40-Love
Disclaimer: Joss owns Btvs
A/N: Hi all. Thanks for all the kind reviews. I'm gonna enjoy writing this story. Thanks again. Enjoy. Skyz.
~*~
Chapter One-
Buffy gave a heartfelt sigh as she punched in the security code to get into Spike's gated house.
"He didn't change it?" her companion asked curiously.
Buffy sent him a small smile.
"It wouldn't have occurred to Spike to change it. As it is I'm never here. I've no reason to be here. Who lives in L.A.?" she asked with a huff.
"I do," Charles Gunn told her with a grin as he drove through the now opened gates.
Buffy sighed.
"But you aren't a tennis player now are you? No wonder he's so fucked up. Breathing this air and living the way he does. I can't believe he blames me for all his problems on the court! I wasn't the one who told him to-"
Gunn sent her an amused look before he spoke breaking into her mini rant.
"I get that you don't like him Buffy. So I'll ask why are you here? More specifically why am I here? I thought your divorce was final and things were going smoothly?"
Parking in the circular drive at the front of the huge mansion Gunn turned the car off and turned to face Buffy.
She didn't look at him as she spoke.
"Well I'm surprised you haven't heard. The judge refused to grant our divorce. Instead she said I was to help get Spike's career on track. For two months. And not until the end of the two months are we to get a divorce."
"That doesn't sound very legal," Gunn remarked as he got out of the car.
"I know!" Buffy exclaimed. "But Willow's been looking into to this, and apparently it is very legal. This judge- this Anya person thinks she knows us! Can you believe it? Because get this, she reads the tabloids. Come on."
Gunn shook his head as he trailed after her.
Digging in her bag she produced a set of keys, and after deactivating the house alarm she unlocked the doors and stepped in.
Gunn couldn't help but look around as Buffy strode through the house to the kitchen.
The place was massive.
But the oddest thing was that it wasn't furnished.
"Where's all the furniture and stuff?" Gunn called out.
He barely heard Buffy's muffled response from the kitchen and wandered off to find her.
Buffy placed her gym bag on the counter and unzipped it.
Digging into it she began taking things out.
Rackets, towels, Gatorade, balls, sweat bands…
The list went on and on.
She knew Spike wouldn't have any of the things she'd brought. He was totally useless these days, she mused darkly.
"So uh…why no furniture?" Gunn asked again as he found her at last.
Buffy went to the fridge and opened the freezer.
"He doesn't even have ice cubes," she muttered in astonishment. "He was drunk when he ordered it. When he sobered up he realized he'd ordered from my niece's Lisa Frank catalog. Psychedelic animal crap… Got rid of it and hasn't done anything since. Though he did get a bed."
Sighing in exasperation Buffy couldn't find a pitcher so she settled on the blender. Filled it up with water and put on the top.
"I'll be back. Make yourself at home," Buffy told him as she hurried out.
Taking the stairs as quickly as she could, she told herself how things were going to go. She would wake him up and their day would begin.
Hopefully the court appointed supervisor person wouldn't take too long, and she'd be out of here before noon.
Grinning now in anticipation she shoved open the door to the master bedroom, and narrowed her eyes at the dimness of it.
"Spike," she called out quietly. Laughed when she didn't get a response.
He slept like the dead.
The only way to get him up she knew for certain was sex, and she so wasn't having sex with him.
The next best thing…
Buffy undid the top of the blender as she stepped closer to Spike's sleeping form.
She counted silently to three before she threw the contents over Spike.
Shook her head when he screamed and she moved away from the bed. She flicked on the light, and had the privilege of seeing her husband dance out of bed in the nude.
"Ahh…bloody hell woman," Spike yelled as he swept his hands through his soaking wet hair. He glared at her as he danced around water trailing down his back.
He shivered as chills swept down his spine.
"Time to get up," Buffy told him sweetly. "And get dressed. Shorts and a t-shirt. I'll be downstairs."
She turned on her heel and left him alone.
Spike stared after her for a full minute before he moved. Absurdly angry he clenched his jaw and marched after her.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled as he hurried after her. "Waking a bloke up like that! You know what Buffy? You're an evil wench- Hey are you listenin' to me?!"
He entered the kitchen and yelped when he spotted a strange black man at his breakfast bar. His hands dropped to cover his bits and pieces, and he glared at Buffy who stood next to the man.
"Did I not tell you to get dressed?" she asked sarcastically.
"Who are you?" Spike gritted out glaring at the man.
Gunn opened his mouth to speak.
Buffy beat him to it.
"He's my boyfriend," she hurriedly said a smile on her face, and her hand suddenly on Gunn's arm tightened to the point of painfulness.
Gunn was forced to smile along.
Spike's mouth dropped open in shock and he shook his head.
