Chapter 22 It's Complicated

Chapter 22 It's Complicated

Spike patted the bed next to him and gripped the sheets as he reluctantly pulled his head up. Buffy wasn't in bed or in their room. He got up, pulled on some clean clothes and went looking for her. She was easy to find, or maybe it just wasn't hard because he knew her well.

He paused in the doorway of the second floor training room, watching her. She was practicing her staff work again. The staff moved through the air with decisive movement. He grinned as he watched her purposely drop the staff, perform a few of the new moves he had taught her, flip and pick up the staff again.

Spike moved closer. She gave no indication she noticed him until she brought a strike down that would have clobbered him on the side of the head if he hadn't been ready for it. He was. He gripped the wood of the staff while an easy grin spread over his face.

"Thought I might find you here."

Buffy jerked on the staff with a swift motion, pulling him off balance. She swung it around in an arch around her and brought it down at shin level, knocking him flat on his back. She gave him a sunny smile. He shot out a leg, hooking a foot behind her ankle and she dropped to the floor, letting out a little huff as she landed. Spike rolled onto all fours and stalked over until he was on top of her. Their faces, inches apart.

"Good morning to you too," he grinned.

"It's not morning," she said as she reached a hand up to the back of his neck.

"Still have some time before we have to leave," he pressed into her for a kiss.

Buffy accepted it but ended the kiss after only a moment, "I needed to blow off some steam."

Spike tilted his head and quickly jumped to his feet with an easy predator grace. He extended a hand down to her to pull her up. When he did so, it was with such force that when she sprang up she stumbled against his chest. "Didn't do enough of that last night?"

She grinned, "Different kind of steam."

He studied her face a moment as she took a few steps back from him. Worry was coming off of her in subtle waves, "This about Rome?", he asked.

She picked up the staff again and began beating up a dummy, "Wil emailed me back. Nothing out of the ordinary. Ok, that's not true. It was nothing they couldn't handle. I guess there was a little weird going on with some sort of a spell but she says they got it all Scoobied out."

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah…"

"But you're not convinced that was the whole of it?"

She puffed out a breath, "Wil hasn't had a kerfuly spell in a long time… I'm worried it wasn't her."

"You think it's the Nibblet," he said plainly, it wasn't a question.

"I don't know."

He moved his hands to his hips and circled his head down and back up, "Buffy, I know you want to keep her safe but you can't seriously think she isn't going to find her place in this life with or without you or your permission for that matter. She's already in it, has been for a long time. There's no way she's ducking out now. She's going to do whatever it takes to help out the Scoobies and figure out where she fits in."

She stopped hitting the dummy and paused holding the staff upright at arm's length, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she isn't a Slayer but she is an incredibly smart girl. Last time I saw her she was already starting on the watcher junior path. I assume that's still something she's into, yeah? She's also got an interest and some small talent for witchcraft. Wouldn't surprise me if Willow's been showing her the ropes."

"I— I'm an idiot. I even sort of gave Wil the green light to train her. I mean not officially or anything but I did tell her Dawn could be her assistant when she needed it… and Dawn's always hanging out with Andrew and Violet…"

"You get your blinders on a little tight sometimes but you're no idiot. I'd say she's getting her baby-witch on. Still doesn't mean that she isn't shagging Peaches Jr. or some other hapless frat boy. Unless she's going in for the birds now," he rolled a shoulder.

Buffy blinked, "I'd be less worried if she were. No, she's definitely into guys."

"Could be he isn't her type."

"Fairly sure her type is any decently cute guy that smiles at her."

"Oh come on, she knows better than that."

"I hope you're right."

He took several steps towards her and laid a hand on her arm. She dropped the staff and went to him, letting him hold her.

"Call the girl. Quit mucking about with the emails and just call the girl," he said. His tone was firm but gentle. Buffy nodded and leaned in to rest her head on his chest.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Blunder on headstrong, kicking ass and taking names like the amazing force of nature you are."

"Well duh… I don't mean that…"

He looked at her calmly, "I know what you mean. I wouldn't let that happen."

"One of the many reasons I love you," she smiled sadly and shook her head, "Alright, I'm going to go call Dawn."

"Let me know how things go."

"I will," she went up on to her toes to kiss him then left.

He watched her go. After a minute he shifted his weight into a relaxed fighting stance, "You just going to keep standing there like some master-creep, lurking about?" Spike asked loudly.

