~
"It was so weird. Like clips from a life I know...or knew, but I don't at the same time." Buffy walked with Xander into school.
"That is weird. Was, uh...was I in it?" Buffy looked upwards, thinking.
"Somewhat. Everyone was in it, with different scenes showing them."
"I see." Buffy looked over to Xander with an apologetic look.
"Sorry, Xan. I must be boring your ass off."
"Nah. I love hearing about freaky dreams. And I mean freaky in a weird sense, not as in porno. Though I'm open to both." Buffy shook her head, laughing lightly.
"It just ties in with all these weird feelings I've been having lately..." Remembering her promise that she would forget about The Choosers, she searched for a distraction. She noticed a head with long brown hair bobbing through the crowd.
"Dawn!" She called out. She and Xander raced next to her.
"Hey Buffy! Hi Xander." Xander rolled his eyes dramatically. Buffy gave him a look before turning back to Dawn.
"We're going Bronzing tonight, do you wanna come?" Dawn visibly brightened.
"Yeah! That would be so cool!"
"Oh, what? It wouldn't lower your precious social status?" Xander spat out venomously.
"Xander..." Buffy started, her voice moving to a low roll.
"No, it's okay. Maybe some other time." Dawn replied, beginning to back away.
"No, Dawn. We want you there." Buffy said, giving Xander an extra little glare for good measure.
"Okay! Cool! Maybe we can, like, paint each others toenails!" Xander said excitedly, flapping his arms about in a superficial way.
"Oh, But, Xanny! We did that last week! We should totally just, like, discuss how, like, inspirationally deep Dawson's Creek is!" Dawn quipped, receiving even the hint of a smile from Xander. Jesse walked up behind them and slung his arm around Dawn.
"Actually, the first episode wasn't bad. It was all about masturbation and teen sex issues. Kinda powerful." Dawn put her hand to her mouth and unsuccessfully kept in a laugh.
"What?"
"You're serious!"
"So?"
"It's Dawson's Creek." Buffy stated between her own laughs.
"Plus you said 'masturbation.'" Xander added. Jesse pretended to walk away, yelling behind him about the immaturity of the people he associated with. He walked back and they all erupted into knew laughs.
"Well, well. If it isn't the Merry Band of Freaks." Cordelia stopped before them, "Honestly, Ambrine, you used to have sense."
"Maybe I just got sense." Dawn said, glaring at the girl who was once her fake best friend. She finally understood exactly why Buffy had always hated that girl.
"Briney, seriously. I don't know what your deal is, but forget it. Hanging with these people will just make your life misery. And I'd hate to have to do that to you."
"Then don't." Cordelia's eyes glazed for a second, but then she shook her head.
"I can't ruin my reputation."
"Well, I have to. Ruin mine, I mean. I'm sick of being known as your bitchy little lackey..." Dawn felt the words pour out of her, "and I'm sorry, you were always a good friend...to me. But I can't do this anymore." Cordelia glared at her.
"Fine." In a huff, she turned around and stormed out.
"Wow. I was expecting James Van Derbeek to come in and start crying." Jesse quipped, sending Dawn into a fit of giggles and causing Buffy and Xander to roll their eyes, "Huh. She thinks I'm funny."
"Well, now that Miss Congeniality has said her part, I gotta run. Spike and Giles have this new intensive workout routine they want me to try out." Xander's eyes widened.
"So, so, you and uh, Spike are gonna work out. Together."
"Yeah." Xander forced a smile and nodded vigorously.
"That's great! Great, great, great..." Buffy walked away, leaving Jesse and Dawn to stare into each other's eyes and Xander to repeat himself over and over and over and over and over and over and over...
~
"So, a vampire is walking down the street and you see it. What do you do?" Buffy gave Spike an incredulous look, "I'm serious, answer the question."
"Stake the bastard's ass." Spike smiled...this was what he hoped she'd say.
"Rule #1, luv. Never, ever become overly confident in your abilities. You never know who or what you might encounter or how strong your next foe will be." Buffy nodded, taking this in.
"Okay."
