Chapter Three
Buffy was smiling as she entered the Magic Box, her good mood showing on her face. As the bell above the door signaled her arrival, Anya and Giles both looked her way.
“Good morning.” Buffy said, smiling brightly.
“Er, good morning Buffy.” Giles said, surprised by her apparent happy mood before returning the huge smile she wore.
“Did you finally have sex?” Anya asked bluntly, leaning her head to the side as she studied Buffy.
“WHAT!?” Giles and Buffy both replied.
“Well, Buffy has that goofy ‘I just had sex’ smile that Xander always gets when…”
“NO, Anya. No sex.” Buffy interrupted giggling at the look on Giles’ face.
“Then what’s with the happy face?”
“No reason, I’m just in a good mood is all.” Buffy told her as she sat down at the research table beside of Giles. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?” she asked Giles, her smile still in place.
Giles finally looked away from her and closed the book he had been reading before looking back up at her. He didn’t think he had seen her smile that big since before the ordeal with Glory. “Well, a full report on the last two nights of patrolling would be helpful, seeing how you didn’t show up for the meeting.”
“Oh,” Buffy said, ducking her head slightly, “Sorry about that, I just got busy and didn’t really pay attention to the time.”
“I see.” Giles said as he looked at her. “What sort of distraction was it? A new demon? A nest of vamps?” he asked, pulling out his journal and finding his page.
“No, just regular slaying stuff.” She lied. No way could she tell him she had spent the last two evenings with Spike…BY CHOICE!
Giles looked up at her then, noticing a slight pink tint to her face as she idly picked at her fingernails. “I see.” He said, wondering what had brought on the blush that stained her cheeks.
“Are we going to train?” Buffy said as she stood and looked over at the training room. “I’m prepared to kick your butt today.” She told him, her smile once again returning.
“Yes.” Giles answered as he also stood. “We can go over your patrol later I suppose.”
Buffy nodded her head at him before walking towards the training room. She entered quickly, hearing Giles push his chair under the table. She sighed heavily, knowing her happy mood was going to be questioned and she wasn’t prepared to talk, at least not yet.
She had woke up that morning feeling better than she had in longer than she could remember and the reason behind it put a smile on her face she couldn’t seem to wipe off. ‘Spike’. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly as she thought of him and the growing flutters in her stomach whenever he was near came to life as the previous night once again played through her mind.
The near kiss they had almost shared made her skin tingle in anticipation at the mere thoughts of it and the light hearted banter they had shared the rest of the evening almost made up for the disappointing interruption that had taken away a moment she hoped to find again.
She had tried to figure out what was so different now, why the sight of Spike made her heart flutter instead of making her stomach turn as it had a few weeks ago. He was exactly the same, in every way but now……
Giles was standing off to the side, watching as Buffy stared blankly at the wall, a ghost of a smile on her face. He didn’t know what had her in such a good mood, but whatever it was, he had to be grateful for it. He had seen her depressed for so long; it was heart warming to see her seemingly happy again.
Clearing his throat, he slowly approached her, giving her a smile when she finally acknowledged him. “So, any preference to what we should work on first? I have some new techniques we need to go over, we could start there if you’d like?”
Buffy finally turned her head towards him, his voice finally snapping her from her thoughts. “Yeah, whatever is fine.”
“Alright then.”
~*~*~*~
“Hey G-man” Xander said smiling as Giles finally emerged from the training room.
“Xander, I do wish you would cease from calling me that.” Giles said as the others slowly filtered in. “It is most distressing.”
“Ah, come on Giles, you know it’s said with the up most respect.” Xander said grinning as Giles rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Yes, well respect me more by not using it in the future.”
“Where’s Buffy? She was supposed to meet with my teacher today?” Dawn said flopping down in a chair. “She’s missed that meeting twice now.”
“Yeah, where is Buffy?” Xander asked looking around. “Anya said she was here.”
“Oh, she had a few errands to run before patrol.” Giles told them as he grabbed his notes. “She has already discussed last night patrol with me and it looks as if everything is surprisingly quiet.”
