TITLE: The Invitation
AUTHOR: Cheeky Chick
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately none of this belongs to me except Michael, Penny etc all the non-important people.
SUMMARY: Buffy gets a wedding invitation from an old boyfriend, she still kind of loves him but hates his future wife. However after much debating she decides to go, but whom will she take to L.A with her for the wedding… she needs a date. She also drops in to see the gang from Angel Investigations. B/S shippiness.
AUTHORS NOTES: Spike has the chip although there is no mention of it so far
FEEDBACK: Would be lovely!!!!! Thanx!!!!!!
Buffy turned over in her bed pulling her quilt up over her eyes in a vain effort to conceal them from the bright sunshine that was leaking in through her blinds.
"Argh I hate the sunshine!" Buffy muttered as she sat up in bed deciding that she couldn't get back to sleep anyway.
She had made that statement knowing that it was made under extreme falsity. Buffy loved wakening up in the morning – it meant she had survived yet another night and was able to see another day, and it was always better when the sun woke her up. It reminded her of her humanity, she always unconsciously left the blinds slightly tilted so that she could experience this every morning.
"Buffy honey, come on time to get up, you're gonna be late for college" Joyce hollered from the bottom of the stairs "Oh and you got mail – Dawns bringing it up just now so get up"
"I'm up, I'm up, stop shouting" Buffy swung her legs out of bed and stared at the door waiting for her sister
Dawn flung the door open with all her teenage energy and pulled a face at her sister "Hey lazy there's your mail and an O.J" she put them on the dressing table and grabbed a jacket that was lying over the chair "And I'll just be borrowing this" Dawn smirked as she grabbed the jacket and ran out the door before waiting for a response "See ya later sis!"
"Dawny that's my jacket I was gonna wear that" Buffy was ready to go to full scale war with her little sister who had just run out the door, going to do whatever it is 14 year olds do nowadays, wearing Buffy's new leather Donna Karan jacket, but she noticed the letter before she had the chance. She stared at the envelope before going to sit down; she held it and stared at it – she didn't know what to do – she knew exactly what was contained in the pretty ivory envelope but refused to open it. If she opened it, it would bring everything into reality, it would be like final confirmation that it was all over, like a really twisted divorce.
'Buffy you are so sad' she thought to herself 'You can't get divorced if your not married – anyway we haven't been together as a couple in about 5/6 years – get over it Slayer' but it was easier said than done
Her thoughts were interupted by her mother
"Buffy honey, you okay? You look a little pale" Joyce looked at her daughter who looked like she was on a different planet altogether "Buffy?"
"Sorry mum… it's a letter… an invitation from Michael...it's…" Buffy felt a lump gather in her throat
"Is it the wedding invitation?" Joyce put a loving arm round he daughter wanting to take all her pain away – if it was only that easy
"Yes" Buffy sat up straight trying to contain the lump in her throat because if she let it out she knew she would break down.
Michael Healy was an old friend of Buffy's, before she had moved to Sunnydale Buffy and Michael had went to school together and stayed on the same block. Since they were about 4 they had been best friends. They went all the way through kindergarten and school together and were affectionately known in their neighbourhood as the terrible twins. They were soul mates and best friends who knew everything about each other and understood one another – they were like brother and sister.
However the year before Buffy moved to Sunnydale things began to change between them. Michael had been dating Larissa Harper for about 7 months; they were one of those sickeningly perfect and pretty couples that attended Lawson High. She was co-head cheerleader, a title she shared with Buffy, and he was one of the cutest, smartest and most popular guys in school. However it sometimes bewildered Buffy why Michael went out with her, she was a bimbo and Michael was smart and funny, and well to say the least - she wasn't. Then with only two weeks until the school's Annual Charity Ball she dumped him. The Ball was held every year to raise money for under-privileged kids and was the highlight of Lawson's social calendar but the Captain of the football team had asked her to go with him and Larissa being Larissa agreed. She thought that they would look better in the yearbook than she and Michael would.
