A Glimpse of Heaven

By Zarrah

Buffy and Spike both stood glaring hard at the other, as Giles walked into the room. He smiled slightly, giving each blonde a shake of his head before sighing loudly.

“Buffy, please, do come in.” Giles said as Buffy stood planted to her spot just outside the door.

“I am NOT tutoring her!” Spike said loudly, his eyes never leaving Buffy’s.

“What makes you think I’m going to let you?” Buffy asked just as loudly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Then leave!” Spike yelled, “Or did that tiny brain of yours forget the way already?”

“You’re an ass!” Buffy spat out as she turned and started down the hall.

“Miss Summers!” Giles yelled after her, blushing slightly when he realized he had. “Um, please, Buffy, please come back in here.” He said more calmly. “William, sit!” he hissed under his breathe.

Buffy and Spike both gave the equivalent of a growl, each doing as Giles had said. Spike plopped down hard on the chair by his desk, his eyes boring into Buffy as she walked back down the hall to his room.

Of all the people Spike had expected to see, she wasn’t one of them. Anyone would have been better than her.

Buffy walked to the door, stopping just outside and glaring hard at Spike. She rolled her eyes, just the sight of him making her loath the thoughts of having to spend two nights a week with him.

“Now, Buffy your parents are paying William good money to teach you and I don’t think you want them wasting it.” Giles said as he walked over to the door where Buffy was. “And William, you knew the possibilities of someone from school finding the add and if I may remind you, you are the one who accepted, so deal with it.”

“Now, Buffy, please come in and William will do his best to help you in the areas you are in need of improving.” Giles said as he practically pulled Buffy into the room and left quickly, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Not sure if I can help you NOT be a bitch luv, but I’ll give it my best shot.” Spike said, a wide smirk planted on his face as Giles left the room. “So where you suggest we start?” he asked, clapping his hands together, “Maybe…..removing that pole that seems to be stuck up your arse would help?”

“Look, blondie, I don’t like being here anymore than I like the thoughts of you helping me, and believe me, this WILL be the last time I’m here, so how about just keeping your mouth shut until my parents come back and we’ll chalk this up to being nothing but a terrible nightmare that will probably leave me scared for life.”

“Suit yourself.” Spike said rolling his eyes at her before turning around in his chair, blocking her from his range of vision.

Buffy watched him, her head shaking before she dropped her book bag on the bed and looked around. She was actually shocked by the state his room was in. Everything was neat and tidy. The walls were lined with shelves, books stacked neatly on them with more than a few having the bindings crackled from many readings.

The room was average size, almost the same size as her own, with tan walls and a creamy colored carpet. Dark green curtains covered the window and the comforter on the bed was in the same dark hunter green as the curtains.

She stared at the back of Spike’s head as he read a book, wondering what twilight zone she had actually been dropped into. Spike’s crypt was…well, a dark musty tomb, but even with little or no furnishings, Spike never really made an attempt to make it homey, so this was…just weird.

Sighing lightly, Buffy walked over to the book shelf, glancing at the titles that lined the shelves. *All Poetry* she said to herself, the books bringing back the memory of finding the book he had dropped in class the week before.

“So, what’s with all the poetry books?” Buffy asked, breaking the silence in the room and hoping to gain insight to who ‘this’ Spike was and why everything he did was such a contradiction to what she knew him to be.

“Why not.” Spike said without turning around.

“I don’t know, you just don’t seem like the poetry reading kinda guy.” She said smiling slightly.

“Yeah well, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

“Oh really?” Buffy asked, turning towards him. “Like what?”

Spike could feel her eyes on him and as much as he wanted to turn and look at her, he was having trouble remembering why he disliked her so much when she was so close.

“Like, the fact I don’t like people nosing through my things.” He said, turning his head slightly and glancing at her.

Buffy gave a slight roll of her eyes as Spike turned back to his book. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before moving over towards the long dresser that sat along the opposite wall from the bed.

The mirror behind it was lined with pictures of Spike and what she assumed were his friends from England. She found herself smiling in spite of herself at how happy he looked.

Spike was watching Buffy out of the corner of his eye. Her being in his room was something he didn’t ever think would happen, let along watching her look through his things.

