Chapter 23:

Walking into the Bronze in a pair of black pants and a shimmery gold top, Buffy felt more like herself. Confidence seemed to pour from her as she walked toward the bar, spotting Faith chatting with a few different guys.

“Hi,” she said with a nervous smile when Faith turned around to face her.

“Where’ve you been, B?”

“Long story,” Buffy replied. “I broke up with Angelus.”

“Yeah, I heard.”

“You did?” Buffy asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“He kind of told me.”

“Aaah, let me guess…you’ve been screwing him, too.”

“It was after you two had broken up, B. I swear.”

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Buffy nodded. “You know, I’m not even mad,” she said with a soft smile that was for her own benefit. “You’re more than welcome to him, Faith, but watch out- he’s got a mean backhand.”

Faith’s eyes widened as she realized what Buffy was talking about. “I swear I didn’t know-“

“I didn’t either,” she replied with a shrug. “And even if you and I aren’t friends anymore…or never really were, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“We’re not together,” Faith said, shaking her head to emphasize the point. “He came here the night you two broke up and seemed really upset and…”

“And one thing led to another- I get it,” Buffy said with a nod. “I’ll see you around, Faith.”

Before the brunette could say anything else, Buffy disappeared into the crowd of people dancing. Walking toward the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. Another step in rebuilding her life.

Walking through the exit door and into the alley, Buffy almost laughed. ‘You’re not even out of high school and you’re rebuilding your life,’ she thought, shaking her head.

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t even see the man in front of her until she had crashed into him.

“Better watch out,” he said, grabbing her shoulders and steadying her. “Something bad could get a hold of you.”

Buffy jerked away from Angelus as he stood before her, giving her a slow smirk. “Something bad already did,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Come on, Buff. We can work this out,” he said, reaching out to run a hand along her cheek. It was so familiar that Buffy almost forgot who she was talking to. Feeling his hand on her skin sent her recoiling as she remembered that same hand slapping her a week ago.

“What part of me not wanting to see you again don’t you understand?”

“You didn’t mean that,” Angelus replied, giving her the same charming smile he’d used on her the night that he took her back to his place for the first time.

“I’ve never meant anything more than that,” Buffy shot back, walking around him, wanting to get out of the alley. She didn’t like being alone with him, especially when there was no one else around.

“How’s Captain Peroxide?” he asked, matching strides with her as she walked toward the street.

“He’s fine. How’s your gothic skank?” she asked, her jaw clenching.

Angelus ignored the question, grabbing Buffy’s arm and spinning her around to face him. “I’m going to get you back, Buffy,” he growled, staring at her with eyes clouded with anger. “You belong to me.”

Jerking her arm from his grasp, she glared at him. “I don’t belong to anyone. Least of all, you!”

“That’s what you think,” he replied in a menacing whisper before turning and walking back to the club.

Buffy stayed where she was for several long moments, trying to control her shaky breathing. Absentmindedly rubbing her arm where Angelus grabbed her, she turned and began walking home, reprimanding herself for not asking someone to go with her tonight.

* * * * *

When Buffy finally approached her house, she was surprised to see Spike sitting on the front porch swing.

“Hey,” she said, giving him a soft smile as she sat down next to him. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to stop by and see you,” he replied, frowning when he looked at her.

Buffy averted her eyes, nervously fidgeting under his unwavering gaze.

“Your mum wasn’t home, so I thought I’d wait out here,” he continued in a quiet voice, studying her carefully, taking in every gesture as she shifted in her seat and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Where were you?”

“Out,” she replied automatically, not even needing to look at him to know that he was raising an eyebrow in her direction.

“Is there something I should know?” he asked, tilting his head to look at her.

“Spike, we’re not together,” Buffy said in exasperation, standing up and pacing the porch as he leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him. “I don’t need you checking up on me.”

“I wasn’t checking up on you,” he replied with an edge to his voice, standing up to face her. “I wanted to drop off an early Christmas gift for you. I figured that was what friends were supposed to do. Merry Christmas, Buffy.”

She jumped when she felt something soft pressed into her hands before Spike turned and walked toward his car. Looking down at the plushy object, Buffy gasped when she saw what it was- Mr. Gordo.

“Spike, wait!” she called, running down the path and throwing herself into his arms when he turned around. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I went to the Bronze tonight. I had to sever old ties, and I ran into Angelus.” She could feel him stiffen and pull back to look at her.

“Are you alright, luv?”

“I’m fine,” she murmured, avoiding his gaze. “He just tried to shake me up, and I guess it worked a little bit because I didn’t mean to take it out on you.” She paused, looking down at the stuffed animal. Buffy smiled as she hugged it to her chest. “I thought you gave him to her,” she whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

“I would never do that,” Spike said softly, tilting her head up to look at him. “I just wanted something that reminded me of you.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Spike smiled when she hugged him again, wrapping his arms securely around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “No need to thank me, luv. I should have told you the truth from the beginning and not let you believe that I would give him to Dru.”

Stiffening at the mention of his ex-girlfriend, Buffy pulled away but kept a smile firmly on her face as she looked at the pig, slowly turning to look at Spike again. “Thank you for making my night better…for making everything better.”

“I wish I could do some things right for a change,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking at the ground.

Buffy gently touched his arm, causing him to look up at her. Buffy smiled. “You’re doing a lot of right things.”

“I am?” he asked, looking at her in surprise as her smile brightened.

"Well...there's a first time for everything."

Chapter 24:

On Christmas Eve night, Buffy was surprised when Spike stopped by, a present in his hand. She let him in and led him towards the living room. He sat on the couch and smiled at how pretty she looked.

‘But then again, she could be covered by newspapers and would still look drop-dead gorgeous,’ he thought. ‘Even though she’s fully covered by jeans and a turtleneck, she’s still sexy. She’s the only woman I’ve ever known who can be so bloody beautiful all of the time.’

“Is it just me, luv, or are you glowing?” he asked, and she smiled at him before she retrieved a present from under the Christmas tree and walked to the couch to sit beside him.

“It’s probably just from the lights on the tree,” she replied, shrugging.

“Or maybe too much eggnog?” he joked, chuckling. She playfully smacked his arm. “Hey! That hurt, you know.”

“I don’t drink,” she said before frowning. “Okay, I used to. A lot. But I’ve changed. That was the old Buffy.”

“I thought that was the new Buffy?” he asked, studying her.

“No, that’s the old, new Buffy,” she said before making a face. “Never mind. But I’m not like that anymore. It’s a part of my turning-over-a-new-leaf program.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said, handing her the present he was holding.

“What’s this?” she asked, eyeing it suspiciously. “You already gave me my present, remember?”

“That wasn’t a present,” he said. “He was yours to begin with, pet. I just returned him, is all.” She smiled. “So, is he taking care of you? Keeping you warm at night?” She giggled and shook her head.

“He was one of the best things you could’ve given me,” she replied. “That’s enough.”

“Then I’ll just take this back,” he said, trying to retrieve the gift he had given her. She pulled it back, her eyes wide.

“No,” she said quickly. “It would be rude of me to not accept it.” He chuckled. “But you’re opening yours up first, buddy.” She handed him a wrapped package and smiled.

“What is it, kitten?” he asked, tearing off the wrapping paper to reveal a box. He opened it up and first pulled out the DVD case for “Casper”. He started laughing. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” she smiled, looking at him. “I know you have it on VHS, but this has extra features on it. I couldn’t resist.”

“Thank you,” he replied genuinely. “Only you would get me something so…”

“Friendly?” she supplied, smirking. He nodded and grabbed the other item in the box, staring at it.

“How did you know I lost this CD?” he asked, looking at her. She smiled and grabbed the “Never Mind The Bollocks- Here’s the Sex Pistols” case he was holding and smiled sheepishly at him.

“I have a confession,” she said quietly, looking down. “You left it here, and I didn’t want to give it back because…I really like it.” He raised an eyebrow.

