Parts: 61 - 64
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~Part: 61~
Willow stared at the contents of her closet, having no idea what to wear for a fun night out on the town with her friends and the man that was causing such strange feelings in her tummy whenever she was around him. She didn't really have anything that could be considered sexy and she wasn't really sure if she wanted to go the whole sexy route since she was doing her best to get control of her sudden attraction for Spike. Okay, sudden wasn't really a good word but she was trying to look at their relationship as having started over in New Orleans. It was much better for both of them to start as friends, having both not had the best luck romantically in the past, and see where things led them. There was a chance that her attraction to him was one sided or fleeting, either one being another good reason why she should resolve to take things slowly. She could honestly say that Spike was a good friend, but she really didn't know him that well. They'd spoken in Sunnydale, more so those months following Buffy's death, but she had never thought to classify them as friends during those years. Acquaintances, yes. Friendly enough, yes. But real friends? Not really.
Now they were both in New Orleans, far away from their pasts in Sunnydale and the lives they'd led in that town. Her as the witchy hacker and slayer's best friend, him as the chipped then souled vampire enamored with the slayer. Here, they were simply Willow and Spike. They had the freedom to become friends without worrying about anyone's reaction or judgement. She was probably over thinking everything, figuring there was little chance that Spike felt any sort of attraction or romantic feelings for her anyway. He was gorgeous and smart and dangerous and any number of other suitable words that pretty much meant the same thing: out of her league. She knew she was pretty enough, not believing herself to be beautiful or sexy but cute. She was smart, easily the smartest mortal in her group of friends excluding Giles, though, she had to be honest, that wasn't necessarily a difficult task. She loved her friends dearly and they all they had great qualities, but none of them happened to often be the brightest bulb in the pack. She was powerful, which she figured evil demony things might find attractive, but did Spike find it arousing?
"Argh!" she groaned as she closed her eyes and scolded herself for spending a good five minutes staring into her closet and listing her positive and negative traits in comparison with Spike and what he might like. She was Willow, and if that wasn't good enough for him, well, too bad. He could either like her for who really was, good and bad, or he could just remain her friend and she could get her attraction to him under control and eventually find someone that thought she was good enough for them. She definitely didn't need to spend time thinking about something that might never happen because she'd been having some squidgy feelings since running into Spike.
The redhead finally selected an outfit was kind of sexy without being over the top and completely not her style. She preferred seductive to slutty, choosing a pretty pale blue shirt that went surprisingly well with her hair and complexion. The shirt was thin and silky, something she had bought when shopping with Buffy and never worn. She pulled the shirt over her head, realizing suddenly why she'd never worn it. It molded and caressed and, wow, she had breasts. She moved and noticed the flash of pale tummy that was displayed with the action, thankful that she was in good enough shape to pull off the flesh-bearing clothing now. For so long, she'd been almost too skinny, not at all pleased with how she looked. Now, though, she was finally comfortable. She'd gained a little weight, rounding out curves she'd never really had, giving herself an athletic and slender look. She had such an active metabolism that it was difficult to gain weight, something her friends envied but that drove her a little crazy after years of being so thin and gawky and just generally unattractive in her mind. Willow smiled as she looked in the mirror, liking the shirt, her green eyes moving down her flat tummy and the green undies she was wearing to her legs. She decided that she wanted something to display them, one of her best features. She was only five foot six and a half, but her legs were long and well shaped. She was getting better at this not being so overly critical about her appearance, she decided with a pleased smile as she looked in her closet for something to show off her legs that was comfortable enough to spend an evening wearing. She finally chose a faded denim skirt that fell to her knees with a slight slit up the side. Paired with the blue shirt, it looked pretty damn good. Not overly sexy, but sexy enough to get some attention. She grabbed a pair of brown sandles and she was dressed.
