[Reviews - 304]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2855 times

- Text Size +




Chapter Ten


"Buffy you don't have to look as if you're going to skin them alive," Spike told her as they made their way to Giles'.

Buffy ignored him. She was angry with them and she intended to stay that way. And, if she was totally honest, she was a bit peeved at Spike. Along with not understanding where her usually observant and cut-through-the-bullshit Spike was. Something about Tara's story wasn't adding up, it sounded so . . . fake and fairy tale like. Why wasn't Spike, who was usually the first to catch on to these things, catching on this time? Then there was the jealousy factor she was grappling with. Jealousy over how Spike worried about Tara. She told herself it was because Spike was a kind and gentle man that felt somehow obligated to Tara because she was his student and he had somewhat of a relationship with her. Besides, he had been brought to her by Whistler for the reason that she wasn't a Slayer and therefore had no Watcher. And for some reason, Tara had no Watcher. So, Spike was probably feeling responsible in that aspect too. The only thing about that, that kept niggling in the back of her mind was that Spike had fallen in love with Buffy. Would he fall for Tara too? She rolled her eyes; she really needed to stop following that train of thought. Jealousy didn't get anyone anywhere. She looked over at Spike, eyeing him. He looked over at her and grinned and took her hand in his, kissing the back of her hand. Yep, definitely jealous for no reason.

Entering Giles', Buffy felt her guard go up immediately all over again. She found Giles making tea and Willow and the woman who must be Tara with their heads bent in conversation. Willow was glowing and Buffy cocked her head to the side. She remembered that Willow had mentioned a girlfriend. Was Tara it? She frowned, but Spike said that Tara specifically told him that Willow was a friend. The way Willow was looking at her and the way Tara's head bent in to her . . . Was there something going on? Could it be that Tara was gay too and just didn't want to say? God, that'd be a load off.

"Buffy, Spike! Do come in," Giles emerged from the kitchen area. "I trust all is well?" he looked pointedly at the couple.

"Nothing's changed," Buffy informed him. It hit Buffy suddenly. The same sour scent she swore Spike had last night when he came home. She sniffed the air.

"Buffy?" Giles was looking at her oddly.

"Do you smell something? Something sour?" Buffy asked, still sniffing and trying to get a handle on where it was coming from.

"Oh, oh! I've heard of this. Enhanced smell. Pregnant women get that all the time," Willow chipped in. Then she too sniffed the air. "Though I don't smell anything."

Buffy knitted her brows. She looked up at Giles, asking him with her eyes if this was part of her possible immortality. He shook his head and shrugged in response, then took off his glasses and started to clean them.

"Hi Buffy," Tara said, coming forward to stand in front of her.

Buffy quirked an eyebrow. "Hi."

Tara held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Buffy looked at the proffered hand and then back up at Tara.

"Buffy," Spike urged, half reprimanding.

Now she was definitely annoyed. She didn't need to be scolded like some errant child.
She hastily took Tara's clammy hand. She had the urge to drop it and ended the handshake
quickly, resisting the urge to wipe her hand on her pants. With her ‘clean' hand, she placed it
on her stomach.

"Did you tell Giles?" she asked pointedly.

Tara nodded, "we did."

"So is everything out in the open now or are there any more secrets and lies you're
both keeping from us?" Buffy asked.

Willow gasped and Tara visibly shook under the harsh words.

"Buffy!" Giles and Spike burst out.

She looked up at their disapproving looks and her jaw set.

"We were trying to figure out why a Watcher was not here at the appropriate time,"
Giles started, trying to break up the tension a bit by talking shop.

"Yeah, that is a bit of odd isn't it?" Buffy said, looking directly at Tara. "How old are
you?"

"Twenty."

"Little old for a Slayer."

Tara was wringing her hands. "I—I uh, I d-don't r-really know about that."

"You said you studied Slayers. Surely you read that Slayers are usually called early in
life. Not a large life span those Slayers."

"Buffy!" Spike shouted. "What in the bleeding hell has gotten in you?"

"Me? Am I the ONLY one here that thinks to ask the important questions? She just fell
out of the sky! And it just so HAPPENS that this one—" she gestured to Willow "Knows all
about us." She focused her scathing glare on Willow. "You lied to us. You USED Giles."

Willow looked fearfully at Buffy. "Buffy, I'm sorry. I really did need Giles' help. I knew he was a High Priest, the best in the community. I needed help because what I did—I didn't
make that up. Like I told you before, I did see you and Spike fighting vamps before. I never
told a single soul. When Tara was called I had to help her. She doesn't have a Watcher, well, yet that we know of. I couldn't leave her to die. You'd do the same for someone you loved wouldn't you? It wasn't like I could just come at you and spring it on you. I went about it the wrong way and I apologize. I'm sorry, I truly am." Her explanation and apology was earnest. Earnest enough to make Buffy almost rethink her stance on them. Almost. She opened her mouth to speak when a wave of nausea hit her and her head started to hurt. She pressed a hand to her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Buffy, baby, you all right?" Spike asked, taking her hand and tilting her head up to look at him. He was studying her face.

"I'm not –" Swallowing hard, she rushed to the bathroom where she emptied the
contents of her dinner. Breaking out in a cold sweat, she braced herself against the wall with
one arm.

"Pet? What's going on? You never had morning sickness before…"

"Guess its decided to make a late appearance," she mumbled.

Wetting a washcloth, Spike pressed the cool cloth to the back of her neck. "Think it's a
sign."

"Of?"

He smirked at her. "To be nicer and give Willow and Tara a chance?"

Yanking the cloth from his hand, she threw it in the sink and glared at him. "I want to
go home now."

His jaw was clenching, but he nodded curtly. She figured if she hadn't just been sick,
he would have had a few words to share. Striding ahead of him, she told Giles she was
leaving.

"You feeling all right?" he asked concerned.

"No. God, it stinks in here!" she exclaimed and burst out the door, gasping in the fresh
air, filled her lungs with it.

She made her way to the car and climbed in, resting her head against the car window.
Spike joined her a few minutes later.

He didn't say a word until they'd reached their apartment and the sour stench following
them, along with Buffy's sickness had disappeared.


A/N: So...what do you guys think???













You must login (register) to review.