"Intimate Enemies"
Author: Ashlee
Contact: ashlee_999@hotmail.com
Run-In
Buffy Summers clutched her books to her chest as she wandered through the crowded halls of Sunnydale High. It was her first day at the new school and already several months into her senior year. At her old school, she had been happy. Popular. Now, she felt like she was stuck in a fishbowl with everyone staring at her as she made her way to her locker.
Trying to avert her eyes, she felt the shyness creep into her that she wasn't used to. Her mother had been killed in a car accident a few weeks ago, and ever since then, Buffy had reverted into a much more reserved person when she was in an unfamiliar setting.
Finally reaching her locker, Buffy looked at the combination written on the small slip of paper in her hand. After her third unsuccessful try at opening it, she had to repress a growl as she lowered her head in defeat. Seeing a fist fly by her head, Buffy instinctively ducked as it struck the door of her locker.
Spinning around in surprise, she encountered a tall brown-haired boy with a goofy grin. "Most of these lockers just need a little persuasion of the forceful variety," he said, offering his hand. "I'm Xander Harris."
"Buffy Summers," she said with a smile of her own, shaking his hand.
"So, you're the new girl everyone's talking about."
"I was hoping the staring and whispering was my imagination," Buffy said, depositing half of her books in the locker and slamming the door.
"Nope, that's the consequence of moving to a one Starbucks town like Sunnydale," he replied as they began walking down the hall.
"Great," Buffy said with a small grin. "Just what every new kid looks forward to- being the daily gossip."
"Try weekly," Xander said with a smile. "We don't get a lot of news by the day."
Buffy laughed as he reached for her schedule. "Well, you've got most of your classes with me, and the ones that I'm not in, you've got with Willow."
"Willow?"
"Yeah, she's my best friend. Really nice, you two should get along just fine."
"Oh, that's-"
Buffy was cut off as she turned a corner and crashed into what felt like a wall, her books flying everywhere.
"Bloody hell, woman, watch where you're going!"
Buffy looked up from picking up her books to stare at the leather-clad bleach blonde who had nearly knocked her off her feet and was now glowering at her. Standing up to her full five feet, three inches, Buffy gave him a glare of her own. "Me? You're the one that doesn't know how to walk!"
She narrowed her eyes as he looked her up and down, suddenly wishing she wasn't wearing a skirt today as his eyes seemed to linger on her legs longer than necessary. "Listen, Princess, you need to figure something out real quick," he said, a more menacing tone to his voice as he took a step closer to her. "YOU move out of MY way when you see me coming."
Buffy clenched her jaw as she looked over his shoulder to see his friends chuckling. "The name's Buffy, not Princess," she replied, offering a half-hearted smile. "And I'm guessing you're about to have a rough time because I have no intention of getting out of your way."
Buffy roughly pushed past him, feeling moderately satisfied when his friends moved out of her way.
"Hey."
Buffy turned to see Xander jogging up beside her, handing her the books that she didn't get around to picking up. "Oh, Xander, I'm so sorry! I forgot all about you when that jerk crashed into me."
"Don't worry about it," he said, waving his hand in dismissal.
"So, who is he, anyway? Leader of the Sunnydale High Hell's Angels?"
Xander chuckled. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? No, he's actually William 'Spike' Giles. Star of the Sunnydale High soccer team and general pain in the ass if you're not in his clique."
"I guess after my little display back there, I am definitely not in the clique," Buffy said with a smile.
"Probably not," Xander replied with an answering smile. "Well, this is us," he said, pointing to a nearby classroom.
"Let the torture begin," Buffy said with a wry smile.
Spike roughly shoved both doors open to the library as he stormed in. "You know, I really hate the bints that go to this school!"
"Shhhh," his father shushed him as he came rushing out of his office.
"Dad, there's no one here," Spike said with a raised eyebrow.
"It's still a library," Rupert Giles said as he got closer to his son. "Now, what's the problem today?"
"Just some little chit, thinks she's God's gift or something," Spike said, slouching into a nearby chair.
"You mean someone has annoyed you today?" Giles asked. "I don't believe it."
Spike stared at his father for a minute. Sarcasm was definitely not normal in a conversation with him. "You feelin' alright, Dad?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"No reason," Spike replied, shaking his head.
"So, who is this girl that seemed to agitate you so much?"
"Some little princess. She plows into me and then informs me that she has no intention of ever getting out of my way."
"After you informed her of the very same thing, I'd wager."
Spike knew enough to look suitably sheepish at his father's accusation. "She's the new girl. I've been here for years- I've earned my place!"
"Son, this is not a Caste system," Giles said with a sigh. "It's a high school. You could at least try to be nice, especially if she's new. She's probably nervous."
"Yeah, real nervous with her designer clothes and snobby attitude."
"Should I be worried that my son knows what clothes are designer?" Giles asked with a smile.
Spike glared at him, deciding to not even dignify the statement with a reply. "You could try and support your flesh and blood every now and then and not defend a girl you've never even met."
"Did you say she's new?" Giles asked with a puzzled look.
"I've never seen her before," Spike answered as Giles walked over to his desk and began flipping through papers.
"Did you happen to catch her name?"
"It was something weird."
"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, SPIKE."
Spike glared at his father. "I don't know it was something like Bunny or Candy. Why do you care anyway?"
"Buffy?" Giles asked, staring at a piece of paper in his hand.
"That sounds right."
"Buffy Summers. She's the daughter of Hank Summers."
"So?"
"I think you should try and be nice to her."
"And why would I want to do that?" Spike asked with a confused look as he stared at his father.
"Just be nice to her, William."
Buffy let out a heavy sigh as she walked into the cafeteria. It had been a very long day, and it was barely even half over. Smiling when she saw Xander and Willow waving at her from their table, Buffy began making her way over to them.
Halfway there, and for the second time that day, she felt herself losing balance as someone plowed into her. Turning to face the perpetrator, Buffy found herself rolling her eyes as she, once again, began glaring at Spike Giles. She noticed his clenched jaw as he looked up at the ceiling.
"Do you need glasses or something?" he asked, making eye contact with her.
Buffy took a deep breath, not wanting to get into a screaming match in the middle of the cafeteria on her first day at a new school. Regardless of what she thought of him, it wouldn't do wonders for her reputation to be caught yelling at one of the most popular guys in school. Unless everyone else disliked him as much as she did. This thought almost brought a smile to her face, but Buffy quickly remembered where she was. "Do you think you're so superior to everyone else that they don't even matter when you try and knock them over?"
"Maybe if you'd get your nose out of the air and watch where you're going, you wouldn't find yourself in this position so often."
"I'm the one with my nose in the air?" Buffy asked, gesturing to herself in disbelief. "When you practically have an entourage following you?" She motioned at the same group of people that were with him that morning in the hallway.
"At least I have friends," he said with an annoying smirk.
Buffy glared at him. "Yeah, I'm sure they'd stick with you through thick and thin. Or at least through the next soccer game, provided that you score the winning goal!"
Without another word, Buffy turned and made her way to the only two people who had made an effort to be friendly to her all day.
Spike gritted his teeth as he stalked over to his table, jerking out his chair with enough force to propel it across the room if he hadn't had such a harsh grip on it. "I'll be damned if I'm going to be nice to her," he grumbled as he dropped into the chair.
"What's wrong, Blondie Bear?"
Spike looked to his left to see his girlfriend Harmony sitting next to him. "Nothing, Harm," he said in a sulky tone.
"Spike just had another run-in with the new girl," Riley Finn said as he sat across the table.
"New girl?" Harmony's whiny tone carried across the cafeteria.
Spike glanced over at Buffy's table to see her shoot him a look, obviously knowing that they were talking about her.
"Yeah, Buffy something," Angel O'Rourke said, taking a seat. "Cute girl," he said, looking over at Buffy's table.
"I'll say," Riley spoke up. "Definite potential for that one."
Spike stared incredulously at his friends. "Are you lot insane!?"
"Come on, Spike," Angel said. "You know you were checking her out with the rest of us."
"My Spikey doesn't check out other girls," Harmony said, not noticing the eyes that were rolling.
"What's the what?" Cordelia Chase asked, sitting down next to Riley as Darla Mason sat next to Angel.
"Just talking about the new girl," Angel said.
"I had a class with her earlier. She seemed alright, great fashion sense. Why? Are we thinking about letting her into the group?" Cordy asked.
"We bloody well better not be," Spike said, giving the members of the table a look.
"Spike's having issues with her," Riley said when Cordelia gave them a confused look.
"Did she put you in your place, Spike?" Darla asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh yeah," Angel said with a chuckle, earning a glare from Spike. "She told him she wouldn't be getting out of his way anytime soon."
"I like her already," Cordy said with a laugh.
Buffy was practically running through the hallways after school. She had stopped by the Counselor's office to make sure her transcripts had arrived from her old high school, and now she was running late.
Turning the corner, Buffy groaned when she saw Spike at the end of the hall, leaning against the row of lockers. Taking a deep breath, Buffy made her way toward the exit. She could have found another door, but she didn't have time.
She saw when Spike noticed her but kept her eyes averted as she got closer.
"Are you stalking me, Summers?"
Buffy turned to face him, looking slightly uneasy. "I never told you my last name."
"Small school. Details don't stay quiet long."
Buffy didn't bother to answer- she simply made her way to the exit door.
"You never answered my question."
"No, I'm not stalking you," she said in an irritated voice. "I'm trying to get home…and I'm not the one lurking in darkened hallways like some creature of the night."
"I'm not lurking, I'm waiting."
"Waiting?"
"For my girlfriend," Spike said in a tone that implied she should have known.
"You mean someone's actually going out with you? What kind of air-headed, bubble brain would demean herself that much?"
Before Spike had a chance to answer, Harmony came bouncing down the hallway. "Spikey! I'm done with cheerleading practice. You wouldn't believe how easy it is for me to do the new cheer now."
Buffy raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. "Never mind, you don't need to answer. I think I get the picture."
Spike walked closer to Buffy, putting more distance between himself and Harmony. "You think you're so cute, don't you, Summers? With your pricey clothes and the holier than thou attitude, but you know what? I see through all that. I see the shallow, egotistical creature that's lying under that polished surface."
