Chapter 6
Angel let out a garbled scream of pain, as he felt another shard of glass being pulled from his backside.
“Please, hold still Mr. Giles! This one’s deeply embedded in your skin and I can’t get a good hold on it if you continue squirming.”
Spike smiled, barely able to hold back a laugh as he watched the doctor prepare to remove the next piece of glass. Giles, catching his look, gave Spike a swift slap to the back of the head.
“At least try to hide your utter happiness.” Giles glared, shaking his head. Spike grumbled, bringing a hand to the fairly sore spot.
“Angel…” Spike began, trying his best to look sincere. “I am so sorry, I didn’t see those glasses in your pocket…”
Angel grunted in response, his hands tightly gripping the table. “Is this really the best time to apologize…I mean, could you wait until my ass isn’t up in the air.”
“I just feel so bad.” Spike said, desperately holding back his grin. “Thanks to my precious self, your meeting with Buffy was completely ruined.”
Angel winced as the pliers tightened around another piece of glass, preparing to yank. He had forgotten about Buffy in all of this, she probably thought he’d stood her up… “Buffy! You, you didn’t tell her what happened did you?!”
“I told her you were indisposed at the moment, she understood.” He smiled, roaming his pockets for a cigarette. “Don’t worry Angel, I’ll keep an eye on her while you heal.”
Score! Spike fished out the slightly crumpled fag, putting it in his mouth and lighting it.
“Um sir, there’s no smoking in here, this is a hospital.” The doctor said, eyeing Spike wearily. “Ow! Mary mother of….!” Angel cried out, whimpering a bit as he gripped the table for dear life.
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He whipped around quickly at the tug on his arm, the cigarette still dangled from his lips, even though he was in the middle of the hospital hallway.
“What are you playing at, Will?” Giles asked, letting his grip on the boy go.
“What do you mean?”
” ‘I’m going to keep an eye on Buffy while you heal..'” The elder man let the words fall from his lips in an almost scathing parody of his son’s cockney accent. Spike rolled his eyes at that, removing the fag for a moment.
“You want Buffy out of the sodding picture don’t you?! If we don’t keep that girl away, that wedding will go right out the bloody window, and our merger right along with it! Is that what you want?” He huffed angrily, expelling the smoke out of his nose like a dragon…
“What’s your plan?” Giles asked, removing his glasses, giving them a right good cleaning.
“Give her a new man to be preoccupied with.”
“And where, Will, may I ask, are you going to get this man?”
Spike gave his father a look of annoyance, god he could be so amazingly dense sometimes, and made a rather irritated gesture towards himself.
Giles paused a minute, slipping his glasses on before bursting into laughter.
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The warm summer breeze felt good against her bare skin, making the slight stinging on her leg barely noticeable. She had nicked her it on the climb up, maybe she should have changed into that pair of jeans instead of shorts…
Buffy shrugged off the thoughts and continued looking over into the Giles’ backyard. She couldn’t resist the urge to sneak out back after her father and Tammy had gone off to ‘sleep’, and had quite possibly been there for an hour. She had watched any of the signs that there had been a party there tonight, be taken away. The dance floor, the fountains, the stage, the bar. She knew very well Angel was engaged, but officially went past the point of caring once his lips touched hers.
She wouldn’t really be responsible if Angel and his fiancée decided not to take that trip down the isle…, people get unengaged all the time, not everyone who gets engaged is meant to be together and if another person should so happen to come between them, that person shouldn’t be held personally responsible…
And okay, she was really getting a little too good at lying to herself. She had decided that she wouldn’t push the Angel thing…just let things happen.
Her eyes drifted upon the tennis court and she fought to stop the smile that was tugging at the corner of her mouth. William had truly grown up, she had to admit he was relatively easy on the eyes these days, and for the first time, Buffy had noticed how blue his eyes were. Despite the dim lighting on the court, she could make them out perfectly, they had an unmistakable twinkle in them when he smiled…or more liked smirked as the case may be. How come she had never noticed his eyes before? Maybe those goofy owl-like glasses he use to wear had something to do with it…
“Fancy meeting you here.” Buffy let out a startled yelp at the sound of his voice, slipping off of the branch, her hand quickly shot out to grab hold before she could tumble to the ground, some things never change…
“Oh, pet I’m sorry!” Spike shouted, panic ringing in his voice, he grabbed hold of her waist. “It’s okay, luv, I got you!”
Buffy reluctantly let go of the branch, letting Spike ease her back down to her feet. “I got you.” He mumbled, as she came face to face with him, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry…
Buffy broke his hold on her, running a fairly shaky hand through her hair. “You know, I’m starting to get the feeling you may want me dead.” She deadpanned.
“I didn’t mean to scare you…I just, well I saw you, and I couldn’t resist.” He smiled nervously, nervous?! Why was he nervous?!
“What do you want, William? Or should I call you Spike now?”
He shrugged, removing his pack of cigarettes from his pocket. “Call me whatever you like, luv.”
“I don’t think you should really give me that privilege.” Buffy said sarcastically, grinning. “And I’m not your ‘luv’.”
“What’s with all of the hostility?” Spike asked, lighting his cigarette. “Come on, Buffy, we’re adults. What do you say we let the past be the past, and maybe attempt to get along?”
She frowned slightly, fanning the smoke. “I seem to recall, Spikey, you being dependent on an inhaler at one time.”
“Your point? And don’t call me Spikey.”
“An asthmatic chain smoker…oh the irony.” She snickered. “I’m guessing breathing’s non-essential for you?”
“Ever been sailing?” He asked out of the blue, his hands quickly finding their way to his pockets.
“Huh?”
“Ever been sailing? You know, big boats, lots of water…”
“No…why?” Buffy asked, eyeing him suspiciously. Spike shrugged, tossing the cigarette to the ground, stamping it out with the toe of his shoe.
“Well…I figured, if you weren’t busy tomorrow, maybe I could take you out on the water…”
“You’re taking this getting along thing a little too seriously…” She snorted, shaking her head. Spike was beyond frustrated, this woman was driving him insane…
“Fine.” He shrugged, quelling the urge to dig out another cigarette. “Just an offer, have fun with dear old dad and his secretary , while Angel’s in bloody traction…” Spike flashed her a smile, turning to leave, she quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him back.
“Wait, what happened to Angel?”
“Had a bit of an accident…oh, no he’s fine, please don’t go all weepy on me. He can’t be on his feet for a while, and he asked me to make sure you at least had a little fun, you know, until he can be out and about again.” Spike said, giving in to the urge, taking out another cigarette. “So what do you say, luv?”
“What time tomorrow?” Buffy sighed loudly.