Guarding Elizabeth
Parts: Prologue-4
Written by: Annastasia
Author's Website
Summary: Elizabeth Summers is forced to go into government protection when her father’s business causes threats to be made on her life. While in hiding Elizabeth becomes smitten with one of her guards and tries her best to tempt him in any way imaginable. Special Agent William “Spike” Hawthorne was leading the good life. He was happily engaged to his girlfriend of five years and was finally settling into his work at the bureau. But, like always nothing good lasts forever. Spike is assigned to an important case that forces him to abandon the comfort and security of his happy life. His assignment turns out to be more then he can handle. After meeting Elizabeth and feeling something stir deep inside he starts to question everything in his life. Will he be able to resist temptation or give in to the passion growing inside him?
Disclaimer: The show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
(The Series) and all of it's characters belong to Joss Whedon,
Mutant Enemy, & Fox Prod.
Feedback: Clemsngal@aol.com
Prologue
"Are you sure that this must be done?" Hank Summers asked one of his security agents from his seat behind the executive mahogany desk that lined the far wall of his office.
"Yes, Mr. Summers. If you wish to ensure the safety of your daughter you must follow our orders."
Hank exhaled roughly. He ran his hand through his thin brown hair before bringing it to rest under his chin. He eyed the men standing in his office warily. He didn’t trust them, but then again he didn’t trust anyone lately. The past two months had been hell on him and his family. His business was the main cause of it all. But, because he was successful in what he did he refused to give it up, let alone allow idle threats from foreign citizens deter him from building. He had never had this kind of problem before. There had always been activist groups that protested the cutting down of trees or the disturbance his company brought to their land, but never had they threatened his family.
"What do I have to do?" He asked finally giving in.
One of the agents cleared his throat and stepped up closer to the desk.
"You have to place your daughter under our care," he explained. "Your wife as well."
"My wife won’t leave my side," Hank interrupted, shaking his head as he leaned back in his leather chair. "She only cares about the safety of Elizabeth."
The agent that was standing closest to him glanced over his shoulder to one of his colleagues. His colleague nodded his head, letting him know that this was not a problem and to proceed with relaying the plans to Mr. Summers.
"We will treat your daughter as if she is under witness protection and send her away to a secluded place with two of our best agents. You and your wife will not be allowed to contact her, nor will she be able to contact anyone including you."
"I don’t know about this," Hank commented shakily. "Elizabeth won’t like not being able to see her friends."
The agent that seemed to be in charge of the whole group moved forward to convince Hank of their plan.
"Sir, what is more important right now? Your daughters happiness or her life?"
Hank starred at the man who had asked him such a bold question. Of course his daughters life was more important than anything, but her happiness was her life. It was his life. He only wanted her to be happy…and safe.
"Very well. When do I meet these two agents who will be guarding her?"
"Tomorrow. Tonight you will have to tell you daughter and your wife what is going on. Until then we will prepare everything and make sure all is running smoothly."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No!" Eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Anne Summers yelled while standing up from her dining room chair abruptly. "I don’t want to leave Sunnydale!"
"Honey, please. Your father is only doing what’s in you best interest." Joyce Summers said, trying hard to calm her daughter before she did something she would regret.
"If he wanted to do what was in my interest he would call of this project in Africa," Elizabeth snapped back quickly. "But since all he cares about is money, I’m the one that has to leave my friends behind and boyfriend."
"That’s enough!" Hank shouted, slamming his hands loudly against the table. "One more word out of you and I will change my mind about this whole free vacation and lock you up in an institute instead."
"Hank," Joyce chastised.
"Joyce, your daughter is one word away from me not caring about her safety and throwing her over to the MuHads myself."
"Go ahead," Elizabeth challenged. "I’d rather live with them then two old geezers form the FBI. At least with them I’m sure I’ll have some excitement."
Hank stood up, knocking over his chair in the process, and pointed one long finger at his daughter. "Go up to your room now. You are not allowed to talk to anyone, not Willow, not Angel, no one."
"What?"
"In two days you are getting on that plane and until then you are not to breath a word to anyone about what is happening."
Elizabeth crossed her arms defiantly. She was prepared to argue with her dear Daddy some more, but once she caught sight of the pleading look on her mother’s face she decided against it and swirled around to stomp noisily up to her room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Can you believe it Wills?" Elizabeth asked while painting her toenails. "He actually expects me to drop my life and live god knows where while he settles this whole thing over in Africa."
Once Elizabeth had entered her room and slammed the door, she immediately picked up her cordless phone on her bedside table and called her best friend Willow. She didn’t care what danger it might’ve caused, she trusted Willow and knew that anything she told her would be kept between them. Now after spending two hours on the phone they were still on the subject of her Father and what an ass he was being.
"Well, Buffy," Willow said, using the nickname for her friend that she had made up in middle school. "Maybe you should do what he says."
