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Chapter 4 Part 2
Buffy couldn't help but check herself out in the car mirror as she pulled up to her Mom's house. Her long blonde hair rolled in waves around her face and her make-up was done just enough to make her already big green eyes pop and shine even brighter. She applied another generous dose of lip gloss on her pouty lips and made a soft moue to her reflection before stepping out of the car.
Perfect timing, she thought as she glanced up and saw Spike pulling around the corner. She paused in front of her car and waited for him to park and get out of his own.
As he stepped out of the car with his signature cocky grin, she couldn't help but admire his absolute male splendor. His look was simple, just as it always had been: a plain white shirt, a rugged pair of blue jeans, a pair of old combat boots and his infamous leather duster.
Her mouth started to water. Absolutely stunning.
Finding herself drawn to him, she floated towards her boyfriend and into his arms. She tucked her cheek against his chest then, pulling away just enough to see his face, she went in for a generous kiss, reveling in the feel of his hands on her hips and his soft lips pressed against hers. It still amazed her that after two years of dating, she still got butterflies whenever he was near.
What they had was special. She just knew it.
With a chuckle, Spike said, "Alright, alright, love. No matter how much I want to take you into the back of this car and fuck you senseless, we shouldn't keep the parentals waiting."
With an exaggerated pout, Buffy resigned herself to a nod and stepped away, but not before Spike could grab her hand within his own. Hand in hand, they strolled together up the path to their parents' home.
"I wonder what's so important that they called this impromptu dinner." Buffy whispered.
Spike shrugged, "Probably nothing, ducks."
Flashing him another smile when he gave her a quick peck on the nose, she took a breath and opened the door.
"Mom! Giles! Dawn! We're here!" She yelled.
Her mother quickly appeared under the arch leading into the living room. "Oh, Buffy, Spike! Come in, come in. How have you been? How are your classes going? Come here and give me and hug, honey."
Buffy laughed under her breath as she let her mother draw her into a close hug, and she acknowledged that their relationship was better than ever. As Joyce went to hug Spike as well, Buffy released the older woman and made her way into the living room to look for Dawn and Giles.
Instead, she found a strange man sitting on her mom's sofa.
Looking closer, he actually looked familiar, though try as she might, Buffy couldn't quite place him. He had short brown hair that was gelled into a messy-on-purpose forest of twists and spikes at the top of his head. Thin-framed glasses did a poor job of blocking the bright blue eyes that lay blinking behind them. Though his head was tilted down towards his lap, Buffy could see a shadow of stubble on his cheeks and chin that was just a bit past five o'clock and that topped off his rugged appeal.
He looked up from the fumbling hands he'd been wringing in his lap and his eyes widened at the sight of Buffy. She felt bad for the guy. He was very clearly a nervous wreck. She smiled sweetly to reassure him, and he lifted a hand in greeting.
"Uh…um…hello. You must be, Buffy." He said in a stiff British accent that didn't quite match his appearance.
"That would be me. And you are?"
"Well, um…" He hesitated for the space of a few seconds and Buffy wondered if he'd forgotten his own name. "I think that would be better left up to Rupert to explain."
Scrunching her brow in confusion, Buffy turned in the direction she'd just come to figure out just what was taking Spike so long. This whole thing reeked of the uber weird.
The moment Joyce had greeted them at the door, Spike noted the nervous glint in her eyes and the way she was carrying herself. A glance towards Buffy told him she'd written off her mother's slightly odd rambling to Joyce's missing her daughter, but Spike was much more observant. Something was on Joyce's mind. Whatever it is, he was sure it would reveal itself eventually.
After spending a few minutes catching up with Buffy's mom, Spike took Joyce's arm in his and led her as they followed Buffy's path into the living room, then stopped short at the sight of the man sitting on the couch. Spike noted that he looked oddly familiar and the air in the room seemed to shift. Not wanting to seem like an ass, Spike stepped forward and held out his hand to the man.
"Name's Spike." Spike reached out to grasp the man's hand in his own, watching as the stranger gave him a tentative smile. "And you are?"