"Alright, so the vampire is walking towards you, what do you do?"
"Let him come to me, so that I get a feel for how powerful he is." Oh, yeah. I'm ahead of the game. Buffy thought proudly.
"Rule #2, never let the vampire attack first. You always- I mean the other slayers always did this. But it gives the vamp the upper hand, which is * never * "of the good", as you and your bloody following might say." Buffy smiled at this.
"You're really smart, you know that?" Spike smirked.
"Yeah, well...I've had a helluva a lotta practice, pet." Spike looked down at his hands and then up again.
"Ten vamps attack you at once. What do you do?"
"Try to fight them off."
"Rule #3. Never, ever bite off more than you can chew. Get it? Bite?" Buffy laughed into her hand.
"Oh my god, you are so corny."
"I thought it was pretty quick. Sharp." Spike replied, pouting.
"You're wit's lacking. Anyway, in that case, knock on wood, what *should* I do?"
"Fight off some of 'em and then hightail your ass outta there."
"So, its basically kick-em-in-the-crotch-and-then-run-away?"
"Metaphorically...yeah." Spike said with one of his trademark lopsided grin.
"You growin' your hair?"
"Yup. Right now it's my "mane" priority." Buffy said with a cheeky grin.
"Now that was bad. Wow, that was really bad."
"Yeah, I know. Those sort of things just come to me."
"That was so, so, so, so bad."
"Okay, we get it."
~
Willow sat at her table and watched. She watched as Buffy, Xander, Jesse, and Dawn laughed and danced.
Stupid twisted ankle. She cursed, glaring at her foot. She sighed to herself and drug her red straw through her coke. She hadn't been this bored in a long, long time.
~
Buffy broke her attention away from yet another one of Xander's stand-up acts and saw Willow, sitting alone. Wiping a trickle of sweat off of her brow, she made a sign to Dawn that she needed a breather and waltzed over to where Willow was sitting.
"Hey there stranger."
"Hey." Willow squeaked, patting the seat next to her. Buffy smiled and easily took it.
"How goes the injury box? Or whatever that expression is." Willow giggled and shrugged.
"I don't even think that is an expression."
"Whatever. So, how goes it?"
"Okay. I kinda wish I could get up and dance with you guys-"
"You mean, with Xander." Willow blushed a fierce red.
"Shut up. I'm trying to get over him." Buffy nodded, understanding perfectly.
"Why don't you go out there? I'm sure he'd hold you up and help you dance a la Screech and Lisa...it could be fun." Willow pondered this for a moment.
"Seize the fish, Will." Buffy said, clutching her friends hand. Willow giggled to herself before hobbling out into the dance floor. Buffy watched with a detached sense of wonder as Xander and Jesse put their arms around Willow's waist to support her.
"Buffy." Buffy sighed heavily before turning around to face none other than...
"Angel." He stood awkwardly for a moment before sitting down where Willow was. He then promptly stood back up again.
"How are you?"
"Peachy, side of keen. You?"
"Fine." Buffy nodded her head and tried desperately to think of something to say.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around in-"
"3 months?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. It's alright." Angel shifted his weight. He had to know something.
"Are you with Spike?" Buffy cringed. She hoped Angel didn't notice, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't sure how to answer that. She didn't want to give Angel any hope...she didn't think it would be wise for them to date, not to mention the fact that did still have teeny, tiny, itty, bitty * traces * of feelings for Sp-
No, no. I am not going there.
But she couldn't say yes, when the answer was really no.
Fortunately , she didn't have to answer.
Unfortunately, it was because Spike was standing right next to Angel.
"'Ello, Buffy, pet. Nancy-boy sire. How's all?"
"Hi Spike." Buffy said, a weak smile playing on her lips.
"Hello." Angel replied stonily.
"Someone's cold today. What's wrong, pops? Get up on the wrong side of the tombstone." Angel's nostrils flared and his eyes flashed with anger ( Huh. An actual emotion, Spike noted, Who'd a thunk it?) and he gritted his teeth. To this Spike just laughed.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, man. She knows already."
"Knows what?"
