First Date - September 2002
Chapter Four
Buffy was frantically running around her room, desperately trying to find something to wear. Something that screamed "I'm a grown up now and I don't need you to hold my hand." Sadly her wardrobe consisted of slutty leather and pastel, flowery print stuff. I am so lame she thought hopelessly to herself. Dawn lay on her bed and mindlessly flipped through the new issue of Cosmo.
"Geez Buffy, you're going on patrol, not some hot date. Wait, you are, aren't you?" Dawn asked, excited by the prospect that Buffy has a new boyfriend.
"Dawn, if I tell you something, you have to swear not to tell anyone."
Dawn made an X across her heart with her finger as a promise, enthusiastically nodding yes.
"Spike is back. I'm going to see him tonight." Buffy said, desperately trying to hide the excitement in her voice.
"What? Spike's back? He has a lot of nerve showing up here after ditching us like that. He left us Buffy. He abandoned us and he said he never would. I don't care if I ever see him again." Dawn replied, trying to be brave. She didn't want Buffy to know that she was actually thrilled that her vampire protector had returned.
Buffy looked at her sister lovingly. She knew that Dawn didn't mean it. She walked to where Dawn was laying and sat next to her. She began to softly stroke her hair.
"Dawn I know you are upset that he left us, but he had thousands of good reasons. Things happened between us that I never thought you needed to know. Big scary grown-up things. Dawny, we needed to sort some things out, spend some time apart. Hopefully we can still be friends. I don't even know why I'm nervous though, I mean it's Spike."
Dawn sat up and hugged her sister, knowing that there were things that she didn't know about the situation. But Dawn also knew a lot more than she was supposed to. She knew that Spike wouldn't have left unless it had been really important.
"It'll all work out Buffy. Spike will still be totally in love with you, and you'll pretend not to like him, even though you are so hot for him. But you need to let him know how you feel. Maybe things could have been avoided if you have just told him the truth from the get go. No more secrets Buffy. Promise me."
Buffy just nodded and got off the bed, surprised at how intuitive and insightful Dawn had become since their Mom had died.
"How'd you get so smart littlest Summers?"
"I used to watch a lot of Oprah and Maury with Spike that summer you taking a vacation six feet under. Just call me Dr. Phil." Dawn joked.
Buffy could just imagine Spike yelling and throwing things at his small TV. Becoming upset and disagreeing with queen of daytime talk.
Buffy stood in front of her mirror to critic her outfit once more. She was wearing a lavender knee length skirt, and a matching silk tank. He hair had grown a few inches since the last time she had seen Spike and it was loosely pinned up. Strands fell around her face, framing it. She twirled around once more before she headed out the door.
********************* Spike was sitting at the bar and The Bronze. He had broken down on his sober streak and ordered a double shot of bourbon. He was understandably nervous. He wasn't used to the sweaty palms and the heart beat. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar. His white hair was spiked and a little wild, reminding himself of Billy Idol. He felt uncomfortable in the black slacks and the gray wool sweater. He felt practically naked without his duster. He scanned the crowd nervously, afraid that one of the scoobies would spot him. Just then he noticed the exquisitely dressed petite blond head toward the bar.
Spike's throat felt uncomfortably dry, he then quickly downed his shot. He silently waited for her to notice him. She just stopped about ten feet away from him, and simply stared. Spike cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what his beautiful Slayer was thinking. He wondered why she had stopped so suddenly.
Buffy stopped in front of him. Something felt wrong. Her Slayer senses were in overdrive. She could usually sense Spike long before she ever saw him. But there he was, standing right in front of her, and she had not picked up on it. He wasn't as pale as the last time she saw him. Granted, he was still pale, but almost seemed like he had lost his translucence. He was dressed oddly as well. Nicely, maturely, but not very Spikeish. He still appeared very sexy to her though. Bad Buffy, get thoughts of the evil, soulless, yummy, naked vampire out of your head, she screamed to herself. It was Spike standing there all smug like, but it also seemed like it was someone else completely. She walked curiously toward her former enemy and lover.
Spike just stared at her, unable to move, or breath. His heart was pounding about a thousand beats a minute. He wished he hadn't worn the itchy sweater, he was becoming rather warm. The only thing he had on underneath was a wife beater and a silver cross hanging around his neck. She was now standing right in front of him.
