40-Love
Disclaimer: Joss owns Btvs
A/N: Hi all. Thank you for the reviews and I'm glad you guys like this so far.
~*~
Chapter Three-
Giles had the sinking suspicion that his silent thought: of things could not possible get any worse would turn out to be wrong. So utterly wrong he would laugh at the absurdity of it all or cry, and he was sad to say he didn't know which he wanted to do more.
He had spent the last unpleasant hour and a half in Anya Jenkins company, and when he heard approaching footsteps coming he nearly rejoiced aloud. At last, he thought, I'm being rescued from this oversexed man eater!
But his hopes were cruelly dashed when the person came into view and he barely hid his grimace and look of blatant disgust.
"Oh! Are you having a party Blondie bear?" Harmony Kendall's voice grated on Giles' already raw nerves, and he closed his eyes and prayed for deliverance.
"No," was Spike's clipped reply as he came onto the terrace and braced his hands on the iron railing. His momentary good mood had fled the instant Harm had dared to mention Gunn was delicious.
Despite his mood Harmony was bubbly and fairly jumping with perkiness and excitement. She caught a glance of Giles as he buried his head in his hands and let out a little squeal.
"Rupert Giles! What are you doing here? Did you come with Buffy?" Harmony asked cheerfully as she took a seat.
"Mmm," was all Giles could manage as he tried to recall why he was here exactly. Oh yes, he lifted his head and let his eyes land on Spike. He glared at the younger man, Spike was the reason he was here. He'd lollygagged his way with the divorce and stretched it on so long that he'd made this happen.
Anya took in Spike's stance and grinned.
"Where's Buffy at?" she asked curiously. "Did she and Gunn leave you behind?"
Spike stiffened and turned to glare at the judge a moment before he spoke.
"No. If you must know I invited Harm down for a bit of fun and waited to meet her. By the way Harm this is the divorce judge I'm sure you've heard about. Judge Anya this is Harmony Kendall."
Harmony turned a sunny smile to Anya who regarded her closely.
Specifically the large amount of cleavage her pink outfit provided.
"Those can't possible be real," Anya stated tactlessly. "Would you mind shaking? I'd like to see if they jiggle."
Harmony's pink lips parted in a perfect 'oh' as she gasped in indignation.
"Yeah Harm give us a show. See if they jiggle like jello," Spike snarked out with a wicked grin as he glanced at Harmony.
Giles abruptly scrapped back his chair and rose.
"Excuse me," he bit out coldly and strode out.
"I only ask because I've been thinking about getting my boobs done…" Anya's voice trailed in his wake.
Giles wandered his way back to the front of the house and wondered how much longer this would take. He could not see doing this for two months, and live to tell the tale. It was nearly impossible for him to spend a large amount of time with Spike before he inevitable realized why he disliked him so.
The front door opened and he looked up from his hovering position in the foyer.
Buffy strode in closely followed by Gunn.
Giles smiled wide in welcome.
"Buffy," he said happily and nodded to Gunn.
Buffy sent him a preoccupied look.
"Hey. Where's Spike? And…Harmony?" she asked a little impatiently as she crossed her arms and waited for his response.
"Oh… So you saw her. Well they're on the terrace with…um…Anya," Giles said carefully as he studied Buffy's stiff posture.
Buffy sent a glance to Gunn and proceeded to hurry off.
Giles cast Gunn a curious look as he hesitated in going directly after Buffy.
"What is going on?" Giles demanded.
Gunn looked at Giles and gave him a small smile.
But that was all before he loped after Buffy.
Giles was left alone in the foyer, the distinct feeling of foreboding settling over him like a cloud, as he shook his head. Things were about to go from worse to horrendous, he had no doubt.
~*~
"Buffy," Gunn's voice stopped her head long march to reach the terrace momentarily as she swung back to face him.
He caught her arm to keep her in place.
"Now listen I'm up for a bit of fun but let's keep it at that okay? You don't wanna go all out for Spike. He's not worth the effort. Don't show off too much," he warned her.
Buffy nodded and grinned suddenly.
"This is going to be fun," she said excitedly. "I know just the right buttons to push too. You have no idea how much this means to me Gunn! Spike just thinks he's so smooth and charming. He deserves this!"
Gunn didn't disagree but he didn't feel entirely comfortable with her little plan either. The reasons didn't matter, but he knew games like these tended to spiral out of control. He just hoped he could keep a rein on this.
Gunn released Buffy and took a step back.