The fact that she was there was more disturbing than he wanted to admit, and it wasn’t for the reasons he wanted to believe because deep down, he knew a small part of him liked her, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

Buffy cleared her throat, trying to get his attention as Spike stared at the wall in front of his desk. She could tell he was deep in thought and she smiled a little, seeing the same ‘trance like’ concentration on his face as she had witnessed ‘her Spike’ doing from time to time. “Earth to Spike.” She sang, grinning when she saw his eyes begin to focus before he turned his head to look at her.

“Who’s this?” Buffy asked, holding a picture in a pretty silver frame. It was a woman in her thirties and the resemblance to Spike was almost dead on and she knew it had to be a relative.

“My mum.” Spike said softly, glancing at the picture Buffy was holding before turning away from her.

“Oh.” Buffy said, smiling as she looked back down at the picture. “She’s pretty, where is she?”

Buffy waited before looking up from the picture to see Spike once again lost in thought. She could tell by the look on his face that his Mother wasn’t there anymore; the pain she saw on his face was familiar. Even though her Mother was ‘here’, she knew the look of lose on his face; she had once seen it staring back at her in the mirror after her Mother’s death.

Sitting the picture back down on the dresser, Buffy quietly walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, sighing lightly as she did. She glanced down at her watch, groaning quietly to herself when she realized she still had close to two hours before her parents would be back.

Unzipping her book bag, Buffy pulled out her books. No sense letting her participation grades fail just because she didn’t understand, a wrong paper was better than turning in no paper.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow and Xander sat quietly, watching the kids from school dance and enjoy themselves as they sat at their usual table at the Bronze. Buffy not being there had put a damper in the whole night and Willow briefly wonder what her and Xander ever found to talk about before Buffy moved to town.

“Hey, can I join you?”

Willow looked up, smiling big as Sandy stood by the table smiling down at them. “Sure, have a seat.” She said happily; glad to have someone to talk to.

“Thanks.” Sandy said smiling as she turned to look at the dark haired girl standing behind her. “This is my cousin, she just moved to town.” Sandy said introducing the small girl that was with her as she also sat.

Xander smiled, looking up at the pretty girl who had sat down beside of him. His evening seemed to be looking up, not only did get the pleasure of spending the evening with his best friend, now he had two other ladies flanking him.

“Hey, I’m Xander.” He said, his smooth attempt at introducing himself coming out a bit more breathy than he wanted as he grinned big as Sandy’s cousin turned to look at him.

The wide grin on his face let her now ‘exactly’ what he was thinking. “Hey, I’m Thia, and totally not interested.” She said smiling big.

Willow and Sandy both snickered as Xander’s mouth slacked and dropped as he stared at the new comer.

Xander spared a look over at Willow who quickly wiped the smile off her face before she looked over to Sandy’s cousin. “So, Thia…that’s an interesting name.” she said, trying to pull the focus off Xander and his poor attempt to hit on Sandy’s cousin.

“It’s just a nick name.” Thia said smiling as she looked over at the red head. “I’ve been called that for so long it’s almost strange to hear my real name.”

“Which would be?” Xander asked, still smiling.

Thia looked back over at Xander, smiling sweetly at him before folding her arms on the table in front of her. “None of your business.”

Xander’s eyes went slightly wide as he smiled bigger. “Interesting name.” he said chuckling, “I don’t think I’ve ever meet another living person with the name ‘None of your business.”

“Yes you have.” Willow cut in, “Remember the blond at the movies?” she asked, giggling harder as Xander turned to glare at her.

“O…kay.” Xander said as the chuckles from the girls let him know he was in dangerous territory. “I think I’ll just be, elsewhere.” He said as he stood and walked away from the table.

All three girls laughed as they watched him walk away, before Willow shook her head. “You’ll have to forgive him Thia, he’s a dope.”

“That’s alright.” Thia said grinning. “There’s one in every crowd.”

“Yeah, and Xander is so good at it, we haven’t even bothered looking for another.” Willow said, giggling before picking up her drink.

“So, is Buffy not here?” Sandy asked, finding it unusual to see Willow at the Bronze without Buffy.

“No, she had her first tutoring class today.”

“Tutor?” Sandy asked, “Tonight?”

“Yeah, she’s failing math and her parents hired a tutor to help her out two nights a week.”

Sandy’s laughter started out slow and light before a full out rolling laughter erupted. The other two girls watching with wide smiles as Sandy finally quieted and shook her head.

