Prologue:
The house was almost utterly dark, lighted only by a dim table lamp in the corner of the living room, which was on the right side of the house, near the front door. Buffy entered the house quietly, but she was too tired to attempt not to make any noises. She went straight to a bedroom on the first story, on the left side of the house which was next to the office, without any problem finding it in the dark. From clockwise, the open dining room was surrounded by the bedroom, a door leading to the backyard, a stair leading to the second floor, a closed kitchen and a cabinet full of trophies and picture frames. It seemed to her the path to that room had been replayed in her mind over a million times. She opened the door leading to the room that was just simmered with moonlight.
The room wasn't quite large but it had its own bathroom. There was a built-in wardrobe on the left side of the door and a study desk on the right. A semi double bed was placed on the corner, next to the study desk and a guitar leaned against the wall by the bed’s foot. A large arc-shaped window was facing the door, right in the middle of the wall. Dark green curtains draped open on each side of the window and a bench covered by the same colored fabric, just below the window. A medium-sized bathroom was located on the left corner, next to the wardrobe.
She dropped her bag and went straight to bed. A lean, muscular and topless figure had occupied the black sheet covered bed, facing her, asleep. She sighed shortly, then went towards the bed and climbed in next to him letting his arms blanket her small figure. He was stirred a little by her distraction, and lifted one blue eye heavily. A little smile crept over his features.
"Hey, pet!" he murmured.
"Hey" she replied in a whisper.
Then they both drifted off to sleep holding on to each other until the morning came.
Chapter 1: Reassurance
"Morning Giles, morning Spike!" greeted Buffy after she came out of Spike's room ready for school.
She went towards Giles and Spike, who sat next to each other at the dining table, sipping their coffee.
"Morning, Buffy."
"Morning, luv," said Giles and Spike simultaneously, both not taking their sight off of the newspaper they had been reading.
Buffy kissed Giles' cheek and Giles gave her a warm smile. Then she went to Spike and kissed the back of his head, inhaling the scent of his freshly shampooed bleached hair, earning a smirk and a wink from him.
"So, any plans after school?" asked Buffy as she sat down next to Spike, taking two slices of toast and covering them with peanut butter.
"Nah...just hanging out with the gang I suppose," Spike shifted his seat, then dropped the newspaper and stood to start cleaning up his dishes.
"Ooh...don't forget we have to meet after school, remember you have to buy me an outfit because you lost that bet."
Buffy grinned evilly at Spike, he just groaned at that. The bet was Willow and Xander's coupling. Buffy had reassured him that there were sparks between Willow and Xander, while Spike kept denying that those two were anything but best friends like Buffy and himself. Until one day when school finished, when they caught the brunette and redhead kissing wildly, hands roaming on each other at the back of the school library. Spike was stunned, merely managing to raise a scarred brow at them. Buffy squealed madly, excited that they had gotten together at last.
"Yeah yeah...I bloody remember! What time should I meet you?"
"About four-ish, I have to go to Snyder's office first." Buffy scowled at the thought of the students' brain killing machine.
Spike rolled his eyes, "What did you do this time?" knowing that Buffy had been the picked-on-by-Snyder student of the month.
"Absolutely nothing. That's why he wanted to see me. He said that I've never attempted to give any effort during gym classes and if it goes like that any further, he'll have to fail me. That bloody killer!" Buffy grunted on the last sentence and took a rough bite on her toast as if it was Snyder's head she was eating. Spike chuckled at her choice of words. This was why spending too much time with Buffy was a good idea if you wanted to turn a native Californian into a British wannabe.
"Yeah, well, try not to piss him off more often if you still wanna graduate this year. Might as well suck him up if you know what I mean." Spike gave a sneer, a glint in his baby blue eyes.
"Eew! I hope that's not a part of the 'How to survive high school' handbook." Buffy made a disgusted face.
Spike chuckled again. "Come on, pet! We're going to be late, don't wanna get into Snyder's little playtime again now do we?"
Snatching his bag, he turned on his heels, grabbing Buffy's arm along as he yelled over his shoulder.
"Bye, Dad!"
"Bye, Giles!" Buffy shouted as she almost stumbled over a chair on their way to the front door.
"Oh, bye kids!" came the reply from Giles after realizing they'd already gone.
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William 'Spike' Giles and Elizabeth 'Buffy' Anne Summers had been best friends since like forever. They met when they were little, around five or six years of age, at the house warming party for Spike and his dad which was a few blocks away from Buffy's house. Spike and Giles had just arrived from London after Giles was placed to work in this little town called Sunnydale. Buffy, who had never had a father's loving care after her parents' divorce, considered Giles to be her non-existent father and Spike to be the brother she never had. Spike's house had already seemed to be her second home, what with her having her own keys allowing to access to the house any time she wanted. She even slept more often at Spike's place, due to the tight schedule of her mother's job to fly around the country attending art gallery meetings. Spike, on the other hand, being the only child like Buffy was, had considered Buffy to be his sister as well and Joyce as his second mother, since his mother died after giving birth. The two were stuck together, and became friends with Xander and Willow, their other neighbors. They shared every little thing, even a bed, and felt comfortable with each other snuggling together when they slept.
"Hey guys! What's up?" called Xander as he and Willow were walking towards Spike and Buffy holding hands at the cafeteria.
"Well look at these two lovebirds! Aww...aren't they just getting cuter everyday?" Buffy teased with a wide smile plastered on her face. Spike let out a chuckle when he looked up at his friends, a shy smile and goofy grin registered on Willow's and Xander's faces respectively.
"So, are you guys doing anything after school?" asked Willow, changing the subject.
"Well, I have to deal with Snyder after school, much to my dismay. Might as well do to bloody shoot him on the face if that's what it takes to stop that wanker from intruding with my life."
Buffy growled while stabbing her food with her fork. The rest couldn't stifle their chuckles after hearing Buffy's complaint.
"What?"
Buffy snapped, annoyed with the amused looks on her friends' faces. Xander finally burst into laughter and shook his head.
"Buffy, I swear you're becoming like Spike more and more everyday. Spike man, what the hell did you do with our California Buffy? She's turning into British Buffy, what with the choice of words and all." Buffy just rolled her eyes and set them back to focus on her food.
Spike chuckled again, "I ain't doing nothing to her. She's the one who keeps sticking to me!"
"I so do not!" Buffy protested, eyes widened.
"Yeah, keep telling that to yourself." Spike snorted. Just before Buffy tried to defend herself, the bell rang. "Oh, shit! I gotta go, my next class is on the other side of this bloody school. See you after school, luv." Spike gave a peck on her cheek and winked at a pouting Buffy. "Xan-man, are you coming with?" asked Spike as he turned his head, looking at the brunette.
"Of course." Xander brushed a kiss on Willow before he got up. Buffy watched the two young men exiting the cafeteria until their figures vanished. She let out a soft sigh, then turned to look at Willow, who had an amused smirk on her face as she looked back at her.
"What?" asked Buffy exasperated, shrugging her shoulders.
"You know Buff, if I didn't know any better, I would have mistaken you and Spike for a married couple," said Willow with a brow arching up.
"Oh please..." Buffy rolled her eyes again.
"I'm serious! And you both haven't even graduated high school yet."
"Willow, we've gone through this over and over again. Spike and I are JUST FRIENDS!"
"Really?" asked Willow, not believing any single word coming from her best friend.
"Yes, really! Now, come on! We're gonna be late...again!" With that, the blonde and redhead left the cafeteria that had almost been emptied.
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Buffy stomped her feet through the hall with a scowl on her face. Facing Snyder had never been a pleasant thing on her list. She continued mimicking the words he said back in his office.
"'Miss Summers, if you don't put out any effort in your gym classes, I'm afraid I'll have to fail you. And we both know that physical education is as important as the other subjects, like English and Mathematics. So I suggest you start to think about it more often if you want to graduate this year'. Yeah right, important my ass!" Buffy snorted disgustedly when Snyder's features came across her mind. There was a smug look over the old man's face every time he made her squirm or seethe.
She reached the steps leading to the front yard of the school. Her eyes searched around the green grass that coated the yard. She finally rested her eyes on a black clad figure with bleached curly hair. A smile began forming on her lips as she walked towards the boy who had been sitting on the steps near the street smoking his cigarette.
"Hey, been here long?" Buffy tapped on one of his shoulders.
"Been a while. So what did he say this time, luv? Did he make you think twice about the gym class if you wanna survive this school?"
Standing up, Spike began walking side by side with Buffy.
"Something like that. God, why does he have to be so vindictive?" Buffy looked up at the sky as if asking God himself.
"I dunno, pet. Maybe it just comes straight from the genes." Spike offered a sympathetic smile.
"Yeah. I guess so." Buffy mumbled, returning his smile half-heartedly.
"Okay, enough with that bloody killer. Where to now?" asked Spike knowing that it would just brighten her mood.
"Main street, course. You know, I've been eyeing this cute outfit and it's sooo gorgeous..."
Spike groaned as Buffy start rambling on about the outfit he had to pay for since he lost their bet.
Chapter 2: Missing You
The next day after school, Buffy walked into the empty house of hers. It's almost like it hasn't been occupied by anyone for months. Buffy sighed heavily, already knowing that her mom would be somewhere on the other side of the country right now. She passed through the hall, entering the cold and almost too clean kitchen. Yep! Nobody had been here for a while. She picked up a yellow post-it note attached on the fridge door and started reading it while she reached for a can of diet coke.
