Chapter 3
The Bronze was busy that night. It seemed as if all of Sunnydale was there. Including the vampires. Buffy sighed, 'another night of slaying' she grumbled in her thoughts. The band that was playing was new in town. From what she had heard they were supposed to be really good, but they were still "warming-up", no one had come out to sing as far as she could tell. Willow had gone to get them some sodas. She had been restless since Tara had left to visit some of her family for the summer. Xander and Buffy tried to keep her mind off that fact, but everything in the entire universe seemed to remind her of Tara. Even Spike. "Hey luv," he said sauntering up to the table where Buffy was siting. "Mind if I join you?" "Actually yes." Buffy replied disgust heavy in her voice. "All right then, I'll leave. I can tell when I'm not wanted." He said and stood up just as Willow returned with their drinks. "Hey Spike," she said cheerfully. "Where you going?" "Well Buffy just kicked me out, so I was gonna go see if I could find a deli that was still open." "Oh you don't have to leave. Stay." Willow said sitting down and motioning for Spike to do the same. "I don't want to intrude," he said and Willow gave him her resolve face. He sat down quickly. "So, there a new band in town?" "Yeah," willow replied eager to have something easy to talk about. "Their drummer used to play in Oz's band. I've heard they're really good. Beautiful lead singer." "Oh really?" Spike asked raising his eyebrows with a smirk on his face. Willow blushed. "I meant beautiful voice. I haven't met her or anything." Before Spike could comment the lights dimmed to indicate the band was ready to begin. In response the crowd hushed and turned to watch the stage. Softly the band began to play a tune and somewhere in the darkness a voice started singing. "So I'm a little left of center I'm a little out of tune Some say I'm paranormal So I just bend their spoon Who wants to be ordinary? In a crazy, mixed-up world I don't care what they're saying As long as I'm your girl" The song moved into the chorus and a blue spotlight came on to illuminate the singer. The gold highlights in her shoulder length red hair caught the blue light and reflected it into the crowd. As the music intensified her face came up and her eyes scanned across the crowd. They were a mix of blue and green, almost as if her eyes couldn't decide which color to be. "Oh my god," Buffy and Spike whispered at the same time. "That's the girl from my dream," Buffy whispered to Willow. "Wow," was all Spike had to add. "You had a dream about her?" "Are you sure?" Willow asked. "Positive, it's the same girl except she's not dead." "She was dead in your dream?!? That's not fair." Spike whined. "Shut up," Willow and Buffy said turning to Spike. He threw his hands up in mock surrender. "What about the necklace? Is she wearing it?" Willow asked. "I don't know?" Buffy replied her shirt is covering it up. Straining their eyes Buffy and Willow tried to see if the girl wore the same necklace, but it was useless. They would have to get closer to her to see. "We're gonna have to get closer," Buffy said. "Don't you worry about it girls, I'll find out." Spike said his eyes fixed as if entranced by the girl. "You say it's the Erskine necklace?" "Yeah," Buffy replied as Spike slipped into the crowd. "He's so weird," Willow said shaking her head. "Yes he is, but he'll find out for us I can guarantee you that."
The band played for another forty minutes or so, and then the singers retired to let the band play alone. Spike had moved as close to the stage as he could without being noticed, for after all his white-blonde hair was a bit of a sore thumb. Finally he saw the girl leave the stage and noiselessly he followed. The girl went straight out to the van where all of the music equipment was kept. After speaking to a man inside the storage compartment she slipped into the trailer attached to the van. Spike followed. He knew there was no way he could capture her, let alone hurt her so he stayed in the shadows and watched in the mirror. She would not be able to see him since he had no reflection. Humming to herself the girl let down her hair from the pins holding it in place and began to brush it out. To Spike it was an eon before she moved to undress. Quietly she slipped off her shirt and the golden necklace hanging about her neck was obvious in the dim light of the trailer. The blue beads of the sapphires shimmered and winked at Spike in the mirror. Having accomplished what he had set out to do, Spike checked himself from remaining hidden in the trailer and slipped out.
"She's the one," Spike said sitting back down at the table with Willow and Buffy. "The necklace is genuine." "How do you know?" Buffy asked not quite ready to trust Spike. "None of your business. Now I got you your information, how about a little compensation?" "Fine, fine." Buffy said standing to go. "I'll see you tomorrow Will. Let's go Spike." Buffy made her way out of the Bronze and Spike followed like an obedient puppy.
