Chapter 4: Beyond What You Can Imagine
Buffy sat at the kitchen table with the newspaper sitting in front of her, a red pen in her hand, and a bagel in her mouth. It was eight in the morning on Monday and Buffy was still dressed in her pajamas, a bathrobe, and her hair was in a messy ponytail.
Spike walked out of his room in a stylish business clothes. He took one look at Buffy and laughed to himself.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Buffy looked up at Spike with the bagel still hanging from her mouth. She looked him up and down and then took the bagel out of her mouth, "Trying to find a job." She said with a little embarrassment.
"Well that shouldn't be too hard…" Spike said as he walked into the kitchen, "This is New York…plenty of jobs out there."
"Oh… yeah? Where?" Buffy asked, "I've been through this newspaper twice…there are no jobs! There are no jobs!" she leaned back in her chair and pouted.
Spike came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee and sat down across from Buffy at the table, "Well…what are you looking for luv? What'd you study in college?" he asked.
"I studied design…fashion….all that stuff…I wanted to be a decorator." Buffy mumbled.
"Well there are tons of fashion places around here. Bloomingdales, Saxes Fifth Avenue…" Spike listed.
"Yeah and all of them want the best of the best…people with degrees…people who know people who know people that are famous and get them jobs….me? I have a three year college degree and know no one." Buffy said.
"I wouldn't consider myself a 'no one'." Spike smirked at her.
Buffy looked up at Spike and laughed, "Sorry…just…I feel like I'm getting no where…"
"Don't worry about it." Spike said and got up from his seat.
"Yes I have to worry about. I have to pay rent, food, clothes—" she started to list.
"I can do that." Spike said.
"I'm not a charity!" Buffy shouted.
"I know!" Spike shouted back.
"Then stop telling me your going to pay for everything…I'm not a baby…I can get a job." Buffy said in her defense and picked up the newspaper again and began to read.
"I know…but you're just getting started and getting back on your feet and all and I thought you might…" Spike said as he started to put on his coat.
"What?!" Buffy threw down the paper and got up from her seat, "Say it…'Buffy needs help…Buffy can't handle herself…'" she said and walked closer to Spike.
Spike growled, "Buffy…"
"By the end of today I'm going to get a job and no more charity…all that stuff you bought me I'm going to pay you back…with interest." Buffy said.
Spike just stared at the stubborn girl with her hands on her hips. He knew this girl too well that he was suppose to stop pushing at one point, so Spike decided to give up.
"Fine." Spike said, "I got to get to work."
Spike grabbed his coat off the hanger and put it on.
"Where do you work?" Buffy asked, feeling a little bit stupid because she asked the question.
Spike turned back to Buffy, "I work at record company…."
Buffy's eyes widened in shock, "A real…record company?" she asked.
"No I work at a make-believe one." He said sarcastically.
Buffy rolled her eyes at his answer, "Which one?"
"Flat Records." He said, "I'm pretty much a sales guy…I go out and get stores to sell the artists albums…"
"Oh…well at least you're doing something you love. You always loved music." Buffy mumbled.
"Don't worry love…" Spike said and grabbed Buffy by the shoulders to make her look at him, "You'll find something." He quickly kissed her forehead and walked out the door.
Buffy stood there for a minute after Spike left. She looked down to her side and saw Dingo lying on a doggy pillow, looking at her.
"What are you looking at? I'm going to get a job." Buffy said to Dingo.
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Spike's office is normal office size, with a desk, a computer, and windows. At the moment Spike was typing something on his computer when he got a knock at the door.
"Come in." Spike called to the knocker without looking up at the door.
The door opened and revealed Xander at the door, "Hey." He said as a simply greeting.
Spike looked up, "Hey…what are you doing here?"
"Nothing…" Xander said and took a sit in on of Spike's chairs, "Just thought we could get lunch or something…we never talk anymore."
"Xand…umm…one, its nine o'clock in the morning…and two, all we ever do is talk." Spike said.
Xander rolled his eyes, "Alright…alright…I came here for something else."
"What is it?" Spike asked.
"Buffy…" Xander said.
At the name Spike instantly was alert and looking at Xander, "What…what about her?" Spike asked.
"That." Xander said.
"What that?" Spike asked.
"You…you and Buffy…when I mentioned her name you jumped…when you see her you're all…glowing like your peroxide hair." Xander nodded to Spike's hair.
Spike narrowed his eyes at Xander, "Do you have a point to this or…are you just here to create a diversion and steal my stapler?"
"There is a point…you and Buffy…tell me why you have been avoiding the question when I asked, 'Is there something between you two?'" Xander said.
Spike laughed, "You came down here in the middle of the day to talk about Buffy?"
"Why not…catching you at work is the only place I know you won't run away from, you're not aloud to leave work." Xander pointed out.