“But I thought you hated the Sex Pistols?” he asked, surprised. “You always used to yell at me for listening to them.”

“Yeah, well, I grew to like them,” she shrugged. “And I figured that I owed you it back, so I bought you a new one.” He grinned and hugged her.

“Thank you, Buffy,” he said, running his hand over her hair. “It’s perfect.” He softly kissed her cheek before pulling back. “Time for yours.” She giggled giddily and began to tear off the wrapping paper. She stared at the picture frame she was holding, but more specifically, at the picture inside of it. She looked at him, her eyes beginning to water.

“Spike?” she asked, looking down once again at the picture of her and William together.

“I have a confession to make, as well,” he replied, taking a deep breath. “Do you remember the day I came to get my stuff back?” She nodded, still confused. “Well, before I left your house, I saw something fly out of your window.” The memory of her throwing the picture outside hit her instantly. “I retrieved the picture from the broken frame and got a new one. A better one.” Her fingers slowly traced over the inscription on the outer edge of the silver frame- Forever and For Always. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, letting a couple of tears escape her eyes. He smiled softly and brushed them away. “Thank you, Spike. I love it.” She leaned forward and gave him a brief kiss before pulling back and sighing. “I think this has been one of our most meaningful Christmases yet.” He nodded, looking at her content expression.

‘And it can only get better from here,’ they both thought, looking at each other.

* * * * *

Their Winter Break passed quickly, and when Spike offered to drive her to school again, she hesitantly accepted, hoping that starting off the day right would keep her dread of returning to school to a bare minimum. When they pulled up in the parking lot, she was surprised to see so many of her fellow students watching them with confused and surprised expressions. Spike noticed and raised an eyebrow.

“Looks like we have an audience,” he said, looking at her. She frowned and sighed, walking into the building, Spike in tow. He followed her to her locker and leaned against the one beside hers. “So, do I get the honor of driving you home after school?”

“Sure,” she said, smiling at him. “Sounds good.” He kissed her temple before beginning to walk away.

“See you later, luv,” he said, loud enough for her to hear. She giggled to herself and opened her locker, grabbing her stuff. She heard footsteps approaching her but shrugged it off.

‘It’s a Monday morning before the bell- of course people are walking around,’ she thought before closing her locker door and gasping as she saw who was standing beside her suddenly.

“Drusilla,” she said quietly, staring at the raven-haired girl.

“Hello, Buffy,” Drusilla replied, smiling maniacally. “Can we talk?” Buffy shook her head, not wanting to deal with the other girl at that moment, but Drusilla grabbed her forearm, sinking her nails into Buffy’s delicate skin. She winced in pain as Dru pulled her into the girl’s bathroom, shutting the door and switching the lock.

“What’s going on?” Buffy asked, pulling her arm away and covering it with her other hand, happy that Dru’s nails weren’t sharp enough to draw blood.

“I think it’s time we talked,” Drusilla said, leaning against a sink. “Girl-to-girl. How does that sound?”

“Horrible,” Buffy said bluntly, frowning. “I have class.” Drusilla giggled.

“So do I,” she said, shrugging. “But I think we have more pressing matters to discuss, don’t we?”

“What the hell are you talking about, you psycho?” Buffy asked, looking at the girl standing across from her.

“My Spike and your Angelus,” she said, crossing her arms.

“First off, Angelus isn’t mine,” Buffy clarified. “And Spike isn’t yours anymore.”

“Well, that’s going to change, now isn’t it?” Drusilla asked, grinning. “Angelus wants you back, and I want my Spike all to myself again.”

“I don’t want Angelus anymore, and Spike sure as hell doesn’t want you,” Buffy said sharply.

“It’s not about what you both want,” Drusilla said, tilting her head as she looked at Buffy. “It’s about what I want, and I always get what I want.”

Chapter 25:

Buffy sat on the couch, watching an old movie, her legs curled up to her
chest with a sheared velvet blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was
enjoying a night to herself for the first time in a long time. Just being
alone with her thoughts was enough to keep her occupied for the entire
night, and considering her mother was working, Buffy had no other
distractions.

Letting her head fall back against the couch, her eyes drifted shut as her
brain ran over her conversation with Drusilla earlier that day. Spike
wasn’t hers, but he wasn’t Drusilla’s either, and the thought of the two of
them getting back together sickened her. On the other hand, the idea of
being tied to Angelus now that she knew the truth about him was enough to
send her running for the bathroom.

Buffy didn’t care what kind of idle threats Dru was making- there was no way
in hell she would subject herself to being with an abusive cheater who
didn’t even care about her. She was merely a prize to be won. Another
trophy for his shelf, or more accurately, another notch on his bed post.
Even if the notch was slightly more highly regarded than his other
conquests, Buffy could do without it, considering his treatment of her.

Her hand drifted up to her cheek, gently brushing along the skin. It was no
longer marked, but the effects were still there. She would never forget the
feeling of a man who needed to declare his superiority by hitting her, and
she never planned on having that feeling again.

Standing up and stretching her aching muscles, Buffy straightened her soft
cotton pants and headed for the kitchen, preparing to make herself a cup of
hot chocolate. She stopped when a soft knock sounded against the door,
directing her attention toward it. Frowning as she approached, Buffy
worried her bottom lip before unlocking the deadbolt and opening it, her
eyes widening when she saw Angelus standing there.

Throwing her weight against the door to close it, she gritted her teeth when
he wedged his foot between the door and the frame.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in, Buffy?” he asked, shoving his weight
against it and causing her to lose her balance. Taking a few steps back to
regain her footing, Buffy glared at the intruder, self-consciously crossing
her arms over her chest to conceal the camisole that was doing a poor job of
making her feel covered.

“I wasn’t planning on it, but since you feel the need to barge into my
house- what the hell do you want, Angelus?”

“I told you, baby. I want you back.”

“Keep dreaming,” she said with a scoff. “How many times do I have to tell
you to stay the hell away from me?! I don’t want to see you, I don’t want
to even remember I know you, so why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Remember how good it was, Buff?” he asked, taking a step toward her.

“I remember I was delusional enough to think that I loved you. I’ve come to
my senses since then, so don’t plan on history repeating itself.”

“You know you love me,” he said with a smirk that suddenly seemed menacing
to Buffy.

“Get out of my house, Angelus,” she said through clenched teeth.

“I know you want to have some fun.”

The look in his eyes suddenly began to scare her. Steadily backing away
from him, her eyes scanned the area, looking for anything that she might
need to use to defend herself.

“Leave,” she said in a surprisingly strong voice.

Running a hand over her bare arm, Angelus dipped his head low and left a
kiss on her forehead. Buffy shuddered at the combination of the touch and
the kiss and continued to back away. The tenderness was scarier than the
menacing looks and threats. At least with the looks, she knew where she
stood.

“I’ll see you soon, baby,” he said in a husky whisper before turning and
walking out the door.

Slamming the door when he walked through it, Buffy quickly locked it.
Turning around and letting her back fall against the hard surface, she
slowly slid down to the floor, curling her legs up to her chest and letting
her chin fall to her knees. Trying to regulate her breathing, she let the
shaking take over her body. She had no idea what Angelus was capable of,
but she really didn’t want to find out on a night when she was alone in her
house.

Running her trembling hands through her hair, Buffy fought the tears in her
eyes. She wasn’t weak. She prided herself on not being weak and she
refused to let a simple encounter with her ex-boyfriend get her emotional.
Even if her stomach did feel as if it was tied in knots and she still
couldn’t control her breathing.

“God, why do I let him do this to me?” she muttered, banging her head
against the door. Between Drusilla’s threats and Angelus’
disappearing/reappearing act, Buffy was beginning to feel emotionally
drained from the turmoil she was subjected to. For being a senior in high
school, she sure wasn’t getting any breaks.

When the phone rang, breaking her out of her reverie, Buffy hastily climbed
to her feet and ran for the cordless, taking a calming breath before
answering.