"Oh, uh, yes, I am Wesley."
Spike nodded thoughtfully and stepped away from the visitor. After breaking eye contact, Spike turned towards Joyce and asked, "Where's the old man anyway?"
Joyce bit her lip and began fumbling to rearrange the pillows on the love seat. "Oh, well, he is somewhere around here. We just had a bit of a surprise and he needed a second to-"
"It's ok, dear. I can handle this."
They all looked up to see a downtrodden Giles standing in the doorway. Spike observed the sympathetic look that Joyce sent towards his father and couldn't help but worry what it was a precursor to.
Taking a few steps towards his dad, Spike said, "Everything okay, Dad?" He felt Buffy slip her hand into his and reminded himself to take a breath as he waited for his dad's response.
Giles shuffled his feet a little as he removed his glasses and nervously wiped the lenses with the ruffled edge of his shirt. When he looked up, Spike noted that his dad's eyes were red from recently shed tears. When Giles motioned for his son to sit, Spike shook his head, unwilling to move until he knew what was causing the tension in the room.
"What's wrong, Dad?" The words left Spike's mouth in a trembling breath. He was grateful when he felt Buffy squeeze his hand once again.
Giles closed his eyes and whispered, "Please, son, sit."
Forcing himself to move, Spike pulled Buffy with him to the chair across from the couch. As he sat on the edge of the cushion, he drew her close against him in search of warmth and support.
Clearing his throat, Giles began, "As you both have noticed, we have a visitor." All eyes in the room turned towards Wesley, who was staring anxiously at his feet.
"This young man…Wesley Wyndham Price…is my son."
Not one sound penetrated the room. Giles looked apprehensively between his two sons. Joyce was looking down at the floor as her hand rubbed circles on her husband's back. Wesley stared anxiously at his brother, waiting for a response. All the while, Spike gaped at Giles in astonishment.
Buffy knew that everyone was waiting for her boyfriend's response, but she knew he needed time to process this revelation. She wasn't sure how he would react to this news. It wasn't necessarily negative, just…surprising. She knew Spike though, and he took things like this pretty seriously. There was a good chance he would get upset that Giles kept such a big secret from him. Watching him closely, Buffy saw him take a few breaths and his shoulders slowly release some of the tension he had been holding since Giles' announcement. Here it comes, she thought.
She watched him inhale once again, physically felt the exhale Spike forced out between clenched teeth. He was carefully avoiding his new brothers gaze, both eyes on Giles. And those eyes did not look happy. Buffy bit her lip nervously and watched as Spike let out a wicked laugh. This so was not good.
"Would you care to expand that statement some?" Spike asked venomously.
Swallowing visibly, Giles struggled to begin an explanation. "Many years ago…approximately 25 actually…I briefly had a relationship with a young girl with whom I had been friends with for many years. Ahh…we were not in love, but we cared for each other very much. During our brief relationship, she fell pregnant. We were both…so young, only 15 years of age, unprepared to take care of a child, but she was determined and therefore, so was I. After the child, a boy, was born, I was told she died in childbirth…and the child with her." He looked directly at Spike as he finished. "It seems I was misinformed, to say the least."
The air suddenly left the room, and with it Spike's breath. Not knowing how to react to this news, Spike reacted the only way he could, in anger.
"So, what? This little piece of information just slipped your mind when we were laying it all out there so that we could start our relationship out on good terms? I don't know how it is where you're from, but in my mind that means we are honest with one another."
Giles fumbled anxiously, "William…I…this was something from so long ago, years before I even met your mother. I believed the boy to be buried beside his mother long, long ago. I was so young, and since then, so much has happened. To be honest with you, I have not given much thought to the matter in quite some time."
Still reeling from the news of his new brother, Spike pushed rational thought aside and laughed spitefully at his perplexed father.
"Hadn't given it much thought? Please, explain to me how one does not give much thought to a life that HE created? I'm guessing it was just like your abandonment of me, right? Leaving me to get raised by an abusive, hateful bastard, while you lived a peaceful existence, free of any pesky kids you might have forced on the women who fucking adored you. Right?"
