[Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own this stuff. I've already pointed out why]
Nope, nothing to say this time. Better just get on with the story, huh?
Babyshowers at the Hellmouth
Chapter Four
by Adele Elisabeth
"Greeogh," Niamh said patiently, "We're here to find out what's going on, check up on Spike and Angel--"
"And Anya." The demon insisted.
"Yes, and Anya, and then leave. We're not causing trouble, and we're -not- going to interfere in their lives." The slender siren ran a hand through her fiery red hair and sighed. Greeogh wasn't the easiest to deal with, but he had been helpful in tracking down old 'friends'.
"I want to talk--"
"Talking is bad. These people kill demons, remember?"
"You're not a demon." Greeogh sounded almost accusing. "You talk to them."
"I'm not a human, either, though." She pointed out. "Besides, are they really likely to trust someone who occasionally joined in on the little 'games' of Angelus and company?"
"I suppose not." He allowed.
"No, I suppose not too." She prodded him in the side. "We're going to...?"
"Find out what's going on, help anonymously if we can, check up on Anya, Angel, and Spike, and then leave." He said it in a resigned tone.
"No, you aren't."
Niamh whirled, coming face-to-face with the slayer. "Who in the hell are you?" she demanded.
"Buffy. And you're going to come and talk to us."
"Says...?"
"Says me. The Vampire Slayer." Buffy added for emphasis.
"Oh. You're -her-." Niamh said with distaste.
Buffy faltered. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. They were supposed to admit they were up to evil things, and she'd kill them. The redhead bimbo wasn't supposed to look at her like she was somehow offensive.
"Her?"
"Greeogh, you know what to do." Niamh said. Before Buffy had a chance to stop him, the demon swirled into nothing, and was gone. That left Niamh standing there, regarding the slayer with a look akin to disgust.
"Who. Are. You." Buffy said it slowly, just in case the woman was 'slow'.
"Out. Of. Your. League." Niamh mimicked Buffy's tone, and turned to walk away.
Buffy grabbed her arm. Niamh stopped, turned back, and stared pointedly at the offending hand.
"You're coming with me." Buffy said, but not with as much conviction as she would have liked.
"Fine." Niamh replied, resigned. "But we go in my car, and you're sitting in the back."
"Whatever."
A few hours later - Niamh quite deliberately got lost - they pulled up outside the Magic Box. It was late at night, so Spike was standing outside, waiting for Buffy.
His jaw dropped when the fiery-haired (and -tempered) woman got out of the car, followed by Buffy.
"Aren't you going to say hello, Spike?"
Half-an-hour later everyone was assembled in the Magic Box, and were waiting while Angel and Spike argued quietly.
Finally, Giles interrupted. "Excuse me, but can you two argue later? And we'll get on with this?"
They snarled at him in unison, and then shrugged.
"Hello, Niamh." Angel said levelly. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Aren't we friendly today?" she mocked, and then grinned suddenly. "Interrogation. This is more familiar turf. You people had me worried there. I thought you were going to let Blondie handle it." She jerked a thumb at Buffy, who looked suitably offended.
"Just answer the question." Spike told her.
"Fine, fine. I'm just passing through, folks. Wanted to check up on my old friends, and see what was going on. I've been out of the loop, boys, and I was getting worried about you. Ran into Drusilla a while back, and she told me all sorts of interesting things." Her emerald green eyes glittered and she seemed to be addressing that to Spike, who winced.
"What do you want, Niamh?" Angel sounded tired. Everyone else looked fascinated.
"I wanted to find out if what she was saying was all accurate. You know, vampire-with-a-soul, vampire-with-a-chip - both in love with some slayer bimbo, that sort of thing."
"I'm married to Cordelia." Angel told her. "Spike's the one who loves Buffy."
It might have been their imagination, but did Niamh's demeanor suddenly get oh-so-slightly more hostile towards Buffy?