“Hello?”

“Hi, luv.”

Smiling her first genuine smile of the night, Buffy curled up on the couch
with the phone pressed to her ear.

“Is this a ‘special occasion’ call or a ‘just because’ call?”

“This is an ‘I miss you’ call,” Spike replied with a smile.

“You just saw me a few hours ago,” Buffy said in a teasing tone.

“What’s your point?” he asked playfully. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Um…I was watching some old movie on cable.”

“Was? Meaning you’re not anymore?”

Not wanting to get into the Angelus situation…or the Drusilla situation for
that matter, Buffy bit her lip and looked around the house. “I-I stopped to
make some hot chocolate.”

‘Not a lie,’ she thought. ‘I just got interrupted.’

“Is something wrong?” Spike asked, his tone immediately changing from
playful to serious.

“N-no…why do you ask?”

“Because I know your different voices, pet. I’m close. Now tell me what’s
going on.”

“Spike, it’s really nothing to worry about…”

“Alright, I’m coming over.”

“Spike-“

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Buffy opened her mouth to speak again, but was immediately cut off by the
click of him hanging up the phone. “Damn it,” she muttered under her
breath. She was never able to lie to Spike, and with one look at her face,
he would be able to read her like a book. “Now what the hell am I supposed
to do?”

* * * * *

When Spike showed up at her house moments later, he was genuinely worried. He knew something was off with her, and the thought alone that something had happened was scaring him more than anything else ever had before. Knocking on her front door, he studied her when she opened it, obviously pasting a smile on her face. He frowned and walked inside, right past her as she closed the door.

“Nice try, luv, but I know when your smiles are fake, too,” he said, crossing his arms. She locked the door, and he raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she answered, shrugging. “I just get a little paranoid when I’m home alone.”

“You’re not alone anymore,” he replied. “And I don’t think that’s why you look so startled.”

“What? I’m not startled,” she said, looking down. He walked closer to her and tilted her chin up to look at her.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Buffy,” he said quietly. She sighed and looked away.

“Dru confronted me this morning,” she answered. “And Angelus stopped by a few minutes ago.” He felt anger coursing through him as he clenched his fists.

“Did you invite him over?” he asked, upset enough just by the thought of it. She looked at him sadly.

“Are you kidding?” she asked. “You really think I would purposely endanger myself? Especially when I’m the only one here?” He clenched his jaw. “He came by on his own. I tried to keep him from coming in, but…”

“Did he touch you?” he asked, sheer fury filling him suddenly. “Are you okay? What’d he do?”

“He just talked,” she replied. “He made some possessive comments, told me he wants me back, and said he’d see me soon. That’s all.”

“’That’s all’, she says,” he replied sternly, staring at her. “Buffy, who knows what he could’ve done to you. He could’ve-“

“But he didn’t,” she said firmly, cutting him off. “I’m fine. He may make all kinds of threats, but he doesn’t follow through with them. He just likes to hear himself speak.” She walked into her living room and sat on her sofa. He followed her and sat beside her.

“He could’ve hurt you, pet,” he said, looking at her. “You’ve got to keep yourself better protected when I’m not around.”

“I can handle myself,” she replied sharply. “I got along just fine without you for a year, didn’t I?”

“And you started dating an abusive bastard who was just using you for shagging,” he said, clenching his jaw, pausing when she seemed to visibly shut down. “I didn’t mean…I just-“

“I just don’t have the best of luck when choosing guys…I know what you meant,” she said sadly.

“I want to protect you, Buffy, but you have to watch out for yourself when I’m not around. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” She took a deep breath and looked down.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” she said quietly. “I was having a good night somewhat until I was interrupted.” She stood up. “Want some hot chocolate?”

“Sure,” he answered, resting his head on the back of the couch. “Can we talk about what happened with Drusilla when you come back?”

Buffy hesitantly nodded and headed into the kitchen.

‘They’re both going to wreak havoc now, aren’t they?’ Spike thought, still angry. ‘How can I kill two evil birds with one very large stone?’

* * * * *

After coming back with two mugs of hot chocolate, Buffy calmly explained what had happened earlier with Drusilla at school. He looked at her arm and saw five red half-moon marks. He gently grabbed her forearm and brought it to his mouth, kissing each individual mark, almost as if it was an apology.

“I’m sorry, kitten,” he said quietly. “If I had stayed around for a couple of minutes more, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“It was bound to happen,” she replied, pulling her arm back. “I knew she’d do something eventually- I just didn’t know what it would be or when. But it’s fine. She didn’t do any lasting damage to me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said sadly, looking at her. Gently cupping her cheeks in his hands, he leaned forward to kiss her. She broke away after a moment and looked at him. “I’m still sorry.”

“Stop apologizing for something you didn’t do,” she said, stretching out and turning on another old movie. “Now, let’s stop talking about such negative things.”

“What do you want to talk about then?” he asked, finally sipping his hot chocolate. “A walk down memory lane, perhaps?”

“Even those become sad after awhile,” she replied, shrugging. He frowned.

“None of our memories should be sad,” he said before pausing. “Well, yeah, most of the last year wasn’t that great for us, so how about we just omit that part?”

“Sounds good in theory, but it was a long period of time- you can’t just erase a year from your memory,” she said. “Although, I’d be able to erase Angelus, Faith, and my lack of decent clothing, so maybe that’s a plus.” He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to rest her head on his chest.

“Maybe it’s time we start making more happy memories,” he suggested. “You know, to combat the bad ones.” She smiled softly and sighed.

“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “It’s time to start living the way I want to again.”

“Does that include me at all?” he asked, smirking. She looked at him and giggled at his hopeful expression.

“If it didn’t, you wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” she said. “Right now will eventually be a memory, Spike.”

“A good one?” he asked, running his hand over her hair.

“Yes, it’ll be a good one,” she said before curling up against his side. “One where we’re both content and we aren’t worried about anything.”

“But you are worried, aren’t you?” he asked quietly, and she nodded. “I’m not going to let him come near you. Dru, either, for that matter. I’m going to protect you, luv. Until the end of the world.”

“Even if that happens to be tonight?” she asked jokingly. He chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

“Even if it’s tonight,” he affirmed. “Even if a fire-breathing dragon shows up, I’ll protect you.”

“Oh, like a noble knight?” she asked, her eyes wide with excitement. “My knight in shining armor?”

“Sounds good to me,” he replied. “Me thinks my lady doth need a knight in close proximity.” She giggled and kissed him softly. “I love you, Buffy.”

“I love you, too, Spike,” she said, briefly shutting her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat.

“Forever and for always still?” he asked, looking down at her. She smiled and nodded. “Then I guess my future plans are set. Take care of my lady and love her unconditionally.” She looked at him as he leaned down once more to kiss her.

Chapter 26:

Sitting on her porch swing with the newest issue of Cosmo, Buffy let the
soothing motions relax her as she read ‘What Sex Feels Like For Him’. Why
she felt the need to know, she’d never understand, but the magazine always
had a way of pulling her in when she least expected it.

“Honey?”

Buffy looked up and offered her mother a slight smile when she poked her
head out of the front door.

“Do you want to order in tonight?”

“Sure,” Buffy said with a nod. “Sounds good.”

“How about Mexican?”

“That’s fine, Mom.”

“Why don’t you call William and see if he wants to join us?”

“I don’t know,” Buffy said, uncertainty evident in her voice.

“I thought you two were trying to work things out.”

“We are,” Buffy said, nodding. “But we’ve been seeing each other so much
lately, I think it might be nice to give him a night off.”

“I don’t think that he thinks of you as a chore.”

“I know. I’ll think about it.”

Joyce nodded before ducking back into the house to order the food.

Buffy stared into her front yard for a few minutes. It had been a few weeks
since Dru had made her not-so-veiled threats, and Buffy had been able to
avoid her ever since that day. Of course, it was easier considering Spike
made sure he was by her side at every available second, acting as a
self-appointed bodyguard.

