Chapter Eight: Bad Candy

'So how was he?' Willow asked, looking to Buffy for a report on the previous night's activity. Oz walked beside her with his arm linked through hers. Buffy smiled.

'He was Spike.' She waved her hands. 'He's a lot better. Not so much pain when he's around people now. So long as he feeds properly and everything, he shouldn't have much more trouble. Angel says it will recede with time.'

'That's good then. He can come see us soon. Maybe help us study for the SATs?' Willow raised an eyebrow at the slayer who grinned back.

'Maybe. I tried to study last night but it didn't go so well. Then Spike turned up.'

Oz nodded. 'Hey, you know, I took it last year. I could help you get ready. There's this whole trick to antonyms, but... this isn't the place.'

'Oz is the highest-scoring person ever to fail to graduate.' Willow said proudly.

The trio continued along the school hallway. Buffy smiled, motioning to Willow.

'Isn't she cute when she's proud?'

'She's always cute.' Oz replied, and Willow blushed.

Cordelia and Xander approached behind them.

'Are you gonna see him tonight?' Willow asked Buffy before Xander interrupted.

'See who tonight?'

Cordelia groaned. 'Oh, God. Are we killing something again?'

Buffy shook her head. Willow jumped in. 'Buffy saw Spike last night. He's doing better.'

Xander smiled. 'That's good. So he isn't going to kill us?'

'No. In fact he says he might be able to come see all of us soon.' Buffy said, bouncing on her feet a little.

Cordelia smiled. 'That would be great. I know so many girls that used to swoon over him…it is a pity he can't play for the football team anymore. He was really good.'

'I don't think that's gonna be something Spike will worry about.' Buffy raised an eyebrow. 'He's got more important things on his mind.'

Willow nodded. 'So are you gonna see him tonight?'

'Uh, yes on the seeing him, no on tonight. I'm putting in Mom time. She's been drastic ever since I got back. And Giles is even worse. Plus the Spike thing elevated stress levels. I'm supervised 24-7.' The group headed into the cafeteria. 'It's like being in the Real World house, only real.'

Willow nodded. 'Hmm.' She looked around and the whole group suddenly noticed a table piled high with boxes of chocolate bars. 'Ooh, candy bars! Lots of 'em!'

Snyder appeared in front of them, holding out a box. Xander took it, smiling in a goofy manner. 'Principal Snyder, thank you! You weren't visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, by any chance?'

Snyder made a face. 'It's band candy.'

Buffy smiled. 'Let's hear it for the band, huh? Very generous.'

The principal shook his head. 'You will sell it to raise money for the marching band. They need new uniforms.'

'Yeah. Those tall, fuzzy hats ain't cheap, huh?' Xander punned and Oz grinned.

'But they go with everything.'

Willow smiled and Buffy grinned, shrugging in Principal Snyder's direction.

'I'm sure we love the idea of going all Willy Loman, but we're not in the band.'

'And if I'd handed you a trombone, that would've been a problem, Summers. It's candy. Sell it.' He walked off, leaving them staring at their boxes.

Buffy picked at her Chinese food as her mother did the same across the island. A box of chocolate bars rested on the side between them. Every now and then Joyce looked at them with a dubious eye.

'But you're not in the band.'

Buffy shrugged as she pushed a prawn across the plate. 'And yet.'

'Buffy, what would I do with forty chocolate bars?'

Another shrug, followed by a few seconds of silence. 'You could hand them out at the Gallery. 'Buy something Pre-Columbian, get a free cavity.''

Joyce looked at the box once more, thinking about it. She sighed and nodded. 'Twenty.' She took them out of the box and put them on the side.

The blonde teenager smiled at her mother brightly. 'You're a good mom.' Another sigh emanated from Joyce as she looked back at Buffy.

'I'm the best.'

'No, I'm pretty sure the best moms let their daughters drive.' Buffy picked up her plate, moving round to the sink, looking at her mother hopefully.

'And yet.' Joyce mimicked her words from earlier.

'Oh, come on!' Buffy protested. Joyce stood up, moving to the sink beside Buffy.

'Look, let's not have this conversation.'

Buffy turned, leaning against the sink and looking at her mother with wide eyes. Her voice took on a tone that did nothing to help her case. 'But I took the class. I watched the filmstrips with the blood and the death and the corpses. I'm prepped.'

Joyce turned, her hands still busy rinsing the food off of her plate. 'Honey, you failed the written test. They wouldn't even let you take the road test.'

'That was a year ago. And I don't test well... she said, two days before the SATs.' Buffy span further, resting her lower back against the sink. She didn't look at her mom as she walked around the kitchen.

'I spend enough time not knowing where you are. I don't wanna add to that the possibility that you're on the highway to Chicago.'

A dumbfounded look hit Buffy's face as she looked at her mom, who had retaken her seat at the kitchen island. 'I can't believe you. I'm not taking off again. Besides, if I wanted to, I could just get on a bus.'

'Stop.' Joyce raised a hand and inhaled. 'Don't. I just don't want you driving, okay? I want you here.'