"Lead the way boss. I'm yours to command for today," he assured her once again.
Buffy sent him another smile before she walked off.
She wasn't certain why she wanted to get back at Spike. He'd done so much to her and their marriage this one thing wouldn't make much of a dent on his record. But she supposed it was a sense of hurt pride that made her want to hurt him. If possible she wanted him to feel just a drop of the pain and humiliation he had caused.
She knew she shouldn't feel pleased by hurting him, but she was only human and a large part of her wanted revenge. Spike's humongous ego would not allow him to believe she'd ever cheat on him and this was the perfect way to get at him.
She grinned all the way to the terrace where she paused briefly at the sliding doors to prepare herself.
She looked back at Gunn.
"Follow my lead," she told him as she slid open the doors and stepped out.
Spike didn't lift his head as he heard the screen door slide back, but all the same he was aware that Buffy had stepped onto the terrace.
Maybe it was the slight wind that carried her scent or sound of her long absent footsteps. Or maybe it was just some unseen alertness he had where she was concerned. He'd had it for years. Even before they'd gotten together he'd been unusually aware of her.
It made him angry that she had that much power of him, in fact it always had and he usually lashed out because of it.
This time wasn't any different.
"Well, well," he drawled out as he jerked his head up to glare at the couple as they stepped out. "If it isn't the wife and her boyfriend. 'Ello luv hope that run didn't tire you out…though you do look a bit worse for wear," he clucked his tongue and reached out taking Harmony's hand.
He sent her a wink and a grin.
Buffy smiled unconcerned as she turned to Gunn and ran hand down the front of his damp t-shirt.
"We just came to tell you to move this little party over to the tennis courts. Since you couldn't handle the jog-"
"Hey!" Spike began angrily.
Buffy spoke right over him.
"Maybe you can handle a little hitting practice. Honey do you think you could help him out with that?" Buffy asked lifting her hand and letting her fingers trail down Gunn's cheek.
He grinned wrapping an arm around her, and let his gaze rise to meet Spike's smoldering one.
"I thought you were the one who's supposed to be helping me?" Spike asked through clenched teeth.
"You never specified who I could get to help me Anya," Buffy stated as she turned her adoring gaze Anya's way.
Anya looked back at her, pure admiration shining in her eyes.
"Nope. Let's get to the courts. It's about time we got some tennis in! Spike show me the way. Harmony I'll be sure to check out Dr. Peterson. But from the ampleness of your fake breasts I'm sure I have nothing to worry about."
With that said Anya rose and grabbed Spike's arm.
"I always knew those were fake," Buffy said loud enough for everyone to hear.
Spike turned back an evil glint in his eyes.
"You ought to think about buying yourself a pair. Then maybe you'd be able to keep a man," he issued with a thin smile.
Harmony giggled and Anya dragged Spike away.
"Bastard," Buffy muttered. "I want you to make him hurt. I want every bone in his skinny little body to ache Gunn. Is that understood?"
She turned determined green eyes up to him.
Gunn merely inclined his head.
~*~
Spike let Harmony flit about as they got situated on one of the tennis courts on his property. He watched her with a distracted eye, as on the edge of his awareness was Buffy and her bleeding poof of a boyfriend.
He knew it was insane to feel this way; in fact it was down right laughable that he felt any kind of jealousy. After all they were getting a divorce and he was right glad about it. They had stayed married entirely too long.
Stomping was beneath him so he merely stalked about as he went about getting his racket and stretching. He kept his eyes away from the spectacle Buffy was making. But just barely. He eyed Harmony's shapely bum as she bent to retrieve an errant tennis ball. He let an amused smile slip out as he watched her chase the ball.
She always brought a smile to his face, she just had an air about her that forever amused him whether on purpose or unintentional.
He swung around and his eyes narrowed at what he saw.
Buffy leaned over Gunn on one of the benches nearby, talking to Anya. She was half splayed on top of him, her breasts pressed into the side of his arm, her hair trailing down his chest. A low growl tried to rise up but Spike squashed it.
Tried for a bit of calmness when he spoke.
"Ready? You ready Gunn?" he asked lowly. Ready for me to show you up in front of the lady? He thought with silent glee.
He might be a bit out of shape, and sure it had been well over two years since he picked up the racket seriously, but it was like sex, once you did it you never forgot the moves. He'd wipe the floor with The Gunn, he mused with delight.
"Remember this is just to gauge how far along you've let yourself go," Giles called out.
Spike rolled his eyes.
"Whatever," he muttered as he took his position across the net from Gunn.
