The Devil You Know: Cookie Dough
by littlewiccan
Angel sat at the desk in his office. Eve stood near him, talking about what he wasn’t really sure he wasn’t paying attention.
“Angel?” Eve snapped, “Are you listening?”
“Yeah,” Angel said, trying to look like he was interested.
She sighed, “Angel, this is important and unless you want to run Wolfram and Hart into the ground,” Angel opened his mouth about to speak, “That’s means you lose the resources, the power, and the connections, remember? You better start paying attention. You have to stop playing house. This isn’t a…..”
She stopped when she saw Angel staring at the door and she turned around to see a petite blond woman, standing in the doorway. The woman was wearing slightly ripped close, she was bruised, cut, and a little bloody, and she looked stressed beyond belief.
Eve was about to ask who she was and what the hell she was doing here but Angel interrupted her, “Buffy?” he said as he got up and walked over to her. She grasped his arms for support, “What are you doing her? What happened?”
He steered her over to a chair and let her sit down. She looked so lost, confused, and vulnerable. She looked so young. He sometimes forgot how young she was; she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
She looked at him, “I didn’t know where else to go.”
“What happene….?” Angel asked but he was interrupted but Spike, who waltzed into the room.
“So what’s the big man up to….?” He stopped when he saw Buffy and she looked at him with a little less shock them either vampire had expected.
“Andrew told me,” Buffy clarified, “I threatened to destroy his limited edition Darth Vader action figure.”
“Not to break up this little reunion but will someone tell what’s going on?” Eve said. They all looked up at her like they had forgotten she was standing there.
“Eve why don’t you go take care of that problem you were telling me about,” Angel said, escorting her too the door and placing her outside it.
“Angel?”
“You’re right we have stop playing house,” he said, closing the door in her face.
He turned around to find Spike knelling in front of Buffy while she touched his face with her hand.
“You really here,” she whispered. Spike nodded.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Angel said, pulling Spike to his feet by the back of his coat, “But can you please tell me what happened.”
“Someone attacked the school we set up for training slayers, actually destroyed it?”
“Destroyed it?” Spike said.
Buffy nodded, “They blew it up, there’s….all that’s left is ruble.”
“What about the others?” Angel asked.
“I don’t know,” Buffy voice caught in her throat, “I don’t what happened. I don’t know if they’re alive or dead or in trouble. I had no where else to go. I’ve been running away from I don’t even know what is for days. I’ve barley slept, or eaten. God, I’m so tired.”
“Do have any idea who did this?” Angel asked. Buffy shook her head, “What can we do? Do you need food, a shower, a….?”
“Can just take a nap?” she said.
“You can sleep in here,” Angel replied, indicating the couch. He watched as she walked over to the couch and lay down. Then he Spike left and closed the door.
“Poor thing,” Spike said, once they were in the lobby.
*********************************
When Buffy woke up she realized it was dark out. She had slept almost all day. She stretched and that’s when she noticed the familiar leather duster that covered her body. She smiled and looked over to a nearby chair, where she found Spike sleeping. She got up quietly and left the office to forge for food.
*************************
Spike woke up and noticed Buffy was gone. He looked around and noticed that in the back of Angel’s office the T.V. was on low. He walked over and found Buffy, sitting Indian style in a large office chair and eating a box of Oreos.
Buffy looked up at him and placed the box of Oreos on the table I front of her, “I was hungry.”
Spike smiled, “Where’d you get the Oreos?”
“I stole them from….I’m not sure who,” she said with a small laugh and smile.
He nodded and was about to turn away when her voice stopped him, “Spike?”
“What is it pet?”
“Down in the hellmouth I said some things…”
“Love, we don’t have to talk about it now. You’re tired and….”
“No, we do. We keep avoiding these conversations and I’ll be damned if one of us dies before we can actually have one.”
“Alright,” he said, leaning against the table.
“I meant what I said. I do love you but I can’t be with you. It just can’t work, not now anyway. Do you understand?”
“I think so…”
“I’m cookie dough…”
“You lost me.”
“I’m not done baking yet, I’m not done becoming whoever I’m supposed to be and in till then I can’t be with you or Angel. Maybe, after I’m done baking but not now. Okay?”
“So when you’re done….do I really have to use this analogy? So when you’re done baking then maybe?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Spike nodded, “I can wait,” Buffy smiled, “Just promise me if I die before you’re cookies or whatever bloody hell you’re going to be don’t pick Angel.”
Buffy laughed, “I can’t promise, just like I can’t promise him I won’t pick you.”
“Alright, as long as he’s not winning.”
“It’s not a contest, Spike.”
“Tell that to him.”
*****************
Revie please.
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