Chapter 10: Road trip
The sun was shining as Spike threw Buffy's bag into the boot of his black Desoto, "Come on Goldilocks, Dingo's start in 15 hours," he snipped sarcastically as Buffy ran back into the house once again. She emerged seconds later carrying a big box, "bloody hell, woman, we're only going for a weekend," Spike chided, "don't know how Angel puts up with you!"
"Shut up, Spike!" Buffy retorted as she went to open the passenger side but found it blocked by Spike's body, "careful Summers, you don't want to make your designated driver angry, I might not take you," he smirked sarcastically. Buffy flashed her patented pout, equipped with her biggest doe eyes and Spike relented with a sigh and opened the door for her. "Such a gentleman," Buffy said as a large designer handbag landed in the car.
"Hey Buffy," Cordelia beamed as she slid into the back seat of Spike's car.
Spike stared at her gone out, "where do you think you're going?" he asked her.
"LA," she said as if it was obvious.
"Do you not think you should have asked the driver?" Spike asked incredulous.
Cordelia dipped her sun glasses and looked at him over the top, "I did, last week."
Spike seemed genuinely confused as he looked from his friend to his cousin, "what did I say?" he asked struggling to remember the conversation. He'd be willing to bet money she asked when he was drunk.
"You said, 'bloody hell'," Cordelia answered and Buffy laughed.
Spike shook his head, "that does sound like me."
Buffy looked at him, "Oh let her come," Buffy pouted, "it's not like you haven't got the space and besides it could be fun." She'd gotten to know Cordelia quite well since she'd moved in with Spike and decided she wasn't that bad, when she wasn't at school.
Spike groaned and turned back to look Cordelia straight in the eyes, "be nice!" he said and then turned to start the engine.
"I'm nice," Cordelia said and repeated it with more emphasis when she was met with silence, "I am nice!"
Fifteen minutes later, they had collected Willow and Xander, who were both equally shocked to find Cordelia in the car and even more on edge when she smiled at them. Willow found herself being used as a human shield when Xander pushed her in the car first to avoid sitting next to the far too cheerful cheerleader. The car drove along in silence for a while, but Cordelia soon became bored with that.
"So," she elongated, "the whole weekend in LA, who wants to go shopping, we could have a look for prom dresses?" she suggested.
"I wouldn't mind shopping," Willow agreed nervously, hoping Buffy might come along, "I'm not sure about prom dresses nothing ever looks right."
"Nonsense!" Cordelia said dismissively, "I bet we'll find you a gorgeous dress in LA, maybe something in blue, make your hair really stand out, I mean it's your best asset."
Spike raised his eye brows disbelievingly, as he checked his rear-view mirror, he caught Cordelia's reflection just long enough to see her mouth the words, "I'm nice." He smirked; the dozy berk was starting to grow on him.
"O…ok," Willow stammered, equally as confused by the compliment. Xander felt as though he'd been teleported to another dimension; one where Willow thought about wearing something other than overalls and Cordelia was nice. It frightened him.
"What about you, Buffy?" Cordelia asked, "Want to come shopping or you already got plans?"
"I love shopping in LA," she said turning round to face her friends in the back seat, "but I thought… I might go and see my Dad," she finished somewhat nervously. The seriousness of the statement was lost on Cordelia, who simply shrugged her shoulders.
"That's big," said Willow.
"Bigger than big," agreed Xander.
"Buffy," Spike started cautiously, "I know you miss him but, it's been over a year since you moved and he's…"
"I know," Buffy said, "I know, he's made no contact since but I've come all this way and if I don't then I'll always wonder, besides Angel doesn't live far from him so if it doesn't go well I'll have him to cheer me up." Spike wasn't convinced but he knew better than to push the subject.
"Ooh," Cordelia exclaimed, becoming interested again, "big date?"
The little gem stone on Buffy's promise ring glistened in the sunlight as Buffy played with it. Her grin speed from ear to ear, "Anniversary," she replied.
The coy smile that spread across Cordelia's face left her friends with no doubt about the question she was going to ask, "You think you'll…" she began innocently, before being abruptly cut off.
"Cordelia!" everyone yelled at her.
"What?" she said indignantly, "I'm nice, not boring!"