Getting In The Way
Authors: Adiana-Perryn Findley & Richess a.k.a A.N.H. Richards
Email for feedback: adianarichess@hotmail.com
Summary: When Buffy begins to date a new guy spike suspects that he is not everything the slayer thinks he is. Things to know: Spike is not in love with Buffy at this point. This takes part after Into the Woods. A S/B ship
Disclaimer: We don't own a single part of BTVS or Mutant Enemy Productions,they belong to Joss and the other powers that be
Dedication: To every great writer that we have ever read and especially our chapter one/three/four beta Love's Bitch, and our chaper two beta Python_Chick.
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Part One
"Is anyone sitting here?"
"No." Buffy quickly shook her head as the young man sat down next to her. She hadn't even looked up from her book because her next class Women and the Law had a mid term exam in three hours and extra slaying last night had cut down on her study time.
"Hello class." Professor Knight was always in a cheery mood. A series of half-hearted, 'Hi professor's' escaped Buffy's classmates mouths. "Today we have a guest speaker and a former student of mine, Deighton Michale. He currently works for the U.S. Embassy in Toronto, Ontario which is in Canada for those of you who haven't taken Geography 101 yet. Ok that's all you'll hear from me today, Deighton."
The man that had just sat next to Buffy got up and stepped to the front of the room. Buffy had put away her books for mid-term and looked up to see Deighton Michale.
He was around 6'1 and had a lanky build; not skinny but not overly muscular either. His light brown hair was cut short and spiked. His eyes were a deep set brown. He was attractive.
"Hi everyone. Now for those of you majoring in politics, the next time your parents ask you what are going to do with that degree now you can tell them leave home and move far far away from you."
The class giggled.
"But seriously. Really far away. I moved to so many different countries, it's hard to keep track and now I deal with everything from tourists to Presidents and Prime Ministers. From the movie industry to the fishing industry. I've traveled to Cuba to Moscow to Australia. I have been able to help people, from convicts to plane crash victims families and there is so much more, but if you have any specific questions I would love to take them. Other than that I'll tell you about my ever changing life for the past fours years."
Deighton kept the class intrigued with his stories about Ambassadors sleeping at meetings to living in Colombia.
"I just came back from Belize and some scary stuff was happening down there. No specifics were ever given to why were evacuated but some of us have some ideas. That would seem very Mulder logical." His sexy crooked smile finished off his sentence. Most of the girls were swooning over him and attached to his every word. But when Buffy heard Belize the ache of Riley seemed no so very dull anymore but more like stabbing and sharp.
Deighton finished by giving everyone government web site information. The class finished an hour early which Buffy was definitely glad about that meant another hour to study for the mid-term. She collected her bags quickly until a hand grabbed her wrist gently and she looked up to come face to face Deighton.
"You seem very preoccupied."
"Yeah I got an exam next class."
"Well maybe I should take you out afterward to celebrate."
"I need to finish reading these notes and then after the test I'll go home and cry for a couple of hours while I see me GPA disintegrate into academic probation for this semester." Buffy sighed.
"Don't worry you'll do fine." He reassured her. She looked up at him strangely as gently squeezed her hand.
"Thanks for the offer though." Buffy stated leaving the class.
"Ok that wasn't as bad as I thought." Buffy exclaimed as she and Willow left the class.
"Are you sick?" Willow looked at her best friend like she was on fire, "That test was brutal. Remembering all those court cases and the decisions? And you finished early? Wow! You must have studied all night. You said that you hadn't even read over the notes until yesterday and I know that you didn't do the readings."
"I know that's the problem. It's like I just knew. I knew the answers they were like....." Buffy searched for the word, "Like it was implanted into my mind."
"Buffy?"
Buffy and Willow turned to see. Deighton who stood against the wall lazily and asked, "So how was the test?"
"It went great." Buffy beamed at him, "Deighton this is my friend Willow. Willow, Deighton."
Willow and Deighton exchanged pleasantries and Willow quickly excused herself to go find Tara.
"So I can tell from your mood that a celebration is in order." Deighton smiled as he walked beside Buffy across the campus.
"Well I think that I did well. Which probably means that I failed." Buffy gave a half smile.
