Disclaimer & Author's Note: The usual.
Blue Horizons
Chapter Forty-Nine
“I’m thinking of picking up a second job over the summer,” Elizabeth commented, lying back on the checkered cloth beneath her and taking another bite of her sandwich.
“Looked around for anythin’ yet?” Spike inquired curiously, chucking a grape up into the air and deftly catching it in his mouth.
“Well, I’ve been a bit busy consoling Willow…” Elizabeth began hesitantly.
“Who would’ve thought she’d take Jonathan’s leavin’ so hard,” Spike agreed with a shake of his head. Willow’s cries that she’d never, ever see him again had been audible from the lounge where Spike had been watching his usual assortment of daytime junk TV.
Elizabeth sighed. “I guess it would be kinda rough,” she pointed out. “I mean, I feel a bit sad about people going back home, and I know I’m going to see them again next year…”
“She’ll be all right,” he insisted. “Just seems a bit overwhelmin’ at the moment, I’d wager.” He bit into a cracker and shooed away a fly that had decided to intrude on their outdoor lunch.
Elizabeth nodded slowly. “It won’t be the same without her next year,” she decided.
“Well, we could always rig one ‘f those motion detectors so that it says ‘have you finished your homework yet?’ every time someone walks into the lounge… Ow!” Spike rubbed his forehead in mock-pain where a green grape had hit him right between the eyes.
“You so deserved that,” Elizabeth informed him primly, popping the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth. “There’s a lot more to Willow than a walking homework planner, you know.”
“Just jokin’,” he insisted with a bit of a huff. Not that he ever would’ve admitted that he was pouting.
She shook her head. “I’m disappointed in you,” she began.
“Was just one li’l joke!” he exclaimed vehemently.
She gave him a pointed look. “Not about that,” she informed him. “You fell for my not-so-subtle diversion to change the topic of conversation.”
“Can’t try to decipher the bizarreness that is your mind,” he informed her, biting into another cracker. “Eating.”
“Pig.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
“You’re letting me change the topic again!” she exclaimed in irritation.
“Well, I can either harp at you, or I can just act normally an’ wait for you to return to it on your lonesome,” he pointed out with a cheeky grin. “And considerin’ that I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about…”
“Job?” she reminded him.
“Yeah?” he asked lazily.
She let out a little snort of exasperation. “Sometimes you’re the most infuriating man alive,” she informed him, although there was a hint of fondness in her voice.
“Only sometimes?” He sounded disappointed.
She cracked a smile at that. “Completely and utterly hopeless,” she grumbled under her breath just loudly enough for him to hear.
“Yeah, but I keep puttin’ up with you anyway,” he teased.
She gave him an annoyed look. “Do you try to be this aggravating all the time?” she asked with sweet innocence.
“Do you?” he shot back.
She shook her head and propped herself up on her elbows for a moment so that she could look down upon the lake at the base of the hill. The afternoon sunshine glittered along the surface of the water, creating swirls of golden confetti that ebbed and flowed with the soft summer breeze. If she hadn’t been convinced by her first ‘date’ with Spike here, she was now confident that she loved this place.
Spike cocked his head to one side as he watched her. It wasn’t often the quiet, contemplative side of this woman came out, but he rather enjoyed it. The shade they’d originally selected for their little picnic had wandered a bit over time, and she was now sitting in the sunlight, looking… Well, he couldn’t quite describe it, but he’d always felt that there was a bit of a magic to this place, ever since he was a kid.
“Your mom offered me a job,” Elizabeth finally admitted nervously.
One scarred eyebrow rose at that. “Oh?” came the seemingly disinterested inquiry.
“Not many students stay over the summer, and she needs help keeping the studio running for the summer programs and, well, I pretty much know the place inside and out,” Elizabeth provided.
“Sounds about right,” he agreed nonchalantly.
“Plus, if I want to stick with art, I’ll have to take art history next year. I figure working in the gallery will keep my mind on track this summer.”
“Steinberg’s teachin’ next year, too,” Spike pointed out.
Elizabeth grimaced. “I know,” she agreed. “I’m thinking I should probably do some of the readings this summer, just to give myself a decent head start this time around…”
“I pretty much knew all the material before I took the class,” Spike agreed. “Was a piece of cake.”
“I’m already planning massive borrowings from your mom’s library,” Elizabeth agreed, “but back to the gallery thing…”
“Sounds like a good opportunity,” Spike shrugged. “More congenial’n serving coffee, at any rate.”
“Yeah, I thought of that,” Elizabeth agreed, rubbing at her sore foot. “Not that Jenny’s not great and everything, but…”
“You don’t plan you spend your entire life as a waitress,” Spike provided with a slight smile.
Elizabeth nodded. “It’s just that, well…me working for my boyfriend’s mom… Are we sensing any weirdness here?”
Spike shrugged. “A little,” he admitted, “but ‘ll hold out my judgment until you an’ Mum start gossipin’ the way you do with Jenny…” A light of humor lit up his eyes.
Elizabeth blushed at the very thought. “Definitely not,” she assured him with a little shudder. “Way too wigsome.”
“Then, what complaint ‘ve I got, really?” he countered.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes heavenward. “I don’t know. There could be some…guy…thing, or something.”
“ ‘Some guy thing’?” Spike repeated, amused.
“You know, how you get all illogically offended all the time,” she said with a quirk on her lips.
