Title of Chapter: Revelations

Author: Alicia08

Author’s note: In an effort to make up for shorter chapters, I longated this one just for you. Um, read, REVIEW and enjoy!!! *insert smiley face*

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“So... What was all that about?”
“All what?”
“All that,” Buffy pointed towards the dance floor. “Your little Diana Ross diva tude”
“Oh that. He owed me money”
“From what I hear. You have plenty of your own,” Buffy said.
Spike tilted his head slightly, a slight grin taking over his features. “Been doing your homework pet. I take it you have the hots for me”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Tara told me. I didn’t inquire”
“Right”
“Whatever. Don’t believe me.” The two exchanged a look and Buffy quickly changed the subject. “So, why pick a fight over money when you’re rolling in it?”
“Not the point love. I beat him square and fair. The pounce needs to pay up,” Spike affirmed slouching back into his chair.
Buffy looked to Spike taking him in fully. He was a very complex person she sensed, and had a desire to rummage through all that complexity eventually finding her way to the core. Her gaze shifted to the dance floor. Willow and Oz, were dancing to Cher’s ‘Do you believe in love’. Lips curving upwards, Buffy smiled as she looked at her best friend.
“Hey guys”
Buffy whirled around to see Tara and Cordelia standing behind her.
“You’ve returned to bless us with your presence. I’m thrilled,” Spike smirked, looking directly at Cordelia.
“Shut up Spike,” Cordelia spat, as she made her way around the table to take a seat next to Buffy. “I’m only here because Tara asked”
“Now why would you go and do a bleeding thing like that?” Spike grinned towards Tara.
“Spike. Stop!” Tara glared at him, pulling out a chair at the table closest to Spike and sitting. “Behave”
Buffy watched in amusement. One thing was obvious. The brunette and the blond… the one that wasn’t her and of the male persuasion that is, didn’t get along. No, that wasn’t quite accurate. Hated each other with the fiery passion of ten thousand suns, was more like it.
Yep… that’s it, Buffy thought silently. Either that, or they’re siblings, which she doubted. They looked nothing alike.
“Hey you,” a girl… a waitress, barely there skirt, with loads of booby cleavage greeted them.
No. Not them, Spike, Buffy realized, as the girl flirted with Spike shamelessly in front of them, not even aware there were 3 other occupants at the table.
“Um… hellooo. Your job is not to flirt with loosers.” Cordelia made it a point to direct her gaze at Spike when she spoke her last words. Refocusing her attention to the floozy… um waitress. “Can I get a Amaretto Sour, that is if your done doing whatever you were doing with retard boy over here”
Spike scowled and the waitress narrowed her eyes at the brunette, shooting daggers her way. Feigning amusement, she removed a pad and pencil from within her cleavage. “One amaretto sour for the she devil, and what would you two like,” she finished turning towards Buffy and Tara.
If glares could kill, the waitress would be of the non-living. Cordelia was pissed. She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off.
“I’ll have a dackery,” Buffy said, wanting to cut through the tension, before things got ugly-er.
“Same,” Tara added.
Winking and blowing an air smooch towards Spike, the waitress disappeared into the crowd.
“My... Aren’t you the popular one. Got a groupie and everything,” Buffy tossed Spike’s way, her eyes laughing.
“They can’t help themselves. I’m what you would call irresistible,” Spike smiled with his usual cockiness and garnered a smile, a shake of the head and a roll of the eye in return.
“Please. You wish,” the roll of the eye benefactor stated acidly.
“When will you admit to yourself your burning desire for me?”
“When pigs start sprouting wings, and Britney Spears becomes an amazing singer, so, Um, lets see. That would be NEVER,” Cordelia scoffed.
Spike seemed to disregard her comment, and turned to look towards the dance floor. “Those two getting it on all types of well”
Buffy followed Spike’s gaze, and spotted her friend and Oz, dancing and laughing, all smiles. “That they are”
“Jealous?” Cordelia, not the type to pass down any opportunity to mock her foe, said pleasantly.
Spike grinned, before turning to Tara. “Wasn’t that Christie with Angel the other day, getting all cozy and snug like?"
