A/N : Rushed this chapter through, since I did say my next update would be on this fic. Now I have done this I can concentrate on my Christmas fic, which will be just three or four short chapters, hopefully the first of which will be posted tomorrow. Would you believe I have to work right up to Christmas Eve?! Thankfully I get a week and a half off after that so I'll hopefully find some extra fic writing time then! In the meantime, thanx to the reviewers of chapter ten; courtney, SweetBitter, aphelant, SpIkEs AnGeL, Gisme, CeriCherry (don't worry, you don't have to review every single chapter, though it is nice, lol), Veggie-Babu-chan (yes, after I'm done with the number you can have it, lol). Right, enough rambling, now time for story...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 11 - Busted

It was hardly surprising, given her awful attitude and unstoppable drinking, that no-one accepted Lady Joyce's invitation of dinner. She decided to replace her absent company with several glasses of her favourite drinks, now, from outside the door of her daughters bedroom, a slightly tipsy Lady Joyce wondered why she could hear bells ringing...

"My Lady" said a voice causing her to physically jump as she realised the maid, Susan, had appeared from the bedroom, Buffy's cordless phone in her hand "the young Mr O'Connor is on the telephone, he asked to speak to Miss Elizabeth..." the young woman explained, holding the phone out to her employer, who stared at it as if it were a bomb.

"But she was going out with him tonight..." Joyce mumbled to herself before looking the confused maid in the eye "I'll take the call in the front lounge in two minutes" she said in her strictest tone, before sweeping towards the stair case and down to the sitting room at the front of the house where she often resided. The phone soon began to ring as it should and she picked it up and placed it to her ear.

"Hello"

"Lizzy?" the young man on the other end of the line asked.

"This is Lady Joyce Summers" the older woman snapped and Angel felt sick. As much as he liked Elizabeth, her mother was unbearable!

"Oh, good evening ma'am" the young man admirably covered his disappointment of not being able to speak to his girlfriend "This is Liam O'Connor, I wondered if I might speak with your daughter" he said, hoping to God this woman would just hand over the hone and let him talk to the girl he'd actually called to speak to.

"Were you not supposed to be taking Elizabeth out tonight?" the Lady asked him with a frown and inside his head Angel was screaming 'would I be calling her if I was with her?!' God this woman was infuriating!

"No ma'am" he answered as calmly as he could "I haven't seen her in three days, that's why I was calling" when their was no response he asked "Is she okay?"

There was a long pause and Angel was just about to ask his question again when Lady Joyce finally spoke up.

"Thankyou for your concern" she said smoothly "but she's quite alright. I'll have her call you soon, my dear"

"Thankyou ma'am" Angel said politely, all the time wondering if he was being lied to "Have a pleasant evening"

"Goodnight Mr O'Connor" he heard the lady reply before the line went dead. There was definitely something weird going on, Angel was sure of it, but Lady Joyce was closer to knowing what that thing was than him.

With an angry look and a displeased tone, Lady Joyce began to move through the house, calling to her oblivious son. If anyone knew what Elizabeth was up to, it would be her twin brother.

The elusive son of Lady Joyce was in one place he was sure he would not be discovered, back on the basement stairs where he'd been the night before with Willow right next to him, making him want to kiss her just by looking at him in her shy little way.

"What did you wanna talk about?" the red head asked, looking at her feet and just barely shifting her eyes to look up at him as she spoke.

"Last night" was his quiet response and Willow shifted uncomfortably, not knowing exactly what to say. She was so sure she knew what he was going to say, he was going to break her heart and the waiting for those words to come was almost unbearable.

"Will, I don't know what really happened" Xander sighed and Willow refused to look at him, suddenly finding her own shoes very interesting "but...it's like stuff happened when we kissed, and I never felt like that when I kissed Cordy or anybody and...I'm making a total mess of this but I just don't know what it means"

The girl beside him wanted to tell him what she thought it meant, she wanted to tell him how much she liked him, maybe loved him, and how she only hoped he might feel the same way about her, but all the words got stuck before they made it out of her mouth and all she could do was look at him with a confused expression.

"So I was thinking" Xander glanced away from her gaze "maybe we should, y'know, kiss again so we can figure it out"

It was possibly the lamest excuse ever devised for getting a girl to kiss him, but Xander didn't know what to do with the feelings he'd been having recently for Willow. He had sort of hoped it wouldn't come to this, he'd thought perhaps she would tell him how she felt about him, making it easier for him to make a decision about his own mixed emotions, but she didn't, so this was Plan B.

"If you think that's a good idea" Willow shrugged, trying to hide her blushing face behind her red hair.