“Oh man, what’s the chances of that happening?” Sandy asked, looking over at Willow.

“Chances of what?” Willow asked, amused as Sandy started laughing again.

Sandy grinned big as she looked at Willow. “Spike had placed an add about tutoring at his Uncles persistence, and tonight was his first time meeting them, I’m just wondering….”

“Oh goddess!” Willow squealed. “You don’t think?”

“Well Spike said it was two nights a week.” Sandy said laughing, “And he knew it was a girl.”

“Oh boy.” Willow said, hoping with everything in her that Buffy wasn’t sitting with Spike this very minute. She could barely even look at Spike without going mental on him, how would she possible handle being shut up in a room ‘alone’ with him?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy groaned loudly, her head falling down into her book. She wasn’t sure what was worse, the silence in the room or the unbearable pain of trying to figure out what she was doing.

Spike turned his head, looking behind him at Buffy. His eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of her spread out across his bed. Her head was buried in her open text book, her hair fanned out around her causing the golden highlights to shine in contrast to the dark green of his comforter.

He stifled a groan as images sprang to his head, images that would normally haunt him if he hadn’t already had them about her, as he watched her lay across his bed.

He couldn’t understand how he could hate her so immensely one minute and fantasize about her the next. She was the biggest bitch he had ever met, but just one look into her large green eyes, had him forgetting about her quick tongue and wondering how she would feel wrapped in his arms.

Buffy opened her eyes, her head turning to the side as she looked up. Her hair was over her face and she could see Spike looking at her through her hair. She didn’t move, just laid there watching him. He had a dazed look on his face and she saw the familiar way he was staring at her. She had seen it before, just from the undead version.

A soft knock on the door brought them both out of their musings as Giles opened the door. “How are things going?” he asked as he walked in, carrying a tray of sodas and sandwiches.

“Um, good.” Buffy lied, glancing over at Spike as she sat up and straightened her hair.

“Wonderful.” Giles said, laying the tray down on the dresser. “I thought you might be in need of a break.” He added smiling as he looked at them.

Buffy smiled, sparing a glance at Spike who had found the floor surprisingly interesting all of a sudden. “Thanks Giles.” Buffy said standing up and walking towards him.

Giles raised an eyebrow at her, smiling at the small nickname before looking over at Spike. “Very well then, I’ll just leave you to your studies.” He said before once again leaving the room.

Buffy walked over to the dresser, plucking a soda from the tray before opening it. She took a small sip from it, looking at Spike over the top of the can. Sighing lightly as she looked at him, she walked back over to the bed, staring at the open math book and the still blank page she had been working on for almost forty-five minutes.

“So.” She said quietly, glancing at Spike but quickly looking away when he looked over at her. “You going to help me with this math or not?” she asked softly, her eyes staring a hole into her math book.

“Thought you didn’t want my help.” Spike asked her quietly.

“Yeah well, I want to fail math even less than I want your help.” She said, sparing a glance at him. “And, if I don’t pass, I have to quit the Cheerleading team and I can’t go to the Winter Formal so, I’m figuring a little torture now will enhance my social life latter.” She finished, smiling slightly.

Spike smiled back at her before standing and grabbing the other soda off of the tray. “Well, nothing would thrill me more than torturing you princess.” He said, his smile fading as another image of the kind of torture he would prefer to use on her popped into his head.

Buffy stared at him, the same thoughts swirling around her head at his words as she saw his normally bright blues eyes darken as he looked at her. She cursed herself as she felt her face start to flame up, the same thoughts popping into her own mind, only this time; they weren’t causing her stomach to churn at the possibilities as they always did before.

Smiling briefly and looking away she grabbed her math book and busied herself with finding her notebook and pencil, giving the almost insane thoughts time to recede before she glanced back up at him.

Spike smiled slowly, bringing the can to his lips as he saw the pink flush rise on her face. He held back the biting comment ready to fly from his mouth as he saw her trying her best to not look at him before he walked over to the bed, pushing her book bag across the bed and grabbing the book from her hands.

“Well, what seems to be the problem?” he asked, looking down at the page she had the book opened to.

“All of it.” Buffy said, looking at him as he turned his head to look at her, a tiny smile splitting her lips.

