A/N: Characters belong to Joss, I just play with them.
Summary: Buffy and Spike have been together for a few years. When Spike becomes secretive Buffy fears the worst. ONE SHOT
Secrets
Buffy woke slowly, her senses just about kicked in when she realised Spike wasn't in his usual spot like he was every morning. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, as Spike came through the door looking dishevelled.
"Oh you're awake"
"Yeah only just. I didn't hear you come to bed last night" Buffy told him
"Yeah... There was a situation Giles wanted me to take care of" he smiled
"You were out all night?" She asked
"Yeah luv, was a big job" he shrugged off his duster wincing a little
"Are you hurt?" Buffy worried trying to take a closer look
"M' fine pet. You don't need to worry about the big bad" he smiled
"Well I have a few more hours before I have to go meet Willow" she said patting the space in the bed next to her.
Spike smirked before he caught himself "Be there soon, I'm gunna take a shower" he said kissing her lightly on the lips before rushing out the door again.
XXXXX
Spike had returned twenty minutes later, not that it had benefited Buffy. As soon as his head hit the pillow he fell into a deep sleep, she settled for catching a few more Z's on his chest before leaving to meet up with Willow for coffee.
It had been a few weeks since the girls had got together. Willow was busier than ever before now that she and her girlfriend Lana had become parents to a bouncing baby boy a few months ago.
"Buffy you should see his smile" Willow cooed over the sleeping red headed baby in the stroller beside their table
"Zachary is gorgeous, no doubt" Buffy smiled
"It's so strange I've never felt love like this before it's indescribable" Willow beamed "Me and Lana just keep taking pictures..."
Willow noticed that something was bugging Buffy "I'm sorry I've turned into one of those people who only talk about their kids!"
"Willow chill" Buffy giggled "Its completely natural. Plus he's the first of the second generation of Scoobies"
"It'll be Xander and Dawn next" Willow smiled
"Oh god... Please don't say that I'm only just getting used to the fact that my little sister is not so little anymore"
"Buffy she's almost twenty three" Willow reminded her
"I know but she's still my little sis" smiled Buffy
"So what's new with the Slayer School?" Asked Willow
"Uh not much... We got a bunch of new high tech training equipment, you'd be in nerd heaven" Buffy joked
"I'll stop by sometime" said Willow her eyes lighting up at the mention of it "And Spike?"
"He's good..." Buffy sighed
"Not really convinced there Buff"
"I mean I guess it's nothing..."
"Spill" Willow ordered
"It's just the last few nights he's not been coming to bed. He's been staying out all night on 'missions' Giles has set up for him. But things are so quiet right now i just don't understand what the danger is" Buffy sighed heavily again
"I know what you're thinking and don't!" Said Willow
"How can I not? I mean take this morning for example he came home I freely offered up some morning sexscapades and he took a shower and by the time he got into bed he fell asleep!" Buffy groaned
"Well maybe this missions are wiping him out?" Willow offered
"Yeah except he's never been like this before. Normally I just have to look at him in a certain way and it gets him going. Now I can't give it away!"
"Buffy there's a perfectly logical explanation for this" said Willow
"Yeah. He's found somebody else... Right? He's not interested in me anymore so there must be somebody else" Buffy said sadly
"I'm just not convinced Spike would ever cheat on you! He loves you too much to hurt you like that. Talk to Giles about these missions I'm sure he can send one of the more experienced slayers out there" Willow told her
"I guess so, I'll talk to him" Buffy smiled
XXXXX
After finishing her coffee with Willow, Buffy headed back home and decided to take out some of her pent up aggression on the punchbag. She got back to Slayer Central and threw on some sweats. Buffy managed to wake Spike by clattering around in their room.
"Are you okay luv?" He asked rubbing his eyes
"Sure" she said not making eye contact with him
"Going for a little work out?" He asked gesturing to her workout attire
"Yeah... I won't be long. Then maybe we could do something together later?"
Spike opened his mouth to answer when his cellphone rang "I need to take this" he said answering it "Hey Sarah..." He said getting up and walking into the bathroom
Buffy didn't hang around to find out who Sarah was or why she was calling her boyfriend. Willow was wrong and her gut feeling had been right Spike was cheating on her. In a fit of rage she headed down to the training room.
A couple of Buffy's friends and fellow established Slayers, Naomi who was a sassy streetwise black woman who told it how it was and Eva flamboyant red head with a dark past noticed something was off with her and came over to talk.
"Are you okay?" Asked Naomi
"Sure" said Buffy repeatedly punching the punchbag
Naomi and Eva looked at each other, they knew Buffy well enough to know when she was pissed. So Eva grabbed the punchbag to prevent Buffy's onslaught.
