A/N : Apologies for this chapter being a little short, but look on the bright side, I update faster when I write short chapters! Anyway, thanx so much to the reviewers; Moonjava, Mita427, katie, demonica mills, Moluvsnumber17, KelleyTheSelfToastablePopTart, Ape18, LiLi, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, grey ice-water, EMBER91, Dark Drusilla, Brunettepet, spuffygrl, bella-lover, and phantomphan85. All your support is very much appreciated.
(For disclaimer, etc - see chapter 1)
Chapter 9 - Repercussions
"I..I'm sorry" Buffy mumbled, backing up a step to get out of Spike's embrace, "I think I should go" she turned and practically ran away right then, leaving Spike alone on the emptying dancefloor looking stunned.
He hadn't planned to kiss her, despite the fact tonight had felt slightly date-like, the dancing was a spur of the moment thing and the kiss even more so. She just looked so beautiful and holding her close, swaying to the music, instinct just took over.
"Spike?" Willow frowned when he wandered back to the table alone. He picked his coat up off the chair and pulled it on.
"Buffy's gone, Red" he said quietly, "Reckon it's time I pushed off too"
"But..." the red-head started as her friend walked away. Oz put his hand on his wife's arm and stopped her running after Spike.
"I'll go, honey" he said, getting up himself and jogging after his friend, "Hey, Spike" he caught up with him by the exit and caught his attention, "What happened?"
"No bloody clue, mate" Spike shook his head, "One minute we're getting along great and the next..."
"You kissed her" Oz filled in, surprising the bleached blond, "Willow was in the ladies room but I saw"
"What am I doing, man?" Spike shook his head, "I'm thirty-four years old, and here I am behaving like more of a kid than Dawnie" he sighed, slamming his fist into the wall and instantly regretted it.
"Being our age doesn't mean you can't find the opposite sex attractive, Spike" Oz smirked, "Buffy's a good-looking woman and she seems to like you a lot"
"Then why did one little kiss send her world spiralling out of control?" his friend interrupted, frustrated by the feelings he seemed to be developing for the woman who'd recently come into his life, and the fact that her own were unclear.
"That's something you'll have to ask her" Oz told him, a hand on his shoulder, "but maybe not right now" he suggested, pointing towards the other exit as Buffy left with Xander, the brunette shooting a nasty look in Spike's direction.
"Xander!"
The brunette had been surprised to suddenly find his cousin right behind him when he turned around.
"Hey Buff, you okay?" he frowned slightly when he realised she didn't look too happy.
"I just, can we go home now?" she said, looking behind her and hoping Spike couldn't follow her. She was behaving like such a kid and she knew it, but her track record with men was so dire, the thought of getting close to someone new scared her half to death.
"What did he do?" Xander's eyes narrowed at the bleach blond when he realised that's who his cousin was looking at.
"Nothing, I'll explain later" she shook her head, "but can we please just get out of here first?"
"Sure" the brunette nodded, turning to the girl he'd been asking to before, "Er, Cordelia I have to take my cousin home. Could I maybe call you sometime?"
Buffy nervously glanced back to the table where Oz and Willow were. Spike walked over and talked to them, but she had this feeling he would chase after her any second and she just couldn't explain herself. She was a grown up for heaven sakes and all he'd done was kiss her, and now she was practically running scared.
Xander exchanged numbers with Cordelia and then walked out of the club with his cousin who constantly kept looking back over her shoulder.
"This is about Spike, isn't it Buff?" he checked, looking back the same way she had and giving the bleached blond a dirty look, "I swear, if he hurt you I'll..."
"Xand, he didn't" Buffy assured him as they got outside, "You know if he had I'd have dealt anyway, I didn't take those kick-boxing classes just for fun...He just kissed me is all"
"Oh" Xander felt suddenly very stupid for making such a big deal out of this but then wasn't Buffy making a huge deal too, and all because of a kiss?
"It's stupid, I know" Buffy admitted, looking at her feet as they walked along, "but it scared me, Xander, I haven't felt like that before, not from one kiss" she told him, going over it all in her head, "Even with Angel" she said awkwardly, knowing her cousin hated to have that name mentioned, "Even then it was never like that, not just from a dance and a kiss"
"What are you saying to me, Buffy?" Xander checked, wanting to make sure he got it right this time.
"I wish I knew" his cousin laughed painfully, "but...would it be insane to think I might be falling for him?" she asked. Xander just shook his head absently, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders as they continued the walk back to the motel. What he was supposed to say to her now, he had absolutely no idea. He knew Buffy and her track record with guys, it was not all that good. Of her two serious boyfriends, one had been nothing short of evil and the second, well, whilst Riley had been a decent guy it was clear from the start Buffy didn't feel quite what she should for him, and when the blonde's past was revealed he just couldn't deal with it.
"I'm scared, Xand" she confessed as they neared home, "It's insane but it's true. I came here for a reason, and that still matters to me a lot, but now I have Spike in my head and, and my heart too if I'm honest"
Xander didn't know what to say to that as they ascended the stairs up to their rooms. When they arrived outside her door he sighed and turned to face her.