"You left work." Spike said.
"That's because I work at a construction site…if I leave they party…they hate me down there." Xander said.
"They do not." Spike sighed.
"Can we please get back on topic…you and Buffy…Angel and Willow know there's something there too…" Xander said.
"And let me guess? You were voted to speak up in the group and confront me about this very important issue huh?" Spike asked.
"Well…yes." Xander said.
"Well you can go back to Willow and Angel and tell them that there is nothing between Buffy and me…we're friends." Spike said with a shrug.
"Ha! You are in love with her." Xander said, "Admit it."
"I am not!" Spike said.
"Okay…then you WERE in love with her." Xander said.
"Xander I got a lot of work here and—" Spike started to face his computer and avoid eye contact with Xander.
"No, no, no…come on! Tell me! You know I'll bug you until you tell me the truth…" Xander said.
Spike stared at his computer screen and then moved his eyes to meet Xander's, "Alright…" Spike said quietly.
Xander smiled to himself.
"Look…" Spike sighed and turned to face Xander, "Everything I told you was true…Buffy and I were neighbors, grew up together, and were best friends…but…to me…Buffy met a little bit more…I had feelings for her since junior high all the way up till graduation but she never noticed, alright?"
"I knew it." Xander nodded, "I knew Buffy was something unique…"
"She is…but—and I SWEAR if you EVER tell her about this I will have to hang you outside this twenty four story window." Spike said and pointed at his window.
"Okay…okay…got it…" Xander said. For a moment there was silence between the two pals, "So…you want to get some breakfast?"
"Yeah alright." Spike said and both of them got up and headed out the door.
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Spike and Xander sat in a booth at a regular restaurant drinking coffee and eating pancakes.
"So…tell me what she was like when she was a kid?" Xander asked.
Spike a first seemed to ignore the question but then came out and started talking, "When I first saw her she was seven years old…" Spike looked at Xander, "She was wearing one of those 80s girl's jean skirts and a jean jacket…her hair was tied in a side tie-dye ponytail…" Spike laughed as he stared off thinking about the description, "She was with a bunch of her friends in her backyard jumping rope…I just moved into the neighborhood from England and didn't really know anyone…"
"So you just stumbled over there and jumped rope with a bunch of girls?" Xander asked and was almost ready to laugh.
"No!" Spike said in his defense, "I didn't say I went over there…I just said that was the first time I SAW her…I met her the next day when me and mother went over to Buffy's house…" Spike explained, "We spent the day watching Yogi Bear and stuff like that."
"Yogi Bear?" Xander smiled.
Spike rolled his eyes, "I was more of Teenage Mutant Nina Turtle person…she liked Yogi Bear, Care Bears, and stuff like that."
"When did it grow into more…you know…you started having feelings for her?" Xander asked.
"I don't know…I can't really pinpoint the exact moment…we always had a connection and I guess it grew…but…but I guess you could say in the seventh grade when we were going to a school dance with a group of friends from school she was dressed up real nice, smelled nice, and her hair was nice and curly. I thought…'She is the most beautiful girl in the world.'" Spike said and looked down at his pancakes on his plate.
"Then what made you stop from asking her out on a date or something?" Xander asked, "I mean you been into this girl for so long, why not ask her out?"
"I'm no Angel…I can't just go up to her and ask her out…I knew her for years and didn't want to jeopardize our friendship…I rather be her friend than risk losing her by telling her my secret and telling her how I feel."
Xander nodded, "I get that…but one question…do you…you know…steal feel something for her…now?"
Spike paused and thought about, "I don't think what I feel for her is something that goes away…so…yes."
Xander stared at his friend in front of him. He never heard of something like this before. He never knew Spike loved a girl for so long and was afraid to tell her. The Spike Xander knew was sensitive, yes, but never afraid to death to tell a girl how he felt. Spike's love for Buffy seemed to beyond what Xander could comprehend or imagine, it was rare and doesn't ever seem to end.
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Spike walked into his apartment and was welcomed instantly by someone throwing their arms around his neck and hugging him. He soon registered it was Buffy hugging and squealing in his arms and that must mean good news.
Buffy moved back so she could see Spike, "I got a job!"
"Really? On your first day?" Spike asked.
"You seem surprised…told you I can get a job." Buffy said with pride.
"Where at?" Spike asked as he hung up his coat.
"Ralph Lauren…it is the BEST job…really I mean I love it there…they love me." Buffy said a jumped up and down with excitement.
"That's great pet." Spike said.
"Great?! This is the best day of my life!" Buffy yelled and went in for another hug from Spike.
Spike and Buffy just stood there and hugged.
"How was your day?" Buffy asked as she hugged him.
"Uhh…fine." Spike said and hugged her more and closed his eyes and savored her hug.
TBC...