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Chapter 16 - Dare to Dream


Pulling into the circular drive of the O’Shea mansion, Spike stepped out of the car, jogging around to Buffy’s side and beating the attendant to the door. Offering his arm to her as she stepped out of the vehicle, he tossed his keys to the man as he guided her up the steps, into the entrance hall of the house. Buffy swallowed hard at the interior of the house, looking around the huge foyer that merged into a grand ballroom to her left. She hadn’t been in the O’Shea mansion since the Christmas party the year before, when she and Spike were still a blissfully happy couple. Even when she was dating Angel, she’d only been there a few times since he had his own apartment, and that was a brief visit. She always felt vastly overwhelmed in the manor.

Leading her through the throngs of people and into the ballroom where the banquet tables were lining the space to her left, complete with hors d'oeuvres and champagne, Spike kept his arm firmly wrapped around her waist. Straight ahead, and about fifty yards away, was the area reserved for dinner. Buffy looked to her right and noticed the open marble floor where couples were already dancing to the live band. The back wall to the right was covered in windows, along with several sets of open French doors, letting in the cool December air. Beyond that, Buffy could barely make out the outlines of a large patio and garden.

“Wow,” said Dawn, coming up behind the two of them. “I thought this was supposed to be an intimate dinner party.”

Giles and Joyce joined them as Spike chuckled. “Try intimate gala.”

“Yes,” said Giles. “The O’Shea’s often spare no expense when it comes to festivities.”

“Buffy!”

Turning at the sound of her name, Buffy smiled when she saw Angel approaching her.

“You look lovely,” he said, giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek that nearly had Spike’s jaw breaking from the force that he was clenching it before watching him turn to greet Joyce and Dawn.

“I wanted all of you to meet someone,” Angel continued, turning away from them and gesturing to a pretty, petite blonde woman to join them. “Everyone, this is Darla Mason. Darla, this is Joyce and Dawn Summers, Rupert Giles, Spike, and this is Buffy.”

Darla offered a shy smile to everyone and gave the group a little nod.

“Now, if you all will excuse me, I believe Buffy owes me a dance.”

Shooting a slightly nervous look at Spike, she sighed when she realized he wasn’t making eye contact with her, tentatively taking the arm Angel offered and letting him lead her out to the dance floor. Once she was encircled by his arms, Buffy gave him a questioning look.

“I know, I know, it wasn’t the stealthiest move to get you alone, but I wanted to see how you were doing? I haven’t gotten a chance to really talk to you since…it happened.”

Buffy sighed heavily before nodding. “I’m doing okay,” she said in a moderately convincing voice. “I think we might be working through it…or working toward something…or something,” she finished with a sigh.

“Do you want to make it work?” he asked, tilting his head to look at her.

“If he’s changed,” she murmured, avoiding Angel’s soulful eyes. “Spike really seems to be making an effort, so we’ll just see where it takes us.”

“He really wasn’t in a right frame of mind, Buff. I know you don’t want to hear one of his friends stick up for him, but he was miserable without you. He never stopped loving you…just tried to drink the pain away, and it led to some less than favorable things. Oz talked to me about it, and we never wanted you to have to see anything. We just felt that you deserved to know what could…and eventually did happen.”

“Then why didn’t he call me?” she asked miserably. “Why didn’t he ask me to come visit even earlier? Why did he wait until the tour was half over before screwing up? Angel, I don’t understand.”

“I can’t give you all the answers, Buffy. Again, he wasn’t in the right frame of mind- there is no right answer or credible reason…he just made a mistake.”

Taking a deep breath to control her emotions, Buffy nodded as she tried to keep the tears at bay. “Thank you, Angel. You and Oz did the right thing. I mean, it’s not like I’m jumping up and down because of it, but I’m healing. Yeah, I wish that it had never happened, but maybe it was supposed to,” she continued, looking over at Spike, who was staring at her intently. “Maybe we needed it to get where we are now, you know? To not confuse puppy love with true love.”

* * * * *

Standing to the side of the dance floor, Spike stared at the former couple, wrapped in each other’s arms. Why did it pain him so much to see her dancing with a friend? They were just dancing…what he had done to her had been so much worse.

“You really love her, don’t you?”

Turning to the side, Spike raised an eyebrow when he saw Darla standing next to him, staring at the couple. “Yeah,” he said softly, turning his gaze back to the woman he loved. “I really do.”

“She’s been hurt.”

Looking at the other woman with a questioning expression, he waited for her to continue.

“You can just tell. The way she looks at you- there’s a lot of pain there, but there’s love, too.”
Turning away from the dance floor, Darla gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “Don’t give up.”

Standing alone at the edge of the dance floor, Spike stared at Buffy, catching a glance that she sent his way. He frowned when he saw a dark-haired man cut in on Angel and wrap Buffy in his arms a little too securely for Spike’s liking. Slowly making his way around the perimeter of the dance floor until he was standing close to the French doors at the back of the room, he was only moderately satisfied that he was closer to the couple. Keeping a wary eye on the man, Spike nearly growled when he saw his hand drift a little bit lower towards the swell of her buttocks.

* * * * *

Letting out an irritated sigh when she saw Parker Abrams cut in on Angel, Buffy gritted her teeth, repressing the urge to roll her eyes. She definitely did not want to dance with him, but she kept an impassive face as he wrapped her tightly in his arms. Straining against his hold on her as he continued his somewhat discreet groping, Buffy let out a groan when he began talking about himself. After a minute, she felt his hand drift lower and waited for the motive to give him a good swift kick, but unfortunately, the opportunity never came.

“So, Buffy, when are we going to go out again?”

“Hmmm…try never,” she said with a faux bright smile on her face.

“Come on, Buff, I know you felt it. You feel it now, when I’m pressed so close to you.”

“Are you just trying to test my gag reflex, Parker?”

“Don’t play coy, baby. You want it just as much as I do.”

Standing in shock when his lips began to attack hers in a sloppy kiss, Buffy’s eyes widened in disbelief. After a few seconds of astonishment, she roughly shoved him away, kicking him firmly in the shin as she did so.

“Don’t you ever try that again, Abrams, or you’ll see how much I really do want it!”

With another swift kick, Buffy rushed off the dance floor, leaving a bruised Parker behind her.




Thanks so much to: Cordykitten, Franchesca, blondiebear, BuffyandSpikeForever, B, Caitie, txjmfan, Aseret, & willowmouse for reviewing!





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