[Reviews - 8]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2248 times

- Text Size +




Dawn paced the living room impatiently. The television was playing in the background, but she had no idea what was on. Buffy had been gone for a couple of hours, and she was becoming more worried with every passing moment. Spike had refused to admit there was anything wrong with Ryan, but the fact that he had exiled her to the house pretty much confirmed her suspicions.



Sitting around the house was driving her insane. Just because Spike could ignore the fact that her sister was in danger didn’t mean she could just sit back and do nothing.



“It’s about time!” Dawn grumbled as she crossed the room to answer the sudden knock at the door. “Clem, what are you doing here?”



The demon plastered a smile on his face hoping to hide his nervousness even though he was shaking violently as he stood in front of the glaring teenager. “Spike sent me over. Thought we might hang out for the evening. Um, can I come in?”



“So Dawn needs babysitting again?” she growled moving out of the doorway. Being treated like a little kid yet again didn’t make her anywhere near happy, but she couldn’t let the demon stand on her front porch too long. Granted it was Sunnydale where they could have the fabric between dimensions being torn apart before them, and people would go on about their daily business, but still having a demon hanging out on your doorstep wasn’t a good idea.



“It’s not that,” he replied following the girl into the house. “Spike just thought it would be better if you weren’t alone.”



“Everyone seems to have forgotten that Buffy’s the one in danger,” Dawn griped plopping down on the couch and snatching the remote from the coffee table.



“Well, if it helps,” Clem offered as she began clicking through the stations, “Spike said he was going to keep an eye on the Slayer tonight.”





****





“Want another?” Ryan leaned in against Buffy’s shoulder to be heard over the band playing on the stage of the Bronze. Giving the blond his most winning smile, he slid a glass containing a strawberry flavored concoction past the already empty glasses littering the table in front of the Slayer.



Buffy studied the drink before her through glassy eyes. It felt like they had been at the Bronze for hours, and that she had drank a dozen of the drinks Ryan kept offering her. If it hadn’t been Ryan, she would have worried he was trying to get her drunk. But it was Ryan, and she knew she could trust him.



“Aren’t you going to have one?” she asked. Her words slurred as she tried to focus on one of the Ryans sitting next to her hoping that she had chosen the right one to focus on.



“No thanks,” Ryan sighed looking extremely bored. “I’m not thirsty. Besides, we’re going to have to leave soon.”



Buffy’s eyebrows creased together over the rim of her glass. “Are we going somewhere? I thought we were going to hang out here.”



“I told you, remember? “ She couldn’t say she did. “I wanted you to meet some friends of mine. Don’t you want to now? I took the time to meet your sister.”



She gave him a puzzled look after another gulp of her drink. She had no idea what the drink was, but it was addictive. Ryan’s behavior had her on edge despite the affect of the alcohol. He had never been short with her before. He did seem to prefer a little less crowded locale for their dates. Perhaps that was what had him upset, but he had been the one to suggest that they go to the club.



“Of course I want to meet them. I just didn’t know you knew anyone in Sunnydale being here on business and all.”



He gave her that smile that made her agree to anything. “Well, they are coworkers, but they’re very influential. They could do a lot for us. Now, finish your drink.”



The Slayer’s heart fluttered at his use of the word ‘us’. She would have liked to discuss the topic in depth, but he suddenly seemed in a rush to leave. Her lips curled into a lopsided grin as she raised her glass to her lips and finished the remainder of the drink in one long gulp.





****





The sidewalk outside the Bronze was crowded as usual. Typically, she would have been scanning the crowd for signs of vampires on the prowl for a midnight snack, but she didn’t have time to do much looking as Ryan rushed down the street. Her head had started to spin the moment they had stepped into the chilly might air. Maybe meeting her boyfriend’s coworkers wasn’t the best idea. She didn’t want to embarrass him.



“Something wrong?” Ryan looked over his shoulder impatiently.



She didn’t notice as she stood gazing at a break in the crowd. She was feeling light-headed, but she had seen the flash of platinum hair out of the corner of her eye as she rushed to keep up with her companion. She knew she had, and she knew it wasn’t possible. He wasn’t coming back to Sunnydale, and she wasn’t going to let a hallucination ruin her chance at happiness.



“Nothing,” she replied quickly tearing her eyes from the empty space. “I’m just not feeling very well.”



“Why don’t you want to meet my friends?” he snapped.



“It’s not that I don’t want to meet them,” she told him not even trying to resist when he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down the street and around the corner. “I just don’t feel well.”



“You felt fine inside.”



She had felt all right inside—other than feeling extremely intoxicated. Her head had felt light ever since that last drink, and the chilly night air and the faces flashing by as they hurried down the street wasn’t helping.



“Really, I’m not feeling well,” she gasped falling forward into Ryan’s waiting arms.





You must login (register) to review.