VOICES IN THE NIGHT
Authors: Sara and Lu
Pairings: C’mon, can’t you guess the main one? ;)
Disclaimer. We know, we know, evil Joss own everything, sigh!

Thanks to : My great wonderful Maribel, I’ll never thank you enough, dear! ;)

Summary: This is the story of two people and a radio station…
But the real question is.. can a pixie fall in love with a coyote?
No, we are not crazy!! Well.. you just gotta wait for a while to figure out what that means, eh, eh !

Chapter 1
(Lyrics from ‘Hold on’ by Good Charlotte, awww... you know I (Lu) love their songs!)

The trip seemed to be endless. She looked at the rain beat upon the windows on the train, as the lights outside passed very quickly. Her mobile vibrated in her pocket, she glanced at the display screen and breathed deeply. She really didn’t feel like talking with anyone, but she also knew that if she didn’t answer this call, the person calling would keep on calling until she answered, even if it took hours. She pressed the button to answer hearing her best friend’s gentle voice.
“How long did you think you could ignore my calls?”
“Hi, Dru!”
“Don’t change subjects, Missy, why didn’t you call me?”
“I’m glad to hear from you, too...”
“Buffy!”
“I didn’t feel much like talking, and honestly, I don’t feel like talking now...”
“Is it so bad?”
“Did you think it would be fine? He disappeared for weeks and when he finally shows up again, he just left me a cold message: ‘Come to my house, we’ve gotta talk...’, but as I told you, I don’t wanna talk now...”
“You know, Buffy, I had the feeling it wasn’t a date like the others, but I hoped to be wrong…”
“*You * had a wrong feeling?! Honey, there’s no way you could be wrong; after all, we both know that you're right nine out of ten times!" Buffy teased her friend, wondering where she had found the strength for that.
“Well, I hoped this was the famous one time out of ten when I guessed wrong. Anyway, are you still on the train? When do you arrive?”
“I should be home in about one hour...”
“Do you want some company?”
“No, Dru, sorry, but all I want right now is to go back home, throw all the stuff he gave me back in a corner, have a long relaxing bath and listen to a good show on the radio…”
“Good plan. Well, if you tune in around midnight you should find something good...”
“I hope so, ‘night, Dru!”
“’Night, Buffy!”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two hours later, Buffy was already on bed, wrapped inside her bathrobe as she held a cup of hot tea in her hands. The radio was on and the music playing on it filled the room as Buffy got lost in her thoughts. She’d hoped that the DJ’s words and the music would help her take her mind off this horrible night, but at the moment that didn’t seem to work as she kept thinking over and over about what she was going to do of her life now. She didn’t even realize that it was midnight already and that a new radio program had started, but as soon as the DJ began talking, Buffy’s attention focused on that voice.
- As always, ‘Voices in the night’ starts and as always, I’m here to spend the next two hours with you. -

The deep voice made her shiver; there were no more thoughts in her mind, just the sound of his voice.

- It’s a dark and stormy night here at Sunnydale, it’s one those cold nights that you’d like to spend under the sheets, or even better... making love. I adore making love in these nights, outside apocalypse is about to begin, while inside your room there is only peace and the rhythm of your breaths mingle and increase, and... ok, I’m getting a bit out of hand, but it’s just that nights like these are only made to love or to feel sad. Sometimes you feel like the weather, and you’d like to cry as the sky is doing now. What about you, my creatures of the night? What keeps you from sleeping? Are you working, are you making love, or are you alone in your room, thinking about what to make out of your life? -

When she heard those words, Buffy trembled; it was ... as if... he was talking just to her.

- It’s odd to feel sad... – the DJ went on, as Buffy turned the volume higher, without worrying about waking up her little sister, Dawn, because she was sleeping at the house of one of her friends for that night. -... you feel as if someone stole something away from you, as if there was a missing piece in your heart. What doesn’t allow you to sleep tonight? I know there’s someone who thinks I’m talking to them only. Well, yeah, I’m talking just to you, what makes you stay there, as you held a cup of tea or a glass of scotch? What makes you keep listening to me when what you would like is just to close your eyes and wake up when everything is over, and maybe by then it would’ve stopped raining, too? Spike is here for you, inside these four walls, listening to the rain beat upon the windows and speaking for whoever doesn’t want to be alone tonight. I’m here with you, as I sit, staring out the window and wondering where you are, you, lost souls who are just looking for peace, for some rest. Let our Janis Joplin comfort our souls. -

The music began and Buffy felt butterflies in her stomach, between his voice that still echoed in her ears and the soft music she felt less alone, the sound filled the emptiness she felt.

- This is for you, no matter if you are alone or you’re making love, if you’re good or evil, hunter or prey, I hope this song will fill your room... and you. -

- It’s one of those songs you can never get tired of listening to, isn’t it, my dear children of the night? -

Buffy was so enthralled listening to the music that she would have liked no one to stop it, no one... except for that voice.

- Fine, we have tons of letters tonight, too. Let’s start with the first one, although it’s anonymous: ‘Hi, Spike, I’m desperate, my fiancé dumped me after a three year relationship, and without a good reason why!’ – he started reading.

Buffy started in astonishment.

< Uh? What? Maybe am I schizophrenic and without realizing it I sent an anonymous letters to radio stations I didn’t even know existed? Because... that story is mine!> the girl thought.

Her mind drifted back to the previous hours and Scott’s speech.

< ‘You know, Buffy, it doesn’t feel like when we first met anymore... I feel you’re so distant... I guess it’s better that we break up, right here, right now, before it becomes something serious... ‘Something serious? So, these * three years * meant nothing to you! Do you feel me distant? It has only been six months since my poor mother died, I had to leave College and find a stressful job to support me and Dawn.. So sorry if lately you weren’t my first thought in the morning!> she thought, getting nervous.

But that voice that had just finished reading had the power to calm her down.

- My dear girl, now you feel as you’ve lost your time, but the real loser is him. Don’t be upset, you are still so young and you’ll surely make up for lost time. Ok, now a door has closed, but I’m sure that a bigger door will open for you... -

< Will it be the same for me, too? What will open for me?> Buffy wondered, and as it had already happened, she had the feeling that he was just talking to her once again.

- But just like you, there are tons of people with problems, and I guess I have a very suitable song for that, so we can change rhythms, too, because if I keep making you listen to melodies like the previous one... sure, they’re beautiful and everything... but... if I played only that for two whole hours, I’ll end up losing you all in twenty bloody minutes! – he exclaimed, and Buffy found herself chuckling due to his witty remark.

As the next song opened with the noise of the rain, just like in that night, and the riff of guitar began, the DJ with the silky voice made his dedications.

- To everyone who suffers, to everyone who is going through a bad moment, this song is for you... -

THIS WORLD, THIS WORLD IS COLD
BUT YOU DON’T, YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO
YOU’RE FEELING SAD, YOU’RE FEELING LONELY
AND NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE
YOUR MOTHER’S GONE, AND YOUR FATHER HITS YOU

< After all, it’s true, there’s people who feel worse than I do. At least, my father has never hit me... Well, it’s also true that he left mom and me where I was just a little girl... and this is surely not something to be happy for...> the blond girl thought, as those reassuring words comforted her.

THIS PAIN YOU CANNOT BEAR


BUT WE ALL BLEED THE SAME WAY AS YOU DO
AND WE ALL HAVE THE SAME THINGS TO GO THROUGH

HOLD ON… IF YOU FEEL LIKE LETTING GO
HOLD ON... IT GETS BETTER THAN YOU KNOW


YOUR DAYS, YOU SAY THEY‘RE WAY TOO LONG
AND YOUR NIGHTS YOU CAN’T SLEEP ALONE
AND YOU’RE NOT SURE WHAT YOU’RE WAITING FOR
BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW MORE
AND YOU’RE NOT SURE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR
BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW MORE

BUT WE ALL BLEED THE SAME WAY AS YOU DO
AND WE ALL HAVE THE SAME THINGS TO GO THROUGH

HOLD ON… IF YOU FEEL LIKE LETTING GO
HOLD ON... IT GETS BETTER THAN YOU KNOW

DON’T STOP LOOKING, YOU’RE ONE STEP CLOSER
DON’T STOP SEARCHING, IT’S NOT OVER
HOLD ON...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Those two hours seemed to fly, and after Spike said goodbye, reminding his listeners of their date for the night after, Buffy turned off the radio and fell asleep feeling a little bit more comforted.

TBC

We really hope you’ll like it! Please, let us know what you think.. ;) ;)

Chapter 2

The morning after, the insistent ringing of the doorbell woke Buffy up abruptly.
“Oh, no, who annoys me just on the only day when I don’t have to work at the Double Meat in the morning shift?” Buffy snorted, wearing her robe and going to open the front door.
“My dear, I left you alone for almost twelve hours, but now it’s time for you to tell your best friend everything, you know you can’t escape from me!” Drusilla exclaimed, almost rushing inside.
“Do you really think so?” the other girl struck back, dodging and running towards the second floor of the condominium, heading towards the stairs, not minding that she still wore her pyjamas, robe and slippers, anything to escape from Drusilla’s third degree!

Buffy had moved to a flat located in the second floor of the building complex a few months ago, because after her mother’s death she had figured out that the best thing was to sell the big house where she and her sister Dawn were born to save some money. It was a big sacrifice, since that house was full of memories for both of them, but unfortunately they couldn’t afford it anymore.
Finally, Buffy was downstairs, but Angel was waiting for her at the entrance.
“So, were you thinking of escaping?” he exclaimed, lifting her up in his arms to take her back upstairs as she tried to break free unsuccessfully.
“I had foreseen your reaction, that’s why I asked Angel to stay down there...” her friend explained, leaning from the banister with a winning smile.

Drusilla Demi-Lune and Angel Liam had been Buffy’s best friends for years. Buffy had met Drusilla during a cultural exchange in France, where they both attended Middle School, but they got along so well that they had kept in contact even after that, with letters, phone calls and mutual visits.
But after finishing High School, Drusilla had decided to move from Paris to Sunnydale definitively, making Buffy very happy. She had been working as a top model in a fashion agency for almost four years now. Drusilla had a special beauty, almost ethereal. Her long glossy raven black hair complimented the whiteness of her skin, but her biggest charm were her mesmerizing eyes of an indefinite colour where an intense violet dominated.

Buffy had met Angel at High School. She was a freshman when he was on his senior year. The thing about him that impressed her the most was that while all the other boys only thought about sports, he had a more introverted soul and loved spending his days drawing, painting and sculpting small objects in wood. The gorgeous brunette guy with dark and deep eyes full of mystery had attracted her at the beginning and she had impressed him as well. But one date and one kiss had been enough to make them both realize that they could have nothing more than a beautiful and sincere friendship.
Angel didn’t forsake his dreams, and after High School he had become a talented painter/sculptor and he even had a private studio, too.
He had a very bad time when it had seemed like inspiration had deserted him. But because some models pose for artists and Drusilla was a model, Buffy had the brilliant idea to introduce them, so, not only the beautiful brunette girl had brought inspiration back to him, but they also had fallen in love at first sight.

In fact, Angel and his Muse, as he liked to call Drusilla, although she liked it better whenever he called her ‘Princess’, had been living together for two years in a modest flat, not very far from Buffy and Dawn’s apartment.

Angel took Buffy inside her house, placing her on the sofa.
“Dru, this is unfair!” the blonde accused her, knowing that she had lost.
“Desperate cases call for desperate measures! And now, Elisabeth Anne Summers, are you gonna talk or do I have to hypnotize you to draw the words from your mouth?” her friend struck back.
Rolling her eyes in resignation, Buffy told them everything.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
“So, that worm dumped you because he felt you were distant!”
“Yes, Dru, he said it’s due to that... but I bet there was another girl... and God only knows since when!” Buffy added.
“Grrr, what a bastard, I’m gonna cast a voodoo curse over him!” Drusilla snapped, enraged.
“And I’m gonna pay a visit to him and pummel him until he looks like a Cubist portrait!” Angel swore.
“Guys, thank you, but there’s no need, I appreciate it anyway. It’s my fault, I deluded myself for all this time, because I was sure I had found the perfect boyfriend. Now I realize that he wasn’t my Prince Charming...” she explained.
“Well, I already found my Prince, and I won’t ever let him go!” Drusilla commented, holding Angel tight.
“And I couldn’t be happier, my Muse. I don’t know what I would do without you, Princess!”
And the two brunettes ended up kissing.
Buffy cleared her throat to get their attention.
“Hey, you two, it’s not very nice to snog in front of a recently heart-broken girl!”
“You’re right, sorry, Bu...” Drusilla apologized, but then she stopped, looking at her with more attention. “Hey, am I wrong... or you haven’t told us everything?”
Buffy stuttered something unintelligible, embarrassed, trying to look somewhere else. Damn Drusilla and her ability to read Buffy as if she were an open book.

“Buffyyyyyy...” Drusilla sing song. “Why don’t you tell me what’s behind that smile I’ve just seen on your lips?”
“Don’t talk nonsense, please. I’m just glad because you are here and I’ve told you everything...”

In the meantime, Angel watched silently the girl’s interaction, without minding them much, because by then he was more than used to their oddness.
“What’s his name?”
“Who?”
“C’mon, it must be a guy, no doubt about it! What? Did you meet him on the train? It could be the only explanation for your not-total-depression!”
Buffy sighed; she couldn’t do anything about that. To lie or hide something to Drusilla was just like winning six times straight at… the Russian Roulette! Just impossible!
“It’s no one!”
“So, does this no one have a name? A face...”
“It’s just a voice, Dru...”
“A voice? Do you mean that you went crazy and now you’ve started hearing voices?”
“Of course not!” she snapped, rolling her eyes. “It’s a voice I heard at a radio station, and it made me feel better!”
“Ooooh, now it’s clear! What station?”
“Forget it, Dru. I’m not gonna tell you anything, mostly because there’s nothing to say, so you don’t have to call a radio station and disturb the DJ over nothing. So, please don’t do that. I listened to his show yesterday and it made me a little bit happier, that’s it!”

