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Chapter 12

Giles picked her up at the airport.

“Hello, Willow. How was your flight?”

“Long and non-bumpy. I didn’t get much sleep, though.”

“Ah…well, as soon as you’re feeling functional, I want a full report from L.A., including what’s going on with Buffy.”

Yay…just spiffy.
~+~
Sunday night continued…

When Buffy got back from patrol, otherwise known as “think time”, she didn’t feel either vampire in the building. Granted, it was midnight, which wasn’t late at all for creatures of the night, but where did they go in this town? Angel wasn’t the partying type, and she assumed Spike didn’t know anybody…except Charlotte. Okay, I’ll ask Dawn.

“Hey. Whatcha watchin’?” Buffy asked her little sister.

“More flicks we missed by being in Rome. How was patrol?”

“Non-event-y. I think I’m looking in the wrong places, ‘cause I only found two vampires.”

“Or, Angel and Connor are getting them all before you get there. Home court advantage kind of thing.”

“Yeah…speaking of vampires, neither one is in the hotel…”

“Well, Angel’s out with Connor doing whatever they do, and Spike and Charlotte probably went out for food. We did have an early dinner,” Dawn replied. “He’s probably being protecto-guy and checking out her apartment,” she suggested.

Buffy frowned. “How am I supposed to be friends with him when he’s never around? It was so much easier to find people in Sunnydale. He was either in his crypt, or at Willie’s, or the tree behind the house...”

“Or in the basement of our house. Hey, isn’t it nice that he’s sleeping above ground now?! I think it’s helpful for his mental state, you know? I like seeing ‘Spike who laughs’ again. Did you guys ever laugh, when you weren’t boinking?”

Buffy had a seat on the bed next to Dawn and tried to remember. “Um…not really,” she finally admitted. “It wasn’t that kind of relationship…things were always…intense…even when he was trying to kill me back in high school. Spike was my greatest challenge in a straight fight, and it was both a relief and a disappointment when he got the chip. So, anyway…I’ve been avoiding Paolo’s calls…”

“And?” the teen prompted.

“Well, I was thinking, while I was out tonight, and he called my cell and I talked to him, and…there really isn’t anything there with us, is there?”

“Nope!”

“And that was what I wanted for a while, but seeing Spike, and even Angel, again, reminded me that relationships are supposed to make you feel something. And I’ve been much with the avoiding of feeling, haven’t I? Yeah, I got to recharge my batteries and stuff, but I’ve also been just…sitting in a spot. I haven’t gone forward with anything.”

“We’ve all been waiting for you to realize that!” Dawn said, as if it was the simplest thought ever.

Buffy looked surprised. “Really? Why didn’t anybody say anything? I mean, Giles gets on me for all the shopping, but that’s just Giles, anyway. We’ve always had different hobbies.”

“Well, we’ve definitely been thinking it. Everybody knows how defensive you get when one of us questions your life, Buffy. As long as there wasn’t any harm occurring, we just decided to wait for you to figure it out. And by the way, of all guys in Rome, you pick the Immortal? Except for Spike, you have to have the worst taste in men!”

“Hey!”

“Well, it’s true! You and Angel tend to bring out the worst traits in each other, Riley was totally boring and never tried to get to know me and Mom, and Paolo is a womanizer to the extreme. He even had a threesome with Darla and Dru!”

“Oh, ewww!! God, I am so glad I never slept with him, now…”

Dawn’s eyes lit up. “You haven’t?”

Buffy shook her head. “Unh-uh. I thought about it, and we’ve made out, but…it never felt right. He’s not…”

“A bleached blonde vampire that saved the world for us?” the teen prompted.

“Yeah?” Buffy squeaked out.

Dawn squealed. “Oooh, I knew you still loved him! Why haven’t you told him, dummy?!”

“Wait, wait, wait…just because I prefer Spike’s hands to Paolo’s doesn’t mean I’m in love, with anybody. I’m not sure how I feel…it’s been a year, you know. And I don’t even know how to relate to this Spike,” Buffy rambled in denial.