"You talk to me for less than five minutes, and you think you know me? Let me tell you something, Spike, you…" Buffy trailed off as she looked at her watch, her eyes widening as she turned around to run for the door.
"So that's it? No snappy retort?"
"I don't have time for you, Spike," Buffy said, rushing out the door.
Not A Clue
Spike walked into the modest, two-story house on Revello and draped his duster on the banister as he made his way into the kitchen. His mother Jenny was standing in front of the oven, keeping an eye on a batch of cookies, as she looked up to smile at her son.
"Hello, sweetheart," she said, walking over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Did you have a good day?"
Spike shrugged as he took his place at the kitchen island, grabbing one of the cooling cookies off of the plate in front of him. "It was alright, I guess."
"Did you have a fight with Harmony?"
Spike gave his mother a look at the obvious hopeful tone in her voice. It was no secret that Jennifer Giles disliked Harmony Kendall and obviously thought her son could do better. "No, Mum, I didn't have a fight with her. I just kept running into some new chit. Literally."
"What's so wrong with that? You didn't injure the poor girl, did you?"
Spike offered her a small smile. "Only in my dreams, Mum."
"William Giles, I don't want to hear my son talking that way."
"She just gets under my skin," he mumbled, staring at the tiled surface.
"Is she annoying?"
"Yeah."
"Stubborn?"
"Yeah."
"Irritating?"
"Yeah."
"Pretty?"
"Yeah…wait!" Spike looked up and saw the devilish smile on his mother's face. "That was a trick question."
"It worked, didn't it? So, what's her name?"
"Buffy."
"Buffy," Jenny repeated softly as she took her latest batch of cookies out of the oven. "Sounds like an interesting girl."
"If you mean to say spoiled, I'll support that statement."
"William, did you even give the girl a chance? You haven't even known her a day."
"And that's one day too many," Spike said, walking out of the kitchen.
Buffy tried to enter her house as quietly as she could. Not quiet enough, apparently.
"Buffy!"
Buffy inhaled sharply at the sound of her father's voice. The very idea that he was even in the house sent chills racing up and down her spine, but knowing that he was looking for her practically had her in panic mode.
Knowing that it was best to not keep him waiting, Buffy made her way through the huge, impersonal mansion, quickly coming to stand in front of her father's office. Timidly knocking on the door, Buffy jumped when the door was wrenched open and an angry Hank Summers stood in front of her.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"I-I'm sorry. I had to talk to the guidance counselor after school."
Hank seemed to study her for a long time before his glare deepened. "Get out of my sight."
Buffy wasn't sure what had made him so angry this time but didn't hesitate to retreat to the front of the house. Quickly climbing the staircase, Buffy made her way to her room, dropping her backpack in a nearby chair as she collapsed on her bed.
Her mind flashed over the events of the day. Buffy was grateful that she had made two new friends, even if she did have too many run-ins with the infuriating Spike Giles. Buffy lay on her bed, repeatedly tossing her stuffed pig Mr. Gordo into the air and catching it on every downfall.
Buffy froze when she heard footsteps approaching. Surely her father wouldn't seek her out when he had demanded her out of his sight less than ten minutes ago. Hearing a soft knock on the door, Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. Hank Summers never concerned himself with knocking. It was 'his house' after all, and he could 'go anywhere he damn well pleased.'
Jumping up from the bed, Buffy opened the door to reveal Winifred Burkle. Fred was one of the maids in the household and the closest thing to a mother that Buffy had these days.
"How are you, honey?" she asked with compassion evident in her voice.
"I'm okay," Buffy said with a shrug. "It's not that bad…today."
Fred nodded. "How was your first day of school?"
"It was good," Buffy said, offering a tentative smile. "I made some new friends. I'm meeting them at the local club tonight."
"That's great," Fred said with a big smile. "Be home before your father gets back," she warned, the smile fading from her face.
"Don't worry," Buffy said with a nod. "I'm not going to give him any ammunition to use against me."
Fred gave Buffy a quick hug. "Charles said he'll be back a little after midnight ."
"Thanks, Fred. And tell Gunn I said thank you." Charles Gunn was her father's driver. In the few weeks since she'd moved in, the staff had made a conscious effort to look after Buffy.
Buffy shut the door and leaned against it as Fred left. Looking around her room, she shook her head at the irony of her life. The room was decorated in burgundy shades, accenting the deep cherry wood of her four-poster bed, dresser, and desk. Several windows lined the huge room, including Buffy's favorite place- her window seat.
The seat was covered in a velvet, burgundy cushion and looked out over the vast grounds of Hank Summers' property. From the gardens, where every exotic flower that could survive the California heat were planted, to the stables and rolling pastures that were dotted with exquisite Thoroughbreds.
Hank never bothered to ride the horses, only having a few exclusively for riding. He housed prized stallions which he used for breeding to local racing farms. The horses were also one more way for Hank to schmooze his fancy clients that he brought home to wine and dine from his law-firm Summers & Pryce.
On the outside, Buffy was nothing more than a spoiled little rich girl, perfectly polished and playing her role as the attentive daughter. But scratch the surface, just the tiniest amount, and the glamour fell away. She might appear to be a princess, but more than anything, she wanted her mother back. She wanted the life that she had grown up with, in a modest house with a warm, comforting environment. A bedroom that felt personalized. She wanted the love and kindness that she feared she would never have again. Yes, people thought they knew Buffy Summers…they didn't have a clue.
The Bronze
Buffy nervously walked through the doors of The Bronze, wearing a lavender halter with a slight shimmer to it when she moved and a pair of black pants. Her hair fell slightly past her shoulders in a golden curtain. Buffy looked around the popular club and spotted Willow and Xander at a table, waving at her to get her attention.
Buffy smiled and waded through the crowd to get to her new friends, giving them each a friendly greeting as she sat down.
"So this is the 'it' place in Sunnydale, huh?"
"Yeah," Willow said with a nod. "It's not much, but it's got a homey atmosphere."
Buffy nodded in agreement as she looked around the dimly lit club. "Well, I think I'm going to get a drink. Do you guys want anything?"
"I'm good," Xander said with a shake of his head.
"Me, too," Willow said, nodding. "But thanks."
Buffy slowly made her way to the bar, feeling like a fish swimming upstream, as she tried to squeeze through a particularly tight area.
"Bloody hell!"
Buffy squeezed her eyes shut, praying to anyone who would hear her, begging that the voice she heard didn't belong to the one and only Spike Giles. Apparently no one was listening.
"I should have known it was you."
Buffy opened her eyes and turned in the direction of the voice. Her mouth opening slightly as she saw his t-shirt clinging to his chest as a result of the empty cup in his hand.
"Why don't you watch where you're bloody going next time?" he growled, looking at her with ice blue eyes.
"I-I'm sorry…I didn't…"
Spike clenched his jaw, staring at the tiny blonde girl in front of him. "Forget it," he ground out, pushing past her, only to come face to face with his girlfriend.
"Why are you talking to her?" Harmony asked in a haughty voice as she looked down her nose at Buffy.
"I wasn't," Spike said, trying to pull the soaked fabric away from his chest.
Harmony stared at the other girl for a minute. "What a cute outfit…last year."
Buffy glanced down at her clothes before sighing and turning for the bar, narrowly avoiding knocking over another man. She stopped when she heard Spike's voice again.
"You know, Summers, wherever you go, I'm guessing bad things inevitably follow."
Buffy turned to face him, something that could only be anguish written on her features. Blinking rapidly, trying to keep her tears at bay, Buffy quickly began walking the other way, only stopping briefly to say a quick goodnight to Willow and Xander, making up an excuse of a headache.
Spike watched her walk out of the club, not sure what came over her all of a sudden. He felt remorse for something that he didn't consciously do, and it mad him angry at himself. His 'inner ponce' William was trying to come out and make him feel guilty, but Spike gritted his teeth before turning away from the direction that Buffy fled.
Buffy wandered home slowly. Her father would still be gone for several hours, so there was no need to rush back. Hugging her arms around her thin frame, she periodically wiped tears from her eyes, hating herself for the weakness flowing through her.
She felt her heart rate speed up when she heard a car approach and slow down, coming to a stop next to her.
"Buffy, right?"
Buffy turned at the sound of her name, vaguely recognizing the boy in the car. "Who wants to know?"
She watched skeptically as he exited the car, making sure to keep a safe distance from her. "I'm Riley Finn," he said with a friendly smile. "I go to Sunnydale High."
"Oh, right," Buffy said with a nod. "One of Spike's lackeys."
Riley smiled, glancing down at the ground almost shyly. "Not the way I like to think of it, but I can see how you would get the assumption. I was wondering if you wanted a ride?"
Buffy hesitated, looking up and down the dark street as she nervously bit her lip.
"I promise I'm not an axe murderer or something."
"Okay," Buffy said softly. Riley seemed like a nice guy, and it was probably safer than walking a mile in the dark.
Walking around the side of his car, Riley held the door open for her, helping her into the car like a gentleman.
Very little was said as Buffy pointed out the way to her house. Pulling through the front gates of the Summers Estate, Riley let loose with a soft whistle.
"Nice house," he said with raised eyebrows.
"Thanks," Buffy murmured.
"Must be nice living here."
Buffy shrugged. "It's just a house."
Riley looked at her but didn't comment as he got out of the car.
"Thanks for the ride, Riley," Buffy said, offering him a smile in gratitude. "It really wasn't necessary, but I appreciate it."
"No problem," he replied with a goofy smile. "Listen, Buffy…there's this party Saturday night that one of the guys from the football team is throwing. I was wondering if you wanted to go."
Buffy swallowed nervously as she glanced behind her at the imposing house. "Can I tell you in school tomorrow?" At Riley's quizzical look, she continued. "I have to ask my dad."
"Sure," Riley said, glad that she wasn't blowing him off.
Buffy wandered through the halls of Sunnydale High the next day. She was slowly making her way to the cafeteria, not in a hurry since she never had much of an appetite anymore.
Stepping through the doors, Buffy sighed when she saw Riley begin waving her over to his table. Swallowing hard, she walked over to him, trying to avoid eye contact with most of the people sitting there, especially Spike and Harmony.
