A/N : Woohoo! I now have 100 stories (some are poems) posted on this site. Not all of them are finished, of course, and that includes this one, but it was so cool to see a big number like that on my list! I really loved writing this chapter, both the present stuff and the flashbacks to the past, so I really hope you all like it too. Thanx to the latest reviewers; LiLi, Slayergirl1212, RoleModelGirlie, spikes-slayer29590, wicked-angel3, sheilamarie, Anyanka0705, candypir, Amandamanda3 - you're all very kind with your nice comments. Here;s the next chapter...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 10

"Well, luv" said an all too familiar voice, and Buffy glanced up into bright blue eyes she knew very well "Here's a coincidence" Spike smirked, "I was just on my way to see you too"

"I am not your 'luv' anymore" Buffy snapped, moving to step around him, "and I was not, in any way, coming to see you"

"Buffy!" Spike called behind her as she made to storm away, "I just want to talk to you"

She stopped walking and sighed heavily before turning to face him, though she made no move to walk back towards him.

"Well I don't want to talk to you" she told him firmly, "Just go away, please" she almost begged, though she knew in some ways she didn't want him to go at all. She wanted him to hold her and kiss her and take her back in time to their wedding and stay this time round.

"Can't do that, pet" she heard him say through her daydream, snapping her out of it fast. Had she said all that out loud?

"Huh?" she frowned and Spike tilted his head thoughtfully, wondering what had confused her so much.

"I can't leave, Buffy" he repeated, "Not just like that, not until we've at least talked about...all this" he made a vague gesture between them with his arm and Buffy looked like she was thinking about something very complicated before she turned away again.

"There is no 'all this' Spike" she said bitterly, the over-emphasis of his new name was not lost on him either "There's nothing between us anymore"

"There's history at a minimum" he insisted, giving chase and catching hold of her arm at the elbow "and there could be civility even now" he said more softly "I don't want you for an enemy, Buffy"

She glanced between his fingers around her arm and his unwavering gaze, feeling as if one, the other, or both were trying to burn her into ashes.

"I'm not your enemy" she said too quietly, wondering where her strong voice had gone "and you were never mine either" she assured him, knowing it was true.

Whilst she could try to hate him for how he hurt her she could never quite pull it off. She'd just loved him far too much for that.

Buffy gently pulled her arm from Spike's grasp though her eyes still hadn't left his. It was as if he'd hypnotised her somehow.

"Can't we find a way to move on" he asked her "maybe be friends? I'm going to be hanging around here, for a little while at least. I can't stand it if I have to avoid you all the time" he said sincerely and Buffy didn't have it in her to keep fighting with him, it just seemed so pointless now.

"Friends, huh?" she considered, a slight smile playing on her lips as she nodded gently, "I guess we could do that"

Spike's face lit up like a lantern as he grinned at her. He was making progress and that was all he needed right now.

"So, you'll have coffee with me," he pressed, wondering how far he could push before she'd run "as friends?" he clarified "I thought I saw the Espresso Pump was open"

Buffy glanced back the way she'd come and then off in the original direction she'd been headed. The coffee shop was just a few feet out of her way and it was just a drink with an old friend, though 'friend' was a little tame when one considered all they'd meant to each other.

"I don't know, Will, I..." she faltered and he interrupted.

"Come on, for old times sake" he was almost begging, most especially with his expressive blue eyes "Please?" he added, looking at her hopefully and in that moment, Buffy saw William not this new Spike person looking down at her .

"Okay" she nodded once and Spike grinned all over his face again as they set off towards the Espresso Pump.

Of all the places they could go, Buffy knew only too well the significance of this one. They had a table that was always theirs, and she was almost certain William remembered as well as she did two specific occasions when they'd spent time together there.

They went in and sat at that table without saying a word about it. A waitress came over, eyeing Spike appreciatively, as any straight woman with eyes would.

"What can I get for you?" she asked, something more than coffee very much implied by her body language and way she spoke. Buffy almost felt offended, even though she knew it was ridiculous. It wasn't as if this was a date or anything, but the waitress didn't know that so she had no right making eyes at a taken man.

"Er, plain black and ordinary for me, luv" Spike gave is order to the girl. When Buffy didn't choose something herself he continued on her behalf "and for my lady, a half-caff cappuccino, one sugar, extra whip and some of that chocolate stuff on top" he smirked as the girl scribbled down what he said and walked away.

