Walking into school, Buffy never felt so removed from it. Probably because I’m entering the halls with Spike. The lean Brit had his fingers linked with hers and exuded strength from every pore. Scott wouldn’t dare say anything to her now.
Lifting her face from the tiled hallway which she commonly stared at when moving through the crowd, Buffy could see that everyone else was just as shocked. Due to her friendship with Willow and acceptance of Amy who everyone knew was a slut, Buffy had never had a high social standing.
That was until now.
Suddenly people were waving at her, even commenting on her hair and her lovely makeup which rather doggedly hid her bruise. Their smiles were fake and incredibly wide, making her just want to find Willow and bury herself in her locker. Glancing at Spike she could tell that he didn’t like either, his jaw ticking in irritation.
Stepping in front of her, he made to shove his way through just wanting to smash someone against the lockers. He could tell that all the attention made Buffy nervous and wasn’t surprised. Before he had gotten involved her, she had always been humble not bothering to fall for gossiping games or making herself a fool in front of Angel. Buffy was completely honest and with her Spike felt he could be truthful about some of his less noble actions. She may judge for him but she would never lie or cheat on him. He reached his hand behind his back, smiling when she grasped hold. Buffy was perfect.
He could see her friend, Willow, standing by their lockers in shock and decided against heading over there and introducing himself. It was bad enough that Parker was interested in Buffy; he certainly didn’t want the pillock following around Red.
Pulling her close to him, Spike bent down, ignoring the attempts to hear their conversation. “You better go say hello to your gal pal luv.” He whispered. “She looks rather shocked.” Brushing a thumb over her bottom lip, Spike resisted the urge to kiss her knowing her face would light up like a cherry. “If you need anything at all then just signal pet. I’ll be right bloody over.”
Nodding Buffy, took the chance of escape and was darting her way through the crowd over to Willow. Shocked was an understatement. For a full ten minutes all the thin red head could do was gasp and point at her and then at Spike. It took another five before she could manage a full sentence. Quirking her eyebrows and twisting her small hands in a bright orange jumper Willow stared at Buffy. “How on earth did you end up walking in here with Spike Giles? Willow glanced at her face for a moment before shrieking in horror. An entire side of Buffy’s cheek was scraped and bruised. “Your face… Oh Buffy what is going on?”
“Just breathe for a second Will and I’ll tell you” said Buffy gently. She knew that this was going to be a surprise for her best friend but she was certain that if the lockers weren’t there Willow would have fallen over. Even now she looked close to passing out from amazement. “I saw Spike yesterday afternoon and we came to an understanding.”
Willow’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape as she placed her hands on her hips. Willow was entering her protective mother mode. “If your trying to tell me that you’ve entered a similar arrangement to what Cordelia has with Angel then Buffy I swear I’ll punch him on the nose.”
Buffy laughed at the image. Spike would be more surprised then anything if the geeky looking red head smacked him in the face. After last night, she was more than sure that Spike could handle himself in any situation.
Willow continued to glare at her. “I don’t see how this is funny.”
Buffy breathed deeply, trying to control her laughing. “Oh Wills” she gasped in between chuckles. “You don’t understand. I and Spike… well we are…”
“A couple?” asked Willow excitedly. “Buffy that’s wonderful!” She enveloped the smaller girl in a hug, her baggy orange jumper covering them both. “And there won’t be any other girls?”
Buffy shook her head. “He claimed me as his to the entire gang this morning… they initiated me and everything.” Her fingers unconsciously traced the thin cut which sat just under her collarbones.
“Is that a good thing?” asked Willow suspiciously. She had never been interested in any of the popular groups or their antics specifically because it was dangerous. Cordelia couldn’t go to certain parts of town here or in LA by herself and you would have to be a fool not to notice the guns the Aurelius’ members all carried. She didn’t know whether Buffy was thinking clearly about all this. After all, the fiery little blond had been crushing on Spike ever since she arrived. She narrowed her eyes again at the purple bruise on Buffy’s face which no amount of foundation could hide. “Is that how you got hurt? Do they beat new members Buffy?”
