This part is a little angsty..but don't worry, it will be all better by the wedding :)
Part 15
The next day….
"I still can't believe that Jonathan jumped out of the cake," Willow said. "I mean Jonathan? A stripper? Never thought I'd see the day when that would happen."
"I know, I'm still getting the wiggins just thinking about it," Buffy said. "Thanks so much for coming over today and helping me clean up, I really appreciate."
"Oh, it's no problem. Tara had to take Miss Kitty Fiasco to the vet, so I was free anyway," Willow said.
"Yeah, because not only do I majorly need your help at cleaning up, I also need your advice."
"Okay, sure, that's what best friends are for," Willow said.
"Okay well..I almost kissed Spike last night," Buffy confessed.
"You what!?" Willow exclaimed.
"And that's not the worst part either," Buffy said. "I almost told him I love him."
"You did!?" Willow exclaimed again.
"Well, it was raining…and we were standing out in it…and he was being his usual annoying, cocky, gorgeous self, and he leaned in to kiss me, and I pulled away like an idiot."
"You're not an idiot Buffy, but why did you pull away?" Willow asked.
"I guess I was scared Will."
"Of being kissed?" Willow asked confused.
"Of falling in love," Buffy admitted.
"Buffy, do you love Spike?" Willow asked straight out.
"I don't know how I feel anymore!" Buffy said. "One minute I want to punch him, but then the next minute, the thought of hurting any part of him and his beautiful body makes me hurt inside."
"Buffy, if you really love him, you have to tell him how you feel."
"I know, its just..what if he hates me now? What if he thinks I don't like him? I mean, we've become so close over the past few months, and I don't want to lose him now" Buffy admitted.
"Don't worry Buffy, he loves you, he really does…and if he just stops suddenly because of a kiss, then he doesn't deserve you," Willow explained.
"You're right Will. I have to talk to him though..ya know, to make sure things are still cool between us," Buffy said. "I'm gonna pay a little visit to his crypt tonight and we're gonna have a talk."
"No! You can't go there tonight!" Willow lied while trying to think of a reason why she should tell Buffy not to go to Spike's.
'Why not Will? Is he having the place exterminated of something?" joked Buffy.
"No, it's just….maybe you should give him a little time, ya know," Willow said, knowing that if Buffy went to talk to Spike, that he would probably let it slip that he was in the wedding and that would ruin everything. And there was always the chance she would see his tux hanging on the door.
"Yeah, I guess you're right Will," Buffy said.
"Buffy, if he really loves you, he'll give you all the time in the world."
"I know, and I think he really does love me…Okay, no more brooding here, let's clean up," Buffy said, trying to get Spike out of her mind.
"Okay, let me get the garbage can," Willow said.
When she walked to go to the kitchen, she passed the couch in the living room where Jonathan jumped out of the cake, and spied something all over the couch.
"Buffy, come here a sec," Willow asked.
Willow pointed to the white stuff that was all over the couch, and started to say, "I think it's…"
"Whipped cream," Buffy said.
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"Was she gonna tell me she loved me last night?" thought Spike. "And why did she pull away from me?" he asked himself as he walked around the lower half of his crypt. "I mean, I think she wanted me to kiss her..wait no, scratch that..I know she wanted me to kiss her."
Spike continued his pacing when he stared over at what used to be his "shrine" to Buffy.
"I was such a fool, probably scared her to death thinking I was some pathetic, obsessed vampire."
All of a sudden, a voice from above interrupted his thoughts.
"Okay, we're done, you can come up now," the voice said.
"About bloody time!" Spike said as he climbed up the ladder to the main level of his crypt.
"Are they gone?" Spike asked.
"Yeah, got rid of every last one of them..now just sign here, and your bill will be in the mail," the man said.
"I don't have a mail box," Spike said.
"Well then your bill will be in the sarcophagus."
"That's better," Spike said.
"Just sign here," said the man.
"There ya go, all signed, now shoo," Spike said.
"I know it's none of my business, and I'm not gonna even ask why you live here..but why did you ask of my services now?"
"What can I say..I'm whipped," Spike said.
The man from Sunnydale's Exterminator Company pulled away in his van, leaving Spike behind with a now rat free crypt.
"A crypt with rats is no place to bring a lady," Spike said to himself. "A couple of throw pillows wouldn't hurt either."
