Chapter 25 – Caught in the Web
Stepping off the elevator, Buffy plastered a smile on her face in preparedness for when she saw William. She called out to him as she headed toward the living room. There wasn’t any answer. Nothing but the sound of her voice echoing through the empty rooms of the downstairs. She glanced at her watch. It was almost six and they’d planned dinner for seven. He should be home.
“William, I’m home. Where are you?” She dumped her packages on the couch as she tried again. There was still no answer to her query. She turned to Tara with a shrug. “Let me go find him. Make yourself at home. The kitchen is over there,” Buffy finished with a wave of her hand.
“Thanks,” Tara replied with a smile and a slight nod. “I’ll be fine.”
Confident that her friend could handle being left alone for a few minutes, Buffy headed for the upstairs. The fake smile she’d worn before was now gone as she let her mind sort through the things she’d learned that afternoon. Drusilla being pregnant opened all sorts of new possibilities for motives to have her murdered. Who’d been the father? Which lover was she careless with? Did she want the baby? Or was she going to abort it? Of course the biggest question was had Spike known about the pregnancy? If he did, how did he feel about knowing that his wife was unfaithful to him?
A shudder ran through her as for or the first time she hesitated about finding out the truth. What if Spike hadn’t known? Revealing the truth of everything would devastate him if he’d been the father. If it wasn’t his child then he’d be even more mortified about his deceased wife’s activities with other men.
There was also the possibility that the murderer hadn’t even known about the innocent babe caught in the mess Drusilla created. Buffy’s heart ached for the child and for the man she loved. Neither of them deserved the treachery of the woman they’d both needed and who’d let them down so horribly.
“Will, are you in here?” Buffy called out just as she crossed the threshold into their bedroom. He wasn’t in sight, but she rounded the bed wondering if he was in bathroom.
“Yeah,” he said, making her stop as he leaned out of the doorway with a towel hanging low on his hips. Small drops of water glistened on the landscape of his shoulders and chest before they slid down his abdomen before disappearing beneath the towel.
No wonder he hadn’t answered her, William being in the shower was as bad as him sitting in front of his computer. It would take a catastrophe of loud proportions to get his attention in either situation.
“Everything okay?” He prodded when she didn’t answer him right away, and then took a few steps closer to her. Stopping only when there was a hairsbreadth between them.
Nodding, she flashed him an indulgent smile. He was okay. Relaxing, her eyes swept over him, taking in the beauty of his body. Even after months of marriage, sometimes just the sight of Will could coax Buffy into a state of heightened desire. If Tara wasn’t waiting for them downstairs, she would seduce him into a before dinner romp. Not that it would take a lot to get him to agree. The sex between them was one of the best parts of their marriage. She sighed. Physically she took a step back, mimicking her mind putting away the notion of lovemaking for now.
“Yep, everything’s better than okay.” Unable to resist, Buffy ran her fingers down his arm. “Tara is staying for dinner…if that’s all right with you. I mean she drove me all over LA today, so I didn’t think…”
“Shush, luv,” Spike whispered with a grin. He laid a finger on her mouth, letting it caress the curves of her lips when she stopped talking. “You were babbling.” He kissed her softly, and she could feel his lips curve into a smile against hers before he pulled back. Cocking his head to the side, he added, “I hope you don’t mind, but Cordelia and Xander are on their way over to join us.”
“Oh.”
“You do mind?”
In a way she did. So much was happening that her mind was fuzzy trying to keep everything straight, much less play the games that were always played when the other couple was around. Plus, she wasn’t sure how they would take to the quietness of her friend with the small town ways.
Once again Spike had to prompt her for a response. “I didn’t think it was a big deal.” He shrugged his annoyance. “Xander said he had news that he wanted to share with us.”
Buffy pulled herself up. Not only was Tara tough and able to take care of herself, but Buffy wouldn’t allow them to treat Tara with anything but respect. Even if it led to a confrontation that wouldn’t please Will. As for everything else on her mind, it would have to wait until later.
Hoping to placate Will, she slowly slid her hands up his chest until they were resting on his shoulders. “No, its fine, Will. Do you have something planned for dinner or are we going out?”
“Steaks on the grill? Nothing fancy.”
“Works for me.”
“Give me a minute and I’ll be down.”
“Thank you,” Buffy said, leaning against him for a moment. She could feel the dampness seeping through her clothes, but she didn’t care. The combination of the heat of his body and the coolness of the remaining droplets was a sensual combination. It only stoked the earlier embers into a small blaze. Her hands slid back down to so they were resting on his hips. “I love you, William.” For just a moment she closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against his cheek, letting herself indulge in a small fantasy.
“Love you, too,” he whispered before patting her bottom. “Go on. Your friend is waiting.”
“Kiss me first,” she whispered, looking up at him from under her lashes. She adored the sinister grin that twisted his lips as he pulled her against him again.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Please,” she begged playfully.
“You, my pet, are temptation.”
It was the last thing he said before he walked her backwards until she hit the wall. Pinned, she waited for him to follow through, but he didn’t kiss her. Instead, he nibbled at her neck while his hands pulled the scrunchy from her hair. He held her in place, hands tangled in her hair while he took the small blaze into a roaring fire that brought tingling to every nerve ending of her body. She could feel her toes curl in her boots as she pressed herself closer to him.
“Will, we have company coming.” She wanted this to continue, but it couldn’t. She pushed him back.
“You started this.” He was teasing but he released her with obvious reluctance. Rubbing his nose against hers for a mere second before he stepped back. “Go on, Luv, keep Tara company.”