Drusilla raised her hands in a sign of surrender. She knew when her friend meant ‘stop’ for real.
They chatted for a while, and then Angel and Drusilla left, allowing Buffy to do her chores before her sister came back.

TBC

We know, we know, it’s such a shame! A whole chapter without Spike, tragedy!! Who knows... maybe in the next chapter he’ll show up, eh, eh!

Sara and I thank you all soooo much!!!


Chapter 3

It was already 11:20 p.m. Dawn was already sleeping soundly in her room, after Buffy cleverly avoided to told her about what had happened with Scott.
She took a cup of tea, put on her pyjamas and slipped under the covers as she waited.
Finally, at midnight, a song opened the show... and then there was that voice, him, once again. A couple of greetings... and Buffy was already lost.
There’s nothing she wouldn’t give to talk with him... and there was a way she could, after all. She just needed a phone, a big amount of luck... and the braveness to do it. So far she had just confined herself to listen... and to comment out loud!

- Another phone call for us... Hi, Jessica, why are you still up?-
- Just to listen to you, of course!-

“‘Just to listen to you, of course!’” Buffy made fun of her, with an acid tone. “It’s a radio, you, moron, of course you listen to voices!”

-I’m flattered. So, what do you want to tell me in such a starry night?-
-If you want to... I could tell you what I’m wearing now...-

Buffy almost choked with her tea.
“’What I’m wearing now’?! Stupid bimbo, this is not a hotline, and he doesn’t care about that for sure!”

-Well, maybe another time... – Spike answered, sneering.

“Why? Are you even planning talking to her again? Calm down, Buffy, he’s a DJ, so he must be gentle with his listeners... it’s only that!”

- Tonight we are talking about strolls. Do you like walking, maybe along the centre streets, full of nice shops, or maybe along the beach...-

“Yes, yes, I know *where* she is taking a stroll right now... I just wonder how those girls can talk on their mobiles while they work...”

-Well, I like walking, but with you I’d do it everywhere!-

Spike stayed silent for a while, very embarrassed, as he thanked his lucky stars for working in a radio station, as the girl resumed talking... and Buffy growled at her stereo!

-You must be such a gorgeous guy, according to your amazingly sexy voice...-
-A voice means nothing. Look, I could be short, fat and wearing very big glasses-
-And you are?-

“Stupid silly girl! Who cares?- Buffy sighed, with dreamy eyes. “Spike, you could be even a horny demon ... it doesn’t change anything, I’m stuck here anyway!”

Jessica hung up and after a while Buffy finally found the braveness she needed. As a new song began, she ran to take her cordless off its cradle and she stood in front of her mirror.

“If that brainless girl could call, I can do it, too!”
She took a deep breath and dialled the number of the radio station. Oddly, she didn’t go through any operator first, so the first voice she heard was just his. Buffy almost had a heart-attack.

-Hi, I don’t know why, but it seems that you’ve skipped Level 1, and due to the fact that the operator didn’t know… what’s your name?-

“Uhmm, Oooh ... I... I... actually... mm... is Buffy there?” When Buffy realized what she had just said, she cursed herself. It was okay to feel awkward; it was okay to pretend dialling the wrong number... but to call asking for herself…she rolled her eyes inwardly.
-I... I guess you dialled the wrong number, but... if you want, you can talk with me anyway, I’m sure that Buffy can wait...-

Buffy hung up abruptly and hid herself under the covers. Yes, Buffy could wait... for the next medical visit, that was for sure!

-Well, maybe Buffy couldn’t wait... or she’s better company than me!-

“Sure, the company of a crazy girl who calls herself!”

Buffy took another breath getting out of the covers. Okay, her attempt to call wasn’t a great idea, the next time she would have to make sure she was home before doing that.
When Spike’s show ended and before falling asleep, Buffy made a mental note to herself not to spend too much time with Drusilla anymore, because her influence was getting scary!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
“...And I decided to call him... but I ended up saying that I was looking * for myself*! I don’t even know him and he’s already turning my life into hell!” Buffy finished telling Willow what had happened, sighing.
The account of her reckless adventures had been the background of their whole afternoon at the Double Meat. “But it’s stronger than me, he’s so... so... so... so...”
“Gee, Buffy, your lexical command scares me!” her friend made fun of her.
“No, Willow, I’m serious, you should listen to him, what he says, the way he says it... awww… oh, God, I’m frying more than French fries now!”
“But you didn’t tell me what station is yet!” Willow made her notice.
“Uh! You’re right! Now I don’t remember exactly... Magic... Uff! Magic something...”
“I got it, it’s Magic Box! I don’t know it but I’ve heard it’s a very listened station!”
“Yeah, and ...” Buffy resumed talking, but all of the sudden she stopped, because in the general chatting in the fast food, she had managed to recognize a voice that by then she couldn’t mistake anymore, and it came just from a table that was not very far from them.
“So, Buffy, how do you think this DJ looks like? I bet he’s a brunette, with dark eyes, and...” Willow commented with dreamy eyes, as Buffy had already turned to the table where he was, and she was completely astonished..

“Just tell me this is a bloody joke!” the boy said nervously, as he talked on his mobile.

“No, Will, he’s blonde, almost blindingly so... and he has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen...”

( End I )

We know, this is a very, very bad cliffhanger, but evil is what we are, ihihih!!
About the name of the caller... nothing personal against all the Jessica’s around, it’s just that this was the name that crossed our minds first, ok? ;)

Hello, here we are again! ;)

Chapter three (II)

“Excuse me, how can you tell?” Willow wondered confused.
“He’s here. With all his body, not only his voice..”

< And what a body!> the blonde thought.

“So, why don’t you go talk to him? And before you wonder it, I can assure you that you are here, so don’t look for yourself anywhere else!”
“Oh, c’mon! Do I really strike you as the kind of stupid girl who goes to annoy him, just when he’s talking on his mobile, and.. Oh, my God! He hung up, I’m gonna fly there!”
Buffy took a look around, finding what she was looking for. She took a tray and a sponge and went towards his table. She wore her best smile and placed herself in front of him. In the meantime, the blond man grumbled about stupid blonde bimbos, ignoring the girl in front of him.
“Are you ok?” she asked him as kindly as possible.
He didn’t even look up at her.
“Oh, sure, everything is alright!”
Buffy took a breath and then she resumed talking with a sparkling voice.
“Wait a minute. I recognize you, you are the DJ of Magic Box Radio, aren’t you? Well...”
“Ok, ok. I got it. Just give me a napkin so I’ll write my autograph on it and then you can go back to clean the tables!”

Buffy stood still for a while. She assured herself that she was there, took a deep breath and exhaled before saying, “Why you little ugly ungrateful streetlamp! How could you dare...”

He stared at her stunned. The petite blond in front of him was... yelling at him? Whatever did he do that was so bad?
“And to think I was about to thank you... and now I don’t even know for what! No, wait, I know why. Thank you for showing me that schizophrenia exists, since you are its most perfect example! Otherwise, there would be no explanation of how a kind and sweet person who usually has a word of comfort for everyone listening to him every night actually is nothing but a disturbed cocky and very annoying man who is constantly trying to put himself in the limelight and who has never looked at himself in a mirror, because if you did maybe you would do something for your hair! But now that I think it over, well, maybe that’s the explanation for everything, the bleach you used must have seriously damaged your brain!” Buffy snapped furious.

For his only answer, the man burst out laughing.
“Why the hell are you laughing now?”
“Sorry, but... you are moving so much that that funny puppet on the top of your hat seemed to be alive! Hey, speaking of mirrors, I suppose that in this fast food restaurant there’s none, otherwise you’d have realized that you are dressed as you popped out from a village of pixies!” he made fun of her between peals of laughter.
“Grrr! I hope you’ll choke with the coffee you’re drinking, you... nothing-more-than-a-fog-light! I thank my lucky stars because my turn is finally over and I can go home, so I won’t have to stand your annoying face anymore, good bye forever!” she struck back furiously as she approached the door.
“See you soon, pixie!” he greeted her before she left, making her even more furious.

The man smiled amused. The meeting with the spicy girl had taken his mind off the call, which had brought him some very bad news.
Buffy rushed to the back of the restaurant to change clothes as quickly as she could, while cursing under her breath.
Willow looked at her friend puzzled when she found her. “So, how did it go?”
Buffy stopped to stare at her friend as she closed her bag.
“Do you remember when you wanted to dye your hair blonde? Don’t do it. The bleach would make you stupid!” and without adding anything else, Buffy left, leaving her friend dumbfounded.

-------------------------------------------------------
It was late in the afternoon when Spike entered the Magic Box Studios, rushing towards Giles’ office furiously, but a brunette guy crossed his path.
“Spike, I just heard about it, I’m sorry... but you are so weird... what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? I’ve been * literally* assaulted by a mad furious girl with a cow on her head!”
Xander looked at his friend shocked.
“You know that you shouldn’t drink during the day. I know you received bad news, but getting drunk...”
“No, I’m sober and very serious, there was a cute blondie who all of the sudden started yelling at me, God only knows about what... and...” he sighed frustrated.
“What did you do to her?”
“I don’t remember, Rupert had just told me that I have to host my program – the one that is my whole life, where I always try my best- with... Harm. Can’t you see? A top model, all legs but no brain hosting with me! If only he had suggested me to host with a colleague, another DJ, but no. It had to be a hot chick... one that the audience can’t see, because we are not on TV, so they would just hear her talk... and let’s face it, that’s not Harmony’s best ability! In a word, after all that... who remembers what the bloody hell I said to the crazy pixie!”
Once he said that, he entered Giles’ office, leaving Xander as dumbfounded as Willow had been.

Spike rushed into the room, punching the table. Giles confined himself to raise his head and take off his glasses.
“Are you done with your little scene, William? Can you sit down so we can talk now?”
“Actually, I’d planned to break some stuff first, but if you insist...”
“Did you think about my suggestion?”
“Sure, I did. And my answer is BLOODY NO!”
“Ok, since you can’t say no, have you already called Harmony?”
“You’re aging way too fast, uncle. I can think about hosting with someone else, I can think about working with a woman and I can think about Harm... but not exactly to work with her! So, suggest to me another person...”
“Fine. Now we have a deal. Let’s think about the others.. we need someone with temper, a fighting spirit, personality..”
“Ok, so, dear uncle, tell me why did you think about * Harm*?”
Giles ignored his nephew’s remark and resumed talking.
“I mean someone who can challenge you, who knows how to handle you..”

In William’s mind popped out a spicy blonde with a cow on her head.
“Someone who is not only a woman, but can also talk, can entertain the crowd, someone you can discuss with.. even arguing could make a good audience!”
William could think about nobody but the girl of a few hours before.
“Ok, Rupy, maybe I can bring to you the right one!”

************************************************* ( In the meantime)

“… Instead he is just an annoying unbearable vain bighead full of himself!”
“Maybe he is as unbearable as you claim he is, Buffy, anyway it has been for more than *two hours * you’ve been doing nothing but talking about him!” her sister made her notice.
“That’s not true. I’m not just talking about him! Grrr, I hate him so much! Ok, he has eyes that can lose yourself in, a sensual voice with that accent that makes it even sexier, a smirk that makes him irresistible, an awesome body... but that doesn’t allow him to treat me as the last of the skivvies!” Buffy snapped.
Dawn and Drusilla had the same knowing smile.
“You always end up buying what you despise... and I don’t even think that ‘despise’ is the proper word here...” Drusilla sing song.
“What? Are you two ganging up against me? It’s not what you are thinking, so just quit it! Anyway, now I have to get a shower!” Buffy warned them.
“You should have that shower with some ice cubes to take your mind off the nasty thoughts that I bet you are having...” her friend struck back, giggling.
“Dru, quit it! No one is thinking about anyone that way!” Buffy pointed out from the bathroom.
Lucky for her, Drusilla and Dawn couldn’t see from there the sudden redness on her cheeks after that witty remark.

< A cold shower will help me.. no, it’s not enough.. I should move on to an igloo!> she thought, starting to take her clothes off.

---------------------------------------------------------------
It was midnight and oddly Buffy was in her room, oddly the radio was turned on... and even more oddly... it was tuned just on that station. The girl heard the song fade away, signalling ‘Voices in the Night’ was about to start.
- If also tonight you’ve decided to spend the next two hours with me, welcome, my dear listeners, but...-

“Blah, blah, blah, you can’t fool me anymore, fog-light!” Buffy exclaimed, turning off the radio.

- ... But before starting, I’d like to tell you that this is the last week that I’d spend alone with you... No, don’t scream and don’t try to suicide! - he joked.

- I’m not going anywhere; it’s just that from next Monday on there will be a double hosting. For now I can tell you nothing more, because even I don’t know yet who will join me.. – he explained.

< Although I have an idea..> he sneered, thinking about a blondie with big green eyes, a volcanic temper and a funny hat.

TBC

Well, now you know who the pixie is. So, are you ready to find out who is the coyote ( honestly, *who* will ever be?) but mostly why? Eh, eh, don’t miss next chapter, then! ;) ;)
We hope you’ll like it! ;) ;)

Chapter 4

The day after, William took a deep breath to find the courage he needed to cross the threshold of the Double Meat Palace.
There was a big line before him to get to the counter, but his injection of courage made him so insolent that he stepped in front of the other people, leaning on the counter and ignoring the general chorus of complaints and grumblings behind his back.
A freckled boy with the same funny hat threw daggers at him with his eyes.
“If you wanna order, Sir, you’ve gotta respect the line!”
“I don’t wanna make any orders, I just wanna talk with a ... mad blondie!”
“Do you wanna complain? Because if you do, the manager...”
“No sodding complaints, I just absolutely need to talk with her!” he snapped with a louder tone.
Hearing the noise, Buffy and her manager rushed to the counter. As soon as William recognized her, he pointed at her with a finger.

