I’ll be getting ready for school.”

Joyce nodded and walked out of the room.

With a sigh Buffy relaxed. They’d survived.

The closet door creaked slightly as Spike prepared to exit the tight space, and Buffy was about to alert him to the clear coast when she heard footsteps in the hallway again. With a shove she slammed the door closed. Something inside thumped.

“What did you end up doing about dinner last night?”

“Oh,” Buffy replied, leaning against the closet door nonchalantly. “Spike came over and cooked me dinner, I think there’s some leftovers in the fridge if you want some for lunch.”

“He can cook?” Joyce asked in surprise.

Buffy nodded.

“That’s fantastic, sweetheart. Hold on to that one, he’s a keeper.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “The most your father could do was toast.”

Buffy had to bite her tongue to hold back the sarcastic comment which wanted to burst from her lips.

“Have a good day at school.”

“Thanks.”

This time when Joyce’s footsteps retreated it was for good, her bedroom door closing a few moments later.

For the second time Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. Closing her eyes she let her head fall back against the closet door. That had been close. Too close.

Spike’s muffled voice came through the door, startling her from her thoughts. “Is it safe, can I come out now?”

Moving to open up some space Buffy opened the door to allow him to exit. The first thing she noticed was the red mark across his forehead.

“Oh my god, what happened?” she whispered.

“You did,” he replied just as quietly. A smirk rose to his lips at her concern, and he rubbed his head for emphasis. “Give a guy a heads up next time you’re plannin’ on shutting a door in his face.”

“Awww, poor baby,” Buffy cooed with exaggerated concern. She pressed a kiss to the affected area. “Better now?”

“Much.” Spike beamed.

He was looking at her lips like he wanted to devour them, but Buffy was not going to be distracted this time. “I’ll get your shirt for you.”

Spike sighed when she disappeared downstairs. He had the distinct feeling she used the missing article as an excuse to escape from him. And he was almost certain he knew why, the three little words she’d said earlier he’d left unanswered. The panic in her eyes when she’d said it—and he’d said nothing—was telling. She thought he didn’t feel the same.

Little did she know just how wrong she was. As soon as she returned he was going to set her straight.

“Here it is,” Buffy announced flinging the shirt toward him.

Geez, that was quick!

Now Spike was the one with nerves.

“Look, Buffy. About—”

“We can talk at school.”

He frowned with mild frustration, she never let him speak! “Anyone ever tell you about your nasty habit of interruptin’ people all the time?”

A grin tickled her lips. “No, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

While Spike was glad to see the humour and lightness had returned to her eyes they needed to talk. “Buffy, we need to talk. About last night, about everything.”

When her smile visibly diminished he wanted to kick himself. He should have told her immediately. Should’ve told her days ago...

“I know we do. But it can wait. If my mom hears me talking she’s going to get suspicious. You can’t be found in here.”

On that point he agreed. The last thing he wanted was to ruin his chances of being allowed over to the Summers residence ever again. “Alright, I’ll go. But we’ll talk soon.”

“Of course,” Buffy agreed with a nod. When Spike started for the bedroom door she stopped him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Spike raised an eyebrow.

“She’ll hear you.”

“Buffy—”

“Please? I know she’s not asleep yet and if she gets up and sees you on the way out...” She trailed off.

Spike had to admit she had a point. “What do you want me to do?”

Buffy looked around the room once before deciding. “Out the window.”

“You’ve got to be kiddin’ me?”

“Spike, shhh!”

“Sorry, love. You just caught me off guard.” He gestured toward the window. “You do realise your bedroom isn’t on the ground floor, right?”

The look she shot his way was answer enough. “How am I supposed to get down?”

Buffy walked toward the window and opened it up and Spike joined her beside it. “See there, to the side?” She pointed toward a tree branch which stretched toward the roof. “You’ll be able to climb down there.”

“Okay.” It wasn’t the best exit strategy but it was something. “I just want you to know that last night was—”

“We’ll talk at school,” Buffy promised, interrupting yet again. Planting a firm kiss on his lips she encouraged him to climb through the window.

A moment later there was a dull thud as his feet hit the ground and she watched as he walked toward his car.

With a wave he was gone.

---

A/N: I hope you all liked the chapter - please let me know what you think.