"Guys, this is Buffy," Riley said in introduction. "Buffy, this is Angel O'Rourke, Darla Mason, Cordelia Chase, Harmony Kendall, and I think you already know Spike."
Buffy offered a timid smile, wanting to make her escape as soon as possible.
"Nice shoes," Cordelia said, looking the blonde girl up and down and ignoring the shocked look that Harmony was giving her.
"Thanks," Buffy said, smiling genuinely for the first time that day.
"Gucci?"
"Yeah," Buffy said quietly.
"Of course," Spike said, stabbing at his lunch, never making eye contact with Buffy. "The Princess has to have the best of everything, isn't that right?" he asked, looking up at Buffy for the first time.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Cordelia said, raising an eyebrow at her friend.
Spike wisely stayed quiet, not wanting to get into an argument with Cordelia Chase of all people.
"So, what do you say, Buffy?" Riley asked, steering her attention back to him.
"Yeah…it sounds good."
"Great! The party starts at nine, so I'll pick you up around then."
"That's-"
"What?" Buffy was cut off as Spike turned to Riley, staring at him as if he'd grown two heads. "You're going out with her?" he asked, jerking a thumb in Buffy's direction. "Come on, Finn, you don't want to have to pawn your car so the Duchess can have a good time."
"You know what, Spike?" Buffy said, her anger finally bubbling over. "You think you're so clever, but let me fill you in…you're not! Riley asked me to go to a party, and I accepted. You may think I'm a stuck-up snob that's only interested in money and clothes, and that's okay, because I have no interest in the opinions of a guy who doesn't even bother to get to know me before he makes a snap judgment. You're pathetic."
The group at the table watched as Buffy turned and walked toward her lunch table, many raising their eyebrows at Spike as he stared after her with narrowed eyes.
Author's Note: More of an insight into Buffy's home-life in this chapter and the story takes a slightly darker turn. Nothing unthinkable, but I did feel it warranted a warning.
Interactions
Buffy was nervously going through her closet on Saturday night. She wasn't thinking about impressing Riley- as far as she was concerned, this was just a friendly date. No need to send him romantic implications when she didn't necessarily feel that way about him. Buffy was nervous because this would be the first night she was out of her comfort zone. Xander and Willow weren't planning on attending the party, and Buffy didn't want to feel completely dependent on staying with Riley the whole night. She was hoping to meet some new people.
Finally making a decision, Buffy pulled out a black leather skirt and a silky, white sleeveless shirt that was more draped in the front, showing off just a hint of cleavage. Buffy looked at the clock and realized she was running late, hurriedly dressed, and slipped on her shoes. Hearing the doorbell, she smoothed her hair, which was pulled back in a loose bun with some pieces left down to frame her face, and quickly reapplied her lip gloss before walking downstairs.
Buffy smiled when she saw Fred talking to Riley, giving her version of the third degree, which wasn't much, but it was sweet that she wanted to make sure Buffy was safe.
Riley turned to Buffy with a smile when he saw her descending the stairs. "Wow," he said. "You look sensational."
Buffy blushed at the compliment and smiled back. "You look pretty good yourself."
Buffy saw that Fred had to restrain from clapping her hands in excitement when Riley offered Buffy his arm. Buffy wished she would have talked to the older woman to let her know this date wasn't a romantic intention, merely a friend, but she would have to do that later.
Waving good-bye, Riley led her out the door to his sports car, opening the door for her and helping her in.
Buffy and Riley made small talk on the way to the party.
"So, whose house are we going to?"
"Parker Abrams," Riley replied. "Have you met him?"
Buffy shook her head. "I haven't met many people this week."
"Well, you know me now," Riley said, throwing a smile her way, which Buffy returned. She really did like Riley. She didn't feel butterflies or get nervous around him, but he seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and she was glad she met him.
Pulling up to a large house close to Buffy's neighborhood, Riley escorted Buffy into the house. She had to refrain from groaning as she encountered Spike and his girlfriend close to the door. Thankfully, Spike barely even glanced at Buffy, giving her the once-over before turning back to his conversation.
Buffy looked around the huge house. The foyer and the living room were connected, leaving an open area for all of the high school students. A curving staircase was to her right, leading to the second floor, where a balcony ran the length of the room and several students were already dancing and partying, to overlook the downstairs.
Riley excused himself to get some drinks as Buffy stood close to the wall, surveying the area. She smiled when she saw Cordelia Chase walking toward her. She knew Cordy was considered one of Sunnydale High's resident snobs, but the girl had been nice to her the few times they had spoken.
"Buffy," Cordy greeted with a smile. "Glad you could make it."
"Me, too," Buffy said, smiling back at the taller girl. "You look great," she continued, looking at the red Versace dress.
"Thanks, you do, too."
Buffy was grateful for the sincere compliment. "Are you here with anyone?"
"Not tonight," Cordy said with a shake of her head. "I'm currently in between boyfriends, so tonight is for Cordelia Chase to have fun and relax. Where did Riley run off to?"
"Oh, I think he went to get us some punch."
Before Buffy even finished talking, Riley appeared behind her with two glasses of punch, offering one to Buffy.
"Cordelia," Riley said with a nod in greeting. "Good to see you."
"You, too, Riley. Well, I'm going to leave you two alone. Have a good time tonight, Buffy," Cordy said as she passed by them.
Two hours later, Buffy stood on the balcony, looking over at the party. She had met several people tonight, but most were too drunk to even remember who she was. Riley had disappeared about twenty minutes ago with a group of his football buddies, and Buffy was getting increasingly bored.
The party was in full swing, but Buffy had already danced most of the night and was soon tiring of the packed house.
"Not good to be all alone up here, pet."
Buffy didn't turn around as she heard the distinct British accent, but she was surprised when she felt his warm breath caressing her shoulder. She was even more surprised at the tingles that seemed to spread through her body.
"And why not?" Buffy asked in a much shakier voice than she intended.
Buffy felt her breathing become shallow as Spike stepped behind her, putting one hand on each side of the railing that she was leaning against, effectively blocking her in. She could smell the faint scent of alcohol, but she knew that he was more sober than the majority of the house.
"You never know when some nasty might try and get a taste of you," he whispered.
Spike didn't know what was coming over him. He had seen Buffy standing alone, the way she had been most of the night, and felt himself drawn to her. He didn't understand why he was up here, and he really didn't understand why he was having to fight the urge to brush his lips over the bare skin of her shoulder, but for some reason, she wasn't as infuriating to him right now.
"And that's not you?" she asked in a whisper, trying to fight the trembling that seemed to course through her.
"Maybe," he replied in a husky voice.
Buffy's brow furrowed as she looked around the crowded room. "Where's your girlfriend?"
"Probably off flirting with one of my teammates," Spike said, looking over her shoulder.
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"Couldn't really care less, luv."
Buffy trembled slightly when she felt his hand gently running over her shoulder to trail up and down her arm. "Don't we hate each other?" she whispered softly.
Spike smiled before leaning in close. "We can still hate each other," he whispered as he let his hands fall down to the hem of her skirt, his fingertips trailing slightly underneath. "It doesn't stop what you want."
Buffy finally snapped out of the daze that she'd been in, spinning around to face the arrogant man behind her with a glare. "You're a pig, Spike! You expect me to just jump into bed with you after the way you've treated me."
"I wouldn't throw stones, pet," he said with an arrogant smirk.
"Yeah, I'd really want to be with a winner like you," she said sarcastically. "Someone who would willingly cheat on his girlfriend just to get some action."
Spike's gaze hardened as he stared at her. "You don't know anything about me or my relationship," he growled.
"I know more about you than you know about me," she shot back. "And relationship? I'm willing to bet that you two are no more than bed warmers for each other. Just an easy fix that happened to turn into a so-called committed relationship."
"Tread lightly, Summers," Spike said in a deadly tone.
"What's the matter, Spike?" Buffy asked, widening her eyes in false innocence. "I got a little too close to the truth, didn't I?"
Buffy watched as Spike clenched his jaw before turning and walking down the stairs. Buffy knew she was a little too hard on him, but her mind kept flashing back to some of the hateful things he said to her, and she didn't feel as bad as she probably should have.
Riley dropped Buffy off, leaving her with a chaste kiss on the cheek. Buffy quietly entered her house and jumped when she saw her father standing next to the front door.
"Daddy!" she squeaked in surprise.
"Where were you?" Hank asked in a low voice.
"I-I told you…remember? I went out with a…with a boy from school. You said it was okay." Buffy hated herself for the terror in her voice.
"You're back a little late, aren't you?" he asked, a cool edge to his voice.
"I-it's before my curfew," she said softly.
"So you went to a party," he said with a false warmth. "And how many boys did you screw while you were there?"
Buffy's eyes widened at the question. She shook her head as she answered, "None, Daddy, I promise."
Hank stared at her for a few moments before turning and walking away. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as she quickly ran up to her room. Shutting the door behind her, she felt some of the tension leave her body as she leaned against it, grateful that her father hadn't said anything else…tonight.
Hank Summers tried to play the role of the perfect father in front of other people, but he had no problems degrading his daughter when they were alone. In the few weeks since she'd moved in, Hank was certain that Buffy was the town slut. He had no facts to base this opinion on, but it apparently made him feel good about himself to humiliate his only child. Buffy knew that Fred and Gunn were worried that he would start to take out his anger on her physically, but she just told them she'd cross that bridge when she got to it.
Hank never wanted a daughter to begin with, and he detested the idea of being saddled with a teenager, especially when the women he brought home were not much older than Buffy. She was a constant reminder that he was getting older, and he hated her for that, among other things. Buffy was biding her time until she graduated and could leave this Hell dimension that was camouflaged by money.
Confrontations
Buffy walked through the halls of Sunnydale High Monday afternoon, searching for her friends in the crowd as she headed for her last class of the day. Spotting them on the other end, Buffy waved as she made her way over to them, greeting them as she approached.
"Hey, Buffster," Xander said, throwing an arm over Buffy's shoulders. "How's my favorite girl?" Noticing the look that Buffy was throwing his way, Xander's eyes widened as he turned and pulled Willow to him with his other arm. "I meant, my OTHER favorite girl."
"Nice save, Xand," Buffy said with a smile.
