Beeeeeeeep.
Buffy gasped, standing in front of William’s door, taking in the words of the message. Knowing that she’d messed up, that she had lost something she’d never really had a chance to have. She was hurt, and she was angry with herself. She was beginning to think that there was no way that she could fix this, that it was a lost cause.
She put her hand on the door, taking a deep breath to stop the tears from falling and then slowly exhaling. She opened her purse and dialled the number on her speed dial.
“Dad? Can you come pick me up? I want to come home.”
“Honey, I can’t right now. I will tell your mom though, she will come get you. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Daddy. Just… get me home please.”
She hung up before her father could say anything else, and walked toward her cousin’s car. Cordy would understand, she had to. If Cordy wanted to visit with her again, she could just come to L.A. Buffy never wanted to come to Sunnydale again, she couldn’t run the risk of running into William again.
She took out a small piece of paper and scribbled out a short message to William and slid it under his door.
It was better this way.
The closer William got to his dorm, the closer Faith’s hands got to his groin, the more nervous and doubtful he got. He needed to think, he needed to clear his head, and focus on what he wanted. “Buffy,” William whispered, then scoffed. “I want Buffy.”
He did want Buffy, he couldn’t deny that. No matter how much she’d hurt him, made fun of him, he still wanted her. The way her lips glided across his skin, the smell of her peachy hair, the way her velvety passage gripped his…
“Excuse me?” Faith asked, noticing that he wasn’t paying attention to her, but still curious as to who ‘Buffy’ was. “Who’s Buffy, and what does she have that I don’t?”
Hearing Faith say Buffy’s name broke him out of his thoughts, and he looked at the beautiful woman beside him. She was like Drusilla, aside from the barmy riddles, Faith was dark and mysterious, beautiful and strong. But she wasn’t the amazing woman he’d met a week ago. Spike smiled at Faith and pulled over, putting the car in park before turning off the engine. “You want to know what’s funny, Faith?”
She opened her mouth to ask him, but he continued before she had a chance. “Women. Do you want to know why? Because no matter how they play me, or tear me down, I always go back for more. But, you see…” he closed his eyes and tilted his head up to rest on the back of his seat, fighting for the right words to say. “I met this girl. Bloody incredible, she is. It might have been a one night stand type of thing, but I feel like its more than that. We were set up for a blind date before we even met, so it has to be some sort of sign, right? She might have made fun of me, but I don’t think it was intentional, I don’t think that she meant any of it.” He opened his eyes and looked at Faith, about to ask a question and scared of what the answer will be. “Does that make me crazy?”
Faith laughed, and shook her head, trying to wrap her head around the situation. “So let me get this straight… You met a girl, you boinked her brains out, she made fun of you and you still want more? You feel like there’s a connection?”
Spike shook his head. “No, you’re diluting it too much, this is how it all began…”
Spike told her everything, right from the beginning. The dare, the blind date set-up, the makeover, the party (omitting the… explicit stuff), and then the reunion. He took a deep breath and shook his head, chuckling. “This is gonna sound incredibly poncey, but bugger it. I think that Buffy and I… I think that we could have something together. Something that you only get one chance to experience, you know?"
“Spike?” Faith said, then reached over to smack him. “You’re a major idiot!”
William scoffed, rubbing the back of his head. “I pour my heart out, and you smack and insult me? You’ve got some great conversational skills.” Spike told her, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
“I have great conversational skills. You’re just an idiot.”
“Could you elaborate a little bit? You’re not exactly making me feel better here…”
“Do you know why Buffy said those things to you?” she asked. When Spike shook his head in the negative, she continued. “She was saying that to you because she didn’t know that you were the person she was supposed to go out with. She didn’t want you to think she wasn’t interested in you because of a date she was committed to.”
“Still not making me feel better. In other words, she would rather date ‘the bad boy within’ than the real me.” William replied, lowering his head and playing with his hands in his lap.
“No, in other words, she wanted to get to know you. The real you. She didn’t want to leave it as a one night stand, she wanted to know what makes you tick. I’m sure that she wouldn’t care if you read too much Shakespeare and write your own poetry on the side…” William growled at her, but she just rolled her eyes and went on. “If you really think that you could have something with her, if you really think that she is the one, or whatever… then she won’t care about that stuff. Trust me.”
Spike smiled at her, then reached over to brush her cheek with his thumb. “I take it you have experience with this kind of thing?”
She smiled back at him and nodded. “His name was Robin. Thought he was the one. But not everything works out, all you have to do is fight for it and see how it turns out.”
Spike leaned over and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, then turned his car back on. “Thanks, Faith. You’re a great girl.”
Faith sighed dramatically and flipped her hair. “I know, too bad you are taken. You’re smokin’ hot, Spike, but I won’t be second best for anyone.”
Spike chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it, pet,” he put the car in drive and started down the road. “And Faith, the name’s William.”
“I know.” Faith smiled, then told him the directions to her apartment.
“So, you’re just giving up? Just like that?” Cordy asked, as she watched Buffy pack her things. “I thought you wanted to tell William that—”
“Cordy!” Buffy shouted, not wanting to get into an argument. “I just… it’s complicated, okay. I just want to leave and forget any of this even happened.”
Cordy smiled sweetly, then walked over to the door. “Okay Buffy, I understand,” she said and put her hand on the door knob. “I understand that you’re a coward and that you aren’t willing to work for something you think could be worth it. Maybe you aren’t as good for William as I thought you were.”
Cordy left the room, shutting the door quietly, leaving Buffy to pack her things by herself in silence. Her mother would be there soon, anyway. She didn’t want to get into an argument and keep Joyce waiting.
“Maybe you’re right.” Buffy whispered into the empty room, then continued to pack up her possessions.
TBC