The next day at eight o’clock on the dot, Katherine teleported herself and Spike to the hallway of Anya and Xander’s floor outside their apartment for the small get together. The demi-god had spent all day with Dawn and they had an understanding. She didn’t know what Spike did all day, though. But, she bet it was something along the lines of watching T.V. and eating Weetabix all day.
“This ‘party’ is going to bite ass. If something supernatural doesn’t happen, I’ll be real bloody surprised.” Spike muttered.
“Maybe we can get them to play ‘I Never’.” Katherine answered, knocking on the door.
“Katherine, Spike, come in, have fun, party!” Anya exclaimed enthusiastically. She moved out of the way to allow the two blondes entrance.
Katherine smiled at her friend. “Hey, Anyanka.” She stepped inside. Spike nodded to the ex-demon and followed suit.
“Oh, oh, Katherine. I want you to meet Tara.” Willow hurried up to the demi-god, pulling a fairly shy blonde with her.
Tara looked Katherine in the eyes. She felt the magic and power coming off the fellow blonde in waves.
Katherine instantly saw the past, present, and future of the witch. ‘Forgive your family. They were fools. Forgive Willow. She didn’t mean to hurt you. Unfortunately, her confidence lies in her magic. You never know how much more time you have left, Tara. Live, forgive, love.’ Katherine said telepathically to the witch.
“Th-thanks.” Tara said, nervously. She liked the witch in front of her already. No-demi-god. She was told she was a demi-god.
“I don’t look much like one, do I?” Katherine asked. Tara looked at her. “Oh. Sorry. Can’t help it sometimes. Most of the time I’m supposed to…old habits die-hard. Example: William. He smokes cigs all the soddin’ time an’ it’s not like he can get addicted to the nicotine. He’s dead.”
“Y’know, I resent that.” Spike said as the three witches laughed.
“M’sure ya do. So…this is starting to look a little boring, can we do something to get this party started??” Katherine looked around, searching for Anya.
“How about ‘I Never’?” Buffy perked up for the first time since Katherine and Spike arrived. Seeing them joke around, with no cruel comments upset her deeply.
“Fine with me.” The two immortal beings said at the same time.
Xander shook off the creepiness of their likeness. “No prob with me.”
“Tara? Anya? Willow?” Buffy looked at the three as she said their names.
“I’m in.” Willow said.
“Is there drinking?” Anya asked. When Buffy nodded, she said, “Got me.”
“I-I guess so.” Tara replied.
‘Tara. You’ve known them almost two years. Be confident in yourself. These are your friends. You shouldn’t be hiding. You’re Tara Maclay. Be damn proud of it.’
Tara sat a margin straighter with those words of encouragement and Katherine smiled. In a more confident voice, Tara said, “I’m in.”
Katherine pumped a fist in the air. “Get the tequila!”
“And seven shot glasses.” Buffy added.
Anya went and the six left moved into sitting positions in a circle on the floor. Anya handed everyone a shot glass and put the bottle in the center of the circle. She then took her seat next to Xander in the circle.
“For Anyanka’s benefit, since she’s never played before, everyone fills their glasses and take turns telling something they haven’t done. Everyone who has, bottoms up!” Katherine explained. “Slayer first.”
“I’ve never been outside of California.” Buffy said. Tara, Anya, Spike and Katherine downed the contents of their glasses and refilled them.
Liking the taste, Tara poured herself another as she went next, blushing slightly as she said, “I’ve never slept with a guy.” Everyone except her, Spike and Xander downed a shot.
Willow took her turn. “I never had sex in a crypt.”
Spike and Katherine drank their respective shots. “ Slayer, no lying.” Katherine said as she refilled her glass. Buffy drank up reluctantly.
“I don’t even wanna know.” Xander commented before saying, “I never…had sex in a cemetery.”
“How different is that from a crypt? A crypt is in a cemetery, bricklayer.” Spike retorted as he, Katherine, Buffy, and Anya drank their shots.
“Shut up, Spike.” Xander said, lamely.
