Spike started following her, he couldn’t help himself. Suddenly the thought of Buffy in danger frightened him rather than pleased him, as it once would have, especially since he once would have been the danger in question. Since the night Spike made his vow to be with Buffy, he and his sire had entered into a complete role reversal. Angelus was now plotting the Slayer’s undoing whilst Spike was following her around like a lost puppy, though the latter was unbeknownst to her.
Spike followed Buffy on patrol every night, carefully hidden so that she would not sense his presence, but always watching, ready to come to her aid, should she need it.
Since the return of Angelus, Buffy kept mostly to herself, only leaving the house for school and patrol. Willow had been constantly pleading with Buffy to get out of the house.
"It’s not healthy to stay inside all the time," she would say. "You need to get out of the house, have some human contact!"
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Buffy knew her friend was right. For almost a month, the only contact Buffy had outside of school was with vampires. And that was actual physical contact as in her fist connecting with random vamp’s jaw. And for some unexplainable reason, Buffy was feeling a little better. She’d had that comforting feeling of being watched over continuously since that night a little over a week ago. She had been feeling more protected recently, the way she used to feel when Angel followed her on patrol.
Because of Willow’s incessant petitioning and her new found comfort, Buffy decided it was time to have a little fun. Giles was so happy that Buffy was returning to what he considered to be normal for her that he even gave her the night off. The once mopey Slayer was now standing in front of her mirror in a flashy red tank top and sequined black pants, happily humming to herself.
Spike was a few minutes early for Buffy’s patrol, and was quite shocked when he saw her hacker friend and her wanker friend arrive at her door. He quickly scaled the tree and was very surprised by the sight that greeted him.
Spike had to keep from laughing as he noticed that they were similarly attired in red shirts and black pants. It made him happy to think that they had something in common. Well, two things if you counted the bleached blond hair, though his was definitely the more extreme, and three if you counted the singing. Spike was so busy trying to think of other things they had in common that it took him a moment to realize that she was no longer in the room.
He caught up with her at the door where the wanker --
--was saying, "Ooh, sequiny. Much like the outfit, Buff."
And she smiled.
Spike thought.
He was exceptionally happy about her being happy because that meant that she wasn’t preoccupied with Angel anymore. Again, Spike’s thoughts distracted him from his surroundings, and he let himself get too close.
Buffy and her friends were heading towards the door when Buffy sensed him. "Guys, I got trouble," she told them.
Both kids immediately turned serious.
"You need backup?" Xander asked, but she waved them away.
"Nah, it’s just one. It should be quick, I’ll meet you guys inside, k?"
Buffy pulled her out stake and cautiously peered around the corner. Spike sensed her presence, and turned around, grinning his signature cocky grin when he saw her.
"Hello, cutie," he greeted. "Nice outfit."
Buffy gave him a puzzled look, then burst out laughing.
Spike concluded. "Something funny, pet?"
And for some odd reason, Buffy answered him good-naturedly instead of attacking him either verbally or physically as she once would have. "We’re....we’re twins!" she giggled. "We’ve even got the same hair!" More giggling.
Spike smiled, happy that she was being friendly towards him, though not quite sure why.
"No, we’re not twins, pet. I’m cuter," he said, but he thought,
Buffy tilted her head, and set her hands lightly on her hips.
"Oh, you think you’re cuter than I am, do you?" she quipped, but what she thought was,
But she did. She couldn’t help it. She liked Spike! And for a brief second, Buffy toyed with the idea that maybe he was the one who had been following her, but she dismissed it as wishful thinking, because she wasn’t even sure that someone had been following her. "Well," she said, "Maybe you are just the tiniest bit cuter than I am....but you’re still a vampire, which means I have to keep an eye an your cute undead ass. As long as I’m here, no eating anybody, not even just a taste. Got it?"
He looked at her, confounded by the fact that she would let him stay without kicking his ass first. He smiled.
"It’s settled, then. I won’t eat and you won’t kick my ass, or try anyway, because it’s not really as if you could, because I am obviously so much tougher than....."
Spike shut up when he saw the look he was getting.