“Well, that’s a start.” Spike said, smiling back at her before sitting his soda on the floor, “What’s say we get tonight’s assignment finished and then we’ll start from the beginning?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Buffy said grinning. “Any chance I can just get you to do it for me?”

Spike chuckled as he looked up at her. “Not on your life ducks.”

“Well can’t blame a girl for trying.” Buffy said, giggling in spite of herself at the wide smile that curved across Spike’s face.

“No, guess not.” He said smiling back at her. “You write, I’ll talk.”

TBC……………………..

A/N….Wow, they actually managed to talk to each other ‘without’ screaming….but we all know how long that will last…now don’t we? *g* Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate them and I’m sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out, I’m in the middle of the insanely stupid idea of trying to write 3 stories at the same time!! But, I did manage to get my hands on a laptop, so hopefully I can get some work done on the chapters at work now…so keep your fingers crossed!.............Zarrah :0)

Chapter 10

A Glimpse of Heaven

By Zarrah

Buffy was staring up at the ceiling, Spike’s voice barely even registering to her as her interest in learning Algebra all over again was less than exciting. She had lain back across his bed, her feet dangling over the edge as he tried to ‘teach’ her without much luck.

“Do you understand that part?” Spike asked, flipping the page before turning his head to look over at her.

“You can almost make out pictures if you look hard enough.” Buffy said absently as she continued to stare at the ceiling.

“What?” Spike asked, glancing up at the ceiling where she was looking.

“The patterns in the ceiling.” Buffy said, pointing up. “It’s like watching the clouds, stare long enough and you can actual see things.”

Spike glanced at the ceiling again before looking back over at Buffy. They had had a peaceful last hour, much to the fact that she was barely even listening to him, but not screaming at one another was actually kinda nice.

“Buffy, I don’t think your Mum and Dad are paying me just so you can see Elvis in my ceiling tiles.” Spike said, smiling slightly as he looked at her.

“Elvis!” Buffy said excitedly, glancing over at him. “I haven’t seen Elvis.”

Spike chuckled before closing the math book on his lap and sitting it on the floor next to her book bag. “Well, he was down at the Jody Burger last week, but I don’t ever recall seeing him on my ceiling.”

“Eww, you don’t actually eat in there, do you?” Buffy asked, turning her head back to look at Spike. “That place is just…ewww.”

“Hey, they have the best burgers in town.” Spike said smiling. “Ever had one?”

“Uh, no.” Buffy said scrunching up her nose. “That place reeks from the outside, hate to see what the inside looks like.”

“Well, might not look like much, but there’s no better food in town.”

“I doubt that.” Buffy said as a soft knock was heard before the door slowly opened. Sitting up she smiled as Giles poked his head in, smiling at them before opening the door wider.

“Buffy, your parents are here.” Giles said, his smile widening as he looked at her.

“Thanks.” Buffy said smiling back at him before bending over at grabbing her book bag. “Tell them I’ll be right out.”

“Sure thing.” Giles said before turning and walking back down the hall.

Buffy shoved all her books back into her book bag, quickly zipping it before standing up. “Well, I guess Hell’s High school is now dismissed.” She said as she picked up her empty soda can and walked over to the dresser and placed it on the tray.

“Hell’s High school?” Spike asked, leaning his head over to the side as he looked at her. “Wasn’t that bad now was it?”

Buffy let out a small laugh as she turned back to look at him. “Uh, being locked up in a room alone with you for over two hours, what would you call it?” She asked, her smile fading slightly as she saw a flash of hurt register on his face before the sneering smirk he was so good at crossed it.

“I was thinking more like purgatory.” Spike snapped before he stood quickly as grabbed her book bag. “So if you don’t mind, I’m rather anxious for you to leave.” He told her as he shoved her book bag at her. “Pretending to be nice to you is starting to wear on my nerves.”

“Oh, like it was a picnic for me!” Buffy said loudly, catching her book bag as he roughly shoved it at her. “Just the sound of your voice is more annoying than the sight of you.”

Spike gritted his teeth, his fist clenching at his side as he stared at her when she straightened her shoulders and glared hard at him. He should have known it would take more than a couple of hours to rid her of her bitchy attitude towards him, something he still couldn’t figure out.

~*~*~*~

Giles smiled, shifting on his feet as he looked at Joyce and Hank, the yelling he had heard earlier from Spike’s room once again starting. Removing his glasses, he cleaned them absently, clearing his throat as he replaced them. “So, did you enjoy your evening?” he asked, trying to get everyone’s attention off the bickering coming from the other end of the small apartment.