“She’s not going to be here again tonight?” Willow asked, confusion marring her face. “I thought she was the one that wanted these meetings?”
“Yes, well….Buffy has had quiet a bit to deal with lately, so I wouldn’t think too much of her distracting behavior.” Giles said smiling. “I think she’s coping quiet well for what she has been through.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Willow replied. “She was actually smiling when she got up this morning.” She told them grinning. “Come to think of it, she had a goofy grin on her face yesterday morning as well.”
“I know.” Dawn said pitching in smiling. “She didn’t even tell me no when I asked if I could sleep over at Janice’s house all weekend, usually she’d just freak out and give a quick no.”
“Well, maybe her being little actually helped her see what we wanted.” Anya added as she joined the group at the table. “I mean, we all wanted her happy and now, for some reason she seems to be. Mission completed.”
~*~*~*~
Buffy walked slowly through the graveyard, her eyes scanning the darkened shadows that lined either side of her. The smile tugging at her lips was being forced away by the slight tingle of pain as she bit at the inside of her jaw.
She could feel him stalking her, moving slowly in the shadows as she made her way through the marbled markers that stood eerily quiet in the bright moonlight, casting shadows along the grass.
The slight crunch of dead leaves under her boots seemed to echo through the quiet cemetery, breaking the silence that hung around her. Stopping, she listened, her head turning from right to left, trying to get an exact fix on him. The slight tingle on the back of her neck signaled his presence, but there was something more than just that, it was as if she could feel him. She could feel his eyes on her, roaming over her form and the thoughts of it excited her more than it ever should.
Spike watched her from his spot leaning against a tree. A big smile graced his face as she turned in a circle looking for him. He knew she knew he was there, but he wanted her to come to him, needed her to make the first move. Not that following her didn’t make it easy, but the fact that she was actively searching him out thrilled him to no ends.
He had been near the cemetery gates after leaving his crypt when he saw her. She was almost running towards his crypt and he hid in the shadows and watched her. He was surprised to see her actually knock on his crypt door before entering and the disappointed look on her face when she stepped back outside made him giddy with joy.
“I know you’re there.” Buffy said, the smile that had been trying to break free since she first felt his presence finally winning as her lips curved.
Spike smiled, digging in his pocket for his smokes as Buffy slowly walked in a small circle searching the shadows. Pulling a cigarette from the pack, he placed it between his lips before grabbing his lighter.
Buffy saw the small flash of red out of the corner of her eye and turned her head quickly, staring into the darkness at it before it went out. Turning, she slowly started walking forward, the smell of cigarette smoke finally reaching her before her smile grew.
“You going to follow me around all night or help?” she asked, stopping a few feet from the darkness that hid him from her.
“Depends Slayer.”
“On what?” Buffy asked, seeing the red flame from his cigarette glow brightly before dimming again.
“On how badly you need my help.” Spike told her, still encased in the black recesses of his hiding place.
Buffy grinned as she leaned back on a grave marker and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, I don’t ‘need’ your help at all.”
“Oh?” Spike asked smiling, “So what do you want with me then?”
Buffy’s smiled faded slightly as she brought her hands down and placed them on either side of her on top of the grave marker. “Who said I wanted you?” she asked him softly, the fluttering in her stomach increasing as she saw the red flame of his cigarette glow brightly before it fell. She heard the slight crunch of leaves and watched as the red ember faded into nothing before she saw Spike emerge from the shadows.
The look on his face made her pulse race as his eyes bore into hers. His footsteps were silent as he slowly walked towards her; the only sound to be heard was the steady thumping of her heart as it beat wildly in her chest.
Standing, Buffy stare back at him, unable to tear her eyes away as he slowly approached her. The light from the full moon cast shadows across the sharp plains of his face, making his skin look paler than usual.
“You don’t want me?” Spike asked, his voice deep and sultry as he stopped in front of her. He could hear the rush of her blood as it surged through her veins and the thumping of her heart increased as looked at her.