Buffy could feel Spike's entire being shake with emotion. She knew that his reaction had an underlying meaning that was caused by more than just this surprising news. Sensing he needed to be free of this space, she jumped off his lap. Just as she stood up, Spike flew from the seat he was sitting in and strode brazenly passed his father, roughly bumping into the older man's shoulder as he passed.
Flinching as the door slammed behind him, Buffy turned sympathetic eyes towards Wesley and whispered, "I'm so sorry. This is just…it's a surprise for him. Please, don't take it personally."
Wesley nodded solemnly and coughed awkwardly as he also stood and strode out the front door. Biting her lip, Buffy turned to her mother and the man she now viewed as a father. Noting the tears in Giles' eyes, Buffy took a few tentative steps towards the man who seemed to age ten years in front of her eyes.
"Buffy…I.."
Buffy cut him off with a hug, startling her mother, who was standing close by with a comforting hand on her husband's back.
Buffy mumbled into his shoulder, "I love you, Giles, and I understand. He will too. Just give him time."
She pulled away and quickly kissed Giles on the cheek before striding anxiously after her boyfriend.
It didn't take her long to find him, leaning against his beloved Desoto, eyes turned towards the sky. His emotions were so strong she could almost see them rolling off his shoulders – in fact, that was one of the things that helped her fall in love with him. He wore his emotions on his sleeves and you always knew what you got. That passion for life, for everything he cared about, that was something she always admired about him…but it also led to moments like this. Moments where she knew she had to suck it up and be there for him, even if she didn't quite understand it.
Taking a deep breath, Buffy moseyed towards her boyfriend, stopped in front of him and leaned into his chest. His arms immediately engulfed her as she felt him press his face into her hair. She brought her hands up and ran them softly along his back, tracing unknown patterns. She knew the tickling sensation reminded him of when his mother would put him to sleep when he was just a boy, and it always helped him calm his feelings.
She felt when he released some of the pent up tension in his body and she pulled back to look into his waiting eyes. He grinned sadly at her and whispered, "Am I overreacting, love?"
Buffy smiled back and let out a little chuckle that made his heart jump. Her presence alone was enough to ease his mind. It was amazing what she could do to him with just one look, one smile, one touch. She was amazing. He quirked an eyebrow at her as she seemed to be in thought, waiting for her reply.
Looking up directly into his eyes, she confidently answered, " Well, no, not exactly. This is a surprise for all of us, but especially for you. You have this brother who you knew nothing about, and at the same time you're still getting to know this new father. So, no, I don't think you're overreacting."
God, he loved her. She always seemed to understand him. Pulling her back to him he kiss the top of her head. "You, my dear, are the most wonderful woman I've ever known."
He could feel her silently laughing against him as he heard her muffled responses, "Well, duh!"
Across town, Willow was moping about the dorm, when a knock threw her from her thoughts. Everyone she knew would just walk on in, so she nervously made her way to the door wishing she could see through it to the other side. With a jolt, she realized that it could be Oz, and before any rational thoughts could penetrate her mind, she threw the door open.
Her hopes deflated as she saw Oz's bandmate and friend, Devon, standing across from her. That same hope shriveled and died as the very bitch that had herself wrapped around her boyfriend mere weeks ago popped up behind him.
"Finally." The bitch said as she walked past Willow and into the room.
Willow gritted her teeth as the girl sat at the end of her bed. "What the hell do you think you're doing." The venom in her voice surprised even herself and Devon walked over to stand next to the whore.
"Calm down, Wills. We are just here picking up Oz's stuff."
Turning her eyes away from the girl in front of her, she said, "Why did you bring that…that…bitch here?"
Devon scrunched his eyebrows in confusion and pointed sideways to the girl next to him, who stood there smiling cockily at Willow. "Veruca? What about her? She's a friend."