“How I get illogically offended all the time!” he bellowed back at her in disgust.
“See?” she teased. “Guy thing.”
He promptly returned to, er…well, whatever it was, it was definitely not pouting…
She sighed and rolled over onto her side to face him. The effect created was that her hair was backlit, glowing like a halo about her head. Spike had a rather difficult time resisting the urge to tease her about the phenomenon; after all, he was still endeavoring to remain quite irate.
Inwardly, she sighed. There was no doubt in her mind whatsoever that she would have to do some extreme ‘apologizing’ tonight. At least that was something to look forward to…
“I’m serious,” she said softly.
His only half-offended demeanor turned curious once more. “’Bout what?”
“You’re really OK with this?” she pressed.
A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “It does occur to me…” he began hesitantly.
“That this severely violates my No Help From You rule about finances?” she suggested.
He tilted his head in her direction. “You offended?”
“Nope. In fact, I’ve been rationalizing the whole thing very neatly,” she sighed.
“Oh, do tell,” he said in a voice oddly reminiscent of his father’s.
“Well, I didn’t get the job offer because Joyce is your mother,” she decided. “I got it because I spend an obscene amount of time in the studio.”
“A happy coincidence, then,” he teased.
“Jerk.” She looked for another grape to throw, but someone had managed to eat them all in the meantime. She cast a suspicious glance in Spike’s direction.
The look he shot back was so completely innocent that there was no doubt whatsoever that he was guilty.
“Double jerk,” she decided.
He chuckled, and his hand snuck out to grab at one of her sandwiches.
She watched the theft pointedly but didn’t stop him. “God, how can you eat that much and never gain a pound?” she shook her head in disgust.
“Rigorous exercise program,” he answered cheekily. “Same one you’re on.”
“You’re such a freak,” she said mock-sadly.
“And that would make you…?” he teased.
“Desperate?” she teased.
A scowl.
“Lucky?” she conceded with a soft smile.
“A freak,” he concluded with a little grin of his own.
She huffed slightly and studied the sandwich in her hand sullenly as she ate it.
“Oh, now, luv,” his tone immediately turned conciliatory. “Don’t take it that way…”
“I’m not,” she sighed, turning to him once more. “So, you’re really good about me working for your mom?”
“Not an issue,” he assured her.
A smile quirked at the edges of her lips. “You’re kind of wonderful,” she admitted shyly.
A sly smirk crept upon his own features. “ ‘Kind of’?” he repeated.
“Even if you are constantly fishing for complements,” she agreed.
“Hafta, don’t I?” he countered with an amused tilt of his head. “You’re hell on a man’s ego, luv.”
“Oh, thanks a lot-” she began.
“Part ‘f why I love you,” he amended. “Constantly keepin’ me on my toes, you are.”
She smiled softly…and decided that, yeah, it was her obligation to keep him on his toes. She leaned in close and brushed a soft kiss across his lips, then pulled back so that she could look at him through the curtain of her golden tresses. “I’m thinking of dyeing my hair back to its original brown,” she informed him completely out of the blue.
His eyes jerked up to hers in surprise. “You’re kidding?” he said in disbelief.
“What?” she demanded, arms crossed over her chest. “You wouldn’t like me if I wasn’t blond?”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s ridiculous and you know it. Now, you serious?”
She bit her lower lip. “Maybe,” she shrugged.
He contemplated her for a minute. “All right, ‘ll confess to bein’ somewhat curious…”
“Did you know that ninety percent of my high-school was blond?” she countered. “To my knowledge, only four of them were genuine.”
He chuckled. “Sunnydale’s a fun place, ‘ve gathered,” he teased.
“Oh, tons of fun,” she agreed sarcastically. “Did you know I had to drive all the way out to LA for Tae Kwon-Do? The only local sports we had were football and cheerleading.”
“’ve heard bad things about suburbs,” Spike grimaced before reaching out of stroke a lock of her golden hair. “Escapin’ the hometown pressures, are we now?” he observed.
“That and if we ever get married, we’ll be arrested for obscene amounts of household bleach consumption,” she shot back.
He tried to maintain a serious demeanor, but it was quite clear that he was giggling behind his hand. “Wasn’t aware that was a crime…” he began.
She whapped him lightly on the arm. “You know what I mean,” she countered.
“Hell, I’m just impressed you’re actually admittin’ to bleaching your hair,” he joked.
She rolled her eyes at him. “You’ve known I’m not a natural blond for how long now?” she pointed out.
“Hope I haven’t been deceivin’ you, either,” he countered, “but if you want to see the evidence…” He leaned over her and brushed a kiss across her bare shoulder.
She let out a little squeal. “Not here!” she insisted.
He visibly deflated. “Why not?” he demanded in a petulant tone.
“Because your mom’s already caught us how many times with the groping?” Elizabeth shot back. “I so could not live with the shame if she walked in on us-”
Her argument was abruptly cut off by his lips. A contented little murmur escaped her as her arms slipped around his neck, pulling him in deeper. “Mum’s got better sense ‘n to crash our picnic,” he joked lightly. He rather violently shoved the plate of food out of the way and took his position hovering over her body.
“Are you always this horny?” she wondered with an only half-convinced eyebrow raised. “’Cause I’m starting to wonder if maybe it’s some kind of permanent condition…”
He shook his head and tisked her. “Sometimes I think you intentionally set me up for innuendoes,” he teased.
She smiled. “Well, for a long time those were all I could get,” she countered.