‘Starting over’ sounded good in theory, but it was taking a lot of work.
Namely, getting Buffy over her trust issues. Every time the passion
escalated from anything more than kissing, Buffy seemed to shut down, and she
was worried that Spike was getting frustrated, as well.

It wasn’t just the fact that she was still having a hard time trusting him,
even though she felt perfectly justified, considering she’d trusted him for
years with her heart and he effortlessly shattered it with a single blow.
No, the remaining problem seemed to belong with Angelus. After his
treatment of her, Buffy was finding it difficult to remember what it was
like to be in a normal relationship. To be with someone who actually wanted
to be with her and enjoyed spending time with her. Someone who wasn’t just
looking for the quickest way to get her into bed.

Spike was trying as hard as he could to put her at ease, and it hadn’t been
brought up yet, but Buffy was the one growing frustrated.

‘Why can’t I just differentiate the two situations?’ she asked herself, her
brow furrowed as she watched the sunset. ‘Why do I feel the need to compare
William to Angel? Or William to Spike for that matter?’

When the front door opened, tearing her out of her thoughts, Buffy looked up
and saw Joyce walking toward her with the phone, an odd expression on her
face.

Taking the cordless with a frown, she watched her mother disappear into the
house before putting it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hello, lover,” the voice purred on the other end, sending a shiver of
disgust running through Buffy’s body.

“What do you want?” she asked, clenching her jaw

“I haven’t talked to you in a while,” Angelus replied in a charming voice.
“I miss you, baby.”

“Well, I don’t miss you, so why don’t you go back to your skank? See if she
can warm your bed at night because I won’t be there. Oh…I forgot,” Buffy
said, her voice taking on an innocent quality. “She can’t warm your bed,
since she obviously has no body temperature. Or maybe the frigid look is
just a look…somehow I doubt it.”

“I’m sure Billy would be more than happy to give you details,” he said with
a smile in his voice. “You know I would never leave you for her, baby. Not
like he did. I would give her up in a heartbeat- all you have to do is
ask.”

“You two deserve each other,” Buffy replied, standing up and leaning against
the porch railing. “And I’m guessing you’re not calling to tell me you’re
planning on leaving town? Or maybe jump in front of a bus? That’s probably
just my wishful thinking.”

“You always look so cute when you’re upset, Buff,” he said in a chilling
whisper. Buffy suppressed the urge to shiver at his words. “And you should
really wear white more often. It makes you look so innocent.”

Glancing down at her jeans and white sweater, a feeling of dread seemed to
surround her before her head snapped up and she looked around the
neighborhood. “What the hell are you playing at?” she asked, trying to find
him. A smarter, or more accurately, a terrified person would be backing
toward the door, wanting to find solace in their home. Buffy Summers wasn’t
about to give a man the satisfaction that she ran and hid with fear.

“I just miss you,” he replied. The honesty in his voice was almost
chilling.

“Yeah? Here’s an idea- go fuck yourself.”

Her tone of voice was so calm that Angelus didn’t have a retort ready before
she clicked the ‘end’ button on the phone. Staying where she was for
several long minutes, Buffy finally turned and walked into the house,
letting the trembling begin to take affect.

“Buffy, what’s wrong?” Joyce asked, seeing her daughter leaning against the
front door, apparently focusing on how to breathe.

“It’s nothing,” she said, shaking her head.

“Come on,” her mother coaxed gently. “I’ve read all the parenting books.
You cannot surprise me.”

“That was just…one of the guys I was hanging out with a while ago…do you
remember that guy Angel?”

“Vaguely,” Joyce replied. “I never met him, right?”

“Right. Um…he…I-I…oh God,” she mumbled, glancing down before meeting her
mother’s gaze again. “We’re sort of dating, were dating, um, going through
a serious off-again phase right now. Really serious- the kind that never goes
on-again.”

Joyce gave her daughter a reassuring smile. “Don't tell me- he's changed.
He's not the same guy you fell for?”

“In a nutshell,” Buffy replied with a nervous smile before it faded as she
remembered the powerful slap that she never could have prepared herself for.
“A-anyway, um... since he changed, he's been kinda following me around.
He's having trouble letting go.”

Joyce’s smile suddenly faded, a concerned look taking its place. “Buffy,
has he done anything…”

“No!” Buffy exclaimed, her eyes wide as she shook her head. “No, it's not
like that. He's just been hanging around…a lot. Just trying to see me, that
kind of thing. I just don't wanna see him right now. I mean, if he shows
up, I'll talk to him,” she added, thinking of her mother’s safety before her
own. “Just…don't invite him in.”

Chapter 27:

About a month passed, and things were still strained between Buffy and Spike, but for the most part, she thought that they were getting better. She was starting to break down the walls she had built around her, and she found that trusting him once again wasn’t impossible- it was just going to take some time.

They had big plans for Valentine’s Day, so when her phone rang about an hour before Spike was to arrive to pick her up, she assumed it was him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be more incorrect.

“Hello, baby,” Angelus said in a low tone, causing her to shiver and instantly close herself off from feeling emotions.

‘This has to be a nightmare,’ she thought. ‘He didn’t call for weeks, and now today. My luck just keeps getting worse.’

“What do you want?” she replied sharply, deciding to skip the polite pleasantries of typical conversations and delving right into the heart of the call.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart,” he replied, practically purring. “I was wondering if I could take you out tonight.”

“Are you deluded?” she asked, becoming angry. “Why would I even consider going anywhere with you?”

“Because you and your boy-toy are no longer together,” he answered, and she raised an eyebrow, confused.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked, sitting on her bed.

“I saw him talking with Dru yesterday,” he replied. “They were at the Espresso Pump together, looking like old friends. In fact, I saw them leave together.” She instantly felt sick.

‘No he didn’t,’ she thought. ‘He told me he was hanging out with some of the guys at the Bronze.’ She fought back a wave of nausea. ‘Right?’

“So I just assumed that he’s with her again,” Angelus continued, snapping Buffy back to reality. “Makes sense and all, reconciling before Valentine’s Day. No one wants to be alone, Buff. And a girl like you deserves better than that.”

“Yeah, I do,” she agreed, frowning. “And since you’re not nearly good enough for me, my evening does not and will not include anything with you. Stop calling me, stop following me, and back the hell off before I report you to the police. Understand?”

“Why would I do that, babe?” he asked. “You know I love you, and you love me, too.” She clenched her fists. “Love is forever, Buffy.” She hung up the phone instantly and ran to the bathroom, finally succumbing to the sick feeling inside her as she remembered saying the same thing to Spike once before.

‘Oh god,’ she thought, leaning back against her bathtub. ‘I need to know what happened. Right now.’

* * * * *

The hour slowly passed, and when Spike finally rang her doorbell, she quickly opened the door and was presented with a dozen blood red roses. She raised an eyebrow, staring at them.

‘Is he overcompensating for seeing Dru and not telling me?’ she wondered. ‘Why else would he do something this grandiose? He’s always been a single rose or a small bouquet kind of guy, but this…this is too much.’

“Do you like them?” he asked, confused by the expression on her face. She looked at him and nodded.

“They’re beautiful,” she said, carefully taking them from him. “Thank you.”

“Is everything alright, luv?” he asked, tilting his head as he studied her. “You look a little pale.”

“I’m not feeling well,” she answered, shrugging. “But I’m fine. Let me just go put these in a vase.” He frowned as she turned and walked to the kitchen before following her.

“We can stay in tonight, if you’d like,” he offered. “I don’t want you to be out and about while feeling ill.” She took a deep breath and turned to face him.

“Where were you last night?” she asked, crossing her arms. Her quizzical tone surprised him.

“At the Bronze with Finn and Harris,” he answered. “Why?” She leaned back against the countertop.

