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Thank you for reading this and the lovely reviews.
TO KNOW THE HUMAN HEART


Summary: Buffy thinks about her past, then decides to give her present a new chance.

Spike has a little chat with an old ‘friend’ of Buffy’s.

Spike and Buffy go on their date (fluffy chapter here).


Chapter 8: ‘La Mezzanotte In Milano’ (Midnight In Milan)


Buffy sat on the patio of her condo, slowly sipping her second cup of coffee of the morning. No, make that the afternoon.

After Spike had left her home, earlier that day, Buffy had washed up; brushed her teeth and slipped into her round, queen sized bed. Buffy adored that bed of hers; round, which was rather eccentric in itself. The bed stood over three feet off the ground; from bottom to top of the mattress.

One innate talent Buffy had; just like her mother, was a keen eye for color and interior decorating. She had always enjoyed the more avant-garde type of design; therefore, the round, massive bed with its deep red satin comforter and snow white satin sheets.

For some reason, where many might feel the colors were too much contrast; almost harsh and gaudy. Buffy merely found them inviting and comforting. She truly enjoyed sleeping in her huge round bed, even if she slept there alone.

Her three stark white bedroom walls were adorned with black and white print pictures of children in various scenes. Usual and unusual; by anyone’s standards that is.

There was a saucy little print: the cute little boy on the Harley; a little light haired girl on the back of the bike. Their original pictures were snapped as they giggled about something childish one would suppose. The caption read ‘Young Hearts; Be Free’ and it was one of Buffy’s favorites.

Another print showed a small, dark haired girl leaning over and kissing a little boy’s plump little cheek. His mouth was twisted in a wicked little grin and his eyes were half closed.

The caption on this print read: ‘Wild Love Sustained; Can’t Be Contained’

Heck, there was even a black and white print of Elvis, probably taken sometime before he left for the army back in 1961 or so. His soulful eyes seemed to be focused on some distant horizon; the famous wisp of black bangs hung well below his thick brows. Those were only a few of the prints that adorned Buffy’s stark white walls.

The one wall that was painted passionate red held one large picture; a print of Buffy herself, her only real narcissistic failing. She happened to have had that picture taken when she bought the very all black little dress she was going to wear tonight, on her date.

However, in the picture, her skin was pale, as if it had never been kissed by the sun. She actually loved the sun and her skin tone was usually just slightly golden. Buffy wore a huge, Saturn ringed black hat and her eyes were made up, dramatically, with purely black liner and Smokey gray shadows. The gloss on her lips was whore red and the photographer had posed her like a vamp; mysterious, seductive and a little eerie looking.

The frame was made of expensive black cherry wood that gave the whole room a sense of contrasting feelings and colors. It was Buffy’s one true guilty pleasure; this avant-garde print of herself and hardly anyone else in the world had seen it.

As she finished her coffee, a special Columbian blend, Buffy thought about her date that night with Spike. This was a big, big step for her and she knew it as well as anyone.

The last time she had gone out on an actual date, it had been with Xander. That was mostly at his insistence and her dear friend Willow’s. Buffy supposed that the red head had thought it would do her some good to get out and ‘look’ attached to someone again. Even if that someone was her best friend from way back when.

Buffy had assumed at the time, of course, that Xander would have realized that their date was just a friendly affair. Nothing more.

However, at the end of the disastrous evening out, when Xander had clumsily made an attempt to kiss Buffy? She had actually cringed away from the poor guy and hurried into her doorway, slamming it behind her; in his face.

Still, after months and months of rejection, Xander continued to pursue Buffy romantically. Something she could not understand at all. The truth was, Buffy hated to continually be the bitch in the matter, but Xander was persistent. However, after their last date, Buffy had made it clear on numerous occasions that she was not interested in Xander Harris.

Right now, sitting on her patio, Buffy realized how much she truly enjoyed the quiet and serenity of the place. Even if she now experienced it all by herself at these peaceful moments.