“Why? ‘Cause he hasn’t dropped to his knees at your feet professing eternal love and devotion? That is so shallow, Buffy! Haven’t you noticed that he has his confidence back? That’s a good thing! You basically made him a doormat, Buffy, just because he was trying to please you, trying to be close to you. I’m proud of him choosing his own path. Like I said before, if you want him in your life, in any capacity, you’re going to have to be his friend. He has to know that he can trust you.”

“He trusted me after he got his soul…”

“He didn’t have a choice. He needed your help against the First, and that’s not the kind of trust I’m talking about…and you know it! His heart is what’s wary of trusting you, Buffy. You just played too many games. It’s why he’s drawn to Charlotte, besides the niceness factor,” Dawn stated in rebuttal.

Buffy turned vulnerable eyes to her sister. “Do you think he’s falling for her?” she whispered.

“I don’t know,” Dawn replied truthfully. “I think he could, if you weren’t here. Why were you so quiet in the car coming back, anyway?”

“I thought her bite mark might be Spike’s and I asked about it,” the Slayer confessed uncomfortably.

“Oh…Oh! You thought they might have been lovers already. What did she say?”

“She said it was from the vamp attack, and that Spike has been a perfect gentleman. And that my biggest competition was myself. I didn’t even get the full question out before she knew what I was thinking…and it was really embarrassing. They’d shared the same room, so I just assumed…she’s very pretty…and he’s definitely a guy, who’s unattached, so…I pretty much made a fool of myself. Oh, god…do you think she’ll tell Spike?” the Slayer asked, mortified.

Dawn shook her head emphatically. “Not Charlotte’s style. She’ll stick to the girl code of secrets and not rat you out. Tell Spike you still care about him and you’re serious about the friend thing. Give him an action he can easily match. And let him know regular Buffy, okay?”

“Okay. Do you think he’ll be back at a reasonable hour?”

“No clue. You could call his cellphone, though, if it’s important.”

“Spike has a cellphone?”

“Yeah, one of those pay-as-you-go things. Duh! He’s in L.A.! He shouldn’t be much longer, though. Charlotte has to work in the morning,” Dawn replied.

“Right…okay. Unless he stays over,” Buffy moaned, torturing herself.

“Will you chill? Nothing’s going to happen. You, sit. I’ll go get more popcorn and the ice cream, and we’ll watch movies,” Dawn commanded. She urged the pacing Slayer to sit on the bed, and hurried downstairs.
~+~
“Pet? Hey, sleeping beauty…it’s late and you have to work tomorrow.” Spike nudged Charlotte off his shoulder. She blinked sleepily, looking first at him, then the clock.

“Actually, that’s today, now. I’ll be glad when I’m done with early mornings. Okay, help me out of this couch, and I’ll walk you out.”

He stood and extended a hand. “It is a bit soft, isn’t it? And you don’t have to walk me out, luv. I’m going back to the hotel on foot, remember? You drove.”

“Oh. Right. Well, I’ll just hug you at the door then,” she said sheepishly.

He opened the door and stopped at the threshold to say goodbye. Charlotte wrapped her arms around his middle and gave him a warm squeeze.

“I’m not really used to this hugging thing,” he admitted. “The Bit used to do it sometimes, over that summer, but…”

“Humans haven’t generally been affectionate towards you. Well, I hug friends, so you’re just going to have to get used to it.”

“Stubborn bint,” he teased.

“Yeah, I know. It runs in the family. Well, goodnight, Spike.”

He smiled, “’Night, luv. Pleasant dreams.” Spike walked off down the outdoor hall as she shut the door. He paused at the corner, waiting for the turn of the lock, before he continued out of the complex.

Hands in his duster pockets, he whistled a happy tune as he strolled back to the Hyperion.
~+~
The front door was locked and the lights off when he returned, meaning Angel had beaten him back. Spike muttered something about “inconsiderate wankers” and walked around to the back entrance. At least the lights had been left on in the halls, for Buffy and Dawn’s sake. Dawn’s door was ajar, allowing movie noises to flow into the hall, so he stuck his head in to say goodnight. Spike found two Summers girls in their pajamas pigging out on popcorn.

“Well, isn’t this homey?” he drawled.

Dawn grinned. “Hey, Spike. Have a nice time out?”

