Chapter Seven:

The Bronze

"Where are you guys going again?" Joyce asked as Buffy and Dawn looked at there outfits in the mirror

"A club called the Bronze." Buffy supplied

"Is anyone you've met going to be there?" she asked

"Yea, Spike and a bunch of his friend are meeting us there." Dawn said

"OK, just be back by 11:00." Joyce instructed

"Fine." Dawn sighed

"Bye mom." Buffy said

"Bye honey."

"So do you know how to get there?" Dawn asked, once they were out of the house

"Yea, Spike gave me directions." said Buffy

"And why did he do that?" Dawn inquired

"Because I asked for them." Buffy said and Dawn rolled her eyes

Spike sat at a table at the Bronze, waiting for Buffy and Dawn to show up. Xander and Anya were off somewhere doing who knows what, Willow and Oz were dancing, and he was sitting here pretending to make sure the table wasn't taken when really his mind was immersed in thoughts of a petit blonde.

When Drew had broken up with him he didn't think anything mattered anymore, he had locked himself in his room, and when he had no choice but to get out of the house he didn't talk to anyone, he didn't look at anyone. And then she moved in, he saw her on her roof, looking almost as alone as he felt and after knowing her for all of a minute, she had him laughing and smiling. But now he had known her for a few days and he was falling fast, and whatever waited at the end of the fall he knew would be a one way trip in one direction or the other, and either way would not be good. Love was not his strong point, or at least not since Drew, and just like with her it all started with not being able to get her out of his head, and his dreams.

As the girl who had had plagued his thoughts entered the club he didn't have time to think of what to do or say before her sister came running over. "Hi Spike!"

"Hi little bit."

"So, where is everyone?" Dawn asked

"Willow and Oz are dancing and Xander and Anya disappeared the minute they got here." Spike told her

"Cool."

"Hi Spike." Buffy said, coming up behind Dawn

"Hey Pet. I see you didn't get lost." he remarked

"No. Did you expect us to?" she asked

"No. I'm just not that good at giving directions."

"Come on Buffy, let's dance!" Dawn said, pulling her onto the dance floor

"Hey, I see that Buffy got here OK." Willow said as her and Oz came off the dance floor as the song ended and another began

"Yea." Spike shrugged

"Willow, I'm going to get a drink, you want something?" Oz asked

"No thanks." she said. When she looked at Spike she saw that he was once again staring at Buffy, but this time there was something in his eyes that told her this was not just a guy looking at a pretty girl. "You're in love with her aren't you?"

"First it's like now it's love, honestly Red we have got do do something about you and those conclusions." Spike said, in the most unconvincing tone anyone could have.

"You're in love with her aren't you?"

"Madly."

"Got it. So what are you going to do?" she asked

"I don't know." he admitted

"Ask her to dance." Willow suggested

"What? No. No, I am not going to do that." Spike said matter-of-factly

"If she asked you would you say yes?" Willow asked

"No, I would completely pass up a chance to be that close to her!" Spike said with all the sarcasm any one person could have.

"Well at least you'll be a little closer to her, she's coming over here now." Willow said

"Hi Willow, is Oz here?" Buffy asked

"Yea, he just went to get drinks." said Willow

"Hey Dawn." Janice said, coming up behind her and tapping her on the shoulder

"Hi Janice." Dawn said, then turned to Buffy and gave her a pleading look

"Go. Have fun." Buffy sighed, waving her away

"Thank you Buffy, I love you!"

"I know."

"Thanks I didn't need to see anymore of Spike looking at my sister like she was some kind of god, and her not noticing anything." Dawn said to Janice as they walked into the crowd of people.

"Yea, seriously, it's kind of sad." Janice said

"Trust me I know that."

"Oh my god! We so have to get them together!" Dawn exclaimed

"Really?"

"Yea, It'll be easy. We just need to get them to realize a few things."

"Like?"

"Well mostly Buffy. She needs to realize that he's head over heals in love with her, and she needs to realize that she's head over heals for him too." Dawn said

"How would we do it?" asked Janice

"Trust me when you've got a sister like Buffy, I'll be able to think of something." Dawn said, that evil smile back on her face.

"What do you think they're doing?" Willow asked Buffy

"Probably coming up with some crazy evil scheme." Buffy said, not realizing haw close she was to the truth

"Why would she do that?" Willow asked

"She's 15. Does that answer your question?" Buffy asked

"Pretty much."

"So where do you think the whelp and Anya went?" Spike asked

"Knowing what Anya talks about I can guess." Willow muttered

"What does she talk about?" asked Buffy

"She is one of the most blunt people you will ever meet and she takes great pleasure in talking about... well... pleasure." Willow said

"Great." Buffy said sarcastically

"That was our reaction when he started dating her." Spike mumbled

Buffy nodded and looked at her watch, 10:00, her and Dawn would need to leave soon.

"Actually our reaction was more of an 'oh boy' kind of thing." Oz said, in his always calm voice

"Right." said Willow

"I'm going to get a drink, does anyone want anything?" Buffy asked, getting up

"I'll have a soda, thanks." Willow said

"OK, anyone else?" Buffy asked, Oz and Spike shook there heads so she went off in the direction of the bar.

Dawn looked at her watch and sighed, annoyed. "What is it?" Janice asked

"It's 10:30, and my evil mom said me and Buffy had to be hame by 11:00." Dawn said

"That sucks, how far away do you live?" asked Janice

"About a half hour away."

"Damn, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Janice said

"Yea. I'm going to find Buffy." Dawn said, walking back to the table where Spike, Willow, Oz, and Buffy were all talking animatedly

"Hi Dawn what's up?" Buffy asked when she noticed her sister

"It's 10:30." Dawn answered

"Oh crap, we have to go! Bye Spike, see you tomorrow." Buffy said, then left the club with her sister

"Good bye Buffy." Spike murmured after she was out of sight.