Spike grabbed his catalog and flipped through it, until he got to the bedding section.
"Oh, that Martha Stewart is havin a white sale..I really do need some new sheets…bloody hell! No Martha Stewart sheets! I really am whipped."
Spike thought about it for a moment.
"Well, if I do need sheets, might as well get silk ones," Spike said with a devilish grin.
Later that night…..
Buffy was out doing a quick patrol, and after she staked her second vamp, she realized she had wandered into Spike's graveyard.
"Since when did this become Spike's graveyard?" she asked herself.
"The second you realized you loved him," she answered back.
Trying to not think about Spike, she tried to think about cleaning with Willow.
"Man was that whipped cream hard to get out of the couch," Buffy thought. "But it was fun," she thought with a sly smile on her face.
"Whipped cream thoughts lead to Spike thoughts and Spike thoughts are yummy thoughts," thought Buffy. "God, where did that come from? I sound like an obsessed sixteen year old."
She continued to patrol, but when she realized there was going to be no more vamps that night, she took a turn for Spike's crypt.
"Wait, what am I doing?" she asked herself. "I promised Willow I wouldn't come here."
"But why does Willow care what I do?" thought Buffy.
She walked towards his door, and knocked.
"Yeah what do you want? I signed the bloody stupid form already!" Spike yelled.
"Spike, can I come in?" Buffy asked almost shyly as she opened his door.
"Slay-Buffy..what are you doing here?" Spike asked, embarrassed about his yelling.
"Well first, I have no forms for you to sign, and second, I wanted to talk to you."
"You wanted to talk to me?" Spike asked.
"Well yea, about last night…"
"It was a mistake, it shouldn't have happened," Spike said with pain in his voice.
"Do you really mean that?" Buffy asked with hurt in her voice.
"Buffy…I don't know what to think," Spike said. "I tried to kiss you, and you pulled away from me, what was I supposed to think?"
"Spike…I.."
"You what Buffy?" Spike asked as he moved closer to her.
"I have to tell you something," Buffy said as she leaned into his touch. This oddly reminded her of last night.
"Well then tell me luv," Spike said as he brushed his lips over her cheek in a very erotic way.
"I..Oh my god I have to go!" Buffy yelled as she stared at Spike's clock on the wall and noticed it was 8:00.
"Why do you have to leave?" Spike asked. "Things were just heating up luv."
"I don't want to go, I really don't..but I have to," Buffy said as she reluctantly pulled away from him. "And since when did Spike get a clock?" she thought.
"Why, is it something I did? Did I come on too strong?" Spike asked.
"Spike, no, you could never come on too strong," Buffy said while grinning. "It's just that I'm a half an hour late to pick up my dress for the wedding tomorrow."
"Oh yea, the wedding…you better go then," Spike said, trying not to show his disappointment, even though he would see her at the wedding. He couldn't let her know he was gonna be there though, unless the whole set up would be ruined.
"Spike, I really thought Anya or Xander would invite you, and I'm really mad that they didn't…but that still doesn't mean that you can't come…" Buffy said but was cut off by Spike.
"What are you saying?" Spike asked.
"As my date," Buffy finished. "Spike, I want you to come as my date."
"Buffy, I would love to," Spike said happily, then quickly remembered that he's going to be there, so that wouldn't work.
"But I can't," Spike said with sadness in his voice.
"You…you can't?" Buffy asked. "Or you don't want to?"
"Buffy it's not that, it's just.."
"What Spike?"
"I can't tell you," Spike admitted.
"Oh, I see how it is…I guess I deserve this anyway," Buffy said as a tear slipped down her cheek.
"Buffy, what are you talking about?"
"Spike, I've always turned you down, and the one time I decide to ask you out, I get what I deserve..You turned me down," she said as she tried to hold back her tears.
"Buffy, luv, no, it's has nothing to do with that," Spike said as he went to hold her hand and tell her about everything, damn the scoobies and their little plan, he didn't want to see her be in pain.
But as Spike went to hold her hand, she pulled away.
"Spike, don't touch me, please..I just…I have to go," Buffy said as she turned and ran for the door to his crypt.
"Buffy! Wait" Spike yelled, but it was no use, she was gone.
"What have I done?" Spike thought.
End Part 15
