A/N: I just wanted to say upfront that this fic is paying homage to the film "Mrs. Winterbourne." If you've seen it, you might only be interested in reading this out of pure enjoyment of reading precious scenes from the movie starring our two favorite characters. If you haven't, you'll probably enjoy just because it's a great romantic comedy. Anyway, I hope I do it justice, as always, let me know what you think.
Jill
Mrs. Giles- Prologue
When I was seventeen, I moved out of my father's house. Things were strained between us ever since my mom died a year before. I think he was put off that now he actually had to take care of me. You see, he didn't before. In fact, UI think they were even talking of divorce. But then mom got sick. It would have been really bad if dad left us right then. But that didn't mean he was leaving his mistress. In fact,, less than two weeks after mom died, she moved in. Jenny. She's such a bitch. So condescending, so petulant, so. young.
But then, I met Angel. Beautiful, sexy, kind Angel. We immediately fell in love. It was so wonderful. He said it would be great if I moved into his apartment with him. Of course I said yes. But when I told my dad, he didn't even care. Didn't bat an eyelash. Didn't stop me. it hurt so much. I think that's mainly why I threw myself head first into my relationship with Angel. I was desperate for the love and the attention, I guess. Huh. Biggest mistake of the century. I actually believed he loved me, that we were gonna get married. I mean, things were going so smoothly, I mean an entire friggin' year. Then I got pregnant.
The bastard accused me of cheating. Even got one of his idiot friends to say he slept with me. Then he dumped me. Just like that. Kicked me out of the apartment. I refused to go back home, well, not that my dad would've let me back anyway. So, I went to live in a shelter. Six, long, miserable, depressing months in a shelter. Can you believe it? Finally, I went back to Angel. Eight months pregnant with his baby and he wouldn't buzz me in . He was shacked up with some hussy by the name of Darla. Figures. My god, it was raining, I had nowhere to go, and he wouldn't even let me in. He came to the window with Darla by his side and they laughed. They laughed at me! I was so humiliated. Then he tossed me a quarter. Said that was all I was getting from him. When he closed the window and turned away, I picked it up. Hey, twenty-five cents is a whole fourth of a dollar, which is much more than zero.
I was so depressed. There was nothing I could do; nowhere I could go. I mean, I was a pregnant, jobless, high school drop out. My sadness and depression had me walking aimlessly, having me end up at the train station. I didn't know what I was gonna do, but I knew I couldn't stay there. So, I did what any other homeless, penniless, pregnant woman would do; I snuck on.
I thought sure, this'll be a piece of cake. All I got to do is sneak into one of the rooms or a bathroom and wait until the conductor goes away. Not so much. The conductor spotted me and began asking me for my ticket. I pretended I didn't hear him, but he came after me. Damn! There were so many people in my way, and my protruding belly, I just couldn't move fast enough. Plus my bright, yellow sweater made me stand out. Just when I began to really panic, I ran into a hard, male chest. I looked up and saw chiseled features, a full sensual mouth, and small, wire frames surrounding beautiful, blue eyes and long, dark lashes. That's when the conductor tapped me on the shoulder. I removed my hands that were grasping his shirt of their own accord and slowly turned around.
"Your ticket, miss?" He asked.
"Uh, well. You see-" I started.
"This is my wife, sir. I have the tickets, honey. Just went to get the lady a soda." He saved me. I couldn't believe it. I was so shocked, I almost didn't take the glass he offered.
"Sorry about the mix up sir, miss. Have a pleasant trip." The conductor said as he stamped the tickets and moved on. Looks like my luck is turning around after all.
"Um, hi miss. The names Giles. Randall Giles." He said as he shook my hand. He had a British accent.
"Hi, I'm Buffy- us Summers. Thank you so much. I mean, I_"
"Oh, no problem. Really. Just don't like to see a fella give a lady a hard time." He said as he ran his fingers through his floppy, brown hair.
"You don't have a ticket, do you?" He asked in a low voice. I averted my eyes before I answered him.
"I don't have anything. Not even a tissue for my now runny nose." I tried to joke, though I was telling the truth. He gently grasped my hand and waited until I looked at him again.
"Well then, I guess you'll have to come with me then, eh?" He said lightly as he led me away to his room. I know I might come off as naïve, but it never occurred to me to be wary of him. He was like some sort of guardian angle. He was so nice and didn't come off as all hatchedy murdery. Plus when we got to the room, I met another very, pregnant woman. She had raven hair and big brown eyes.
"My, my Randal. And who might this be?" She asked in a pleasant tone.
"Well, I just couldn't help myself, darling. One beautiful, overtly pregnant woman is never enough." He said while grinning.
"Please don't mind him. He's just teasing. I'm Drusilla Giles." She said as she stood up, extending her hand.
"Hi, I'm Buffy Summers. Your husband is a life saver."
"Yes, he surely is. Sweetheart, did you bring my back my crème soda?"
"Sorry, but I gave it to Buffy. I like her better." He said, causing Drusilla to fake pout.
"Oh, all right, all right. I'll go back and get another. Hope you two ladies have a pleasant chat." He said as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
"Wow. He's really sweet." I said.
"Yeah. I can't believe he still loves me. I'm as big as a whale." Drusilla said as she patted her protruding belly affectionately.
"Oh, you look petite in comparison to me. If I could do a back bend, I'd be a camel."
"It's weird, isn't I? When I can see my feet, they're just so bloody big! And my fingers like hot dogs." She said as she wiggled her fingers and toes in front of her." How far along are you?"
"Bout eight months." I said as I scrutinized my own hands and feet.
"You know, me too! Say, you're my first American conversation!"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Born and raised in London. That's where I met Randy. A year and a half ago. It was all so sudden. We've been inseparable ever since." She said wistfully.
"Good god! This ring is cutting off my circulation!" She suddenly exclaimed. I stared at the beautiful platinum band that appeared to have little roses engraved around it. The diamond in the center was absolutely stunning.
"Oh, it's beautiful." I said softly.
"Want to try it on?"
"Oh no, I couldn't. It isn't-"
"Please, it's okay. Really. Give my finger a breather." She said with all smiles. I thought, what the hell? Why not? It's not like I'd get another chance like that.
"Oh, okay." She took it off with just a tad bit of difficulty and then put it in my hand. I slowly put it on my hand. It was so beautiful.
"Oh wow, gee." I said in just above a whisper.
"Glad you like-" She stopped abruptly when all of the lights went out.
"What's going on!" I yelled, on the verge of hysterics. Drusilla stood up, seemingly about to head for the door.
"I don't know. But let's remain calm-" But she was cut off again when the train suddenly jolted. She was tossed across the room like a rag doll. I heard her cry out in pain.
"Drusilla!" I yelled out. I tried to get up to help her, but I fell backwards and hit my head- hard. Everything went black.
Chapter 1
Buffy woke up alone in a hospital room. Once she cleared the cobwebs from her brain, she immediately placed her hands on her stomach. It was flat. She began to scream hysterically.