"How did you...?" Buffy looked totally bemused as she realised what had just happened. The smug smile on Spike's face refused to budge as he looked over at her.

"I remember everything you like, pet" he told her with a distinctly suggestive look that made Buffy blush. She ducked her head and glanced away, catching sight of a young man at the next table. In his hand he held a single rose and it almost looked like he was talking to himself, maybe practising a speech. Buffy smiled at a memory that rushed to the surface of her mind, not realising that Spike was thinking the exact same thing she was.

Flashback

Buffy Summers, age sixteen and a half, stood outside the Espresso Pump coffee shop, checking her hair in the window. Just a few feet away on the other side of the glass sat one of her best friends, his back to the front of the shop so he couldn't see she was already there.

William had become firm friends with not just Buffy but Willow and Xander too, all on their first day at Sunnydale High School. Now some time later, he had found the courage to ask Buffy out on a date and that was what this meeting was all about.

She wasn't supposed to know, but Will couldn't help himself and had told Xander. The boy kept nothing from Willow and the red-head had caved and told Buffy of William's plan when the blonde asked too many questions regarding why Will and Xand would not be at the Espresso Pump today. They usually all met there at some point after school and at weekends but today a big deal had been made of it just being Buffy and William.

In truth, the girl was glad to know Will wanted to date her. She liked him a lot and he was more than averagely attractive. With Willow and Xander having known each other much longer than the other two members of the foursome, it made sense that Buffy and William would become closer, though there was more to it than that.

"Hey Will" Buffy smiled as she finally plucked up the courage to go inside and face him.

"Buffy, hello" it seemed to take him a lot of effort to get the simple words out and he felt ridiculous for being so nervous, but Buffy mattered a great deal to him. He wanted to be closer to her, as her boyfriend he had come to realise, and today he was going to ask her out on a date.

"It's so weird that Will and Xander didn't want to come hang with us today" the blonde girl sighed, hoping it might help William get over his nerves and just ask her out already!

"Ah, yes, well" he stammered, "I actually asked them to...I wanted to be alone with you, Buffy, to ask you something" he admitted, glancing up from the table to meet her eyes. Her smile almost blinded him as it always did, but it gave him confidence to go on with what he was saying.

"I like you a lot Buffy" he said sincerely "I hope you know that"

"Sure" she agreed "I like you too"

"So I was wondering if, perhaps, you might like to go out with me sometime?" he asked carefully "Just us, like a date?" he clarified, before she had a chance to misunderstand. Buffy felt ridiculous but she could not stop smiling when she answered him.

"I'd love to, William" she told him honestly and he looked so surprised she almost laughed.

"You would?" he checked, unable to believe it could be so simple.

Buffy nodded, putting a hand to his arm.

"I've been waiting for you to ask for long enough"

They both grinned like idiots as they arranged where they would go and on what night. William had taken so long to ask her and he was so relieved she'd said yes. Buffy was just elated to be given the chance to accept.

End Flashback

"This place holds a lot of memories" said Buffy as she came out of her daydream. She didn't really even mean to say it out loud but it was too late now. Spike knew she was right but he also had a plan. He wanted her to recall the events that he did, remember it so vividly that she missed the feelings she had then and wanted them back, wanted him back like he wanted her.

"Memories, eh?" he said as their coffee was put down in front of them and he winked at the waitress as she walked away again "Like what?" he asked Buffy.

"Don't pretend you don't know" she shook her head. Despite the amount of time he'd been gone and all that he'd done, there was simply no way William had forgotten the day he asked her on their first date, or their first kiss that occurred after that date.

"I remember..." Spike considered, before reaching out a hand across the table. His fingertips ran through the edge of Buffy's hair and she shivered involuntarily "these" he concluded, and she realised his fingers were now behind her ear "Didn't I buy them for you?" he checked, knowing that he definitely had, but quite surprised to see them. It was only just then he'd noticed she was wearing them.

"Er" Buffy frowned slightly as she put her hand where his had been and checked which earrings she was wearing "Yeah, I think you did buy these for me" she nodded, astonished by the realisation. She was sure she hadn't even taken them from her jewellery box since he'd left four years ago and yet subconsciously she'd put them on today.

"I got them for your birthday" Spike recalled, smirking as he sipped his coffee and remembered something very clearly "I seem to remember enjoying your seventeeth birthday party almost as much as you did" he told her as she met his gaze. Oh yes, she remembered that very well too.