Angel came out from behind the screen blocking the stairs going up to Giles's room. "I didn't want to interrupt," he gestured towards the door Buffy had gone through, "She's worried."

"Always is."

"What did she mean; when you said you 'wouldn't let that happen'?"

Spike turned towards the door she had exited and picked up the staff Buffy had left leaning against the wall. He balanced it in his hands and gave it a slow spin. Angel watched him intently. "Don't know if you've noticed but the girl's had it kinda rough the past few years," Spike nodded towards the rack of staffs behind Angel, "Fancy a go?"

"You're on pipsqueak," he grinned tightly as he grabbed a staff and settled into a fighting stance, "Been a while hasn't it?"

"Not so long," Spike struck at Angel.

Angel deflected the blow easily and returned with a fake to the right and landed a blow against Spike's staff on his left. "But what did she mean?" Angel asked.

They exchanged a few more strikes, blocking one another with little effort. "It's personal, Slayer stuff."

"Didn't sound like it."

Spike spun the staff up and shouldered it, "Her personal Slayer stuff then," his tone was unyielding.

Angel nodded and advanced again, bringing the staff around to ground level. Spike jumped avoiding the strike, "Too slow old man," Spike crowed.

"Right… but you help her?" Angel asked as he landed another strike across Spike's staff.

Spike held Angel off with a high block. He broke his hold suddenly. Spinning around he managed to land a hard blow across Angel's back, "Course I do. All a bloke can do is try. Don't know what good it's doing yet, but I definitely try."

Angel nodded, as he rolled his shoulders, "She really does love you, huhh?"

"Not sure I'd believe it either if I wasn't living it," he grinned easily as he deflected another staff blow.

Angel furrowed his eyebrows, glaring daggers at him, "I can't get used to you smelling like her."

Spike rolled his eyes and spun with his staff taking Angel out at the knees, "You know it really is gross when you say it like that."

"You know damn well what I meant."

"Well sure, it's no secret you're jealous. Hell, even I can't blame you for that."

"You got a point, Runt?" He grunted before coming up to his knees and blocking another blow.

"I know what it's like being in love with her and watching her being happy with someone else. We've both been there. She's made her choice."

Angel pulled himself up, "And somehow it's you. How is that even possible?"

The fight continued. Each of the vampires continued to exchange strike after strike. Spike kicked Angel squarely in the chest, "You still have no idea what I've done for her."

Angel staggered back. He clutched at his chest and brought his staff up to block as he straightened up "The soul thing? Hello! Original vampire with a soul. Right here!" He took a hard swing at Spike's head.

Spike took the hit but recovered quickly, "What you've got there is a curse! I made a choice! Big difference!" He seethed. Spike continued to twirl the staff hitting him. He gripped the staff in one hand and grabbed Angel by the front of his shirt with the other. He jerked him once and released him with a push.

"Oh so you mean to tell me Angelus would go halfway across the world. Willingly go through all sorts of trials and torments. All just so he— you could get your soul? All for her. Just to be someone who could possibly, potentially, be worthy of her? Because that's exactly what I did. I did that. Me. Angelus doesn't give a rat's ass about Buffy," he finished as he brought the staff around to hit Angel hard in the stomach.

Before Angel could recover, he spun, bringing the staff around to Angel's lower back. The blow knocked him down onto his knees. Angel scrambled back to his feet to resume his fighting stance. "Know what I think? I think you're just jealous I got to her first."

"Oh you want to open that can of worms, do you?"

"Struck a nerve?"

"See I got the bit about loving her and being with her and all. What I didn't get before, was the fact that she was just a girl when you did. Don't get me wrong, I'm not delusional, we both did some horrible things to girls that age when we were evil. We were soulless, beasts… but you. You had a soul when you bed her. You're immortal, or next best thing, and you couldn't have waited until she was at least a legal adult? You go on about having a soul and all but deep down your moral compass never did point quite right did it? It's why you spent a hundred years in the gutter. Truth is that this whole having a soul thing has a lot to do with the sort of person we were when we were alive, don't it?"

"You know nothing about me and Buffy!" Angel growled as he attacked Spike, he landed a solid blow to his rib cage and a second blow to the side of Spike's face. He dropped the staff, pinning him to the wall with his forearm across his throat.

Spike raised his eyebrows, "Don't I?"