"I thought so," he mumbled.
Buffy frowned when they neared the end of the hallway to encounter a very heated argument between Spike and Harmony. The three friends exchanged looks as they got closer.
"You were the one off snoggin' some other guy, Harm, so don't even try it."
"I wouldn't have if you would give me the time of day!" Harmony replied in a high-pitched voice.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that ever since Little Miss New Girl showed up, you haven't been able to have a conversation that doesn't revolve around her!"
Buffy blushed at the assumption that it was her. There was no other new girl in this school as far as she knew.
"You're blowing things out of proportion, Harm. And you're trying to get me off the subject, which is the fact that you were the one messing around with someone else!"
"Don't try that with me, Spike. I saw you at the party the other night. You were practically having sex with her on the second floor!"
"That's an exaggeration, and you know it," Spike said in a low voice.
"Maybe it is, but you obviously can't stop thinking about the little floozy," Harmony replied, noticing Buffy standing there for the first time and gesturing toward her.
Buffy swallowed hard. It was bad enough that she got called every name in the book by her father, but now she had to be subjected to it at school. Turning away from the couple, she knew she saw Spike look over at her before continuing the argument.
Xander and Willow quickly chased after Buffy, who was busy trying to fight back the tears in her eyes.
"Buffy, don't listen to that vacuous tramp," Willow said, earning a look from both of her friends for her unusual words. "Don't look at me like that- you know I'm right, Xander."
"Yeah, she is right, Buff. I mean, Harmony doesn't have a coherent thought in her head."
"Guys, I'm okay, don't worry about me," Buffy said, offering a small smile of gratitude as she continued walking.
Buffy walked toward her locker after the final bell had rung, only to be encountered by a very angry man in a leather duster.
"Hope you're happy, Summers," Spike said in a low tone.
"About what?" Buffy asked with a skeptical expression.
"Thanks to you, my girlfriend broke up with me."
"Thanks to me?" Buffy asked in disbelief as she pointed to herself.
"Yeah, you!"
"Don't even start with me, Giles," Buffy said, lowering her own voice to a menacing level. "I never forced you to try and come on to me at that stupid party! I was minding my own business when you decided if you gave me a little sweet talk, I'd just offer myself to you. You have a lot to learn about women."
"Maybe I do," Spike replied. "I just thought I'd see if you were trying to turn over a new leaf since your reputation preceded you."
"What?" Buffy asked in confusion.
"Oh, you mean you didn't know?" Spike asked with mock sincerity. "Yeah, the entire school knows about what you were like in L.A. You didn't think you could keep your shady past a secret, now do you?"
Buffy stared at Spike for a long minute before turning and walking away. She had plenty of quick retorts for him, but it wasn't even worth it. He wasn't even worth it.
Spike watched the petite girl walk away, feeling guilty for such a low blow. He always opened his big mouth, but it was infuriating to know that Harmony had called it quits, and it was, in fact, his fault. He knew he shouldn't have taken it out on Buffy, but he was ready to lash out at anybody, and she had the misfortune of being the first one he came across.
With a heavy sigh, Spike turned around and groaned when he looked into the angry eyes of his father.
"Son," Giles said with venom evident in his voice. "Might I have a word?"
Spike was surprised that he wasn't being dragged into his home by his ear when he and Giles walked through the front door.
"Sit down," Giles said, pointing toward the couch as he walked out of the room.
Spike felt like he was five years old again, as he sat down. His father wouldn't even let him drive home, lecturing him the entire way about propriety and appropriateness in proper conversation.
He sighed as his mother and father walked into the room.
"Rupert, what's going on?" Jenny asked as she looked at her son sitting on the couch like a scolded child.
"He's your son," Giles said, leaving the room again. "I'll let him tell you."
Jenny raised an eyebrow as she looked at Spike. "Wow, you really must have screwed up if you're 'my' son."
Spike offered his mother a small smile before clasping his hands in front of him and biting his lip.
"What's going on, William?" Jenny asked softly, sitting down next to Spike.
"I'm an idiot, Mum," he said, looking at the floor. "I told a girl a rumor I heard about her, and Dad overheard, and now…"
"Why would he get mad about that? You were just trying to inform a girl about something."
"More like…using it against her in an argument," he said, looking up at her with a sheepish expression.
"William," Jenny said in a reprimanding voice. "You were raised better than that. Why would you do it?"
"Harmony and I broke up," he said softly.
"Really?" Jenny asked, trying to keep the obvious glee out of her voice.
"I just happened to come across Buffy and-"
"The girl that you keep running into?"
"Yeah, and I started an argument with her because she happened to be there."
"William-"
"I don't need a lecture, Mum. I know I screwed up."
"Yes, you did," she said softly. "Is there any specific reason you would have started an argument with that particular girl?"
"She's the reason Harmony broke up with me," Spike said, hanging his head.
Jenny suppressed a smile- she liked this girl even more. "And why was that?"
Spike took a deep breath before explaining. "Harm thought I was flirting with her or wanting to be with her instead or something like that."
"And do you?"
"Do I what?" Spike asked, looking over at his mother.
"Would you rather be with her?"
Spike was all ready with a resounding 'No', but he couldn't get the word to leave his throat.
Jenny softly patted her son's arm as she stood. "Maybe you should think about that, William."
Buffy quietly let herself into the house. Her father probably wasn't there anyway- he was usually at work this time of day, but there were the occasional surprises. Walking up the stairs, Spike's voice kept echoing inside her head, 'Your reputation preceded you.'
Walking into her room, Buffy felt anger begin to take over at the callous use of his words.
"What does he know?" she muttered to herself. "He thinks he's such an expert on women. He thinks he knows me, but he doesn't know a damn thing!" she finished as she forcefully pulled her books out of her bag, throwing them down on her desk.
Buffy did her homework, finishing it in just under two hours, when she heard the door open behind her. Briefly squeezing her eyes shut, Buffy quickly turned and faced her father. "Hi, Daddy," she said softly.
"What are you doing?" her father asked, not bothering to greet his daughter as he looked over her shoulder to the work on her desk.
"Just finishing up with my English homework."
"You keeping your grades up?"
"Yes, sir."
"We're expected to attend a dinner party tomorrow night."
"A school night?"
"Did I stutter?" Hank asked, his gaze hardening.
"No, sir," Buffy replied quietly.
"Not that I want you to go," Hank continued. "But it's part of the Mayor's reelection campaign, and he wants to prove that family values are important."
'He's obviously never seen this so-called family,' Buffy thought but wisely kept her mouth shut.
"Be ready to go by seven," Hank said, walking out the door before turning back to face her. "And Buffy…I don't want you coming on to every man in the room."
Buffy felt tears spring to her eyes as she watched the door close behind him. The first night that she had arrived, Hank had been hosting a party. Buffy had the unfortunate experience of meeting some of his colleagues, including the revolting Ethan Rayne.
Ethan had made passes at Buffy all night long, even when she was around her father. Hank didn't seem to notice or care until all his guests left for the evening when he turned on his daughter, accusing her of being a whore and wanting to sell herself to the highest bidder.
It wasn't Buffy's first experience with Hank's dark side, but it was the first time he had so blatantly accused her of something. To an outsider, Buffy had only been there for a few short weeks. From Buffy's point of view, she had been living in this house for an eternity.
Buffy dressed in a black silk halter dress the next night. The hem of the dress fell to the floor with a slit on one side that showed a generous amount of her tanned leg while still leaving a lot to the imagination.
Styling her hair in an elegant chignon, Buffy checked her make-up before heading downstairs. She was five minutes earlier than she needed to be, but that wasn't enough to impress her father, who just raised an eyebrow upon seeing her before turning and walking out the door.
Buffy smiled when she saw Fred wave good-bye from the entrance to the dining room. Buffy waved back and walked out the door, feeling relief when she saw Charles Gunn standing next to the Rolls Royce and holding the door open for her.
"Thanks, Gunn," she whispered as she walked past him.
"You look beautiful, Buffy," Charles said softly with genuine care in his voice. "Try and have fun tonight, okay?"
"I'll try," she said before getting into the car.
Ten minutes later, Buffy was walking into the Mayor's mansion on her father's arm. It almost made her sick being this close to him. Her nerves were practically shattered as Richard Wilkins came to greet them.
"Hank, it's always good to see my favorite lawyer," Wilkins said with the suave attitude that kept him in office. "And who is this exquisite young lady?"
"Richard Wilkins, meet my daughter, Buffy," Hank said, putting on his false pride as the Mayor shook Buffy's hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear."
"You, too, Mr. Mayor," Buffy said with a smile.
"Well," Wilkins said. "I must be off to greet the rest of my guests, but Hank, I expect to talk to you later."
Buffy followed her father into the ballroom of the mansion, surprised when she felt herself nearly toppling over in her heels.
Turning around, Buffy's mouth dropped open when she saw Spike standing behind her, an equally surprised expression on his face.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Spike stared at her for a moment as if he wasn't sure it was her before answering. "My Dad is friends with the Mayor. He always drags me along to these things. You?"
"Same," Buffy said softly when she noticed the older, attractive couple walking up behind Spike.
"Son, aren't you going to introduce us to this lovely young woman?"
"Sorry, Dad," Spike mumbled, briefly taking his eyes away from Buffy as he looked over his shoulder. "Buffy Summers, meet my parents, Rupert and Jenny Giles."
Buffy smiled as she shook hands with Rupert before turning to the friendly woman to her right. Jenny surprised both Spike and Buffy by enveloping Buffy in a warm hug. "I've heard so much about you," she said softly as she pulled away to look at Buffy.
"I don't know if that's good," Buffy replied with a smile.
"Oh, it was," Jenny said, laughing when she saw Buffy's skeptical look. "You have to read between the lines."
Buffy was about to respond when she heard her father calling out to her from across the room. The Giles family all noticed the crestfallen look on Buffy's face before she turned and motioned to her father that she would be right there. Turning around, Buffy pasted a fake smile on her face as she looked at the two adults. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Giles."
"Oh, please just call me Giles," he said with a wave of his hand.
"And I'm Jenny. None of this Mrs. Giles business."
Buffy smiled at the warmth that the woman seemed to radiate as she began to walk away. She gave a quick nod to Spike, who was still staring at her, before making her way over to her father.
