A/N : Thanx to everyone who reviewed the first chapter of this; Elizance, sunnygell, llmisscookiemonster, Lolita, Mr Lennox i pressume, Courtney37, BiWiccanPrincess, Higgy's Red, Anonona, wigi, BuffyandDracoLover, wicked-angel3, velja, kait - you guys rock! I'm always nervous when I post the first chapter of a new fic and I'm so glad you like this so far. Some of you made some good guesses about the flashback and what's coming next. Here's the next chapter...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
"You look great" Anya grinned widely as she walked around her 'boyfriend' for the fourth time. It was often hard to tell if he and she really were a couple, and in most senses of the word they probably weren't, but behind closed doors they would be at it like bunnies every night, and despite her strange aversion to those creatures, she had to agree the phrase did fit!
"I don't feel great" Spike admitted, shifting awkwardly in his too tight black leather pants, with a tight black T-shirt and another red shirt over the top, none of which would be staying on his body long once he got out of this back room, where his 'girlfriend' fussed and prodded at him like a science project.
"It doesn't matter what it feels like to you" the girl told him with a shake of her head as they both stood sideways by the full length mirror, "It's how you make all the women feel when they see you that counts"
"I know" he sighed in defeat. When he'd started out doing this gig it'd been fun. A whole load of women, paying good money to watch him get practically naked. It was easy cash and a chance to get laid every other night, what more was an eighteen year old male going to ask for? But it was four years on now, and Spike was getting bored and hacked off with the life that he led.
"What is it tonight?" he asked, looking back over his shoulder at Anya, "'Nother hen party?"
"Bachelorette Party, sweetie" she corrected him, "remember how we're in America and not good old England?"
"Don't I soddin' know it" he mumbled, looking down at the costume he wore. The boy that had come to the USA at the age of fourteen with his parents and sister would never have envisaged the future he now had as a twenty two year old young man. As Anya went to check what time her guy would be needed, Spike's mind wandered back in time...
Flashback
"So, the Buffster's been telling me your plans" Xander grinned at his friend as they stood by the bar at the Bronze, fetching sodas for the girls that chatted animatedly over at the table.
"Yeah, her plans mate, not mine" he shook his head and sighed making the brunette frown.
"I don't get it" he said quietly, though there was no way Buffy or Willow could hear what they were saying from this range and across the noisy club, "You asked her to marry you and now you don't want to?"
"No, I do want to" he assured his friend, "I just didn't expect it to happen so fast. I mean, one minute I'm telling her I love her and I wanna be with her, the next I'm supposed to be spending my savings on a honeymoon and picking out our kids names!" he complained.
"When you asked her to marry you, you meant like a 'one day in the future' deal, right?" Xander guessed as everything fell into place.
His friend nodded sadly. Buffy had taken his proposal and run with it, deciding she wanted to be a married woman before she went to Sunnydale U. Barely consulting him, she'd arranged that August 15th would be their wedding day, and the idea of being tied down at that young age, well, it gave him the wiggins.
"You gotta tell her man" Xander told his friend, a hand on his shoulder, "before it's too late and you break her heart for good"
"Oh come on, Xan" William shook his head, running a hand back through his sandy-coloured hair, "you know as well as I do it'd break her bloody heart either way"
"Maybe" Xander conceded, picking up two of the four drinks that had just arrived on the bar, "but the longer you wait, the worse it's gonna be"
End Flashback
"Spike!" Anya called again, trying to bring him out of his daze.
"What? Sorry" he replied, shaking his head to clear the muddled thoughts that were in there, "Guess I kinda zoned out"
"Completely" Anya nodded, "I was about to try other ways of getting your attention...almost a shame that yelling worked" she mumbled the last part with some annoyance before continuing, "Anyway the Bachelorette's should be arriving in about ten minutes, they'll need a few minutes to get drinks and stuff and when one of them gives the signal to the barman, the music will start and you're on"
"I know the drill, luv" Spike nodded his understanding, "but what are we gonna do with the time til then?"
"I have an idea" the currently bottle-blonde girl grinned suggestively but Spike shook his head and backed off.
"I think I'll just have a smoke" he said quickly, taking his packet of cigarettes and lighter from his coat that hung on a chair to one side. He slipped out of the back door, before Anya could say another word, glad that at least no-one should be able to see him in the back alley at this time of night.
- - - - - - -
"You okay Buff?" Willow asked her friend as the girls piled out of a their cab and into the nightclub. The blonde had been a little more liberal with the wine than usual at dinner and Willow was wondering if it had something to do with Cordelia and what she'd said about that blue garter...
"I'm fine, Finey McFine" Buffy giggled a little madly from the effects of so much alcohol and not enough food, "I'm getting married in a week" she whispered dramatically behind her hand before laughing out loud again. Willow, who had consumed just one glass of wine, didn't quite see why it was all so funny. She just smiled at her friend, rolling her eyes as she was forced to help her through the door to stop Buffy from injuring herself.
