Repercussions, Part 10
Xander debated about whether to stop by the Magic Box after work, or just go directly to the Bronze. He knew he'd end up at the bar at some point anyway, but being rejected by Anya once again was kind of a self-imposed penance, and he figured he wasn't absolved just yet. And of course, there was that smidgen of hope in the back of his mind that said maybe, this time, things would be different. It coexisted next to that other niggling thought that he refused to acknowledge.
When he arrived at the store, he saw Clem leaning against the counter, talking to Spike and gesturing animatedly. Xander had to smile. He actually liked Clem. He'd never met a sweeter person, or demon, in his life. And it never failed to amuse him how the citizens of Sunnydale ignored his "skin condition." A young mother with a baby in a sling smiled at Clem as she set down some candles on the counter and fished through her purse for a few bills,, which she handed to Spike.
"Hey Clem," he said, clapping the demon on the back. "How's kittens?"
"Xander! Good to see you!" he smiled.
"Spike," Xander greeted him neutrally. "Is Anya around?"
Spike gave the young woman her bag, her change, and a smile guaranteed to make her a repeat customer. "No, she's out of town, mate." *Not that she'd have anything to do with you anyway*
"Out of town? Where out of town?"
"Well," Spike looked at the clock, "she's probably somewhere over the Atlantic about now. She and Giles went to London. Giles had to present my analysis to the council for Buffy. And Anya wanted to go relic hunting." *and watcher shagging*
"But, why didn't she just teleport?"
*Because she and Giles wanted to snog all the way to London in first class, you stupid git* "Uh, I think they had, you know, business stuff to go over. That kind of thing."
"Uh huh."
The shop was pretty much empty now. Xander set down on the edge of the research table. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?"
Spike and Clem looked at each other. "Do you really want me to answer that, Harris?" Clem hit Spike in the shoulder and his skin flaps swung back and forth, hitting Spike a few more times. "Hey, watch it, mate."
"Sorry." Clem grinned sheepishly.
Spike walked over and sat next to Xander on the table.
"She's not going to take me back, is she?"
Spike sighed. "Doesn't look like it."
"She's seeing Giles, isn't she?" That niggling thought had now taken up residence in the front of his mind.
"Figured it out, didja?"
"I'm not completely clueless, tales of naked exercising be damned. I mean, would she actually pay for an airline ticket for any other reason? Please!"
He got up and began to trudge toward the door. Clem gestured to Spike, mouthing, 'do something!' and pointing toward Xander. Spike sighed, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Harris, where do you think you're going?"
"To the Bronze, to get rip roaringly drunk." He didn't miss a step.
"Hold on." Xander turned around. "Look Harris, in my experience, too much liquor in your state of mind can only lead to bad, bad things."
"Oh, yeah? Well, what do you care, anyway?"
"Haven't a clue. Maybe it's because we happen to love the same group of women, who for some unknown reason give a damn about what happens to you. And I'm not going to stand by and let you screw up if I can help it."
Xander tried to get angry. He really did. But he was too tired and depressed to work up much of a mad. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "So, what am I gonna do then? You got any better ideas?"
"Yeah, matter of fact, I do. I'm closin' early tonight. DO NOT tell Anya. Clem and I got a poker game, and we need another player. We're playin' for cash, not kittens, no worries." Xander looked uncertain. "Come on, it'll be fun. You'll be the only human there. You can feel all warm blooded and superior."
Xander shrugged. "O.K."
As they walked down the street towards Spike's car, Clem put a fleshy arm around the man on either side of him. "Here we are, the three musketeers!" he said happily. Spike and Xander both groaned. Actually, though, they weren't that miserable.
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"Rupert?"
"Yes, Anyanka."
She smiled adoringly at him. "Why do you always call me that?"
Giles put aside his paperwork and looked over the top of his glasses at her. "Because it's a lovely name, darling. Unusual and exotic. Like you."
She sighed happily and he kissed her hand.
"What were you going to ask me, dearest?"
"Oh, well, I was going to inquire as to whether you were aware that Buffy is in love with Spike."
"Ah, well, I did surmise that, yes."
She leaned in conspiratorially. "I guessed wrong intentionally in our who's your crush on game so as to allow her to maintain her illusion of secrecy. I mean, really, she would never go for the Krushnil demon."
