A/N : Really not sure why this fic is much less popular than most of my others, but I'm going to keep writing it anyway, for those people that are reading it. I'm writing it for myself too, I see it as a kind of challenge trying to make the Spuffy work way back in Season 2 and and my beta reader loves this one so I'm writing it for her too. If you are reading this, please do review and let me know what you like about it, because I love to hear your opinions.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 5 - My Heart Was Dancing All Over The Place
"I'm afraid I'm no further forward on that Incan Mummy issue you spoke to me about the other day, Buffy" Giles told her as she and Willow sat down at the table in the library, "Was Angel absolutely certain something was amiss?"
"He never said anything about mist" Buffy frowned, "Just about darkness and the Mummy at the museum"
Giles rolled his eyes at her ignorance of proper English as he disappeared into his office still reading the book in his hand.
"So, you and Angel" Willow asked with a giggly smile, "Are things happening again?"
"Not so much" Buffy admitted, shrugging her shoulders, "I mean he's totally gorgeous obviously but, he's a vampire and I'm a Slayer and... y'know even if that wasn't true, he'd still be older than me and I really don't see him unless he's giving me cryptic clues about the latest Sunnydale bad guy" she complained, "Seems he's even losing his touch with that"
"Well, it's not like he's the only guy in the world" Willow pointed out, sounding almost jealous as she sighed, "You've got quite the fan club these days"
"Fan club?" Buffy frowned not getting it.
"Xander, and Ampata" the red-head said as if it should've been obvious, "They spend all their time staring and sometimes there's drool"
Buffy smiled slightly at that.
"They're just boys Will, and it's all just physical, y'know" she assured her friend, "Okay so Xand's a great friend, but he doesn't care about me any more than he cares about you, he just enjoys good stare like every other caveman-esque sixteen year old boy in this school" she explained, "As for Ampata, I'm the person he knows best in a foreign country and not to be all yay me but I'm not exactly the most disfigured person ever, so he thinks he likes me. Doesn't mean much, they're just boys"
"Boys as opposed to men?" Willow guessed and a slow smile spread over her friends lips as she glanced down at the table and then back up.
"I guess I was thinking about William again" she admitted, "God Will, it's insane, I only saw him twice but I can't get him out of my head"
"He is kind of a hottie" the red-head agreed with a smile, "Y'know if you like that bad boy rockstar look"
"It's not just about him being gorgeous" Buffy assured her, "Although obviously he is. It's like, when I'm around him I just can't think straight. He can make me feel all this amazing stuff just by looking at me and, oh God on Parent-Teacher night when I met him in the graveyard, I so thought he was going to kiss me, I almost passed out my heart was pounding so fast" she smiled.
"Wow" was all Willow could say. Xander always gave her the good feelings when he looked at her a certain way or when he put his arm around her sometimes, but she'd never got all these intense emotions that William seemed to be able to evoke in Buffy, and with just a look too.
As the bell rang for next period the girls got up and headed towards the door, stopping to yell to Giles they were going.
"Er, Buffy" he came out of the small room to call behind her, "You will be stopping off here to train before you go on patrol tonight, yes?"
"Nooo" she drew out the answer that should have been obvious to him and rolled her eyes for good measure, "It's the dance tonight, remember? The one I'm actually allowed to go to because Angel said he'd take patrol for me?"
"Ah yes, of course" her Watcher nodded, "How stupid of me not to remember that frivolity and dressing up in ridiculous costumes is much more important than your calling"
"Goodbye, Giles" Buffy said, rolling her eyes a second time as she and Willow left the library, the doors swinging back and forth in their wake, "I love Giles, I do, but my God could the guy be anymore tightly wound" the Slayer said to her friend as they moved down the corridor.
Willow opened her mouth to answer only to have Cordelia speak instead as she saw her two 'friends' coming in her direction.
"Okay so do one of you wanna tell me when we took a trip into Biazrro World!" she snapped.
"Er, Cordy, you wanna explain that sentence?" Buffy prompted her.
"Hello, my exchange student" the cheerleader snapped as if it were obvious, "It was bad enough that I got some bimbo instead of the hunk I ordered" she ranted, referring to the handsome Sven's sister who had made the trip to Cali in his place due to his recent bought of illness, "but now she's trying to take over my title of QueenC and she's going to the dance tonight as Devon's date! He was so supposed to be taking me!" she complained loudly.
