Do You Love

Do you love
Do you need love
When your angels cry
Does your spirit die
Do You Love' by Natalie Imbruglia

It had taken her almost ten blocks of running but she had finally caught up with him. He had run into a dead-end and she had sprinted around the corner with satisfied certainty that she would at least be able to get in once evenly matched fight before she had to return to the land of thoughts and feelings.

Spike stared at the dead-end in disbelief. It was almost a laughable situation. And indeed if it had happened in reverse he'd be laughing quite a bit. But being cornered by the Slayer wasn't an entirely bad situation.

Hey Spike.

Just out for a midnight sprint?

Wasn't planning on it.

Now you know that's dangerous... Buffy carefully checked around for possible weapons and points of attack and weakness, ...You could strain something if you don't stretch first.

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind for next time. Why aren't we fighting?

Both Slayer and Vampire shifted to fighting stances, one foot slightly in front of the other and arms raised it readiness. This time Buffy made the first move with three swift punches to the face followed by a roundhouse. Spike countered with two punches before ducking away from the kick.

The two of them fought with a fury for what could have been minutes or hours. But neither of them were really there. Buffy was not punching Spike and Spike was not punching Buffy. There were both just dancing with each other while they imagined other partners. The anger that they expressed though was true, and when the fight came to a halt both were left with a cathartic feeling.

Spike was also left with the feeling of a wooden stake jammed against his chest. He stared down at the tiny Slayer and a smirk ripened his lips. This was it, he was dust. But instead of feeling death the Slayer spoke to him.

Where's Drusilla?

he coughed. You think I'd tell you an' have you going round and staking her? Honestly Slayer, you're almost as bonkers as that ponce of a boyfriend of yours.

Where is she Spike? she spat his name at him with disdain as she pressed the stake into his chest. Her other hand crushed into his neck, and though she was aware Vampire's did not need to breathe her grip was firm.

With him. he submitted quietly.

What? With who?

Spike's smile became nastier and he raised his eyebrows. He pushed back all the emotional pain at making the insinuation, and simply did it.

***

You're sure the whole werewolf thing doesn't freak you out? Cause I'd understand.

I'm sure. Willow said reassuringly, though she was slightly preoccupied. Did she put on too much make-up? Or not enough? Guys liked the natural look right? Oh, she put on too much. Stop fidgeting.

She pulled up the strap of her dress, wishing for the tenth time that night that she had worn something different. She was trying to hard and the dress was just the first in a long line of things that showed it. Oz didn't seem to notice though, and she wasn't sure whether that was because he was being polite or because he just wasn't very observant. The dress would have looked better on Cordelia, or Buffy, someone with a less gangly figure than Willow's. If Oz liked the dress she was wearing then maybe he should be with a girl who could fit into it.

Something wrong?

What?! No, oh, no. Willow smiled nervously and to try and detract attention away from herself pointed at the cinema screen, Say, dancing Raisinettes...

Oz reached out and gently took her outstretched hand in his. He wove his fingers between hers and gave her hand a quick squeeze. She blushed, but knew that her smile was larger than normal. Their eyes locked and a blush also grew behind Oz's ears, but it was less noticeable. He slowly lower her hand but did not let it go.

Movie's starting.

***

Lost infidelity
We never said a word
So black and white you see
It's all the lies we've heard

Giles flipped over several pages in book he was scanning. He reached the passage he had been searching for and picked up a glass of amber liquid taking a sip from it as he read.

he confirmed in a whisper.

There was a soft knock at his door, so soft in fact that the person on the other side might have been knocking for a while and only now had he noticed it. He book-marked the page he had been looking at before standing and opening the door.

In my mind nothing makes sense
I'm nothing you can't have
Cracked up to disagree
That's all we've ever had

Jenny stood in his doorway with a bottle of wine in one hand. She was shifting nervously on her feet but other than that appeared outwardly calm.

C-Can I come in?

Giles considered refusing her for a second, but the words would not come. After he had drawn some deep breaths he stood aside and indicated that she could enter.

You only you only you can't be the one
You only you only you can't be the one
Your secret smile so quaint
In memories foretold laughing so viciously

Jenny walked in, finding herself even more nervous now than she had been in the doorway. Giles stared at her expectantly but she said nothing. Finally she offered him the wine bottle feebly but he would not take it. So she just placed it on his desk. He was not sure what she was doing there, but all he felt was hurt. Betrayed.

Giles reached across and snapped off the radio.

Your conscience has been sold
In my face there's no more joy
I'm all I should be--

There, that's better. Now what do you want?

I thought we could talk.

Of course. What would you like to talk about? Your lies? Your deceit?

Rupert, I never meant--

If you're going to say that you never meant to hurt me then I will tell you two things. Firstly that you failed, and secondly that you should have known that lying to a person who loves you will undoubtedly cause them pain at some point.

You love--

Giles waved his hand impatiently, a little angry with himself. Both of them took a moment of silence before Giles repeated his first question.

What are you doing here?

I came to apologise...

Of course.

...for the way that I treated you. And I think if you love me, then you can forgive me.

It was a bold statement, as if his love was being questioned just as it was born. More anger. But his reply was soft and pleading as he tried to make her understand.

But don't you see? I don't know who you are. I don't know who I'm in love with anymore.

Cracked infidelity
Is all you are to me
We don't talk anymore,
We don't talk anymore,
We don't talk anymore,
We don't talk anymore...

***

I'm just saying that we don't need to sneak around if you don't want to...

Uh huh.

Cordelia shifted on her father's expensive leather front seat. Xander sat beside her, but they weren't touching each other. Apparently they were here to talk'. When did guys ever want to do that anyway? Xander kept hinting at her to go public with their relationship, but she didn't see the need to. All of his friends knew, and that should be all that mattered to him. Why inflict the rest of the school.

So you want to tell or should--

Geez Xander! Give it a rest already! All your lame friends know about our little tryst so just... drop it. We're alone and together, just kiss me or something.

I don't know if I'm in the mood anymore.

Oh please.

Cordelia leant across and pressed her lips against Xander's, it was a passionate kiss and one of her best performances. She knew how to distract people.

She knew that she couldn't tell her friends about her and Xander, or explain to Xander why not. She also couldn't explain to him that it was more than a tryst. So she just kissed him.

She knew how to distract people.

***

What do you mean she's with Angelus--Angel?

Spike took advantage of the Slayer's considerably relaxed grip to pull away from her and straighten his coat. He glanced around for a way to escape as he answered,

Exaclty what I said.

Nothing to do with it.

Buffy shook herself out of a daze and smartly reminded herself that that thing was not Angel. Not her boyfriend. But she needed to see, what had become of him. She lowered her stake and stared at Spike. She'd do it and then she'd stake him.

Show me.

Show you what, Slayer? Spike smirked, and raised an eyebrow.

Show me, she swallowed,

(Author's Note: The song used in the Giles/Jenny section is 'Infidelity' by Skunk Anansie)