---

Chapter 30: Falling out


Spike was completely and utterly heartbroken.

He kept playing it over and over in his mind, how everything had unfolded, imagining what he could have done differently, said differently, to change the outcome. To not be in the position he was in now.

If only he had told her. If he hadn’t kept secrets they wouldn’t be in this position right now. No, scratch that. If only he hadn’t listened to Cordelia. It was all her bloody fault. But even that wasn’t entirely true.

He was an idiot. A complete and utter idiot.

Spike had lost the love of his life, and he had no one to blame but himself.

~*~*~

~ Earlier that day ~

Buffy fidgeted nervously as she walked up the steps to school. Her stomach was doing back flips, and she was certain the slightest wrong movement would result in the loss of her breakfast. Why was she so scared? It was just another day at school. She could do this. She would go to class, talk to her friends, she would act normal. Because really, what reason did she have to be so nervous?

Oh, the fact you slept with your boyfriend for the first time, told him you loved him, and he didn’t say anything back?

Right, there was that.

How she was going to make it through this day without bursting into laughter at the ridiculousness of her behaviour, or cry hysterically for the very same reason, was beyond her. She knew she had to keep a level head. She knew she had to just continue as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

She knew they would talk later on.

And that’s what she was so terrified about.

What if he regretted what they’d done? No, that was ridiculous. She knew Spike cared for her. She could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her. And besides, he’d told her, countless times, how important she was to him.

But he hadn’t said he loved her. That’s what this was really about. She’d let the cat out of the bag, she’d confessed her true feelings, even though everything inside of her was telling her to stop. To keep her mouth shut. She’d told him.

And he had said nothing.

“Oh god,” she whispered. What if he didn’t love her? What if opening her mouth had made him realise that he didn’t want to be with her? What if—

“Hey, Buffy!” Willow greeted.

Buffy whirled around, took one look at her best friend, and burst into tears.

~*~*~

Spike was well past anxious. And why shouldn’t he be? This morning he was going to tell the woman he loved exactly how he felt about her. Even though he knew she felt the same way, that she loved him—and didn’t that just put the biggest grin on his face—he was still nervous.

Rightly so, it was a big step.

One she’s already made, mate... his subconscious reminded, somewhat scornfully.

With a deep breath he made his way through the halls of his school toward his locker. There would be no avoiding this. He was going to tell her.

He just had to get the courage up first.

~*~*~

A few minutes later, when Buffy’s tears had stopped flowing, Willow finally asked the question that was hovering between them. “Buffy, what happened?”

“I made such a mess of things; I should’ve just kept my mouth shut.” Buffy sighed, knowing there was not going to be an easy way out of this.

“A mess...?” Willow frowned in confusion. “I’m obviously missing something here. Care to fill me in? Did something happen with you and Spike.”

A watery smile and nod was all the answer Buffy could provide at that point.

“Well... what was it?”

Fidgeting under her best friend’s stare Buffy finally confessed. “I slept with Spike.”

For a moment Willow was non-responsive, until the words finally sunk in. Her mouth formed an ‘O’ as her jaw dropped. “Wow.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Wow. I mean... wow.”

“Yeah.”

The girls sat in solemn silence for several moments, each thinking of the gravity of Buffy’s confession.

“So...” Willow began, somewhat shyly. “How was it?”

“Oh Willow,” Buffy gushed, a bright smile stretching across her face. “It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. He made me feel...”

Willow nodded, eager for her to continue.

“So... so special. Beautiful. Like I was the most beautiful girl in the world.” She sighed, dreamily. So when Willow began to frown she started to become self conscious. “What?”

“So it was a perfect night?” she questioned.

“Yes.”

“So what’s the big drama? Why the waterworks?” Willow demanded, her confusion evident in her tone. “I would think that you’d be ecstatic, not a blubbering mess right about now.”

“Willow!” Buffy gasped.

“Well, it’s true,” Willow replied defensively. “If everything was so perfect, then why are you so upset.”

Buffy sighed, closing her eyes as she remembered the events of the morning. “This morning I—”

“This morning,” Willow interrupted. “Spike stayed the NIGHT?!”

“Yes, Willow,” Buffy continued, a smile tugging at her lips. “The whole night.”

