Title: Secrets Don't Make Friends (Pt 2-Disappearing Act)
Author: DivaDelilah
Description: Set in late Season 4, after Faith has body switched and is in prison.
Adam isn't in play, Spike is working with the Scoobies reluctantly.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except a flea ridden cat. Want it? Joss, Mutant Enemy,
and Fox own all else…I'm just daydreaming.
Distribution: Fanfiction.net, assorted lists, and anything I okay. (like you'd
want it!)
Feedback: Oh, if only my lonely mailbox would fill up…. (sigh) {divadelilah@aol.com}
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From the window of Giles' apartment, Xander peeped out the curtains furtively.
"Something's going on guys. Something big and Spike is knee deep in it."
"Xander, I'm sure our pizza being late has nothing to do with Spike,"
Giles said tiredly.
"No, he's not looking for that. He's spying on Buffy. He doesn't like
her hanging around with vampires, especially Spike, though he's not very fond
of Riley either," Anya piped up. Xander shot her a withering look, which
she, as usual, missed.
"Spying on-what on Earth could you be spying on Buffy about that would
have do with Spike?" Giles asked in confusion. "I mean, I think we
safely rule out any… anything to do with… after Angel…"
"Honestly, I don't know yet. But I'm gonna figure it out; just give me
some time. Xander Harris is a super sleuth, let me tell you," he said,
turning back to the window in time to see Buffy turn away from Spike. Xander
watched Spike light another cigarette then shook his head, puzzling as he left
he window and made his way to the couch.
"What's your deduction Inch High Private Eye?" Anya asked, looking
up from her dictionary of shape-shifting demons.
Everyone chuckled, and Xander shrugged, "We get Cartoon Network now,"
he said by way of explanation. "And," he glared at Anya, "there
is something going on, I know it."
"S'true. I rarely ever see Buffy beat on Spike for fun anymore. And-and
she wore his duster for a couple of days after our trip to LA," Willow
commented form behind her laptop.
"Well there was that time in the bathroom," Giles began, finally
distracted from his translations.
"Okay," said Xander, holding up his hands. "Did I hear 'that
time in the bathroom'?"
"Well, yes, I suppose. I mean, Spike said she was using him as a punching
bag over the body switch fiasco with Faith. It seems he'd asked to taste Faith's
blood, you see…"
"He what?" Willow asked. "How could he even think Buffy would
let a vampire drink form her…even if she was Faith…sort of."
Her sentence halted abruptly as they all remembered Buffy's hospital stint last
year after letting Angel drink from her to cure his poisoning.
"Will, Buff doesn't exactly have a sterling rep where that's concerned,"
Xander retorted.
"Excuse me, but does anyone think Spike is dumb enough to believe he's
even in Angel's league with Buffy? I mean, he's not as good looking, and he
didn't take her virginity either," Anya said, snapping her book shut. Once
again, everyone simply stared at her. "God, I hate when you do that;
it's creepy. Can someone just call the pizza place and find our food? It's not
like we're going to solve this puzzle if we die of hunger," she complained.
Giles took his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
Where in the Watcher's Diaries is it written that I must deal with her friends
as well? he thought.
Tara intervened quietly, getting up to find the phone and call the pizzeria.
Willow watched her go fondly, then went back to puzzling what Xander was saying.
Unlike the others, Willow and Xander had known Buffy best throughout the years,
and something was niggling at her brain, desperately trying to get out.
Tara returned smiling. "The slices are on their way. We get a d-discount
because they're late," she paused. "Um, I hate to br-bring it up,
but wasn't Buffy, um, supposed to come tell us about p-patrol or something?"
"Why, yes, she was. I rather suppose she's still outside with Spike. Although
doing what, I can't imagine," Giles muttered absently.
"A-ha! See I told you! I don't know what she's doing, but I bet Spike
is nefariously involved." Xander ran over to the window, tripping over
his feet in excitement. Looking out the window, he frowned. "Okay, a big
double 'Huh?' on this one."
"What's wrong sweetie? No more mysteries to solve?" Anya asked, coming
over to peek out.
"Nope, my little ex-demon. As you can see, we missed the second act. They're
both gone."
"Oh, really now, I have asked Buffy time and again not to just run when
that silly beeper goes off," Giles said indignantly.
"Do you really think that's where she went?" Willow asked.
