FOOLS FOR LIFE:
CHAPTER 9: STRUGGLING
"What am I doing?" Buffy dully repeated as she started to get up from her lurched position, struggling to find the right body language that would allow her to keep some dignity while doing so.
Spike still leaned on the corner of the stone. "Well, yeah."
"Well, what do you think?" Buffy tried to make it sound indignant and wasn't convinced by her own attempt. "I'm the Slayer. Hello! I'm on patrol here!"
Spike gave her a skeptic look. "Yeah, and patrolling means you sit hunched down, hidden behind a tombstone right near my crypt. Silly me."
Buffy stood straight and brushed some dirt off her clothes with a very offended an annoyed look. She saw Halfrek stand a few feet away who looked back at Buffy and gave a little wave with the tickling finger motion. Buffy's mouth turned into a straight line and she looked at Spike again.
"*Hiding*?" She gave a few loud scoffing sounds. "I wasn't 'hiding'! I was..." She gestured with her arm to the spot she had been sitting, like the obvious answer was right there. If only it was. Spike looked at her expectantly, not even half convinced.
"....waiting for a vampire to rise! From...this grave. You know, catch'em as they hatch. Nothing new about that, is there!"
"That a fact." Spike said and tilted his head as he looked at the tombstone's inscription. "Well luv, that's usually a good way to get the slaying done, but it looks like poor old Mrs. Miggins here's been napping in her hole since 1943. Now unless she's a really late sleeper as vamps go, I'd wager if she hasn't popped up by now, chances are she's not going to tonight."
He looked at Buffy's clenched jaw and couldn't help but smile. "Maybe the old bird just likes to stay in at her age, eh?"
Halfrek suppressed a chuckle and Buffy shot her a look that could have made flies drop dead out of the air. Halfrek smiled and shrugged, then raised her hand as if to say 'don't mind me'.
"So...it's the wrong grave..didn't mean..that one." Buffy muttered. "And, and what business is it of yours anyway? I don't have to explain my patrolling to you I believe. I'm the Slayer, you're the vampire! You-you just mind your own business!"
Spike shrugged. "Fair enough pet, though I really think that as looking for fresh vamps on my doorstep goes, Mrs. Miggins here was kind of a piss-poor choice."
Buffy's knuckles turned white as she gripped her stakes tighter. Ohhh, how she hated every second of this. Probably as much as he was loving it.
Halfrek still stood in the background, arms crossed, smiling her sweet damn smile.
Spike gave a little sigh. "Look. No need to get all bent out of shape love, all I'm saying is you have to admit it's kinda..."
"I don't care what you're saying! And I don't have to admit anything! If I wanted to hear evil dead things' opinions I would ask for it. I'm on patrol here and you're just, just bothering me." Now it was Spike's turn to clench his jaw in anger. She tried to continue.
"And, and you two should just be careful while I'm around here! I do kill demons for a living you know. Well, not a living, but you know what I mean, so..."
"What," Spike interrupted her, "were you just about to tell us to mind our step, cause you'll be watching us, 'officer'? Well sorry, 'sir' don't give me a ticket for walking up to my own bloody front door!"
Buffy's mouth clenched as she searched her brain for a fitting reply that would let her make an exit while having the upper hand. She couldn't think of much. Then, about 20 feet away, a clanking noise sounded and all looked around to see the door to Spike's crypt open. Clem looked around. "What's with all the shouting?" He saw the three of them standing there and it startled him a little.
"Oh, uhm, hello guys." Spike sighed and gave a little nod, Halfrek mouthed a silent "hi, Clem" and Buffy just stood there. Feeling the awkward silence fall, Clem shifted with his feet and added, kind of hesitantly: "Uhm, wow. Hehe. I don't know if I made enough dip for everyone..ahem.."
Halfrek suppressed another giggle by placing two fingers on her lips. Buffy turned without another word and walked away with a thrifty stride. Spike turned to her as she went, drew breath to say something but was interrupted by Halfrek laying her hand on his arm.
