Chapter 20: Reconciliation
Angel rolled over and looked at the clock. Shit, it was already past 11:00. He scrambled off the bed and clutched at his head as waves of pain overran him. His mouth felt like a cat had died in it and he suspected he might be about to hurl. He eased back down and slowly glanced around the room, willing the events of the previous night to come back to him, Right, the formal, he was at the hotel. He’d gone with Darla. Where was she?
“Darla?”
No answer. Another careful survey of the room showed no evidence of her gown or shoes. Had she even shown up? He must have really pissed her off. The disaster of the previous night began to trickle back as he studied the collection of liquor bottles scattered around him. Looked like he’d pretty much cleaned out the hotel bar. Buffy, Spike, Xander, Willow, the looks of his frat brothers, some of pity, others of indifference started to rush back with a vengeance as his head continued to pound.
Angel sighed and slowly got up, carefully making his way to the bathroom, As he stepped into the shower and turned the water to cold, he slumped against the side of the wall. How had he gotten to this point? He felt like death, his closest friends since seventh grade weren’t even speaking to him and he’d never felt more alone.
As the cold water slowly began to increase his alertness, he tried to shake it off. He finished the shower, threw a towel around his waist and was headed into the main room when he was startled by a knock at the door. Had Darla come back? Or shown up to check up on him?
He swung open the door to reveal a blonde, but not the one he’d been expecting. “Spike? What the hell are you doing here?”
Spike pushed past him and sauntered into the room, pulling out the small chair that matched the desk and swinging it around to straddle it. “Come to have a chat, Angel. I figure you and I have a few things to work out.”
Angel shut the door and sat on the bed, staring at Spike. Could the morning get weirder? “Okay, so talk. Hope you don’t mind if I get dressed.”
Spike shrugged. “Go ahead.”
Angel grabbed a pair of pants and some boxers, sliding them on and towel drying his hair as he listened.
“Angel, we go way back. You know that. You and Xan beat me up and made me right at home when I moved here. Broke me in good. There was a time when we were almost like brothers, more than just this fraternity crap. But you’ve changed, man. You got full of yourself. And you thought you could take whatever you wanted.”
Angel looked up, knowing this was the heart of the visit.
“Angel, I’ve loved Buffy for longer than I remember, but I was willing to give you a shot You asked and I agreed to back off. But you lost Angel. Buffy’s my girl now. She made her choice and it’s me. I’m not here to gloat, but I am here to warn you, you mess with her again, in any way, and you will seriously regret it.”
“So you’re here to tell me you didn’t do anything at all to persuade her Spike? She just up and ran to you and decided you were the guy for her?”
Spike looked away for a minute, then regained his focus. “Angel, I can honestly say I don’t regret what I did. You knew we hung out, you knew I was tutoring her. I tried to be neutral. And yeah, you’re not wrong. Stuff happened before she told you it was over. But it was after she found out you were running around with Cordy and Darla and who knows who else. So don’t try to take the moral high ground.”
Angel grabbed his shirt and yanked it on. “I get it Spike. Stay away from your girl, I had my chance. I got it. I won’t come near your precious Buffy.”
Spike stood up and crossed the room, stopping Angel with a hand on his shoulder. “No, you really don’t. Angel, this isn’t just about Buffy. Xander and I, we’re worried about you. You guys pulled me back from a bad place after Dru. I might not have made it without you. You’re going at it pretty hard lately. We know you’re drinking more, and a couple of the other players on the team have mentioned that you might be taking stuff. Angel, you’re gonna fuck up any chance at a career you might have if you go down that road. You know they’ll catch you sooner or later and you’ll be off the team.”
Angel pulled away. “Who told you?”
Spike shook his head. “Not saying. Just a rumor, really, but that’s how things get started. Is it true?”
Angel walked over to the window. “Once, just once, a few weeks ago, bad game. But it helped, I did better in practice that week.”
“You really want to win that way?”
“Hell, no. But it was a tough game and I guess I’ve been distracted.”
“You gonna do it again?”
“Probably not.”