Willow decided to leave her hair down for the night, brushing it out until it shined and fell down her back in waves of fire. Adding just a touch of lipstick and some of her recently purchased jasmine perfume, Willow stepped back from the mirror and decided that she was ready to go. She got some cash and her license and put it in her pocket, not forgetting her cell phone, which she hooked into the pocket of her skirt. She left her room and headed downstairs, knowing that Spike had left his room earlier and was probably pacing around the living room waiting for her. Patience was definitely not one of the vampire's traits, and she didn't want to keep him waiting too long. She smiled as she entered the living room, finding him sitting down but tapping his feet impatiently. "Are you ready to go?"
Spike glanced up when he heard her voice, his eyes widening as he looked at her. Bloody hell, she was gorgeous. Innocent and tempting all at the same time. Her legs, damn, but he could easily imagine them wrapped around his waist as he thrust into her over and over. He stood up, his eyes looking away from the vision smiling at him, cursing his instant erection just from smelling her and seeing her, thankful that he'd already put on his coat as he moved his hands into his pockets and discreetly moved the leather over his crotch before she noticed just how happy he was to see her. He nodded at her, not daring to look until he was under control, muttering, "Yeah, let's go. Got the address from the slayer for this bar where we're supposed to be meeting her and the others later."
"Okay," Willow said as she debated whether or not to take a sweater. It was pretty hot earlier and wasn't expected to suddenly cool off, but she was wearing a rather skimpy shirt and might find herself cooler than normal with the extra flesh it displayed. She finally decided to take a chance and not take a sweater, not really wanting to carry it around during their evening out. She looked back at Spike and saw that he was not looking at her, his lips curved into a familiar friendly smile as he walked towards the door. She took his offered hand and said, "Let's go."
~Part: 62~
Willow went over the few matters that needed her attention while Spike started a game of solitaire on her computer. A soft smile crossed her face as she watched him concentrate on his game, giving it his undivided attention. She wondered what it would be like to have him focus that attention on her, somehow thinking it would be pretty darn enjoyable. She was thankful that there wasn't that much work to do be done. It was a Friday night and things were pretty slow. She finished faster than she'd imagined, having a little over an hour before they were supposed to meet the others. She saw that Spike was still focused on his game, deciding to use the time to call Angel and catch up with her good friend. She'd spoken to him three times since they'd moved to New Orleans, having decided to call him twice a week. She hadn't talked to him since Tuesday, before Spike had come to town and before Faith had run into this Lindsey guy. There was a lot to talk about.
She got her new cell phone that Lio had given her, dialing Angel's number from memory. Spike was still focused on his card game, smirking at the screen so she assumed he must be winning. She heard Angel say hello, a teasing smile crossing her face as she said, "Hey, baby."
Angel smiled when he heard Willow's voice, leaning back in his chair as he said, "Hello, darlin'."
"Am I disturbing you?" she asked as she started to spin her chair back and forth, not noticing the glare that Spike sent her way when she greeted Angel with such an endearing comment said in a rather flirty voice.
"It's not yet dusk here, Willow," Angel reminded her, "I'm just sitting in my office bored out of my mind, actually."
"Ah, poor Angel," Willow laughed, turning her head to look at Spike when she heard a soft growl. He was still looking at the computer screen so she assumed he must be losing the game now. She turned her attention back to her conversation, "I'm sitting at work waiting until it's time to meet the gang. We're going out to hear local bands tonight, do some dancing, and just act silly."
"Sounds like fun," Angel said, "Wesley and Fred left a couple hours ago because we didn't have any assignments. I will probably spend my evening reading."
"That doesn't so bad," Willow said, not adding that she thought it sounded very lonely.
"I'm used to it," he said quietly, before asking, "How is New Orleans? Are you still enjoying the new life?"
