title: Love Ridden
author: Heather (heather@hella-good.org)
rating: R
spoilers: none, another au/fantasy fic. Some things borrowed from the Buffyverse to suit the story
disclaimer: All bow down to Mutant Enemy, which I, unfortunately, have nothing to do with.
summary: Having lived next door to Spike for the last two years, Buffy sees him for who he truly is; an obnoxious, snarky, loathsome boy. But behind all this, her good friend, Willow sees a spark in her that Willow knows she's right about. Spike has never been able to figure why Buffy hates him and decides he's going to find out. Finding their way to each other, they figure out more about themselves than they ever thought they would but when tragedy strikes and tears them apart, can another tragedy bring them back together?

a/n: Just thought I'd let you know that although Buffy still lives at Revello Drive, I took some liberties with her room to suit the story. So don't say that's not how Buffy's room is. I know this, I simply changed it. :)

Prologue

"So..." she tapped her fingers nervously on the table.

"Yeah..." he sighed, slumping down further in his chair.

"Well, spit it out. Don't just sit there."

"Don't just tap there."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. She laid her hands flat on the table but the silence was driving her to the brink. She began to tap again, only louder. She heard him groan out of frustration and she smiled internally.

"You always were a hell on the old skins," he smirked.

She dared to look at him, albeit briefly. She ducked her head back down to hide the small smile that formed on her lips. "We just need to-"

"I'm done talking about it," he announced, getting up from his chair, striding over to the table with purpose. He placed his palms on the table and stared at her until she hesitantly looked up, her eyes wide. "Are you happy?"

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it instead and looked away from his gaze.

"Well, that's answer enough for me," he gritted out. He walked around the table and towards the door.

She shot out of her chair, causing it to crash to the hardwood floor which stopped him. "Please, like you are. Don't you dare go laying blame, acting like a wounded puppy who had to retreat. Don't even go there."

He spun around and took in her stance. It was so classically her and he felt his heart break just a little bit more. Her hands on her hips, shoulders squared, lips puckered in anger, the look of annoyance and anger and the tiniest hint of something that he would never understand or ever touch that caused her to act this way.

"No, Buffy, I'm not happy," he said, quietly but with force.

"And whose fault is that, Spike?"

"Ours." And with that he opened the door and walked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1

Two Years Prior

"Seniors! It's just too cool!" Willow said excitedly.

"Yes, we know, Will. Leaving campus for lunch has its perks but its not the all-time best thing ever, " Buffy said, shaking her head at her friend's happiness.

"No, that's reserved for when we actually leave this hell-hole," Xander grumbled, taking a seat on grass. His girlfriend, Cordelia, sat in between his legs and nodded in agreement.

"I don't care what any of you say. This is going to be a great year. Mark my words," Willow told them, none her giddiness subsiding. She felt the comforting touch of her boyfriend's hand on her shoulder. "See, Oz agrees with me."

"Oz didn't say anything," Cordy snipped.

"This is Oz's second go...maybe he knows more about the fantabulousness that is senior year than we do," Buffy offered.

"No, the fantabulous is walking this way. Do I look okay?" Cordy asked, smoothing her hair.

"Hey!" Xander objected. She turned her head and flashed him a smile.

"Great!" Buffy exclaimed, sarcastically. "I'm out of here."

"Do you know him?" Willow asked, confused.

"Hello? We all know him. William Alden...you know the thorn in my side."

"What the hell happened to him?" Xander wondered.

"He had an accident with a bottle of peroxide and cow hide," Buffy answered, snidely as she watched him coming closer.

"William? No way. He was all floppy and goofy with the curls and the glasses," Cordy tried to explain.

"Well, I guess a summer away in England does a body good," Xander said. Everyone looked at him, eyebrows raised. "I didn't mean it like that. I, I meant-"

"We know what you meant and I don't think he looks any better. He's still the same asshole he's been for the last two years since he moved here," Buffy interrupted.

"I've never understood the animosity between you two. He's always been nice to the rest of us," Willow stated.

"He doesn't live next door to you. You don't get to see the daily annoyance that is him."

"But he was so shy and reserved. You practically had to beat a sentence out of him," Willow said.

"That's what I liked about him," Oz threw in.

"Sure, shy and reserved...you know that's what they say about serial killers when the police interview the people who knew them," Buffy said as she got off the grass. "I'm leaving before he gets here. If it's even possible, he is more obnoxious than he was before the transformation."