"My baby! My baby, my baby..." She broke down into sobs and tears as she continued her litany.
"Miss? Miss what's wrong?" The nurse said as she tried to calm her down.
"My baby- it's gone. It's gone!"
"No, no sweety. She's fine." Buffy stopped and stared at the woman wide eyed.
"Really?"
"Yes dear."
"Let me see her. Let me hold her." She said in a trembling voice.
"Oh, I think it's best if you rest and-" She stopped short as Buffy grasped her shoulders- tightly.
"You misunderstand, lady. I wasn't asking." She said in a now much firmer voice. The nurse gaped at her in surprise before answering.
"Okay. Alright. I'll go get her now."
Buffy couldn't believe it. A little, baby girl. But she missed all of the excruciating pain that labor- well, that part wasn't so bad. Then she wondered how Dru had faired out. Maybe she was close by? As she waited as patiently as she could, she took in her surroundings.
"Not too shabby. These hospital people are really nice." She thought aloud as she looked at the room. It seemed tons better than your average hospital room. Plus there were lots of flowers and balloons. It was nice. Finally the nurse came back with a little, pink bundle of joy.
"Here's your girl! All nine pounds and twenty-three inches!" The nurse exclaimed. *Yep, this is definitely Angel's kid* Buffy thought. When she was handed to her and she saw her adorable, chubby baby face, the waterworks started again.
"My baby. My little girl." She whispered as she kissed her soft forehead.
"I'll leave you two alone for some quality mother-daughter time." She said as she gently closed the door.
"Well, you are just the sweetest, little..." Buffy trailed off as she gazed at her little hands and little wrists, noticing what the little white band secured around it said.
"Baby Giles?! Aww, jeeze lady! Ya brought me the wrong kid!" Then she looked down at her own hospital wrist band. It read "Drusilla Giles." Finally she noticed Drusilla's ring was still on her finger.
"Oh, no." She whispered. As the puzzle pieces began to fit in Buffy's head, the nurse came back.
"What's the matter? Is some-"
"When I was found, was there another pregnant lady in the room with me? Did she make it?" The nurse hesitated before answering.
"Was she close to you?"
"Please, just tell me."
"No, miss, she didn't. And neither did your husband. I'm terribly sorry for your loss." She said apologetically as she left the room again. In that instant, Buffy felt as if the weight of the world had been dropped upon her... head.
***************
"Okay, sweetie. Someone obviously made a big mistake and we have to leave before anyone finds out." Buffy said to her baby as she put her down gently in the crib. She began swiftly putting on clothes from the suitcase- all of Drusilla's and all too long. Just as she was about to hightail it out of there, she heard someone quickly approaching the door. Before she could think of what to do, the nurse entered again with a tall gentleman in a butler's suit behind her.
"Mrs. Giles? Your ride home is here." The nurse announced.
"Hi. My name is Andrew and I will be escorting you to the Giles' estate."
"What? Why?"
"Um, because Mr. Giles would like to meet his daughter-in-law and first grandchild. Also, I'm very sorry for your loss. Randy was a very, very special man." Andrew said with tears in his eyes.
"Oh, well I-"
"Well come along. Got to get going if we want to beat the afternoon traffic." He said as he brought out a car seat from the other side of the door and strode over to the crib to retrieve the baby.
"No wait! I'll do it! I'll carry her!" Buffy exclaimed. She didn't want anyone handling her baby. Andrew eyed her a bit in confusion before smiling brightly.
"All right. I'll just get your suitcase. Ready?" But he walked out before she replied. She reluctantly followed behind.
***************
Buffy couldn't believe it. She went from being homeless and sneaking on trains to sitting in a Rolls Royce heading towards some mansion in a place called Sunnydale. But heaviness settled over her heart as she thought about why she was heading there. Because a kind man and his nice wife died. The worst part of it was the fact that the damn ring wouldn't come off. Her fingers were still swollen. The only reason she wasn't going to tell the truth was because of her little girl. She didn't want her to grow up cold, hungry and homeless. Maybe this would be a chance to start over. Couldn't hurt anyone, right?
"So, how are you holding up?" Andrew asked.
"Oh, well, ya know... okay?" Buffy wasn't quite sure how to answer the question.
"How was your-"
"Look, I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm just not in the talking mood right now. I'd just like to sit, and think, and reflect." *Yeah, on my one way ticket- to hell.* she thought.
"Oh, yes, yes. Traumatic experience and all. We should be there fairly shortly."
Buffy sat back and attempted to enjoy the ride as best as humanly possible. But excitement, terror, and guilt were gripping her all at once. She still wasn't sure if or even how she could possibly explain it all. Maybe they'd know she wasn't Drusilla as soon as she walked through the door.
"Drusilla. I'm sorry we had to meet on such sorrowful terms." An older, British guy with glasses asked. *Huh, guess not.*
"I'm Rupert Giles- Randy's father. Do come in." Buffy gave the man a trying smile as he gently took the baby out of her arms.
"Hello there, sweetheart. Have you thought of a name yet?" He asked as he smiled at the baby, his eyes filling up with tears. But before she could answer, someone interrupted.
"She here yet, dad?" A familiar voice asked from the top of the stairs. Buffy looked up and saw him- Randy. He was alive! Oh sure he had no glasses and his hair was shorter, slicked back and bleached, and was that a scar on his eyebrow? But hell, it was him! Oh god, what must he think of her going around impersonating his deceased wife? She had to get out of there. She quickly began retrieving her baby girl from Mr. Giles' arms.
"What, what' wrong?" Giles asked her. "Randy" eyed her curiously as he descended the stairs.
"What, Randy never told you about me? His identical twin brother?" The other man said as he stood before Buffy and his father. Buffy relaxed considerably.
"He never said you guys were identical." She said as Giles gingerly reached for the baby.
"Well, allow me to introduce myself, then. I'm William 'Spike' Giles. Feel free to call me Will or Spike, or whatever suits you." He sounded friendly enough, yet he gave her a look of ... disdain?
"Let me get a look see at my lil' niece. How ya doin', there, Niblet?"
TBC
Chapter 2
"So, you've got a name for the Bit yet?" Spike asked as he gently held the baby's hand.
"Actually, umm, I was thinking of the name Dawn." Buffy said.
"Mm hmm." Spike said.
"What? What's wrong with Dawn?" Buffy asked.
"It's just that. Dawn Giles? Sounds bloody boring if you ask me." *I didn't.* Buffy thought to herself. Instead, she opted to glare at him.
"Well, how about Glory?" Giles asked. The look on his son's face said it all.
"Dad, I mean really. Haven't you done enough damage already when you named my brother Randy?" Spike asked. Giles gave him an irritated look before responding.
"Do you have something better then?" Giles questioned.
"How bout Faith?" Buffy and Giles looked at each other, then at Spike.
"It does kind of have a ring to it. Faith Giles." Buffy admitted. Spike gave them both a smug look.