"Who was that?" Hank asked in a low tone as he pulled Buffy to a more secluded area.
"Rupert and Jenny Giles."
"The librarian at your school."
Buffy shrugged, even though it wasn't technically a question. "And the other one?"
Buffy turned and noticed that the Giles family were all discreetly watching her interaction with her father. "That's their son, Spike."
"Spike," Hank said with a scoff. "Sounds like a guy you'd date."
"I'm not dating him," she replied, trying to keep the defiant tone out of her voice, to no avail.
"No?" Hank asked with a disbelieving tone. "I guess he's just one of your conquests then." Buffy visibly flinched at the statement as Hank continued. "Don't embarrass me tonight, and don't even think about talking to any of my clients or coworkers."
"Dad, I wasn't-"
"And make sure you don't go slutting around in your hooker dress, either."
"You bought it for me."
Buffy realized her mistake as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Yes, she was proud of herself for standing up to the man, but pride had nothing on fear.
Hank roughly grabbed Buffy's arm, apparently not caring who saw, as he spoke. "Don't you dare speak to me in that tone, young lady."
"I'm sorry, I was just meaning that it was in with all the dresses that were there when I moved in."
Hank let go of her as he took a few steps away. "Don't test me, little girl," he said in a low tone. "You are nothing to me."
Buffy watched as her father turned and walked away. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she made her way to the open French doors at the back of the room, needing a few minutes to herself.
Once outside, Buffy took in deep gulps of the cool night air as she looked at the elaborate patio, leading down to a beautiful swimming pool with flowers floating on the glassy surface.
"Are you okay?"
Buffy turned and was surprised when she encountered Jenny standing next to her, with a sympathetic look on her face.
"You saw?" Buffy asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah," Jenny said, resisting the urge to take the tiny girl in her arms and give her some much needed mothering.
"I'll be fine," Buffy said with a firm nod.
"Buffy, are you sure you're safe where you're living?"
"I'm safe," Buffy said, trying to put enough resolve into her voice to make it sound more believable. "Don't worry about me. I can handle whatever comes my way."
Discovery
Buffy sat next to her father in the elaborate ballroom as she played with the food on her plate. She wasn't all that hungry, but it wasn't like she could get up and leave whenever she felt like it. Looking up, Buffy nearly dropped her fork when she saw Spike carefully watching her. He was sitting across the table and a little further down, but his blue eyes seemed to be penetrating into her.
Spike watched Buffy carefully as she moved the food around her plate. He noticed she didn't eat much of anything as she seemed to be preoccupied. He offered her a slight smile as she looked up, directly into his eyes, before Spike turned back to his own meal.
Spike had seen his mother go outside to talk to Buffy, but she refused to tell him anything when she came back inside. Now, as everyone finished their dinner and began leaving the table, Spike found himself almost drawn to Buffy.
"Care to dance, pet?" Spike asked as he walked up behind her.
Buffy whirled around to face him, surprise written all over her features. "Why would I want to do that?" she asked in an icy tone.
Spike didn't hesitate as he wrapped his arms around Buffy, pulling her close to him as they began to sway to the beat. "Because it's so easy," he whispered, sending chills up and down her spine as his fingertips trailed along her back.
"Okay then," Buffy replied in a voice barely above a whisper. "Why would you want to do that?" Spike pulled back slightly to look into her eyes questioningly as Buffy continued. "Do you just want to find out if the rumors that 'preceded' me are true?"
Understanding dawned on Spike as he turned away from her, not sure what to say.
"That's it, isn't it?" Buffy asked, pulling away from him. "You're all bitter because your girlfriend left you, and now you're looking for a quick fix."
"Did I say that?" Spike said in a neutral tone as he tried to pull her closer.
Buffy evaded his arms as she stared at him. "I'm not some replacement for your Barbie Doll wannabe. I don't know what you saw in her, because from what I've been told, she's gotten friendly with every member of every sports team at Sunnydale High."
"Be quiet, Summers," Spike said through gritted teeth.
"Why? Does the truth hurt, Spikey? Knowing that you weren't enough for her?"
Spike saw red as he took a step closer to Buffy. "You know what?" he said in a deadly calm whisper. "The truth is, you're not enough for me."
Spike felt the anger radiating off of him as he walked away.
Buffy watched him go, feeling upset and guilty at the same time. Why did she and Spike always manage to bring out the worst in each other?
"Care to dance?"
Buffy turned and was shocked to see Rupert Giles standing behind her, extending his hand. "Thank you," she said softly.
Giles kept an appropriate amount of distance between himself and Buffy as they began moving to the music. "Buffy, you'll have to forgive my son," Giles said, looking across the room, where Spike was trying to discreetly look their way. "He has a bad habit of putting his foot in his mouth, and I feel that he's effectively done that tonight since he stormed off the way he did."
"It wasn't his fault, Giles," Buffy said. "I just bring it out in him, I guess."
"I'm sure that's not true," Giles said with a gentle smile.
"It really is," Buffy replied with a nod. "Spike's not the only one who puts his foot in his mouth all the time."
Buffy walked into her English class the next day with a heavy heart. She had to listen to a forty-five minute lecture from Hank Summers the previous night about the proper etiquette at parties and many more things that Buffy would never feel comfortable thinking of again.
The source of the problem, being that Buffy danced with not one, but two men. One of which was married. Never mind that it was in the most innocent of contexts, and never mind that Hank himself had been dancing with girls who were barely even Buffy's age. No, the fault and the blame always lay with his daughter.
Buffy barely even offered a greeting to Willow as she took her seat, propping her head up with her hands as she waited for the teacher to start class.
Nearly an hour later, Buffy was bored out of her mind as Mr. Green repeated the instructions for their next project.
"Okay," he said. "Now that everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing, you're going to be paired up to complete the project."
Buffy and Willow each looked at each other, silently confirming that they would work together.
"And I've decided to pair off the partners," Mr. Green continued, as he began reading from a list in his hand.
Buffy listened as the names of the students dwindled down, silently begging that she wouldn't be put with the peroxide pest that sat in the back row.
"William Giles and Buffy Summers."
Buffy narrowly avoided beating her head on the desk as the names were uttered.
"Alright," Mr. Green said a few minutes later. "Now that you know who you are partnered with, you have until the week before Christmas vacation to finish, so I suggest you get started on it sooner rather than later."
As the bell rang, Buffy practically bolted to the front of the room, with Spike right behind her.
"Mr. Green," Buffy said, reaching his desk first. "You can't expect me to work with him."
"I can, and I do," Green said with a pleasant smile.
"Sir, with all do respect, I don't think Summers and I are the best choice to be partners for this," Spike said.
"And why is that?" Green asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest as he awaited an answer.
"Because one of us will end up killing the other," Spike replied in an honest tone. "And I don't want to go to prison for murder."
Buffy glared at him before turning back to the teacher. "I would be perfectly happy working by myself on this," she offered in an overly hopeful tone.
"Nope," Green replied. "My decision has been made. Maybe this project will do you two some good."
"But him?" Buffy said, jerking her thumb in Spike's direction.
"Yes," he replied. "We're done now."
Both Buffy and Spike gave a deep sigh as they turned and walked out of the room.
"Well, this is just great," Buffy muttered as they stepped into the hallway.
"I'm not too thrilled about it either, Princess," Spike said in a sardonic tone as he glanced over at the small girl. "So, when do you want to get started on this? The sooner we start, the sooner it's over."
"I guess we could work on it tonight," Buffy mumbled in defeat. "How about your house?"
"No can do, Princess- Mum's having some friends over tonight. I'll just come to your place."
"N-no, that's okay, why don't we-"
"It's not a problem, Buffy," Spike said, cutting her off. "I'll stop by around four."
"Alright," Buffy said with a resigned sigh as Spike turned to walk away. "Do you even know where I live?" she called after him.
"No worries," Spike said as he turned around. "Biggest house in town…I think I can find it."
"Yeah," Buffy mumbled, already hoping that her father would be working late. She didn't even want to think what his reaction would be to someone of the opposite sex stopping by, no matter how innocent the situation.
Buffy nervously paced through the foyer of her house later that day. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a black sweater, deciding it would be more appropriate than her skirt that she'd worn to school.
Looking at the clock, Buffy noticed that it was already a few minutes past four, and her anger was beginning to rise.
"The least he could do is be on time," she mumbled as she resumed pacing, seconds later hearing a knock on one of the double doors.
Buffy ran for it, throwing it open to reveal a very smug-looking Spike standing on the other side. "Nice house, Princess," he said in a patronizing tone. "Come with its own staff, does it?"
Buffy had to suppress a groan as Fred walked around the corner from the dining room.
"Buffy, I…oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company."
"That's okay, Fred," Buffy replied. "Spike's just over here to work on a school project- don't worry about it."
"Aren't you going to introduce me, pet?" Spike asked Buffy with a smirk.
Buffy sighed. "Winifred Burkle, meet Spike Giles. Spike, this is Fred."
"Pleasure to meet you, may I take your coat?" Fred asked.
"Uh, no, that's alright."
"Okay then. Buffy, I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."
"Thanks, Fred," Buffy said softly.
"So, you have a maid, huh?" Spike asked, looking over at Buffy. "I can't say I'm surprised. It's not like I expected you to lift one of your pretty little manicured fingers to help."
"Shut up, Spike! You don't know what I do or how I help out, so why don't you keep your preconceptions to yourself, because you don't even know what you're talking about."
Spike raised an eyebrow as Buffy turned and walked down a nearby hallway. With a heavy sigh he followed her, coming to a stop at one of the doors at the end. Buffy quickly pushed it open and walked through, not bothering to check and see if Spike was behind her.
Spike walked through the doorway a moment later, looking at the vast room he was standing in. It was almost the size of the entire downstairs of his house. Oriental rugs lined the hardwood floor with brown leather sofas sitting in the middle of the room, accented by the mahogany end tables and coffee table. Adorning the walls were expensive art, which Spike had a feeling weren't reproductions.
Wandering around the room, Spike stopped in front of a particularly extraordinary painting.
"Renoir," he murmured as he stared at the beautiful work.