Finally the six girls were seated around a table and complex drinks were being demanded of a couple of cute barmen who made the mistake of saying they could make cocktails on request.
Harmony made some comment about 'Sex on the Beach' that made even Cordelia blush, and Darla's exhibitionist behaviour soon had several males offering her a 'Back Street Banger'. Thankfully Willow and Fred who were suitably sober managed to remind her she was engaged to another man and thoughts of her beloved Angel seemed to calm her down somewhat. The girls were already fretting over what Darla's own Bachelorette party might be like...
Cordelia was so inebriated that she'd almost completely forgotten about the 'entertainment' she'd hired until some over-excited and fairly drunk guys had started humming the tune of 'the Stripper' encouraging Harmony in her efforts to climb onto the nearest table.
Thankfully some of the bar staff had their brains in gear as well as their bodies and the men were swiftly removed by security whilst the dizzy blonde was talked down from her mission and given a soft drink and a stern telling off by Willow.
"Honestly does the girl have no morals?" Willow said half to herself as she sat down on a stool beside Buffy who was still giggling.
"Morals, huh?" she laughed, "Men don't have morals...men are pigs" she spat, gulping down the rest of her drink. Willow looked worriedly at her friend.
"Buffy, you're getting married to Riley in a week and you've just decided you hate all men?" she said nervously, making Buffy shake her head violently and almost knock herself off her stool.
"No, no, no" she protested, "I don't hate Riley...just the rest of them...except Xander" she clarified badly.
Willow sighed as a distinct feeling of deja vu washed over her. She'd been here before with Buffy, in this situation, where all men were scum and alcohol was good for numbing the pain they caused, though it wasn't so much they as it was him. Why hadn't they seen the signs sooner? Willow had to admit she partly blamed herself for not seeing that her friend's fiancé was not completely happy about the upcoming nuptials, and she knew Xander did too. Poor Buffy was just so excited...
Flashback
"Oh Will, this is the one" the little blonde girl beamed as she swished the fabric of the wedding dress around her legs and admired herself in the full length mirror. The white bodice showed off her figure beautifully and the full white skirt swung out around her legs. Admittedly there was a hint of the meringue about her appearance, but then who didn't look a little like that on their wedding day? It was the bride's perogative, the same as being a little late, though Buffy knew she would not be that.
"You look a picture, Buff" Willow assured her friend, dreading the fact her turn was coming next. She was to be the single bridesmaid at the wedding and as such was required to wear some glorious dress or other, looking almost as stunning as the bride. If there was one thing the red-head disliked it was being noticed, but she'd so anything for her best friend of the past twelve years or more.
"I hope William will like it" Buffy sighed, "He will, won't he?" she asked her friend who nodded certainly.
"How could he not?" she smiled, "He loves you so much, you could show up in your Doublemeat uniform he'd still think you look beautiful"
Buffy made a face before bursting out laughing at the idea of getting married in a bright orange outfit, complete with the hat bearing the front of a cow and the back end of a chicken.
"Okay, so that was kinda stupid" Willow admitted as she herself joined in with the laughing, "but you know what I mean. He loves you more than anything"
"He does" Buffy agreed, going back to admiring her dress in the glass, "and I love him so much too...I hope he and Xander are having as much fun as us" she smiled, thinking of her fiancé and her other best friend. Xander was to be William's best man and they had gone shopping for their suits whilst the girls looked at dresses.
"Willow, I've never been so certain of anything in my life as I am about William and me being together" Buffy gushed and Willow smiled at her friends enthusiasm.
At first the red-head had thought, okay so William's proposal had been totally romantic and everything but was it not a little crazy to rush through a wedding before they were even nineteen? But seeing how happy they were together everyday, how excited Buffy was about the wedding and everything, how could Willow not be supportive of that?
"I'm sure he's just as certain" she smiled, "He wouldn't have proposed if he wasn't"
End Flashback
'Oh how wrong could a person be?' Willow frowned to herself as she thought about it. She was about to say something to Buffy when Cordelia began to wave her arms around like some kind of manic windmill, then she opened her mouth and the yelling started.
"Ladies, ladies, quiet it down" she yelled from atop the chair she'd managed to climb onto, her complex-looking drink spilling out of the glass in her left hand as she gestured wildly, "I think it's time for a little entertainment!" she grinned turning to signal a blonde girl behind a curtain.
Anya winked at Spike, encouraging him to come forward. He checked the fastening on his mask as he walked passed her with a sigh.
"Go get 'em, tiger" she grinned, slapping him on the ass as he went by.
'Here we go again' thought Spike as the music began.
To Be Continued...
A/N2 : Sorry if you didn't want Spike to be a stripper, but personally I love my idea! How shallow am I? Pretty shallow actually, but who doesn't love the idea of Spike dancing around and taking off his clothes? Oh well, hopefully most of you are happy, please review and let me know :-)