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41. House Party

Spike had spent the past several weeks burying himself in his work. When he wasn’t at the office, he was locked in his studio, studying his latest acquisition. The only time he was happy was during the few hours that he was allowed to spend with Dawn each week, and even that was always painful, beginning and ending with reminders of Buffy.

Eventually he had decided that he had had enough of bitchy Buffy, and at Tara and Dawn’s urging, he had invited Buffy to a party at his house, as a sort of peace offering. To make the event seem less personal, he’d also invited assorted other employees, clients and friends. He’d given an invitation to Anya and her new fiancé, in the hopes that they could bury that hatchet as well, but William wasn’t much surprised when the newly engaged couple declined the invitation. He could certainly understand Xander’s position. If he were about to get married, he wouldn’t want his fiancée hanging around an old flame either. Of course, he wasn’t exactly an old flame, but that only made it worse.

The evening of the party the house was filled by people in a way that it hadn’t been since before Drusilla had left. Of course the house felt empty until the moment Buffy and Dawn arrived. The other guests were inconsequential when compared to these two.

Ostensibly, the purpose of the evening was to show off Spike’s newest acquisition, which had finally taken its long prepared place in the media room. Immediately after the buffet dinner, Spike asked the guests to gather there.

The painting was covered in a white cloth so it was hidden from view. Saying as few words as possible (public speaking still made him feel uncomfortable), Spike removed the veil that covered the small canvas with a flourish.

The painting did look marvelous in the spot that he had chosen for it. It complemented the room perfectly. Nevertheless, Buffy’s eyes began to tear as she gazed at the painting before her. It was her mother’s painting. The one they had both been looking at the first night she met William Thorndale. The painting of her as a young child. Girl with Stars.

After the others had all drifted off, but Buffy remained transfixed. Her eyes were so teary that she barely noticed as Spike came up besides her, and put his hand gently on her shoulder. With a wry smile he noticed that at least she had finally stopped flinching when he touched her.

“Do you like it, pet?” he whispered, offering her a real cloth handkerchief for her eyes. “I knew you were fond of it – it took bugger all to get the stubborn bloke that owned it to sell. I’m afraid I over paid for it a bit. Not that that it matters. But the more I got to know you, the more I was sure I had to buy it for you. I want you to feel free to come here anytime you like, to look at it.”

He didn’t tell her that he had originally intended to give it to her as a gift. But after he had found out about her true reasons for spending time with him, he had changed his mind, but he had already negotiated the purchase. Seeing Buffy’s reaction, he was once again glad that he had taken the trouble to buy something that would please her. Besides, if things went the way he was hoping that they would, if they could maybe get around the past and start over, well, he could always give her the painting later.

“Oh, Spike!” was all that she could think of to say, still not looking at him, as she rested her head on the strong shoulder behind her. She did love this painting. It was a very sweet and romantic gesture, his buying it. Of course she knew that he had begun negotiations to buy it a long time ago, before any of the badness between them had been exposed. Still, he had continued to pursue the painting, even after everything that had happened. That meant something.

Buffy couldn’t possibly explain to Spike how much this gesture had cost him.

The fact that he had contacted Federico Joni in New York (a man known to have underground connections) had raised Giles’ suspicion. Then Buffy had reported the empty space where a painting had once hung and Giles had immediately assumed that Spike was hiding something that he hadn’t wanted Buffy to see. He had never even considered Spike’s explanation that he had moved around his personal art collection in order to make room for a new acquisition. If not for those two facts that had raised Giles’ suspicions all those months ago, Buffy’s investigation might have been long over. Closed for lack of evidence.

Buffy bit her lip as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

“What’s that pet?” Spike turned her so that she was facing him, and wiped at the tears in her eyes with the handkerchief she had neglected to take. “I meant for it to make you happy.”

“I am Spike. I am happy,” she said softly. “Thank you.”

She vowed to herself that she would never let Spike know that she was the ‘stubborn bloke’ who hadn’t wanted to sell this particular painting. All throughout their personal turmoil, she and Spike had unknowingly spent months in negotiations through his broker in New York.

In hindsight, she really should have guessed. Who else wouldn’t balk at paying over ten times the fair market value just to own this particular painting? She already missed it, even though she had kept it in storage since the day it had come down from the display. For Buffy the painting had already been laced with bittersweet memories. Now there were more of them.

Drying her eyes, she gazed at herself immortalized in that one moment of her youth. Looking at it now, she thought that she could catch a slight sadness about the mouth and the eyes that she had never noticed before. Perhaps it had taken more careworn eyes to see.

She didn’t know what she had left to say to Spike. Didn’t know that there was anything left to say between the two of them. Didn’t know if there was anything real between them that they could use to try and start over.

Stunned and more than a little sad, Buffy dried her eyes and gave Spike an enouraging smile before she drifted away to find her friends.