"Obviously." He smiled at her. "It was very kind of you to do that."
"It was kind, wasn't it? You know, I just wish people had better timing. Why can't anyone love someone at the same time that the one they love loves them?" She paused thoughtfully. "Am I being too circuitous?"
"Not at all dear, I understand you perfectly. And I do hope that Spike and Buffy can come to some mutually satisfying...er...resolution of their situation. There is one flaw in your analysis regarding bad timing, though."
"Really, what's that?"
"That would be us, Anyanka." He cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her deeply.
"Oh, Rupie..."
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Willow rolled over and looked at the clock when the phone rang. It was 6:18 a.m. she had the ringer on low and the phone on the far side of her bed, away from her roommate, who was a sound sleeper anyway. She picked it up quickly. "Hi sweetie."
"Hi Red. Sorry to wake you. Again." She could tell by his voice it was a bad one.
"Would you stop with the sorries? You should know you don't have to say that by now. Besides, I've got an early class, and I owe you a few wake ups, don't I?"
"Yeah, I s'pose," he sighed.
"Want to tell me about it?"
"It was about Buffy."
"Oh. That one again?"
"No, not that. It was...somethin' else. A new one." Willow could almost hear him running his hand through his hair. "Bugger. Remember I told you what she said to me in that alley, when she thought she killed the girl?"
"Oh, yeah."
"It was that. I just kept hearing it over and over again. 'There's nothing good in you. There's nothing clean in you. I could never be your girl.'"
"Spike," she said softly, "you know she doesn't think that way anymore. She told you that, right?"
"Yeah."
"And, I'm not trying to make excuses for her, but I don't think she even meant it at the time. She was just...messed up."
"Maybe."
"She loves you."
"She never said that."
"But I think she does. She took a big chance in coming to you the other day. She was terrified you would reject her."
"And of course, I did. God."
"She decided you were worth the risk. Maybe it's time for you to think about taking a risk, too."
"I...I'll think about it."
"Good. Now you go back to sleep. Good night, William."
Spike hung up the phone and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't going to get anymore sleep today.
TBC
Xander debated about whether to stop by the Magic Box after work, or just go directly to the Bronze. He knew he'd end up at the bar at some point anyway, but being rejected by Anya once again was kind of a self-imposed penance, and he figured he wasn't absolved just yet. And of course, there was that smidgen of hope in the back of his mind that said maybe, this time, things would be different. It coexisted next to that other niggling thought that he refused to acknowledge.
When he arrived at the store, he saw Clem leaning against the counter, talking to Spike and gesturing animatedly. Xander had to smile. He actually liked Clem. He'd never met a sweeter person, or demon, in his life. And it never failed to amuse him how the citizens of Sunnydale ignored his "skin condition." A young mother with a baby in a sling smiled at Clem as she set down some candles on the counter and fished through her purse for a few bills,, which she handed to Spike.
"Hey Clem," he said, clapping the demon on the back. "How's kittens?"
"Xander! Good to see you!" he smiled.
"Spike," Xander greeted him neutrally. "Is Anya around?"
Spike gave the young woman her bag, her change, and a smile guaranteed to make her a repeat customer. "No, she's out of town, mate." *Not that she'd have anything to do with you anyway*
"Out of town? Where out of town?"
"Well," Spike looked at the clock, "she's probably somewhere over the Atlantic about now. She and Giles went to London. Giles had to present my analysis to the council for Buffy. And Anya wanted to go relic hunting." *and watcher shagging*
"But, why didn't she just teleport?"
*Because she and Giles wanted to snog all the way to London in first class, you stupid git* "Uh, I think they had, you know, business stuff to go over. That kind of thing."
"Uh huh."
The shop was pretty much empty now. Xander set down on the edge of the research table. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?"
Spike and Clem looked at each other. "Do you really want me to answer that, Harris?" Clem hit Spike in the shoulder and his skin flaps swung back and forth, hitting Spike a few more times. "Hey, watch it, mate."
"Sorry." Clem grinned sheepishly.
Spike walked over and sat next to Xander on the table.
"She's not going to take me back, is she?"
Spike sighed. "Doesn't look like it."
"She's seeing Giles, isn't she?" That niggling thought had now taken up residence in the front of his mind.
