Foolish Games

By: Saltygoodness

Summary: This story is a new take on the episode 'School Hard'. The parent-teacher night never happened. Spoilers for everything up to the scene in the Bronze. Buffy and Spike never met, and she is currently with Angel.

Pairing: B/S .

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Well one day Joss just happen to have this huge garage sale and a couple of friends and I decided to stop by. We skimmed the sale and found some things, but not anything worth buying. Then I decided to dig through this rather large looking box full of old books and 'bedroom toys' and there at the bottom of the box was Spike. Needless to say I paid the $1.50 for him and now he's in my room, where I keep in tied to my bed...Just in case. No really, I own nothing. Dammit!

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Part five is finally here. Thanks for all the cool reviews. It's nice to know that some people out there are reading.

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Part Five: Still

Buffy walked quietly down the street to Giles' house. It had been almost a week since she had found out that the man who stole her heart was a demon, and almost a week since she had seen him last. In the glow of the eerie street light, her face held all the confusion, pain and love she had been feeling for the past six days.

Why was everything always so complicated in her life? She hadn't had the chance to have a normal life since she turned fifteen and became the chosen one. All she ever wanted was a normal life and now it looked like it was the last possible thing she'd ever be able to have.

She knocked on the front door to her watcher's apartment, and waited for him to answer. Poor Giles. She thought. Not only did he have to go through all the turmoil of finding out that she had fallen in love with yet another vampire, but he also had to bare the pain of helping her do research on them both.

Finally the door swung open and Giles stood in front of her, book in hand. "Well, good evening, Buffy." He said, as he motioned for her to come inside. She walked through the landing and into his living room, as he closed the door behind her and followed her to the couch.

"So, did you find what you were searching for?" He asked, taking a seat next to her, after she sat down. "I've looked through almost every book I own and found nothing useful."

She raised her head to met his eyes and answered.

"Yeah, I found it." She told him, holding out the book for him to take. Giles took the book from her and placed it on the coffee table. "Thanks for letting me borrow it. I know how important these books are to you."

"Er, you're welcome, Buffy. What exactly did you find out about this Spike fellow?" He asked concerned at her grim expression.

"Well, beside the fact that he likes to torture his victims with railroad spikes, and is involved with a psycho named Drusilla?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Giles visibly flinched. "D-Drusilla, did you say?" He stuttered, standing up to sift through more books.

"Yeah. I took the liberty to look her up too, and found out the she was sired by Angel." Buffy said showing no emotion at her words. "And she also sired Spike."

"But Drusilla was believed to have been killed by an angry mop in Prague."

"Yeah, well, she wasn't" Buffy informed him, pulling herself to her feet.

"This is extraordinary." Exclaimed Giles flipping through another book.

"I'm glad you think so!" Buffy replied, frustrated. "You're not the one having fuzzy feeling about a vampire who is in love with some loony tune undead head case."

Giles looked up at her surprised. "Now, Buffy there's no reason to get upset. You said that Spike wasn't violent towards you in any way, and that he even showed affection for you despite his lack of a...er, soul. Both he and Drusilla seem to pose no threat toward you or anyone else for that matter, so you might not have to kill him."

"And that just makes it better!" She sighed, throwing her arms up in the air. "I don't want to kill him, Giles."

"Buffy as your watcher, it is my duty to assist you in any way possible. I will support you, whatever you decide to do."

Buffy smiled for the first time in three days and walked over and hugged him gratefully. "Thanks Giles. I knew I could always count on you."

"Well, you're, er, quite welcome." He said, as Buffy pulled away.

Just then the door flew open again and Willow walked in, followed by Angel, who knew absolutely nothing of Spike or Drusilla being in town.

"Hey guys." Willow said cheerfully. "Angel found me at the Bronze and wanted to know what was up with you, so I kind of invited him over." She said looking at Buffy, suddenly worried that she made a huge mistake.

"That's fine, Wills." Buffy said looking over her best friend's shoulder at her boyfriend. She found in very ironic to be dating one vampire, and in love with another one. "Hey, Angel."

"Hi Buffy. I've been worried about you. I haven't seen you in a week and just wanted to make sure you were okay." Angel said, walking past Willow and to Buffy's side.

Buffy smiled, but moved away when he put an arm around her shoulder. "I've just been a little busy with slaying and stuff."

Angel noticed when she moved away and was beginning to feel left out. She was pushing him out of her life for some reason that he did not know. It bothered him greatly.

"You sure you're alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She said walking into the kitchen. Angel looked for Willow to Giles observing the worried expressions on their faces. "What's going on here?"

Willow frowned and looked at Giles for some help. Angel turned to face Giles again. "Well?"