Willow snorted in a very unladylike way. "Yeah, I'm sure. A friend who screws other girls' boyfriends." She turned back toward Veruca. "Which reminds me. Get…the FUCK…out!" She screamed so hard that her throat began to throb, but the bitch just sat there with that smile. Willow was about to break her no violence rule when Devon interrupted her thoughts.
"What? What's she talking about V?"
Boldly, Veruca replied, "Well, the other night when we got Ozzie to take those X tabs, things got a little…out of hand. One thing led to another, and, well, let's just say he realized what a real woman could do for him."
As Willow lunged, Devon stepped between the two. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Willow, calm down. I am so sorry. I swear, I didn't know."
Pulling away, Willow wiped at her eyes, refusing to let that skank see her cry. "That explains it. You took advantage of him."
"Advantage of him? He's a big boy, Wilma. Plus, it was just a few pills, not enough to get him that geeked."
This time, Devon responded first. "Yeah, a few pills to a guy who never does drugs or even drinks. I remember that night clearly, V, and Oz was belligerent. God, he barely knew who he was. That's why I asked Sam to bring him home."
She grinned, "Well, I talked Sam into letting me take over that…job." Her lips popped on the last syllable, emphasizing the word that seemed disgusting all of a sudden to Willow's ears.
"Yeah, well, I agree with Willow. You took advantage of him, Veruca, and maybe it would be a good idea for you to vamoose."
Her mouth dropped and she stood up. "Are you freakin' serious right now, D?"
He didn't say a word but pointed towards the door. She stormed out, and as if on autopilot, Willow gathered Oz's things and put them in a trash bag. Silently, she handed it to Devon and with a sympathetic smile he walked out.
As the door closed, the anger she had been trying to hold inside herself bubbled to the surface. Furious tears began streaming from her eyes and her breath hitched in her throat. Reaching for her coat, Willow knew she needed to get out this room, like, now. She needed to find Buffy.
Spike was feeling noticeably better after their talk, but both of them decided it would be better to maintain some space from the other adults before approaching the topic again. Getting into Spike's car, Buffy let her boyfriend drive back to his dorm in silence, caressing his hand as he drove. When they arrived at the dorm, Buffy called her mother to let her know that they would be coming for breakfast in the morning and not to worry. Joyce, of course, was still worried, but she had grown to trust her daughters' instincts and decided it was better not to push the subject.
Now, lounging against the bedpost, Buffy played with the curls that rested at Spike's temple as his head sat gently in her lap. Without being prompted, he started talking. Spike spoke of his fear of how this news would affect his relationship with his father, and how his brother may not even like him. He talked about how he'd felt when he'd found out about Giles being his father. After some time, he even opened up about how he still had not completely forgiven his father for leaving him behind to endure Liam's foul treatment, although he knew he couldn't have known.
He talked, she listened, and they both cried every now and then. When she felt his tears wet her thighs, she would softly wipe them away with her thumb, holding his cheek in her palm even while her own emotions threatened to get the best of her.
She knew that Spike needed to get all of these feelings off his chest, and maybe after this, not only would he accept this new relationship that had been thrust into his life, but finally forgive his father for the years of abandonment. Even if he didn't say it aloud, she knew he needed her right now. He'd never burden her with that, he'd never admit it, but she knew and she didn't mind. She wanted to be there for him in any way that she could. She wanted to help him.
As the words lulled, they lapsed into a comfortable silence.
A silence that was quickly broken as someone began pounding on the door.
With a sigh, Buffy got up and mumbled, "I'll get it." She walked towards the door and forced it open. There before her stood Willow, who was grinding her teeth and angrily tapping her foot.
"Wills? What's going on."
"You won't believe it, Buffy!" Willow screamed, pushing past Buffy and into Spikes dorm. Ignoring Spike, she slammed herself down on the edge of his bed.
Buffy slowly closed the door and walked over to her friend. She knew that Willow was heartbroken and was going through something herself, but to be honest, she was starting to get frustrated with the constant drama. It had been almost a month since Oz had left, and even longer since the incident with the other woman had happened. They'd all tried to offer her advice, which she ignored, and they took turns being there for her. But now Spike needed her, and she wouldn't shut him out right now for anything.