"Well, you are the mother, your decision after all. You should probably sleep on it." Spike said as he began to walk away. A blond haired woman in a maid's uniform began to descend the stairs.
"Yes, well, we were merely suggesting. Oh, Tara will show you to your room. I hope you find it comfortable. And thank you for keeping this one safe." Giles said as he handed her back the baby and exited the same way as Spike.
"Hi, I'm Bu- um. Drusilla. Sorry, it's been a long day." Buffy said as she extended her hand to the young woman. Tara gave her a little smile before showing Buffy the way to her new room.
"Wow." Buffy said just above a whisper as she eyed the room. The place was so huge. It was like two large rooms put together. On one side was for the baby. Buffy called it "Nursery City" in her mind. It appeared as if the Giles' had cleared out some Baby's R Us store. On the other side was her bed and dressers and such. It was quite eloquent and grand.
"Your suit cases will be brought up shortly." Tara said before she exited the room. Buffy went over to the hoard of little stuffed animals and picked up a cute little stuffed pig and showed it to the baby.
"Pretty nice, huh? I mean, it's no real harm in staying here, right? Do you think mommy could go to prison for this?" She gave an exasperated sigh as she thought things over again.
"I just want the best for you, is all. You understand, don't you sweetheart?"
**************
"It's just that. where could they've possibly met? Doesn't she seem kind of, white trash to you?" Spike asked as he slowly paced back in forth in the study, sipping some brandy from his snifter glass.
"She hardly seems our class."
"My, my, William. How can you be so, so discriminatory?" Giles asked as he poured himself a scotch. "And stop that bloody pacing." Spike stopped pacing and looked his father in the eyes.
"What, father? You think I've prejudged her?"
"I don't understand. Who raised you to be such a bigot?" Giles asked, incredulous.
"Hmm. Good question. Let's ask the servants." Giles ignored the remark and continued to defend his son's widow.
"Look, I don't care what class, religion, whatever she is. She was Randy's wife, and I'm going to do all that I can to help and protect her. She is the mother of my only grandchild, and she is staying right here. You don't have to like her, but you will treat her with respect. Is that clear, William?" Giles said in his serious tone. Spike gave him a look, but nodded his agreement.
"I should also mention that I want you here for dinner tonight." Giles said.
"What? Why?"
"It's Drusilla's first night here, and I want us to sit there as a family. Besides, Willow and Xander will- "
"Wait just one second. You tellin' me you invited the whelp?" Spike asked, highly upset.
"What, he was Randy's best friend, and one of yours- "
"Bloody rot. You know I hate the wanker!"
"So what. I still want you to be here."
"Oh no. I don't think so. We are not discussing this." Spike said as he threw up his hands in mock protest.
"Yes we bloody well are!" Giles composed himself before continuing. "I want you there, and I want us to all be amicable to one another, even if we have to fake it."
"Yea? Better tell Harris this lil' tidbit of info, too."
"I just want Drusilla to feel apart of the family. Come on, if not for her, then do it for your old man, eh?" Giles said with kind eyes. Spike rolled his eyes in turn.
"Oh, fine. But I'm doin' it for her. She may not be like us, but then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing after all."
Dinnertime
It appeared to Buffy that her baby had gained about ten additional pounds in the carrier as she wandered around the house attempting to find the dinner hall. Tremendous relief washed over her when she finally found it. She took note of the brown haired man and red headed woman sitting across from Spike with Giles at the head of the table. She took the empty seat next to Spike and placed the carrier next to her seat.
"Sorry I took so long. I got lost." The dark haired man politely laughed, but then realised that she was serious.
"Oh, well, lots of rooms and hallways can do that to you. I'm Xander Harris, by the way." He said. Buffy reached across the table to shake his hand as everyone looked at her strangely.
"Hi. Drusilla Giles." She said. Then she extended her hand to the red head. She looked at her in surprise before grasping her hand.
"Oh, sorry. I'm Willow Rosenberg." She said with a smile.
"Yes, um, well these were Randy's two best friends." Giles said.
"Yeah, the three of us were pretty much inseperable." Willow added. Buffy noticed that Spike looked at none of them.
"Yes well, Dru- you don't mind if I call you Dru, do you?" Spike asked.
"No, sure go ahead." Buffy replied.
"Where exactly in Paris did you and my brother meet?" He asked in a purely curious tone. He pretty much just wanted to move the conversation away from Randy and his two "best friends."
"Oh, uh, at the mall."
"The mall?" Spike asked incredulous.
"Well yea. They have malls there too, ya know."
"How was the wedding?" Willow asked eagerly.
"Oh, it was really beautiful." When she didn't elaborate, Spike questioned," Care to elaborate, pet?"
"It was at night under the stars. But I'd prefer to not talk about it." She said looking away from him. Spike gave her a what appeared to be a concerned look and backed off.
"How'd you fall in love with him?" Willow asked.
"Oh, it was incredibly easy. I mean, he was the only person I've ever known to be nice without a reason. His kindness just simply, warmed my heart. He was so spontaneous and generous. He was so... carefree and full of life. I mean, I know I haven't known him as long as you guys, but-"
"You understood him." Spike said in a low voice. "I always thought I'd have the chance to figure him out, but..."
"Yeah right, Spike. You were always coming down on him. You were too selfish to notice him." Xander said. Buffy saw fire in Spike's eyes. She was certain he was going to curse that Xander guy out, or hit him, or something. Instead he just stood up and left the room. Giles gave Xander a disapproving look before excusing himself.
"I'll be back in a bit." He didn't have to go far as he saw Spike right in the hallway by the dinner hall.
"I told you, I told you. I hate that bastard." Spike whispered to his father.
"Look son, just- " Giles was cut off by Drusilla's loud voice.
"Hey! What'd you do that for?" She asked.
"Look, you don't know Spike like I know him." Willow remained quiet, seemingly torn over it all.
"He's grieving. And his personal relationship with his brother is not any of our concern." Buffy countered.
"Yeah, right. Look, you seem like a nice reasonable person. Once you get to know Spike, you'll get to see him as the cold, soulless fiend that he is." Xander said.
"Xander, really- " Willow started.
"God, you're disgusting! How can you just talk about him like this in his own home? He may be somewhat of an asshole, but he's doing it within his own right. That was his brother and this is his home. I'm sure Randy would not approve of your treatment of his brother. You should respect that." Just then, the baby woke up from all of the commotion.
"Aww, geeze! I'm just gonna, go now. Tell someone to send me up a plate." She said as she picked up the carrier and headed out of the room. She saw the look of awe on Giles' face and appreciation on Spike's and simply muttered, " Well, I know I was rude, but he was rude first." and continued on to her room. Spike looked at his father for a moment before saying, " I bloody like her."
TBC
Chapter Four
Buffy couldn't believe she did that! She just should have sat back and kept her big mouth shut. But she just couldn't help herself. That Xander was just being a big meanie. Besides, someone that closely related to Randy couldn't be all that bad. Maybe it wasn't as she thought it was.
