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Author's Chapter Notes:
A little change of pace as more guests arrive.
Chapter 3

Spike was still brooding by himself in the garden when he heard a commotion at the door. Trying to avoid Buffy he peered back into the main room so he could keep track of what was happening. He trusted the non-violence spell to work – but there were limits to that trust. Especially where his girl was concerned. And despite their current relationship or lack thereof, he still considered Buffy his girl.

He watched as Buffy exited the kitchen and started heading towards Giles on the other side of the room, when she realized that someone or something was outside the door. Just looking at her, Spike could tell that her first thought was that despite Spike’s precautions something evil had found its way to their gathering. She was cursing herself for believing that they were secure, and had turned to run upstairs to retrieve her weapons, when she saw Spike watching her. They both heard the doorbell, and Spike watched the Slayer pause as she took in the sight of several men just on the front porch. He could almost hear her wondering whether he had invited vampires to their supposedly demon free evening.

Anya had been standing closest to the door, and had gone to investigate. Xander was also nearby, and made as if to intercept her. Unfortunately he was just a step or two behind her when he heard Anya invite the men in.

“Anya, no, you should know better than to invite strangers in,” Xander almost wailed. But it was too late. The vampires, demons, whatever they were, they were already inside.

Shushing Xander away, Anya tried to keep him quiet. “They’re human, Xander. Don’t you think I can tell?”

Anya admitted to herself that she really was a good judge of man flesh. Her first impression had been correct. All five of the newcomers were gorgeous. They were all relatively thin and well built, and generally pleasing to the eye. To the casual observer, Anya admitted, any one of them might actually be compared favorably against her ex. Of course, after his horrific treatment of her, Anya felt that many other men were starting to look good in comparison, even Giles. At least Giles was a gentleman. And if Spike wasn’t exactly a gentleman, well, at least he did have other charms to make up for it. She wondered briefly if his charms had been diminished in any capacity by the addition of his soul. She wished she could remember their night together better. She wished she hadn’t been quite so drunk. Of course if she hadn’t, it probably never would have happened.

She almost sighed. It didn’t really matter anyway. Despite what they said, or didn’t say, Spike still only had eyes for Buffy. And Buffy, well, as far as Anya could tell, Buffy still wasn’t sure whether to trust Spike with her heart again. It was a familiar feeling to Anya, who fantasized nightly about Xander returning to her and begging for her to take him back. Depending on her mood at the moment, she either imagined a very erotic reconciliation, or Xander’s complete and utter destruction at her hands. After all, she had been a vengeance demon for hundreds of years. She literally knew thousands of ways to torture a man.

Anya suddenly realized that she had lost the gist of the conversation. First Xander had annoyingly but predictably tried to protect her when no protection was needed. Then she had been distracted by the men’s good looks, which had naturally led to unfavorable comparisons with Xander, and thoughts of his inconstancy. Not one to remain a wallflower, Anya decided to move the conversation in the direction she wanted. She didn’t care if she knew the men’s names. Unless she picked one out to receive more individual attention, she figured it really didn’t matter. But if one of them seemed sufficiently interesting, then she supposed it would be necessary to know his name before having sex with him.

“So, let me get this straight? You all know Spike?” She was still puzzled. How did the vampire come to know five great looking human men, and why would he invite them to their party? “Just how do you all know each other? You do know that Spike’s a vam….”

Suddenly Spike was there, beside Anya, with his hand on her shoulder. “Anya, no need to be talking out of school. They know me well enough - known George here at least, what, four or five years is it?”

“Yeah, about that, ” the man agreed. “I remember when we first met. You were with that blonde chick, Harmony. Too bad you broke up. You two sure had a great gig going there for awhile.”

“Wait a minute. You knew Harmony? You knew Spike when he was with Harmony?” This wasn’t adding up at all as far as Xander was concerned. That was years ago. He’d assumed that Spike had somehow met these guys recently. But Harmony was around before Spike got his soul, even been before Spike had gotten chipped. And in any case, Harmony had never been chipped. Wouldn’t she have just eaten any humans she met?