At one time, Riley would have been here with her, sipping coffee and laughing about something or other. Buffy missed ‘that’ part of her relationship with Riley. Even if she did not necessarily miss the man himself.

Riley had been her friend, then lover and finally fiancé and Buffy had grown accustomed to his presence. She found the stability of a committed relationship to be comfortable; even if Riley had turned out not to be quite so committed as Buffy had hoped him to be.

Since Spike Giles had burst into her life, just days before, Buffy had caught herself experiencing that remembered hopefulness she once held so dear. There was something about Spike, or William as she preferred to call him; that pleasantly touched her icy, fearful heart.

It was she herself who had built the frozen walls about her own heart, especially after she had caught Riley with another woman. It was that experience that had changed Buffy’s outlook on relationships and caused her to build the cold emotional walls about her.

Part of her wished that someone, perhaps Spike, could ride in on his white steed and be her true champion. Perhaps fight the evil dragon of mistrust Buffy had created in her mind and destroy the icy walls she had built around her emotions.

With a deep sigh, Buffy finished her second cup of coffee and stood up from the comfy patio chair. She padded through the sliding glass door and entered her living room.

After rinsing out her cup, she checked the time on the kitchen clock and noted that it was almost 3:30 PM. Buffy furrowed her brows together and made a mental trip through her extensive wardrobe.

Spike was to pick her up at 7:00 that evening and he had mentioned a nice restaurant that they would be going to. Buffy wanted, for some unusual reason on her part, to pick out just the perfect dress to wear for the date. She had her favorite dress in mind; a particularly stunning little number. However, she worried that it might just be a little too suggestive, especially for a first date?

Buffy thought a moment or two more, then shrugged her shoulders and giggled at the thought of the short, slinky little bold black dress she had in mind. ‘Why not?’ She asked herself saucily. ‘It’s revealing but classy enough; eye-catching and well…devastating.’


Spike Giles was just leaving Ethan Rayne’s hospital room. The older man, Spike’s only real patient here, was getting pretty obstinate. Something that didn’t necessarily surprise Spike of course, especially after the fairly active man had been cooped up here for weeks.

While he checked over Rayne’s extensive chart, Spike neglected to watch where he was going. He collided with someone, in the meantime dropping his chart and papers.

When Spike looked up, he noted that the young man he’d collided with looked very familiar. The tech was tallish, well taller then Spike anyway, and had dark hair and eyes. Within a split second, Spike recognized the tech, Parker Abrams that Buffy had gone out with some months earlier. His friend Tara had pointed him out one day while they strolled the hospital hallways.

“Excuse me,” Spike muttered half-heartedly. For some reason he really didn’t like this bloke, Abrams, even if he had never met him.

“Hey, you’re Doctor Giles, right?” Parker asked with a contemptuous smirk. Or at least that’s what Spike saw on the boy’s cruel mouth.

“Well, yes,” Spike replied reluctantly as he straightened his paperwork and looked at the good-looking younger man, a frown on his own mouth. Spike did not care for the look of this tech, but he supposed that he resented the whelp for daring to take Buffy out; at any time.

Parker suddenly got very animated, almost as if he was on amps and Spike’s frowned deepened. “Can I help you with something?” Spike asked the kid suspiciously.

“Nah,” Parker chuckled, “just thought maybe I should give you a head’s up, friend. I hear you’re sniffing around Buffy Summers and I thought I should warn you. She’s a fucking ice queen, so don’t expect ‘any’ at least anytime soon and…..”

“Don’t talk about Buffy that way,” Spike hissed, dropping his just reorganized chart back onto the floor. He had to control himself, just to keep from belting this fucking little snot in the nose and…..”

“Hey, I’m just trying to save you some trouble friend,” Parker snapped as he eyed Dr. Giles’ clenched fists. “If you’re in the Buffy market for a quick lay then forget it. She’s glued together at the knees. You know what I meant? Just tryin’ to be friendly and all; man to man,” Parker ended with a kind of whine that Spike found pathetic.

