A/N: Disclaimer still in effect.  The unbelievable hotness that is James Marsters, definitely still in effect.  Calm, deep breaths.  Ok, on we go.

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Chapter 14: Hearts and Flowers

Buffy heaved a little sigh and opened her eyes as the final strains of D'Angelo melted into "I Get So Lonely" by Janet Jackson.  The rhythmic snapping and throbbing of the song's beat gave Buffy something to choreograph her hips to.  She moved to the middle of the stage and turned her back to the audience.  Reaching a hand behind her, she let the men watch as she undid the clasp to her bra.  It snapped open, exposing the elegant lines of her tanned back.  Cupping her bra to her, she slowly bent over and then back up again.  The men went wild, and Buffy gave a heavy-lidded gaze over her shoulder.  Slowly, Buffy dragged her tongue over her lips, and turned her body back toward the audience.  She purposefully let the bra dip and bend, but never completely uncovered her.  As the music built up to a crescendo, Buffy moved to a pole and tossed the bra behind her and raking a hand down her stomach to the apex of her thighs, and back up.  She trailed a finger through the valley between her breasts and then lightly traced it over the swell of her right bosom, then her left.  Her hips continued to roll with the rhythm of the song, moving silkily against the pole.  When the song ended, disappointed groans emanated from every corner of the club, now there was only one more song to view the exquisite creation that might have been an angel of a generous God or an instrument of the Devil himself. 

No matter though, because if she was an agent of the Devil, there wasn't a man in the club that wouldn't willingly follow her siren's song into the very pits of hell and beyond.  Such was the pull and attraction of the tightly muscled blonde woman, yet she was innocent to it and its affects on the opposite sex.  Buffy knew she was cute by most standards, even pretty by some, but anything beyond that was out of her realm of comprehension.  Her first boyfriend had destroyed any semblances of self esteem she might have grown and nurtured.  She fell in love at sixteen, the intense, untainted and forgiving love that only a young woman can give.  He was her everything, and he knew it.  He twisted her love, her loyalty and her compassion into subservience to him, into his own personal ego boost.  When she refused to give him her body after three years, he left, but not before laying bare to her the many indiscretions and transgressions he committed while whispering love to her.  Buffy's heart shattered into jagged pieces, but she continued forward with life, such was her nature.  Even when the violent letters and obscene phone calls started, when the windshield of her car was shattered and the word "whore' was spray painted across her old house, Buffy did not break.  Her mother's bout with cancer staggered her, but she remained strong for both her mom and A.J.  And even when Buffy had to quit school and take on the most embarrassing job in the world, to her, Buffy did not break.  She'd grown to accept the many paths her life led her down. 

But, when Buffy was onstage, dancing to "Fever" by Ella Fitzgerald, she caught sight of Spike in the audience.  Right there, Buffy felt her resolve, her will, her essence, crack, just a little bit.  Spike's eyes were hot and hungry, but besides the usual lust, they held a little bit of shame and anger.  At her, for her, for what she was doing, for parading herself for the money she would earn, Buffy didn't know. When she and Spike locked gazes and he turned his head away, Buffy felt something inside her break away and die.  Ashamed, he ashamed to have been seen with me, to have asked me out, he's ashamed of me.  And while this shouldn't have mattered to her, it did.  It mattered that Spike slighted her by turning his head away.  It mattered because there had been something growing between them, something amazing and special, something to make Buffy forget about past pain and focus on the future.  Stupid girl, what did you expect?  Love at first sight?  Him to sweep you off your feet and kiss and hug and make everything all better?  You're too old for such foolish stories, and make-believe.  At least it happened now, instead of down the road. 

Somehow, Buffy managed to finish her set with a smile on her face.  It was a tight, plastic, stretched-to-the-point-of-breaking smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.  When she finally got to the relative safety of backstage, all Buffy wanted to do was get the hell out.  The perfume was too cloying, the giggles, oppressive and annoying.  Why must they giggle like fourth-graders?  Huh?  Why?

Willow, who only had one set tonight because Buffy covered her other ones, walked up behind Buffy and tugged her hair playfully.  "So, did you see him?"

Buffy turned to Willow and began to pull on her clothes.  "Who?" she asked shortly. 