"I don't know, Witch. Why don't you ask her your bloody self?" Spike
said non-chalantly as he strolled in the door. Flopping down in an armchair,
he pulled out three hospital bags of blood and rubbed his temples. He really
hated dealing with these people without Buffy around; in fact, lately, he hated
anything without Buffy around. Snarling, he picked up one of the blood bags,
trying to push away the soft feelings forming inside him for the Slayer.
"Gross," whispered Tara when he vamped out and got ready to feed.
Willow nodded at her and Spike sighed heavily.
"Oh, come now. You two cannot possibly comment on my eating habits,
now can you?" He picked up his blood bags indignantly and huffed into the
kitchen, leaving everyone gaping at the bright red Willow and Tara.
Grinning to himself, Spike heated a mug of AB+, his favorite. Well after Slayer's
blood…which Buffy had been awfully damn stingy with so far if you asked
him. Not that he could actually take any due to this damn chip, but it was the
thought that counted, and Buffy had yet to offer him once. He knew she'd let
the great nonce drink from her last year, and it stung just a bit that Angel
had beat him to the punch with yet another woman. His sensitive ears picked
Red doing some stammering in the living room and he felt better once again.
Being mean always made his undead heart sing. Shaking his head in amusement
,he stirred up his blood before it congealed, then sauntered into the other
room, sucking his meal through a straw.
"Spike, what did you mean their eating-" Xander clamped his hand
over Anya's mouth and smiled sheepishly as Willow turned bright red once more.
"Obviously, we don't watch Lifetime, though." He lifted his hand after giving Anya a stern glare and headed for the couch. Just as he sat down, the doorbell peeled.
"Never thought this phrase would apply to me…but …saved by the
bell."
The others rolled their eyes as he paid for the pizzas and dumped them on Giles'
counter. Around a mouthful of pepperoni he'd grabbed (without a plate, to Giles'
chagrin), Xander turned to speak to Spike. "So like where did the Buffster
go? Since she was last seen slinging insults with you, I figure you know."
Spike grabbed a slice of pizza, dribbled some blood on it, and began to eat,
much to all their disgusts. "Exactly how does the make me in the know of
where the silly bint goes? Maybe Red was right; she got a booty call from Captain
Cardboard. Or ask him; he's her Watcher," Spike spat testily, pointing
at Giles. The idea of Buffy running from him to Riley's arms almost made him
puke up his half-consumed pizza on Giles' priceless Aubusson rug.
"I'm sensing anger, Spike. Careful or your electric dog collar will go
off any second," Xander retorted.
"Is it just me, or do you save all your little nasties for me, Harris?
You'd think you would hold your tongue, considering the last vampire you insulted
this much stole Buffy from you right under your nose, you pillock," Spike
muttered the last part under his breath, although Willow and Tara caught as
he walked past them back into the kitchen to retrieve a refill.
"Did I miss something?" Tara asked in a whisper. "Did Xander
have a thing for Buffy?"
Her words echoed loudly in the now silent room and she blushed, mumbling 'sorry'
under her breath. Anya beamed widely. "See? For once, it wasn't me!"
Xander huffed off, saying he had to go to the bathroom and Willow stifled a
giggle. "Ask me some other time about the whole Xander/Buffy saga,"
she replied quietly.
"Why later? I want to hear how Xander made a fool of himself now,"
Anya protested loudly.
Xander, who was just returning, simply glared at her accusingly. "Okay,
this time it was you."
Giles was busily ignoring their bickering; instead, he was watching Spike intently
as the vampire leaned against the bar and rubbed his temples. Something was
certainly bothering the vampire, but what on Earth could it have to do with
Buffy? Buffy had barely even spoken to Spike since the spell, which couldn't
have reverted because Giles could see quite clearly that the vampire was troubled.
He noted Spike raising his head slowly and sniffing the air, as if sensing something
like an animal. Which I suppose he technically is, Giles thought.
"Time for a smoke, mate," Spike said, catching Giles' eye. "Be
back in a few minutes if I don't stake myself in boredom."
Giles studied the vampire carefully as Spike tried to appear as if he were casually
sauntering out back. For some reason, he felt his intuition perk up… his
'Spider Sense' as Buffy called it. Spike is harmless anyway, he thought.
Whatever is going on is something Buffy can handle, I'm sure of that.
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