Having had enough excitement for one night, the group decided it was best
to call it a day and leave the Andrew/Warren thing for the morning. The
easiest arrangement for all concerned would be to have Angel, Cordelia, and
Connor crash at the Summers' house.
After getting Angel set up in the basement, Cordelia in her mom's old room, and Connor on the living room couch, Buffy found Spike outside on the back porch, smoking pensively.
"Hey," she sat beside him. "I thought you'd be back at your crypt by now."
"Worried about the Bit," he flicked away some ash.
"Thought you'd be curious about what went on between Angel and I."
"Oh, that? It slipped my mind completely," Spike shrugged unconvincingly.
Ignoring him, "I just figured you'd be brooding back at your crypt, not on my back porch."
"I don't brood," he frowned.
"And I'm never in a state of denial."
Spike sighed heavily. "Let me guess, the wanker convinced you I was still evil and made you see the error of your ways," he got up. "Thanks for the memories, Slayer."
"So you aren't even the least bit curious?"
"Not in the least."
"You don't even want to know that I stood up for you? That I told him I was glad you weren't him."
He stopped.
"Except now I'm wondering why I did. Since you obviously don't care."
"What else?" he walked back to her.
"Oh, I don't really remember. Something about how he can get over things and grow up, accept my choice, or not. Won't change things for me."
"Won't change things?"
"And you thought it would?"
"The Great Buffy-Angel Saga? What a fool I would have to be to think that that would have any effect like the dozen or so other times it's come into play."
"It took me two deaths, but I think I finally figured out that life is short and what's in the past belongs there."
"Who are you and what have you done with Buffy Summers?"
"Very funny."
Spike pulled her into his arms then. "Can't imagine he's too happy with the arrangement."
"You know Angel. Just another item on his list of things to brood about. Besides, he's got Cordelia," she snerked.
"Give the girl a break. She's grown up a bit."
"I know, Cordelia's almost likeable now. But I can't help thinking of her as the self-absorbed glamour girl from high school. Wonder if she misses a normal life."
"She had a choice."
Buffy gaped at him.
So, Spike told her about the visions almost killing Cordelia and how she could have had the life she'd always wanted but instead chose to become part demon to keep them.
"Color me impressed. She chose to be a part of this. Can't say I blame her though."
Now it was Spike's turned to be shocked.
"The normal life is quite boring. Of course all I have for normal is Anne the waitress, working the Doublemeat, and life in an asylum."
"This from the girl who has strove since she became the Slayer to be normal."
"Well after half a dozen or so apocalypses averted and kicking the ass of a hell god, I would be a fool to want to be normal. And the super-strength thing isn't so bad."
Spike couldn't not laugh at that, and Buffy joined him. He stopped and glanced at the sky.
"Sunrise?"
"Soon. I should probably go."
"Go?"
"Well, I can't rightly stay here."
"Why not?"
His eyebrow quirked questioningly.
"It's not like we're hiding anymore. Anya pretty much took care of that for us."
"You're serious?" he couldn't believe his ears.
"And I didn't notice a TV at your place. You've got to be dying to know what trouble Timmy's in this time, especially since he's a real boy now."
"What?"
"But that was months ago."
"You're addicted, aren't you?"
"Me?! To a soap opera? What do you take me for, a wanna-be Big Bad who couldn't kill his third slayer?"
"You so are."
"I happen to catch it from time to time."
"What about Sheridan?"
"Well, for awhile she forgot about Luis, but-"
"Ah ha!"
"Grr. Fine. I watch Passions. Are you happy? It's all your fault anyway. Wanted to see what the fascination was."
"It's far-fetched and entertaining. Okay, not that far-fetched by our standards. Still it is entertaining. And the writing-"
"Sucks."
"Well, yeah. Better than my bloody awful poetry."
"I like your poetry," she looked up at him sheepishly.
He kissed her long and deep for that. It almost meant more to him than anything else she had said to him since he came back.
When they finally broke it off, Buffy blinked her eyes innocently. "I don't suppose you'd like to finish what we started in that ally before we were so rudely interrupted?"
