[Reviews - 249]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2898 times

- Text Size +




After passing all of Giles’s tests, Buffy was officially declared safe and it actually felt pretty good being an official Scooby, she thought with a smile. She didn’t know how long the euphoria currently floating through her mind was going to last but she had one more task to complete for the Powers and even through the happy haze clouding her vision, she knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Catching Faith’s eye she jerked her head towards the kitchen.

Casually Buffy got up or it would have been if Spike hadn’t tried to rise with her. So much for a secret meeting in the kitchen, Buffy thought taking a deep breath, forgetting that she didn‘t need to breathe anymore. “Faith and I are needed somewhere and it’s…well it’s in LA.”

“What is in LA luv and if you say Angel, I think you two won’t be going alone.”

“What I’m your honey for all of one day and suddenly you decide you don’t trust me?” Buffy teased hoping to lighten the mood.

“It’s not you I’m worried about and I betting Captain America is thinking the same thing.”

Since there was no way in hell either Spike or Riley were coming, Buffy put all of her extensive knowledge of men to good use. “Well since both Faith and I can beat Angel to a bloody pulp if he tries to make a pass, you either don’t trust us or your jealous.” She turned to look at Faith. “Is he really that amazing in the sack, cuz the way these two act I’m starting to think you’ve been holding out on me.”

Instead of waiting for Faith to answer Spike pulled Buffy roughly onto his lap and kissed her senseless. His claim on her flared to life and she felt like her body was being poured into his. Behind her she heard someone clear their throat but it was easy to ignore with her hands pressed against Spike’s hard chest and his skilled tongue writhing against hers in a dance as sensual as sex itself.

Knowing that he had ended that debate in it’s tracks, he pulled away. “What was that you were saying pet?”

She opened her mouth but her brain refused to kick into gear. Giving a light shake of her head, she gave him a deep smile. “Very nice lover, which means you don’t trust me.”

“You know it’s not that luv, it’s just that I don’t want to let you go even for a minute. And the fact that you don’t want me to come along makes me feel downright unwanted.”

“I died for you, that should tell you how badly I want you. But this is something I’ve got to do. I’ve got to lay my past to rest so I can have my future with you and seeing him is a part of that. He is the reason I came here but it is more than that. I was running away and I need to go back there to close that chapter of my life. I grew up on those streets, in those alleys and my place is still there full of my things and I need to go back and get them. So all of me can be here, with you.” She reached over and stroked her hand through his hair, amazed at how soft it felt sliding through her fingers. It was like touching spun silk and since he had an obvious penchant for industrial strength hair bleach, it was just one of the mysterious of life that she was waiting to discover.

“Besides you’ll look pretty bad when I don’t throw a fit about Faith going.” Riley said with an easy shrug as the two lovers on the sofa got lost in each others eyes. He knew that Buffy’s words weren’t just true about her but also about Faith, which is why she had asked her to come along. Buffy had seen straight to the heart of the matter before and he was glad to see that hadn’t changed.

Spike still hated the idea but he couldn’t say no with Buffy looking at him like that, like he was loved beyond measure. “When will you go?”

“Tonight, but we should be back by this time tomorrow. We’ll stay at my place in the city and since I still have my rental car, we’ll have wheels. But if you want…you can move the rest of my stuff to your place.” Buffy said glancing at him shyly. “I don’t know when the English invasion will show up or if I will still get paid but I wouldn’t mind staying with you. I‘m still technically a vampire so crypts are like our natural habitat right and your place is way better than that place so grandly called a hotel room.”

“What’s mine is yours luv.” Spike said touched that she wanted to move in with him. He had been afraid with all the changes in her life, she would be fighting her feelings but it seemed that she was embracing everything, trying to drain every last sensation from each new feeling she uncovered. Watching her talk, smile and laugh was like watching a withered rose begin to bloom. She was bursting with life even though her heart didn’t beat and he was going to miss her for every single second she was gone because without her there was no joy in his life.