"What's going on?" Asked Naomi
"Actually I kind of need some advice Naomi I know you've told me stories from your past" said Buffy
"Sure girl, what's up?" Asked Naomi
"Okay so Spike has been really off with me lately like. Staying out all night, weird phone calls he has to go out of the room to take"
"What?... That happened to me too. I was dating this guy and he got secretive with his phone. Like he used to leave it laying around all the time then he changed he even started taking it to the bathroom with him" said Eva "And a few months later I walked in his bedroom and saw it with my own eyes, him laying there with some chick"
"You had all the signs" said Buffy
"I don't see him cheating on you" said Naomi "But... I don't put nothing past nobody. Just keep your eyes open"
"It's starting to wig me out y'know" said Buffy
"I done got, got. I just don't want you to get got" said Naomi
"I don't wanna get got" Said Buffy, making the girls giggle
"C'mon group hug" smiled Eva
XXXXX
Buffy walked into the bedroom to find Spike getting dressed.
"You're going out?" She asked
"Uh yeah another mission" he smiled "I won't be back late"
"Well I'll come with you" Buffy smiled
"No... No, it's okay" he told her, putting his doc martens on.
"I can be ready in like two minutes"
"No it's something that I have to do myself luv" he said kissing her quickly and making his escape
Buffy stood there for a moment trying to process everything thats happening. 'Spike never normally says no to me' she thought.
She took out her cellphone and called Dawn
"Hello" Dawn answered
"Hey, something's not right" said Buffy
"What do you mean?" She asked concerned
"I dunno, It's Spike" she sighed "He's acting really really weird"
"Like how?" Dawn asked
"Like, he's just left to go on some mission and I wanted to tag along with him but he wouldn't let me"
"So weird" said Dawn
"I know... I mean should I follow him?" Buffy asked
"Well the only thing about that, is it's the first steps you're taking in not trusting someone" said Dawn
"Well what if I pick you up and we go on a little drive together? Get coffee and if we stumble across him..."
"So you want me to help spy?" Asked Dawn
"It's not spying" said Buffy
"Okay... But if we get caught this was totally your idea" said Dawn
"Great. I'll pick you up in ten" said Buffy putting the phone down.
XXXXX
Buffy bumped into Giles on her way down the stairs.
"Oh Buffy are you going out?" He asked
"Yeah I'm going for coffee with Dawn" she smiled
"Ah good, is Spike around?" Giles asked
"No... He said he was going on some mission for you tonight" she told him
"Mission?" Giles looked puzzled
"Yeah the things you've been sending him on for the past few nights... And what's that about? I mean can I not be trusted anymore?" She asked
"Of course you can..." Giles comforted
"So where are these missions anyway?" She asked
"Down town" he answered almost immediately
"Okay well I better pick Dawnie up and go for that coffee" said Buffy rushing out of the door
XXXXX
Buffy pulled up outside Dawn and Xander's apartment building and Dawn jumped in.
"Hey what's up?" Asked Dawn as she buckled up
"Nothing... Just my whole world collapsing in front of my eyes" Buffy said solemnly
"Buffy you don't even have proof" Said Dawn "He won't be cheating on you he adores you!"
"Then how come when I first spoke to Giles about these 'missions' he acted like he never heard of them?" Asked Buffy
"You know Giles he's getting old now... Forgetful. But it doesn't mean that Spike is cheating on you" said Dawn "Anyway where are we headed?"
"Giles said downtown" Buffy replied
"Any idea where?" Asked Dawn
"Nope"
The girls drove in silence, Dawn occasionally tried to make her older sister see sense and turn home. But Buffy was focused, she would get to the bottom of this whole thing.
After an hour of cruising downtown Cleveland, Dawn told her sister more firmly to drive home.
Buffy took out her cellphone
"What are you doing?" Asked Dawn
"Shhh". Buffy put her phone on speaker as it rang.
"Hello" Spike answered
"Hey where are you?" Asked Buffy
"I'm uh... I'm just leaving my mission now" he replied
"Where's that?" Asked Buffy
"Downtown" said Spike
Dawn looked at Buffy and shook her head.
"What what's up?" He asked
"Well I'm... Uh heading to the grocery store did you want anything?" She asked
"Uh no I'm good"
"Mmmkay"
"Are you alright?" He asked
"Yeah I'm fine"
"Alright see you at home"
"Yeah, bye" she said hanging up the phone
"Holy crap!" Dawn said in a state of shock
Buffy started to cry
"Oh Buffy are you okay?" Asked Dawn
"I don't know what to do" she sobbed
"Well maybe there's an explanation?" Dawn tried to comfort her
"Like what Dawnie?"
