Chapter Eleven

"You would do that?" Buffy asked, shocked and surprisingly a little happy.

"You didn't think I was serious, did ya?" Spike said with a laugh.

"Oh my gosh, you are such an ignoramus!" Buffy argued. "Ya know what, that's fine. I'll just go find your dad and look at him."

"Go ahead. Then he'll be convinced you're insane and cut the cord on this marriage idea."

"I'm just gonna…" Xander trailed off and left out the back door. Two seconds later it opened again. "Forgot the pizza." He grabbed the two slices and left with a little wave.

Buffy looked back to Spike. She had to admit she was expecting something other than an invitation to that horrid idea. "Go away Spike!" Spike let out a chuckle before leaving the kitchen. "That little- I just- grr!" Willow was trying to hold back a little laugh because Buffy looked ridiculous. "Will, can we go somewhere no one would be?"

"Where would that be?"

"I don't know. I just want to get out and see things, that aren't boys."

"I think I know where we can go."

Buffy was sitting with Willow on the deck of a pool. They walked down a block to the Ramison's house. They knew Willow since she was a child and told her she should always feel free to visit them. Only now they were visiting family in New York.

"This whole love thing is complicated to begin with. But when you throw in love pills, it's impossible."

"I'm sorry," Willow apologized for the fiftieth time.

"It's all right Will. You had good intentions. There was no way you could've known Xander would take two, mistaking them for aspirin, fall in love with me and my mother, and me being stupid and wanting to taste it, possibly leaving me to walk around for the rest of my life with some sort of wrap or patch over my eyes."

Willow's face contorted. When she put it like that, it seemed much worse. "This is awful. I vow never to buy you love pills ever again."

"I fully support that." They shook on it.

Back at the Summer's house, there was a knock on the door. Joyce wiped her hands of the grease from the pizza and answered it. "Hello," she said, not sure who it was.

"Hi, I'm Angel Conners. I'm a friend of Buffy's."

"Oh hi," Joyce said, holding her hand out for a shake. Angel obliged. "I'm Joyce, her mother."

"Nice to meet you," he said before removing his hand from hers. "Is Buffy here, by any chance?"

"Oh no actually, she just left with Willow."

"Oh, okay."

In the kitchen Spike was watching Angel intently.

"They went over to the Ramison's house if you want to see her there. Buffy said Willow had to house sit for them."

"Thank you very much. It was nice to meet you."

"Lovely to meet you," Joyce said. Angel got in his black neon and drove down the road. Joyce shut the door and went back in the kitchen. "He seems like a nice man."

Spike got off his stool and wiped his mouth. "Gotta go."

"Go where?" Giles questioned.

"Out. I'll be back soon." Spike ran out the door, not caring if his father objected.

At the Ramison's Willow and Buffy were talking about happy childhood memories to stay away from the current problem. "Oh, this one time when I was thirteen, my mom and dad were holding this Christmas party and I went to my room because it was really boring. So I was up there listening to music and dancing around when this guy walks in on me singing some teenage angst song with Mr.Gordo as my dance partner." They started laughing.

It ceased when they heard the doorbell ring. Their hearts started racing, afraid of who it was. "Buffy?" they called.

"No way," Buffy said.

"What?"

"That sounds like Angel."

"No way!" Willow stood up. "Should I let him in?"

"No. I can't see him."

"I thought you wanted him to like you."

"Yes and the non-obvious 'I want to date you' strategy is working so far. I think he'll be turned off if I start humping his leg," Buffy stated.

"So what do I do?"

"Answer the door and tell him I'm not here."

"Right." Willow walked down the three wooden steps and went inside.

Buffy heard some rustling to the left of the house. She sat up straight and looked at the gate from the deck. "Buffy?"

"Angel?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry for barging in like this but, I wanted to see you." He pushed open the gate door and Buffy watched as it opened.

As Angel was about to step through Buffy was knocked into the pool. "Sorry Buffy." Spike jumped off the deck and ran to Angel. "Sorry mate, she needs to be alone for awhile."

"But I was just-"

Spike pushed him through the gate and shut the door. "Look, she's not feeling too well. She came here to get away from her mum because she's frettin' over her. You should just call her later or somethin'."

"She's sick and you throw her in the pool?" Angel asked, not buying the story.

"Ya know what they say, feed a cold, starve a fever. I'm just feeding the cold more cold. Okay, bye." He quickly opened the gate and locked it on the other side.

Buffy inhaled deeply as she pulled herself from the pool. Spike looked back and watched her crawl out. He ran to the stairs and onto the deck. "Look, I know we fight a lot, but I'm not gonna let you look at some random guy, who's not good enough for you, and fall in love with him. You don't deserve that."

Buffy took a few short breaths, keeping her gaze at the deck. "Yet I deserve you?"

"No." Spike said, pursing his lips.

Real sweet you stupid pain in the-

"You deserve someone better than me."

Buffy turned her head and looked at Spike.