"Oh, no. Not you too Wills," Buffy grumbled, wiping her finger over a smudge on her big toe. "I thought for sure that you, as my best friend, would agree with me on this 100 percent."
"I do agree with you Buffy," Willow defended. "Its just that form what you’ve told me about these threats they seem kinda scary and …and well maybe its safer if you go into hiding."
"Hiding," Buffy scoffed distastefully. "I prefer to call it ‘sending me away to a boarding school’ cause that’s what its like. I mean it might as well be an all girls boarding school if I have to stay with two old men who clean their weapons on a nightly basis and hit the sheets around nine o’clock every night."
"Buffy it might not be that bad."
"Believe me if my father has anything to do with this master plan then it will be that bad."
"Elizabeth, honey are you talking on the phone?"
"Oh shit," Buffy whispered under her breath, rolling to a sitting position on her bed. "Willow I have to go my mom’s outside my bedroom door."
"Alright. Call me later if you want to talk."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye."
Buffy hung up the phone and tossed it under one of her pillows just before her mom opened the door and peeked her head in.
"Elizabeth you know what will happen if your father catches you on the phone."
Buffy smiled, her brain thinking of a nasty response to her mother’s remark. "He’ll suffer a heart attack and I wont have to go away because being with him in his time of need is so much more important then my safety."
Joyce shook her head softly. "Elizabeth that’s not a nice thing to say."
"Sorry mom."
Joyce stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. She made her way over to her daughter’s bed and sat down on the edge.
"Sweetie, I know how hard this is for you. And, I understand why you don’t want to leave. But, can you at least try to understand why your father has to do this?"
"No."
"Fine. Since you wont do it for him will you do it for me. I am worried about you Elizabeth and I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. I don’t think I could live if something happened to my little baby girl."
Buffy watched as her mother broke into tears. She hated seeing her mother cry, especially when it was over something she was half the cause of.
"Yes, mom."
Joyce halted her tears and looked up at into her daughter’s hazel eyes.
"On one condition," Buffy said, raising one finger into the air. "You have to tell daddy that I’m only doing this because of you and that he had no effect on my decision."
Joyce laughed at her daughter’s request before pulling her into her arms and hugging her tightly.
"I’ll go inform your father that everything is settled," Joyce told her, getting up to leave the room.
Buffy waited for her mom to leave before fishing for her phone under the pillow and hitting redial.
"Hello."
"Well, Wills looks like I’m gonna be going away for awhile."
Chapter I
"Mr. Summers here are the two agents that will be watching over your daughter."
Hank looked up from the papers an agent had spread out before him to look over. He saw two men coming through the door to his office and walking towards his desk. He noticed they seemed rather young and this irritated him for some reason.
"I thought you said two of your best men would be assigned to the job?" He asked not halting his assessment of the two agents. "These two look young enough to be my sons."
"Sir, I assure you that they are completely capable to do the job," the senior agent who had informed him of their arrival told him. "This is Special Agent Alexander Harris and Special…"
"How old are they?" Hank interrupted, raking his eyes over the agent who had bleached hair. For some reason this one left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"They are both twenty-five years of age, sir."
Hank came around his desk to stand in front of it. He strolled over to stand beside the agent named Harris and studied him closely. The young agent stood stock still, his jaw tight. Hank nodded his approval. The other agent, who had not been named yet, was the next one he studied. He circled him, moving his eyes up and down the young man before letting his gaze fall on his face. He took in the bleached hair and the high cheekbones and grunted his disapproval.
"I don’t want these two protecting my daughter." Hank scoffed. "They might take advantage of the situation presented to them. A vulnerable teenager right at their finger tips. I don’t like it."
"With all do respect, sir." The still unnamed agent spoke up. "Agent Harris here is a happily married man, and I am engaged. We have no intentions of looking at your daughter in any way besides as an assignment."
Hank scowled at the blond agent but reluctantly took his statement for what it was worth and nodded his head in understanding.
"You have a British accent," Hank noted. "Are you even an American citizen?"
"I was born in Greenville, California, but I lived most of my life in England with both my parents who are British as well," Agent Hawthorne replied. "So, legally I am an American citizen."
"Hmmm."
"As Special Agent William Hawthorne pointed out this is a job to them. They will treat it with the utmost professionalism possible."
"Very well," Hank said solemnly. "Let’s discuss what is going to be done for my daughter."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agent Harris and Agent Hawthorne exited the building and entered the busy streets of downtown Sunnydale. Hawthorne quickly went to work searching for his smokes while Harris checked his watch.
"I am so glad we are not protecting that man," Harris breathed in relief, looking up towards the sky. "My nerves would be shot to hell within five minutes of being alone with him."
Hawthorne puffed on his fag before plucking the thin stick from his lips to add his own thoughts to his partner’s remark. "His daughter won’t be much easier."