"You need to confront him" said Dawn
"Oh I will... When he gets home I will have him pack his stuff up" said Buffy
"At least let him explain" said Dawn
"He's cheating on me Dawn!" Buffy snapped "What explanation could he possibly have?"
The car ride back to Dawn's apartment building was silent. As Dawn got out of the car she hugged her sister "Call me if you need me K?"
"I will" Buffy smiled softly
XXXXX
Buffy waited patiently in her room for Spike to come home. She was getting angrier and angrier by the second.
He strolled through the door and kissed her on her forehead.
"Where have you been?" Asked Buffy
"Last of Giles' missions" he replied
"Really?"
"Yeah..." He said plopping down on the bed
"Downtown?" She asked
"Yeah" he replied
"Do you think I'm stupid?" She asked "Why are you lying to me? I know you weren't downtown"
"What?" He asked "You've been stalking me?"
"When have you ever not let me go on a mission with you? Something's up I know it. I feel it!" She told him "Honestly I think you're seeing someone else"
"What?!" Spike yelled "Are you out of your mind?"
"What else am I supposed to think that you're doing business? That you're doing such important business that I can't understand?" She asked
"You're a hypocrite!" He spat
"I'm a hypocrite? Are you serious?!" She yelled
"Yeah where's Miss trust and loyalty?" He asked
"You broke that trust thank you very much!"
"How?"
"You lied to me!" She cried
"Y'know what it's obvious you can't trust me so I'm gunna leave" he told her
"If you're leaving take your stuff I don't want to see you again!" She yelled
Spike walked out of the room slamming the door shut firmly behind him.
"Well that went well..." Buffy said to herself
XXXXX
A few days had passed and Spike hadn't been seen or heard from by anybody. At first Buffy didn't care but then as the anger faded she started to worry about him. He hadn't confirmed or denied that he had cheated on her and even if he did she couldn't just stop caring about him. She'd locked herself away from everybody for the past few days choosing to remain silent on the subject.
She lay on the bed that they I've shared as a couple and cried regularly most of the time putting herself into a tearful coma. And that's how she was when Spike finally decided to show his face. She slept soundly cuddled up to Spike's pillow. He stared at her for a moment or two before waking her.
He sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook her "Buffy" he whispered
"Mmmpphhh" Buffy groaned in defiance
"C'mon luv wake up" he said sweetly
Buffy's eyes fluttered open and she saw him for the first time in a few days and her anger rushed back "What are you doing here?" She asked
"I wanna show you something..." He told her
"And why would I want to go anywhere with you?" She spat
"Look just come with me Slayer, you can kick and scream all you want but you know that curiosity will get the better of you" he smirked
She thought for a moment before sitting up "Okay let me get dressed"
Buffy was dressed and descending the staircase where Spike waited for her at the bottom. She wore tight jeans and a red shirt that Spike had given to her for their anniversary a few months ago.
"Ready?" He asked
"Sure" she said coldly, bolting out of the door before him. Quickly she went to unlock her car.
"What are you doing luv?" He asked
"I'm driving" she told him
"But you don't know where your going. Just get in my sodding car" he told her
She sighed heavily and did as she was told. The car ride was silent apart from the Guns N' Roses cd that played in the background. Spike pulled up and turned the engine off cutting the music in the process.
Buffy was surprised to see they were in a well lit neighbourhood. "What's going on?" She asked
"You'll see" he smirked "I need to explain a few things" he said takin her hand and leading her away from the car.
He stood her in front of him and took a deep breath "I don't know how to put this... I haven't been going on missions for Giles as you've probably figured out by now"
Buffy's heart sank. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to fight the tears "I know..."
"So here's a healthy dose of truth..." He squirmed uncomfortably "I went to see another woman"
Buffy looked like somebody had just punched her hard in the gut.
"Her name is Sarah and she's a real estate agent... I went to find out about a house" he told her "This house..." He turned her to see the house now lit up.
"What? Why?" She asked
"Because when we drove by here a few months ago, a beautiful woman said that she fell in love with the place" he smiled "And I can see even though you are so pissed off with me right now, your face just lit up when you saw this place"
"Spike" she turned to mush and hugged him "Are you sure about this?"
"It's a little late" he said fishing in his pocket for some keys "It's already ours"
"I love you" she smiled kissing him passionately
"I love you too" he replied. They kissed for a few more moments "Now what do you say we go inside and break our new bed in?" He smirked
"Pig!" She teased, before he swept her off her feet and carried her over the threshold to their new home.
Fin.