"So let me get this straight Lissy, you are dumping me, your boyfriend of 7 months so you can go to the Ball with jock boy because you two look better together than we do?" Michael was fuming
Larissa giggled and put her hand on his shoulder in a playful manner "If your asking if I'm dumping you because we make a cuter couple than me and you do then yeah, I mean it'll look great in the yearbook, the football captain and the head cheerleader – but Micky don't blow a fuse - it's cool" she popped a lollipop in her mouth giggled and walked away leaving Michael stunned.
He had been quite cut up about it all as he really liked her but that's only the beginning of his problems. Buffy had also been dating someone, Jack Mulligan, the captain of the football team and Larissa's new date to the Ball. She had been so angry and Buffy knows only one way to vent her anger – violence. She put a rather large hole in the wall of her Algebra class and then proceeded to break Jacks nose and give Larissa a big fat lip, earning herself a week's suspension in the process.
"There you are!" Buffy screamed at the two of them as they stood nursing their wounds "You'll look great together now – perfect yearbook photos! They'll be ones you can show to the grandkids – the perfect couple, matching bruises and egos!"
"You're a bitch Buffy Summers!" Larissa growled at her, but she knew better than to retaliate
"Shut up!" Buffy shook her head at the couple before her " – and while we're here Larissa there's some things I want you to know – I think that you have the same intellect and conversation skills as a dead goldfish with learning difficulties, you're a lousy cheerleader and his name is Michael NOT Micky. And Jack while I'm here, you're as interesting as paint drying and as witty as a big stupid rock that isn't witty and it isn't funny or charming when you break wind in front of me!" Buffy was jumping up and down inside glad that she'd had the chance to say these things
"Yeah" Michael nodded approvingly "What she said"
They linked arms and left the cafeteria to 200 applauding fellow pupils who had witnessed it and were cheering them on, they left school that day grinning and laughing.
As the Ball approached though they got a little sadder – they really wanted to go but they didn't have time to find dates so going on one of Joyce's suggestions they decided to go together.
It was good but they done it all traditionally as if they didn't know everything about each other. Michael went to pick her up and gave her a beautiful rose
"Mum and dad this is Michael, Michael this is my mum Joyce and my dad Hank" Buffy felt ridiculous, they had known him since he was 4 years old but it was part of the charade
"Evening Mr and Mrs Summers' – I'm very glad and lucky to be taking your daughter out tonight" Michael shook Hanks hand and gave Joyce a rose as well
"Yes I know you are son and have her in before 1 o'clock and no funny business" Hank grinned as did Michael
"Yes sir"
"Can we go now?" Buffy stood impatiently and blushing slightly
They left and went to the ball and never mentioned Larissa or Jack all night. It was a great night they danced, laughed and had fun
"Did I tell you how beautiful you looked tonight?" Michael asked Buffy as they swayed to the music
This took her by surprise "No. Did I tell you how handsome you look?"
"No, you didn't but thank you" he blushed a very cute shade of crimson
Michael was staring at her and she smiled "What are you staring at?"
"Erm…I was just wondering… I mean could I… would you mind if I…you wouldn't kick my ass if I…" Michael couldn't get his sentence out he was so nervous
"Michael?" Buffy looked at him
"Yes"
"Shut up" Buffy leaned up taking his face in her hands and kissed him
They kissed a long, slow, passionate kiss full of emotion that they had suppressed for so long. It had triggered something off inside them – they realised something everyone else already knew - they were in love. This kiss then led to many more and they soon became one of the hottest couples in school. But as most things in the life of Buffy Summers, it didn't quite go to plan as about a year later she was told her parents were splitting up and as if that wasn't bad enough she was going to have to move to Sunnydale. When Buffy found out she cried for days and when she told Michael he tried to comfort her with the prospect of a long distance relationship but she couldn't spend every day wondering what he was doing, who he was with. They would only be able to see each other about once or twice a month at most and the rest of the time they would be just miserable, wanting to be with someone they couldn't be with and not dating anyone else. She would be making him unhappy and he would grow to resent her for it and she would grow to resent him too so she broke up with him. At first he was gutted, he couldn't speak to her and only came to see her on the day she was leaving. They had an emotional and tearful departure, full of last embraces and a final goodbye to their relationship but not to their friendship – they had known each other far to long for that.
