A/N: This just started to burst out of me, to be honest. I finished the last chapter two days ago, posted all four new chapters up and once and now I am writing this chapter already. I guess sometimes inspiration gets the better of me. Still, the eight reviews within twelve hours of posting helped this along considerably.
Disclaimer: I feel a little bloated, and my fingers inexplicably smell of onion. I don't eat it, I don't cook with it, what the hell did I do that did it?
Last time, on Crushed: William had a sugar rush. He scared Willow a little, being so hyper. That crazy William. Then he walked in on Willow and Tara kissing and said 'Oh Dear'. Buffy had an oddly confusing session of bad lusty wrong thoughts about a certain vampire... and I'm not talking about Jerry, down at the blood bank either ;). Spike got drunk and decided that Buffy had at least a prospective boyfriend, and was planning to get in her good books by stopping the joint patrols. Silly Spike. Xander got confused a bunch. The Gang was setting up for Dawn's birthday party. What happens next?
It's my party, but I really wish it wasn't
Dawn sat in the passenger seat of what Xander dubbed the Xandermobile. She knew she was walking into a surprise party at the Magic Box. Firstly, because she knew, knew that Buffy and the guys wouldn't forget her first birthday. Considering her Keyness and all. And second, Buffy, Willow, Xander and secrecy? Not a mixy bunch.
Like right now, for instance. Xander was babbling about having left something at the Magic Box earlier when he picked up Anya. Forget the fact that Xander hadn't picked Dawn up from anywhere since the whole Glory thing, and add the fact that it was physically impossible for Anya to leave behind anything of monetary value by accident and it was the most implausible Surprise-Birthday-Party-That-We-Think-Is-Secret-But-Is-Really-Really-Not-Excuse ever.
But Dawn, magnanimous young lady that she is, was willing to play along. After all, it would be hurtful for her to disillusion her family and friends and inform them of how bad they are at lying. Well, not her mother or Giles. They lied like champs, but Dawn was politic enough to realise that this was not exactly a compliment to the non-evil.
Besides, it's not like she had any real complaint. She was getting free stuff.
Xander was very pleased with himself. He'd been assigned Chief Tactical Operative, a.k.a. Pick-Up-Dawn-Guy, and he felt that he'd done wonderfully. Besides, getting Dawn allowed Xander to stop contemplating whatever Anya had gotten Dawn. The possibilities were endless, and far too disturbing to dwell on. Joyce had offered to go, but Xander, having felt useless once the heavy lifting had been done, had convinced her that her powers would be far better used in the name of good rather than deception, and Xander could easily fool Dawn. She was just a naïve fifteen year old.
And it was done. She'd accepted his story about picking her up from her friends to take home because it was getting dark. She hadn't even made a peep when he had mentioned swinging by the Magic Box, so Xander elaborated a little. He'd told her that he had to grab something of Anya's that she had left at the shop, but only because it was on the way. She hadn't even noticed that the Magic Box was five miles out of the way.
Oh yeah. Xander was the master of deception.
Joyce was worried. They had gone to a lot of trouble setting up Dawn's surprise party, even arranging for most of her friends from school to arrive at The Bronze half an hour after the surprise party so she still spent time with the old people before she went off to her friends.
Joyce was convinced her youngest would like the gift she was getting from her mother. She'd been stealing her and Buffy's makeup more and more regularly and the Dior kit, while expensive, would be enough to thrill her youngest to the back teeth,.
It wasn't the party or the gift that had Joyce worried. They'd let Xander pick her up...
Giles was worried. He was worried about a lot of things. He was constantly cleaning his glasses in the dim lighting of the Magic Box. He was not equipped to deal with a teenage girl's birthday party or getting her a gift.
Buffy was hard enough to buy for. At least he could always get Buffy a nice axe, or a broadsword. All he knew Dawn liked was horrid music and boys, and he wasn't exactly wanting to get her either. He'd copped out and gone for the lesser of two evils.
He'd gone to the local music shop and bought her a gift voucher, unable to bring himself to actually listen to the aggressively cheerful warbling that passed for modern music in order to find her something that she liked.
Buffy was worried. Not about Dawn. She'd take the sweater she was given and she'd like it. It cost Buffy $20, so she was going to like it whether she wanted to or not. What Buffy was worried about was Spike.
The vampire had disappeared last night and he hadn't been in his crypt earlier today. It was very unlike Spike to not show up for patrol, and for him to not be found easily the next day was unheard of. It was almost like he didn't want to be found, but it wasn't that. It couldn't be that. Spike had not been so hard to find ever since Dracula had come to town.
Buffy sat in the dim training room, trying not to worry. She was, in no way, feeling like a jilted lover.
Spike was drunk. Not as drunk as he'd been the day before, when he'd managed to knock himself unconscious in the sewers, but still. He was nicely toasted. He'd woken up and stumbled along, bleary eyed until he came to a tunnel he actively recognised.