'I'm here. Hmm? See me here.' She picked up a glass of water from the side and took a sip. 'Mm-hm?' Joyce nodded and watched her warily. Buffy put the glass down, glancing at the clock. 'Mm... I gotta go.' She picked up her box of candy bars.

Joyce stood up, a frown on her face once more. 'What, you're going out?'

Buffy turned at the door. 'Giles. Slay-study double feature. Could be late.'

'Again? Honey, don't you think Mr. Giles is monopolizing an awful lot of your time?'

'And does he ever say he's sorry?'

The blindfold was tied tightly round her eyes and she winced as the hands tightening it caught her hair.

'Ow!' Giles apologised quickly and Buffy sighed. 'Why do I put up with this?'

'Because it is your destiny... and because I just bought twenty 'chocorific' candy bars.' He placed the basketball in her hands and walked around her.

'Okay, you're just doing this to take funny pictures of me.'

'I'm doing it to test your awareness of an opponent's location during a fight in total darkness. Now, wait five seconds and then throw the ball at me.'

Giles backtracked and stood in front of the cage, not making a noise as he watched Buffy turn slowly. She began to talk. 'You ran out of new training ideas about a week ago, huh? Okay. Five, four, three, two, one.'

She turned, facing the door to Giles' office. He grinned from behind her, thinking she was going to miss. She threw the ball to the top of the office door and his grin widened. 'It's not that simple, is it…' The ball hit him in the side of the head and he stopped. Buffy turned with the blindfold still on, a smile on her face. 'Ow. Ahem. Yes, well, very good.'

The smile disappeared and she rips the blindfold off. 'Thanks.' She cleared her throat. 'Well, I gotta shoot. Mom's in hyper drive about me not being home enough.' Giles watched her as she headed for the door, his confusion at her behaviour mixing with the bump on his head.

As she exited the doors, Buffy turned left, running down the corridor. A figure loomed in the shadows as she turned to look at them.

'I knew you were here.' She whispered.

'Yeah, well, guess I can't stay away.' Spike moved into the light. A cut on his forehead jumped out at the slayer and she frowned.

'What happened?'

'Felt like patrolling.' He shrugged, looking around. 'Don't worry, Angel barely leaves me alone for five minutes. Don't think he trusts me.'

'Do you?' She asked, then backtracked at the hurt look on his face. 'I mean, like, how are you coping? Being around me. I don't want to push you too far…I saw what you were like last week.'

'It's okay. I'm adjusting. Slowly. I was even thinking…maybe I could see the gang on Friday or something…I don't know. Miss it, I guess.'

'School?' Buffy asked, incredulously. 'Wow, you have changed a little bit then.' The look on his face bit into her and she regretted her sentence. She changed the subject quickly. 'Do you want to come patrol with me?'

'Didn't you just tell Rupert you were wanted home?'

'I lied.'

'Typical.' He thrust his hands in his pockets. 'Yeah, I'll come on patrol with you. Couldn't hurt.' He followed her as she walked along the corridor. Silence consumed them for a moment before he spoke again. 'I do miss it. But it isn't cause I've changed, Buffy. More cause of the dead thing. I'll never get my life back now.'

Buffy didn't reply but as he glanced at her, he could see the regret on her face.

'I don't blame you, pet.' He said, casting a sideways glance at her. 'It was gonna happen to one of us and it's probably best it was me.'

'How is it best?' Buffy stopped as they exited the building, looking towards him. He shrugged. Buffy sighed. 'It isn't best. Its worst. You got killed, because of me.' He started to protest but she held up a hand. 'In part if not full. I should have been more careful. Shouldn't have let you come.'

'Bollocks. If you didn't let me come with you, I would have just gone on my own.' He turned away briefly before making eye contact with her again. 'You don't get it Buffy…all of us, the whole gang…you give us a reason pet. A reason for life and a reason for being. And even though I'm dead now…' He moved towards her, raising a hand to cup her face. 'Even though I'm not living…you're still giving me a reason for it.'

Buffy inhaled deeply, and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her. But he moved backwards, smiling slightly.

'Are we patrolling then?'

She took a second, looking at him intensely, and her heart beating so fast she was sure it would jump out of her skin. 'We're patrolling.'

Angel watched from the bushes and his heart fell. They were not meant to be. He could see the way she looked at Spike. Regret filled his whole being again as he realised the implications of his own presence. He would leave. As soon as Spike could cope on his own, he would leave. For her good.

He could see the truth of it now. His return had been complicated, and he still had no idea why he was back. But maybe his purpose was no longer in Sunnydale. He should start somewhere else and begin anew. The slayer no longer needed him…she had another.

But he wasn't going to leave without making sure…making sure she would be happy and that Spike could and would protect her with everything he had.

And for some reason, Angel knew he couldn't doubt the vampire in this instant.

Buffy opened the door to her house, well aware of Spike watching her from across the street. She turned as she entered the house, trying to glimpse him in the shadows but failing. At least she knew he was there. She shut the door, leaning against it. She jumped as she spotted her mother standing in the hallway, looking at her sternly with a chocolate bar in her hand.

