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Author's Chapter Notes:
There is a beautiful video for the song included in this chapter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KRCopc3jjo

Direct quotes from Something Blue.**Any and all facts come from the series "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader" which is full of trivial knowledge!**
“Hey, thanks, Riley,” a girl called out over her shoulder as he stepped down the ladder from hanging a sign up in the lobby of the campus hall.

Riley nodded in appreciation. “Looks good, Amber.”

Buffy stood behind his hulking form, looking between the sign and him. Interesting.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” she joked as Riley spun around at the sound of her voice.

“Oh, hey! Buffy… What?” At first he was surprised, then confused.

She looked towards the banner, hoping he’d catch on. He did, but it took a moment for him to realize what the actual joke was.

“Oh, yes. I’m a lesbian,” he answered in all seriousness.

She quirked an eyebrow at the statement. “Well, it's good that you're so open about it.”

He smiled and started walking with her through the lounge. “So we were talking about having a picnic…” he started.

“We were talking about having a picnic? I thought we’d already decided to have munchies at Rhodes Field?” Now she was confused. Hadn’t they already discussed this the other day?

“Okay, yes. I guess we did talk about that. I… I guess I never got a definite vibe from you, that’s all. It’s just… It's not easy, you know, talking to you sometimes. It's like an oral exam,” he explained, getting flustered.

She grimaced in distaste. Ugh, mental images not so good. “Boy… that's just what every girl longs to hear,” she replied dryly, trying not to heave.

Riley attempted to cover up his faux pas. “I never know how you're going to react to something. I think that's why I like you so much - you're such a mystery. Probably every beautiful girl in the world has some jerk telling her she's a mystery, but… I swear, you really are. There's a lot about you that needs puzzling out.”

“I need puzzling out?” Her eyebrows shot up. Oh no, he sounded like a ‘fixer’ type. Point one against him.

“Did you just miss the beautiful girl part? See, all women are mysterious – it’s what makes them so intriguing,” he said suavely. He could turn on the boyish charm when need be.

“So, about that picnic…” she hesitated, trying to distract him from the topic of mysterious, beautiful women. She wasn’t ready for that kind of relationship with someone normal, wanting to avoid another heartbreak and get a better sense of him. Besides, she didn’t feel like fending off grabby hands if he got them.

There was also something that struck her as odd. She’d had a headache for the last few hours, the throbbing increasing slightly the moment she met up with Riley. She went over a mental checklist to see if there was something she’d done or ate that might have caused it because she’d never remembered having one. Something was off. Was it the late night? No, she’d had those all the time… sometimes never even going to bed. The stressful conversation with Willow? She didn’t think so as she was fine when Buffy went to take a shower, and she wasn’t there before she left for the day. She glanced at Riley and saw his lips moving, figuring she’d better pay attention if she was ever to get to know him.

Apparently, Riley had changed the topic and was leading her towards the quad with a small basket and blanket in hand. Wait… where’d he get the basket? What had he said? She couldn’t recall what happened after finding him in the student lounge and how she’d gotten to the point where they’d been walking for some time. She couldn’t even remember if she answered him at all. God, was her memory shot to hell as well? Probably should ask Giles about this when she stopped by later that evening.

They camped out near a full shade tree and Riley popped open several dishes, handing one to Buffy. Apples. Oh, yummy, she thought blandly.

“Um, if you don’t like them, I have grapes,” he offered, a slightly hurt expression on his face.

Buffy’s eyes shot to his. “What?”

“It’s just that you said, oh, yummy, like you didn’t really want apples. So I offered grapes,” he said apologetically for the unwanted fruit.

Panic raced through Buffy. She did not just say that aloud! She only thought it, right? Oh, God, she was confused! She looked at a very perplexed Riley, hesitantly smiled and took an apple slice and popped it into her mouth. “See? I like,” she said around a mouthful of the very thing she absolutely detested.

“Um, okay.” Riley scratched his head, thinking she was one strange girl.

Buffy hoped she didn’t look as miserable as she felt. The apple was sour and she almost gagged after swallowing it. She grinned widely - too widely. “So…” she started awkwardly, not knowing anything that would be of interest to him. She couldn’t really tell him about her life as Slayer stuff was strictly off limits.

“Do you like driving?” he asked, trying to bring up any new topic that might interest her.

“Driving,” she deadpanned. Was he serious?

His eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Uh, yeah?”

“You actually drive for fun?” Who in their right mind drove for fun?

“Well, not four-wheeling or anything, but yeah. Don't you?” he questioned, not believing that she didn’t go on at least one little pleasure trip.

She snorted. “Actually, no-wheeling is more my specialty. I'm an avid pedestrian,” she proclaimed proudly. “Cars and Buffy are un-mixy things.”