"Uh, I better be going." Said Willow from the doorway. "I got that big History exam tomorrow. Got major studying to do at home. Bye."

After the door closed, Angel waited for an explanation from Giles. Giles reached a hand up and pulled off his glasses, rubbing the column of his nose.

"Well, I, er, don't think I am at the liberty of discussing anything with you, Angel." Giles told him, while clean the lenses with his shirt. "I think it would be best to take the subject up with Buffy."

"What about me?" Buffy asked returning to the living room with a diet coke.

Giles went back to his shelf and began to look through books once more, while Angel addressed his girlfriend.

"Buffy, I think we need to talk."

"About what?" She asked taking a sip of the beverage and trying to avoid his eyes.

"About us." Angel said seriously. "I think it would be best if we didn't see each other anymore until you get things straightened out."

Buffy almost choked on her drink. "What? You're breaking up with me?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes." He replied matter-of-factly. "You seem so distant lately. I don't think I have a place in your life, or heart."

"I'm sorry." She said. She didn't feel it necessary to try and defend herself on the other topics. She had been distant, thinking about Spike. And she wasn't sure if she really wanted to even try and fix things between her and Angel. Angel was a great guy, er, vampire, and there was nothing wrong with him. Nothing other than the fact that he wasn't Spike.

"I am too. You know I love you, and if you need anything, I'll be here, but I don't think you feel the same about me anymore." Angel said looking down at his feet.

"I'm sorry." She said again. It was the only thing she could say.

Angel walked up to her and brought his lips down upon hers. The kiss was soft and chaste and it was over as quick as it had started. Angel pulled away and smiled at her. Buffy smiled back as he whispered to her. "Goodbye Buffy."

"Goodbye Angel." She whispered back, so only he could hear her.

After Angel left, Buffy and Giles sat back down on the couch together. Both the watcher and slayer were lost in their own thoughts.

Giles was thinking about how he could help Buffy with her love problems. He couldn't say that he was happy about the current situation, or the last for that matter, but he could say that he would help Buffy in anyway she wanted it. If Buffy loved a demon, then he would try and be understanding, for her sake.

Meanwhile, Buffy was considering her options when it came to Spike. He was a vampire, with no soul, but yet he didn't try to harm her. He had even told her he wouldn't, and she believed him. She believed him with every fiber of her being, which was quite strange, her not even believing in Angel whole heartedly.

Then, after analyzing the whole situation thoroughly in her mind, she came to terms with reality. She still loved Spike. Even after finding out that he was a demon with no soul, who was supposed to kill her, she still loved him. Her heart swelled with love and pain, realizing that this way in no way, shape, or form a normal life.

But what was so great about a normal life anyway? No one was normal, not really. Being un-normal was what made everyone so different, so unique. And she was certainly unique. Being a slayer meant sacrifice; not having everything others had. She was never going to have a normal life with all the slaying and adverting of apocalypses. The fact was she just wasn't normal.

Buffy decided it way time to face the music. She needed to see Spike, soon. She had to tell him how she felt and why she ran away the other night. The only thing that scared her was him nothing feeling the same about her. What if her didn't love her back? How would she be able to take it? He had proved that he did care for her, but love her? That was something totally different.

"Buffy, I think it would be best if you got some rest. You have a big day tomorrow." Giles suddenly said, breaking into her thoughts.

"What?" She asked, staring at him blankly.

"You need to see Spike tomorrow, talk to him." He said knowingly.

"How'd you...? Never mind. What if he doesn't feel the same, Giles. I think I'll die if he rejects me." She replied pleadingly.

"Well, that is just something you have to make sure of. Ask him how he feels." Giles told her seriously.

"But Giles, he's a vampire. I don't think many vamps are keen about expressing their feelings."

Giles turned towards her so that they were face to face, and pinned her with his gaze He reached out and took her hands in his and caressed them gently.

"Do you love him, Buffy?" he asked seriously.

Buffy stared at him for a moment, before answering. She studied his expression carefully. She had never really come out and said the words. She hadn't really been sure until now that she loved Spike, truly loved him.

Giles was like a father to her. He needed to know how she felt.

"Yes." She said in hushed voice.

"Then go to him. Tell him how you feel and hope that he shares your feelings, Buffy. He deserves to know." Giles said.

Buffy smiled a smile wider than she had in months. Giles' words made sense. Spike did deserve to know, and he would.

"Giles, what would I do without you?" Buffy asked resting her head on his shoulder, finally able to relax.

Giles chuckled to himself, while rubbing her back.

"I'm not sure." He said. "I'm not sure."

A/N: So, what do you think? I opted for the subtle break-up scene, instead of the 'I hate your guts and I want to kill you' kind. *Sorry, I've been watching cheesy Lifetime movies all week* Please review!!!