Chapter 3

Walking away.

Buffy stared at the man next to her, Spike, she frowned, that’s what he had said his name was. She spared one more glance before slipping from his grasp and from under the covers and gathering her clothes to get dressed. She wondered if she should stay and talk to him, quickly shaking the idea from her mind.

What would she say to him? It’s not like they were ever going to see each other again. She doubted that once he found out that she was only sixteen and not twenty one years old, that he would ever want to see her again. She knew she shouldn’t have lied to him to begin with, it was wrong and unfair but how would she have explained how she got into the club?

Sighing, she shook her head and silently slipped on her shoes, grabbing her purse and mobile phone from the floor. If she had been honest with him to begin with would he have pursued her? Still wanted to get to know her? She doubted it but then again Xander loved Cordy and he was twenty two and she was only seventeen.

“That’s different.” she told herself. “They’ve known each other since they were kids and fell in love over time. They couldn’t fight it, they were meant to be together.” she sighed sadly, Spike had been everything she had ever wanted in a guy. He was smart, funny, good looking… actually he was drop dead gorgeous, he had the whole bad boy look going for him, a fantastic lover and just a splash of dangerous.

Maybe if she stayed they could talk over breakfast? She could explain why she had lied and they could work something out. “Don’t be stupid, Buffy. The guy would freak out!” her mind yelled, the vibrating of her mobile in her hand jarring her from her thoughts. Seeing Codry’s name flashing on the screen she quickly answered.

“Hello,” she whispered, hoping not to wake Spike before she could leave.

“Buffy where hell are you? I just went to you room and you didn’t answer!” Cordy all but yelled into the phone.

“Chill out, Cordy, I’m fine, I just stepped out to get breakfast,” she lied.

“Don’t you dare lie to me Elizabeth Buffy Summers! My motel room is right next to yours and I didn’t hear you come in last night and I’ve been awake for hours so spill…. Where are you?” Buffy cringed at the sound of her best friend using her full name, she hated it when she did that. She felt like she was a five year old child being scolded by her mother.

“I’m on my way back to the motel now, okay.”

“Your dodging…Why are you dodging? Where are you?... Oh my God, Buffy! Did you go home with a guy last night?” she could hear Cordy laughing and Xander’s voice in the background, asking her if Buffy was okay. Buffy felt her face go bright red with embarrassment.

“What?... N-no I would never…” she stammered.

“You did! You little slut” Cordy laughed again.

“Shut up, Cordelia… I’ll see you soon.” She whispered harshly into the phone before hanging up. She could still hear Cordy’s laughter, mocking her as the phone clicked shut. Buffy turned to take one last look at Spike’s sleeping form, wishing more than anything that she could stay. Knowing this would be the last time she would ever see him again she crept over to the bed and bent down to kiss his check softly.

“Goodbye, Spike.” she whispered, turning and walking out of his room and out of his life. It wasn’t until she had reached the footpath did she take out her phone to call a cab.


*Two hours later*

Spike stretched his arms above his head, letting out a content sigh. He rolled over to hug Buffy and his eyes snapped open when his hand met the empty bed. His eyebrows creased into a frown as he sat up and looked around the room for any signs of her, her clothes, purse and phone were all gone, it was clear she had left.

Getting out of bed he slipped on his jeans, looking for any sign of a note or number but there was nothing, she had just left. He couldn’t believe it, he was the one that usually slipped out of a girls room without so much as a goodbye. Spike ran a hand through his hair, when he and Buffy started talking last night he knew things were different, she was amazing, smart and beautiful.

She went to UC Sunnydale and was studying art, she love poetry and didn’t laugh when he said he loved it too, she had moved like liquid sex on the dance floor and had a smile that could knock you dead. Buffy had been the most amazing lover he had ever had, she was perfect or so he thought.

How could she just leave? He had asked her to his place so he could make her breakfast in the morning, usually he suggested going to their place so he could slip out unnoticed in the morning but this time he had no intention of doing that. He wanted to be with her in every way possible.

He hadn’t felt like this since his ex, Drusilla. He had only been a young boy of sixteen when she had blown into his life like a storm, rocking his world and changing him from the once geeky William, who was always reading and studying and pretty much a full time loner and into Spike.

His once floppy brown locks were replaced with bleached blonde hair that he mostly kept slicked back. He no longer wore tweed suits, opting to wear tight black jeans and red or black shirts which he covered with his black leather duster. Drusilla had snapped his thick black rimmed glasses and replaced them with contacts…. She had changed his life, changed who he was and in the end had ripped out his heart.

The only person who had stuck by his side was Xander, the only real friend he’d ever had.