Buffy honey, I have to go to New York for a gallery meeting. I'll be back in two days.
The money is in my dresser and call me on my cell if you need anything, okay?
Love you,
Mom
Buffy sighed again. She crumpled the note and threw it into the bin near the island. She had been trusted to be left home by herself since she was 15 years old. Joyce Summers, her mother, had never doubted that Buffy would take good care of herself, and Giles or Spike would be over to her house to check on her. Joyce had also trusted Buffy to spend a lot of nights at Spike's place, which was also an advantage because she would not have to worry about her only daughter.
Buffy slumped into the kitchen stool, taking a good look around at the empty space. The silence of the room made her cringe. This was not a family home supposed to be like. She would give anything to hear a sound, any sound at all, especially her mother's voice. She held the tears back that started welling up behind her eyes. She missed her mom for being not here with her and she yearned for the mother-daughter bonding times that hadn't been done for a while.
Finally standing up, she dragged herself upstairs to her room to get some clean clothes and toiletries, and put them all in an overnight bag. She climbed down the stairs and checked every locked door before she locked the front door at last. Then she walked on the sidewalk and before she knew it she was already standing in front of Spike's house.
Accessing his house with her own keys, Buffy walked past the living room and headed to the open dining room.
"Hi, Giles!" Buffy flashed Giles a sad smile when she saw him sitting on the dining chair, reading a newspaper as usual.
"Hi, Buffy. What's wrong?" Giles looked up at her from the newspaper, concerned.
"Nothing. Can I stay here while my mom's out of town on business?"
"Of course, you can Buffy. You've always been part of this family, you know that right?" Giles finally dropped the newspaper, giving Buffy his full attention.
"Thank you, Giles. Is Spike home?" Buffy gave a smile again, still looking slightly sad.
"Yes, he is. He's probably taking a nap right now." Giles offered a warm smile.
"Well, I'll just go into his room then. Thank you again, Giles. I really appreciate it," said Buffy graciously.
"You're very welcome." Buffy gave another weak smile before entering Spike's room quietly.
Buffy put down her bag near the foot of the study desk. Giles was right. Spike was sleeping soundly, so peaceful he looked quite innocent and angelic. Buffy smiled at the display, then climbed into the bed, curling up next to Spike. Spike, recognizing the vanilla scent of her, threw his arm over her slim body.
"Hey, what's up?" he asked, never opening his eyes.
"Mom's out of town for a couple of days and Giles said I could stay here with you," she answered, starting to close her eyes herself, snuggling up more to him.
"Hmm...okay then." They both started to doze off.
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Buffy stirred, starting to wake up when she found the other side of the bed was empty. The bedroom's door swung open and Spike poked his head inside, grinning.
"Hello sleepyhead! FINALLY...You're awake!" Spike walked towards the bed, his hands holding the bed tray with a plate full of bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages and toast, complete with two forks and knives, and two glasses of orange juice. The smell invited Buffy to sit up straight.
"What time is it? Don't tell me it's morning already," she freaked after looking up at the breakfast meal. "Relax, pet! It's evening now, nine thirty to be exact. Here, let's eat! You must be hungry," he explained while he put the tray down in front of her.
"Oh. Why did you cook breakfast then?" Buffy lifted her orange juice, draining it to her dry throat.
"I dunno, just felt like eating breakfast is all," he replied with a shrug, starting to pick up the eggs with his fork.
"Where's Giles?" she asked again as she filled her stomach with the too-early-breakfast meal.
"Dad has a meeting with the CEO of Sunnydale University, he'll be back in about an hour or so."
"Ugh, don't you hate it when they always have meetings here and there?"
Buffy let out a heavy sigh, frowning. The word 'meeting' irritated her as it reminded her of her mother. Spike looked up at her, arching a brow.
"What's with the sudden grumble, luv?" by then, he put down his fork and knife and stopped eating. Spike had never complained about the meetings his dad had, and Giles rarely went out of town. So he was never home alone for too long, especially with Buffy coming to his house almost everyday.
"I dunno...it's just that it kinda bothers me when mom's out of town for meetings. Why don't they just do it here in Sunnydale? Why does my mom always have to be the one who flies around the country?" Buffy pouted from the frustration she felt, her bottom lip jutting out. Spike reached for her cheek, caressing it with his thumb. He really felt sorry for her, for missing her mother so deeply.
"Well, maybe your mom is not the only one who has to fly around the country. A lot of them probably come from different states. Hell, they're probably from different countries for all I know."
Buffy started stabbing the eggs with her fork, resting her eyes on them.
"I just miss her so much, Spike. And I don't think she knows that. I don't think she cares about me at all."
Sad hazel eyes met concerned blue ones. Spike held her hands with his, rubbing the back of them gently.
"I know you do miss her, pet. If you want her to know that, why don't you tell her then? After she comes back, tell her what's in your heart. Remind her that you still exist and you don't want to be ignored anymore." She nodded softly. A smirk curled in his lips, "In the meantime, why don't we finish this up, then we can watch my conveniently recorded Passions."
Buffy groaned loudly and rolled her eyes at the same time. Spike just chuckled at that. She gave him a smile that hadn't been real since she arrived at Spike's place.
For an hour, they talked about everything, mainly about what had been going on at school while they finished the rest of the meal up. Most of the time Buffy fed Spike more than she fed herself since she wasn't a big eater. And most of the time Spike protested to be fed as well. From his point of view, Buffy should eat more than him, what with being so skinny and bony. But Buffy wouldn't have it and won her case when Spike finally gave up and agreed to finish most of the remaining meal.
"Thank you, Spike. The meal was delicious. You really are a better cook than I am," said Buffy after emptying her orange juice.
Spike snorted and raised one brow, "And you've just realized it now?"
"Fine, I knew it for a long time. Satisfied?" She groaned with a roll of her eyes.
"I will be as soon as you finish cleaning the dishes up. Come on!"
Spike lifted the tray with one hand and grabbed Buffy's wrist with the other. As soon as they stood in the kitchen's entrance, Buffy widened her eyes and dropped her jaw to the floor.
"Wha...How..Whe..." Buffy opened and shut her mouth, no words seemed to escape her fully. Spike grinned broadly at her expression. His mind ran wildly at the thought of whether he should throw a bucket of water since she looked like a fish needing it to breathe. OR if he should put a stick to hold her mouth open since it kept opening and closing like a door whipped around by wind. He snapped out of his thought when he heard Buffy finally made a sentence come out.
"What the hell is going on here? This place is more wrecked than the Titanic!" Buffy shrieked at Spike's smug face.
"Well, you know the rule, 'Thou who eat the feast and not produce it, shall clear the dishes out.'" said Spike with pride, grinning evilly.
Buffy looked helplessly at the amount of the dishes stack in the sink, not to mention the dirt from the seasonings and small amounts of grease oil surrounding the stove. She heaved a sigh and hung her head down.
"I knew it this was too good to be true, having a nice meal without any payment back."
"Aww...now don't be too dramatic there, luv. I've put hard work into cooking the meal, you know," Spike tried to be serious now, keeping a straight face and suppressing his smile. Buffy glared at him, then looked back at the sink. Whether she liked it or not, she had to clean the dishes up. Hell, she probably would have to clean the whole kitchen since it WAS really a big greasy mess. Otherwise Giles would be freaked out and she might not be able to be allowed to stay at his house anymore.
Chapter 3: Exchange Students
"Hey, have you heard, there are two exchange students coming to school today?" Buffy chimed in, sitting next to Spike.
"Yeah, so I've heard. What's the deal with 'em anyway?" asked Spike sipping his soda.
"Well, one of them is a guy for one thing," Spike, Willow and Xander groaned and rolled their eyes at that instant. "Hey!" Buffy felt offended.
"Let me guess, he's cute, gorgeous and charming, right?" Willow raised an eyebrow at Buffy.
"And a poofter too!" Spike scoffed. Buffy smacked Spike's arm hard. "Oww! Watch it, lady!" Spike growled. Buffy just stuck her tongue out at him.
Willow and Xander only shook their heads at the display. "Then I suppose the other one is a girl right?" Xander started grinning excitedly, gaining a you-glance-at-her-once-and-you’re-a-dead-man glare from Willow.
"Yes, and she's from England," Spike glanced at Buffy at the statement. Everything related to his home country always interested him. That might be why he still had his British accent even though he’d been living in Sunnydale for almost his entire life.
Their attention was suddenly distracted by the cafeteria's door, which swung open and displayed a slim figure dressed in black with long raven hair. Her make-up was rather thick with eyeliner swiped on almost half of each eyelid and a ruby lipstick tainted her small lips. A smile curled up on her lips when everyone stared at her presence.
"S'that her?" asked Spike, never blinking one eye at the sight.
"Yeah, it is," Buffy confirmed with a disgusted face, disapproving of the intruder's look.
"Well, ladies and gent, I gotta jet. Better work on my move now. Bye, people!" Spike blasted off before the others could open their mouth to say anything. They just shook their heads at Spike, who was approaching the girl with a sexy smirk plastered on his face.
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"Err...excuse me, can you tell me where I can find Room 314?" A broad shouldered, rather bulky figure stood behind Buffy. She jumped at the sudden voice at the back of her ear lobe. His deep and low voice sent her shivers down her spine. She swung her body around to see the owner of the voice. The brownest eyes she'd ever seen stared down at her, towering over her.
