Willow leapt on the bed as soon as the bellboy left the hotel room. "God, we are so here! Soon we'll be in the warm tropics. Nothing but sun, exotic foreign accents, and water, water, water!"
Buffy looked over at the redhead who was on her knees bouncing on the bed like a three year old. "Act like a child much," she laughed.
"Buffy, I have never been out of Sunnydale, not once in my whole life. You, you lived here before coming to live there," Willow pouted.
"I'm sorry Wills I guess I would be acting the same way if I had never stepped foot out of my hometown either." Buffy smiled, as she opened her overnight case and took out her hunter green two-piece swimsuit. "Up for a swim and a dip in the hot tub?"
"Oh, how could a girl say no to such a sweet invitation?" Willow giggled as she rolled off the bed. She grabbed her overnight bag, placing it on the bed, so she could pull out her black one-piece suit. "I'm glad we took the travel agent's advice and booked a room for tonight. This way we get to enjoy this great hotel and we're just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the airport!"
"Wow! Do you realize that this time tomorrow night we will have set sail?" Buffy asked the excitement evident in her voice. "Vacation girls that's what we are," Buffy sang as she pulled off her clothes and put on her suit. Within minutes both girls were ready to head to the pool, suits on, cover-ups over them, and towels in hand.
"Maybe you'll get to swim in the exact same water as some famous movie star!" Buffy teased as they rode down in the elevator remembering Willow's earlier enthusiasm when she spotted some celebrities in the lobby.
While they were checking in, Willow had kept pointing out different stars from a TV show she liked to watch. Since she knew nothing about the show, Buffy paid no attention to the people her friend kept talking about. The fact was Buffy had little interest in television, period. She didn't have cable. She didn't have a DVD player. She did have a VCR that had belonged to her mother, which she seldom used.
They both were amazed upon seeing the swimming pool area. The pool's water was an inviting clear blue and the pool itself contained several people playing water volleyball. There were four hot tubs surrounding the area and a large sauna off to one side.
"Oh, my God! That's Angel O'Connor! He plays Liam Angelus on 'Vampires, Watcher, and Wizard'," Willow whispered dramatically, when she saw the hunk of a man standing by the door to the sauna.
Buffy just shrugged as she noticed an empty hot tub and pulled her star struck best friend along with her to claim it as theirs. "Look, an empty one, let's go, Wills."
*******
Two men sitting in one of the corner tubs watched the two young females as they entered the pool area with interest.
"Seems, Angel isn't Blondie's cup of tea," the bleached blonde male said to his best friend and co-worker, amused that the girl seemed more interested in locating a hot tub then meeting Angel.
"No, it appears not. I wonder who her favorite male character on the show could be?" the man with the dark brown haired asked.
"Me, of course," the blonde one chuckled.
"Really, Spike! Sometimes you're too full of yourself, and this is a perfect case in point," Wesley snorted, fighting off a smile. "I could be wrong, but my guess is that she doesn't watch the show. I bet she has no idea who Angel even is and it's obvious she doesn't care to know."
"So, you think a cutie like her wouldn't be interested in getting to know a famous celebrity?" Spike rolled his eyes. "Look at her! She's bloody gorgeous!"
"Not all women are ruled by stardom, young one," Wes winked. "I rather like the redhead myself."
"She is quite delicious," Spike purred, teasing his friend who was obviously interested in the chit.
"Hands off! She's already claimed, Master Vampire," Wes gave the other man a mock glare.
"Whatever you say lowly watcher man," Spike wagged his eyebrows as he again took a good look at the gorgeous blonde getting into the hot tub and taking a moment to admire the sexy little number. "So, what would you say to me having some fun?"
"How do you propose to do that?" Wes asked, having noticed a difference in his friend’s behavior today.
"Hmm, think you can get little Miss Red away from the pretty little kitten?" Spike licked his lips, wanting nothing more then to know what she tasted like.
"I thought you were happy with Harmony?" Wes noticed the blonde wince when he mentioned her name and wondered what he wasn't sharing.
"Yeah, she would make a great Hollywood wife. She doesn't want kids and she knows the business well enough to understand what it takes to make it big," Spike said in a indifferent tone, giving Wes a feeling something was bothering his friend.