“Oh Gods no Will. This” she said in a whisper “is because of Parker.”
“Parker?!”
Buffy looked down at the floor knowing that her tale could only get worse. “He found out about Angel and Spike liking me and decided that he wants me also.”
Willow nodded waiting for her to continue. It seemed like Buffy had hidden a lot of things from her in the past week.
“And?”
“Well Spike came over to my house yesterday” she held a finger to Willow’s lips as the girl opened it to begin questions. “Later” she promised with a wink. “And I ran away down town after we argued. He was trying to warn me about Abram’s interest.” She paused at the red head’s gasp before continuing. “Some of Parker’s thugs caught me and were about to… rape me… when Spike showed up.” Her eyes were wide as she remembering the terrible events. “He saved me Willow and then took care of me. No one has ever bothered to stick up for me like that ever.”
The girls embraced again and were just about to continue their conversation when the bell rang for class.
Knowing that they were far from finished, Willow pulled out her books slowly. “If you want we can skip English.” She really hoped that Buffy didn’t take the offer but decided that analysing Heaney could wait until later.
As though sensing her turmoil, Buffy grabbed Willow’s hand, dragging her down the corridor. “I appreciate the offer but we both know that you’d die with guilt if I made you wag a period. Besides, we always have lunch.”
She smiled at her best friend. Willow knew about her mother but not the reasons why they originally left LA. If she did, she probably would have understood far better Buffy’s ease upon being accepted.
It reminded her strongly of the comfort she had when a child. Men her father knew often would appear in public places making sure that she was protected no matter where she went. When their guardianship had diminished Buffy had felt abandoned. She hoped that Spike would not grow bored of her.
Pulling blond hair from her eyes, Buffy cast a glance back at Spike. He was all swagger and snark, playing up his Big Bad image. He kept his duster on, catching her gaze before curling his tongue behind his teeth. Instantly a warm glow settled in her stomach, Buffy blushing as Spike’s friends followed his line of sight and found her. Willow kept walking forward, oblivious to the looks which passed between her friend and one of the most feared men along the west coast.
Class would be boring compared to her life right now.
***
The first two classes of school had seemed to drag on endlessly, making lunch appear like a godsend. She entered the cafeteria with Willow, chatting nervously about whatever assignment it was that Mrs. Elms had dreamed up. Knowing her best friend, the paper would be on the teacher’s desk tomorrow, three weeks ahead of due date.
Their table was off to the corner and wobbled on the lefthand side unless a book was propped underneath it. Amy was already sitting there, staring at her reflection in a small hand held mirror; a common sight for anyone who regularly watched her.
Ignoring Buffy for several minutes, Amy launched into a tirade about Riley who seemingly had dumped her the night before. Her eyes flickering with hate, rarely looked across the table to Buffy and the small blond began to feel increasingly awkward. I really didn’t think she hated me this much.
Hoping to stave off any arguments Buffy stared down at her plate which was a cross between lasagna and broth. Another new creation for the lunch ladies.
Suddenly she felt hands on both her shoulders, a deep baritone accompanying them. “Do you want to sit with the gang luv?” He pulled out her chair, smiling at the wide eyed look she gave him. Chit probably thought that I wouldn’t acknowledge her at school, silly bint.
Buffy gasped awkwardly, everyone in the room now staring in their direction. She could feel Amy’s jealous eyes now burning a hole into her back. “I don’t know Spike. I can’t leave Willow and Amy here.”
Spike raised an eyebrow. He didn’t see a reason why Buffy had embraced the brazen girl who even now was shooting her sneers. Finn had been right to dump her. “I don’t think they would mind pet. You’ve got a lunch class in five minutes anyway don’t you Red?”
The thin girl nodded nervously. How does he know my schedule?