"There's still another twenty minutes of lunch, Buffy. Just sit. What's the worst that could happen?" Willow asked.

"I could murder a man and be sent to jail for the rest of my life."

"I think you're exaggerating," Cordelia told her.

"I think you don't know what you're talking about. He's completely different at home than he is here at school. You guys have no idea what an inane, hideous pers-"

"Must be talking about me."

Buffy spun around and smiled. "As a matter of fact, I was." She didn't like how he was looking at her. All full of bravado and smirking, not trying to hide his blatant once over of her. She rolled her eyes and took a step back, away from him.

"Now, now, pet...didn't any of that seething hatred for yours truly go away over the summer?"

"No." She walked around him and made her way back to the school. She stopped, turned and yelled, "Don't call me pet!"

Watching her retreat, Spike laughed to himself and shook his head. He turned to the others and said, "This is going to be a great year."

"That's what I've been saying!" Willow agreed, her excitement renewed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I flat out refuse to call him Spike. I mean, what the hell is that?" Buffy asked Willow, taking yet another break from studying.

"You know, if we haven't figured it out with the last ten times you've asked that question, we probably never will. And since we have fun chem to study for-"

"There has to be a reason. You don't go from being and looking like a William to being and looking like a Spike."

"If you're so curious, just ask him," Willow suggested, knowing full well her friend would never do it.

"Yeah, right. Like I would willingly have a conversation with that dip. I think not." Buffy went back to her book and looked at Willow was pretending to study, as she knew she would just be interrupted again. "Something must have happened."

"You know what?" Willow asked, putting her pen down on the table. "I'll go ask him. That way I can actually study in peace." She got up from the table and made her way to the front door with Buffy following her quickly.

"You can't!" Buffy yelled, grabbing a hold of Willow's arm.

"I most certainly can and plan to," Willow told her with a nod of her head. She shook her arm from Buffy's hold. "You're too strong," she added as she rubbed her arm.

"Sorry," Buffy said, meekly. "Didn't mean to hurt you."

"Well, you did," Willow said, just to bide time for Buffy to back away from her so she could open the door and run out without receiving another vice-like grip on her arm.

When Buffy moved away from Willow, resting her back against the door way, Willow quickly opened the door and slammed it shut, taking off to the Alden's house. She heard Buffy scream her name and she laughed but quickly calmed herself as she made her way to the front door. She rang the doorbell, waited, rang it again, waited some more and then began to knock. She knew he was home. She had seen him drive out of the lot at school with the black car that was now parked in the driveway. The door opened, startling Willow and she saw Mrs. Alden who was smiling at her.

"Willow? My goodness, I almost didn't recognize you. You've cut you're hair. It looks lovely, darling."

"Oh, thanks," Willow said, her fingers going to the now short locks. "Is William home?"

"Don't you mean Spike?" Mrs. Alden asked with a smile. "Come on in. He's up in his room...brooding. I never thought I would have a typical teenager."

Willow couldn't help but laugh as she entered the house. "I didn't think Will-Spike knew how to brood. He's just not the type."

"That was true. Now, he is. I'm regretting the day I allowed him to go back home," she said, laughing lightly. "You remember where it is?" Willow nodded and made her way up the stairs. The layout of the house was very similar to Buffy's house. She smiled as she remembered the shouting matches that the two would get into out of their windows that faced each other. Neither having a care in the world that the entire neighborhood could hear them yelling at each other about nothing other than the fact that they both existed. She took a breath and knocked on Spike's door.

"Go away." She knocked again, a smile playing on her lips. "Mum, I don't want any sodding shortbread," he growled as he opened the door. His face rose up in surprise at seeing Willow. She offered him a meek smile as her eyes went past him to scan over his room. She was surprised to see that he had painted his walls black. Spike saw what she was doing and stepped in front of her view. "Red...what are you doing here?"

"Okay, there's no easy way to ask this so I'm just going to ask." Spike looked at her expectantly. "What's with the make-over?"

Spike chuckled and shook his head. "Stick up her ass send you over here to ask?"

"What?" Willow practically yelled, inwardly kicking herself when she felt her face flush. "No! It's for me...I'm curious...and nosey...and don't call her 'stick up her ass'."

"It didn't seem like anyone pulled it out over the last three months so..." He saw Willow's face switch from embarrassed to anger and he held up his hands. "Alright, sorry about that. But you have to admit that when it comes to me..."