She wondered why their relationship couldn’t always be this easy. Sex between them was never an issue. It was the communication that was lacking. So many things they never said to each other that could have eased her fears of not being loved. All she wanted was all of Will’s heart. Not just the part that Drusilla didn’t still have a hold of.
As she slowly walked down the stairs, she could feel the chill from her damp clothes send a shiver through not only her body but into the depths of her soul. This whole situation with Drusilla was like fighting a living evil presence that wouldn’t leave them alone. But could she exorcise her from their lives? Sighing, she sat down on a stool at the counter overlooking the kitchen.
“Is Will all right?” Tara asked. She glanced at Buffy as she slipped teabags into a pot of boiling water.
“Yeah, he’s fine. I just keep having doubts about continuing to dig into his past, but then the next minute something will happen and I’m sure that I’m doing the right thing. I just don’t want to hurt Will more than he already has been. What if what I’m doing destroys us instead of bringing us closer?”
“You need to be careful and very sure that you want to know the truth. What if you find out something that would make you stop loving him?”
Buffy watched as her friend pulled the sugar canister over to the pitcher. The simple actions made her long for her mother who always had tea in the refrigerator for those hot summer days. Although it had been mere months, her life in Sunnydale seemed a lifetime ago.
“I don’t think that would ever happen.” Buffy already knew things that had shaken her heart, but had yet to turn it against her husband. All she wanted was someone to tell her the right path to take. “Should I let it go?”
“That’s something that only you can answer.”
“This new information…,” she glanced behind her at the stairs to make sure they were still alone. “It will kill Will.”
“Maybe then you should let it go.” Tara stopped stirring the tea to reach over to grab Buffy’s hand. “He adores you. Accept it and take whatever happiness you can get. In time, he’ll become more comfortable in your relationship and open up more.”
Buffy sighed. “Maybe you’re right. I just don’t want to lose him.”
“You won’t,” Tara reassured her before turning to get some glasses out of the cabinet. It just seemed too simple to walk away at this point. She knew too much, and if William ever knew she was keeping secrets from him then he would end up hating her like he did Drusilla. The spider web was becoming denser with Buffy caught in the middle like an innocent fly. She had no one to blame but herself for the whole thing. Why hadn’t she just been grateful for Will’s love and left things alone?
Before she could ponder anymore, the sound of the elevator swishing open signaled the arrival of Xander and Cordelia. Everything they did was with flair as they swept into the room with Xander carrying a bag from an exclusive restaurant they frequented. He handed it Buffy and she couldn’t resist taking a peek. Inside was a scrumptious looking cheesecake for dessert.
“Ooh, thank you,” Buffy said, turning to take the bottle of wine from Cordelia. It was a bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon wine to accompany their meal. She hurried to the other side of the kitchen to put the items away. She barely had time to introduce Tara to the couple before Will joined them. Once he arrived the atmosphere was one of joviality as they moved outside to the table on the terrace.
~~~~~~
“What’s the good news?” Spike asked from where he was reigning over the huge built in gas grill where thick porterhouses sizzled over the flames. The phone call he’d received earlier from his friend had indicated that there was cause for celebration. Something much needed between the friends who were feeling the strain from Spike’s constant working on the screenplay. He’d been looking forward the evening ever since he’d received the phone call.
“This is better than good,” Xander crowed, leaning back in his chair. His legs were crossed with his ankle resting on his knee. He waved a glass of wine in the air. With a huge grin, he looked each person in the eye before he spoke again. He placed a hand on his chest. “You are looking at the new lead in a feature film.”
“You’re shitting me.” Spike grinned. Things seemed to be on the upswing for the group. Between his movie deal and now Xander’s new role, maybe the black cloud was finally gone from over their heads. “No one would seriously hire you to hold up an entire picture by yourself, now would they?”
“Nope.” Xander threw his arms out wide. “I begin filming two days after the show wraps up.”
“Congratulations,” Buffy said, standing so that she could lean over and hug Xander. She was smiling as if she was really happy for their friend.
It made Spike feel good. Another obstacle out of the way. If Buffy and Xander found their way to relax the feud between them, it would make Spike’s life so much happier. And easier. Having the two most important people in his life competing for his attention was a constant source of friction for him. He loved them both. They knew it, so he wasn’t quite sure why they felt they had to fight over him. All he wanted was for things to be relaxed around him. That way he could exist in the worlds he created without being forced back into reality so often.
“Yes, congratulations,” Tara added, raising her glass for the toast with the others. Although shy, she acted like she wanted to be a part of them. That was fine with Spike. It was apparent she was someone that Buffy trusted which only added to the acceptance that he’d found for her when they’d first met. Plus, if Tara was around then she could help keep Buffy occupied while he worked. He always felt guilty when he wasn’t able to give his wife the attention that he wanted. And that she craved although she never complained about it.
Shaking his head, he tried to clear the clouds that were crowding it. He flipped the steaks, pulling two to the side so that they would remain warm while the others cooked a little longer. He was only paying partial attention to the others until he heard Cordelia make a remark that he’d heard a thousand times before, but yet not for a very long time.
“Yes, my very wicked boy has made me very proud,” she crooned, rubbing Xander’s back.
“Your wicked boy?” Buffy said, while her face drained of color. She looked between Xander and Spike, making him suspicious. “But I thought…”
It was then that Spike knew something was up. He hadn’t heard Cordelia use that phrase since before Drusilla died. How would Buffy know?
“Buffy….?”
“Oh, shit,” Buffy mumbled, as she went to stand and knocked over her wine glass. In the ensuing struggle to clean up the mess, the moment to question his wife was gone. But Spike made a mental note to ask her later when they were alone.
to be continued…
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