*Knock, knock*
"Oh boy." She muttered to herself as she went to answer the door. She was surprised to see Spike on the other side- with a plate of food.
"Heard you mention something about hunger. May I come in?" He asked in a low whisper, rightfully assuming the baby was asleep. Buffy gave him a little nod and motioned for him to come inside. He followed her to his side of the room and sat at one of the desk chairs.
"Sorry for that outburst down there. It's just that, well, he shouldn't have said those things about you and-"
"No, it's alright, really. Actually, that's why I came up here. To thank you for what you did. Everyone else would've let it slide as if he'd said nothing. Just cause he was Randy's friend and all." He said with a rueful smile.
"But you're his brother. I think if anyone were to be slinging around insults, it should be you. I mean, you deserve to be upset and angry now. Go ahead and vent; it's usually a great feeling." She said lightly. "Why does he not like you so much?"
"Oh, pet, he doesn't not like me, it's just he more or less hates my guts for some reason. Always been like that. Especially since I slept with his ex, but they were already broken up for like two weeks."
"So, this all started cause you slept with his girl?'
"No, he hated me before all that- when we were kids." Spike could feel himself opening up to her, and he didn't like it all. But he couldn't seem to stop himself. *Huh. Guess it's easier when you talk your frustrations out to a complete stranger.* He thought. He took a deep breath and continued to explain.
"Uh. Randy always got along with people. Anyone we hung out with were really his friends, not mine. Actually, he was the only friend that I ever really had; my 'in' to the social world. He never left me behind. Good brother, he was. But, after awhile, I guess he felt the need for change. We were both supposed to go and work for dad, and on our day of inauguration, he said he had to go to the bathroom and never came back. That was nearly two years ago. I was just so angry with him, for leaving me. I guess that's when I became tired of living in his shadow. I never thought of altering my appearance of any sort before, but shortly after he left, I got mugged. That's where I got this scar from." He said, pointing to his scarred eyebrow. He began to lightly touch as he got this far away look in his eye.
"After that, every time I looked in the mirror, I didn't see Randy anymore. I saw someone else. Then I died my hair. I sort of became my own man, you know? I thought that when he comes back, I can finally show him that I don't need to be his nancy boy follower anymore, that I'd be okay, but. He never showed. Instead he died, and, I never felt so alone." He said in slightly above a whisper. He felt his eyes tear up and abruptly stood up, not facing her.
"I know what it's like, you know." She began as she stood up, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "A few years ago, I lost my mom. I didn't have anyone either. But I'm sure that Randy can see you now, and I'm sure you're making him proud with all you've accomplished." Spike nodded at the comment and began to take long strides to the door.
"I'll uh, see you tomorrow." He said as he lightly closed the door.
"Okay, what just happened here?" Buffy asked no one.
************
"What the hell." Spike said as he paced in his room. He couldn't figure out why he had said all of those things, and it was really irritating him. So, he took out a cigarette and took a few puffs to calm his nerves. The wheels in his mind began to turn as he thought things through, his feelings, Drusilla, Randy. and something wasn't adding up at all. Randy had a thing for brunettes. The quiet, shy types and what all. Spike didn't have a particular taste, exactly. More like a medley of women.
"Oh, bugger it." He said as he left the house. He hopped into his viper and headed home, forcing all serious thoughts from his mind as he enjoyed his ride to his apartment.
TBC
Chapter Five
Ever since Randy's death, Spike spent most of his time at home with his dad. Even before that, he was still mostly there for work reasons. That's when he got to his apartment; there was a ton of mail waiting for him.
"Bloody hell." He muttered as he riffled through the junk mail and looking for anything that was important. A whole pile of mail later, he finally came across a white envelope with familiar hand writing. It was from Randy. Spike stared at the envelope for several minutes in shock before he sat down. The whole time since Randy had left, the only letter he had received from him was a post card simply asking "How'd it go?" Spike opened the envelope with care and pulled out its contents. Inside were a letter and a photo of Randy with a brunette.
"Who's that?" He asked himself aloud. Then, he began to read.
*Dear Will,
I hope you're not mad at me for leaving, but I just had to get out of there! That whole thing was suffocating. I would've asked you to come with me, but you seemed (actually) excited about it all. It was all too. confining for me. Anyway, I know that this is very late coming, but I am truly sorry.
How'd the old man take it? Not to well at first, I suppose. But you were the one who was always the one with the brains anyway. No patience or people skills, but still. You really got work on that part. Gotta be nice to the clients and all, right? I bet you and dad make the perfect team. Don't let the fact that I didn't want to work with you two sway you, oh no. It's just not my thing, you know?
I'll be back soon, and I wanted you to know that you're still my favorite person, and I hope that I'm still yours. I mean, no matter what happens, you'll always be my brother, and I love you. Yea, I know how much you hate that word, but I do. And even though you won't say it aloud, I know you feel the same way too.
Before I go, what do you think of the brunette in the picture? Sexy huh? Well, she is now officially your sister in law! Okay, so I didn't invite anyone to the wedding, but that is the point of "spur of the moment" and what all. Her name's Drusilla. She's a kick, you'll love her! I know I do. Have you met anyone? I'd like some nieces or nephews sometime, mister! Oh god, now I sound like mum. I miss her. See ya soon.
Love,
Randy
P.S.
Ease up on the drinks and ciggarettes. Not good for your health.*
Spike sat there, rereading the letter over and over. He didn't know what to think.
TBC
Chapter Six
Spike's mind was racing. *Bloody hell.* Drusilla was not Drusilla. And that baby
was not his niece.
"But how in the hell did she know them..." Spike suspected that this woman must
have met Randy and the real Dru before the accident. But why lie about
everything? Why impersonate Randy's wife?
"Wait a minute, she's dead." Spike immediately began chain smoking to help clear
his mind. Unfortunately, it didn't help one bit. His brain was thinking a
thousand thoughts a second. Was she there for their money? Guilt? No place to
go? Pity? He couldn't figure it out. But he knew one thing for sure, tomorrow,
the mystery blonde's real identity would be found out.
***************
After finishing her extremely scrumptious meal, Buffy attempted to go to sleep.
She was, however, unsuccessful. She couldn't stop thinking about Spike. His
sadness just evoked something inside of her that she couldn't put her finger on.
That unidentifiable feeling brought out the thousand of gallons of fear. She
knew that eventually she would have to leave. Either they would discover the
truth and throw her out, or she would be a good person and be truthful about who
she was and how she really knew Randy.
Luckily for her, the next couple of days, Spike hadn't come to mansion at all.
It was like giving her brain a mini vacation. Giles mentioned something of work
or the other, and she tried to remain unconcerned. Spike seemed so flustered the
other night... But the good thing was, that was one less person she had to focus
on lying to. But the shit really hit the fan when Giles somehow got the bright
idea of throwing a party for his "grand daughter." She had to admit that it was
pretty nice, though. It was all set up in the extremely large back yard and was
very classy. There was a live band and everything. She couldn't help but feel
out of place. But a celebration is always of the good, right? *God, how am I
gonna deal with all of those people?* Buffy thought wearily.
