Author: Richess a.k.a. A.N.H. Richards
Feedback: I love it. I want it. Please send it. e-mail: richess78@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: All Characters belong to J. Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, the W.B. and/or Fox Production and etc, except, Gina she's mine.
Summary: Buffy meets a stranger who gives her some insight into her life and also makes her realize that things aren't always black and white especially when it comes to love. Spike risks his body to save Buffy. Set after Crush.
Song: Can't No Man by Tamia album A Nu Day (2000) Elektra Ent./Warner
Author's notes: My fantastic beta reader Hilary also helped me with the plot when I was stuck. Thank You, Hils.
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As soon as the first slow song came on Buffy headed back toward there table. She was glad that Xander picked the table in the back of the Bronze. It was the most secluded area but still had the best view of the dance floor.
The song flooded through the club as Buffy watched the couples dance slowly with each other. Anya and Xander. Tara and Willow. Buffy and no one, she thought to herself.
Mmm, mmm, mmm yeah
Oh oh ohh, ooh ooh (come here baby)
I can't let you go babe, I don't think that I could
Cuz everytime I try to forget you I think about the sex is too good
The way you hold my body babe
There's no other man that could
And even if he tried to turn me on
I don't think that he would, yeah
"You look like you're in the same boat as me." A pretty brown haired girl sat down next to Buffy.
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, you aren't here with any one, are you?" The girl asked.
"No." Buffy replied uncertainly.
The girl smiled slightly and stared off into the dance floor.
Can't no thief, fill your shoes
Ain't no other man can rock me like you do
They can try to huff and puff and blow you down
But when we make love baby, you mark your ground
"What did you mean?" Buffy asked her.
Can't no thief fill your shoes
Ain't no other man can rock me like you do
They can try to huff and puff and blow you down
But when we make love baby, you mark your ground
"Uh. Oh I meant that you looked kind of like I feel. You know. I don't have a boyfriend either. I've given up the search. But then you here a song like this and . . . And you hear and feel what this person is saying, was feeling. And you feel like you're missing out on something. Maybe I'm wrong." The girl answered never taking her eyes off the dance floor.
"Oh." Buffy didn't know what to say, "Well yeah, I guess."
"Have you ever that kind of experience. What she sings about? Being completely happy and relaxed and consumed." The girl sighed looking at Xander pulling Anya closer to him.
Everytime we argue babe I just wanna give up
But when I see your face babe I just wanna make up
Cuz there's no other man, that be pleasing me
And not only are you incredible
Baby I'm in L-O-V-E, yeah
"Yeah. You?"
"Kind of. I think so? Isn't that sad? I'm not even sure. But you . . . where is he?" The girl finally looked at Buffy.
"Gone."
Can't no thief fill your shoes
Ain't no other man can rock me like you do
They can try to huff and puff and blow you down
But when we make love baby, you mark your ground
"Oh. Why?" She turned her head back to the dance floor.
Buffy for some reason felt like talking to her, "It wasn't going to work out."
The turned to look at her, it was written all over her face. Liar. Then she simply turned her head back to the dance floor.
Buffy didn't know what to make of it.
Can't no thief fill your shoes
Ain't no other man can rock me like you do
They can try to huff and puff and blow you down
But when we make love baby, you mark your ground
Then she finally spoke. "No you've never been consumed, like her." She responded.
Buffy was taken back by her words. How dare she?
"You would never let him go if you were." The girl continued.
"Excuse me?"
"Listen to those words. The only person that can ever make you feel that way is the last person you would ever suspect."
"I don't . . ."
I'm just so caught up on you
I just don't know what to do
I can't get enough of you
I'm gon' spend my life with you
Baby can't you feel it too
The love between me and you
Baby you gon' mark your ground
Baby I won't turn you down
"It's like an alcoholic haze. Something that numbs your senses and reawakens new ones you never knew you had. Something so hot it burns your skin. Something so cold you have no feeling in you fingers. Something so dry that skin crackles. Something so moist that you skin wrinkles. Every extreme and genial. Something unreasonable, nonsensical, radical and relentless."
Buffy listened to the girls tyriad and realized that she had felt what she was describing.