“You're kidding, right? I mean, you know how to drive,” he practically scoffed.

Buffy frowned at him. Was that a subtle put down? “Well, I took the class-” she started to explain, but he cut her off.

“It's just because you haven't had a good experience yet. You can have the best time in a car. It's not about getting somewhere. You have to take your time. Forget about everything. Just… relax. Let it wash over you. The air… motion… Just, let it roll,” he tempted, leaning closer to her as his words took on a different meaning than what he started out with. He waggled his eyebrows and she couldn’t help but laugh.

Only Spike could pull that off and get away with being sexy about it, she thought to herself, comparing the two men.

“Who’s Spike?” Riley questioned peevishly.

The air between them shifted as the situation became tense. Buffy gulped like a fish and floundered in her answer. “Um, well… you see, he’s this, uh, guy that keeps hanging around me and my friends, and… well… he seems to be down on his luck at the moment.” This brought her straight out of the denial she loved to lose herself in. Since when did she think of Spike on those terms? As sexy even? Oh my God, what is happening to me, she questioned frantically. And how is Riley able to hear my thoughts?!?!

“Buffy, I can’t read your mind, though I imagine there’s quite a bit going on in there,” he answered her unspoken question. “But your lips did move.”

She stared at him in shock. “I’m actually all with the talking here?”

God, what a strange woman. “Um, yeah… at first you were talking about how sexy this Spike person is, then you worried about what is happening to you and me supposedly hearing your thoughts. Is this Spike person bothering you, is that why you’re worried? Do you need me to speak to him or something?”

“I thought we were talking about driving,” she said blankly, her mind focused on something other than the conversation they were having.

“I thought I was.”

“Um, I think I’d better go… you know, term paper and all.” She became flustered as she picked up her things to flee the scene quickly, leaving an utterly mystified Riley wondering just whom this Spike was.

~*~

Giles finally forwent paper to take notes on what Spike was spouting out, instead using a small hand held tape recorder so he could write it all down at his leisure inside his Watcher’s diary. He was just scribbling down the latest information when Buffy suddenly burst into the flat.

“Giles! Something is so totally wrong with me!” she cried frantically.

Throwing his pen down in exasperation at the interruption, he sighed loudly and started rubbing his eyes. “What is it now?”

She stood next to his desk wringing her hands nervously. “Something’s going on, I can feel it!” she said anxiously without further explanation.

“Can you be a bit more specific?” he queried motioning his hands wide for her to elaborate.

“See, I was at this mildly amusing picnic with Riley, right? And, and… I thought about not liking apples and then he offered me grapes… and then he started saying how Spike has a sexy waggle with his eyebrows and-and…” she spluttered, going on until she had to stop and catch her breath.

“Wait, just wait a moment. This Riley thought Spike was sexy while eating grapes and apples?” The disturbing images she was describing were too much for him, her babbling making no sense whatsoever.

She rolled her eyes. “No! I was thinking those things and it was like poof, he could hear me saying it… out loud, Giles… Out. Loud!”

His brow creased in a deep, confused frown. “You thought Spike was sexy while he was eating grapes and apples?”

She huffed in disgust. He’s as thick as those glasses of his, she mused, irritated beyond belief.

“I beg your pardon, young lady!”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about! I know I didn’t say those words, they were just in my head… but you heard them, right?” She was nodding enthusiastically.

“Buffy, I saw your lips move. And I have no psychic powers, so I couldn’t have read your thoughts.” He glared at her, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall leading to the kitchen.

“But, but… I didn’t hear myself say them, Giles! I swear on my Calvin Klein purse,” she pleaded.

Giles wiped his face and sighed, feeling he had better things to do than search from some reason that his Slayer thought others could hear her thoughts. “Alright, alright Buffy. We’ll see what we can come up with.” As an afterthought, he questioned, “Have you talked to Willow today? She was rather upset when I last spoke with her.”

“A little bit this morning, but I haven’t seen her since then. We’re supposed to meet up in a couple hours for some major Bronzage. I was going to check on you and Spike later in the evening, but this seemed a little bit more urgent,” she said hesitantly.

“Yes, quite.”

“By the way, where is the victim of circumstance?” she asked, leaning against the couch.

“He’s asleep actually. He’s quite exhausted.” He waved his hand in the direction of the stairs as he went back to his writing.

Noticing Giles was deeply involved in whatever he was doing, Buffy crept up the staircase and tip-toed down the hall.

She stopped at the top step, hearing the strumming of a guitar. The door to the spare bedroom was slightly ajar and she could just barely see Spike sitting on the bed, guitar in hand, quietly strumming. So quiet, in fact, she had to get closer to hear him better. She leaned against the doorframe, listening.