"It's fantastic," Willow smiled, her voice enthusiastic as she began to tell him about her week, "work is great. I'm really enjoying it and I get to meet Lio's family tomorrow. He's planning to take me around to meet everything, which should be fun. Gunn seems to like his new job and I noticed a little flirting going on with his boss' daughter. Lorne is thrilled with the new club and we've been working on cleaning it up the last few days. Next week, we start painting and we're hoping to be ready to open in about six weeks, if not sooner. He's been out with Lio nearly every night since they met so be sure to tease him when you talk to him. It's so funny to watch his green cheeks turn red, kinda like Christmas! As for Faith, she's loving it here. Lorne has put her in charge of hiring for the club and she seems really determined to justify his belief in her."
"It sounds as if everyone is settling in nicely," Angel said with a fond smile as he thought of his friends.
"Yes, we are," Willow agreed, "Do you remember that waiter I told you about? Brandon?"
"The cute and flirty guy, right?" Angel recalled.
"That's him. He's the best! He and Faith are becoming chummy. He helped us at the club today and he knows she's the slayer and all. He's hanging out with us tonight," Willow said, "and it seems that he has a friend you used to know."
"Really?" Angel found it surprising that they would have told this waiter about demons and slayers, but he trusted Willow and Faith and the others so he assumed they made the right choice. "Who?"
"You're not gonna get all cranky and yell, are you?" Willow teased, knowing that she'd heard he had not been fond of Lindsey at all. Of course, his reaction to the news that Lindsey was planning on going out with them tonight would pale in comparison to his reaction to finding out that Spike was living with them. He and the blond vampire had reached a tentative truce when they'd been forced into working together, one that had mostly consisted of glaring and ignoring each other. But Willow knew that they had a past that would most likely result in Angel freaking out when he heard she was friends with Spike. She was very glad that he had no idea that her feelings for Spike went way beyond platonic, knowing that Angel took the big brother protective role to heart even if they only saw each other occasionally.
"I do not get cranky, Willow," Angel rolled his eyes before he frowned, "Wait, why would I yell? Who is it?"
"I haven't met him yet, but Faith said she knew him from her visit to LA, pre-incarceration," Willow said, "Lindsey McDonald."
"Lindsey McDonald?" Angel repeated, his eyes narrowing.
"Now, Angel, you promised no cranky," Willow reminded when she heard his voice nearly snarl the name, "besides, Lorne said that he went all nice at the end and was a good guy."
"I don't think the term good guy applies to McDonald," Angel muttered crossly, "be careful, Willow. He may be somewhat decent, but he was still a bastard for most his life."
"I'm always careful, Angel," Willow replied, "I'm not nearly trusting and naïve as you seem to think. If I think he's anything but sincere, I'll turn him into a snake and send him to you as a new pet."
"I sometimes forget you're a powerful witch," Angel chuckled, "so, besides meeting that bastard, anything else interesting happening?"
"Well, we have a new roommate," Willow said as she smiled at Spike, noticing that he'd finished his game and was listening to her.
"That's interesting," Angel said slowly, "I wasn't aware you were looking for another."
"Oh, we weren't. It's just, he didn't have anywhere else to go and he was looking kinda cute," Willow smirked at Spike, winking at him as she tried not to blush at the smug smile that crossed his face.
"Willow!" Angel laughed, "You're joking, right? Trying to get the brooding vampire to laugh."
"Nope, but it is nice hearing you laugh," Willow said, "Don't worry, Dad. It's just Spike."
"Spike?"
"Yep," Willow almost laughed at his stunned reaction, "you know, tall, slender, light brown hair that used to be bleached, sarcastic as hell, gorgeous blue eyes. I'm having to say nice things because he's listening to me."
"Always knew you wanted me, pet," Spike remarked with a smirk, watching her cheeks turn pink before she looked away from him. He watched her roll her eyes, imagining what Angel had to say about his moving in with them. He stood up, taking the cell phone from her, snorting when he caught Angel saying about Willow needing her head examined. He said, "Peaches, don't get your knickers in a twist. Red's my best friend and she likes me more than you. Why would I ever hurt such a smart chit?"
"Spike, damn it, you better not, wait! She likes you more?" Angel glared at the phone.
