Chapter 11

A Glimpse of Heaven

By Zarrah

Buffy tried to listen to Angel as he talked, but seeing Spike walk away with his head down clouded Angel's words. She had seen that posture on Spike before, only in her own 'time' and knew he was hurt. She wasn't sure why she cared, but she did and the feeling was foreign to her. She had never cared what Spike thought or felt and the fact that she did now scared her.

"So, Bronze tonight?" Angel asked, smiling as Buffy finally looked back up at him.

"Yeah, sounds great." She said, forcing a smile onto her face. "You want me to meet you there?"

"How about I pick you up and take you out to dinner, then we'll hit the Bronze."

Buffy felt a flash of fear run through knowing her parents would see him and 'her' Mother had never liked Angel. Would this world's version be any different? "Okay, that sounds nice." She said, giving him a strained smile.

"Great, let's go. I'll drive you home."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy waved to Angel as he drove away and looked over at the strange car in the driveway before turning and entering the house. She started for the stairs but her Father coming out of the Living Room and looking at her had her stopping in her tracks.

"Buffy, could you come in here please." Hank said before he turned and walked back into the Living Room.

Buffy sighed lightly before turning and following him. She smiled as she saw Giles sitting on the sofa beside her Mother before she took a seat in one of the arm chairs. "Hey Giles, what brings you by?" she asked, looking around to see if Spike were there also.

"Hello Buffy." Giles said with a bright smile. "I was hoping to talk to you about William and the er…problems you had yesterday."

"Oh. No problems." She lied, studying the floor briefly before looking back up.

"Honey, Mr. Giles said you were both yelling at one another when you first got there." Joyce started as she looked at Buffy. "Is there something going on between you two that we should know about?"

"No!" Buffy said loudly, "Nothing at all going on." Buffy said quickly. "He just…."

"Irritates you." Hank finished for her.

Buffy hung her head slightly and sighed heavily. "Yes. I don't know why, he just does."

Giles smiled, remembering the first time he had seen them together. "Yes, well William and Buffy have always had a …strained relationship."

"There is NO relationship." Buffy said with wide eyes. "There's nothing."

"Well, then why can you two not get along?" Hank asked as he took a seat beside of Buffy. "You do know that he is your only way to the Winter Formal, right?"

"I know." Buffy said, whining a little. "He's just so….I don't know, he just…."

"Okay, how about this Buffy, tell me what it IS about him that…irritates you so much?" Joyce asked, hoping to get to the bottom of the problem. "There has to be a specific reason."

Buffy looked up at her Mother before leaning back in her chair. How could she possibly tell them 'why' he irritated her so much when in actuality, it was the 'Spike' from her world that was the whole problem. This Spike really hadn't done anything to her. "I don't know." She finally said quietly when she realized they were all waiting for an answer.

Joyce studied her for a few seconds before a wide smile graced her face. "Thank you Buffy, you can go on up to your room."

"I can?"

"She can?" Hank asked shocked.

"We'll talk about it later honey." Joyce told Hank as Buffy stood up slowly and turned towards the stairs.

"Um, is it okay if I go out tonight?"

"As long as all of your homework is finished."

"It will be." Buffy said as she turned and quickly ran up the steps. *Weird* she thought as she shut herself up in her room.

"Okay Joyce, why did you let her get off the hook so easily?" Hank asked, still unsure of what happened.

Joyce smiled before a light laughter escaped her. "Hank, do you remember when you and I first started dating?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I?" he answered her smiling.

"Do you remember the time right 'before' we started dating?"

Hank looked at his wife before a wide smile curved his lips. He shook his head and leaned back in his chair before looking over at Giles. "Mr. Giles, I don't think the problems between William and Buffy are as serious as we thought." He said chuckling slightly.

"Oh, how so?" Giles asked confused.

"Well, Joyce absolutely hated me before we started dating." Hank said laughing. "There wasn't a day that went by that we didn't get into a verbal sparring match."

Giles looked over at Joyce before a smile also spread across his own face. "Well, I wondered about the same thing." He told them. "William has been constantly babbling about her since they first met."

"Oh, so he does like her then?" Joyce asked him.

"Well, not from what he tells me, but the tension between them could very well be just a way around their feelings."

"Well, I guess as long as they don't resort to physical violence, they'll be able to work around it." Joyce said as she stood up, "We did. Tell William Buffy will be there tomorrow as planned."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy walked into the Bronze with Angel right by her side. She was just now beginning to get over her anger at her parents for grilling him when he had picked her up. To say that her Mother didn't like him was an understatement, and from her Father's reaction, she was sure Angel would NEVER pick her up at home again.

Glancing around, she spotted the gang at their usual table and smiled as Willow was frantically waving them over. "Hey, the gangs all here." She said as she pointed over at them.

Angel looked over to where she was looking before grabbing her hand. "I kinda wanted you all to myself." He told her as he turned them and headed in the opposite direction.

