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Cousin Arabella by Lilachigh


Chapter 8 We’re not Together

Thank you to everyone for great reviews. Sorry this chapter has been a bit delayed. Hope you enjoy it.



“Div’vid,” Buffy said, “Can we sit down to talk. It’s really hard to concentrate when your feet aren’t on the ground!”

The seven foot green regurgitating Frovlax demon stared down at the small blonde girl he held in his arms as they danced and realised her toes were a good six inches above the shining dance floor.

“My deepest apologies, Miss Summers,” he boomed in his deep, cowlike voice and dropped her.

Buffy regained her balance and let him lead her away from the ballroom, out into the cool garden. She glanced over her shoulder to see what Spike was doing. Her heart sank as she saw Arabella appear in a swish of blue velvet, link her arm through Spike’s and begin to dance.

The marble terrace lead to a flight of steps that curved down into a formal garden with little gravel paths and a huge raised pond with a fountain of a leaping dolphin in the centre. The fine spray pattered down on the surface of the water and drifted into her face, cooling her heated skin.

She sat down on the stone wall of the pond and Div’vid seated himself next to her.
“Miss Summers - ”

‘Oh, please, call me Buffy. Miss Summers sounds so - so old and creaky.”

‘Buffy! That’s such a nice name.” His expression became as stern as a very nice cow can look. “ Now Buffy, I want to know what’s going on between my wife and William. How can he look elsewhere when he has such a lovely lady as yourself.”

Buffy bit her lip. “Spike - I’ve always called him Spike, you know - well, we’re not together - I mean, I know we’re here together, but he needed a partner for tonight and I wasn’t busy, and so - ’

Div’vid waved a huge emerald paw to stop her. “Buffy, I may only be a Frovlax, but even I can tell when people are in love.”

“In love!” Buffy spun round so fast that she almost fell backwards into the fountain. Div’vid’s huge hand caught her shoulder and held her fast.

‘We’re not - I’m not - well, he says he - but I don’t - ” She gazed into the deep velvety brown eyes and found her voice drying up. She was finding it impossible to say she didn’t love Spike.

But that was ridiculous. She was the Slayer, Chosen One, a save the worldy, lurking in graveyards type person. He was an evil vampire. She killed vampires. Tonight was an exception, of course, but she was only here as a favour.

OK, he was chipped and harmless and occasionally helpful and very good at sex and sometimes she felt she would crawl over broken glass if it would make him touch her in a certain way he had, but in love - ?

No, surely love was what she’d felt for Angel. It was flowers and sighs and gazing out of windows waiting for him to appear. It was sighing and crying and all the urgent longing to hold hands and walk in the moonlight.

She’d never had any urge to hold hands with Spike. She knew exactly what she wanted his hands to do; she knew what she wanted to do to him. Oh God, did she know. She’d never imagined doing anything to Angel! She’d never known half of the things she and Spike did together even existed!

But Angel had been her first love when she was so young, so immature. Spike was - Spike is your last love, your real love, a voice said in her head.

Real love, Buffy suddenly realised was about connecting - not just hearts and flowers and anguish, but connecting on every level of your being. Angel had loved being in love, but had never tried to solve the problem that parted them. He just walked away from it. He loved the angst, the trauma, the pain. She knew with a complete certainty that if she and Spike ever faced a problem like that, he would go anywhere, do anything to try and make it work.

And the shock of the truth speared through her in a red hot lance.

Div’vid was speaking again, ignoring her confusion. “Why does William try to take my Arabella away from me?’

“He isn’t! He wouldn’t! He loves Arabella, but just as his cousin, as family. He’s very fond of her. He’s told me that.”

Div’vid looked at her. ‘Arabella has told me he has made certain - advances - towards her. Arabella would never lie.” His kind brown eyes suddenly gleamed red with demon light. ‘If I felt William had touched my wife in that way...I would kill him!“

Buffy stared at him in despair. If it wouldn’t have made such a mess of the little hairstyle she had left, she would have run her fingers through her hair in temper.

Div’vid was such a sweet, lovable guy. And she was getting royally pissed off that she couldn’t tell either him or Spike exactly what sort of woman Arabella actually was. She was getting so fed up with having to worry about protecting the feelings of the males in this triangle.

But Div’vid was so sweet; she could only imagine how hurt he would be to discover what a big ho his wife was.

Spike and his cousin, Div’vid and his wife. And she was right in the middle!

“Hey, there’s obviously been some sort of misunderstanding. Why don’t we - perhaps we can all - ” she was floundering, wishing that Giles was here. He’d know exactly what to say. Then she remembered something her mother had said to her once when she was squabbling with Dawn - “Why don’t we all sit down together and talk it out. Then everyone can say what’s on their mind and clear the air.”

The big demon’s ferocious frown faded a little and he put his arms round Buffy and gave her a hug that almost broke her ribs in several places.

“You are a good girl, Buffy. William is lucky to have you. Yes, you are right. We will all sit and talk. Arabella is such a sensitive girl. She suffers badly with her nerves, you know. She’s very delicate, not strong as I feel you are. I call her my little flower, sometimes. Maybe she has read too much into a cousinly gesture. Maybe William was drunk - although that wouldn’t stop me from killing him, of course.’

Buffy sighed with relief. What she’d like to do is pick the little flower and trample it into the mud. But OK, no trampling. There was no way Arabella could sit with Spike and her husband and continue with this pack of lies. Buffy knew she hated Spike’s cousin with every fibre of her being, but she also had a good idea that she wasn’t dim. Surely she would see she had to stop playing these silly games.

She stood on tip toe in front of Div’vid as he sat on the fountain wall and kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, “I’ll sort it out. It’s what I do.”

“There! William! Look! ” It was Arabella, standing on the steps leading down from the terrace, pointing dramatically at Buffy. Spike was standing next to her, looking puzzled.

“I told you she wasn’t to be trusted. The little bitch is kissing my husband! Kill her! Do it for me, William. She’s leading my Div’vid astray. Kill her!’ She vamped out, her blue eyes glittering gold. ‘Kill her now!’

to be continued





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