Chapter 10
“No, no, I don’t like this pattern. It’s too…busy or something.” Cordelia mused, taping her foot. “Angel, honey what do you think?”
Angel stared off in space as the many brides to be who surrounded him swarmed around the China patterns like cats in heat. He was bored to death and if possible even more frightened, engaged shrews always did that to him. Cordy had ambushed him early this morning dragging his still rather sore ass out of bed to help her out with tedious wedding stuff. He had to get out of here, he had made a breakfast date with Buffy and there was no way in the world he was going to miss that…
“Angel? Hello?”
Cordelia’s annoyed and impatient voice cut through his thoughts of Buffy, he shook them away for now, remembering that he had to play the part of the doting fiancée. “Yes, did you say something Cordy?”
“I asked you what you thought of this pattern…” She said, giving him a look. “I’m starting to worry about you, is that hair gel finally seeping down and clouding your ears?” Cordelia smiled, hitting him playfully.
Angel laughed. “No, this is just…not my thing, baby you know that.”
“I know, but Rosalita and I need your help, don’t we Rosalita?” Cordelia smiled, turning to the petite wedding planner at her side, giving her a pleading look.
“Of course we do, Ms. Chase. It’s always nice to have input from the groom.”
“See, you’re wanted. Now, what do you think?”
Angel shrugged his shoulders, hesitating a bit. He didn’t know what the hell to think, they all looked alike to him, stupid wedding crap… “It’s nice, baby.”
Cordelia nodded, slipping an arm around his waist. Angel once again let his mind wander to other things, mainly Buffy as the two women talked…
God, Buffy…he couldn’t wait to see her.
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Spike, where the hell was that boy?
Rupert Giles paced around his son’s office, nervously, actually having bummed one of Spike’s emergency fags he keeps in the top drawer of his desk. Giles hadn’t smoked in years but the nerves in his body were so raw he had to have something…
It wasn’t like Will to be late to the office, hell there was a time when he couldn’t get him out of it. He had become quite the workaholic after his painful split with Drusilla. Giles cringed at the thought of her, he had never liked that girl and couldn’t understand what Will saw in her…
Now, one full month with Buffy Summers and it was as if he’d become a completely different man. He was out all the time, occasionally late to work or opting to not show up at all and let Hank take over for the day. It wasn’t at all like William, especially with an impending merger they were still working very hard to keep afloat.
And for some reason, Will had also abandoned his precious contacts and began wearing his glasses nearly full time.
Giles shook his head, willing his feet to stop their pacing long enough to have a seat on the couch.
Angel’s maybe wedding was fast approaching and he still very much had Buffy on the brain and from what he could tell, the feeling was still very mutual. As much as he adored the girl, Buffy Summers is a liability, and they can’t afford to have her around much longer…
They’ve got to find some way to send her back to New York.
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Buffy grumbled as she reluctantly awoke from a very blissful sleep, the telephone bleating in her ear…damn thing…
“Hello?”
“What are you wearing?” The voice said in a raspy whisper. Buffy rolled her eyes, sighing loudly.
“So not funny Xander.” She smiled a little as her friend’s laughter filled her ears, that smile quickly disappeared once she caught a glimpse of the clock. 7:15….she’s going to kill him once she gets back home.
“Morning Buff. How goes the vacation?”
“Do you have any idea what time it is?” She yawned, sitting up in bed.
“Should be about seven your time…” He said and Buffy swore she could feel him smiling. “I wanted to make sure I caught you, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for a month, and every time I call you’re out with something called ‘Spike’.”
She laughed. “Spike is a friend, am I not allowed to go out with friends?”
“Oh no, by all means. As long as it’s not Angel…I’m happy.”
“He’s Angel’s little brother…”
Xander sighed audibly into the phone. “What the hell is it with you and the men in that family? Should Mrs. Giles watch her back?”
“No.” Buffy laughed. “There is no Mrs. Giles, he’s divorced.”
“That’s great…” He deadpanned.
“So, how’s George?”