"But?" asked Wes.
Spike shrugged, not wanting to discuss Harmony tonight, since he wasn’t sure where he and the crazy bint stood right now as a couple.
"But do you love her?" pushed Wes, watching for a reaction out of the corner of his eye.
"What's not to love?" Spike asked, wanting to get Wesley's honest opinion on the girl in question. "You don't like Harmony, do you?"
"You don't want to hear my thoughts on Harmony," answered Wes.
"Spill," said Spike, bracing himself.
"Harmony is a conniving, backstabbing bitch and she's using you, plain and simple," said Wes. "There I said it. I hope we can still be friends. I'd hate to lose you because of her."
Spike looked at him as if he had suddenly grown two heads. "Like I would let some girl come between our friendship, get real! I've learned to listen to you. Much as I hate to admit it, you've been right in the past. I should have listened to you then, it would have saved me a ton of heartache. I've got horrible taste in women," said Spike as he felt his old insecurities coming back to haunt him. "God, will I ever find anyone that will love me, for me?" he asked not for the first time, but for about the millionth.
"Spike, maybe you should first take a hard look at the type of women you've chosen. They've all been actresses that have used you to further their own careers," Wes offered. "Queen C, used you to get into the London stage circuit, Dru used you to get to Angel, and that little part as the insane vamp on the series."
"What is Harmony's deal then?" Spike asked, curious as to what Wesley would tell him.
"She's using you to get noticed. She gets to have her picture in all the tabloids and magazines that are keeping track of your up and coming career. It's not about love, Spike," Wes told him. "Not for her and I don't think for you, either."
"What has this got to do with love anyway?" Spike snorted, having stopped believing in love a while back.
"I would think you, of all people, would be faithful to the one you truly loved is all," he answered.
To be honest Wes hated the ground Harmony walked on and just couldn't understand what Spike saw in her. Sure, she was pretty on the surface, in that plastic sort of way that his friend seemed to have taken a liking to of late. Vapid. Superficial. She wouldn't last five minutes on his island.
"Do you think you can get me some alone time with the golden princess or not?" Spike asked.
For some reason, he just wanted to get to know the lovely lady in the fetching two-piece bathing suit better, ignoring the faithful aspect of Wes's question. He put it to Harmony's implication he would cheat, making him feel he should live up to her expectations.
"I can't make any promises, but if at some point in time I see a chance I'll see what I can do," Wes winked. He could only hope that his friend was seeing the light and was ready to move on and not settle on someone like Miss Kendall.
"Thanks mate," Spike winked back.
He lost himself for a few minutes, just watching the different emotions play across her face as she talked to her friend. He wondered how she would look as he was making love to her, kissing her in all the right, and wrong places.
"God, I would love to be between her legs right now, making her scream my name," he murmured.
"Honestly, the way you're acting, someone would think you have been without sex for years," Wesley observed looking over at his friend with a worried expression.
"I said that out loud, didn't I?" Spike asked, looking just slightly embarrassed.
"You did," answered Wes, leaning back and closing his eyes trying to relax.
As he concentrated on the sensation of the jets loosening the muscles in his shoulders he found himself hoping that maybe his friend was coming to his senses and getting ready to move on. It wasn't like him to be ogling one woman when involved with another.
"Are you and Harmony having…" Wesley paused, feeling slightly uncomfortable asking this specific question, "sexual problems?" Wesley finally asked as he lowered his voice.
"You ponce, you can never have enough sex and with Harmony that has never been an issue," he answered heatedly as he continued to devour the little blonde-haired woman who neither noticed nor cared that she was in the company of famous people or men that desired her.
"God, how did we get talked into doing this little ocean convention anyway?" Spike asked, changing the subject. He was willing to put up with Wes' talk of love, Harmony, and 'doing the right thing' to a point. But truth be told, he was more interested in the beauty that, oblivious to her magnetic pull, was laughing at something her little redheaded friend was telling her.
"PR requirement, recall that pesky little clause in our contracts? Wesley reminded him as he looked over at his friend and wondered yet again, what was going on in his head right now.