Needing no further invitation, he picked her up and carried her inside.
After getting Angel set up in the basement, Cordelia in her mom's old room, and Connor on the living room couch, Buffy found Spike outside on the back porch, smoking pensively.
"Hey," she sat beside him. "I thought you'd be back at your crypt by now."
"Worried about the Bit," he flicked away some ash.
"Thought you'd be curious about what went on between Angel and I."
"Oh, that? It slipped my mind completely," Spike shrugged unconvincingly.
Ignoring him, "I just figured you'd be brooding back at your crypt, not on my back porch."
"I don't brood," he frowned.
"And I'm never in a state of denial."
Spike sighed heavily. "Let me guess, the wanker convinced you I was still evil and made you see the error of your ways," he got up. "Thanks for the memories, Slayer."
"So you aren't even the least bit curious?"
"Not in the least."
"You don't even want to know that I stood up for you? That I told him I was glad you weren't him."
He stopped.
"Except now I'm wondering why I did. Since you obviously don't care."
"What else?" he walked back to her.
"Oh, I don't really remember. Something about how he can get over things and grow up, accept my choice, or not. Won't change things for me."
"Won't change things?"
"And you thought it would?"
"The Great Buffy-Angel Saga? What a fool I would have to be to think that that would have any effect like the dozen or so other times it's come into play."
"It took me two deaths, but I think I finally figured out that life is short and what's in the past belongs there."
"Who are you and what have you done with Buffy Summers?"
"Very funny."
Spike pulled her into his arms then. "Can't imagine he's too happy with the arrangement."
"You know Angel. Just another item on his list of things to brood about. Besides, he's got Cordelia," she snerked.
"Give the girl a break. She's grown up a bit."
"I know, Cordelia's almost likeable now. But I can't help thinking of her as the self-absorbed glamour girl from high school. Wonder if she misses a normal life."
"She had a choice."
Buffy gaped at him.
So, Spike told her about the visions almost killing Cordelia and how she could have had the life she'd always wanted but instead chose to become part demon to keep them.
"Color me impressed. She chose to be a part of this. Can't say I blame her though."
Now it was Spike's turned to be shocked.
"The normal life is quite boring. Of course all I have for normal is Anne the waitress, working the Doublemeat, and life in an asylum."
"This from the girl who has strove since she became the Slayer to be normal."
"Well after half a dozen or so apocalypses averted and kicking the ass of a hell god, I would be a fool to want to be normal. And the super-strength thing isn't so bad."
Spike couldn't not laugh at that, and Buffy joined him. He stopped and glanced at the sky.
"Sunrise?"
"Soon. I should probably go."
"Go?"
"Well, I can't rightly stay here."
"Why not?"
His eyebrow quirked questioningly.
"It's not like we're hiding anymore. Anya pretty much took care of that for us."
"You're serious?" he couldn't believe his ears.
"And I didn't notice a TV at your place. You've got to be dying to know what trouble Timmy's in this time, especially since he's a real boy now."
"What?"
"But that was months ago."
"You're addicted, aren't you?"
"Me?! To a soap opera? What do you take me for, a wanna-be Big Bad who couldn't kill his third slayer?"
"You so are."
"I happen to catch it from time to time."
"What about Sheridan?"
"Well, for awhile she forgot about Luis, but-"
"Ah ha!"
"Grr. Fine. I watch Passions. Are you happy? It's all your fault anyway. Wanted to see what the fascination was."
"It's far-fetched and entertaining. Okay, not that far-fetched by our standards. Still it is entertaining. And the writing-"
"Sucks."
"Well, yeah. Better than my bloody awful poetry."
"I like your poetry," she looked up at him sheepishly.
He kissed her long and deep for that. It almost meant more to him than anything else she had said to him since he came back.
When they finally broke it off, Buffy blinked her eyes innocently. "I don't suppose you'd like to finish what we started in that ally before we were so rudely interrupted?"
Needing no further invitation, he picked her up and carried her inside.