"I very much doubt that." He smiled.
They walked to the other side of the campus to the parking lot and continued to talk. She found out a lot about this life things that he hadn't told the class and she found him intriguing and open. Once they finally reached her mom's car Buffy stopped.
"Ok we didn't do the celebration thing today but how about tonight. Say at the Bronze?" Deighton asked searchingly for answer.
"The Bronze tonight, at nine." Buffy confirmed.
"That will be perfect I'll meet you there." Deighton smiled as Buffy hopped into the Cherokee and drove off.
He watched as she left making sure that she was out of view before he left.
Part Two
After Buffy's mini patrol turned up nothing to slay she headed to the Bronze early to find Deighton already waiting for her at the bar.
Buffy fixed her hair slightly, tucking a lose strand behind her ear.
Deighton stood up and as the slayer walked over to him. He examined every movement and quirk. She'll be perfect, he thought.
"So what's your problem?" Xander asked Spike picking up a pool cue.
"That guy Buffy's with...." Spike racked up the balls. "She hasn't even had time to get over the last wanker and now there's another one."
"So?"
"So?" Spike looked up at Xander. "So I don't like him."
"And? Who cares what you like. It's Buffy's life." Xander said as Spike broke the set.
"You don't get it? I don't.... There's something wrong with him. I dunno. Just a vibe."
"Are you sure that you're not jealous?" Xander laughed as Spike missed the shot completely, "You are?"
Xander aimed with precision and sunk the striped ball into the pocket.
"I don't mean as in jealousy. There can't be anything between her and that pounce."
"And why not."
"Because he doesn't want her. It's written on him as plain as day." Spike said watching Xander's next shot. Buffy's loud giggling making the two turn toward her direction as Deighton whispered something into her ear and his hands moved around her waist holding her securely on the bar stool.
"It looks like they are very cosy to me."
Spike grimaced as Xander sunk two more striped balls into the right side pocket.
"Nope. Everything about him is calculated. Every movement. Every word." Spike stopped as he watched Xander's next move.
"Huh?"
"Everything about him screams I want something *from* you. And I need you to trust me to get it."
Xander missed the shot completely. Spike smiled as he began his pool assault.
"What do you mean?"
"It's hard to explain. I get vibes off of people and things. Think about when I split you guys up for Adam last year."
"Don't remind me." Xander raised an eyebrow to the vampire.
Spike smiled, "I'm efficient at that sort of stuff. I read people really well. I see symptoms and run with them. He want's something from the slayer. He *needs* something from her."
It was Xander's turn to grimace as Spike sunk the last ball before he completely took in Spike's words. He turned back to see that Buffy and Deighton were gone. He turned back to see that Spike was gone too.
Part Three
Deighton walked into the Bronze to see Buffy sitting with her friend Willow and two other male figures. Deighton's smile faded as he watched the vampire sitting on the table directly in front of Buffy, talking secretively with her.
Spike could sense him walk in and looked up as the figure stood looming over Buffy.
"You and the hulking types." Spike rolled his eyes at Buffy.
"Whatever, short stuff."
Spike grumbled and walked off, not even acknowledging Deighton's presence.
Why the hell is a slayer talking to vampire for? Deighton thought as he took over Spike's spot.
"Hey you?" He beamed as grabbed her hand, turned to look at Willow and the other male. "Hey Willow."
"Hi Deighton." Willow smiled.
Buffy introduced Xander and Deighton. Tara came into the Bronze, the only one out of the gang that wasn't there was Anya. She was helping Giles with his accounting and sales records for the month.
"So, how many dates is that so far?"
"Eight, my sweet." Deighton answered the voice from the shadows, which continued to talk.
"You seem to be getting pretty friendly with her." The sensuous voice whispered behind him. He instantly smiled again, feeling her heat. Her presence, it was poison to him. She was his world. She was his guide. His life.
"Don't worry, that child has nothing over you, Ancora." He turned to see the only piece of perfection to walk this tainted earth. "You're not jealous are you?"
"Of a little girl? No." Ancora scoffed not sounding as confident as she would have liked.