"Um...uhh...i-it's just at the end of this hall, on the left," Buffy stuttered as she pointed the way behind her with her index finger. He looked at the pointed way briefly, then looked back at her. A smile began forming on his lips as he stuck his hand out to her.
"The name's Angel, Angel Fitch. I'm an exchange student here from Ireland for a semester." Buffy took his hand and shook it briefly.
"I-I'm Buffy Summers. I'm a permanent student here for like uh…forever." Buffy kept staring at his eyes, still startled. Angel gave a charming smirk as he dropped his hand to his side.
"I better go then. Don't wanna be late for the next class. I'll, uh...I'll see you around Buffy. It was nice meeting you." With that, Angel passed by Buffy, brushed his arm with hers lightly, and headed to the intended room.
"Bye, Angel. See you around," Buffy whispered as she stared at his retreating form. "God, I'm such an idiot!" Buffy slapped her forehead with her hand and started walking down the other side of the hall.
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"So...how's your little introduction with Miss I'm-beyond-Satan Goth?" Buffy propped herself in a couch.
"Well, if you're really desperate to know, pet, I got myself a date this Saturday," replied Spike proudly, lifting his chin up.
"Nice work! What's her name? Wait...let me guess…is it Evil-Blood-Sucking-Fiend?" said Buffy lamely, still putting a little sarcasm on her sentences.
"Good try, luv. But no, her name is Drusilla Walters and she's a fine girl, kinda has a mysterious side there, which REALLY turns me on." Spike had a dreamy look on, still ignoring her sarcasm.
Buffy snorted at Spike's reply, "Mysterious, my ass! What, she's murdered someone brutally before?" Buffy placed her legs on Spike's lap as she made herself comfortable.
"Hey, at least I got a date with the new girl. What've you got? I saw you in the hall not making any progress with the ponce, I granted." Spike glared at her, his eyes turned into slits and his brows drew together making a frown.
"Yes, I did! I-I..."
"You what, luv?" Spike interrupted her with an expectant look.
"I know his name..." Buffy piped up, lifting her chin up.
Spike snorted, "Yeah well, everyone can bloody know that from the administration."
"Stop it!" Buffy began yelling at him, irritated.
"Stop what? You're the one who started the sharp tongue argument."
"No, I didn’t."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I DIDN’T!"
"Yes, you bloody DID!"
"What in the bloody hell is going on here? I'm trying to work over there and I can't even hear myself talking on the phone." Giles stepped in the living room with papers clutched in his hand, yapping in frustration. Both Spike and Buffy shocked at Giles' barking.
"I-I'm sorry, Giles. I didn't know you were here."
"Yeah, dad. I'm sorry too. We'll be good, right Buffy?" Buffy nodded promptly. Giles let a long sigh, trying to calm his temper down.
"Fine. I just go back to work then. Sorry about the yelling."
"It's alright. It's technically our fault though,” said Buffy, feeling bad.
"Glad you know it," Giles said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and shaking his head as he returned to his office. There was a silence for a few seconds.
"Wow. I've never seen Giles like that. That was one big angry Giles-like wolf back there."
"Yeah it was. I suppose he's too stressed out from his work." They both nodded quietly, still taken aback by the transformation of a calm-and-quiet Giles into a wild-barking Giles.
Chapter 4: A Little Playtime Called a Date
Buffy, Willow, and Xander were sitting at their usual table, chatting and laughing while trying to shove the tedious cafeteria food into their stomachs. Spike was nowhere to be seen. He was too busy chasing the new exchange student. A rather huge intruder dressed in black with brunette hair interrupted their laughter. Willow and Xander looked up at the young man who stood behind Buffy.
"What?" Curious, Buffy turned her head to see what her friends were looking at.
Buffy became startled as she stared at just right below the man's waist. For a few seconds, she registered what she stared at in her mind, taking it appreciatively at the sight. Shaking her head, forcing herself back to reality, she slowly looked up the man's face, which had a nervous smile on it.
"Hi, Buffy!" he greeted softly, almost like a whisper.
"Oh...H-h-hi, Angel!" Buffy managed to find her voice and felt her face burning up.
"I um...Can I talk to you for a sec?" The nervous smile Angel had, turned into a shy one.
"Yeah, sure." Standing up, she started to walk away from the table, taking a brief glance back at her friends.
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"Well, well...looks like someone is glowing. Quick, hide me somewhere. It's too bright up here! I'm turning into dust!" Xander hid his head behind Willow's back. Willow just giggled at her boyfriend's action.
"Ha ha! Very funny, Xander!" Leaning over the table, Buffy smacked Xander's shoulder hard, making him almost fall back from his seat.
"So...what were you talking about? Did he ask you out? Where? When is it gonna be? Come on, spill it already!" Willow tormented her best friend with questions.
"Whoa...whoa! Hyper girl, chill out!" Buffy tried to calm her too-excited friend. Xander put his hand on top of Willow's and patted it to calm her as well.
"Okay, first yes, he asked me out on a date. Second, it's this Saturday and we've decided to go to one of those Italian restaurants on Main street. So there you have it. And ooh...we exchanged phone numbers too." Buffy's tone rose up at the last sentence, grinning like an idiot. Willow joined in her excitement but Xander just smiled at Buffy, trying to be happy for her, while he knew there was somebody better for her.
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Willow rolled her eyes when her best friend kept complaining that she didn't have any outfits to wear for the date.
"Buffy, just pick one already! Don't worry, whatever you wear, he'll be just speechless as soon as he sees you," Willow reassured her friend with her famous resolved look and a nod. Buffy sighed in desperation.
"Okay, okay....Geez Willow, impatient much?" Buffy glared at her. Willow just smiled sheepishly.
She took a look at her wardrobe once again. Then she picked a light blue tank top with two strings on one side, which could be pulled to wrinkle and shorten that side, making the hem turned into a diagonal. The neckline was v-shaped, showing a little cleavage. The skirt she chose was a black A-shaped skirt, the hem reaching almost to her knees. It was a hip hugger, showing a little skin on her taut stomach.
"Okay, how about these two?" Buffy held the top in her right hand and the skirt in the other, both pieces hung with hangers. "That's perfect! It's simple, but it's enough to make Angel drop his jaw to the floor," exclaimed Willow with a wicked grin. Buffy giggled at her best friend's statement and expression.
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Willow did have potential to be a fortune teller, judging from the way Angel opened and shut his mouth repetitively like a fish needing water to breathe, but couldn't find a word from the moment he saw Buffy's feet start descending down the stair until he rested his brown eyes on her face. Angel just stood near the door, too struck by her beauty. Buffy's face enhanced her beauty with a soft make up applied. Soft blue eye shadows swiped on each eyelid with long eyelashes, her eyebrows arching delicately and her lips tainted with glossy bubblegum lipstick. Her hair was curled into small loose strands creating a wet and sleek look.
"Hi Angel." Buffy smiled awkwardly because Angel kept staring at her, stunned.
"Hi...Buffy" Angel's reply was more like a whisper to himself. He blinked several times as he tried to snap out of his daze.
"Um...we better go now. The reservation is at 7, right?"
"Right," Angel confirmed.
"Okay then, I...just let me say goodbye first to my mom. Mom!! We're leaving," Buffy called her mom over her shoulder. A few minutes later Joyce made her walk through the hall nearing the two teenagers.
"Well, have fun you two! And Buffy, be home by 10, okay!"
Buffy nodded, and kissed the older Summers' cheek before they walked out of the house.
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"Wow...this place is actually not bad at all," Angel complimented, looking around the restaurant. It wasn't really packed that night, so it was quite good for having a nice quiet dinner and some conversation. Each table had two small candles lit inside crystal glasses. The tablecloth was white, covering the round table.
"Yeah, it is."
Buffy smiled shyly when Angel stared at her again for a full minute. They passed several awkward moments before Angel started to speak again.
"Um...I saw you and Spike together a lot at school. Well, besides Willow and Xander I mean." Angel bowed his head down when he mentioned Spike's name.
"Oh…yeah, of course. Spike and I have known each other since we were kids. So we've been best friends for like forever. I remember this one time when we were seven or eight..."
Buffy's face lit up as she started rambling on about the moments Spike and she shared through the years.
Angel's heart broke a little when he looked at Buffy's face light up at the mention of Spike's name. He tried to tell himself that this was her very best friend they were talking about. So her face becoming glowing and radiant was quite reasonable, right? Riiighhtt.
Chapter 5: A Broken Heart
"I still don't understand why you're dating that skanky ho of all people."
"Hey! Don't you dare call her that name!" Spike pointed one long index finger at Buffy, feeling offended when she called his girlfriend, Dru, a name. Buffy just rolled her eyes as she put his finger down.
Spike did never have great taste in women, but Buffy could understand that since he was never really serious about any of them. But this woman was beyond worse! Buffy rather let Spike date any other girls he pleased, even two or more girls at the same time, than let him get involved with Drusilla seriously.
"Oh, come on. How can you not see that? That girl is just using you. Oh wait, of course you CANNOT see it since you are SO MADLY in love with her. Geez Spike, your taste is sooo getting worse now."
"And your taste is better than mine? God, Buffy you could have chosen a better man than that wanker!" Spike snapped, clenching his teeth.
