*2) Unforgiving*
*~~A Few Days Earlier~~*
"I know that... I do want you," Buffy admitted.
Spike looked surprised, he had wanted to hear those words for so long,
but he knew the happy tone would soon change with a simple word.
"But…" There it was, the dreaded word.
"Being with you ... makes things ... simpler. For a little while." She
spoke solemnly trying to reason with him. This was kind of new to her,
guys mostly left, she never really had to break up with them before.
"I don't call five hours straight a little while luv." He tried to
reason with her.
"I'm using you."
He stared at her blankly for a moment.
"I can't love you. I'm just ... being weak, and selfish..." She was
just making excuses now.
Spike moved in closer. "Really not complaining here." And he wasn't,
this was 'almost' what he wanted and at this point anything was better
than nothing.
"...and it's killing me."
Spike frowned, he didn't like her metaphor one bit. Sending his memory
back a few months ago, the pain of her death was still fresh in his
tortured memory.
"I have to be strong about this." She said more for her own benefit.
He continued to stare at her, he knew this day would come, but he
couldn't really believe it was happening.
"I'm sorry ... William."
'William,' she had said his real name, and with that it was over.
Leaving Spike completely heartbroken.
She turned and walked off, leaving Spike looking stricken, while
fighting the tears.
He was a pathetic sight.
~~~~
Spike kept replaying it in his mind, over and over. Until it hit him.
The only explanation of why his slayer would leave him right after
seeing soldier boy was that she had felt nothing for him. Her feelings
for him were gone.
The meaning became crystal clear. Spike had filled the void of the mild
feelings she had for the twit. At least in some small way, she was
beginning to realize she really did have emotions where Spike was
concerned.
This scared her, making her want to put an end to it once and for all.
A grin overcame Spikes newly hopeful face. His excitement overtook him,
giving him a sudden burst of energy, forcing him to feel the need to
move about.
Pacing back and forth about his crypt, the wheels in him mind starting
turning. Buffy would never face up to the fact that she wanted to be
with him.
Spike knew it was possible to change her mind. But how? His only good trait was he was good at manipulation, and he knew he had to play on her emotions somehow. Still no matter how obvious the answer should have been, it remained elusive.
He was so deep in thought he was startled when his crypt door slammed
open.
*Enter the girl in question herself.* Spike was amused.
"Back for a bit of comfort luv?" Spike teased, pretending he barely
noticed her come in.
He decided last night he wasn't going to be her whipping boy any
longer, and he was going to actually stick to his plan this time.
"You’re a pig Spike." She brushed off his words, emotionless.
Quickly before having to resist temptation, she got to business. He was
pretending to ignore her, which only made her want him more. Any other
day he would be panting like a puppy at her. Not today.
There was an obvious change in his attitude, and appearance. Nothing
like she had expected. Opposed to the traditional "just got dumped"
look, Spike looked clean, and lightly sophisticated. His eyes were
serious, not the least bit of play in them. It was all together hot.
Shaking it off, Buffy pushed the idea from her thoughts.
"Anya asked me to stop by on my way home."
"And what does the bird want?"
"Her wedding is Tuesday, I guess she wanted you to make an appearance
or something. Probably just wanted an extra gift more than anything."
*You gonna be there?*.... *No no, that was what the old nancy boy Spike
would have said....*
Spike was serious about changing his ways. No more begging and chasing
after the slayer for this vampire.
"I might, for the boy's sake. He has no idea what he is getting into."
Spike said suavely, not a hint of interest for Buffy in his voice.
"Anya likes money right?"
Buffy nodded.
"I suppose I have a bit of extra cash for the newlyweds."
"Well, just give it to her in person, it was important you be there,
she
made some pronufe reference about you."
"Pronoff" Spike corrected, laughing.
Buffy didn't understand what was so humorous, and assumed it was some
inside joke amongst demons.
"Sure Buff, tell her I'll be there."
Buff, it was the first time Spike hadn't used one of his famous pet
names for her in a while. It was a slight hit of reality that it was
really over. Buffy tried to act like it didn't bother her.
Her expressions betrayed her.
She wanted to see if he was really going to respect her regrettable
wishes, and a bold question seemed the only way.
"Also, Anya needs a head count, so just you?" There was a hint of
satisfaction in her voice.
*Of course! That was how to win the slayer back. He could use her
emotions. ENVY!*
"Well, you aren't really having much to do with me these days, so I
thought I'd just bring my own date. Unless I have to have the slayers
permission."
It was a perfect trap he thought, if she said no, she would instantly
admit she wanted him. If she said yes, she would have to witness him
with another woman. Even the slightest pause would be a dead giveaway.
She paused much to Spike’s content.
"I don't care what you do Spike." She lied, she knew it, Spike knew it,
she knew Spike knew it. No matter how much she denied it.
"Who is it, some vamp tramp?"
"Ohh, harsh words, not nice of you, are you jealous?"
"No" She laughed.
Spike thought. That took out all the finer vamp chicks in Sunnydale. He
couldn't take any of his old mates now.
No demons, he needed Buffy to be impressed. Someone pretty, she would
be instantly jealous to see on Spikes arm.
*............KATIE!*
"She’s human."
Buffy looked at him curiously. "I'm not going with you Spike," she
laughed.
Spike returned her vainness by throwing it back in her face. "Not you,
you’re a slayer. This girl is human."
Buffy was stunned. "You’re lying."
"I swear, stake to my heart."
"We'll see."
Buffy left in a quiet rage, which became more violent after she found
an
unsuspecting vamp to take it out on.
*Now.... I just have to convince that girl to go out with me by
Tuesday.*
Spike sat all alone in his crypt, contemplating the various ways to
lure
the girl to the wedding willingly. It had to look real. She had paid
close enough attention to Spike, maybe after listening to his story she
would be more then willing to help.