"So what happened to you and him?" Buffy asked her.
I'm just so caught up on you
I just don't know what to do
I can't get enough of you
I'm gon' spend my life with you
Baby can't you feel it too
The love between me and you
Baby you gon' mark your ground
Baby I won't turn you down
She kept her head looking straight on the dance floor, "He died."
Buffy's heart sank as she heard the girls whisper, "I'm sorry."
The girl looked at her venomously, "You should be. You killed him."
Buffy was completely taken back by her words. Utter shock and disbelief crossed her face. Until the girl turned completely toward the slayer. Her black leather jacket opened slightly as she reached in her jacket and pulled out a shining black object. The girl held it close to her body so the slayer couldn't take it away from her.
"So you're gonna shoot me." Buffy gasped.
"Of course. And silencers are perfect. Especially here." She glanced around the room.
Can't no thief fill your shoes
Ain't no other man can rock me like you do
They can try to huff and puff and blow you down
But when we make love baby, you mark your ground
"A vampire slayer? You nothing but a murder. You killed him. I was in love with him. When Jay was killed the first time I thought that my world had ended. And then he came to me one night a vampire. He wanted to turn me, so that we could be together forever, I begged him not to and he cried, telling me that it was all his fault, he should have been more cautious. This guy asked him for directions, and he turned his head . . ." her eyes filled with tears, Buffy saw the opportunity to take the gun but the girl wasn't stupid.
Can't no thief fill your shoes
Ain't no other man can rock me like you do
They can try to huff and puff and blow you down
But when we make love baby, you mark your ground
"You might be able to dodge a bullet but you can't out run one, no matter what powers you have. I'm an excellent shot too." The girl stopped and Buffy eyes remained trained on the gun. "I was really hopping that you'd have a boyfriend so I could kill him instead. But it figures that you'd be alone."
Buffy wanted to knock this girl out but she could tell that the safety was off the gun and with the silencer she cold probably shoot Buffy and leave the club virtually unnoticed.
"Is it me or is this song taking a long time?" Buffy grumbled to herself.
* * *
Spike sat across the Bronze watching , Buffy and Jay's girlfriend Gina talking for what seemed like a long time. He'd met once Gina when he came back to Sunnydale for the Gem of Amarra. He thought that Jay was insane having a human girlfriend, but then again he was in love with Buffy. Jay and Gina were usually inseparable. Spike always wondered how Gina lived with Jay being a vampire. He killed and she knew it but she never cared. Spike was amazed at how cold she could be to other humans. He watched as instant tension clouded Buffy's face. Gina had her back to him. But a faint familiar sent circulated through the air.
* * *
"So do you find it hard to except that I used to be in love with a vampire?" Gina asked Buffy.
Buffy smirked, "No."
"Oh yeah. You used to. Didn't you."
Buffy glared at her.
"You see I have to blame you on two levels for my Jay. You see he died twice at your hands. It was your fault on both counts." Gina hissed as a couple walked past them.
The music changed, Buffy prayed that the gang would stay on the dance floor, not wanting to get them hurt. Another so song came on and the gang continued to dance.
"Both counts? This is my destiny to kill vampires they kill people. Didn't your boyfriend, huh. Kill. Didn't he kill innocent people." Buffy growled angrily at the girl.
"You don't get it. You killed him twice. You could have prevented his death the first time from what I hear. You could have saved an innocent instead . . ." Her voice drifted off as, she watched the figure walk out of the shadows, The familiar face smiled at her.
"I don't . . ."
She brushed him off with a glance and went back to the task at hand, "Angelus. You know him. Jay sure did. He was his sire. I heard that you were the cause of Angelus losing his soul. I heard that you had a chance to kill him and you didn't. Then when he came back, everything was fine between you too and even after all he had done, not only to others but even to you. And then you go kill the only man I've ever loved. The only person that I would have died for. You killed."
Gina sighed heavily not noticing his advancing steps. Buffy resisted the temptation of looking next to Gina as the girl stopped talking.
"What do you want Spike?" Gina never took her eyes off of Buffy.
"Just came to see you, luv. Long time no see." Spike started. "Where's Jay."