"Remind me to talk to my agent. I would like to have some choice in the matter," Spike sighed as he returned to committing the blonde beauty to memory.
"Well, Mr. Master Vampire, when you get your own show and can call the shots then so be it, but right now you are a measly little peon actor like the rest of us and so this is how it goes. We listen and jump when the true Master says jump."
"Thank you, Mr. Realist, glad to have you on board for this bloody trip of a lifetime," Spike growled. He closed his eyes and then promptly resumed his fantasy.
"God, luv, so tight, so wet," he groaned as he slid his hard cock into her tight little body.
"Spike, you make me so wet for you, baby. No one can make me scream like you," she whimpered as she raised her hips to meet his.
"Don't worry baby, Spike's gonna take special care of you, make you burn," Spike promised as he began to increase the rhythm.
"Harder, I want it harder baby, only like you can do it," she begged, as her hands slowly ran down his back, lightly using her nails against his skin. He smiled as she grabbed the cheeks of his ass, squeezing firmly as she started to rock her hips harder against his. "Please baby, show me how much you want me."
He could feel her vaginal walls tighten as her breath became ragged, begging him to fuck her harder. "Gonna fuck you so hard baby, you won’t be able to walk for a week."
Spike shook himself out of his little fantasy trying to keep from going over and pulling her out of the hot tub. The only problem being, everyone would know his intent with the evidence he would be sporting in his swim trunks.
He truly believed she'd been created for sin, and was put on this earth to tempt and torture him. It was getting harder and harder to keep himself from taking her to his room and fucking her to the mattress, just like in his fantasy.
"God!" What is wrong with me?" Spike asked as he glanced down at his obvious erection.
"Missing Harm?" Wes asked, amused.
"What! No! as thinking about her," he answered, nodding towards the hot tub across the way where she sat tempting him more and more. "Do you suppose she's a witch?"
"I'm sure that's it," replied Wes as he reached for his beer finishing it off.
*******
Buffy and Willow continued to discuss their plans for the week. They listed each island they would visit and talked about what they wanted to do on each one.
"Cozumel? All I want to do there is snorkel and relax," Buffy sighed. "We can do the tours for the rest of the islands. What do you think, Wills? Is there anything special you want to do?"
"Want to see the turtle farms on Grand Cayman and go to Hell," Willow giggled.
"Hell? I work there every day, why would I want to visit it?" Buffy laughed. "I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to feel like a prune. Ready to go shower, dress and grab something to eat?"
"Yep, I feel like I have found my second wind," Willow agreed, finding her anxiety over flying tomorrow was making it hard for her to relax.
"Cool, let's go," said Buffy as she stood, stretched, and then grabbed her towel. She quickly dried off and put her cover up back on, all the while unaware of the appreciative glances directed her way. On some level, she knew she was pretty, but in truth she never gave her appearance much thought.
*******
Spike watched as she moved past him like poetry, her body calling to his. He longed to answer in words that would reveal his desire and lust. He found himself looking at her, the woman, not the shell. It struck him suddenly. What he was seeing was pure innocence. She seemed completely unaware of the power she held, and of the spell, she had cast over him and half the men in the room.
He decided to let her leave, without any attempts to seduce or to get her attention. He suddenly felt shy and unsure of himself, something that had not happened since he buried William deep inside, and invented his Spike persona.
Suddenly he realized that Wes was right. Harmony wasn't the one. "Wes, do you believe in love at first sight?" he asked shocking even himself.
Wes looked at his friend and about choked. He had never seen such a look of awe on his friend's face before. Before he answered, he thought back to his own first love, the one he had once thought was his soul mate.
"Yes, I do. I believe that when you meet the one destined to be yours you will know it. You won't be able to rest until she is yours. And once you have her, you'll do whatever you have to do to keep her yours. Happily ever after, till death do you part."
"Didn't work that way with Lilah," Spike said, immediately wishing he hadn't.
Lilah Morgan, Wes' long time girlfriend, had turned her back on him the moment he no longer was a part of the London elite. He had stood up to his father, making his own career choices, which led to his father turning his back on him. He was the oldest, and made an example of, so his younger brothers would not follow his example, and defy their father.