Although it was too cold to swim, Tara, Dawn and Willow had gathered outside around the pool, and were running around like little children, each trying to collect as many different kinds of leaves as they could find, and throwing them into the pool to watch the wind blow them across its surface. It was nice to see her friends acting so carefree, and Buffy joined in the spirit of exuberation until they were all too cold to remain outside.

Warming up inside after their illicit exploits in the garden, Buffy found herself actually enjoying the party. She had a chance to catch up with Jonathan, and found Andrew more than slightly amusing, although she didn’t remember him from high school. It was also good to know that her own friends, Willow and Tara and Dawn, were here as well. She was starting to feel more hopeful about the possibility of her and Spike putting aside their tumultuous past.

Until William pulled her aside, to introduce her to someone she hadn’t met yet.

“Buffy, I’d like for you to meet one of my newer employees. Richard is in charge of South American import/export. He’s spent the last several years living down there, and promises to be a great asset as far as expanding the company’s interest in South American emerging markets. Buffy, this is Richard Fine.”

Buffy offered her hand to the tall young man in front of her. “It’s nice to meet you…”

Looking up at his face for the first time she realized what should have been obvious even from a distance. His skin was starting to lose the dark tan, and his hair had returned to its natural shade, and he had hidden his clear blue eyes behind unattractive dark-rimmed glasses. But it was Riley Finn.

Riley Finn, who had broken into her apartment and warned her away from Thorndale. Riley Finn, who had been her boyfriend in college. Riley Finn, who was obviously still working undercover to trap Thorndale. Riley, a.k.a. Richard Fine, who had somehow inveigled himself into a high level position in Spike’s organization.

“Ri…” She stopped herself before the whole name came out. She still worked for the Agency. She wouldn’t blow his cover. At least not until she had given it a fair amount of thought. Spike deserved to know just who it was he had working for him.

“You mean Richard.” He interrupted her. “I can tell I seem familiar to you. You may not remember me, but I knew you slightly back at UC Sunnydale. You used to date a fraternity brother of mine, Riley Finn.” It was a good cover. It would explain a lot, if it was ever necessary.

“Riley and I lost touch some years ago, when he went back to Iowa,” Buffy replied sharply. If Riley got the subtle jibe, he didn’t even flinch. She didn’t like being put on the spot, forced to make a judgment call between her loyalty to the Agency and her loyalty to Spike. He was just starting to trust her again. Was she going to throw that all away for an agent who may or may not be following his own agenda? “But did I hear correctly that you’ve been in South America?” Maybe she could figure out his angle, what he was looking for.

“Yes. For three years. I’m glad to be back in the States though. Gives me a chance to correct some unfinished business. Renew old acquaintances, that type of thing, if you know what I mean.”

Unfinished business? Renew old acquaintances? Was he flirting with her? Again? Did he really think that she was just going to fall all over him when he decided to ride back into her life?

“You know,” he continued, “Riley told me that he never would have left you if he had been given a choice. But I’m sure you know what that’s like, sometimes you have very few choices in life. You do what is necessary, rather than what you want. I know that if he had been able to stay, he was thinking of asking you to marry him. I don’t know that he’s ever gotten over you.”

God, he was pathetic. That line hadn’t worked the first time. Did she think she hadn’t heard him correctly, or was he stupid enough to think that if he kept hinting about it that she would change her mind and suddenly want him?

“He also said that he recommended you for a special program before he left. A graduate program that could lead to a whole new career for you. I guess that that worked out well for you.”

There he was, taking credit for getting her hired at the Agency, all her accomplishments, really! He was so infuriating, even if it was just the tiniest bit true.

She had tried to block out her earlier meeting with Riley under the theory that the less she thought about him the better. But now he was more than a possible threat. The danger to Spike was real. He didn’t know that he had a spy in his midst. Of course, the part of her that was pure government-issue continued to whisper that if Spike had done nothing wrong, then he had nothing to worry about.

For all his talk of unwanted assignments, Riley must have been undercover even when she knew him back in college. But why had he been at Sunnydale? And perhaps more importantly, why was he back? What did he think he could find to convict Spike on? What was he looking for – and worse, would he be able to find it? Her whole world swung on its axis. Suddenly she wasn’t sure of very much any more.

What if what Riley had said was all true? What if Thorndale really was a crook? Would she want Riley back in her life again? Having a boyfriend who knew about her dual life, who understood her commitment to her work, would be a real bonus.

Recently, her feelings for Riley had not been of the warm and fuzzy kind. She had even questioned whether she had ever loved him at all, or whether she had merely been flattered that he was so obviously devoted to her.

Besides, having work in common was not at all a guarantee that the relationship would go smoothly. Look at Willow and Oz. Everything had seemingly been going along fine, when Oz unexpectedly picked up and moved out of state. What was up with that?

Needing time to think, she made her excuses to them both, and headed off to look for Dawn and Tara. If she could have just a few minutes alone to talk to Tara or Willow in private, that would probably help her get her priorities straight.





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