40-Love
By: skyz
Disclaimer: Joss owns Btvs. I don't have a degree in law and so anything dealing with the law I've made up and it has no bearing on real life. I know judges don't act like this and whatever else I've done that doesn't hold true to court manners and such.
A/N: Hi all. I've been in the mood to write another fantasy fic. And I wanted it to be different from my other one so I came up with this idea. As I'm a tennis freak it's based around tennis. And I have to say I love this whole premise and I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this fic. Enjoy. Skyz.
~*~
Prologue-
"By the power invested in me I declare your marriage at an impasse and have seen to it that your petition for a divorce has been denied."
The stunned silence that descended in the courtroom was deafening.
"Wh-what?" was the startled and incredulous voice of one of the attorney's that finally broke the silence.
The judge frowned.
"Was that not clear enough?" she asked sharply glaring at the lawyer.
"Wait a minute!"
The judge turned her gaze to the current Mrs. William Pennington and smiled pleasantly.
"Yes?" she asked easily.
Buffy's mouth opened and closed as she tried to form a coherent sentence, to express her outrage and her utter disbelief.
"Oh bloody hell! This has got to be some kind of sick joke. Listen here you bi-"
"Spike you can't talk to the judge like that," his attorney snapped at Spike. Spike surged to his feet and glared all around.
Buffy buried her head in her hands and tried to ignore what was going on.
This could not be happening, she thought furiously.
"Buffy?" her bestfriend and lawyer patted her on the shoulder and tried to get her to look at her.
"Do something," Buffy hissed out.
Willow Rosenberg immediately looked up at the judge.
"I-I well I object," Willow blurted out breaking through the loud murmurs.
"Will c'mon you know we aren't at trial. There's not much to object about," Spike's attorney told Willow as he turned to her and smiled.
Willow looked to the judge who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.
"He's right Ms. Rosenberg," the judge said.
"You can't do this. I mean you can't just say we can't get divorced, and not even give us a good enough reason why! I am not going to stand for this," Buffy suddenly erupted as she got to her feet.
She strode down the aisle to the door head held high and chin firmly shoved in the air.
"That's right luv walk away," Spike called after her. "It's after all what you do best!"
Buffy stiffened and stood stock still.
"That's right blaming me is what you do best Spike. Blame me for this whole thing. It is my fault, and it's taken you telling me that for the past six months for it to finally sink in! Thanks so much," Buffy spat out turning to glare at Spike.
The married couple glared at eachother.
"See?" the judge asked. "See there you go. There's the passion I knew you both had. In fact that's one of the reasons why I'm denying your divorce. See I know you both-"
Buffy turned her blazing green eyes to the judge and took one step forward.
"You know us?" she echoed incredulously. "How do you know us? I've only just met you today! You don't know anything about us!"
The judge shook her head.
"I know enough. I know that you two were the happiest couple I'd ever seen five years ago. I mean everything seemed to be going so well for you. I-"
"Where have you been for the past three years? Surely not in our life! We aren't happy and if you don't grant us our damn divorce we'll go somewhere else!" Spike yelled.
"Yeah," Buffy echoed determinedly.
The judge banged her gavel until her hand ached.
Reluctant silence descended.
"I know enough-"the judge began.
"How?" Buffy snapped angrily.
"Tabloids," the judge waved a dismissive hand and grinned. "I mean I just felt so bad for you Buffy. I mean with Spike cheating on you. And Spike my heart just hurts for you. I mean it must be awfully hard to know your wife is so much better than you. I mean she knows how to win and you just-"
"She's not better than me," Spike growled out. "The tabloids are filled with lies and there isn't a shred of truth in 'em. So don't talk to us about knowin' me or Buffy!"
The judge tsked and shook her head.
"I know enough like I said. And so that's why I'm denying your divorce. There are a few terms though."
The judge paused and studied them a moment.
"This so can not be legal," Buffy muttered running a hand through her hair. She threw a glance at Willow for assistance.
"I don't know. I'm corporate law Buffy. You know that," Willow mumbled under her breath.
"It's all the same! Just- why are you doing this? Can't you see we don't want to be married to eachother? That we just aren't compatible?" Buffy finally asked drained.
"What I see are two people who have to come to terms with their differences and divorce won't help with that. So back to my terms. If in two months you two aren't back together I will grant you your divorce. I'm still speaking," she glared at Willow who was about to interrupt. "Now while these two months pass Buffy, you will have to coach William. And William you will have to listen to her and obey her rules. She's now in control of your career. Now as you both are aware the coach-athlete relationship is a-"
"Excuse me?! I have my own career. I just can't give it up to play babysitter to him. I won't. It is not my fault that he's so lazy and such a drunk that he can't get off his ass-"
"Shut up! This isn't all about you. Why does everything have to be about Buffy?! Buffy this and Buffy that! My life does not, nor ever will revolve around you-"Spike roared as he glared at Buffy.
"You will show up at William's residence before noon tomorrow ready to start training him. There will be a court approved supervisor…"
Buffy tuned the judge's voice out.