“I’d say you should change that to a never. Like I said, there’s rumors, and you’ve got rivals. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t get a surprise drug test next time.” Spike got up. “You done here? I’ll take you to your car.”
Angel stared at him for a long minute, then reached for his bag. “Spike, I don’t get it. Why are you even here? I thought you’d be furious and trying to kick my ass after last night.”
Spike grinned. “Oh, I wanted to. Still kinda do. But Buffy and I had a long talk and she made me realize some things. If she’s willing to let bygones be bygones, so am I.”
They exited the hotel and Angel slid into the car as Spike started the engine. “So what happened to Darla?”
“I don’t know. She left and I couldn’t find her. She was ticked off, I guess she went home. I should call her.”
Angel took out his cell phone and after a few mistries finally got her number right. He listened as the phone rang repeatedly but got no answer. “She’s not home and her machine isn’t picking up.”
He dialed his voice mail code and waited for the messages to start. Spike glanced over and noticed how pale he’d become. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he pulled the car into the casino lot beside Angel’s car.
Angel didn’t respond, just jerked the car door open and vomited the remains of the previous night’s binge on the ground. He sat back up and closed his eyes, then handed Spike the phone after hitting the button to replay the message.
Spike listened to Darla’s tearful voice relay the news of her test results and that she had decided to go home to Virginia for the rest of the semester. She left the relevant contact information for him to get in touch with Dr. Walsh and wished him well.
Spike hung up the phone. “Close the door. We’ll come back for your car later.” And with that they started for the campus and the emergency weekend clinic.
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Buffy settled in the seat beside Spike, sliding over against him. “Sweetheart, much as I love the fact you can’t seem to get enough of me, you do know there’s that whole seatbelt thing?”
She made a face and slid back to her side of the car. “Spoilsport. What’s the fun in having a big old car with a bench seat if I can’t cuddle you?”
He sighed and gave in as she wiggled over next to him again, starting towards the frat house to pick up the formal pictures that had come in that day.
“You think they’re going to be surprised?”
Spike smiled down at her. “I think so. Course you can’t put much past Jenny. She’s probably already figured it all out. I never could get much by her, and neither could you.”
Buffy laughed. “That’s true. I hope we got some good pictures.”
She was silent for a moment, then as they neared the house, she asked quietly, “How’s Angel?”
Spike sighed. “Pretty bad. He’s supposed to get the test results back today or tomorrow. He says he always used condoms with her except for one time, so he’s hoping he’s going to lucky. Course Dr. Walsh called the Coach and told him, so Angel got bawled out at practice. Coach has told him he better not think about hooking up again before the end of the season.”
“Can they do that? I thought your student health records were confidential?”
Spike laughed. “Well, normally they are, luv. But the coaches, they have ways. They want to keep up on their players and most of the docs will call them if something comes up. It’s just the way it works.”
They pulled in and mounted the front stairs to the common room where the pictures where spread out for pick-up. They found a couple of good shots of them and Spike paid. Buffy tugged on his arm as he browsed through the others. “Spike, I’m just going to go up and see if he’s okay.”
Spike nodded. His heart still did a little uneven skip when he thought about her in contact with Angel, but he knew it was just Buffy being Buffy.
She climbed the steps, nodding to a couple of guys as she passed that she’d come to know over the last few months. She knocked on Angel’s door, remembering the drama of the last time she was here. Was it only last week?
He opened the door, his face a study in depression.
“Angel, can I come in?”
He started at her, then opened the door.
“I guess you want an apology?”
She looked around, surprised. “Well, no. I mean it’d be nice, but that’s not what I came for. I just wanted to see if you were alright, and if you’d heard.”
He nodded and sat down at his desk. “I just got the call. I’m okay. They’ll retest me in a few months, just to be sure, but it looks like I dodged the bullet.”
“Angel, that’s great. I’m happy for you.” She paused. “Aren’t you happy for you?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. I mean I’m glad the test was negative. Doesn’t change much. I’m still on probation with Coach, over this and some other stuff.”