"Hey! He IS better!" Buffy snapped back.
"Better than who? Scott Hope, who turned out to be gay? Scott was a bloody lot better than that whelp, I’ll have you know that. Too bad he was more interested in me than you!" Buffy suppressed her chuckle at his last sentence. But she put her angry face back on.
"But he's nice...gentlemanly, friendly..."
"And boring!" Spike added.
"He is soo not boring!" Buffy defended her boyfriend.
"Yeah? Then what was the last topic he talked about yesterday?" Spike challenged her, his blue orbs dared her hazel ones.
Buffy was silenced a little while, thinking of an answer.
"You see, you don't even remember any bloody words that came out of his mouth."
"Yes, I do! I-I just tried to decide which one I should tell you about." Buffy's voice sounded more like in a frustration, her mouth started to curl into a pout.
"And besides, it's not like you even remember any words she spoke either!" Buffy changed the object of their argument.
A cocky grin started to form across his lips. "Well, pet. That's because we didn't need to speak at all." Buffy's eyes widened, her nose scrunched making a disgusted look on her face.
"Okay, eew!! I so do NOT need the image. Thanks for the thought, Spike!" Buffy glared at his smug look as she tried to block all the images of Spike and Dru doing God knows what.
“What?!?" Spike's expression turned innocent.
“God, why did I have to discuss this with you?" Buffy threw her arms in the air, shaking her head a little.
"Need I remind you pet that YOU'RE the one who brought up this little conversation."
Buffy sighed heavily, silently admitting that he was right. She hated when she was the one who brought up an argument and lost it to Spike. "Fine. But I still think that she's just using you. Don't you know that she'sBEYOND worse than Harmony? She's like the queen of all queen bitches in SunnyD."
Buffy shuddered at the thought of someone a lot worse than Harmony, the Miss Popular-with-no-brain. Thank god, Spike never thought of dating Harmony. If he had, Buffy would have practiced to hypnotize Spike to leave her or do voodoo on Harmony if the first one didn't work.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
For two whole months Spike and Buffy dated Drusilla and Angel respectively. Even though they kept bickering about the other's partners, about just how wrong their choices were.
Angel kept listening to more stories about Spike and Buffy together and he began to doubt if he was good enough for Buffy. He didn't hang around Buffy's friends much, especially when Spike was around. He couldn't afford to see Spike and Buffy laughing at each other's jokes without any awareness that they were actually seeing someone else. He just couldn't ignore the sparks of jealousy in his mind every time Buffy smiled warmly at Spike and he smiled back. And his heart kept breaking bit by bit whenever he caught a glimpse of Buffy's face scowling at the sight of Spike and Drusilla together.
Buffy walked inside Spike's house, passing by the living room and went straight to his room. She poked her head inside the empty room and called out his name.
"Spike?"
She waited a few seconds to listen for an answer, but it was silent. Buffy pulled her head back and closed the door. She darted her eyes around the space, trying to catch a glimpse of a tall bleached young man. She finally caught a red dot burning like a fire and a smoke winding up in the air, outside in the backyard. Buffy headed to the backyard and sighed in relief when she saw the person she’d been searching for sitting on the wooden step.
"Hey, bleached boy! What are you doing? I'm taking it that Giles isn't here, huh? What with you smoking here and all," Buffy started talking as she took a seat next to him. Spike threw the cigarette to the ground and stomped it off with his boot. "You know, if I were you, I would've thrown the butt somewhere far from this house coz Giles would know that you've-" Buffy cut off her sentence when she looked at his face with the help of the backyard light.
Spike's once-crystal blue eyes looked dead and empty, tears have glistened his cheeks as he pursed his lips together. Buffy's heart wrenched at the sight of him. She would kill any one who made Spike's features turn into this.
"Spike, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice clearly filled with concern. She reached his shoulder and rubbed it, trying to ease his pain.
"You were right, Buffy. You were right all along." Spike's voice came hoarsely followed by his forced laughter. He shook his head slightly as he bowed it down, refusing to look her in the eye.
"I was right about what?" Buffy's voice softened as she sympathized for her best friend.
"Everything. Everything about her. She-" Spike paused a little while, trying to compose himself. "She's nothing but a bloody skanky ho." Buffy suppressed her smile when he used the words she said about Drusilla earlier. But from the sorrow that washed over his features, she knew that he did love Drusilla. It was a shame that his girlfriend never appreciated him.
"She cheated on me, Buffy. She's been cheating on me all these months. And…and I was stupid enough not to realize that she was just using me," Spike finally broke down as he finished his sentence.
"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry." Buffy pulled him into her embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder as he held onto her for a dear life. One of Buffy's hands touched his head, caressing the strands of his hair as the other stroked his back gently with the same rhythm. She whispered soothing words in his ear as he sobbed and choked once in a while, soaking her blouse's collar.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Drusilla's face was filled with laughter as she chatted with the most annoying spoilt brats, Harmony and Kendra at one of the benches in the school's front yard. Buffy tightened her jaw at the scene in front of her. Her teeth gritted, full of hatred for the long raven-haired girl.
How could she laugh like that after she’d been caught cheating with Parker, the jock who didn't even know how to spell the word 'unbelievable'? Parker's brain was built from a combination of Harmony's useless mind and some pot junkie’s, so go figure.
Buffy stomped her boots, heading to the group and grasped Drusilla's arm, swinging her around to face her. "Can I talk you for a sec?" Buffy didn't wait for an answer as she pulled Drusilla with her, finding a good spot to give the black dressed slim form a piece of her mind.
"Ow! You're hurting me." Drusilla jerked her arm from Buffy's grip.
"Yeah? Well maybe you should think about it before you hurt someone else." Buffy shot a death glare at her.
"What the hell is your fucking problem?" Drusilla hissed, shooting a glare back at Buffy.
"MY. FUCKING. PROBLEM is you hurting my friend by cheating with some bastard who wasn't even worth a piece of trash like you," Buffy started yelling as she closed her distance with Drusilla, only inches apart from each other's noses. Drusilla pulled her head back, stepped back a little as she finally recognized whom she was talking about.
"Oh, you mean Spike." Drusilla sneered.
"Yes, I mean Spike! Unless there are still other guys who haven't woken up from your evil hypnotism and realized that you were just a little British tramp ready to be thrown out of this country." Drusilla's face now burnt up, seething. Buffy scoffed at the sudden change in Drusilla's façade. She began to speak again. "You know what, I can understand you going after Parker since he doesn't have a brain at all. But Spike, he doesn't deserve to be treated like this. He-"
"No! He. Doesn't. Deserve. Me!" Drusilla cut Buffy off with her words, pronounced harshly one by one. "And I suggest you take him back to your little place coz I no longer need his service." Drusilla gave a sinister smile before she swayed around and began to walk off.
Buffy felt herself fuming, her ears turning red and her heart beating fast, uncontrollably. Before Drusilla managed to walk a foot away, Buffy caught her arm and swung her around again. She swayed her right hand with all her power, which then landed on Drusilla's smooth pale cheek and left a red hand marked on it. Drusilla touched her now sore cheek with her hand before she started boiling.
"You bitch!"
Drusilla jumped onto Buffy's body and the two young women started rolling on the green grass yard. Drusilla cried in pain as Buffy began pulling her hair. She tried to reach Buffy's hair and started to yank it as well. A crowd formed as the two still rolled across the ground, trying to be on top of the other's body.
Some people gasped and whispered at the scene, but most of them cheered at it, amused by the sudden free entertainment. As Buffy was on top of Drusilla's body and started to choke her to death, two strong arms grabbed her waist and dragged her off of Drusilla. Buffy struggled over the grip, then howled when Drusilla managed to leave a scratch on her ivory cheek with her long black pointy nails.
"You are not getting over this so soon. I'll be haunting you day and night! NOBODY messes with MY BEST FRIEND!!" Buffy yelled at the top of her lungs as she struggled over the tightened grip on her waist, her legs flying in the air. Her body was brought further from the crowd and Drusilla. Buffy was then dropped on the ground as soon as the crowd was nowhere to be seen. Those two arms swung her around, forcing her to face the other figure in the eye. She gasped in horror at the person in front of her, looking none too pleased.
Chapter 6: Recovering
Spike searched around the school's front yard. Almost half of the school residence filled the green grass coated yard. He promised Xander that they'd go to the Bronze to play pool…and probably pouring what was in his heart into their man-to-man conversation.
A large crowd that started gathering caught his interest. Most of the teenagers were cheering at something that obviously amused them. He sauntered towards the crowd, curiosity taking over him. He nudged a guy's arm to ask what was going on.
"It's chick fight, dude!" The guy he asked replied him in excitement.
Spike still couldn't see clearly the people who had been engaging the crowd's attention. He pushed himself forwards to see the view in a better spot. Some of the people reluctantly gave way for him to be close to the object of the entertainment.
He was bemused as the said chick fight became thrilling. It hadn't been five seconds when he recognized the girls involved in the fight. His amused face screwed up into furiousness. Without any further thought, he walked towards them and hauled up the petite blonde head that now sat on top of the raven-haired girl. He tightened his grip as she struggled to be free. Then he dragged her far from the crowd that turned its attention to the two blondes.
Once they were in a safe and quiet place, Spike dropped her and turned her around. Her face turned into shock the moment she looked at him in the eye. "Spike!" Buffy shrieked at the cold blue eyes. Spike took a deep breath, trying to put his temper down.