Angel's eyes flashed with anger.

"She ever tell you who Dawn's trusted sitter was? Bit was about the same age I wager. I was soulless and never touched the Bit!"

"You weren't dating her either, you weren't in love with the girl. Plus, you were all chips-ahoy!"

Spike kneed Angel in the stomach. Brought his arms up breaking Angel's hold on him. He retrieved his staff and stood on guard. "Get real, Peaches. Nibblet had a crush on me, plain as day. Plenty I could have done to her that would have never come close to registering on that bloody chip. Never had the mind to take advantage of the situation. Not once. Treated the girl like my own kid sister, I did."

"Buffy and I were in love!" Angel charged at Spike, punching him several times in the ribs..

Spike broke away and struck Angel at the back of the knees with his staff, then again at the back of the neck. "That makes it all alright then. I might have done a lot of deprived things, bunch of them with you. Hell even some with Buffy, even. But at least she had a say in it, as an adult. You always tried to make it out like you were the better man. It's all been bullshit. Even without a soul I knew better. I didn't understand a hell of a lot of things, couldn't always control the evil inside and it always seemed like a great big gray area between right and wrong back then but at least I had a general idea about what right and wrong was. It's why I got my soul. I knew it was the right thing to do."

He gaped up at Spike.

Spike shouldered his staff and continued, "Angelus would torture and kill everyone in this castle and laugh as he did it before drinking them dry. We both know it."

"Like William the Bloody wouldn't?" Angel spat as he stood up again.

"I'd have to be mad to go back to that. Soul or no soul, I'd still do anything for Buffy," he said as he walked over to the rack to put the staff away. "Thanks for the warmup, Old Man," he huffed.

Spike headed out of the room, leaving Angel alone to consider his words. Angel had always thought Spike had always been a strange vampire. He always thought it had something to do with what he did to Drusilla. Or maybe the way he, Angelus that is, had treated him. Now, he wasn't so sure. Now he really began to wonder if there was more to Spike than he ever wanted to admit.

"Are you sure about this, Buffy?" Wendy asked, her tone uneasy.

"Just stand back and let Angel do the talking."

They were back in the altar room where they had originally met Elric. The room was much more crowded than the previous night. Twelve more Minch elders joined Elric, the thirteen demons stood on the far side of the room. They had added a podium next to the altar where Angel stood talking to the Elders.

Spike, Buffy, Wendy and her group of girls stood back a few feet behind Angel listening intently. Little baby Alun kicked his legs happily as they dangled from the baby carrier Wendy wore on her chest. He had been relatively quiet while they made their way there but now they were standing still he had started making a lot of silly baby sounds. Buffy hoped that the fact the baby was clearly happy and cared for would work in their favor. Even though she couldn't understand a word they were saying, it seemed like Angel had everything in hand. She hoped.

The Minch elder Angel had been talking to was a matronly looking demon with fine white dreadlocks that trailed down to her ankles. Small silver charms and intricately woven wire or possibly a fine chain had been worked into her hair carefully. Like Elric, she too had a number of visible piercings. Hers ran along her ears mostly and one in the center of her bottom lip. Buffy watched as she walked around and past Angel to the spot where Wendy stood holding the baby. She looked the baby over, and allowed the tiny demon to grab her finger on her delicately webbed hand. The older demon woman smiled, showing a set of very straight, very sharp teeth that looked as though they might be made of metal.

Wendy made a gulping sound but stayed still and quiet with a hand on the baby's back. After several moments the demon woman bowed her head to Wendy and the girls standing with her. She walked around pausing briefly in front of Spike. She looked him over and gave a haute sniff before making her way back over to the other elders.

They huddled around her in a circle as they talked in hushed tones. Buffy nudged Spike, "What's going on?" She whispered.

"Having a little powwow it would seem," he answered in a horse whisper.

"Ya think?"

"This Minch stuff isn't the easiest you know, it's not like Fyarl. Makes Latin look like daisy picking."

"Between you and Angel, I always thought you were the language guy," she kept her voice low.

"Eh, normally am. I probably have more of them under my belt than him. Can't really do this one or Chinese."

Angel turned towards them slightly and swatted the air behind him signaling them to quiet down. Buffy shot him an apologetic look. Spike didn't bother, he just folded his arms over his chest.