He frowned. “When?” he asked, seemingly concerned. “When’ve I ever not been willin’ to jump you in a heartbeat, and what was I smokin’ at the time?”
“Back when I couldn’t jump you without seeming like a complete ho-bag, and those same crappy cigarettes you always smoke,” she answered matter-of-factly.
“Never woulda seemed like a ‘ho-bag’ to me.” He made a funny little face at the word. “Hell, I was countin’ on it. The subject of most of my dreams back in those days.”
“You are aware that that has the markings of ‘loser’ all over it?” she teased.
“Hate to break it to you, luv, but if that’s your definition of ‘loser’, then every single male on this earth is one.” He was back to doing that little nibbling thing on her shoulder.
Elizabeth let out a contented sigh and let her arms come up to loosely wrap around his waist. “Mmm, good seduction…” she murmured.
“When is it ever not?” he asked cockily, kissing his way up to the slender column of her neck.
“Whenever you talk,” she shot back, “or get all arrogant or-oh god!” She let out a strangled little gasp, and her fingers clutched in his hair, holding him to her.
He chuckled and continued laving attention on her sensitive pulse point. “You said what about my seduction skills?” he demanded in a lilting tone.
“Good,” she decided vehemently, yanking his head up for another kiss. He tasted of the usual Spike-flavor combined with the unmistakable sweetness of all the grapes he’d stolen from her. All in all, it was quite tasty. It almost even covered up the usual dry cigarette taste.
She waited until he pulled away, looking dazed and out of breath, before very matter-of-factly asking: “Have you ever considered quitting smoking?”
He scowled down at her. “No, the thought had never occurred to me,” he retorted sarcastically. “’Cause, you know, all that lung cancer? Ever so tempting…”
She sighed and pulled him close. “Just a bit concerned,” she assured him softly. “Smokers tend to lose their…endurance over time…”
“You’re right,” he agreed with a soft smile. “That is horrifyin’.”
She giggled and pulled him down to her again. “Less talk, more Spike,” she commanded.
“Bossy chit,” he grumbled, clearly not put out in the slightest. His body covered hers, careful not to crush her under his weight but pressing against her just enough to maximize the delightful friction between them.
Her legs were gliding along his now, bare toes rubbing at the material of his jeans and obviously wishing that it would disappear.
He chuckled against her and broke their kiss to take several very necessary deep breaths. “Thought you were worried about Mum catchin’ us?” he pointed out.
“Mum’s got common sense,” Elizabeth countered. “She’d have to be crazy to come out after us.”
He gave her an irritated look since she was obviously completely ignoring the fact that he’d made that exact same point all of five minutes ago. “You drive me outta my mind, you know that?” he shook his head.
“You too, baby,” she agreed, yanking him down to her once more.
“Do you ever,” he managed to gasp out between kisses, “worry…that we…have too much sex?” He finally completed, breathless once more.
“No such thing as too much Spike sex,” she decided. Her hands had slipped to the waist of his jeans now and slid beneath his button-up shirt to play with the smooth skin at the small of his back. The warmth of her caresses was electrifying.
“No arguin’ with that, I s’pose,” he murmured against her ear, one hand deftly slipping up beneath her skirt to find - without much surprise - that she had foregone underwear on this little excursion. “Naughty girl,” he commented with a grin.
“Arrogant bastard,” she retorted with a soft smile. The smile turned wicked. “Arrogant predictable bastard,” she amended.
“You know, there’s only so much a bloke can take,” he teased lightly, nibbling at her ear as his fingers found her clit and began to stroke it rhythmically. “Might get discouraged one ‘f these days…”
“Spike? Discouraged?” she countered, fingers tangling in his peroxide curls to force him to look at her. “Never.” A soft nibble of that luscious lower lip of his. “You’re the most stubborn, exasperating, persistent man I’ve ever met.”
A delighted smile crossed his face. “Which means?” he practically purred.
She rolled her eyes. “I love you,” she grumbled before grabbing roughly at the fastenings of his jeans. “Now, will you stop torturing me and get on with it already?” she demanded.
He chuckled. “Such a romantic lover…” he teased.
“Screw romance. Quit fooling around.” His fingers had found the most wonderful spot inside of her now and were keeping her poised on the brink of ecstasy. Despite her sex-fogged mind, she managed to open his jeans and slip one hand inside, stroking the length of him up and down.
His eyes instantly glazed over. “Right then. Quit foolin’ around…” It was really remarkable how little she had to do to have him eating right out of the palm of her hand. And vice-versa.
By now it was second nature for their bodies to slip together and join. Quick exhalations accompanied their reunion, followed by a long pause. For a minute they just lay there together, each trapped within the moment and the feel of the other. There was something about their lovemaking that neither had ever been able to truly identify. Feelings of pleasure and completion, of course, but there was something that ran deeper than that. Deeper than love, even. Something that could take a lifetime to decipher.
Neither had the patience for that now, however, and almost as if by mutual signal, their bodies began moving together. Hands trailed over heated flesh before turning to the cloth that separated them itself and unfastening the buttons that held it in place.
Elizabeth sighed in contentment when she finally exposed Spike’s chest to her hungry eyes. Her tongue flicked sensuously along the sculptured muscles before finally arriving at one dusky nipple and covering it with her mouth.
