Chapter 13

“Are you nervous?” Faith asked Spike as they got out of her jeep in the parking lot of the Bronze.

Spike gulped, “Nervous, why would I be nervous?”

“Exactly. William’s gone. No one is even going to notice that you and him are the same person. You’re Spike. It’s an opportunity to start new,” Faith told him, as she grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the door. They paid their cover charges, and headed into the loud and smoky club.

“Faith, I’ve never been in a club before,” Spike leaned down and whispered in her ear.

“Yes you have,” Faith told him, turning around to look him in the eyes. “You got into a fight in one in New York, which gave you this scar above your left eyebrow, and also forced your parents to move you here.”

“But I got this scar when I dropped my glasses and bumped my head on the table looking for them!" Spike exclaimed.

Faith made a face. “I definitely like my way better.” Turning her back on him, she let him know that the discussion was over. “Buffy should already be here. Can you spot her?”

Spike made a scene of looking around for her, even though she was the first person he saw when he walked into the club. It was like the crowd parted and she was all he could see.

“Never mind, I see her over at that table,” Faith told him, pointing her finger at Buffy. “Ready big guy?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Spike responded.

Faith gave him a relaxing smile as she grabbed his hand and lead him toward the table. Drusilla, Darla, Parker, Lindsay, and Lilah were already there and sitting with Buffy.

“Hey B, guys,” Faith greeted, as she approached the table with Spike.

“Hey Faith,” The gang greeted her; except for Buffy.

Buffy was too busy staring at the hottest guy she’s ever seen. Her emerald eyes were locked with the bluest beauties she’s ever seen, and she couldn’t tear herself away from them. She wanted to talk, you could tell by the way her mouth was opening and closing like a gaping fish.

“Earth to B,” Faith said, waving a hand in front of her face.

Buffy snapped out of it. “Hey Faith. Who’s the hottie? New boyfriend?” Buffy asked, biting her lip inside of her mouth, hoping that Faith’s answer was no.

“Nope, but I hope someone else might be. Anyway, this is Spike. He just transferred here from New York City, and I met him on my way to the club.”

Spike nodded his head in greeting to everyone, still staring at Buffy. ‘She called me hot!’ He inwardly cheered.

‘Not Faith’s boyfriend,’ Buffy thought in her head. ‘That means fair game.’

Unfortunately for Buffy, Drusilla was thinking the same thing. Abruptly getting up, she grabbed Spike’s arm. “Let’s dance my Spike.”

Spike turned and looked at the voice. By the description Faith gave, he assumed that this was Drusilla. Apparently, according to Faith, she’s a little crazy. Spike eyed her up and down. She was pretty in her own way. Pale skin, but dark hair and eyes. ‘She has nothing on Buffy though,’ Spike thought.

Buffy shot an evil glare at Drusilla who went unnoticed by everyone but Faith. “I’m gonna go get myself a drink,” Faith said. “Anyone else want anything?” When all she got were no’s, Faith turned toward the bar, but before she went to far, she whispered in Spike’s ear only loud enough for him to hear, “The jealousy card is a guy’s best friend.”

“Sure pet,” Spike told Drusilla. “I’d be honored to dance with a beauty like you.”

Drusilla smiled, and grabbed his hand to lead him to the dance floor. Spike spared one last glance at Buffy and grinned inwardly at the color of green her face was turning. ‘Am I taking this too far?’ He wondered. He looked for Faith by the bar and met her eyes. She gave him a nod of approval.

A slow song was playing, and Spike wrapped his arm around Drusilla’s waist as she wrapped hers around his neck.

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now
Yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

Yesterday is a kid in the corner
Yesterday is dead and over

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes

This is your life are you who you want to be
This is your life are you who you want to be

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

And you had everything to lose

Spike frowned at the lyrics when the song ended. ‘Is this who I want to be?’ He pondered. He then rejected Drusilla’s offer for another dance, and headed back to the table. Looking ahead, he saw Buffy sitting there alone; everyone else must’ve been dancing. ‘This is who I want to be, if she’s by my side,’ Spike thought to himself. ‘This is it mate, go and get her.’

Buffy had her head in her hands with a bored expression on her face. She glanced up when she heard the stool across from her pulled out.