"What.The Hell.Was.That.About?"
Spike pronounced the words carefully, he clenched his teeth still attempting to calm himself. His British accent sharpened like a knife slicing through her throat. She winced at the thought. After twelve years of friendship, Buffy had known that when his British accent got sharpened, it meant that Spike was REALLY pissed off.
"I-I was giving a piece of my mind to that whore. I was trying to defend you…" Buffy's eyes pleaded.
"It's not any of your business, Buffy!" Spike snapped.
"Well IT IS if it involves my best friend!" Buffy snapped back, raging.
Spike's face softened, heartened at Buffy's reply. He put his head down for a moment before he faced her still fuming face.
"Buffy, luv, I know you care about me. And I really appreciate it that you defended me. But sometimes, it's better to let it go, especially when it involves some sort of humiliation."
Spike flashed a quick gracious smile. Buffy sighed heavily. She didn't want to argue with Spike right now, especially when he was still hurt by that brainwashing slut. As much as she wanted to put more scratches on the raven-haired girl, she knew better that it wouldn’t do anything to help her best friend mend his heart. So she reluctantly decided to let it go.
"Alright. I swear I'm not gonna bring this matter up again. I just...I don't wanna see you get hurt is all. It's bad enough to see you with a girl of your bad taste and have a serious relationship with the worst girl you've ever had."
A smile curled over Buffy's lips when she saw Spike chuckle. She closed her distance and put her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. Spike, accepting her hug, wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled back when he heard her whimper. The scratch on her cheek reddened and worsened by the minute.
He touched it lightly, afraid to hurt her.
"Does it still hurt? Come on, I'll take you to the school nurse." Buffy nodded in agreement and they started to walk inside the school building.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"Hi, Honey! How's school today?" Joyce called out when she heard Buffy open the front door. Buffy didn't reply, she instead made her way to her bedroom but was caught by Joyce's arm first. "Buffy? Oh dear god, what happened?" Joyce gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth. Buffy still didn't say a word. She just bowed her head down.
"Come to the kitchen and tell me everything. Now," said Joyce sternly as she pulled Buffy by the arm to follow her to the kitchen. Joyce then seated her only daughter to one of the stools and she seated herself next to her. She lifted Buffy's chin up with her index finger, demanding an answer.
"Buffy? What happened at school?" She repeated her question as she touched her daughter's scratched cheek with her thumb. Buffy winced a little at her touch. It obviously still hurt.
"I-I...had a fight with Drusilla, you know Spike's psycho girlfriend. Well, actually ex-girlfriend after he caught her cheating with Mr. No-brain-at-all..." Buffy stopped her ramble when she looked at her mom still watching her with a stern look. She held her head down again. A worried look plastered on her face as she silently counted the number of months she would be grounded.
"Way to go, Buffy! Say, did you leave a scratch on her face as well?" Buffy almost fell off from her stool when she heard her mom's response. She looked up to see if the person in front of her was really her mom, not some alien pretending to be her.
"Wh-who are you? Y-you're not my mom! What have you done with my mom? My mom would never ever in a million years say those kinds of things!" Buffy stammered, eyes widened.
She started to climb down from her stool and back away from Joyce. Her mom just rolled her eyes as she climbed down from her stool as well, walked around the island and took an orange juice jar from the fridge.
"I honestly don't like her either. She's...what was the word you said before? Oh yes, psycho...too psycho for William I suppose." Joyce poured the orange juice in a glass and handed it to Buffy.
Buffy was silenced for a few seconds, thinking as she drained the glass. "When did you meet Drusilla? Please don't tell me that Spike brought her to this house."
Buffy cringed at the thought of that psycho woman entering her house and started tearing apart her bedroom. Oh my god! What'll happen to Mr. Gordo if she really was here?
"No, William did not bring her to this house. Even if he did, I would've thrown her out of the house before she landed one foot on the floor."
Buffy giggled as she imagined her mom swinging Drusilla's slim form to the front yard and the horrified look on Spike's face. "We actually happened to meet at the mall when I did my grocery shopping. That girl kept shooting me death glares when William was talking to me. I didn't know what'd gotten into her. At first I thought she was actually cross-eyed, but it turned out that she's just really...you know, psycho." Joyce grinned at her only daughter. Buffy burst into laughter as Joyce finished her tale, but then flinched a little when she realized that her cheek was still sore.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
For weeks Buffy took care of Spike while he mended his broken heart. She spent almost 7 days in a row sleeping over Spike's place, just to make sure that he wouldn't do any crazy things like killing himself or watching too many episodes of recorded Passions in one day. She even hid all available knives and anything with sharp edges from his kitchen, which started irritating Spike since he couldn't use any tools to fix meals.
Angel was also getting irritated. Every time Angel asked Buffy to go out on a date, she always made excuses saying that Spike was still in bad shape and he really needed her to be there for him.
"Spike, my vanilla body spray is run out. Did you get a new one yesterday?" Buffy called out from Spike's bathroom. Spike barely managed not to roll his eyes right that second.
"Nooo...because I don't need one," he answered in a sarcastic tone. Although he never admitted that he liked it more if he sniffed it on her body.
"By the way, why did you buy this blue Listerine? I don't like this one. I told you the green one is better." Buffy made a face, she put the Listerine bottle away and started brushing her teeth. She had suggested to him hundreds of times to buy the green Listerine because she thought it was much better. But Spike kept saying no since he was the one who used it and he could buy any type of Listerine he wanted to put in his own bathroom.
Already getting annoyed, he stomped his boots to the open bathroom. "Buffy, remember the house at 1630 Revello Drive? You know, the one with the big pretty tree in its front yard?"
"Huh?!?" Buffy answered, dumbfounded. She automatically stopped her brushing. "Yeah I thought so. You see, pet, THAT house is owned by the Summers. And guess what, YOU'RE one of them! But for some reason you don't even live there because you enjoy my place too much and as much as I like your companionship, I'm lacking of my bleeding privacy here!!" His tone rose up at the last statement. Buffy didn't really catch his ramble but she did hear his last sentence. She was silenced for a few seconds doing what seemed like thinking. Spike almost felt guilty of his previous words.
"Oh relax, Spike! You are so NOT lacking of your privacy. What about when I was at school? You get your privacy at that time."
Buffy shrugged her shoulders. Spike almost popped his eyes out at her as if she had grown a second head. He couldn't believe the words she just said. He just yelled at her with overloaded sarcasm, asking her to live in her own house but she just said RELAX?!? Hellooo!! Privacy crisis happening over here!!
"Buffy, WE go to school together remember? So when at THAT sodding time am I going to get some privacy?"
Buffy bit her lower lip, smiled sheepishly at him. Spike just shook his head, feeling a headache coming on. Having this non-existent bratty little sister was more than enough. Thank god he didn't have a real one!
"Okay, fine. I promise you're gonna get your privacy back. But...not until Friday-"
"What?!?" Spike asked incredulously. Buffy gave another sheepish smile. "Please Spike...my mom won't be back from Boston till this Friday and I sooo do not want to be alone at home for four days!"
Buffy held four fingers up. Her hazel eyes turned into puppy ones, pleading. Spike rubbed his temple with the heels of his fingers, his headache really hit him hard this time. He let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine. But you're going to sleep in your own bed by Friday, do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal. Now about this Listerine-"
"NO!!"
Chapter 7: Ultimatum
"Aahh...finally, weekend's coming! Don't you love that?" Buffy plopped herself down on the cafeteria chair.
She was very tired ever since last period. It was physics, taught by Mrs. Walsh, the most boring and killer teacher Sunnydale High ever had. Thanks to Xander who kept nudging her to wake her up, Buffy managed to get away from Mrs. Walsh's special detention, which was for students who dared to sleep or make trouble during her class.
"Uh-huh." Willow just nodded, not taking her sight off of her chemistry textbook. Buffy rolled her eyes at her best friend's simple response.
"Willow, will you give it a rest? It's Friday! You're NOT supposed to study on Friday..." Buffy grabbed the textbook and put it on an empty seat.
"Hey!" Willow's eyes shot up at Buffy, her lips pouting.
"Don't you have anything better to do? Beside torturing yourself with chemistry book." Buffy took a gulp of her drink, drenching her throat.
"You mean like having a bet with Xander to see how long you're gonna keep denying to yourself that you're in love with Spike?"
Buffy spit the liquid from the drink out, choking. Willow just raised her eyebrows as Buffy coughed, trying to recover from her choke. Willow silently thanked god that the liquid didn’t spray on her as she leaned back on her chair. "What, you didn't think I wouldn't know your little bet with Spike?"
"How did you-" Buffy coughed again. Her eyes began to water as her cough wasn't getting any better.
"Well, let's just say that Spike once accidentally slipped, telling Xander that he had to buy you an outfit because he lost it."
"Oh," was all Buffy could say. She smiled sheepishly when her mind practically screamed 'BUSTED!!'
"Buffy, you believed that me and Xander were so into each other but you kept denying that you've got the same thing going on with Spike. You two are-"
"Best friends. That's all we are. Will, what I have with Spike is totally different with what you've got with Xander. We...are just like brother and sister. Y'know, he's like my big stubborn-ass brother and I'm...like his bratty little sister. Hmm....no wonder he kept yelling at me whe-" Buffy started to ramble on to herself but was cut off by Willow.
