You've probably noticed by now, or will soon, that Buffy has mood swings in my story.  For example, at the end of chapter 4 the slayer was angry at Spike.  However, at the beginning of this chapter she's happy to see him.  This, to me, is the essence of Buffy.  I'm not being inconsistent, I'm simply writing about a girl who doesn't know what she wants, and needs to be forced to make up her mind (hopefully with a naked Spike nearby).  Just thought I'd share.  Happy Tuesday…or….Thursday.

Oh, and before you get to the reading allow me to rant for a moment.  I hate the sixers!  I live in Philly, and they didn't show the Buffy episode from this past Tuesday (November 19) because they were showing a sixers game on UPN.  It's being shown on Saturday, so that's good.  But still, Yuck!  I have to shield my eyes when I go on message boards so as not to be spoiled!  Here ends the rant!

Part 5:

Buffy climbed through the window, and into her room. Her head was spinning with too many thoughts and ideas. However, her thoughts all stopped when she came face to face with a very angry Joyce Summers.

"Where have you been?" Buffy was asked.

"I couldn't sleep so I climbed out onto the roof." Buffy lied.

"Don't lie to me!" Joyce shouted angrily.

"Mom, you don't understand." Buffy protested.

"I understand perfectly well. I saw you leave a car that I know doesn't belong to any of your friends, and I know you lied to me about what you were doing. You, young lady, are confined to this house." Joyce commanded.

"I'm grounded?" Buffy asked weakly.

"Be happy that's the only punishment you got." Joyce said before leaving the room, slamming the door behind her. Buffy collapsed onto her bed, burying her head in her pillow, and drifting off into a restless sleep.

Buffy awoke when she heard a gentle tapping on her window. She glanced at the clock beside her bed and saw that it was 9:22 at night. Buffy had slept the entire day. The slayer walked cautiously to her window and opened it. There, she came face to face with a brooding Angel.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, ushering Angel inside.

"There's someone else, isn't there?" Angel asked.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"I haven't seen you for a while, and when we talked, you were distant. It's OK Buffy. I want what's best for you. It's just…" Angel trailed off.

"Angel. I care about you so much. Sometimes I think I love you." Buffy said.

"But?"

"But I've been…talking to this other guy. And when I'm with him, it's like the world falls away, and I forget about everything. He makes me feel things." Buffy finished.

"You deserve that." Angel said sadly Though Angel had expected this, hearing the words made it hurt more than he expected.

"I'm so sorry." Buffy said. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before, I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I'm sorry too." Angel said. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on Buffy's lips. Angel turned to exit through the window.

"Angel." Buffy called to him, softly. Angel turned.

"It does hurt me. Losing you, it may be right, but it does hurt."

"It hurts?" Angel asked.

"Yeah." Buffy whispered. She closed her eyes for a moment and, when she opened them, Angel was gone.

It had been days, three days since Spike had seen Buffy, and he felt like he was going insane. He spent his days and nights pacing the mansion, unable to sleep. All he could do was wait, hoping that the slayer would show up, hoping that she would talk to him, allow him to be part of her life. But no, Spike had received no word from the slayer. "I'm through with it." Spike said, speaking aloud, though only the creak of the floor answered him. "I may not have been able to feed before, I may have been under the damn slayer's spell. I'm done. Tonight. I feed."

Since he met her, Spike hadn't fed. He had been able to live off human food, another side effect of the spell. However, tonight Spike's anger got the better of him. He stripped off his necklace and threw it onto the marble floor of the mansion. Then, he made his way to the Bronze.

"Does Buffy Summers work here still?" Spike asked the bartender.

"No man, she quit. Said something about being busy." The bartender answered. Spike threw money on the bar and grabbed a beer. He then stalked toward the dance floor. A beautiful woman caught Spike's eye. She resembled Buffy in almost no ways. "Perfect." Spike murmured. He placed the bear on an empty table and made his way to the raven haired beauty.

"Hey." The woman whispered into his ear. Spike wasted no time. He grabbed her by her hips and began dancing with her. The woman was a slut, Spike didn't know what else to call her. However, tonight that didn't matter. Spike licked her neck sensually, hearing the blood rushing beneath it. The woman turned in his arms and Spike captured her lips with his own.

The woman was a good kisser, Spike knew that. However, all he could think about was how Buffy's kisses compared to hers. The soft way Buffy's lips touched his, even when their kisses were frantic. The slayer's warm tongue, probing his mouth, and the fact that her lips tasted like honey. Spike tried to ignore these things. Kissing the woman frantically, Spike walked her towards the back entrance of the Bronze and into the back alley. Where, Spike released his hold on her lips. Giving her what he hoped, was an evil grin, Spike shifted into game face. The woman barely had a chance to register what was happening before Spike had sung his fangs into her neck.

Suddenly Spike released his hold on the woman. Images of the slayer staring at him, hurt in her eyes made the warm, buttery blood taste disgusting. Spike turned away from the woman, trying to gain control of his demon. However, when he turned back and saw her there, too frightened to move, he couldn't finish feeding. "Run!" The vampire shouted in frustration and anger. The woman looked at him in disbelief before turning and running.

Spike kicked an empty beer bottle and let an anguished howl escape his lips. He smiled at the satisfying sound of breaking glass. He walked a few more paces before smirking inwardly and muttering. "At least I'm man enough to admit it." He whispered as he made his way to the slayer's house, a slight bounce back in his step.



"Never question if you are in love or not, because if you were you wouldn't need to ask."

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