Spike groaned in response, and the movement of his hips picked up in speed and intensity. He caught the back of her thigh in one hand and used the leverage to plunge deeper inside of her. Her now-bared chest rubbed erotically against him as he moved, bringing him ever closer to that single moment of perfection…
“William…” she sighed, catching him to her for another kiss as they spiraled over the edge together.
His own cry was muffled by her mouth as their sweat-slicked bodies locked together in climax.
For a minute or so, the normal sounds of the afternoon forest dominated, the natural world entirely disinterested in the human pair panting for breath on the blanket below. Finally, with a groan, Spike pushed himself off of Elizabeth and rolled to one side, barely avoiding landing in the cream cheese.
Elizabeth stretched in a lazy, contented way, watching the blue skies above. “Admit it,” she giggled slightly, curling up against his side in the blissful aftermath, “you’ve been wanting to do that here forever.”
He chuckled at that. “Got me there, kitten,” he agreed before squinting and covering up his eyes from where the sun baked down on him. With a groan, he felt around for his shirt, but it evaded his search. “This was all a malicious plan to make me get a tan, wasn’t it?” he joked lightly, squirming slightly as the sun shone down on his bare chest.
“Well, you are a bit pale…” she teased lightly.
“I burn,” he informed her matter-of-factly.
With a sigh, she rolled off of his shirt and handed it to him. “Bronzed Spike body,” she pouted. “I’m drooling just thinking about it.”
“Yeah, well ‘m drooling over brunette Elizabeth,” he countered, fingering her hair lightly before slipping back into the sleeves of his shirt.
“It was just a thought,” she hastily amended. “I mean, I was just thinking…new look? Might be kinda fun…”
“Might,” he agreed with a sexy little murmur, kissing her still-bare shoulder.
“Plus, I wouldn’t have to spend so much time on my hair.” She rolled on her side so that she faced him. “You could do it too, y’know,” she teased. “I bet you’d make a cute brunette.”
He scowled at the word ‘cute’. “Quite happy the way I am, thanks,” he countered.
“No chance of losing the nail polish?”
He snorted derisively.
“Good,” she said with a smiling yawn. “I’d almost feel let down if you ever caved in on anything.” Her head came to rest in the pillow of his shoulder. “Pig-headed bastard,” she mumbled.
“If you’re questionin’ my parents’ marital status this often,” he retorted, “’m sure Mum can set you straight.”
One sleepy eye opened to glare at him. “Metaphorical bastard,” she teased.
He laughed at that. “A bleedin’ menace is what you are, Summers,” he accused fondly.
“Big kitty-cat,” she countered, hugging him to her tightly.
He sighed and let his head fall back into the cradle of his hands. “This feels nice, doesn’t it?” he commented lazily. “Could very well get used to this.”
She murmured an affirmative reply.
A pause. “Things goin’ all right?”
Elizabeth frowned slightly at the worried tone. “How do you mean?”
“I mean, there anything buildin’ up into another huge catastrophe?” he clarified.
“Mmf,” she acknowledged, burying her head deeper into his shoulder. “Well, there is that awful racket you call music…” she teased.
A grin. “’m not annoyin’ you to death, then?”
“Only in the good ways,” she assured him. “How about me?”
“All good, pet,” he assured her.
“So, you’re perfectly content to just lie here forever?” she pressed hesitantly.
He frowned. “You sticky, too?”
“God, yes,” she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Go back and shower?” he suggested.
“Knew I loved you for a reason,” she agreed, planting a swift kiss on his lips before they awkwardly moved to get up…
Blue Horizons
Chapter Fifty
Cheers roared throughout the audience as the cascade of black mortarboards rose in the air only to rain back down upon the graduating seniors.
A series of excited whistles and calls erupted from Elizabeth’s companion, causing her to cast a skeptical look his way. It had been all she could do to keep Spike from snoring out loud as the head of the college read from the seemingly endless list of names. Spike’s current vibrant enthusiasm almost made her doubt that he’d been drifting off five minutes before.
In the end, she really couldn’t blame him. After all, she was excited that the ceremony was over, too. She’d come to the conclusion that no matter how hard any school tried, graduations were just plain boring.
Elizabeth’s attention turned from her lover back to the graduating procession as the new graduates escaped the crowded outdoor auditorium. Although Elizabeth had managed to nab seats only five in from the central aisle, her vertical handicap still meant that she really couldn’t see a thing. In vain, she stood up on her tiptoes, jumping occasionally and studiously ignoring Spike’s pointed chuckles.
“Tara’s passin’,” he informed her, trying to cover up his amusement and failing miserably.
Finally giving up and admitting that, yes indeed, she had a problem, Elizabeth stood up on the collapsible folding chair behind her to wave at her friend.
Several other people were laughing at the short freshman’s antics now. Elizabeth merely shot them a dazzling smile and waited for Willow to pass.
“Uh…you sure that’s safe?” Spike was eyeing the swaying folding chair nervously.
Elizabeth just shrugged and then waved excitedly when she saw Willow passing.
Willow gave her a wide grin and held up her diploma proudly.
Elizabeth clapped and jumped up and down a few times.
Spike promptly caught her around the waist and lifted her bodily back down to the ground. He glared at the rickety chair like it was some kind of deathtrap.
“Worrywart,” Elizabeth accused lightheartedly. She remained on solid ground now that her friends had passed, though.
He shrugged. “Fancy breakin’ free of this crowd and findin’ our illustrious former RA?” he inquired, a hint of desperation in his voice.
