Joyce glanced up at a blond
vampire whose restless pacing was wearing a hole in her dining
room carpet.
His ferocious scowls she simply ignored; but when he began
muttering about "fraternity wankers" she decided to
intervene.
"You could have gone with them, you know," she
said calmly. "Buffy did invite you."
"To a sodding frat party...when she was going with that
pillock!"
"His name is Jason," Joyce commented.
"Yeah, what kind of nancy name is that, I ask you!"
Joyce continued as if he had not spoken. "And Buffy
had to go with him- the party is FOR him! It's Jason's
birthday."
Spike snorted. "Probably just an excuse for the wanker
to get into her knic...uh, alone! On a date! A
DATE!"
"Now stop that," Joyce scolded. "It
wasn't a date; it was a party invitation. And- why didn't
you go?"
He avoided her eyes. "I would have...I was going to
say yes, the next time she asked me...but she didn't ask
again!"
"Buffy's not the begging type, remember?" Joyce
reminded.
Spike gave her a wry grin. Then, his eyes widened as a
horrible thought occurred to him.
"Joyce! This party...there won't be...kissing, or
anything...will there?"
Joyce considered. "Oh, I would think so...a birthday
kiss, at least."
Spike groaned, and dropped his head into his hands.
"Don't tell me anymore...I bloody well don't want to
know!"
Joyce regarded the vampire with sympathy; she'd always had
a soft spot for bad boys with British accents. What's more,
she strongly suspected her daughter did, too. As for Spike,
ever since he'd moved back to Sunnydale and had to join forces
with Buffy, he'd been acting downright lovesick.
The problem was, she decided, that neither wished to be the first
to admit to romantic feelings for a former enemy. Instead,
they bantered and bickered; for all the world like a modern
Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing.
A seed of an idea began to grow in Joyce's mind. But,
she'd need help....
"Wha...Joyce!" Rupert Giles suddenly found it
hard to swallow, as he looked at the woman on his doorstep.
Joyce clenched her teeth. She hated to admit it, but he was
as maddeningly attractive as ever. She forced herself to
keep her mind on business.
"Er, yes, as it happens, I do know Spike's birthdate.
It was in the information Whistler brought me when Spike first
joined our cause. Why do you ask?"
Joyce told him.
Over the next couple of weeks, the relationship between Spike and
Buffy was worse than ever. Jason was always hanging around,
and Buffy seemed to enjoy flaunting him in front of an
increasingly glum demon. She even insisted on bringing
Jason to the party Joyce was organizing for Spike.
"Why not? After a night of listening to Spike telling
me what an idiot I am, I'll need a little worship!"
"Of course, dear, " Joyce agreed serenely.
Buffy was oddly restless; Spike had gone off with her
Watcher. She'd had a date with Jason but had decided to
cancel- somehow it wasn't nearly as much fun to go out
without Spike there to yell at her for neglecting her
duties. Anyway, Willow was coming over to study later....
Buffy started down the steps, but paused when she saw her mother
whispering with Willow in the hall.
Whispering?
"I told Spike to try to overcome it," her mother
was telling her friend. "Buffy would never date him
anyway."
DATE him? Date Spike?? Buffy crept a little
closer.
"No...Buffy isn't that smart," Willow
agreed. "Spike would only get hurt, and he's a sweety
even if he IS a vampire!"
"I know what to do," Joyce said brightly.
"I'll mention some of Buffy's less attractive qualities,
like the way she's always late..."
"And buys so many shoes!" Willow squeaked.
"Spike will soon get over her, and move on."
"I could invite some girls from school to the
party," Willow offered eagerly. "I know one
who thinks Spike is really hot!"
WHO??! Buffy almost demanded, before remembering she wasn't
supposed to be listening.
Spike shifted restlessly in his seat, thinking about the Slayer
and her new lapdog, Jason. He tried to pay attention while
the Watcher and Oz discussed some prophecy, but his mind kept
wandering to a small blonde girl with green eyes.
"Hmmm, I think I left the Lorton Commentary on my
desk," Giles said absently. "Spike, would
you..."
"I'll get it!" Spike jumped up, pleased to have
an excuse.