“It’s her. She is the mad blondie!” he explained.
She approached him ready to strike back, but her manager anticipated her.
“If you have to talk with your girlfriend, you should wait until the end of her turn!”

William’s eyes went wide and he grabbed him by his arm.
“Look at me. Do you think I’m so miserable that I could be her boyfriend?”
The man didn’t have the time to answer, because his employee grabbed him by the other arm.
“No, look at me. Do I strike you for the type of girl who can stay with an eternal yellow traffic-light head?”
The man broke free from both of their hands and turned to Buffy.
“This is not my problem. Just take a break of ten minutes... and make things right with your boyfriend!” and then he turned to William. “And you, order a coffee at least!”

William sat at a table and, forced by her manager, Buffy went to sit with him crossing her arms in sign of protest.
“I’m just here to take your order, since you are a customer. You know, I can give you some advices on what to order, you could try our new sandwich, it’s called ‘Get out of my sight forever!” Buffy snapped.
“Hmmm, I think I’ll choose the ‘At least let me talk before’ menu with some ‘I must apologize’...”
Buffy shook her head with a smile; this guy could be even more stubborn than her. So, why couldn’t she give him another chance to clear things up?
“I’m sorry, but...”
Buffy sat in front of him, ready to throw that coffee on his lap depending on what his ‘but’ meant!
“... But I had had a very bad day, I had received some bad news and you showed up in the worst moment...”
“Ok. I accept your apologies. Bye, and never come back again!”
“I’m not done yet!” he stopped her, grabbing her arm. He took a look around and locked his eyes with hers. “Is there a calmer place where we can talk?”
She looked at him oddly, and then she beckoned him to follow her to the back of the fast food restaurant.

Once they were there, she sat down and waited for him to talk, staring at her watch.
“What do you want beyond my forgiveness?”
“I’ve got a problem...”
“That has nothing to do with me!”
“That’s true, but it could be, or at least you could solve it...”
“You are crazy! What could I do? Offer you a coffee?”
“I’m talking seriously; it’s a matter of life or death!”
“Let’s clear a point: I’m not gonna give any of my organs to anyone, especially to you!”
William rolled his eyes; this seemed to be going to be even harder than he expected it would.
“You have been very kind, mostly because you recognized me, but first of all let me tell you something: working in a radio station doesn’t make me a Hollywood star! I’m not such a big VIP, after all. Ok, I’m a DJ, but it’s just for a local station, nothing big, in fact I’m a normal student at College, too. I’m William, William Rayne.”
“And I’m Buffy Summers.”
“See, * Buffy*? You have a pixie name, too!” he made fun of her, bursting out laughing and making her nervous.
“You know, * Willy*, if I were you I wouldn’t laugh too much, since you have the same name of that poor coyote who has been trying to catch the roadrunner endlessly without success! Beep-Beep!” she laughed, making him nervous in turn.
“Well, at least I hope you’ll be less unreachable than the roadrunner!”
“Huh?”
“I got a proposal for you, pixie...”
“First of all, stop calling me that, you go down in your total score every time you do it... and you’re already under 0 points for a while!” she snapped.
“Ok. I’ve got a proposal for you, Buffy!”
“What?”
“You’re not happy here...”
“Well, I’d like to see you running from a table to the other, breaking your back and living in symbiosis with the frying machine!”
“Can I add ‘arguing with the customers’, too? Since it’s something you do so bloody well!”
Buffy dusted him with a look, but she let him keep talking.
“The point is, you’re something... you deserve something better!”
“You don’t even know me, how can you say that?”
“You’re not a student, you are not a waitress. You were born to work in a radio station, just like me, no, *with * me!”

Buffy stared at him seriously as if she was contemplating his offer, but then she burst out laughing. It was one of those contagious laughter that you can’t stop, and as she laughed William thought once again that she was crazy for real, seeing her clutching her stomach due to too much laughter.
“Listen to me...”
She didn’t seem to be able to do that. Gee, it had been ages since she had laughed so much. Maybe the last time was when Willow had dressed like a punk for Halloween.
“Buffy, stop, please, stop!”
She tried to calm down, wiping away her tears.
“Ok, sorry... but... you were so serious... it was just as if you really wanted me to work with you...”
“That was the plan... and if you start laughing again I guess I’ll punch you!”
Buffy made an effort not to laugh again and looked at him seriously.
“You... you are crazy!”
“No, don’t say that. It makes some sense... after all...”
“No, no, absolutely no. Forget it! We’ll end up killing each other after ten minutes. Reflect a little, after just five minutes here you’ve already threatened me to punch me! So, guess what we’ll do after two hours of program...”
She was about to leave, but he was faster than her and grabbed her by their upper arms locking his eyes with hers and breathing deeply.

They didn’t notice that Willow had opened the door, looking for Buffy. The redhead only saw one thing, William holding Buffy tightly, looking at her almost as if he was begging her.
“Let’s try this for real!” he whispered to her with the sexiest voice that Willow had ever heard so far.
The redhead blinked and smiled knowingly. She closed the door as softly as she could and came back to her manager.
“No, Buffy wasn’t there, but I’m sure she’ll be back soon!”

In the meantime, Buffy stared at William intensely and for an instant she was breathless. Maybe she was going crazy, but she had nothing to lose.
“A week, I’ll just give you a week. I’ll tell my manager I’ll take my vacation, but if it doesn’t work, each of us will be on their way and you won’t bother me again!”
William set her free and shook her hand.
“Deal!”

TBC

Chapter 5


Buffy had been staring at the content of her closet for about twenty minutes. She stood still, scanning every piece of cloth she owned. What do you usually wear for a job interview? Or rather what do you usually wear for a job interview in a radio station? If only she’d had a ‘Kiss the DJ’ T-shirt it would’ve been much easier, but she had nothing like that. And that wasn’t the real problem; maybe she should wear a simple pair of jeans, a jacket or something more casual. She rolled her eyes and gave out a flustered scream.
Dawn rushed towards her sister’s room and glared at her.
“What? Did a sweater attack you?”
“I wish it had, at least my torture would be over!”
“Buffy, c’mon, you’ve had job interviews before, so why can’t you find something to wear?”
“This is not an ordinary job interview. What would you wear to have a colloquy for a job you have never thought about, a job that wasn’t in your dreams when you were just a kid, working with a man who... Grrrr...” she growled, sitting on her bed exhausted.
Dawn smiled and looked inside the opened closet, drawing out a pair of black jeans, a red blouse and a black jacket to match it.
Buffy looked at the chosen outfit and smiled.
“These clothes are perfect. They don’t say ‘Hire me, please, I’ve always wanted to work in a radio station!’, but they still wink and say ‘You have no idea what you’ll lose if you don’t hire me!’”
Buffy looked at her sister and burst out laughing.
“Since when do my clothes talk to you?”
“Since always, especially on Saturday nights, before I go to the Bronze, they ask me ‘Please, Dawn, wear us!’” she said in a high pitched voice. Buffy laughed again and began changing her clothes, as Dawn left the room. Once she was on the threshold she turned back with a knowing smile. “Anyway, big sis, maybe the job wasn’t what you dreamed about when you were a child... but the man is!” she teased her laughing and dodging to avoid the pillow that Buffy had thrown at her.
The blonde resumed concentrating on her clothes, trying not to think on her sister’s witty remark.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two hours later she was at the ‘Magic Box’ studios.
She raised her head and observed the building, taking a deep breath and getting in.
In the meantime, William paced back and forward in the corridor as Giles looked at him, clutching his head with his hands.
“Quit it, please. She should be here in a few minutes, she’s not late; so, why are you so uptight?”
“I’m not uptight, I’m realistic. She hates me, so she’ll be late on purpose, or worse, maybe she won’t even come!”
“So, can you explain me why you want just her?”
“Due to two very good reasons: first, she is *not* Harm, and second, I got the feeling that with her it could work, she never listens to me, she has a fiery temper, she is... well, you’ll see after you meet her and then you’ll decide!”
“Yeah, we’ll see. Now I’ll go back to my office to take an aspirin, because if, as I suppose, she is anything like you, I’ll need something strong to stand the two of you together!”

Giles left and Spike resumed his pacing. That girl would drive him crazy, he was sure about that. He stopped abruptly. She was there and she was on time. Fine, it seemed that she wanted to keep her word. He liked serious people who did what they say they would. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited for her.
Buffy had just got off the elevator and she had already seen him. How could she not see him! He was pacing back and forth as if he was a caged lion and then he had seen her, too. She was about to smile at him when she saw him cross his arms and narrow his eyes.
Now what did she do? She had just arrived there and he already seemed to be angry with her. How could she irritate him so easily with her only presence?
Alright, now she was angry, too. She hated to feel guilty for something she hadn’t even done!
They were annoying each other from afar and after not even a minute.. it would be a very long week.

When she stood in front of William, he stared at her for a while.
“Did you see what time it is?”
“Yes, it’s five minutes prior to the job interview.”
They glared at each other and they seemed ready to start a furious fight.
“So, didn’t you think that maybe it was better if we would meet before your job interview?”
“Why?”
“Well, to suggest you what to say and mostly how to say it!”
“And how would you do that, Mr. Highlighter!”
“It seems obvious, pixie. You need some advice on how to talk, maybe some good manners lessons, too!”
“Funny, it is really funny to hear that from you! I came here to save your ass and instead of welcoming me as you should, you accuse me of being so stupid that I need a transcript and some good manners lessons from you!”
Spike felt slightly –and just for a second– guilty, but shook that thought away and talked with a louder tone.
“First, I didn’t say you’re stupid, second, I still think you need some lessons, maybe not on manners, but at least on femininity!”
“So, do *you* wanna teach me about that?”
“That’s not the point! Anyway, you’re late and I just wanted to help you...”
“You’re changing subjects. Anyway, how could you help me? Showing me how to sway my hips when I walk?”

By then, there a crowd had already gathered to enjoy the heated discussion, but the two blondes kept arguing without caring about anyone else.
For the very first time, Xander, Wesley, Anya and Giles saw a woman who could challenge Spike for real.
They all had been working together for several years, so they were accustomed to see beautiful girls who looked at Spike with a dreamy smile, almost brainless.
And now, this blonde not only didn’t look a t him with heart-shaped eyes, quite the contrary, she seemed ready to punch his face!

Still ignoring their crowd, Buffy and William kept their wordy fight.
“No, my dear, although I could teach you how to be sexy! Truth is that I know my uncle, so I could give you some advice on how to impress him...”
“Your uncle?!”
“Yes, the Magic Box’s owner. You know, if he hadn’t introduced his College mate, Ethan, to his dear younger sister, Darla, well... I would’ve never been born!”
“And that would’ve been such a tragedy!” she struck back sarcastically. “So, tell me, does your father work here, too?”
“No, he has nothing to do with the radio business; he owns a big costume’s shop at the centre of town, specialized on Halloween, Carnival and masquerade parties costumes. I can tell you, they are so perfect that... anyone who buys them almost feel as if they really become what they wear! But this is not the point...”
“Yeah, the point is: your uncle is the Radio Owner! So, are you his protégé? That’s why you keep working here despite your bad attitude!”
“I’m not his protégé; I work here just because I’m bloody good. Am I wrong or... the first time we met you wanted my autograph?”
Buffy’s face became almost purple, and she wasn’t sure if it was due to her rage or her embarrassment.
“I didn’t want your autograph, I just wanted to congratulate you on your program, but you were so self-centred and bragging that you thought I was a bimbo who was excited just because I had seen you! It’s not even that I rushed towards you!”

< Well, Buffy, you know * it is *!> she told herself.

“Anyway, you’re very good when you’re doing your show, but that’s only because you are faking, you are nothing but an unbelievable cocky conceited boy! Gee, I don’t even know what I’m doing here!”

Giles reached them in that precise moment, deciding to intervene before things took a turn for the worse and she decided to leave.
“Good morning, Miss Summers, I guess you are here to talk with me!” Buffy turned abruptly, astonished, trying to remember what she had to do and who the man in front of her was. “Nice to meet you!” he said, stretching his hand to her. “I’m Rupert Giles, the owner of this shack!”
Realization hit her and she finally noticed the crowd that had gathered around them and had seen their little show.

< Any chance I might have had is gone. After this scene they’ll surely kick me out!> she thought.

“Hi, Mr. Giles, I’m sorry for this, if you still wanna do the job interview... although I don’t think that...” she trailed, as her hands were wet with cold sweat.
“We don’t need it anymore ...” he said. Buffy looked defeated to the floor. “You’re perfect!”
She looked at him in disbelief. What had happened here?
“You just showed me that you are the person I’m looking for. Anyway, if you want to come to my office I could offer you a cup of coffee and we could chat a little...” Buffy smiled and followed him, still a bit confused. “William!” Giles called his nephew out. “Why don’t you join us?”
Spike followed them, as perplexed as Buffy was and still puzzled for the ‘gentle exchange of opinions’ he had just had with the girl.