He swiftly moved a piece of her venomous black hair away from her violet coloured eyes that glimmered effortlessly in the lights of the Bronze. "You are my eternal love."
"I know." She smiled. "And you mine."
"How is the plan going?"
"When will you give it to her?"
"When the time is right." Deighton answered stroking his lovers face affectionately, "Everything will be fine once it is finished."
Deighton kissed her gently on the cheek and left, walking back toward Buffy.
"So what's going on between you and Deighton?" Willow whispered to Buffy in Environmental Studies class, as Professor Walker droned on.
'I dunno,' Buffy wrote down on the top of her notebook.
'Huh?' Willow wrote.
'He's nice and all but I don't feel that... you know.'
'Too bad, he is cute.'
'I know.'
Part Four
"I know it's not the Bronze but it's too much fun." Deighton smiled as Buffy looked up at him. He had told her to dress like a freak for this evening's festivities but what she saw was a total surprise for even her. On the outskirts of town by the docks was a rave.
They walked down the street looking at the rest of the partygoers. The girls were dressed in everything from bikinis to tinfoil dresses. Buffy felt oddly out of place looking very twenty year old conservative compared to everyone else.
She wore a pair of lace pants and a tight silver mesh top. Her hair was woven into dreadlocks with invisible thread courtesy of Dawn. And the make-up. . .she didn't even want to know what Dawn had done to her. Taking advice from a fourteen year old. Who worse? Buffy thought.
A girl wearing a bikini walked past the couple. Buffy watched as some guys ran across the street hollering and whistling after her and friends who had dressed in the same suit but didn't quite look as good as her. She gave the guys the finger and kept on walking in her six inch heels and bikini.
Buffy looked up at Deigthon to see if he was staring at the girl but she looked up only to see his brown eyes looking into hers. And she began laughing.
"What's so funny." He asked innocently but a small smile crept onto his face.
"I think this the first date that I've gone out on where the guy has worn more eye shadow than me." Buffy began laughing at the blue and pink eye shadow that surrounded his eyes. Also a shimmering powder glowed under the street lamps as the light touched he bare arms. He was wearing black marina and dark blue jeans splattered with neon yellow and green paint. He had gel in his hair that made the ends of his hair look white.
They reached the door in minutes and to Buffy's surprise, there were no line ups and no cover charge. They walked in as the bass from the music pounded the walls. Deighton lead her up some stairs and they quickly reached the rooftop of the warehouse.
"Why are we up here?" Buffy asked.
"I wanted to be with you a alone before the whole rave stuff started." Deighton took in a deep breath and bent down slightly kissing Buffy on the lips. She leaned upward on her tiptoes to return the kiss. Deighton pulled away from Buffy rather two quickly for the Slayer's liking but then she realized why.
A small package was in his hand.
"Buffy I know that this is soon, we've only known each other for a month, but I would really like you to have this." Deighton opened up the box and pulled out a small gold necklace with an egg shaped ruby pendant.
"Oh my God, Deighton." Buffy looked aghast as she looked at the beautiful piece of jewellery. "I can't accept this."
"Yes you can." Before Buffy could protest Deighton quickly fastened the necklace around her neck.
The pendant landed directly below her collar bone.
"Be what if I lose it here tonight? It's to . . ."
"You won't." Deighton grabbed her arms and kissed her again gently before they headed down the stairs to the party.
Buffy's head pounded like the music leaving the speakers. She felt dizzy and light headed. Deighton brought her a bottle of water and found her somewhere to sit.
"You ok?" Deighton yelled above the music.
"No, I feel sick." Buffy yelled back.
"Let's go then." Deighton held Buffy close as they left the club.
Part Five
By the time Deighton brought Buffy home she thought that she was going to die. He helped her inside and up the stairs of the Summers home.
Joyce heard the commotion as the couple headed up the stairs.
Joyce came out of her room to see her daughter in the arms of a strange man and would have panicked until she heard Buffy's voice whisper something, "I feel like I'm dying."
Joyce rushed to her side and guided the man to Buffy's bedroom.
"What happened to her?" Joyce asked concerned.
"I don't know. We were at a party and she just started feeling sick and I brought her home. She didn't want to go to the hospital." Deighton answered.