"Yeah, okay. I'll give you that," Willow conceded, smiling softly. "We're just wondering, that's all.

Spike reentered his room and Willow followed, taking a seat on the chair in the corner. Spike sat on his bed and began tapping his feet on the floor. "There's not much to tell, Willow. Went home, met a bird, got into a scene and came back."

"Well, that's not very interesting," Willow grumbled. Spike chuckled at her reaction and felt some of his tension ease off. "By bird you mean girl?"

"Yeah, right crazy she was but I fell-" Spike cut himself off not wanting to divulge any information about that.

"You fell in love?" Willow asked, her voice wistful.

"Now don't you go telling people about that, especially Miss Holier-than-Thou. I'll never hear the end of it."

"No worries. My lips are sealed," she gave him a reassuring smile and asked, "So where'd Spike come from?"

He looked at her, a mischievous glint in his eye and a wicked smirk on his mouth. "Where do you think?"

Willow's features were marred with confusion until her eyes went wide with realization. "Oh my god! I can't tell Buffy that you got you're new name from...from...I can't even say it." She knew she was as red as thought she was and Spike's constant grin wasn't helping matters.

"Tell her I killed a whole slew of people with a railroad spike. She'll believe that," Spike offered.

Willow smiled and nodded in agreement. "You're mom seems to be taking the transition well."

"Good 'ole Anne."

"And your dad?" Spike's expression hardened and Willow saw him clench and unclench his fists. "You know what? Never mind. Curiosity killed the kitten, right?" He looked at her again, relief flooding his face without his knowledge. She gave him a small smile and got out of the chair. "Okay, well...I should head back. Chem to study for and a Buffy to deal with."

"Alright, then. Have a good time with that," Spike told her as the atmosphere in the room shifted from friendly to uncomfortable. Both noticed it immediately and silently wondered why. Spike decided he wasn't going to let it go. He let a lot of things go this summer and he wasn't going lose the people he had become friends with since he moved here. "Hey, Red...thanks."

Willow turned to look at him, her brow furrowed. "For what?"

"For not taking this," he swept his arm over his body, "at face value. For wanting to know."

She smiled and a small laugh escaped her. "Still have a little bit of William in there, after all."

"Hey, now-"

"Spike, it's not a bad thing," Willow said quietly. She waved goodbye and left, leaving Spike to mull over what she had said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before Willow could open the door to the Summers' house, it flew open to reveal a very agitated Buffy standing there.

"First off, you tricked me. I thought I actually hurt you. Bad Willow. Secondly, get in here and tell me what happened right now or I will really hurt you."

"If you got out of the way, I could," Willow said, trying to contain her smile. She walked to the table, sat in her chair and began to study again, knowing all the while that she was driving Buffy insane.

"Willow!"

"Yeah?" she asked, not looking up from her book.

"Tell me!"

"Buffy, if you wanted to know so badly, you should have gone over and asked him yourself."

"Nooo...that's why you went over."

"I went over to find out for me. I never said I was going to tell you anything." She heard Buffy sigh heavily and whine a bit before she looked over at her friend. "There's not really much to tell. He went, he saw, he changed. Pretty much the it."

"No, there has to be more than that. No one just goes on summer vacation and comes back looking completely different."

"Have we forgotten what happened between our sophomore and junior year? You came back to town all blonde with about seven inches taken off. You changed your look. He changed his."

"Well, at least mine was subtle. He's just screaming 'look at me, look at me'! It's annoying."

"So you keep saying," Willow muttered, studying her friend. "Have you ever wondered why all you do is complain about him?"

"Uh, yeah, because he's the bane of my existence," Buffy said, the expression on her face relayed to Willow what a stupid question Buffy had thought that was.

"That we all know, but why? I mean, he moves here and right from the start it's all argh with the fighting and the scowling. You didn't even give him a chance."

"I did, too! Mom dragged me over there and I said hello."

"Wow, you're so giving," Willow said, sarcastically.

"He's the one who barely got out a response. I mean, who can't say hi back? Extremely rude, if you ask me. He has no...manners," Buffy explained, knowing her excuse was as lame to Willow's ears as it was to hers.

"Oh my god!" Willow yelled, making Buffy jump in her seat.

"What?"

"You love him!"

"No, I loathe him!"

"You want to kiss him and have his babies," Willow teased.