Spike heard and felt the Slayer enter the flat, knowing any kind of sleep he was struggling to get would be lost. His thoughts had been a mess as of late, notwithstanding the extra boost to his extensive memory. And while this girl’s kindness hadn’t gone unnoticed, it also made him start to feel things that maybe he shouldn’t. He’d made a tentative truce with the Watcher in exchange for any information that unwillingly spilled out of this brain and earned a spark of pity from the girl who was now camped outside of the door listening to him strum on a guitar he’d spied in the closet. Probably from Giles’ hippie days, no doubt. Hearing the strings vibrate kept the wild thoughts at bay, so he continued softly, choosing a song that, if he had more courage, he’d sing to her, hoping to garner something a little more than pity.

It was an English ladye bright,
The sun shines fair on Carlisle wall,
And she would marry a Scottish knight,
For Love will still be lord of all.

Buffy’s breath hitched as she heard him sing softly, closing her eyes and letting herself drift away with his words to a different time, a different place. She sunk down to sit against the wall and pulled her legs up to her chin.

Blithely they saw the rising sun
When he shone fair on Carlisle wall;
But they were sad ere day was done,
Though Love was still the Lord of all.

His nimble fingers plucked the strings in an aching, longing manner, bringing forth all the emotions the beautiful tune evoked.

Her sire gave brooch and jewel fine,
Where the sun shines fair on Carlisle wall;
Her brother gave but a flask of wine,
For ire that Love was lord of all.

For she had lands both meadow and lea,
Where the sun shines fair on Carlisle wall,
For he swore her death, ere he would see
A Scottish knight the lord of all.

A small gasp escaped Buffy’s mouth before she realized it. The strumming abruptly stopped, and she froze.

“Come in, Slayer,” Spike bid her quietly.

She nudged the door open slightly and peeked in. “Sorry,” she offered.

“’S okay, pet.” He continued to strum idly, no tune in particular, not looking at her as she moved about the room.

She glanced at the fading light through the drawn curtains, knowing she’d have to leave soon to meet up with Willow. As she spied the chair across from the bed, she realized that her headache had eased considerably since she’d crept upstairs. Huh… guess music does soothe the savage headache, she mused lightly.

Spike glanced up as she sat in the overstuffed chair across from him. “What’s that, luv?”

She narrowed her eyes but relaxed when he didn’t press further, returning to his strumming. Hoping he’d continue the song, she worried her lip and worked up the nerve to ask him how the tale ended. “Was her brother really out to kill her just because she loved someone she shouldn’t?” she asked shyly.

He looked at her in surprise, seeing that she was eagerly awaiting his answer. “Could sing the rest if you want, Slayer,” he suggested. Seeing her nod, he continued from where he’d left off.

That wine she had not tasted well
The sun shines fair on Carlisle wall
When dead, in her true love’s arms she fell,
For Love was still the lord of all!

She leaned forward, her face a picture of angst as she ghosted graceful fingers over her lips, silently shaking her head no. Spike nodded sadly.

He pierced her brother to the heart,
Where the sun shines fair on Carlisle wall-
So perish all would true love part
That Love may still be lord of all!

She smiled tremulously, her eyes turning misty.

And then he took the cross divine,
Where the sun shines fair on Carlisle wall,
And died for her sake in Palestine;
So Love was still the lord of all.

A small sniffle brought his attention back to Buffy, a single tear sliding down her cheek, and his heart clenched in his chest at the sight before him. Taking a chance, he revealed a small portion of the feelings that were starting to take root within him as he pleaded the last stanza to her specifically.

Now all ye lovers, that faithful prove,
The sun shines down on Carlisle wall
Pray for their souls, who died for love,
For Love shall still be lord of all!

He quieted the guitar and laid it aside on the bed, watching her eyes as they took on an otherworldly quality, staring at him with stray tears wetting her lashes. She was within reaching distance, so he lightly took her hand and idly rubbed the back of it with his thumb. “Pet, you okay?” he asked concerned.

She nodded mutely, swiping her tears away. “It was just a really sad song, Spike… sorry.” She sniffled some more.

He patted the back of her hand and smiled gently. “That it was, luv, that it was.”

God, I wish I could find that sort of love, her traitorous thoughts ran through her mind unbidden as she looked at Spike.

Head cocked to the side, not believing he’d heard her right, he closed his eyes and deeply breathed in her scent. “Buffy, what did you say?”

It was hearing her name that snapped her back to reality. Following the train of the day’s events, and the likelihood her deepest thoughts were audible to those around her, she groaned. “Oh no.”





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