So Buffy moved to Sunnydale, at first she was in a lot of pain but she made friends which helped, then she became the Slayer which kept her occupied and kept her mind off Michael. They had started off writing to one another, and then it was a phone call once a week to catch up then more recently it was e-mailing each other which could be done even more frequently. Michael had even came to Sunnydale once and met the Scoobies but Buffy was careful to keep her Slayer status from him – it had appeared they had both moved on – she had Angel at that time, well she had Angel sometimes, and he had been dating too, so over the years they had re-developed their friendship and moved on. However about 4 months previous to this morning Buffy had received an e-mail saying Michael had got engaged to his girlfriend Penelope Hannings – a girl he'd been dating on and off for about 4 years, they got together about a year after Buffy left. Buffy knew they'd been dating but news of the engagement had came as a shock, they were still so young and still at college. She'd known Penny, they had all went to school together. Penny had always been jealous of Buffy and Michael's friendship and subsequent relationship, as she had always had a major crush on Michael. When Buffy moved to Sunnydale she noticed a resemblance between Cordelia and Penny, only that Penny was even worse than the old 'Queen C', she was always trying to humiliate Buffy but it never seemed to work. No one ever listened to her; they always took Buffy's side – a benefit that came with being head cheerleader and dating all the cutest guys in school. But when Buffy left Penny became co-head cheerleader, she stole Buffy's friends and eventually got her claws into Michael. Buffy was gutted and she dreaded the day that she would see her best friend as good as signing himself over to the devil.
Joyce moved over to the bed and sat next to Buffy putting a loving arm around her shoulder in an effort to comfort her obviously distressed daughter
"Honey, I know it hurts now but you knew it was coming"
"Yeah but this is all so final, you know what I mean. I thought they would have had a longer engagement, I mean they're still so young – it's just a bit of a shock," Buffy sobbed into her mums shoulder
Buffy stared at the envelope again and her mum caught her eyes "Buffy you are supposed to Michael's friend as well, so you have to try and be happy for him – he's happy now"
"Yeah I'm trying and I know he's in love but he's marrying a complete bitch… and he loves her, how can he?.… He's supposed to love me" Buffy couldn't believe how upset she was getting about it all
"Honey you can't comment on him loving a 'bitch', you fell in love with a vampire" Joyce smiled at Buffy
"Yeah but that's different Angel was dead and had a soul, she's human and I'm not even sure she's even got a heart!" Buffy scowled
"Anyway what I'm trying to say is that you both moved on – you've been in love with Angel and Riley – and he's got Penny. You've both been in love and you've both been happy"
Buffy stopped crying and looked at her mum "Yeah well that's true but where is Angel? Where is Riley? Nowhere near me anyway, that's for sure. I drove them away, they didn't want to be with me" a fresh wave of tears streamed down Buffy pink and puffy cheeks "Michael did want to be with me, he begged me and what did I do – I sent probably the only chance I had at complete happiness packing"
By this point Buffy was beyond being consoled so Joyce done the only thing she could – she held her daughter tightly wishing all her pain away, "It's gonna be okay Buffy – just you wait and see you'll be fine"
Buffy, going against her mothers advice, decided to go to college – she had enough disruptions to her education to contend with. She sauntered down the hall in a daze; so much so that she hadn't even noticed Willow who had followed her all the way down the corridor shouting on her
"Buffy…" Willow sound exasperated as she grabbed her friends shoulder "I've been shouting on you since 4 classrooms back"
Buffy turned to face her friend and Willow noticed her bloodshot, swollen eyes "Sorry Will I didn't hear you – I was in a bit of a daze"
"Yeah no kidding. Buffy what's wrong?"
"Look I can't really talk about it now I gotta go I'll talk to you at lunch – meet me outside at the lunch tables by the trees… oh and Will I'll provide the tissues if you provide the chocolate"
"Ok Buffy as long as you'll be okay – it's nothing really serious is it?" Willow looked confused and concerned
"Nothing you need to really worry about – just another twist in the tangled love life of Buffy Summers – see ya later Will"
And with that Buffy walked away clutching her books to her chest leaving her friend eager for lunchtime to arrive.