"Oh yes, you got a pulse now." Niamh nodded pleasantly. "That's nice. Drusilla sends her love, Spike. And red-hot pokers, but she's a bit angry at you just now."
"I'm still angry at -you-," Spike said grumpily.
"It was 80 years ago, Spike. Get over it." Niamh grinned suddenly.
Anya, who'd been distracted in the back room, had just come out to see Niamh. She launched herself across the room and hugged her. "Niamh!"
"Hey, Anya, gotta breathe..." the redhead hugged her back, laughing lightly.
"You haven't written in -ages-." The blonde ex-demon accused.
Everyone in the room (including the vampire and ex-vampire) blinked.
"I've been really busy, Anya. Greeogh says hi."
Anya wrinkled her nose. "I'm engaged to Xander now."
"We know. He's just mopey, so I figured letting him see you couldn't hurt."
"Oh. That's okay then." Anya nodded brightly.
"Let me get this straight," Buffy sounded pissed, "this chick here knew you guys when you were all evil, knew Anya, and yet we're not killing her? Why?"
"Is she always like this?" Niamh asked Spike, curious. "First Drusilla, now her. What the hell passes for taste around here?"
Spike coughed, and Cordy looked like she might crack up any minute now.
Buffy looked about ready to explode.
"Well, because Niamh's not exactly evil..." Angel started.
"I'm not evil at all." Niamh protested. "I just happen to be more or less indifferent. And killing vampires isn't my thing, unless they offend me. I don't go out of my way, and the smart ones don't go out of theirs."
"How's Annette?" Spike asked her.
"Staked." The smalll woman's eyes betrayed pain for just an instant.
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Spike murmured.
"Someone staked Annette?" Anya looked startled. Truth be told, so did Angel. Everyone else just looked confused.
"I'd rather not go through this in public, okay fellas?" Niamh gave a bright smile. "How about I just get to know everyone?"
"I don't trust her." Buffy glared.
"Honey, I was killing vampires before you were born."
"Yeah, but you were sleeping with them too." Spike sniggered.
"And she can take the moral highground on that...how?"
"Niamh seems nice." Cordy told Angel as she brushed her hair out before they went to bed.
"She is." Angel replied, unbuttoning his shirt.
"Who's Annette?"
"That, m'love, is a very, very long story, and it belongs entirely to Niamh, so I'll not risk her wrath by telling it, in case she'd rather keep it private." Angel replied, getting into bed.
Cordy climbed in next to him and snuggled up. "What's between her and Spike, then?"
"Not much for about 80 years. Brief fling, he pissed her off, she set fire to his trousers, haven't seen her since."
"She looked awfully jealous of Buffy when you confirmed Spike was in love with the Slayer."
"Well, apparently, from Niamh's perspective, it wasn't just a meaningless fling." Angel allowed.
"I'm going to talk to her in the morning." Cordy decided.
"Yes, dear."
They drifted off to sleep.
Niamh was staying with Spike, by general agreement. She got the bed, he got the couch.
"Nia--"
"No, no. You don't have to explain anything to -me-, Spike. I haven't seen you in 80 years." Her tone was deceptively mild.
"You seem a bit upset about something." He observed, watching her. She'd not brought any clothes with her, having intended to just pass through Sunnydale and be gone before she had a chance to settle into a hotel room, so Spike had loaned her one of his shirts to wear to bed, and she was going to borrow some of Cordy's clothes tomorrow (he'd decided it wouldn't be wise to suggest borrowing from Buffy). Currently, she sat on his bed, wearing only his shirt and her knickers, quite unself-conscious. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her wearing less than that before.
"Do I? I can't imagine why."
"Really?"
"Can you just leave it alone?" she glared at him.
"First I'd like to know what 'it' is."
"Tough luck, loverboy. Why don't you go play twenty questions with Blondie?"
Suddenly it dawned on him what was pissing her off. "You're jealous."
"Me? Jealous of -her-?" she snorted derisively. "You're barking up the wrong tree, my friend."
