Willow was practically bouncing in her seat as Tara approached, suddenly trying to restrain her unrestrainable energy. "Is my hair okay?" she whispered to Buffy.
"Looks fine." Buffy didn't turn her head as she replied. Her eyes were fixed on the bar and one particular clump of people gathered there.
Correction. One particular clump of women and one vampire.
"I don't understand what they could possibly see in him," Xander said. "I mean, I doubt he's the one buying the drinks. Desperation; that's all I can think of. It's not a pretty sight."
Buffy shifted uncomfortably on her stool. Xander's comments were beginning to wear thin. Yes, Spike was evil, but did Xander have to remind her at every opportunity? Each crack made her worry that much more about how he'd react when he found out. So far, Spike had yet to make good on his threat to tell her friends if she didn't but she had no idea how long his patience would last. One way or another, the secret would come out.
One of the women laid her hand on his forearm as she spoke and he inclined his head toward her, listening with that way of his, head cocked slightly to one side. When he replied, a smile danced about the corners of his mouth, as if there was some secret amusement there. Buffy watched as the woman shifted, preening a little, offering an invitation. It was a bar. He was single. It was a mating dance.
He looked away, taking a pull on his beer, his eyes sliding across the floor. She'd seen that look many times, when he sought to check the lay of the land before they faced the foe. His eyes were searching, trying to find one specific object. Just as Tara reached their table and Willow all but fell off her stool to greet her, his eyes landed on her and he nodded, as if confirming she had reached her objective. Then he looked a little to the left and Buffy knew he saw her.
For just a moment, he froze. She recognized the tension in his shoulders, easily visible shorn of his ever-present duster. His eyes slid just a touch further and narrowed as he acknowledged Xander's presence. The open look of surprise vanished, replaced with cocky self-assurance. A shift of the body, a change of posture and the Big Bad was back, defying either of them to challenge his right to be here. Deliberately, his attention turned from them back to the women around him, all smiles and sweetness. When he spoke, she was sure his voice held just a touch of softness, but not so much that any would doubt he was most definitely bad and dangerous to know.
Even as he devoted attention to the ladies, Buffy knew his senses were turned outward, aware of what was going on around him. It was his way. If she made a move toward him, he'd know she was coming before she got two steps from the table, even without looking.
Just as she'd known he was there the moment she'd stepped into the Bronze. Slayer, vampire. It was the way things worked. With them.
"Maybe I should go over and rescue a few of them," Xander suggested. "Shouldn't be forcing his attentions on them like that."
Tara looked away from Willow at that comment and back over her shoulder. "I think it's more likely Spike would need rescuing, but he can probably take care of himself. It's just the people from the Chamber of Commerce mixer."
"How was that?" Willow asked, clearly happy to just have Tara talk.
"It was okay. I think Spike was a big hit."
"Obviously." Buffy's voice was flat, but she didn't care. He was flirting openly now, ordering up another beer — which one of the women was clearly paying for.
"So he's convincing women to buy him beer now?" Xander's tone was rapidly growing bitterer.
"Maria upset a glass of wine on him and she wanted to buy him a drink to make up for it." Tara shrugged. "You know Spike; he enjoys his beer."
Buffy decided she'd had enough and turned her attention toward Tara. "You're looking good. Everything going well?"
"Oh, yes. We've worked out a schedule so I can get in my classes and homework and still be there for the shop. When Giles arrives, we'll let him decide what we should next. That is, if Anya hasn't come back."
Her voice trailed off slightly at the end, as if she was worried she might upset Xander. Buffy, however, picked up the critical information. "Giles is coming back? When?"
Tara looked like she'd let something slip. "Two weeks, maybe sooner. Spike and I called him three weeks ago when we hadn't heard from Anya. I mean, she put us in charge of the shop but there are things we can't do, like taxes. Giles has to take care of that."