“Oh.” Buffy sat, not sure what to say. She’d expected him to be so happy and here he just seemed, well, broody. They sat in silence until finally he spoke.
“I don’t get you two, you know that? I don’t get why you and Spike are trying to be nice to me. Is this some sick way to rub my face in you picking him or something?”
Buffy stood up, surprised by the outburst. “Angel, no. No, it’s not like that at all. I guess . . . I guess we both just want to move on. You were our friend, Angel. You screwed up. I don’t know if you would really have hurt me or not. I’d like to think your conscience would have kicked in. But we’ve been friends for a long time and I hope we can all get past this.”
She stood up and walked over to him. “I love Spike. He makes me happy, makes me feel like no one else ever has. I did have a big crush on you Angel, once upon a time. But I know now that’s all it was, just a crush. So if I gave you the wrong idea, I’m sorry.”
Angel looked down at the small slip of a girl and realized just what he’d lost, though he’d already figured out she’d never really been his to lose. “Buffy, for what it’s worth, I didn’t really want to hurt you. That wasn’t what I was after, okay?”
She nodded. “I know.”
Just then a brief knock sounded on the door and Spike strode into the room. “Everything okay in here?”
“Everything’s good, honey.” Buffy immediately crossed to him and wrapped her arms around him in a reassuring hug. “Got the pictures?”
“Yeah. How are you Angel?”
“I’m good. Got the results, negative.”
“Good for you. Well, Buffy and I have a meet the parents dinner to get to, so we’re off.”
Angel nodded his good-bye and watched as they walked out the door.
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“So he apologized?”
“After a fashion. I guess we just let it go.”
“Probably best, assuming he doesn’t pull anymore crap.”
“Agreed. Now, how do we do this? Do we make a big announcement, show them the pictures . . . what?”
Spike laughed and pecked the top of her head with a small kiss. “Calm down, Goldy. Wanting to make a big production out of this aren’t you?”
“It’s a big deal Spike. You’re the first boy I’ve brought home.”
He rolled his eyes. “Um, Buffy, you realize it’s about to become my home as well, when Jenny officially moves in.”
“Mmhhmm. Guess you’ll just have to share my bedroom now, won’t you?”
More giggling and a slightly distracted Spike finally succeeded in pulling the car fairly accurately into the drive.
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The couple entered the kitchen with a safe distance between them. Buffy crossed to her usual perch beside the kitchen island. Spike lounged against the kitchen door, laughing as Buffy got her hand slapped for trying to sneak a brownie out of the still cooling pan in front of her.
“Get used to it Goldilocks. Jenny doesn’t let you get away with that stuff in the kitchen when you’re family, you’re losing your guest privileges.”
Buffy pouted. “Jenny, I always used to get brownies when Spike didn’t!”
“William’s right, no more coddling for you. Now, you two, I want to hear about the formal. Buffy was all tight-lipped at work, no details. How was it? Did you bring me pictures?”
Spike retreated to the hallway where he’d left the shots laying,. “Where’s Giles? We want him to look at them too.”
Jenny crinkled her brow. “Study, I think. He had some papers to look over. He can look at them later.”
She made a grab and Spike held them over her head out of reach. “Nope. You need to see them together.”
“And why is that?” Jenny asked.
Buffy slid off her stool and headed down the hall. “I’ll go get him.”
As soon as she was out of earshot, Jenny smirked at her nephew. “So you two finally got together, huh?”
Spike tried to look innocent for a minute and failed completely as a wide grin split his face. “Yeah, how’d you guess?”
Jenny laughed. “You think Rupert and I are the only obvious ones? You’ve been making moon-eyes at Buffy for years, sweetie and she just lights up when we talk about you at the gallery.” She circled the island and gave him a hug. “I’m happy for you William. You two will be good for each other.”
Giles and Buffy entered the room. “Jenny? Is something wrong?”
Jenny gave Spike a final squeeze . “Not at all. Spike, show him the pictures.”
Spike handed Giles the shots as Buffy crossed to him and whispered in his ear, “I thought we were gonna tell them together?”
He threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer so he could whisper back, “She figured it out.”
“Oh.”