Buffy looked up in surprise as she slowly walked over to stand next to him. "You know his work?"
"Yeah…my Mum, she's a fan of the Impressionist painters- Monet, Bazille, Renoir…among others."
"It is beautiful," she said softly as she stared at it for a moment longer.
"Kind of expensive."
Spike realized his mistake the moment the words were out of his mouth. He wasn't meaning to bring up the sensitive subject, merely commenting on how the painting would be almost priceless, but of course, he'd said it wrong.
Buffy's features hardened as her gaze dropped to the ground. "I guess so. I really wouldn't know since it belonged to my grandfather."
"Buffy, I'm-"
"Don't," Buffy said, holding up her hand as she looked into his eyes. "It's not important anymore. You obviously aren't going to change your opinion about me, so I may as well agree with you."
"Buffy-"
"Spike, my father has a lot of money. A LOT of money," she reiterated. "So, yes, I probably appear to be the spoiled little rich girl. Let's just get this project finished so we don't have to go through this anymore."
Spike watched as Buffy turned and walked over to the couch to begin their assignment. With a heavy sigh, Spike followed her, choosing to sit next to her instead of on the other couch. He noticed as Buffy tensed slightly when he sat down, but she soon turned back to their work.
Over an hour later, Spike threw his head back to rest on the back of the couch, exhaling loudly as he shut his eyes. He and Buffy had gone over every detail of what they needed to do, and he was already exhausted by thinking about all the work they would have in the next few weeks.
Buffy mimicked Spike's movements as she stretched her arms over her head, causing Spike to glance at her out of the corner of his eye. He noticed the exposed skin of her taut stomach as her shirt rode up and was surprised as he felt a slight movement in his groin.
Spike quickly looked away, frowning. He had never had any type of reaction when seeing a little bit of skin. Shaking his head slightly, he began to gather his things together.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow at school. We can work out when we're going to do the rest of the assignment. I'd rather it be sooner than later," Spike said, looking into Buffy's eyes and noticing the brilliant colors that seemed to dance in them for the first time.
Buffy opened her mouth to respond when she heard the door to the room open. Without looking up to see who entered, she felt the trembling begin in her stomach and spread throughout her body.
Spike looked at her in confusion before turning and standing to greet the older man that he vaguely recognized as Buffy's father.
"Mr. Summers," Spike greeted, shaking her father's hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm William Giles."
Spike saw Buffy turn to look at him upon hearing his name.
"You, too," Hank said in what Buffy recognized as a fake voice. He used it whenever talking to someone who wasn't her. "Buffy," he said, motioning for his daughter. "This way."
Buffy tried to calm her breathing as she stood to follow him out of the room. "I'll be right back," she mumbled to Spike who was still looking at her with some unease, brought on by her current mood.
Buffy walked into the hall with trepidation, pulling the door shut behind her as she looked up to see Hank standing further away. Walking toward him, she hung her head in defeat, hating herself for so many things. Not the least of which was being born Hank Summers' daughter.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked in a menacing tone.
"We're working on a school project," Buffy said, knowing that saying anything would be futile, but saying nothing would be even more damaging.
"I'm so sure," Hank said in a sarcastic voice. "What else were you 'working' on, Buffy?"
She stayed quiet, surprised when she felt her arm grabbed in a vice-like grip.
"You're quite the little slut, aren't you?" he asked in a wicked tone. "You're a whore, just like your mother was!"
Buffy's eyes snapped up to meet his. "Don't you talk about her," she said in a low voice that disguised her fear.
"I'll do and say whatever the hell I want," Hank said, his voice rising. "You're my daughter."
"Your daughter?" Buffy asked in disbelief. "You never even wanted to have me! It was Mom who raised me. And turning out like her would be a hundred times better than turning into you." She noticed the tick in his jaw but felt the power surge through her at finally standing up to him. "You call me a whore, but you know what? You're describing yourself!"
Buffy jumped and let out a yelp as she felt his fist impact the wall next to her head as Hank lowered his head to look her in the eye. "You're just giving me a reason to send you away. Is that what you want, Buffy? To live in some group home until you're eighteen and they throw you out in the street?"
Buffy's eyes narrowed as she stared at him. "What about your 'family values,' Father? It wouldn't look good for the flawless Hank Summers to ship his only motherless child away because he never wanted her to begin with."
Hank gritted his teeth as he looked at the small girl. "I don't want to see you," he said in a menacing tone. "I don't want to know you're here. Stay out of my way."
Buffy watched as he walked away. "That's what I've been trying to do," she said as he turned the corner.
Taking a deep breath, Buffy turned and walked back to the den, opening the door to see Spike standing there with an unreadable expression. "You should probably go," she said softly.
Spike didn't answer her as she walked past him. He watched as she began gathering her things together before he turned and shut the door.
"Spike-"
"Does that happen a lot?"
Buffy shut her eyes, humiliation and shame filling her. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough," he said softly as he walked toward her.
Buffy looked down at the ground as she felt her chin begin to quiver. "Spike, I know you hate me," she said quietly, never raising her eyes from the floor. "But…please don't tell anybody about this. Say whatever you want to me, but please-"
Buffy was cut off as she felt herself wrapped in a strong embrace. Spike pulled her firmly against him, feeling her clutching at his shirt as she buried her face in his chest and finally let her tears fall.
Buffy hadn't had this kind of comfort in so long, she wasn't about to turn it down.
Spike felt his heart wrench as he ran his fingers through her silky hair, lowering his head until his lips were level with her ear. "I don't hate you, Buffy," he whispered. "I'm here...I'll be here."
Trust
Spike walked through his front door with a heavy heart. He had stayed at Buffy's for a few more minutes before she insisted that it would be best if he left. He felt guilty for being the cause of putting Buffy through so much pain, but she assured him Hank would have found something to say to her regardless of whether he'd been there or not.
"Hi, honey," Jenny said with a smile as she walked into the living room.
"Mum," he said in a forced greeting.
"William, what's wrong?" she asked as Spike sat down in a chair.
"Mum, I think…I think I have a friend who might be in trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" Jenny asked, the worry evident in her voice.
"Trouble at home."
"Can you tell me who this friend is?"
"No," Spike said quietly, shaking his head. "I can't…not right now, anyway. I just…I'm worried, Mum."
"Honey, is this friend in danger?"
"I don't know," he said softly. "I don't think so…not yet."
"Then be a friend," Jenny said as Spike raised his eyes to hers. "Be there for anything. Talk and listen and just be a friend. But honey, if this gets dangerous, I want you to tell me."
"Thanks, Mum," Spike said, offering her a grateful smile as the front door opened. Spike stood up as his father walked into the house. Walking over to him, Giles jumped slightly at the unexpected hug his son gave him before hugging him back.
"What was that for?" Giles asked with a smile as Spike stepped away.
"For being the dad that everyone should have," he said quietly before turning and going upstairs.
Giles turned to Jenny. "Do you know what brought that on?"
Jenny looked at the empty stairs, hearing Spike's door close quietly. "Rupert, I think we need to talk."
"Buffy!"
Buffy turned around when she heard her name and was more than a little surprised to see Spike jogging toward her. "Hi, Spike," she said with uncertainty.
"How are you?" he asked in concern.
Buffy glanced around before taking a deep breath and answering him. "Spike, don't treat me like glass- I'm not going to break."
"I was just-"
"I know," Buffy replied. "And I appreciate it…but the fact is, this has been going on for a while, and there's no reason for you to act different."
Spike felt the guilt flood through him as he remembered past conversations with the girl in front of him. "When do you want to work on the project?" he asked, deciding it would be best to change the subject.
"Tonight's fine, just…not at my house."
"How about mine? I can drive us after school and then take you home later."
"Okay," Buffy said with a nod. "I'll see you later."
"Bye, Wills," Buffy called as Willow walked away after their last class.
"Ready to go, luv?"
Buffy jumped at the voice behind her, turning around to face Spike.
"Sorry," he said, looking guilty. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm okay. Let's go," she said with a soft smile.
Buffy felt a chill run up and down her spine when she felt Spike's hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the building and into the parking lot. She smiled when Spike opened the door for her. "Thanks."
"No problem, luv."
Both stayed quiet, listening to the radio as Spike drove. Buffy looked up as Spike pulled into a driveway. As she got out of the car, she smiled slightly as she followed Spike up to the front porch.
"It's not much," he said, opening the front door and leading her inside. "But it's home."
Buffy looked around the house. It seemed to exude a warm, comforting feeling. "It's perfect," she said softly, wandering around to look at the pictures that seemed to cover every surface, of the family on vacations and at birthday parties. Some showed Spike growing up, while others showcased Giles and Jenny, whether it was at their wedding or more recently.
"See anything interesting?" Spike asked with a smile.
Buffy whirled around to face him. "Sorry, I was just-"
"It's okay, Buffy. Mum likes to display every picture that's taken. We've finally talked her out some of them, but she still insists that it adds a more personal touch to the house."
"She's right," Buffy agreed softly.
Both turned when they heard a door at the back of the house close.
"William? Are you home?"
"It's me, Mum," Spike called, guiding Buffy toward the kitchen.
"William, I was wondering if you- oh! Buffy, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here."
"Hello, Mrs. Giles."
"I told you, it's Jenny," his mother replied with a smile.
"We're just going to work on our English project. Was there something you needed?" Spike asked.
"No, you two go right ahead. It was good seeing you again, Buffy," Jenny replied with a warm smile.
"You, too, Mrs…Jenny."
"We'll be in my room, Mum."
"Okay, dear, let me know if you need anything."
Buffy followed Spike up the stairs, surprised by what she just witnessed. She watched as Spike walked to a door at one end of the hall and motioned her to follow him. She walked into the room, that was surprisingly clean for a teenage boy to be living there.
"So…your mom doesn't care that you bring a virtual stranger up to your bedroom?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She trusts me," Spike said, throwing his backpack onto his bed before turning around to face Buffy with wide eyes. "Buffy, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"
"Spike, it's okay," Buffy said with a shrug. "My father doesn't trust me. It's not like it's a big secret…well, not where you're concerned at least. Maybe we should…"
"Yeah, let's get to work."