"Buffy! Will you listen to me? You two are NOT like siblings, believe me! I can literally see the sparks flying around above both of your heads whenever you two start talking or arguing."
Buffy held her head down, silenced for a while as Willow waited for her response. She let out a frustrated sigh, looking up back to her best friend.
"Can we change the subject please?" she asked desperately.
"No!" Willow answered quickly, a stern look set across her face. Buffy sighed again.
"Well then can we at least get another soda? I'm really thirsty and you know if I really get thirsty...." Buffy got up from her seat, grabbed her bag and started walking while she desperately babbled about anything to change the subject.
"Buffyyyy…" Willow groaned, exasperated with her best friend's childish reaction. She reluctantly followed Buffy, exiting the cafeteria.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Angel let out a heavy sigh as he watched a petite blond head rummaging her locker, a sad and worried look clearly registered over his features. The hall was empty, it seemed that everyone already gone home. He strolled over to her with his fingers clutched together nervously.
"Hey, Buffy!"
"Oh, hey yourself! What's up?" A wide smile plastered across Buffy's face.
"It's just that we haven't been out together for a while and there's this event going on at the Bronze and I was wondering if we could go together..." Angel let out a long breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. His mind ran wildly at all the possible answers she would give this time.
"Well...you see, Spike's still in a recovering stage right now and he needs me more than-"
"ME??? Buffy, I need you too! Why is it always about Spike, huh?" Angel was infuriated, he was too tired to keep up with Spike. Buffy, on the other hand, was shocked by Angel's abrupt yelling, but then enraged herself.
"Angel, Spike IS my BEST FRIEND! And as his best friend I have to be there for him at his rough times. You'd know that if you had one of your own," Buffy started yelling as well. She inhaled deeply, trying to keep her temper down. She took one step closer to the still irate Angel.
"Look, you can't make me choose between you and Spike. You both are two different people and mean so much to me," said Buffy in a lower voice.
"Well maybe I can." Angel glared at her, taking a step back.
"What?!?" she asked, disbelief taking over her features.
"I can't do this anymore. You either choose me or him. It's your call."
"Angel, you're being ridiculous!" Buffy shook her head, not really liking to be put in this position.
"I'm being ridiculous? What about you? Spike is NOT a five year old kid. He can take care of himself." Angel paused for a few moments before he continued.
"Buffy, I can't keep wondering if I'm still the one you want. I need you to choose. Me. Or him. What's it gonna be, Buff?"
In the back of his mind, he prayed that she'd choose him, that all his doubts were wrong. He stared at Buffy who was looking back at him, still in disbelief. It was the tensest moment in his life. He felt sick in the pit of his stomach as he waited her to respond. He could feel sweat started moistening his palms and handsome face, anxiety controlled over his whole form. A drop of the salty water trailed down the side of his forehead, crossing his jaw line. But he wiped it quickly, almost too harshly.
Buffy couldn't believe what just happened in the last five minutes. For almost five months they'd been going out and everything was fine until today, until this last five minutes. There were no signs, no small fights or arguments and there it was...he just dropped a bomb in front of her! And they were fighting over Spike? Spike, her very best friend, her non-existent big brother, her family...and the object of their fight. This was outrageous!! Why would he be jealous of Spike, of all people??
But she did like Angel a lot. She cared about him so much, although she wouldn't dare to say that she was in love. But she was willing to find out. She knew he would be good for her. He cared about her. He loved her and he would sacrifice everything for her. However, enough was enough. Angel was also a man with needs. With needs to be loved, to be cared by the woman he loved. Their future was in her hands, but she would do anything to pass that to another person. Her head was aching when she forced her brain to come up with a decision, the toughest decision she had ever had to make in her entire life.
Chapter 8: Decision
The cool air breezed through the empty hall. The silence was sickening to her. She never liked a quiet place, let alone standing inside with a person who waited in demand for an answer that she couldn't provide.
She looked back at him. His pleading eyes searched for an answer in hers. She knew she had to give him her choice, but her voice appeared to be gone.
She swallowed hard before she tried to find her voice again. "I'm sorry Angel. I can't-" She paused as she inhaled deeply. "I can't break my friendship with him just like that. I-I'm sorry..." She whispered her last two words.
Angel nodded meekly in understanding. He already expected this, he'd been prepared for this, but he couldn't keep his heart from breaking apart. He could feel the sting in his eyes, tears threatened to fall but he held them back.
"Well if that's what you decided, I can't do anything about it, now can I?" Angel forced a tight smile. "It's not like I'm gonna see you again in a month, so that won't be a problem right?" He continued, let out a hoarse laughter.
Buffy winced at his forced laughter, her heart broke for him. She really did like him, but she knew she had to let him go. She had two good reasons for that. One, which was clearly about Spike, and second was that she didn't think she could make this relationship go as far as she could after Angel went back to his country. Being separated by ocean and islands was too much for her to bear. She wasn’t the type of girl who would wait for her boyfriend to call every week at the same time, or email him everyday whenever she could. Plus, computer and internet were not her things. She was a more face-to-face person.
"Well then, I guess this is goodbye."
"Yeah, I guess it is." Buffy nodded slightly in agreement. Her voice came as a whisper, almost couldn't be heard.
Angel took one last long look at his former girlfriend. "Goodbye, Buffy. I love you, you know that right?"
Buffy nodded again, tears began streaming down her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip to seize her cry. "Bye Angel."
With that Angel turned around and marched away from her. Buffy finally let out a loud sob she’d been holding onto as soon as his retreating form disappeared.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Buffy gazed down at the sleeping bleached head for a while. Her eyes were swollen from the lament she did in the school's hall. She smiled tightly.
'At least I still have him on my side.' Buffy thought. She climbed over the bed and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head to his naked chest. She inhaled the scent of his cologne that still lingered on his body.
Spike stirred, feeling company on his bed, who wrapped herself around him. He looked down at the top of her head. He could feel the sadness taking over his non-existent little sister, judging by the way she held him in desperation.
"Buffy, luv. What's wrong?" he whispered.
"Angel and I...we broke up this afternoon," Buffy answered simply, still resting her forehead, refusing to look up to him.
"What?!? Did he cheat on you? I swear if he ever did that, I'll kill him..."
Spike was now sitting straight on the bed. Buffy lifted her upper body to sit up too. He looked at her swollen eyes and felt himself fuming. His experience of being cheated on suddenly came across his mind.
"No, he didn't cheat on me. We were just...never meant for each other, you know?" Buffy lied. She didn't want to tell him the real reason because it, it would make him feel real guilty and responsible-- and awkward. She knew that he felt a brotherly love to her. The question was, did she feel the same way to him?
Spike tilted his head to the side. "Buffy, are you sure?" He looked at her skeptically. Buffy only looked down to the bed sheet and nodded weakly, tears began flowing again.
His heart clutched for her. Nobody dared to break her heart with Spike always ready to lung them whenever he saw a hint of sadness on her façade.
"Oh baby, come here." Spike pulled her to him, smoothing her hair as he kissed the top of her head. She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist as he leaned against the wall.
"Why can't I find a guy who can totally trust me?" Buffy whined as she choked on her sobs. The tears fell down Spike's chest, but he ignored them.
"Maybe because they can't handle such a beautiful bird like you, pet." Spike smiled down at her.
"Spike, stop it..." He chuckled when she swatted his chest playfully. A weak smile curled over her lips. He really did know how to make her smile and forget everything bad happened. They sat there in a comfortable silence, enjoying the companionship of each other. Buffy soon found herself dozing, still clutching on Spike's body as he leaned his head on top of hers drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 9: A Spark of Jealousy
A month went by real fast and Buffy thanked heaven for that. She couldn't stand running into Angel with his wounded puppy eyes. Her mind kept blaming her for breaking his heart so cruelly. But come to think of it, it was Angel who gave her the ultimatum and she didn't really have many choices.
She never filled Spike in on the real reason for their break-up. Fortunately, he never pushed her to talk about it either. That was one of the things she loved about him. He believed that whenever she was ready, she'd come around and pour her heart out to him.
On the other hand, Spike kept shooting death glares at the brunette whenever he saw him. If it weren't for Buffy who made him promise not to harm him, he would have sent that git to hospital by now. Nothing could terrify him but Buffy's anger explosion. He knew he was whipped, even though they weren't a couple. But he cared for her too much to make her not talk to him for months.
As the time for Angel and Drusilla back to their countries came up, Buffy gave a brief goodbye and an awkward hug to Angel on his last day. Spike didn't even bother to see Drusilla for the last time since she was too busy making out with as many guys as she could before she left. 'That slut!' Buffy seethed when she caught her kissing a guy hungrily near the girls' bathroom.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Spike was reading a newspaper on the couch with the telly on. He flipped the pages several times until he found something remotely interesting to read. He chuckled at the headline, 'Real life ugly duckling. A mother gave birth to 7 babies at once, 6 normal and 1 with four arms'.
Buffy saw the brief smile pass over Spike's handsome face. He seemed to enjoy his reading and she grinned wickedly at that. She just looooved making Spike annoyed when he tried to relax. She walked quickly towards him, jumped and crashed herself on his lap, making the newspaper crumple. Spike, who didn't see it coming, jumped a little from his seat, then groaned at Buffy's amused face.