Willow rolled her eyes.  "Don't play dumb with me, I'm better at it.  Spike, did you see Spike?"

Buffy gave a half shrug.  "Yeah, I saw him, no biggie."

Willow's jaw dropped and she dropped to a seat next to where Buffy was standing.  "No biggie?  What the hell are you talking about?  This is the same Spike who took you to the aquarium, right?  You know the one you were gushing about right before your set.  What happened out there?"

Buffy felt tears prickle her eyes, but refused to acknowledge them.  "Nothing, I just realized how much I don't know about him and I'm being cautious, that's all."

Willow rolled her eyes.  "Oh, yeah, tell me another one.  You've been two steps behind your hormones the entire time you've known this man.  Now, tell me the real reason."

Suddenly, Buffy felt her limbs become heavy and her energy rush out of her body.  She slumped down next to Willow and leaned her head forward on a hand.  "God, Willow, you should've seen the way he looked at me just now.  I mean, I was dancing and I felt a tingle so I looked up and I think I caught him off-guard.  Willow, he looked like he was embarrassed to even know me or have me looking at him, like I shamed him."

"Sweetie, are you sure that's the real reason and that you're not reading anything into it?" Willow asked softly.  Buffy was running scared from something that had hurt her so bad and may do so again, Willow was positive.  She'd done it before time and time again.  A new guy, someone perfect in most respects, yet Buffy found the most miniscule of faults to be horrific and worthy of dismissal.  Whatever was happening between her and Spike was happening fast, and Buffy was struggling to her footing.

"What's there to read?  I look at him and he just looks away, like he doesn't know me, or even want to know me," Buffy replied.  Again, she battled back any emotion that tried to surface. 

"Honey, before you jump to any conclusions and land directly on your ass, maybe you should talk to Spike first.  He was probably just looking at Riley or something, and you caught the tail end of it," Willow giggled at the thought.

"No, Willow, he wasn't looking at Riley.  He was looking and me.  I'm sure of it," Buffy said wearily and stood up to pack her bag.  "I'm sorry, but rain check for milkshakes?  I'm really not in the mood right now."

Willow smiled sympathetically.  "I understand, besides, I've got class tomorrow."

Buffy nodded.  "'Night Wills."

"Night, Buffy," Willow replied.  She watched Buffy walk through the room and head for the back door.  Once she was sure Buffy was outside, Willow grabbed her stuff and charged out into the club.  Spike was sitting exactly in the same spot as during her set, now drinking a beer.

Willow stealthily walked up around and behind him, then gave his head a good slap before sitting at the table. 

"Ow!  Bloody hell, Red, what was that for?" he demanded, rubbing where she'd hit him.

"For whatever you did to Buffy," Willow replied. 

"What the bleedin' hell are you talking about?  I didn't do a bloody thing to Buffy, although I sure thought about it," Spike said, giving Willow a dirty look.

Willow rolled her eyes and him and briefly told him what Buffy said to her minutes before.

Spike's eyes widened.  "She thought I was ashamed of her!  That's bloody ridiculous!  I was havin' some seriously impure thoughts involving sex in public and I didn't want to accidentally run up on stage and ravish her."

Willow laughed.  "Accidentally ravish her?" she asked.

Spike smiled.  "Okay, not so accidental, and more so purposeful, but I definitely wasn't ashamed of her.  Maybe a teensy bit jealous about the whole taking clothes off in public, but she told me why she strips and I understand."  Spike looked at Willow.  "Please, Red, you gotta tell her I didn't mean that."

Willow shook her head.  "Oh no, you're not pulling me into this quicksand.  You go catch her and tell her yourself.  But let me warn you, Buffy has been burned before, badly.  Now, whenever she has strong feelings, she tends to run headlong in the opposite direction, don't let her."

Spike nodded.  "Sure, 'm a persistent bloke, that's for sure, but what's to say I even want to catch the bint?" he asked. 

Willow rolled her eyes again.  "Please, you are so putty in her hands.  I've seen you around her; could you be a bigger wuss?  C'mon, Porgy and Bess?" she teased and Spike's face flushed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, well, that doesn't mean anything.  I mean, I just met the damn girl." Spike jutted his chin out and crossed his arms.