"Ready?" Gunn asked as he bounced a ball on his racket.
Spike nodded.
Gunn dribbled the ball a bit before he swung his racket and the ball sailed easily over the net. Spike pounced on it and smashed his racket against it, and had the satisfaction of seeing it sail smoothly past Gunn.
Gunn arched his brows and let a slow smile unfurl as he pulled out another ball.
"This is hitting practice. It's supposed to be back and forth. You aren't playing for winners Spike," Giles stated reproachfully.
"Winners?" Harmony asked cluelessly. "What are those?"
Giles turned an irritated look Buffy's way.
Buffy merely shrugged and turned her attention back to the men on court.
Anya took it upon herself to explain.
"Well winners are points Harmony…" she began eagerly.
The competitiveness between the two men was clear to see, and Buffy frowned a little as she watched Gunn swipe at a ball sending it right at Spike's head. When she'd told him to make Spike ache she hadn't meant by beaming him, she thought.
But it didn't matter; the result would be the same. She wanted Spike to see that she could do fine without him. She could even get a man, even with her small breasts. A smile flickered across her lips as Spike dodged another ball.
Her day was certainly looking up.
Giles watched the battle of egos with bemusement. He knew that somewhere in the murky depths of Spike's heart he'd once held great affection for Buffy. Where it had gone was anyone's guess, but for all intents and purposes it was gone.
So his jealousy came as a bit of a surprise considering he was the one who walked out on Buffy, Giles thought darkly. Too little, too late was a phrase that came to mind. But then it shouldn't surprise him in the least. Spike's ego was rather large and anyone who knew him was aware of this fact.
It was one of the many reasons Giles despised the young man. He couldn't take criticism at all and thus made for a poor student. While Spike'd competed on the ATP tour he'd always been looking for a coach. No one could stand to put up with all Spike's hang ups.
The only one who'd tried had been Buffy.
And look where it got her, a little voice in his head whispered sadly, broken hearted and playing a dangerous game of pretend.
"Move your feet," Giles suddenly erupted from the sidelines. "Spike move your bloody feet!"
Spike sent him an irritated glance over his shoulders, and remained in the still position at the back of the tennis court, also known as the baseline.
Giles rose from his bench.
"Buffy come with me."
Buffy rose and followed after Giles obediently.
"Move aside Spike. It seems you've forgotten one of the most essential rules of tennis. Always move your feet. Buffy take his spot. Gunn go ahead and serve to her. Show Spike how it's done," Giles ordered as he paused beside Spike.
Buffy took Spike's position about a foot behind the baseline, so she would be able to reach Gunn's serve.
As she stood there crouched over she moved her feet. It was rather like jogging in place; only you were crouched over, eyeing your opponent over the net, awaiting their serve.
It was dangerous to stay flat footed on a tennis court, if you didn't move, you didn't win.
Gunn bent and let loose a serve.
"You see how she's moving," Giles said to Spike, "and see how as the ball descends she's ready. She can move easily because she wasn't flat footed. It's impossible to start from standing still and think to get a ball back. And though she got it into the net, she succeeded in where you failed."
Spike's jaw was clenched so tight he felt as if his head were about to explode. He couldn't believe he was getting lectured to by Rupert Giles! As if he was some rank amateur who didn't have a fucking clue as to what he was about!
His hands clenched around his racket handle, until the knuckles went white from the strain of it.
"Try it and this time move your feet," Giles told him and shoved him back onto the hard-court.
Buffy brushed past Spike and he retook his position.
He made a conscious effort to move his feet this time as he waited for Gunn to serve, but he was taking an awfully long time and soon Spike stopped.
He stood waiting impatiently.
Gunn finally tossed the ball into the air and sent it flying.
Spike made an attempt to hit it, but failed miserably.
"I guess that booze finally soaked into your brain and now that's all that's left," Buffy remarked with a disgusted shake of her head.
"Have you forgotten everything? How long has it been since you've been on the court? For a serious work out? A friendly game?" Giles snapped out angrily as he swiped his glasses off his nose and cleaned them furiously.
Spike lowered his head as color crept into his cheeks.
"I don't know," Spike mumbled.
But he knew and it shamed him more than he was willing to admit.
Because the day he left Buffy was the day he quit playing tennis.
~*~
A/N: Hi all. Well this certainly isn't the end of what Buffy has in store for Spike. In fact though this didn't have much crazy antics look for those in the next chapter. It's gonna be good. Thanks for reading. Skyz.