Once they were inside Giles’ office, most of the ‘crowd’ went back to their respective works, too, leaving only Anya, Xander and Wesley who stood dumbfounded in the corridor.
“I can’t believe it!” Xander exclaimed. “I just saw what I thought I’d never ever see...”
“Yeah, ‘Voices in the Night’ will be very spicy if they are always like that!” Wesley commented.
Anya kept staring at the closed door, very thoughtfully, and then she smiled amused.
“Lets’ start the gambles, I bet fifty dollars that they’ll do it in three weeks!”
“Do what?” the other two asked her, puzzled and worried, because when it was a matter of money, Anya always found a way to win.
“It’s obvious: how long it will take them to end up in a bed together!”
The two guys shook their heads as they followed her.
After all, Anya was always Anya.

TBC

Thanks to everyone, Sara and I are sooooooooo glad you like our work! ;)

Chapter 6 (I)

It was the big day, and just at the thought of what could happen on the live program Buffy had barely slept the night before...
And knowing how nervous her friend was, Willow had gently offered to drive her to the Magic Box studios.
“C’mon, Buffy, see it as an innovative way to spend Saturday night, it’s always better than staying home and brood, isn’t it? Can’t you see? All Sunnydale and its vicinities will hear you talk!” Willow incited her, walking with her towards the entrance.
“That is exactly what scares the hell out of me! Well, at least I know that I won’t be alone...” Buffy comforted herself.

She didn’t even have time to end her sentence, when suddenly Wesley crossed her path.
“Buffy, I was looking for you. William asked me to tell you that he will be a bit late tonight, but don’t worry...”
“Don’t worry?! There’s no way you’d know but it’s not like I’m at my best when I’m all by myself...” she struck back, remembering her famous first call to Spike, but neither her friend nor the brunette boy seemed to be listening to her, because they were too busy looking at each other.
“Buffy, why don’t you introduce us?” they asked her at the same time, smiling at each other.
“Uh, yeah, I’m sorry. Well, Wesley this is Willow, my former College roommate and depending on how this week goes, probably my former colleague at the fast food restaurant, too; but there’s a thing she is surely not a former one, since she is one of my best friends!” Buffy explained as the other two shook their hands.
“Buffy, if you go up those stairs to the second floor, there you’ll find Xander who is waiting for you and he will explain everything to you. Now go, because you’ll be on air in twenty minutes...” he warned her, and Buffy flew up the stairs a second after.

“So, Willow, would you like a little tour around the studios?” Wesley suggested, setting his glasses on his nose, a clear sign of his agitation.
“Wow, sure, very willingly... wait, won’t this be a problem for you? Don’t you have to work?” she wondered shyly.
“Don’t worry. You know, I host a sports program,, and tonight there aren’t any matches so I’m kinda free!” he reassured her with a smile, leading her towards the studios.
“I guess Spike really exaggerated this time!” he thought out loud.
“What?” Willow questioned him with her eyes.
“Uh! Nothing, nothing... I was just thinking out loud...” he justified, but she insisted with her inquisitive attitude.
“Do you know something that I should know?”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
“...And that’s all. You’ll see there won’t be any problems, you’ll do great...” Xander smiled, leaving Buffy alone in the DJ cabin.

a very nervous Buffy thought as she bit her nails while she stared at the console with increasing fear.

“Put the headphones on, there’s only one minute left to begin!” Xander warned her.
With trembling hands, Buffy put the headphones on, looking at the brunette boy who signalled the countdown with his hands.
“... Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one... let’s go!” Xander said, leaving. “Spike, you’re really evil, poor girl!” he thought out loud.

Buffy had started rambling madly as soon as Xander had beckoned her to speak.
“Good evening, everyone; no, calm down, people, you haven’t tuned your radio on the wrong station. This is really ‘Voices in the Night’, but I’m not Spike... after a delicate surgery to... change his sex! You know that, right? The story of the double hosting... Well, I’m the other half... although for now I got to play both parts, because he’s still not here... I mean, he’s going to be here... but he’ll be in later... maybe ... at least, that’s what I hope! I don’t know for sure, and if truth must be told, I really don’t know anything, and for that I apologize to you in advance... Well, I see some letters over the table… why don’t we start reading them... hmm?”

She went on like that for a while, managing to spend some time, but then she heard someone knock on the window that divided the studio.
She turned and saw a boy whom she had never seen so far.
He was beckoning her to get out. She was surprised, but her only answer was signalling for him to wait, pointing at the headphones she wore.
“Uhmm... I have the feeling that I’ve been talking for too long, maybe I’d better play a song, so why don’t we listen to ‘Home’ by Michael Bublè...”

she thought, panic-stricken as never before.

“Oh, my God, I don’t even know if this song is on... if it’s not... well, just imagine it is... anyway, I will be back in two minutes!” she warned her crowd, taking off the headphones and getting out of the studio.
“Sorry, but I have not much time, just the duration of the song... if I played it, that is!” she said to the mysterious guy, looking nervously at her watch.
“That’s the point, look at the console carefully... Can’t you see that it’s all turned off?” he made her notice.

Nervous as she was, Buffy hadn’t even noticed this little ‘irrelevant’ detail.

“You’re right, poor me … so I have been talking for a little more than twenty minutes... to myself!” she rolled her eyes.
“You must be the new host… and I bet that William chose my free day to make the introductions, I’m not very surprised by that. You know, he and I don’t get along very well ...” the boy grumbled. “Anyway, I am Riley, and I host the radio news program. Nice to meet you...”
“Buffy. I’m Buffy, and yes, I’m the new host!” she smiled, looking at him better.
He was a really nice guy, she couldn’t deny it, he had dark blonde hair and was tall, and brawny... but on the other hand, those five minutes with him had seemed to be... five hours to her.

(End I)


We know, it’s kinda short, but we promise to you that in the next part.. there will be Spike! ;)
We hope you’ll still like it!

p.s. I have begun a new AU ( but no fantasy) story , ‘Before, now, forever’ , and I’ll promise I’ll update it sooner than I said when I posted it, ok? ;) by the way, Caitie, I thank you so much even here for it, dear!! ;)

Sara and I thank you so very, very much, all of you, people! You are making our day ;)
Well, this part should be fun.. at least I hope so..

VI (II)

In fact she was so bored that she wasn’t even trying to pay attention to what he was saying anymore.
“Anyway, why are you here tonight? Don’t you know that ‘Voices in the Night’ airs only from Monday to Friday?” he asked her.
Buffy heard *that* very well.
“But... but... how? Sorry, but William told me...” Finally, realization hit her. “GRRR! I’M GONNA PULVERIZE HIM!!!” she yelled furious, so loud that probably the whole building heard it, too. “Thank you, Charlie, you have been very kind and it was very nice to meet you, but now I gotta go hunt a coyote!” Buffy said, leaving Riley alone, confused and upset.
“That would be Riley... but it’s not that important...” he sighed.

************************************************* (In the meantime)

While Buffy wandered from one studio to the other on the second floor, Xander had rushed into William who had just arrived and was getting ready to enjoy seeing a panic-stricken Buffy. He couldn’t even begin to imagine that things hadn’t gone as he had planned.
“Dear friend of mine, run away while there’s still time! I don’t know how, but Buffy found out about your charade and I’m afraid she is so enraged that she is going to slay you!” he warned him, but it was too late already.
“There you are!” Buffy exclaimed, pointing at him and running towards the first floor.
“C’mon, Buffy, don’t you have that thing called sense of humour? It was only an innocent joke!” he backed off, ready to run away.
“Say your last prayer!” the blonde summoned him, chasing him to the parking area.

No matter how fast William ran, Buffy was faster than him and she finally dragged him on the ground with her, straddling him.
“Idiot! Do you think that this was a funny joke? Do you have the slightest idea about how I felt? I was sure I was going to pass out at any moment!” she snapped, grabbing him by the lapel of his black leather coat and shaking him.
“My Slayer captured me!” he chuckled, and then he started, almost as if he was enlightened.
She was about to strangle him, but after seeing him like that she stopped.
“Hey, what’s up now?” she frowned.
“Think about it, that could be the perfect nickname for you, plus, it has such a nice ring to it... Spike and the Slayer, I like it!” he explained, breaking free from her grip and getting up.
“But I don’t like it, it doesn’t convince me... plus, it sounds way too violent!” she protested, getting up as well.
“Hello? You were about to strangle me! So tell me, isn’t that bloody violence?”
“No, it never is when it’s about you! Anyway, no, I don’t want any nicknames, that’s your world, not mine… by the way, why * Spike*?” she asked him very curiously.
“It’s simple, pet, because I always ‘spike’ people to my show!” he smiled proudly.
“Well, it fits you, I must admit it... but don’t you dare call me ‘pet’ anymore!”
“As you please, pixie!”
“But I don’t even wear that stupid uniform anymore!”
“That’s not important, you will always be a pixie to me!”
“Ok, ok, if I have to choose between two tortures, I prefer ‘pet’!” she gave in, rolling her eyes.
“Who told you that you can choose, * pixie *?” he sneered.
“Grrrr, I hate you, * coyote *, you know that, don’t you?” she snapped.
“Yes, I have a pale idea… but don’t worry, the feeling is mutual!” he struck back. “Well, now that your will to kill me faded away...”
“Who told you it faded away?” she interrupted him, looking at him threateningly.
“Buffy, please...” he looked seriously at her.
“Ok...” she allowed him to go continue, softening her look.
“Do you wanna go see who hosts the show that airs at our timeslot during the weekend? I assure you that it will be fun!” he suggested and she accepted, following him.

He took her to the second floor, to the studio where Anya hosted her show, ‘Tell Anya!’.
- …And now, let me give you some advice on how to face the bikini test without any trouble this summer... of course, I’m not talking to the obese people without any hope... after all we are just a radio, we are not the Good Lord!- the girl exclaimed.

“I... I can’t believe it! But... did she really say that?” Buffy wondered between amusement and shock.
“Yeah, she really said that, but that’s the way Anya is. You know what? My uncle is convinced that one of these days she’ll make us lose audience, but I think it’s precisely her bluntness that the audience loves, they adore her and she always drives the operators mad!” William chuckled, and then they listened a live call.

- We have Megan here with us, hi, tell us everything!-
- Hi, Anya, first of all, congratulations on your show! Well, you know, tomorrow I have a first date with a guy, and...-
- Yeah, yeah, I know. After that there will be a second date, and then a third one, too, and so forth, until you ask him to live together and he answers: ‘No, let’s not rush into anything... things are okay the way they are now…’ You’ll go on like that for a while, and then you’ll give him an ultimatum, he’ll do everything to win you back and he will succeed. You’ll stay fine together for a while... but then you will ask him the same thing and everything will begin once again, so you’ll find out that you’re already twenty five years old, but you have a boyfriend who is too scared to take a serious commitment!- Anya rambled.
- Sorry, Anya, I just wanted an advice for the first night... – Megan interrupted her shyly.
- Oh, sure, I knew it, I was just talking generally...” she justified, ready to give her advice to her caller.

“Uhmm, let me guess... Anya was talking about Xander, right?” Buffy figured out. William nodded, smiling at her.
“Well, I see that you have already understood how everything works in this radio station, pet!”

TBC

Once again, thank you all from both of us! ;)

Chapter 7


“You know, Willow, when someone offers to give you a ride somewhere, they usually drive you back home, too!” Buffy exclaimed, rushing towards the Double Meat Palace the next afternoon.
“Oh, God, Buffy, I’m so sorry... you have all the reasons to be cross with me, but... you know, Wesley took me on a tour around the studios ...”
“No matter how big the studios are, it can’t take you more than * two hours *!” the blonde struck back.
“Yes, you’re right, that’s true. Actually, we also went to a bar nearby to have some drinks… so... you know, one thing led to the other…”
“You forgot about me!” the other blamed her.
“I didn’t mean to. By the way.. who drove you back home?”
“Think about it for a while, Will.. why do you think I’m so pissed off?”
“No! Don’t tell me that..”
“Yeah, Spike walked me to the parking area and when he saw that I couldn’t find you, he insisted on giving me a ride. I don’t mind about the horrible thing he keeps mistaking for a car; I don’t mind about the terrible music he listens to and thank God he never plays on the radio; I don’t mind about the fact that we kept bantering back and forth all the ride through, so much that I still wonder why we didn’t have a car crash; the thing that I can’t really stand is that he wants to give me a ride tomorrow night, too, since he found out where I live now! Guess what? The coyote dared to say that such an overexcited girl as me should better keep far away from vehicles!” Buffy snapped.
“For once, I agree with him!” Willow muttered.
“What?”
“Uh, nothing, Buffy, nothing..”
“Well, well. It seems that there’s something going on between Wesley and you, isn’t it?” the blonde changed subjects with a knowing smile.
“What are you blathering about? He has been just kind with me, nothing more. To begin with, he didn’t even ask me for any information about me... where I live, if I could give him my number... nothing! So, see? He doesn’t care about meeting me again...”
“Oh, please, don’t say crap! Don’t you remember? He didn’t care about anything else after he saw you!” the other struck back.
“Think what you want, Buffy. Anyway, it’s not a tragedy for me, I don’t care about him very much, after all...” she justified, but as the song on the radio faded away and a new program started... What a coincidence! It was a sport’s program...

- ‘Sport and Report’ is ready to start, today there will be a very exciting match plenty of action and surprises, don’t miss it!- Wesley’s voice exclaimed.

Buffy looked at Willow with a smile that was even more knowing than the previous one.
“It’s not what you think, Buffy, it’s only that baseball is such an interesting sport... I really like it now... and all the stations are the same, as long as they play baseball matches!”
“Yeah, sure. Too bad that what they’re airing now it’s * football *!”
Willow became redder than her hair.
“Ok, ok, I confess. I have a very worrying crush on a DJ with a strong English accent... Now that I think about it, Buffy? Is yours a contagious disease?”
“Maybe it is... Hey! Wait a minute. My crush ended when I found out that I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!” Buffy cleared.
Now Willow was looking at her with a very knowing smile.
“Ok, sure, Buffy. Anyway, don’t you know that it’s been scientifically proven that repeating a certain thing shows that the person is thinking the exact opposite of what they’re saying?” the redhead struck back.
Buffy started, but she kept her cool.
“Will, let me give you an advice: think less about psychology... and more about the hamburgers!” the blonde struck back, approaching to the exit. “Anyway, I. HATE. HIM!” she yelled, leaving.
“And the theory is proven!” Willow smirked, rolling her eyes.