Willow Rosenberg sat in a shaded and quiet part of the lunch area so she and Buffy could have some privacy – she picked a wooden table right underneath a towering oak. She had brought chocolate and sweets and some drinks – she was nervous and anxious to see what Buffy had to say – Was it Angel? Maybe it was Riley? Did Angel get his soul? Was Riley back in town? Her thoughts were interupted by the arrival of her friend.
"Hey Willow sorry about earlier but if I'd spoken about then I would have broke down again" Buffy grabbed a chocolate bar and started to unwrap it
"Well you gonna tell me what happened?" Willow moved to sit straight across from her friend
"Yeah okay but bare with me – this could get messy" Buffy looked up and met the concerned eyes of Willow "You remember Michael?"
"Willow nodded "Yeah you guys were best friends before you moved here and you dated him right?"
"Uh huh and he was kinda like my first love"
"Ok yeah I know exactly who you're talking about"
"Right well anyway he's getting married and he sent me an invitation this morning and it's hit me real hard" Buffy took a large bite out her chocolate
"Oh god I bet it did are you okay… stupid question – of course you're not okay or you wouldn't be sat here with me like this"
Willow slapped herself
"Yeah well I really love him he was like my brother and best friend and my first love all in one amazing person, worst thing is he's marrying this girl and well me and her never seemed to see eye to eye. In fact I hated her and I think the feelings mutual. I just don't know if I can stand seeing him married to her" Buffy took a deep breath in an effort to stop the never ending tears. She removed the envelope from her bag and gave it to Willow – she scanned the pretty page; Elizabeth Anne Summers and partner are invited to the Pembridge Hotel, L.A for the wedding of Miss Penelope Jane Hannings to Mr Michael James Healy. Service commences at 7:30pm, please R.S.V.P.
"Oh Buffy I'm real sorry, it must hurt – I know how I felt when I saw Xander and Cordelia together and I did hate her at the time, but it gets better" by this point Buffy could feel her eyes filling up once again
"Yeah well I just hope he knows what he's doing, I mean I can see he has been totally excluded from the preparations because he would NEVER have addressed my invitation 'Elizabeth Anne' he knows how much I hate it!"
"Yeah well that's what happens Buff she's probably took over everything and it looks like it's gonna be a posh party – The Pembridge?" Willow cocked an eyebrow
"Yeah – her Dad owns it – he owns half the hotels in L.A!" Buffy mumbled
"Oh Buffy I am sorry – if you need anything… you know I'm always here" Willow squeezed her friends hand
"Yeah well what do they say c'est la vie" Buffy wiped her eyes "Well look I better go– remember, meeting at Giles' tonight 7:30 – see you there?"
"Sure I'm never one to turn down a good old study session" Willow smiled at her friend and squeezed her hand "So you be okay?"
"Yeah I'll be fine" Buffy lied
Willow went over and gave her a big hug and watched her walk away her heart aching for her
"Buffy one more thing – are you gonna go to the wedding?"
Buffy shook her head "I'd like to go but I'm not going alone and I can't get a date at this stage. But he's my best friend and I want to see him married but if I go alone I'll look so pathetic. Anyway gotta head, see you tonight!" and with that Buffy took off.
"So do you understand the complete seriousness of all this?" Giles rubbed his nose and stared at the vampire before him
"Yeah sure watcher… big, bad, scary, ugly beast like creature… shoots venom…wants to kill us … wants to end the world… blah, blah, blah… anything new?"
Buffy couldn't help but laugh at Spike's outburst but the look on Giles' face was classic!
"Spike this is no laughing matter… you do realise this demon could kill you both?" Giles was staring straight at Spike angrily
"Calm down book worm! The Slayer and me can handle it!" Spike turned and nodded at Giles and then turned to Buffy for confirmation "Slayer… hello… slayer anybody home???" Spike laughed Buffy seemed to be on a totally different planet
'Ha she's probably thinking about Captain Cardboard!' he thought to himself 'but I know what will get her moving!'