"You are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
This continued for a while. Finally, Spike could take it no longer. "You were never jealous of Drusilla. Why Buffy?"
"At least with Drusilla you showed you actually had some taste. Come on, Buffy's more Angel's type. Or Angel's old type. I like Cordelia." Niamh replied, finally admitting that maybe she was a bit jealous. Just a tiny, tiny bit.
"Look, I gave up on having any chance with Buffy long ago."
"If she had half a brain she'd have snapped you up the instant you showed any amount of interest." Niamh sniffed.
"And you have half a brain?" He was toying with the idea of renewing their 'fling'. Niamh was fun, feisty, and she never beat him up to get answers out of him. Also, she'd frequently shown that she trusted him completely. Even when it was misplaced trust, but still.
"I have a whole brain, thank you very much."
"Is that so?"
"It is indeed." She twirled a few flaming strands around her little finger, watching him warily. What was he playing at?
"Well, I'm showing lots, and lots of interest..." he said suggestively. "Why aren't you snapping me up?"
Spike grinned at her as she pounced on him.
Buffy was sulking. -Again-.
Spike and Niamh had arrived at the Magic Box the next evening, looking like the cats got the canary. Buffy had been convinced that Spike was head over heels in love with her still, but now she wasn't so sure. Particularly seeing as how Niamh was sitting in his lap and he had his chin on her shoulder, whispering things to her softly. Whatever he was whispering was illiciting naughty little giggles.
Angel didn't look surprised, and Cordy looked oddly pleased about the arrangement. The others were alternately slightly confused and faintly amused.
"Aren't you going to go patrolling?" Cordy asked Buffy pointedly. "After all, we've worked out who it was that was asking about people. And there's still big bads to be fought."
Buffy glared at the brunette, grabbed a stake and stalked out the door.
***
There'll be more evilness, I promise. This is just the calm before the storm...
I'm enjoying this story. It's funfun. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Toodles to yoodles,
Adele Elisabeth
Nope, nothing to say this time. Better just get on with the story, huh?
Babyshowers at the Hellmouth
Chapter Four
by Adele Elisabeth
"Greeogh," Niamh said patiently, "We're here to find out what's going on, check up on Spike and Angel--"
"And Anya." The demon insisted.
"Yes, and Anya, and then leave. We're not causing trouble, and we're -not- going to interfere in their lives." The slender siren ran a hand through her fiery red hair and sighed. Greeogh wasn't the easiest to deal with, but he had been helpful in tracking down old 'friends'.
"I want to talk--"
"Talking is bad. These people kill demons, remember?"
"You're not a demon." Greeogh sounded almost accusing. "You talk to them."
"I'm not a human, either, though." She pointed out. "Besides, are they really likely to trust someone who occasionally joined in on the little 'games' of Angelus and company?"
"I suppose not." He allowed.
"No, I suppose not too." She prodded him in the side. "We're going to...?"
"Find out what's going on, help anonymously if we can, check up on Anya, Angel, and Spike, and then leave." He said it in a resigned tone.
"No, you aren't."
Niamh whirled, coming face-to-face with the slayer. "Who in the hell are you?" she demanded.
"Buffy. And you're going to come and talk to us."
"Says...?"
"Says me. The Vampire Slayer." Buffy added for emphasis.
"Oh. You're -her-." Niamh said with distaste.
Buffy faltered. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. They were supposed to admit they were up to evil things, and she'd kill them. The redhead bimbo wasn't supposed to look at her like she was somehow offensive.
"Her?"
"Greeogh, you know what to do." Niamh said. Before Buffy had a chance to stop him, the demon swirled into nothing, and was gone. That left Niamh standing there, regarding the slayer with a look akin to disgust.
"Who. Are. You." Buffy said it slowly, just in case the woman was 'slow'.
"Out. Of. Your. League." Niamh mimicked Buffy's tone, and turned to walk away.
