Chapter 4: The Bronze and Sam's retribution

A/N: Ok so for this chapter I used quotes from the episode, (found on ) and in the episode the dance was supposed to be the next night, but for my own reasons I decided to push it back so I could play with the timeline some more. Oh, and the characters belong to their creators, so, not me. 'kay? cool, on to the story!

Buffy was at the Bronze on the upper level, leaning against the railing, watching the band. She glanced around, seeing Cordelia and Xander dancing together, then Willow below her at a table, probably looking for her. She smiled as Willow turned and spotted her, and then noticed someone coming up to her.

"Hey," said the guy. She faced him, a little surprised. "I'm Ben. We had Algebra II together last year."

"Sorry, I pretty much repress anything math-related." She answered, still not quite recognizing him.

"Ms. Jackson? Second period? You sat in the seat three over and one behind." He pressed, trying to make her remember.

"Oh! Yeah, I remember now, it's the one with the desks and the chalkboards and pencils and stuff, right?" She asked then grinned at his laugh, then tapped her temple, "Like a steel trap."

"So, I was wondering, you know the dance next weekend? Are you going?" He said, fitting his hands into his pockets, waiting for her response.

"You mean the Sadie Hawkins thing? The deal where the girls ask the boys?" She clarified, wondering why he was asking her. He nodded and answered, "I thought maybe, you know, if you're free, you might ask me."

She got a deer-in-headlights look and stumbled over her words as she replied, "Oh, gosh..." she exhaled. "I..."

Ben held up his hand, "Oh, oh, hey, hey, no, don't, don't worry about it..." He backed up a step or two, embarrassed.

"No, no, you seem like a really great guy, it's.." She sighed, "Me. I-I'm not seeing anybody; ever again, actually."

"Oh. That's, that's too bad." He answered, a little disappointed. "Okay, well, I better..." Ben indicated and left, missing her muttered reply.

"Sorry." She watched him go for a moment, glanced sadly down at the band and then headed for the stairs.

Dean pulled the Impala into a parking space outside the Bronze, seeing the line wasn't too long outside the door of the club. John had left the car with Dean, and borrowed a red truck from a fellow hunter of his, in case they needed to get around. Dean had promised John that he'd keep Sam on the sidelines as much as possible (he was only 15) and there were too many things here on the Hellmouth that could get a hold of him.

His parting order to look after Sam hadn't needed to be issued, but John had said it anyway, already knowing that Dean would follow it. The brothers were very close, and Dean would do next to anything for Sam. John almost would've pitied anyone who tried to cross his eldest, because he knew Dean was fiercely protective of his kid brother.

Dean turned to Sam, an anxious grin on his face to find he was looking at the club with an apprehensive expression. Sam had needed several minutes of persuasion, and had only relented once Dean had come up with a compromise: Sam could bring a book, as long as he either played 1 game of pool, or danced with a girl who was not Willow.

"Dean, maybe we should go back to the hotel," Sam stated, looking back at his brother. He was having second thoughts, not relishing the prospect of getting his ass handed to him in a game of pool, which Dean was much better at, or in dancing with some random girl he didn't know.

"Nonsense Sammy!" Dean answered, getting out and pocketing the keys, and Sam followed with a sigh of defeat. They went inside, glancing around at the steady crowd of people and then Sam spotted Willow and tugged on Dean's elbow, already going over to sit in a chair next to her. Sam and Willow talked while Dean had other plans, scanning the place for a familiar head of blonde hair.

"Dean, who're you looking for?" Willow asked him, noticing his efforts and slight frown upon not spotting Buffy.

"Buffy, I met her and Xander this morning at the library, is she here?"

Willow tried to stifle her pleased expression at his response, thinking instead, Dean could be just what Buffy needs after the Angel/Angelus fiasco.

"I'm sure she's around somewhere," she answered his question finally. Sam eyed Dean, his book next to him on the table, forgotten for the moment in lieu of his brother's odd lack of sharing that he'd met Buffy after they'd gotten out of school. Dean spotted the girl in question as she descended the staircase leading to the upper portion of the club and tried to appear as if he hadn't in fact been just trying to find her, smiling his usual smirk.

"Hello again, Princess," he said, relaxing in his seat as she approached and she smiled in kind.