It was the one that led to Willy's. Willy's meant an open tab and access to some bourbon. Which meant he had a cure to his hangover. You aren't hung over if you're drunk. Simple fact, that. Mutually exclusive and all. Only now he'd been drinking for quite a while and that idea of not patrolling with Buffy was beginning to make sense again.
With determination, Spike set off towards the Magic Box.
Willow was excited. She loved surprise parties. Okay, so she'd never been to one that worked, but the idea was just awesome. She had been slightly put out when she'd been banned from coffee, but her enthusiasm got the better of her.
She and Tara had gotten Dawn a really good gift. A marble chess set. Sure, it was a little elaborate and a little pricey, but it was something that was both educational and fun. Well, not so much on the educational once you learned how to play, but it was good for your brain. Like fish. Brain building was always good.
Willow continued to babble internally.
Tara was anticipating the party. She'd never really been to a party. Well, not one that hadn't ended in a demon attack or a wine stain before. Only then she'd met Willow, and by extension the rest of the Scoobies.
Of course, then the parties were broken up by demon attacks and shocking announcements. But there'd been more parties and even a party for her. That is what gave her the confidence to make an effort to fit in. They'd all supported her, even Spike. And he's evil.
So Tara was just waiting. Her money was on a shocking announcement this time.
Anya was bored. This whole waiting thing sucked. Big time. This was time she could have been using to plan out her still secret wedding, or count her money, or even get orgasms. But no. Instead she was in the training room out the back of the Magic Box with the lights turned off so she could surprise a little girl who was too young to discuss sexual experiences with.
But Anya's gift would help with that. She had remembered what Xander had called an appropriate birthday gift and she'd bought Dawn a dress. It was a very provocative dress and Anya was sure it would be helpful in the acquisition of orgasms.
Anya smiled. Many young men would wish to give Dawn orgasms. This would expand on the chances of Dawn achieving orgasms, which would allow Anya to discuss it. A capitalist mind wins out again.
William tensed in nervousness as the front door of the Magic Box opened loudly.
"Hey, Dawn. Could you check the training room for me? I'll check out here" Xander's voice filtered through the door. William had an odd compulsion to roll his eyes. Even he wouldn't have bought that. Still, he'd never been to a surprise party before.
He had no idea how to handle this whole event. He had gone out and bought Dawn a present with money borrowed from Rupert, who really was like a father these days, and he'd gotten the girls' help in picking his clothes. The only time he'd put his foot down was when Anya suggested he wear those abominable leather pants.
The door opened to reveal a very satisfied looking Dawn. William was the only person in the room surprised when the others all screamed out SURPRISE, mainly because they had forgotten to explain this particular ritual to him.
By the time William's heart stopped thumping wildly, several of the gifts had been handed out. The young man had stepped forward and handed Dawn a slim, square gift covered in plain blue wrapping paper. The teenager rapidly tore the paper off the gift, revealing a book of poetry that William had found in an old bookstore.
At William's prompting, Dawn opened the front cover to reveal a handwritten message from the Englishman in his elegant script. 'Dawn, well wishes on the occasion of your fifteenth. May this book bring you years of pleasure, and remind you of times past. William'. Imagine the young man's surprise when Dawn leaned over and gave him a big hug.
Shortly after that, the party progressed to The Bronze where Dawn, amidst well wishes and gifts, disappeared into the throng on the dance floor. The others shifted between a table off the main path of the floor and the dance floor itself. All except William and Buffy.
There was no one for William to dance with, but Buffy surely had a paramour. As she kept glancing towards the door anxiously, William surmised that she was waiting on someone who was late so he prudently didn't attempt to strike up a conversation. Not that he conversed regularly with Buffy. She intimidated him, more so than his vampire self.
Speaking of whom. The vampire had just walked in the door of the club. William frowned. Maybe it was just him, but Spike looked fairly dazed. It must be him. William was just taking another sip of his drink when Buffy noticed the bleached vampire. Her face lit up, and she looked unspeakably happy. For all of a second. Her brow came down in a thunderous glare and she moved to intercept the vampire.
Deciding it was none of his business, William left the table and wandered over to find Xander. He found the carpenter by the bar, getting more drinks for the others who had congregated around the table in William's absence. The young Englishman went and stood beside Xander for a moment. The other man was one William felt he could trust, and they seemed to be getting along fairly well. William decided to ask.
"Xander?" He grappled with his awkward question while the other man grinned, slightly breathless still from dancing. "Did you know that Willow and Tara... that they... well..." Xander continued to watch William, a puzzled expression slowly emerging. 'Oh, bugger this' William thought. "Did you know that they kiss each other?"