She had left him broken at the time, thinking she of all people would support him. But instead she had bowed her family's wish to disassociate herself from him. Her father wanted her to marry within her social standing, just as his father had wanted for him. Over the years he'd come to realize that she had never really loved him. And, if he were honest, he hadn't loved her as deeply as he thought he had.
He allowed himself a quick glance at the redheaded beauty that at the moment, was leaving the pool area. His mind could not help but question if she could look at him and accept him for the man he is, and not the one he could have been.
Spike looked over at his friend and saw the truth in his eyes. "Did you feel that way about Lilah?"
"Yes, at first, but after a time I realized what we had was an illusion. She wasn't the one. I'm still waiting patiently for that special someone to come into my life. I will not marry because it is what will best suit my career and when I do find her I will forsake all others until the day I die." Wes met his friend's eyes letting him see the conviction of his beliefs. "It worries me Spike that you would settle for the likes of Harmony, when you so obviously deserve better. You deserve someone who will love you for the man you are inside, not the character you've created to protect William from ever being hurt again."
"What do you know about me?" Spike snapped, for some reason forgetting just how well Wes did know him.
Wes looked at the one person who had believed in him, when no one else had.
"You forget my friend we have been through hell and back together. We’ve studied together, waited tables together, and we've worked together on stage doing miserable shows that no one came to see. I was there and I remember. I remember what Cecily did to you, what it was that made you stop believing in love. And I'm not talking about what you have with Harmony. I'm talking about true unadulterated love. Love in the purest form," Wesley reminded him.
Spike was silent. The look of quiet contemplation was more reminiscent of his true self, William. William Crawford had come into Wes' life at a time when he had no one and quickly became a loyal and trusted friend. He filled the void left by his family and longtime girlfriend's desertion. It was the same William who had helped him learn to live the life of the no longer privileged lifestyle and did it with warmth and understanding.
"I was with you when you were with Dru," Wes continued. "And when she left you for Angel. I was your friend when she tried to get you to take her back, when he did not want her any more. I will be with you until you wish me not to be, for you are like a brother to me. More of a brother then the ones that are of my blood." Wesley took a deep breath, "I have been with you through the good and bad as you have been there for me."
Spike looked at his oldest friend and genuinely smiled as he said, "You know that I feel the same for you. I have no blood family to call my own, but I do have a brother, and it's you."
"Then brother to brother, don't look upon the woman as a conquest, but something more," Wesley suggested. "If you can't look beyond one night of carnal knowledge, then leave her be, let her walk away with her innocence intact. Otherwise she'll end up jaded and unbelieving about love as you are."
"Hey, Percy you been reading them romance novels again?" Spike's teasing smile took a sudden droop when he noticed the offended look come across his friend's face.
He suddenly wished he hadn't opened his big mouth. "Wes, I'm sorry, mate. It's just that for a minute there I thought you were getting ready to throw down the gauntlet and challenge me to a duel for daring to sully the lady's reputation, scourge that I am."
Wes smiled as he realized his friend was making fun of the words and not him. "No, it's just that I'm going with my gut here. I don't think she's a girl to be played with, she's the type of girl you want to spend the rest of your life with, have a family with, and don't give me that bull about not wanting a family." Wes replied and then continued, "I see the look on your face whenever you watch Giles play with his girls. I see the want in your eyes. Tell me you wouldn't kill to have a family like he and Jenny have."
"I wouldn’t know the first thing about being a father, never had one to teach me," Spike whispered.
"It's not what you are taught before you are a parent, it's what you learn when you become one that makes you a good father." Wes smiled, realizing his friend had decided to let the woman go without trying to use his charm to have his way with her.
"Maybe there is hope at saving him from the blood sucking bitch of a girlfriend he has after all," thought Wes as he stood up and grabbed his towel to dry off. "I'm a bit peckish. Care to see if we can get something to eat before going to bed? We do have an early flight in the morning."
Spike looked up at his friend and teased, "As you wish, Percy." Then grabbed his own towel and wrapped it around his waist. "Feeling a might hungry myself."