Inside the Bronze, there was an uncomfortable silence as Buffy and Spike both contemplated what they were getting themselves into. "So, um, Spike? Do you want to maybe dance? I mean strictly professional and all, so that I can keep an eye on you. Like I said. Before."
Spike’s stomach jumped as she asked him.
But he saw her friends looking for her, and decided that she would have a difficult time explaining to them just why he wasn’t a pile of dust, so he said,
"Another time, Slayer. I’m still trying to get the strength back in my legs and all, so it probably wouldn’t be the best idea. That, and I don’t think your chums would really fancy us being all friendly, since, you know, I’ve tried to kill you all a couple of times."
Talk about awkward first dates...
Buffy gasped and hit him on the arm.
"You’re out of your wheelchair! I thought you looked taller."
Spike grinned while trying to casually hold his arm.
"You noticed, huh? Now I can look down on you again."
He took a step backwards, trying to avoid another blow; his arm was in a good amount of pain as it was. She snorted.
"You wish. I mean, c’mon Spike, you’re not that tall. For a vampire you’re kinda on the short side."
He tried to look offended.
"You think all vampires are supposed to be tall? What do you think we do, recruit from the NBA? Actually, now that I think about it, that’s not a bad idea..."
She smacked him again.
"Don’t even think about it, Spike. I have a hard enough time as it is, I don’t need to add 7 foot vampires to the list. How would I even stake it? We’d have to make, like, a slayerette totem pole or something. Has anyone ever told you that you’re weird, Spike?"
He grinned. He seemed to grin a lot around her.
"You mean and lived? I’ll let you think about that one, luv. And speaking of slayerettes, I think they’ve spotted you, so I’d best be going. See you around, Slayer."
If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was disappointed that he was leaving.
"Yeah, bye," she said. "Oh, and Spike? I’m sorry I dropped an organ on you."
He turned around.
"That’s all right, luv. We’ll find a way for you to pay me back."
Grin.
"Get out of here Spike before I hit you again."
He was gone.
Buffy didn’t see Spike again for almost a month, and she would almost swear that she was disappointed. Sometimes she would patrol up to three times a night just hoping to run into him, but she never did. He was always there, though. Always watching her. Sometimes she thought she sensed him, but when she turned around he was nowhere to be seen.
Spike didn’t know why he never spoke to her again, he seemed to not know a lot of things lately. He and she both. He did know what a pimpernel was, though. He’d looked it up, it turns out it’s a flower. And he also knew that he was falling in love with the Slayer. What he didn’t know was why, but he supposed it didn’t really matter why.
He remembered Angelus telling him that the Slayer had once said that.
Spike was again following her, contemplating when and how to make his next move when all of a sudden she was there before him, and so was his answer. He "happened" to be in her tree when there was a knock on her door. He was startled for a moment, afraid of being caught and thought,
He convinced himself that he wasn’t stalking her, just protecting her interests. And anyway, it’s not as if he was a Peeping Tom like that wanker Angelus had been. He respected Buffy’s privacy. Speaking of the Chosen One, she had said, "Come in," and was now talking to her mother.
"Hi honey, I have some great news."
"Really? Does it involve shopping? Or perhaps a car?"
Joyce sighed at her daughter’s not-so-subtle attempt.
"No, Buffy, it doesn’t involve a car, but, yes, shopping could theoretically be done. I have to go to New York on business, and I thought maybe it would be good for you to get away from all of this for a while."
Buffy squealed with delight.
"There’s one catch, though. You might have to attend a couple of business dinners with me, but it’ll be good for you."
Buffy was practically bouncing off the walls. She’d never been to New York City. Or New York for that matter. Or anywhere besides California.
"When do we leave?" the suddenly perky Slayer asked.
"Saturday. Good night, Buffy, sleep well."
Saturday. That only gave Spike three days to get there without burning to a crisp. And as Spike was mulling over how to get there, a plan began to form in his mind over how to see her once he was there.
But he thought of the mansion, his sire and his ex, and how he had nothing keeping him in Sunnydale. Then he thought of Buffy: so alive, so beautiful, and the decision was made. Spike was going to New York.
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