Giles and Jenny looked over the various candid shots of Buffy and Spike dancing and chatting with friends. Giles looked at the shots, then at the snuggled pair in front of him, then at Jenny.
“Oh.”
“Exactly, am I good or what?” Jenny said.
Giles looked at the couple. “So you two are an item?”
“Well, we’re not something you can buy at the grocery store, but yeah, you could say that. We’re an item.” Buffy watched his face closely and let out a little sigh as Giles smiled.
“Spike, as a person I respect once told me, took you long enough. Just treat her right and we won’t have any problems, all right?”
Spike nodded.
“Well, I say we eat.”
Spike dropped a kiss on Buffy’s cheek as they all grabbed a dish and headed for the dining room.
__________________________________________
The car pulled up outside Stevenson Hall and Buffy prepared to get out, happy that the evening with the folks had gone so well. She and Jenny had plans to nail down her bridesmaid dress in the next week and the other arrangements were coming along smoothly. The wedding was going to be a great end to her first semester back and she was beyond happy to see Giles and Jenny so enraptured with each other.
Spike stopped her as she reached for the door handle. “Sure you don’t want to come back with me tonight?”
“Spike, we talked about this. One night during the week, no more. I can’t just move in with you.”
He quirked an eyebrow as if to argue against the point but let it go. “I know kitten, I just like it when you’re there. Are we still on for Saturday?”
Buffy nodded. “It’s a date. Where are we going?”
He winked at her. “Nope, gonna be a surprise.”
“Well, what should I wear?”
“Whatever you would’ve worn on a date in high school. Oh and I’ll pick you up at Giles’ house, okay?”
Buffy rolled her eyes. Maybe he was taking this a little to far.
“Alright. What time?”
“Let’s say 7:00.”
__________________________________________
The rest of the week flew by with school and the charity fundraiser she’d signed up to work on for the sorority keeping her occupied. Not seeing Spike was almost painful at times, but she couldn’t suppress the nagging fears of being consumed by their relationship. The boundaries she’d insisted on seemed silly even to her at times. She wanted to be with him, he wanted to be with her, she loved him, he loved her. But then so had her parents, as least in the beginning.
In the short time they had been together, it was as if her world had begun to revolve around a Spike-centered axis, exactly as she has suspected it might. So the limitations had to stay for now, but she was very glad Saturday had finally arrived and she could see him tonight. Four days of Spike missage had almost done her in.
As she finished up with the new display she was setting up for Jenny, she heard her soon-to-be-aunt emerge from the back office.
“Oh Buffy, that looks great, you really have a good eye.”
“Thanks,” Buffy said as she stepped back and viewed her work critically. “It’s not bad, is it?” She turned to the dark-haired woman. “Oh, I just wanted to let you know I need to get ready at the house tonight, just for an hour or so, then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“No problem Buffy, you know you’re always welcome.”
“I know, but, well, you and Giles have a private life and there are some things I’m better off not interrupting.”
Jenny laughed at Buffy’s pained expression. “Not easy thinking about your uncle knocking boots with someone? You two are like peas in a pod. He’s got some hang-ups about you in the same regard.”
Buffy blushed slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Jenny,” she said primly before she burst out laughing.
“Come on, ride back with me.” Jenny locked up the gallery and they started for her car. “So is something going on at the dorm?”
Buffy shook her head. “No, I’ve got a date with Spike. We were talking and I was telling him that I never got to do the dating thing in high school, so that’s what we’re doing tonight. He’s going to pick me up, make small talk with Giles while I make him wait, etc., the whole sixteen, first date kind of thing. Very sweet, but he won’t give me any details where we’re going.”
Jenny laughed at Buffy’s dreamy look. “He really is a romantic at heart, isn’t he? At least, he is with you. I’m so glad you worked things out.”
Buffy settled back for the short drive. “Me, too.”
__________________________________________
Spike pulled into the driveway, oddly nervous, as though he were seventeen again. He checked his hair, good, still slicked back in the way that always provoked Buffy to play with it and loosen the curls. He’d never admit it aloud, but he loved it when she ran her fingers through his hair and messed it up. He could sit there for hours, almost enthralled, while she played with his locks, tisking about the gel that straightened his curls.