“Wow...” she breathed, before a look of disgust curled her lips. “Was there morning breath? Is that why...” Willow cut herself off, not needing the raised brow on Buffy’s face to alert her to the ridiculousness of her question.

“Okay, still not seeing the problem here.”

“I told him I loved him,” Buffy blurted out.

“You—”

“Yes.”

“You said—”

“Uh-huh.”

“I love you?” It came out as more of a squeak than she was aiming for.

“Well, thank you,” Buffy quipped, the smile on her face not nearly as brave as she was aiming for.

“Wow, Buffy, this is big. Even bigger than the big that you just shared last night.” Willow blushed almost as red as her hair. “Not that I’d know of course. I mean, not one to perve of my best friends boyfriend or—”

“Breathe,” Buffy commanded, a grin tickling her lips.

Willow sucked in a deep lungful of air. So Buffy and Spike had... and then she’d said... and Willow was still having difficulty seeing the problem.

“So you told him and...” She trailed off, not needing to continue. The look on Buffy’s face told her exactly what had happened. Or not happened in this case.

“He didn’t say it back,” she whispered, almost in disbelief.

Buffy nodded, her eyes filling with tears again.

“Oh Willow, what if I’ve ruined everything?”

“No, Buffy. No. You didn’t. You couldn’t ruin everything. Don’t be silly,” Willow soothed. “There’s just no way. Spike adores you.”

When tears began to fall down her best friends cheeks again Willow swept her into her arms. “I promise you Buffy, you have nothing to worry about. Spike adores you.”

“But what if—”

“But nothing,” Willow said firmly. “He does, and he’ll tell you. Maybe you surprised him. There are plenty of reasons why he didn’t say it back and none of them spell doom.”

Buffy sniffed. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. You’ll see. By the end of the day everything will be clear,” Willow promised. Another quick squeeze and she released Buffy from the hug. “We’d better head inside.”

Already feeling so much better thanks to Willow’s assurances, Buffy followed her into the school.

It was time to face the music.

~*~*~

He still hadn’t seen her. He’d been looking for her, trying to spot her in the crowd of students milling about the hallways, but so far not a single sign of Buffy.

Craning his neck he checked a clock for the time, which only increased his worries. The bell was going to go any minute, and Buffy was never late. What could be keeping her?

A tap on his shoulder brought a brilliant smile to his face, one that instantly disappeared the second he spun around and came face to face with Cordelia.

“What the bleedin’ hell do you want?” he scowled.

Cordelia raise a brow, folding her arms across her chest. “Someone’s testy this morning. Did we get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?” she mocked.

Thoughts of bed and this morning returned the bright smile to Spike’s face.

“Well, well,” Cordelia commented. “I’m assuming your plan worked.”

The scowl returned. “What plan?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Cordelia pointed out, ticking the points off her fingers. “You seduce Buffy and keep her away from Angel. Win, win. I get Angel, and you get to keep the girl.”

“Would you keep it down,” Spike hissed.

Cordelia pouted in faux innocence. “Oh, don’t be like that, Spike, you know this is what you wanted all along. You can’t play the innocent act with me.”

“Trust me when I say I’m not actin’,” Spike snarled. “And if you say one word to her I’ll—”

“What, glare at me some more?” Cordelia laughed. “Ooh, terrifying.”

Despite her mocking, that’s exactly what he did. His jaw ticked in barely restrained anger, his fists clenching and unclenching by his sides.

“You say a word,” he began, before realising just how futile it was to threaten someone like Cordelia. Nothing he could say was going to faze her in the slightest.

“And send her running straight into Angel’s arms? Puh-lease,” Cordelia replied, rolling her eyes. “I have no idea what he sees in her, but for some reason Angel thinks Buffy is ‘special’.”

Another eye roll followed.

“Angel’s an honourable guy. So long as Buffy is with someone else he won’t make a move. Rocking the boat with you doesn’t help me further my interests in the slightest.”

“And you’re happy playing second fiddle to Buffy?” Spike scoffed. “You’d be with him, knowing he’d rather be with her?”

“How do you know it’s not the same with Buffy and you?” Cordelia retorted.

“You shut your mouth,” Spike snarled. “You know nothing about Buffy and me.”

As the words left his mouth Spike realised the truth in them. Cordelia didn’t know anything about what had transpired, but he did. Buffy loved him. And he knew without a single doubt that she loved him. She wouldn’t leave him because an old flame was back on the scene.

