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Chapter 5 – Reminiscing


Entering the Bronze, Buffy let the familiarity wash over her. Memories of a simpler time when she and Willow and Xander would hang out and dance- Buffy longed for those times. She longed for the days when all she had to worry about was studying and slaying. She died in a manner, she thought, befitting a Slayer, only to be dragged back into this earth and cursed to fight forever.

Catching the wistful look on her face, Spike gently put his hand on the small of her back, leading her through the club. Buffy smiled softly, trying to repress the shiver that ran through her at his touch. It had been a long time since she had let herself get within close proximity of a man. Not since Angelus, posing as Angel, had wrapped her in a hug, only to turn it into a deathly embrace and lead to a torturous week. Her smile faded as the depressing memories overshadowed the better ones. Before she became too immersed in her thoughts, a nasal voice had the attention of everyone in the club.

“Spike!”

“Bloody hell,” Spike muttered under his breath. Buffy smiled when she heard the phrase before turning her attention to a brunette stalking toward them. The woman had curls falling past her shoulders and a conceited demeanor that Buffy could tell before the woman had even spoken to her.

“What the hell are you doing here? And with her?” she asked, gesturing angrily at Buffy.

“Cecily, we were just patrolling together.”

“Oh, you were,” she commented. “Well, why is she good enough to take, but I’m not?”

“Ease up, princess,” Buffy spoke up. “I’ve been doing this for a lot of years.”

“Oh, you have,” she said, turning her attention to Buffy. “I’m so sure you have, little girl.”

“Listen, lady, I’m far from a little girl, and I can hold my own in any fight.”

“Oh, I’m sure you can, little one,” Cecily said in a snobbish tone.

“You really don’t want to know what I’m capable of,” Buffy said. She had never wished for a game-face before, but she would have loved to have seen the look on her snooty face if she had been able to flash one. “Why don’t you take your nose out of the air, pull that silver spoon out of your mouth, turn around, and head back to your table?” Turning to an awestruck Spike, Buffy gestured with her hand. “I’ll be at the bar.”

Stalking past a gaping Cecily, she made her way to the bar and took a seat. She could already hear the screeching of the indignant woman as she ordered a drink.

“Nice show.”

Turning to face the owner of the voice, Buffy recognized the attractive black man from the night before. “Glad you liked it,” she said with a smile.

“It’s about time someone put the Countess in her place. Lord knows he won’t do it,” he said, gesturing to Spike with his beer bottle.

“The Countess, that’s a good one,” she said with a laugh as she turned to face him. “You saw the fight last night. I’ve gotta ask, why aren’t you trying to stake me right now?”

“You came in with Spike,” he said with a shrug. “I figured if you were a problem, he would have taken care of it already. Why? Should I be nervous?” he asked, smiling.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “That doesn’t tell me why you’re voluntarily talking to me. I mean, just because I won’t kill you doesn’t mean I won’t hurt you.”

“I can hold my own.”

“Good to know,” she said softly.

“I’m Gunn, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand with a smile.

“So, what’s your story? I mean, I pretty much figured out you’re a vamp, what with your aversion to holy water and all.”

Buffy nodded as she looked at the bar surface. “Ever heard of the vampire with a soul complex?”

“Yeah. Vamp out in L.A. Fightin’ the good fight and all that, but that one’s a man.”

“Let’s just say I’m a relative,” she said, glancing at him to gauge his reaction.

“Okay,” Gunn said with a slight shrug. “So why are you here?”

“I thought Spike could use some help. It’s always good to have back-up.”

“And that’s what you are?”

“Something like that,” she replied with a nod.

“Well,” Gunn said. “Always good to have another member of the gang.”

“Scooby gang,” Buffy whispered, a smile playing on her lips as she stared at the surface of the bar, remembering even more from years earlier.

“Did you just say something?”

“Oh…no,” she said, snapping out of her thought and quickly shaking her head.

“How’d you know where to find the Slayer?”

“Hellmouth,” Buffy said with a slight smile. “It seems to draw a lot of people and creatures. I used to live here, figured the new Slayer was here, too.”

“New? Spike’s been the Slayer for over four years.”

“Yeah…I know. I just didn’t want to find him yet.”

“You knew Faith?”

Buffy’s head snapped up at the statement. “How do you know about her?”

“Spike mentioned her in passing. Just that she was the one he replaced. My girlfriend Fred, she helps his Watcher out with a lot of things and told me about a lot of the Slayers. So, did you really know Buffy Summers?”

Smiling as she stared into her drink, she slowly nodded. “Yep. We were real close.”

“So you were there the night she died?”

“More or less,” Buffy replied, never meeting his eyes.

“That must have been rough,” he said with a sympathetic look.

“Oh yeah,” she said with a slight smile. Looking up to check on Spike, she frowned when she didn’t see him anywhere.

“If you’re looking for Spike, he’s probably outside with what’s her name, trying to calm her down,” Gunn said, glancing around the club.

“You don’t like her?” Buffy asked, looking over at him with a smile, growing to like this man even more.

“Hell no! That woman was born with a stick up her ass.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” she replied with a laugh.

“You should be proud. No one’s ever put her in her place the way you did. I’m sure it shocked the hell out of her to have someone actually look down on her for a change.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve learned that there are more things to be afraid of than a spoiled heiress.”

“I get that.”

“You’ve been fighting a long time?” she asked.

“Since I was in high school. Figured someone had to do something.”

“Nice to know some people still know what’s right,” Buffy said. “Speaking of which, I better get back out there. It was nice meeting you, Gunn.” Leaving some money on the bar as she walked away, she heard his voice behind her.

“Yeah, you, too…hey, I never caught your name.”

Glancing at him over her shoulder, she offered him a bright smile. “It’s Buffy.”

Walking out of the club, she left a very perplexed Gunn behind her.





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