Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 3
By Rachel
For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.
There is some B/A in this part...don't worry, I promise you that this IS a B/S story! I just want to make sure that I cover everything...it's a long ride (Both in the present AND past), but it'll be worth it!
Also...since I forgot to do so until now, let me give a big THANK YOU to Sandy for being such a great beta-reader!
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"Hello?"
Buffy spoke into her cordless phone as she paced back and forth around her bedroom. "Angel, hi!" She walked over and dragged her suitcase out of the closet before throwing it onto her bed. "How are you?"
"I'm pretty good," Angel responded.
"How is the movie going?" Buffy asked him. This was Angel's most demanding role in a movie yet, and he sometimes spent eighteen hours on the set at a time. Because of his long hours, Buffy rarely got to see him. Angel told her that the scenes they were shooting were fairly basic and that everything was going smoothly. "I was actually hoping to catch you in between filming," Buffy began to explain.
"You called at a good time, then," Angel replied. "We're taking a break. I think that Faith is having a bad day. She can't get into character, and the director keeps having to re-shoot the scenes."
Buffy smiled and snickered softly. "Not like you ever had any problems with that, right?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm in her tone as she thought back to all the times that she had helped Angel run over his lines in "Life Without Love" when he couldn't understand the main character's motives and reasons.
Angel chuckled to himself before asking, "So, what's the reason for the surprise call, baby?"
Buffy stopped proceeding through the room and took a deep breath. She had mentally prepared herself before calling Angel and had halfway worked out what she was going to tell him. Obviously, she couldn't just say "I'm still married to this British, Billy Idol look-a-like named Spike, so I need to go to Sunnydale and make him sign some divorce papers!" and expect him to be all right with that.
Unfortunately, as soon as she heard his question, she had forgotten everything that she had planned out. "Uh...well..." Buffy paused to clear her throat before continuing. "I figured that since you're busy filming the movie, I could take some time off and visit some friends and tell them the good news." Well, her story wasn't exactly a full-out lie; she was hoping to visit Xander and Mr. Giles while she was in Sunnydale, and she still considered them to be friends.
"That's a great idea, Buff," Angel immediately agreed, glad that she had found a way to spend some time since he was concentrating on his role in the movie. "How long do you think you might be?"
Buffy shrugged her shoulders even though Angel couldn't see her. "I'm not too sure. A week, maybe? I can stay for a shorter amount of time than that, or-"
"Take your time, honey," Angel interrupted. "We've still got plenty to do, here, so it's no rush."
"I figure that the sooner I get down there, the sooner I can get back," Buffy pointed out. And be able to legally marry you, she silently added to herself. "So I was planning on leaving this afternoon after I deal with the gallery."
"That's fine, Buffy," he assured her. "Just call me if you need anything, okay?"
"You got it."
"And when we get back? Maybe we can at least start looking into our wedding," Angel added. "You know...where we could have it, what we'd have, those types of things."
Although Buffy thought she should have been excited by Angel's plans, all she really felt was a big pit in her stomach. "Great!" she said, forcing out the enthusiasm.
In the background of her conversation with Angel, she heard someone yell out, "O'Connor! Your scene is up!" in the background.
"I guess that means that-"
"Yeah, I have to get back to work," Angel said apologetically. "I'll call you tonight or tomorrow to make sure you get there okay, all right?"
"All right," Buffy affirmed.
"I love you," Angel quickly said.
Buffy repeated the words into the receiver before turning off the phone. She let the phone rest in her hand a minute or two before turning it back on again and dialing a different number.
"Hello?" a voice asked three rings later.
"Hi, Willow!!" Buffy greeted her friend on the telephone. "How are you? Are classes going all right?"
"My classes are going fine, Buffy," Willow replied. "I've got a few papers to write up and some notes to study for an eventual test, but-"
"But nothing that a computer genius like yourself can't figure out," Buffy teased.
"Exactly." Buffy didn't need to see Willow to know that her friend was smiling; she could hear it in her tone of voice.
"Look, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor," Buffy began.
"Depends on what the favor is," Willow immediately answered.
"Well, I was wondering if you could watch over the gallery for a few days. Maybe you could get Oz and Tara to help you out while you've got classes or something like that," Buffy suggested. "I'm...uh, going out of town for a few days."