He smiled smugly.

Cordelia laughed in amusement. “Well, it seems that you’ve succeeded. I underestimated your powers of persuasion. Or should I say coercion.”

Spike’s clenched his jaw angrily. “I didn’t—”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Cordelia interrupted flippantly. “Just make sure you keep her interest.”

Before Spike could retort Cordelia had spun on her heel and gone, disappearing into the crowd of students filling the halls.

A quick scan for his girlfriend once again proved fruitless, so he took off towards her locker.

Unbeknownst to Spike, someone had overheard the entire conversation.

~*~*~

Buffy was halfway to her locker when a familiar face stepped in front of her.

“Angel.”

“Hello, Buffy,” Angel said with a smile. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too.”

Buffy smiled politely, unsure of what to say next. A lot had changed since she’d seen him last. The last week with Spike had been... overwhelming, to say the least. She’d completely forgotten that Angel would be returning to school.

She could see his lips moving, and realised that he’d been talking to her, so wrapped up in her daydreaming that she hadn’t noticed.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I was just asking if you had any plans for this weekend.” Angel shoved his hands into his pockets, shuffling nervously in front of her. “I thought maybe we could go to the Bronze or something.”

Buffy smiled the smile of soft rejection. “I can’t. I’m seeing somebody.”

“Oh,” Angel replied quietly. “Of course you are. A pretty girl like you wouldn’t stay single for too long.”

A blush rose to Buffy’s cheeks.

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Spike,” Buffy answered, her smile blooming. “We’ve been dating for a few weeks now, it’s going really great.”

Angel returned the smile, finding it hard to stay disappointed when she was obviously so happy. And if his friend was the cause of her happiness, who was he to complain?

~*~*~

There she is!

Spike smiled in relief when he spotted Buffy, his pace quickening. And then he stopped just as abruptly when he saw Angel. Talking with Buffy. Talking with his girlfriend. And she was smiling. Smiling, and not just a little smile, not the smile of someone who’d just bumped into an old acquaintance. No, it was the smile of someone in love.

Spike was furious, downright pissed off.

Bloody Cordelia was right, and wasn’t that just a kick in the guts.

Well, if that’s how it was going to be, that’s how it was going to be.

Turning, Spike stalked off to class.

~*~*~

“It was nice talking with you again,” Buffy said politely.

“You too, Buffy,” Angel replied. “Hey, maybe we could get together this weekend, you and Spike and me. A group of us.”

Buffy thought it over for a moment before nodding her assent. “Sure, we’d love to.”

With a nod and a smile Angel turned and walked away.

Buffy sighed. That had been... enlightening. To say she was surprised to see Angel at school this morning was an understatement. However, the biggest revelation was the fact that the feelings inspired by his arrival were nothing more than platonic. The fact she couldn’t help grinning like an idiot anytime Spike’s name was mentioned had more than convinced Angel of her feelings for her boyfriend. He’d been gracious in defeat, and she was grateful. The last thing she wanted was to be the reason two former best friends stopped talking. Angel had put those fears to rest.

Seeing him also proved something else to her; just how deep her feelings for Spike were.

He was her everything.

And if it meant she had to wait a little while before her feelings were reciprocated, so be it.

He was worth the wait.

~*~*~

The bell for class had gone just moments earlier, but he didn’t care. Nothing was going to stop him.

He found her by her locker, hurrying to collect her books for class.

“Buffy,” he said slowly, the words he needed to say freezing in his throat. “I need to talk to you.”

Buffy spun around, a smile on her face as she continued to hurry with her books. “Hey, Xand. Running a little late for class. Can it wait?”

With a deep breath he shook his head. A much as he’d like to save Buffy the pain he knew this was going to cause her, he couldn’t. She needed to know the truth, and she needed to know it now.

“No, it really can’t.”



~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 31: I Fall to Pieces


Buffy couldn’t think. She literally couldn’t process what Xander had just told her. There was no way, no way it could be true. The thing was, she had no reason to doubt Xander. What would he gain from lying to her? He was one of her closest friends, and she could see how much it hurt him to see her so upset. He was hurting because she was hurting.

She wished she could take back the last five minutes. Rewind time, so that she could have not heard this.

Her perfect world had been shattered.