"Quick! Slayer! Vampire at 3 o'clock!" Spike screamed at her
Just as Spike thought Buffy leaped out the chair and was in fighting stance and all ready to stake Anya who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Buffy then heard Spike laughing and realised what happened
"Very funny Spike – I was distracted!" Buffy growled at Spike "I've got a lot on my mind at the moment!"
"Sorry it was only a joke" Spike couldn't stop grinning.
Buffy hated it when Spike grinned it made him seem so normal, so human and if Spike were human he would be kinda cute – well in an abstract Spike kind of a way. Buffy internally scolded herself
'Right Summers get you're act together you can't use Spike and cute together in the same sentence that's bad – that's real bad!'
Everyone was staring at her again because she'd went into another daydream and they were all dying to laugh but knew better
"Right haul your dead, vampire ass outta here Blondie" Buffy scowled at him
"Yup whatever you say slayer!" Spike walked out in front of her making a fool of her
"I swear to God Deadboy, if you don't haul that dead ass of yours out to help me patrol I will, I'll stake you, I will" Buffy's face was getting redder by the second.
They left and walked out the front door and headed toward the first cemetery.
Meanwhile back in the house Xander waited till Buffy and Spike were out of earshot and turned to Willow
"What's up with Buffy?"
"Michael's getting married" Willow looked at Xander who nodded understandingly "in two weeks" she added
A sympathetic look shot across Xander's face "Oh right and how's she holding up?"
"Well she's been better, you know…." Willow was interupted
"Right I'm confused!" Anya announced, "I thought Buffy loved Angel and Riley – who is Michael?"
"He's her ex-boyfriend from L.A" Willow looked at Giles
"Oh it's all too much for me to keep up with I'm afraid. I'm going to bed remember lock the door on you're way out" Giles rubbed his nose and headed upstairs.
"Well she certainly is Little Miss Buffy Love-A-Lot" Anya found this all very hard to understand because Xander was the first guy Anya had ever fallen in love with and she is thousands of years old and Buffy was 20/21 and she's been in love going on three times.
"So is she gonna go to the wedding?" Xander looked at Willow
"I think she will but she wants someone to go with her, she needs a date, she thinks she'll look pathetic if she shows up alone" Willow was very sympathetic
"Oh she will look pathetic! There's nothing worse than being single at a wedding. Anyway how is she gonna get a date for a wedding that's two weeks away – I mean come on! – Weddings are at least 4th or 5th date events. I'm sorry but you can't take someone you just met to someone they don't knows wedding" Anya was always looking on the bright side
"Well I don't know – I'm sure she'll work something out she always does!" Willow was confident. Anyway if she didn't she could drag Xander away from Anya by force or she could pretend to be gay and take Willow.
"Well let's go – time for me to go home" Willow looked at Xander and Anya "I'm sure Spike and Buffy will be fine patrolling alone anyway"
They all nodded in agreement and left Giles house clicking the door shut and putting the key underneath the door.
Upstairs Giles let out a sigh of relief he was alone at last and went to bed; he was worried about Buffy though
'Gosh she does seem rather distracted – hope it doesn't effect her patrolling – ahh well she has Spike with her anyway' the thought didn't comfort him much though.