Elizabeth nodded and followed his remarkably quick progress through the jostling students with a little grin. “Does the Big Bad not like crowds?” she teased.
An annoyed scowl was her only response before they broke free of the turmoil. “Cuttin’ around behind the math building,” he explained their rather bizarre path now that they actually had room to walk side-by-side.
Elizabeth noticed the melancholy in his voice and flashed him a reassuring smile. “Will and Tara will both be great in graduate school,” she decided perkily. “And we’ll all manage to live without them. We’ll just have to e-mail and call a lot.”
“But will that really substitute for all that chocolate they stuff you with after ‘ve made an ass of myself?” he retorted with a glint of humor in his eyes.
Elizabeth glared at him. “Like right now?” she teased.
He let out an annoyed snort and turned onto the hidden little path between the math and biology buildings.
“It’s okay to admit you’ll miss them,” Elizabeth insisted. “There’s no need to put on this surly act.”
“Funny,” he countered. “Was just about to say the same thing about you, but replacin’ ‘surly’ with ‘chipper’.”
They exchanged an irritated look…and then began laughing.
“God, we’re screwed up,” Elizabeth decided.
“But at least we’re screwed up in a mutually compatible way,” Spike countered.
She smiled softly at that and then slipped an arm around his waist, breathing in the comforting scent of Spike and leather before she rested her head on his shoulder. “What am I going to do when it’s you leaving?” she asked softly.
His arm sneaked around her shoulders for a reassuring squeeze. “Won’t ever happen,” he insisted vehemently.
“You’re going to graduate,” she pointed out.
“Doesn’t mean ‘m going anywhere,” he countered.
“You can’t just let me hold you back,” she retorted. “You’ve got a life, too, and-”
“-You’re the most important part of it,” he cut her off. “You can’t hold me back from my life when you’re an integral part.”
“But you’ve got to have some ambitions!” Elizabeth insisted.
“I don’t even have a major!” he shot back.
Elizabeth shook her head, smiled, and brushed her lips across his forehead. “We’re not ever going to stop fighting, are we?” she asked rhetorically.
“God, I hope not,” Spike agreed as they emerged from the path right behind the tent that had been set up as the site of celebration for this year’s graduating science majors. It took him only an instant to spot the characteristic red head amidst the crowd.
Willow spotted his platinum curls equally quickly and waved them over.
They quickly found themselves among the small circle of Westing House students that had remained in town for the graduation ceremony.
Oz, who had taken up the role of lead singer during Devon’s summer internship, would stay in Shady Glen the entire time, playing at the Blue Club.
Xander’s wanderings were vague, as usual, and he’d remained for this occasion even though there were tentative plans to meet Anya in New York at the end of the month.
Cordy’s rather bizarre satire of the world of college students had been performed the night before to amused audiences gathered for the graduation. The absurd props depicting a frighteningly accurate view of student furnishings had been a screaming success, although Spike still shuddered to look at them.
The rest of the house had scattered for the summer, making their good-byes as their buses departed. Willow had bawled her eyes out through it all. She was doing it again now.
“I *sniff* love you guys,” she announced, snatching up Oz in an impromptu hug that - surprisingly - had his cheeks flushing red. “You’re *sniff, sniff* the best friends ever!” She broke down again before she caught sight of an elderly woman wearing the somewhat ridiculous garb of a professor of the biological sciences. She took to inform her professor, amidst tears, how much she’d enjoyed all of her classes.
Spike looked at the professor, snickered, and put a hand over his mouth. Xander joined him in their amusement.
Elizabeth tried to rein in her own mirth. “Mature much?” she demanded.
“Oh, come on, Summers,” Spike retorted, “the woman’s wearin’ a sunflower on her head!”
A chortle of laughter escaped Elizabeth’s lips at the bright yellow tassels that ran all around the rim of the professor’s hat. She had to admit, it did look like someone had plopped a sunflower straight on the head of the poor, unsuspecting woman.
Willow returned at that moment, and Elizabeth fought for her composure. “Oz, have you seen my parents around anywhere?” she asked, still sniffling slightly.
“They were about two rows in front of us.” Oz gestured to Xander. “They should be here soon.”
Willow nodded and bit her lower lip. “Do you think I have time to go over to the humanities tent and see Tara?” she asked anxiously. “Or, maybe, Tara’s coming over here…or maybe she’s waiting for me over there…or maybe we’ll both decide to go check at exactly the same time, and then we’ll miss each other and then-”
“Red?” Spike interrupted her.
“Yeah?”
“Babbling,” five voices informed her in perfect unison.
“Right.” Willow took a deep breath.
“How about we go find Tara and you wait for your parents?” Elizabeth offered.
“Right. Good idea.” Willow looked like she was torn between wringing her hands nervously and breaking out into tears again.
“Look at it this way,” Spike offered before he and Elizabeth vanished off into the crowd, “at least you don’t ‘ave to wear the sunflower hat yet.”
Willow’s diploma landed squarely on the crown of his head with a gentle thwap, and laughter accompanied his all-out flight from the science’s division.
“Baby,” Elizabeth teased lightly when she noticed he was still rubbing his head pitifully at the non-force of the blow.
“Should’ve known I couldn’t get any sympathy around here,” he insisted, jutting out his lower lip in that manner that he was thoroughly convinced wasn’t sulking.