"You're undead status. I told her about you. Purely accidental, of course." Spike stepped closer. His demon was biting at his soul, telling him to just go in for the kill. What he didn't know was that Angel was experiencing the same exact feelings...
"You had no right."
"What are ya gonna do about it, mate?" Angel changed fiercely into game face when Buffy stepped in between them.
"Angel, it's not that big of a deal, Spike, shut your arrogant mouth right now." They glared at one another, but then stepped back. Buffy shook her head.
"Look, I don't know what the deal between you guys is, but get over it. To fight evil we need both of you, so suck up your issues, alright? Spike, let's go." Throwing Angel one last smart-ass "Ha-ha" look, he followed right behind her.
~
"God, could you be any more immature?"
"Has nothing to do with immaturity, luv..." Spike started to explain.
"Seems like it to me." Spike stopped and glared at her. He had forgotten exactly how damned self-righteous she was.
"Well, could you be a little more damned self-righteous? You don't know everything, luv." He snapped.
"You're calling me self-righteous? You're a vampire with a soul!"
"What the hell? That has nothing to do with anything! Yeah, I have a soul and yeah, I do good, but I don't go around parading it, making sure everyone knows that I'm the bloody saint of 'em all. So don't you go calling me self-righteous just cuz I've got a soul, because frankly, darling, you don't have a case." Buffy felt her eyes flash parallel to Angel's before.
"What about the way you were acting in there? Is this just like some new part of you I've never seen before? Because I don't like him very much! And you! You have no right to call me self-righteous! In fact, you have no right to call me anything! You used to be a murderer!"
"I don't have time for this bullshit." Spike said, pushing his way past Buffy.
"Yeah, well neither do I!" Buffy screamed.
"Just go back to your bloody Knight in Brooding Armor. I'm done."
The Choosers be damned. He had no interest in lighting his flame with Buffy in this universe.
~
Spike sat on his couch, smoking a fag when he heard a light knock. Rolling his eyes he got up and went to the door. There before him was Buffy, looking slightly embarrassed, but with big, green puppy dog eyes.
"Can I come in?" She mustered out, somehow. Spike shrugged and moved out of the doorway. She stepped in and turned to Spike, with her eyes closed.
"I'm sorry, okay?" She peeked her one eye open slightly.
"Don't worry, pet. The world didn't end." Spike smirked out. She slapped his arm lightly before laughing a little. She looked at him expectantly.
"Oh? My turn?" He said with a fake sense of shock before softening his gaze, "I'm sorry, luv." He opened his arms and she fell into them. They stayed like that for a moment, when Buffy pulled her head away from his chest.
She touched his face and narrowed her eyes quizzically. She traced her fingers up his cheek and to his eyebrow scar. Spike closed his eyes, unwillingly.
"Where did you-" But the feeling of her soft fingers on his skin was too much for Spike to handle. The next thing that Buffy knew, Spike's lips were on hers. A sound erupted from deep within her throat before she wrapped her arms around his neck. She opened her lips and his cool tongue slid in, massaging hers lightly. His hands roamed her back before moving up to arms to cup her face. His lips moved skillfully over hers, making her forget where she was, even who she was. All she knew at that moment was him and the feeling of him and the scent of him and his thumbs that were making light circles on her cheek. She leaned even farther into him, so much that his entire body was pressed up against her...and in a matter of seconds after she did, he tensed up. He jerked his mouth away from hers and stepped back, shaking his head. Buffy crossed her arms and tried to interpret what he was saying...
"No, no...the plan, I have to follow the plan..." Buffy quirked the edges of her eyes in confusion.
"The plan?" Spike looked up in surprise, as if he had just realized that Buffy was there.
"The plan...the plan is...the plan is that I have to go. You can let yourself out, right? Good. Great. Bye then. Happy Christmas to ya." He no more than ran out of his apartment, trying to get as far away from his feelings for Buffy as he could.
Buffy stood bewildered, staring around Spike's room. She collapsed onto Spike's couch and pouted out one word...
"Shit."
~
tbc...
A/N: Merry Christmas!!