-------------------------------------------------------------
< I am a perfect idiot! > Wesley cursed himself, taking off the headphones at half-time.

< I spent a whole night with her... and I didn’t even ask her number, to tell me where she lives... nothing! So, now she will be thinking I don’t care about her... Stupid, stupid, stupid Wesley! >

“Hey, Wes, what are you doing? Are you punching yourself? Confess, the team you bet on is losing, right?” William teased him as he came into the studio.
“Uh! No, no, I was just thinking about my business... Hey, but, what are you doing here? You don’t even work today!”
“Yes, but I do work tomorrow night, so I wanna be one hundred percent sure that the Slayer didn’t destroy anything in our DJ cabin!” the bleached blond explained.
Wesley looked at him confused.
“Why do I keep trying to have a normal conversation with you?” he thought out loud, rolling his eyes, but then he figured out that William was the only one who could help him.
“Spike, wait, what’s the name of the fast food restaurant where Buffy works… or rather worked?” he asked his colleague.
“Why do you want to know?” his interlocutor narrowed his eyes.

< Good Lord! When someone asks you a question... you just answer, you don’t ask why! > the brunette boy thought, rolling his eyes annoyed and resorting to all his patience.

“Well, you know... I just wanted to change places to eat, instead of the same old bar...” he justified.
“Look, buddy, I went there just because it’s near my College. But it’s far away from here, it’s uncomfortable, it would take you too much time...” the other warned him.
“You know what? Never mind, I’ve lost my appetite now, thank you very much!” the brunette snapped, putting his headphones on again, because the match was about to restart, while William watched him in confusion since he didn’t understand what was wrong with him.

< I can’t ask Buffy about it, she would figure out why I want it in a heartbeat, no way! I can just hope that Willow will come by the studios again, sooner or later... > Wesley thought, a little bit upset.

(End I)

Are you ready for Spike and Buffy’s REAL show together? Don’t miss the next part, then! ;)

Thank you everyone form Sara and me! We are glad you still like it ! ;)


Sorry for late, here’s the new part, enjoy! ;)




VII (II)

“Just tell me, sis, it’s a radio, isn’t it?” Dawn exclaimed.
“Yes...”
“So, there’s no one who can see you...”
“Technically, no, there’s no one...”
“So, can you explain me why it’s been two hours since you’ve started turning your closet upside down trying to find something nice to wear?” Dawn asked.
Buffy blushed instantly.
“Dawn, shouldn’t you be in your bed already?” she said trying to evade the question.
“Uff, I’m not a kid anymore, so I can stay up annoying my dear sister as long as I please!” she struck back. “Anyway, what you are wearing now is just perfect!” she advised her.
“Do you really think so?” Buffy asked, looking at her image in the mirror. She was wearing a pair of black jeans with a very low-cut white tank top with black strips all around her neck. Her hair was pulled up, leaving a few locks off the ponytail to frame her face.
“Yes, absolutely, you’ll see, he will be impressed!” Dawn went on.
“How many times do I have to tell you? There is no one I want to impress tonight!” the blonde snapped... but she didn’t change her outfit.

A few minutes later the bell rang.
“That must be the * person you don’t want to impress tonight. * Let me open the door for him!” the teenager said, rushing towards the door, as Buffy glanced on the image reflected on the mirror for the last time.
Dawn wasn’t wrong: it was William. He smiled at her... and Dawn almost passed out!

“Hey, what a beautiful girl we have here. So, tell me, how many hearts have you already broke?” he said and she just swung, chuckling between embarrassed and excited.
“Stop bamboozling my poor little underage sister, William, we’d better go!” Buffy exclaimed, walking out the door as she put her jacket on.
“I’m sorry, Nibblet, but I must obey the Dictator your sister is! We’ll chat more next time!” William winked at her.
“Hey! I’m not a Dictator, it’s you who offered to drive me to the studios! Anyway, my sister’s name is Dawn not Nibblet!”
“But he can call me Nibblet whenever he pleases!” the teenager tweeted with dreamy eyes as they left.

In the rush, William hadn’t notice Buffy at first, but once they were on first floor he saw how she was dressed and had to admit to himself that she was amazingly beautiful... but he’d rather cut his tongue than to make a compliment to her!

-----------------------------------------------
After the short but stormy ride, due to their typical bantering, the two blondes arrived to the studios.
“So, are you ready to shine together?” Xander exclaimed.
“What?” they both exclaimed shocked.
“I meant the show... what did you think?” he struck back maliciously.
“The show will be wonderful, I already know that. Anyway, what the hell are you still doing here, Whelp? Your dedications and songs program has been over for a while!” William said.
“Okay, you’ve got me there. I’m leaving now. I know that you don’t like to have people around when there’s an important event, such as tonight. Anyway, I really don’t understand... why do you keep calling me whelp? We both are twenty seven years old and you’re only two months older than me!” Xander observed.
“Well, it’s those two months that makes the difference, buddy!” the blond struck back with a cocky smile.
Buffy couldn’t help but snickering.
“Oh, boys, you are a real show together! You know what, William? In fact, you should host ‘Voices in the Night’ with him better!” Buffy suggested, but the guy in question just grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away.
“Nice try, pixie, but it won’t work, * you * are my partner!” William said, taking her into their DJ cabin as she waved at Xander from afar.

There were still five minutes left to start the show.
“So, pet, are you nervous?” he asked her as he arranged his headphones.
“A little bit, but... I don’t understand why... I’m gonna trust you!”
“Don’t worry, no more jokes!” he smiled at her, turning on the microphone, ready to begin their show.
“It’s Monday, the week starts all over again as ‘Voices in the Night’ does, but it’s not the same old routine, my dear lost souls, there’s something different...”
“The ‘something different’ here would like to point out that it’s a person!” Buffy cut him off, talking with nonchalance, as if no one was listening to them.
“Yes. It’s a person with a very spicy attitude! Well, she is Buffy, and from now on she will co-host ‘Voices in the Night’ with me...”
“I still wonder what I did that was so bad to deserve this?” she joked. “Anyway, a cozy greet to everyone!” she added with a smile.
“Cozy? *You*?! That’s new!” he teased her, but she threw daggers at him with her eyes. “It’s useless to stare at me like that, no one can see it!” he went on.

Among phone calls, letters and advices, it was the time for the Hit of the Week, and Buffy kept silent, listening carefully to every word.
Spike noticed that, so he preferred not to disturb her.

DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE BREAKING DOWN?
DO YOU EVER FEEL OUT OF PLACE?
LIKE SOMEHOW YOU JUST DON’T BELONG
AND NO ONE UNDERSTANDS YOU?

< Yes, that’s the way I feel almost every day!> Buffy thought.

DO YOU EVER WANT TO RUN AWAY?
DO YOU LOCK YOURSELF IN YOUR ROOM?
WITH THE RADIO ON TURNED UP SO LOUD
THAT NO ONE HEARS YOU SCREAMING

NO, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT ’S LIKE
WHEN NOTHING FEELS ALRIGHT
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE LIKE ME

Buffy knew perfectly knew how it felt like, though. She remembered when she had found out about her mother’s terrible disease, having to act as if everything was alright so Dawn wouldn’t get upset, and to show her that she was strong. But as soon as she had the chance, she locked herself in her room, tuned the radio on a happy song, sometimes it was way too happy, and then turning up the volume so she wouldn’t be heard as she cried.

TO BE HURT, TO FEEL LOST
TO BE LEFT OUT IN THE DARK
TO BE KICKED WHEN YOU ’RE DOWN
TO FEEL LIKE YOU’VE BEEN PUSHED AROUND
TO BE ON THE EDGE OF BREAKING DOWN
AND NO ONE THERE’S TO SAVE YOU
NO, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE
WELCOME TO MY LIFE

That was different for Buffy, someone had come to save her, and that someone was looking at her, raising his thumbs at her to make her understand that she was doing okay, but Buffy was too engrossed by the song to notice that.

DO YOU WANNA BE SOMEBODY ELSE?
ARE YOU SICK OF FEELING SO LEFT OUT?
ARE YOU DESPERATE TO FIND SOMETHING MORE
BEFORE YOUR LIFE IS OVER?

Buffy had already found something more than she expected, because, of course, working in a radio station would not make her earn an exaggerated amount of money, but it was one hundred times better than to work at the Double Meat Palace.

The song went on, until Buffy heard it fade out, and under Spike’s supervision she turned on the microphone, ready to talk.
“It was the last hit of Simple Plan, ‘Welcome to my Life’, I just wanted to tell the singer that maybe someone out there knows how it feels like, although that doesn’t mean that everyone always abandon you when you’re at your lowest level. Just when you least expect it, someone might rescue you...” she said, as she smiled sweetly at Spike, amazing him. “Sure, sometimes it can even be the most unbearable person on the whole planet... but that is another story!” she added immediately after, as Spike shook his head in resignation, smiling at himself.

< Now I know it’s her!>

The two hours flew, leaving the two blondes with a wonderful feeling as the phone calls had increased more and more as time passed.
They didn’t need to see the ratings the day after, Spike and Buffy already knew it was a success.

TBC

Chapter 8

Days went by and their show kept getting better and better. They were great together. As Giles had called them, they were a ‘winning team’!
They argued even when they were on air, but by then that was the routine of their show.
Their listeners adored them and noticed something else, too. There were lots of sappy phone calls from some listeners asking Buffy and Spike if there was something between them. Of course, they denied everything and laughed at the thought, but their listeners weren’t so convinced about it.
Anyway, the audience had increased and Giles was euphoric. William, on the other hand, wasn’t too happy at the moment.
“That’s not true!”
“C’mon, William, be honest, since she is here things are going better!”
“Everything was alright even before... (sneeze) she’s not better than me!” he replied and then he coughed a little. “I’m not saying that she’s better than you, I’m just saying that with her even you are better!”
“Don’t tell... (sneeze)... crap! I’ve always tried my best, I could carry the show all alone and... (sneeze)!”
Giles handed a tissue to him. William had got flu, no doubt about it. His eyes were reddened and he kept coughing and sneezing.
“I know that, but tonight we’ll see how Buffy handles it alone!”
“What?” he almost cried. “Do you wanna replace me?”
“Absolutely not. But I don’t want a DJ in agony on air. So now you go back home, take some aspirins and go straight to bed!”
“That’s not necessary, just let me drop by a pharmacy and I‘ll be fine in a couple of hours!”
“No way, you are running a fever, too, so now you just go home. The show won’t fail if you don’t host it for one night ... or maybe you’re afraid that she is better than you?”
“Hell, no! First, she is * not * better than me! Second, I’m afraid of nothing. It’s just that I don’t want her to be alone... I mean, she’s not used to that... maybe she’ll get shy and keep silent... and what will you do if that happens?”
“Uhmm... if you think that could happen... maybe I could ask Parker to host with her for tonight, just to... “
Spike wasn’t even listening to his uncle anymore.
He knew Parker’s reputation and he would never allow him to touch his Buffy... well not his literally, he meant his mate... no, well... his colleague, he decided at the end, satisfied.
Maybe Parker would screw up everything with his playboy attitude and his bad habit of never taking his hands off girls... No... no!
“You’re right!” Spike surrendered finally.
“Ok, so do you want me to call Parker?”
“No bloody way! I meant, you’re right, Buffy needs to try to do the show alone, to see how well she can handle it...” he pointed out.
Giles hardly hid a snicker, looking at his nephew. He would never allow Parker to work with Buffy, he just needed a device to persuade Spike and he had found the right one.
“Ok, deal. Now I’ll warn her, so you can go back home...”
“Ok, I’m leaving, okay. Although it’s not necessary... (cough)... (cough)... I’ll go back home, but if the show fails... I warned you!” and saying that William left Giles’ office.

A couple of hours later, Buffy put on her headphones and she was visibly concerned. She had never hosted alone, except for Spike’s idiot joke the first night she was there, but now she would do that for real.
Working with him sometimes wore her out. She came back home exhausted due to their never-ending banter, but she liked things the way they were. She adored their never-ending banter but she liked being at the centre of the stage and not being a simple member of the audience, for once. Plus, he made her feel good. She was self confident when they worked together, but now she would be alone.

she thought.



Before the show, her mobile ring. She looked at the display, it was Spike.
“Hi!”
“Hey, are you nervous... (sneeze)?”
“No, everything is fine. What about you? Are you ok?”
“So and so, but I’m fine enough to listen to you..”
“What’s up? You don’t you trust me? Or are you afraid that I’ll be better than you?”
“Don’t say bloody crap! (sneeze)... I just think that if you’re not up for it... we can broadcast a re-run...”
“Hell, yeah, I’m up for it!” and the sudden anger replaced all of her previous fear. “I’m gonna do it perfectly, so I’ll show you who has talent!” she swore.
“What is that, pet? A challenge?”
“Maybe. Just listen to me and then you’ll let me know...”
“Ok, I have a public apology already prepared for tomorrow!”
“Ha, ha. Very funny. Now, if you don’t mind, I gotta conquer MY crowd!”
Spike didn’t manage to strike back when she hung up.
He smiled exasperated and pulled the covers over his body, turning on the radio and listening to it as carefully as never before.