Buffy grabbed her arm. Niamh stopped, turned back, and stared pointedly at the offending hand.
"You're coming with me." Buffy said, but not with as much conviction as she would have liked.
"Fine." Niamh replied, resigned. "But we go in my car, and you're sitting in the back."
"Whatever."
A few hours later - Niamh quite deliberately got lost - they pulled up outside the Magic Box. It was late at night, so Spike was standing outside, waiting for Buffy.
His jaw dropped when the fiery-haired (and -tempered) woman got out of the car, followed by Buffy.
"Aren't you going to say hello, Spike?"
Half-an-hour later everyone was assembled in the Magic Box, and were waiting while Angel and Spike argued quietly.
Finally, Giles interrupted. "Excuse me, but can you two argue later? And we'll get on with this?"
They snarled at him in unison, and then shrugged.
"Hello, Niamh." Angel said levelly. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Aren't we friendly today?" she mocked, and then grinned suddenly. "Interrogation. This is more familiar turf. You people had me worried there. I thought you were going to let Blondie handle it." She jerked a thumb at Buffy, who looked suitably offended.
"Just answer the question." Spike told her.
"Fine, fine. I'm just passing through, folks. Wanted to check up on my old friends, and see what was going on. I've been out of the loop, boys, and I was getting worried about you. Ran into Drusilla a while back, and she told me all sorts of interesting things." Her emerald green eyes glittered and she seemed to be addressing that to Spike, who winced.
"What do you want, Niamh?" Angel sounded tired. Everyone else looked fascinated.
"I wanted to find out if what she was saying was all accurate. You know, vampire-with-a-soul, vampire-with-a-chip - both in love with some slayer bimbo, that sort of thing."
"I'm married to Cordelia." Angel told her. "Spike's the one who loves Buffy."
It might have been their imagination, but did Niamh's demeanor suddenly get oh-so-slightly more hostile towards Buffy?
"Oh yes, you got a pulse now." Niamh nodded pleasantly. "That's nice. Drusilla sends her love, Spike. And red-hot pokers, but she's a bit angry at you just now."
"I'm still angry at -you-," Spike said grumpily.
"It was 80 years ago, Spike. Get over it." Niamh grinned suddenly.
Anya, who'd been distracted in the back room, had just come out to see Niamh. She launched herself across the room and hugged her. "Niamh!"
"Hey, Anya, gotta breathe..." the redhead hugged her back, laughing lightly.
"You haven't written in -ages-." The blonde ex-demon accused.
Everyone in the room (including the vampire and ex-vampire) blinked.
"I've been really busy, Anya. Greeogh says hi."
Anya wrinkled her nose. "I'm engaged to Xander now."
"We know. He's just mopey, so I figured letting him see you couldn't hurt."
"Oh. That's okay then." Anya nodded brightly.
"Let me get this straight," Buffy sounded pissed, "this chick here knew you guys when you were all evil, knew Anya, and yet we're not killing her? Why?"
"Is she always like this?" Niamh asked Spike, curious. "First Drusilla, now her. What the hell passes for taste around here?"
Spike coughed, and Cordy looked like she might crack up any minute now.
Buffy looked about ready to explode.
"Well, because Niamh's not exactly evil..." Angel started.
"I'm not evil at all." Niamh protested. "I just happen to be more or less indifferent. And killing vampires isn't my thing, unless they offend me. I don't go out of my way, and the smart ones don't go out of theirs."
"How's Annette?" Spike asked her.
"Staked." The smalll woman's eyes betrayed pain for just an instant.
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Spike murmured.
"Someone staked Annette?" Anya looked startled. Truth be told, so did Angel. Everyone else just looked confused.
"I'd rather not go through this in public, okay fellas?" Niamh gave a bright smile. "How about I just get to know everyone?"
"I don't trust her." Buffy glared.
"Honey, I was killing vampires before you were born."
"Yeah, but you were sleeping with them too." Spike sniggered.
