Title: Complicated
Summary: --Sequel to "I Don't Want To Be Alone"-- Buffy's living in New York, sharing an apartment with her best friend from the foster home, Willow. Xander and Nikki live in the same building, a floor up from the two. All four attend NYU and life is starting to make sense again. Until someone returns from their past and shakes things up.
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from BtVS or AtVS or anyone who belongs to someone else. You know who they are. I do own people such as Nikki.
~~**~~
Buffy looked up at the elevator ceiling, the lights were dimmed and looked like they were going to go out any minute. She looked over to Willow who was impatiently staring at the numbers above the door.
Willow had somehow persuaded Buffy into going with her to pick something up from Emily's apartment that she'd left there the other night. Buffy had plans to sit at home and study for a test with the help of Noah, but when he got a call from his aunt, asking him to come home, she decided to delay the studying and go out with her friend.
"So how long is Noah gone for?" Willow asked, when the two stepped out of the elevator.
"He didn't really say. It might be a while; it may be just a night. But I don't think he'd leave until he knew his uncle was okay."
"I feel bad. I mean, I wish there was something I could do. I know it hasn't been very long since we met, but there's that bond thing. You know?" she asked, as she raised her hand to knock on room 612.
"Yeah, I know. So, how long are we talking here? With the getting of whatever it is you're getting. A second, a minute, a hour, a day?"
"Somewhere between a minute and a day. Now, I haven't met her roommate before, so don't look at me if he's a complete loser."
"A week you two have been at it, and you haven't met her roommate yet?" Buffy asked.
The door opened and Emily stood there in nothing but a red silk robe. She moved aside so that the two could step in and Buffy noticed that the apartment was nothing like the elevator, or the hallways. It was very nice, very clean, but not too clean.
"Sorry about the robe. I just got out of the shower," Emily said. "You can sit down Buffy. Do you want anything?"
"No, I'm okay, thanks," she said, sitting down on the nearby sofa. "You two take your time."
Willow and Emily disappeared into another room and Buffy laid her head back against the wall. She closed her eyes and started to fall asleep when she heard a door slam and footsteps growing louder. Opening her eyes, Buffy saw the back of a man all dressed in black, with blonde hair.
She heard him let out a few swear words when he noticed that Emily had company. She figured he didn't see her when he came in, because he wasn't acting as if she existed.
"Are you Emily's roommate?" Buffy asked, catching his attention.
"Yeah, yeah I-," he started, but stopped. "Buffy?"
She was speechless. She couldn't believe who was staring back at her. Standing, she ran over to him and into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck, not wanting to let go.
"Is it really you?" he asked, in almost a whisper.
"100% Buffy," she said, stepping away from his arms. "I-I thought you were in England."
"Was. I moved 'ere when I turned nineteen. Needed to get away from them. Thought New York would be a nice place to start a new life. No one knows who you are. Like you don't even exist."
"I can understand that," Buffy said. "But a new life wasn't in my plans. I like the one I have. The one I've had for a year now. With Willow, and Nikki and Xander."
"They're 'ere?"
"Yeah, we all live in the same building. Nikki and Xander are engaged. They live below me and Willow. Its great, its like . . . Kind of like back at the home. But minus Marge, and you know, the other scary stuff." She paused. "Minus you."
He could see in her eyes how much she missed him. He felt the same way. His life had been good, but there was always this emptiness that he couldn't fill, or drink away.
"I missed you," she said, quietly.
"I missed you too luv," he said, pulling her into a hug.
"Ahem," Emily said, tearing the two apart.
Buffy quickly wiped away a tear, not wanting it to be noticed. Emily looked confused. Willow appeared beside her, and her jaw dropped. She looked from Buffy to Spike, to Emily.
"This is your roommate?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'm guessing you all know each other," Emily said. "That saves me from the introductions."
"Willow, can I talk to you for a minute?" Buffy asked. "Now." The two walked into the kitchen area, and Buffy began to whisper. "Am I seeing things? Is that really him?"
"Unless I'm seeing things too, yeah, that's Spike. The one and only."
Buffy took a deep breath. "What am I going to do? I cant . . . I cant tell him about Noah. I can't tell Noah about him."
"I'm not one for lying . . . But since Noah is gone . . . Maybe you wont have to worry about that," Willow said.
"I guess you're right. I mean, why am I even thinking that? It's not like me and Spike are going to. . . No."
Willow gave her an unsure look and Buffy glanced out into the living room. Spike was sitting down, talking to Emily. Filling her in on how they know one another. He looked the same, just a bit older. He had grown a little, and he certainly was no stranger to the gym these days.
"You two okay in there?!" Emily yelled. "Need some assistance?!"
"We're coming!" Willow yelled back. "C'mon Buff. Just do what you feel is right."
"What I feel is right," Buffy repeated. "That's easy. Right? I mean, its not like I'm going to sleep with Spike or anything. I'm certainly not going to fall back in love with him."
"Did you ever fall out of love with him?"