"My, I had no idea she was so....hot headed. She always like that?."
Spike sighed. "Kinda, yeah." He was still watching Buffy getting smaller as she went. Halfrek took his arm as she walked towards the door where Clem was still wondering what was going on. "Come on now, let's not waste that dip." she said.
"Yeah.." Spike said, absent minded. He looked back once for a last look at Buffy but she was already gone.
Had he still been close enough he would have been able to hear her mumble, in the distance: "Stupid Mrs. Miggins!"
** **
"Excuse me miss, could you help me?"
Anya looked up from the counter where she'd been staring at some overdue shipping orders. She hadn't even noticed the girl was in her shop until she spoke. She was young, dressed slightly gothic and looked kind of uncertain. Anya sighed. Another wanna-be-witch. She was SO not in the mood.
"Well, what are you looking for?" She managed to get out with some semblance of customer service in the tone.
"Something in the ways of ehm, a love spell?"
Anya dropped her head in her hands. "*Groan*...of course you do." She looked up in the girl's face who was a little bewildered by her reaction. "What else would it be, right?? Can't live without the men!" Anya added with a wry smile.
"Uhm, I don't know....I just..."
"No! Fine, let's get you your love spell." She said while waving her arms in the air as she walked our from behind the counter. She went to some shelves and picked out some clear plastic bags with labels that held some manuscripts and ingredients. "What are we looking for here, just "Get-him- to-notice-you"? No of course not, nobody ever wants those. Or even the "Just-get-him-to-get-a-little-crush-on-you" ones. I don't know why I even keep them in stock. No you want more of a "Get-him-to-fall-MADLY-in-love- with-you" thing, am I right?"
The girl was trying to keep up with Anya in terms of shaking her head and nodding, and attempted a smile that didn't really work out. "Well, I.."
"Not good enough! Of course not. Let's go for the "He'll-go-mad-with- desperation-every-5-minutes-he's-not-in-your-presence" spell here. That oughtta do it!"
"Well maybe that's a bit much." the girl tried. But Anya was on a roll now. "No, no, let's add a little to that. Let's just go straight for the "He'll- throw-himself-in-front-of-a-bus-if-he's-5-minutes-without-you" spell. Believe me, you'll thank me for it."
The girl looked shocked at that last one. "Oh my..!" Then she looked thoughtful. "You can do that??"
Anya rolled her eyes. She grabbed a package from the shelf below. "Here. Take that. It's a 'When-he-sees-you-he'll-go-mad-with-lust-but-will-shove- off-when-you-tell-him-to-afterwards' kinda thing." The girl stared at the package, then at Anya.
"And you have NO idea how much I wish I had gone for it." Anya added in a mumble.
The girl looked at the package again. "Huh. Well..it's not what I was looking for, but..'mad with lust' huh?"
Anya walked back to the counter. "Won't be able to stop until you tell him to. Which is really useful with most men."
The girl made a little 'ooo' sound and started to smile. "And leave when I want him to..Well, ........it would be kinda cool if he wasn't around trying to watch sports or something when I just wanna hang with my girlfriends..."
"There ya go." Anya said as she hit the register to enter the price. Wasn't such a bad girl after all. Had some good common sense. More than she herself had shown, actually.
After she got her change and said a little thank you, the girl walked to the door. As she did, Anya called after her. "Have a nice day. And if he pisses you off after all and you want his genitals to fall off or something, do come back. We do that too."
The girl had turned to nod and wave but as that last part reached her, her smile faded a little again and she made a hasty exit.
Anya smiled and actually felt a little better. And if she finished the shipping orders quickly, she could get started on the bookkeeping before noon. And the bookkeeping was the best part.
She hadn't gotten through a new list yet when she heard the little bell that rang as the door opened again. My, busy for a weekday morning. She looked up and said "Hello, welcome to the Magic Sho-" She stopped as she saw who it was.
Buffy smiled thinly. "Hi."
** **
TBC!
Now R&R me. Be merciless. Well, not merciless, just honest. Or..well, just be nice then, hehe.
