Chapter 2
Pike looked around the room, something didn't feel right about this place to him and one of the people he had been talking to have seemed really odd. Almost like she was a robot or something, Anya or something her name had been he would ask Buffy about her. Dawn looked so different to when he had last seen them, but it had been 6 years since he had seen them. 'I wonder if Buffy has changed much,' he thought.
"Pike!! Is it really you" a beautiful blond girl rushed up to him and hugged him tightly "God, it's been like, years! How have you been? Dawn didn't tell me you were coming, what a great surprise! Anyway come and meet everyone and don't worry so much you look like you are about to be led off to be killed or something."
"Buffy! Wow look at you! Wait, whoa, hang on a second." Pike leaned back to look at her he couldn't believe how much she had changed since he had last seen her, for a start her hair was a lot longer now and so many other changes that he couldn't believe it. "You look fantastic, I nearly didn't recognise you. What have you been doing lately, are you… you know still the..?"
"The slayer?" Buffy finished for him "Yes, I'm still the slayer but there's not just vampires now there are demons of all types, and you know, not all vamps are bad."
"You have to be kidding me." Pike looked at her with a worried expression " Now that I know that they exist I can almost feel that they are around, really spooks me. Anyway enough about that, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!. I can't stay long I just wanted to see you again, you know maybe have a dance or two."
"Look, come and meet everybody first, then we will go from there"
"Buffy? Are there vampires here? This place seems creepy."
"Never mind about that, you are safe here. Come on they are just over here" Buffy was almost bursting with excitement 'this has turned out to be a great night,' she thought 'A lot of my old friends from LA are here, Angel and now Pike. Who else have Dawn and Willow tracked down I wonder?' her mind was racing trying to remember old faces as she dragged Pike over to meet Willow, Xander, Giles and the others, who were now altogether listening to one of Neve's stories.
"Hey guys, this is Pike. You remember Pike don't you Neve?"
"Yeah, how's it goin' Pike, long time since I've seen you. Are you still in LA?"
"No Neve, I live in New York now, got my own motorcycle repair business. I see you got the big breaks you were after, congrats I love Scream by the way."
"Stop hogging him Neve. I still have to introduce him to everyone." Buffy said angrily, brushing a wisp of hair away from her face.
"OK I was just going to get some more drinks anyway" Neve laughed as she moved away from the group towards the bar.
"OK Pike, this is Giles, Giles is my watcher, this is my best friend in the whole world, Willow Rosenburg, her girlfriend Tara," Buffy gestured around the group as she went from on to the other, "..Xander Harris, who has saved my life also, Xander's Girlfriend Anya.."
"We have already met." Pike said, "When I first got here she greeted me and told me where to find Dawn."
"Ok then, This is Cordelia, and Wesley, Angel, Gunn they are all from LA, Angel runs a private investigation agency.."
"We help the helpless." Said Wesley, thrusting his hand forward to shake Pike's.
"And actually we all run the agency but Angel started it" added Cordelia with a smile at Pike, her eyes giving him the once over.
"..And this is Spike, he helps me with … you know my work" said Buffy with a wink at Spike "Everyone this is Pike he helped me through the shock of finding out about my birthright, and he helped me defeat Lothos." Buffy was grinning happily
"Defeat Lothos?" asked Spike "You never told me you went up against him."
"You never asked" replied Buffy not taking any notice of how edgy Pike was getting around the two vampires. "Anyway Pike has been around since I found out life was going to be different from, graduating high school, going shopping in Europe, getting married to Christian Slater, and dying!"
"Is that what your aspirations were" asked Willow looking shocked
"Christian Slater!? Why him?" asked Angel and Spike both together, looking even more shocked than Willow.
The music quietened then and Dawn climbed up on the stage to the mic, she looked as if she had an announcement to make.
"Everyone!" Dawns voice came over the sound system really clearly "As you know we are all gathered here tonight to celebrate my big sister's birthday, and well I just wanted to say… Buffy I hope you are having a blast and it's time to cut your cake 'cause I'm getting a bit hungry here and I want you to open all your stuff so I can have a look."