Willow felt like screaming.  "I swear, you two stubborn jackasses are perfect together.  Who cares that you just met?  You're not proposing, are you?  No, so what's it matter?  You like her?  You respect her?  You want her?  Well, that's all that matters, how you feel.  Not that you don't know Buffy's full name or her astrological sign, but that you want to take the time and opportunity to find out.  Now get your ass out of that chair and go explain yourself to my best friend before I kick your cute British ass."

Spike smiled.  "You think my ass is cute?"

Willow laughed.  "You know your ass is cute, now move it."

"How am I supposed to catch her if she's already left?"

"Well, you could try the parking lot, genius, and if she's not there, go to her apartment.  Do I have to spell out every step for you?" Willow asked, exasperated.

Spike smiled again.  "Oz is one lucky man, you know that?"  He jumped up and brushed a quick kiss across Willow's cheek and headed out of the club.

Willow was smiling and feeling very pleased with herself when a shadow fell across her.  She looked up and almost groaned.  "Riley, what do you want?"

"Where's Buffy?" he asked.

"She left," Willow replied shortly.

"She was supposed to talk to me," he protested.

Willow felt her patience run thin.  "Well, Riley, as Buffy's official babysitter, I would say that she's got a lot on her mind and wants to be left alone.  I'll be sure to tell her that you need to talk to her, now, if you'll excuse me."

Willow tried to push past Riley, but he grabbed onto her arm.  "Think you're funny, Willow?  We'll see how funny you are when you're jobless and on the street.  Next time you see Buffy, tell her I need to talk to her," he said coldly and walked off.

Willow shivered and tried to ignore the pain in her arm where Riley grabbed her.  Stupid, creepy bartender-man.  She shouldered her bag and headed for the parking lot and her school books.  Ahh, a night of studying. 

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Buffy felt like screaming.  All she wanted to do was get home and take a bubble bath, was that so much to ask?  Apparently, it was because her car refused to start.  She popped the hood and pretended to know what the hell she was doing, but failed miserably.  She poked and prodded and looked for loose wires, but still, nothing.  Having exhausted her entire repertoire of car knowledge, she was stuck either bumming a ride from Willow, calling a cab, or calling her mother.  Mom is definitely out of the question, major wiggage if she has to pick me up here.  Cab?  Maybe, see if Willow doesn't mind first.  Plan firmly in mind, she left her bag in the car and headed toward the club and Willow. 

Halfway to the club, Buffy felt the fine hairs on her neck stand up.  A chill snaked down her spine and wormed around into the pit of her stomach.  She stopped and looked around.  No one else was in the parking lot.  The fluorescent lights gave off a strange glow and Buffy shivered at the shadows.  She laughed out loud and gave herself a mental head slap, then began walking toward the club again.  This time, however, she head footsteps behind her.  She turned quickly and again saw nobody.  She increased her pace and was halfway to the club when she heard it. A low laugh, gravelly and sinister and directly behind her.  Oh God what was that?  Heart hammering in her chest, Buffy didn't spare a look behind her but ran toward the club at full speed.  Oh God ohGodohGodohGod.  The footsteps behind her increased in tempo as well, and the laughter got closer.  Buffy whimpered and ran even faster.  Her lungs burned with the exertion, and her heart beat wildly, but Buffy refused to slow, the laughter behind her spurning her on.  She was almost to the door when she felt something soft brush lightly against the nape of her neck.  Buffy let out a shriek and turned to face whoever was taunting her, fists in the air.   

There was nobody behind her.  The lights were still casting an eerie glow, but Buffy didn't see a single soul in the parking lot.  Buffy took a few deep breaths and felt her heart rate slow down from the excruciatingly fast run she subjected it to.  She bent at the waist and tried to control her breathing and she saw it.  A rose lay a few feet away from her.  A perfect, blood-red rose, petals closed and thorns removed.  Tied to the rose was a small piece of paper.  Buffy quickly looked around and kept scanning as she inched closer and closer to the flower.  She picked it up and opened the note attached to it.

 SOON, MY LOVE.

That was all it said, but it was written in blood.  Buffy felt another whimper in her throat and she turned to go inside when a hand clapped down on her shoulder behind her. 

She screamed. 

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A/N: keep up the reviews, my pretties.  Until next time.