Thanks for all the lovely support and reviewage! I would just like to thank Debz my beta!! Ok, so here's the drill. You read. You like or don't like. You review either way! GOTTIT!?!
"Hi, I'm Anya."
"Oh, Hi Anya. I'm Buffy."
Buffy grinned, still a little awed by the friendliness of everyone. A rather large farmer looking man named Hank had wrenched her hand out of its socket and his wife Susie had stroked the blonde's hair for a disturbingly long time. In total, they were a small group of eleven: Buffy, Spike, Anya, Hank, Susie, a newly wed couple- Martin and Jenny, Sebbie, Elliot, Ted and Carla.
Martin and Jenny were nice, simple guys who couldn't hold a 10 second conversation without making eyes at each other. Obviously this was some sort of honeymoon for them, Buffy could see that they would be of little entertaining company.
Sebbie was a devilishly gorgeous and proudly gay. His soft black hair spiked up and swirling green eyes completed his exotic looks. A camera kit in hand, he introduced himself as a photographer, looking to build up his portfolio. Wearing a dirty orange shirt and baggy deep purple trousers, Sebbie was an obvious hottie.
Elliot reminded Buffy of her old teacher Mr Wyndam-Price. The man was obviously the book-ish sort, just as Buffy was herself, but he also seemed to be the droll sort, where she would try and imagine the history she had studied, Elliot probably spewed out a couple of facts and moved on. His dark skin and short, tight braids were hidden behind wire-rimmed glasses and stiff suits that did not show that he was probably quite attractive behind it all. Introduced as a chemist, Buffy knew that she could count on Elliot for the odd discussion but he too didn't seem the friendly type.
Ted was funny. Buffy could see that he would the light-hearted influence on the group. He was quite attractive, though nothing in comparison to Sebbie and if Buffy were to admit it, the rather obnoxious Spike. Introduced as a student, he was doing exactly what Buffy had wanted to – taken a year off before going to college.
With mousy hair and blue eyes, he looked the boy-next door. Buffy could see that he had his sights set somewhat on Carla.
Carla too was a student, taking a gap year. Her dark curls; hazel eyes and olive skin were naturally beautiful. Her Mexican background gave the girl's voice a vibrant strong tone and she exuded life from every pore. A smiling and greeting person, Carla was obviously the 'Miss Congeniality' of the group.
Finding herself introduced to the final stranger around her, Buffy got to talking with Anya. The woman was very enthusiastic, maps and odd little facts about some of the places they were going seemed to fall from her lips every second. Buffy enjoyed the awe and excitement that the social worker greeted hers added facts with and could see that Anya would become a very close, trustworthy friend in time. Bubbling forth, Buffy couldn't help but feel even more energised after meeting Anya and her excitement seemed almost to peak.
~***~**~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey guys, welcome. I'm Terese. I trust you've all met each other and liked each other because you will be spending the next month with the people around you! I understand that some of you will obviously be sharing rooms, but for those of you who are travelling with no particular companion, I would like to ask you to arrange to share a room with someone else I the group. There will be one spare person and that person will join a group of two and take the room for three that we've booked at all our locations."
Buffy looked around awkwardly.
Ted and Carla seemed relaxed; they were obviously sharing, leaving Buffy to choose between Anya, Sebbie, Elliot and Spike. Immediately aiming for Anya, the blonde was shocked to see the other woman flirting with Spike and making plans to share rooms with him. Quickly looking round, Buffy saw that Sebbie was with Elliot, having seen Buffy bound towards Anya. Like the loser she had felt herself in high school, Buffy was last.
Deciding to join Sebbie and Elliot, the historian was surprised to find herself being dragged backwards by Anya.
"That's great then. Erm…sorry, I'll get to know your names in time…Buffy, Spike and…Anya? Yeah, you guys get the three. Brilliant. As your guide, I'll be with you at all times as will my husband Zack who is just sorting out our translator in France. As you know, we will be heading to France first of all for four days. From there we spend a day in London before flying to do the rest of Europe starting with Greece. Ok, so I think that's it, so if you'll all follow me, we can get on the plane."
Resigning herself to dealing with Spike for a month, Buffy decided to try and look past his obvious flaws and focus on the good.
"So, Spike, what do you do?" Buffy asked, hoping she sounded interested and not mocking.
"I'd prefer not to say, ducks."
Anya giggled at this, "Would we stop respecting you?"
Rolling her eyes, Buffy resigned herself to watching the two of them flirt for the rest of the month.
"Well, pet, that depends on what you perceive as useful careers."
"I'm sharing a room with a gigolo?!" Buffy yelped in shock.
Anya and Spike shot her an almost identical look of laughter and Spike had the audacity to smirk.
"We're flirting pet. Know that's foreign territory for you, but it's a thing that people do when they plan on fucking later on – another thing that I'm sure is foreign territory for a tight-arsed lady like yourself." Winking, the bleached blond pulled a silently chuckling Anya forward leaving a fuming Buffy trailing behind.
~~~~********~~~~~********~~~~~~
Day One in France had been amazing. The Eiffel Tower had taken them a good couple of hours, the Museé d'Orsay had been especially fun and Buffy had enjoyed escaping Spike and Anya for the, albeit droll, but somewhat interesting company of Elliot. They visited several other places, Notre Dame, L'Arc de Triomphe and of course, shopping occurred.
The next day was to be spent in Normandy, visiting various World War Sites and Museums. On the way, they were to stop at an art gallery.
Hank, Susie, Ted, Carla, Martin and Jenny were lost in the land of couple-dom, so Buffy, Sebbie, Spike, Anya and Elliot decided that the five of them could have just as much fun as any lovey-dovey couple could. They paraded around the gallery, mock pondering on the pieces and Buffy was not-so-pleasantly surprised to find that Spike and Anya seemed to be getting closer and closer my the millisecond.
When they reached the hotel in Normandy, they were all exhausted and fell into bed in a content, excited mood, awaiting the country hikes of the next day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Buffy groaned, having been woken up by a noise. Yawning she sat up in bed and looked around the room. It was small, three single beds, three nightstands and a window. There was a sofa and a television in the corner, where she was annoyed to find Spike, flicking through the television channels.
"Some of us are trying to sleep!" she hissed, careful not to wake Anya.
"Come here Buffy, watch this."
Unable to sleep once she had been woken, Buffy grumbled all the way to the sofa. Whacking his offending legs – yes; even his anatomy was offensive to her – out of the way, she flumped into the sofa and glared at the screen.
"Its 'Friends' – in French!"
"We are in France."
"I'm aware, pet," he leaned over, tilted his head and shrugged in her face, "but its kinda cool."
"Get the hell out of my personal space."
"Yeah, I don't get that. Where exactly does that start?"
"Like 15 inches form my face but in your case, lets make it a coupla hundred."
"Why do you detest me so, Buffy?"
"You're a tad arrogant."
"I am not. I'm terribly insecure."
"You don't show it with your cocky attitude and grope-friendly hands."
"I have never groped you, ducks. Trust me, you'd remember." He winked.
"Groping Anya, not me, thank goodness. And see – again with the Spike's all good."
"Its called flirting."
"Why would you be flirting with me?"
"Because I want to shag you?"
"That's 'I want to fuck you', right?"
"Yup." He grinned.
"Same here."
Shrugging, Buffy sat back and watched the television. Spike followed suit and they bantered back and forth a little bit about Ross and Rachel.
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