“Where have you been?” she demanded, tossing Buffy’s mail on the table near the door. “You weren’t here when I got back, and you haven’t answered your phone.”
Buffy pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and sure enough, there were a half a dozen missed calls and voice mails from Willow. She grinned at the thought of her friend worrying about her. It was typical Willow behavior.
“Sorry, Wills. I had the ringer turned off so I wouldn’t be bothered.” She said ignoring the affronted look on her best friends face and heading into the kitchen with the picnic basket.
“But…But…” Willow sputtered following her. “Buffy!”
Buffy hid a grin at the tone of voice Willow was using. She knew that Willow suspected something. What was the harm in having a little bit of fun with it? Whoa, she thought. Where is this coming from? All of a sudden I’m okay joking around about this? And not worried about telling Willow? What did that kiss do to me?
“Buffy, really!” Willow exclaimed once she caught her friend in the kitchen. She watched for a moment as Buffy put away items from the picnic basket. Picnic basket? Buffy had gone on a picnic? “Uh, Buffy. What are you doing with a picnic basket?”
“What do you think, silly? I had a picnic.” Buffy rolled her eyes, and continued what she was doing.
“By yourself?” Willow was puzzled. Buffy sure had been acting a little odd ever since she had gotten that note. Now she was going out for picnics and turning off her phone.
“No,” Buffy replied slowly, turning around to face her friend. Now was the moment of truth. Did she admit to Willow that she had been with Spike, or fabricate some other story? The truth would be good, she decided, thinking that there was going to be enough story fabrication later on. Perhaps letting Willow know something would ease the shock of their elopement. Not likely, but maybe…one could hope. “I had dinner with Spike.”
Willow let out a loud squeal. “Really? Honest? You wouldn’t joke with me about this would you, Buffy? That is just so awesome! I told you he was into you, didn’t I? What was it like? Did he kiss you?” Willow continued to ramble off questions as she perched on a stool at the counter, anxiously looking at Buffy for answers.
“Calm down, Wills” Buffy said holding up a hand so she would stop talking. “I’m not joking.”
“Oh my gosh! But yesterday you said that you wouldn’t ask him out. You did ask him didn’t you? Oh gosh, he asked you didn’t he? That is so cool!”
Buffy couldn’t help but grin at her friend’s enthusiasm. Just wait until they got back from Vegas. Willow was going to pass out when they told her that they were married. Buffy frowned, if only Xander would react the same way. Somehow she sincerely doubted it. Xander had never really liked Spike. Shaking her head and deciding not to dwell on that at the moment she turned her attention back to Willow.
“Look Wills, I know what I said yesterday, but…that was yesterday. And it was just dinner. Not really a big deal.”
“Not a big deal! Buffy, this is huge! How long have I been trying to get the two of you together?”
Buffy decided not to answer that question. “Look we just decided it was time to finally talk. A picnic seemed like a good way to get to do that.”
“And romantic,” Willow said getting a dreamy look in her eyes. “You must tell me everything!”
“Not tonight, Wills. I’m beat and I just want to crawl into bed. I’ll tell you everything later.” She wasn’t ready to do the girl talk that she knew Willow was expecting. She knew it wasn’t that late, but the last two days had taken their toll on her.
“Fine,” Willow said getting up and heading towards the door; Buffy followed. “But don’t think for one second that I will forget about this missy. I want all the juicy details.”
“Later,” Buffy said somewhat reluctantly.
“Don’t forget your mail. There was a little package for you too. Did you order something?”
“Nah, probably some sample or something.” Buffy said with a wave of her hand looking over at the small stack of mail on the table.
“Well, g’night, Buffy. See ya tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” she replied absentmindedly as she picked up the package that Willow had been referring to. Funny, it didn’t have a return address on it. She didn’t notice as Willow slipped out of the apartment, instead she was focused on opening the small box. The instant she opened it she gasped, and dropped it as if it had bitten her. Her heart was racing and she was breathing erratically as she bent down to pick it up. The contents were harmless enough. Just a note and simple blue and white satin garter belt; she had seen similar ones at the bridal shop earlier in the day. In fact, she had been talked into purchasing one by Margaret, although she had little intention of actually wearing it. She took out the folded note and wondered if it could have been from Spike. But why wouldn’t he have just given it to her himself? Why leave it with her mail? The note made her sick to her stomach. For our wedding night, my blushing sweet maiden. Someday soon, you will be mine. Definitely was not from Spike. Clutching the box tightly to her chest, she quickly made sure her door was locked and went in search of her phone.
She dialed Giles’ number and waited, impatiently tapping her foot as she waited for him to pick up. She grimaced when it was her sister’s voice instead.
“Hello!” her sister’s perky voice came over the line.
“Hi, Dawnie.” She said with a sigh, realizing that she wasn’t going to be able to get away with just asking for Giles. She hadn’t talked to Dawn yesterday and she was sure her sister was going to be a little upset with her.