"Course she does," Spike smiled smugly as he moved away from Willow, lowering his voice, "and I would never hurt her! She's my Red, you sodding wanker. Should rip your tongue out for even suggesting such nonsense."
"Your Red?" Angel repeated softly, his eyes closing as he heard a very familiar tone of devotion and affection in Spike's voice. He'd heard it often enough when the annoying prat was talking about Drusilla, his lips curving into a slight smile as he realized that this meant Spike was finally moving on. Angel cared about Drusilla, blaming himself for the extent of her insanity, and he felt somewhat guilty for always using Spike's feelings for Dru against the younger vampire. He didn't trust Spike, not really, but he did care about his grandchilde even if he'd rather face a hot desert afternoon than admitting that truth. Willow was one of his favorite people, one of his few friends. If anyone could love Spike in the way the blond had always been searching for, it was the pretty redhead. And Spike loved completely, giving more of himself than most humans. Willow would be cherished and treated like a Goddess by his grandchilde, something the redhead deserved. Damn it, he was stuck. He wanted to be annoyed and angry, but a part of him honestly hoped that things might work out for his friend and his grandchilde.
"Wanna make something of it?" Spike asked sharply.
"I think you already know what I will do to you if you hurt her or any of my friends so there is no need in my reminding you," Angel said, "now, may I finish my conversation with Willow?"
"That's it?" Spike frowned, rolling his eyes finally, "Bloody damn wanker."
Willow took the phone from Spike when the vampire walked back towards her, wishing she'd known what had been said during those few minutes. He was scowling at the phone and looked confused. She said, "Angel? Sorry about that. Spike gets a bit impatient at times."
"So, Willow, what's this about you liking him more than me?" Angel teased softly.
~Part: 63~
"Lindsey McDonald? Evil, scheming, bastard lawyer that tried to kill Cordy and all of us at various times?"
"That's him," Faith smiled pleasantly at Gunn, hoping he wouldn't be too annoyed with them inviting Lindsey to join them. She hadn't really thought about his or Lorne's reaction when she'd issued the invitation, just knowing that Lindsey had become relatively good at some point and figuring that he deserved as much of a second chance as they all did. Now, though, she was worried that Gunn might not have a favorable reaction to the news.
"And you're sure he's still on our side?" Gunn asked suspiciously.
"He'd tending bar and doesn't give off any kind of 'Look at me I'm an evil henchman' vibes," Faith snickered softly, "so, yeah, I think he's on our side."
"He wasn't all that bad," Gunn finally declared before narrowing his eyes, "but I plan on keeping my eye on him until I'm satisfied that he's not dangerous."
"So you're cool with him joining us?" Faith clarified.
"I wouldn't say cool," Gunn smirked, "let's just say that I can keep an open mind and see for myself if he's really changed."
"That's great," Faith smiled, "so how was work today?"
"Better than cleaning," he smiled smugly, "I may have to work late more often, especially once we start the painting. I'd rather unload boxes or do inventory than paint."
"What is it with you guys and painting?" Faith laughed, "Spike and Brandon were all anti-paint earlier and now you're saying it as if it's some seventh level of Hell or something."
"It's actually the eighth level," Gunn said seriously, his brown eyes flashing with amusement, "you spend eternity painting and then watching the paint dry before the cycle repeats."
"Ha fucking ha," Faith snorted, unable to keep the smile off her face, "I think painting looks fun and I'm excited about getting to that step of renovation on the club."
"We'll see what you're saying after spending hours pulling all the muscles in your arms and back and you feel like you may never move again, much less raise your arms over your head," Gunn chuckled knowingly, "I can already hear you whining and griping about it all."
"As if painting really compares to slaying a dozen vampires or battling a Skijoi demon," Faith shook her head, "I didn't even whine after I got thrown into a wall and nearly broke my back. Painting will be nothing."
"Great. Then you can do all the painting and the rest of us will just sit back and watch the slayer at work," Gunn smiled as he pulled himself off the sofa. He nodded at the clock, "It's time to go meet the others. You remember how to get to this bar?"