Dru had been eight years his senior and a student at UCLA when they had met, he was only in high school at the time. His parents had at first been supportive of his decision to date an older woman, understanding as his father had been eight years older then his mother when they had first met. Jenny had been twenty and Giles twenty eight but the moment they had met Drusilla in person and had truly gotten to know her, they decided that maybe it was better if he stopped seeing her.

Spike of course had disagreed, saying he loved her and would continue to see her no matter what. Jenny and Giles had tried their hardest to stay supportive and not interfere in his relationship, in fear of losing their son. Things drastically changed just after Spike had turned eighteen. He had driven out to Dru’s place to propose to her, only to find her in bed with another man. Sadly, it hadn’t been the first time he had feared she was cheating on him but actually seeing it was different.

Dru had laugh hysterically at him and invited him to join in, he had run out of the apartment and never gone back again. They split up shortly after that, Spike went to college at UCLA and Dru had left for England with her new boyfriend, Lindsay McDonald.

Spike had been devastated, his parents had been supportive, always there for him to help him through the tough times. It didn’t take Spike to long to change his view on relationships, he thought it better to get what you need and to get gone. Dating someone older or younger then you was just a bad idea all together, it only led to disaster. He thought he would never feel so much for someone again after Dru had left, until Buffy had walked into his life.

A part of him felt like kicking himself for sleeping with her, wishing he had taken it slow but after hours of talking, laughing, and dancing together he had wanted her, needed her more than anything in his life. Had to have her. It was almost like he couldn’t control himself around her.

He had thought she felt the same but it seemed that she had just been looking for a good time. Spike was jarred from his thoughts when he heard the front door open and close, his best friend Xander walking in.

“Good morning.” Xander smiled, his tone bright.

“There’s nothing good about this morning,” Spike grunted.

“You okay buddy?” Xander asked, concerned.

“Fine,” Spike sighed, shaking his head. “So how was your date?”

Xander looked almost scared.

“Date?”

“Yeah, you know…” Spike raised his eyebrows. “the woman you ditched me for in the club?”

Xander remembered going to the club and pretty much abandoning Spike straight away. He’d sent him a message from his mobile once he had spotted Cordy, saying he had met some hot brunet and was going back to her place.

“Oh, yeah. It was great, she’s a keeper that one.” he smiled, Spike shook his head at him.

“You say that about every woman you go home with lately”

“And I mean it every time.” Xander smiled thinking of Cordy, he felt bad for lying to his best friend every time he went out to meet Cordy but he knew it was better this way… for now.

“Yeah, right.” Spike laughed “So what was this one’s name?” Xander was shaking with nerves, thinking fast he replied.

“Lizzy.” Elizabeth was the first person to pop into his head, cutting her name short it just flew out of his mouth.

“You know,” Spike raised one eyebrow. “It occurs to me that in the past year I haven’t even met one of these “Keeper” girls.”

Xander swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat, it was getting harder and harder to lie to him and he felt guilty every day. Spike was his best friend, had been since they where kids but he loved Cordelia and he couldn’t lose her.

“Enough about me,” Xander laughed. “What happened with you last night after I left? Anyone grab your attention?” Xander smiled praying, begging that he would drop it and much to his relief he did.

“Yeah,” Spike whispered, moving past Xander and into the kitchen to put the kettle on.

“Doesn’t sound promising.”

Spike turned to face him, leaning back onto the counter and taking a deep breath.

“Actually, it was great. We talked, we drank, danced a little and then she came back here for the night.” Xander looked beyond shocked.

“You what? Wait, you actually asked her back here?” He pointed to the floor. “To your house, here?”

“Yeah…” Spike nodded, a smile playing on the edge of his mouth. “She was like no one I’ve ever met before, she’s smart, sexy and funny. I wanted to get to know her, not just disappear in the morning, you know.” He met Xander’s eyes. “But when I woke up she was gone.”

“I’m sorry, man.” Xander whispered.

“Probably my own fault, you know karma and what not… Done it to so many women since Dru…” he shrugged. “What goes around comes around I guess,” he sighed.

“Mate, Dru put you through the ringer, it’s only natural that you wouldn’t want anything serious after that and hey,” he smiled. “Maybe this girl will show up again, I mean she knows where you live.”

“Somehow I don’t think so,” Spike whispered.

“This smart, sexy, funny girl… what was her name?” Spike looked up at his friend, taking a deep breath.

“Doesn’t really matter anymore does it?” he replied, moving past him and heading for the bathroom.

Xander sighed, he had never seen Spike like this at least not since Drusilla “Bitch” he couldn’t help but think about Drusilla. He hoped Spike was wrong and he hoped that this mystery woman showed up again someday, hopefully sooner rather than later.