CHAPTER 9: STRUGGLING
"What am I doing?" Buffy dully repeated as she started to get up from her lurched position, struggling to find the right body language that would allow her to keep some dignity while doing so.
Spike still leaned on the corner of the stone. "Well, yeah."
"Well, what do you think?" Buffy tried to make it sound indignant and wasn't convinced by her own attempt. "I'm the Slayer. Hello! I'm on patrol here!"
Spike gave her a skeptic look. "Yeah, and patrolling means you sit hunched down, hidden behind a tombstone right near my crypt. Silly me."
Buffy stood straight and brushed some dirt off her clothes with a very offended an annoyed look. She saw Halfrek stand a few feet away who looked back at Buffy and gave a little wave with the tickling finger motion. Buffy's mouth turned into a straight line and she looked at Spike again.
"*Hiding*?" She gave a few loud scoffing sounds. "I wasn't 'hiding'! I was..." She gestured with her arm to the spot she had been sitting, like the obvious answer was right there. If only it was. Spike looked at her expectantly, not even half convinced.
"....waiting for a vampire to rise! From...this grave. You know, catch'em as they hatch. Nothing new about that, is there!"
"That a fact." Spike said and tilted his head as he looked at the tombstone's inscription. "Well luv, that's usually a good way to get the slaying done, but it looks like poor old Mrs. Miggins here's been napping in her hole since 1943. Now unless she's a really late sleeper as vamps go, I'd wager if she hasn't popped up by now, chances are she's not going to tonight."
He looked at Buffy's clenched jaw and couldn't help but smile. "Maybe the old bird just likes to stay in at her age, eh?"
Halfrek suppressed a chuckle and Buffy shot her a look that could have made flies drop dead out of the air. Halfrek smiled and shrugged, then raised her hand as if to say 'don't mind me'.
"So...it's the wrong grave..didn't mean..that one." Buffy muttered. "And, and what business is it of yours anyway? I don't have to explain my patrolling to you I believe. I'm the Slayer, you're the vampire! You-you just mind your own business!"
Spike shrugged. "Fair enough pet, though I really think that as looking for fresh vamps on my doorstep goes, Mrs. Miggins here was kind of a piss-poor choice."
Buffy's knuckles turned white as she gripped her stakes tighter. Ohhh, how she hated every second of this. Probably as much as he was loving it.
Halfrek still stood in the background, arms crossed, smiling her sweet damn smile.
Spike gave a little sigh. "Look. No need to get all bent out of shape love, all I'm saying is you have to admit it's kinda..."
"I don't care what you're saying! And I don't have to admit anything! If I wanted to hear evil dead things' opinions I would ask for it. I'm on patrol here and you're just, just bothering me." Now it was Spike's turn to clench his jaw in anger. She tried to continue.
"And, and you two should just be careful while I'm around here! I do kill demons for a living you know. Well, not a living, but you know what I mean, so..."
"What," Spike interrupted her, "were you just about to tell us to mind our step, cause you'll be watching us, 'officer'? Well sorry, 'sir' don't give me a ticket for walking up to my own bloody front door!"
Buffy's mouth clenched as she searched her brain for a fitting reply that would let her make an exit while having the upper hand. She couldn't think of much. Then, about 20 feet away, a clanking noise sounded and all looked around to see the door to Spike's crypt open. Clem looked around. "What's with all the shouting?" He saw the three of them standing there and it startled him a little.
"Oh, uhm, hello guys." Spike sighed and gave a little nod, Halfrek mouthed a silent "hi, Clem" and Buffy just stood there. Feeling the awkward silence fall, Clem shifted with his feet and added, kind of hesitantly: "Uhm, wow. Hehe. I don't know if I made enough dip for everyone..ahem.."
Halfrek suppressed another giggle by placing two fingers on her lips. Buffy turned without another word and walked away with a thrifty stride. Spike turned to her as she went, drew breath to say something but was interrupted by Halfrek laying her hand on his arm.
"My, I had no idea she was so....hot headed. She always like that?."