"I guess I could work that into my schedule," Willow started. "I don't have any classes tomorrow or Thursday, so I could work full time those two days at least."
"Willow, you are a savior," Buffy sighed.
"I know, I know," she joked. "But honestly, why do you need me to watch over the gallery? Where are you going?"
Buffy paused before blurting out, "Sunnydale."
"What?!" Willow cried out loudly. "Why?"
"Uh...it's a long story," Buffy said, hoping that Willow wouldn't guess.
"Oh, Jesus, he asked you to marry him, didn't he?"
Damn Willow and her insight, Buffy thought. She rolled her eyes before answering, "Yes, Angel asked me to marry him." She pasued, before adding, "And I said *yes*."
Now Willow got a turn at rolling her eyes. "So let me guess...you need to go down to Sunnydale because Spike is there, and you need him to sign some divorce papers, right?" She didn't even wait for Buffy to answer before questioning, "Does Angel know about this?"
Again, Buffy paused, wondering just how much she should tell her friend. "I-kinda-didn't-really-tell-him-about-Spike-and-the-much-needed divorce," she mumbled, hoping Willow could at least somewhat understand.
"What?!"
"I didn't tell him, okay?! Angel doesn't know, and he's never *going* to know, unless someone babbles it to him accidentally, okay?" Buffy reacted, knowing she sounded defensive.
"Okay, okay," Willow replied, backing off the topic from Buffy's tone of voice. "You know I...I have problems with your relationship with Angel, but I'll watch over the gallery or get Tara to help me out until you get back," she said. I just wonder if you're going to get Spike to actually agree to this, thought Willow.
"Thank you, Willow. You're the best," Buffy said. She glanced up at her wall clock and jumped back up to her feet. "Look, if I want to make it down there before sunset, I better get packed and get out of here."
"Okay."
"Call me on my cell if you run into any problems with the gallery," Buffy told her. "Although, you probably won't since you know how my computer works better than I do."
Willow chuckled over the line. "I promise I'll keep your gallery in good condition and sell plenty of pieces while you're gone."
"Thank you, Willow. I'll talk to you later."
The women exchanged another good-bye or two before finally ending the conversation. Buffy turned off the cordless phone and gently placed it back on the charger. She then wandered around her bedroom, slowly taking out some shirts, skirts, and pants for her trip from her dresser and closet.
The one thing she vividly remembered about Spike was his stubbornness. She wasn't sure how long she'd be forced to remain in Sunnydale trying to convince Spike to sign the divorce forms, so she packed enough clothes for a week. Hopefully, I won't need to stay any longer than seven days, Buffy thought to herself as she zipped up her suitcase.
Lastly, she trudged down the hallway with her suitcase trailing behind her and approached her desk in the workroom. Buffy retrieved the divorce forms that Spike needed to sign and folded them in half. She stuck them in the side of her purse before turning on her heel and heading for the stairs.
~~~
Buffy had driven for almost two hours and was now well out of the Los Angeles area. The top of her Toyota Solara was down, and her hair freely whipped around in the air. A pair of brown sunglasses rested on the end of her nose, and she smiled to herself as she drove down the highway. Trees, bushes, and fields of grass had eventually replaced the towering skyscrapers and loud sounds of the city, and the deserted, winding road announced that Buffy was nearing her hometown.
She continued driving for another twenty minutes before she went flying by a sign to her right. She didn't read the sign; but then again, she didn't need to read it since she had memorized the sign years ago. The sign read:
Welcome to Sunnydale
Home of the Sunnydale Wolverines
Population 845 and Growing
~~~
After checking in at the new Holiday Inn located in the better part of town, Buffy parked her car and began exploring the town on foot. Sunnydale was the complete opposite of Los Angeles. The town was so small that almost everyone was a pedestrian; hardly anyone who lived and worked in her hometown actually drove. In contrast, she had been forced to learn how to drive when she moved to LA.
Immediately, everything familiar sank back in; the Expresso Pump, the Sun Cinema, and the other stores that lined the streets looked exactly the same. God, it's been two years, and these places haven't changed a bit, Buffy thought to herself. She almost felt as if she had never left in the first place.
She crossed the street and continued down the sidewalk, passing strangers here and there. The streets were nowhere near as crowded as Los Angeles' were; no, the rhythm was definitely slower in this small town in Southern California. Barely aware of what she was doing, Buffy suddenly found her feet leading her to "The Silver Spoon," Xander and Spike's very popular restaurant.
