Buffy was putting the finishing touches on her make up using the
mirror in her bedroom. She'd redone it several times and now had
decided that it was a little to 'slutty' around the eyes.
Dabbing at her eyeliner with the edge of a finger she only succeeded
in smudging it and ran back into the bathroom to repair it.
Willow, who had been sitting in the chair feeling totally useless
for an hour now, commented . "Hey, Buffy, while you're in there,
how about changing into something more comfortable?"
In a lower voice she mumbled "As opposed to something more hideous,
like a vampire."
The tiny blonde popped her head out the door. "Huh? Did you say
something Wil?"
She leveled a stern gaze on the red head. "And then something
else?"
"Um, yes, that was me." Willow smiled, guilelessly.
"I didn't think it was Mr. Gordo" she said, referring to her
stuffed animal.
"I only meant that the shirt you have on seems so, um, confining,
and that skirt is uh, kinda short.....I meant tight, and.....hey!
It could get cool tonight or something. How about a nice sweatshirt
and those new cargo pants?"
Lots of room in the pockets for a weapon, just in case.
Buffy ducked back into the bathroom and closed the door part way.
Willow tried not to listen too hard as she heard her friend tinkling
away but had to, so as to catch what she said.
"Willow," Buffy teased. "Thanks for worrying about me needing
sturdy clothing, in case I meet a vamp on the way to the Bronze.
But I'm covered. My escort tonight is always armed."
A flushing toilet drowned out any further conversation and Buffy
came out of the bathroom.
"So, see? Isn't this going to be just perfect? I can fight evil,
go on a date, and keep an eye on 'evil', all at the same time!"
'How witty', thought Willow. "Yeah. That's swell."
She thought about reminding Buffy to wash her hands, but what was
the point? Buffy lived in constant danger from things that could
kill you lots quicker than germs.
The blonde came and stood in front of Willow's chair. "Ok, I'm
ready. How do I look?" She was aware that her friend thought her
too sexily dressed for the vampire, and was enjoying it.
Willow looked up and down at Buffy's outfit, then back up to her
twinkling eyes and naughty grin. "Buffy, I think you're gonna kill
him all over again."
"Very funny!" She put her hands on her hips and and began to recite
the lecture that she'd prepared in advance.
"Ok, here's the evening's rules. Most important first. After Spike
picks me up and we leave here tonight, I don't want to see 'anyone'
that I know."
"I don't blame you for that one." Willow realized that she’d made a
Cordelia remark, and frowned.
Buffy continued as if she didn't hear. "None of you are to come to
the Bronze tonight, and I had better not see anyone following us
when we leave, either. We may go for pizza."
"I'll bet Spike fills up on spicy buffalo wings and beer and then
just wants to make out in his car."
Buffy started to retort but saw that Willow was trying to suppress a
grin. "You may be right. That's one reason why we will be walking
there."
That, and the opportunity for meaningful conversation before they
were thrust into a crowd situation.
Willow stood up, and suddenly hugged her friend. "Be careful," she
whispered, and stepped back.
Moved, Buffy said lightly, "Always. So, what are you doin' tonite?
You and Tara going to a movie or something?"
"That's what I was going to ask you about. Well, right now, I
mean. Can Dawny come back to the dorm with me? She's been bugging
us to spend the night and Tara got us some cookies and stuff. Gonna
make a girls' night of it."
Buffy frowned, which often happened when she tried to concentrate.
She couldn't remember Dawn saying anything about spending the night
with her wiccan buddies, but didn't see the harm in it. The
protection spells were just as good at the dorm as they were here.
They would either work, or they would not.
"Sure. Ok. With Mom going to the gallery tonite for inventory I
was going to see if you guys wanted to watch Dawn, so it's fine with
me."
She'd been thinking of sticking Giles with the job again but she
didn't want to over-use him as a babysitter and after he did his
duty as chaperone, she hoped to send he and Xander off in some other
direction.
They were both distracted by a cracking sound that came from outside
the bedroom window, and then a muffled curse in a voice with a
decided English accent.
"Bloody Hell! Slayer! Open the soddin' window!"
Taking a second to close her eyes and clench her teeth, Buffy ran to
the window closely followed by Willow.
She opened it, leaned out, and beheld Spike dangling from the
windowsill, his dark, freshly painted fingernails barely sustaining
a hold.
"Spike. How nice of you to be on time. And I see you kept the nail
polish. I thought maybe you'd lose it for our date?" She smiled
sweetly at him.
The vampire sensed her mood, but moved his fingers forward a bit to
gain a better purchase on the sill. "Come on, Buffy. Let me in.
Give us a hand up. The stupid branch broke on this bloody'
tree...."
Buffy turned her face to Willow, who had joined her at the window.
"Hey Wil. Ever see that vampire movie, 'Fright Night 2'?"
"Yeah," Willow said, grinning evilly. "But wasn't that a werewolf
hanging from the window in that scene?"
"Uh huh. So we can pretend it's Oz, then." She turned back to
Spike, who knew what was coming. He'd seen the movie, too.