"Hey, I know how you feel. I'm not really a fan of large crowds, either." Willow
said in an attempt to comfort Buffy. Buffy just nodded her head in agreement.
Willow was the closest thing she had ever had to a real friend. The thought of
losing her and the "home" for her daughter just made her all the more depressed
and upset.
"Come on, chin up! Dru, you have to be my brave, lil toaster." She said
jokingly. Buffy gave her a small smile in return.
"Alright. If you say- "
"Hey Red. Well, well. How you doin, Dru?" Buffy stopped dead in her tracks as
she heard the familiar voice behind her. She quickly turned around with a
genuine smile plastered on her face.
"Hey stranger." Willow said with a wave.
"Spike! Hey, where've you been?" She asked as she approached him. She noticed
how he hadn't slicked his hair back, showing off his natural curls. It looked
amazing in the sunlight.
"Oh, uh, ya know- work." Spike said uneasily. He had to admit that Buffy Summers
wasn't too bad on the eyes. She had a special... glow. Effulgent. Maybe it had
something to do with the whole pregnancy.
"I think Faith here missed you." She said as she held the baby out to him. He
gingerly took her in his arms.
"Decided to go on my choice of name, did you? Good." He said as he stared at the
little girl. She yawned and closed her eyes in return.
"Don't think she missed me too much, pet. Xander isn't here by any chance, is
he?" He asked. Willow gave "Dru" a worried glance.
"He's around somewhere." Willow said. Spike merely rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, well if the git so much as- "
"Excuse me all, may I have your attention please? William, come up here." Giles
said on the mic from his place on the stage.
"Bloody hell. Dad's always trying to come out of his shell. Then he's always
tryin' to bring me along for the ride." Spike said handing the baby over to
Buffy, then heading towards the stage.
"Please bring Faith with you." He said in a kind voice. Spike looked heavenward,
but turned around and gently took Faith from Buffy's hands. Buffy gave him a
questioning look and he merely smiled at her.
"S'alright, pet. You'll see. Just don't bloody laugh when it's over." He said,
taking long strides to join his father.
"What's going on?" Buffy asked an equally confused Willow.
"I really don't know."
***************
"Dad, do we really have to do this? Is it really necessary?" Spike asked as he
watched some of the members from the band set up two microphones center stage
and hand Giles a guitar.
"Yes. It was Randy's song, our song, and I'd like to sing for his daughter, our
flesh and blood. That is, if it's not an inconvenience to you, William." Giles
said giving him a stern look. Spike decided to hold his comment back on the
whole "flesh and blood" thing and nodded his head. He decided to keep all info
to himself until he found out what this Buffy chit was really up to. That and
the fact that he and his father could harmonize really well. He thought back on
the times when he, Randy and his father would sing together, just playing
around. He remembered how his mother used to smile when they sang this
particular song together. How he wished they both were there right then.
"Um, this song, Will, Randy and I used to sing together. It was a Giles' man
thing, I suppose, also Randy's favorite. He used to whistle it often. I'd like
to sing it today for you all, my grand daughter in particular, with my son." He
said, adjusting his glasses. Then he began to strum a familiar tune on the
guitar. Spike began to sing.
"No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man.
To be the sad man,
Behind blue eyes."
And then Giles joined in. Their voices blended together perfectly. The twinge of
sadness in both their voices touched everyone. Neither Giles nor Spike looked at
the audience. They either looked at the baby or some place off in the distance.
It was beautiful.
"And no one knows
What it's like
To be hated
To be fated to telling only lies
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To feel these feelings
Like I do, and I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain woe
Can show through
No one knows what its like
To be mistreated, to be defeated
Behind blue eyes
No one knows how to say
That they're sorry and don't worry
I'm not telling lies
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To be the bad man, to be the sad man
Behind blue eyes.
Buffy felt the tears roll down her cheeks at the performance and noticed Willow
and a few others in her exact condition. The feeling she had about Spike just
became worse.
Chapter Seven
"So, uh, you liked it? Didn't bore you to tears, did we?" Spike asked Willow and
Buffy. Unable to look him in the eyes, she instead looked at her baby's face.
"It was wonderful." Buffy said.
"Happy and sad for me. Happy cause you guys sounded so great, but sad because
it's only two thirds of the infamous Giles' trio. But it was great." Willow said
as she embraced him, having Spike awkwardly pat her on the back and muttering a
few "there, there now."
"Excuse me ladies. There's a drink calling my name." Spike said as Willow
released him, disappearing in the crowd.
"Willow, uh, I need to go in the house for a minute." Buffy said, walking away
before the red head got a chance to protest. Unfortunately for her, she ran
right into... someone she never met.
"Hi, you must be Buffy." A blonde haired woman said to her, looking very
cheerful.
"Um, yea. And you are?"
"Oh, silly me. I'm Harmony Kendall. An old friend of the family." She said with
a little giggle.
"Oh, that's nice." Buffy said, falsely interested.
"So that's the baby, huh?" Buffy gave her a strange look.
"Of course."
"Doesn't really look like a Giles. I mean, without the blue eyes, I mean. Brown
must be from your side of the family, huh?" Buffy nodded dumbly, trying in vain
to think of a way of escape.
"You know, nearly their whole family is blue eyed? Spike's mom, Spike, Mr.
Giles-"
"You know Spike?"
"Yea. We totally go way back. I told him if he ever married me, we'd definitely
have some good looking children with the trademark blue eyes. But does he
listen? Oh no. I tell him I love him and he tells me he loves syphilis more than
me and that love hurts. Stupid jerk." She finished with a pout.
"He really said that?"
"Yeah. What, like I'd make that up or something?"
"No, I just-"
"Hey, don't be fooled. Randy was the nice one. I wish I had fallen for him
instead. Then maybe he'd have been with me instead of you on that train and- Oh
I'm sorry! Not saying that his death was your fault or anything." She said at a
lame attempt of backtracking.
"No, it's alright. I um... Oops! Baby needs a change. Gotta go!" Buffy said as
she briskly walked away. If there was anything that came out of that
conversation was leverage against Spike. Now she had a solid reason of staying
far, far away from him. Well, emotionally anyway. Avoidance was key. For four
days straight (except that brief encounter in the kitchen) she was able to.
****************
Spike couldn't help but notice how distant Buffy seemed from him lately. Perhaps
she knew that he knew the truth and was wary of him? But how could she possibly
know that? *Better check it out.* He thought as he went looking for her.
"Dru, luv. Haven't seen you for awhile. What've you been up to?" He asked as he
studied her reaction closely. She was very fidgety. Very fidgety indeed.
"Oh, um... nothing. Just resting?" She asked more than said.
"Uh, huh. Well it seems to me that-"
"S- sorry to, um, interrupt. But Mr. Giles would like to see you both." Tara
said shyly, waiting for the two to move to follow her. Buffy kept glancing
uneasily behind her at Spike, not knowing what to expect anymore.