Still, she wouldn't throw her friend out. "Everything okay, Wills?"
"That…that…WHORE had the nerve to show up at our dorm. She just strode right in like she freakin' owned the place, all rude-like. Can you believe it?"
Spike cleared his throat and excused himself as he took off into the restroom, giving the girls some space to themselves.
"Um, who exactly are we talking about? Start from the top."
With an exaggerated sigh, Willow regaled the experience of Devon and Veruca coming to pick up Oz's things and all that she had found out since. Buffy listened and nodded her head, wondering what was taking Spike so long.
"Wow. I'm sorry, Wills. That couldn't have been easy."
"It wasn't." She said in a huff. "Let's go somewhere. Let's do something. I just can't be sitting around right now. And no Spike. Just us girls. I can't even remember the last time it's been just the two of us."
Buffy sighed. She really wanted to be there to help Willow blow off some steam, but she couldn't leave Spike right now, not when he was finally talking about all these issues that had been troubling him for so long.
"God, Willow, I really wish I could, but we got some…interesting news today and Spike really needs me here. Why don't you stay with us if you want?"
In her current state, Willow wasn't worrying about Spike's situation. All she could think about was how she had not given Oz a chance to explain. How she pushed him away, and now he was gone. All because of her…Veruca.
"Are you serious, Buffy? I just told you my boyfriend was drugged and taken advantage of, AND on top of that, the bitch who did it showed up at our dorm like she owns the place!"
Buffy was a little flustered at Willows tone and tried to keep her own rising frustrations at bay. "I'm sorry, but I really need to be there for Spike right now. I can't just take off on him. "
Willow hopped up just as the restroom door creaked open and Spike peered out.
"I cant believe you. It's always about Spike, isn't it? God forbid anyone else needs you. In fact, why don't you just marry him already and get it over with. Then your whole life can revolve around him." With that, Willow stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Buffy cringed slightly at the sound and turned worried eyes towards Spike. "I'm sorry about that."
Spike shrugged. "You should go, pet. Don't worry about me."
Buffy walked over and put her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. The sound of his heart beating beneath her cheek calmed her rolling emotions. "No, this is where I want to be."
How dare she! Willow thought that Buffy was her friend, but it seemed like all she ever cared about was Spike. Spike this, Spike that. God, get over it already.
It didn't take long for Willow to find herself in front of The Bronze. Her mind still swirling with angry thoughts, she sank down into the barstool at the corner end of the bar.
"You alright there?"
Willow turned and looked into a slightly familiar face. "And you are?"
The girl next to grinned crookedly back at her. "You don't remember me? I'm hurt." She feigned sadness for a moment before laughing and sitting next to Willow. "Amy. I went to Sunnydale High with you."
"Ahh, Amy. I…think…I remember you."
Again, Amy laughed. "We didn't exactly hang out in the same crowd, so no worries. Willow, right?"
The redhead nodded and turned away, moving back to her thoughts. She didn't hide the irritation when they were suddenly broken again by Amy.
"Look, I know that look when I see it, and I know EXACTLY what you need."
"You do?" Willow asked only half-interested. This girl seemed shady. Still, she did need to blow off some steam.
Amy turned to the bartender and hollered over the noise of the crowd. "Two shots of tequila and two beers."
Willows eyes widened and she almost spoke out against the suggestion of doing something so wild. Almost. As the bartender sat the drinks down, Amy motioned for her to down the shot as she grabbed her own.
"Bottoms up!" Amy said.
Without another thought, Willow tilted her head back and threw the burning liquid down her throat. She thought she might cough from the sting of it as it slithered down her throat and sunk into her chest. But the burn…oh the burn. It tossed aside the other pain in her heart and made her mind go a little fuzzy. Immediately, she found she couldn't really focus on the things that had so bothered her just moments before.
Maybe this girl was just what she needed.
Bum Bum Bum! lol