"Hello luv." Spike started. "You wanna drink?" He asked casually.
"That would be great. I'll take a gin and tonic.uh..you wanna go upstairs and talk. It's more private."
"Sure Ducks. I'll be right up."
Buffy sat at the table waiting for Spike. She had wanted to kiss him from the moment that she had first seen him. She had wanted to throw all of the ugly parts of their relationship out the window. He had changed and she knew that everything would be OK this time around. She wanted to say she was sorry for the way she had treated him over the last few years. She almost started crying right there, she couldn't believe that he had actually come back. I guess I never knew what I had until it was gone she thought miserable to herself. Just then Spike emerged from the stair case holding their drinks. He had a ridiculous and smug grin hanging on his lips. He sat the drinks on the table.
Buffy then jumped from her seat and wrapped her arms around Spike's neck, crushing her lips against his. The kiss was warm and passionate, completely about love. Spike while shocked by the slayer's immediate affections, he was grateful to be kissing her again. He wrapped his arms around her even tighter. Buffy felt there was something wrong, and wrestled out of the embrace. She took a few steps back. Spike stared at her, confused. Buffy just put her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of terror and wonder. Spike attempted to approach her.
'What's wrong luv?' Spike asked.
"What the hell did you do? Why did you do it? How could you.." Buffy spat, trying to hold back the tears building up.
Spike began to worry, his brilliant plan was beginning to back fire.
"Buffy, I thought you would be happy. I thought this was what you wanted."
"Spike.are you.well of course you are. I mean..the warmth..the heart beat.the breathing."
Buffy slowly walked back toward Spike, tears staining her cheeks. She just stared at him. She ran her fingers over the side of his warm face. She put her other under underneath his sweater, feeling the warm ridges of muscles, stopping where she could feel his heart beating. She nuzzled her head against his chest. She could feel it beating. She started to cry all over again, unsure of everything that she was feeling at that moment. She looked up at him a smiled. A small smile, but a smile all the same.
"I can't believe your alive. I can't believe that you're human."
Chapter Four
Buffy was frantically running around her room, desperately trying to find something to wear. Something that screamed "I'm a grown up now and I don't need you to hold my hand." Sadly her wardrobe consisted of slutty leather and pastel, flowery print stuff. I am so lame she thought hopelessly to herself. Dawn lay on her bed and mindlessly flipped through the new issue of Cosmo.
"Geez Buffy, you're going on patrol, not some hot date. Wait, you are, aren't you?" Dawn asked, excited by the prospect that Buffy has a new boyfriend.
"Dawn, if I tell you something, you have to swear not to tell anyone."
Dawn made an X across her heart with her finger as a promise, enthusiastically nodding yes.
"Spike is back. I'm going to see him tonight." Buffy said, desperately trying to hide the excitement in her voice.
"What? Spike's back? He has a lot of nerve showing up here after ditching us like that. He left us Buffy. He abandoned us and he said he never would. I don't care if I ever see him again." Dawn replied, trying to be brave. She didn't want Buffy to know that she was actually thrilled that her vampire protector had returned.
Buffy looked at her sister lovingly. She knew that Dawn didn't mean it. She walked to where Dawn was laying and sat next to her. She began to softly stroke her hair.
"Dawn I know you are upset that he left us, but he had thousands of good reasons. Things happened between us that I never thought you needed to know. Big scary grown-up things. Dawny, we needed to sort some things out, spend some time apart. Hopefully we can still be friends. I don't even know why I'm nervous though, I mean it's Spike."
Dawn sat up and hugged her sister, knowing that there were things that she didn't know about the situation. But Dawn also knew a lot more than she was supposed to. She knew that Spike wouldn't have left unless it had been really important.
"It'll all work out Buffy. Spike will still be totally in love with you, and you'll pretend not to like him, even though you are so hot for him. But you need to let him know how you feel. Maybe things could have been avoided if you have just told him the truth from the get go. No more secrets Buffy. Promise me."
Buffy just nodded and got off the bed, surprised at how intuitive and insightful Dawn had become since their Mom had died.
"How'd you get so smart littlest Summers?"