"Drusilla, I would like you to meet the family lawyer, Ms. Anya Jenkins." Giles
said as he motioned for her to come closer. Buffy became really nervous just
then. She wiped her palm on her skirt before shaking the other woman's hand.
Spike watched on in confusion.
"How do you do? Terribly sorry for your loss. Randy was a nice guy." Anya said
with a smile.
"Oh, thank you." *Okay, exactly what the hell is going on?* Buffy thought.
"I've asked Anya and you here, Dru, because I'm going to add you and Faith to my
will." Giles said.
"What?" Buffy gasped.
"What?!" Spike yelled. "Don't you think you should think about this?" Spike
questioned as he strode up to his dad.
"Yes, I have. I've made up my mind, William. No use in getting upset." Before
Spike got the chance to protest further, Buffy stepped in.
"No, you can't!" Buffy yelled.
"Drusilla, really I think-"
"No, don't you see? I'm not here for the money. I don't want the money." She
said.
"Well, I am. Please, continue arguing. I'm paid by the hour." Anya said as she
sat down on one of the sofas. Buffy ignored Anya's interruption and continued.
"Look, I didn't come for that. I came for you, and you." Buffy said as she
looked at Giles and Spike. Giles smiled warmly at her while Spike cocked his
head to the side and observed her with an unreadable expression.
"Well, that just seals the deal, doesn't it? Now I want to do this more than
ever." Giles said as he began signing the papers before him. Buffy watched him,
clearly distressed. She looked at Spike for help, but he just shrugged his
shoulders in response.
*Well, this birds intentions don't seem to be devious.* He thought. Now all he
had to figure out was why she consistently avoided him.
Chapter Eight
Buffy couldn’t believe what was happening. It was all to much. She never
intended for it all to go that far. To be put in the man’s will, for goodness
sake! Now she had a hard decision to make, and it had to be made nevertheless.
Expose herself as a fraud, or run away.
“Damn. Wish I had a camera bout now to take a picture.” She opted to run away.
As she hurriedly packed her bags of possessions in which did not belong to her,
the door to her room abruptly opened.
“Sorry to barge in, pet. But I was wonderin’ if- hey, what’s going on?” Buffy
was awe struck to see Spike accompanied by a large bouquet of roses.
“What are those for?” She asked, completely ignoring his question. He looked
nervous for a moment before further entering the room.
“Oh, um... these are for you. Kind of a congratulations for being, um, more so
in the family?” He asked more than stated. In actuality, he bought them because
he was so relieved that she was in no way involved with his brother, not after
their money, and because he now felt officially guilt free in liking her.
“Oh, thanks.” She said before turning around to finish packing. Spike brushed
off the fact that she didn’t take the roses and placed them on a dresser.
“No problem. Where you headin’ off to?” He asked, taking in the packed
suitcases. Buffy finally stopped her movements, turning and facing him uneasily.
“Spike, I- I can’t stay here. It’s not right.”
“You’re more than welcome here. My father adores you and the baby. He- we want
you to stay.”
“No, I... Don’t you see? This is all too much. It’s like taking advantage and-“
“Really, it’s not. My father’s not daft, you know. He’s fully functional. Stay
here with us. You’ll be safe and taken care of. You and Faith both.” He pleaded.
“Look, I can’t explain. Well, actually I could, but it’d be really bad. I’m
sorry, but we have to go.” Spike stared at her intently before completely
exploding, waving his arms about.
“Bloody hell, woman! Are you completely around the bend?!”
“What? I’m not sure what that means, exactly, but it sounded insulting.”
“Are you insane?”
“Excuse me?” She asked, incredulous.
“I mean, you have everything here; a home, a family who cares for you-“
“You think I don’t know that? You think I’m leaving for shits and giggles?” She
asked rhetorically, nearly on the verge of tears.
“No. It’s just, I’d like us to get to know each other better and... Just think
about it, okay? Weigh your options a bit, and I’m sure that you’ll see that
staying here is the heavier side. Ya know, cause there’s more for you here.” He
said as he lightly grasped her hand. She gazed into his eyes, wanting to believe
that staying was the right choice, but knew the answer already in her heart.
“All right. I’ll think it over.” He smiled at her then. Instead of replying, he
merely nodded and left her to her thoughts. No sooner had he left was she
sitting at the desk, writing her good bye letter. When she was finished, she got
her baby and her bags and left for the train station. Little did she know she
was being followed by a kind man with blue eyes.
A/N: Okay, it’s short. No surprise there. The next chapter should be out like
tomorrow, cause now I have to go to class. Anyway, please review, and sign the
petition so we can save Angel! Or, write to Joss or whoever so the show can be
moved to UPN. Come on, it just got really good!!
Chapter Nine
“Oh god, where am I gonna go?” She questioned to herself as she sat on the bench
at the train platform, clutching Faith to her chest. She was surprised when
someone answered.
“How’s bout back with me?” She looked up to see Andrew standing before her.
“I can’t.” She replied, turning away from him.
“But you see, the beauty of it is you can. Real simple. Just mosey yourself
along to the car while I carry your bags.” He said with a smile. Buffy merely
gave him a sour look in turn. Giving a very much exasperated sigh, he plopped
down on the bench next to her.
“Come on, Dru. The Giles men need you. I mean, do you know how incredible it is
to see them happy? Smiling even? You know for awhile there, I didn’t think it
was apart of their genetic make up. But, you just bring out this special
something in them. It’s like you have this Force inside of you.” Buffy gave him
a funny look as he made weird movements with his hands for emphasis on her
“force.” Shaking her head, she began to speak.
“Andrew, I don’t belong there. I care about them, I do. But I’m not really apart
of their family. I don’t want to leave, but I can’t stay because-“ She stopped
talking as the tears finally came. “Oh, I’m sorry. Damn hormones.” She sniffed.
Andrew began to awkwardly pat her on the back.
“There, there. Look, maybe you’re not related by blood or whatever, but you’re
still in their hearts. They care about you. I mean, Master Splinter adopted the
turtles and they weren’t even the same species! They were so happy. It was so
beautiful!” He exclaimed before bursting into tears. Buffy let him lean on her
shoulder as she began to return the favor of the “comfort back pat.”
“I’m sorry. I just get a little emotional sometimes.” He said as he wiped his
eyes.
“Don’t give up on them, Dru. You and Faith make the family whole again. I mean,
first losing Mrs. Giles and then Randy... losing you and Faith would be too
much. You don’t want to put them through that again, do you?” Buffy looked
indignant at the idea of hurting Giles or Spike like that intentionally.
“Of course not.”
“Then come back with me, you silly goose.” Buffy thought it over. *It’s not like
it’s even my real name in the will. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to play the charade a
little longer? Not like I have another place to go anyway.*
“Andrew, if it’s not too much trouble, could you please carry my bags?”
“Of course, madam.”
***************
“Drusilla, we were terribly worried! What’s wrong? Where did you go? What-“
Giles fired at her in a distressed tone.