"It was so weird. Like clips from a life I know...or knew, but I don't at the same time." Buffy walked with Xander into school.
"That is weird. Was, uh...was I in it?" Buffy looked upwards, thinking.
"Somewhat. Everyone was in it, with different scenes showing them."
"I see." Buffy looked over to Xander with an apologetic look.
"Sorry, Xan. I must be boring your ass off."
"Nah. I love hearing about freaky dreams. And I mean freaky in a weird sense, not as in porno. Though I'm open to both." Buffy shook her head, laughing lightly.
"It just ties in with all these weird feelings I've been having lately..." Remembering her promise that she would forget about The Choosers, she searched for a distraction. She noticed a head with long brown hair bobbing through the crowd.
"Dawn!" She called out. She and Xander raced next to her.
"Hey Buffy! Hi Xander." Xander rolled his eyes dramatically. Buffy gave him a look before turning back to Dawn.
"We're going Bronzing tonight, do you wanna come?" Dawn visibly brightened.
"Yeah! That would be so cool!"
"Oh, what? It wouldn't lower your precious social status?" Xander spat out venomously.
"Xander..." Buffy started, her voice moving to a low roll.
"No, it's okay. Maybe some other time." Dawn replied, beginning to back away.
"No, Dawn. We want you there." Buffy said, giving Xander an extra little glare for good measure.
"Okay! Cool! Maybe we can, like, paint each others toenails!" Xander said excitedly, flapping his arms about in a superficial way.
"Oh, But, Xanny! We did that last week! We should totally just, like, discuss how, like, inspirationally deep Dawson's Creek is!" Dawn quipped, receiving even the hint of a smile from Xander. Jesse walked up behind them and slung his arm around Dawn.
"Actually, the first episode wasn't bad. It was all about masturbation and teen sex issues. Kinda powerful." Dawn put her hand to her mouth and unsuccessfully kept in a laugh.
"What?"
"You're serious!"
"So?"
"It's Dawson's Creek." Buffy stated between her own laughs.
"Plus you said 'masturbation.'" Xander added. Jesse pretended to walk away, yelling behind him about the immaturity of the people he associated with. He walked back and they all erupted into knew laughs.
"Well, well. If it isn't the Merry Band of Freaks." Cordelia stopped before them, "Honestly, Ambrine, you used to have sense."
"Maybe I just got sense." Dawn said, glaring at the girl who was once her fake best friend. She finally understood exactly why Buffy had always hated that girl.
"Briney, seriously. I don't know what your deal is, but forget it. Hanging with these people will just make your life misery. And I'd hate to have to do that to you."
"Then don't." Cordelia's eyes glazed for a second, but then she shook her head.
"I can't ruin my reputation."
"Well, I have to. Ruin mine, I mean. I'm sick of being known as your bitchy little lackey..." Dawn felt the words pour out of her, "and I'm sorry, you were always a good friend...to me. But I can't do this anymore." Cordelia glared at her.
"Fine." In a huff, she turned around and stormed out.
"Wow. I was expecting James Van Derbeek to come in and start crying." Jesse quipped, sending Dawn into a fit of giggles and causing Buffy and Xander to roll their eyes, "Huh. She thinks I'm funny."
"Well, now that Miss Congeniality has said her part, I gotta run. Spike and Giles have this new intensive workout routine they want me to try out." Xander's eyes widened.
"So, so, you and uh, Spike are gonna work out. Together."
"Yeah." Xander forced a smile and nodded vigorously.
"That's great! Great, great, great..." Buffy walked away, leaving Jesse and Dawn to stare into each other's eyes and Xander to repeat himself over and over and over and over and over and over and over...
~
"So, a vampire is walking down the street and you see it. What do you do?" Buffy gave Spike an incredulous look, "I'm serious, answer the question."
"Stake the bastard's ass." Spike smiled...this was what he hoped she'd say.
"Rule #1, luv. Never, ever become overly confident in your abilities. You never know who or what you might encounter or how strong your next foe will be." Buffy nodded, taking this in.
"Okay."