OK, I'm ready to face him, Buffy told herself. I thought through things in the car...what I'm going to say, how I'm going to act, and I can do this. She paused momentarily in her thinking, standing still. Who am I kidding? He's going to see right through me, she argued with herself. NO! she thought again, resuming her pace and nearing the entrance to the restaurant. I'll be fine.
She hesitated for a second longer once she reached the main entrance to the restaurant. Peering through the glass windows, she could tell that the restaurant hadn't changed much in two years. The booths, carpet, light fixtures, and everything else looked the same. "Okay, here goes nothing," Buffy muttered underneath her breath before pushing the door open and taking a step inside.
Buffy turned her head from side to side, searching for either Xander or Spike. As she gazed around the room, a tall, brown-haired man approached her, menus in hand. "How many, miss?" the voice asked.
"Actually..." she began, craning her neck to gaze around the booths. "I'm here to see the owners, Xander and Spike?"
"Buffy?!"
Buffy stared in front of her, realizing that she *was* talking to one of the managers. "Oh, my God, Xander!" she cried, launching herself into his arms and tightly hugging him. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" She stepped back and admired how fit he looked since she last saw him. His shoulders had broadened, chest flattened out, and his hair was cleanly cut.
"How are you, my little LA Princess?" Xander teasingly asked.
"I'm fine, and yourself?"
"I'm doing great...business is doing great," Xander said proudly. "Not that I mind the surprise or anything, but what are you doing here? Don't tell me that you came all the way down from LA just to try our new gumbo?"
"Ah...well, I'm actually here to talk with Spike," Buffy said with only a slight waver in her tone.
"Spike?" Xander asked, a look of confusion appearing on his face. "Our Spike?"
"Who else around here is named Spike?"
"Good point," Xander agreed. "Here's not here right now, Buff."
Buffy exhaled loudly, a sigh of relief passing through her lips. "Good. Maybe I was wrong in thinking that I could just come here today and talk to him."
"Come on over to our office. We can catch up," Xander suggested. He walked over to the podium placed in the middle of the entrance. "Tracey? Can you take over here for a while?"
"Sure thing, Mr. Harris," the young employee replied.
"C'mon," Xander ordered, motioning for Buffy to follow him. He led her through the restaurant and into a back room. He pushed open a door that read "Managers Only!" on the outside, and after passing through the doorway herself, Buffy closed the door behind her, leaving it open a crack.
"So...," Xander began as he walked over to his desk and sat down. "What brings you back to Sunnyhell?"
"Well...," Buffy spoke timidly, wondering whether or not she should tell Xander everything. She cleared her throat and nervously pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, flashing Xander a glimpse of her ring.
"Wow...look at the size of that mother," Xander gasped, looking at Buffy's hand. "So...that's why you're here?"
Buffy groaned before nodding her head. She quickly detailed her problem of being engaged to Angel while she was still legally bound to Spike in marriage. Honestly, she was surprised that Xander was even listening to her instead of siding with Spike and starting an argument. "I came here looking for him to sign the papers, but I guess I can come back in a day."
"That's...that's fine," Xander replied.
Buffy looked at Xander for a second, her eyebrows raised in question. "Why are you so calm about this?"
"Easy...it's not any of my business," Xander simplified. "Trust me, I still know to not get involved in an argument between the two of you."
Buffy laughed. "I think that this is a bit more serious than just a simple argument." Not wanting to stay too much longer, she stood on her feet and smiled at her friend. "Thank you for being so understanding, Xander."
"My pleasure, Buffy."
Buffy turned around for the door before spinning back around and facing him. "Oh and...I hate to ask you to do this for me, but...until I get things worked out, please don't tell Spike that I'm in Sunnydale yet."
"Oh, I think it's a little bit too late for that," a heartless tone rang out from behind her.
Oh God... Buffy though, slowly turning around again. Her hazel eyes met an icy-cold set of blue ones, and she couldn't stop her mouth from slightly falling open as she faced her ex-husband, Spike Giles.
~~~
TBC...
WOW! Thank you SO much for all the great reviews! I'm glad you are enjoying the idea and story. Let me know what you think of the latest part.