"Dust courtesy of your friend here." She replied staring into Buffy's eyes.
"So, you going to kill her?" Spike asked nonchalantly.
"Yup."
"Guns get messy and loud, pet."
"True. Usually. Silencer's help. Plus the bullets will mushroom. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. Unless you decide to get in the way?" Gina replied coldly never taking her eyes off of Buffy.
"Ok you've got it all figured out." Spike shrugged his shoulders prepared to leave. Buffy's eyes pleaded with him to stay. "Sorry love. I consider the uninvite an all over kind of thing. You didn't only uninvite me from your home, but from your life in general. So I feel no obligation to you Slayer. What do you want me to do?"
"Fine I invite you back into my house. Do something."
"Are you pleading Slayer?"
Gina took in there antics knowing that he was biding time, and she was helping him. They could both easily die. Well not easily anymore. Spike in the equation was a terrible addition. He could take a bullet and keep on going. Unless she aimed for the head or the privates. They'd both be messy. The Slayer she planned to shoot through the heart. Even as a slayer she didn't seem to superior now. Gina waited patiently until she noticed Buffy's friends walking toward the table. It was now or never all three of thought at the same time.
Gina pulled the gun out from the safe cover of her jacket, jumped back from the Slayer and the Vampire and planned to just unload the clip. Buffy didn't have time to react to Gina's movements she hadn't notice the scoobies walking off the dance floor.
Buffy felt a stinging sensation at the side of right ribcage. Then she felt Spike surround with an embrace his leather duster clocked her as his body jerked slightly it only took a couple of seconds before Spike fell to the ground at their feet.
* * *
Gina couldn't believe her eyes the first hit Buffy but was off of course from where she had intended, then Spike threw himself in front of her, he was protecting her. Gina emptied the clip anyway, cursing the vampire.
Gina ran toward the back entrance a few feet away and disappeared into the night.
* * *
As Spike fell to the ground Buffy was prepared to attack the girl but she was gone. The scoobies came running. No one else in the Bronze seemed to notice. Buffy winced as she looked at Spike. A small pool of blood began to form around him as she rested him on the couch
"Oh my gosh." Tara gasped. Xander and Buffy helped Spike out of the club.
* * *
"Ok was I the only one that saw Spike actually put himself in harm's way for Buffy." Anya asked Willow and Tara as they walked behind Buffy and Xander dragging Spike.
"I saw." Tara raised her hand slightly.
* * *
Spike woke up to dull pain humming in his back.
"It's about time you woke up." Buffy grumbled easing herself out of his arm chair.
"What . . ." Spike started then remembered the events of the night before.
"Next time you want to play super hero. Don't. Lugging your dead ass around is a pain. Plus you was completely lucky that Willow and Tara were able to take out those bullets with magic because we wouldn't have been able to. And the next time one of your friends girlfriends decides to take out their aggressions on me she should do it a less public place. Even though no one really noticed at the Bronze."
Buffy grabbed her coat and put it on carefully not to aggravate her own wound.
Spike couldn't believe ears, "What? Oh I get it, always blame Spike. I thinks it's a syndrome for you. ABS Syndrome. You think that . . . Never mind. Bugger off Slayer."
He tried to move but his body ached too much.
"Actually that was my way of saying thanks Spike." Buffy said softly.
"Yeah right?"
"Fine it's wasn't a thank you. But it should have been." Buffy looked at the ground. "I'm going to get you some thing to eat. I'll be back in five."
Buffy leaned against the crypt door and breathed a sigh of relief. Today could have been THE day and not even at the hands of some big, ugly, bumpy, scabby demon but at the hands of a mortal. Buffy knew that Spike saved her because he thinks that he loves her even after she had rejected him so coldly earlier that week. But she didn't doubt for one second that he wouldn't help her.
"God life is way too complicated."
The night air whistled through the trees, suddenly the words came back to her.
Of all the things that she knew about Spike, whether she liked them or hated them she knew that he was dedicated. Something in her mind told her that he'd always be there for her. Never leave her and would, as he demonstrated tonight, die for her.
"God! I can't be falling for another vampire." She whispered to herself as she walked through the cemetery.
THE END