Apparently, it wasn’t as perfect as she had thought.

It was all a lie.

A bet, nothing more than a stupid agreement between two stupid selfish people.

She had thought he cared about her.

“No,” she whispered.

“I’m so sorry, Buffy.”

“It can’t...” She shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t do this. He wouldn’t lie to me like this.”

Xander didn’t know what to do, what he could say, to make her feel better. He didn’t regret telling her, but he did wish that Willow were here. “Maybe I didn’t hear things right, maybe they were talking about something else.”

It was a lie meant to comfort, and they both knew it did little to soften to blow.

“I... I can’t be here.” Buffy stood up forcefully, her seat scraping across the ground before tipping over. “I have to go be somewhere that is not here.”

“Buffy—”

“No,” she interrupted harshly. “I know you meant to help. I do. I know you didn’t want to hurt me.” A shower of tears cascaded down her cheeks as her voice broke with emotion. “But I can’t, I can’t be here. I feel like I’m falling apart at the seams, my heart is breaking and I can’t be here. I can’t fall apart here. I just can’t—”

“Shhhh,” Xander soothed, drawing Buffy into his arms. Sobbing wracked her tiny body as her knees gave way, Xander’s embrace the only thing saving her from collapsing to the floor.

“It’ll be okay.” Even to his ears the words sounded hollow, but nothing was going to stop Xander from comforting his friend. “You’ll get through this.”

Buffy turned tearful eyes toward him, a one word response all she could manage between the torrent of tears and the sobs rent from within her.

“How?”

~*~*~

Buffy didn’t come to class. And while outwardly Spike acted as if he didn’t notice, internally he was worried. Where could she be?

His first thoughts that maybe she and Angel had gotten together for a little tête-à-tête. But when his old mate had turned up to class, alone, and there was still no sign of Buffy, Spike became concerned.

He looked over at Willow, hoping to catch her eye, but she was immersed in her assignment.

“Psst.”

Nothing.

“Red,” Spike whispered.

Still no response.

“Willow, where’s Buffy?”

Now Spike knew that something was up, because there was no way that she hadn’t heard him. She was only a row in front of him, and he wasn’t exactly being discrete.

Ripping a piece of paper from his book he balled it up and threw it at the back of her head.

Willow finally gave him her attention, shooting a glare in his direction. “I don’t know where Buffy is,” Willow whispered back harshly. “But I’m guessing her not being in class has something to do with you.”

And with that she turned around again.

Spike was stunned speechless. The look she’d shot him was borderline vicious. Whoever had put her in that mood had better watch out.

Resigned to the fact he’d have to wait until the end of class to find out what was going on, Spike opened his book and got to work.

~*~*~

As soon as the bell for the end of class sounded, Willow dashed from her seat and out the door.

Something was wrong; it was the only explanation she could come up with for why Buffy hadn’t come to class. Dumping her books in her locker she rounded the hallway, checking if Buffy was at hers.

She wasn’t.

Neither was she in the pool, or the library, or in the quad.

She expected nothing when she walked into the cafeteria, it being the least likely place she’d expect to find Buffy. But there she was, standing with Xander, with her back turned to the door.

How was it that Willow hadn’t noticed Xander missing from class?

Willow’s thoughts were cut to an abrupt halt when she saw the way Buffy’s shoulders were shaking, ever so slightly.

“Buffy... what’s wrong?” Willow asked as she approached the pair.

Both Xander and Buffy swivelled to face Willow. One look at the concern on Willow’s face was enough to send her into another fit of tears.

“Willow!” Buffy sobbed, before an incoherent stream of words flooded from her mouth.

Willow looked over Buffy’s shoulder at Xander, who was currently pacing in front of the girls, his hands clenching into fists at his side. “What’s going on?”

“Spike,” Xander all but growled.

“You know?” Willow questioned in surprise.

Xander was confused. “Yes, I know, how do you? I didn’t see you in the hallway.”

“Hallway?” Willow repeated, her expression mirroring Xander’s. “What’s going on?”

“Spike’s been lying to Buffy,” Xander informed.

“Oh no, not lying,” Willow shook her head in denial. “Not voicing his feelings, maybe, but lying? That’s a bit of a stretch isn’t it?”

“Willow, what are you talking about?”