A second elder stepped forward. This one was taller than the others. Bald like Elric but with a row of piercings running from where his hairline would have been, clear down to his neck like a Mohawk. in addition to the pierced Mohawk, he also had one at the bridge of his nose, another like a large bullring, and sported a beard that could have been tucked into his belt. He too circled around the group scrutinizing each of them in turn but did not pause. He simply kept going until he rejoined the rest of his fellows. All of whom, Buffy now noticed, were all sporting a large number of visible piercings.

There was a short discussion amongst the thirteen elders. The tall bald one with the beard, came back in front of Angel and began speaking again. Angel nodded and gestured towards the girls and Buffy as he answered him. The bald elder furrowed his brow and gestured to Spike. Angel gave an exasperated little nod and mumbled something in a tone to match.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy hissed quietly in Spike's ear.

Spike took her hand and squeezed, "Angel being a ponce and getting called out on it. It's a formality, Pet. No worries as long as Peaches doesn't screw up the parlay," he answered her.

Elric stepped forward and addressed Angel. It was a short conversation. At the end of which Angel bowed as Elric handed him something and stepped away. He caught Spike and Buffy's eyes and the three of them ushered the girls and the baby out quickly. They were back in the main tunnel on the way back to the castle before Buffy stopped Spike and Angel, letting the girls go on ahead of them.

"Alright you two, spill. What was with the quick exit?"

"Just the way they do things, Pet. They aren't keen on having outsiders hanging around."

"Spike's right, that's not the part we have to worry about."

"What is it now?"

Angel cleared his throat, "Same as before. When we get back we'll have to get the baby stuff together and get some things ready for his return tomorrow night."

"Why does that sound like there's more to it than you're letting on?" She asked.

"Because you're a smart lady," Spike interjected, "What are you leaving out, I know I didn't catch everything in there."

"Maybe if you had kept your mouth shut," Angel snapped.

Buffy was getting annoyed, "Guys, focus."

Angel huffed, "Yeah. The gifts… They expect a procession of gifts. Each of us is expected to bring something of value."

"So we'll divide the stuff up."

"I don't think diapers and baby clothes are going to cut it. Not completely. We can still give them that stuff but they have made a few requests too."

"What do you mean? Like a reverse ransom?"

"Actually yeah, sort of."

She frowned, "Great… and this is supposed to happen tomorrow night? What else do we need to take?"

"I have a list here. Most of it is pretty standard stuff you probably have at the castle."

"Let me see that," she said, grabbing the paper off of him. She skimmed down the list, "This isn't a ransom, it's a demon baby registry! We already bought over half the stuff on here… wait… what do they need a houseplant for?"

Angel snatched the paper back from her, "Houseplant? Houseplant…" he repeated, "I'm just going by what they told me."

"Right," she said skeptically. She reached out her hand for the list, "I'd better get started on this before tomorrow night. I'll get Faith and the girls to help with it," she read it over again and handed it to Spike.

"Good call, Slayer."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked back up at Spike, "A houseplant?"

Early the next evening, Buffy stood in the living room double checking the gift list against the baskets and bags containing the gifts. She was bent over one of the bags when Spike walked in. A slow grin formed on his face when he saw her with her butt in the air like that. She hadn't noticed him as he moved closer to press the front of his jeans against her backside.

Startled, Buffy stood up with a yelp, "What the— Oh, Spike!"

Laughing, Spike reached out a hand to steady her before she fell over, "Wohh there, Love. It's just me. Your tender lovin' man. You're awfully jumpy."

She turned around and allowed him to envelope her in his arms, "It's just been a long day. I keep feeling like I forgot something. There should be something for each of us to carry. There's seven of us, three big gift bags and two baskets packed to the gills. That's five…"

"The greenery," he said nodding towards a beautiful looking snake plant one of the girls had managed to scrounge up.

"Right, that's six… why am I—"

"Baby blue?"

Buffy slapped her forehead with her palm, "Seven!" Buffy sighed exasperatedly and buried her head in his chest, "I can't wait for this to all be over," she mumbled against his gray button down dress shirt. She noticed his hair was still damp from the shower and inhaled the scent of his soap, letting it calm her. He smelled exceptionally good.

"Get this sorted out tonight. Send Angel on his merry way. Suss out what's really going on back in Rome. And start having some fun, just you and me."