"It's called Phil's Bar and it's not that far," Faith said, "I'd rather get there a little early, actually. Brandon will probably be late, but I figure Willow and Spike will be early or right on time. You know how Willow hates being late."
"Do we have any idea where we're going?" Gunn asked as they started down the stairs towards the front door.
"You were here when we told Lio to come up with some good suggestions," Faith reminded, "I trust that he'll think of somewhere great."
"Yeah cause he'll so want to impress Lorne," Gunn smirked, "man, those two are so lovey dovey it's almost sickening, ya know?"
"They're not as bad as Willow and Spike!" Faith laughed, "At least Lorne and Lio are dating and acknowledging an attraction."
"Way too much info," Gunn shuddered, "I want Lorne to be happy and Lio's a great guy, especially for a master vampire and all that shit, but I so don't want to think about them and the word attraction in the same thought! There's just some things that can stay behind closed doors."
"You're awful," Faith shook her head, "I think Lio and Lorne are very sweet and it's great seeing Lorne so happy."
"I'm not awful, I'm just honest," Gunn shrugged, "I don't care that they're into guys and have no problems hanging out with them or even Brandon cause they're cool and fun but I don't want to see them making out right in front of me. And don't even tell me I'm being homophobic or anything because I also have no interest in watching you or Willow making out with someone, either. You guys are my family! There are limitations on how much I want to see regarding any of your personal relationships, if you know what I mean."
"Guess this means you're definitely not a voyeur, big brother," Faith teased as she looped her arm through his and smiled.
"Guess not," Gunn snorted, rolling his eyes as he asked, "So, what's the latest in the Willow and Spike denying their feelings saga?"
"You missed an entertaining show this afternoon," Faith told him, "I think I literally saw sparks between them! Spike was jealous of anyone that Willow spent more time talking to him than him and he's rather sexy when he's sulking. They're both completely clueless about the feelings being reciprocated, which is rather annoying since they're both so damn intelligent!"
"Give them time," Gunn decided, "pretty soon they'll realize that they're falling in love and do something about it. They've both been hurt in the past and I can see them being hesitant about jumping into a relationship until they know that it's more than just lust."
"True," Faith agreed, "besides, the more time it takes, the deeper the emotion and feelings, which is definitely good."
"Damn, listen to us sounding all smart," Gunn smirked.
"Kinda shocking, isn't it?" Faith beamed before laughing, "C'mon, Einstein. Let's get to the bar before everyone else so we can gloat about being their first!"
~Part: 64~
Lindsey McDonald had no idea why he had actually accepted the invitation from Brandon and Faith earlier. Spending his Friday evening with a group of people he didn't know very well, two of whom were fully aware of some of his worst mistakes in the past, did not rank high on his list of enjoyable activities. In fact, he had been attempting to talk himself out of showing up at Phil's since he got off work a few hours earlier. He'd practiced excuses that sounded rather believable and even picked up the phone to call Brandon twice before putting it back down.
He'd finally just taken a shower and changed into a pair of comfortable blue jeans and a white button up shirt he'd grabbed from his closet. After putting on his boots, he'd given himself a glance in the mirror and decided that it looked appropriate for an evening of listening to music around the Quarter. His shirt was long-sleeved, which might not be the best choice for the summer heat, but he thought it looked better than just an old T-shirt. He rolled up his sleeves when he left his apartment, the top few buttons left undone giving a glimpse of his undershirt. Overall, he looked pretty good and felt ready to face a group of strangers that had probably heard who knew what about him and had cast him as a bad guy because of his past. He sincerely hoped that Brandon didn't hold his past against him, the waiter being one of his best friends in his new life. Maybe he'd be surprised. After all, Faith had killed and even gone to jail, which was comparable to all of his misdeeds, so maybe they wouldn't be too distrustful of him.