Getting Close
Buffy closed her notebook two hours later before running her fingers through her hair and breathing out a sigh. Looking up to see Spike watching her, she gave a nervous smile. "What?"
"Uh…nothing…it's nothing," Spike replied, shaking his head.
Buffy frowned, getting up from her chair to move over to the bed and sit next to him. "What is it?"
Spike looked up into her emerald eyes, feeling himself getting lost in them. "Can I ask you a question?"
Buffy glanced down at her hands, biting her lip nervously, before looking up at him again. "I guess," she said softly.
"What happened to your mum?"
Buffy paused a minute before answering. "Car accident," she mumbled, wringing her hands together as she looked down at them.
Spike gently reached out and tilted Buffy's chin up to look at her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He jumped slightly when he found himself with Buffy in his arms but quickly wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head as he held her. Spike was relieved that she wasn't crying- she just appeared to be holding onto him.
After a few minutes, Spike maneuvered them to lay down side by side on the bed. Pulling her close to him, he felt her shoulders begin shaking slightly. "Don't cry, luv," he whispered, holding her tighter. "Please don't cry."
A few moments later, Buffy pulled away from his embrace, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said softly, trying to move away from him.
Spike wasn't about to let her go when he knew she obviously needed someone. Easing her back into his arms, he gently caressed her arm as he felt her relax. "I told you, I'm here."
"You're definitely not who I thought you were," Buffy said with a slight smile. "You know you don't have to do this, right? I mean…if you would rather just work on-"
"Buffy, I want to do this," Spike said, reaching for her hand and holding it loosely to his chest.
"Why?" she asked quietly, looking up at him.
"Because, Summers…there's something about you that keeps drawing me in," he whispered.
Buffy blushed as she avoided his eyes. "I thought you didn't like me."
"I didn't," Spike said with a smile as he heard Buffy giggle.
"I guess that's fair," she replied. "I wasn't crazy about you, either."
"You mean, you weren't overwhelmed by my masculine charms?" Spike asked with a smile as Buffy giggled again.
"Oh, I was overwhelmed alright, but mainly because I kept getting run over."
"Hey!" Spike said in indignation. "You were the one that was running over me, Summers."
"Spike, I'm five foot nothing," Buffy said with a smile. "I couldn't run over you if I tried."
Spike scoffed but didn't say anything else about it. They lay in each other's arms for a few more minutes, both enjoying the comfort that the other provided. Spike was also confused that a girl who was practically his enemy the day before was now in his bed, and his arms, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Spike looked at Buffy, staring at her smooth skin, full lips, and golden hair.
Buffy turned to look up at Spike, surprised when she met his gaze. Both felt the electricity between them as they each leaned forward. Seconds before their lips touched, Buffy jumped off the bed.
Spike looked at her in confusion, just as his mother opened the door. "Buffy, would you like to stay for dinner?"
Buffy nervously smoothed her hair, trying to fight the blush that was creeping into her cheeks. "Um…I-I think my father wants me home."
Jenny watched her son at the mention of Hank Summers, noticing his expression harden, before turning back to Buffy. "I already called him- he said it would be fine if you wanted to stay."
"H-he did?" Buffy asked skeptically.
"Yes, he said it was fine, if that's what you wanted."
Buffy stood, obviously stunned, before regaining her thoughts. "Um…that would be nice…thank you."
"You're welcome, dear," Jenny said with a smile. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes," she finished as she walked out the door.
Buffy stared at the door in shock when she felt Spike approach her from behind. "This is good, right?" he asked with uncertainty clear in his voice.
"I don't know," Buffy whispered, almost to herself. "I don't even know my own father well enough to know what's going on." She turned around to face Spike, her eyes wide with confusion.
Buffy sat at the dining room table, slightly apprehensive with the unfamiliar surroundings. She looked across the table and saw Spike staring at her, offering her a smile.
"Buffy," Giles said. "How are you adjusting to school?"
"It's fine," Buffy said with a smile. "It's been a much easier adjustment than I would have expected, and I've made some good friends."
Spike saw the look that she gave him and smiled, knowing that he was now included as one of those friends.
"Where did you live before?" Jenny asked.
" Los Angeles . I lived there with my mom."
Spike caught his mother's eye and shook his head, silently telling her not to ask. Jenny nodded slightly that she understood before turning back to her meal.
"William, did you mention a party this weekend?" Giles asked.
Spike nodded. "I'm not sure if I'm going to go."
"Maybe you should," Giles said. "It might be good if you and Buffy were to go together."
"Oh…um…that's okay," Buffy said, shaking her head, looking from Giles to Spike. "You have your own life, you don't need-"
"No, I think it's a good idea," Spike said, looking at her.
Buffy frowned slightly. Sure, Spike had been nice to her, but she didn't expect him to willingly take her to a party where all of his friends would be.
Spike rested his hand on the small of Buffy's back as they walked up the steps leading to her front door. Buffy turned to face him when they reached the top.
"Spike, you really don't have to take me to a party. I know you were just trying to be nice."
"I want to, Buffy," he said in a husky voice that sent chills up and down her spine.
Both locked eyes for a moment before Buffy turned to look at the door of her prison. "I should probably…"
She trailed off as she gestured to the door.
Spike looked over her shoulder, biting his lip, before looking back at her. "I don't want you to go in there," he said softly, taking a step closer to her.
"That makes two of us," she replied, trying to smile and lighten the mood.
"Come over tomorrow."
"I don't think I can," she said, her voice getting more overwrought. "I need to get inside…I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Buffy turned away, surprised when she felt Spike's hand on her arm. "Buffy-"
"Spike," she whispered in a strained voice, not turning around. "Please don't make this harder than it already is."
Spike let go of her, closing his eyes as she walked into the house, never looking back at him.
Reflections
Buffy walked into her house, surprised and grateful that her father wasn't waiting on her. She didn't want to know what was going through his twisted mind, and she had no intention of finding out. As quickly and quietly as she could, Buffy jogged up the marble staircase, hurriedly making her way to her room. Opening her door, she froze when she saw her father sitting in the armchair in the shadows.
Buffy's hand gripped the doorknob, her knuckles turning white with the force. "Daddy," she said quietly.
Hank never looked at her- he just continued staring out the window with his scotch in his hand. Buffy thought about turning around and heading to one of the guestrooms, but there was no use putting off the inevitable. Taking a deep breath, Buffy stepped into the room, making sure to leave the door open. Her father rarely drank, and if his violent tendencies when he was sober were any indication, she didn't want to know what he would act like with a little alcohol in his system.
"I'm a horrible father, aren't I?" Hank's voice asked quietly.
Buffy stared at him incredulously for a few moments, not sure if she even wanted to witness this little mood swing of his. "Why do you care?" she asked quietly, not wanting to say anything to get her in trouble, but at the same time, what could she say to him?
"My only daughter, and I can't even stand the sight of you," he said softly, more to himself than to her. Buffy didn't say anything- she already knew this was true. "You already know I never wanted you," he commented.
"Yeah," Buffy replied in an indifferent tone.
"You're a constant reminder of what could have been," Hank continued in the same soft voice. "Of the happiness I could have had with your mother if I had stayed, but I didn't want it. I wanted my freedom."
'Oh, you have got to be kidding me,' Buffy thought, fighting not to roll her eyes. 'Alcohol makes some people crazy, some violent, and some tired, but my father? It makes him sane.'
"You don't want to live here, do you?" Hank asked, still not looking at her.
Buffy didn't say anything, instinctively knowing that whatever response she had could come back to haunt her.
"Where's your boyfriend?" he asked, finally looking at her.
"I don't have a boyfriend," Buffy replied softly. "I told you, he was just over here because of a school project."
Hank stayed quiet, either not believing her or simply taking what she said as the truth for a change.
After a few minutes, he stood on shaky legs and began walking toward her. Stopping in front of his daughter, he stared at her for a long moment. "You look like your mother," he said in a voice that almost sounded depressed.
"Is that good or bad?" Buffy asked in an unreadable voice.
For a second, she could see the man that she knew as her father emerge from his alcohol laden state, glaring at her. Buffy prepared herself for the explosion and was surprised when he simply turned and walked out of her room.
Buffy let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding before walking into her adjoining bathroom and turning on the faucet. A few minutes later, as she was pulling her hair off her neck as she prepared to lower herself in the tub, Buffy heard a humming sound coming from her bedroom. Frowning, she made her way back into her room and looked for the source. She noticed it was her cell phone, quietly vibrating on the surface of her dresser.
Buffy picked up the phone and headed back into the bathroom, flipping it open as she walked.
"Hello," she said softly, stepping into the tub.
"Are you alright, luv?"
Buffy smiled at the concern in his voice. "I'm fine, Spike."
"You sure, you're not just saying that? He's not there right now, is he?"
"No, Spike. I am most definitely alone," she replied, immersing herself in the steaming water as she leaned her head back, attempting to alleviate the ever-present tension in her body.
"Where are you?"
"Taking a bath," Buffy said, closing her eyes.
Spike had to suppress a groan as the image of her naked body entered his mind.
"Spike? Are you okay?" she asked when he stayed quiet for a while.
"Uh…yeah…fine, Buffy. I'm just fine. So…when are we going to get to work again?" he asked.
"I don't know. Depends how long my dad's mood holds out."
"His mood?" Spike replied in a worried tone.
"Yeah, I came in tonight, and he was being all broody and reflective."
"How long will that last?"
"I'm guessing until the effects of the scotch wear off," Buffy replied.
"I'm worried about you, luv," Spike said softly.
"Spike, you don't even know me," Buffy said in a gentle tone.
"Doesn't mean I can't be worried about you," he responded, the tone of his voice rising slightly.
"Are you saying you want to be best friends now?" Buffy asked with a smile beginning on her lips.
"Is that all you want?" Spike asked in a rough whisper that sent chills up and down Buffy's spine. She stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating the many different meanings of that simple phrase.
"It's been a long day, Spike," Buffy said, her own voice coming out in a whisper. "Why don't we save the decision making for another time, okay?"
"So that's not what you want," Spike said softly in a dismayed tone.
"That's not what I said," Buffy replied gently. "You've been amazing, I just don't want to have any more serious conversations for a while, if that's okay?"
