Chapter Notes:
Not much to say, here's a new update. I just needed to add this so once again show my interest in a friendship between these two characters. Hope you'll enjoy it.
Special thanks to Zan for being so good with editing this story. I really appreciate her help.
(O.O)
Xander
Okay, I admit. He's not as bad as I thought him to be.
I mean, he's not on the same coolness level as Spike but he's at least 50 times better than Angel. Especially when he's sharing stories about Buffy being in a Beauty Pageant and wearing swimsuits. It was a nice and fun topic, learning more about my pretty, blonde friend/crush.
Of course, the devil had to wiggle it's fingers and ruin the evening for me because Buffy arrived and lo and behold, she was with Angel.
Seriously, can't she just pick one guy and stick with him? I thought dejectedly. Knowing full well I will never be one of those guys she'll choose.
I was too busy wallowing in my self pity to notice that somehow a fight was happening between Buffy and Angel. Not certain what happened but the next thing I knew, the Buffster had decided to leave the Bronze with Ford.
"Well, Angel, we could still play," Willow invited Dead boy to replace Ford in the game of pool. She moved the rack into position then looked up to check the vampire's answer.
However, Angel was already gone before we even noticed.
"Now that's just rude," Willow said, pouting a bit.
"Who's rude, pet," a voice from behind me asked.
I immediately knew who it was and smiled as I turned to face him.
"Spike!" Willow and I cried out, with Willow accompanying her words with a hug to our vampire friend.
"It's so good to see you!" she told him.
I smiled and simply offered him the cue stick I was holding.
"I see you've finally decided to come back from the dead and grace us with your presence," I tell him.
"You know I didn't die, right?" he responded, raising his scarred brow at me.
"Could've fooled me, especially since I wasn't allowed to visit your place anymore," I said to him.
I caught a glimpse of a guilt look from him.
"I never barred you from coming to my place," he stated, as he broke the racked balls.
A couple of them sink in.
I walked to the side of the table and watched and he positioned himself to take another shot.
"No. But you never came out of your room to see me either when I was there," I pointed out, while trying my best to keep my resentment from showing.
I must have failed because Spike stood straight and stared guiltily at me. I wasn't moved by it though. It was a bit of a dick move how he practically avoided me. How he vanished without letting anyone know what happened or even get chance to know about what happened. At least Buffy was up front with her lies and I know Willow was able to get it out of her if I went by what I overheard from the two earlier at school.
But Spike hasn't talked to anyone. Okay maybe he did talk to his family. Darla looked angry every time I visited. But he never told any of his friends about what happened.
And I knew something happened that night at Halloween that changed how my friends acted with each other and I didn't like being kept in the dark.
"Um-I think I'll leave you two for a moment and try and get some drinks for everyone," Willow said from behind me. I can hear she was nervous and I can understand why.
She never liked conflicts. My best friend was always the one to either avoid it or get everyone to talk to resolve it. She used to do that for me and Jesse and now, she doing it for me and Spike.
"What do you want me to say, whelp? I wasn't in the mo-"
"Don't lie, Spike," I cut him off, "I know something happened between you and Buffy last Halloween."
"Harris-"
"Look, I'm not as stupid as everyone thinks me to be. I saw what you guys looked when we arrived that time."
I shifted my feet and stood straight to appear more taller.
"I know something bad happened and anyone with the right mind would arrive to the same conclusion especially after seeing Buffy wearing your coat and knowing that she had nothing underneath it," I told him staring straight into his eyes.
I saw the emotions play on his face. Anger. Guilt. Fear. I still can get over how he really was different from Angel. While you need to dig at the bottom of the cookie jar to decipher the older vampire, Spike wore his heart on his sleeves.
"Buddy, I don't want to draw conclusions but if you're not going to tell me. Heck, if no one will tell me, I might just do that and trust me, I might involve Giles and Angel here."
I saw him stiffen at the mention of the two other men in the Scooby Gang.
"I mean, I know Wills knows what happened. I kind of heard bit of her talk with Buffy earlier and the girl can't tell a lie to save her butt. So I know that she avoids me to make sure not to say anything."
I was babbling. A trait that seem to run in all younger members of the Scoobies. Of course, the knowledge didn't stop me from doing so.
"I mean there was that one time in elementary when she broke Jesse's favorite pen. She was so nervous and kept avoiding him all week. It wasn't until-"
"Xander."
I stopped at that. He never calls me my name. I mean, I can practically count on one hand how many times he has done it. I immediately knew he was going to say something serious.
I looked back up to him and waited for him to start.
He was wrapping his arms arms around himself. A gesture, I knew he only did when he was nervous. He was biting his lower lip and stared intently at something on the floor.
I saw him take a couple of deep breaths before standing straight and meeting my gaze.
"I really hoped to have this conversation with you in someplace more private," he said.
I shrugged. I couldn't help it. We couldn't just leave Willow alone just for us to have our "manly" talk.
Yeah, this was not some talk that girls usually have when they needed to make up with their best friends. This was a necessary talk that I needed to have so I don't do anything stupid because I felt left out by my friends. This was all manly and there is no way I will say otherwise.
Spike gestured with his head the direction at some vacant table in the corner not too far from the pool table. I nodded and followed him.
We sat and once again another awkward silence filled the noisy air in the club between us. I fidgeted in my seat.
"Okay, he better start talking or I start babbling again," I thought.