"I'm going to vomit," Buffy said, quickly, getting out of her chair and running out of the room.

"Oh, Spike! Kiss me! Love me!" Willow called after her friend, all the while laughing hysterically.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy slammed her bedroom door and threw herself onto her bed. She heard loud music wafting through the open window and raised her head to see Spike laying on his bed, reading a magazine, and tapping his feet on the bed. His free hand on his thigh tapped along to the same rhythm. She couldn't see all of him, just the black jeans and his shirtless torso, which gave her enough of a reason to pause. She briefly wondered why she moved her bed over to this window instead of where it had been for the last three years of living there.

"Better...breeze from this window," she justified quietly. "Willow's insane." She watched him as he turned to his side, laying the magazine on the bed. She unconsciously licked her lips at seeing him from this angle. She tried to will her eyes not to dart down to his stomach or notice that his jeans rode so low on his waist that she could see that lovely pelvic line that led to parts she would never admit she thought about. Buffy watched as he reached over to his bedside table, his muscles tightening at the movement, and grabbed a cigarette.

"Gross. To add onto everything, now he's a walking advertisement for throat and lung cancer. Yeah, that's sexy." She couldn't look away, however, as he lit the cigarette and let it dangle from his lips as he scratched his head, causing his hair to curl in a most delicious fashion. "Argh...I need to do something and this isn't...helping." Her mind went blank as she watched him lazily scratch his stomach. "Oh god...I'm sick. I'm a voyeur. I need help." She threw her head down on her mattress, throwing her arms over her head to keep it there.

"Hey, Buffy," Willow said as she opened the door to her room. Buffy yelped in surprise and jumped from her bed. "Sorry didn't mean to startle you."

"No! It's fine, really!" Buffy exclaimed, waves of embarrassment washing over her.

"About before, I didn't mean to give you vomit-y feelings and I wanted to...wow," Willow whispered as she looked out the window and saw Spike. "Hey, when did you move your bed?"

"Uh, what?"

"Your bed? When did you move it over here?" Willow asked, innocently, even though her intent was to add more validation to her Buffy loves Spike theory.

"Better breeze..."

"Oh, is that what it is?"

Suddenly, Buffy turned and went to the window and yelled, "Can you please turn that shit off? Some of us are actually trying to study!"

Spike shifted his body and ducked his head down to look out the window. He smirked, got up and went to the window. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You and that crap you're forcing the rest of us to listen to."

"The Ramone's are not crap. Been to any good Dido concerts lately?"

"At least she can sing!"

"Joey has more talent in his pinky nail than any of those wankers you listen to, Blondie."

"Whatever!" Buffy screamed, rolling her eyes. "Just turn it off."

"No."

"No? What do you mean no? Turn it off, William."

Spike narrowed his eyes and opened the screen to the window so he could lean out further. Buffy did the same and Willow stood there with a bemused expression on her face. Buffy's eyes once again refused to cooperate with her brain as they roamed over the expanse of his chest, taking in the way his shoulders were hunched in anger, the muscles in his arms twitching from how tightly he grasped the windowsill. And, of course, Spike did the same thing, although there was no inner debate within him. He wanted to look at her, liked the view down her already low-cut shirt, enjoying the way her hips moved slowly back and forth as if she were getting ready to pounce. A pouncing Buffy...that brought a smile to his lips.

"What are you smiling about?" Buffy yelled.

"I just love to piss you off."

"Screw you, William."

"Come on over, then. It's not nice to offer and than take it away."

"You repulse me. I wouldn't touch you with a-"

"Ten foot pole?" Spike interrupted.

"Oh, so you've heard that before? See how surprised I'm not."

"You know you want to put your hands on my hot, tight little body, Summers." He ran his tongue along his teeth for added measure.

"Put a shirt on. I feel like I might retch."

"Not what it looks like to me, luv."

"ARGH!" Buffy screamed, slamming the window closed. She heard Willow snickering behind her and she whipped around to glare at the girl she thought was her best friend. "Say anything and die." Willow held up her hands in supplication. Buffy stormed past her and down the stairs.