Spike sighed. "Kinda, yeah." He was still watching Buffy getting smaller as she went. Halfrek took his arm as she walked towards the door where Clem was still wondering what was going on. "Come on now, let's not waste that dip." she said.
"Yeah.." Spike said, absent minded. He looked back once for a last look at Buffy but she was already gone.
Had he still been close enough he would have been able to hear her mumble, in the distance: "Stupid Mrs. Miggins!"
** **
"Excuse me miss, could you help me?"
Anya looked up from the counter where she'd been staring at some overdue shipping orders. She hadn't even noticed the girl was in her shop until she spoke. She was young, dressed slightly gothic and looked kind of uncertain. Anya sighed. Another wanna-be-witch. She was SO not in the mood.
"Well, what are you looking for?" She managed to get out with some semblance of customer service in the tone.
"Something in the ways of ehm, a love spell?"
Anya dropped her head in her hands. "*Groan*...of course you do." She looked up in the girl's face who was a little bewildered by her reaction. "What else would it be, right?? Can't live without the men!" Anya added with a wry smile.
"Uhm, I don't know....I just..."
"No! Fine, let's get you your love spell." She said while waving her arms in the air as she walked our from behind the counter. She went to some shelves and picked out some clear plastic bags with labels that held some manuscripts and ingredients. "What are we looking for here, just "Get-him- to-notice-you"? No of course not, nobody ever wants those. Or even the "Just-get-him-to-get-a-little-crush-on-you" ones. I don't know why I even keep them in stock. No you want more of a "Get-him-to-fall-MADLY-in-love- with-you" thing, am I right?"
The girl was trying to keep up with Anya in terms of shaking her head and nodding, and attempted a smile that didn't really work out. "Well, I.."
"Not good enough! Of course not. Let's go for the "He'll-go-mad-with- desperation-every-5-minutes-he's-not-in-your-presence" spell here. That oughtta do it!"
"Well maybe that's a bit much." the girl tried. But Anya was on a roll now. "No, no, let's add a little to that. Let's just go straight for the "He'll- throw-himself-in-front-of-a-bus-if-he's-5-minutes-without-you" spell. Believe me, you'll thank me for it."
The girl looked shocked at that last one. "Oh my..!" Then she looked thoughtful. "You can do that??"
Anya rolled her eyes. She grabbed a package from the shelf below. "Here. Take that. It's a 'When-he-sees-you-he'll-go-mad-with-lust-but-will-shove- off-when-you-tell-him-to-afterwards' kinda thing." The girl stared at the package, then at Anya.
"And you have NO idea how much I wish I had gone for it." Anya added in a mumble.
The girl looked at the package again. "Huh. Well..it's not what I was looking for, but..'mad with lust' huh?"
Anya walked back to the counter. "Won't be able to stop until you tell him to. Which is really useful with most men."
The girl made a little 'ooo' sound and started to smile. "And leave when I want him to..Well, ........it would be kinda cool if he wasn't around trying to watch sports or something when I just wanna hang with my girlfriends..."
"There ya go." Anya said as she hit the register to enter the price. Wasn't such a bad girl after all. Had some good common sense. More than she herself had shown, actually.
After she got her change and said a little thank you, the girl walked to the door. As she did, Anya called after her. "Have a nice day. And if he pisses you off after all and you want his genitals to fall off or something, do come back. We do that too."
The girl had turned to nod and wave but as that last part reached her, her smile faded a little again and she made a hasty exit.
Anya smiled and actually felt a little better. And if she finished the shipping orders quickly, she could get started on the bookkeeping before noon. And the bookkeeping was the best part.
She hadn't gotten through a new list yet when she heard the little bell that rang as the door opened again. My, busy for a weekday morning. She looked up and said "Hello, welcome to the Magic Sho-" She stopped as she saw who it was.
Buffy smiled thinly. "Hi."
** **
TBC!
Now R&R me. Be merciless. Well, not merciless, just honest. Or..well, just be nice then, hehe.