Xander was behind the glass of the console, beckoning Buffy to get ready... three... two... one... and the red light ‘on air’ turned on.
Buffy took a deep breath and then started talking, self confident and relaxed as if she had done nothing else in her whole life.
- Good evening, lost souls! ‘Voices in the Night’ is still here, but there’s some news. Tonight I’ll be all alone, ready to enjoy all this space and your company! Spike’s got a bad flu, so I’m all you’ve got, you’ll keep me company and I’ll do the same with you. Before starting the show, here’s a nice song to cheer up those who are home sick, just a little something to warm their night. Let ‘Polly’ by Nirvana be our background and get along with the rhythm of the rain tonight... -

After the song started, Xander raised his thumb to Buffy and Spike smiled under the covers. He loved that song and Buffy knew it. Damn girl, he didn’t know about the crowd, but she was conquering him for sure!

The night went on and Buffy managed to conquer all the listeners. A phone call made her smile as the girl on the other side filled her with compliments.
- Hi, Molly, what do you want to tell me?-
- I want to tell you that you’re phenomenal, Buffy. I’m in my car, I’ve been driving for so long and I was looking for something to keep me awake, and then I heard you. You are really great, you cheered me up, you are the slayer of all the bad moments!-

Buffy smiled hearing that word and Spike did the same.

- I’m glad that you called. Anyway, are you feeling like a lost soul?-
- Yes, at least tonight. Maybe it’s the rain, maybe it’s all the driving alone back home, knowing that no one will be there. It’s a bad moment, I’m a little upset, I know that it will be over, but… do you ever fell alone? I mean, first you don’t realize it, but then you figure out that you miss someone. That the empty chair beside you bothers you, because you would like him to be there, even if just to argue. Because at first you hadn’t noticed it, but now you know that he made you feel alive, he made you feel better. Ok, sorry, I’m talking too much. It’s just that melancholy has taken over me... –
- Don’t worry, it’s normal to have a bad day, to feel sad and it’s good to talk with someone... –
There was a moment of silence, and Buffy stared at the empty chair beside hers. – Yes, it happens to me, too. I think that everyone sometimes feels alone and hates this feeling. I don’t have a solution, not even the right answer, but if you have been hurt, please, don’t isolate yourself from the rest of the world, because people are not the same and sometimes they deserve a chance… -
- Thank you, Buffy...-
- Don’t mention it, Molly! - she said, hanging up. – That’s all for tonight. I hope that the rain will rock your dreams as the splendid James’ voice warmed our hearts; all I can say to you is goodnight. This is for you, for everyone who feels alone, because they’re not alone and sooner or later they’ll find someone who holds them tight, and maybe, although you’re not girls but macho men... – she said, smiling – they will whisper to you ‘ Goodnight, Sweet Girl’.-

The song began and Buffy breathed satisfied, she thought she had handled the show very well and judging by the Xander’s face, he seemed to think so, too.
She rested on the chair and let the notes caress her soul. Her mobile vibrated and she read the SMS.
‘You did good, pixie. Goodnight, Slayer!’

She smiled and put her mobile in her bag. That night she felt really fine, despite of the rain.

After sending that message, Spike turned off the light as the notes filled the room.
He smiled, rolling his eyes. He would deny it, even under torture, but Buffy had handled it bloody good.

TBC

THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM SARA AND ME!!

Chapter 9

After the night of Buffy’s solo show, Spike had recovered quickly, so they had resumed working together. Things worked very well between them. The more nights they worked together, the more their feelings increased.
There wasn’t a single day where they wouldn’t be arguing over something... anything! But they always survived.
That Wednesday night their show had gone by very quickly and they had been oddly calm. They had chatted, talked with their listeners and between peals of laughter the two hours had flown.
Once it was over, they had stayed there as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Xander was behind the window, he was about to let them know that he was leaving, but then he stared at them more carefully.
They had taken off their headphones and she had set herself comfortably on her chair, hugging her legs and putting her head on her knees. William was almost laid down on his chair as he talked and gesticulated.
Xander erased the idea of disturbing them from his mind. They were really explosive together.

That night, Drusilla had passed by the studios because she wanted to greet Buffy. The show was over, but she didn’t see Buffy around.
She reached the door of their cabin and stopped with her hand on the handle. Something told her not to get in. From the next door a brunette guy came out, as if he was trying to do as little noise as he could.
“Sorry...” she said in a whisper.
Xander turned abruptly, staring at the beautiful girl.
“Yeah? Can I help you somehow?”
“I hope so. I’m Buffy’s best friend, I was looking for her...”
“Oh, yeah, sure!” he said, lowering his gaze, almost upset. “She is still inside the cabin with Spike. If you want, you can get in, after all, the show is over...”
Drusilla looked at Xander very carefully, as he shook his hand with hers, introducing himself.
“So, tell me, Xander, where you were a minute ago... could you see them... without them noticing you? “
“Yes, sure...”
“Can I go in there, too? I need to verify something, before disturbing them...”

Xander smiled. So, he wasn’t the only one who had that impression about those two.
Dru got in and saw them as they chatted.

< Those two flames are making such a pretty fire together! > she thought.

“No, don’t tell me! I can’t believe you!” Buffy exclaimed.
“I swear that I’m not kidding!” William justified.
“So, in your first show someone made a joke on a phone call!” she said, resuming laughing.
“There’s nothing to laugh, Missy, it was so awkward!”

That made the blonde laugh even more.
“Oh, God, this can’t be true! I’d never thought I would hear the word ‘awkward’ related to you!”
“Hey, I’m a sensible guy!”
“Yes, Spike, as sensible as a road roller!”
“Hey, I’m insulted!”
She burst out laughing again and that made him smile. She was really beautiful when she laughed.
“C’mon, I was kidding, I’m sure that deep somewhere you have a sensible side, it’s just that I always thought that you were the kind of guy who makes people feel awkward and not the contrary!” she explained.
He became serious all of the sudden, moving to a ‘predator’ position as he got closer and closer to her.
Buffy gasped when he made his chair slide closer to hers as he slowly put one of her golden locks behind her ear.
“So, have I ever made you feel awkward, Buffy?” he whispered.
She stayed still as he got closer. Oh, god, what was happening to her stomach? Why did she feel as everything had been thrown upside-down?

William was just a few inches away from her, he could smell her vanilla perfume and it was inebriating him. He had just skimmed her cheek to move one of her locks... and he felt as if he was struck down by lightening.

Behind the window, Xander and Drusilla were gasping. They didn’t know what they were hoping for, but they surely risked a heart attack when the next door slammed open.

William and Buffy jumped from their chairs, parting immediately as Harmony got in.
“Hey, Spikey, I was waiting for you, but you never arrived!” she pouted as William clutched his head between his hands, thinking back about feeling awkward.
“Harm, what the hell are you doing here?”
“What? C’mon, my Blondie Bear, you promised that you would take me out for dinner and then... to your flat!” she said with a giant grin as Buffy got up roughly.
“Well, maybe I’d better go now...”
“No, wait!” William stopped her.
Harmony intervened, placing herself in front of the other blonde and stretching out her hand.
“Yes, Spike is right, wait. We haven’t made the introductions yet. Hi, I’m Harmony Kendall, and I’m Spikey’s girlfriend!”
Buffy shook her hand, forcing herself to smile.
“Nice to meet you, Harmony, I’m Buffy, the...”
“Yes, I know you, you are Spikey’s sidekick!”

Buffy’s eyes went wide. She wasn’t very happy for being called someone’s sidekick... who would be happy about that, anyway?
Harmony didn’t seem to notice that as William was almost tempted to smash his head against the wall.
“C’mon, Harm, let’s go otherwise we’ll be late!” he snapped.
They left as Buffy took her bag. A second after the door slammed open again. She jumped. Maybe someone wanted to make her have a heart attack.
“Hi, Buffy!” a male voice exclaimed, behind her back
She turned, seeing the dark blond guy whom she had met the first night.

< What the hell is his name? Maybe Richard.. or something.. well, I’ll just avoid saying his name!> she thought.

“Hi!”
“Are you done here?”
She took a look around the * empty * room to make him realize that it was obvious that she was done there.
“Sure, and you?”
“Me, too. I was thinking… why don’t we go eat something together?”
Buffy thought about that option for a while.

< If Spike can hang out with a goose, I can hang out with a .. booby!> she decided.

“Sure, why not?”
So, they left.

Xander and Drusilla were still and silent in the other room. No one had noticed them.
“I’ve known you just for a while, but I’m sure that our thoughts are travelling on the same train..”
Xander looked at the brunette a little bit puzzled. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she went on.
“It depends.. are you thinking that you are odd?”
Drusilla ignored him and she kept staring at the former crowded room.
“I think that those two are dating the wrong people and we should intervene!”
“Whenever there’s an intervention someone gets hurt, mostly me, anyway.. I agree!”
“Fine. I’ll deal with the blonde, you’ll deal with the stockfish!”
“Ok, my partner in crime, deal!” he decided, shaking her hand.
If Anya had seen him right then... she would’ve skin him alive!

“Fine, fine...” Drusilla murmured as they left. “We are gonna make things go as the stars want them to go. We’ll take away the clouds, so the two rays of sun will meet!”

Xander kept staring at her as the walked towards the elevator.
When they got in and the sliding doors closed, he looked at her one last time.
“Well. About the fact of being odd... are you sure that you never thought about that?”

TBC

Believe us, you’re gonna love Dru in the next chapter! ;)

Thank you all by both of us!! ;) ;)

Now you’re gonna love Dru and someone else, too. Wanna bet? ;-P
Ehmm.. what can I say? I put LOTS of Buffyverse stuff in this chapter, just read to find out what!
I just hope it will amuse you... because, honestly it amused me! ;)

Chapter 10

Once they had decided what to do, Xander and Drusilla rushed out of the building to find their friends, but mostly the two ‘pains in the neck’ that were accompanying them. As they ran towards the parking lot, Drusilla had already taken out her mobile from her purse, dialling a very familiar number.


“Hel... lo?” Angel slurred, holding the end of the paintbrush in his mouth, as engrossed as he was with his art works.

“Princess needs her Angel, meet me immediately at the Magic Box studios, it’s an emergency!” she ordered.

“But... now? Love, I’m in the middle of a creative phase!” he protested.

“The puppy is bad. So, if you don’t wanna do it for me, do it for Miss Edith!” the beautiful brunette blackmailed him.

“No, please, honey, anything but Miss Edith!” the boy begged her, because he was crazy about the line of extremely sexy and arousing lingerie named Miss Edith, of which Drusilla was the main model.

She made him so happy when she wore it that... he could almost lose his soul each time!

“You heard me, if you don’t obey me... I won’t pose for you anymore wearing that, and you’ll have to spend months trying to get inspired with... dead nature!” she growled, pleased when, as his only answer, she heard the roar of Angel’s car, so she proceeded to explain her plan in detail to her boyfriend.

Xander and Drusilla reached the others at the parking lot, stopping them before the two newly formed couples left.

“Hey, wait a minute, I know you! You work for The Initiative, don’t you?” Drusilla exclaimed, pointing at Harmony, knowing very well that The Initiative was the lingerie collection that was the main rival of Miss Edith.

“Yeah, I do, because I’m a self-confident woman who doesn’t wait for the man to make the first move, she makes it!” her interlocutor chuckled, hugging William tightly as he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Buffy didn’t know why, but she felt a very strong killer instinct towards the blond bimbo who was way too clingy with her... her colleague!

“Dru? What are you doing here?” she wondered, but she didn’t get an answer, because the car that rushed in with a shrill shriek got everybody’s attention.

“Here I am, I am not late, am I?” Angel exclaimed, getting off the car. He had rushed out of his house so fast that he still wore his painter shirt... spoiled with paint!
“Angel?! You are here, too? Ok, what the hell is going on?” Buffy got more and more suspicious, glaring at him with her hand on her hips.

“Well, you know, I hadn’t seen where you work yet, after all...” the gorgeous brunette justified.

“So, you decided to come here tonight, completely out of the blue!” she rolled her eyes.

“Better late than never!” Angel shrugged and then he turned to William. “So, you’re the guy who sleeps during the day and is awake at night. You know, * vampire *, a little bit more of sun wouldn’t damage you!” he teased him.

“Look who’s talking! The broody guy who is always trapped inside four walls, holding a paintbrush in one hand and a chisel in the other one as he waits for his Muse to visit him!” the blond struck back, breaking free from Harmony’s almost suffocating hug as she started giving all her attention to the new guy, since she had realized that he was an artist.

Drusilla wasn’t happy about that at all, but she had to do what the stars wanted her to do.

“Angel, I swear that I didn’t talk with him about you this way!” Buffy pointed out, smiling at Angel as she shoved her elbow into William’s stomach.

In the meantime, Riley felt as if he had suddenly become transparent.

“He doesn’t need to wait for my visits. He and I live together!” Drusilla explained, as she warned Harmony with an icy gaze.

William looked at her puzzled as he recovered from Buffy’s blow. “Look, I was talking about his Inspiration!”

“I * am* his Inspiration!” the beautiful French girl declared proudly.

Spike was even more puzzled. “You are as crazy as your friend!”
Drusilla smiled, looking at him, and then at her best friend. “I already see that pepper and pepper will make such sweet sugar!” she clapped her hands happily.
“I repeat, you are crazy!” Spike snapped.

“And this time I totally agree with him!” Buffy approved.

“And you must be the craziest one!” the blond went on, turning to Angel.

“Me? But... I didn’t even say anything!” he grumbled.

“You’re the best friend of a pixie with a very scary and aggressive attitude, plus... you are the boyfriend of a visionary girl who talks nonsense! So, tell me if this is not pure madness!” Spike struck back.

“Well, Boy, I’m not going to stay here wasting my time with you!” Angel snapped, ready to get inside his character, just as his Drusilla had asked him. In fact, he looked seductively at Harmony. “Hey, doll, don’t you know that you’re very hot? You were born to be portrayed!” he stated.