Harris looked over at the man standing beside him and furrowed his brows. Before he could question what he meant Hawthorne was walking off down the sidewalk.
"What do you mean?" Harris asked finally catching up.
"Come on Xander get a clue. If the old man is that uptight about his daughter then she must be one high maintenance bird."
"I don’t think so Spike," Xander argued shoving his hands into his pants pockets as the strolled past several eateries. "I think she’ll be exactly like her father described her. Vulnerable with a little bit of shyness on the side."
Spike laughed at his partners foolishness. He knew without a doubt this assignment was going to be one adventure after the next and he definitely wasn’t looking forward to it.
"So, how’s Cordy taking the news of you leaving?"
"She’s seven months pregnant. How do you think she’s taking it?"
"That bad, eh?"
"Well, after the crying stopped and she finally let me into the room I was able to calm her down enough to explain the importance of this," Xander said. "Plus, after informing her of the extra financial help I’ll ultimately receive she was okay with it."
Spike chuckled softly under his breath. Xander was a lucky chap to have someone like Cordelia in his life. Helped to keep the man sane and stable, which was especially important with the kind of job they had. He only wished his married life was half as good as Xander’s when he finally tied the knot.
"What about Dru? How’d she take it?"
"Hav’nt told her yet." Spike mumbled, flicking away his cigarette butt onto the street beside them.
"You haven’t told her!?" Xander screamed, coming to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk to face his partner. "Are you mad? We’ll be leaving tomorrow and you still haven’t told her."
"There hasn’t been a right time," Spike defended. "She’s been so busy planning the wedding that I didn’t want to bother ‘er."
"Well, you better tell he… " Xander’s comment was stopped by a small body bumping into his.
"HEY!" he shouted when the person kept right on walking past without turning to apologize.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How rude," Buffy sneered. "Don’t people know it’s a hazard to stop in the middle of the street like that. Walkways are for walking. Hello, any fool can figure that out."
"So, what is it you need to get?" Willow asked while munching on her breakfast bagel.
Buffy pulled her purse in front of her and started to sift through its contents. She cried out triumphantly when she produced the list her mother had given her.
"Lets see," she mumbled giving the list a once over before answering her friend. "Jeez, my mother must think I’m going to be gone a long time. This list is insane."
Willow glanced over at the list and caught sight of a few things that made her laugh.
"Economy sized box of tampons, shampoo, conditioner, four tubes of toothpaste!" Buffy said, shocked. "Does my mom think I’m buying for an Army?"
Willow giggled at her friend’s sarcastic tone. She noticed they were approaching "Family Mart" and tugged Buffy in the direction of the store.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Twenty minutes later Buffy was still in the store and her cart was not nearly filled with anything except one tube of toothpaste. The reason for her delay was because currently she was in the hair care aisle debating over the vast amounts of products available.
Buffy plucked two bottles off the shelf and turned to Willow. Willow had her nose buried in a Cosmo magazine, her elbows leaning against the handle of the shopping cart.
"Okay, between these two, which one?" Buffy asked displaying the bottle high enough for Willow to see.
Willow read the labels of each bottle and finally pointed to the one in Buffy’s right hand.
Buffy turned to bottle around to see which one Willow had picked. She scrunched her nose up at it.
"Why not Pantene?"
"Pantene doesn’t clean the hair, it only coats it until the stuff becomes cakey and your left with all this gunk," Willow explained her nose still buried in the magazine.
"Hmm. Well, I don’t want that."
Buffy replaced the Pantene on the shelf and threw the other bottle into the cart. She found the conditioner made by the same company and threw that in the cart as well.
"Three down, a hundred to go."
Willow sighed happily when she noticed Buffy moving to leave the aisle. She folded the magazine to keep her place and set it in the top part of the buggy. She then pushed the buggy and followed Buffy down the aisle.
They were about to round the corner when Buffy stopped. Willow saw her face light up and glanced in the direction Buffy was looking to see what had caught her attention.
"Oh no," Willow groaned when she saw what it was.
"I have to get body wash," Buffy said, picking up a bottle and twisting the cap off the smell its contents. "Now which scent do I want?"
Chapter II
After two hours of shopping Buffy was now at CVS Pharmacy alone, Willow had gone home thirty minutes ago to get ready for a date with her boyfriend Oz, waiting for a prescription to be filled. She was holding a shopping crate in her hands and was busy gazing at the various pregnancy tests that lined the front shelf of the pharmaceutical counter. She was so caught up in what she was doing that she didn’t notice her boyfriend, Angel, as he came up behind her.
"Is there something you want to tell me?"
Buffy jumped slightly, jarred form her trance when she heard the familiar voice. She turned and smiled at him before playfully swatting him in the arm for scaring her.
"Angel don’t do that." she scolded, a light tone in her voice. "You know I’m on edge lately."