He strode up the walk and took the porch steps two at a time, then formally knocked on the door. It swung open to reveal Giles.
“‘lo old man, I’ve come to ravish you daughter.”
“Very funny, come in Spike. Buffy should be ready shortly, she mentioned something about making you wait so I could grill you about your intentions.”
“Entirely honorable, of course. Is Jenny here?”
“Yes, she’s in the study.”
At that moment, Jenny emerged from the hallway and gave her nephew a hug. “Hey stranger. You know you have a tux fitting next Saturday with Rupert.”
She smirked at the identical expressions of distaste that appeared on both their faces. “Now, now boys, you both promised to play nice and not complain.”
“But I just had to wear one, Can’t I just go with the same thing again?”
Jenny shook her head. “Nope. But Buffy did tell me that she thinks you look very hot in a tux.”
Spike’s pout changed to a smirk. “Does she now? Well, I suppose I can stand it, special day and all.”
Jenny moved to Giles and pecked him on the cheek. “I think you look very hot in a tux and .” She leaned in to whisper in his ear. Giles laughed and pulled her in for a passionate kiss as Spike made less than subtle gagging noises. Buffy laughed as she came down the stairs. “PDAs, people, PDAs, you’re going to corrupt our innocent eyes.”
Giles broke off for a moment. “Spike, you and Buffy have a nice night now, see you later,” before returning to Jenny.
Spike held out his hand and led Buffy out to the car. “I can tell when we’re not wanted. You look smashing tonight, luv.”
“Thank you.” Buffy had ended up wearing a short faded denim skirt with a soft, fuzzy, pink V-neck sweater she’d found packed away in her closet. For some reason she had worn an inordinate amount of pink in high school, so it seemed to fit the mood. Spike was looking more bad boyish than she remembered back then, closer to his punk phase in college. Black T-shirt, black jeans, very yummy, she thought.
“So what are we up to tonight?”
“Well, I thought we’d start by going to the Harvest for dinner.”
“Really?” Buffy gave a little skip as they reached the car. “I haven’t been there since I’ve been back. I love that place. Do you still order by phone?”
He held the door as she slid in, then opened his own door. “I believe so. Haven’t been there in a while myself. But it seemed like a good place to start our date, I know you like it there.”
“This’ll be fun. Then what are we going to do?”
“Well, there’s a couple of options. How ’bout we’ll play it by ear?”
__________________________________________
Buffy slurped the last of her milkshake. “Wow, I’d forgotten how good these were.” They had been sitting in the 50s style diner for nearly two hours as they ate and talked. Buffy was amazed yet again as how easy everything was with him. No stress or strain in coming up with things to talk about, just a natural flow of conversation about everything under the sun.
Jenny had mentioned in passing the research project he’d been working on for over a year now under Professor’s Link’s direction and she realized she’d never asked him about it before. His explanation had been clear and easy to follow and she’d grasped the basics of what she’d quickly realized was some very complicated and ground-breaking stuff.
No wonder he was applying to all the top-notch schools he’d mentioned. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if every one accepted him, she mused as she waited while he signaled for and paid the check. Where that left them, she wasn’t sure, especially if he picked one of the East Coast schools. She was almost positive it wouldn’t be UC-Sunnydale.
The sudden feeling of panic his leaving caused almost caught her by surprise as she watched him across the restaurant. It was strange that he’d become so important so fast, but then again, maybe it wasn’t. He’d always been important to her, she’d just never seen him in this way before. And letting go was going to be so much harder than the first time they’d been apart. She pushed the thought away as he finished settling the check and gave the waitress a warm smile before turning back to her. Tonight was for fun, not fretting. She knew there’d be some hard decisions coming up, but she wasn’t going to let that ruin their date. She’d think about it later.
__________________________________________
“So what’s next?”
“Well, I thought we might could do a little star-gazing.”
Buffy gave him a slightly puzzled glance. She hadn’t realized he was into astronomy too. “Great, that sounds cool.”