There goes this Angel again Buffy thought. Her gaze shifted to Cordelia, and the same flicker of sadness in the brunettes orbs she saw earlier at the mention of his name, came and went even quicker than it did before. Ok, there is definitely something more behind this, but before she could contemplate all the scenarios, the waitress made another appearance, this time with their beverages and Buffy sighed in relief for the interruption.
Cordelia looked as if she was ready to go postal on Spike’s ass. Although that would be something she would be interested in seeing, and more than likely would find amusing… she decided on her first night in a new town, that was not the way it should go down.
Tomorrow maybe.
The waitress placed their preferred alcoholic beverages in front of them, offering Cordelia the evil eye on the house. Winking at the departing waitress, Spike retrieved his quarter-empty Hennessy bottle and took a gulp. “She’s got potential”
“Potential for what? Being your hoe!” Cordelia jabbed.
Ok. This is never ending. Making up her mind, Buffy pushed away from her seat, walking over to where Spike sat. She grabbed his hand. “Lets go dance”. If she didn’t separate the two, fist would eventually start flying.
Buffy saw surprise if not utter shock in Spike’s eyes, but was quickly replaced by cockiness. “I knew you wanted me”.
“Whatever. Lets just go dance,” Buffy pulled him from the chair, and Spike willingly followed, admiring the curve of her body as he walked behind her.
Maneuvering herself through the crowded dance floor, Buffy turned around to face Spike. She lifted her hands around his neck and could feel him slide his arms around her waist, his fingers, resting slightly on her buttocks. Mentally rolling her eyes, she decided to let it go, and swayed with the music.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’ve got a great arse?”
Arching an eyebrow. “I’m just gonna pretend you didn’t say that”
“Why? It was a compliment”. Spike pulled her closer, their bodies pressed tightly against each other.
Buffy let out a weary laugh, as she moved to the music in Spike’s arm.
Spike looked to Buffy complex. “What’s so funny?”
“You”
“I’m glad you find me amusing, cause sooner if not already, you’ll eventually succumb to my charm as well. They all do,” Spike returned complacently.
“You’re super confident aren’t you?” Buffy laughed raising her head, her green orbs meeting a sea of blue.
Oh my. Those eyes.
“Depends. Does it get you all hot and bothered?”
Oh god. It does… did. The moment has passed.
Buffy looked up at Spike, his eyes hypnotic. She was very much attracted to him physically, but it ended there. She found him amusing and quite charming regardless of his arrogance, but emotionally, deep within, he did nothing for her. “Maybe”
“Maybe?” Spike repeated
“Maybe,” Buffy reinforced.
“Does that mean you don’t want me?” Spike said smugly
There bodies moved with the music nsync, Spike’s fingers making swirls down the curve of her back.
“You’re not my type,” Buffy responded off handedly.
“How would you know, when you haven’t even given me a test drive.”
“True, but my driving is nothing to write home about, so I just go on intuition”
“Intuition killed the cat”
Buffy arched an brow “Don’t you mean curiosity?”
“No”
Buffy decided it would be best not to respond, and rested her head into his chest. Looking off into space, she spotted Willow smiling at her inquiringly. Buffy automatically mouthed “NO”, in response. Then added “He’s not my type”
Willow rolled her eyes, and refocused her attention on her dance partner.
Sheryl Crow’s, ‘I shall Believe’, transitioned into ‘Sarah Mcglachlin’s ‘Full of Grace’, and it took Buffy a while to become aware. She felt so comfortable in Spike’s arm, her eyes closed, her mind clear and relaxed.
“Love”
Spike’s voice pulled her to attentiveness, and she slowly parted from him, disregarding the tingling down her spine. Damn, maybe she was emotionally attracted to him after all…..
“Look what you did”
Buffy followed Spike’s gaze in confusion, and came to a halt as her eyes widen at the bulge within Spike pants. Quickly averting her eyes in shock, she found herself gazing up at a gleeful Spike.
…….Or maybe not.
“Pig,” Buffy scoffed, starting to laugh. His expression showed no sign of remorse, the smirk on his face radiating. Buffy rolled her eyes in amusement.
“Oink oink”. Spike joined her laughter and pulled her to him.