“Whoa, dad, slow down a tick. Give her a minute. I’m sure she’ll explain when
she’s ready.” Spike said as he watched her carefully.
“I’m sorry you guys. I just got so... overwhelmed I guess. It won’t happen
again.” Buffy said, hanging her head.
“But it’s all cool now. We had this talk about, um, stuff and we sorted it all
out. Everything’s okay now. Right Dru?” Andrew asked, desperate for the
recognition in being the one to bring Drusilla back.
“Yeah. Andrew here helped clear my head on some things.” He smiled gratefully at
her.
“Well, I guess my work here is done. Night, all.” Andrew said before going to
his room.
“I’m kinda beat too, guys. I’ll see you in the morning.” Buffy said before
heading to her room as well.
“What do you suppose that was about?” Giles asked his son.
“I dunno. Maybe she really was overwhelmed. But why speculate? She’s back,
right?” He replied. Giles nodded in quiet agreement. *But of course, I’m going
to find out the real reason tomorrow.* He thought to himself.
Chapter 10:
Well, Spike's plan of "ask questions later" was so not of the good. She was
hostile and defensive all of the time. To him, anyway. And here he was thinking
she was distant before. The way she was previous to her little disappearing act
was in no way in comparison to the coldness he was getting now. But being Spike,
he persisted on.
"God, Spike. Can't I get a moments rest? Just leave it alone. I had some issues,
but now I'm fine, alright?" Buffy said in a huff.
"Alright, alright. No need to get shirty about." Buffy scrunched up her face in
confusion.
"Shirty? That's not even a word."
"Whatever, Dru. You wanna treat me like crap for no good reason, then that's
your business." He said nonchalantly.
"I'm not- I just want some space, okay." She said in exasperation.
"Yea. Sure. Whatever." Spike said, petulant.
"God, what is it that you want? Huh? Why are you so curious about what I've been
up to? I told you already, nothing is going on."
"Really?"
"Yea, really. Except for the fact that you're suffocating me."
"What? I bloody well am not! I'm just... concerned is all. But if there was a
problem, would you come to me?" He asked, serious.
"Sure. Why not."
Of course, Buffy only said that to make him go away. And it worked, temporarily
of course. By the end of the week, they went on their first date. For lunch,
mind you. But to Buffy's pure dismay, she had fun. She liked talking to him.
Once he brought down her defensive walls, all they did was laugh and joke;
slinging friendly barbs at each other during their light banter. They both felt
the butterflies of when you really like someone, secretly knowing that they like
you just as much. After that, they more or less hung out all of the time. Giles
didn't know rather to be extremely happy or extremely confused at the joy
gracing his son's face now. He opted for an even mixture of both.
Though the Giles' weren't celebrities, they did have money, which made them
candidates for the tabloids. Ever since Randy's death, the press covered
everything. Faith's coming out party, the recently widowed "Drusilla," and "The
Budding Romance Between the Widow Giles and Her Brother-in-law." Buffy was not
pleased to see these headlines, but she tried her best to not let them get to
her. And they didn't, that is until she received an anonymous letter in the
mail.
"Who's that from, Dru? An old friend?" Giles asked with interest as he handed
"Dru" the envelope. She looked confused as she opened it, then a mild look of
fear crossed her face before she stuffed (what appeared to be an index card)
back into the envelope. She gave Giles an uneasy smile.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just some junk mail." She said before leaving the room. Giles
didn't worry too much, though. If Drusilla said it was junk, then by god it was.
Of course, it wasn't.
'Who are you? And who's baby is that?'
Buffy looked at the card's typed up words one more time before ripping it up and
throwing it in the trash. She kept wondering who knew her secret, and was
downright terrified at the idea of being exposed.
"Whatever. Like whoever that was can prove anything." She said, desperately
trying to convince herself.
*****************
"So luv, what are you wearing to the party, sweetheart?" Spike asked as he held
her hand as they leisurely walked around in the back yard. enjoying each other's
company was enough for them.
"Party? What party?"
"Our coming out party, of course. Come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed? We
make pretty damn good headlines, ducks." He said as he stopped walking, watching
her closely for a reaction.
"Oh, well, I dunno." She said without much enthusiasm. Ever since that letter
she got last week, going out in public anytime soon wasn't exactly her idea of
fun.
"Hey now. If you don't want to go, then we don't have too." He said, desperately
wanting to acquiesce her. She looked up at him and smiled lightly.
"Nah, it 's okay. Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about." She said, resuming
their walk.
*************
The night of the party was beautiful. Again, it was outdoors, but the sky was
clear and the stars were out. So far, she and Spike had been dancing the night
away. That is until a tall gentleman asked to cut in.
"Excuse me sir. But I couldn't help but ask if I may dance with this beautiful
lady." Spike noticed Buffy's posture somewhat tense at the man's voice, though
she couldn't see who he was. She slowly turned her head around to see who he
was. Her fears were confirmed. It was him.
"That depends if the lady wants to." Spike said, keeping his hold on her. She
looked back at Spike with reassurance in her eyes.
"It's okay. One dance couldn't hurt, right?" He gave her a worried look before
nodding slightly, leaving her with the strange man. He knew he would keep an eye
on them several feet away.
"So, Buffy. I see you've moved on. And here I thought you were dead. And to
think I thought my child was dead, and you've had her here, all along. It's a
very naughty thing you've been doing, Buff." Buffy gave him a deathly glare
before replying.
"Don't call me that, Angel."
TBC
Chapter 11:
"Oh, that's right. It's Drusilla, now. Right? But it's just that I was so
devastated to hear that my lover and first and only child had perished." He said
in a mocking voice.
“Devestated? You practically threw me out in the streets.” She said in a low,
incensed voice.
“Yeah, and look where you ended up- impersonating some dead woman living the
good life. How many years do you think you’ll get for being a fraud?”
“Don’t do this. Don’t you want what’s best for our daughter?” Buffy knew it was
a long shot playing the “family” card, but she had nothing else.
“Hey, when did I ever relinquish my parental rights?”
“When you accused me of sleeping around and forced me to leave the apartment?”
She said sarcastically.
“So I made a mistake. But it’s little in comparison to yours.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what you want.”
“What? You want me to leave so soon?”
“Immediately. The very sight of you makes me-"
"Hey, no need to insult me, lover. Look, just meet me here tomorrow at twelve.
And bring the kid." He said, handing her a card with an address.
"Why? It's not like you really care. Leave her out of this." In that moment, he
tightened his grip on her hand. She winced in pain.
"No. She's my daughter, and I demand to see her. If you have a problem with
that, then I'm sure you, me, the Giles' and the police can sit down and have a
nice chat about it." Buffy felt the tears sting her eyes. She thought she may
have a nervous breakdown right then and there.
"Okay. I'll be there." Angel gave her one of his sinister smirks.
"Gotta say, you've made the right choice. See ya around, Dru." He said as he
released her, walking away and disappearing into the shadows. She jumped
slightly when a warm hand gently touched her shoulders.