I was about to do just that when Spike suddenly spoke.
"I'm sorry," he said, startling me.
"Wha-?! I mean, what are you sorry for?"
"Look. I was a right git for shutting you out like that. I hurt your manly feelings and I didn't mean it. I also will point out that I hate apologizing for it since it sounds too girly for my taste. So can we move on to a much serious topic that I also need to talk to you about?"
I nodded with a smile. Well, at least I wasn't the only one questioning my masculinity for wanting an apology. It was so tempting to tease him about it, but I knew it was not the time. At least it if based it one the somber look he was taking.
He inhaled deeply, before he started recounting the horror of what happened last Halloween. I didn't know what to say or how to feel as he narrated with a haunted look what happened to my two best friends. I can hear the anger in his voice as he explained how he wasn't able to fight off his own demon to protect Buffy. Then his own pain at how Buffy had to beg him to stop before he snapped out of it.
He told me everything up to the point where Buffy came to his house and apologized to him. He spoke softly at how Buffy forgave him and at how he forgave her.
It felt good hearing that part.
"So that's what happened," he said ending his tale.
He gave me a look that I knew too well. That look he always had when he was gauging someone of their reaction. He waited for me to respond and frankly, after learning the things I heard tonight, I wasn't sure how.
I was angry, because both my friends were hurt. Scared at the fact that Spike's demon can take the wheels as it did. And sad that it even happened in the first place.
Man, I really wish my soldiered up self took a shot at that Rayne, dude. How dare he put my friends through this ordeal. I thought angrily.
My thoughts must have shown on my face because Spike misinterpreted my reaction.
"You have a right to be angry, mate. I would like it though if you actually say something about it instead of keeping it inside," he said, looking downcast.
My anger swelled at that. In all the times I have known Spike, I never once seen him this sad or hurt and Ethan Rayne is to blame for that. It made me wish even harder that I can get one punch at the guy for what he did.
But I kept my fury at bay. My friend needed me now and I can contemplate on what I'd do to Giles' former friend some other time. Right now, I need to do some serious best friend talk to my usually jovial vampire companion.
"Spike, I'm not angry," I told him as calmly and I could.
"Yeah, your face shows differently, Harris."
"Okay. That's a lie," I conceded, "I'm furious."
I saw him flinch and I hurriedly explained.
"But not at you, man! I'm pissed at Ethan Rayne. For what he did last Halloween. For starting all this mess in the first place!"
"Ethan Rayne? That the bloke who did the spell?"
"Yeah. He used to be an old friend of Giles. He didn't really explained to me everything. But I know that his friend did it because he just wanted to spread chaos. It was all evil and twisted," I stated. "If it weren't for him, this wouldn't have e happened."
I can tell that the vampire was confused of my outburst. Well, I can't blame him. I was angry and the only person I know deserved my anger was not here.
"Look, Spike. I can understand that you think it was your fault and I think Buffy also feels the same. But if you or her expect that I would hate or judge either of you for something I know you had no power over? Then you are so wrong," I told my friend, wearing my version of Willow's resolve face as I stared straight at the vampire's super blue eyes.
Spike broke contact first and let out a nervous laugh.
"You're an idiot, Harris," he said to me. But I didn't take it to heart because I knew there was no malice in them.
"Yeah, well, I did flunk English and I speak the language," I quipped.
Spike let a hearty laugh at that and it warmed me a bit that I finally got him back to his old self.
"You don't speak English. You speak a bastardation of the language, you bloody yank."
"Says the guys with a fake accent!" I retaliated.
"Oi! The accent ain't fake!"
"Please, I know you speak more like Giles underneath all that leather. The Dick Van Dyke accent is totally a cover for the tweed underneath," I said.
"First, Dick Van Dyke should be murdered for that mess of an accent he did in Mary Poppins. Second, comparing me to Rupert is just an insult and one you will really regret when I tell the girls about the secret porn you have underneath your bed."
"Hey! Now that's just unfair! I haven't told anyone how you even found that secret stash in the first place!"
"I see you guys have finally made up!" I hear a familiar perky voice from behind me.
I turned and found that Willow was finally back with a couple of sodas in her hands.
"Hey, Red, what took you so long?" Spike greeted, ignoring my oldest best friend's comment and stood up to let my friend take his seat.
Always the gentleman. I thought as I watch him pull another chair to the table.
"I saw Cordy," Willow said as she handed me a soda, "I ended up having to listen to her rant about her hair for almost 30 minutes, so you guys owe me."
I winced and felt sorry for my friend. I knew first hand how horrible it was to be stuck with Cordelia Chase in one of those rants.
"Sorry," I said to her.
She waved her hand and merely said, "My sacrifice is worth it just as long as it wasn't wasted and you guys are friends again."
"We never stopped being friends, pet," Spike informed her.
I nodded. I mean, it was a dick move for Spike to ignore me all the time, but I never renounced our friendship.
"That's good. So I guess it would be okay to ask you how you're doing?" she turned to Spike.
I watched as my best friend took her turn in interrogating my other best friend about how he was doing since what happened last Halloween. I smiled, knowing my childhood friend will be able to help ease the guilt, the vampire was feeling, and finally get him to understand that he was one of the Scoobies now and we were going to help him just as much as we will help Buffy get pass what they have gone through.
TBC
(O.O)
Chapter End Notes:
Hope, I did alright. Thanks for reading. Feedbacks are always appreciated.
