“Hey, baby, want to take a walk?” Gunn asked nonchalantly when he found Buffy in her office.
“Uh, sure,” she smiled, slightly puzzled at the hardened look in her partner’s eyes. She followed him out of the house and down past the pool, and they walked in silence around the grounds until they were down the hill and out of sight of anyone who might be watching.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he spun around and hissed at her, all blazing fury and righteous indignation. He was clearly trying to keep his voice down, but the amount of rage inside him made his tone that much more threatening.
“What do you mean?” Buffy asked, almost wanting to back away. She had never seen him this angry.
“You’re fucking him. You’re fucking the mark.”
Buffy wanted to lie, but she knew her own widening eyes gave her away instantly. “How did you know?”
“That crazy bitch Drusilla, of all ways,” he snarled. “She gets chatty when she’s been drinking.”
“Gunn, you don’t understand—“
“I don’t really want to fucking understand, Buffy. But, again, what the hell do you think you’re doing? What, is this some way to get access to information? Because I seriously doubt that, but it’s the only way this would even remotely be okay.”
“No,” she confessed miserably.
“God damn it,” Gunn groaned, kicking a nearby tree to let out his aggression. “How much have you told him?”
“What?” Buffy cried out. “You think I would betray you? The mission?”
“I don’t know! I never thought you’d shack up with a confirmed criminal, but I guess I don’t know you that well.”
“Gunn, you do know me! Let me just try to explain—“
“There’s nothing to explain, actually,” he snapped. “Nothing that will make this okay. Why did I even bother asking you why? Can you end it without him firing you or wanting you dead?”
“It’s not like that!”
“Well, whatever it’s like, this has to stop. Now. He could find out, Buffy. We could both be killed. Can you get the seriousness of this through that blonde head of yours?”
“I haven’t compromised anything, damn it! It just happened, and he has no idea who I am. And it’s going to stay that way. This could work, we could break up, and then you and Fred—“
“You think I don’t want Fred?” He interrupted with a cruel laugh. “You think I haven’t thought about it? But they are the BAD guys, Buffy. This isn’t play time or summer camp, we’re not here to get our rocks off and pair up and live happily ever after. End it, or I’ll tell Giles.” With that, he stomped off, leaving her shaking.
Buffy took a walk around the property, attempting to sort out the muddled thoughts in her head. As she headed into a part of the estate she’d never been to before, she heard hushed voices to her left. She was completely concealed from view by a sculptural rock formation, and she peaked through a tiny gap to see Fred and Spike talking just on the other side.
“Are you sure?” Fred was saying.
“Buffy said the files were sealed up tight, and I think we both know she’s got the skills to do it. I put them in my safe for when the time comes. Have you talked to Xander?”
“It’s all set up,” she confirmed. “And you’re sure you want to wait for the Walsh deal to go through.”
He nodded. “It’s the bloody cherry on top of the bloody sundae, yeah? It shouldn’t be longer than a week, anyway.”
“Did you have Buffy change anything in those files?”
Spike shook his head. “I don’t want to risk it. I want the police to have honest, real evidence against Angelus, if I try to protect myself everything could be rejected as falsified.”
“But you’ll go to jail too!”
“Maybe. I’ll cut a deal, though, it’ll work out how it’s supposed to,” he said determinedly. Just then, his cell phone rang, and the loud sound almost made Buffy cry out, and she realized she’d been holding her breath throughout their whole conversation.
“Yeah?” Spike answered his phone. “Bollocks. Okay, thanks mate.” He hung up and beckoned Fred to follow him. “Come on, we have another visit from Angelus to deal with.”
The two headed back up to the house, and once they disappeared from sight Buffy felt her legs give out under her and she collapsed in a heap to the ground.
When Buffy finally calmed her racing heart down she ran up to the house and began frantically searching for Gunn.
“Buff, are you okay?” Xander asked when she burst into the kitchen, panting.
“Peachy with a side of keen!” She said with over the top pep. “Totally fine. Have you seen Gunn?”
“He just took off, actually. Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”
“I’m fine!” She repeated again, her words no more believable than the last time. “Where did he go?”
“Meeting up with Caleb, I think,” Xander said. “Angelus is on his way here, though, did someone let you know?”
“No, no I didn’t know that. I have to call him, okay? I’ll see you later.”
