Buffy marched with a purpose through the elevator doors and stepped onto Angel’s floor of Wolfram & Hart. She was a woman on a mission, and nothing was stopping her now. A few had tried in the lobby, but that didn’t end to well for them.
As she strolled quickly past suit –covered bodies, she heard a familiar voice call out to her. “Buffy?” It was Harmony. She was perched behind a modern, dark oak finished desk clad in a bright pink pantsuit with the top edge of a white camisole peeking out from underneath.
“Harmony…you work here?” Slightly caught off guard, Buffy felt the girl’s arms wrap around her in an awkward embrace.
“Yeah, I know. Who would have guessed me for the legal type…”
“Not me,” Buffy muttered under her breath.
“…but with being the undead and all I guess it just kinda fit.” Her face immediately took on a grave expression. “You’re not gonna stake me are you? ‘Cause I’m completely off the human blood, all animal blood, all the time. I promise!” Harmony gestured wildly and put a few more inches between Buffy and herself.
“It’s ok, Harmony. I’m not going to stake you. Can you just tell me where Angel is? It’s important.” Arms crossed, Buffy eyed the large, double, wooden doors.
“One sec, he’s in there just let me…” Harmony reached across her desk to grab her phone, but when she turned back to Buffy, the doors to Angel’s office were already swinging open.
**
“Buffy…” His voice sounded depleted. It surprised her; he looked different somehow, more tired maybe, which for an immortal undead was saying something. His eyes held a certain hope; for what she couldn’t really say because she wasn’t here for him. “What are you doing here? You got your slayer. I didn’t think I’d see any of your crew again, especially not you. I thought I wasn’t trusted.” Angel’s demeanor instantly took a turn.
“I’m not here to bother you, Angel, and I’m not here to yell at you for becoming leader of evil incarnate…”
“We’re changing it from the inside!” Angel’s tone picked up suddenly as he cut her off.
“Angel! I’m not here for that. God…” This was definitely not what she had bargained for. Arguing with Angel was something she could really care less about at the moment, especially this moment.
Buffy held her hand to her head trying to find some sort of focus. This conversation was not going how she had imagined it. She began to pace back in forth in front of Angel’s desk.
He got up, pushing his chair back, and walked over to stand in front of her. “What is this about, Buffy?” He leaned backward on the edge of his desk and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Where is he?” Angel withdrew his hand. It was amazing how three words could cause such an immediate change in him. It was kind of impressive on Buffy’s part, the ability to change behavior with a single phrase.
“Who?” He rapidly avoided eye contact and moved back to sit behind his desk. Angel suddenly found the papers scattered about much more interesting.
“You know who, Angel. Spike, where is he? I know he’s alive…or undead… or whatever he is, but he’s here.” Buffy threw her hands in the air. She could barely remember the last time she had to deal with this jealous vampire crap; never realizing how much she actually missed it.
“He’s not here! Probably at his place…I don’t know where that is. I don’t keep tabs on him ya know.” Angel practically spat his words at her. Apparently she had worn out her welcome…if she ever had one.
Buffy gave him a pleading glance before looking away. “Angel, please. Can’t you just get him here?” Their eyes locked. Something exchanged between them, and after years of thinking that their star-crossed relationship would find someway to work itself out, they stopped. Neither one acknowledged the change. That wasn’t important; what was, was seeing Angel reach for his phone.
“Harmony, get Frank. Tell him to get a car ready…for Spike.” His name sounded like a disease coming from Angel, but Buffy barely noticed. Spike, Spike would be here. It was the best thing she’d heard in six months. She couldn’t help but smile.
Spike searched the faces that surrounded him for some sign of danger, or at least something recognizable as to why he, specifically, was needed.
“Uh oh, you’re in trouble,” Harmony said in a sing-song voice.
“ ‘Oi, don’t tell me Angel brought me in here to scold me, just ‘cause he’s CEO of Hell and I’m the one out on the streets doing his job,” Spike finished with a huff. “Not my fault the ponce chose to be king of this thirty floor castle instead following his destiny and all that rot.” Spike settled his hands, palms down, on the top of Harmony’s desk. “So boss in his office, yeah?” Harmony only nodded and placed a phone to her ear. Spike gestured back and moved towards the doors.
Buffy’s head whipped around to stare at the closed, double doors. His voice. He was shouting something out in the lobby. She couldn’t tell what; she didn’t care what. It was his voice.
“So Peaches, what’s this ‘issue’ then?” He pushed his way in, strutting through without a care, duster blowing behind him. Then he just stopped. Everything stopped. His eyes zeroed in on her, magnetized to where she stood. Then she was moving; walking towards him with a force to her stride. Spike was speechless for once in his existence, not to mention he felt like he was paralyzed. She however seemed to know what she was doing.