Buffy and Spike reached the first cemetery in silence
"Oh come on Slayer you can't ignore me all night!" Spike grinned, "I was only messing with you"
"Oh so I can't ignore you all night – well just try me!" Buffy turned and growled at him
"Told you! You just acknowledged me there" Spike loved being a smartass "Look what's wrong anyway you heart just isn't in it tonight" he looked down at her and popped a cigarette in his mouth
"Nothing" Buffy stared at the ground and continued walking, a vampire leaped out the shadows and pounced towards Buffy and without even looking up she rammed a stake in his chest and he fell to the ground in a pile of dust "I'm just a bit distracted"
"Oh right" neither commented on the vampire she had slain "If it's personal and you don't want to talk about it that's fine but I'm here if you wanna chat"
Buffy was shocked at Spikes sensitivity – Spike was even shocked at his sensitivity
"Oh right, didn't realise you cared Spike" Buffy grinned at him trying to embarrass him
"I… well… it's not that I… well actually my TV set is broken so I can't watch Passions and I need something to keep me going even if it's someone else's sad life!" he said unconvincingly
"Oh right… ok" Buffy grinned and they continued walking
They stopped as they entered the second cemetery
"God it's dead tonight! Pardon the pun" Buffy sat down on the edge of the wall and Spike sat next to her
"Yeah I noticed" Spike was talking to himself, Buffy had gone into another daze – the third one since they started patrolling "Slayer…? Slayer!" he got no response "Earth to Buffy Summers! Are you there…?"
"Huh…" Buffy looked up at the Blonde vampire who was staring at her intently. His use of her real name had brought her out the daze – it was the first time she had heard him call her by her name "What'd did you say?"
"Erm… nothing. Look Slayer there is obviously something up so either you finish patrolling with me and tell me what's on your mind or you go home!" Spike was getting bored of her, well it was boredom which was bordering on concern but he made it sound as if he was pissed off
"Alright, alright but do you really want to know? It's not exactly exciting and it's not as enthralling as you find 'Passions'" she stared at his deep blue eyes 'is that concern or boredom in his eyes'
"Alright blah… blah… blah… just get on with it will you!" Spike asked impatiently. He only wanted to know what was making her so miserable
"Alright then" Buffy sighed and signalled him to sit down, Spike lit up a cigarette and listened contently as she told him the whole Michael/Penny/Buffy saga
"That's pretty shitty" Spike said as he stood up "But you gotta get on with your life. You did it before and you can do it again!"
Spike was trying his best to lift her spirits as three times throughout the story, the tears had threatened to come pouring out and once again he noticed her eyes beginning to well up.
"Yeah well maybe I'm getting fed up with it! I'm sick of people running out on me, and little old Buffy being left to get on with it. Michael didn't want to leave me and I made him – it's my fault he's with someone else and it's my fault he's going to marry her, so really I'm actually to blame! I inflicted all this emotional distress on myself!" she hadn't got the last word out when the tears started to fall
'Oh god what I do?' Spike was panicking 'Do I comfort her, or do I let her get on with it'
Spike didn't have time to make a decision
"Look Spike I'm really sorry about hitting you with all this – I'm surprised you haven't told me to bloody well shut up or walked away by now!" Buffy looked up at him, she had seen a totally different side to him tonight
Spike grinned to himself at her use of 'bloody'
"Well you didn't and I haven't so don't complain" Spike looked down at her, she smiled slightly
'Well it's better than nothing' Spike thought to himself
"So you gonna go to the wedding?" Spike was unsure of the answer he would get
"I dunno! I can't really go without a date that would look soooo pathetic" she mumbled "and it's not as if I can just ask some random guy to go well not to a wedding anyway that'll just scare him away and I don't have time to build it up and make all the effort with him and…." She was interupted
"Calm down Slayer!" Spike butted in, he thought she was going to collapse from a lack of oxygen "remember and breathe please!"
She went a little red "Sorry was I rambling on?"
"Uhh yes! Just a bit" he grinned his tone dripping with sarcasm
They were both surprised at how open they were being with one another but they were comfortable so neither said anything
There was silence "So why don't you just ask Peaches to go?" Spike thought it was a good idea even though he wasn't a big fan
"I don't think so – it would be too complicated. I mean we aren't exactly the best of friends – it kinda weird and anyway, inviting and ex-boyfriend to join me at the wedding of another ex-boyfriend?!" Buffy cocked her head and looked up at Spike "I don't think so!"