"I used to watch a lot of Oprah and Maury with Spike that summer you taking a vacation six feet under. Just call me Dr. Phil." Dawn joked.
Buffy could just imagine Spike yelling and throwing things at his small TV. Becoming upset and disagreeing with queen of daytime talk.
Buffy stood in front of her mirror to critic her outfit once more. She was wearing a lavender knee length skirt, and a matching silk tank. He hair had grown a few inches since the last time she had seen Spike and it was loosely pinned up. Strands fell around her face, framing it. She twirled around once more before she headed out the door.
********************* Spike was sitting at the bar and The Bronze. He had broken down on his sober streak and ordered a double shot of bourbon. He was understandably nervous. He wasn't used to the sweaty palms and the heart beat. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar. His white hair was spiked and a little wild, reminding himself of Billy Idol. He felt uncomfortable in the black slacks and the gray wool sweater. He felt practically naked without his duster. He scanned the crowd nervously, afraid that one of the scoobies would spot him. Just then he noticed the exquisitely dressed petite blond head toward the bar.
Spike's throat felt uncomfortably dry, he then quickly downed his shot. He silently waited for her to notice him. She just stopped about ten feet away from him, and simply stared. Spike cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what his beautiful Slayer was thinking. He wondered why she had stopped so suddenly.
Buffy stopped in front of him. Something felt wrong. Her Slayer senses were in overdrive. She could usually sense Spike long before she ever saw him. But there he was, standing right in front of her, and she had not picked up on it. He wasn't as pale as the last time she saw him. Granted, he was still pale, but almost seemed like he had lost his translucence. He was dressed oddly as well. Nicely, maturely, but not very Spikeish. He still appeared very sexy to her though. Bad Buffy, get thoughts of the evil, soulless, yummy, naked vampire out of your head, she screamed to herself. It was Spike standing there all smug like, but it also seemed like it was someone else completely. She walked curiously toward her former enemy and lover.
Spike just stared at her, unable to move, or breath. His heart was pounding about a thousand beats a minute. He wished he hadn't worn the itchy sweater, he was becoming rather warm. The only thing he had on underneath was a wife beater and a silver cross hanging around his neck. She was now standing right in front of him.
"Hello luv." Spike started. "You wanna drink?" He asked casually.
"That would be great. I'll take a gin and tonic.uh..you wanna go upstairs and talk. It's more private."
"Sure Ducks. I'll be right up."
Buffy sat at the table waiting for Spike. She had wanted to kiss him from the moment that she had first seen him. She had wanted to throw all of the ugly parts of their relationship out the window. He had changed and she knew that everything would be OK this time around. She wanted to say she was sorry for the way she had treated him over the last few years. She almost started crying right there, she couldn't believe that he had actually come back. I guess I never knew what I had until it was gone she thought miserable to herself. Just then Spike emerged from the stair case holding their drinks. He had a ridiculous and smug grin hanging on his lips. He sat the drinks on the table.
Buffy then jumped from her seat and wrapped her arms around Spike's neck, crushing her lips against his. The kiss was warm and passionate, completely about love. Spike while shocked by the slayer's immediate affections, he was grateful to be kissing her again. He wrapped his arms around her even tighter. Buffy felt there was something wrong, and wrestled out of the embrace. She took a few steps back. Spike stared at her, confused. Buffy just put her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of terror and wonder. Spike attempted to approach her.
'What's wrong luv?' Spike asked.
"What the hell did you do? Why did you do it? How could you.." Buffy spat, trying to hold back the tears building up.
Spike began to worry, his brilliant plan was beginning to back fire.
"Buffy, I thought you would be happy. I thought this was what you wanted."
"Spike.are you.well of course you are. I mean..the warmth..the heart beat.the breathing."
Buffy slowly walked back toward Spike, tears staining her cheeks. She just stared at him. She ran her fingers over the side of his warm face. She put her other under underneath his sweater, feeling the warm ridges of muscles, stopping where she could feel his heart beating. She nuzzled her head against his chest. She could feel it beating. She started to cry all over again, unsure of everything that she was feeling at that moment. She looked up at him a smiled. A small smile, but a smile all the same.
"I can't believe your alive. I can't believe that you're human."