“Hey luv, mind if I sit?” Spike asked her.

“Not at all,” Buffy responded, sitting up and suddenly more awake. “So, you’re Spike huh?”

“Yep, in the flesh.”

“Weird name.”

“Buffy any better?”

“Hey! My mom gave me that name!” Buffy whined.

“Sorry luv,” Spike held up his hands in surrender.

Buffy glared. “I’m guessing Spike isn’t your real name?”

“Nope.”

“So are you going to tell me what is?”

“Spike’s all you need to know,” Spike told her.

Buffy would normally be angry at any guy, but staring at the guy across from her, he wasn’t just any guy. She couldn’t help but smile a little. “I guess that’s cool. I like a little mystery in a guy.”

Spike grinned. ‘Where the hell did all this confidence come from?’ He asked himself in his head. He quickly pushed that thought out of his head; he wasn’t about to question it. “So luv it’s kind of loud in here. Want to go somewhere a bit more quiet and get to know each other better?”

Buffy kept her face looking nonchalant, but inside was squealing. ‘This hottie is into me!’ Keeping her voice calm she responded, “I guess that would be okay. Where do you have in mind?”

“It’s a surprise,” He told her, getting up and outstretching his hand to help her off the stool.

Buffy stuck out her bottom lip and pouted, grabbing his hand and hopping off of the stool. “I don’t like surprises.”

Spike wanted more than anything to kiss her and get that bottom lip, but ignored that feeling, because it would be too soon. “You just said you liked mysteries pet.”

“Yeah well I lied,” Buffy said, as Spike linked hands with her, and started weaving his way out of the club.

“Well, you’ll like this one,” Spike told her.

When they reached the parking lot, Buffy looked at him. “Which one is your car?”

Spike stopped short, angry with himself for his stupidity. ‘You rode with Faith you git, and Buffy rode with one of her friends, neither of you have a car!’

“Well luv, I figured its such a nice night out, that we could walk. It’s not too far away where I want to take you,” Spike covered, hoping that she wouldn’t mind walking.

“Great! I love to walk,” Buffy told him smiling.

Spike grinned. ‘We really do have a bloody lot in common. My luck must finally be changing. I just hope it stays this way.’ He thought to himself, before he started walking, with Buffy by his side.

TBC!

Chapter 14

“How much farther?” Buffy asked, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, as Spike lead her deeper through the woods, just outside of Sunnydale’s boundaries.

“We’re almost there luv. It’s just a bit more of a climb. Can you manage?” Spike asked, holding her hand and watching her out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, I guess so. I just wish I had worn better shoes for the woods,” She responded, looking down at her strappy sandal clad feet.

“Buffy, I’m sorry, I didn’t think-,” Spike began before he was cut off by Buffy.

“Don’t worry about it. I agreed to walk with you, it’s fine,” She flashed him a smile, one which she tried to hide her fear of the woods behind.

“You alright, luv? You seem a bit tense,” Spike mentioned, as he let go of her hand briefly, to climb a big rock, then turned and gave her his hand to help her up.

“Fine, it’s just, the woods at night can be a little spooky,” Buffy admitted.

“Afraid of a Big Bad?”

“Should I be?”

“Not with me here,” He assured her.

They arrived at a dead end, with leaves and brush blocking their path. Buffy pouted, “Looks like we can’t go any farther.”

“Well looks can be deceiving,” Spike told her, not even realizing the irony behind his words. He reached out in a knowing spot, and pulled the curtain of brush to the side, revealing the most amazing sight that Buffy had ever seen.

Buffy gasped, as her breath caught in her throat. Here they were, standing on top of a cliff, overlooking Sunnydale, with the lights of LA shining in the distance, and the moon shining above them. “I-I didn’t know this was here,” Buffy told him. “And I didn’t know the little town could be so beautiful.”

“I know it isn’t much, but it’s something,” Spike told her.

“Isn’t much? It’s amazing!” Buffy told him.

“Look over to the left,” Spike pointed.

Buffy followed his finger to the left, and gasped when she saw the ocean in the distance. “This is- there aren’t words. I wish I knew this was here sooner.”