'Hey!' She stuttered a little. 'Uh, sorry I'm late. You know Giles. All slay, all the time.'

Giles emerged from the living room, a cross look on his face.

'Hello, Buffy.'

Buffy gestured back to the living room, her face a mask of panic. 'Do you guys wanna watch some television? I hear there's a very insightful Nightline on.'

Joyce frowned. 'Buffy, you lied to us. And you made us into your alibis. That's... playing us against each other, and that's not fair.

'I called Willow.' Buffy's shoulders slumped in defeat. 'You also lied to her about your whereabouts. We were all concerned.'

Joyce unwrapped the chocolate bar in her hand and passed a piece to Giles, who took it gratefully.

'Oh, thank you.'

Buffy looked down, trying to appear apologetic. 'Look, I'm sorry, but I had to...'

She turned around and walked into the living room. Joyce followed, with Giles close behind. Joyce tried to glimpse her daughter's face. 'Were you at the Bronze? What was happening there that was so important?'

Buffy stopped, turning to face her mother with an exasperated sigh. 'I was with Spike.'

Joyce chewed on a piece of chocolate bar, wagging a finger at Buffy. 'Why couldn't you just tell us that. You're acting really immature, Buffy.'

'I know I'm not your parent, but I am responsible for you. I think your mum's right.' He sat on the armrest of the couch, chewing on his own piece of chocolate.

'Okay, fine. I'm acting like a child. Maybe that's because you're both treating me like a child.'

'Buffy!' Joyce sounded hurt but Buffy continued.

'You're both scheduling me twenty-four hours a day. Between the two of you, that's forty-eight hours. I just wanna be able to make a few decisions on my own.'

'The last time you made a decision on your own, you split.' Joyce said, looking at her with a frown, whilst popping another piece of chocolate into her mouth.

'Yeah, and I took care of myself. I don't need this much active parenting.'

'You can't really be trying to use this summer as a reason you should be trusted.' Joyce said, a tone of incredulousness in her voice.

'You can't baby-sit me all the time. I need you to back off a little. Besides, it isn't like Spike is gonna hurt me.'

Giles held up a hand. 'Uh, alright, come on. Let's, let's not, uh, freak out.' Buffy stared at him, taken aback by his use of language.

''Freak out'?'

'Mm-hm.' He stood up. 'Uh, I think you should go to bed. Um, we're all tired.'

Buffy stared at them for a moment, then turned away, walking off to her room. Her mom watched her leave, then turned to Giles, crumpling up her candy bar wrapper in exasperation. 'Oh, she just drives me crazy!' She dropped the candy bar wrapper on the table. 'I just want to protect her.'

The both of them sat down as Giles sighed. 'Don't all parents want that?'

He reached into his jacket pockets and pulled out a candy bar of his own. An entire box sat on the coffee table next to various books. He began to unwrap his bar, thoughtful as he did so. Joyce sighed.

'Yeah, but at least most parents have some idea what to protect their children from.'

'Yeah. And I think we should both be especially careful.' Giles broke off a piece of the chocolate and stuck it in his mouth before handing the rest to Joyce. She mumbled in agreement to his statement before munching on the bar. Giles reached over into the box for another bar.

The box was easy to open and he quickly flicked the penknife back into position before reaching in and grabbing a bar. The wrapper came off quickly and he opened it mouth to eat it, stopping when a hand fell on his shoulder. The owner of the hand stepped into view and Ethan Rayne smiled wickedly.

'Trust me. You don't want to eat that.' He plucked the chocolate bar from the man's hand and threw it to the ground.

'I heard that there was a secret rule that if a teacher's more than ten minutes late, we can all leave.' Cordelia stated, looking to Buffy. The slayer shook her head and looked at the clock.

'It's Giles' turn to watch study hall. He'll be here. He's allergic to late.'

Cordelia sighed in response. 'He is wound a little tight. I had this philosophy book checked out from the library for, like, a year, and he made me pay the fine, even though it was huge. I was sad to return it. It was perfect for starting conversations with college boys.' She laughed in remembrance. 'Of course, that was B.X.'

'B.X.?' Buffy asked, receiving a nod from Cordelia. 'Before Xander. Clever.'

Willow and Xander were currently sat behind them. Xander was munching on a chocolate bar thoughtfully. 'I like chocolate. There is no bad here.'

'You still have some left?' She shrugged in response to his nod. 'I went to, like, four houses, and they were gone. It's like Trick-or-Treating in reverse.'

'I know. These things are selling like hot cakes... which is ironic, 'cause the hot cakes really aren't moving...' They smiled at each other. 'And it's, uh, ahem, fun to sell chocolate. Ahem.'

'And we're raising a lot of money for the band.'

Xander looked between his chocolate bar and Willow for a moment and then frowned.

'The band. Yeah. They're great. They march. Shouldn't Giles be here?'

'I can't believe this.' Cordelia turned and the two jumped. 'Where is Giles already? I'm bored, and he's not here to give me credit for it.'

Buffy looked between her friends and the classroom door, concern marring her features.

This was not like Giles.