He nodded. “Much the same as you two are up to, though a different film selection.”

“Yup! I loaded up on chick flicks. Josh Duhamel is way hot!”

“What about you, Slayer? Agree with little sis?”

Buffy glanced up, eyes wide. “W-who me? Um, well, I’m not sure whom she means…I don’t think we’ve gotten to that movie, yet…” she stammered.

“Knowing Niblet, it’s going to be some pretty boy with a funky haircut,” he teased.

“Hey! At least I like normal looking people, Mr. Goth Trend.”

“You could join us…if you don’t mind cheesy chick movies, that is. I think I remember you liking popcorn?” Buffy offered shyly.

Spike blinked in shock, then dropped loose-limbed to sit on the floor in front of the bed. “Don’t mind if I do, Slayer.”

Dawn grinned, and handed him the popcorn bowl, then un-paused the movie.

If this was the friend-type thing Buffy wanted to do more often, then he could certainly get used to it. Spike teased the girls mercilessly, poking fun at the characters in the movie and Hollywood’s ideas for romantic comedies in general. A popcorn fight ensued before the flick was over, so he offered to retrieve the dustpan when Dawn got up to change DVDs.

By halfway through the next movie, both girls had fallen asleep, Buffy’s hand hanging limp in his hair. Spike turned off the TV, kissed both girls on the top of their heads, and left.
~+~
Monday…

Willow walked in to Giles’ office, rapping on the door as she did.

“Ah, Willow. All unpacked and ready to work?”

“Well, yes on the unpacked. I’d prefer to make it a short day since I’m still recovering from jet lag. Here’s my write-up of all the Slayer-related stuff in L.A.” She set the file on his desk and turned to go.

Giles glanced inside the folder. “And does this include Buffy’s state of mind while you were there?” he asked bluntly.

Willow sighed and shook her head. “Giles, Buffy is a big girl. Hell, she’s even a couple months older than me. The point is, she can do what she pleases with her personal time. You’ve gotta stop trying to pry into every aspect of her life. Haven’t we all learned it’s just of the bad if we try to control each other?”

Giles removed his glasses and set them on his desk, leaning back in his chair. “I appreciate your concern, Willow, but I merely want to know how she’s doing with Angel and Spike in the same town. And why she’s still there. Aside from perhaps being a bit frivolous, she’s had a good start at a normal life in Rome. You can’t help but absorb a bit of culture just by living there. I don’t want to see those two…vampires mucking up her life again. No good can come from it!”

“It’s her decision to make, Giles,” Willow replied stubbornly. “For the record, she seems fine. We went all over L.A., and Dawn wants to check out the universities. That’s why they’re still in town.”

“Very well,” he sighed. “Once you are through overseeing the computer repairs, you can go home for the day. I expect you to resume normal hours tomorrow, of course.”

“Of course. I’m sure it just needs a server reboot.” She made a polite escape to her own office to call the IT guy. Then, she was calling Buffy to give her a heads up.
~+~
Wednesday…

Charlotte went over her mental checklist. Remind teachers that the orchestra kids will be gone today. Make sure the bus is on time. Collect the rest of the permissions slips. Double-check our performance time…

The principal caught up with her in the teachers’ lounge. “Good luck at the festival today, Charlotte.”

“Thanks, Mr. Brooks. The kids have worked really hard.”

Charlotte finished her tea and hurried over to the band room in time for the bell. Her students were assembled with their instrument cases, checking last minute tuning. For official performances, the boys were required to wear white dress shirts and black ties and pants; the girls to wear black dresses at least as long as the knee.

“Hey, Ms. T. When’s the bus getting here?”

“At 8 o’clock. I want to run through our piece one more time before we head out front, so everyone take your seats.”
~+~
This was the first year the orchestra had qualified for this festival, and the first year it was being held at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The bus pulled up to the back entrance after turning the corner in front of the building, the students marveling at the fancy architecture. Most of them were from families who would never normally come here for performances. It was an unnecessary expense. Half of her students were using instruments on loan from the high school.

Charlotte exited the bus first, and was greeted by a Hall employee.

“Ms. Taylor?”