Spike chuckled at her confused expression. He made it his business to know everything not only about Buffy but also the people she spent time with. Willow Rosenberg was harmless as a fly and far brainier than her parents gave her credit for. Amy on the other hand was a bird that Spike thought could never be far enough away. She’d already tried to come onto him three times at the Bronze, even when dating Captain Cardboard. The big git had challenged him to fights before Spike finally got it through his thick head that Amy was detestable to him. He didn’t bother to look at her now, instead focusing on his girl. “Come on pet. They need to get used to you.”
Willow appeared to agree with him, gathering up her books and uneaten lunch. It truly was a concoction of horror. “Go on Buffy. I’ll see you later anyway.” She pulled up from her seat giving Spike a hard look which had sent Andrew scurrying for cover last period. “Hurt her and you’ll have a new reason to call yourself Bloody.”
“Warning taken Red.” Spike smiled disarmingly whilst wrapping his arm around Buffy’s shoulders. “I care too much about her to even think of hurting her.” Pursing his lips, Spike fumbled in his pocket for a moment before producing a small key. “Buffy will be moving in with me so if you ever want to drop by use this key. It’s the one for our room.” He handed it over, eyes wanting to roll as Amy all but salivated at the sight of it. She had tried to steal a house key from Cordelia just a month ago. “Look after it Red.”
Willow winked in agreement, pocketing the small key and then walking away, shoulders slightly hunched from the amount of books she carried. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow Buff.”
She didn’t look back as Spike took Buffy’s hand and walked back to his own table. He kept a tight grip, knowing that his girl was incredibly nervous about going anywhere near Cordelia or the other girls such as Harmony. The girl had just that morning declared him a cheat, and Spike was thankful that Buffy had already gone to class. He didn’t know what he would have done if she thought he wouldn’t be faithful.
Squeezing her hand in reassurance, Spike sat down, pulling her into his lap with ease. There, that wasn’t so hard. He could feel her trembling from anxiety or stress and in an attempt to be soothing rubbed her back.
It set Harmony off.
She had just arrived at the table and was jutting her low cut top in his direction. “Blondie bear? Why are you touching the geek?” Harmony’s brows were comically raised and Angel stifled a groan.
Here we go again.
Her tone was petulant and annoying, not that anyone was surprised. Harmony was for most people part of the casualty of being at school. Cordelia rolled her eyes skyward for a moment before responding to the stalker. “We went over this earlier Harmony.” The prom queen ennounciated her words slowly hoping that something would get into her head and stay there. “They. Are. Together. Buffy. Is. A. Member. Of. The. Aurelius’.”
Harmony pouted, knocking aside another guy’s plate with her Gucci handbag. “I don’t see why. Summers was never good enough to be around us before. All pathetic, and academic and-“
“That’s enough Harm” growled Spike in irritation. He had practically felt Buffy shrink under the daft bint’s tirade and was sick of it. No one was going to put her down. Especially not someone as barmy as Harmony. He opened his mouth to give her a piece of his mind but Buffy got there first.
“Willow is a far better person than you’ll ever be Harm . I could like you if you didn’t spend your time sinking your fangs into everybody else in an attempt to feel better. It’s pathetic and so are you. It’s a waste of time to throw yourself at someone who obviously doesn’t want you. And to be honest its gotten old. Very quickly.” Buffy wrapped one arm around Spike, tilting her head until it touched his. “Spike is with me. Spike wants me. And Spike and the gang has claimed me. If you think I shouldn’t be here then maybe you should think about a change of scenery.” Buffy drew attention to the cut which had now healed slightly. “I’ve already got my mark. Where’s yours?”
Harm sat there gasping like a fish. No one had ever told her off before and to be honest she wasn’t handling it very well. Grabbing her designer bag, the blond stormed out of the cafeteria, a small group of copies following in her wake.
Cordelia reached over the table, giving Buffy a warm hug. “That was absolute perfection.”