“If I called them and asked them right now, would they agree that you were with them?” she asked. “Or would they be lying to cover up where you really were?” He raised an eyebrow.

“What’re you talking about, pet?” he asked, more confused than he was before. “I was with them until midnight. Anyone at the Bronze last night could vouch for that.” She looked down. “What’s going on?”

“Did you see Dru at all yesterday?” she asked, looking at him again. He shook his head, frowning.

“No,” he answered. “Why would I do that? I’d rather shove a stake in my heart than see her.” She smiled slightly before turning away from him again. “Where would you get an idea like that from?”

“It’s nothing,” she said quietly, cutting off the ends of the rose stems so that they would fit in the vase.

“No, it’s obviously not ‘nothing’ because you seemed mightily distressed about a minute ago,” he replied. She sighed and looked at him again.

“Angelus told me that he saw you with Dru at the Espresso Pump yesterday,” she said, studying him to see how he’d react. He clenched his fists.

“I wasn’t at the Espresso Pump,” he said, gritting his teeth. “You believed him? You honestly believed that I lied to you so that I could see her again?” She looked down. “Do you really not trust me at all, Buffy?” She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to fight the urge to cry.

“I didn’t know,” she answered sadly. “I do trust you, Spike. It’s just…I had memories from last year, from what happened when you started liking Dru while we were still dating, and it just took over. I didn’t want to believe him, but I didn’t know what the truth was. I’m sorry.” He slowly walked over to her, embracing her in a hug and kissing the top of her head. “He said it to try to break us up, didn’t he?” Spike nodded, looking at her. “He’s praying on my weaknesses, Spike. He knows that I have trust issues with men. I’m sorry. I should’ve believed you, given you the benefit of the doubt. I just got so scared.”

“It’s okay, luv,” he said quietly, grazing her cheek. “He was lying to you to take you away from me again, but I wouldn’t ever let that happen. And even if you don’t want to be with me, I refuse to let you be with someone who doesn’t deserve you. You’re better than that, Buffy.” She was reminded of what Angelus had said but tried her best to forget it.

“I want to be with you again, Spike,” she replied, sighing. “It’s just going to take some time.”

“I’ll wait forever if I have to,” he said, gently kissing her forehead. “I promise.”

It was in that moment that Buffy knew she was going to trust him wholeheartedly again soon, and even if she got hurt again, she knew that he loved her, and for now, that was enough.

A/N We know that a lot of you still don’t understand why Spike broke up with Buffy and there’s a very good reason- there is no good reason. Sometimes people (especially at the age they were) just can’t make it work, but taking a step back and a second look (from both sides) is what makes a relationship worth the time. That’s the point that we were trying to reach in this story. Is love really worth a second chance? If you love someone so much, can you put your heart out there again? Buffy runs the risk of getting her heart broken again, but what most people don’t realize is that Spike runs the risk of being used by Buffy, who realistically could just be out for revenge. These aren’t avenues that we’re going to explore or this story would get really long, but they’re both putting a lot on the line. Spike will never be back in everyone’s good graces because of what he did, but our standpoint is, could Buffy forgive him? Because when you truly love someone, you (eventually) get to the point where the past can be overlooked, not forgotten, but you move on. Thank you to everyone who is still reading and reviewing! ~ Ashlee & Allison

Chapter 28:

Walking hand in hand through the streets of Sunnydale, Buffy leaned her head
on Spike’s shoulder, marveling at how relaxed she was. Wrapping his arm
around her, he gently kissed the top of her head. “Feeling alright, luv?”
he asked.

“Yeah,” she said with a smile, looping her arms around his waist and
allowing him to pull her closer. “Never felt better.”

“Never?” he asked, stopping to look at her with a raised eyebrow and an
amused expression.

“Pervert,” Buffy replied, lightly slapping his chest. She was about to pull
away when she felt him pull her closer, letting his lips brush across hers.
“Mmmm,” she sighed with a contented smile. “I can get used to this.”

“You better not,” Spike said with his own smile. “I plan on giving you
plenty of surprises.”

“All good?” she asked, a trace of insecurity making its way into her voice
as she looked away.

Gently tilting her head back up to face him, Spike brushed a tendril of hair
away. “Do you trust me?”

“I…”

“I know it’ll take some time,” he said softly. “And I don’t know how to
make you believe that I won’t hurt you again. All I can do is say that I
love you. My feelings are the strongest they’ve ever been, and I can’t
believe I gave up on us for something that wasn’t even half as good. I hurt
you…I hurt you in more ways than I can imagine, because if it wasn’t for me,
you wouldn’t have been in the situation with that ponce.”

“Spike-“

“I love you,” he whispered, staring into her eyes. “I need you to know
that.”

Taking a deep breath, Buffy gave him a soft smile, reaching up and cupping
his cheek in her hand. “I love you, too. And I know…I know that you won’t
hurt me again. I guess I’m still a little on edge considering…Angelus and
Dru.”

“Don’t worry about them, pet. We haven’t had to talk to them in over a
month and-“

“Are coming this way.”

Gritting his teeth and rolling his eyes skyward, Spike sighed. “Why am I
getting a sense of déjà vu?”

Glancing over his shoulder at the approaching couple, a slow smile spread
across Buffy’s face.

“You wanna get out of-“

Before Spike could finish the question, Buffy grabbed the lapels of his
duster and jerked him down to smash her lips against his. Smiling against
her lips, he realized what she was doing and eagerly wrapped his arms around
her waist, gently pushing her against the wall of a nearby building and
subtly grinding himself against her as her hands traveled up his muscles to
twine through his hair.

Moaning when his tongue dipped into her mouth, Buffy pushed against him,
completely forgetting the original purpose of the kiss as she got lost in the feel of him against her. Forgetting, that is, until Spike suddenly
disappeared from her hold, leaving Buffy with flushed skin and an
accelerated heartbeat.

Before she even had a chance to catch up to what was going on, she gasped
when she saw Spike slamming a punch into Angelus’ jaw, ducking as the larger
man swung back at him. She saw Dru standing behind Angelus, but watching
Spike made Buffy temporarily forget about the fight as she imagined shoving
the other girl’s head into the pavement.

Not thinking about her own safety, Buffy ran in between the two men,
resisting the urge to cower when they still tried to get at each other.

“Don’t you touch her,” Angelus growled in a possessive voice.

“I’ll touch her any bloody way I please. She’s not yours!” Spike yelled
back, breathing heavily. Slowly focusing on Buffy, he met her worried eyes
as she ran her hands over his chest in a soothing gesture. His eyes
softened when he reached up to trail a hand along her cheek. “You alright,
princess?”

“Fine,” she whispered. “I’m more worried about you.”

Buffy gasped when she felt herself pulled away from Spike. Jerking her arm
away from Angelus’ grip, she motioned for Spike to let her handle it,
waiting until he grudgingly relented before she turned around.

“Don’t touch me,” she hissed in a menacing voice, her eyes flashing as she
stared up at him with hatred.

“Come home with me,” he said softly, looking into her eyes.

“My God, you really are psychotic, aren’t you?” she asked in disbelief,
taking a step back. Seeing Drusilla approaching Spike, Buffy whirled
around, pointing a finger in her direction. “Come one more step closer and
you’ll get reacquainted with my right hook.” Waiting until the other girl
wisely stopped, Buffy turned to face Angelus. “I don’t know how else to
tell you this- I’m not yours! I never really was and you never wanted me to
be. If you did, you wouldn’t have been out fucking other girls.”

“Like your boy there?” Angelus asked, gesturing to Spike.

“I never-“

Buffy spun around, placing a hand on Spike’s chest as he tried to get around
her. “I know,” she whispered, looking into his eyes. “You never did that.
I’m the only one who needs to believe that, so don’t worry about him,” she
finished, jerking her head in Angelus’ direction before turning to face him
again.