Summary: --Sequel to "I Don't Want To Be Alone"-- Buffy's living in New York, sharing an apartment with her best friend from the foster home, Willow. Xander and Nikki live in the same building, a floor up from the two. All four attend NYU and life is starting to make sense again. Until someone returns from their past and shakes things up.
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from BtVS or AtVS or anyone who belongs to someone else. You know who they are. I do own people such as Nikki.
~~**~~
Buffy looked up at the elevator ceiling, the lights were dimmed and looked like they were going to go out any minute. She looked over to Willow who was impatiently staring at the numbers above the door.
Willow had somehow persuaded Buffy into going with her to pick something up from Emily's apartment that she'd left there the other night. Buffy had plans to sit at home and study for a test with the help of Noah, but when he got a call from his aunt, asking him to come home, she decided to delay the studying and go out with her friend.
"So how long is Noah gone for?" Willow asked, when the two stepped out of the elevator.
"He didn't really say. It might be a while; it may be just a night. But I don't think he'd leave until he knew his uncle was okay."
"I feel bad. I mean, I wish there was something I could do. I know it hasn't been very long since we met, but there's that bond thing. You know?" she asked, as she raised her hand to knock on room 612.
"Yeah, I know. So, how long are we talking here? With the getting of whatever it is you're getting. A second, a minute, a hour, a day?"
"Somewhere between a minute and a day. Now, I haven't met her roommate before, so don't look at me if he's a complete loser."
"A week you two have been at it, and you haven't met her roommate yet?" Buffy asked.
The door opened and Emily stood there in nothing but a red silk robe. She moved aside so that the two could step in and Buffy noticed that the apartment was nothing like the elevator, or the hallways. It was very nice, very clean, but not too clean.
"Sorry about the robe. I just got out of the shower," Emily said. "You can sit down Buffy. Do you want anything?"
"No, I'm okay, thanks," she said, sitting down on the nearby sofa. "You two take your time."
Willow and Emily disappeared into another room and Buffy laid her head back against the wall. She closed her eyes and started to fall asleep when she heard a door slam and footsteps growing louder. Opening her eyes, Buffy saw the back of a man all dressed in black, with blonde hair.
She heard him let out a few swear words when he noticed that Emily had company. She figured he didn't see her when he came in, because he wasn't acting as if she existed.
"Are you Emily's roommate?" Buffy asked, catching his attention.
"Yeah, yeah I-," he started, but stopped. "Buffy?"
She was speechless. She couldn't believe who was staring back at her. Standing, she ran over to him and into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck, not wanting to let go.
"Is it really you?" he asked, in almost a whisper.
"100% Buffy," she said, stepping away from his arms. "I-I thought you were in England."
"Was. I moved 'ere when I turned nineteen. Needed to get away from them. Thought New York would be a nice place to start a new life. No one knows who you are. Like you don't even exist."
"I can understand that," Buffy said. "But a new life wasn't in my plans. I like the one I have. The one I've had for a year now. With Willow, and Nikki and Xander."
"They're 'ere?"
"Yeah, we all live in the same building. Nikki and Xander are engaged. They live below me and Willow. Its great, its like . . . Kind of like back at the home. But minus Marge, and you know, the other scary stuff." She paused. "Minus you."
He could see in her eyes how much she missed him. He felt the same way. His life had been good, but there was always this emptiness that he couldn't fill, or drink away.
"I missed you," she said, quietly.
"I missed you too luv," he said, pulling her into a hug.
"Ahem," Emily said, tearing the two apart.
Buffy quickly wiped away a tear, not wanting it to be noticed. Emily looked confused. Willow appeared beside her, and her jaw dropped. She looked from Buffy to Spike, to Emily.
"This is your roommate?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'm guessing you all know each other," Emily said. "That saves me from the introductions."
"Willow, can I talk to you for a minute?" Buffy asked. "Now." The two walked into the kitchen area, and Buffy began to whisper. "Am I seeing things? Is that really him?"
"Unless I'm seeing things too, yeah, that's Spike. The one and only."
Buffy took a deep breath. "What am I going to do? I cant . . . I cant tell him about Noah. I can't tell Noah about him."
"I'm not one for lying . . . But since Noah is gone . . . Maybe you wont have to worry about that," Willow said.
"I guess you're right. I mean, why am I even thinking that? It's not like me and Spike are going to. . . No."
Willow gave her an unsure look and Buffy glanced out into the living room. Spike was sitting down, talking to Emily. Filling her in on how they know one another. He looked the same, just a bit older. He had grown a little, and he certainly was no stranger to the gym these days.
"You two okay in there?!" Emily yelled. "Need some assistance?!"
"We're coming!" Willow yelled back. "C'mon Buff. Just do what you feel is right."
"What I feel is right," Buffy repeated. "That's easy. Right? I mean, its not like I'm going to sleep with Spike or anything. I'm certainly not going to fall back in love with him."
"Did you ever fall out of love with him?"