"Hey, what's up?" Buffy's grin widened from ear to ear. Her arms clung to his neck.
"Buffyyy...Can't you see I'm reading here??" Spike was already irritated.
Buffy looked at the crumpled newspaper he was still holding for a brief second. Her face turned to look innocent.
"Wow! I didn't know you read the newspaper. Is this some kind of the new and improved Spike?"
"Nooo...it's the kind of I'm-trying-to-enjoy-my-time-so-sod-off Spike!" Spike gave a fake smile.
Buffy scrunched her eyebrows as if she were thinking of something serious. She then shook her head at him. "Hmm....I haven't heard of that kind of Spike. Is it new? Where did you get it?" Buffy's face now turned into a fake excited one.
Spike groaned again, he tossed the newspaper to the coffee table in front of him. "Buffy, what do you want?" He was getting real impatient, his face had a bored look on it.
"Nothing..." Her face turned to be innocent again. "Well except this party going on this Friday at the Bronze and I don't have anyone to go with since Willow is obviously going with Xander and I so do not want to be their third wheel and since you're free...so, come with me!" Buffy finished her overly long sentence with a hopeful wide smile, displaying her perfectly white teeth.
Spike heaved his sigh. This chit was impossible! If she weren’t practically family to him, he would have thrown her out of his house before she could finish her babble. He hung his head down but was soon held up by Buffy's hands on each side, turned to face her.
"Please Spike...pleasepleaseplease..." She pleaded, her hands shook his head momentarily, making his face crumpled. Spike just rolled his eyes.
"Fine. I'll go with you."
"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Buffy kissed his chiseled cheek real hard, causing Spike to scrunch his face.
"Now move! My show is on!" Buffy moved from Spike's lap and put a couch pillow on it for her head to rest on. Spike instinctively mussed her strands with one hand while his eyes glued on the screen.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
The music was thumping really hard, making every patron's eardrums crack.
The male singer was screaming at the top of his lungs while he squinted his eyes, covering his eyeballs from the overly bright stage lights. The club was mostly filled with over-raging hormone teenagers. Every single corner of it was occupied by couples sucking face.
Buffy squeezed herself into the crowd as she made her way to the teen couple that was seated around the table, near the stairs. She held Spike's hand tightly as he trailed behind. She surely anticipated with tonight’s event by dragging him along to make sure he wouldn’t miss the excitement she felt. One of the bands that were playing tonight was her favorite one. It was called 'Dingoes Ate My Baby'.
"Hey, you made it!" Willow piped up when she saw her two best friends had arrived.
"Course we did. Has my 'band' played yet?" Buffy secretly wished that she’d arrived before the club opened. She wouldn’t miss her favorite band for the world.
"No, not yet. But I think it's their turn now." Willow tilted her head to point to the stage where the next band had just walked on and was preparing for their gig.
"OOH!! YAY...GO OZ!!!" Buffy squealed as she cheered at the electric blue haired boy who was holding his bass guitar. The said person looked up and smiled briefly at her.
Everyone in that table was smiling at her behavior. They knew she had a crush on the blue spiky haired musician ever since they had their first gig at the Bronze. Too bad he already had a girlfriend. Buffy looked around the packed club. His girlfriend must be here somewhere. She never missed his gig at all, just like Buffy never missed it either. She smiled briefly as soon as she spotted a shoulder length brunette on the table right in front of the stage. Damn, she always got the best view! Feeling someone staring at her, she turned around and smiled back at the blonde head. She whispered briefly at her friend’s ear, then hopped down from the stool and started walking towards Buffy.
"Hey, B! You're here. Looking good tonight!" She offered a wide grin to her. Buffy flashed a grin back.
"Thanks, Faith! Wouldn't miss your boyfriend's gig for the world!" Buffy tried to find courage to introduce herself to the band since they had their first gig, and she did. The members of the band were quite nice to her, especially Oz. Even though he never had many expressions to be shown, he was still her favorite one. She was a little upset when he introduced his girlfriend, Faith. But she’d gotten over it once she found herself quickly blend in with her. The slim figure, who was one inch taller than her, was an easygoing woman. She never tried to scare her boyfriend’s fans away or threaten them. Instead, she simply gave a warm smile to every fan her boyfriend introduced.
The rest of them turned their heads to the stage as the band started playing the tune. Faith excused herself to go back to her original seat. "I'm gonna go for a smoke. Be back in five minutes." Spike announced it straight to Buffy's ear, knowing that the music empowered the club, it would be impossible to say something if it was not right to her eardrum. Buffy only nodded, her eyes still attached on the stage.
The drum sound was blaring throughout the club once the hard rock music was tuned. It had been more than ten minutes, she realized. Where could he be? He usually went straight to their table once he finished one good long fag. He knew Buffy was allergic to cigarette smoke, that’s why he went outside for her sake. Another ten minutes passed and the band just ended its last song. Where the hell was he? Buffy looked around as she asked the teen couple in front of her.
"Have you seen Spike? Where is he?" she muttered under her breath. The teen couple that was gazing into each other's eyes broke their contact.
"No. He'll be back soon," Xander said casually. He draped an arm around his girlfriend's seat as he leaned back to his own. His eyes started searching around for the bleached boy, attempting to help his friend, who was in wonder.
Willow, on the other hand, stared at the worried blonde girl. 'What was she so worried about?' She stepped out of her wonderment after she spotted the peroxide head approaching a beautiful blond figure. "There he is!" Willow stopped her best friend’s search, pointing at the black clad boy with her tiny index finger.
Buffy's gaze followed the angle her friend's finger pointed and landed on the person she'd been worried about. Her lips broke into a smile but soon twisted into a frown. There, Spike was making his way to a slender blonde head. The girl who was approached gave a coy smile to him. He leaned forward to whisper something in her ear and she laughed at it.
Buffy puckered her brows at the scene. She knew he ended his last relationship earlier than she did. But wasn't it too soon to start a new one?? No. This wasn't about it. This was about something else. What was it?
She kept staring at them while they were deep into conversation. That blonde girl certainly looked nice. Unlike Drusilla, with only one glance, Buffy knew she’d never like her. This girl was totally opposite of Drusilla, so she didn’t have the right to hate her. She was quiet sweet and Spike seemed to enjoy her companionship. But then, there was still this thing...this thing that made Buffy feel the need to hate her. Her blood was beginning to boil. Her face burned slightly red, but not from flushing. It was from anger. But why?? Then there was a tinge... a tinge of... jealousy??? Waaaitttt a minute!! Where did that come from?? Buffy felt a frustration from her inner monologue.
She grabbed her purse and got up. "I'm going home." She stated without looking at the teen couple.
"Shouldn't you wait-"
"No." She cut Xander off while she stomped her boots towards the exit door. Xander stared at her retreating form, then glanced at the blonde couple.
"Do you think she's...?" His voice trailed off.
"Yeah, I think she is." Both Willow and Xander chuckled at the petite blonde who was vanishing through the exit door.
Chapter 10: A Visit from LA
She dragged her light green flip-flops through the hall absentmindedly. The memory of last night's event kept bugging her. She still didn't have the answer as to what came over her when she left the Bronze abruptly. Unconsciously, she dug her nails into her textbook and started peeling the chipped edge of it.
"Hey, pet!" Spike panted after catching up with her. He draped an arm around her shoulder but she shrugged it away. He was a bit taken aback by her dismissal. She never rejected his embrace, alternatively she usually responded it by putting her arm around his waist. It was a habit when both of them were single. People kept mistaking them as an on and off couple. Not once in their mind, they thought that was just the way the two blonds showed their affection to each other. Buffy walked a little faster and a few feet ahead of Spike. He frowned at her reaction but soon jogged as he caught up with her again. The memory of last night suddenly came across his mind.
"Are you okay, Buff? Your mom said you weren't feeling well last night." He had been frantic when Willow and Xander told him about her hasty departure. He called on her house but her mom said that she wasn't feeling well. He could hear a worry in Joyce's voice, which was enough reason for him to visit her that night. But once he got there, Joyce told him that she was already asleep, an apologetic look on her beautiful aged face.
He put a palm on her forehead to check if she'd gotten a fever, his palm moved to her cheek, caressing it lightly and finally landed on the crook of her neck. She leaned against his touch as she closed her eyes for ten seconds. She flipped her eyes open when she realized what she was doing. Quickly, she grabbed his hand from her neck where a shred of scarlet started spreading, flooding her face. "I-I'm fine," Buffy started as she recalled the reason she'd given her mom when Spike called. She told her that she had a headache and was going to go to bed immediately. She pretended to sleep soundly once her mom checked on her and was going to announce that Spike was in their house, worried as hell.
Buffy set her eyes on her feet as they shifted nervously. "I know it's not my business…well, yours wasn't that long…" She looked up to him, her hazel orbs inquired for some permission to intrude with his love life. Spike was clearly confused when he drew his brows together and tilted his head to the side. "Although mine was more recent but-" She started to walk, leaving him to catch her up again. "Do you think it's wise to…yes, it probably is…" She stopped her feet and tilted her head, looking back at him as if waiting for his response.
The young man in front of her hadn't had a single clue what she was babbling about. He came to a halt, tilting his head as well. Confusion was still marred across his façade. "Uh…Pet, You know I've never used this word but nothing can describe my confusion besides 'huh?!?'"
