Chapter 10
“Are you all right? You’ve been kind of distant since you came back home.”
Buffy nodded when she was brought out of her reverie. “Sorry, Riley. I guess I just have a lot on my mind, but it’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Riley hoped to take her mind off of the family that she just discovered. He was the only family she really needed, and soon his family would be hers as well. “I have to get to work, babe. I’ll see you later tonight.”
Buffy nodded again when Riley pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, forcing a smile on her face. She quickly wiped it off once he left, not knowing why she was so distracted. For some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about William. “I wonder what he’s doing right now,” she said to herself, praying that he was okay.
* * * * *
Spike parked his car in front of Buffy’s house, taking a deep breath before getting out. He knocked on the front door, smiling when an older woman opened it.
“William, is that you?”
He nodded. “It’s nice to see you again, Jenny.”
She returned his smile and gave him a hug, releasing him after a few seconds. “Buffy told us that she saw you in Sunnydale. You have really grown up. Come on in, I know Rupert would love to see you.”
Spike stepped into the house and looked around, following Jenny into the living room.
Giles stood up once they entered, shock written on his features. “William? Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” he said, shaking the younger man’s hand.
“It’s good to see you again, sir.”
Giles waved his hand in the air. “Still being formal, I see. I’m glad that not a lot has changed. I suppose you’re here to visit Buffy.” It wasn’t a question.
All he did was nod.
“Buffy’s with Riley right now, but she should be back soon,” Jenny explained.
Spike cringed at the thought of her out with him, but didn’t understand why. He knew she was engaged. He didn’t figure that she would dump the wanker because of what happened between them. A part of him was really hoping, though. The front door opening and closing put what else he would have said on hold.
“Hey, whose car is outside? It looks really familiar.” Her voice trailed off at the sight of Spike standing with her parents. “Oh, never mind then.”
Jenny smiled, not noticing the tension between the two young people. “William stopped by to visit you; we’ll just leave you to your privacy. Let’s go, Rupert.”
Giles nodded and let his wife lead him away.
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you doing here?”
He shrugged. “Can’t a bloke just visit an old friend without having some ulterior motive?”
Buffy raised her eyebrows, clearly not believing him.
“Okay, should have known you would see through that. You know why I’m here, Buffy.”
She let out a sigh. “Will, you really shouldn’t be here. What I said to you before I left isn’t going to change; you’re just going to make things worse. I’m with Riley. Maybe if you got to know him, you would see that he’s not such a bad guy. Why don’t you come out with us tonight? You might feel better if you met him.”
Spike wasn’t easily convinced, but figured it was a chance to spend some time with her. “Fine, I’ll meet him, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to be best mates or anything.”
Buffy nodded, relieved that he decided to come with her. “That’s good enough for me.”
* * * * *
Spike followed Buffy into the crowded club, noticing immediately how different it was from the Bronze. She waved to someone that he assumed was Riley and let her pull him in the other man’s direction.
“Hey, this is William. I hope you don’t mind him joining us, he just decided to visit me for a few days.”
Riley stood up and towered over him, putting a smile on his face. “No trouble at all. It’s nice to finally meet you, William.”
Spike nodded. “Likewise, but I go by Spike now. Buffy just hasn’t picked up on that yet.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled him down in one of the available seats, introducing him to everyone else. “This is Willow, her girlfriend Tara, Oz, Graham, and Cordelia.”
He smiled at what seemed to be a friendly group. “It’s nice to meet all of you.”
They all nodded and tried to talk over the loud music.
Spike glanced at Buffy to notice that Riley was sitting a little too close to her. He saw red when the big oaf placed his hand on her thigh. He wondered if he would be able to stand seeing the two of them together, but was willing to make the best of it.
Tara whispered in her girlfriend’s ear.
Willow nodded and gazed at Buffy and Spike, then turned back to Tara. “I see it, too.”
The others got up to dance a moment later, leaving Spike alone with Willow and Tara.
Spike watched in envy as Buffy danced with Riley, wishing more than anything that it was him instead. He sighed and focused back on the two women that were still at the table, surprised to see them staring at him so intently. “Do I have something on my face?”
Willow shook her head. “You love her, don’t you?”
His jaw nearly dropped. “What? Is that just obvious to everyone now?”
“We can see your aura. It’s very beautiful,” Tara responded shyly.
Spike raised his eyebrows. “Right, of course.”
Willow leaned in closer to him. “Have you told her how you feel?”
He nodded, not wanting to relive that conversation. “She doesn’t want anything to do with me, not in a romantic way. She’s too in love with Cardboard over there.”
“I don’t think that’s true. We believe that Buffy is only with Riley because she thinks he’s safe. I don’t think she really loves him; you coming back into her life completely took her by surprise. She’s been distracted all week and we’re pretty sure it’s because of you.”
Spike was definitely intrigued now. “Has she said anything to you?”
Willow took in a breath before continuing. “No, but she doesn’t have to. Buffy would kill us if she knew we talked to you about this, but I have to tell someone that would listen. We don’t think Riley is being faithful to Buffy. I don’t know anything for sure, but I saw him the other day with another woman. They looked really close.”
Spike clenched his fists under the table. “Did you say anything about that to her?”
Tara spoke up now. “We…We don’t think she would believe us.”
Willow agreed. “She’s so convinced that he’s decent, I doubt she would believe anything negative about him. She would have to see it for herself, but if Riley is involved with another woman, he’s been pretty good about hiding it. I wish I knew for sure that he was cheating on her, but I don’t have any real proof.”
Spike glanced back out at the dance floor. He grinned when a young, dark haired girl bounded over to the dancing couple. She did not seem happy. “I think we might just get our answer.”