He laughed. "Sorry, babe. So, why do these tests seem so interesting to you?" he inquired, picking up an EPT box and reading its contents.
Buffy plucked the box from his hand and placed it back on the shelf. Without answering him she rolled her eyes and walked over to the pick-up window to check on her prescription. Angel followed.
"Hello, may I help you?" the assistant behind the counter asked when Buffy stepped over to it.
"Yes, I need to know if a prescription for Buffy Anne Summers is ready."
"Let me check for you."
Buffy watched the lady walk off and started to drum her fingers on top of the counter. She felt Angel standing beside her and looked over at him. He was staring at her intently, obviously still waiting for a reply to his question.
"Angel, don’t worry. None of your little soldiers made it past the battlefield."
She heard him sigh in relief.
"What’s with the heavy shopping?" he asked looking into her crate.
"Remember I’m going away for awhile and my mom insisted I stock up on unnecessary stuff."
Angel’s mouth formed into an ‘o’ as he recalled an earlier conversation with her about this whole FBI protection thing.
"You know where you’re going yet?"
Buffy shook her head. "I don’t. Besides, if I did I couldn’t tell you," she told him, leaning closer to whisper. "It’s a secret."
"Come on babe you can tell me." He urged, pinning her with a seductive gaze before adding. "If you do I can meet you there and we can have a little rendezvous without worrying about your father walking in on us."
Buffy bit her lower lip and moaned when he brushed her hair off her shoulder and planted a kiss against her neck.
"Angel," she groaned. "You’re not making this very easy for me."
He pulled back and looked down at her. A silly grin plastered on his face. "I know."
"Ms. Summers."
Buffy pushed Angel away and turned back to the counter. She had been so caught up in the feel of Angel’s lips on her skin that she hadn’t noticed the assistant’s return.
"Will this be all?" the assistant asked, scanning the bar code on the prescription.
Buffy hefted her crate onto the counter.
"Um, this stuff too."
Buffy busied herself with running her hands up and down Angel’s chest while her purchases were being rung up. She really didn’t want to leave him for… she didn’t even know how long, she just knew that being away from him was going to be torture on her.
"I’m going to miss you so much." she spoke to his chest, still running her hands over it.
Angel lifted her head up to look at him. He lowered his mouth onto hers and kissed her softly before pulling away.
"I know," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him.
"$54.60."
Buffy turned around in Angel’s arms to pay for her stuff. She pulled out her mother’s charge card and handed it to the assistant.
While Buffy waited for her card to be approved her mind drifted to what Angel had said. It disturbed her that he hadn’t told her he would miss her too, only that he knew she would miss him. Why didn’t he say it? Was he not going to miss her? Her thoughts soon dissipated when her bag and credit card were handed to her and she was told to have a good day.
Buffy felt Angel tug on her arm, leading her out of the store. Once outside she pulled a receipt out of the bag and shoved it into her purse along with the others. Her father insisted on knowing each and every thing she purchased just so she wasn’t spending his money on foolishly.
"What time should I be over tonight?" She heard Angel ask.
"Are you not going to walk me home?"
Angel glanced down at his feet.
"Uh, I have to be somewhere in five minutes," he mumbled, his reply sounding totally unconvincing. "Personal thing."
"Oh."
"What time?"
"My parents should be in bed by midnight, so how bout 2:00."
"Great," he said, leaning down to kiss her quickly on the lips. "See you at two."
Buffy smiled wearily as she watched her boyfriend jog away down the street, her thoughts momentarily returning to his statement inside CVS. She continued to watch him until he disappeared around a corner. Glancing at her watch Buffy decided she had time to make one short stop before heading home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spike pushed the door open to his apartment and extracted the keys from the lock. He made his way through the tiny living space that housed a single couch and an entertainment center. Upon entering the dining room he threw his briefcase onto the table and proceeded towards the kitchen where he could hear his fiancée talking on the phone.
"I wanted the seven layer cake with the white roses cascading down the side." He heard Dru tell someone over the line.
He pushed through the swinging door and saw her sitting at the breakfast nook, papers scattered out in front of her. He smiled when she looked up at him. His smile faded when she didn’t return it. He furrowed his brows and moved over to her. ‘What’s wrong?’ he implored with his eyes. He stopped beside her and leaned down to kiss her, hoping that would ease her frustrations over all the wedding arrangements.
"Not now Spike," she hissed, pushing him away roughly. "No, I said I wanted the white roses. Are you deaf?"
Spike stared at her wide-eyed. He then shook his head, clearing it of any thoughts that he had something to do with her anger, because he knew he didn’t. All day he had been away, so there was no way he had done anything to upset her.
Spike left the kitchen, leaving Dru alone to finish her conversation and deciding that later he would ask what had gotten her so upset.