The Bronze was busy that night. It seemed as if all of Sunnydale was there. Including the vampires. Buffy sighed, 'another night of slaying' she grumbled in her thoughts. The band that was playing was new in town. From what she had heard they were supposed to be really good, but they were still "warming-up", no one had come out to sing as far as she could tell. Willow had gone to get them some sodas. She had been restless since Tara had left to visit some of her family for the summer. Xander and Buffy tried to keep her mind off that fact, but everything in the entire universe seemed to remind her of Tara. Even Spike. "Hey luv," he said sauntering up to the table where Buffy was siting. "Mind if I join you?" "Actually yes." Buffy replied disgust heavy in her voice. "All right then, I'll leave. I can tell when I'm not wanted." He said and stood up just as Willow returned with their drinks. "Hey Spike," she said cheerfully. "Where you going?" "Well Buffy just kicked me out, so I was gonna go see if I could find a deli that was still open." "Oh you don't have to leave. Stay." Willow said sitting down and motioning for Spike to do the same. "I don't want to intrude," he said and Willow gave him her resolve face. He sat down quickly. "So, there a new band in town?" "Yeah," willow replied eager to have something easy to talk about. "Their drummer used to play in Oz's band. I've heard they're really good. Beautiful lead singer." "Oh really?" Spike asked raising his eyebrows with a smirk on his face. Willow blushed. "I meant beautiful voice. I haven't met her or anything." Before Spike could comment the lights dimmed to indicate the band was ready to begin. In response the crowd hushed and turned to watch the stage. Softly the band began to play a tune and somewhere in the darkness a voice started singing. "So I'm a little left of center I'm a little out of tune Some say I'm paranormal So I just bend their spoon Who wants to be ordinary? In a crazy, mixed-up world I don't care what they're saying As long as I'm your girl" The song moved into the chorus and a blue spotlight came on to illuminate the singer. The gold highlights in her shoulder length red hair caught the blue light and reflected it into the crowd. As the music intensified her face came up and her eyes scanned across the crowd. They were a mix of blue and green, almost as if her eyes couldn't decide which color to be. "Oh my god," Buffy and Spike whispered at the same time. "That's the girl from my dream," Buffy whispered to Willow. "Wow," was all Spike had to add. "You had a dream about her?" "Are you sure?" Willow asked. "Positive, it's the same girl except she's not dead." "She was dead in your dream?!? That's not fair." Spike whined. "Shut up," Willow and Buffy said turning to Spike. He threw his hands up in mock surrender. "What about the necklace? Is she wearing it?" Willow asked. "I don't know?" Buffy replied her shirt is covering it up. Straining their eyes Buffy and Willow tried to see if the girl wore the same necklace, but it was useless. They would have to get closer to her to see. "We're gonna have to get closer," Buffy said. "Don't you worry about it girls, I'll find out." Spike said his eyes fixed as if entranced by the girl. "You say it's the Erskine necklace?" "Yeah," Buffy replied as Spike slipped into the crowd. "He's so weird," Willow said shaking her head. "Yes he is, but he'll find out for us I can guarantee you that."
The band played for another forty minutes or so, and then the singers retired to let the band play alone. Spike had moved as close to the stage as he could without being noticed, for after all his white-blonde hair was a bit of a sore thumb. Finally he saw the girl leave the stage and noiselessly he followed. The girl went straight out to the van where all of the music equipment was kept. After speaking to a man inside the storage compartment she slipped into the trailer attached to the van. Spike followed. He knew there was no way he could capture her, let alone hurt her so he stayed in the shadows and watched in the mirror. She would not be able to see him since he had no reflection. Humming to herself the girl let down her hair from the pins holding it in place and began to brush it out. To Spike it was an eon before she moved to undress. Quietly she slipped off her shirt and the golden necklace hanging about her neck was obvious in the dim light of the trailer. The blue beads of the sapphires shimmered and winked at Spike in the mirror. Having accomplished what he had set out to do, Spike checked himself from remaining hidden in the trailer and slipped out.
"She's the one," Spike said sitting back down at the table with Willow and Buffy. "The necklace is genuine." "How do you know?" Buffy asked not quite ready to trust Spike. "None of your business. Now I got you your information, how about a little compensation?" "Fine, fine." Buffy said standing to go. "I'll see you tomorrow Will. Let's go Spike." Buffy made her way out of the Bronze and Spike followed like an obedient puppy.