She darted off again, leaving a flummoxed Xander behind. “That is one high strung chick,” he mumbled to himself as he continued reading his comic book.
“Gunn, please call me back when you get this,” Buffy left a message, after three unanswered calls. “It’s really important. Maybe we could have a romantic night, talk about it.” She used their code for a meeting with Giles, and prayed he’d get the message soon.
She hung up and let out a shuddering breath, and leaned against the wall in the living room. Employing her years of yoga, she attempted to meditate, attempted to calm down, when a voice from beside her made her blood start boiling again.
“Hey, beautiful,” Angel said menacingly as she opened her eyes to find him looming over her. “We need to talk.”
“Do we?” Buffy asked, regaining her emotional and physical strength as she observed the criminal in front of her. “What ever about?”
“Don’t be cute,” Angelus snapped. “I know it comes naturally, but it could get you in trouble sometime.”
“I’m not trying to be cute. Really, what do we need to talk about?”
“Your continued employment here at…casa de Spike,” he smiled, a smile devoid of any warmth or true humor. “To be honest, I think your talents are being wasted here. All of your talents.” From he way his eyes traveled down to her chest, she had a distinct feeling Gunn wasn’t the only person who’d found out about her and Spike.
“Well if you have any computer work for me, you’re welcome to use my talents,” Buffy said carefully. “But that’s about as far as you’re getting.” She questioned her own judgment in possibly antagonizing this dangerous man, but she figured continuing her cavalier attitude towards him was the best bet as maintaining her cover.
“I don’t know about that,” he said, moving quickly towards her so his body pressed hers up against the wall.
“Get off of me,” she said firmly, moving her hands to push him away. He grasped her wrists firmly and held them to the wall.
“Little girl, you need to be very careful here,” He whispered into her ear, his hot breath on her cheek sending waves of nausea throughout her body. “Spike is not someone you want to align yourself with. You get no more warnings after this, do you hear me?”
Buffy opened her mouth to protest when Angel was yanked away from her and thrown against the nearby couch.
“What the hell are you doing, Liam?” Spike spat out his nemesis’s real name, fire raging in his ice blue eyes.
“Oh, are you being chivalrous now?” Angel smirked, standing upright and straightening his suit jacket. “Protecting your piece of ass, what a gentleman.”
Spike began to lunge for him, but Buffy stopped him with her hand. “Let it go, Spike,” she pleaded, wanting to preserve not Angelus’s safety, but his. As little information as she had about what Spike’s future plans were, she guessed a brawl with the other man wasn’t going to help his cause.
“Yeah, Spike, let it go,” Angel mimicked her. “I’m going to need your office for awhile, buddy. Hope you aren’t hiding anything in there.” He walked off calmly, as Spike shook with rage.
“I want to tear his throat out,” he growled angrily, but Buffy’s hands on his face seemed to ease some of his tension.
“It’s okay,” she soothed, stroking his skin with her soft hands.
“It’s not, he had his hands on you,” Spike said.
“He wouldn’t have for long,” Buffy smiled. “I was about to kick his ass back to New York.”
Her attempt at a joke seemed to take another step in the process of calming him down, and he glanced around to make sure they were alone before pulling her tightly to him and softly kissing her on the forehead. “You’re alright though, yeah?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “No big deal. He’s just a creep.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“Why do you work for him?” Buffy ventured cautiously.
Spike looked down at her, trying to figure out the best response to her valid question. “Because I have to, love. But not for long.”
Buffy’s cell began to vibrate in between them, causing both to shiver and jump. Buffy glanced at the caller ID and apologized, “Sorry, I should take this.”
He nodded and whispered, “I’ll see you later, though?” Her nod caused a warm smile to glow from within, and he left her alone.
“Hi,” Buffy answered the phone quickly, her voice as quiet as she could make it. “Yeah, we need to see Giles. Like, as soon as possible…Please?...Yeah, I have news too. Okay, see you back here in a while.”
Buffy was afraid to give in to the feeling of excitement coursing in her veins, but just for one moment, she let it wash over her and cradle her in its euphoric grasp. Things were looking up.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Cancelled plans = posting the new chapter sooner than expected! Yay. Thanks for the reviews, and pleeeease, I'd love to get your reactions to this chapter. From here on out it is actionactionaction.