Chapter Twenty-One
"Yeah I saw you at the football games," Angel yelled to Buffy over the loud music. They were standing about three feet apart from each other. Buffy was standing with one foot out to the side while Angel leaned against the wall.
"Glad to know I catch someone's interest."
"You're a cheerleader. It's basically the job description."
"They occasionally ask us to go out on the field and yell out stuff once and awhile too," Buffy cracked.
Angel started to laugh. "You're funny."
"Thanks." Buffy looked into the next room and saw Oz and Willow smiling at each other, looking like they were the only two people in the room. "I'm gonna go get a refill," Buffy yelled, holding up her glass that had about an inch left of red liquid. "I'll be right back." She made her way past the boy in the green hat, clutching to a houseplant as he barfed in its pot, and weaved through the cluster of bodies that were grinding on each other. "Hey you guys."
"Buffy? What's up?" Willow asked, keeping her arms around her boyfriend.
"I think I'm sick."
"Oh no." Willow quickly gave Buffy all her attention and felt her forehead. "Do you have a fever? Or a tummy ache?"
"No," Buffy said in a whine. "I don't understand what's going on."
"You don't know where you are?!" Willow asked, afraid for Buffy's condition.
"No, I know I'm at Angel's, but I don't want to be."
"I think she's delirious. Are her pupils dilated?" Oz asked. Willow took her hand off Buffy's head and looked closely at her eyes.
"All I've wanted was to have Angel Connors recognize my existence. Finally he does but… I don't want it."
Willow started catching on to what was really wrong with Buffy. She wished she would've just come out and said it instead of making her worry over whether her friend needed some rest or a run to the ER. "Is this about Spike?"
"Yes. I swore I would never like him and stay as far away from him as I could. Now, I've gone over to enemy lines, and I like it there. I'm a traitor. I put down my green sword and accepted my red one on the dark side."
"Huh?" Willow asked.
"Star Wars reference," Oz cleared up. "But equally puzzling as to how she knows that."
Buffy put her head in her hands. Willow gently placed her hand on her back. "Let's go out back and talk okay?" Buffy nodded and led the way.
Oz stood in place, figuring they were going to have a girl moment. "I'll be here," he shouted to Willow.
Out back people were making out and playing volleyball in the pool. Buffy walked around the side of the house being greeted by a couple kissing. "Oh, sorry." She just walked straight out into the yard. She stopped once they were about twenty feet from the house. "I don't want to be with Angel. I want to be with Spike. Although I probably screwed things up royally with him. He just still gets on my nerves sometimes and I can't hold it in."
"You shouldn't." Willow mildly rubbed her back.
"But I shouldn't yell at him either. Like that spat back at the house. It was like Ike and Tina back there."
"Buffy, if this is how you feel you have to tell him. Spike can't read your mind."
"I know. I was just so confused about what I wanted. I thought that this was really what I wanted because I wanted this specific thing for so long. But I just wanted to feel a part of something. And only one other person makes me feel that." Buffy's eyes started to glaze over.
"Wanna go back to your house?" Willow asked cheerily.
Buffy smiled. "Very much, please." Willow took Buffy's hand and led her back into the house.
Angel spotted them and jogged over with a beer in his right hand. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you."
"I'm gonna go get Oz," Willow informed before she left.
"Sorry. I was just talking to Willow."
"That's okay. I was worried you left."
"Yeah, about that. I'm on my way out."
"You're leaving?"
"Yeah I told you, we have other parties to go to."
"Can't you at least stay until midnight?" Angel insisted.
"Sorry." Buffy walked past him and over to Willow. "You two ready?"
"Yup." Willow answered. Willow intertwined her fingers with Oz's and they headed out the door. As they walked down the pathway, talking to each other, Spike and Xander made their way to the door.
They opened the door without a second thought. They were surprised at how much bigger it looked on the inside. "This is like Hugh Hefner's house," Xander said as he looked at the tall ceilings.
"Where are the half naked girls?" Spike asked.
"Probably hanging out in the cave like hot tub." Spike gave Xander a puzzled look. "What? I was bored and there was nothing else on tv."
"So you watched Hugh Hefner on Cribs?"