"I didn't- I- what's he doin' here then?! How could you bring him here? Listen get outta here, the both of you-"
"Yoo-hoo anyone home?"
Spike's attention was diverted enough for Gunn to lean down and whisper into Buffy's ear.
"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed. "Your boyfriend? Buffy c'mon that's got to be the stupidest thing-"
"I'm sorry," Buffy whispered fiercely back. "But he acts like I can't have a man. Can't keep one besides him. He gets to have all the flings he wants, but when it comes to me?! No way. I'm his wife-"
"Oh hello Spike… I see you're a little underdressed this morning," Judge Jenkins mused as she strolled into the kitchen.
Both Gunn and Buffy looked up and plastered smiles onto their faces.
"Buffy…and who are you?" Anya asked appraisingly as she eyed Gunn.
Gunn's gaze slid to Buffy's for a brief moment.
"Oh," Spike loudly interrupted. "Let me introduce you judge!! This here is my wife's boyfriend. Sorry mate I didn't catch your name! See she thought it was time we met and bonded," Spike muttered with a snorting laugh.
Anya glanced from one to the other.
"I see," she muttered then grinned. "Well good for you Buffy! Sex isn't just for Spike; it's good to see you're getting some too. I'm Judge Anya Jenkins," she held out a slender hand.
Gunn managed a strained grin and took her hand.
"Charles Gunn," he mumbled.
Buffy lowered her head and willed her blush away.
She wondered dimly what the hell was wrong with their judge, before she shrugged.
"Right then," Spike muttered, "M'gonna get dressed."
Hands covering the important parts Spike walked out of the kitchen and jogged up the stairs.
He slammed his door shut and let out a muffled yell.
"Boyfriend," he muttered angrily as he jerked clothes up from the floor. "She brought her bloody fucking boyfriend! To my house- to our house!!! What is wrong with her? Selfish bloody bint! Doesn't think of anyone else but herself! I should-I should have brou-"
He couldn't even finish his rant as he slumped onto the bed and buried his head in his hands. He just could not believe she'd had the nerve to bring that pillock here.
Dragging on a black t-shirt he growled.
"Brings her boyfriend," he muttered, "well I'll show her. I'll just call over the girls. Show her she aint the only one with friends. Yeah…"
~*~
"So what's this?" Anya asked abruptly gesturing between Gunn and Buffy.
Buffy looked at Gunn who shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked innocently.
Anya laughed.
"It was good thinking I'll give you that. But come on I know you," she told Gunn smugly. "And I also know your wife. So what's going on?"
Buffy groaned.
"Listen Spike and I haven't been together in over three years. We should have gotten a divorce a long time ago but… Well you know how hard it is to see him in the papers? Some big breasted bimbo plastered to him all the time? I know he thinks I'm some kind of cold fish. Well I'm not and I don't care if you tell him either!"
Anya burst out laughing.
"Oh no, I'm not going to tell on you. I happen to think it's a wonderful idea. He's already jealous, and if you keep this up your marriage will be back on track in no time! Wonderfully deceitful idea Buffy. He deserves it absolutely," Anya told her warmly.
Buffy gaped at her in horror.
"I don't want Spike back," she hissed. "I want a divorce! Do you understand me?" she enunciated slowly.
Anya waved her off.
"You keep telling yourself that," she told Buffy.
"Top of the mornin'," Spike muttered waving a bottle of Jack Daniels around as he came into the kitchen. "Fancy a drink?"
Buffy snorted in disgust and shook her head at Spike.
"You are such a pig Spike," she all but spat as she glared at him.
"No luv you're a pig," Spike countered angrily as he slammed the bottle onto the counter. He angrily stalked towards her.
Buffy stood her ground, she'd be damned if she'd be intimidated by Spike.
He bumped his body into hers, until she was forced to take a few steps back.
"Bringin' your boyfriend here to my house is in bad taste," he growled as he wrapped his hands around her arms and shook her.
"Oh as opposed to going out in public and having my picture plastered all over the papers? Being publicly humiliated? Maybe I should have done that. That would have worked well- Oh wait, I'm sorry that's your job! Don't act pissy with me Spike. You're the black calling the pot," Buffy muttered shoving at him.
"I think it's the pot calling the-"Gunn began.
"No it's the kettle calling the pot black," Anya interrupted.
"I do hope I'm not interrupting," the new voice had them all turning to the doorway of the kitchen.
Buffy let out a happy squeal and shoved Spike out of the way to race to Giles.
He welcomed her with open arms.
"It's wonderful to see you Buffy," he told her voice choked as he hugged her close.
"I wish it was on better circumstances," Buffy mumbled into his chest.
Giles raised his eyes and took in the room silently.
"As do I," he muttered.