"Everything okay, luv?" Spike asked her as he watched the dark haired man leave.
Buffy was silent for a moment before turning around, hugging him close and
breathing in his scent." Everything's fine. Peachy, even." Spike of course knew
she was lying. How could he not? He came to the conclusion that they were
probably going to meet somewhere to talk, and Buffy obviously wasn't going to
tell him a damn thing. So of course, he decided to be rational, and devised a
plan.
"So, you want me to spy on her?" Asked a perplexed Andrew.
"Bloody hell. It's not exactly spying, is it? It's watching her and what she
does without getting caught. It'll just be for tomorrow and the day after that.
I want to find out who that wanker was. And if he intends to do harm to Bu- Dru,
Drusilla, or Faith. Then I swear that if he does, I'll chop him into messes."
"Umm... okay. I guess. But you might wanna take the hostility down a notch or
two. Not good for the soul."
"Yeah, right. Just don't screw this up. This is a highly covert operation, so
that means not to be seen."
"I know what 'covert' means, Spike. I have a secret black spy suit and
everything." He said in an exasperated voice.
"I'm just sayin'. None of your funny cameras, code names, or whatever it is.
Just find the place and a name."
"Alright, Spike. I'll make ya proud. You can count on me."
TBC
Chapter 13:
"I said, it's going to be alright Buffy."
Initially, Spike thought that coming out and saying her Christian name would be
a good way of telling her that he knew the truth. All he wanted to do was
reassure her that she didn't have to worry anymore. That he knew her secret, and
he was okay with it. Of course, Spike was majorly wrong.
"Oh god!" she exclaimed before pushing out of his now not so comforting embrace
and attempting to flee the room.
"Buffy, wait. Luv stop!" He yelled as he grabbed her wrist before she reached
the door knob.
"But you know! You must hate me so much and... wait. How long have you known?"
Curiosity now replacing the fear in her voice.
"For quite some time actually. At first, I just wasn't sure if I could trust you
or not." He said with a nervous chuckle. A smile lit up her face ( a highly odd
one, if you ask me ) at that as she moved closer to him. Expecting a hug or a
kiss of some sort, he was (briefly) stunned into silence at the smack that now
stung his left, chisled cheek.
"Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?!"
"You mean to tell me that you've known about this and never confronted me on it?
Do you know the stress and fear I've gone through all this time?"
"You're one to talk, you know! You're just as guilty. Why didn't you just tell
me the truth?" He asked a bit more calmly than he felt.
"Because I was afraid. I didn't know how you would handle it. Didn't know if you
could... How do you tell someone that the last ties to someone you love is dead?
It was so much easier to lie to you."
"But a burden all the same. And now this whole, Angel thing..." He trailed off,
running his fingers through his hair.
"You know about that too? How-"
"I'm not as dumb as I look pet. Really. When I saw him at the party, I knew
something was up. Andrew confirmed it all."
"Andrew... You mean you had him spy on me?" She said accusingly.
"Well it's not like you keep me in the bloody loop, do you? Had to find out the
facts somehow, and I was worried." He finished sheepishly. Reaching out to him
with an apologetic look in her eyes, she hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry. I got us all into this mess." Spike hugged her back in what he hoped
to be a reassuring reply, lovingly stroking her hair.
"I won't let him hurt you pet, I promise. He can't blackmail you anymore. Father
and I will make sure of that. Well, once I tell him anyway." He said as an after
thought.
"Oh no. Giles doesn't know? I hope he'll take the news alright."
"I'm sure he will, pet."
Later, or perhaps, dear readers, at about the same time, something was taking place at the Motor Inn...
"Oh, Buffy, Buffy, Buffy. What a happy man you will soon be making me." Angel
said to himself as he lounged about on the bed, rehashing his plan on making
easy money by using emotional blackmail on Buffy.
"Or should I say, Drusilla? You sweet peach." He said with a sinister chuckle.
Just then, there was an urgent knock at the door.
"Oh, for fuck's sake." He muttered as he got out of the bed to answer the door.
A look of sheer annoyance was on his face before he felt the once concealed
knife stab into the flesh of his abdomen.
"Hello, lover."
TBC
Chapter 14:
"So... you're not Drusilla then? She died?" Giles asked in a mere whisper.
"Yes." Buffy said while watching him, trying to gauge his reaction. He then took off his glasses and began polishing them furiously.
"And you knew all this time, William?" He asked, not looking at either of them.
"Yes, but not the whole time, though."
"So, they're all dead?" Giles said more to himself than the other two occupants in his study.
"I didn't know how to tell you. How do you tell someone after... I just want you to know that I never did what I did-"
"What, lie to me?" Giles said, looking at her just then. She swallowed hard before continuing.
"Yes, lie to you. I never did it for money or- or anything like that. I was just scared."
"And you, William? When you discovered the truth, why didn't you tell me?" Giles asked, completely bewildered by the entire situation.
"I wanted to know what was going on for sure first. And when I discovered everything, by then I was already in love." He said in a low voice, not looking at anyone. Buffy smiled at him and held his hand tightly.
"Oh, well..." Giles wasn't quite sure what to say exactly. Spike took the opprotunity of silence to share the Angel blackmailing Buffy information.
"You should also know that Faith's father... he's blackmailing Buffy about her 'not so much a secret identity' now. But I'm going to go explain to him to leave our family alone; that we already know and don't really care. Is that okay with you, dad?" Giles remained silent as he looked from one to the other. He watched his son watch him- watching the way he mentally prepared himself for an unfavorable answer from his father. Though his stoic, facial expression said otherwise, he could see the truth in his eyes- his eyes. He knew William so well. He could practically see the wheels turning in his head. And then there was Buffy. Hmm... Buffy. His eyes settled on her then. Her fear at his reply was much more obvious. He thought the girl might break into a nervous sweat. He smiled reassuringly at her.
"Yes, William. Quite right. We must protect our family." Buffy let out a gasp of elation before leaping out of her seat and giving the older man a fierce hug.
"Oh, thank you Giles. Thank you." Giles was only a little upset by the news, mainly the lying. But he had not had the chance to get to know the real Drusilla. He was certain she was a lovely girl, for Randy loved her, but he cared about Buffy all the same. But it would take him some time to get used to the unusual name...
After much insisting on her part, Spike finally allowed (he really didn't have much choice in the matter) Buffy to come with him to the motel. She thought it would be best to show that they stood together on this.
“God, what is taking so long?” Buffy asked irritably. Spike had been knocking at the door for at least five minutes.
“Maybe he isn’t there?” Spike asked, putting his ear to the door trying to see if he heard any noises.
“Oh, forget this. If he isn’t there, then I’m getting my check back.” She said, trying the knob, and finding it easily turning. Hmm, weird.She thought as the door opened easily. She walked further into the room before stopping dead in her tracks.
“Didn’t think he was... What luv? What’s wrong?” Spike walked closer to her to see what she was staring at. And when he did, he wasn’t sure what to say.
“Is he dead?”