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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you for reviewing the first chapter. I hope you keep enjoying the story :)
"Excuse me, miss." Spike called out, working his way around the crowd of people walking in the street as he ran to try and catch up to the blonde. "Miss?" He inquired as he tapped her on her shoulder, finally able to catch up to her.

Buffy turned around and came face to, well, chest, with the same guy from the club. She raised her eyebrow in question.

"Hi," Spike breathed out, smiling. "I uh... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

Buffy wrapped her arms around herself, "I didn't give it." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Right."

Buffy smiled as she watched him smile sheepishly and bite his bottom lip.

"Buffy." She relented.

"Buffy." Spike repeated. Her name sounding oddly intimate coming from his mouth. "I'm William."

Buffy waited for him to continue telling her why he had followed her out of the club. After a few moments of silence she inquired.

"Was there something you needed, William?" She smirked, "besides my name?"

Spike blushed once again, wondering just where in the bloody hell all his self confidence and cocky attitude had gone.

"Walk," he blurted out, then proceeded to wince.

"Excuse me?"

"Uh... let me walk you to your hotel," he answered; half request, half question.

"What?" Buffy started confused. "Why?"

"Humour the man that ruined your shirt?" Spike grinned.

Buffy snorted prettily and continued on her journey down the street. Spike, taking her lack of answer for a yes, fell into step besides her.

"So what do you do for a living?" He asked after they had walked half a block from when he had initially joined her.

Buffy glanced at his face. "I work."

Spike breathed out a laugh, "where do you work at?"

"My job." She stated matter-of-factly.

Spike suppressed a sigh and pursed his lips. Buffy looked up at him, thoughtful for a moment.

"Why do you want to know?"

Spike shrugged and smirked, "small talk, I guess."

Buffy bit her bottom lip. "What do you do for a living?"

"I work." Spike mocked and grinned. "I'm an attorney."

Buffy's eyebrows rose, impressed. "For a firm, or...?" She trailed off, realizing she hadn't even looked at his business card before slipping it into the pocket of her jacket.

"Wolfram and Hart," Spike nodded. "In L.A."

"Impressive."

Spike smiled, pleased. "Your turn," he pointed out and slightly nudged her with his shoulder.

She smiled back. "I work at a gallery."

"That's..." Spike started, "kinda cool."

"Kinda." Buffy agreed before stopping in front of the hotel her and her friends were staying at. "This is me," she stated.

Spike looked up at the building, noting the name of the hotel before turning to face her. Their eyes locked and he realized he didn't want to leave her. Not yet.

"Dinner," he blurted out again and preceded to blush.

As he slightly expected, Buffy frowned, confused, "what?"

"Dinner," he repeated, slower. "Have it with me. Tonight" He added the last as an afterthought.

Buffy looked into his eyes, noting, not for the first time, how expressive they were, and saw a tint of hopefulness shining in them. She thought of the pregnancy test lying somewhere in the city dump in Sunnydale and, placing her hand on her abdomen, realized this would be one of the last chances she'd get at having a real date.

'Not that that's what this is.'

"Okay." She said, and was glad to notice the relief he exuded when she agreed. "Just let me change my blouse real quick." Buffy turned to go into the building.

"No!" 'Mental note: Get this blurting thing checked out.' "I mean," he looked down then turned his gaze to the rest of the street. The name of Cordelia's favourite boutique jumped out at him. "There's a boutique just down the street my friend's wife is very fond of." Spike took her hand and started, slowly, leading them there. "Allow me to replace your top tonight."

Buffy smiled at him, their hands moving to interlock of their own accord, and fell into step besides him.







They had walked for a long while, after William kept his promise and replaced her shirt. The other, the ruined one, was now folded neatly and tucked away inside his jacket pocket. He didn't know why he kept it, taking it from the shop girl who had been asked by Buffy to get rid of it while she was changing into the new one.

It was a flimsy little thing, backless and all silk and lace, fit into his pocket perfectly. He fingered it slightly as he waited for Buffy to come back from the loo.

He smiled as she slid into the booth. They had found a small, open 24/7, diner tucked away in-between two department stores of one of the streets they had walked, looking very out of place.

Buffy's eyes had lit up at the thought of a cheeseburger, fries, and a big chocolate shake, and she had ordered just that.

Impressed, Spike had ordered the same, exchanging the chocolate shake for a banana one.

"I don't normally eat this much." Buffy tried to excuse once their food had arrived. Spike just shook his head.

"I love it when a girl has a healthy appetite," he said. "It's refreshing. Most of the women in L.A. are too concerned with their looks to appreciate the taste of a nice piece of meat in their mouth."

Spike clamped his mouth shut and blushed as Buffy giggled.

"Sometimes, I shouldn't talk." He muttered and looked back at her face.

He had thought her a pretty girl, at the club and as they walked, but now, seeing her truly smile, the sparkle of mirth shinning heavily in her eyes, he saw just how truly uniquely beautiful she was.

"You're cute when you blush." She told him, dipping her fries in the chocolate milkshake, and he felt peculiarly touched by her compliment.

There was a sort of innocence to her, as though she hadn't been jaded by the world and the evils he saw everyday in his line of work, and he wondered just how old she was.

"Twenty-one," she answered and he realized he had spoken his musing out loud. "Or will be," she corrected. "Tomorrow."

"Or now," he said as he glanced at the clock on the wall of the diner. She followed his gaze and noticed the time.

11:58 P.M.

"Or now." She repeated quietly and grinned.

He waited until midnight to wish her a 'happy birthday' and ordered them two slices of cheesecake.

He had her make a wish and blow out the flame of his lighter, for lack of a candle, and she felt moved at his thoughtfulness.









"Thank you for making the start of my birthday a memorable one." She told him, honestly, later that night, or early morning, as they once again stood outside her hotel.

"It was my pleasure." William said, out of habit, and realized that he truly meant it. "It'd be a greater pleasure," he added with little thought, "if you would allow me to make the rest of your birthday as memorable."

Buffy smiled and he returned it in kind. She bit her lip.

'What the hell, why not?' She thought and leaned up to leave a goodnight kiss on his cheek.

"Meet me here. Tomorrow. At ten." She said and turned making her way to her hotel room.

Spike stood and grinned, his fingertips gracing against the skin where she had kissed him, then turned to walk back to his own hotel.

His smile never wavering.





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