"This really is going to be a fun year," Willow said to herself as she bent down a bit to look out the window. Spike was there, laughing and gave a small wave to her before shutting his own window. "Fun, fun, fun," she muttered as she headed back to studying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike had only been home for a week and in that time all he could do was sleep. He had barely seen Buffy, just a glimpse here and there. The plan that had formed over the summer was completely diminished after her reaction to him at school and this afternoon. He had no idea why she hated him so much but he was making it his mission this year to find out. He had never done anything to her. He kept to himself, far too nervous to talk to her anyway. The other's had been so welcoming of him when they moved here. All except her. He could never figure it and he tried not to let it bother him but after two years, it did. He hated that it did and when he left for England, he was bound and determined to get it out of his mind.

With that, he set out to change, to find something to sink his teeth into, so to speak. When he met Drusilla, he thought it was perfect. She was beautiful, dark and seemed to understand him within the instant that they had met. He never left her side, enraptured by her from the start. She cut his hair and dyed it, found the leather duster that became his second skin, showed him how to let go of his inhibitions and find the man he had always wanted to be. In two short months, he was certain that he would be with her for the rest of his life. He asked her to look into a student exchange program so they could be together over the year and she readily agreed. Life, he had decided, was looking up. He would take his dark princess home and rub it in her blonde, goody-goody face. Buffy would see the man he had become under his love's tutelage and she would go mad with jealousy. Yup, that was the plan...except, Spike thought ruefully, this being his life, it didn't turn out that way.

By the beginning of August, he had slowly noticed the quirks that he had found so endearing in the beginning were starting to border on insane. She was the jealous sort, practically scratching out the eyes of any girl who dared look at Spike. Even that hadn't bothered him. In fact, he got a kick out of it and loved the feeling of getting his ego stroked. What he soon realized was what was Dru's was hers, what was his was hers and any of the rules that she implemented did not apply to her. He found that out when he took a walk around the park and found her making out with a big, burly type on a bench. He felt like he'd been punched in the chest and his heart was torn out on the withdrawal.

She had told him she needed to find her pleasure somehow and he railed against that saying that they were both perfectly satisfied. Granted, he hadn't had sex with her but there had been plenty done that wouldn't leave a person wanting. He smiled at the image of Willow's shocked face at his blatant lie about where his new name had come from. He just wanted to see her squirm. He had never taken Dru's prattling to heart or taken it seriously, to be perfectly honest. The idea that he had once found her talk of faeries and the stars whispering delicious secrets to her intriguing made him think that he was the crazy one. But that night, in the park, airing their issues to any passer-by, she had said that the stars told her about the other one. The one he was surrounded with, the one he tried to get away from, the one he was waiting for. He tried to explain that she was off her bird, that she had no idea what she was talking about but then she held up her hand, looked him in the eye and said one word. Glowing. And it knocked him for a loop as he realized that maybe she was just a little bit psychic. There was no other way she could have known. It wasn't like he talked to Dru about Buffy. He certainly would never have told her that the first time he saw Buffy, that was the only word that came to his mind.

In the end, he walked away. Didn't confirm nor deny, he thought it best not to what with her claw-like fingernails and her propensity for threatening to gauge out people's eyes with them. He sulked at his grandmother's for the next two weeks, biding his time until he got on the plane that brought him back to a place he didn't want to be. When his mother had picked him up at the airport, she merely looked him over, gave him a small, but amused smile and hugged him fiercely. He knew it was killing her not to ask what had happened...other than the sudden split of his father from their lives and there would be a blizzard in Sunnydale before he admitted that any of this had anything to do with him. Anne accepted calling him Spike from now on, although she did frown at the name, she didn't push or prod and he knew it was her subtle way of waiting until he went to her, which he undoubtedly would do eventually.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the light on Buffy's room go on and he turned in his bed to see her pull down her window shade. He wasn't too upset that he wasn't getting a free show because the shadow of her body was imprinted on it. He felt more than a little creepy for watching her undress but he couldn't tear his eyes away as he saw her shadow lift her shirt over her head. She turned to the side and he could see the outline of her breast. He breathed in deeply, closing his eyes, conjuring a non-shadowed image of her.

His eyes flew open when he heard a loud crash and swearing. He looked back to her window and saw that the light was out, the shade was up and her window had been opened. He saw her hobbling around near her bed, holding her foot up and fighting back tears. She bent down and picked something off the floor, replacing it on the vanity.

"Stupid bed with your stupid bed legs," he heard her grumble. He smiled at what she said. It was just so her and although he usually didn't find butchering the English language a huge turn-on, there was something in the way that Buffy did it, that he could find no fault with. She got into bed, leaving one bare leg over the covers and that alone made him think that she knew he was watching and she was slowly trying to kill him with torture.