“I’m with Spike. I don’t know what else to tell you, but you’re not getting
me back. You cheated on me, lied to me, and hit me, and I-“

“It’s not like you didn’t deserve it! Whoring yourself out to-“

The solid thud of a fist hitting flesh filled the air before Buffy took a
step toward a very surprised Spike, shaking her hand to ward off the throbbing.
She smiled as Angelus howled in pain, holding his hand to his eye. “How do
you like it?” she asked, feeling an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and
vindication. “There are definitely two whores here, and I’m looking at both
of them,” she said, her gaze traveling between Angelus and Drusilla,
surprised that the other girl hadn’t said anything.

Relaxing slightly when she felt Spike’s arm wrap around her waist, Buffy
turned toward him. “Let’s go home,” she murmured, snuggling closer to his
chest.

“With pleasure, luv,” he said with a bright smile, watching as Angelus shot
him a hateful glare before turning and leading her down the street, never
sparing Drusilla a second glance. “Although I wish you would have let me
hit him some more,” he said with a secretive smile. “Why’d you have to stop
me before I got my licks in?”

Buffy giggled. “Because I didn’t feel like having a black and blue
boyfriend.”

“Hey!”

“I’m just speaking from your past experience. I have no doubt in my mind
that he would be hurting a lot more than you when you finished with him, but
I like you just the way you are.”

Emphasizing her point, Buffy let her hand trail along the hard muscles of
his abdomen.

“I love you, Spike,” she whispered.

“I love you, too,” he said, smiling when she nervously looked down, biting
her lip. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you want to go to prom?” she asked, looking at him with wide eyes. Her
expression closed off when Spike began laughing. “I didn’t think it was
that funny,” she said, trying to pull away in a huff.

“It’s not,” Spike replied, holding her close to him. “It’s just the fact
that you called me your boyfriend and then told me you love me, but you’re
nervous about asking me to a dance. You’re adorable,” he finished with a
smile, tenderly trailing his hand along her cheek.

“And you never answered the question.”

“I would be honored to go with you, sweetheart.”

Chapter 29:

After getting ready to leave, Buffy looked at herself in the mirror, smiling. The periwinkle blue strapless dress fit her perfectly, and she loved how it looked like it was for a princess. When the doorbell rang, she made sure her hair was perfect and took a deep breath before grabbing her purse, slipping on matching heels and carefully walking downstairs. Spike stood there in a tuxedo and a light blue tie, watching her descend with a grin on his face.

‘She looks so beautiful in blue,’ he thought, looking up and down her body. ‘Always flawless.’

“Do I look okay?” she asked, insecure from his stare. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

“You look downright delicious,” he answered, smiling. She giggled and leaned against him as Joyce came towards them, holding a camera.

“You two always have made such a perfect couple,” Joyce said, smiling warmly at them both. They exchanged looks before setting themselves up for pictures. When she finished, she opened the door for them and gasped when she looked outside. “You have a limo? Again?” Buffy looked at Spike with wide eyes.

“Like I said once before, nothing but the best for my girl,” he said, kissing her temple and taking her hand in his. “Ready to go, luv?” She nodded, still surprised.

“Have fun, kids,” Joyce said, watching them walk to the limo and get inside of it before pulling away. “Hopefully this time, things will go better for them.”

* * * * *

As Buffy looked around the limo, she frowned, remembering what had happened at the Christmas Dance the year before.

‘He got us a limo and ended up dumping me,’ she thought. ‘Surely he wouldn’t do that again, right?’ She looked at him and realized he was watching her with a smile on his face.

“Are you okay, pet?” he asked, cupping her cheek with his hand. “Is this too much?” She sighed and shook her head, managing a small smile.

“No,” she answered, curling up against his side. “It’s perfect.” She shrugged off her negative thoughts and decided that she couldn’t let them ruin her night.

‘We’re starting over again,’ she thought. ‘He wouldn’t do this to me, not again. He’s told me thousands of times that he loves me and doesn’t want to hurt me anymore. He didn’t change his mind, right?’

“You seem like you’re thinking about something,” he said. “What’s on your mind, princess?”

“I was remembering what happened the last time you rented a limo for us,” she answered honestly, looking down. He frowned and tilted her chin up to look at her.

“Luv, don’t think about that night,” he said firmly. “I messed up, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life guilty for it, never forgiving myself. All I’m trying to do is make you happy now, Buffy, with hopes that someday you’ll trust me again. I want things to be right, and this just seemed like a good start.” She smiled softly and kissed his cheek.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “No more bad memories. Only good ones from now on, remember?”

“Right,” he agreed, nodding. “Everything from here on out will be good.” She smiled contently and looked at him.

“Can you believe we’re going to prom together?” she asked.

“Always planned on it,” he answered, shrugging. “I can’t imagine who I’d rather be with.” He gently kissed her before grazing her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Spike,” she said quietly before leaning against him again. “And you’re right- I think this was a good way to start things off right.”

* * * * *

As they walked into the decorated gymnasium in the high school, their fellow students looked at them with surprised expressions. Spike raised an eyebrow.

“You think that they’d have expected us to show up together,” he said as she linked her arm with his. “Especially since we’ve been friends for months now.”

“Yeah, but I guess things are different,” she replied, shrugging. “We haven’t gone to a dance together in over a year, and this is prom, after all. One of the most important events for a teenager.” He looked at her, smiling.

“So, what shall we do first?” he asked. “Go find our friends, get some punch, or can I spin you around on the dance-floor for a while?”

“Friends, then dancing, then punch,” she answered. He led her towards a table that was reserved for them and their friends. Willow and Oz were already there, waiting, and the girls gushed over how each other looked. Spike looked at Oz and smiled.

“You look fabulous in a tux,” Spike said, looking at his friend. Oz smirked as Buffy playfully punched Spike’s arm. “Hey! I thought we were saving that for after dancing.” She laughed and shook her head before looking at Willow once again, who was wearing a dark blue dress.

“Hey, Buffy, look who just walked in,” Willow said, smiling. Buffy turned to look at the door, seeing Jonathan standing there, Faith beside him. Buffy’s jaw dropped as she looked at them. “Did they show up together?”

“I think so,” she answered quietly, in disbelief. “I can’t say I ever expected to see something like that happen.” Faith spotted Buffy and smiled at her before saying something to Jonathan. They walked over to the table together, smiling. “Hi, Faith, Jonathan.”

“Hello, Buffy,” Jonathan said, looking like an excited child on Christmas morning, probably because of the beauty he had as a date.

“Hi, B,” Faith said, leaning up against Jonathan as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

“I didn’t expect you here,” Buffy said, looking at the couple standing in front of her.

“Yeah, well, I was invited and figured why not,” Faith said, shrugging. “We’ve been dating for a couple of weeks.” Buffy couldn’t shake the shock that was taking over her. “But as a side note, I just want to say that I’m sorry for what happened between us, B. I didn’t treat you well, and you were right when you said that we weren’t really friends. But if anything, I want to thank you because you made me realize that I needed to change.” She smiled at Jonathan. “And here I am.”

“I’m happy for you two,” Buffy said sincerely. “And Faith, you’re forgiven.” The brunette smiled at Buffy before she walked away with Jonathan. Buffy looked at Willow, still dumbfounded. “How long do you think they’ll last?”

“Who knows?” Willow answered, giggling. “Could be a week, could be forever.” She looked at the door again and frowned, her eyes widening.

“What is it?” Buffy asked, turning around so she could follow her friend’s gaze, frowning when she saw who had walked in. “Drusilla and Angelus.”

Chapter 30:

Buffy sized up the couple for a moment before Angelus’ eyes turned to her,
perusing her body in a way that made her feel naked under his gaze. He
wisely stayed where he was with one arm wrapped around Drusilla’s waist.

“Ignore them,” Buffy said, turning to Spike and smiling when he pulled her
close to him, nuzzling her neck possessively. “This is our night, and I
don’t plan on having either of them ruin it.”