Buffy looked up at him, "I really like the sound of that," she murmured as she leaned in for a kiss. He brought a hand to the back of her head and the other pressed into the small of her back. Buffy felt the tension melt out of her body as she ran her hands over his muscular back and they deepened the kiss.

They didn't break apart until they heard a forced cough coming from the archway leading from the entryway hall into the living room. They both looked up to see Faith and Angel standing there. Angel gaped at the sight before him. Buffy and Spike intertwined in the midst of a large pile of baby gifts. This, coupled with the sparring session with Spike the day before, was like a punch to the gut.

Angel hadn't felt this level of defeat since Spike had beaten him to the cup that was supposed to determine which one of them would get to become human. Granted, that had turned out to be a fake. It still reminded him that he had signed away his right to the Shanshu prophecy.

He still hadn't told Spike, he'd practically given the prophecy over to him. It hadn't really hit him until that moment that he'd also handed over any legitimate claim he could have still had on Buffy. He hung his head looking at his shoes and stepped out of the doorway into the hall and back through to the kitchen. He didn't belong here.

"I'll get him," Faith said.

"Nah, I got this," Buffy argued.

Buffy went to let go of Spike, he held tight for a moment, "Just a minute, Love. He probably just needs some space. I went a bit hard on him yesterday."

Buffy placed a hand on his chest and looked up into his eyes, "I need his head in the game. That's the whole reason he's here. We can't have him screwing up now, you know that. I got this," she said, patting his chest as she did. Then she made her way into the kitchen where Angel was preparing a mug of blood.

"Everything ready to go?" He asked casually.

Buffy eyed him, "Yeah, everything is accounted for. How are you holding up?"

He shook his head, "Buffy— I'm not trying to be the jealous ex-boyfriend here," he said, taking the blood from the microwave.

"Trying, not trying…" she shrugged and gave him a knowing look, "You've been sulking since you got here."

"You're happy and that's what matters… I just… I wish it could have been me."

"It can't."

"I know."

"I'm not the same girl I was."

"No, you're not."

"So we're good?" She said briskly, she was having a hard time keeping the anger out of her voice, "I told you before, you don't get to come in, all possessive every time I get a new boyfriend. It's not fair to any of us. Plus it's damn stupid!"

Angel looked at the deep red liquid in his cup and back up at her, "I know. No more harking on your choice of boyfriends."

"Well fortunately I don't think you're gonna have to worry about any future boyfriends. Pretty sure I'm done. Just make nice with Spike. Stop being an ass and we're good."

Angel clenched his jaw and relaxed, "Fine. But the minute he breaks your heart or—"

"Yeah, I get it."

He took a breath and let it out, letting the motion of his chest settle him despite having no need for oxygen, "What happened to the cookie dough thing? Are you telling me you're suddenly done baking?"

"Not exactly, but neither is Spike… we're sort of baking together," she frowned at her own choice of words.

"Always thought he was half-baked," Angel huffed but gave her a little half smile.

Buffy gave a tiny snort, and sobered. "I love him. What I have with him is… well it's different from what you and I had."

"Had?"

"Yes, had! You were— you were one part lover, one part mentor. That kind of thing gets all twisted. There was never a chance that could work. Not really. Spike and I… we're equals in a lot of ways and where we're not, we sort of balance each other. I can totally be myself with him. It's just… it's nice… it's beyond nice. I need him. I've never truly needed someone before. Not the way I need him. It's hard to put into words. I just know I hate being without him for more than a day or two. I just wish I had known when he first got back, ghost or not," she gave him a pointed look.

"I can accept you've moved on, I can even somehow accept it's with him. You smell so much like each other now it's…"

"Getting gross dude…"

"Look, you might be with him for the long hull, but I do not have to say or do anything that makes life easier for that bleached idiot."

She pursed her lips, "Great talk. I feel loads better. Let's give back this Minch kid and then we'll all go for karaoke afterwards!"

Angel missed the sarcasm, "Not exactly my thing…"

"No kidding, not mine either… Might go to a club tonight though. You really need to lighten up. You're like a big ball of cloudy dark blahh."

"Thanks, really appreciate that."

"Yeah… so anyway," she nodded briskly, glancing at the little silver watch she was wearing, "We roll out in ten."

A/N: I was a little nervous about this one. I'm still not sure if I'm 100% happy with it, I hope its alright. Obviously this is to be continued I'm working several chapters ahead right now... Please Read and Review!