“None whatsoever,” she agreed with an unrepentant smile as they escaped yet another human traffic-jam to emerge before the humanities tent.
“See her?” Spike inquired, doing a bit of his own jumping to see over the crowd. After all, he wasn’t particularly tall, either.
“And you mocked me…” Elizabeth shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest in an irritated manner.
He let out an annoyed snort and continued his futile search of the crowd.
“My guess is that she’ll be someplace quiet-ish,” Elizabeth finally pointed out.
Spike, being Spike, of course refused to acknowledge that she was right, even after their quick scan of the perimeter found Tara sitting on the steps of the International Studies building, smiling shyly at the professor that was congratulating her.
Spike and Elizabeth arrived just as the teacher left, and Elizabeth pointedly ignored Spike’s comment about the overall silliness of academic hats to receive Tara’s wide smile and hug.
“You did it!” Elizabeth said with a little squeal. “Congrats.”
Tara practically beamed and, in an uncharacteristic display of boldness, hugged Spike as well.
This had the rather amusing effect of turning Spike’s face beet-red and causing him to duck his head in a bashful manner as he murmured his congratulations.
“Are you waiting for someone?” Elizabeth inquired. “Family?”
“My family?” Tara retorted with a roll of her eyes. “They’re still appalled that I’m not locked in the kitchen twenty-four seven, serving their needs.” Tara looked around hopefully. “Where’s Willow?”
“Stuck waitin’ for her folks,” Spike provided, face still flaming. “She sent us to invite you over to the Westing celebration.”
“Great!” Tara agreed enthusiastically.
Elizabeth gave her a curious look.
“It’ll be nice to hang out with people I actually know,” Tara provided. A wicked little smile crossed her face, and she reached up to give Spike a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for coming to get me, sweetie.”
Spike’s face was purple once more at this, and Tara and Elizabeth tried very hard not to laugh as they wound their way back to the science’s division.
“Kitty-cat,” Elizabeth insisted, giving his hand a little squeeze.
He lamented that he was still too off-balance to retort.
* * *
The post-graduation party had been grudgingly hosted by Joyce and a recently-returned Rupert Giles. Even more grudging had been their agreement to host boxes of various students until they had properly shipped them. The dorm had officially closed the previous afternoon, leaving the Giles’ living room a maze of stacked cardboard boxes.
As a result, the festivities had occurred out back by the lake, and a barbecue grill had been set up to provide the necessary nutrients. Fortunately, Joyce and Giles had been able to capture the Rosenbergs in an academic debate, keeping them from turning their noses up at the whole affair and allowing the students to spend their last afternoon together in peace.
The afternoon had been spent recounting the most embarrassing stories they could think of in an effort to mortify Willow and Tara out of their nostalgia. However, even the constant repetition of The Great Food-Fight Of ’98 didn’t seem to be sending Willow running away screaming like it usually did. The former lovers had separated from the group several times that afternoon to share quiet giggles off by themselves. No one had begrudged them their time alone.
Oz had been the first to leave, owing to the gig he had that night. Xander and Cordy had agreed to accompany him, while Willow’s parents had fled back to their motel and Willow and Tara had gone off on a walk together before Tara’s bus left at eight.
Half-heartedly, Elizabeth and Spike had offered - well, actually Elizabeth had offered while maintaining a vise-like grip on Spike so that he couldn’t escape - to help with the clean-up.
Much to Spike’s relief, Joyce had insisted that they go out and enjoy the last night of the school year…after all, tomorrow they would be lugging all those boxes out of the living room.
The blond pair had found themselves wandering aimlessly down Cedar Avenue, just enjoying the first time they’d had alone together in a long and hectic day.
Elizabeth had always been a bit amazed by this - how they could not speak a word and yet be just as comfortable together as they were when enjoying one of their little arguments.
“’ll miss ‘em,” Spike’s soft-spoken statement interrupted her introspection.
A satisfied smile sneaked onto Elizabeth’s countenance. “Oh?” she inquired.
“Won’t be the same without ‘em next year,” he shrugged, burying his hands in the jean pockets. The June heat was finally enough that even Spike had been forced to admit defeat and leave the black leather duster at home.
Elizabeth nodded in agreement and tried to keep her eyes from watering. “I refuse to lose touch,” she insisted vehemently.
He chuckled. “Just another reason for me to stay by your side,” he commented off-handedly. “You can keep in touch with all the friends ‘m too lazy to write to.”
She shook her head. “No way, buster. You are so going to have to fend for yourself.”
“Stubborn bint,” he sighed wearily.
“Persistent jerk,” she teased back.
A chuckle, and they returned to their quiet walk. The sun was setting now, setting the sky ablaze with a palate of reds and oranges that made the artist in Elizabeth instantly jealous.
“That reminds me,” she began, “Joyce said you’ve got her copy of Hibbard’s Bernini hidden away somewhere. I need to borrow it.”
A raised eyebrow.
“Required reading for Steinberg,” she provided.
He nodded. “’S all yours, luv.”
“Good,” she agreed, turning back to the sunset, “I’ll need it to beat your grade.”
He chuckled at that. “Tryin’ to best me again, kitten?” he teased fondly.
“Perpetually,” she agreed.
“I did get an A in that class, you know…”
“Then, I’ll just have to get an A+,” Elizabeth concluded.
“College doesn’t allow those,” he pointed out.
Her nose scrunched up in a frown. “Then I’ll just have to kick your ass at something else,” she decided. “Fancy a bout or two in the gym before it closes?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he agreed.