“This is about how Spike didn’t tell her that he loved her after they...” she trailed off, wiggling her eyebrows in suggestion in the hopes of not having to voice her friend’s sexual activity out loud. “Isn’t it?”

Xander’s expression was blank for a moment before reality came crashing, a look of pure fury crossing his face.

“He slept with her?”

Willow realised her mistake instantly. “You didn’t know?”

“I’m going to kill him for hurting her like this.”

“Like what?” Willow practically yelled, not knowing the full picture. “What’s going on? I thought Buffy and I had sorted this out earlier, we spoke about how he didn’t say he loved her back and I assured her everything would be alright.”

“He doesn’t love her,” Xander snapped angrily. “It was all a lie.”

All the colour drained from Willow’s face. Xander didn’t just say what she thought he said, did he? “What?”

“It was all just part of a stupid bet.” Xander kicked at a nearby chair sending it flying in the opposite direction. “Cordelia wanted to sink her claws into Angel, has for months now, but with Buffy around she didn’t stand a chance. She made an arrangement with Spike for him to keep Buffy off the market while she made her play for Angel.”

Buffy’s sobs increased.

Willow was shell-shocked. She could not believe her ears. How had this happened, how had they not known? All of a sudden she was consumed with guilt, she felt partly responsible for having encouraged Buffy to begin dating Spike in the first place.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. “And you told her? Why would you do that?”

“Of course!” Xander exclaimed. “I wanted to forewarn her, before things got too serious.”

He snorted, realising the irony of his statement, before turning sympathetic eyes toward Buffy. He couldn’t bear to see her so upset, knowing that it was information he’d shared which had put her in such as state. He turned away again. “I didn’t know I was too late. If I had... maybe...”

“Maybe nothing,” Willow snapped, joining Xander in the fury department. She couldn’t believe Spike would do something like this; he’d seemed so sincere about his feelings for Buffy. And the look of concern on his face in class... was it possible that was all an act? “You didn’t do anything wrong. He is the one who was using her.”

“Guys, please... stop!” Buffy begged, having remained silent for several minutes as her friends battled it out on her behalf. “I just want to go home, I can’t be here any longer, I can’t see him... I want my mom.”

“Of course,” Willow replied softly, her expression instantly softening. “Xander will take you home.”

“What! No.” Xander shook his head vehemently. “No, I’m going to teach that son of a—”

“And that’s exactly why you’re taking her,” Willow interrupted. “I’ll go and let Principal Snyder know that Buffy is unwell and going home, and you’re driving her. I’ll be right behind you.”

Xander hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Willow was right. As much as he wanted to confront Spike about what he’d done, now was not the time. Getting Buffy home was priority.

“Buffy,” Willow said gently. “Let’s get you home.”

With a nod Buffy let herself be led from the cafeteria by her friends.

~*~*~

When neither Willow nor Buffy showed up to the next class Spike knew something was up. As far as he was aware, Willow had never skipped out before.

Making an excuse to go to the toilet, Spike left the classroom and headed off in search of Buffy.

It didn’t take him long.

He rounded a corner and collided with someone, taking a moment to realise that someone was a very irate Xander Harris. And curled into Xander’s side, under a protective arm, was his girl.

She was crying, and by the look of her had been doing so for some time now. When she saw him she flinched, hiding her eyes against Xander’s chest.

“You get the hell away from her,” Xander said menacingly.

And for the first time ever, Spike was actually intimated by Xander. The boy looked like he wanted to murder him, and he had absolutely no idea why. But threatening aside, there was nothing and no one that was going to stop him from talking to his girl.

“I want to talk to my girlfriend.” Spike reached for Buffy, and Xander reacted immediately, pushing her behind him.

“You don’t touch her.”

Ignoring him Spike tried once again to talk to Buffy. “Love, what’s wrong?”

Xander made a move to push Spike away, only stopping when Buffy placed a hand on his shoulder. She didn’t say anything, but the look in eyes clearly expressed her wishes. With a nod, Xander took a step to the side, keeping a watchful eye on his friend and the person responsible for breaking her heart.

Spike mistook this as meaning she wanted comfort from him and he took a step toward her, confusion clouding his expression when she reacted instantly by moving out of his grasp.