Buffy twisted her lips a little when she realized her words didn't make any sense at all. She pondered for a moment, whether she should ask what the hell he was doing, coming on to that blonde girl. "Never mind." She resumed her walking process, but soon stopped again. Spike almost bumped into her, he stepped back a little to prevent further collisions.
"I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly last night, I-I had a headache. Did…did you have a good time with um…with that blonde girl?" She didn't feel comfortable at the mention of his companion last night.
"Oh, you mean Anya?"
"Anya?" Buffy repeated her name, it was unfamiliar to her ear.
"Yeah, Anya Jenkins, the girl I talked to at the Bronze. I'm telling you, that girl blew me away!" Spike chuckled, shook his head a little. Buffy widened her eyes.
She felt that tinge again…that tinge of jealousy. She held her head down when she managed to squeak her response, "Oh. Really…"
"Yeah, she amazed me more every minute." His voice showed some enthusiasm, he chuckled again. Buffy's nails dug deeper into her book, she gritted her teeth and was tempted to rip her own hair violently while he continued complimenting that Anya girl.
"Glad you enjoyed your time so much," she said between her clenched teeth, sarcasm dripping dangerously.
"Well, I don't think enjoy is the word for that." Her eyes shot up to him, puzzlement replaced her annoyed expression.
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't say amaze was a good thing, luv. You see, Anya was one sodding blunt chit. She was too bloody honest, even for me. And she kept telling me how she loathed bunnies and wished that every one of them in this bleeding planet would be sliced and diced." He grinned and shook his head slightly, still in astonishment.
Buffy was perplexed at his explanation. She never expected this Anya girl actually scared him away, by the look of how they enjoyed their conversation last night and flirted shamelessly with each other. She burst into giggles and for some weird reason his explanation truly relieved her.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Buffy sat on the couch, remote control in one hand flicking through channels and the other feeding her mouth with a bowl of popcorn. A knock on the door brought her mood down immediately. She tried to ignore it a few seconds, wishing whoever was at the door would vanish right this second, but her mom wouldn't let her have it. "Buffy, would you answer the door please! My hands are full right now," Joyce demanded.
'My hands are full too! With popcorn and remote control obviously' Buffy mentally complained.
But she reluctantly dragged herself off of the couch and headed to the front door as the knock pounded harder and more frequently. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Will you stop pounding the door, it'll collapse any sec-" Buffy swung the door open and hung her tongue in the air when she saw a figure standing in front of the door, smiling brightly at her. Regaining her consciousness, she blinked twice and started screaming.
"CORDY!!! I can't believe you're here!!...Why are you here?" Buffy beamed as she hugged the short haired brunette, but she soon pulled back and looked at her skeptically.
"What, can't a girl visit her beloved cousin sometimes?" Cordy looked surprised, acting like she was hurt.
"Oh, please. The last time you sent me a postcard was when you were in Venice, only saying 'Hi, I'm in Venice right now'. So you won't be possibly JUST visiting us," Buffy mimicked mockingly the message her cousin had written in the postcard that she got a few months ago. She raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms across her chest.
Cordelia Chase was Buffy's closest cousin. She moved from Sunnydale to LA five years ago as soon as she graduated from high school to pursue a modeling career. Ever since she moved, Buffy felt like she lost one of her best friends, although they kept in touch once in a while, what with Cordy's schedule, flying around the planet.
"Buffy, who is that by the door? And why are you screaming?" Joyce's voice came closer as she headed to the front door as well.
"Hi, Aunt Joyce!" Cordy greeted her as she gave her a bear hug and a kiss on her cheek.
"Oh hello, Cordy! What are you doing here in Sunnydale?" Cordy rolled her eyes when she heard the same question coming from her aunt.
"See, that's what I asked her too! She won't come here unless there was something to interest her, which I doubt was us, Mom," Buffy chimed in, raising an index finger in the air as she accused her cousin.
"What?!? Of course not. I come here to visit you guys because I love you, AND because I miss you all a lot." Cordy put an assuring look on her pretty face.
Buffy folded her arms across her chest and cocked an eyebrow again, still not believing a word she said. "Uh-huh. Is that right?"
"Yes, it IS! Why is that so hard to believe?" Cordy threw her arms in the air, exasperated.
Joyce turned her around and gave a stern look. "Cordy...is that why you came here?" Cordy sighed and paused for a second.
"Okay, I came here on a business trip but-" Cordy finally gave in but she was cut short by Buffy's squeal.
"AHA! See, I was right, wasn't I!!" Buffy gave her a triumphant look.
"Yes, but I did want to see you guys. Besides, it's been a long time since I've had a slumber party with you, Buff." Cordy grinned wickedly. Buffy's eyes widened and she grinned back from ear to ear.
"You mean you're going to stay with us! Arghhh....this is so cool! I'm sooo happy you're here!!" Buffy squealed again as she jumped and grabbed her cousin for a tight hug once more, so tight Cordy couldn't even breathe.
"Err...Buffy...I uhh can't breathe…" Cordy's voice came as a squeak.
"Oh...sorry Cord!" Buffy let her go and smiled sheepishly as her cousin tried to breathe normally.
Joyce only stared at the two young women, smiling to herself as she silently thanked god that Buffy would not be home alone for a while. Feeling her aunt's intent stare, the brunette turned her head to look at her. "Oh. If that's alright with you, Aunt Joyce,” said Cordy, finally realizing that she hadn't asked for her permission to stay.
"Of course, dear. You're always welcomed to stay here anytime you want." Cordy smiled thankfully at her.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"You have your own key??" asked Cordy incredulous, eyes widening when she saw Buffy rummaging her bag for a key and jamming it inside Spike's front door's lock as soon as she found it.
"Yep. Giles gave it to me three years ago and Spike didn't mind at all." Buffy pushed the door open and walked inside the house with Cordy trailing behind. "Spike, you're home?" Buffy called upon the empty living room. Nobody answered. They walked further inside heading to the open dining room.
"Wow. This place is exactly the same as when I left Sunnydale years ago," Cordy commented, amazed at her surroundings. She then walked to the cabinet full of trophies and picture frames. She stood in front of it for what seemed like forever, studying the pieces one by one as if they were the most precious art sculptures. Buffy on the other hand, had already gone inside Spike's room trying to find something that she left there.
Spike entered his house quietly just in case his dad was already home and asleep. But it was still 8 pm, so Giles couldn't be sleeping at this time. He shrugged the thought off and strolled inside the house until he reached the dining room. Spike stopped his feet instantly when he saw a slim tall rear form standing in front of the cabinet.
"Uh...hello, there! Are you lost, pet?" said Spike blatantly. The brunette girl turned around and squinted her eyes as she tried to recognize the young man in front of her.
"Spike?" She asked in awe, not believing what she saw. The boy she used to know years ago was a nerd. I mean, REALLY a NERD with thick glasses and a brown tousled curled head. He was thin and not so tall for average kid at his age. But now, this boy turned into a sexy, hot, muscular, gorgeous, delicious you-name-it man with the glasses evidently already thrown off and bleached spiky hair, still curly somehow.
"Cordy?" Spike managed to find his voice at last as he regained his perception, though he was still mesmerized by the beauty of the young woman in front of him. 'God she's beautiful, as always' Spike thought.
"Yes, it's me. God, you've changed so much. I mean look at you, you've become a hot sexy hunk. I bet every girl’s just drooling all over you, am I right?" Cordy gave him a wink and wide smile.
"Well, not every girl. You're not drooling all over me. So that's an exception, right." A hint of sadness engulfed his face but he soon shrugged it off. He then gave her his sexiest smirk as he took a step closer. He could see her blush slightly, making his pride run wild.
Buffy, hearing a conversation, left Spike's room.
"Oh, hey Spike! I see you made a move on my cousin already." Buffy teased, but that tinge appeared in her heart again. She had known that Spike had had a crush on Cordy since he was ten years old. But being five years younger dragged his hopes down after Cordy had stated that she didn't go for a younger man with more than 2 years difference. He was crushed when Buffy told him that Cordy was engaged a year ago with some British man working in the fashion industry. Now she wasn't sure if Spike had gotten over his crush just yet.
"Wha'?!? No, I did not...although, if you were interested, pet, you still can call your engagement off and leave your worthless fiancé for me." Spike gave Cordy another smirk. Buffy groaned and rolled her eyes at the same second as she walked off to the kitchen. Cordy let out a rich and clear laughter. She brought her hand to pat Spike's cheek.
"I'm sorry, Spike. You know, I can't. And I WON'T leave Wesley for you. But if I hadn’t known him before, I would've fallen all over you. Besides, you're too young for me, remember?"
Spike groaned, rolling his eyes at her last statement. 'Here we go again. She won't fall for me if I'm not less than two sodding years younger! This is not bleeding fair!' Spike mutely grumbled.
"Oh well, tough luck, eh pet! Gotta give a bloke one last go before you marry that git." Spike gave a wicked wink and mischievous grin at Cordy.
"Oh, come on Spike! There must be a girl somewhere out there that will capture your heart and make you fall for her head over heels. Don't worry, you'll find her!" said Cordy, giving some hope and courage.
"Well, I did actually. I mean after you, there's this girl at school, an exchange student in fact. But I don't really wanna talk about her today. Right now, I wanna talk about you. So what are you doing here in good ol' Sunnydale?" Spike tried to cheer himself, changing his mood to a pleasant one.