The guy, George, didn’t seem to notice Xander’s confusion. “Yeah, Harmony wasn’t much to talk to, but she sure was a looker. And boy, could those two pull in the bucks.”

Spike interrupted again, “George, I don’t think the nice people need to hear about what’s past and done with. We go back a ways, is all. No mystery. Worked together for a while.”

Xander almost spilled his drink. “You worked?”

“From time to time, when I wanted some extra dosh.” That wasn’t precisely true, as he had confessed to Buffy earlier. He’d always had plenty of cash stashed away. He just hadn’t wanted to squander it. Especially not on Harmony. At Xander’s amazed look Spike continued. “What? The pitiful pennies you lot paid me wasn’t enough to keep a dog in style. Had to find other sources of revenue. Willy was kind enough to employ me for a while, then provided a reference. All above board and legal like – well, mostly.”

“Did you do retail?” Anya asked. Perhaps if they worked together something might happen between them. “Cause I could always use another pair of hands at the Magic Box, assuming that we all survive long enough to re-open that is.”

“Thanks Anya, but it was mostly just tending bar. Besides, I’m over that little rough spot and I’m flush again. Or at least I was until I decided to sponsor this little event. As you said, not sure it really matters what happens afterwards, assuming there is an afterwards.”

“I’ve been meaning to thank you for the gift. Jewelry is always a girl’s favorite. At first I thought it was just me, but then I saw that all the girls got one. You didn’t steal all this stuff, did you? Because I’m not giving it back, even though I know what it is like to have your inventory stolen, and I can't say it was a very nice feeling. Of course, a lot of merchants have already left Sunnydale. I don’t know how anyone could do that. Just leave their livelihood behind like that. It’s not like there’s demon’s chasing them or anything. At least not yet.”

Smoothly George interrupted, slightly panicked, by the talk of the impending apocalypse. “You really think we should head out of town, Spike? I mean, this town has seen trouble before…” George and his friends were tough customers. If they hadn’t been, they wouldn’t have lasted in Sunnydale nearly as long. Of course once they had become Spike’s friends, that had afforded them a measure of protection. But that wasn’t going to help them now.

This time it was Xander who interrupted. “Trust me. This time it will be worse.”

“But why aren’t you all leaving then?”

Anya smiled gleefully, “Well, somebody has to stay and protect the shop from looters. And then there’s the possibility that some of us might actually be able to help. But if you don’t have any big material investments that you can’t take with you, you ought to get out while you can. A body as lovely as yours shouldn’t be used as cannon fodder.”

George turned to Anya, apocalypse apparently forgotten in favor of the attentions of an attractive woman. “Like what you see, do you? You should see me without my shirt on, but Spike made it very clear, no removal of clothing allowed.” George turned to Spike then, “She’s not one of the little girls, is she?”

“What? Of course she is,” Xander sputtered. He didn’t like this talk of removing clothing, or the way this guy was looking at Anya. Or, for that matter, the way Anya was looking at him.

“He means the little girls, you git. The potentials,” Spike answered, annoyed. “I told the boys that Dawn and her friends were here for a big martial arts competition. And being children and all, it’s a strictly hands off policy. Doesn’t apply to Anya. I think you’ll find that Anya’s way over eighteen and able to make decisions for herself.”

“Of course I can make decisions for myself,” Anya piped up. “I’m just trying to decide if I should keep George here as an orgasm partner tonight, or whether I should pick one of the others. It would be easier to choose if you hadn’t told them that they couldn’t remove any of their clothing. They could be hiding anything under those suits, or nothing much at all.”

“I so do not want to hear this,” Xander groaned. “Anya, tell me you aren’t serious.”

“Of course I’m serious. I’m very serious. Just because you aren’t giving me orgasms any more, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t get to have any.”

George didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but the frank talk about orgasms was quite a turn on. Besides, it wasn’t often he and his mates got invited to be guests at fancy dress parties like this. “You mean you and him used to be an item, but you aren’t now? Is that right?”

“Yes. And he was very mean to me too, told me he was going to marry me and then walked out at the last minute. He’s very lucky you know. I’ve killed men for less in my time.”