He entered their room and pulled his jacket off his shoulders and draped it across the back of the chair near their bed. He then walked over to the dresser and carefully set his watch on it. While he was busy unbuttoning his shirt sleeves her heard Dru slam the phone down in the distance.
"No sex tonight," he mumbled under his breath as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. He had one shoe off when he felt Dru enter the room.
"Hey luv, what’s…"
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
He was about to question her when it dawned on him what she was upset about. It was his fault after all.
"Listen pet I was going to tell you but you’ve been so busy…."
"Busy?" Dru spat. "What kind of excuse is that? I’m your fiancée Spike, meaning I should be included in everything in your life that in turn effects mine."
Spike leaned forward on the bed, placing his elbows on his knees for support. He shoved both his hands through his hair until they came to rest on the back of his neck.
"Dru," he moaned. "You know I can’t include you in everything."
"I know that. You don’t think I don’t know that. I just want to be told when my fiancé is going to be going away."
"I know Dru. I’m sorry."
He lifted his head to look at her. She had her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Although he had apologized she still looked pretty pissed off.
They both stared at each other. Neither one moving or saying a word. It was so quite Spike knew he could hear a pin drop if it did.
Finally Dru moved. She stalked over to her side of the bed and lifted a suitcase off the floor. Spike’s jaw dropped when he saw it.
"Where are you going?" He asked, standing up.
"My parents," she told him without looking over at him. "I thought about spending this last night with you but…."
"Dru," he whispered stepping closer to her.
Dru moved away before he could touch her. "But, it would be to hard. Knowing…. knowing that tomorrow you’d be gone."
"Baby, don’t do this. I said I was sorry. Please stay," Spike said in an attempt to keep her there with him.
Dru made her way around him. She stopped in the doorway and turned to him.
"Be safe," she told him then vanished before he could stop her.
"I love you." Spike uttered just as he heard the front door close.
Chapter 3:
“Thanks,” she replied, lifting her head and resting her chin so she could look at him. His mouth was slightly ajar. She could hear quick intakes of air passing over his lips as he calmed down. “You weren’t so bad yourself.”
Angel flicked his eyes down at her before returning them to the ceiling overhead. He laughed hoarsely before saying, “Babe, you’re going to kill a man one day with the stuff you do.”
Buffy propped herself up on her elbows and regarded the man underneath her. She was happy that he seemed genuinely pleased with her performance, but something was off. He didn’t seem like he was really there. During their little roll he acted half interested in pleasing her, more like he was looking for a “wham-bam thank you maam” moment rather than their usual slow, touchy-feely sessions.
“Angel,” she started to say but stopped when she felt him pushing her over and off his body.
“What time is it?” he asked glancing over at her nightstand.
“You’re leaving?”
Buffy watched, her mouth hung open in shock, as Angel pulled his jeans up one leg then the other. Suddenly feeling like a cheap whore she pulled a blanket up to cover her chest, trying to hide the filth she felt from being exposed.
“Yeah, my ma got on my hide last time I came in so late,” he explained twirling around in one spot as he searched for his shirt. “I really don’t want that woman on my back.”
“So, she doesn’t mind you sneaking out late, but the whole coming back late is okay?” Buffy asked, demanding to understand why he had a sudden change in attitude.
“Buffy don’t start.”
Buffy sat up straight in bed, the sheet falling down to her waist when she did so.
“I’m not starting anything. I just want to know why you have to leave so early, its only…” she paused to glance at the clock. “Three o’clock.”
Angel, who was fully dressed now, walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. He angled his body so he was looking at her and placed a hand over hers, which lay flat against the mattress beside her thigh.
“It’s not only my ma, Buffy. You’re old man is so anal about your safety lately that I’m afraid he’s going to come barging through that door any moment. And, I really don’t want to worry about him blowing my balls off if you catch my drift.”
Buffy jerked her hand out from under his and scoffed at his remark. “God, you’re such a pig Angel,” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest to cover her nudity once again.
Angel leaned over and began to place soft kisses on her shoulder. “Thank you for tonight.”
That did it. Buffy saw red after that statement fell from his lips. Now not only did she feel like a two-bit whore, but him saying that gave the impression that she really was.
“Why don’t you just pay me and leave?” she barked, moving away from him and getting out of the bed. She found her robe lying on the floor and pulled it on.
“You know,” she said, clumsily tying her sash together. “You’ve been acting strange these last couple of weeks. I haven’t said anything because I know how you hate me to pry into your ‘personal’ affairs. But, now that you’ve ruined our last night together I just don’t care anymore.”
“Come one babe.”
“Get out Angel,” she told him before turning away. “Leave now or I will scream for my father and we’ll really see if he tries to blow your nuts off.”
She heard him sigh deep in his throat then heard his feet moving across the floor as he made his way to her balcony door. Her heart broke into a million pieces when she felt the air from outside blow by her, telling her that he was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Day:
“Rough night?” Xander asked Spike as they loaded their suitcases onto the private jet that would transport them to LA.
