full 3/4 1/2   skin light dark       
 
 
And so it happens again (Sorta)
 
<<     >>
 






REPLAY



Sometimes I worry about myself. C is for cookies, not M. I think I got M because ‘cookies are for me’. *L* I fixed the last part. Now Spike corrects Buffy for her mistake.







Chapter 8- And So It Happens Again (Sorta)



She wasn’t prepared for the call. She knew it was coming, but she still wasn’t ready. The voice sent ice up her spine, freezing her in place. It always had that effect on her since he moved away.

She still loved him. She probably always would. But . . . Things were different now. They didn’t belong together. Given the chance, she wasn’t sure she would accept the opportunity.

Their meeting was strained.

Angel gave her a welcome hug. She closed her eyes and held him back. When they pulled back he stared at her for a long time.

“Buffy,” he whispered.

She gave him a smile.

They talked, and that was nice. But she could see it in his eyes. His heart was totally consumed by her. It made her uncomfortable. He hadn’t moved on, whereas she had.

“I’m cookie-dough,” she blurted out.

“What?”

Ding, I’m done.

“Nothing, I’ll explain it all later,” she said.

Apparently it wasn’t time for this conversation.

They parted ways. She saw the wrenching longing in Angel’s eyes as he walked away. A stab of guilt jabbed her heart. She had no trouble saying goodbye.

Maybe she didn’t love him the same way she used to after all.

Buffy didn’t bother to pick up chicken on her way back.

“Hello?” she called as she let herself into the house.

“Buffy,” Willow answered.

Confusion spread over Buffy. They weren’t in the dining room this time. She headed to the living room.

“Hey.”

Tara, Willow, and Dawn all sat on the sofa. Dawn glanced over.

“We didn’t know when you’d get back. We decided to wait with a movie. But we haven’t eaten yet,” Dawn said, her face bright.

The gesture warmed Buffy. She looked down at her empty hands.

“I-I didn’t pick up anything,” she confessed. Damnit.

“That’s all right,” Tara quickly said. “S-Someone can go get something.”

“I’ll do it. How does chicken sound?” Buffy suggested.

“Fine, but I can go fetch it. You just got back.” Willow said.

The red-head stood up. She headed to the door. Before leaving she gave Buffy a friendly squeeze.

“How’d it go?”

“Oh, uh . . . ya know. Intense. I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Oh. Sure.”

Buffy went into the living room. She plopped down next to her sister.

“Where’s Giles?” the slayer asked.

Tara seemed surprised she would ask.

“I think Mr. Giles is at the magic shop helping Anya,” the witch informed.

Buffy furrowed her brow.

“Okay.”

Dawn shot Buffy a look. She shrugged.

+ + +

The next day Buffy went out to apply for more jobs. She strolled down the street, in the direction of the clothing store. She tried to remember what was in style now as she neared.

Somebody bumped into her, drawing her out of her daze. She swayed. Some people could be so rude. She continued to the store.

The place was full of flares, shoes, and colorful tops. Buffy made her way to the service desk.

“Hi, can I-?”

All of a sudden things went hazy. There was a buzz.

“Miss? Miss?”

Buffy blinked. The clerk frowned at her.

“Can I help you?”

Buffy opened her mouth.

The buzz sounded again.

“Miss, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“I’m sorry,” Buffy apologized.

She turned and exited the store. People on the sidewalk zoomed past.

“Those twerps!” Buffy exclaimed.

She searched her sweater. She took it off. Her finger came across a small metal dot on the sleeve. She snatched it up into her palm. The device abruptly disintegrated.

The world went back to normal.

Buffy stood there for a few moments. She came to a decision.

Those geeks needed to be stopped right away before they got out of hand.

+ + +

Warren fell into a beanbag chair. “Okay, score me.”

Jonathan pondered. “Rrrright. Fifty points for ingenuity, another thirty since it involved actual contact.”

“Very smooth by the way,” Andrew added.

A grin came to Warren’s mouth.

“On the freak-o-meter she was at a zero, though,” Jonathan said.

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Andrew questioned.

Just then the van door was ripped open. A very pissed-off slayer stood there. She had her arms crossed. Jonathan and Andrew squealed and cowered away.

The slayer!” Andrew cried. “She found us.”

Jonathan just stared in fright.

“How’d you discover our evil deeds?” Andrew asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “You are so pathetic.” She glanced around the van.

Warren stood up. His eyes were cold.

“Okay, come with me quietly and no one has to get hurt.”

Jonathan reached over and grabbed his magic bone. Buffy entered the van and snatched it away.

“Hey!” the little man protested.

Buffy snapped the bone in two. She threw it back at Jonathan.

Andrew held up his hand, wooden pipes in his clutch. He began to bring them up to his lips. Buffy struggled with the nerd. Andrew bumped a button in his struggle. Star Wars music filtered into their ears. Again, Buffy stole one of their toys. She let the pipes drop and then smashed them with her heel.

“Ah!” Andrew shrieked.

Buffy grabbed both boys and pushed them out of the black van. She turned back to retrieve Warren. She was halted by a mist of green smoke. She coughed. She heard the screech of tires.

When the smoke cleared Warren and the van were long gone.

“He left us in the clutches of our arch nemesis!” Andrew yelled.

Jonathan shrunk back. “Are you going to hurt us?”

“Not if you cooperate,” Buffy said.

She dragged them off toward her house.

+ + +

Dawn entered the house. She stopped dead. Laughter spilled out of her. She doubled over, finding it hard to breath. Jonathan and Andrew were tied to the stair railing.

“The slayer’s sister mocks us,” Andrew said.

Dawn’s laughter lessened. “I have a name. Dawn.”

“Buffy!” Dawn shouted.