She felt like screaming.
Laughing hysterically and tearing her hair out by the roots.
This was insane.
There was no way she was going to do this. There wasn't a way she was going to put her career on hold to help Spike put his on track.
It wasn't even thinkable much less doable.
No way.
No way in hell.
Her eyes shot to Spike who stood glaring at her and she felt the first stirring of anger at him.
She'd been happy to resign herself to the fact that he wasn't worth helping.
He would never change and she should have known that.
And it was his fault that she was in this position.
Their eyes met suddenly.
Buffy felt the jolt all the way to her toes.
Spike ignored the jolt of sexual attraction that shot through him as he stared at Buffy.
It would go away, he mused.
Much like their love for one another had.
He couldn't believe what the judge had said.
She was off her bleedin' gob and he wasn't gonna tolerate this. Especially from some half cocked judge who got her information from the tabloids.
Bloody bint didn't know what she was talking about.
Having Buffy be his coach was insane.
Didn't she see that they couldn't even be in the same room for more than five minutes without arguing? Without wanting to rip eachother's throats out?
Scowling he glared at Buffy.
This was her fault and she knew it.
Denial girl she was.
She was the one who couldn't give a bloke a chance. Let him do his own thing and accept him as he was. She was the one who had to better herself.
She was the one who-
Spike broke off that train of thought.
It wasn't going to serve him any good to dwell on why he and Buffy just couldn't work things out. He had done his best, he assured himself quickly.
Ignored the voice that told him he'd done nothing and that it served him right, that Buffy wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
Buffy's slow smile startled him.
Buffy couldn't help but smile as a thought occurred to her.
She could do this, she thought pursing her lips. She could whip Spike into shape and have the pleasure of watching him sink or swim.
Then she could walk away and begin her life anew.
"You better be ready at 5 a.m. Spike," she spoke then.
"Yeah right," Spike turned away from her.
"And you'd better not be drunk! Cuz if you're drunk then…I swear…"
"What you'll just bitch and moan me to death?" Spike asked snidely.
"That's enough! Court is adjourned," the judge snapped out abruptly and rose.
"Come on Willow," Buffy ordered as she grabbed her purse and headed out of the courtroom. Willow hurried after her glancing back at Spike as she left.
Spike slipped his duster on and rolled his shoulders.
"You find a way out of this," he told his lawyer as he stalked off.
~*~
"….celebrity divorces' seem to be the 'it' thing at the moment Mary. In fact the newest couple to have filed for divorce are superstars on the tennis court. Current U.S Open winner Buffy Anne Summers filed for divorce from her husband pro tennis player William 'Spike' Pennington more than six months ago. Today was the day their divorce was to have been finalized. But it seems the judge denied their petition for a divorce and instead has issued her own set of rules. Here's what their respective lawyers had to say on this unforeseen development…"
"I think this is a gross misuse of the legal system. In fact I know it is. This judge has taken her own biased opinion and thrust it upon my client and it's wrong! Wrong and I will appeal this and win. I assure you of that!"
"…That was Lindsey McDonald, Spike Pennington's lawyer. Willow Rosenberg known for handling the merger of giant conglomerate Retco Inc. and Johnson and Patterson two pharmaceutical firms with a combined worth of more than sixty billion dollars. Here's what she had to say on behalf of her client…"
"I don't know if this is how it's done in family court, but I'll be damned if I let that judge ruin my client's life any longer. If my client has to endure these ridiculous rules a minute longer after I win our appeal I will most definitely sue. See this Judge Jenkins? This is my resolve face!"
"…there you have it Mary. Though just what the judge's terms were we aren't certain as documents have been sealed. But whatever it was it must have been quite something to incur such a reaction. We'll keep our eye on this case. Back to you Mary…"
Rupert Giles snapped off his t.v. and picked up his phone and dialed.
"Buffy?" he asked as the phone was picked up on the seventh ring.
"Giles?" Buffy's weak voice answered hesitantly.
"Yes. How are you dear?" he asked concernedly.
He frowned when he heard a sniffle.
"I've been better," she admitted lowly.
Giles grimaced in sympathy.
"No doubt," he muttered. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.
There was a long pause before Buffy finally answered.
"Yes. I need your help with Spike. See the judge wants me…"
Twenty minutes later Giles hung up the phone and shook his head. Cleaned his glasses and tried to find the reason in such a ludicrous idea.
There was no way Buffy and Spike could make such an agreement work.
"Love?" he called out from his study.
He heard his wife coming and met her at the door.
Smiling up at him she waited for him to speak.
"Buffy called. She needs my help with Spike. Seems something has come up and well… Buffy isn't handling it all too well," he muttered.
Olivia nodded.
"When are you leaving?" she asked at last.
"As soon as I can."
Olivia gave him a small smile.
"If you can't help those two then they deserve to be divorced. I really hope you can fix things between them Rupert. They belong together. Why can't they see that anymore?" she wondered aloud.
"I don't know. I just don't know."