“Um…Buffy, everything ok?”
“Yeah Will why to do you ask?”
“Cause you’ve been smearing peanut butter on that piece of bread for about 15 minutes now.”
Buffy glanced down at half a jar of peanut butter, supported by one little piece of white bread.
*Oh, crap*
“I just like a lot of PB with my J that’s all…”
Willow peered at Buffy through the doorway; she stood, her arms crossed looking very amused. “Uhuh.”
Buffy held up the knife and looked innocently at her Willow, “What? Its protein right?”
Willow nodded her head supportively, “Right, gotta have that protein.”
The girls both erupted in giggles, and Buffy laid down the peanut butter knife and banged her head on the counter softly. “When did we grow up Wil?”
Willow made a thoughtful face, “Sometime between the first vamp and the next...217.”
“Boy, we sure grew up fast.” They looked at each other silent for a moment, and then burst out laughing hysterically again. Buffy moved to through her peanut butter creation in the trash, and began picking up the mess she had made on the counter.
“Are you doing ok Buffy?”
She smiled encouragingly at Willow, masking any hurt she felt. “I’m great, just call me Super-Buffy. “
Willow’s face shifted uncomfortably, not buying her best friend’s ruse. “It’s ok to hurt you know…”
“I’m not…” Buffy paused and took a deep breath, “…I’m not hurting. I was Will, it stung, but then I remembered who we were talking about. He isn’t worth the pain, and we’re giving him too much credit in that department.”
“He does love you Buffy…in his own, sarcastic evilly way, he loves you.”
“But, I don’t love him.”
Willow was silent and watched Buffy’s face carefully.
“He was a distraction; he got my mind off the whole dying thingy. And, yeah we did get a long for a bit, but it’s over, it was over before he slept with Anya. I ended it. I guess I didn’t expect him to run right out and…”
“Move on?” Buffy lifted her startled gaze to meet Willow’s eyes.
Buffy started, “I don’t…”
“He did what you told him to do, he moved on Buffy. Now the choice of partners wasn’t exactly his best idea, but he was trying. I don’t think you really believed he would just let you go that easily.”
Buffy avoided Willow’s intense stare and turned to stare out the kitchen window. “Am I that transparent?” Buffy whispered, and Willow barely caught it.
“No Buffy, I have extra-special best friend ‘o’ vision remember? You gotta have someone who understands you.”
Buffy sighed, and continued to stare out the window at the fading sun. “I did Wil…I did.”
***
“Give them to me!”
“No-hey! Let it go; I’m the one who has to cast the spell you dummy!”
“Stop!” Warren stepped between Andrew and Jonathan and grabbed the box from Jonathan’s fingers. “Your break these and we’re screwed; got it?”
Jonathan and Andrew continued to glare at each other as Warren opened the box. He smiled evilly at the two orbs.
“How much longer do we have to wait?” Andrew whined stomping his foot. “It’s getting dark!”
“She has to be in the cemetery; does it look like the Slayer’s here?”
Jonathan shifted anxiously; his eyes darting back and forth. “Is this really going to work? I mean, she’ll be gone right? No more Slayer?”
“If you don’t mess it up C3PO…” Andrew muttered under his breath.
“I heard that!”
“If everything goes according to plan we won’t have to worry about the Slayer interfering for a very long time.”
“Yeah…like 300 years…” Jonathan piped up, and the three boys laughed hysterically.
Warren slipped the box into his pants’ pocket. “She’ll be here soon, duty calls.”
***
She was dragging her feet, and she knew it. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel the need to beat the crap out of something; it was that she didn’t want to have to do it in the cemetery. He would be there; if he wasn’t creeping around waiting for her, he would be out of his crypt as soon as he sensed her.
“I’ll just have to patrol the ‘other’ side of the cemetery,” she muttered.
She kicked a rock as she made her way slowly through the headstones. “I was here first anyway; he should leave…”
She wasn’t ready to look at him; all she would be able to see would be the flickering image of him and Anya.
*Stop thinking about it*
Luckily she wasn’t given the chance; she grunted as something tackled her from behind. She climbed to her feet shoving the cold body away from her and crashing into a tombstone.
“Geez no warning? Didn’t wake up with any manners huh?”
The vamp growled at her in response and lunged forward again. Buffy ducked his advance and countered with a kick to the chest that sent him staggering backwards.
“You know, sometimes I really feel sorry for you newly raised vamps,” she raised her arm to block and kneed him in the crotch. “You just died, and now you’re ‘powerful creatures of the night’ or the living undead, something like that. Sucks to be you, running into me your first five minutes out of the grave.”
She let out a groan as the vamp got in a solid kick to her stomach. Buffy stumbled backwards, and look up in time to see the vamp charging again. She ducked and let him slide over her back and head first into the side of a crypt. She turned; hands on hips, and shook her head at him. “You would be sooo much smarter if you left the cemetery as soon as you dug yourself outta your coffin. But no, you gotta see what’s hanging around the cemetery; who do you think hangs around the cemetery in the middle of the night? Little pudgy red-faced kids? Ha!”
Buffy stomped forward and cross kicked the vamp in the face, and quickly staked him, and rolled her eyes at his face as he turned to dust. “Just don’t know how to take a joke.”
“Really shouldn’t tease ‘em like that Slayer; just gets their hopes up.”
Buffy’s eyes widened and she spun to see the bleach blonde vampire she had wanted to avoid leaning against a tree, smoking a cigarette.
“Either way they’re dust,” she glared at him. “Wanna see what it feels like?”
Spike flicked the cigarette away, and took a few tentative steps forward. He let his gaze travel up and down the length of her body, “Oh, I know what it feels like pet.” He let the tip of his tongue rest between his teeth as he ogled her.
“You’re a pig spike, and do you really think I’d ever let you touch me again?”
His eyes flickered with some unrecognizable emotion, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “That was the sodding point wasn’t it? No more Buffy for Spike; so I go find a bird who appreciates what I have to offer, and I nearly get my head chopped off for it. Don’t pretend you even bloody care luv.”
Buffy slowly slid the stake into the edge of her pants, “I don’t.” She said it softly, hoping it would convince him, cause it sure as hell didn’t convince her.
“Good cause I…”Spike stopped his eye widening and he dashed toward Buffy. “Get DOWN!”
Buffy looked before she reacted, turning and catching a glimpse of Warren throwing something bright at her. The glowing ball hit her the same time as Spike, and she screamed as they were enveloped in a cloud of smoke and a corresponding “BANG!”
Jonathan and Andrew stepped out from where they were cowering behind Warren and looked to the empty spot where the Slayer had been standing only seconds before.
“It worked?” Jonathan’s voice was full of surprise.
“It worked.” Warren was grinning, and rubbing his hands together. “An added bonus too; seems Spike took a ride with the Slayer.”