A few moments later Buffy came into view.

Dawn pointed to the nerd duo. “What’s up with them?”

“I managed to catch them in the act. Warren got away.” The last part was said with loathing.

“What are you going to do with them?”

Buffy shrugged. “Don’t know yet.”

“Can I torture them?” Dawn asked. She eyed the nerds crazily.

“Go ahead. But don’t kill them.”

“Do you mind watching them while I go out patrolling?” Buffy inquired.

“No problem. I’ll keep them company.”

Jonathan and Andrew didn’t like the sound of that.

“Thanks, Dawnie.”

+ + +

“Life is stupid,” Buffy complained. She tossed back a shot of alcohol.

Spike smiled.

The both sat in the crypt. A flask of whiskey was at arms length.

“I have a dim memory of that, yeah.” Spike put his shot glass down. “And I didn't figure you were here cadging my whiskey 'cause life's all full of blood and peaches.”

Buffy stared down at her half-full glass. “It’s just . . . My life is messed up. I think I know how to fix it, but it is going to be hard. Like, for instance, money. I need a job. I’ve been applying everywhere but no job. My last alternative is The Doublemeat. And I so don’t want to go there.”

“That place’ll kill ya,” Spike commented.

“I know.”

Buffy swallowed the last of her drink. She made a face and went ‘blah’. Spike smiled at her cuteness.

“Give it a few days. You’ll find something else. What you need is a night off. To forget your problems.”

“What do you suggest?”

Smirking, Spike said,” I’ll show you a good time.”

+ + +

Buffy had promised herself not to get drunk. All she wanted was to feel a little tipsy. She failed. She was well into the slurred-speech and impaired judgment phase.

They entered Willy’s bar, Buffy swaying on her feet. The place practically shook with loud rock music. It was crowded with drinking demons.

“Sss-pike,” the bartender greeted. He had a forked tongue the slithered. Spike nodded to him in response.

“The usual, Dave, and one for the lady. We’re headed for the back room, pet.”

Buffy reached for the shot glass instead of the whole bottle this time. She got it down in one swallow. As she did, she scrunched up her features and let out ‘ghah’.

Spike grabbed her arm. He led her toward the back. “This is where the real action is.”

The pair came to a small room. There were shelves along the wall that held alcoholic cartons. A green-topped table stood next to the far end. Four demons played cards around it. One had many eyes, another had tentacles, the next had horns, and the last one had saggy skin.

Buffy’s eyes widened at the loose-skinned demon. “Clem! Oh my gosh, it is so good to see you!”

Clem glanced up from the game. He gave Spike a weird look.

Buffy bit her lip, realizing her mistake. She attempted to cover it up. “Oh, um, Spike mentioned you.”

Spike rose an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.

“You in, Spike?” the green-skinned demon with horns asked.

“Yeah. Count me in.”

“He kills our kind, don’t let him in,” the many eyed thing said.

Spike hauled the demon up out of his seat and took his place.

Buffy crossed her arms. “Is this what you do every night? This isn’t my idea of fun.”

He ignored her.

The demons each produced a kitten, and placed it into a basket.

The slayer had had enough of this. She came over and knocked the basket over.

“Be free, kitties,” she said. She dropped them to the floor.

The cats meowed and ran away.

“They’re getting away,” a demon hollered. He got up to chase them.

Buffy stormed out of the poker room. She was almost out of the bar when Spike grabbed her. She yanked out of his grasp.

“What’s wrong, luv?”

“What’s wrong!? You-You. . . Vampire! I can’t believe I forgot how vampirish you could be!”

The tenderness vanished from Spike’s face. “Sorry to disappoint you. But despite the fact that I trail after you and your mates, I am in fact a ‘vampire’.”

Her green eyes hardened. She gestured toward the back room. “I can’t believe you brought me here. Whisky and poker are not romantic gestures.”

Spike stared, stunned.

“I thought you would take me on a walk, or star gaze, or ‘Something’. God, I miss the soul!”

She was hot, hot with anger and with alcohol. She didn’t know what was spilling out of her mouth.

“What was that?” Spike asked.

Buffy shook her head. She turned and stomped off.

+ + +

Giles handed Buffy a glass of water. She took it gratefully. She looked as if a train had smashed into her.

“Feel any better?” he asked in a soothing voice.

“I’m never doing that again,” she said. “And I mean it this time.”

“This time? . . . Wait, no, I don’t want to know.”

She gave him a small smile before setting the glass down on the bedside table. Then she sat on the bed. She grabbed the afghan off the bed and held it in her lap. Giles placed himself by her side.

A long sigh escaped Buffy. She fingered the fringe on afghan. “I’m going to get a job at the Doublemeat tomorrow,” she whispered.

“Oh, Buffy . . . You should go easy on yourself. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”

“The nice people from the phone company think it isn’t hard enough. Giles, I’ve made up my mind.”

Just then the phone rang. The slayer instantly jumped up. She grabbed the phone. Giles watched his slayer talk softly into the phone. It was mostly ‘uh huh, okay, and I see’.

“Really? That sounds great! Tomorrow is fine,” Buffy practically squealed.

She slammed the phone back down in its cradle. She turned toward Giles. A huge grin was plastered on her face.

“I got a job!”

“Buffy, that is wonderful.” He smiled.

“Yeah. I am now an official employee at the video store. I get free rentals and everything. Oh God, I have to go tell Dawn. She is going to freak.”

With that, Buffy fled the room. Giles stood. He stared at the door for a moment, his smile faltering. He reached into his pocket and produced a check. He sighed and then tore it in half.



That’s right. Giles doesn’t want Buffy to rely on him, but he doesn’t want to feel unneeded either. *shakes head*


 
<<     >>