"Okay, luv," he said quietly. "What about Saturday? We still going, or do you think your dad will object?"
"It should be fine. He's usually out with his current flavor-of-the-week, so I don't think it will be a problem. That is, if you're sure you want to go with the new girl who you hate, as far as everyone else is concerned," Buffy said, smiling brightly.
Spike chuckled. "Yeah, I'm not sure if it will do wonders for my reputation. Maybe we should just take a rain check…or better yet, call the whole thing off," he replied in a sarcastic voice.
"I figured you'd try and get out of it," Buffy said with a smile. "I knew you were just putting on a show for your parents' benefit." Buffy giggled when she heard him laughing on the other end of the phone.
"I better go, pet. I just wanted to check on you."
"How'd you get this number anyway?" Buffy asked, suddenly realizing that she never gave it to him.
"I'll see you at school, Summers."
"Spike, don't you dare hang up! How did you-"
"I have many persuasive techniques, pet," Spike replied, the smile obvious in his voice.
"That's not an answer," Buffy said, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Well, that's all you're going to get tonight. Good night, luv," he said in low voice.
Buffy shivered at his tone. "Good night. And Spike?"
"Yeah, pet?"
"Thank you," she whispered, bringing a smile to his face.
"You're welcome, Buffy."
Mixed Signals
Buffy listened as her father walked out of the house on one of his many dates. Saturday night was finally here, and Buffy was surprised how much she'd been looking forward to it. Once the car had pulled down the long driveway, Buffy made her way down the grand staircase.
"Oh, Buffy, you look beautiful." Fred greeted her with a huge smile as she saw Buffy approaching.
"Thanks," Buffy said with a smile, nervously smoothing her black skirt. It was longer than she usually wore, but it had two slits running along her legs, compensating for the length. Her hair was loose and slightly curled, and the golden highlights were set off by the shimmery silver shirt, she was wearing.
Buffy worried her bottom lip as she paced the length of the house. She and Spike hadn't spoken that often, unless it was to discuss their English project, and Buffy was worried that he was starting to regret asking her to the party to begin with.
Looking in the mirror of the foyer for what felt like the thousandth time, Buffy was about to head upstairs and change when she heard a knock at the door. With a deep breath, she put a smile on her face and pulled it open.
Spike's eyes lit up when he saw her, running the length of her body and taking in every detail that he could commit to memory. "You ready to go, luv?" he asked, offering his hand as she walked outside.
"Yeah," Buffy said in what sounded like a shy voice. Taking his hand in hers, she let him lead her to his car, surprised when he opened the door for her. "Thanks," she said, turning to give him a grateful smile.
"Not a problem, pet," Spike replied with his own smile before shutting the door and jogging around to his side of the car. "You ready for this?" he asked, turning the key in the ignition as he looked over at her.
"Ready and willing," she said, trying to sound more confident than she was feeling. Spike wasn't convinced.
"We don't have to go, Buffy," he said, his tone turning serious. "If you'd rather not, I'll understand."
"No," Buffy said quickly, her eyes getting wide as she shook her head. "I-I mean…unless you don't want to go, that is. It's fine if you don't."
Spike smiled at her nervous tone. "Let's have some fun, Buffy."
Pulling up in front of the spacious house a few minutes later, Buffy took a deep breath. "Spike?"
"Yeah, pet," he responded distractedly, looking through his pockets and around the car for his lost pack of cigarettes.
"Is this…I mean, are we…"
Spike looked up at her with a curious expression. "Are we what, luv?"
"It's just…I was just wondering if this…if tonight was a date…or something…you know, just forget I said anything."
Spike stared straight ahead for a moment, not sure how to react. "Buffy," he said slowly, not wanting to blurt out the wrong thing for a change. "Harmony just broke up with me, and I-"
"Say no more," Buffy said with a generous smile and a wave of her hand as she opened the car door. "I don't know what I was talking about," she continued, hopping out of the car.
"Buffy, wait, luv, that's not what I-"
Spike was cut off as the door closed on his reply. "Bollocks," he muttered with a sigh. "That's not what I mean. I'll straighten it out with her later."
Two hours later, Buffy was nowhere to be seen. She had disappeared about an hour ago, and although Spike didn't expect her to stay by his side all night, he would have liked to know where she was. There were too many guys milling around that would take advantage of a situation.
Scanning the area, Spike saw a blonde heading for him but groaned when he realized it wasn't the right one.
"Blondie Bear," Harmony sing-songed as she danced up to him, a slight slur in her words. "What's my wittle Spikey up to tonight?" she asked in a baby voice, wrapping her arms around Spike's neck.
"Same thing as you, Harm," he replied, trying to discreetly extract himself from her grip. "You can go now."
"Now, that wouldn't be any fun, would it?" Harmony replied with a pout. The same pout that she knew Spike could never resist. "I plan on staying here until you're in a much better mood, Spikeykins."
Spike was shocked, although he wasn't sure why, when he felt Harmony's lips on his. Making an effort to push her away at first, she simply dug her claws into his back, pulling him closer to her as one hand came up to grip his head.
Buffy wandered around the party, woozy from having too much to drink. Stopping at the stairwell, she gripped the banister, trying to will the room to stop spinning.
"Hi."
Buffy turned at the unfamiliar voice, having to blink hard to focus on who was talking to her.
"I'm Parker Abrams," said a smiling brunette. "I don't think we've been introduced yet."
"B-Buffy," she mumbled, not even sure if that was her name at this point. All she wanted to do was leave…or sit down.
Parker smiled, recognizing a trashed girl when he saw one. "So…would you want to go upstairs and lie down for a bit?" he asked, putting on his most concerned face.
"Yeah," Buffy said softly, swallowing hard as she tried to focus on any unmoving target in the room. She was surprised when she felt Parker's hands go around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and his lips were suddenly on hers. After a minute of very sloppy kissing from Parker's side, Buffy succeeded in pushing him away.
"Come on, baby, you know you want it."
"Does that line ever work?" she asked, proud of herself for sounding more coherent than her foggy brain wanted her to.
"I've never had any complaints," Parker said with a cocky smile. "Let's just go upstairs and relax a little, okay, honey?"
Buffy was about to shake her head when a flash of blonde caught her eye. She could almost feel herself sober up as she watched Spike kissing Harmony.
'He doesn't owe you anything, Buffy,' she reminded herself. 'He was just being nice by bringing you here tonight. It's not like you're together.'
Turning away from the sickening sight, Buffy began climbing the stairs, not knowing that Parker was right behind her.
"Buffy!"
Buffy frowned at the familiar voice, turning when she was halfway up the staircase. She watched in confusion as Spike jogged up to meet her. "What are you doing?" he asked her, shooting a look Parker's way.
"Why do you care?" Buffy retorted with far more malice in her voice than she had intended.
"Come on, I'm taking you home," Spike said, taking her elbow.
Buffy roughly pulled herself away, nearly falling from the momentum. Gripping the banister, she stared at Spike. "Don't you have a little floozy to tend to?" she asked angrily.
Spike's jaw ticked as he stared at the infuriating blonde. He didn't particularly care for Harmony anymore, but he did date the chit for most of the school year and felt the need to defend her. He decided to keep his mouth shut this time.
"I brought you here, Buffy," Spike replied in a low tone. "I'm taking you home now."
"No," Buffy said, crossing her arms, which was a complicated process for her in itself, and staring back at him.
Spike glanced around and noticed most of the partygoers had stopped to watch the display on the stairs. "Stop acting like a spoiled brat and come on," he practically growled.
"Go back to your tramp, Spike. I'm fine."
"Don't say that," he replied with a warning tingeing his voice.
"Don't say what? That you've been dating a whore? It's practically common knowledge, Spike." Somewhere in her alcohol-laden brain, Buffy knew that she had gone too far, but there was no taking it back now.
"You want to know common knowledge?" Spike asked, taking a menacing step toward her. "How about the fact that you've slept with practically every guy in Los Angeles and had to move down the coast to get away from your reputation? That little bit of news arrived long before you did."
Buffy fought the urge to slap him with everything she had. Her eyes shimmering with tears, Buffy took a deep breath. "Well…if the shoe fits…come on, Parker," she said, grabbing the other boy by the hand and leading him up the stairs.
Spike watched her go in shock. He stood there for several long moments as she disappeared around the corner with Parker in tow. Swallowing the sensations of jealousy and sickness that were creeping through him, Spike began walking up the stairs a few minutes later with one thought in mind- he had to get to Buffy.
Buffy pulled Parker down the hall with her. Suddenly remembering that he was with her, Buffy's eyes widened. She looked around the unfamiliar hall and saw a smaller staircase that probably led to the back of the house. Her only thought was going home…but now she had to deal with Parker.
Turning around, she roughly pushed him into a bedroom. "I'll be right in," she said with a sweet smile as she closed the door in his face.
Buffy quickly turned and ran as fast as she could down the back stairs, sure that she was going to lose her balance and break half the bones in her body. She breathed a sigh of relief as her feet met the hard tile of the kitchen floor. Looking around, Buffy spotted the backdoor and let herself outside. She had no idea who Parker was or how he would react to being ditched, but she didn't want to risk him coming after her.
As she was met with the cool night air, Buffy let the tears fall as Spike's hurtful words filled her head again. Moving as fast as she could, Buffy gasped as she crashed into someone, feeling strong hands grab her shoulders and steady her.
"Whoa, are you okay?"
Buffy looked up and saw a pair of warm brown eyes.
"Buffy?" she heard a small voice ask as the man let her go. "It is Buffy, right?"
She turned and nodded at the petite blonde that stood next to the man. "Yeah," she said softly, trying to control her crying.
"I thought so. I'm Darla, and this is Angel," she said. "Are you okay?"
Buffy shook her head as the tears began falling again. "I need to go home," she whispered.
"We can take you," Darla said with a nod as she gently wrapped her arms around Buffy's shoulders, leading her to a car parked further away.
"Thank you," Buffy whispered.
"Wasn't Spike bringing you tonight?" Angel asked as he walked next to his girlfriend.
Buffy felt the lump in her throat as she nodded. "Please don't tell him about this," she said softly. "Please."
"Won't he be worried about you?" Darla asked.
"No," Buffy said, shaking her head. "He really won't."