‘Anyanka, say, “I never slept with Spike”.’ Katherine said to the ex-demon telepathically.
Anya beamed brightly at her old friend. “I never had sex with Spike.”
Katherine smiled as she downed her shot. “Slayer.” Buffy glared at the blonde, but drank.
“Buffy!” Willow exclaimed.
“God, I don’t want to know this.” Xander said.
“Will’s turn.” Katherine said, ignoring the comments from the Hellmouth natives.
“Never had sex with a demon or ex-demon. Dog-boy included, Red.”
Anya, Willow, Xander, and-of course- Katherine took back the shots. “Vengeance demon. Sixteen hundreds. God was he hot…”Katherine trailed off, seeing the gang looking at her, semi-amused. “Y’know. I haven’t gone a round without a drink ‘til now. I never slept with a girl.”
Xander, Spike, Tara, and Willow knocked back their shots. “Slayer’s go.” Spike said.
“I never had sex in a tree.” Buffy said.
Katherine and Spike looked at each other, their thoughts drifting to that night in nineteen twenty-six, and then later in nineteen ninety-eight. Then they drank up and smirked at the looks they got from everyone.
“I never slept with a vampire.” Tara said. Buffy, Katherine, Spike and Anya took back shots. Xander looked Anya and she just shrugged.
“I never had sex in a public place.” Willow only blushed slightly as she said this. Everyone but herself and Tara drank from their glasses.
“I never…I never thought the Evil Undead was a hottie.” Xander took his turn.
“I sure as hell hope not. Ain’t my cuppa.” Spike retorted.
The girls laughed, and since this was a game about the truth, they all drank. Xander wrinkled his nose at the fact that every girl he knew, including Anya, thought the bleached blond was a hottie.
The girls laughed again when Spike said, “Oh, what the hell?” and downed a shot himself.
“I’ve never had a threesome.” Anya said.
When Katherine and Spike got a couple of looks as they downed their liquor, the demi-god quickly explained, “Not with each other. That’s just too much togetherness.”
“Never died more than once.” Spike said. Buffy, Katherine and Anya drank their shots.
“I understand Buffy, but…Anya, Katherine?” Willow asked.
“People have thought the killed me…I think that counts, don’t you…oh, um they’ve though they killed me…about…oh, hell hundreds, thousands of times. There was this one time when…” Katherine trailed off recalling a memory in the past involving a vast amount of liquor, fighting words and daggers…oh, and fur coats.
“It takes a lot to kill vengeance demons. I was with Katherine many of those times.” Anya answered, smiling.
“Oh, wow. People don’t like you?” Tara asked.
“Oh, no. I’m liked just fine. Just in bar fights I start when I get drunk. Which I’m not…yet. Over the years, I’ve become very liquor tolerant, unfortunately- lots a bar fights.” Katherine said to the blonde witch. “My turn. Never shagged a Slayer.”
“Okay, I think you’re making your point.” Buffy said angrily as Spike and Xander each downed their respective shots.
Anya looked at Xander.
“Faith.” He mouthed.
“And what’s that?” Katherine asked, clearly amused.
Willow and Tara watched the exchange, the witches filling their shot glasses all the while.
“That I slept with Spike.” Buffy admitted. Spike was sitting back looking back and forth between the blondes like it was a tennis game and Xander was trying to pretend the conversation wasn’t happening.
“No, slept implies once. Sleeping is what you mean, ‘cause that’d mean repeatedly. An’ I couldn’t care less about your sex life Slayer, I just want to get my old friend drunk so the ‘real’ fun can begin.” Katherine replied.
“This is too much for my sensitive ears.” Xander complained.
Buffy seethed at the demi-god. Katherine smiled pleasantly. “Your turn.”
Buffy shrugged it off. “I never dated someone for more than two years.”
Everyone except Buffy and Katherine took a drink and refilled their shot glasses.
“Wow. That makes us commitment phobic.” Katherine commented.
“ Huh.” Buffy made a sound.
“I never…participated in an orgy.” Tara said, definitely on the tipsy side.
Looks like someone can’t hold their liquor, Katherine thought as she drank her shot solo.