“Spent all night trying to talk to Dru. Didn’t get a wink o’ sleep.”
Xander arched a brow in curiosity. “You two have a fight or something?”
“Seems she found out about this little trip before I had the chance to tell her myself.” Spike explained, tossing a bag carelessly into the cargo space of the jets belly. “Then after not letting me explain things to her, I find out she planned to spend the night with her parents.”
“Gee, man. Tough luck.”
Spike shrugged his shoulders. “Tis all right. Maybe this little break will do us some good.” he tried to rationalize. “But, if this chit rubs me the wrong way … let’s just say I don’t feel like being hospitable today.”
“I hear that, I hear that.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Honey are you okay?” Joyce Summers asked her daughter as they waited for the guards to okay the aircraft she would be flying in. “Are you still mad that you have to leave?”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “No, mom. What’s taking so long? Why can’t I get on the plane yet?” She inquired, looking out the large floor to ceiling windows towards the runway where she could see her father yelling at a man.
“They’re just checking things Elizabeth. Have patience.” She advised tenderly, placing her arm around Buffy’s shoulders.
Buffy shoved her mother’s arm off of her and moved away. “Call me when they finally get this crap in motion. I’ll be in the restroom fixing my hair.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy managed to shove her way through the busy summer vacation crowd into the bathroom. Once inside she found an empty stale and walked into it. She closed and locked the door behind her before leaning against one of the walls. Silently she started to cry to herself. Tears rolled down her cheeks and under her chin.
Last night after Angel had left she had called Willow up crying. She told her friend everything that had happened and asked her opinion of the situation. Willow had told her that she didn’t know what to think, only that maybe a break would be good for them both right now. Her comment only made Buffy cry more. As a result Buffy had cried herself to sleep last night, broken-hearted over the thought of never speaking to Angel again.
Today she felt better, that is until her mother stuck her nose where it didn’t belong. She had been all gung-ho about leaving and getting away from Sunnyhell until her mother asked if something was wrong. That only brought on memories of last night and what had occurred with Angel.
Buffy pulled some tissue off the toilet roll and used it to dab her eyes. She felt like such a baby, crying over something so insane. It was obvious Angel had lost interest in her. Which was not understandable since they had only been dating a little over a year. She really thought he was the one. Once they had passed the six month mark, which is when most relationships die, she knew theirs was special.
What a fool she had been.
“Elizabeth the plane is ready.” She heard her mother voice echo through the restroom. “Come out so your father and I can say good-bye.”
Buffy laughed to herself as she left the stall, all the while thinking, “I’m about to enter hell.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Remember your manners. And, be polite to the servants on the plane. And, don’t forget to take your ..”
“Joyce will you stop nagging. Our daughter is going to be fine.” Hank said, pulling his wife’s hands from around Buffy.
“This is so embarrassing,” Buffy mumbled under her breath as her father pulled her mother free of hugging her.
“Elizabeth,” Hank said, stepping up to his daughter. “I want you to promise me something. If those men guarding you take advantage of you in any way you call me.” He said, his mind drifting to the other day and memory of the two men who would be guarding her.
“Daddy!” Buffy said, shocked. “They're old men.”
“Just promise me. I don’t care what those bastards say about contacting me. You call me if they lay one hand on you.”
“Hank you’re scaring her,” Joyce spoke up, noticing the appalled look on Buffy’s face.
“Joyce,” Hank reprimanded. “Elizabeth.”
“I promise.”
“All right,” Hank breathed in relief. “Now go on. They’re waiting for you.”
Buffy smiled at her parents. ‘At least I’m getting away from these two,’ she thought to herself as she backed away from them toward the plane.
“Love you, mom.”
“I love you, Elizabeth. Be careful.”
Buffy waved one final time to her parents then boarded the plane.
Chapter 4:
"So, we're meeting this Elizabeth Summers in LA?"
"Yeah, her flight from Sunnydale should be coming in about fifteen minutes after ours."
Spike exhaled noisily as he slouched back in his seat. He eyed the papers strewn across the table that separated him, Xander and Rose, one of several other agents that were currently on the plane. His eyes were sore from going over the dossier that had hurriedly put together on one Miss Elizabeth “Buffy” Anne Summers and he didn't feel like looking at it anymore.
"Whose idea was it to make three connecting flights in one day?" he asked rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hand.
"Oh, is Spikey tired already?" Rose cooed jokingly. "Does Lady Rose need to give you a back rub?"
Spike leered at her seductively. "Better watch it," he warned. "I just might take you up on that offer."
Rose laughed then went back to work scanning the files into a database for the FBI. She was so engrossed in her work that she missed the glances being exchanged between Spike and Xander.
Spike mouthed 'What?' to Xander, wondering why he was looking at him like a scolding father. Xander only shook his head and stood up from his seat.