"Dean, I didn't know you'd be here," she slid into a stool that she pulled up beside Willow, then reached over and snagged her best friend's cup to take a sip. Her gaze landed on the other guy on Willow's right, which while she didn't right away recognize him, she could tell him and Dean was related. "Hi!" She chirped brightly.

Willow and Sam both blushed, one from shyness, the other for forgetting that her friend didn't know Sam. "Buffy this is Sam, remember I mentioned that new guy that's in my computer class? He's Dean's brother."

"I'm sorry," Buffy joked, wiping the smug look off of Dean's face. Sam chuckled in reply, instantly liking the short blonde girl. Sam shook the hand she offered, then grinned to himself at the evil idea he'd just had at his brother's frown that he'd quickly masked in his direction.

Interesting... Sam thought, deciding to get retribution on his brother, pulling his leg just a little.

"Buffy would you like to dance?" Sam asked her, almost laughing out loud at the venomous look in Dean's eyes. Well he wanted me to dance with a girl who wasn't Willow, he didn't specify which one. Sam smirked at his cleverness, smiling in return at Buffy's relaxed smile.

"Thanks Sam, I'd love to!" Buffy answered, not completely oblivious to the glare Dean aimed in her direction for accepting. She stood again and followed Sam onto the floor, her hand still in his. Although he was only 15, he was still somewhat taller than her small petite form.

"That little bitch," Dean growled under his breath at the retreating couple. He knew Sammy had only done that to annoy him, and damn if it hadn't worked. He quickly back-pedaled at Willow's indignant scowl in his direction as she misunderstood him, lest he be kicked by the redhead. "Not her, Sam. The only way I could get him to come out tonight was to agree to let him bring a book if he'd dance with someone that's not you, since he already knows you."

Her scowl disappeared at his explanation, a laugh and a glint of amusement replacing it as she inwardly applauded Sam's sneakiness. "Well that bit you on the butt now didn't it?"

"Don't know what you mean," he dodged. Getting up, he decided to go and grab a soda, anything to pry his gaze away from Buffy's seductive way of swaying her hips as she danced. "I'm thirsty," with that said; he retreated to the bar. He then went to the pool tables to hustle some money from some unsuspecting college kid.

Willow watched him go; chuckling to herself, then went back to watching her friends, hoping Dean wouldn't pummel Sam for his stunt later when they were alone. After that song they came back, and Sam went to get Buffy and himself a drink, excusing himself so that Buffy could occupy her stool next to Willow again.

"Well Wills, I think I'm gonna bail, see if Giles wants me to do a quick sweep before calling it a night." She said, "Tell Sam I'm sorry?"

"You've been doing that a lot. Patrolling and sacking. In fact, you've kind of been All-work-and-no-play Buffy." Willow answered, a little worried for her friend.

"I play. I have big fun. I came here tonight, didn't I?" Buffy said, trying not to seem too worn out.

"You came, you saw, you," Willow indicated the balcony where she'd seen Buffy talking to Ben. "Rejected."

"You mean that guy? Just not in date mode right now...and besides, I danced with Sam didn't I?"

"Well, maybe you need to date to get in date mode." Willow smiled.

"I don't think I'm ready for that, Will." She answered softly.

"You're thinking too much. Maybe you need to be impulsive."

Buffy shook her head at that, replying, "Impulsive? Do you remember my ex-boyfriend, the vampire? I slept with him, he lost his soul, now my boyfriend's gone forever, and the demon that wears his face is killing my friends. The next impulsive decision I make will involve my choice of dentures."

"Okay, the Angel thing went badly," Willow conceded, "I'm on board with that, but that's not your fault. And anyways, love isn't always like that. Love can be..." She glanced towards Oz, then at Dean before finishing, "nice!"

The halls at Sunnydale High School:

A boy was chasing a girl as she walked away from him determinedly. "Come back here! We're not finished!" The boy yelled angrily, grabbing her by the arm and turning her around to face him. "You don't care anymore, is that it?"

"No, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter what I feel." The girl answered, sobbing.

"Then tell me you don't love me," he shook her, "Say it!"

"Will that help? Is that what you need to hear? I don't. I don't! Now let me go." Not looking at him, she struggled, trying to break his grip.

"No! A person doesn't just wake up one day and stop loving somebody," the boy said. He took a step back, raised a revolver, pulled the hammer back and aimed it at her. She looked at the gun, then up at him, frightened. "Love is forever."