Xander blanched, but George continued on blithely, obviously either not quite hearing her or not understanding how literally she meant what she said. “Can’t promise much in the marriage department, since I’ve only just met you and all. But if it’s orgasms you want, I can promise not to disappoint.”

“Really? Cause I like several you know. Just because you men are somewhat limited in your capacity doesn’t mean the rest of us should suffer.” Anya took his arm and the two of them wandered off towards the courtyard, leaving a stunned Xander and a pleased looking Spike behind.

Xander just stood there shaking his head. “What just happened here?”

Spike had little sympathy for him. “Probably what shoulda happened a long time ago. She’s finally decided that you’re not going to change your mind, and she’d better start looking elsewhere.”

A few feet away, Faith was talking to two of the other new arrivals. She’d looked at them a little funny when they asked if she was part of the big martial arts competition, but she took it in stride, figured it was a good a cover as any and better than most.

Glossing over the part about spending the last several years in the State Penitentiary, Faith was trying hard to decide which one of the men she was more attracted to. She really wanted to end the flirting soon and get down to the good part. But for some reason men seemed to think that they needed to chat a girl up before getting horizontal. Faith really didn’t see the point. They were all young, hot and willing. What else was there to say? Finally what one of the guys had said registered with her lust-addled brain.

“The Rooster? You and the hotties work at the Red Rooster?” Faith laughed. “Now I know why you all look so yummy. In fact, now that I think about it, I’m sure that I’ve seen you there – but it wasn’t behind any bar. In fact, it wasn’t behind much at all. Why am I wasting my time trying to choose between you? Let’s all head upstairs for a little R & R.”

Overhearing her conversation, Xander looked confused eyes at Spike. “The Rooster? That’s where we had my bachelor party. It’s not really a bar, more of a strip joint…”

Spike could almost see the wheels slowly churning in Xander’s head, and watched amusedly wondering what conclusion he’d finally come to.

Xander continued thinking out loud. “We were originally going to have the bachelor party on a Thursday. You know so we’d be all clear-eyed and everything by Saturday morning, but they told us no. Thursdays are reserved for Lady’s Night.”

Spike could almost see the lights go on in the boy’s head, before he suddenly screeched, “Strippers? You guys are like male strippers?” It took a few more seconds for the idea to penetrate Xander’s brain once it had passed his lips. “Spike, how do you know a bunch of male strippers?”

But his question went unanswered as Buffy bore down on Spike. Apparently she had overheard the entire exchange. “You are so dead mister! You invited male strippers to a party with my little sister? That’s worse than demons! Get them out of here. Now!”

He hadn’t seen Buffy this riled up in a while. She was breathtaking. “It’s not like they’ve come to perform, Buffy. They’re just regular blokes with interesting job skills, is all. Besides, I told them all the children are under age. If they know what’s good for them, they’ll keep it PG.”

“Why would you even think to do such a thing?” She sputtered.

She was so beautiful when she was angry. Spike hadn’t seen her with so much fire in a long time. He was so busy looking at her that it took him a few moments to compose an answer to her question.

“Well, I figured it would be more fun if it wasn’t just us. More like a party. Plus, there’s decidedly fewer males than females, which tends to put something of a damper on the evening. Didn’t want the girls to have to make the dubious choice of Andrew or Giles as dance partners. Besides, might give them something else to giggle about for a change. Knew nothing would happen when it shouldn’t. Between you and me, the boys are just a little bit afraid of me. Can’t think why.”

“They don’t know, do they? Now I know that you’re out of your mind.”

“What’s the worst that could happen, Buffy? One of these girls might do something you think she’s too young for. But you know, and so do I, that not all of these girls are going to make it. Would it be so terrible if they experienced life first?”

He was right. Buffy knew he was right. But that didn’t make it any easier to take. She lifted mournful eyes to him and muttered, “I so did not need to hear that.” Trembling with rage, Buffy stalked off and cut in on Vi’s dance with Andrew. If Vi was a little miffed, Buffy didn’t notice, and Andrew’s eyes were large as saucers.





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