"Figured it out, didja?"
"I'm not completely clueless, tales of naked exercising be damned. I mean, would she actually pay for an airline ticket for any other reason? Please!"
He got up and began to trudge toward the door. Clem gestured to Spike, mouthing, 'do something!' and pointing toward Xander. Spike sighed, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Harris, where do you think you're going?"
"To the Bronze, to get rip roaringly drunk." He didn't miss a step.
"Hold on." Xander turned around. "Look Harris, in my experience, too much liquor in your state of mind can only lead to bad, bad things."
"Oh, yeah? Well, what do you care, anyway?"
"Haven't a clue. Maybe it's because we happen to love the same group of women, who for some unknown reason give a damn about what happens to you. And I'm not going to stand by and let you screw up if I can help it."
Xander tried to get angry. He really did. But he was too tired and depressed to work up much of a mad. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "So, what am I gonna do then? You got any better ideas?"
"Yeah, matter of fact, I do. I'm closin' early tonight. DO NOT tell Anya. Clem and I got a poker game, and we need another player. We're playin' for cash, not kittens, no worries." Xander looked uncertain. "Come on, it'll be fun. You'll be the only human there. You can feel all warm blooded and superior."
Xander shrugged. "O.K."
As they walked down the street towards Spike's car, Clem put a fleshy arm around the man on either side of him. "Here we are, the three musketeers!" he said happily. Spike and Xander both groaned. Actually, though, they weren't that miserable.
************************************************************************
"Rupert?"
"Yes, Anyanka."
She smiled adoringly at him. "Why do you always call me that?"
Giles put aside his paperwork and looked over the top of his glasses at her. "Because it's a lovely name, darling. Unusual and exotic. Like you."
She sighed happily and he kissed her hand.
"What were you going to ask me, dearest?"
"Oh, well, I was going to inquire as to whether you were aware that Buffy is in love with Spike."
"Ah, well, I did surmise that, yes."
She leaned in conspiratorially. "I guessed wrong intentionally in our who's your crush on game so as to allow her to maintain her illusion of secrecy. I mean, really, she would never go for the Krushnil demon."
"Obviously." He smiled at her. "It was very kind of you to do that."
"It was kind, wasn't it? You know, I just wish people had better timing. Why can't anyone love someone at the same time that the one they love loves them?" She paused thoughtfully. "Am I being too circuitous?"
"Not at all dear, I understand you perfectly. And I do hope that Spike and Buffy can come to some mutually satisfying...er...resolution of their situation. There is one flaw in your analysis regarding bad timing, though."
"Really, what's that?"
"That would be us, Anyanka." He cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her deeply.
"Oh, Rupie..."
************************************************************************
Willow rolled over and looked at the clock when the phone rang. It was 6:18 a.m. she had the ringer on low and the phone on the far side of her bed, away from her roommate, who was a sound sleeper anyway. She picked it up quickly. "Hi sweetie."
"Hi Red. Sorry to wake you. Again." She could tell by his voice it was a bad one.
"Would you stop with the sorries? You should know you don't have to say that by now. Besides, I've got an early class, and I owe you a few wake ups, don't I?"
"Yeah, I s'pose," he sighed.
"Want to tell me about it?"
"It was about Buffy."
"Oh. That one again?"
"No, not that. It was...somethin' else. A new one." Willow could almost hear him running his hand through his hair. "Bugger. Remember I told you what she said to me in that alley, when she thought she killed the girl?"
"Oh, yeah."
"It was that. I just kept hearing it over and over again. 'There's nothing good in you. There's nothing clean in you. I could never be your girl.'"
"Spike," she said softly, "you know she doesn't think that way anymore. She told you that, right?"
"Yeah."
"And, I'm not trying to make excuses for her, but I don't think she even meant it at the time. She was just...messed up."
"Maybe."
"She loves you."
"She never said that."
"But I think she does. She took a big chance in coming to you the other day. She was terrified you would reject her."
"And of course, I did. God."
"She decided you were worth the risk. Maybe it's time for you to think about taking a risk, too."
"I...I'll think about it."
"Good. Now you go back to sleep. Good night, William."
Spike hung up the phone and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't going to get anymore sleep today.
TBC