“Yes, it was fine.” Joyce said, her eyes widening as she heard a door slam and the muffled voice of Spike still yelling as Buffy stomped down the hall doing the same.

“Hey mom, can we go now!” Buffy said as she stomped into the Living room.

“Is everything okay Buffy?” Joyce asked worriedly, glancing down the hall from where she could still hear Spike yelling.

“Just peachy.” Buffy said sarcastically, giving her a wide fake smile as she turned and headed for the door. “See you Thursday Giles.” She said, reaching for the doorknob and opening the door.

“Oh, certainly.” Giles said, his eyes as wide as Joyce and Hank’s were as Buffy left in a huff.

“Did something happen?” Joyce asked, turning to look back at Giles.

Giles smiled, sighing lightly before looking from Hank to Joyce. “Everything’s fine.” He answered. “They just have a little trouble…communicating from time to time.”

“Obviously.” Joyce commented as she turned to glance at her husband. “Ready?” she asked him, smiling as she looked back over at Giles.

“Yeah, let’s get home, see what’s got Buffy in such a foul mood.” Hank said, smiling as he reached a hand out to Giles. “It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Giles.” He said, knowing from Buffy’s reaction, that they wouldn’t be coming back.

“As it was meeting you, Mr. Summers.” Giles said, returning the mans friendly smile and shaking his hand before giving Joyce a warm smile.

“Goodnight Mr. Giles.” Joyce said as she turned, followed by Hank as they walked to the door and left.

Giles watched them walk to the car before shutting the door, another loud crash coming from Spike’s room causing him to jump slightly as he turned back to the Living room. *And here I thought having a teenager in the house would be enlightening* he thought as he flipped off the light and headed to his room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy was sprawled out across her bed, Mr. Gordo clutched tightly in her arms as she stare up at the ceiling. Her parents had questioned her all the way home about what her and Spike had been yelling about and the only thing she could come up with was that he just irritated her.

She didn’t know ‘why’ she had gone off on him again and the fact that they had actually gotten alone for over an hour was more disturbing than their actual fights. She knew being pissed at him was completely unfair, seeing how he ‘wasn’t’ the Spike she knew and the fact that he actually wasn’t that bad to talk to was just another reason to be weirded out about it.

The Spike she knew was a constant irritation to her, only because of the fact that he claimed to love her, even though she still doubted the possibility of it. But that didn’t explain her irritation of ‘this’ Spike. Was it because she saw ‘vampire Spike’ everytime she looked at him or was it something completely different.

Sighing loudly, she turned her head, looking across her room. Her eyes fell to her desk, the large black book that lay on top of it catching her eye. Rolling over, she stood and walked to the desk, retrieving the book before lying back down across her bed.

Buffy opened the book, briefly glancing at Spike’s name written on the inside cover before flipping through the pages. She still couldn’t figure out ‘what’ he was doing with a Poetry book, let alone having dozens of them in his room.

All the poems in the book spoke of love or beauty and the thoughts of Spike reading them, let alone liking them puzzled her more as she scanned some of the text.

Flipping through the pages, her eyes were caught as she passed a page, the text highlighted in bright yellow. Turning back a few pages to see what he had marked, Buffy opened the book wide, reading over the poem that Spike had apparently liked.

Rondel of Merciless Beauty

By: Geoffrey Chaucer

Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;

Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;

Straight through my heart the wound is quick and keen.

Only your word will heal the injury

To my hurt heart, while yet the wound is clean-

Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;

Their beauty shakes me who was once serene.

Upon my word, I tell you faithfully

Through life and after death you are my queen;

For with my death the whole truth will be seen.

Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;

Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;

Straight through the heart the wound is quick and keen.

Buffy stared down at the page, rereading the passage again. She didn’t really understand poetry nor did she even being to analyze it, but the words on the page had struck her hard. She closed the book, staring down at the plain black cover, the words replaying over in her head. She knew poetry was an expression of ones soul and that two people would get two completely different meanings from the same poem, but this one…..she knew, had the same meaning to her as it did Spike.