Buffy wondered if Dawn knew. Her sister had been dutifully spending time at The Magic Box to pay off her shoplifting debt. Usually it was Tara who delivered her home after closing, though one night it been Spike who'd been responsible. He'd stood there on the front step as if there had never been an invitation for him to step across the threshold, hands dug deep in his pockets as Dawn babbled on before he managed to say goodnight. "It'll be good to see him."
"And Ahn will be back by then," Xander added. "She has to be."
She started to assure him Anya would be, the words by now formula, when something caught her attention. It was still early, but the club had begun to fill, the dance floor now crowded. People were coming and going, meeting friends and new acquaintances. Through it all, there was an itch to her senses that told her something wasn't right.
Out of habit, her eyes began scanning the club as rapidly as she could, looking for the signs. Immediately, she removed Spike from the search; she knew his signature and just a little concentration separated it from the others of his kind. Just a little farther.
"I gotta go," she said, hopping up from the stool. "Work. Back in a few."
It was three young men who'd managed to acquire four girls that she followed. She just hoped the odds wouldn't prove too lopsided.
***
He caught them out of the corner of his eye, a mere coincidence. If he hadn't happened to recognize one of the numerous fledglings Angelus had so casually made three years ago, he might not have noticed the group at all. He would, however, have noticed Buffy following. "Excuse me, ladies, but, ah, nature calls."
They let him go, but not before he'd promised to come back as soon as possible. He made the promises, his attention already out in the alley even as he hurried toward the door.
The fight had just begun when he got there. Three guys who'd been stupid enough to think they'd gotten lucky so early in the evening were running for their lives, feet slapping hard against the pavement. He hardly gave them a glance as he headed toward the four vampires circling the slayer. "I have to say, I wasn't expecting the four Teeth-katheers," Buffy said as she eyed them warily.
Spike groaned, coming to a stop just short of the circle. "You couldn't come up with a better one than that?"
"Really don't need thumbs down from the balcony at the moment, Spike. I'm a little busy." Buffy's voice was annoyed, but her eyes didn't leave her targets. Good girl.
"Not certain they're really worth the effort." He kept his voice casual even as he scanned the debris in the alley. His stakes were in his coat inside the Bronze, and he didn't think yelling at Buffy to toss him an extra would be a particularly good move. "I do have to admit to some surprise that such a skanky minion has managed to escape your notice for so long."
He sneered at the lead vampire — what was her name? The only reason he remembered the stupid girl at all was because there'd been something about her that had unsettled Drusilla. As he hoped, recognition flickered in her eyes, drawing her attention away from Buffy. "Still skulking in the shadows, Spike? Watching instead of taking action?"
There was a flare of irritation at her words, raising the specter of those dreadful months in a wheelchair. With more patience than his younger self would have shown, Spike kept a dangerous smile on his lips, slowly making his own way around the circle. "Didn't your sire teach you to respect your elders? Oh, that's right; he was too busy making as many fledglings as he could to give any of them attention, even when they threw themselves at him."
The vamp — what was her name? — bared her fangs, her head now definitely aimed in his direction. That's it, girl; get yourself annoyed. Don't pay attention to the lovely slayer. "I never understood why Angelus kept you around," she snarled. "All you did was take up space."
He saw Buffy's body tense at that, but she held her ground, stake at the ready. At least the Poof's name hadn't come out of his mouth. Time to end this, though; much longer and the bleedin' Scoobies would be out here to investigate. A little further in his circle and he was directly opposite Buffy, able to meet her eyes. These vampires were going to be sorry. A fire was burning in those green orbs and something or someone was about to be scorched. Badly.
Spike sensed her move the instant before she made it, the faint signals as she prepared to strike. A feint forward, then a quick whirl and her stake was planted in the vampire behind her, a howl of frustration followed by an explosion of dust. At the same instant, Spike lept forward to grab the one in front of him, keeping her from going for Buffy's back. Plans dissolved into carefully choreographed chaos as they punched, kicked and wrenched at their opponents. The first dusty explosion was quickly followed by a second.