Flashback

"Happy Birthday, Buffy" William smiled as they stood on the back porch of her house, and he handed her a small, neatly wrapped gift.

Buffy tore of the paper and carefully opened the box inside. She gasped, her hand covering her mouth a she realised what she held in her hand.

"You remembered" she said breathlessly, staring down at a pair of beautiful earrings, set with fairly large amethysts (her birthstone) and a tiny diamond each.

She'd originally spotted them as she and William walked past the jewellery store window months ago but surmised that, whilst they were exquisite she'd never be able to afford them. As ridiculous as it was she'd almost got tearful when two weeks later they'd disappeared from the window.

"I made a deal with Mr Brown at the store" William told her as he watched her take out the earrings she was wearing and put in the new ones, "I got a deposit together for them and he said he'd keep them to one side whilst I saved...took me bloody ages" he complained good-naturedly and Buffy smiled as she went into his arms.

"What do you think?" she asked, pushing her hair away so he could see.

"Beautiful" he told her, hardly glancing at the earrings as his eyes met hers, "Just beautiful" he repeated.

"Thankyou so much" Buffy just managed to say before his lips came down on hers, silencing her in the most beautiful of ways. If only everyday could be like this.

End Flashback

"You alright, pet?" Spike smirked as Buffy's eyes seemed to glaze over, memories taking over from reality for a moment, "You look a little flushed" he noted, hardly able to keep the smile from his face.

Buffy studied him as he drank his coffee. He was enjoying her discomfort too much, and wasn't it him that had chosen to come to the Espresso Pump, who'd chosen their old table to sit at, who'd mentioned the earrings he'd bought her. He was doing it all on purpose to make her remember better times with him, times when she loved him more than anyone else in the world. He thought he could fool her, trick her into being his easy lay for tonight? Buffy smiled to herself as she downed the last of her coffee. This was war.

"Buffy?" Spike looked at her strangely, a little worried by the odd expression on her face and the fact she hadn't spoken at all for the past couple of minutes.

"You don't remember what happened in this place?" she asked him, "At this table, with you and me?"

He looked thoughtful but didn't say anything.

"You need a reminder?" she asked, moving her stool around the table so they were much closer together.

"Maybe" Spike smirked, wondering where all this had suddenly come from, but enjoying it immensely as Buffy crossed her legs making her skirt ride up an inch or two.

"We came here after our first date" she recalled, leaning close to him "We sat at this table and talked about the movie for a while, then I told you what a great time I was having, and you said you were too"

"Then what happened?" Spike prompted, already knowing but wanting her to tell it her way.

"Hmm" she looked thoughtful before continuing, "You put your hand over mine on the table" she said, re-enacting the moment in opposite by reaching out to put her had on his "You looked into my eyes and you told me I was the most beautiful girl in the world" she reminded him, leaning in closer and holding his gaze, her voice deliberately too soft "You said you wished you'd had the courage to ask me out sooner, and I said I wished you had too and then..." she whispered, her lips impossibly close to his.

"And then?" he echoed just as softly, eyes trained on her lips coming towards his.

"And then..." she repeated as he watched a smile spread across those lips of hers "I don't remember anymore" she said sitting back up straight, the movement so quick that Spike almost fell forwards off his chair.

"You, what?" he looked dazed, shaking his head as if to clear some kind of fog.

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Buffy smiled painfully as she got up from the stool and grabbed her purse "Make me remember stuff that happened between us, hoping maybe it'll get you somewhere now" she snapped "hoping to get another Buffy-notch on your bed-post" her voice rose in volume and octave towards the end of her sentence and Spike shook his head.

"But I didn't..."

"It's not going to happen, Spike" she interrupted, again emphasising his nick-name, as she stormed towards the door. She paused there and turned back, sadness replacing previous anger in a flash.

"You're not the man I fell in love with back then" she told him with a slow shake of her head "William's gone, and I wish you were too"

With that Buffy left, the door slamming shut behind her and making a couple of other patrons of the shop almost spill their mocha lattes down their shirts.

Spike slammed a fist on the table in anger before turning his eyes heavenward and sighing heavily.

"Oh, bloody hell"

To Be Continued...

A/N2 : I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much I enjoyed writing it! Please let me know your thoughts about it in the usual way (it's the little blue button down there if you weren't sure!) and I'll update again as soon as I can.