*Oh God* Buffy said to herself as she swallowed hard and looked up at him. *Yes* her mind screamed, the word trying to force itself out of her mouth and she felt almost criminal thinking it. The bright blue in his eyes that had been there seconds ago were darkening by the second and her throat seemed to go completely dry as visions played through her mind. The usual disgusting thoughts of it, instead made her pulse quicken and her skin heat up as his question bounced across her brain.
Spike could see the inner battle she was waging with herself and a slow smile finally played across his face. “No need to answer just yet Buffy; plenty of time for that.”
Buffy finally released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in and realized how close he was standing to her. The look in his eyes caused her to swallow hard as she stare up at him before she smiled weakly.
“I need to patrol.”
“Figured as much.” Spike said, smiling at her breathless words. “Want some company?”
Buffy shook her head yes, unable to get her words out without it sounding like a breathy whisper.
Spike smiled before taking a step back away from her. He had to resist the urge to just lean down and kiss her, fearing she would resist him. He had taking enough rejection from her to last him two life times and he wasn’t about to mess things up now that they seemed to be working in his favor for once.
Buffy finally managed to compose herself, smiling as she turned and started walking, Spike falling into step with her. She had thought for a minute that he was going to try and kiss her again and she would be lying if she said she weren’t disappointed that he hadn’t. She still couldn’t figure out why the sudden change of heart where Spike was concerned came from. It had to be more than just the fact he had been so attentive to her when her friends spell had gone wrong. He had always been that way, only she never gave him a chance to do much before she would stop him. Could there have been more to her feelings for him all along that she had purposely denied?
Glancing over at him, Buffy’s eyes roamed over his features. She didn’t know why she hadn’t ever really paid much attention to him before, but she couldn’t deny that for a dead guy, he was quiet pleasing to look at. Hell, he was more pleasing to look at than most pulse having men she had seen.
She smiled to herself as she glanced away from him as he turned his head towards her. She could feel his eyes on her and she couldn’t help but crack a grin as she glance over at him.
“What’re you grinning at?” Spike asked smiling as he and Buffy neared the cemetery gates.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” he asked, “Then what’s with all the staring and smiling then?”
Buffy giggled, shoving her hands in her pockets before looking over at him. “Well, I was just wondering why I had never thought of you as attractive before.”
Spike smiled at that, a truly huge smile. “You think I’m attractive slayer?”
Buffy laughed, “Well, cute maybe, I don’t think I’d say attractive.” She told him, leaning her head to the side as she looked at him.
“CUTE!” Spike said loudly, his face twisting in disgust. “Puppies are cute slayer, the Big Bad is NOT cute, handsome maybe, sexy definitely.”
“Oh, Big Bad sexy vampires, Slayers of the world beware.” Buffy giggled, “What is that, a new way to get rid of us?”
“Hey, I’m very sexy I have you know.” Spike said grinning, “Damn fine specimen if I do say so myself.”
“How would you know?” Buffy said laughing, “You haven’t seen yourself in over one hundred and thirty years.”
“Been told, that’s how.”
“Well, they lied.” She said grinning.
Xander watched from the cemetery wall as Spike and Buffy laughed and joked with each other. His eyes were hard and cold as he watched; his knuckles white as he gripped the handle of the axe he had swung over his shoulder as he squeezed it with all his strength.
He had come to help out on her patrol and knew now why she didn’t ever ask for their help anymore since she had been returned to her normal self. The sight of them together was a little disconcerting but the fact that she was laughing and apparently enjoying herself in Spike’s company was more than disturbing.
Watching them exit the cemetery, Xander slowly moved from his hiding place, the scene he had just witnessed in the last ten minutes weighing heavily on him. Walking towards the cemetery gates, his mind tried to reason out Buffy’s state of mind since the restoration spell and knew something had gone wrong when they returned her.
Determined to make things right and get Buffy back to normal, he quickly walked in the opposite direction Spike and Buffy had went and made his way back to the Magic Box. If anyone would know if something went amiss in the spell, Giles would.
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