Three Hearts EntwinedBy Mrs. Muir
Chapter 1 – Looks Like Home
Two Months Later
“Hustle Anne, you’ve got two new customers waiting,” Blake, the manager of The Seaford Shack barked at her but then affectionately reached out and yanked on her pony tail.“I’m going, I’m going,” Buffy told him as she grabbed two bundles of silverware and headed to the table he had indicated. It was late Friday night and the place was bursting at the seams and she hadn’t even had a break yet. Her sore feet and back could attest to that fact.
She kept her head down as she laid the silverware on the table and reached for her pad and pen, “Hi, I’m Anne and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. May I go ahead and get your drink order?”
She looked up at the customer on her left and looked into familiar brown eyes.
“Hi, Buffy,” Angel said softly.
Licking her lips nervously she stood straight up and frowned. A snicker on the other side of the table revealed the presence of Spike which surprised her. This was just what she needed Angel with a guilt trip and Spike who only brought trouble to her life bringing trouble to her new life. All she wanted to do was tell them to go to hell but a quick glance up and she saw Blake watching her. “My name is Anne.” She repeated firmly. “May I take your drink order?”
With a start she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Is there a problem gentlemen?” Her manager asked. As much as he liked ‘Anne’, Blake knew she was still relatively new at the job and sometimes difficult customers threw her off.
“No problem. Actually Anne is being really sweet to us.” Angel told him as he smiled innocently.
“Good, good, if there is anything you need just let Anne know and she’ll be glad to get it for you.” Blake said before dismissing him and moving on to bother one of the other waitresses.
“We need to talk,” Angel said.
“And sorry I need to work. I have four other tables. Do you want something to drink?”
“I’ll take a whiskey straight.” Spike said from the other side of the booth. Buffy glanced at him momentarily taking in his standard smirk before turning her attention back to Angel.
“Just bring me something.”
Buffy hurried off to put the order in at the bar before going to deliver food to some other customers. As she moved about the restaurant she could feel the stares of the two vampires on her. Curiosity was licking at her as to why Angel would have Spike with him but she pushed it aside. That was part of her old life and it was over.
With a grin she picked up the drink orders and headed off to deliver them hardly able to wait to see Angel’s reaction. Spike told her thanks as she laid his whiskey on the table and then there was stunned silence as she placed a drink in front of Angel.
“What is this?” He groused as he studied the frothy pink confection in front of him with about five different fruits sticking out of it. Spike laughed but was silenced by one deadly look from his sire.
“It’s called a Pink Poodle. They’re quite good from what I’m told. Now, are you ready to order or do you need a few more minutes?”
“We came to talk to you,” her ex-boyfriend repeated as he pushed the drink away.
“Look, you’re in a table for dinner and if you don’t eat then Blake has something else to bitch about to me. Now, order or get out,” she whispered fiercely.
“I’ll take one of those onion things and some wings,” her perpetual thorn in the side stated.
“Great appetizers. I’ll put the order in for those while you decide on dinner.”
The two vampires watched her walk away with smiles on their faces.
“She’s still Buffy.” Spike commented while watching the sway of her bottom as she moved across the floor.
“Yeah, with some minor changes,” Angel agreed.
The girl they had come to find looked different from the Slayer they had known in Sunnydale. Her blond hair was now dark red, there was a silver ring hanging from one nostril and her fingernails could now rival a cat’s. Although her top was a restaurant issued t-shirt, Buffy’s white denim shorts barely covered her ass cheeks.
Buffy moved around the floor with practiced ease delivering food and drinks, smiling and conversing with the customers enough to up the ante on her tips. Her visits to Angel and Spike’s table were short but always polite. She didn’t see any reason to be rude after coming to the decision they were just customers and no longer a part of this new life she was creating and therefore no concern of hers.
Angel knew he couldn’t create a scene here so he bided his time. They ordered a full meal that he only played with but Spike ate with relish. He never could understand the other vampire’s enjoyment of food. It didn’t sustain him or give him anything but the pleasure of the taste. But anything that gave Spike enjoyment ultimately kept him in a winsome mood which was better for everyone around him so Angel didn’t say anything, and relegated himself to watching. When Spike had finished eating they paid their bill with cash and left ‘Anne’ a fifty dollar bill for a tip and left.
Buffy sighed as she watched them walk out the door. At least if they weren’t in here she could relax a little but she wasn’t naïve enough to believe that they were gone. Angel had come 3,000 miles to Florida to find her so there was no way he was going home without talking to her. It didn’t mean that she had to make it easy for him. After the restaurant closed and her duties were finished, she slipped out the back door and skirted the parking lot to head down to the beach, her preferred route of going home.