"Alright, so the vampire is walking towards you, what do you do?"
"Let him come to me, so that I get a feel for how powerful he is." Oh, yeah. I'm ahead of the game. Buffy thought proudly.
"Rule #2, never let the vampire attack first. You always- I mean the other slayers always did this. But it gives the vamp the upper hand, which is * never * "of the good", as you and your bloody following might say." Buffy smiled at this.
"You're really smart, you know that?" Spike smirked.
"Yeah, well...I've had a helluva a lotta practice, pet." Spike looked down at his hands and then up again.
"Ten vamps attack you at once. What do you do?"
"Try to fight them off."
"Rule #3. Never, ever bite off more than you can chew. Get it? Bite?" Buffy laughed into her hand.
"Oh my god, you are so corny."
"I thought it was pretty quick. Sharp." Spike replied, pouting.
"You're wit's lacking. Anyway, in that case, knock on wood, what *should* I do?"
"Fight off some of 'em and then hightail your ass outta there."
"So, its basically kick-em-in-the-crotch-and-then-run-away?"
"Metaphorically...yeah." Spike said with one of his trademark lopsided grin.
"You growin' your hair?"
"Yup. Right now it's my "mane" priority." Buffy said with a cheeky grin.
"Now that was bad. Wow, that was really bad."
"Yeah, I know. Those sort of things just come to me."
"That was so, so, so, so bad."
"Okay, we get it."
~
Willow sat at her table and watched. She watched as Buffy, Xander, Jesse, and Dawn laughed and danced.
Stupid twisted ankle. She cursed, glaring at her foot. She sighed to herself and drug her red straw through her coke. She hadn't been this bored in a long, long time.
~
Buffy broke her attention away from yet another one of Xander's stand-up acts and saw Willow, sitting alone. Wiping a trickle of sweat off of her brow, she made a sign to Dawn that she needed a breather and waltzed over to where Willow was sitting.
"Hey there stranger."
"Hey." Willow squeaked, patting the seat next to her. Buffy smiled and easily took it.
"How goes the injury box? Or whatever that expression is." Willow giggled and shrugged.
"I don't even think that is an expression."
"Whatever. So, how goes it?"
"Okay. I kinda wish I could get up and dance with you guys-"
"You mean, with Xander." Willow blushed a fierce red.
"Shut up. I'm trying to get over him." Buffy nodded, understanding perfectly.
"Why don't you go out there? I'm sure he'd hold you up and help you dance a la Screech and Lisa...it could be fun." Willow pondered this for a moment.
"Seize the fish, Will." Buffy said, clutching her friends hand. Willow giggled to herself before hobbling out into the dance floor. Buffy watched with a detached sense of wonder as Xander and Jesse put their arms around Willow's waist to support her.
"Buffy." Buffy sighed heavily before turning around to face none other than...
"Angel." He stood awkwardly for a moment before sitting down where Willow was. He then promptly stood back up again.
"How are you?"
"Peachy, side of keen. You?"
"Fine." Buffy nodded her head and tried desperately to think of something to say.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around in-"
"3 months?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. It's alright." Angel shifted his weight. He had to know something.
"Are you with Spike?" Buffy cringed. She hoped Angel didn't notice, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't sure how to answer that. She didn't want to give Angel any hope...she didn't think it would be wise for them to date, not to mention the fact that did still have teeny, tiny, itty, bitty * traces * of feelings for Sp-
No, no. I am not going there.
But she couldn't say yes, when the answer was really no.
Fortunately , she didn't have to answer.
Unfortunately, it was because Spike was standing right next to Angel.
"'Ello, Buffy, pet. Nancy-boy sire. How's all?"
"Hi Spike." Buffy said, a weak smile playing on her lips.
"Hello." Angel replied stonily.
"Someone's cold today. What's wrong, pops? Get up on the wrong side of the tombstone." Angel's nostrils flared and his eyes flashed with anger ( Huh. An actual emotion, Spike noted, Who'd a thunk it?) and he gritted his teeth. To this Spike just laughed.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, man. She knows already."
"Knows what?"