"Buff, I know it's a weird situation right now, what with looking for little Buffy junior and everything" he half-smiled, "but whatever happens with that or with Spike, I'm here for you. You know that, right?" he checked.
"I know" she smiled, tears in her eyes as she hugged her cousin, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Xander" she said honestly as they parted.
"Lucky for you, you'll never have to" he assured her, kissing her forehead before saying goodnight and going to his own room next door to hers.
Buffy let herself into the motel room, closed the door and flopped down onto the bed. She closed her eyes and replayed the night in her mind, til she could almost hear the music in the Bronze, feel Spike's arms around her and his lips brushing softly against her own. He was such a sweet guy and she really liked him, but she had this horrible feeling any relationship they started would end badly, just as her past attempts at happily ever after had.
With a sigh she got up from the bed and reached for one of her bags. Rifling through the contents she found her diary at the bottom and in the back a picture she'd kept all these years. It wouldn't mean much to anyone else but the fuzzy black-and-white sonogram picture was the only evidence Buffy possessed that proved she'd ever given birth to her beautiful daughter. That baby, or rather the teen she would now be, was what her mind should be focused on.
Her finger traced the almost unidentifiable baby in the photo she held as a tear ran down her cheek. Giving up her chance at motherhood was probably the most stupid mistake she'd ever made. Buffy was beginning to wonder if pushing Spike away would be her second.
"Ah, William, Willow, Oz" Giles smiled as his son led them into the house, "I wasn't expecting you back so soon" he frowned slightly as he checked his watch.
Spike looked away as the couple stepped round him, mumbling awkwardly about fetching the kids who they knew would be in the spare room upstairs.
"Did something happen?" Giles asked his son as he slumped down into the chair across from him, running his hand back through his hair.
"Not so as you'd notice" he said with a humourless chuckle, worrying his father a great deal.
"Thanks for the baby-sitting" Willow said with a smile as she and Oz led their sleepy children to the door, "We'll see you both tomorrow"
"Yes, Willow" Giles smiled fondly at the little family as they exited, "We'll see you then"
As soon as they were gone he turned back to his son, wanting to get to the bottom of whatever was going on here.
"William, what has happened?" he asked impatiently, "You are clearly not yourself and poor Willow and Oz could not escape from here fast enough. Clearly they feel awkward in your presence so what on Earth is the matter with you?"
"Nothin' the matter with me" he sighed, "'Cept clearly I don't understand women at all" he complained, slumping back in the chair and going over the evenings events yet again in his mind.
"Nobody understands women, William" Giles told him with a knowing look, "Their mystery is part of their charm I believe"
Spike scoffed at that.
"Oh yeah" he said sarcastically, volume rising by the second, "Bloody charmin' how they make you think they like you to the point where you snog them and then they run out the building like you took advantage or something!"
"I don't think I understand..." Giles frowned, but was prevented from saying anymore when Spike seemed to explode.
"Well I sure as hell bloody don't" he raved, "I thought everything was just fine and suddenly I'm in the soddin' wrong and she's bolting for the door and..."
"Okay, what's with the voice raisage?" Dawn complained as she appeared in the doorway, dressed in her pyjamas and rubbing her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Bit" Spike apologised, suddenly calm, "Didn't mean to wake you"
"Well, I'm up now, might as well tell me what's up" she told him as she walked over and shared the couch with Giles, "Did your date not go well?" she guessed.
"It wasn't a date, Dawn" her father sighed, "Buffy made that very clear" he added bitterly.
"Ah" Giles seemed to suddenly understand, "She was not comfortable with the affection you showed her?" he guessed, careful how he phrased things with Dawn sitting right there.
"Okay, that was a little too British" the young girl made a face, "Wanna translate it for me?" Giles looked awkward so Spike took on the task.
"Means I kissed Buffy, Nibblet, and she wasn't too happy about it" he admitted, still not really understanding what had happened, only knowing that it had really hurt when she ran out on him like that. He clearly had deeper feelings for Miss Summers than even he had realised.
"I don't get it" Dawn shook her head, "I thought she really liked you, that you really liked each other. Why would she flip out when you kissed her?"
"Wish I knew, pet" Spike smiled sadly, "but right now I don't reckon we should dwell on it" he realised as he checked his watch, "You ought to be in bed and so did I, if we're gonna be fit for getting up at a decent hour tomorrow"
"And I should be going" Giles said getting to his feet. He gave Dawn a hug and said goodnight, patting his son on the shoulder and offering a supportive smile before letting himself out.
"You gonna be okay, Dad?" Dawn asked as they climbed the stairs.
"Course I will, luv" he said with a smile as they reached the landing and he gave her a hug, "Still got my best girl, nothin' else matters" he said, ruffling her hair and sending her off to her room.
Dawn didn't completely close her door, watching as Spike walked into his own room, looking so tired. She hated to know her Dad was hurting, he meant the world to her, and despite what he said about being fine she knew he wasn't. Buffy obviously meant an awful lot to him. For everyone's sake she hoped they found a way to work things out. It wasn't like they could avoid each other for long. They both had to show up to work at the same place tomorrow.
To Be Continued...