They finished out the song in quiet, Buffy looking out into the crowds of dancing couple. She couldn’t help but think that she was an outsider. She was not a part of this town. The town where her mother had lived. The thought made her stomach knot, and ponderings of ‘what ifs’ filled her head. What if she was never given up for adoption? What if she had grown up with these people? Most of them were in her age range. Would Tara be her best friend rather than Willow or even Riley? Would Cordelia and her go on shopping trips together? After all, the girl had style, similar to her own. Spike? Would he be a fixture in her life? A boyfriend maybe?
She caught site of Cordelia on the dance floor dancing with a young man. Tall, slender, sporting a five o’clock shadow. Glancing to the table where they had sat, Willow and Oz had joined Tara and they seemed to be engrossed in a conversation. Well, Willow and Tara that is. Oz nodded from time to time, his arm slung around Willow’s shoulder. Buffy refocused her attention to the brunette.
“Did her and Angel have a bad breakup or something?” she asked, remembering the two brief moments where the mention of Angel’s name exposed Cordelia’s vulnerability and her pain. Her thoughts briefly drifted to her and Riley. She wondered if Cordelia’s situation was the same. Was it a case of unreciprocated feelings? Or maybe it was just a matter of a broken heart. She loved him, and he cheated on her with some bimbo hoe.
Spike turned his head to follow her gaze. “Usually breakups require actual dating, which was nonexistent”, he replied dryly. “Bugger if I know what the hell is wrong with the bloke. She throws herself at him day in and day out, and the poof don’t seem to be interested. Most guys in this town would give their left nut to have a shot with Ms. Prom Queen, but Angel isn’t most guys”
“I thought you didn’t like her?”
“Don’t mean I don’t got eyes. Sex is even hotter when there’s a little bit of hatred mixed it. Wouldn’t mind getting to know the softer sides of Ms. Cordelia Chase, if you know what I mean”
“Pig!” She pushed his shoulders feebly.
“I thought we cleared that up already,” Spike grinned mischievously.
The song came to an end, and Buffy parted from Spike. “I’m beat. Lets head back to the table”
His hands flew to the small of her back, his fingers playing with the soft silk fabric of her blue laced blouse, and led her off the dance floor, guiding her to the table that seated his friends, and Cordelia, who had parted with her dance partner seconds before. Lacking a chair, Buffy had reluctantly decided to take a seat on Spike’s lap, to his pleasure, after prodding her incisively to do so.
“So Will, you and Oz seemed to be burning up the dance floor for a while there. Had fun?” she smiled knowingly.
“Loads,” the redhead, returned giddy, turning to Oz, and smiling.
“Yes. An abundance of fun was had by all,” Oz added, returning Willow’s smile. “Listen, if you don’t mind, I was hoping to take Willow out somewhere tonight.” He paused, “that isn’t here. If you want me to drive you back to the hotel, I can”
“No need. I’ll take her home,” Spike offered
Buffy rolled her eyes in Spike’s direction before looking to Oz. “No. Of course I don’t mind.” She glanced at Willow with a smirk. “You two have fun. Spike here will drive me back to the hotel”
They sat and talked and drank some more for a while, before eventually, the occupants of the club started to disperse and head home. Tara and Cordelia parted ways first, and then Oz and Willow were next. Buffy and Spike left the clubs minutes later.
Spike drove a beat up Chevy Plymouth, which left Buffy wondering what someone knee deep in money would be doing in a vehicle like that. It wasn’t until half way to the hotel, that she raised the question and became aware that it held sentimental value.
Apparently, Spike had lost his virginity in this here contraption. Or was it that he’d taken many a virginity in this here contraption? Whatever! The four dackery’s she had, seemed to have affected her hearing. Sleep was pounding hard on her eyelids now, and she desperately wanted nothing more that to take a bath and fall into bed, which is what she did, once Spike dropped her off. He’d tried to persuade his way up to her hotel room, but even with her woozy disoriented stooper, she managed to keep a level head and refused.
And refused.
And refused.
Spike had many traits, being persistent was one of them.