“Well, for the record ‘friend’ which by the way, I’m not your friend. I have better taste then that,” Spike growled lowly. “For the record, I find Miss Summers to be an exceptional young woman, however I can’t fathom what ‘she’ saw in ‘you’ at all. Before you say another word, let’s get something straight, shall we?” Spike leaned in and glared up into Parker’s wide brown eyes.

Parker nodded slowly, a little confused as to how the conversation had gotten to this point.

“Real men, with some innate brains, like me,” Spike began evenly, “are not looking for quick lays or one night stands, Abrams. Not from a real woman like Buffy Summers. I know you’re probably too bloody stupid to fathom this, but maybe ‘I’ am lookin’ for a woman who is more then just one step up from a hooker. If I wanted a slut to date, Abrams? I’d go find on; but I want a lady, a lady like Buffy. If you’re too much of a fucking moron to notice a real lady like Buffy when she comes along? Your loss; my gain and certainly none of your bloody business, now is it?”

“Look friend,” Parker stammered, stunned by this Brit wonderkind’s hostile demeanor.

“First off, Abrams,” Spike hissed at the shocked younger man. “I’m not your bloody friend and doubt if I could ever be. Secondly, let me clear some things up for you.” He gave this Parker a murderous glare and continued evenly.

“If I ever, in my duties here at good old Sunnydale G, find out that you have said anything out of line, to anyone, about Buffy Summers? I promise you that I’ll make your life a fucking nightmare. No, don’t interrupt, mate,” he growled the emphasis on the mate part.

“Oh, and if I ever, ever find out that you’ve cornered Buffy and said anything at all to her….. out of line or not? I’ll not only make your miserable life a fucking nightmare; I’ll wait for you, until your duty is over, and then wipe up Sunnydale with your sorry arse. Don’t think I can’t, because I can, I assure you.”

“Get this clear Abrams,” he continued harshly. “I don’t want Buffy upset or bothered, especially when she’s here, seein’ to her special babies. If I find out you’ve come within a hundred feet of her? I’ll rip your head off and shove it down your worthless throat. We got that clear now, Abrams?”

Spike glared into the tech’s fearful dark eyes, impatiently waiting for the moron to answer him.

“Are you threatening me, Dr. Giles?” Parker asked in disbelief, his dark eyes were wide with fear.

“Nah,” Spike mimicked Abrams’ response from earlier. “Let’s just say I’m warning you, friend (snarky emphasis on the friend part).”

“Let’s just say that I don’t want Buffy’s reputation; her feelings or her pride hurt in any way. Know what I meant Abrams?” Spike grinned evilly at the nervous younger man, not at all sorry that the wanker looked as if he was about to piss his pants.

It was 6:40 PM, Buffy noted anxiously; twenty minutes to go until Spike arrived for their official date. Buffy was sure that a guy like Spike would be right on time, so that meant 7:00 Sharpe.

Buffy eyed her ‘look’ with just a tad of skeptics. Her makeup was perfect, true; Smokey silver-gray shadow and dark kohl eye liner. Her lip gloss was dark blood red, to match her finger nail polish and the Obsession perfume she wore was just the right essence.

Something however was definitely off. The problem was not her makeup, or nail polish or even her perfume. No, to Buffy, the problem was her hair style.

For some reason, Buffy felt it was a good idea to pin her hair up, albeit loosely, on top of her head. Golden tendrils were left to loosely fall about her face and cheekbones; nice, but, something was truly off. The hairstyle, no matter how good it looked on her, was just not right for this outfit or this date.

“My dress is fun and flirty,” Buffy surmised out loud as she scanned her look in the full length mirror of her bedroom. “My hair should be fun and flirty too,” she decided quickly. This bun-like hair do was pretty but just too damned serious for tonight.

