A/N: hehe (looks apologetic) … i'm sorta inconsistent, aren't i? well, we're almost to the end …
Thanks to KelleyTheSelfToastablePopTart and Buffycoo999 for commenting!
Disclaimer: not mine.
Rating: PG-13. Swearing, angst, violence. You have been warned …
Pairings: B/S eventually. W/T, X/A.
Distribution: Yeah, sure, take it. Tell me first, though.
Reviews: Yay! Reviews are happy. :D
Previously: The stalker has been suspiciously absent, Buffy and Spike finally acknowledge that they maybe sorta like each other ….
Dawn stared at the couple tangled together on the couch with a sort of queasy fascination. It was like being unable to help looking at a car wreck, she thought, if a car wreck could be so sickeningly sweet and lovey-dovey.
Xander looked a little ill, also. "Why did we set them up, again?" he asked his girl friends.
Anya cuffed the back of his head lightly. "Because they're sweet together and if we hadn't helped them sooner, they would've exploded from all that sexual repression and I wouldn't be able to rely on Buffy for the larger part of my income anymore," she explained matter-of-factly.
Tara and Willow winced at the imagery, but didn't bother to correct her.
"Well, I wish they'd be 'sweet' in a more private place," Dawn groused. Now that the problem of getting her sister and surrogate brother together was solved, she felt compelled to complain with the complaining skills only a teenager would have. "Preferably somewhere where no one knows who I am."
She glance around at the rather dead Bronze. "Thank God it's a slow Tuesday," she added.
"Well," Tara said weakly, looking away when Buffy stuck her tongue further down Spike's throat, "they're … happy, now … I think."
Out of the corner of their eyes, the gang saw the two blondes break apart, but keep their heads close together, talking and laughing softly. Suddenly, Buffy got up andcome over to them.
"Hey, guys," she said cheerfully, "I think I'm gonna go to the restroom. I'll be back in a minute."
She walked away with a bounce in her step.
"O.k., is it just me, or does she seem really happy to be going to the bathroom?" Dawn wondered out loud.
A moment later, she received her explanation. Spike stalked off in the general direction Buffy went, with the brief, absent-mindedreason that he was going out back for a smoke.
"They're going to have sex," Anya announced brightly, before Xander could clap a hand over her mouth.
Everyone at the table 'eep-ed' before looking away and trying to pretend they didn't just hear those scarring words.
"Must scrubbed out my ear," Dawn chanted before remembering that she couldn't go to the bathroom to wash her ears on the off chance that … nope, not going there.
"You know what?" Willow abruptly squeaked out, "I think we should dance. Tara? Dawnie? Up for some dancing-goodness with no mention whatsoever of Buffy or Spike or whatever they might be doing?" She rambled on.
"Yup," Xander agreed. "Dancing is of the good. Dancing of the vertical kind, I mean, and not the hori – and here I am digging myself further into my hole. Let's go dance, Anya." He grabbed his girlfriend's hand and pulled her to her feet.
Willow dragged the other two onto the dance floor before protests could be made, and they all settled happily into their land of denial.
oOoOo
"Mmhh."
The two's mouths were once again fused and they were wrapped around each other in the dim hallway.
It was hard to believe how quickly they had gone from shyly confessing that they liked each other to being in a permanent lip-lock. Still, they'd just felt right, though Buffy as her mind went to a happy place. It was like one of those whirlwind romances that you always heard about, but never expected to experience.
"God, luv, you're killing me 'ere," Spike moaned as quietly as he could. Buffy smiled coyly against his skin and continued tonibble onhis neck. It felt like they had forever here tonight.
A loud clunk, followed by what was a hoarse scream penetrated the fog they had wrapped themselves in, though. It had come from the back alley.
"Mmm. Ignore it," Buffy said drowsily, when Spike began to pull away. "It wasn't anything."
Reluctantly, they came apart.
"Better see," Spike reasoned halfheartedly, "in case someone really is 'urt. Be back in a mo', 'k, luv?"
The mood broken, Buffy nodded and he slipped outside. She stood there, fidgeting, for a while with a growing feeling of apprehension.
Minutes passed and still he didn't come back. Unable to stand waiting by herself anymore, Buffy warily followed Spike into the alley. She saw no one in the gloomy light.
"Spike?" Buffy called out. She looked slowly to her left and right, but there was only darkness.
"Spike?" she tried again.
Too caught up in her growing panic,Buffy failed to her the noise behind her until it was too late. She whirled around in time to notice the wooden plank raised over her head and being brought down to strike her, but not in time to voice the scream that died in her throat.
The last thought she remembered was, I'm seeing a ghost …
Then the world faded away …
heh ... cliffhanger :D i realize it's sorta short, but i couldn't find a better place to end the chapter. review to see what happenes next ...
le faye