Spike navigated the car until they reached a small road that headed into the hills that surrounded the town and turned onto a gravel road. She looked around at the increasingly dense forest as the road wound around until they reached a small clearing that looked out over Sunnydale. Spike parked the car so that they were looking out over the town, then turned to her.
“So ever been here before?”
Buffy looked around. “No, but the view is gorgeous. I didn’t even know this was here.”
Spike nodded as he stretched his arms. “Mhmm. Beautiful.” He laid his arm along the back of the seat, letting his hand just barely graze her shoulder. Buffy looked over at him, a slow smile forming on her face.
“Spike, is this by any chance the Lover’s Lane I heard so much about in high school?”
He grinned. “Might be.”
She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Now William, you know I’m a nice girl. I’m not sure we should be here.”
He slid a little closer as he made small circles on her arm with his finger. “Why Buffy, of course I respect you. We won’t do anything you don’t want. I just thought it’d be nice to have some time to talk alone, in private.”
Buffy bit her lip to keep from laughing. She wondered if Spike had ever brought someone here in high school and if he’d used the same lame lines on them. She edged a fraction closer. “Well. I don’t suppose there’s anything wrong with that.”
Spike glanced out the windshield, then leaned closer as he peered into the distance. His fingers continued to play patterns on her arm that were causing her heart to beat in an erratic way as his little brushes sent off a firestorm of sparks along her skin.
He turned to her, watching the moonlight play over her face as she gazed raptly out into the night, enjoying the view of the town spread out before them as she feigned indifference to his touch. His heart constricted as he tried to memorize her features, imprint them in his memory for the future.
He’d gotten the letter today. The one he’d been hoping and praying for, the acceptance letter from Duke, where he could study under one of the most gifted surgeons and researchers in the country. And it meant moving thousands of miles away from this golden girl who’d captured his heart so long ago. It was strange that dreams he’d had for years were suddenly all beginning to become realities, and yet in doing so they were causing more heartache then he’d imagined.
Could he really leave her, so soon after this thing between them had begun? He’d gotten accepted at UC-Sunnydale almost immediately, and he could stay here with her. But the opportunities, the chances to do what he wanted to do, to maybe make a difference and save the life of someone like his mom, they’d be fewer if he stayed here. She’d been so understanding as they discussed his research tonight, so interested and enthused about what he was doing.
But would she wait for him until he could finish the long years of med school and came back to her? Would some Angel-type come along and woo her away in the loneliness caused by the distance between them? She had at least two more years to finish her degree here; he could hardly ask her to even consider coming with him. And given the barriers she’d thrown up between them, trying to keep their relationship at some safe, happy level in her mind, he knew that even if he asked, even though he believed her when she said he loved him, she wouldn’t come.
He closed his eyes for a moment, knowing this wasn’t the time to discuss it. He’d brought her here to have fun. He focused again and planned his next move. Cheesy high school seduction was kinda fun, given that he hadn’t been doing all that much seducing back then.
“Look at that, isn’t Ursa Minor beautiful tonight?” He pointed, then casually dropped his hand to her knee, his other hand now playing a similar pattern on the soft skin just below where her skirt ended.
“Ursa Minor, huh?” She slid closer as she looked through the window, not having a clue what she was looking for. “Yeah, that’s beautiful.”
She turned to look at him and as green eyes met blue, Buffy gave up on whatever pretense and game they’d been playing as she felt his lips descend on hers. She closed her eyes and let herself go as the kiss deepened and when she finally surfaced, she found herself grabbing a few breaths of much needed air before seeking his lips again. There was something hungry and needy in his kisses tonight and it seemed to ignite something similar in her that almost frightened her with its intensity.
“Love you so much, sweetheart, don’t ever want to let you go,” he murmured against her lips as she shifted, seeking more contact, managing somehow to straddle his lap in the close confines of the front seat.
“Love you too Spike.” Their lips met again and she tried to pull him even closer, wanting to meld with him, to soothe this desperation and desire that was arcing back and forth between them. He responded and held her closer, the smoldering passion between them evident in every move, every touch as the kisses slowed, growing more languorous and sensual, each savoring the moment and each other.