Buffy reached up and yanked the pins that secured her hair up and allowed her locks to fall, naturally down her neck and shoulders. She ran a quick, haphazard brush through her hair, making sure that the natural curls and waves stayed true.

“There,” Buffy sighed in contentment as she surveyed the finished affect. “That’s much better!”

At exactly 6:55 PM, Buffy’s front door bell rang, persistently, alerting her to the fact that she had judged Spike correctly.

“Should have known,” Buffy giggled softly as she grabbed her slip of a black silk wrap from the bedroom coat rack. “Spike would just ‘have’ to be early.” A part of her truly appreciated a man that was early; almost as if he couldn’t wait to see her again!


Buffy knew she had outdone herself, well, her ‘look’ when she opened the door to Spike. The look on his face made all of her pre-date jitters and preparation well worth it!

“Jesus Princess!” Spike gasped hoarsely, “You look amazing!”

“So do you William,” Buffy managed to blurt out between light giggles. He really did look great.

Spike wore black trousers instead of his usual jeans; his blue button down silk shirt was expensive and made for him. His bleached blond hair was still slicked back, somewhat, but here and there, tiny blond spikes stuck up. Overall, it gave him a contrasting, good boy meets bad boy, kind of look.

Buffy loved it!

Spike loved Buffy! Although she had no idea yet, his true feelings that is. She would soon, however, he would make sure of that. Maybe even tonight!

The couple arrived at their restaurant destination quickly. Buffy was stunned, delightedly so, when she saw where they would be dining tonight!

“Oh, Spike,” she exclaimed happily, “I love this place! ‘La Mezzanotte In Milano’ is so exquisite, but so expensive! It’s the best place in Sunnydale and…..”

He cut her off by reaching over to her and taking her little hand in his. After barely kissing the back of her hand, he chuckled softly.

“Only the best for my lady, sweetheart,” he whispered lowly and caught her gaze with his own.

“Oh,” Buffy murmured quietly as she blushed profusely.

‘Love that blush,’ Spike thought to silently. ‘Gonna’ make her blush every chance I get,’ he promised himself.

The maitre d’, Signor Antonino, gushed over the beautiful couple, calling Buffy ‘bella’ every second he could. He then made it a point to lead the stunning pair, through the entire dining area. It was as if Spike and Buffy were his personal guests and he wanted to display them, proudly, to all of the other customers.

After they had been promenaded, appropriately, through the main dining area, Spike and Buffy were sat at a very private booth. It was in a dimly lit corner, by the scenic window, with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

“This is so, well it’s just ‘wow’ Spike,” Buffy whispered in awe as she watched Signor Antonino scurry off to place their wine and meal orders. “I thought the maitre d’ just sat us at the table, not waited on us,” Buffy mumbled in confusion.

“Well, to tell you the truth, luv,” Spike began sheepishly. “I asked old Angel where, what and how to get reservations as the best place in town. He’s the one that worked the magic and got all this special treatment for us. I 'spose it helps when you’re engaged to a Chase, too, huh?”

Buffy giggled again, “yes, that’s Cordelia Chase and Angel for you. Best thing I ever did was set those two up. I have to tell you,” she whispered conspiratorially, “it’s one of my proudest accomplishments!”

They both laughed quietly and Spike reached over to take Buffy’s hand in his again. She didn’t pull away, which made caused him to relax completely.

‘This is going to be okay,’ Buffy thought to herself as she allowed her nervousness to fade away.

Spike smiled warmly at his little treasure, confident that things were going to go quite smoothly tonight.

‘This is going to be fantastic,’ Spike assured himself, rather proudly, as he squeezed Buffy’s tiny, soft hand with his.


However, fate had a plan to step in and make sure that this night would be far from smooth!




A/N: Well, that’s the next chapter. It ‘was’ a fluffy one and I promise that in the next chapter rain clouds are forming.


Thank you for reading and please review, spufette.





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