Part Ten Of
THE PARADISE SERIES
By Bitch Willow
Rating: PG mild
Classification: Willow/Spike, small bit of W/O
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from BTVS. That'd be the gods of Mutant Enemy
and all those other evil revered beings who won't let Willow be happy. So I
have to fix it, goddammit. The music is from THC's Adagio cd.
Summary: Buffy tries to figure out what's going on with her friends. Dedicated:
To the word logomachy, cause I actually remembered it on the test.
The Bronze was happening, no doubt about that. It was full of rambunctious teenagers and twenty-somethings, mostly grouped around the pool tables and the bar. But there was little joy in Table-ville, as Buffy was chosing to call their preferred table. It was preferred because it could fit the entire newly regrouped Scooby Gang. Them being herself, Xander, Oz, who was staring intensly at the stage, Willow, who was staring mournfully at Oz, and Spike, who was nowhere to be seen.
Onstage, the blond lead singer writhed and twisted, her red lips grinning. Her hazel eyes staring lustily at Oz.
Dip a finger in me
And paste my word on your machine
"She's, um. Good. Don't you think, Oz?" Willow turned to her boyfriend with a big uneasy grin, and Buffy sighed to herself. < If he doesn?t stop staring at that bitch, there's gonna be trouble in honey-land. Justified trouble. >
Oz shrugged. "Nothing special," he said nonchalantly, but he didn't take his eyes off of Veruca. Buffy could see his nostrils flaring almost imperceptibly.
"I dunno. She has a certain...geah!" Xander cried out as Buffy kicked him. "What the--oh. Um, yeah. Just a blond girl with a husky voice and a nice...I'm gonna stop right there," he trailed off as Buffy glared at him and Willow turned her hurt-face on.
"Oh, hey. Spike," Buffy supplied perkily. Sure enough, the bleached blond was over at the bar with a plastic cup in his hand. Willow visibly stiffened.
"Well, call him over. He can sit with us, and then we'll converse over a big cup of blood," Xander drawled. "I can just imagine the conversation: 'So, killed anyone I know lately?'"
Buffy grinned at the sarcastic townie. "What's your problem today? You usually get along pretty well with Spike, despite the logomachy you two have going on. Parents up the rent?"
"Yes," Xander spat with a roll of his eyes. "But mostly, you know. I just think Spike should be a work buddy, if a buddy at all. He may be working on our side, but he's still a soulless demon. Right, Oz?" He nudged the werewolf.
"Huh?" Oz barely glanced at the other man. Xander sighed, and Buffy quickly turned to Willow to distract her from her boyfriend's roving eyes.
"C'mon Willow. You like Spike. Tell Xander what a nice guy he is."
"He's right." Willow's voice was almost monotone.
Buffy smirked. "See, she agrees with--huh?" She turned to the redhead with a confused look on her face. < A week ago they were practically doing each other's hair. What happened? >
Willow shrugged. "Spike's a demon. We shouldn't have to see him unless we have to. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go home and study. Big exam in...psych." She got up and gathered her things.
"See you," Oz said absently, waving at her. Willow turned and walked away, but not before Buffy saw the hurt look in her eyes.
"What was that about?" she asked.
Xander was distracted by the blond onstage. "What?"
Buffy growled in frustration. < God, it's like Veruca's cast some sort of spell on them all! > She managed to snarl, "Oz and I take psych with her. There's no test."
"Oh." Xander shrugged. "Well, you know our little Willow. Work, work, work. Preperation is her middle name. Well, actually her middle name is Amanda, but--"
"Okay, I get it!" Buffy shook her head, her blond hair falling into her eyes. "It's still weird though. And the thing with Spike..."?
"Maybe she just got some common sense," Xander offered.
"That's something Willow already had loads of. But she took off right as I mentioned him. And they used to spend lots of time together, but now they can't even talk about each other!" She put her chin in her hand, staring mournfuly at the stage. "It's just weird. What do you think, Oz?"
"Huh?"
Buffy sighed again. Poor Willow.
* * *
Spike sipped lightly from the drink in his hand. < Beer, > he thought to himself, < is truly wretched stuff. > He turned to the stage, watching the little werewolf chick twisting onstage. She was watching someone in the audience, and he had a pretty good idea of who that someone was. It was confirmed as he saw Willow walk quickly away from the table were her three friends were sitting. < Not as wretched as that, though. If that little idiot of a werewolf doesn?t pay more attention to her, he's gonna end up losing her. >
< Might as well, > he thought bitterly.
< Because she was never mine to begin with, > he realized with a pang. He downed the beer, then went for more.
* * *
"Spike!" Buffy yelled, trying to get the blond vampire's attention. "Spike!" He was ignoring her or something. < Bastard of a useless undead fiend. > She turned to her friends with a sigh. "Does one of you want to go get him?"
"No," Xander spat.
Oz shrugged. Buffy rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh. "Fine. I'll go get him." She grabbed her bag and started towards the vampire.
"Just don't bring him back here," Xander instructed. "Unless you want ashes in your drink."
Buffy rolled her eyes and turned towards Spike...right as he disappeared out the door. "Oh, fine." She sighed, put out. "Now I have to go track him to wherever he is, so that I can ask him what's up with him and Willow." A local high school student gave her an odd look. "Yeah, I'm talking to myself. What of it?"
* * *
Spike somehow managed to stumble outside, all the while mumbling to himself and spilling his drink onto his black jeans. "What am I doin' out here?" he wondered aloud, then he got his answer.
He puked behind a garbage can.
"Ew," a familiar female voice said.
Spike looked up and managed to focus through his drunken haze. "Whoozat?"
"You know, I didn't think vampires could vomit. Apparently I was wrong," the girl continued wryly.
< Oh, no, > Spike thought with a groan. < Anyone but the bloody Slayer. >
Buffy kneeled next to him with a sympathetic grin on her face. "I really thought you'd learned your lesson last time, Spike. You gonna hit on me again? Cause I'm really looking forward to pummeling something."
Spike laughed. "Don't worry, Slayer. I'm no' at all interested in you." He only realized his mistake when Buffy began to glare at him.
"Why not?" she inquired calmly, but with an edge of steel in her voice. "What's wrong with me?"
< Uh-oh. > Spike immediatly tried to cover for himself. < Dammit! > "It's not you Slayer, believe me, you're imminently biteable. It's just there's..."
"Someone," Buffy finished for him. She immediately brightened. "Well, who is it? Is she cute?"
"Oh yeh. She's adorable," Spike said dreamily. He turned over onto his back so that he could look up at the Slayer.
Buffy sighed and sat down beside him. "Well, tell me all about her. And make it good because I?m sitting in an alley for you."
Spike grinned. "I can't. Gotta keep my mouth shut 'bout this one. She's...special. Plus you'd take off me bloody head," he said, almost to himself.
The Slayer turned her eyes skyward, contemplating. "Do I know her?" she wondered aloud.
Spike snickered. "Oh yeh! You know the little brat, you do." Suddenly his face fell. "But then, she's taken. Not that it matters, her boyfriend's so bloody taken with that...bitch."
Buff laughed. "Sounds like Willow." She froze, eyes widening, mouth opening but no words turned to coming out. "It isn't...it isn't Willow. Right?"
She turned to Spike, but the vampire had already passed out.
THE END