A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter and all, but I'll try to get
the next one to you soon.
***** Chapter 8: Discussions and Demons *****
"Is everyone all right?" Giles asked as he let them all file into his apartment.
"Yes, we're fine," said Buffy. "Have you talked to Dawn?"
"She's okay. I called her after the earthquake. Sends her love."
"Good. I was worried."
"But everything was natural?" Xander asked. "The world isn't ending?" Giles rubbed his glass lenses with a silk cloth.
"Not this time, I'm afraid." Buffy sighed melodramatically.
"Sunnydale's so boring when there's nothing trying to kill us." Andrea glanced at her watch.
"Hey, Buffy, we still have time to patrol, if you want."
"Yeah, okay."
* * *
"So, uh," Andrea began as they strolled through one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries together. "What's with you and Spike?" Buffy looked at her, confusion fluttering over her face.
"Me and Spike?"
"Yeah. Are you guys, like, involved?"
"God, no. What gave you that idea?"
"I dunno. Sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Jeez. She should have just kept her mouth shut. Now Buffy probably thought she was checking up on Spike. Great. Had to ask, didn't you?
"My turn," said Buffy. "What's with you and Spike?" She smiled as Andrea sputtered an answer.
"What do you mean?" Busted. "Come on. You want him. What was that look you guys shared after you danced tonight? You looked like you were about to jump each other's bones right there on the floor." "What? You're imagining things." She was such a liar.
"Okay," Buffy relented skeptically. She was still smiling. "So. I know it was you that gave me all that money." She hadn't wanted to bring it up, but now was as good a time as any.
Andrea winced. "Busted. How'd you figure it out?"
"Come on. You signed your initials."
"Yeah, I know. It's not like I was trying to hide that it was me. I just didn't come right out and say it. And don't try to give it back. I don't need it." Buffy hesitated, but realized that Andrea wouldn't give up on this matter.
"All right. Thank you."
"No problem."
"There's just one more thing. How did you get the money to my front porch when you were inside with me?" Andrea sighed.
"I do a little bit of magic every now and them. I used my powers to ring the doorbell. I'd set the money out there earlier."
"Oh. Hey, did you hear-" She spun and was knocked to the ground by a huge, iron-hard fist. "Son of a bitch." A huge demon towered over them, standing about eight feet tall. Horns jutted out of the rocky skin on its head and it growled heavily. Andrea kicked it in the chest, but it grabbed her foot and twisted unmercifully. She cried out as Buff y swung a nearby fallen branch into the demon's face. It reflexively released Andrea and clutched at its eyes. It roared angrily. "Run!" Buff y really hadn't needed to ask. As soon as Andrea put pressure on her foot, however, a sharp pain traveled up through her body. Running was out of the question, so she did her best to hobble in the direction of her car. "Andrea! Get down." At Buffy's warning, she dropped to the ground and rolled behind a headstone. Heat, stones and blazing light surrounded her. The demon had thrown a goddamn fireball at her! She was yanked to her feet before the demon could reach her and she and Buffy covered the distance to the car in record time. Andrea shoved the key into the ignition and Buffy stomped on the accelerator. A loud squeal sounded and they left skidmarks on the pavement as they tore away from the cemetery. Another fireball landed where the car had been seconds before.
"So," Andrea said casually. "Where we goin'?"
***** Chapter 8: Discussions and Demons *****
"Is everyone all right?" Giles asked as he let them all file into his apartment.
"Yes, we're fine," said Buffy. "Have you talked to Dawn?"
"She's okay. I called her after the earthquake. Sends her love."
"Good. I was worried."
"But everything was natural?" Xander asked. "The world isn't ending?" Giles rubbed his glass lenses with a silk cloth.
"Not this time, I'm afraid." Buffy sighed melodramatically.
"Sunnydale's so boring when there's nothing trying to kill us." Andrea glanced at her watch.
"Hey, Buffy, we still have time to patrol, if you want."
"Yeah, okay."
* * *
"So, uh," Andrea began as they strolled through one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries together. "What's with you and Spike?" Buffy looked at her, confusion fluttering over her face.
"Me and Spike?"
"Yeah. Are you guys, like, involved?"
"God, no. What gave you that idea?"
"I dunno. Sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Jeez. She should have just kept her mouth shut. Now Buffy probably thought she was checking up on Spike. Great. Had to ask, didn't you?
"My turn," said Buffy. "What's with you and Spike?" She smiled as Andrea sputtered an answer.
"What do you mean?" Busted. "Come on. You want him. What was that look you guys shared after you danced tonight? You looked like you were about to jump each other's bones right there on the floor." "What? You're imagining things." She was such a liar.
"Okay," Buffy relented skeptically. She was still smiling. "So. I know it was you that gave me all that money." She hadn't wanted to bring it up, but now was as good a time as any.
Andrea winced. "Busted. How'd you figure it out?"
"Come on. You signed your initials."
"Yeah, I know. It's not like I was trying to hide that it was me. I just didn't come right out and say it. And don't try to give it back. I don't need it." Buffy hesitated, but realized that Andrea wouldn't give up on this matter.
"All right. Thank you."
"No problem."
"There's just one more thing. How did you get the money to my front porch when you were inside with me?" Andrea sighed.
"I do a little bit of magic every now and them. I used my powers to ring the doorbell. I'd set the money out there earlier."
"Oh. Hey, did you hear-" She spun and was knocked to the ground by a huge, iron-hard fist. "Son of a bitch." A huge demon towered over them, standing about eight feet tall. Horns jutted out of the rocky skin on its head and it growled heavily. Andrea kicked it in the chest, but it grabbed her foot and twisted unmercifully. She cried out as Buff y swung a nearby fallen branch into the demon's face. It reflexively released Andrea and clutched at its eyes. It roared angrily. "Run!" Buff y really hadn't needed to ask. As soon as Andrea put pressure on her foot, however, a sharp pain traveled up through her body. Running was out of the question, so she did her best to hobble in the direction of her car. "Andrea! Get down." At Buffy's warning, she dropped to the ground and rolled behind a headstone. Heat, stones and blazing light surrounded her. The demon had thrown a goddamn fireball at her! She was yanked to her feet before the demon could reach her and she and Buffy covered the distance to the car in record time. Andrea shoved the key into the ignition and Buffy stomped on the accelerator. A loud squeal sounded and they left skidmarks on the pavement as they tore away from the cemetery. Another fireball landed where the car had been seconds before.
"So," Andrea said casually. "Where we goin'?"