With another long sigh, Buffy closed her eyes as she laid her head down. Things were getting more confusing by the minute. If landing in some alternate dimension or heaven weren’t confusing enough, the thoughts that Spike may ‘actually’ be more than…just a monster…had her wondering if she hadn’t been to harsh on him, this worlds version as well as her own.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The halls were a flurry of students, laughing and joking as Buffy walked slowly towards her locker. She had had a dull, numb feeling hanging over her all day that only increased when she had walked into math class to find Spike not there.

She felt bad, and had felt bad since the night before, and the feeling was foreign to her, especially when Spike was the one causing it. She had never, not once felt anything when she had yelled or hit him in her own time, but now, she did and the feeling was more than disturbing.

Stopping at her locker, Buffy twisted the lock, hearing the click as the combination was being dialed before the lock slid open. Opening her locker, she placed her unneeded books in, pulling out the ones she needed before closing the door back.

“What’s with the long face?”

Buffy jumped, startled as Angel stood behind the door as she closed it. She smiled at him, despite her blue mood, the sight of him always bringing a smile to her face.

“Hey.” She said, her smile widening as his did.

“Hey yourself.” Angel said, leaning down and placing a light kiss on her cheek. “I missed you at lunch, where’d you go?”

Buffy smiled, leaning against her locker as she looked at him. “I wasn’t in the mood for a crowd.”

“To bad.” Angel told her, “I was really hoping to talk to you.”

“Oh?” Buffy asked, her mood suddenly lifting. “About what?”

“Well, I wanted to know…if you wanted to go out with me.” Angel asked smiling.

“Yeah, I’d love to.” Buffy said, returning the warm smile he gave her as she looked into his eyes. “When?”

“Well,” Angel said, “I was kinda thinking anytime I wanted.”

“Huh?” Buffy asked, confused. “What do you mean?”

Angel grinned, looking across the hall as a group of girls giggled and passed them. “Well, I was thinking more of a steady date.” He said, “You know, you, me….”

“Steady?” Buffy asked quietly, not sure if he was asking what she thought he was asking.

The smile that lit up his face let her know that he was.

“Yeah, steady.” Angel said, chuckling lightly as Buffy’s eyes widened.

“As in, boyfriend, girlfriend steady?”

Angel shook his head, grinning at her stunned face. “Yes, as in boyfriend, girlfriend.” He said, glancing across the hall again when the whispers started.

Buffy watched as he held out his hand, removing his class ring. She almost laughed out loud as the ‘high school girl’ in her got butterflies at the prospects of having a boyfriend and wearing his class ring. It was funny to even image this as she still felt like a twenty one year old, not the sixteen year old she looked like.

The whispers in the hall intensified as Angel took hold of Buffy’s hand, placing the ring on her palm before looking back up at her. “So, what’s it going to be Buff, you wanna be my girl?”

Spike watched the scene from his spot at the end of the hall. The gossip mill had already filtered its way down the hall, almost replaying every word said as Angel asked Buffy to go steady. He clenched his jaw tightly as he saw Buffy smile brightly, taking the ring and slipping it on her finger.

As much as he repeatedly told himself he hated her, the sight before him only proved him wrong as anger and hurt washed through him. Sighing loudly, he leaned his head to the side, resting it on the row of lockers he was leaning on as he watched, his brain telling his legs to move, but they stood steadfast in their spot.

Pushing his hands deep into his pockets, Spike turned, his back flat against the lockers as he saw Angel reach his hand up and lay it on the side of Buffy face. Staring at the ceiling, he told himself to just walk away, that she didn’t matter, but his head turned on its own will, glancing back down the hall.

Seeing Angel lean in, his face inching closer to Buffy’s finally convinced his body to cooperate with his mind as Spike pushed off the lockers and turned, walking down the hall and away from the kiss he knew she was now getting.

With slumped shoulders and an aching pain in his chest, Spike walked slowly down the hall before quickening his pace. With his eyes straight ahead and never looking back, Spike was unable to see Buffy standing by her locker, watching his hasty retreat.

To Be Continued………

A/N….Okay…NO FLAMES!!! I PROMISE things are going to get better. We have to get from point A to point B before we can even LOOK for point C and I’m pretty sure the journey will be fun, I mean who said love was easy???

Thanks again for the reviews…you guys are just awesome!! I hope you’re still enjoying the story, even though we have Angel in there now…but at least I didn’t SHOW the kissage…that would have been just…ewww. (hahaha)

Zarrah