~*~
"You can't be serious," Buffy complained twenty minutes later.
"I am," Spike snapped at her as he continued to stretch.
"Listen Spike…" she began as calmly as she could.
"No you listen to me Summers…where you go I go. M'not letting you have all the fun. Especially with your boyfriend," he sneered.
Buffy threw up her hands.
"Fine," she muttered as she turned away.
"Good," Spike gritted out.
"Yeah good," Buffy mocked.
"Bitch," Spike muttered to himself as he watched her walk off.
"I heard that," she told him giving him the finger behind her back.
"Good," Spike yelled as he got to his feet and wiped at his backside.
Jumping in place he looked around.
Buffy was off to the side kicking the gravel of the driveway, her boyfriend was talking to Anya, and Giles was contemplating the rising sun.
Good lot to have about, Spike thought bitterly.
"You know if you haven't done this in a while you should really think about staying here with Giles," Gunn told Spike as he moved to join them.
Spike rolled his eyes.
"I do this all the time," he lied smoothly ignoring Gunn.
"Now isn't the time for ego Spike. Buffy jogs three miles in the morning and two more on the treadmill in the evening. You're bound to hurt yourself-"Gunn continued.
"I'm fine! Come on already," Spike ground out and jogged off.
Buffy strode over to Gunn, leaned against him a moment on a huge sigh.
"You see what I'm married to?" she asked sullenly.
Gunn grinned.
"Dude's got an ego. Let's see if I can deflate it. Ready luv?" Gunn asked with a laugh.
Buffy couldn't help but smile.
"Don't call me that," she replied as she took off after Spike.
Giles stared after the trio and slowly shook his head.
"Can you imagine both of them all sweaty and…sweaty? And Buffy gets to be alone with them," Anya gave a delicate shudder and licked her lips at the thought.
Giles slanted a narrowed eyed look her way.
"You are decidedly odd," he mused quietly.
Anya grinned up at him.
"Why thank you."
~*~
Exhausted and totally spent Spike felt his knees buckle, and let himself plop down onto the side of the road.
He glared at the retreating backs of Buffy and her bloody boyfriend.
"Run along, like I'm not dyin' here," he yelled as he took a gulp of his Gatorade. Gasping for breath he wondered what had possessed him to agree to this trek.
And trek it was, who ran three miles this bloody early in the morning?
Buffy that's who, he thought angrily. But then again she wasn't normal now was she? Jogged three miles every morning and brought her boyfriend along for the ride.
"Look at me I'm bloody Gunn and I can jog three miles!"
Bastard.
Spike's face scrunched up in a fierce scowl as he glared into a middle distance.
Hearing a car approach he looked up warily and felt a jolt of excitement roll through him at the sight.
"Hey Blondie bear," Harmony Kendall purred from her car.
Spike grinned.
"Oh luv you are a sight," Spike told her as he took her in.
She was wearing her customary pink, driving her pink Porsche and wearing a nice little tight pink tennis outfit.
All in all, he thought she looked smashing.
"You're just what the doctor ordered. Give us a lift pet," Spike said as he struggled to his feet.
Harmony grinned as she watched him half hobble to the passenger door.
"Was that by any chance your wife I saw jogging sweetie?" she asked as she put the car in drive and pushed the gas pedal down.
"It was indeed. Don't mind her, she brought along her boyfriend," Spike assured her.
Harmony's brows rose in interest.
"That was her boyfriend? Well I can never fault Buffy for her taste in men. He was delicious," Harmony purred.
Spike growled low down in his throat.
"Shut up Harm," he snapped.
~*~
"Do you know who that was?" Buffy demanded as she stopped jogging to glare back down the road.
Gunn jogged in place and shook his head.
"Naw, who was it?" he asked.
"Harmony," Buffy spat the name out with a shudder.
"Who's that?" Gunn asked curiously eyeing her carefully.
"She's a cheerleader for the Lakers that's who. And she happens to enjoy sleeping with my husband! What the hell's he thinking bringing her here? I mean talk about disrespect! Argh! I hate him," she yelled.
Gunn nodded.
"Yeah well Buffy you did start this. You told him I was your boyfriend. What did you think he was going to do? Let that go?" Gunn wondered aloud.
"I'll show him," Buffy muttered ignoring Gunn completely.
"Buffy?" Gunn asked hesitantly.
Buffy stalked off back towards Spike's mansion.
"I'll give him a show he soon won't forget," she snarled.
"Whoa girl calm down! What are you talkin' about? I thought this was uh- well I thought you were over him Buffy?" Gunn asked in a rush.
"I am," Buffy yelled.
Gunn nodded.
"Good so there'll be no showing of anyone," he confidently said with a grin.
"Wrong. It's about damn time Spike saw just what he's been missing," Buffy vowed.