Spike could only wish.
*~~Later That Night~~*
*Don't blow this you nit!* Spike mentally scolded himself.
He had casually moved into the establishment where Katie worked, and
surveyed the crowed bar. His eyes were useless, there were too many
people, and the tiny beauty would be impossible to find from the back
of the bar.
His eyes betrayed him where his nose did not, as he caught the familiar
scent of vanilla perfume. The scent directed him to her exact
direction.
She was wiping tables on the far left side of the room, blending into
the scenery.
*Alright Spike, think....* He didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings,
but he needed her to help him. She was his best shot at getting his
beloved Buffy back.
He shyly weaved his way through the crowd, quickly rethinking what he
would say to this girl. He barely knew her, and here he was prepared to
beg her for a deceitful favor.
"Katie."
"Oh, hi Spike." She looked surprised to see him, and moved a lock of
her
hair from her face, as if to confirm that he was really there.
She paused from wiping the table, giving Spike a few seconds to talk.
"Do you like coffee?" He asked nervously. He had no idea what to say,
but he had heard Buffy talk once of simple meaningless coffee meetings.
It seemed simple and casual. What other choice did he have? He needed
to at least talk to the girl before asking for a favor like that.
"Coffee huh?" Katie asked suspiciously. "That girl?" she asked
knowingly.
"Yeah" Spike nodded.
"I get off in about two hours, Coffee sounds great." She smiled, and
nodded him a goodbye and returned to her duties.
Spike walked to the counter. "What is the strongest thing you've got?"
The bartender looked at him, turned around and mixed a few things
before
handing Spike a shot glass.
"I'm gonna need a lot more of these," Spike stated swallowing the
strong
liquid.
"Rough day?" The bar tender asked, sliding him a lighter.
After lighting a cigarette, Spike downed the next shot.
"I don't need the full manual rundown, thanks anyway." Spike had been
to enough bars to know how things worked. Getting guys to open up about
their problems only made them want to drink more. Hence making more
purchases from said bartender.
Spike however was well aware of his problems at hand, and needed no
further convincing that he needed a drink.
~~~~~~
*Don't get to excited Katie girl, he probably just wants to talk to you
about that other girl. He barely knows you so it’s NOT a date!*
Katie tried to mellow herself out before her ‘coffee’ with Spike, she
didn't want to seem to excited.
*He doesn't like you, you were just friendly and he just wants someone
to talk to, that's it*
Katie folded up her work clothes, and put them back into her bag. She
enjoyed changing out of her work clothes, but she wished she had of
brought something a little less comfortable to change into after work
today.
*Don't think about him, he is just some stranger you don't even know!*
But no matter how much Katie scolded herself, she couldn't ignore the
fact she had mild feelings for this strange new man.
~~~~~~
After Katie changed, they were ready to go, making small talk along the
way. Spike was thrilled to find she enjoyed Passions almost as much as
he did.
Spike did the gentleman thing and paid for his and the lady's coffee,
before settling down in one of the booths.
It was almost eight o' clock, at night and somehow coffee seemed
natural.
"Katie, remember that girl I told you about?"
"Yes, still trying to get back with her?"
"Am I that bloody transparent?"
"Well, most people who are really in love are."
"Got me by the short hairs that one does." Spike admitted, looking off
distantly.
"Did you just need to talk about it or something? Cuz, you know I'll
listen." Katie offered.
"Well, sorta....see, there is this wedding. One of Buffy's mates is
getting married," Spike started.
"Whoa, whoa... Buffy, as in the Slayer of vampires.....?" Katie was
thrown back in her chair in disbelief.
"You know her?"
"Know of her, I work in a demon bar, she isn't really well liked
amongst the customers. I hear a lot of talk, but I never heard...wow!"
"Makes it that much more of a soddin’ plot twist doesn't it? Vampire in
love with a slayer." He said amusingly.
After Katie settled down she paused to think of which question to ask
first. "So what does this have to do with me?"
"Buffy thinks I have a date. A human date."
Katie tried to talk, but her words were getting jumbled in her
laughter.
Several moments, and attempts to stop laughing later, Katie began to
put the pieces together.
"So you want me, to go with you, pretend to be your date, and then
what...?"
"I haven't really thought that far ahead, I'm not really a big
thinker."
"Really, well I would say that you were, you had this all planned out."
Katie studied Spike’s face for a moment.
"Envy." Katie was starting to understand the depth of Spike's plan.
Spike agreed, "I've tried everything else."
"Spike, what good is it going to do to make her jealous, unless she
really has a reason to be jealous."
"What do you mean?"
*Don't!* Everything was telling her not to continue, but she had to
try.
After all, Spike wasn't really hers anyway, it might be fun. And she would
get to spend more time with this blue eyed dream. That was all she
needed to know.
"Give her a real reason to be jealous, a real girlfriend to be jealous
of, and no other choice but envy."
Katie's determined eyes told Spike, she was right. One quickie date
would do nothing to impress the slayer, but a real human girl always
around might do the trick.
He loved Buffy and, all he wanted was for her to take him back.
"So Spike, think we make a convincing couple?"
"Of course pet, we make a lovely pair"
Spike sealed the deal, giving Katie Buffy's old pet name. That should be enough to signal to the slayer this was real.
As the reality of the situation began to sink in, Spike couldn't recall the events that had lead him here. Had he done the right thing?
Spike almost couldn't believe he had agreed to this, but if it meant a chance at getting the slayer back. Then he had to at least try.
*3.) Unaware*
Katie attempts to make the plan more realistic. Buffy realizes there is
another woman in Spike's life. Spike finds new found confidence.
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