"Good, I will meet you down in the restaurant, say, in about twenty minutes then."
"It's a date. Just don't expect me to put out. Even if you do buy me everything I want on the menu," Spike chuckled as he noticed a few of the people close to where they were standing, staring at them as if they were crazy.
"Honestly, dear, you need to work on your delivery. If I told you once I’ve told you a million times, I will not pay for sex with food," Wes rolled his eyes as he moved passed his friend's shocked expression.
"I can't believe you said that, that is just cruel!" Spike yelled. "He is only kidding you know, we aren't having sex, just having some fun. I mean with you, not us," he tried as hard as he could to convey to the others. "Oh, never mind," Spike mumbled as he left the restaurant, chuckling to himself that Wes finally got one over on him.
*******
Spike quickly made his way to his room. Just as he was closing the door, the phone began to ring. He walked over and picked up the receiver, knowing it was Harmony and realizing for the first time since he had started dating her, six months ago, that he was dreading even having to hear her voice.
"Hello," he answered.
"Blondie Bear," crooned Harmony's overly sweet voice, hitting a raw nerve. "I’m sorry, honey"
"Hey, Harm," Spike sighed
"Do you miss me?" she purred. "I could talk nice and naughty, just how you like it."
"Don't have the time right now, meeting Wes in a few minutes," Spike explained.
"I'm more important than him," she huffed, having a hard time swallowing the fact he liked being around Wesley more than her. "Really Spike! Is there something you should tell me about you and your so-called best friend?"
"No, can't say that I have anything to tell you, other than he is my best friend," answered Spike.
"Oh! I can't believe you are taking that tone with me. You're just being mean!" Harmony whined, he could see that irritating pout of hers in his mind.
Spike's voice became angry, "Maybe you should just move on to someone else. Someone that will be more amenable to keeping you on that pedestal you're so fond of!"
"Spike!" Harmony gasped. "What has gotten into you? Are you still mad at me because of our little fight today? Why waste time fighting, when we could be talking about the great make-up sex you’ll be coming home to?"
Spike sighed. "Maybe I'm seeing things clearly for the first time in a long time. I need some time to think. Things haven't been right between us for a while now."
"What lies has Wesley been telling you?" Harmony asked trying to sound like she was hurt and crying. "He has never liked me! He's always been jealous of the time you spend with me."
"You can cut it Harmony," Spike added. "One thing Wesley has never done is lie to me, never."
"I have never lied either," Harmony sniffled as she tried to get him to feel sorry for her. "I love you, baby, and I only want what’s best for you."
"Harmony, I think its best we move on and see other people." Spike finally decided it was best they split up.
"But I don't want anyone else!" she cried, trying to be sincere. Fortunately, for Spike, she was a horrible actress and for once he was seeing her, as she truly was, not merely how he wished she would be.
"Sorry, Harm, but I really think this would be for the best," he told her.
You found someone new, haven't you?" Harmony yelled.
"No," he replied, pushing down the memory of the sweet angel in the dark green bikini from the pool. "There is no one else. I don't cheat."
"Baby, let's talk about this when you get back," Harmony pleaded.
"Sorry, but there is no point in talking about it anymore, it wouldn't change anything," Spike sighed. He knew he was doing the right thing. It just wasn't how he wanted things to end between them.
"Harmony, I really think this is for the best and I hope you find what you are looking for," Spike whispered as he hung up the phone.
As he hung up, he caught his reflection in the mirror over the dresser and he looked at himself amazed. He had never been the one to end a relationship. On the contrary, he usually hung on until he ended up kicked in the teeth and punched in the proverbial gut. Not this time. This time he decided to not hang on to something just because it was convenient.
As Spike walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, he decided that for the next week he was going to relax when he could, and focus on playing the part of Spike Crawford for the fans and his bosses. However, after that, he was going to have to start thinking about what William Crawford was going to need to survive in this business and more importantly, in life.
*******
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: Just like the first part......Hi Joss!
A/N: Nothing bad here.....just Spike getting his first glimpse of Buffy.....
A/N: Nothing bad here.....just Spike getting his first glimpse of Buffy.....