"Spike!" Buffy called, and he let the words distract him just long enough to see a stake being tossed in his direction. Catching it handily, he ducked a blow from what's-her-name, who followed up by lunging at him. The fingernails raised to damage didn't bother him, but they made it a little difficult to actually get at the heart. A duck, a kick and his foot caught the back of her knee, bringing her down onto the pavement. A lunge before she could recover herself and Spike was rewarded with his own explosion.
Shaking his head to clear the dust from his eyes, Spike turned to see how Buffy was getting along. Quite well was the answer, with a smartly-placed stake ending the fight. Just as he had, her head came up almost instantly to scan the alley for other opponents. Slapping dust from the front of his t-shirt, Spike moved toward her. "Well done, luv."
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "How many times have I told you I don't need help? And don't call me that."
Spike stopped, taking in a deep breath then letting it out with a sigh. "One slayer, four vampires. Wasn't exactly a walk in the park."
"I said I could handle it."
Great. A fight with Buffy was just what he needed to top off the evening. "And I thought you might welcome a hand," he replied, doing his best to keep his voice even. Saw the girls heading out the door, figured what they were up to. That's it. Just watching your back."
She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes accusing. "You knew one of them."
So maybe bringing up the acquaintance to distract the girl hadn't been the best of ideas. "Not personally. She was with us at the Crawford Street place. Dru didn't care for her. Can't even remember what her name was." He shrugged. "Most scattered after…well, after everything almost went to hell, but I think there are one or two still around in Sunnydale."
Her lips twitched at the words, but she said nothing. Somehow, Spike had a feeling his acquaintance with one of the vampires they'd just killed was not the only thing on Buffy's mind. He wished his cigs hadn't been in the pocket of his duster, along with the lighter. This would be the perfect moment to light one up, give the air of impatient boredom while he waited for her to say whatever the hell it was she was going to rake him over the coals for.
The silence dragged on for a long moment, and Spike decided it was time to end the game. "If there's nothing else, I'm going back inside."
Before he could take a step, she spoke. "Back to your harem?" Acid dripped from her words,
She was jealous. Amazing. The one time he tried to make her jealous, she'd reacted with such calmness and civility that Spike had felt compelled to leave and bother her celebrations no more. He tried to have a simple beer and that was the moment she decided to summon up the green-eyed slayer from beyond. "I'd hardly call six women a harem. One of them's a fan of Giles, anyway."
"She'll be glad when he gets in. That still leaves five."
So Tara had spilled that news. One less thing for his plate, but probably one more annoyance in her mind. "Who I just met tonight as part of that damn mixer Tara dragged me to."
"Aren't we Mr. Life-of-the-Party? Going to mixers, hanging out at the Bronze, having women buy you drinks." Buffy took a step closer. "You seem to be suffering so much."
She was close enough that Spike could swear he felt the heat rising from her. It would be so easy to push on her, drop them back into the dynamic of fighting and shagging. Buffy was glaring up at him, daring him to argue with her. You know you want to dance…
The thought brought back another night in this very alley and the hurtful words she'd spit out at him. You're beneath me. Suddenly, he didn't particularly feel like playing the game, no matter how pleasurable some parts might be. "How kind of you to notice," he ground out. "So sorry to intrude on your evening out with your friends. What did you do? Bring them here so you might dull the pain of telling them about us with some alcohol? Perfect timing; Red's distracted enough trying to convince Tara she's changed. Feed Harris a few beers and he'll get even stupider than he is now."
"There is no 'us'!"
She practically shouted the words and he chuckled, stepping back a few paces. "Right, no 'us.' That's why you're standing here, demanding to know what I'm doing with a bunch of women who aren't you."
He wasn't at all surprised when she started sputtering. "You aren't suggesting…you don't think…you're a pig, Spike."
"Points deducted for lack of originality, pet. Try again."
Buffy's chin lifted and her voice took on a tone of righteous smugness. "I was wondering what evil scheme you were up to."