"You're undead status. I told her about you. Purely accidental, of course." Spike stepped closer. His demon was biting at his soul, telling him to just go in for the kill. What he didn't know was that Angel was experiencing the same exact feelings...
"You had no right."
"What are ya gonna do about it, mate?" Angel changed fiercely into game face when Buffy stepped in between them.
"Angel, it's not that big of a deal, Spike, shut your arrogant mouth right now." They glared at one another, but then stepped back. Buffy shook her head.
"Look, I don't know what the deal between you guys is, but get over it. To fight evil we need both of you, so suck up your issues, alright? Spike, let's go." Throwing Angel one last smart-ass "Ha-ha" look, he followed right behind her.
~
"God, could you be any more immature?"
"Has nothing to do with immaturity, luv..." Spike started to explain.
"Seems like it to me." Spike stopped and glared at her. He had forgotten exactly how damned self-righteous she was.
"Well, could you be a little more damned self-righteous? You don't know everything, luv." He snapped.
"You're calling me self-righteous? You're a vampire with a soul!"
"What the hell? That has nothing to do with anything! Yeah, I have a soul and yeah, I do good, but I don't go around parading it, making sure everyone knows that I'm the bloody saint of 'em all. So don't you go calling me self-righteous just cuz I've got a soul, because frankly, darling, you don't have a case." Buffy felt her eyes flash parallel to Angel's before.
"What about the way you were acting in there? Is this just like some new part of you I've never seen before? Because I don't like him very much! And you! You have no right to call me self-righteous! In fact, you have no right to call me anything! You used to be a murderer!"
"I don't have time for this bullshit." Spike said, pushing his way past Buffy.
"Yeah, well neither do I!" Buffy screamed.
"Just go back to your bloody Knight in Brooding Armor. I'm done."
The Choosers be damned. He had no interest in lighting his flame with Buffy in this universe.
~
Spike sat on his couch, smoking a fag when he heard a light knock. Rolling his eyes he got up and went to the door. There before him was Buffy, looking slightly embarrassed, but with big, green puppy dog eyes.
"Can I come in?" She mustered out, somehow. Spike shrugged and moved out of the doorway. She stepped in and turned to Spike, with her eyes closed.
"I'm sorry, okay?" She peeked her one eye open slightly.
"Don't worry, pet. The world didn't end." Spike smirked out. She slapped his arm lightly before laughing a little. She looked at him expectantly.
"Oh? My turn?" He said with a fake sense of shock before softening his gaze, "I'm sorry, luv." He opened his arms and she fell into them. They stayed like that for a moment, when Buffy pulled her head away from his chest.
She touched his face and narrowed her eyes quizzically. She traced her fingers up his cheek and to his eyebrow scar. Spike closed his eyes, unwillingly.
"Where did you-" But the feeling of her soft fingers on his skin was too much for Spike to handle. The next thing that Buffy knew, Spike's lips were on hers. A sound erupted from deep within her throat before she wrapped her arms around his neck. She opened her lips and his cool tongue slid in, massaging hers lightly. His hands roamed her back before moving up to arms to cup her face. His lips moved skillfully over hers, making her forget where she was, even who she was. All she knew at that moment was him and the feeling of him and the scent of him and his thumbs that were making light circles on her cheek. She leaned even farther into him, so much that his entire body was pressed up against her...and in a matter of seconds after she did, he tensed up. He jerked his mouth away from hers and stepped back, shaking his head. Buffy crossed her arms and tried to interpret what he was saying...
"No, no...the plan, I have to follow the plan..." Buffy quirked the edges of her eyes in confusion.
"The plan?" Spike looked up in surprise, as if he had just realized that Buffy was there.
"The plan...the plan is...the plan is that I have to go. You can let yourself out, right? Good. Great. Bye then. Happy Christmas to ya." He no more than ran out of his apartment, trying to get as far away from his feelings for Buffy as he could.
Buffy stood bewildered, staring around Spike's room. She collapsed onto Spike's couch and pouted out one word...
"Shit."
~
tbc...
A/N: Merry Christmas!!
