Chapter 8 - Catching Up
There was absolutely no way he could continue working, his mind racing on anything but work as he sat in his black leather chair. His eyes quickly ran through the pages before him, but nothing seemed important enough to capture his interest. Angel sighed and walked up to the window, she was probably out there already. The worst part with her visit had been the way she had looked at Spike, like suddenly he had become invisible. It reminded him of the dreams he had since Eve let out that parasite thing on him, where he’s lying in his bed with Spike and Buffy going at it next to him.
It sickened him.
He wasn’t sure of anything anymore, he always thought what he and Buffy had was going to last forever. Maybe he was wrong.
The dim sunlight played in his eyes and due to the special glass it didn’t hurt him. Right now, that was the only thing that didn’t.
He heard a gentle knock on the door and looked around. Tiny blonde standing at the door with a smile on her face. “Hey there.”
“Nina.”
Not the tiny blonde he had wished for.
Her eyebrows narrowed as she approached him, “You don’t seem happy to see me?” He met her hurt glance and swallowed. “Of course I am, just a bit annoyed. Harmony is not really doing her job, she should be informing me if anyone comes…”
Angel said absently, turning around to look out the window again.
Nina stared at his back. What was wrong with him today?
“Angel, is everything okay? Well, besides the normal apocalypse-is-on-its-way…?”
Things with Nina was still a bit shaky, they hadn’t been going out more than a few weeks and his feelings for her…he wasn’t really sure of what they were. He liked her, obviously, but was it anything more than that? Angel honestly didn’t know.
They sat opposite each other, but no one had yet said anything. Spike had taken her to a smaller room with only a printer, two chairs and a small lamp, which hardly cast any light, in the corner. Not much for bright light, these W&H lawyers.
Buffy looked down her lap, trying to collect herself and get some sort of focus back. She would be needing it. She swallowed and thought of the things she hadn’t had the chance to ask in Angel’s office, or had asked but never received a good answer to.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Was her first question and the thing that had bothered her the most.
Spike thought a bit, he tilted his head the way he always did when in deep thought, his eyebrows went down and framed his blue eyes. There were many reasons why he hadn’t. The thing was to pick the one Buffy would like the most. When he finally thought he’d found it he looked back at her.
“I knew that if I had come back into your life, there would be no chance of you ever lead a normal life. I had played my part, and it was time to let go and -”
“That’s really what you think?!” Buffy rose quickly from her chair, so quickly that it fell with a loud thump on the polished wooden floor. “That you had ‘played your part’ and didn’t matter anymore?”
Spike still sat down, insecurity swept through his body, insecurity - a feeling that was no longer familiar with him. Not since he left William behind for the favour of Spike.
Buffy rushed a hand through her hair, tried to regain some kind of rational thought. “Was I that horrible to you?”
The words that slipped her lips surprised him. “What was that, pet?”
Buffy didn’t look at him, she just picked up the chair from the floor, placed it further away from Spike’s and then sat back down. First then, he caught her eye.
“I-I know…you know, I was not the nicest person to you. In fact, come to think of it, I was a total bitch sometimes…and I’m so sorry…but I hope - wish - I’m not the reason why you decided to leave us behind.” Buffy’s gaze met his and he realised that she wasn’t the same woman she’d been last year. Last year, Buffy Summers’d the weight of the world on her shoulders, not only risking her life but as well as many innocent girls´. It had made her hard, made her think only in black and white; what was good for the group and what was bad for the group, without getting any emotions involved.
This woman before him, her eyes were filled with a compassion he’d just briefly witnessed in the past Buffy’s.
“What do you mean by ‘us‘?”
“You didn’t just leave me, William. What about Xander? Willow -”
Spike tried to choke a laugh but didn’t really succeed. “Yeah, bet Xander’s missing me real bad.”
Buffy ignored his remark. “Dawn. You left her too.”
Spike winced.
“Little Bit…How is she?”
Buffy shrugged, “Under the circumstances, she’s good. Going to school, getting pretty good grades, dating boys…leading your average teenage life.”
“Good, that’s good.” Spike nodded thoughtfully.
“So…you like it here?”
Spike looked around, confused. Buffy smiled, “Didn’t mean this particular room, dumbass. Here as in Wolfram and Hart evil law firm here.”
He grinned. “Yeah, guess I do. Get to fight the good fight, annoy the hell out of Captain Forehead -”
“Don’t call him that.”
“Why the hell not? Haven’t you seen his forehead, luv? It’s exceptionally huge.”
Buffy had to bite her tongue and think of dead puppies to regain her seriousness. “What’s up with all the name calling? If anyone heard you talking, they would think that I only dated Captains with sucky names. Not really good for the image.”
“Well, pet, you kind of do. The Immortal, huh?”
Shit, she didn’t want to discuss her fiancé with him! Obviously, he did as he continued, “Seriously, Slayer, what the hell are you thinking marrying that ponce!”
“David is a good guy, Spike. He’s loyal, he appreciates me -”
“Sounds like you just described a poodle.”
“Who I decide to be with is not your business! What I do with my private life is no longer any of your business, Spike! You gave that right up, okay?”
Buffy’d had enough, she was drained of energy. Thank God, she didn’t have to have this conversation with Angel, that would probably be twice as exhausting. She was on the edge of crying, it seemed like even if she tried to make things right, it all came down on her in the end anyway.
Spike was speechless, just stood up and faced her with bridled fury. What the sudden rage had come from he wasn’t quite certain, but it sure as hell was there.
Buffy shook her head, also standing up at this point.
“I’m going to leave now. Please don’t make me leave it like this.” She begged him.
Spike clenched his jaw, but his features softened as he saw that she was holding back tears.
Without really realizing it, his arms were around her and her head rested on his shoulder.
“When did thing’s get so complicated?” She whispered.
Spike didn’t have an answer.
Angel had finally gotten Nina out of his office with the excuse that he had to work. That was actual truth, but he wasn’t really planning on doing any. Instead, he decided to do the easiest task; yell at Harmony.
“Harmony.” Angel strode toward the vampiress' desk.
Harmony looked up from her computer screen, “What now?” She was clearly annoyed as well.
“One of your main tasks is to inform me when people go in and out. Sure Nina is okay, but still, you should tell me. Same with Buffy, tell me when people come and go.”
“Sorry, Boss. But hey, at least I didn’t screw up in telling you when Buffy left.”
“What?” Angel was slightly confused by this statement.
“Well, you see boss, your Slayer-who-” Harmony stopped herself when she saw his expression, “I mean, Buffy… She never left. Only her odd redhead friend.”
“Wh-what? Buffy’s still here?!”
*A/N: Thank you so much to those who reviewed, I really need it. Believe it or not, but a few comments make the best cure against Writer's Block. :-) The more reviews, the faster a new chapter gets posted.
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