"An evil scheme to get women to buy beer for me? It's alright to admit you might be jealous; your friends aren't here to listen."
"I am not jealous!"
At any other time, he might have told her the effect was lessened by her stompy foot. Now, he was tired of this, tired of the secrets and the silences. He was tired of looking over his shoulder while trying to play by their rules. "So that's why you're standing here giving me grief about who I was with? Sounds like jealousy to me. Let me remind you of something, Buffy; you were the one who dumped me. You told me it was over. Since then you've told me I have no place in your life. Guess what? That means you don't get a bloody vote anymore. I can see who I want when I want. It means I can have a bloody harem if I bloody want to — and you don't get a say!"
Spike stepped in close again, purposely encroaching on her personal space. "The only way you get a say in the matter is if you're interested in taking up with me again, and this time I have no intention of being your dirty little secret."
He'd let his voice take on a low tone, the kind he'd used in their most intimate moments. She was looking up at him, and for a moment he thought she might say yes, actually take that leap. God, if she did, he would shag her right here and now.
"What do you mean she dumped you?"
The panicked, shrill edge in Xander's voice caused both their heads to whip around. He was standing near the mouth of the alley, a stake in one hand. Clearly, he'd decided to come help Buffy and gotten more than he bargained for.
"Xander…"
"What. Do. You. Mean. She. Dumped. You?" Each word was punctuated with a step closer. Xander's face was growing dark, features twisting with anger.
Spike glanced down at Buffy. Whatever he'd seen in her eyes a moment ago, it was gone now, vanished in fear, shame and concern over what was about to happen. "Xander…"
Xander's head swung in her direction. "He's lying, isn't he? Tell me that he's lying."
Buffy opened her mouth and closed it again, dropping her head. Spike felt the urge to lay his hands on her shoulder, offer what comfort and strength he could at that moment, but stopped himself before he could move a finger. He meant comfort; the whelp before him would all too likely see it as a gesture of possession.
"You are unbelievable. You could have had any boy in Sunnydale High. Owen, Scott…hell, you knew how I felt. You had Riley crazy in love for you, so crazy he ran off to Brazil or wherever the hell it was to get over you because you didn't love him back. Oh, no. A guy has to be undead to get your attention. First Angel — and we all know what a fun ride that was — and now Willie Wannabite, who's just pathetic."
How badly would the chip hurt if he shoved the stake he still held through Xander's heart? Would his head explode from the effort, or would it just be migraine for days? Not that he'd have a chance to find out; Spike figured Buffy would turn him to dust immediately. Might be worth it anyway.
"It's complicated, Xander." Buffy lifted her head, a hint of moistness about her eyes. "When I came back, Spike was there. He understood things…"
"What could he possibly understand that we couldn't?" Xander's voice was growing thicker, louder.
"What it was like to dig my way out of my coffin. He's done it; he knows what it was like. We talked. I talked, he listened. Then…"
She trailed off once more, and Spike felt compelled to take up the tale. "What happened then is private, no one's business but ours."
The stake in Xander's hand swung up. "You keep out of this."
"You really are a bigot, Harris. Okay for you to love a demon…"
"Ex-demon!" The shout overrode Spike's words, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on.
"Okay for you to love who you will, but Buffy has to live up to your standards, your approval. We had a relationship. She ended it. I'd like to think we might have a civil conversation every now and then."
Xander lunged at that moment. Spike tensed, ready to defend himself, but a quick movement from Buffy sent the human sprawling to the concrete, his stake rattling as it rolled away. "You are not staking him," she insisted, her voice tight, breathe coming far more quickly and precisely than the exertion warranted. "What happened, happened. Like Spike said, the details are between him and me."
"I can't believe you…with that…those weren't push-ups you were doing!"
He looked so pathetic sprawled there on the ground, it was all Spike could do to keep from laughing. "Finally figured it out, did you?"
Buffy shot him a look that showed his comment had done nothing to earn him points. "I think you should go back in, Spike. Xander and I need to talk. Alone."