*~*~*~*~*

“Who is it,” Buffy yawned, flinging the comforter from her body, as she clambered off the bed, and trudged towards the door. “Willow… is that you?”
“Um, no. It’s the ghost of Christmas past. Of course it’s me. Who else would it be?” Buffy could here the giggles of her best friend on the other side of the door.
“Why so cheery,” Buffy drawled, wiping the sleep from her eyes, as she opened the door, and ushered her friend in.
“No reason”
Buffy raised an eyebrow. “Right… and I’m Scrooge. What did you do last night?” Buffy asked, her sleepiness fading, as a curious smile spread across the blonds face.
“Nothing”
“You so do not have ‘nothing’ face”
“What? My face is a portrait, a canvas even of nothing-ness,” Willow returned, trying desperately but failing miserably to wipe the smile from her face, that threaten to expose the truth.
“Ha ha,” Buffy jumped, pointing to the redhead. “Look at that smile. It’s plastered all over your face. You’re in your smiley face mode”
“Am not,” Willow denied
“Are too. Now spill, before I have to beat it out of you.” Buffy saw Willow’s face brighten, and silently rejoiced that she had broken the red head. “Waiting”
“Ok ok. Um, he’s nice,” Willow smiled, as she dropped down on the edge of the bed.
“How nice?” Buffy chided, taking a seat next to the redhead, the bed shifting slightly from the weight.
“Really nice,” Willow sing songed, unable to keep her joy subdue. “He’s sweet, and cool, and laid back, and… I can talk to him with ease. It’s like I’m talking to you. A best friend”
“Awwwe. I think I’m gonna cry,” Buffy sniffed. “So what happened?”
“We went to Frankie’s, and ordered pizza, and then he took me to this clearing… Um, well, it’s actually a golf course. He said he likes to go there sometimes at night to be alone. We went Indian style, and just talked and ate”
“Awwwwweee”
“So, enough about me. What happened with you and Spike?” Willow asked intrigued.
“Noting happened with me and Spike Will. Are you forgetting?” Willow gave her a confused look. “Um, boyfriend. I have. Goes by the name of Riley. Tall, light hair… ring any bells”
Willow’s face became serious. “Buffy, you know as well as I do, that whatever it is Riley thinks he has with you, it’s in a totally different universe from what you think. I know you love him Buffy, but I also know you’re not in love with him. I don’t know why you don’t break it off, before things get messy”
“You know it’s not that easy”
“No. It is that easy Buffy. You’ve been putting this off for how long now in an effort to please your father. His parents. Him. But what about you? It’s time to think about what you want and nobody else”
Buffy sighed, falling back on the bed, the high ceiling of the hotel room coming into view. “I really don’t’ want to think about this now. Can we change the subject?”
“Sure,” Willow said, falling back on the bed as well. “Spike. Any sparkage?
Turning to face the red head, Buffy rested on her elbow. “Tiny Sparkage, but not enough. He’s just not my type”
“Too bad. He’s definitely a hottie”
“Your more than welcome to have him ya know,” Buffy smiled
“Kinda busy with a hottie of my own, but thanks for the offer”

*~*~*~*~*~

The hospital was built on high ground, the uphill slope leading to its front door, a treacherous journey for those with unsteady limbs. The floods that scarcely threatened the town, after an unruly devastating down poor, could never reach it, and it stood for years, secure and cool, an oasis in a landscape of mundane.
The rough stonework of the hospitals exterior was mellow in the afternoon sunlight, the green, of the well watered lawns stretched far and wide, creating a beautiful site. Buffy stood outside, longingly. Earlier that evening after her chat with Willow, she had contemplated 100 ways in which she would approach this situation. She would go to the hospital, find the midwife who delivered her and prod her for information. But a minute into her wanderings, she realized a heartbreaking possibility.
What if this information was something she didn’t want to hear.
Something that would disappoint.
She had paced the length of her room, trying desperately to dispel her worries, but with each step, thoughts of dissatisfaction bombarded her mind. She’d sit, but the worries didn’t wane, but rather, ran even more rampant. Her mind was in a state of fluctuation, jumping from one extreme to the next. Eventually, fearing the worse, indecisiveness crawled its way into her being.
She would go the hospital tomorrow. Put it off for a day. It’s not like she had to go this very moment. She had the whole week.
But, it was better to get it over and done with. Suck it in, balsy up, and just go. If you were given bad news, then you would just deal. Deal.
Hours later after much stress, she had ventured out of her hotel room, into the elevator, through the lobby and out into the cool breeze of the budding Spring. She stood on the edge of the green with her hands flung to her side, and her face to the afternoon sun. Looking to the glass doors, the entrance to her answers, she stood, welcoming the wind that caressed the softness of her exposed skin, and thought of her family. The ones she knew, although not biologically linked to her. All her life, she had wanted ties, needed ties, and she had it with Joyce and Hank. Her Aunt Olivia. Riley and Willow. Even Sam and Xander. But her relationship with Xander had faded slowly. He’d found Anya and his time became scarce. Sam and her were still close, but it wasn’t the same as it was before. Joyce was dead, and her father seemed distant in the coming mouths after her death. Aunt Olivia had kids of her own. And Riley. Well, the relationship between her and Riley was complex at best. Eventually, she knew in time, things would deteriorate between them. Willow had been right. She was never in love with Riley, but she hadn’t the courage, or the heart to tell him. When she did, and she planned to, things between them would never be the same.
Willow was the closest thing right now that Buffy had to a deep emotional tie. Someone she could be herself around. Talk to truthfully about her life without feeling any pressure to please.
Only now, standing still for the very first time in weeks, did that hit her.
Shivering at the thought, she took a deep breathe in an attempt to help settle herself, and it did. Help.
Nothing had changed. She still wanted ties and needed them. It had always been a comfort to her to have loved ones who surrounded her. And with so many diminishing ties knocking at her door, she desperately wanted to establish new ones. With that thought in mind, she sighed and took her first steps towards the entrance to the hospital.
She was ready. Good news, bad news. She was ready. The last few years of her life, this is what she yearned for. Answers to her heritage.