"You don't?" Xander answered too fast and Willow shook her head fast, replying negatively.

"Oh no, I didn't exactly say that" she said, before realising how overly eager she must seem "I mean, it's all scientific and stuff so it's not like it's really wrong or anything" she justified as best she could.

"Exactly" Xander gave a firm nod as he turned to look properly at the girl beside him, the girl that he wondered if he was falling for.

Willow brought her head up, until her eyes met Xander's and she shivered under the intensity of his gaze. Neither of them seemed willing to be the first to move but it was getting the better of both their patience. Suddenly, they both decided to go for it and simultaneously leant in. As their lips joined it was as magical as the night before and both knew this was more than they'd ever realised it could be...

"Alexander!"

They broke apart sharply as his mother's loud booming voice echoed down the hallways above them. Xander sighed in annoyance.

"Y'know for a Lady who teaches my sister and me about manners and stuff, she yells a whole lot" Xander smiled and although Willow tried to do the same her heart wasn't in it. She'd been enjoying herself way too much then, but the calls of Xander's mothers only reminded her of the fact that they were too different to be together for real, bringing her back down to Earth with a nasty bump.

"Shouldn't you go to her?" she asked with a frown and Xander nodded.

"I guess" he conceded, getting up from the step and hurrying to find his mother.

Willow waited for five minutes before deciding it would now be safe for her to leave the basement stairs without looking suspicious. As she made her way up, she ran straight into Xander who had a strange look on his face.

"What did your mother want?" the red-head asked him worriedly.

"Buffy was supposed to be going out with Angel tonight" he explained "but he just called and asked where she was"

At this the housekeepers daughter frowned and looked away, confirming Xander's suspicions.

"Willow? Did she go to the Bronze again?" he asked with a tone of authority, little knowing that he didn't need it, she would have confessed anyway.

"Yes" she said softly, ashamed that she'd lied, especially to him.

With a shake of his head and a sigh, Xander lowered his voice as he spoke to his sisters best friend.

"Call her cellphone" he instructed her "warn her to have an excuse ready"

That only caused Willow's frown to deepen. Wasn't he supposed to be against Buffy's wild nights out?

"But I thought..." she began before he cut her off abruptly.

"I don't agree with what she's doing" he admitted "but I kinda understand it and I don't want my sister to get in trouble" the fact that he cared so much made Willow smile "You make the call, I'll go calm Mom down as much as I can" the young man before her said, waiting for a simple nod from her before rushing off again, their kisses so unfortunately forgotten, for now.

"You want to dance luv?" Spike offered and Buffy was quick to give her positive reply. Being in his arms felt wonderful before and she couldn't wait to be there again. Unfortunately they didn't make it to the dancefloor before her cellphone began to ring. The display read 'unknown number' and with a frown she put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Buffy, it's me..." Willow rushed out in a quiet tone, so afraid she would be overheard. On the other end of the line Spike watched Buffy's face turn paler by the second, until finally she hung up the phone and gasped;

"Oh God"

"Something the matter, pet?" a worried Spike asked her, nothing but concern and love in his eyes as he looked upon her.

"I have to go" Buffy told him, cringing as she saw him physically flinch. She shoved her cell back in her bag and pulled out some money to pay for the drink she'd almost finished.

"Now?" Spike complained "but you just got here" as he watched her gulp the last part of her drink and check her bag for her car keys.

"I know and I don't want to leave" she assured him as she got off her stool and glanced toward the door.

"You always say that but you always go" he complained, reaching for her hand to stop her running out on him again, but he knew already it would do no good.

"I swear, I will be back" she promised, turning to him once more "I don't know when, but I will be back"

Before he could protest further, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled his lips to hers for a brief kiss, before literally running from the building.

Buffy was glad she had to drive herself home, it had stopped her from drinking alcohol tonight and that was a good thing if she was going to hide her night out from her mother. The car sped down the road, swerving in and out of traffic and taking corners at dangerous speeds, but Buffy knew if she got back too late Lady Joyce would be doubly suspicious, doubly drunk and probably doubly nasty about everything.

Buffy bolted from the car to the front door, making sure her coat was buttoned and covering the clothes her mother would flip her lid over. Rubbing her hands on her face to remove some of her makeup she arrived in the foyer of her house, running almost slap bang into her angry looking mother. She only hoped she could talk her way out of this predicament.

"I want an explanation Elizabeth" Lady Joyce demanded "and I want it now"

To Be Continued...

[Next fic by Ultra will be 'Emily's Christmas Wish' - expect Part 1 tomorrow, or Monday at the latest]