"Well, that was just rude." Xander said as they all watched Buffy and Angel walk towards the dance floor and take a seat off to the corner.

"Yeah, I mean, she didn't even come and say hey." Willow said pouting.

"See, I told you that guy was no good." Jesse said as he stared at them. "He gets a class ring on her finger and he owns her."

"Who owns what?" Spike asked as he sat everyone's drink down with Sandy's help before they both took their seats.

"Angel and Buffy." Xander said, motioning towards their table.

Spike looked up and in the direction Xander pointed to and he felt his blood run cold. He had hoped he wouldn't have to see them again today, but Sandy's insistence that he come Bronzing with them had him going to the one place he knew he might.

~*~

"So, any idea what color dress you'll be wearing to the dance?" Angel asked as he and Buffy settled into their seats. "I need to know how to dress." He told her with a smile.

Buffy smiled back at him, the thoughts of going to the dance with him thrilling her. "Well, I have to see if I can even go first."

"What do you mean? Your parents aren't letting you go?"

"Well, I can, but I have to pass my math class first."

"I didn't know you were having trouble."

"Yeah, but they hired a tutor for me." She said, rolling her eyes as said tutor flashed through her mind.

Angel chuckled at her expression before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss on her check. "So, I take it you don't like the tutor?"

"Not in the least." She half lied.

"Who is it, some old retired school teacher?" he asked her with a wide smile.

"No, it's Spike."

"Spike? That bleached blonde wanna be that goes to our school?"

"Yep, that's the one." She told him, looking up at him when he didn't say anything. The look on his face took her completely off guard. "What?"

"You're mine." He said angrily, his eyes full of hate.

"O, kay." She said shocked at his sudden possessiveness. "No one's debating that."

Angel stared at her for a few seconds before he smiled. Buffy just stared back like he had sprouted another head before he stood up and grabbed her hand.

"Let's dance." He said as he pulled her up from her chair and headed for the dance floor.

~*~

"Did you just see that?" Jesse asked Xander quietly.

"What, the hateful look Angel just shot her?"

"Yep, that would be the one."

"Yeah, I saw it." Xander answered him, "Man that guy is a first class loser."

"You don't think he'd…."

"He better remember the last time and rethink before he does something that stupid again."

"Well, he is a jock, they don't really think now do they?"

"What are you two whispering about?" Willow asked as she looked over at Xander and Jesse as they whispered back and forth.

"Nothing Wills, just guy talk." Xander said smiling. "We're entitled you know."

~*~

"You're being awfully quiet." Sandy said as she nudged Spike with her elbow. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Spike looked over at her, the wide smile on her face causing one of his own to grow. "Wanna dance?" he asked her, standing and reaching for her hand before she even had time to answer.

Sandy bit back her laughter as Spike practically drug her to the dance floor. Spike may think he has the rest of them fooled with his hate Buffy campaign, but she knew better. She knew he liked Buffy and she also knew how to make Buffy notice him.

Spike got as close to Buffy and Angel as he could without being completely obvious. Luckily a slow song was playing and the music was mellow enough that he could make out bits and pieces of their conversation.

Spike." Sandy said, smiling at his obvious staring at the couple dancing near by. "Spike" she said again before reaching up and turning his head towards her.

"What?"

"Why haven't you told her you like her?"

Spike snorted out a laugh, but the sound died before it was convincing. Sandy's laughter let him know she wasn't buying it before he rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"If you like her, why haven't you told her?" she asked him. "You're only making yourself miserable by spying on her like this."

"Because she hates me for one, which I still can't figure out why."

"Yeah, well all the yelling she does doesn't mean anything."

"Really, because it looks pretty convincing from where I'm standing." Spike said, glancing back over at Buffy.

"And I suppose the yelling you do just proves your hatred?"

Spike turned his head back to Sandy, tilting it to the side a little. "Alright pet, what are you getting at?"

"I think there is more to her anger than meets the eye and I'll prove it to you."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

Sandy grinned big before glancing over at Buffy. "Do you trust me?" she asked, smiling big as she looked up at him.

"Yeah, I trust you."

"Completely?"

"Depends." He said grinning.

"You're not going to get hurt, I promise."

"Okay."

"Well, if you do exactly as I say, I promise you by Winter Formal, Buffy will be eating out of your hand."

Spike stood stock still, a little smile curving his lips as Sandy grinned up at him. He didn't know what she was getting at, but from the look on her face, it had to be good. "Okay luv, what ya got in mind?"

"Come on, I'll explain it to you." Sandy said smiling as she grabbed his hand and lead him off to the back of the club.

To Be Continued………..

A/N…..Now what is up with Angel and his macho routine? And what does Sandy have up her sleeve? Will she be able to help Spike and Buffy make a connection? Stayed tuned to find out!