As the kiss finally ended, Spike avoided her eyes, afraid of how much he might reveal and began to nuzzle the ready access to her neck as she arched against him. He rubbed his cheek against the softness of her sweater as she ran her fingers through his hair.
“Your sweater, ‘s fuzzy.’
“Mhmmm.”
“Like it.”
“Mhmmm.”
“Can I take it off?”
“Mhmmm.”
She gasped as he slid the sweater over her head and immediately drew one lace-covered nipple into his mouth and clutched him harder to her, wanting more. The slow, affirming kisses of a moment before were replaced by something wilder, more frantic as he pushed her short skirt further up and urged her closer. She rocked her hips against him as he gave her other breast equal attention and threw her head back, eyes closed as the sensations washed over her that he seemed to instinctively know how to create.
She let her hand drift caressingly down his torso, and began to slide the buttons of his fly, eager to return the favor when a tap, tap, tap echoed through the car. Eyes closed, Buffy reached the last button and trailed her finger inside to stroke the hardness she had felt straining against her when suddenly a bright light shone through the windows.
Buffy gave a little yelp as Spike suddenly stopped what he’d been doing and rather unceremoniously deposited her on the seat, frantically searching for her sweater while attempting to refasten his fly at the same time.
“Spike?”
“Police.”
“Police?” Buffy gave another small eep as she glanced at the window, not quite able to make out the officer’s face in the dark as the tap sounded again. She scrambled for the sweater which had ended up in the floorboard and settled for draping it over her revealing lace bra just as Spike rolled the window down.
“Good evening Officer.”
“William?”
Buffy thought Spike was turning a rather peculiar shade of red she hadn’t seen before.
“Larry, how are you man? I heard you’d joined the force.”
“Yep.” Larry pushed his hat back and resettled it proudly. ” Finished the police academy four months ago.”
“Well, that’s great. Listen, Larry . . .”
Larry peered past Spike and interrupted him. “Buffy? Buffy Summers? I though you’d move to another country or something.”
Buffy laughed nervously. “Uh-huh. I did, just moved back a few months ago.” She squirmed under the light, hoping she’d covered herself enough.
Larry turned the flashlight back to Spike. “You sly devil. She barely gets back in town and you bag the hottest JV cheerleader on the squad. You should give the rest of us a chance, bro.” He straightened up. “Well, seeing how I know you both and you’re not kids, I’ll let you go with a warning this time. Call me sometime Will, we should go have a beer or something.” He tipped his hat. “Looking good, Buffy. See you folks later.”
They breathed a sigh of relief as he walked away and they called their thanks. Spike rolled up the window and they sank against each other, laughing as the nervous tension dissipated. Buffy struggled into her sweater as Spike started the car.
“I can’t believe we just got busted for necking.”
“I can’t believe Larry’s on the force.”
“Well, at least he didn’t haul us down to the station.”
Spike snickered, “I think he may have been a little distracted by your, um, assets, sweetheart.”
Buffy blushed and swatted his arm, “Nu-uh.”
Spike laughed as he reversed the car and pulled out of the clearing, which had gained a few other residents who were now being similarly surprised by Officer Larry.
“Uh-huh. Larry always thought you were something else in high school, had to warn him off a time or two myself.”
Buffy shuddered, “So not my type. Is this really what high school dates are like?”
“Something like that. The police at the end of the evening is always a nice touch.”
She slid across the seat as he turned into the main road. “I’m glad we’re not really in high school. Why don’t you take me back to your place now? You so are my type and I think we have some unfinished business.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He pulled her closer as she snuggled against him, the electricity of only moments before settling to a pleasant buzz at the comfortable contact between them. Spike concentrated on his driving and Buffy remained silent as the car wound it’s way back to the edge of campus. He glanced at her from time to time, wondering if he should bring up the letter and talk through things with her. No, he decided, that could wait ’til later. Tonight he’d just try to show her without words how much she meant to him.