"Um, if your social standing is in dire peril, Cordy" Buffy frowned, "Wouldn't talking to us just make it worse?"
"Oh God!" the brunette gasped, realising the truth in that statement and storming away down the corridor as fast as her Prada pumps would allow.
"Sounds like Cassie's making quite the impression" Buffy smirked as she and Willow walked further down to the classroom where they were supposed to be, "And not all good"
"Cordelia could use being brought down a couple of notches" the red-head said firmly and Buffy's eyes went a little wide.
"Wow, you really don't like her" she smiled, "That's maybe the closest to a mean thing I've ever heard you say about anybody ever"
Willow only half heard her as a familiar boy passed by them going in the opposite direction down the corridor. It was the guy from the Bronze who she'd quite literally bumped into last week, the one who was in Devon's band. They'd called him Oz, she remembered, right before he spotted her and smiled, making every rational thought leave her head in an instant.
"Oh" she made a little startled sound as Buffy got hold of her arm and pulled her into the classroom.
"Geez Will, what stole your attention?" the blonde asked her as they took their seats, "I've never known you loiter in classroom doorways, you're always so eager to get with the learnin'"
"Oh, it was nothing" Willow shrugged, "Just... nothing" she smiled.
As much as she loved Buffy and she really did, they were best friends after all, she didn't want to mention this guy she liked yet, after all Buffy would be all 'seize the day' about it, and Willow wasn't much of a seizer. She much preferred to daydream about the mysterious Oz, hoping just maybe, one day, he would do more than simply smile when he saw her.
Spike woke up with a start, sitting up in the bed, shaking as a result of the dream he'd just had that could only be described as the most erotic nightmare ever. One minute it was him and Dru, all passionate and fiery sex, not so far from what they'd actually been doing a few hours ago, but then it all changed. When Spike looked down he found it was Buffy who lie beneath him, screaming his name, begging him to take her, and to love her always.
The worst part of all was that he'd done just as she asked, not just used her for a shag, but really made love to her, and said the words she so wanted to hear. In the dream it was bliss just to be together, and if he thought of it Spike could still feel those emotions from the subconscious adventure he and the Slayer had shared.
He shook from fear as well as the way she'd made him feel. Of course he rationalised that he'd been thinking about her a lot and images and things just got jumbled in his mind whilst he slept, but surely even in fantasy he shouldn't be professing love for the enemy!
Spike glanced down at Dru, still sleeping beside him. He loved her, his black goddess who had delivered him from mediocrity. She was the face of his salvation, his very reason for being, she meant everything, he told himself, though a little nagging voice deep within his mind asked 'What about the Slayer?' and called upon the dream images and feelings that should be so disgusting to the bleached blond vamp.
Closing his eyes tight shut, Spike attempted to push it all away but found it impossible. That made him angry, beyond furious. How dare the Slayer invade his mind, soddin' Buffy Summers with her shampoo commercial hair, her bright eyes, her sweet voice... damn her, she'd bewitched him. As much as Spike hated it, he knew he was developing feelings for the girl, feelings that could only get stronger given time.
"So, I won't give them time" he said to himself as he pushed the covers aside and swung his legs out of the bed, "Bitch dies tonight"
Something wasn't right, and Angel knew it. It was more than just Buffy too, though her cold behaviour towards him wasn't helping matters. The souled vamp was fairly certain he'd fallen for the young Slayer the first moment he'd laid eyes on her. Of course he knew that was insane, she was only fifteen years old at the time, and he was over two hundred. Even using his human years for a calculation he still came out at twelve years her senior, but there was just something about her. For a while he'd thought she felt it too, and no matter how wrong it was they'd spent time together, a couple of dates, some serious kissing, but now everything was different.
Things weren't right with Buffy when she returned after her Summer in LA. Everyone blamed her dealings with the Master and brief dance with death for her wild, bitchy, and out of character behaviour, but even when she'd calmed down some and seemed more herself she still had little time for Angel.
It was as if a switch had got flipped somewhere and she no longer wanted to be close to him. Of course he should've expected it, she was a sixteen year old girl after all. Consistency isn't high up there on teenagers lists of priorities. They can change crushes more often than some people change their socks, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.