A question suddenly occurred to him and he smiled, not knowing the answer but looking forward to figuring it out. Why had she moved her bed closer to his window?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"School stinks," Buffy whined as she sat on a bench in the courtyard.

Willow sat next to her and smiled, "You say that after every period. There's not one class you like?"

"Lunch count?"

"So did you talk to Spike yet?" Willow asked, taking a bite of her banana.

"No, I haven't talked to William and I'm not planning on it so whatever little idea you have running around in that over-worked brain of yours, just let it go." She glanced around the area, making sure he wasn't there and added, "Did he say anything about his dad?"

"Not so much but the muscle spasms on his face led me to believe that it was a subject that shouldn't be brought up," Willow told her, sadness in her voice.

"I still can't believe it. Poor Anne."

"And Spike," Willow added.

"Yeah, well....whose father doesn't leave them now-a-days, huh?" Buffy asked, rhetorically. Willow glanced at her friend and saw the faraway look in her eyes. She was hit with an overwhelming need to hug her, to give Buffy some comfort. And so she did. Buffy laughed softly. "What's that for?"

Willow released her hold and shrugged. "Just didn't want you to get lost in memories. Enjoy the one period of class that you like."

"Who is that with Michael and Amy?" Buffy asked, nudging her chin in the direction of the three teenagers.

"Oh, she's staying with Michael. She's an exchange...oh my god, I wonder..."

"You wonder what?" Buffy asked, looking at her friend who was staring at the girl, wide-eyed, mouth agape. "Will? Wonder what?"

Willow saw Spike come out of the door and stop dead in his tracks as he saw her. She knew by the look on his face that this was the girl he had told her about. Willow felt her blood start to boil at the girl's audacity for actually showing up. She didn't know what had happened between them, but if the look on Spike's face was any indication, it couldn't have had a happy ending. She could hear Buffy impatiently asking for answers but she was too busy watching Spike make his way over to the two girls.

"Willow, I'm not kidding. What's going...oh, great," Buffy said as Spike approached them.

"You okay?" Willow asked, her concern evident.

"Yeah, will be. Best not talk about it in present company," Spike said, pointedly looking at Buffy.

"Excuse me?" Buffy yelled. "You are such an-"

"Asshole, yeah. Got it the other hundred times you told me. Look, Summers, I need a favor."

"Well, since you asked so nicely...no."

"It would actually kill you to do something for someone else, wouldn't it?" Spike asked, letting anger take over his hurt of her brush-off.

"Helping you? Uh, yeah." She turned her attention back to Willow, who Buffy couldn't believe had her most sympathetic face on for Spike. "Okay, what is going on? You're all with the woe-is-Spike face and you look like you're about to explode."

"Buffy, just help him out," Willow told her. "I promise it won't hurt."

"Yeah? And you know that how?" Willow only shrugged in response. Buffy sighed heavily, making sure they both knew she was not on board. "I am so self-sacrificing. What do you want me to do?"

Spike didn't answer, just grabbed her upper arms, hauled her off the bench and kissed her hard. Buffy made protesting noises and grabbed onto his arms, digging her nails into his skin. Spike loosened his hold and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her closer to his body. He removed his mouth from hers and looked at her.

"Good to know that's how to shut you up," Spike said.

"Let go of me," Buffy growled.

He put his mouth next to her ear and whispered, "Thanks, Summers. Much appreciated." He let go of her and walked away.

Buffy glanced around the courtyard, hoping that no one had seen that display when she saw Xander and Cordelia staring at her, shocked. Buffy groaned and sat down on the bench. She turned to Willow, who was smiling smugly and she had to refrain from smacking her best friend.

"Just so you know, I'm never talking to you again," Buffy told her, matter-of-factly.

"Well, it worked. She looks like she's ready to attack," Willow smiled, nodding her head in Dru's direction.

Buffy looked at the girl, who was shooting daggers at her and turned back to Willow. "I was used as a pawn?" She didn't wait for Willow to explain. She grabbed her bag and took off in the direction that Spike went.

"Please tell me that what I saw was some elaborate joke," Xander pleaded as he and Cordelia came to a stop next to Willow.