“I’ve never participated in any demonic illegal activities of any kind.” Willow said.
Anya, Katherine, and Spike drank their shots. “This is the last round. Seriously.” Katherine said, her speech impossibly clear.
“I agree.” Anya said, already on the drunken side.
“I neva…I neva tortured someone for my own fun.” Xander took his turn.
“Whatta about the other person’s?” Katherine asked with Spike simultaneously.
“Okay. Didn’t wanna know that. But, still doesn’t matter, their pleasure, yours…somebody’s…” the carpenter shrugged.
Katherine, Spike and Buffy slammed back a shot as Anya said, “I’ve never felt bad for killing anyone I did eradicate.”
“And eradicate means…?” Buffy asked.
“Kill, Slayer.” Spike said as Katherine took back a shot. Buffy nodded and followed suit.
“I never…got drunk and did something I regretted later.” Spike said.
Buffy drank again. “Cave girl Buffy. Not fun.”
“My turn. I’ve never killed someone for the hell of it, for fun.” Katherine said.
Buffy and Spike downed their respective shots, Buffy saying, “Game…over.”
“So, whaddo we do now?” Katherine inquired.
“Oh! I took score.” Everyone looked at the redhead. “Just a habit. I’m sure I’ll break it someday, but maybe not…anyway, the scores! Katherine and Spike have a score of fifteen and fourteen. Anya and Buffy each have twelve. Xander and I have five and Tara has four.”
“Only fifteen? Wow. You guys are tame.” Katherine paused. Then, “Anyanka, you got whiskey or somethin’?” she leaned on Spike’s shoulder.
Willow reached for the bottle of liquor and poured herself another shot before knocking it back.
“Kat, you’re already pissed.” Spike told her.
“I know. Jus’ want to forget my life…for a little while. Last time, I was able to forget three centuries. I wanna go for four.” Katherine grinned as Anya got up and came back with the liquor in question. “Anyanka, you’re my best friend.”
Katherine downed the tequila shot she still had. “Ooh, I know. Let’s play ‘Truth or Dare’. Consequences: a shot of whiskey.”
“You just love the drinking games, don’t you?” Spike said, watching his friend drink another shot of alcohol.
“What else is there to do?” Katherine asked. She clapped her hands. “Okay, who’s up for it? ‘Truth or Dare’.”
No one answered.
“Oh, c’mon, people! I’m, centuries older than you people and Spike’s dead and we have more life than you!” She persuaded, despite the indignant “Hey!” from Spike.
“I’m in.” Tara said, up for some fun.
“Yes! Now, Redhead, Slayer, Anyanka, Xander. I know Will’s in.” Katherine pressed.
“If Tara’s in, I’m in.” Willow smiled at her girlfriend. They had decided to try again and take it slow.
“What the hell, I’m already gonna have a headache in the morning.” Buffy said. Good thing Dawn’s at Janice’s.
“I’m in. More alcohol.” Anya grabbed the bottle from Katherine. The only thing better than sex and money…
“No sense in being the odd man out. I’m game.” Xander agreed.
“Good. I’m first. Redhead, truth or dare?” Katherine turned to what she’d like to call her “protégé.”
“Dare. I feel dare-y today.” Willow answered, a little on the drunken side after six shots of liquor and well on her way to her seventh.
“I dare you…to…seven min in heaven with Tara.” The blonde dared the redhead.
“Fine.” Willow was indeed dare-y. And obviously a little incapacitated mentally to take consequences.
The Scoobies watched the couple go to the closet, blushing and smiling when Anya called out, “No sex in the closet!” Xander and I haven’t christened it yet.
“You think they’ll only be seven minutes?” Buffy asked to everyone in general.
“I’ll make sure of it. I didn’t start the game just for it to end after the first round.” Katherine replied, also to everyone in general.
Anya nodded and downed her shot glass. “The games must continue.” She downed another shot. “And so must the drinks.”
Katherine looked at her watch. “Three more minutes.” She stood-or, tried to stand-and stumbled into the kitchen. She came back with three different bags of chips. “Enjoy.”