“That’s me. I take it you’re our liaison for the day?”

“Yes. If your students could quickly unload their instruments…we need to get you to the assigned practice room, and your seats.”

Charlotte turned back to the kids already getting off the bus. “You heard the lady. Get your butts in gear and hurry up. We can’t leave the bus parked on the street all day!”

Their instrument cases and personal belongings were locked in the designated practice room, and then the group was led single file to their seats in the hall with the other schools. They would be competing against 25 today. The top school would receive a trophy and a donation from the Philharmonic Society to their music program. Charlotte’s orchestra was performing Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.

The competition was tough, save for one or two schools that didn’t play well at all. Charlotte’s school was next to last to perform. When their name was called, the students all of a sudden became very serious, and filed on to the stage just like they had practiced, quickly and neatly taking their seats. Charlotte took her place on the conductor’s podium, dressed in a black suit, and raised her baton. She made eye contact with her sections, then cued the start.

Up in the balcony section, where the public was permitted to watch, were two members of the audience watching with great interest, though they were unaware of each other. One was a platinum-haired vampire that had managed to find a sewer entrance close enough to the building for him to attend, and the other was a dark-haired man new to the city.

“Symphony No. 40” was a very recognizable piece, which Spike still remembered, and he debated whether to close his eyes and savor the music, or watch Charlotte in action. Dawn sat next to him. She’d been elbowing him in the ribs all day every time he closed his eyes, until he hissed at her that he wasn’t falling asleep and he actually liked most of the pieces the schools were playing. She replied with a meek “oh” and left him alone for the rest of the concert.

At the other side of the balcony, the dark-haired man admired the young woman leading the orchestra so masterfully. He had been given a name and a brief description, but that had not prepared him for such loveliness as he saw now. He was going to delight in making her acquaintance. He clapped when they finished, then made his way backstage to wait for her to come reclaim the student’s belongings.

The last school performed a simple number, and then it was time for the judging. The teens were all fidgeting in their seats as they waited, a full school year’s work on the line.

“Our winner today is…. Mater Dei High School. Congratulations. Please come claim your trophy.” The director rushed up to the stage as the students cheered.

“Aw, man! That sucks! Do we at least get to find out how we did, Ms. T?”

“They’ll give us a list of standings, guys. Hey, even though we didn’t win, I’m very proud of all of you. I couldn’t have asked for better playing today. Let’s go collect our stuff,” Charlotte said.

They filed out of the auditorium amidst the other students. Charlotte paused to congratulate the winning director, then ushered her kids along backstage. Their liaison was there with the key.

“Here is your certificate of participation, Ms. Taylor. We were pleased to have a new school participate in this year’s competition. I’m sure we have much to look forward to from you in the future.”

“Thanks. It was an honor to play in such a spectacular hall.” The liaison nodded and moved off down the corridor. Charlotte was about to go into the room when someone else called her name.

“Ms. Taylor?”

“Yes?”

“I wanted to meet you. I became a fan today. For someone so young, you understand Mozart very well.”

“Thank you, Mr.-,”

“Nicholae Dragomir. I’m an…aficionado of Old World culture, so this is a frequent haunt of mine. I would love to discuss Mozart, and the others, further with you…perhaps, over dinner?” he asked. His slight accent added a charming lilt to his voice.

“Perhaps,” she replied, trying not to blush. Charlotte dug around in her purse for a business card. “My office number. You know, I don’t often accept dinner invitations from strange men, but I’d be willing to discuss the classics with you on an academic basis.”

He bowed his tall frame to kiss her hand, meeting her gaze with grey-green eyes. “I look forward to it. Until we meet again, Ms. Taylor.” He nodded courteously, then left, disappearing into the corridors.

“Oh my god, Ms. Taylor, he was majorly hot!”

“And that accent!”

Charlotte turned around, adopting her teacher’s manner once more. “Alright, girls. That’s enough. Everybody to the bus! We have to get you back to the school by 2:30.”
~+~
Nicholae removed the ringing cellphone from his pocket.

“You’ve made contact?”

“Yes. She was quite charming.”

“Stay focused. We’re too close to mess up the plan now.”

“I won’t forget.”





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