"Uh, I'm going to get some coffee," he told them. "Do you guys want anything?"
Rose looked up from her laptop, pushing up her glasses that had slid down her nose some.
"Yeah, get me a coffee. Cream..."
"Cream, no sugar." Spike finished for her.
Rose flashed him with a smile and nodded her head. "You know me so well."
Spike smiled back and then looked up at Xander. "I'll have some coffee. Black."
When Xander was gone Spike got up from his own seat and took the one vacated next to Rose. He looked over her shoulder and started to read what she was typing.
"You know I hate when you do that," Rose scolded lightly, elbowing him in the stomach.
Spike laughed and sat back in the seat. He picked up a piece of paper and pretended to look over it.
"You sure you don't want to take my place?" he asked letting the paper fall from his hands and float back onto the table. "Be really fun. Get to enjoy time away from the Bureau. Free vacation."
Rose tilted her head to the side and gave him a look that said she wasn't falling for his crap.
"Oh, I don't think I should take this one. You seem so overly excited about it and it would just be wrong of me to take it from you."
"Eh, was worth a shot."
Xander came strolling back down the aisle towards them, two coffee mugs held in his hands. He set them both down on the table and then turned to go back to get one of his own.
Spike handed Rose her mug then picked up his and took a sip. As he lowered the cup from his lips, he sighed in satisfaction. As he brought the mug up for a second sip he heard the intercom click on.
"Ladies and gentlemen we will be landing shortly in LA. Please return to your seats and buckle up as we prepare for landing."
Spike groaned nosily as he sat up in his seat and buckled up. ‘Let the fun begin,’ he thought to himself as he watched Xander walk down the aisle to take his seat. ‘Hell is just around the corner.’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Xander and Spike stood in the receiving area, watching as passengers debarked from the plane from Sunnydale which had just landed on the runway.
They studied each passenger as they exited the plane and walked down the steps, before disappearing into the terminal. Finally two well-dressed men came out and they knew that Elizabeth Summers had to be right behind them.
Spike flicked away the cigarette he’d been smoking and stood up straighter. He had left his sunglasses on the jet so the glare from the plane was making it hard for him to see clearly. He lifted a hand up to his forehead, shielding the sun from his eyes.
"That must be her." He heard Xander say beside him. He looked up at the top of the stairs and saw a girl about nineteen years of age walking through the doors behind the two men. He had to squint his eyes to see her better, and nearly choked when he saw what she looked like.
She was hideous. Usually he didn't think any woman was ugly, but this one took the cake. Her greasy, long brown hair hung low and limp about her face. The loose fitting clothes she wore had the effect of making her already scrawny body look even scrawnier, if possible. He was about to comment to Xander that it was no wonder the father wanted to put her in hiding, when the girl tripped slightly and sent her bag falling down the steps. This made him laugh out loud.
"God help us…" Xander whispered as he watched the incident.
This made Spike laugh even harder. "Why were we picked for this assignment again?" he asked, once his laughter had died down slightly.
"I think Walters put it like this," Xander began to explain, referring to their boss. "You are the best of the best at what you do. No other men are fit for this assignment."
"You sure we didn't do something to piss him off?" Spike asked, watching as the two men helped the girl repack her bag. "And that this," he said gesturing to the scene before them, "is the punishment?"
Spike heard Xander start to rattle on about responsibility next to him. Shaking his head at the girl with the greasy hair, he turned his gaze back to people continuing to exit the plane. If he looked at her any longer, he knew he’d start laughing again. His gaze drifted up the stairs and what he saw made his throat clinch. Two perfect feet in-cased in a pair of platform sandals were coming down the stairs one at a time. He let his eyes travel upwards and saw that the perfect feet joined two perfect ankles, which joined to two perfectly tanned and well-toned legs. Next his eyes caught sight of the perfect torso that the two perfect legs carried. The perfect body wore a form fitting white sundress, which showed off all the perfect curves lying underneath the thin fabric. Finally he reached her head. Soft, shiny golden hair flowed over her shoulders, coming to rest on the hint of bosom that peeked out from the neckline of her dress. Her face was hidden from his view, as the girl was currently looking at the two men helping the greasy-haired girl with her bag. He kept his eyes locked on her, hoping that he would get a peak at the beauty that was hidden beneath that lush hair. As luck would have it the perfect girl tossed her head slightly, causing her hair to flip behind her shoulder. Yes, she was definitely…
"Perfect…" he uttered, not realizing that he’d said it aloud.
"What?" Xander questioned next to him.
Xander saw that Spike's gaze was no longer fixed on the clumsy girl, but instead was staring at something else. He followed his eye line until he too saw the beauty waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
"Wow."
Spike nodded his head in agreement. He found himself wishing that she were the Elizabeth Summers to be guarded. He really wouldn't mind guarding that body for a long period of time.