“Really?” she giggled madly as the stupid girl she was.

“Yes. And if the Boy here doesn’t complain... would you like to go to my studio and... have some fun?” he suggested, linking arms with her, ignoring Drusilla on purpose, as she pretended to be a pissed off girlfriend, sending her rival a ‘Just-dare-to-touch-him-and-I-will-gauge-your-eyes-out-in-a-heartbeat!’ look.

And her look was the only thing that wasn’t a charade!

Harmony couldn’t even begin to imagine that, just as the brunette girl had planned, the ‘studio’ where Angel was eagerly taking her to was nothing but an old abandoned warehouse that only he and Drusilla seemed to know and they had fun calling it ‘The Hellmouth’... due to its not too warm and cosy atmosphere.

Angel would lock her inside for a bunch of hours, just enough time to knock her down (figuratively, of course!)

William observed her as she left with Angel.

The bleached blond was pissed off, but not due to the fact that Harmony had dumped him, he was glad about that, the thing that made him furious was that Angel had called him ‘Boy’ with an air of superiority.

After all, they were almost the same age; he had no right to do that!

“So, won’t you even fight to win back your girlfriend?” Buffy wondered, approaching him, as Riley hereby swore to himself that he would never ever wear green military stuff anymore.. because it really made him way too mimetic!

“What? Oh, pet, let me explain. I just slept once with her... only because I was too bloody drunk to realize the idiot thing I was doing! And she considers herself my girlfriend since that bloody night!” Spike explained.

TBC

Sorry, sorry. Sorry for leaving it there, but at the moment ‘Voices’ is stuck up to this point.
Well actually, I’ve already written chapters 12 and 13 (and it’s not that the story ends with those chapters, you wish! ;-P), but I’ve gotta wait for chapter 11 from Sara, and now she is too busy with her own FFs... sigh! :(
What can I say? Be patient with me!

Thanks for your interest and support so far, I hope we won’t make you wait for too long!

Hello, no, it’s not a joke, we’re back for real, thanks to my dear Sara! ;)

Thank you all so, so, so, so much, by both of us!!

Chapter 11 (There’s a little something from a famous movie, ‘How to lose a guy in ten days’)

Drusilla stared at Angel as he left and then she turned to Xander, winking at him without anyone noticing them.

In the meantime, Spike and Buffy kept teasing each other as two children, Riley approached them, clearing his throat as he tried unsuccessfully to get their attention. “Well, maybe you should drink less... otherwise you’re bound to keep making drunken mistakes that you’ll regret later...” Buffy told him bitterly.

“At least I have the alcohol excuse, what’s yours, pixie?”

Drusilla shook her head. They really seemed to be two little children, always ready to fight... and to think that they were both way over eighteen years old! The brunette girl smiled. She was more and more sure with each passing moment that they wouldn’t leave stomping their feet and sticking their tongues to each other. She was sure about their ‘crash’. It would be a very interesting crash indeed.


“Excuse me...” Riley exclaimed, touching Buffy’s shoulder.

“What?” the two blondes snapped at unison, almost scaring the boy.

Buffy recovered immediately. How did Spike manage to make her so angry that she forgot about everything else? He always managed to make her burn and a tiny voice inside her asked her if that feeling was so bad, after all.

“Sorry, Riley… what were you saying?” she said, trying to sound sweet.

“No... nothing. I just wondered if you wanted to...”

“Riley!” Xander exclaimed all of the sudden. “But... don’t you remember?”

The dark blond looked puzzled at him. Why was William’s best friend talking with him now if he had always avoided him so far?

“What?”

“Oh, c’mon, we talked about that!” he slurred. “That tonight you would come with me to that super party ... “

“Me? At a party? With you?”

“Oh, c’mon! The party I talked with you about, Giovanni’s party!”

“Do you have a friend called Giovanni?”

“Well... yes ... Giles’ Italian friend, remember we were gonna have fun and you would talk about the job you wanted so much...”

Xander was starting to have trouble to carry on with his persuading speech, as everyone stared at him in confusion.

Drusilla decided to help her partner in crime.

“Are you really gonna go to that party? Wow, everyone has been talking about it for months! All the coolest people in Sunnydale will be there tonight. If you wanna improve your career, this is the best chance you have!”

Riley’s eyes sparkled. Just hearing about coolest people and career had already excited him.

After that he had almost completely forgot about Buffy.

Drusilla smiled, seeing the booby’s face.

“Hey, Xander... do you think that I can come, too?”

“Sure, Dru, the more we are, the funnier it will be!”

“Hey!” the two blondes exclaimed at unison.

“What?”

“Can we come with you, too?”

“No!”

Spike and Buffy stared at them puzzled. Why did they have the feeling that something was wrong?

“Why the hell no?” Spike asked, turning to his best friend.

“Sorry, mate, but I only have three invitations!”

“So, you’ll leave me here to bring with you a crazy visionary and... Riley Finn?!”

“Spike, try to understand… I can’t say no to a lady. And about Riley... well, I promised him. I can’t let a friend down, now can I?”

“Right!” Riley nodded, patting his now new friend Xander’s shoulder, as William’s jaw touched the ground.

Since when did the world turn upside down?

The three of them jumped on Xander’s car, leaving the empty parking lot, where the two puzzled blondes stood in the middle.

They were still trying to get a sense to what had happened. Realization hit Buffy then.

“Gee, damn Dru! And now... how the hell am I supposed to go back home?” she snorted exasperated.

Everything seemed to fall to pieces. Maybe she could give vent to her rage with William, it seemed that fighting with him made her feel better. She turned abruptly to him as he still stared at the empty road.
“Do you realize what just happened?”

“Hell yeah, I do. I lost my ride home!”

“No. Xander left with Riley... he had always annoyed him, but now... I guess an apocalypse is coming soon!”

“C’mon, don’t be upset because your best friend dumped you... just as the girl-of-the-day-after did!”

“Hey, you just got dumped, too... by Mr. Soldiers-Rule!”

They stared at each other for a while, realizing that there was something fishy in their friends’ attitudes. .

And that they would kill their best friends due to that.

“Well, at least I’m not the one that has to walk home!” he commented, sneering. He found relaxing fighting with her.

“Hey! Are you really planning to leave me here all alone this late at night, aren’t you?”

“Why not?”

“What if I found some criminals or...”

“Well, just promise them you won’t harm anyone and everything will be fine!”

Buffy made her disappointed face, a mix of being angry and being confused.

William thought that she was beautiful. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Ok, pet, let’s go, I’ll give you a ride!”

She made a smile of victory and followed him, until she saw that there was only left a motorcycle in the parking lot.
He jumped on and put on his black crash-helmet and then he took a white one on the back, giving it to her.

“You get the hopeless crash-helmet!”

Buffy took it in her hands, hesitating.

“It doesn’t look so bad...”

“Trust me, once they wear it... everyone seems to be hopeless!”

She put it on and smiled at him, she had buried the war axe for a while. There was something that cheered her up that night... maybe it was the stars, maybe it was... him.

“Would you look at that, it fits you to a T!” he admitted, smiling back and fixing the belt to make her helmet firmer.

That little gentleness caressed her heart and for a while his voice didn’t remind her of her unbearable colleague, but of the man that some months before she had heard on the radio for the very first time.

She would never tell anyone, she would deny it even under torture... but she felt good while she was hugged to him during the ride to her home.

When they arrived to Summers’ House, he turned off the motorcycle and took the helmet off. He then approached Buffy, helping her to take off hers, lightly caressing her face.

He didn’t know what it was, but he couldn’t help not being gentle with her at the moment.

(End I)

We hope you’ll still like it!

Thank you everyone, by Sara and me!!

Well this is a very sweet part.. in every sense LOL!


Chapter eleven (II)

Once they were on the stairs that conduced to her apartment, Buffy smiled back at him and then she stared back at her door. Should she invite him in? A little inner voice said ‘No!’ After all, he was still her unbearable colleague, so why should she do that?

“When I came here to pick you up the first night I forgot to say that... hmmm, anyway, nice apartment!” he said, stopping her river of thoughts.

“Thank you, it’s not so bad. It’s just a small flat... but it’s mine! Sure, my mother’s house was ten times more beautiful ... but I know that she would like some stuff here!” she said, opening the door.

“Let me guess... like the flowers on the windowsills?”

“Yep. They were her favourite ones. She always said that a house without flowers is too dark...”

He smiled, standing still at the door, inspecting the apartment from there, while he mulled on Buffy’s last statement. Judging by her words and her tone, her mother must be dead and he was almost upset about that, because he was sure that he would like her.
“Your mother must be a wonderful woman!”

“Yes, she was!” she answered, looking at him. “And she made an exquisite hot chocolate...”

“So, did you learn to do that, too?”

“Maybe, if you wanna try...” she said, beckoning him to follow her inside.

William thought about that for a while. When they had arrived there he’d hoped that she would invite him in, but then he had thought that he preferred that she didn’t, after all he didn’t care... or did he? But now he just couldn’t reject her gentle proposal.


For once, he didn’t expect anything. He just wanted to sit at a table with her, in front of a mug of hot chocolate. Not to annoy her, not even to seduce her, just to hear her talk, maybe more about her mother, to see her eyes fill with love and sparkle again as the first time she had talked about her.

He followed her as she made her inner voice (the one that didn’t want him to get in) shut up. She just wanted to spend some time with him and talk, to know him better and, at least for that night, to feel less alone, since her sister was away.

So, she moved away to let him in. He followed, taking a look around amazed. He approached her, bending over her as she almost shivered.

“Thank you, Buffy!” he whispered at her ear.

She smiled without managing to answer. The way he said her name made her dizzy!

About half an hour later they were still in the kitchen.

Buffy sat with her elbows on the table as she watched him cook.

“Your mom must have been an excellent cook, but... either she was a terrible teacher... or you are a terrible disciple!” he grumbled.

“You’re exaggerating! It wasn’t that bad!”

“You * burned * it, pet!”

She snorted as he turned to look at her, without stopping from stirring the chocolate.

“It’s a matter of patience, Buffy...” he said, taking her by the hand and pulling her closer to him. “Look. Making hot chocolate is a lot like falling in love!”

She couldn’t help but locking her eyes with his as her mind recalled the voice of the man who had made her heart beat faster during a very sad night.

“You must stir, slowly and carefully, paying attention not to burn it, but making sure that it’s thick enough. It’s just like the first kiss you give to someone you care about. You must give it time, not too fast and with a low flame, otherwise it’ll burn, turning into a short passion. It must be deep enough, so that you can have a good memory of it, remembering its taste and wishing you can have another very soon!”

Buffy listened to him almost without breathing, as her eyes fell on his lips and her mind wondered if he was still talking about chocolate... or about kisses.

William turned the flame off and raised the spoon, bringing it to Buffy’s lips. She got closer and parted her lips slowly, placing the tip of her tongue on the spoon and licking the chocolate away, moaning in pleasure.

Spike observed the scene as he thought that he had never seen anything sexier than that. He was confused about if he should try to kiss her or just confine himself to taste the chocolate.

“So, is it okay?” he asked her, almost whispering.

“Hot, thick... making me want to have more... something more...” she confessed softly, repeating her previous actions to taste the chocolate again.

“More...” he repeated, as she parted slowly.

“I’ll bring the mugs!” she said, managing to regain her self control.

“Yes!” he answered, shaking his head and breathing deeply.

He poured the content in the mugs as she brought some marshmallows, making him smile.

“I adore them with hot chocolate!”

“Me, too, mom always gave me marshmallows when I was a little girl...” she said, smiling.

“Finally, we have found out something in common!”

They kept silent, sipping at their chocolate and looking at each other several times.

“So...” he exclaimed, breaking the awkward silence. “Tell me more about your mother. I knew there must be something good in you!”

She stuck her tongue to him.

“So, it’s just my mom the only good thing in me?!” she almost burst out laughing, but she became serious again, but not sad. “Yes, she was awesome!”

They spent most of the night chatting and laughing, until they both realized that it was already 3:00 a.m.

She walked him towards his motorcycle and he turned once again to look at her.

“Thank you for this beautiful night, William!” she whispered. Spike stared at her, thinking that his name on her lips was just perfect. “You didn’t tell me that you could also be ‘cute’ upon occasion!” she said, laughing as he shook his head.

“I’m a real mystery, Summers... but don’t worry, tomorrow I’ll resume being annoying and irritating as always!”

“Good. I was beginning to think that you were courting me!”

“Gee!” he struck back, laughing and rolling his eyes. “First, you call me cute, then... this! It’s obvious that you are very, very tired!”

They smiled at each other again and he jumped on his motorcycle as she was closing the front door of her apartment building.

“Goodnight, Buffy!” he whispered, before putting his crash-helmet on.


She closed the door, resting her back on it.
“Goodnight, William!”

TBC

Well, if you think that from now on there will be just romance without any banter.. you are sooo wrong! ;-P

I already tell you, next chapter won’t be spuffy (sorry), although there is Spike, plus a new entry whom I hope you’ll appreciate! ;)

Anyway, we hope you’ll still like it

Hello, sorry for late!
Thank you all by Sara and me! ;)
Here’s the new chap

Chapter 12

“Willow has already been here, Dru and even Angel have, too! So, I’m the only one who still hasn’t!” Dawn thought out loud as she had sneaked into the Magic Box studios, since, at least for once, there were no guards in the front door.

Dawn had decided to see Buffy host live, sure that her sister would like that surprise once she saw her there.

She was wandering around the first floor studios, looking curiously at everything, when Riley approached her. The poor guy was still trying to recover from the disappointment he’d felt when he realized that the super party Drusilla and Xander had talked him about, three nights before, was just a lie. And to think that, as he was riding in the car with them, he had imagined himself working for CNN!