He took the hint, headed back inside. He didn't know what she would say to Xander and in some ways he didn't care. The secret was out. No longer would she be able to pretend she was "just trying to get information" any more than her friends had believed it when she'd claimed she and Angel were just "friends" after his return from beyond. It was out, and they could move on.
A few of his companions had left by the time he made it back to the bar, but Maria and Colleen were still there, Mandy having joined them. "That took a while," Colleen said as he reached for the half-drunk beer he'd abandoned.
"Ran into someone I knew; he and I had a discussion." He took a drink. The liquid felt good sliding down his throat, easing a little of the tension that had built up in his shoulders. "Probably should call it an evening, though. I'm opening tomorrow. Colleen, I'll make sure Giles calls you as soon as he gets in."
"I think I can get the stain out," Maria told him. "I'll drop it by the shop when I'm done."
"Don't forget, we're going to meet on Thursday afternoon," Many chimed in.
"I'll have the shirt for you Thursday morning." Maria looked sideways at Mandy as if she wanted to strangle her.
Suddenly, Spike didn't find the competition quite so amusing. Maybe he wasn't quite as ready to move on as he had thought he was. If he was lucky, he'd find something else to kill on his way home. "Goodnight, ladies."
It wasn't until he reached down to retrieve the stub Mandy had given him to reclaim his duster that Spike realized he still had Buffy's stake in his hand. For a moment, he considered just dropping it in his pocket, but glancing back toward her table, he realized she hadn't come back in with Xander yet. He could leave it with Willow and let Tara know about Mandy's impending visit.
Both girls looked up as he approached, the duster now comfortably settled across his shoulders where it belonged. "Hey, Spike." Willow glanced at the two empty stools. "Have you seen Buffy?"
"I think she's still in the alley. Bad guys successfully killed." He dropped the stake onto the table. "Forgot to give this back to her. I'm heading off, Tara, but wanted to let you know Mandy's coming by Thursday afternoon. Apparently, we're hosting next month's mixer and she wants to talk about it."
Tara gave him a sly smile. "Need protection?"
"Damn straight. Tomorrow."
With a wave of his hand, he moved away, only to almost collide with Xander. The man's body was tense, as if the argument had only reached a paused, not a conclusion. "Get the hell out of my way."
Spike stood his ground for a moment, then slowly and deliberately stepped to one side. Xander pushed past, settling heavily onto one of the stools. "You won't believe the wonderful news I just found out."
As Willow inquired, Spike realized Buffy was standing a few paces away. He recognized the look in her eye; underneath the tiredness, there was a steely determination. She'd been avoiding this fight but now that it was here, she wasn't going to back down. The ugly thing was this was one she was going to have to fight alone, without him to watch her back.
He could Harris yammering on, spilling the news to the accompaniment of shocked Willow noises. Didn't matter what Buffy had said to him; the whelp was going to paint this in the worst light possible.
Of a sudden, he turned back to the table. "Harris."
It was the voice he'd once used to address recalcitrant minions and it served its purpose, drawing Xander's attention to him. "What do you want?"
"Unless you have legitimate business, by which I don't mean hanging out and eating donuts, I don't want you in the shop when I'm there. Don't need someone taking up space that could be used for people who might actually buy things. What Tara does on her watch is her business, but while I'm minding the store, the Magic Box is no longer Scooby Central." His lips quirked in a bit of a smile. "Consider this a disinvite."
He turned back to Buffy. "You're welcome to train whenever you have the time. Giles would want you to stay in shape."
He'd made the offer, given her a haven she could run to if she needed it. Might even do her some good. If she came in during the day, he could make sure she ate something healthy.
He half-expected her to throw it back in his face the longer she was quiet, but then she looked up at him. "Thank you," she said quietly.
It was enough. He nodded and moved away, hearing the conversation pick up once more behind him. This wasn't the last he was going to hear of it, of that he was certain. That was okay; he was itching for the fight.
On to Episode 3: Reactions I
Back to Part 1