Spike gave her a bright smile before grabbing her hand and leading her to
the dance floor.

“You’re not even going to ask me?” she asked with a playful giggle. “You
just assume I want to dance.”

“My apologies,” Spike replied in an upper-class British accent, standing
straight before politely bowing before her. “My lady, may I have this
dance?”

Buffy’s laughter rang out through the gym as Spike lifted her into the air
and swung her around before slowly lowering her to her feet.

“I never knew you were such a gentleman,” she said with a soft smile,
letting her hand play in the curls at the nape of his neck.

“I guess you just bring it out in me, luv.”

Buffy looked down shyly before meeting his sharp blue gaze. “I love you,
you know?”

“I do know…but it’s always nice to hear,” he said in a whisper before
pulling her close enough that she could feel the breath on her ear. “I love
you, too. More than anything in this world.”

Buffy blushed before resting her head against his shoulder and closing her
eyes, letting herself enjoy the relaxing feeling of being pressed against
him.

* * * * *

An hour later, Buffy sat at a round table, smiling as Spike twirled Willow
around the dance floor. She felt bad that her friend didn’t get to dance
very much since Oz was always performing for the school functions, so she
was grateful to see her friend having such a good time.

“Having fun?”

Buffy didn’t have to turn around to know the owner of the voice. Choosing
to ignore him, she quietly sipped her punch, watching her boyfriend and best
friend.

“They make a cute couple, don’t they?” Angelus said, sitting down next to
her, gritting his teeth when Buffy continued to ignore them. “I didn’t mean
to hurt you,” he whispered, feeling slightly triumphant when she turned her
cold green eyes on him but remained silent. “If you give me another
chance, I’ll never hit you again.”

“No.”

The simple word was said so forcefully, Angelus sat back in his seat.

“Just a date, Buffy,” he said softly. “I won’t go out with any other women,
it will just be you.”

“Do you have problems with that word?” Buffy asked, giving him a scathing
look. “I said no, Angelus. I’m with someone else now…who I love. I trust
him, but even if he wasn’t in the picture, I would never give you another
chance. The sooner you realize that, the better off we’ll both be. Now go
back to Drusilla and leave me the hell alone.”

The entire speech was barely louder than a whisper, but it impacted Angelus
in such a powerful way, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Is there a problem here?” Spike asked, glaring at the other man while
laying a comforting hand on Buffy’s shoulder.

“Everything’s fine,” she said, standing up and wrapping her arms around his
waist. “Let’s dance.”

“What did he say?” Spike asked when he had her securely held in his embrace,
gently swaying them to the music.

“The same thing he’s said for the past few months…maybe I actually got
through to him this time.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Buffy teased with a smile.

“Buffy,” Spike replied in a warning tone.

“I told him I love you.”

“You what?!”

“YOU!” Buffy yelled with a laugh, slapping him on his chest. “You, you
idiot. I didn’t say ‘I love you’- I said I was in love with you…Spike,” she
clarified. “Bleached menace of Sunnydale High.”

Spike smiled sheepishly, biting his lip in a way that Buffy found endearing.
“Sorry, luv,” he said. “Just a little miscommunication.”

“You’re forgiven on one condition.”

“What’s that?” he asked, tilting his head to study her.

“Kiss me,” she whispered.

A brief smile lit up Spike’s face before he lowered his lips to hers, gently
caressing them and lightly trailing his tongue along her bottom lip, begging
entrance that Buffy eagerly granted.

Moaning into his mouth, Buffy clasped her hands behind his neck, pulling him
closer to her as she pressed her body against his, driving him crazy with
lust.

Breaking away after a moment, each panted for air. Buffy looked up into
Spike’s clouded blue eyes and gave him a soft, almost shy smile.

“Do you think we could leave?” she whispered, running her hands along his
chest.

“We can do anything you want, princess.”

“Good,” she said, grasping his hands in hers and leading him back to the
table to get her wrap and purse before walking toward the door. “Because I
have a surprise for you.”

“What’s that, pet?” he asked, holding the door open for her and letting her
pass through.

Buffy slowly turned around to face him when she realized they were alone.
Reaching into her purse, she bit her lip as she extracted what looked like a
credit card.

“What’s this?” he asked, taking it from her. His eyes grew wide when he
realized what it was. “You got us a hotel room.”

“I did,” she whispered. “Unless you don’t want to-“

Buffy was immediately silenced when his lips fused with hers, causing her to
grasp at his coat to keep herself upright, fighting the dizzying emotions
that were passing through her.

“Let’s get out of here,” Spike said in a husky whisper.

* * * * *

Buffy shivered as Spike clasped her hand in his, walking through the door to
the hotel room.

“You okay, luv?” he asked softly, turning toward her and gently trailing his
hand down her cheek.

“A little nervous,” she whispered, looking at the floor.

Gently hooking a finger under her chin, Spike tilted her head up to look at
him. “We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”

“I’m ready,” she whispered, her eyes filled with honesty. “It’s just…”

“What?” he asked, looking at her in concern.

“It’s been a while,” she said softly, taking a deep breath to calm her
nerves. “And we’ve both…”

Buffy trailed off, gesturing back and forth between the two of them.

“…with other people. What if it’s not the same?”

“Buffy, it will be perfect,” Spike whispered, pulling her to him for a warm
hug.

“What if you don’t like me anymore?” she asked, looking at him with such
insecurity his heart felt like it was breaking.

“Not possible,” he said, shaking his head.

“What if I’m not like…her?”

“I don’t want you to be like her,” he said softly. “I always wished she was
you.”

Her eyes widened and she took a step back, feeling her heart slamming in her
chest. “What?”

Spike took a deep breath, looking away from her for a moment. “I don’t know
if we should be getting into this tonight, pet.”

“I think we should.”

Seeing the determination and curiosity in her gaze, Spike nodded his
consent, loosening his tie as he sat down on the bed and unbuttoning the
top few buttons of his shirt. “I didn’t…we didn’t…”

“Have sex,” Buffy filled in. Spike’s eyes shot up to hers, but he saw that
she wasn’t angry, simply helping him.

Nodding, he continued, “We didn’t for several months.” Taking a deep
breath, he looked at the shocked look on her face.

“Why?” she asked. “I thought that was…that was the whole reason you…”

“I didn’t break up with you for that. I just didn’t…”

“Have the same feelings,” Buffy whispered, holding back the tears. “That’s
what you told me.”

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, his voice cracking with emotion.

“Why didn’t you?” she asked, taking a deep breath, wanting to find out the
reason.

“Because I felt like I was unfaithful to you,” he whispered, a tear slipping
down his cheek before he quickly wiped it away, clearing his throat.
Looking up at her, Spike saw the tears in her eyes and felt his heart drop
into his stomach. “I’ll go…if that’s what you want, I’ll-“

Spike was silenced when Buffy grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet,
leaving a soft kiss on his lips. “I felt the same way,” she murmured. “I…I
had a dream. It started out as you and then you turned into…him, and it just
made me realize that you were the only one for me.”

Ignoring the jealousy that was raging inside of him and the pain he was
feeling that he’d been the one to push her away, Spike brushed his lips over
hers in a tender kiss. His hands traveling to her back and unzipping the
dress, staying in tune with her reaction to his advances in case she wanted
to stop at any time.

He moaned when she pushed him back to the bed, eagerly pulling off his
clothes as he backed up. Buffy let her dress pool on the floor, watching as
Spike’s eyes darkened with desire when he took in her nude form before a
smirk formed on his lips. “Naughty girl.”

“Me?” Buffy asked, gesturing to herself with an innocent expression. He
merely raised an eyebrow in response. “You’re one to talk,” she said in a
husky whisper, planting herself in his lap and pointing out his own lack of
underwear.