The other people who sat at the table also grinned in relief. Harmony had been trailing them in hopes of entering the gang for far too long.
Angel voiced what they had all been thinking. “Finally some peace and quiet.” He rubbed at his temples as though massaging away headaches which drew forth laughs from the table.
Spike stroked her back, feeling a wave of pride hit him. Buffy was far stronger than he had ever given her credit for.
***
After lunch everything seemed to run smoothly. There were still odd looks but for the most part Buffy felt confident. It was fairly noticeable to everyone around her and earned glares or pleased smiles with astonishing regularity. It felt good to belong.
She wasn’t so sure however about going home and informing Joyce of events. The woman did not care about her but Buffy knew she wouldn’t want anyone to be involved with her either. Particularly not a man like Spike.
Buffy could already hear the comparisons which Joyce would make between the bleached blond and her father.
Sitting down on the steps just outside the school, Buffy waited for Spike to arrive. He had left school just after lunch to meet someone, giving her hazy details and making Buffy feel anxious. Will he hide his life from me? she wondered sadly. Am I going to be merely a figure head to him? Some kind of trophy to show off to his friends and enemies? Buffy tightened the hold around herself, she would never feel completely happy if that was his agenda, but then again she could have him all wrong. She’d only really been in his company for a day and most of that had been spent sleeping.
Retrieving her bag from the ground, Buffy stood up as Spike drove into the parking lot. The Desoto hummed loudly and she could hear ‘Anarchy in the UK’ blasting from the stereo. She ran over to the black lumbering vehicle, kissing him on the cheek and then buckling her seatbelt. She had seen how he drove.
“Miss me?” she enquired shyly.
Spike reached for her hand, swinging the wheel with his other as they roared out of the parking lot. “Of course pet. Wouldn’t be able to sleep without you after last night.” He checked the speed limit, cursing as he realised that he was over by at least 20 mps. Spike had been desperate to show he was responsible, even if the poofter thinks it makes me all poncy.
He began to sing with Johnny Rotten before noticing Buffy’s confused face.
“Where are we going?”
“To your mums. Thought you’d like to wear something besides clothing from Angel’s harem.”
Buffy looked down at her lap. “Oh.”
Spike watched her in surprise. He knew things weren’t good between Buffy and her mum but this was unexpected. He parked the car outside of the Summers residence, turning off the ignition.
“Is it really that bad?”
Buffy, feeling embarrassed forced a bright smile onto her face. It wouldn’t do to let Spike see how awful she felt about this. “Of course not.” She opened the car door, kissing him quickly on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
Her steps were decidedly slow as Buffy all but dragged herself to the front door. The sooner you get this over with, the better off you’ll be she thought determinedly. Just get in, get the stuff and get out.
She opened the door, stepping inside quickly. She was in and nothing had happened so far. Her mood brightened and she calmly took a step forward before hearing the drunken laughter of her mother.
Spoke too soon.
Buffy stared at the wood floor as Joyce bumped and lumbered her way over to her errant daughter. “Buffy.”
“Joyce.”
Her mother glared at her hard, waving her hand at the living room. “There’s some men here to see you Elizabeth.” She leaned dramatically, the stench of bourbon coming off in waves. “I suggest you play nice.”
“What are you talking-“
A hand tightened on her shoulder and Buffy felt a familiar feeling of dread rush through her.
The man was tall with floppy brown hair and a boyish expression. He smiled at her in a sinister manner, grabbing her hand in his own in what was a punishing grip. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Elizabeth” he said. “I’ve been rather desperate to make your acquaintance.”
Buffy felt her heart leap into her throat, if this was who she thought it was then she was screwed. “Who are you?”
The man laughed at that. “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen me…” He tisked when Buffy shook her head in the negative. “My name is Parker. Parker Abrams.”
She tried to wrench her hand back but again failed.
She was most definitely screwed.
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