"Now, Pet, don’t do anything rash…"
"Spike, 'please' go and use the front door. If I can face down the
entire Watcher's Council, I think that 'you' can handle an ex
Librarian and a 'big brother'.
"Right, then. Give me a bloody big sword like ’you’ had and let me
have my way."
Giles and Xander will not bite you. You are the one with fangs."
She leaned out a little and patted his hand, snatching hers back as
he tried to grab it.
Buffy and Willow ducked back inside and slammed the window on
Spike's fingers!
Ignoring the curses and the thud of a body hitting the ground, the
girls walked out of Buffy's bedroom.
Willow made a mental note to ask Buffy if that was the first time
that Spike had used that tree.
'No way', he thought. 'Too many late night movies....unless maybe
Drac's back.'
Then came a pounding on the front door. Giles started to rise and
answer it, but Xander jumped up and put a hand on his arm.
"Please. Let me. That's probably our favorite vampire. Maybe you
should go and see if his 'snack' is ready for her date."
Giles frowned at the hand until Xander removed it, but did as he
asked.
Xander walked to the door and peeking out first, rolled his eyes and
opened it wide.
"Well! If it isn't Dead Boy, Junior. Won't you come in? Oh,
sorry, forgot. You've already been invited into this house one too
many times."
Spike blew past him so fast that Xanders' hair got mussed.
He noticed a mass of something that might pass for flowers in the
vampire's hand.
Giles stood at the foot of the stairs, speaking quietly with Buffy
who had stopped on the last step, on her way down.
Buffy peeked around Giles, who had stopped talking and they both
gave Spike the once over.
Giles pursed his lips in disapproval at the vampires’ attire and was
about to say something when Buffy brushed past him leaving a
perfumed wake that caused his eyes to water.
"Oh, Spike. How sweet of you to bring flowers! I didn't know you
did that." She looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry about the window
thing."
Spike had been about to lay into her, and he thought that she
probably knew that, but when he looked into her sparkling eyes he
just shrugged, and handed her the ruined gift.
"S'Ok. It was a corsage, for you to wear. But it looked better
before I bloody ‘landed’ on it."
Seeing how the former William the Bloody was reduced to a shadow of
his former self was somewhat amusing to the Watcher, and he allowed
himself to smile.
Willow came bouncing down the stairs, Dawn trailing close behind her
and as they passed Giles, both girls made gagging motions with their
fingers behind Buffy and Spike's backs, both wearing grins.
Everyone had gathered near the doorway, and after an uncomfortable
silence that seemed to stretch to infinity, Buffy cleared her throat
and spoke.
"Oookay. This is not a grand opening at 'K-Mart', people. Spike
and I will now walk out this door, into the lovely evening, and HAVE
a lovely evening. Got it?"
Giles, who had been just about to wag his finger under Spikes nose
and remind him to behave, quickly whipped off and examined his
glasses. "Of course. Do have a good time."
Xander saw the steel behind Buffy's smile, and wisely nodded and
kept his mouth shut. But he leveled a gaze at Spike that told the
vampire in no uncertain terms that he would be keeping an eye on
this 'relationship.'
Spike noticed Xander staring at him and smirked. "What's wrong with
you, Monkey Boy.....constipated?" He chuckled softly when the young
man only stood there, his fists clenched inside his pockets.
Spike yelped in pain as Buffy pinched his arm, hard. "There, now
we're even for the other night." She referred to the late night
session at the dining room table, of a few days past.
She turned to Giles again. Spike had been through enough for now,
and besides, it was getting late.
"Giles, after you drop Wils and Dawn off at the dorm, could you and
Xander maybe catch up on the research and keep really, really busy."
She looked pointedly at him and continued.
"For like, hours?"
Buffy looked up at Giles with the knowledge of how much the Watcher
cared for her, shining from her eyes.
He sighed. It had to be enough. If the tiny blonde woman before
him was ready to take this step with her former mortal enemy, then
he would have to be big enough to let her try it, and succeed or
fail, on her own.
"Excellent, then.......Xander? Will you be coming to the shop to
help me learn more about the demon that attacked all of you on your
recent patrol?"
"Huh?" The brown eyed 'hater of all things book' just stared at
Giles for a second, then realized that all their previous plans to
check up on this 'date' must have been scrapped.
It figured. It had taken him an hour to maneuver Giles into even
'talking' about invading Buffy's privacy.
"Sure", he mumbled, kicking at the rug with his toe.
Willow and Dawn headed for the front door. They both nodded, as
Buffy said to have fun and not stay up all night, and exited the
house.
Dawn stuck her head back inside.
"Hey, Spike and Buffy....Remember, no tongues!"
With a huge grin on her face, she ducked back out and everyone could
hear Willow's laughter and Dawn's giggling as they headed for Giles'
car, parked at the curb.
Buffy actually blushed because she'd been thinking somewhere along
those lines all evening.
Spike just smirked knowingly down at her.
Giles and Xander both looked faintly ill.
********************************************************
Xander, still seated on the couch, caught a glimpse through a window
of something falling and heard it hit the ground. It had looked
large and black and was flapping it's arms like a bat.