AN: Thank you all for the reviews, I appreciate it a lot! We're going to
the end slowly, I think just a few more chapters. Hope you all enjoy the
next one!
Chapter 28
"Buffy, would you please hurry? You know I have to be in the gallery in ten minutes. If you want me to drop you off at the Bronze you'll better be ready, young lady."
"Give me just another minute, mum, I'll be right there!"
Buffy stood in front of the full length mirror in her room, checking her clothing one last time. She had put on a short skirt and a black tank top, which always had guaranteed success. And although William had become Spike, he still was a man.
Her mum stopped in front of the Bronze and Buffy walked in alone. Spike hadn't told her he'd come to pick her up and indeed he sat at the bar. He had just finished his drink when he turned around to meet her.
"Hello Spike."
She kissed him on the cheek.
"You look beautiful, luv."
"And who are those guys you dragged me here to see? You know them?"
"My therapist is their guitarist, actually. The bloke over there."
"He's kind of cute."
He frowned at her which made her smile.
"You're still my favourite, Spike, don't you worry."
"I'm not worried, I don't even care." Was his short and hurtful answer.
"Don't." Buffy said as she turned to him. "Don't ruin tonight, please. I think you want this to work too, but you have to make some effort, Will."
He sighed, nodded and held out his hand to her. She looked at it hesitantly for a moment before taking it. He led her to the dancefloor where he held her close to him.
"I'm sorry luv, I'm really trying." He whispered barely over the music. Buffy just closed her eyes and let him guide her. Spike looked at the stage for a moment and smiled at Oz, who smiled and nodded. At least she was here, that was the most important thing right now.
"Why don't we go sit somewhere? You know, nice and quiet?"
"Okay."
The couple left the dancefloor and joined hands instinctively. Spike led Buffy to a booth where they could sit in peace and started for the bar to get a drink. From somewhere behind him he heard a loud voice calling his name.
"Englishman! How nice to see you again." Angel said with the most sarcasm a voice could bare.
"American." Spike nodded and went on.
"What now? Even too good to talk to people these days?"
From the moment the words left his mouth, Angel knew he had made a mistake. Within a second, Spikes eyes became unfocused, like he was trying to concentrate but couldn't will his mind to do so. The young man staggered back to a bar stool and closed his eyes. He saw the whole thing play over in his head.
He was going home from Buffy's house. . . His girlfriends house, the girl he loved more than he could ever imagine loving anyone. And then he met the person whom he wished he never laid eyes upon.
"You're not even decent enough to talk to someone, is that it? You know what, Englishman, your talking days are over!"
As in slow motion, he watched the other man pull the gun and heard the shots go off. Then all was quiet.
He opened his eyes again to find Angel gone. By now he was as well seething with anger as utterly confused. He went back to Buffy, who was getting nervous from the long wait.
"There you are! I thought you had left or something."
"Angel." He stated.
"Oh no, not again." Buffy groaned. "What did he say to you this time?"
"That I was too good to talk to people."
"And that's important because. . ."
"That is what I heard my attacker say before he shot me."
"We should go to the police, the smallest thing you remember can be important."
"Sorry luv, it'll be not of much help. It's me against him in the end, you know, and he'll have all the football studs behind him. I'll deal this in my own way. Don't think about it right now, we're having fun, remember?" He smiled.
"Right." Buffy said with a frown, but not wanting to ruin the moment they had. "Let's have fun."
Chapter 28
"Buffy, would you please hurry? You know I have to be in the gallery in ten minutes. If you want me to drop you off at the Bronze you'll better be ready, young lady."
"Give me just another minute, mum, I'll be right there!"
Buffy stood in front of the full length mirror in her room, checking her clothing one last time. She had put on a short skirt and a black tank top, which always had guaranteed success. And although William had become Spike, he still was a man.
Her mum stopped in front of the Bronze and Buffy walked in alone. Spike hadn't told her he'd come to pick her up and indeed he sat at the bar. He had just finished his drink when he turned around to meet her.
"Hello Spike."
She kissed him on the cheek.
"You look beautiful, luv."
"And who are those guys you dragged me here to see? You know them?"
"My therapist is their guitarist, actually. The bloke over there."
"He's kind of cute."
He frowned at her which made her smile.
"You're still my favourite, Spike, don't you worry."
"I'm not worried, I don't even care." Was his short and hurtful answer.
"Don't." Buffy said as she turned to him. "Don't ruin tonight, please. I think you want this to work too, but you have to make some effort, Will."
He sighed, nodded and held out his hand to her. She looked at it hesitantly for a moment before taking it. He led her to the dancefloor where he held her close to him.
"I'm sorry luv, I'm really trying." He whispered barely over the music. Buffy just closed her eyes and let him guide her. Spike looked at the stage for a moment and smiled at Oz, who smiled and nodded. At least she was here, that was the most important thing right now.
"Why don't we go sit somewhere? You know, nice and quiet?"
"Okay."
The couple left the dancefloor and joined hands instinctively. Spike led Buffy to a booth where they could sit in peace and started for the bar to get a drink. From somewhere behind him he heard a loud voice calling his name.
"Englishman! How nice to see you again." Angel said with the most sarcasm a voice could bare.
"American." Spike nodded and went on.
"What now? Even too good to talk to people these days?"
From the moment the words left his mouth, Angel knew he had made a mistake. Within a second, Spikes eyes became unfocused, like he was trying to concentrate but couldn't will his mind to do so. The young man staggered back to a bar stool and closed his eyes. He saw the whole thing play over in his head.
He was going home from Buffy's house. . . His girlfriends house, the girl he loved more than he could ever imagine loving anyone. And then he met the person whom he wished he never laid eyes upon.
"You're not even decent enough to talk to someone, is that it? You know what, Englishman, your talking days are over!"
As in slow motion, he watched the other man pull the gun and heard the shots go off. Then all was quiet.
He opened his eyes again to find Angel gone. By now he was as well seething with anger as utterly confused. He went back to Buffy, who was getting nervous from the long wait.
"There you are! I thought you had left or something."
"Angel." He stated.
"Oh no, not again." Buffy groaned. "What did he say to you this time?"
"That I was too good to talk to people."
"And that's important because. . ."
"That is what I heard my attacker say before he shot me."
"We should go to the police, the smallest thing you remember can be important."
"Sorry luv, it'll be not of much help. It's me against him in the end, you know, and he'll have all the football studs behind him. I'll deal this in my own way. Don't think about it right now, we're having fun, remember?" He smiled.
"Right." Buffy said with a frown, but not wanting to ruin the moment they had. "Let's have fun."