“Why are we here again?” Buffy grumbled. It had been three weeks since she broke up with Spike after Riley’s visit. And contrary to what everyone assumed life for her was not peachy.
“Come on it’ll be fun. This place has been open for two months and we still have yet to check it out.” Willow said encouragingly. Besides, Tara was coming with them and Willow hoped to use this time to further along their reconciliation.
Xander spoke up, “Yeah, Buff, what is better then checking out a new club?” and staying away from the Bronze that was chalked with too many bad memories. They could start new happier memories here.
They got to the front of the club and waited in line for entrance. Tara showed up moments later and they made room in line for her. “Hi,” she smiled shyly at everyone. She wasn’t sure how they felt but she missed these people a great deal, “Did you see the sign by the door? Open mike tonight.”
“That could be fun… Not that I’m planning on going up…me and audiences are very unmixy” Willow babbled nervously. She hated feeling this way. At one time she and Tara where so in sync that they could almost read each others thoughts. Now Willow had no clue what was going through the shy girl’s head.
“Don’t worry Will, if they try and drag you on stage I’ll keep your adoring fans at bay” Xander joked as he puffed out his chest all manly like.
They finally got in. The place was crowded the only few remaining tables where in the back they took one that was kind of off to the side. They where busy getting seated they didn’t notice the figure slip in the back and speak to one of the security before slipping back stage.
The MC took the stage, “Welcome ladies and gentlemen. Tonight is open mike night as you know. It’s our way of exposing the hidden talents out there in our community…” and a cheap way for the club to get out of paying for a band one night out of the week! The MC thought to himself. “Enjoy the show!” He took a piece of paper out. “Ok, our first up tonight is a favorite of yours the last few weeks. Give it up for Will…” from several of the tables mostly composed of females came claps along with a few guys that loudly whistled.
“Wow this guy must be good…” Buffy observed.
Will stepped out on stage holding a guitar. Tara was staring strangely at the guy she leaned over to Willow and whispered, “Hey doesn’t he look a little familiar?”
Willow looked closely at the man on stage and gasped, “Oh my goddess! No way!”
Buffy looked at the guy too, “What’s a matter….oh! What the hell is he doing?!”
Xander not quite caught up, “What? It’s just some guy with a guitar…”
Willow felt a smile creeping up, “Look closely Xander. Take away the blue button down shirt and replace it with a tight black one. Take away the sunglasses and hat and replace them with blue eyes and bleach blond hair and for the heck of it throw on a black leather duster.”
Xander looked deep in concentration then all the sudden he laughed, “Spike?! Spike gonna sing a widdle song?! Oh this is priceless… the teasing rights to this are golden!”
The others laughed except Buffy; she had a bad feeling about this.
About that time the cheers quieted down and ‘Will’ spoke to the audience, “Well, I wrote another song. As usual the person wrote this for will most likely never hears it, but I hope you enjoy it anyway….”
And with that he closed his eyes and began to sing as he played the guitar….
I was blown away.
What could I say?
It all seemed to make sense.
You've taken away everything,
And I can't deal with that.
I try to see the good in life,
But good things in life are hard to find.
We'll blow it away, blow it away.
Can we make this something good?
Well, I'll try to do it right this time around.
Let's start over.
I'll try to do it right this time around.
It's not over.
'Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground.
This love is killing me,
But you're the only one.
It's not over.
Taken all I could take,
And I cannot wait.
We're wasting too much time
Being strong, holding on.
Can't let it bring us down.
My life with you means everything,
So I won't give up that easily.
I'll blow it away, blow it away.
Can we make this something good?
'Cause it's all misunderstood.
Well, I'll try to do it right this time around.
Let's start over.
I'll try to do it right this time around.
It's not over.
'Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground.
This love is killing me,
But you're the only one.
It's not over.
We can't let this get away…
Let it out, let it out.
Don't get caught up in yourself.
Let it out.
Let's start over.
I'll try to do it right this time around.
It's not over.
'Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground.
This love is killing me,
But you're the only one.
It's not over.
Let's start over.
It's not over, yeah...
This love is killing me,
But you're the only one.
It's not over.
The crowd roared with cheers. Opening his eyes he merely nodded to the crowd and slipped back stage. The MC jumped back on stage to continue to the next performer.
The table was silent. Tara and Willow where holding hands and leaning so their foreheads where touching as they whispered softly to each other. Looks like reconciliation was well on it’s way. Xander looked irritable at the fact Spike actually sounded kind of cool up there. Buffy was sitting quietly staring at the spot Spike once stood. A tear slipped down her cheek.
Xander noticing the tear, “Buffy…” there was a warning to his tone. Even Xander who has put in some pretty hefty hours being completely clueless knew who Spike was singing about. And there was no way he was going to let Buffy fall for it. This was obviously some kind of set up. He wouldn’t be surprised if Spike set the whole thing up. How was escaping him, but give him time and he’ll figure it out.
At the sound of Xander’s voice Willow looked over at Buffy, “Are you ok?”
Buffy still not looking at them answered in an emotionless voice, “Do you really care?”
“What are you talking about Buffy? Of course we care! We want you to be happy!” Willow said in earnest.
Finally looking at her friends her face still blank. “Yeah, Happy… As long as it’s on your terms right?”
Xander looked ready to explode, “This is stupid! You think that bleached moron will make you happy?!”
Buffy looked strait in Xander’s eyes, “And if I said yes? If I told you the only thing I needed to make me forever happy was him. If I loved him with every fiber of my being what would you say?”
“You can’t mean that!” Xander yelled slamming his hand on the table.
Buffy just calmly got up, “Like I said… Your terms…” and she walked away without a backwards glance.
Xander watched her go with disbelief then turned to Willow, “Can you believe that? Like I’m in the wrong…”
Tara shook her head and said quietly, “Y-you are… Her happiness should be on her terms not yours. If you really cared you would give her that.” Tara hated confrontation, but she knew first hand what this was doing to Buffy. Not that she was rooting for Spike. No, she was rooting for Buffy… her friend.
Xander shook his head, “Willow I’m not doing that am I?”
Willow wrung her hands nervously as she looked back n forth between the two, “Xander, I can never lie to you…. That being said, I’m gonna go get some coffee… coming Tara?” she grabbed the girl’s hand without waiting for a reply and practically dragged the girl to the exit.
Xander sat there alone frowning. When he saw Spike come from back stage in his normal attire with a backpack slung over his arm and slip out the back door. Xander deciding he was going to confront Spike about tonight and followed. He walked quietly in to the alleyway. He saw Spike halfway down. His head was bent and his shoulders were shaking no noise coming from him. At first Xander thought he was laughing. Probably tickled pink about the mess he made tonight. He was probably watching from the back the whole time! Xander thought angrily.
But then Spike’s shoulders stop shaking and a moment later he lifted his head with a sigh. His hand reaching up and wiping away the last of his tears. Xander was gob smacked to see Spike had been crying. Spike shakily got out a cigarette and lit it. He then walked away leaving a bewildered Xander in the alley’s shadows.
Xander sighed and headed home, “Buffy’s right.” Then he thought, when did I become such a controlling jerk? "Maybe it’s not too late to fix this…”
It's Not Over by ZLB
Author's Chapter Notes:
Look out for the sequel.... Sometimes When We Touch