“Are they actually…you know?” Xander asked while grabbing a bag of chips and opening it.
Katherine closed her eyes and concentrated.
In her mind’s eye, she saw Willow and Tara making out on the floor of the walk-in-closet.
She opened her eyes, smirking. “Oh, yeah.”
“So, then, you could spy on people?” Xander paused. “That would’ve been cool in high school.”
Anya elbowed him.
“Ow!”
“You were thinking of the girls’ locker room again.” Anya pouted.
“I didn’t mean it like that. You know I love you.” Xander kissed Anya.
‘Time up!’
In the closet, Willow and Tara jumped as they broke their kiss and smiled.
“I love you.” Willow whispered.
A smile broke out on the blonde’s face. “I love you too. “ Tara followed Willow out the closet.
“Right on time.” Buffy addressed Katherine directly for the first time all night “How’d you do that?”
Katherine smiled secretively. “I’ll never tell.”
A drunken Katherine and an equally drunk Spike tumbled to the couch in the living room, Spike on top. They stared at each other for several moments before kissing hungrily. They gripped each other, trying to remove clothes with a ferocity that only a demon could know of.
Katherine was not drunk enough to not realize where they were going. ‘Wait, Will.” She looked him in the eyes. “This…has to be different now. I-I can’t sleep wit’ you, just to sleep with you. An’ I can’t have you imagining it’s her. It has to be me. B’cause…I’m not her.” She said, thinking, way to kill the mood, Kat.
Willow, Tara and Buffy helped each other into the Summers’ house. It turned out to be a very good thing Dawn wasn’t home; she’d have laughed at the three stumbling into the house and trying to get all three up to their respective rooms.
Buffy threw herself onto her bed once inside her room. It was all out. Her friends didn’t react too badly, but the Slayer had a feeling it had to do with the liquor. She soon drifted to sleep.
Willow and Tara collapsed onto their bed, giggling drunkenly. Willow kissed her girlfriend, hoping the blonde witch could feel much the redhead loved and happy she was with Tara at the moment. They moved up to their pillows, still in their clothes and wrapped in each other’s arms.
Xander and Anya lay passed out on their living room floor, arms around each other. Food and liquor bottles littered the floor around them. Anya and Xander were wet, having been dared to take a three-minute shower in ice-cold water and then being covered in whipped cream as what Katherine had called a “wedding tradition.”
Katherine awaited Spike’s answer, hoping to her bosses she hadn’t just ruined everything, even if what she said was true.
The blonde vampire stared her in the face, his gaze unwavering. ‘It has to be me…B’cause I’m not her.’ She had said.
Of course Katherine wasn’t her. She wasn’t as difficult as the Slayer. That was a good thing. She was exotic and her blue-gray eyes hid nothing. He’d never compare her to the Slayer. He loved Katherine, just maybe not the way she hoping…or did he?
Spike hadn’t thought of Katherine much since Sunnydale. There were so many other things that had filled his mind. But, there she was. In the flesh. With him again.
The thing was, she understood him. Didn’t question him…except when it came to Buffy. She wanted him. Loved him…could he love her? Could he get over the Slayer, move on, and try to find happiness with the blonde who was there with him, and wouldn’t run away?
At that moment, he decided yes. Yes, he could. All that and more. As for the love part? Only time would tell.
Time had seemed to stand still for the demi-god as she watched the emotions flicker across Spike’s face. He finally stopped and stared at her, before claiming her mouth in a searing kiss.
It wasn’t the hungry, drunken kiss of earlier. It was a kiss promising something Katherine couldn’t yet put her finger on. She didn’t care what it was yet. All she cared about was his cool lips on her warm ones.
She’d actually seen the future in his eyes. She saw him, like her, getting married to a blonde. Another blonde stood off to the side as the maid of honor, sadness, anger and joy for Spike radiating off her.
As Spike started to kiss her neck, she couldn’t help thinking if that had been her. Cast off to the side the minute his precious Buffy knew how she really felt. Would he drop her for the love of the Slayer?