She sniffled once before turning her soulful eyes toward him. And the look she shot him was heartbreaking, filled with so much betrayal, with so much hate. Spike was stunned. Never would he have expected her to look at him in such a way.

Still she said nothing.

“Buffy, love. Talk to me,” he pleaded.

“I’m not your love,” Buffy spat out, her voice husky from crying.

For a moment Spike was gobsmacked. No... No, she didn’t just say that. It was not possible that Cordelia had been right. Buffy loved him. She loved him.

“Kitten—”

“Stop calling me those pet names!” Buffy shouted, her eyes blazing. “You don’t have the right. I’m not your love, your kitten, your anything. I’m not yours.”

I’m not yours I’m not yours I’m not yours...

Her words repeated over and over in his mind, and Spike could pinpoint the exact moment he felt his heart break.

As was his nature, Spike struck out in retaliation. Remembering the little gathering he’d seen earlier, the words were out of his mouth before he even had the chance to consider the repercussions. “Did your little reunion with Angel not go so well?” he sneered.

Tears filled Buffy’s eyes once more, Spike’s words a reminder of what she’d recently learned.

Spike mistook her tears as her answer.

“So it’s true. I was just a stand in while your lover boy was out of town.”

Buffy gasped in disbelief. She could not believe the things she was hearing. How could he be so cruel? Any doubts she had about the information Xander had shared with her earlier were now dashed.

Her hand flew from her side and struck Spike’s cheek before she even realised what she was doing.

“How dare you,” she gasped. Buffy shook her head in disbelief, watching as Spike’s mouth became a thin angry line.

A bright pink handprint began to appear on his cheek, and she fought the desire to apologise for being responsible. He was not the person she thought he was. He may have broken her heart, but she was not going to let him belittle her. It was clear what she had to do, not that there was any real doubt about it. Their relationship was a ruse, and it had to end.

“I gave you everything,” she began, her voice trembling with emotion that she fought to keep in check. She was not going to cry again, not in front of him. “I gave you my body, and I gave you my heart. I loved you.”

Spike’s expression softened immediately and he opened his mouth to respond but Buffy wouldn’t let him.

“But it was only a game to you. Part of a plan, keep my interest so tha...” Her words lodged in her throat.

The realisation of what she was talking about was instantaneous and it hit him with a crushing force. “No, Buffy! It’s not what you think, I can explain.”

Buffy shook her head. Fighting back tears she looked him directly in the eye as she put the nail in the coffin of farce which was their relationship. “Well, game’s over, Spike. I know your secret.” She laughed with false humour. “Over... funny, considering it never really began, did it?”

She closed her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper as she added, “It was never really real, was it?”

Once more Spike was stunned silent by her words.

It’s over.

It was never real.

He could wrap his head around it all, how things had managed to get so fucked up. He’s been so desperate to keep her that he didn’t even realise that he was actually driving her away.

“No, it was real!” Spike insisted. “Everything was real, everything we did, everything we felt...” He was desperate to explain. He had to make her understand, make her realise, but his words failed him once more.

And then it struck him. It struck him hard, like being punched in the gut by a freight train. He was going to lose her. Buffy was going to leave him. In a perfect moment of clarity he realised that there was no coming back from this, there was nothing he could say that would make things right.

But that didn’t mean he was going to let go. He couldn’t. She meant too much to him. She was his life. He loved her.

He knew now that he was an idiot for not telling her immediately, he should’ve told her every day just how much he loved her. She looked so defeated, so lost, and it was all his fault.

“Buffy, you’ve got it all wrong, it was real!”

I can convince her, I can tell her how much she means to me. I can make this right.

“It was real! All of it was real, every last minute. God, baby, I need you, I need you so much,” he insisted, grasping her hands, only to find himself shoved away by her bodyguard hard enough to send him sprawling to the ground.

Xander took Buffy by the hand and began leading her away, she’d suffered through enough.

Spike scrambled to find his feet, his voice desperate as he shouted after Buffy.

“BUFFY! Please, I lo—”

Buffy interrupted his confession, looking over her shoulder as she let herself be led away by Xander.

“Don’t follow me, don’t look at me, and don’t ever speak to me again. It’s over.”

“No,” Spike denied, finding his feet, only to have them crumple beneath him when she turned her back on him.

“It’s so over we need another word for over.”



~~~~~~~~~~