She sighed and followed him on their altered course. “I’m really pushy and obnoxious,” she finally pointed out.
“Yeah?”
“Jerk-ass!” she scowled at him. “You’re not supposed to agree with me!”
“What, I can’t agree with you even when you’re tellin’ the truth now?” he teased.
She grumbled certain obscene British cursewords she’d picked up over the past year just loudly enough that he could hear them before continuing. “I’m amazed that you can put up with me,” she finally concluded.
“Well, you put up with me, don’t you?” he countered.
“And quite an effort it is, too,” she teased, giving his waist a quick squeeze.
A smile quirked upon the edges of his lips. “Think it’ll ever get any easier?” he inquired.
“I doubt it,” she countered, “but it wouldn’t be half as much fun if it did. You?”
“Feel exactly the same way,” he agreed with a shy smile before the Big Bad returned with a vengeance. “So, I love you, you love me, can we sing the purple dinosaur song now?” he demanded, sarcasm dripping from his words.
“God, you’re such a pain,” she informed him, climbing the stairs to the gymnasium. “I am so going to kick your ass for that comment.”
“No doubt,” he grumbled, holding the door open for her.
With a smile of triumph, she pushed a lock of golden hair behind one ear and entered the gym.
“Thought you were gonna dye that,” he demanded, following her inside.
“God, you’re never going to stop about that now, are you?” she complained as the door swung behind them.
The door shut with a metallic clang just as the sun sunk beneath the horizon, bathing the earth in a deep, rich blue, and in the silence that followed, Spike’s perpetual reply could just faintly be heard:
“Never.”
And the epilogue is already up, so go read...
Disclaimer & Author's Note: I'm sure you know by now...
Blue Horizons
Epilogue
June 3rd, 2003
“Honey, I’m home,” Spike’s teasing voice drifted into what he fully expected to be an empty dorm room. He got a rather pleasant surprise when the usual pile of blankets of the double bed shifted and Elizabeth’s brunette head peaked out.
“’Bout time,” she grumbled with a yawn.
“Back already?” he asked in surprise, dropping the backpack he still carried with him at all times. It was a habit he hadn’t broken even though he’d graduated almost a year ago. Elizabeth frequently accused him of deluding himself into believing that he was still a college student.
“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured sleepily, blinking at the man who’d shared her bed for the last four years - for better or worse.
“How’d it go, then?” he asked with curious eagerness, his head titled to one side like an anxious kitten.
Elizabeth giggled slightly at the mental analogy. “Come to bed first, then I’ll tell you,” she insisted.
A predatory smile spread across his face as he kicked off his boots and began to undo the buttons of his shirt.
Elizabeth watched him disrobe with a feeling of pure feminine satisfaction. Xander and Anya’s surprising decision last year to start seeing other people had left Elizabeth briefly worried that the attraction that had brought her and Spike together might fade over time as well. However, she realized by now that the notion was silly. He still took her breath away now every bit as much as he had the fateful afternoon of their first snark-filled encounter in the dining hall. Only now she had enough common sense to admit it.
“Miss me?” Spike practically purred, sliding under the covers beside her and discovering much to his delight that she was just as naked as he was.
“More like falling asleep from boredom waiting for you to get home,” she shot back, sidling up against him and stealing a kiss from his lips. Her nose crinkled in distaste. “You need to shave,” she pointed out.
“Wasn’t expectin’ you back until tomorrow, now was I?” he countered, moving to get up with a weary sigh.
She pulled him back down to her. “I’ll deal,” she informed him. “But you are so shaving tomorrow morning.”
“Cross my heart,” he assured her before leaning in for another kiss. “So how’d it go?” he demanded.
“Stubbly,” she giggled, pushing him over onto his back so that their reunion could continue on her own terms. “How was work?” she shot back, playing coy for the moment.
He rolled his eyes. “There were books. Useless wankers checked them out. I put them back. Truly, Dewey was a visionary. Now, will you tell me what bloody well happened? Last night you’d just made it to the top eight.”
“No irritating, flirtatious researchers bothered you?” she continued to press. Harmony’s continued insistence that she absolutely needed Spike to help her find all her books for class had been a persistent problem since he’d reluctantly taken the post-graduation job.
“None at all,” he assured her. “I just keep tossin’ her Andrew’s way since ‘s his job and all.”
“Poor Andrew,” Elizabeth sighed, nibbling gently on his earlobe as her body slid atop his.
“So, now that we’ve thoroughly established that nothin’ has happened while you were gone…” he began, only to stop and gasp at the naughty things her hand was doing.
“Hush,” she reminded him, “or Jonathan will yell at us again.”
Spike snorted on the RA’s insistence that other people actually be allowed to sleep at night. “Like he and Kendra are any better,” he retorted. “Now, about… Christ, Summers!”
“Shh,” she reminded him.
His eyes narrowed on her. “You’re not gonna distract me that easily, pet,” he informed her matter-of-factly. “My girl made it all the way to Nationals this year, and she will bloody well tell me how she did or…” He fumbled for a decent threat.
She sighed before he had to carry through. “OK, so I wake up this morning to check the listings,” she informed him, settling down at his side as she entered narrative mode, “and my first bout of the day is against… ‘What’s her name?’” she mocked the fan cheer.