*~*~*~*~

At the window, overlooking the green, two men stood, looking out, taking in the view. Both men were tall and showing signs of graying hair. One wore a long sleeved blue shirt, the sleeves shoved up his arm, untidily. He wore black jeans, the glasses he wore, resting on the edge of his nose. The other was dressed more formally. A gray button down shirt, accompanied by a suit jacket and slacks, his attention fixated on something or someone on the green.
“Very Pretty, don’t you think?” William Preston said. He was the one with the gray shirt and graying hair. He was also the one who the staff of the hospital in which he owned, not to mention is named after, feared most. He was stern, his demeanor threatening. He’d seen his own father succumb to powerful man, and as a child he’d sworn never to succumb to no one, but rather have them groveling at his feet.
Rupert Giles, although demanding and assertive, never garnered such trepidation from those who worked for him. He unlike his business partner didn’t find it necessary to impose fear, to receive respect. Plus, that wasn’t his style. “That she is”
“Her name is Buffy. Buffy Summers,” a voice to the left said, pulling up the blind, and peering through the adjacent window following the gazes of the two men.
“Say that again,” William turned to the source of the information, his expression unreadable.
“Buffy Summers”
Recognition engulfed his features, his eyes downcasted. He glanced out the window, only to turn to the younger occupant of the room. “I thought I told you to take care of the Trenton case? Bastards got a few things coming if they think they are gonna get one dime of my money”
“Peaches is on it. No need to get your knickers up in a bundle Pops”
“Can you not call me that,” the person of discussion spat as he entered the office, a pile of papers in his hand.
“Angel is such a sissy little name don’t you think. Peaches fits you so much better”
“And Spike is something to write home about,” Angel turned to address the blond, for a mere second, before heading to the window, and handing his boss the bundle of papers in his hand. “They need your signatures before the day is over. Kyle Trenton is really pushing this lawsuit. The sooner I get this paper work out of the way, the less hassle we’ll have to deal with if this actually goes to court.”
“Court? How likely is that possibility?” Rupert queried, taking off his glasses, removing the handkerchief from his pocket and proceeding to clean his eye spectacles.
“It’s a possibility, a tiny one, but it’s best if we are prepared just in case,” Angel said.
William took one last look out the window before ushering Angel to his desk. “Listen”, he began, lifting his wrist to gage the time. “I have a meeting in less that 10 minutes. It’s gonna take up the rest of my day. Why don’t you stop by the house with the papers. We can go over the details then. You can stay for dinner.” William caught a glimpse of Angel’s vacillating manner and quickly added, “Bring Dru along. I haven’t seen her for so long.”
Angel’s hesitation did not go unnoticed, to his dismay, and quickly tried to deter from the fact by agreeing to the invite with a warm smile. “She’d love to go”
“Great, so I’ll see you at around 7 then”. William patted Angel on the back, and quickly left the room, leaving the occupants of the office glancing to the next puzzled.
“That was unusual. Spike” Rupert began turning to the blond. “Would you happen to know what that was about?” Rupert asked.
“Bugger if I know,” Spike shrugged, dropping into the leather couch, resting his foot on the tiny marble centerpiece table.

*~*~*~*~*

Buffy entered the lobby, and made her way to the front desk. A young lady smiled at her welcomingly. “Can I help you?”
“Um, yes. I’m looking for one of your staff. Valrose Dallen?” Buffy finished hopeful.
“Oh, I’m sorry but Rose is not in today. You can come back tomorrow. She’ll be on duty then,” the young lady offered politely.
Buffy frowned. “Um, is it possible if you could tell me where she lives. It’s really important,” she said genuinely
The lady behind the counter grimanced. “I don’t know, I’m not suppose to give out that kind of information”. Buffy’s expression was one of desperation and the young lady smiled. She tapped a few pads on the keyboard. “You seem nice so…”
Her words died out, and her eyes flew past Buffy, fear or maybe intimidation flickering in her brown orbs. Buffy looked at her complexed, then swung around to follow her gaze.
“Buffy Summers I presume”
Buffy turned to look at the young lady inquiringly, before turning her gaze back to the elder man who seemed to know who she was. “Yes. That would be I”
“William Preston”. He extended his arm, and shook hands. “ This may come as a surprise, but I’m a long time friend of your fathers”

To be continued……

Authors notes 2: Ok, ok. I promise in the next chapter we will have the meet-age of Buffy and Angel. Cross my heart and hope to… Um, never mind. I’m fond of my life, and really don’t want to jeopardize it right now. Just take my word for it.

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