"It was nothing," Willow told them and then added, smirking, "But you never know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy saw him, walking into the science building. She was no one's game piece and she sure as hell was going to let him know that. She ran into the building and heard his heavy boots on the stairs above her. She quickly followed and came to the second and only other floor in the building. She opened the door and yelped when she felt a hand wrap around her arm.

"Come back for seconds, Summers?"

"You wish. Get off me," Buffy said, pushing him away from her. "What the hell was that?"

"I asked for a favor and you said yes."

"No, a favor is like 'can I borrow your notes' or 'can I get a quarter'. It's not kissing me in front of the whole school just to make some girl jealous."

"The whole school wasn't there. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

"Practically there and don't refer to my knickers," Buffy told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You could have asked first."

"Oh, yeah, right. You would have so willingly gone along with that," Spike huffed, leaning against the wall.

"I might have...I've been meaning to do some charity work lately. You're as pathetic as it comes." She saw him flinch at that and she softened her position. "You could have told me. I know a little something about getting your heart stomped on. I would have understood."

"You? What happen to the magnificent poofter?"

"He left for college and we decided- Hey, it's none of your business," she said, as she joined him against the wall.

"You wouldn't have done it even if I had explained."

"Maybe but it probably would have looked more realistic if I weren't trying to scream no against your mouth and drawing blood."

Spike laughed and pointed to his arm. "Looks like you succeeded."

Buffy made a face and mumbled, "Sorry."

"An apology from Buffy Summers? Am I dreaming?"

"It's probably the only time you'll ever get one so don't ruin the moment by being you," Buffy said, a small smile on her lips.

"I'm guessing Willow told you what that was about, then."

"Pretty much. Did you meet her when you went home?"

"Yeah and that's all I'm saying about that."

"Fair enough." The bell rang and Buffy groaned. "Looks like I'll be late for history yet again. Thank god Mr. Miller just expects it of me by now." She walked over to the doors and said, "Don't do that again." Spike merely nodded and watched her walk away.

"That went a lot better than I expected it to," he muttered to himself as he made his way to his own class. He saw Xander sitting at their table and smirked, knowing he was going to be asked questions. "Whelp."

"William," Xander answered back. "So, macking on the Buffster, huh? Very nice."

"No one should be allowed to use the word macking," Spike said. "And it wasn't so nice. The red welts on my arms can attest to that."

"Who cares when there was lip on lip action?"

"If it wasn't so damn painful, it might have been a more pleasant experience."

"You'll just have to try harder next time," Xander joked. "It'd be funny just to see her kick your ass for trying that again."

"She is abnormally strong," Spike agreed, absently rubbing his arm. "I'm not testing the fates again. I got off way too light."

"Spike..."

"Balls," he muttered and turned in his chair to see Drusilla standing there. "Dru."

"Now, now, we're not going to pretend to be angry still, are we?" Dru asked as she came closer to their table.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking this class."

"Not what I meant. What are you doing in this bleeding country? I hoped that when it ended, the idea of you coming here ended as well."

"You've been naughty. I saw you with that girl."

"Yeah and I saw you with that no-neck on a bench. Your point being?" Spike asked, trying to remain as calm as he could.

"She's not yours yet and I've come back-"

"Dru, stop your prattling. It will never happen."

"Hey, I'm Xander," he interrupted, seeing the telltale signs of his friend about to lose his temper. Drusilla looked him over and shrugged as if he was inconsequential. "Oh-kay..."

"I think I'll ask the teacher if you can tutor me as I'm probably very far behind..." Dru said as she walked away. Spike was out of his chair in an instant, grabbed her arm and brought her into the hallway. "That wasn't very hard. You'll always come back to me." She ran her hand through his hair and he shook her off.

"I'm not going to tutor you, I'm not going to talk to you. You stay the hell away from me. You destroyed us. You live with the consequences," Spike spat before releasing her arm and striding back into the classroom.

"So, what was that about?" Xander asked.

"Stupid bint," Spike muttered as she walked past him. "Is this day over?"

"Sorry, still have about three hours of hell left."

"Oh, goody," Spike retorted sarcastically.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Spike! Hold on a second!" Spike heard someone call to him. He turned and smiled when he saw Willow give Oz a hug and quick kiss goodbye before running over to him. "Sorry about that but I wanted to talk to you."

"No problem, ducks. What's on your mind?" He pointed to the parking lot and she nodded, following him over to his car.

"About what happened at lunch-"

"Ah, coming in as the scowling best friend," Spike interrupted, smirking. He pulled out a cigarette and leaned against his car.