Spike groaned. “Glory?” Despite Elizabeth’s persistent efforts over the last four years, she’d still never beaten Glory in a tournament. Second place at Regionals, just behind the smug blond, had been enough for her to go to Nationals, however.
“Oh yeah,” Elizabeth winced.
“Well, let’s hear about it,” Spike demanded, rolling over onto his side so that he faced her.
Another sigh. “So, I actually get her down 3-2, and then she starts doing the Glory thing, and I barely hold on, so it’s tied at four…”
“And?” Spike pressed.
Elizabeth pouted. “She trounced me. I came in eighth.”
A sigh and a reassuring - albeit stubbly - kiss to her brow. “Better luck next year, kitten,” he whispered.
“Except Madison’s not in the same conference,” she pointed out. “I’ll have to make it to Nationals to even face Glory.”
“So, you wait ‘til spring to kick her lopsided behind.”
Elizabeth giggled. “Next year you have to come with me,” she decided. “I need the Gorgeous Boyfriend Factor to make her all jealous and sloppy.” She pulled him down for another kiss and this time lingered on his lips, savoring the heady taste of Spike.
“Hmm…next year,” he promised.
“So,” she turned to practical matters once more, “did you ask about getting the weekend of the 28th off?”
He groaned. “Yes,” he insisted, “and we can nab Mum’s car to go apartment hunting.”
“Good,” she decided, “I can do some research about possible buildings and you-”
“You,” he cut her off, “have to graduate first.”
She gave him an annoyed look. “Just rein in all my hopes and dreams, why don’t you?” she teased.
And instant and very sincere - not to mention pleasurable - apology followed. Elizabeth accepted it readily. After all, she wasn’t really angry. In fact, she was downright giddy at the thought of her and Spike in graduate school together. They’d pretty much had their pick of schools, what with her glowing recommendation from Professor Steinberg and his 4.0 GPA. They’d both fallen instantly in love with Madison when they’d visited, though, and so now they were about to be off on the next leg of their life together…
“What’re you smilin’ about?” Spike asked suspiciously, face hovering a foot or so above hers.
“Just you,” she assured him with a shy smile.
His scarred eyebrow rose half an inch.
“Who would’ve thought, huh?” she clarified. “Here we are, disaster-free and still together.”
“Well, the disasters tend to materialize every nine months or so,” he pointed out.
She let out a bark of laughter.
“What?” he demanded, confused.
“Really easy set-up,” she informed him.
He blinked very slowly.
“Disaster? Nine months?” she pressed.
Another sloth-paced blink.
She rolled her eyes at how dense guys could be at times. “What takes about nine months?” she finally demanded matter-of-factly.
He frowned for an instant… “Oh!” His eyes widened with understanding, then with typical male horror.
She shook her head and pulled him back down into her arms. “We’ll forego that particular disaster for a long time, OK baby?” she cooed softly. She really hadn’t meant to freak him out like that, especially since she sure as hell wasn’t ready yet, either. Not that she didn’t have occasional fantasies about children with brilliant blue eyes and their father’s cheekbones…
“’Lizabeth?” Spike murmured again her ear.
“Mmm?” she sighed contentedly.
“Missed you, luv,” he admitted.
She smiled up at the love of her life. “Show me,” she requested…
*sniff, sniff* Well, after six and a half months, 50 chapters, 444 pages, and 206,583 words, it's finally done. Sorry to see this very long work go, and yet amazed that it actually got finished. I'm not quite sure that when I decided to write a 50 chapter story back in January, I knew what I was really in for, but it's been fun, especially writing this in time with my own last year of college.
I owe thanks to so many people on this one that I don't even know where to start. I guess Jypzrose, first and foremost, inspired this story with her own brilliant creation 'Speedway'. Without that to show just how amazingly well AUs can work, I doubt I ever would have started this one. So many, many thanks to her. Also to Kumi, whose late, lamented site, Libidinous Desires, was the first to host this story. Her invitation onto that site really made me stand up as an author and challenge myself to write stories that I might not otherwise have dared. Special thanks to Kella, of Spuffy Archives, whose tireless - and often overwhelming - work has allowed the fantasy genre to truly blossom. To Kallysten, Eurydice, and Echinda, who are just such amazing writers that I'm constantly trying to improve my own works just to feel worthy of thanking them in my end notes. ~_^ As always, to the - literally - hundreds of people that have offered feedback and support on this sometimes arduous task of mine. I would never be able to keep it up without all of your support.
So we come to the all-time FAQ: What's next? I am sorry to say that, as several readers have suggested, I will not be writing all four of Elizabeth's college years in a series of sequels. I'm afraid that the 'Blue Horizons' universe will end here. At the beginning, I had a set goal not to map out all of college life, but to take an in-depth look at the challenges Elizabeth had to face when first achieving her own independence and adulthood. I wanted to show her growing into a more mature person and, at the same time, I wanted to show how this would allow a healthy relationship with Spike to progress throughout her own inner changes. If I've managed even a fraction of that in this story, then I'll consider it a screaming success. But that does mean that this story is over.
I will, of course, continue to write. 'Haunted' has been neglected for a while now, so to all of you who have been jumping at the bit on this one, it will resume shortly, as will SCBI. I do intend to begin writing another Spuffy AU in the near future (since, really, AUs are too much fun not to write ^_^). After I get a bit further along in 'Haunted', expect a brand new AU titled 'Balancing the Scales'. Until then, thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed...
~Kantayra