Afraid that one or both of the guys would change their minds and go caveman on them again at any second Buffy took another quick kiss and dragged Faith out the front door. They parted long enough for Buffy to grab some things and to bring the car back to Faith’s to pick her up. Within a half hour they were headed to LA.

“Are you really this okay with everything or is it just a show for our benefit.” Faith asked. She had intended to ask what they were doing and why she had to come but since she knew atleast part of the answer she didn’t want to hear the rest. Buffy was giving her a chance to say goodbye to Angel on her own terms and she was grateful for it, but she couldn’t help being confused by the drastic change in Buffy’s attitude. “I mean your little Miss Sunshine and smiles and you used to be all dark and moody.”

“I left out something important when I was talking about my trip to Never Never land. The Powers offered to let me stay or I could come back as I am now.” Buffy said without taking her eyes off of the road.

“But why would you leave heaven, I mean no offensive but it isn’t like your life is the stuff of dreams.”

Buffy gave Faith a very stern look. “If you ever tell anyone that I gushed and got this corny, I swear I will bite you…but I don’t need to die to find heaven, I feel it every time Spike looks at me or touches me. Somehow he was strong enough to face the cold inside me and make me feel warm again and I wasn‘t about to lose that. He didn’t just save me from my disease, he saved me from the emptiness inside me. After that, not even that glimpse of heaven felt as wonderful or as fulfilling as being with him. I‘d take a moment in his arms before an eternity of peace without him. It hurt coming back here but mostly because he wasn’t there when I opened my eyes. I’ve got abandonment issues, I can admit that but the second I saw him, the pain went away.”

Feeling uncomfortable, Buffy switched the mood to one she was more at home with and turned to give Faith a wicked smile. “Besides perfection would get boring after awhile and something tells me I am never going to be bored with him around.”


Not willing to let it go until she understood her, Faith refused to let Buffy stop now. “So why didn’t you tell him?”

“What and make him feel guilty, no thank you. If he wants to feel guilty it can be because my jelly beans are no longer full of candy goodness but I don’t want him to feel guilty because I loved him enough to stay with him. I am new to this whole, relationship/love thing, but even I know love shouldn’t be used to make you feel guilty.”

“So you’re really okay with your new vampire self, I mean besides the candy issues?”

“Honestly, I am kinda like a junkie in the middle of one crazy trip. I mean I went from having maybe six months to live to an eternity and I found someone who loves me and got a quick trip through heaven to boot. Right now, nothing can really get me down but sooner or later I will come back down to reality. I won’t be emotionless girl but trust me when I say the hyper happy cheerleader persona is not me. I’m sure that one day I will get up to look in the mirror and it will all hit me but atleast this time when I hit rock bottom I won’t be alone.”

“You have got it bad girl.” Faith said unable to resist laughing at how much Buffy sounded like a girl knee deep in love and sinking fast.

“I wasn’t just talking about Spike.” Buffy admitted deciding she just better say it all, before getting her toes broken one by one, was preferable to talking about her feelings again. “When I was at your house all I could think was that I could never belong with all of you. Your standard square peg in a round whole. But then I heard them stand behind me when they thought I was a soulless vampire and if they didn’t abandon me then, I realized that maybe I did have a chance for a new life.”

“I let you down didn’t I.” Faith asked sadly.

“No, because here you are riding in a very confined space with a hungry vampire and I didn’t even have to knock you out first. You made sure everyone else was safe but you and I know that there is always a chance that something bad will slip through. Yet you still trusted me enough to come along. I told you once that I am not here to steal your life Faith and that hasn’t changed but I want to try to make my own there. I’ve got the boyfriend spot filled for atleast a century so I am looking for some friends. If you know anyone who might be interested in befriending an ex-hooker with the disposition that will eventually return to being more cloudy than bright and sunny, send them my way.”

“You know I might just know some people that are exactly what your looking for, but you can count me in.” Faith said giving her a warm smile. “So now that we’re friends tell me the best way to make Riley feel like he’s died and gone to heaven. I’m good but you got paid for it, so you got to know a few tricks of the trade right?”





You must login (register) to review.