“George is still George. He’s become quite the little ladies man ever since I put that mermaid in his bowl.”
“That’s good.” She yawned. “At least he’s still alive…”
“Ye of little faith.”
“Hey Xand, I gotta go, okay. I promised Angel I’d have breakfast with him…”
“All the more reason for me to keep you on the phone longer.”
“Ha ha.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Give everyone my love and I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.” She yawned once more as she reached over her very much asleep companion to hang up the phone. Buffy caught herself watching him, the way his chest softly rose and fell, the way his bleached curls had matted themselves on his forehead giving him a boyish appearance…he really was a beautiful man…
The evidence of their ‘movie night’ was all around, a scattered pile of videotapes, a huge bowl of popcorn seeds with a few stray kernels…when had they fallen asleep? Probably somewhere between ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘Phantasm’, he really had strange taste in movies.
Spike stirred lightly beside her, opening one eye.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“Hey.” He said, shutting his eyes again, he slowly opened them both when he felt they were ready to take the damn sunlight that was flooding into the bedroom. “What time is it?”
“Twenty after seven. When did we fall asleep?”
“Somewhere between ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘Phantasm’ I think…” Spike grumbled sleepily.
“Very interesting choices for movie-night, did I tell you that?” She smiled
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I should really move…promised Angel I’d have breakfast with him this morning…” She began, lying back down, resting her head on his chest. “But, this is really comfortable.”
Spike smiled forcefully, his jaw clenching a bit. Hearing his brother’s name had shattered any of the illusions waking up in bed beside Buffy had given him. They had spent a solid month together and he had discovered that Peaches name was more than likely to come up at the worst possible of moments. He should expect that, but it still bothered him to no end…
“Yeah, luv. This is ‘of the good’ as you would say.” Spike grinned, trying very hard not to notice the way her finger moved along his stomach. “But, I do have to be at the office this morning…”
“Movie night when you had to be at work the next day…” Buffy said, sitting up, giving him a stern motherly look.
“I never planned on spending the night, luv.” Buffy rolled her eyes at his leering tone as she slipped out of bed.
“Try to be out of my bed by the time I get out of the shower.” She smiled, walking out of the door.
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“Honey, is Buffy up yet?” Hank called to his wife as she headed up the stairs.
“I think I hear the shower going. Morning, Spike.”
“Morning, Tammy.” He smiled, heading towards the door. “Morning, Hank.”
“Oh, good morning, Spike.” He said absently, rummaging through the newspaper on the coffee table. Once it finally hit him, Hank nearly spit out his coffee. His gaze traveled from upstairs towards the front door, and back again. Did Spike just come from upstairs? He knew Buffy wasn’t exactly a little girl any more, but they were going to have to have a talk…
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“Where have you been?!” Giles practically shouted as Spike breezed into the room. The younger Giles shrugged his shoulders, as he headed towards his desk, removing his pack of cigarettes.
“Had a late night.”
“You’ve been having a lot of ‘late nights’ lately.”
Spike shrugged once more, lighting his cigarette. “What are you doing here anyway? Thought you said this office gave you hives.” He snickered.
“I said working in this office gave me hives, standing in it for an hour waiting on you merely grates on my nerves.” Giles removed his glasses as he returned to his seat. “Angel’s still very much infatuated with the girl.”
“Angel’s very much infatuated with Angel. Your point?” Giles watched Spike’s jaw clench, funny how its been doing that a lot lately, especially at the mention of Buffy and Angel.
“My point, it’s been a month already, I don’t know how much longer we can stall him from calling off the wedding. Does Buffy still…”
“Peaches comes up from time to time.”
“The longer she’s here, the longer that knucklehead will continue to think he’s ‘in love’ with her…”
“I know this dad, we’ve been through this song and dance with Angel before what’s your…”
“I think you should find some way to get Buffy to go back to New York.”
For a brief moment Spike swore he could feel all of the air go out of the room. His face fixed in a steely glare, he pulled out the pack of Marlboros again, quickly putting out the fag he already had, lighting up another.
“I’ll see what I can do.”