Spike just smiled at her, and shrugged off his duster. He sat it down on the ground, near the edge (but not too close). He then sat on it, and pulled Buffy down with him, sitting her between his legs, with her back leaning against his chest.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, and Spike letting Buffy absorb the view, he spoke up. “So pet, care to get to know each other better?”

Buffy shook out of her daydream on how romantic this really was, and answered Spike. “I’d love to. How do you plan on doing that?”

“Well, we’ll just ask questions back and forth, and try to answer them as truthfully as possible.”

“Okay,” Buffy agreed.

“You first luv,” Spike told her.

“Sure. Family?” Buffy asked him.

“Just my da.”

“No siblings?”

“Nope.”

“What about your mom?” Buffy asked him, hoping she wasn’t pushing into dangerous territory.

“She died when I was two in a car accident,” He told her truthfully, his heart clenching at the thought of his mother.

“I’m so sorry,” Buffy apologized, turning to look at him. “I didn’t mean to- I didn’t know.”

“Don’t worry. It was a long time ago pet.” Buffy nodded and turned around, settling back into his embrace.

“What about your family?” Spike asked, already knowing the answer for the most part.

“Oh. Well as I’m sure you already know since you came in with her, I have Faith, my twin sister. Then there’s Dawn my younger sister, and my dad and mom.”

“Sounds nice.”

“For the most part. Having a twin is always pretty fun, but my little sister Dawn can be a real brat sometimes. Then my parents are really pushy, but the family is still great.”

Spike nodded. “So tell me about Spike,” Buffy told him.

“There’s not much to tell pet.”

“Well, if you transferred here from NYC, there has to be something exciting you can tell me,” Buffy pointed out, turning away from the view again to look at him.

“Exciting? Ha, my da is a librarian.”

“Really?” Buffy asked.

“Ye-yeah,” Spike stuttered, realizing he might’ve given away too much. ‘Buffy goes to Sunnydale High too, you git. I’m sure she knows who the librarian is.’ “Well, he used to be. But now he’s sort of in between jobs,” Spike lied. “So what’s your favorite color?”

Buffy laughed, a sound which was music to Spike’s ears. They went back and forth for hours, keeping the questions simple, each just enjoying the presence of the other, and learning more and more about each other.

“It’s getting late luv,” Spike told her a while later. “I think we should start our journey back to good ol’ Sunnydale.”

“Okay,” Buffy agreed. Spike stood up, and then helped her up. He picked up his duster and shook the dirt off it, before slipping it back on. “I really love it here though. It’s so peaceful.”

“Yeah it is. I used to come up here all the time, to get away from everything.”

“Used to all the time? I thought you just transferred here,” Buffy questioned, raising her eyebrows in confusion.

“I did. But I mean, the first few days were a blur, and I just wanted to get away from the unpacking and the boxes. I got lost up here on one of my explorations of the town, and fell in love with it,” Spike lied.

Buffy bought it, “That makes sense.”

Spike nodded, offering her his hand. “Ready to head home, luv?”

“Ready as ever,” Buffy responded, linking her hand in his. She looked up into his eyes, neither of them moving. Before Buffy knew it, Spike leaned down and captured her lips with his, for a passionate kiss under the stars. They pulled away breathless, staring into each other’s eyes.

“Thanks for tonight,” Buffy said breathlessly.

“Anything for you,” Spike told her, giving her a quick peck on the lips before leading her back toward Sunnydale. ‘I think I just fell harder for her, if that’s even possible,’ Spike thought, not knowing that in her head, Buffy was trying to figure out her tingly feelings for him.

TBC!

Buffy smiled to Spike as they walked hand and hand down Revello Drive. “You know, you really didn’t have to walk me home. It’s probably out of your way and we’ve done a lot of walking tonight,” Buffy said, glancing at him with a soft smile, and enjoying the way he looked bathed in the moonlight.

Spike looked back at her, returning the smile. “It’s no problem luv. I don’t live too far away.”

Too tried in the early hour of the morning, Buffy didn’t press the issue of where he lived any further, figuring that she would learn more sooner or later. As they approached the front of her house, Spike came to a stop.

“How’d you know this was my house?” Buffy questioned, looking at Spike with her eyebrows raised in question and confusion.

“Uh, well, uh, you’re sister Faith! Yeah we were on our way here, and she had to go back to get her cell phone,” Spike lied. ‘You really need to start telling her the truth mate,’ His conscience told him.