"Come on," Xander said finally breaking out of his stupor. "Let's go help Ms. Summers with her bag."
"Yeah," Spike said still transfixed by the girl and her beauty.
Xander and Spike made their way to the greasy-haired girl and knelt down to help her pick up the remainder of her stuff. When they had everything securely in its place, they stood to greet her.
"Hi, Miss. Summers. Did you enjoy your flight?" Xander asked, sticking his hand out.
The girl furrowed her brows at him and looked down at his extended hand. She clutched her bag tight to her chest and started to move away. She quickly thanked the two men from the plane for their help, and then fled towards the airport.
Spike and Xander looked from her, to each other, then back to the girl running away from them. Both were confused as to why she had run off. Did she not know that she was to come with them?
"Ahem." They heard a gentle clearing of the throat and turned their gazes at the same time to the direction it which it had originated. There in front of them, stood the beauty they had been mesmerized by previously.
"I believe I'm the girl you're looking for," she said. "Elizabeth Summers...?"
"Oh," Xander said, his mouth frowning as he looked at her, then in the direction the other girl had taken. "We thought she was…"
"Yes, I know," she said her voice full of irritation. "I was sure you guys would have at least known what I looked like. Don‘t you have a picture of me?"
Xander scratched his head, looking everywhere but at her. "Um…maybe we should have gotten one."
Spike knew Xander was embarrassed from their mistake, and so was he, but he wasn't about to show it. Instead he plastered a huge smile on his face and introduced himself.
"I'm Special Agent William Hawthorne; this is Special Agent Alexander Harris. We've been assigned to guard you."
Buffy had been so annoyed that they’d assumed she was some clumsy waif; she hadn't really gotten a good look at the second man. When she did finally get a good look at him, she wondered how she hadn't noticed him first. She felt her whole body react as her hazel eyes met with his sapphire ones. Her anger dissolved as she stared at him, taking in the features of his face.
The well-defined cheek bones that were more pronounced when he smiled. The full lips that seemed to move in slow motion as he spoke to her, just begging to be kissed. And, the hair. She’d never seen anyone who could pull off bleached hair as well as he did, with his dark eyebrows in stark contrast.
"You're not old men," she replied almost meekly, taking his hand in hers. The heat that passed through her as their skin touched made her entire body want to shiver.
The handsome agent she was so enthralled by choked back a laugh at her remark. The other less then handsome -but certainly not unattractive- agent joined him in his laughter. They both held up their hands to their mouths to stifle the remainder of their chuckles.
Finally the handsome agent spoke, "We certainly hope not."
Buffy felt herself blush with embarrassment. She couldn't believe how lame she was! She just knew they must think she was the biggest ditz in the world.
Xander once again attempted to apologize about the mistaken identity. "I'm sorry again about the whole thinking that girl was you." His words died on his lips, feeling that he was only burying himself even deeper into a hole.
Spike spoke up to defend his partner. "We assumed she was you because these two men were in front of her when she came off the plane. Then, with the falling bag and helping her…well, it was a natural assumption." He ended his sentence and looked at the two burly men which still loomed nearby. He narrowed his eyes when he realized that they weren't of the FBI's own. "Who are the men anyway?"
Buffy answered for them. "They’re from my father's own security team. He insisted on having two of his own come with me, to make sure I made it safely."
Spike sneered at that. Leave it to daddy dearest to do something stupid like that. He was about to comment on how he felt about her father doing something that dim-witted but was interrupted by Xander instead.
"I am so glad we are rid of that man and his interfering ways. Did he not realize how dangerous it is to send his daughter off with two men we had no connection with? I mean we weren't even informed about this little change in plans." Xander finished his statement with a glance towards Spike to see if he agreed with him. All he saw was Spike shaking his head slowly as he peered off into the distance. Thats when it dawned on him everything he had just said. He glanced at Buffy, his eyes full of remorse as he tried to cover his actions.
"Not that it wasn't full of good intention," he clarified. "I'm sure your father was only concerned about your safety and felt he was doing the right thing."
Spike cleared his throat loudly, grabbing Buffy's attention away from the rambling Xander.
"Why don't we discuss this on the jet?" Spike recommended, stepping aside to show Elizabeth the way. "I'm sure Ms. Summers would like to relax and freshen up before we head out again."
Buffy smiled at William as she passed him. During the walk to the jet, she decided maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. Spending time with two handsome agents, with no one around to bother her or yell at her over her actions, was certainly worth taking advantage of.
Spike couldn't help but smirk at the petite body that walked in front of him. His eyes instantly fell to her backside as soon as she appeared in front of him and there they stayed as they waltzed up the steps to the jet. His eyes followed the movement of the dress as it swished about her legs each time her hips moved as she took a step. This was definitely turning into a not so bad assignment after all.
TBC...
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