"I don't think you're supposed to smoke on school property," Willow chided him lightly. "You could get in trouble."

He smiled at Willow's fake sternness and drawled, "Trouble's my middle name, Red."

"So that's why you kissed Buffy?"

"See, that was merely for experimental reasons to drive Dru even more over the edge."

"How'd that work out for you?"

"It worked but I didn't get nearly enough satisfaction from it."

"Well, that's disappointing," Willow lamented. "So you like her, right?"

"Who? Dru?" Spike asked, confused.

"No, Buffy."

"Are you insane? No, we have a very nice hate-on for one another. I'm not going to ruin that."

"Right, so out of all the girl's here at school, most of whom would have been very willing participants in your little charade, you picked Buffy, whom you hate?" Willow asked, eyebrows raised to show how much she really didn't believe him.

"Don't take this wrong way, Willow, but bugger off." He threw his cigarette on the ground and stamped it out. He went to open his car door but Willow stepped in front of it. "Look, Red, I'm not exactly sure what it is your trying to start up but I can guarantee you that I don't want anything to do with it."

"The two of you are stupid," Willow told him. He looked at her, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out. "I'm going to break this down real slow for you. Buffy likes you. You like Buffy. She thinks she hates you and you think you hate her. It's all very juvenile. I'm here to tell you to get over it."

"Tell her. Now get out of the way."

"No. I'm telling you. I'm sure you've noticed just how pig-headed the lovely Miss Summers can be."

"That's one way to describe her. I'd go with another but hey, this is apparently your time," Spike said, leaning back against his car again, resigned to the fact that Willow wasn't going to move until she was finished.

"She moved her bed."

"I noticed," Spike said quietly, instantly groaning inwardly for the tone of his voice.

"You don't think that's suspicious? I mean, for the last three years her bed has always been in the middle of her room. You go away for the summer and she switches her entire room around and now sleeps under the window where the two of you have gotten into many a shouting matches."

"Detective Rosenberg," Spike grumbled. "It doesn't mean anything. There's probably a very good reason for her-"

"She said there was a better breeze. Lame."

"That was her excuse?" Spike asked, not containing the smile that came to his mouth. Willow nodded, smiling herself. "And so what? Now she likes me? I come back looking completely different and now she wants to get to know me?"

"Moron."

"You're awfully vocal today, Willow. I don't think I like it."

"Two of my good friends like each other but are far too stubborn and dense to see it or admit it or whatever you people are doing. I'm annoyed." Willow moved away from the car and stood in front of him. "It's not because you got a new hair cut, lost the glasses and bulked up a bit-"

"So that's noticeable, huh?" he asked, puffing up with male pride.

Willow rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yeah, she noticed it a lot yesterday afternoon." Spike's smile grew wider and she shook her head. "Ego stroking...it's all it takes. You're all so easy."

"Like you lot don't like to be told you're goddesses who lead us around by the nose," Spike argued.

"Okay, okay. Nothing gets my stomach flopping quite like when Oz tells me I'm cute as a button and stop trying to get me off track."

"You're just guessing at all this feelings crap, Red. She's a looker, I'll give you that but personality wise? I'd rather hit myself with a hammer...repeatedly."

"You...William, Spike, whatever...you are the only thing she practically talks about. She never talked about Angel as much as you. It was always William this and that and how annoying you are and how she wished you'd move back to the Mother Country."

"Yeah, that just speaks volumes of love," Spike commented snidely.

"Come on, Spike. Didn't you ever slap a girl playfully or spar with...her...verbally..." Willow's eyes widened as she realized that she described every moment ever between the two.

"Get that look off your face. Just because I fight with Buffy and she fights with me doesn't mean we're hot for one another." Willow quirked her eyebrow in disbelief and Spike rolled his eyes, sighing audibly. "You're relentless."

"Yup."

"She'll kill you for doing this."

"Probably."

"We could kill each other for you doing this."

"Likely."

"So now that I'm nudging a bit, you're not going to speak actual sentences?" Willow nodded in the affirmative and Spike smirked. "Well, if I had known that, I would have just given in and been able to do something less irritating with the last half hour."

"So..." Willow prompted.

"You're the one in charge here. You tell me what you're going to do," Spike acquiesced, hoping he didn't regret this.

Willow smiled wickedly and said, "I'm going to help you get the girl."

+++++++++++++