A/N : I've been writing as often as possible all week but I never got around to updating my fics, so here it is, I'm updating this fic, 'Always Remember...' and posting a short story I wrote too...how much Spuffy can you handle? ;)
Btw - thanx for the review InfoGal - you have a great imagination, but that's not quite what I had in mind...
(For disclaimer, etc - see chapter 1)
Chapter 15 - Planning and Scamming
"Buffy?" a voice called as the front door opened.
"In here Mom" the woman's daughter replied and Joyce smiled when she went into the living room and saw the brunette girl there too.
"Hello, Cordelia it's nice to see you"
"Hey Mrs Summers" the girl smiled.
"Buffy" Joyce turned to her daughter "I left your sister at her friend Janices's house so you can get your studying done in peace tonight" she smiled at the girl before disappearing into the kitchen and Corelia frowned.
"Oh, so I guess Bronzing is out if you have to study" she said to her friend and Buffy also looked less than happy.
"Yeah...." she said before she suddenly had a thought. A wicked smile crossed her face as she got up to follow her mother. Cordelia went after her,wondering what was going on in her friends head.
"Mom? Can I take my books over to Cordy's grandmothers and study there, we have a lot of catching up to do"
Joyce turned from the cupboards where she was putting away some groceries.
"I guess that would be alright" she nodded "but I want you back early"
"Oh, that's okay Mrs Summers" piped up the quick thinking Cordy "Buffy can stay over at my grandmas, if that's okay with you"
"Well, I suppose that would be okay" the older woman agreed "but home before lunch tomorrow Buffy and plenty of studying, I do not want you failing math" she added sternly pointing a finger at her daughter. Buffy smiled big, hugging her mother briefly.
"Thanks Mom"
Five minutes later the two best friends were in Buffy's room, the blonde was packing a bag while Cordelia sat on her friends bed, slowly getting covered by tops, skirts, trousers and shoes that Buffy was throwing from the closet.
"So I am right? The coming to sleep over thing was a cover?" the brunette checked.
"Of course" her friend rolled her eyes, "We're hitting the Bronze tonight, I'll sleep over at your grandma's, be home by lunch and study in the afternoon" she smiled in triumph at her perfect scam.
"Sounds like a plan" her friend agreed as she spotted something shiny on the floor, just under the edge of the bed.
"Hey, what's this?" she asked, picking up the silver coloured item and turning it over in her hands "A lighter?" she realised "Oh my god, when did you start smoking?" she hissed to her friend causing Buffy to suddenly rush over from the closet and grab the item from her friends hands.
"It's not mine!" she snapped and on closer expression she added "It's Spike's, must have fallen out when he was up here..." at Cordy's look she quickly added "...studying!"
Cordelia smirked as she stood up, snatching the lighter back.
"Tell you what, you finish packing that bag, I'll take this next door"
"Why?" Buffy asked, narrowing her eyes, suspiciously.
"To be nice" Cordy said, unconvincingly as she made for the door "besides I wanna see what Mrs..er..."
"Hart" Buffy reminded her.
"Yeah, what Mrs Hart and her son have done to my house" she said as she made her way down the stairs and out of the Summers house. Buffy wasn't so sure they were the real reason that Cordy wanted to go next door, but she didn't care. It meant she wouldn't have to go and talk to Spike and if she was staying over at the oldest Mrs Chases's house tonight she probably wouldn't have to see him until Monday, right?
There was a knock on the door and Spike went to answer it, since his mother had already gone out. He was greeted by the grinning brunette he had met a few hours earlier.
"Hey Spike" she smiled and he smiled back though he wondered why she was on his doorstep.
"Cordelia, where's Buffy?" he asked, thinking it strange that this girl should be at his house without the only person they had in common.
"In the house" Cordelia replied, holding up his lighter "We found this in her room I said I'd bring it round"
"Oh, thanks" he nodded, taking it from her hand and cursing the fact that Buffy hadn't brought it herself, that had been the plan when he accidently on purpose left it behind.
"Buffy would have brought it herself but she's packing a bag to stay with me tonight" the brunette explained, almost as if she'd read his mind.
"Girls night in?" the bleach blonde asked, shoving the lighter into the back pocket of his jeans.
"Not really" Cordelia shook her head "it's an excuse so we can go to the Bronze instead of Buffy having to study...actually, you wanna come with?" she added as if it was an after thought, but it had been her plan the entire time.
"To the Bronze?" Spike considered it for a moment.
"Yeah, I mean, we're inviting Xander and Willow too and from what I hear you're quite the Slayerette yourself these days so you should come"
"I don't know" Spike answered, unsure as to how well he'd fit in once the old gang got back together, he was however enjoying the fact that Buffy had obviously been talking about him to her friend.
"Come on, we want you..." Cordelia paused "to be there" she added eventually with a sly smile, if Buffy wasn't going to have this guy maybe she'd have a go herself. Her look didn't go unnoticed and the boy in front of her was having similar thoughts. Surely if nothing was ever going to happen between him and Bufy he should try and move on...?
"Yeah, okay" he conceded "count me in"
"Great" the brunette smiled in triumph "Meet us there at seven, but don't tell anyone I don't want Joyce finding out and blowing a valve"
"It's cool" he smiled at her choice of phrase "My Mum's staying over at Giles's tonight anyway"
"Your Mom and Giles?" Cordelia gaped, "that's gotta be...weird"
Spike chuckled at her expression.
"Not really" he explained "since he's my father"
Cordy just gasped and headed back to the Summers house, barely pausing to say goodbye and compltely forgetting that she'd wanted to chat to Spike longer or that she'd wanted to see inside her old house.
"How could you not tell me that Spike's Dad was Giles!" she practically yelled as she burst into her friends room again.
"Oh sorry" Buffy covered her mouth with her hand and tried to surpress a giggle, she knew that would have been a shock, "It must have slipped my mind"
"Oh well" Cordelia sighed, sitting down on the bed again, "Spike's coming tonight"
"What?" Buffy gasped, "You invited him?"
"Of course" the brunette rolled her eyes, "If you don't want him..." she didn't need to finish the sentence as Buffy stuck up her hand in an 'I don't care' fashion and said;
"Whatever"
She pretended it didn't bother her but the idea of Spike liking Cordelia instead of her actually hurt. She couldn't be angry though, she was the one that had said friends was all they would ever be so she would deal. Everything would be fine,...right?
To Be Continued...