Spike shrugged his shoulders "Mmmm I guess so!" he pondered for a moment
"What about Xander? That would be perfect!" Spike congratulated himself on solving the problem but met the less than eager eyes of the Slayer
"Nothing against Xander but I don't think so, and anyway Anya would have kittens you know how jealous she gets" Buffy shook her head and then turned round and saw 5 vampires emerging from the cemetery gates. They ran towards Buffy and Spike. Buffy acted instinctively and whirled around taking the legs from under one of them and he fell to the ground, she rammed a stake through his heart and he turned to dust, meanwhile Spike was playing around with a newly turned fledgling who was throwing punches left, right and centre. Spike easily dodged them as he held his hands behind his back only moving them to look at his watch and yawn irritating the vampire further. Buffy had just finished dusting a third when another one pounced onto her back taking her by surprise
"Sorry to bust up you're little heart to heart with William The Poofy but I'm feeling rather peckish" the vampire spat the remarks at her
"Shame, cos all your gonna be having tonight is dust my friend!" Buffy flipped him over her head and threw him on the ground in front of her sending the stake home.
Buffy turned and looked as the other ran away and then shook her head at Spike who was still teasing the fledgling
Spike noticed the look he got from Buffy
"Oh alright Slayer!" he turned back to his 'opponent' "well sorry, I has been lovely but I'm bored now" and with that Spike brought one of his hands round from his back and turned him to dust
"Slayer you spoil all my fun" Spike looked down at the pile of dust at his feet
"Ha ha, very funny" she couldn't help but grin "Lets go"
And with that they headed back towards Buffy's house. They walked in silence at first but Spike got bored
"So whatcha gonna do then?"
"Well I dunno, I really don't" Buffy was actually thinking about what the vampire had said about them having a heart to heart, he was right. They were kind of friends now and those vampires had just interupted one of their bonding moments – it was weird.
"It's just well if you get really desperate… well I mean only if you really need me… I could be your 'pretend' date… but only if you want… if you don't it's not a big deal… I just thought that you don't want to look like a total loser as since the whelp won't go" Spike was staring at the ground 'why am I finding this so hard'
"Really?" she was stunned
"Yeah I suppose. I mean I erm… I have erm… some business to take care of, you know with Peaches and he stays in L.A and well we might as well kill to birds with one stone" he looked up and met a smile
"Spike I really appreciate this… I really don't want to look like a complete loser in front of that bitch and now I've got you I won't!" Buffy was really excited and so was Spike for some reason
"Well I better be off now" Spike started to walk away
"Ok! And Spike thanks a lot… for everything" Buffy smiled
"No problem all part of the job" Spike stared at her
Their friendship had changed so much recently – they were very comfortable with one another and were friends even if they wouldn't admit it. Boy was this going to be interesting.
"Okay see ya later Spike – we'll talk more tomorrow" Buffy waved and Spike nodded in response as she entered the house.
Buffy walked in with a spring in her step
"Hey mom - have a nice evening?" Buffy looked at her mom and sister sitting on the couch
"Umm yeah actually – it was okay" Her mom was confused "Why are you so chirpy?"
"I'm not chirpy. But guess what? Spike has to go to L.A on business to see Angel so he's gonna drive me to the wedding so I'm gonna go after all" Buffy smiled at the thought of getting one over on Penny
"Oh okay but I didn't think you liked Spike that much and who you gonna go with" Dawn was confused
"Not figured that out yet and me and Spike well we get on alright most of the time and it's convenient – we got this weird partnership thing going on – I can't explain it. All I know is he's getting me out of a big GIANT hole and I really appreciate it!"
"Oh okay then" Joyce nodded slightly confused
She couldn't really tell them the truth they'd both freak out
"Night night then" and with that she headed up to bed a bit happier than she was – that would show Penny. Sure she wanted to see Michael happy but getting one over on her at the same time would be great – 'hey' she thought 'Michael might even get really jealous seeing me with someone else – ohh this is going to work out even better than I thought'
Buffy continued smiling to herself as she wrote out her R.S.V.P
'Yes, I Elizabeth Anne Summers and partner… shit? What will I say his name is…? William Winthrop – God no it sounds so English – William Harris – that's a bit better! Will attend the fore named wedding. Yes this is all working out rather nicely'
Spike walked back towards his crypt shaking his head
'Oh what have you let yourself in for this time Spike old boy!'