"And who are you?"
"I'm Deighton."
"Who?"
"Deighton? She hasn't mentioned me?" He answered slowly.
"Nope."
Ouch, Deighton thought.
"I think that you should leave I'll take care of Buffy from here." Joyce said guardedly.
Deighton agreeably left. But he was not exactly happy. This one is gonna be harder then he thought. If Buffy hasn't mentioned me to her family then, I obviously need to do more to get into her life and into her soul.
When Buffy woke up her mother and Giles waited for her patiently to adjust to her surroundings.
"What's going on?" Buffy asked groggily looking at the two worried faces.
"Are you all right honey you were so sick."
"Your mother informed me that a young man brought you home."
"Deighton. Is he here?" Buffy asked sitting up but the room was still spinning.
"Yes that was his name. You wouldn't believe the sheer panic that he caused me when I saw you have conscious in his arms. I had to find out about him this morning from Dawn and Willow." Joyce fumed.
"Buffy you must be more responsible. You might be the slayer but you are still susceptible to human influences. Do you remember anything did you have an strange drinks or anything?" Giles asked.
"Nope. Deighton gave me some water when I started to feel sick. That was it."
"Are sure Buffy? I see the news about these drugs that they give..."
"No one slipped me anything mom."
"Are you sure that this Deighton didn't...."
Buffy's pale face turned a vicious red as her anger quickly flared, "Deighton would never hurt me. He's in love with me. See, he gave me THIS!" Buffy showed them the necklace around her neck, "And I don't want YOU to say anything bad about him again."
Buffy dashed off of her bed quickly and left the room. Both Giles and Joyce looked at each other in complete shock
That night patrolling was pretty slow and then he showed up. Buffy could feel him before she could see him.
"Spike stop lurking." Buffy said annoyed.
"I heard about your adventures with rohypnol. What the hell is that thing around your neck?" Spike walked up to her quickly and took the pendant in his hand and examined it. He recognized it but the specifics weren't set in his mind.
"Deighton gave it to me." Buffy beamed as she took in out of his hand. "I couldn't find the clasp though I had to shower with it on. Can you find the clasp?"
"Why are you telling me this? Ask your mum." Spike grumbled.
"Because she couldn't find it so now I'm asking vampire guy to do it."
Spike sighed and then took a deep breath as he looked he moved the piece of gold around her skin as she held her hair up. The street lamp showed nothing and now Spike knew that something was wrong.
"There isn't a clasp Slayer?"
"What?"
"There isn't a clasp."
"Give me a break Spike then how did he get in on my neck dodo head."
"Dodo head? Who's the chick with some supernatural chain around her neck." Spike scoffed as he walked off.
Part Six
Spike examined his volumes of books that he kept hidden in a tunnel under his crypt. He looked for hours for the right book but only came across a small demon and witch reference book. He needed to put this nagging feeling behind him.
He flipped through the book and until he reached a picture of people all of the women were wearing the same necklace. They were called the 'Dalsai'. 'They were a clan of warlocks and witches who stole peoples energy' This was all that the small blurb revealed. But Spike remembered more.
1928 - Halifax, Nova Scotia
"Spike I want a pretty necklace like that woman." Dru pouted as they walked through the fair. It would close in an hour and they needed dinner.
"Ok pet, then take it from her if you like it."
Spike left Drusilla to kill the woman and then made his way through the fair. People were laughing and playing games. Suddenly several young men passed Spike abruptly. Spike didn't like the rudeness so he followed them planning on killing them all. He watched as they went over to the body that Drusilla had left behind a tent.
"So this is one of the last." One said.
"Except for the children which we will raise."
"Take the necklace we must give it to another." One man barked to another who quickly complied.
"The Dalsaani will be reborn. The new babies will be our saviours. It took over a century but we have a source back and now we control the fates of the female warriors." The first man smiled As the other two dragged away the body.
Spike felt familiar hands encircle his waist and he could feel Drusilla pressing her body against his.
"Why didn't you take the necklace pet."
"She tasted funny." Dru pouted as she released him and brought her slender fingers to her mouth. "She tasted old and the necklace wouldn't come off. Miss Edith wouldn't have like her."