She could let her tired feet relax in the warmth of the ocean as she walked the four blocks until she had to head back to the street. Home was a rented room two blocks off the main strip in the house of a bartender at the restaurant. Sheila had taken Buffy in the first day she had applied at The Seafood Shack, gave her advice on what to do and what not to do, and then turned out to be a great friend in the bargain.
Halfway down the beach she felt the familiar tingle of vampires and sighed when she realized they were the two she knew.
“I know you’re back there so why don’t you stop stalking me and come out.”
Spike laughed as he stepped from the shadows eyeing her with appreciation. He was hoping against hope that Buffy would agree to Angel’s plan because he wanted to appreciate the girl a whole lot more. He licked his lips as he watched Buffy stand ankle deep in the surf while the wind blew her hair softly around her face.Angel slowly walked over to her without actually getting his feet wet. Wading in the surf was not the way to go if one was aiming to be stoic. He sighed as he looked at the woman created from the heartbreak of the only girl he had ever loved. This one was angry and defiant, almost reminding him of Faith in her attitude, as she stood there waiting for him to say something.
“Sunnydale needs you,” Angel said. His eyes closed as he realized that was the absolute worse thing he could have said. No girl wants to be followed by her ex and then told someone else needs her.
“Sunnydale and everyone there can go to hell,” Buffy said as she turned away from him.
“Buffy,” Angel called.
The red head kept walking.
“Buffy.”
There was still no response.
“Anne?”
She paused and turned around, “Yes?”
“Would I have come all this way if it wasn’t important?”
Buffy looked at Spike standing there quietly watching the proceedings. His face was serious as he studied her reactions to his Grand-sire. It was almost as if he had a stake in the outcome of their conversation but that was ridiculous. Spike had nothing to do with her except for being her mortal enemy.
She sighed as she turned her attention back to Angel. If only he had said that he missed her or that he loved her anything besides cold business she might have listened to him.
“I don’t care. I cared two months ago. All I wanted was to be the best Slayer I could be, go to college, hang out with my friends, and be with the man I loved but none of you wanted me.” She swallowed back the lump in her throat. “So, now it really doesn’t matter to me what’s going on in Sunnydale. Figure it out yourselves.”
She started to turn again when his voice stopped her.
“Loved?” Angel couldn’t help it. The way she had said it, as if she still didn’t love him…
“Yeah, can I go now?”
“I need an hour. Just an hour to explain everything and then you can decide.”
“I’m tired. I’m going home. Not tonight.” She gave each of them one last look before walking away.
“We’ll be here for a week. The Pirates Hideaway in room 617.” Angel called out to her. It had been a long time since Buffy had walked away from him and it hurt.
“I’ll think about it.” She called over her shoulder then turned and started to walk backwards. “By the way you two stick out like sore thumbs. Leather in Florida in August doesn’t go. And keep Spike on a leash. If I catch him feeding, he’ll be dust.”
The two vampires watched her walk along the ocean then turn toward the street. They started to follow her at a distance trying not to alert her to their presence again.
“That went smooth,” Spike commented. He felt the hurt coming off Angel from Buffy’s rejection and wanted Angel to confide in him about it but Spike doubted it would ever happen. Not with Angel’s pride. Anyone could have figured out that Buffy’s ex had built a fantasy of this reunion. Buffy would be in need of rescue and Angel could play her hero. Knowing that she couldn’t live without him she would agree to this bizarre scheme that had been cooked up so they could be together. Somehow it seemed that the damsel in distress was doing just fine on her own and had gotten over her first love as well.
“Yeah, real smooth.”
Angel stepped closer to the blonde until their arms were touching. He would never want to admit it but he needed to know that he wasn’t entirely repulsive even if it was Spike that was giving him the confirmation.
As they rounded the corner that Buffy had last turned they spied her sitting on a small wall outside of a house waiting for them. Spike couldn’t help but laugh when he saw her there, bristling with indignation that they had the audacity to follow her. But then she smiled in response to his laughter upping her worth in the vampire’s eye. Maybe the Slayer wasn’t all cold and no fun like he thought. There might actually be some good times to be had around her.
“Good night,” was all she said before she jumped down and moved toward the house. Her point had been made and she had nothing else to say to them. Daytona was her town and they were invading her turf.
“Oh, yeah, we are real smooth,” Angel announced.
Spike laughed again causing Angel to smile at the easy way that Buffy had caught them trying to be stealth.
“Come on, let’s go see if there is any fun in this town,” Spike suggested as he tried to lead Angel away from Buffy’s door.
With a quick glance back at the house Angel decided that all he could do was bide his time. It was all in her court and it was his stupid decision that had gotten them to this point in the first place.
“Are you coming or not?” Spike called back to the statue of the older vampire.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Angel answered then followed Spike to find something to do to while away the time until she came looking for them. And, hopefully, it would be soon.