Angel was seriously wondering who Buffy may now be persuing and how he might be able to rationalise killing him, when he felt something. A familiar sensation, a vampire he knew, had a connection with. He vaguely thought of two of those he had a hand in making, whom he would never see again, not that he was sorry. He'd got word that his once-precious childe Drusilla, and her lover Spike, had died in Prague at the hands of an angry mob. He had always warned William the Bloody about his wild behaviour and how he would be taught a lesson by a Slayer or an angry crowd, seems the latter had won this time.
Pushing thoughts of his childe and grandchilde aside, Angel was almost glad of the diversion of a couple of vamps that were up for a fight.
"Angelus" one roared, "The once mighty warrior, reduced to the Slayer's sidekick" it grinned evilly.
"How many more times?" the souled vamp sighed, "It's not Angelus anymore, it's Angel" he said, looking bored as the enemy advanced. Seconds later the very same vamp was dust at his feet and Angel put his game face on as he fought the other. Unlife wasn't all bad.
"Hey Buff" Willow smiled when she spotted her friend at the Bronze, "You look so great" she gushed as Buffy looked down at her own attire and smiled.
"It's not bad, is it?" she admitted, "Mom's pretty good with a sewing machine, although I still think I look like I should be on top of a cake somewhere" she rolled her eyes. She was dressed up more or less like a Spanish doll, since it had a South American connection for Ampata, and was at least a little flattering.
"You look great too" she told her friend, but whilst the Eskimo costume was authentic, Buffy wished her friend would have gone for something at least a little sexy. There was a good looking girl in there somewhere she was sure, and if Willow would just let herself be noticed for once, she might actually get somewhere with the guys.
"Buffy, my princess" Ampata smiled as he returned from the boys bathroom, "We shall dance, yes?" he said, offering her his arm.
"I guess we shall" she smiled back, promising Will she wouldn't leave her alone for long as she disappeared into the crowd of teens on the dancefloor.
Willow turned herself around to see if she cold spot Xander amongst the crowds. It wasn't easy spotting anyone in her thick fur hood and her best friend didn't appear to be anywhere in view. She sighed as she turned herself back to the stage, where Dingoes Ate My Baby were playing. Devon seemed to be singing for one girl alone as she stood by the stage gazing up at him. It was Cassie, the girl Cordelia had got for an exchange student and was so not happy about. If Cassie and Devon were over there, that begged the question, where was Cordelia hiding?
"Well, if it isn't Miss Cordelia Chase" said Xander as he appeared beside her. She was way over the back of the club, looking very much as if she was hiding from the rest of the world. That was strange in itself since Cordy always preferred to be centre of attention.
"Go away, Xander" she snapped, "Stupid moron"
"Moron?" the boy echoed, frowning some as he looked at her, "Okay, that's lame even for you. What's up, Cor?"
"Stupid exchango slut that I got landed with!" she complained overly-loudly, "It's like she thinks she can just take over and be Little Miss Popular. I am so the rich bitch around here, how dare she!" she yelled, picking up her drink from the bar and swallowing it in one, before asking for another.
Seemed to Xander nobody drank fruit punch like that, and it was likely Miss Chase was ordering alcohol, he had to admit she did look old enough.
"Cordy, drunkenness is so not the way to go" he told her, wondering why he even cared if she gave herself alcohol poisoning, although she was kind of an honorary Scooby these days, maybe that was why it bothered him.
"What would you know, loser!" she snapped, seeing Devon finish his song and lean over the edge of the stage to kiss Cassie.
"See, I know more than you think" Xander told her, "I've known you since kindergarten, Cordy, and you never let anyone take your title so easy, and hey, you'll always be number one bitch to me" he smirked.
"Really?" she asked looking stupidly moved by what ought to have been an insult, "You mean that?" she said, slurring slightly as her hand went to his cheek.
"Er, yeah, sure" Xander laughed nervously, wondering just how drunk she really was, and what she might be capable of in this state.
"You're right, y'know" she said firmly, giving the back of Cassie's head a stern look, "I'm not gonna hide in a corner getting drunk over some Scandanavian whore and a loser who cannot even sing!"
"That's the spirit" Xander told her, not expecting what she did next as she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the dancefloor. Seemed he'd been chosen as the slightly inebriated Miss Chase's dance partner, and whilst usually he'd have run and hid if someone even suggested such a thing, he did kinda feel bad for her tonight. Besides he was a sixteen year old boy and she was dressed as a hula dancer - you do the math.
To Be Continued...