Spike quickly looked for the Dalsai versus Ystal war which was the next page. The Ystal were a group of demons whom the Dalsai had killed many female warriors to support there clan. The Ystal took vengeance and destroyed the 'Jewel' breaking it into 13 separate pieces.
Therefore this created the power in the men to but they needed there mates to stay alive so the 13 strongest Dalsai families continued there line while the others died. The Dalsai which became known as the Dalsaani were a group of men who derived there powers from others, usually women warriors. They would control them and then the female warrior would die and her powers through the necklace would be transferred seconds before death. Spike closed the book and headed for the magic shop now he was definitely going to find out what exactly the was going on.
Part Seven
Buffy watched as the haze cleared and Deighton stood in her view. More beautiful than ever he smiled. A figure loomed behind him and then with a swift motion the figure sliced a jagged blade across Deighton's neck he instinctively grabbed at his throat as blood poured from his mouth as. He tried to gasp in air, but only swallowed blood.
Buffy stood motionless as if her feet were no longer beneath her. Giles stood triumphant as Deighton withered on the floor dying slowly and painfully. Her Watcher looked at the knife and they at Buffy and began to laugh. Buffy screamed and screamed but it didn't matter.
Giles had killed him.
Giles had killed the man that she loved.
Buffy sat up straight in her bed her sheets were cold because they were soaked in sweat. She trembled as a light breeze blew into her room. She got up and grabbed some other night clothes and headed toward the shower it was only 3:00 am. She stepped into the shower and closed her eyes as the warm water soaked her skin and rinsed away the feeling of dread and fear that she had felt in her dream. She opened her mouth and suddenly the water tasted funny she opened her eyes to see blood pouring out of the shower onto her. She leapt out of the shower and frantically grabbed at towels to wipe herself clean. She but they was all soaked with blood too.
"Buffy? BUFFY?" Dawn yelled at her sister as Joyce frantically called Giles.
"Hello?" Giles said groggily.
"Mr. Giles it Joyce. Something is wrong with...."
The only thing that Giles could hear was a thud and then the phone clattered to the ground and Joyce's screams definitely woke Giles out of bed her grabbed his coat and keys and headed to the Summers house.
When Giles arrived, he kicked in the door and found Buffy carrying Dawn to her bed.
"What? What is it?" Giles blared.
"It's my fault." Buffy said putting Dawn into bed.
"What is...." Giles began until he saw Dawn's face a large red bruise around the young girls neck and large gash on the side of her forehead, "Good lord, Buffy what have you done?"
Buffy turned on Giles instantly, "What have I done? What are you going to do huh, Ripper? You going do what you really feel like doing, huh? You just don't want me to be happy I don't need you anymore Giles. You are a washed up middle-aged fool and you are a murderer. Yes a murderer. You heard me."
Giles looked in absolute shock at the Slayer as she held the pendant on the necklace as she talked.
"GET OUT!" Buffy yelled then gritted between her teeth, "Before I throw you out"
"What? Buffy what are you doing?" Joyce exclaimed.
"I don't trust him mom I want him to leave."
"Buffy something is wrong here. You don't know...." Giles felt himself flying threw the air and then into the door.
The splintering of wood left not only Giles in shock but Joyce as well. She looked at her daughter who snarled at her Watcher and then went back into Dawn's room.
Giles laid on top of the door. His back was aching and his head was throbbing. He got up with Joyce's help.
"I think that you should go Rupert. I--I don't know what's come over her." Joyce helped Giles down the stairs.
"What happened?" Giles asked.
"She was having a nightmare and all of a sudden Dawn was trying to wake her up and she just threw Dawn across the room and started choking her. She kept mumbling your name. So I called you I'm really sorry, about this I don't know what's happened or what has been going on but obviously something between you and Buffy."
"That's the thing Joyce, I don't understand. Nothing has happened not since the last week when she came home from the party everything has been fine. We've trained and planned strategy against Glory and all the rest this is just mind-boggling."
"MOM! Is that son of a bitch still here?" Buffy yelled from upstairs.
Joyce quickly ushered Giles out the door and promised to call him tomorrow
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