Everyone laughed and clapped. Someone started chanting "Cake, cake, cake, cake". Buffy smiled and made her way to the tables, Oz came over with the mic and asked her to say something.
"Well, Thanks for coming everyone. it has been so good seeing you all again, now lets eat some cake!"
Buffy started to cut the cake when a voice behind her said "Don't forget to make a wish luv." It was Spike he had moved over closer to her so he could watch her when she was opening her gifts. He didn't put a card with his gift she would work it out if she looked at it.
"Spike! Don't creep up on me like that you scared half the life out of me."
"He seems alright, that Pike fella, a hell of a lot nicer than Peaches, but he is a bit skittish around us. Did you tell him that Peaches and me… well that we are vampires? I shook his hand and started talking to him and he nearly shit himself. I mean bloody hell I thought he was going to die of fright right there. A bit of fun really but I felt guilty, being a old friend of yours an' all."
"No I didn't tell him that you and Angel were vampires I didn't want him to worry that's all he's been through a lot. Now will you let me cut this cake." Buffy paused for a second then asked "I'm sorry Spike, did you want a piece or are you just going to pretend to not like chocolate or something."
"I'd love a piece, thanks luv don't mind a bit of chockie now and then" the vampire replied giving Buffy a quick smile "and I never have to worry about gainin' any weight or anything like that.
"Look, Spike" Buffy was very edgy around the vampire suddenly "Just take your cake and go, please. I'm too busy to try to deal with you at the moment"
"All right then Slayer, but I must warn you, I am staying around here till I get a dance and a kiss from the birthday girl."
"GO AWAY SPIKE!" Buffy said sternly to the blond vampire. 'Oh man' she thought to herself ' I'm letting Spike get to me, he's way too attractive. Especially in that suit, where the hell did he get it anyway? I've never seen him wear it before. There should be a law against hot looking guys wearing good suits, a suit can make a ordinary guy look good but a hot guy… well, I don't want to, wait no! I WON'T think about Spike that way! If he wasn't so damn hot it would be good. I could be all not notice the sexy guy type girl. Damn these horrible Spike noticing hormones. Why can't I notice how sexy Angel is, or Pike, or even Xander!' Buffy's thoughts were running away with her until Dawn came over and started talking to her.
"Will you please open your presents soon? I want to see what you got that I can borrow. I need some new jumpers and stuff you know."
"Dawn, I promise you that anything that doesn't fit me or I don't particularly want to wear, you can BORROW, not have, BORROW, b-o-r-r-o-w, got it? Good. I will open my presents in a minute anyway, not because you want me to, but because I want to. Here take this cake around." Buffy passed Dawn a platter with small pieces of cake on it to give to everyone. She heard Willow announce to everyone that Buffy would open her gifts now, so she moved over towards the table that they were on and composed herself for reading funny sentiments and well wishes and thanking people for coming.
As she started opening gifts she noticed Spike looking edgy and nervous not far from her. 'Good' she thought to herself. She was laughing and holding up some of her gifts for everyone to see. A wizard statue from Willow and Tara, it was holding a staff in one hand and a crystal in the other and looked as if he was looking into the wind. A gorgeous black velvet and satin cloak from Anya and Xander, A set of keys from Giles and Dawn (she found out later they were to a jeep like the one her mother used to drive before Buffy smashed it one night.) A $500 gift voucher from an exclusive LA boutique from Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn, A bottle of expensive perfume from Angel, a lot of clothes and shoes from her other friends and then she found a small gift wrapped box with no card or name attached to it. She curiously looked at it, wondering who it was from 'Oh well, I will find out later' she thought as she carefully removed the wrapping. Inside a burgundy velvet box held her gift slowly she opened the top, she had seen evil released this way so she was slightly worried about it. Inside the lid in gold writing was an unusual emblem and the words Pook Australia, exclusive hand made jewellery. 'Wow!' she thought 'someone went to a lot of trouble!' then she saw what the box actually contained.
Spike smiled when he saw Buffy's face as she opened his gift. 'She likes it!' he said quietly to himself.
To be continued very soon…I promise!!!