“Buffy!” Dawn squealed. “I’m mad at you! You didn’t call last night and I had major news!”
“Sorry, Dawn. I was out late and I figured Giles would not appreciate me calling in the middle of the night.”
Dawn laughed. “I doubt it. He probably would have just grumbled a lot and swore in that weird way of his.”
Buffy grinned as she settled down onto her couch. Realizing she was still clutching the offending package in her hand she gently put it down next to her and tried to focus for a few minutes on her sister.
“So tell me your big news, Dawnie.” She said. It turned out that the guy that Dawn had been crushing on for the past few months had finally asked her out. They had run into each other at the mall when she had been shopping and he had asked her go to a beach party with him. The party was set for the weekend and Dawn was extremely excited. Buffy sat and listened as she gushed about the guy, and babbled on about a few other things before finally asking to speak to Giles.
“Love you, Buffy!” Dawn said before handing over the phone to her guardian.
“Love you too, Dawnie.”
“Buffy?” Giles asked once given the phone.
“Hey, Giles.”
“You sound worried, dear. Has something happened?”
Buffy sighed and looked back down at the box with the garter.
“I got a really weird package today, Giles.” She told him.
“At your apartment?” the concern was evident in his voice. While they had figured, based on the previous notes, that the stalker knew where Buffy lived, they hadn’t known of anything to be sent to her there. Buffy, at least, had never said anything to them about anything out of the ordinary. Given her reaction to the note in her locker, Giles assumed she would have immediately called him had she received anything at home.
“No. It was with the mail that Willow brought me from the rink.”
“Damn it.” Giles swore, much to Buffy’s surprise. “I’m sorry, dear. I thought I had gone through the mail today, but I must have missed it.”
“You can’t keep these things from me forever, Giles.” Buffy told him, suddenly cross at the idea that they wanted to hide this from her. Wasn’t she better off knowing so she could be careful?
“I know, Buffy. I just don’t want you to have to worry needlessly right now. You have a lot on your plate at the moment.”
“You can say that again,” she said so quietly that Giles didn’t catch it over the phone.
“What was in the package, Buffy?” he asked. “You didn’t throw it away did you?”
“No, I didn’t throw it away, Giles. I’m not that stupid.” She said irritated that he would think she would be irresponsible enough to throw it away without letting him see it. Did they think she was a little kid? Sometimes she seriously wondered about that.
Giles sighed when he heard the irritation in her voice. He knew she was smarter than that, but he also understood the knee jerk reaction of throwing something offensive away in the heat of the moment. “What was it, Buffy?”
“It was a note and a garter belt. You know, like one of those that you get at the bridal store.”
Buffy didn’t miss Giles’ sharp intake of breath. Clenching his jaw in an attempt to reign in his anger, and keep his voice steady Giles gripped his phone tightly. He wasn’t angry at Buffy, or even her stalker, he was angry at himself. Upset that he had let something get past him and to her. Receiving that had to have upset her, especially given the plan for her and Spike to marry. “What did the note say, Buffy?”
“‘For our wedding night, my blushing sweet maiden. Someday soon, you will be mine.’” Buffy quoted, her voice trembling as she spoke the words out loud.
“Bloody hell,” Giles said.
“Giles, do you think he knows about me and Spike?” her voice was small and meek, and it surprised Giles for a moment.
“No,” he assured her. “I can’t imagine that he would know. We have done everything we can to have as few of people as possible know about the situation.”
“But what if he found out somehow? Do you think he will follow me and Spike to Vegas?”
“No!” Giles said sharply. “There is no worry about that. You will be completely safe traveling to Vegas with Spike. I seriously doubt that this man has any idea of your upcoming marriage. Of course he will when you get back and an announcement is made. I am sure this is just another way for him to get your attention.”
Buffy was silent, not responding to Giles’ assurances.
“Buffy, will you be coming into the rink tomorrow?” he finally asked.
“Yeah, I have practice in the morning before I meet Spike at his place.”
“You’re meeting at his place, not the rink?” Giles asked, surprised. He had realized that Spike had mentioned not being in the next morning, but it didn’t occur to him that it meant that they would not still meet at the rink.
“Yeah, he said that way I can leave my car in his garage.”
“Right, I have to admit that it a good idea. Don’t know why I didn’t think of it.” he admitted. “Bring it with you. If I don’t see you at the rink, give it to Spike and I’ll get it when you get back. Whatever you do, don’t throw it away.”
“I won’t, Giles. I’ll bring it with me in the morning.”
“Alright, dear. Now you get some rest. I promise things will start to get better soon.”