Before he could respond, Buffy pulled him to her, leaving a soft kiss on his
lips that quickly escalated, taking on a more ferocious quality. Pulling
him closer to her, Spike’s hands tenderly grabbed her hips, lifting her up
before he gently pushed into her. Buffy moaned as his length slid inside her,
completing her. Never breaking away from the kiss, Spike trailed his hand
up her, ghosting over her ribs and breast before tenderly touching the side
of her face, conveying all his emotions through the simple gesture.

Buffy broke away from his lips, gasping for breath as her body shuddered at
the rush of pleasure that swept through her. She looked into his eyes when
she felt him slowly grind his hips against hers, picking up the pace as she
watched him. Buffy moaned and eagerly pushed back against him, seeking her
release.

Spike felt like he was drowning in her as he began speeding up his thrusts,
gripping her hips more forcefully and plunging into her welcoming depths. He
could feel his climax approaching and gritted his teeth, trying to hold off
as long as possible. It had been so long since he felt this pleasure, he
wanted it to last. Moving with her for as long as he could, he felt Buffy’s inner muscles
tighten around him, causing her to push against him when she began to lose
control. Tightening her hold on his shoulders, Buffy screamed out in
pleasure as she came.

Spike pulled her closer to him when he felt her muscles clenching and
releasing around him. After a few more thrusts, he finally let himself
follow her over the edge, his body pulsing as he clutched at Buffy in an almost brutal hold. Groaning in ecstasy, Spike opened his eyes, looking right into a pair of shimmering green eyes that held so much adoration and trust he felt his heart swell.

Pulling her to him for a gentle kiss, Spike pulled away, trying to catch his
breath, pressing his forehead to hers. “I love you, Buffy,” he whispered.

“I love you, Spike,” she murmured, her voice already tired from the exertion
of the night.

“William.”

“What?” she asked, looking at him in confusion.

“Call me William,” he repeated, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Spike is a creation that I don’t want to associate with you.”

Buffy stared at him thoughtfully for a moment. “I’ll call you William on
one condition.”

“What’s that, luv?” he asked, watching as her lips quirked in a smile.

“You keep the hair the way it is…you look unbelievably hot as a blonde.”

Buffy squealed when Spike flipped them on the bed, tickling her mercilessly
before pressing another kiss to her lips. “It’s a deal.”
 

Chapter 31:

The next few weeks passed quickly for the couple, and time definitely helped their relationship flourish once again. Whatever trust issues Buffy once had were almost completely absent, and thankfully, Angelus didn’t try contacting her again after prom.

‘Looks like he’s out of my life for good,’ she thought as she reflected on the past year. She looked in her mirror after zipping up her pastel pink sundress and sliding on sandals. She curled her hair, put on a minor amount of make-up, and left her house with her mother, holding her cap and gown in her hands. ‘I can’t believe I’m graduating today.’

“It seems like the last four years flew by, doesn’t it?” Joyce asked, looking at her daughter as she drove to the high school. Buffy nodded, smiling. “My little girl’s all grown up.”

“But I’m still your little girl,” Buffy replied, trying to appease her mother. Joyce laughed and pulled into the high school’s parking lot.

“I’m proud of you, Buffy,” Joyce said after parking the car. “You’ve dealt with so much in your life, primarily with men. First your father, then William, then that Angelus character…”

“Yes, I know my bad track record,” Buffy said as her mother trailed off. “I’m working on improving it.”

“I know you are, honey,” she replied, looking at her daughter. “And that was my point. You could let so many opportunities in life pass you by because some things in your past haven’t gone well, but you’re not letting anything stop you or get in the way, and I’m proud of you for that. You’re a strong young woman who knows what she wants and is doing her best to make things happen. You’re the best daughter a mother could hope for, and I’m thankful that you’ve grown up to be such an amazing woman.” Buffy felt a tear roll down her cheek before she hugged her mother. Joyce smiled and blinked away tears before pulling away. “Now, we’re both wearing mascara, so let’s not make a mess of our faces.” Buffy laughed and wiped off her cheek. “And we can’t have you be late for your graduation. Let’s get a move-on.” They got out of the car and walked towards the building. “I can’t believe you’ll be off to college in a couple of months.”

“Mom, I’m going to UC-Sunnydale,” Buffy replied, raising an eyebrow. “I’m only a few miles away.”

“I know,” Joyce said. “I’m just a concerned parent.” Buffy smiled softly. “I’m going to go claim a seat outside, so I’ll let you go on ahead to be with your friends.” She kissed her daughter’s cheek and walked away. Buffy took a deep breath before looking around and spotting Willow, Cordelia, Oz, and William. Sam, Riley, and Xander were off to the side, already in their caps and gowns. Buffy walked over to Willow and William, surprised when Willow embraced her tightly.

“Willow…can’t breathe,” Buffy managed to get out, smiling. Willow backed off, grinning.

“We’re going to be rooming together!” Willow said excitedly. Buffy’s eyes widened as she hugged Willow. “I know! How cool is that?!”

“Well, then it’s good Red already knows me because I plan on being with you all of the time,” William said, wrapping his arm around Buffy’s waist. She giggled as he nuzzled his face into her neck.

“I just don’t understand why you’re going to stay here,” Buffy said, looking at Willow. “You could go anywhere. Every college in the world would die to have you.”

“And leave my best friend? I don’t think so, buddy,” Willow replied, smiling. “And besides, everyone else is staying. Oz and William are going to be there, and Xander will still be in town…Cordelia’s heading out to L.A., but big loss there.”

“Standing right here,” Cordelia cut in, glaring at Willow.

“I was just kidding,” Willow replied, smiling. “But my point is, everyone will be close, and if I had left, I wouldn’t have been, and far be it for me to set up shop somewhere else when everyone I care about is here.”

“So, roomie, when can we start buying dorm decorations?” Buffy asked cheerfully.

“After we get our diplomas, luv,” William replied, chuckling. “We have to be outside in about five minutes.”

“Fine, spoil my fun,” Buffy said, frowning playfully.

They all put on their caps and gowns before heading outside to where the ceremony would be. William and Willow sat on both sides of her, and as the ceremony began, Buffy realized it was the end of an era, that everything was going to change after they left that day.

‘But it’s a new beginning,’ she thought. ‘And I think we’ve all earned that.’ William took her hand in his and squeezed it gently, and she smiled at him. ‘Especially him and I.’

* * *

After festivities ended for the day, Buffy, William, and Joyce returned to the Summers house as the sun began to set, and the young couple sat out on the front porch swing. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she rested her head on his chest, sighing.

“Things seem perfect right now,” she said quietly. “Don’t you think?” He nodded and ran his hand over her hair.

“That they do,” he agreed. “So, luv, what now?” She looked at him. “What happens from here?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, laying her head down again. “But right now, let’s just live in the moment. We’ve got all of the time in the world to think about the future.” He smiled as she yawned. “William? Tell me a story.”

“A story?” he asked, surprised. She nodded. “Why?”

“Because you were always the creative one, and I’m sleepy,” she answered, smiling softly.

‘And I love hearing your voice,’ she thought.

“Okay, princess,” he replied, thinking for a moment. “Once upon a time-” She shook her head, and he looked at her, his eyebrow raised. “No?”

“Twice,” she corrected simply.

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“Once is too easy,” she said with a shrug. “Taking a second look is what makes anything worthwhile. It makes you realize what you have.”

Spike smiled at her logic, pulling her closer to him and letting her snuggle up against his chest more. “Twice upon a time…”



THE END

A/N We’d like to thank everyone who has supported us and reviewed since the beginning of this story- your continuous interest has been extremely appreciated by both of us! We’d also like to thank those who voted for us as Best Spuffy Fic a couple of weeks ago. After being so skittish to post this fic, we both are quite proud of the end result and are grateful that you all seem to have enjoyed it just as much as we did writing it. Also, we’d like to thank Sierra for giving us this idea a couple of months ago. Any final comments and questions are welcome, and once again, thank you all for your kindness and support throughout Twice Upon a Time.

Sincerely,

Ashlee and Allison