"It was that or another one star flick about aliens taking over the world." Xander looked into the next room and recognized someone he knew. "I'm gonna go this way." He walked towards a brunette who was wearing a short brown skirt and white button up shirt. "Cordelia Chase," Xander said.
"I thought I smelled loser," she replied with a smile.
"Where's your Barbie gang? Off getting their makeup fixed and hair built up high to make up for brain loss?"
"You would know about lack of brains wouldn't you Harris?"
Xander looked shocked. "She says my last name. And here I thought someone changed it to 'move'."
"Don't be ridiculous. No one would take time out of their schedule for you."
"That's funny, that's what everyone else says about you." Xander walked away from her with a smile on his face.
Spike stood in the doorway of every room to give it a look over. He didn't see Buffy anywhere. He spotted Angel but he paid no attention to him once he realized she wasn't around him. Spike trudged up the stairs and checked out every room. The only one he couldn't open was the bathroom and there was a line about fifteen people long. "Hey, is Buffy in there?" Spike asked the next guy in line.
"Who?" he asked, his breath reeked of beer. He was obviously wasted and having troubles standing still, his body was swaying.
"Buffy Summers."
"Is it a guy or girl man?"
"She's a girl."
"Does she have a penis? Because the person who went in there had one."
Spike made a disgusted face and walked away. Where is she? Maybe she left. Or maybe she's stowed away in a closet, unconscious, waiting there until Angel does her bodily harm. Spike ran down the stairs and stormed over to Angel.
"Oh hey-" Spike threw a right hook to Angel's jaw before he finished his sentence. He fell flat on the floor.
"Where is she?" he demanded. A circle quickly formed around him, the three guys Angel was talking to pushed people back.
Angel opened his jaw wide to make sure it was still intact. It was. "Who?"
"Buffy. Where is she?"
"She left."
"Really? Where'd she go? Your spank bank?" He punched Angel again. "Or is she waiting in your room because she was givin' too many roofies?" He went to punch Angel again but he blocked it and slammed his fist into Spike's abdomen. Spike stammered back.
"I don't know what you're talkin' about pal."
"You better stay away from her," Spike warned, his eyes very serious.
"I can't help it if she wants to talk to me."
"Well you better walk away next time."
"What're you her bodyguard?"
Spike went to give Angel a left hook but he blocked it, leaving his right cheek open. Angel spun to the side, very disoriented. "I'm her fiancée." He turned and walked away. Angel charged him from behind and slammed Spike onto the ground. He turned Spike over and punched him in the face. Spike kicked his leg up under Angel and rolled him over his head. Spike whirled around in a crouch.
Outside Willow, Oz and Buffy were getting ready to get in the car. Oz opened both doors for Willow and Buffy. As Buffy was heading in, she noticed a black blazer. "Spike?" She went around the car and walked off.
"Buffy?" Willow gave Oz a concerned look and followed her. Oz shut the doors and accompanied Willow.
Buffy made it to the car and looked in. She saw a backpack, that looked liked Xander's, in between the front seats. She looked back at Angel's house. "Spike's here."
"Fight!" a guy screamed to everyone outside the house. People rushed through the door. Willow and Buffy exchanged glances and charged Angel's.
Spike punched Angel, making him slam into the bar. Angel blocked his next punch and jabbed Spike's stomach. Spike kicked Angel's side, grabbed him by the shoulders and swung him around and back into the side of the bar.
"Spike!" Buffy yelled as she pushed her way to the front of the audience.
Spike whirled around and saw her. She was all right. "Buffy." He had blood running out of his nose and on the side of his lip.
"What are you doing?"
"I was worried about you."
Buffy smiled at him. "Come on, let's go." Buffy wrapped Spike's left arm around her neck and put her arm around his back. She helped him walk outside.
"Well that was fun," Oz stated.
"And we made it out before New Year's."
"Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!!" Everyone screamed from in and around the house.
"Almost." Oz smiled before he kissed Willow.
Buffy put her other arm on Spike's right side so she was facing him. "Can you stand on your own?"
"Not sure." Buffy moved in and gave him a quick kiss. "Oh, I can stand for that." Spike placed his hands on Buffy's hips and pulled her in for another, deeper kiss.