Spike had entered The Bronze in confusion. The Magic Box had been empty, but it had smelt like they'd been there earlier. There was no fear, or blood, or signs of a fight, but they were all gone. Normally, he would have just gone straight to the Summers' household, but both Joyce and the little Bit had been in the Magic Box. So he followed his nose.
And it led him to The Bronze. He couldn't, for the unlife of him, figure out why they'd all be here at once. He was brought out of his, slightly drunken, musings by the sight of the Slayer coming towards him, all dolled up and looking like she wanted to tear Spike apart. He guessed she was on the big group date thing.
"Where the hell have you been?!" Buffy hissed at him. Spike blinked slowly. This couldn't be right. The Slayer wanting him to have been there earlier? Maybe he'd had more to drink than he thought. "Dawn thought you weren't coming!"
The pieces fell into place. A party. A party no one had told him about. A party he'd stumbled onto for his sweet bit. A party he had no gift for. Of course, with the daggers the Slayer was glaring his way, he couldn't admit that, could he? He'd look like a right prat.
"Course I'm coming. Can't miss Nibblet's big day now, can I?" the vampire smirked, outwardly confident but inwardly flying into panic. Now here's been seen there was no, sneak-away-without-getting-noticed option. Any hope Spike had of making it out without bumping into Dawn was dashed as a lanky, brunette shadow blurred into the vampire, nearly knocking him over.
"Spike! You came!" The young girl's enthusiasm was catching, and from the glance Dawn threw to her friends, Spike surmised that the hug was as much as proving she knew him to her friends as genuine affection.
"You think I'd miss your birthday party, Platelet?" Spike asked, his hands groping through his pockets madly in the hope of finding something suitable to give her. His fingers latched onto a fine metal chain in his pants pocket and he pulled it out, hoping for the best. "Here, sorry it's not wrapped."
"Oh, Spike..." the girl sighed. Since she didn't sound disgusted, the vampire actually looked at what he had given the young girl. It was a fine silver chain that connected to a locket that dangled between his fingers. A single blue gem gleamed in the middle. Spike blinked. Where the bloody hell did that come from? "It's beautiful" the youngest Summers breathed, turning her back and lifting her hair, allowing Spike to fasten the latch around the back of her neck.
After a few short exchanges between the sisters that Spike missed, Dawn kissed Spike's cheek and bounced off to see her friends and show them the new gift. Spike stared after her and wondered where the hell he had picked up that locket, but immensely pleased he did.
"Did you pay for that?" The Slayer's acidic tone cut through Spike's daydreaming. He cast a withering glance her way then rolled his eyes. To be honest, he wasn't sure. Then it occurred to him why he was there.
"No need to get your knickers in a twist, Slayer. Wanted to tell you that there's no need for us to keep patrolling together." Spike turned on his heel and sauntered out, unable to see the relived look on the Slayer's face that meant she was getting away from him.
Buffy was stunned. Spike didn't want to patrol with her anymore. She knew she probably looked like a deer in the headlights, but she was having trouble breathing past an odd constriction in her chest. Spike didn't want to patrol with her. Didn't want her.
He'd been cutting off their patrols earlier and earlier, like he had to be somewhere else. Or someone else. Buffy wasn't sure why that thought was so painful, because she knew she didn't want anything to do with him.
Then he just didn't show up to a patrol. Probably too tired to even pretend to be interested in the activity any more. His new someone was probably waiting for him. That's probably why he told her that he wouldn't be patrolling any more.
He could give Dawn a really good gift, possibly the best one yet, but he couldn't even pretend to want to be around her. Shows how much he loved Buffy. The someone he was with was probably Drusilla. If it was, Buffy would have to stake the bitch. Unusually, the motivation that Drusilla was a cold blooded, psychotic killer and should be killed for that didn't occur to Buffy. She sat down at the group table and sulked.
Stupid vampire. Probably only wanted me because he was bored. Or maybe because he couldn't have Drusilla because of the chip. Or maybe he was back with Harmony. Or maybe he never wanted me and just wanted to screw with my head.
Buffy blinked as she realised that the last possibility bothered her more than the others. Not that she cared. In fact, she was forgetting about it right now. It was while she was not caring about and forgetting Spike that the roar of engines came from outside, followed by screams.
Jumping to her feet and running out the door, Buffy saw something that shocked her. A large number of demons, riding on motorbikes, absolutely trashing the streets and laughing about it. While she ran inside to inform the rest of the gang, her only cognisant thought was;
Where's Spike when you need him?
A/N:I feel that last chapter was a mixed bag, but I've been wrong before. Make sure to review if you want me to update. And look, I get about ten reviews and it's up the next day. Keep reviewing people, it lets me know what I need to change. Also, I'm getting a little worried about my characterisation at this point. I worry that the characters are becoming unrealistic. Let me know what you think.
P.S. the bikers are the same one from Bargaining.