The parchment was easy to find; he started back but paused
when he heard Buffy's name.
"So, Buffy really has Willow worried," Oz was
saying.
"I know, " Giles sighed. "I'm at my
wit's end. She's a girl whose feelings run very deep.
She loves so intensely...and this time, she's so..."
"Totally in love," Oz agreed. "And he
couldn't care less....poor Buffy!"
Spike's demon surfaced. The Slayer- HIS Slayer- was in
love? Was in danger of getting hurt??
"The situation is especially difficult; because she
must work so closely with Spike," Giles said solemnly.
WHAT!!? The sound of his name hit Spike like a
thunderbolt; he stumbled against the door, which thudded
audibly.
Giles and Oz resolutely ignored it.
"Maybe we should tell Spike that Buffy loves
him?" proposed Oz.
"I doubt that," Giles demurred. "It's
not like he's interested in her at all."
"I know," Oz said, "so Willow says Buffy's
just going to go on pretending she doesn't care, either."
Spike collapsed against the door in shock. Buffy...Buffy
loved and wanted him? Dazed, he let himself out of Giles'
apartment and headed for home; he had a lot to think about.
The party was in full swing...Oz's band had never played
better; Xander and Cordelia were actually speaking
again; and the house was full of revellers.
Only two people were not enjoying themselves.
One was Spike; ever since he'd discovered that Buffy loved
him, he'd been eager to confront her about it...but somehow a
group of girls from the college had surrounded him and he was
temporarily trapped...he gave Buffy a longing look. Cor,
she looked smashing in a tiny purple dress that showed off her
long legs- and most of the rest of her!
Buffy pouted when she saw Spike's entourage. She was dying
to know how long he'd been crazy about her...but first, she'd
make that slut in the scarlet dress let go of his arm!
Joyce drew Spike away from the girls, "Will you please
bring up some extra glasses from the basement? We're
running out."
Spike could refuse her nothing; he headed downstairs...
"Oof!"
"Slayer? Is that you?"
"Uh-huh, Giles said we needed a cake plate."
"I have to get more glasses, pet."
Neither moved.
"Where's your lapdog?" he asked.
"Where's your groupies?" she countered.
"Jealous?" they demanded in unison.
"Not bloody likely," he snarled.
"In your dreams!" she retorted.
They stopped, staring at one another.
Buffy couldn't seem to catch her breath...it was like she
couldn't stop looking at him. He avoided her eyes- he
seemed almost ..shy.
"Slayer," he mumbled. "It's my
birthday...does that mean I get a kiss?"
She couldn't speak, but she stepped forward, opening her arms to
him in wordless invitation. His lips touched hers gently,
tentatively...he was trembling violently and afraid she would
realize...
Then- he forgot about being gentle, as the world stopped
for both of them.
Spike knew nothing else...wanted nothing else...it was enough to
be here, alone in the dark, with his mouth on hers. Buffy
didn't even notice her surroundings; she only knew that she
wanted to stay in his arms forever.
There was an old couch in the basement; and somehow they
found their way over to it...sinking down for their first visit
to a place they could only reach together.
Up in the kitchen, Willow leaned against the basement door; but
the sounds from below made her quickly step back and lock it.
"Well?" Joyce asked expectantly.
"They, uh...seem to be getting along," Willow
squeaked.
"It worked!" Joyce beamed happily at her
accomplices. "I love Spike like a son; and now
he will be!"
"Yes, well," Giles cautioned, "I still
think that in general it is best NOT to interfere in... umm,
affairs of the heart."
"You're just not romantic," Joyce sniffed.
Giles raised his eyebrows, offended. "I'll have you
know, I can be very romantic!"
"HAH!" Joyce sneered.
Willow and Oz were interested spectators as the dispute turned
into a full-fledged argument.
"Oz," Willow whispered, "do you
think..."
Her boyfriend gave Giles and Joyce a knowing look. "I
think Spike and Buffy aren't the only ones who could stand to
brush up on their Shakespeare!"
Willow smiled in delight. "Maybe we could help?
I bet that Spike and Buffy will too! What would you say,
Oz? "
Oz grinned. "I'd say...'All's well that ends
well!'"