In fact, Faith had actually been pleasant and had teased him about his troubled past, as well as hers. She was a strange one, surprising them all when she'd gone to Angel for redemption instead of trying to kill the smug self-righteous bastard. Lindsey had quit Wolfram and Hart, had finally admitted that his life was not what he wanted, had accepted that he had made a lot of terrible mistakes and had become a bit of an evil monster in a way, had started a new life that made him proud, but he still thought Angel was an annoying bastard with a holier than thou attitude.
He had decided to accept the invitation because he was curious to meet the group of friends that had come to New Orleans with the formerly rogue slayer. He knew Lorne and had liked the demon, even before he'd started having serious doubts about his life in LA. As for Gunn, well, he didn't really know much about the former street kid except that he was loyal, brave, and risked his life fighting evil. He wondered what had happened to cause both Lorne and Gunn to leave LA for a new life halfway across the country, wondering if they could have possibly finally gotten tired of Angel's whiny brooding and poor miserable me act.
He recalled the name Willow from the initial research gathered upon Angel's arrival in LA and knew she was a friend of the slayer who was responsible for giving his soul back to the dark-haired vampire. She was a witch, though at that time she was a novice at best, Wolfram and Hart not bothering to keep a file on her because they decided there was a very slight chance she'd ever master any but the basic magics. Personally, he had thought that was a foolish decision but he'd not been in a position to debate their opinion. A best friend of a slayer living on a Hellmouth that could master the complex spell to soul a vampire would have been someone he'd have definitely kept an eye on, but Wolfram and Hart had always had limited vision in some areas. He was curious to meet her and see if his suspicions regarding her magic training were correct or if she had, indeed, become little more than a novice witch.
Lindsey reached Phil's Bar nearly a half-hour early. He wasn't sure who was included in the plans for the evening beyond the names mentioned, but he didn't see any familiar faces waiting. He went inside and sat at a table near the window, ordering a beer to nurse as he waited. After a brief conversation with Stephanie, one of the waitresses that worked the night shift, he turned his attention to the door. Within fifteen minutes of his arrival, he saw Faith and Gunn walk inside. They saw him, Faith smiling slightly and Gunn glaring.
"Hey, Mac," Faith greeted as they reached his table, both sitting down to avoid the crowd that was starting to gather as it got later in the evening.
"McDonald," Gunn nodded, his eyes scrutinizing as he studied Lindsey.
"Gunn, Faith," Lindsey greeted before taking a sip of his beer. Thankfully, the bar was rather loud and prevented idle conversation.
"Brandon, Lorne, Lio, Willow, and Spike are meeting us here by nine," Faith told Lindsey, leaning close enough that he could hear her. She inhaled the scent of his cologne, something spicy and rather pleasant, before he turned and focused his pale blue eyes directly on her.
"Spike?" Lindsey repeated with a frown, "As in vampire, grandchilde of Angelus, half the Scourge of Europe, one of the most dangerous vampires in the world? That Spike?"
"Yeah, that's him," Faith said before warning, "but don't act all impressed or anything because he's already arrogant enough."
"I thought he hated Angel and had tried to kill the slayer several times," Lindsey mused thoughtfully, "so I assume something happened since I left LA. What am I missing?"
"Spike still hates Angel," Gunn spoke up slowly, having to admit that Lindsey did seem okay, "and he's still not too fond of most the slayers, but he's pretty cool."
"He has a soul," Faith spoke up, "but he's not all broody and whiny like Angel. He hasn't changed that much, actually, since he was always a bit different. Guess now he'd have a moment of hesitation before killing you, but I figure he'd still kill you if he wanted to."
"That's reassuring," Lindsey said dryly, deciding that he might not have too much to worry about regarding his past mistakes since it was apparent that Spike was accepted by Faith and Gunn and the vampire's past was far worse than anything he had ever done.
"You'll be fine, especially since you can't stand Angel, either," Gunn smirked slightly, "you and Fang will have something to bond over."
Lindsey shook his head and took a sip of his beer before declaring, "This should be an interesting evening."
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