“Right,” Buffy said, half agreeing. “Well yeah, this is me.” She gestured toward the house.

“Do you want me to walk you to the door pet? Or do you just plan on sitting out here all night?” Spike questioned.

“Go in through the door- at 2:30 in the morning? Are you insane?” Buffy exclaimed, looking at him like he grew another head.

“Apparently,” Spike responded.

“My parents would kill me!”

“And here I took you as a rebel,” Spike questioned, wondering why he was brushing her off.

“Yeah I may be a rebel, but I value my belongings and don’t want my parents to take them,” Buffy informed him.

Spike nodded in understanding. “Alright then, how do you plan on getting in?”

“Simple,” Buffy told him. “Climb the tree on the side of the house. My window is the one you can see in.”

Following her gaze to the tree, Spike made a mental note of the information. “So, need a boost up?”

Buffy scoffed. “Please. I’ve been doing this for years.”

“Okay then, get to it luv,” Spike said, gesturing for her to go climb the tree.

“That’s it?” Buffy asked.

“What’s it?”

“No ki-.”

Before Buffy could finish her question, Spike crashed his lips to hers in a goodbye kiss. Before she could get into it, he pulled away, just as quickly, with a smirk on his face. “G’night luv,” Spike whispered, looking at her lust-filled eyes and parted lips, trying to resist temptation. With that said, he turned and started to walk down the street, the same way they came from. He hoped to walk the long way around the block to his house, so she wouldn’t see him go in.

“Wait!” Buffy called to his retreating back.

“Miss me already pet?” Spike grinned, turning around and walking backwards.

Buffy bit her bottom lip. “Will I ever see you again?”

“Count on it,” Spike winked at her, before he turned and walked away into the darkness of the night.

Buffy watched him go until his black duster blended in with the darkness of the night. Releasing a happy sigh, she headed toward the tree on the side of her house. Inwardly, she was scolding herself. She promised herself she would never get warm fuzzies for a guy again- not after Angel.

Getting to the tree, she kicked off her sandals, and placed them in her left hand. Placing her foot in the hole she carved out when she was younger with her father’s old pocket knife, she hoisted herself up the tree, to the room that let her in her second-story bedroom window. Crawling along the roof to her window, she lifted up the glass as quietly as she could. Carefully placing one foot in after the other, she pushed the rest of her body in. Turning around, she closed the window behind her. Walking to her closet, she opened the door and threw her sandals inside, then closed it. Deciding that she was too tired to change, she walked to her bed, and dropped her body to the mattress, wanting to just crash. She was surprised when she felt a hard body instead of the soft mattress.

“Umph!”

“What the hell?” Buffy screamed, but still keeping her voice below a whisper.

“Damn B, you sure do weigh more than you look,” Faith muttered, immediately awake.

Buffy pushed herself back up to a standing position, and turned on the lamp beside her bed. “Faith, what are you doing in my room?” Buffy asked quietly, not wanting to wake up her parents.

“What are you doing coming home so late?” Faith shot back.

“Can you not answer my question with another question?” Buffy asked.

“Why not? You just did it,” Faith smirked. A few seconds later that smirk fell off of her face. “Seriously B, I had to do some major coverage. Were you with Wi-Spike all that time?”

“Yeah,” Buffy said softly, looking at the floor.

“Buff, you barely know him!” Faith exclaimed, not expecting her sister to take a liking to him so quickly. ‘I do damn good work,’ Faith complimented herself.

“Shhh!” Buffy shushed her loud twin. “I know I do. It’s just we had a lot of fun tonight. That’s all it was.”

Faith was too tired to go into it any further, and she knew that Buffy would see Spike again. “That’s why your eyes are in the shape of hearts right now,” Faith grinned standing up. She stopped when she got to the door, and turned back to look at Buffy, “But hey, if that’s all it was, can I have him?”

Faith laughed when she saw Buffy’s death glare. “Kidding B, he’s all yours.”

After Faith left and shut the door, Buffy couldn’t get her words out of her head. “Is he really mine?” She kept going over in her head. “Drusilla looked awfully comfortable with him tonight before he hung out with me.” Suddenly, Buffy didn’t feel so tired anymore.

TBC!