“Hey, little girl, what are you doing here all alone? Are you lost?” he exclaimed, looking at her in deep concern.

Her reaction was immediate.

“Whoever you are, stop treating me like a baby! I’m already fifteen years old!” the teenager snapped, kicking his ankle with determination, before leaving furious.

Without understanding exactly what had just happened, a limping Riley headed towards his cabin, ready to start his news program, almost tempted to add to the daily news how dangerous it could be to call ‘little girl’ to a teenager!

Dawn had seen from afar that the ‘Voices in the Night’ cabin was still desert, since it was only 9:30 p.m., after all. She was going to get in, when an authoritative voice stopped her.


“Hey, you, girl, don’t you know that you can’t be here? Plus, I know what you did before, so you’ll be seriously punished!”

< That’s it, I knew it, I kicked a DJ, and surenow... someone had to caught me… I’m in big trouble! > the teenager thought, turning slowly, ready to face the consequences, until her light blue eyes met the light blue eyes of a young boy who couldn’t be older than eighteen years old.

He was staring at her coldly and impassibly, encased in a black leather coat that made him seem tougher but that also seemed to be two or three sizes too big for him.

< Well, I wouldn’t mind being arrested by him, maybe even being frisked by him. Gee, bad Dawn, shame on you!> she thought maliciously, but she was surprised when the boy burst out laughing.

“You bought it! I’m not bad at all it seems, I could be a secret agent just like 007!” he smiled.

“It was a joke?! Gee, you almost made me have a heart attack, I even saw myself in jail!” she protested, although his smile bewitched her.

“You’re so exaggerated! You can’t go to jail for such a little thing. Quite the contrary, you were great, what a kick! You seemed a Power Ranger!” he congratulated.

“Hey, am I wrong... or are you a little bit obsessed with TV?” Dawn wondered.

“Have you ever seen ‘The Cable Guy’ with Jim Carrey? Well, the protagonist is nothing compared to me!” he struck back.

“You know, I don’t think that that’s something you should be proud of! Anyway, you didn’t tell me yet who you are. Did you fool the guards, too?”

“Hell, no. I have family here. To begin with, my brother is one of the DJs, no, not the one you kicked before, don’t worry! And if that wasn’t enough... my uncle is the Radio’s Owner!” he bragged as she jumped to a very important conclusion.

“Wow! So you are...”

“Yes, William, or Spike, if you prefer, is my big bro. I’m Andrew!” he introduced himself, shaking her hand.

“What a coincidence! My sister is the DJ who co-hosts with your brother. I’m Dawn!” she introduced herself.

“Funny. Due to the transitive property... we can almost say that we are colleagues, too!” he joked, making her chuckle.

“By any chance do you also host a program?” she asked.

“No, I would like to, but I haven’t managed yet to persuade uncle Rupert into making me host a program about special effects in the science fiction movies, that’s my dream!” he confessed.

She was about to say something about that, but she stopped when she saw Spike arrive by their side.

“What are you doing here? Well, Andy, you’re not a surprise, since you are always here annoying me. But you, Nibblet, what about you?”

“I just want to surprise Buffy. And since I ‘m already here, I took advantage of that to visit the studios ...”

“And to beat down a DJ, too!” Andrew added, making her feel awkward not due to what he had just said, but due to the way he was looking at her.

And William noticed that look, too.

“Andrew, invent something to do and go do that!” he summoned him.

“Uff, okay. Dawn, it was really nice to meet you. From now on, every time I see the sun rise ... I’ll think of you!” he murmured.

“Oh, Andrew, thank you, you’re such a poet!” she sighed contently.

“Thanks, but you’re wrong. In our family, the only real poet is...”

William covered his mouth in time, smiling innocently at Dawn.

“Don’t mind at what he says. You know, there are three adjectives to describe my hell of a brother: chatty, TV-addicted and...” he commented, looking at him better. “And THIEF! Bloody hell, how many times have I told you not to wear my coat!” he growled.

“Well, now I really should go. See you, Dawnie!” Andrew said, running away before Spike could catch him.

“So where were we, Nibblet? Tell me, how did you arrive here? Did Red gave you a ride?”

Dawn shook her head in negative.

“The Visionary girl?”

Another negative shake.

“Broody boy?”

“No, I just caught the bus, you know, there’s a stop nearby...” she explained.

“What?! Did you cross half town at night, all alone, in bus? If your sister finds out about that... she will slay me!”

“Sorry, but... why do you feel involved?”

“I don’t, but with your big sis it always works like that: if something, anything, goes wrong... I become her personal punch bag! So... try to understand, if you ‘surprise’ her... later she will throw a party in my honour: my funeral! You’ll come back when you find someone you can trust who can bring you here...” he commented.

“Well... we could ask your brother to do that...” she suggested with fake nonchalance.

“Forget it! Plus, I said ‘someone you can trust in’ and I would never leave you alone with my brother for more than ten minutes!” he protested. “Anyway, is Buffy home now?”

“No, she is at Dru and Angel’s apartment... “

“That’s perfect. So I can drive you back home and this will be our little secret. After all, it’s still pretty early for the show and after all, it seems that by now I’ve become the Summers’ women personal chauffeur!” he grumbled as he left with her.

< And I know that you don’t mind that at all! > Dawn thought with her typical knowing smile as she day-dreamed about double dates between the two Summers sisters and the two Rayne brothers.

TBC

Don’t worry, next chapter will have Spuffy ... but expect more banter than romance, ihiihi !
Hope you’ll like ‘my’ Andrew, anyway... he will be back! ;)





thank you anyway..

Thank you all.

Sorry for this huge late, but finally I’m back!

This chapter should be kinda funny.. I hope you’ll enjoy it! ;)

Chapter 13 ( I quoted a little something from, ‘Touched’, nothing spuffy anyway)

There was still half an hour left before a new transmission of ‘Voices in the night’ began and William sat against a wall, outside the studios, surrounded by... the butts of all the cigarettes that he had smoked in the last twenty minutes, as he lighted the umpteenth one.

He wasn’t chain-smoking because he had to host the show with Buffy; after all they’d been working together for more than ten weeks now. Something else was making him nervous.


“Hey, big bro, what are you doing outside?” Andrew greeted him, sitting close to him.

William rolled his eyes. “What the hell are you doing here now?” he wondered.


“Yes, I missed you a lot, too!” the other struck back ironically. Sarcasm was very probably a family trade. ”What’s wrong with that? Can’t I pay my favourite brother a visit?”



“I’m the only brother you have!” William rolled his eyes again.

“Yes, and that’s one more reason for you to be my fave one! Gee, you’re so tense! C’mon, let’s play a game to make you relax: “I spy with my little eye something that begins with a T…” Andrew trailed.

“Yes, it’s the throat I’m gonna rip off of you if you don’t go away! Bloody hell, how can you play this stupid kindergarten games when you are nineteen years old?” William snapped.

“Gee, you’re so nervous tonight! Well, I should have figured that out by all the cigarette butts... you are smoking more than a chimney! Just tell me, what’s the matter?”

“What’s the matter? It’s a bunch of bloody coincidences: the crazy pixie said that tonight she would drive on her own... and just take a look at the parking area. What an irony! The only free space left is the one between the wall... and * my DeSoto *! Why didn’t I bring the motorcycle today?” the bleached blonde grumbled, throwing the cigarette on the ground. “If she scratches it while she parks... I don’t know what I’ll do to her!” he growled exasperated.

< No, wait, I know. I’m gonna open the car door, pull her out with a rough tug, smash her on the hood and jump on her. And then I’ll rip all her clothes off and... Wait a minute! There’s something wrong with this picture. It was supposed to be a revenge, but it looks more like... a rape! Well... it wouldn’t be so if she agreed… but that’s not the sodding point! > Spike told himself, puzzled, as for some strange reasons his jeans seemed to be tighter all of the sudden.

“C’mon, I’m sure she’ll pay attention, you should begin trusting her more!” his younger brother commented.

< He’s right, I should thrust in her... I mean TRUST!> he corrected himself, more and more confused.

“Uhmm... is there any chance that she comes with ... Dawn?” Andrew dared ask immediately after, nonchalantly.

William still had to recover from the fusion of thoughts coming from his brain with... the ones coming from another part of his body! But after Andrew’s question, he seemed to come back to Earth.


“I knew it! That’s why you are here. No, she isn’t coming today, and even if she did, I would keep you far away from her. You should stop thinking about her!”

“I’ll start when * you * stop thinking about * her big sis *!” Andrew struck back and William was floored by the response.

To be pungent must be another Rayne’s family trade.

Andrew left him alone with his (hot) thoughts. But his isolation didn’t last long, because Wesley arrived after a little while.


“So, what are you doing here all alone, far from the rest of the world? Do you wanna be a hermit?” the brunette teased him.

“No! I just care about my beloved car!”

“I don’t know much about engines, but I can guarantee that if no one is inside it, the car doesn’t move, it remains still, believe me!” Wesley joked.

“Ha, ha, how witty you are today! Truth is that today Buffy is driving to work... and I guess I just told you everything.”

“NO!” Wesley exclaimed, figuring out that if Buffy drove on her own there wasn’t any chances of Willow giving her a ride.

“See? You understand how serious the problem is! I appreciate your solidarity... but there’s no need to be so despaired,” William looked at him, puzzled.

“Uh! You’re right, but... well I was pretending that it was my car, so I know what it’s like! Anyway, it’s late now and the match is about to start, I gotta go, bye!” Wesley said quickly, leaving as fast as he could.

“But... there are no matches today!” William thought out loud, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

But he shrugged, drawing another cigarette out from his almost empty packet.

He didn’t even have the time to light it, because, even without seeing Buffy, he heard the shriek of her car at the juncture. He jumped up from his place against the wall and ran toward her, stopping in the middle of the street. Buffy shrieked.

“Are you nuts? I almost ran you over... and I’m still wondering why I stopped the car!” Buffy snapped.

“The only crazy person here is you who drive in the way!” he struck back.

“Well, get away, I gotta park!”

“That’s the bloody point, you can’t!”

“What does that mean I can’t?”

“It means that the only free place left is the one between the wall ... and * my car *!”

“Oh, no! I hate parking near walls, I don’t wanna scratch my car!”

“You shouldn’t worry about the sodding wall, you’d better pay attention to my DeSoto, if you dare scratch it...” he threatened her.

“Okay, I got it. Now, go away, I gotta park!” she said, setting her car in motion again and heading towards the parking lot, but then she stopped.

“What now?” William wondered, reaching her.

“It’s your fault! You put me under pressure... and now I can’t do that anymore!” she protested.

He didn’t let her say anything else, he just opened the car door, pulled her out with a rough tug... but he stopped at the first phase of the NC-17 movie he had been playing in his mind.

< Here we go! Now he’s gonna smash me on the hood, jump on me, rip all my clothes off and... Alright, I lost myself in this dirty fantasy about him again! Bad, bad Buffy!> she scolded herself... but she was a little bit upset when she saw him just get inside her car.

“What are you gonna do?” she wondered.

“It looks pretty clear to me: I’m gonna park the car for you, so there won’t be any damages!” and saying that he perfectly parked the car in just a few seconds.

“Uff, I could do that, too!” Buffy grumbled.

< Well... it would have taken me just ten... or maybe twenty more moves… but I would’ve managed to do it!> she thought, looking at William as he got out, giving her the car key back and following him inside the studios.

Time had gone by fast and finally their show started.

“Good evening, Children of the Night. Spike and Buffy are here with you, as always!” Spike greeted them.

“Yes, and we are ready for another powerful night! But let’s not waste time, here’s the topic of the night...” Buffy announced, but Spike cut her off.

“I suggest... driving! Do you drive? Do you like to drive? Who do you think are the best drivers? Women or men? And how do you deal with... * parking *?” Spike sneered, looking at Buffy as she mouthed him: ‘Evil’.

“I’ll just tell you that if it weren’t for me, our dear Buffy would still be in the parking lot trying to park her car in a thousand bloody manoeuvres!” he chuckled, teasing her.

“Hey, Mr Hero-on-four-wheels, why don’t you tell them the truth? Hey, people, try to drive after he put you under pressure, convincing you that you would never be able to do it without scratching your car! I just about expected him to draw out a gun and aim it at my temple, too!” Buffy struck back.

“You would’ve ended up scratching my car!” Spike justified.

“It’s already horrible, a little scratch would just make it look better!” she responded airily.

“Don’t you dare to insult my car!” Spike summoned her.

“Look, people, as we‘ll probably end up punching each other, you can listen to ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ by Greenday, because that’s the story of a guy who keeps walking alone, so... no cars!” Buffy joked, making the song start.

By then, she had learnt how to do everything in the cabin.

Spike and Buffy took their headphones off, looking at each other with mutual and extreme dislike.

“You should avoid personal matters, have you ever heard of that thing called ‘professional secret’? Oops, sorry, I forgot. You are no professional, not even the secret!” Buffy teased him.

“Miss Radio has just talked! Anyway, I had to warn Sunnydale and its vicinities about the huge danger you can be on four wheels! By the way, learn how to drive! I’m sure that you must have taken your driving exam in your fairy pixies village, because here on the Earth no one would ever be so stupid as to allow you to drive!” Spike struck back and their fight went on during the rest of the song... and even after that!

TBC


As I already explained on the tag, this will be the last chapter for now, since Sara is very, very busy lately.
To be honest, I already wrote some chapters for the future.. but it’s useless if Sara doesn’t give me her veeeery important ones!
Be patient with us! We started this fanfic and we are more than intentioned to finish it, don’t worry!

Well.. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my other ones.. ;)