Her fist contacted with his face. ‘God, I missed this.’ Both of them thought, as he stumbled back gripping his nose.
“Bloody hell.” His back hit the door as he struggled to regain balance. Although that plan didn’t really work since as soon as he stood her fist hit him again.
“That one was from Dawn.” Her words were filled with a fire she’d forgotten she’d possessed. He brought it out in her, a passion she’d lost after his death. Being with him now was electric. Buffy could feel the sparks flying from her fingertips as she grasped the lapels of his coat and through him against the wood door, satisfied with the slight crack that sounded from his impact.
“Buffy…?” He wasn’t really questioning her presence. Spike knew it was her. Her scent engulfed him like a homecoming he had denied himself for so long. It was euphoria. He didn’t care about the blood slowly trickling from his nose or the bruises he’d surely sport in the coming hours because she was here, and she was touching him. Her hands had a death grip on his duster and he was too shocked to speak.
Apparently so was she, for her lips were closed in a tight line. Her confidence had waned as soon as the ferocity between them had ceased. They just stared at one another, eyes locked, fists clenched. Both of them were breathing deeply, even though one didn’t need to. He was the first to speak.
“Bit a déjà vu, yea?” A slow, shy smile crept up on his face. He wasn’t sure what else to say, but he figured making light in such a serious situation would bring a grin to her features. He figured right.
“Huh?” Eyebrows drawn together, she was completely confused by his words. Déjà vu? Then she took a look at their positioning. She with fists clamped together around his jacket and him pressed roughly against a wooden surface, both staring at each other intently. Memories of almost two years ago now flooded her mind. Scenes from a night in a dilapidated building that they had ultimately destroyed came to the front. In another time she would have been disgusted by his reference, but it seemed so long ago now, and his intentions seemed only to give a much needed lightening to the mood, so she released him and laughed.
“Oh, that…” She smiled, but kept her eyes glued to the floor, cheeks reddening a bit from the memory.
She could feel his eyes boring into her, but she refused to meet them. A new girly giddiness had taken over her and she found herself at a loss. However, someone else stepped in.
“I don’t want to interrupt,” Angel interjected in an obliviously sarcastic tone.
‘Saved by the Angel,’ Buffy mused to herself, turning her head in Angel’s direction. Spike’s head whipped around as well. Both glared expectantly at him.
Angel just glowered back. “Could you take this somewhere not in my office?” Pen in hand, he repeatedly glanced back down at his papers as if their company was disturbing him from his work.
Both Buffy and Spike seemed to snap back into reality at his words. Taking them in, Buffy began to wring her hands nervously. “I don’t really have anywhere to go…” Her voice trailed off unsure of either man’s reaction.
Spike barely noticed that she had spoken. He was still studying her, still shocked that she was standing right in front of him. As his eyes made their way up her form he realized she was staring at him as if waiting for a response. His brain quickly caught up. “Right…um…my flat. We can go there…to chat is all,” Spike finished quickly not wanting to assume anything. After all her greeting to him had been a punch in the nose.
“Right, ‘cause there’s a lot to explain, with the you crumbling to dust in pillar of light six months ago,” Buffy stated causally as if the subject was discussed daily.
“Yeah…that…” Spike winced slightly at the memory, but quickly shook it off and reached a hand out to her. Even though he was almost positive she’d take it, a small part of him was positive she wouldn’t, positive that she’d shove it back at him and laugh in his face. It wasn’t as if his kindness hadn’t been denied before, but he had to believe now was different for no other reason than that she was here.
Her hand slipped lightly into his. “Lead the way.”
A smirk played on Spike’s lips as he tugged her towards the doors. She’d missed that smirk. She’d never really seen him truly happy she thought, thinking back, but when she had placed her hand in his he seemed close.
“And how do you plan on getting there?” Angel shouted to their already disappearing bodies.
“Company car, o’ course, mate,” Spike replied peeking his head back through the doorway, grin shining on his face. The huff of a defeated sigh was all Spike heard in return as he shut the double doors and turned back to Buffy.
“You know we have a lot to talk about?” Her face had suddenly become serious, he noticed as she glared up at him.
Stepping into the elevator next to her but avoiding eye contact, he replied. “I know,” with that the sliding doors shut and locked in front of them.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Its been impossibly long since my last post, but here it is. Chapter 6 will be up shortly and then this site will be caught up with the others. Thanks for the fantastic comments. Also I'm still in need of a banner. Any help would be much appreciated :D
Chapter End Notes:
Comments anyone? :)