“I hope so, Giles. I really hope so.” She said hanging up the phone. She placed the small box next to her purse so she wouldn’t forget it in the morning, and headed down the hall to take a shower. A bit later, as she was laying her in bed, her mind racing as she thought about the reality of her stalker, she realized she hadn’t texted Spike. She rolled over and reached out to where her phone lay on the nightstand. She quickly typed out a short message making sure to leave out the news of her newest ‘gift’, knowing that he would probably be over in a matter of minutes if she told him. His reply was near instant and Buffy smiled as she placed the phone back on the table. She snuggled back down under the covers and willed her mind to stop racing with thoughts of her stalker. Everything is going to be okay, Spike will keep me safe. She repeated the thought over and over until she drifted off to sleep.
Giles hung up the phone and slumped back down on the couch. He sat there pondering the situation with Buffy until he heard a voice in front of him.
“Earth to Giles!” Dawn said waving her hand in front of the older man’s face. “What planet are you on?”
“Hmm? Oh, Dawn, I’m sorry. I must not have heard you.” He said quickly sitting up straighter and looking up at the young woman standing in front of him. He tilted his head and considered her for a moment. Should he be honest and tell her what was going on with her sister? She had grown up quite a bit since the death of her mother. Then again if she were told, there was a higher risk of it getting out that Buffy and Spike were just putting on a show. No, it’s best she truly believe that Buffy and Spike are together. “Was there something you needed my dear?”
“No, I’m headed off to bed.” Giles raised an eyebrow at that. It wasn’t quite 9pm, early for Dawn to be heading off to bed even considering it was a school night.
“What?” she said indignantly. “I happen to be in the middle of a very good book! Spike gave it to me the other day when I was at the rink and I’m just at a really good part.”
The eyebrow rose even further. “And just when did you see Spike at the rink?”
Dawn looked down and shuffled her feet. She knew that Giles didn’t really care how much time she spent at the rink, or that she spent time with Spike, but sometimes he didn’t know quite how much time she did. Neither did Buffy.
“I was there on Monday. I stopped by after school cuz I had an English essay that I wanted to ask Spike about. I know he’s really good with that kind of stuff and I like having him help me sometimes.” Dawn looked up at Giles her eyes pleading with him. “But please don’t tell Buffy. I know she’s still upset with him and doesn’t really like him anymore, so she’d probably just wig out if she knew.”
Giles softened at the pleading tone of her voice. Who was he to tell her she couldn’t spend time with Spike. Especially if he got her interested in reading and doing her homework. The girl was stuck in summer school because of how bad her grades had fallen during the past year when her mother died. If she didn’t get through this, she was going to have to repeat a year and he didn’t want her to have to go through that. Standing her wrapped an arm around the young woman and guided her toward the stairway the led to the upstairs of the house.
“I don’t have a problem with you spending time with Spike, Dawn. I am sure that soon your sister may not have much of a problem with it either.”
Dawn looked up at him suspiciously. “Why? Are they talking again? Why didn’t she say anything on the phone earlier? Is it serious? I can’t believe it! That would be so cool!”
Giles laughed at the speed at which she spoke and the little squeal she let out at the end of her slew of questions. “You can talk to your sister about it later. Right now I believe you have a book to finish.”
Dawn grinned and pushed up on her toes so she could give Giles a quick kiss on the cheek. “I do. Thanks, Giles! G’night.” With that she disappeared into her room, closing the door quickly behind her, but not before Giles caught another squeal of delight.
Buffy was going to win the big sister of the year award when she came back married to Spike. Giles only hoped that when it all came to an end, Dawn would understand. Recalling that he had wanted to make a phone call to see if he could get a few more answers about Spikes behavior earlier in his office he went back downstairs and headed for his small study. Settling into the chair behind his desk he reached for the phone and dialed Jackson Bennett.
Outside of Buffy’s apartment he stood at the base of the oak tree. He had watched and waited for her to go to bed, hoping to see her just before she went to bed. Her curtains had been closed this morning so he hadn’t been able to catch another glimpse of her in the early morning sunlight; although he had seen her at the rink. She was a beauty to watch on the ice. The power and grace she portrayed when she skated was intoxicating. A slow smile crossed his lips as he thought about the gift he had sent. He had been hard just at the thought of seeing her in nothing but the garter. The stark whiteness of it making it stand out on her beautiful tan skin. He closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to think about his vision, his hand slipping down his chest to cup himself. He wished it was her hands on him, instead of his own. She would be a vision on her knees before him. He took in a deep breath and looked back up at the dark window. He was going to have to do something soon. Send her something better, something to make her take notice. Why hadn’t she seemed to notice yet? He had driven by the rink over his lunch hour and saw her leaving with that stupid Spike Pratt. What could she see in a man like him? Spike wasn’t worthy of a girl like Buffy. Yeah, soon; he’d have to do something soon. He wasn’t about to lose her to the bleached hockey director.
“Soon, my love, soon.” He whispered, and then with one last look at the window above him, disappeared inside the complex.