"And she can take the moral highground on that...how?"
"Niamh seems nice." Cordy told Angel as she brushed her hair out before they went to bed.
"She is." Angel replied, unbuttoning his shirt.
"Who's Annette?"
"That, m'love, is a very, very long story, and it belongs entirely to Niamh, so I'll not risk her wrath by telling it, in case she'd rather keep it private." Angel replied, getting into bed.
Cordy climbed in next to him and snuggled up. "What's between her and Spike, then?"
"Not much for about 80 years. Brief fling, he pissed her off, she set fire to his trousers, haven't seen her since."
"She looked awfully jealous of Buffy when you confirmed Spike was in love with the Slayer."
"Well, apparently, from Niamh's perspective, it wasn't just a meaningless fling." Angel allowed.
"I'm going to talk to her in the morning." Cordy decided.
"Yes, dear."
They drifted off to sleep.
Niamh was staying with Spike, by general agreement. She got the bed, he got the couch.
"Nia--"
"No, no. You don't have to explain anything to -me-, Spike. I haven't seen you in 80 years." Her tone was deceptively mild.
"You seem a bit upset about something." He observed, watching her. She'd not brought any clothes with her, having intended to just pass through Sunnydale and be gone before she had a chance to settle into a hotel room, so Spike had loaned her one of his shirts to wear to bed, and she was going to borrow some of Cordy's clothes tomorrow (he'd decided it wouldn't be wise to suggest borrowing from Buffy). Currently, she sat on his bed, wearing only his shirt and her knickers, quite unself-conscious. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her wearing less than that before.
"Do I? I can't imagine why."
"Really?"
"Can you just leave it alone?" she glared at him.
"First I'd like to know what 'it' is."
"Tough luck, loverboy. Why don't you go play twenty questions with Blondie?"
Suddenly it dawned on him what was pissing her off. "You're jealous."
"Me? Jealous of -her-?" she snorted derisively. "You're barking up the wrong tree, my friend."
"You are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
This continued for a while. Finally, Spike could take it no longer. "You were never jealous of Drusilla. Why Buffy?"
"At least with Drusilla you showed you actually had some taste. Come on, Buffy's more Angel's type. Or Angel's old type. I like Cordelia." Niamh replied, finally admitting that maybe she was a bit jealous. Just a tiny, tiny bit.
"Look, I gave up on having any chance with Buffy long ago."
"If she had half a brain she'd have snapped you up the instant you showed any amount of interest." Niamh sniffed.
"And you have half a brain?" He was toying with the idea of renewing their 'fling'. Niamh was fun, feisty, and she never beat him up to get answers out of him. Also, she'd frequently shown that she trusted him completely. Even when it was misplaced trust, but still.
"I have a whole brain, thank you very much."
"Is that so?"
"It is indeed." She twirled a few flaming strands around her little finger, watching him warily. What was he playing at?
"Well, I'm showing lots, and lots of interest..." he said suggestively. "Why aren't you snapping me up?"
Spike grinned at her as she pounced on him.
Buffy was sulking. -Again-.
Spike and Niamh had arrived at the Magic Box the next evening, looking like the cats got the canary. Buffy had been convinced that Spike was head over heels in love with her still, but now she wasn't so sure. Particularly seeing as how Niamh was sitting in his lap and he had his chin on her shoulder, whispering things to her softly. Whatever he was whispering was illiciting naughty little giggles.
Angel didn't look surprised, and Cordy looked oddly pleased about the arrangement. The others were alternately slightly confused and faintly amused.
"Aren't you going to go patrolling?" Cordy asked Buffy pointedly. "After all, we've worked out who it was that was asking about people. And there's still big bads to be fought."
Buffy glared at the brunette, grabbed a stake and stalked out the door.
***
There'll be more evilness, I promise. This is just the calm before the storm...
I'm enjoying this story. It's funfun. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Toodles to yoodles,
Adele Elisabeth