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Secrets and Lies by angelic_amy
 
Clearing the Mind.
 
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Thank you Megan for betaing!


Chapter 9: Clearing the Mind.


Spike’s search brought him to the W&H basement but that’s where her scent died. Buffy was long gone. Knowing that there wasn’t a whole lot of searching he could do whilst the sun was still out, he slipped into the sewer system and headed towards his apartment. Place needs a tidy up; it’s in no condition for a visit from a lady…

He almost laughed at his train of thought. He’d known she was here for less than an hour and it hadn’t exactly been the reunion he had fantasized about, yet here he was expecting that she’d be paying a visit to his pathetic excuse for a dwelling.

It’s a step up from the crypt… his inner voice commented, to which he rolled his eyes. He continued his trudging through the muck as he moved towards his apartment.

At sunset he was going to find the girl.

~~~

Buffy had arrived back at her hotel room about fifteen minutes earlier, her intent having been to finish off her paperwork so that there would be one less thing keeping her in LA. She would find Dana, have her sedated for the trip back to London and get on the earliest flight back home.

Avoidance much?

The blinking red light of her answering machine caught her attention and she stalked towards the phone, her anger at Angel still simmering beneath the surface. She pressed the play button to listen to the recorded messages.

BEEP!

“Hey Buffy, it’s Will. How’s LA?”

Buffy smiled at her friend’s chirpy tone. Maybe talking to Willow would help sort out her thoughts about the whole Spike being alive issue. And she still had Juan to--

BEEP!

“Babe, it’s J. Why haven’t you called?”

She closed her eyes as she listened to the rest of his message, the smooth tone of his voice not calming her raging mind as it used to. All she felt when she listened to her boyfriend speak now, was guilt. Guilt because she had barely spared him a thought the entire time she had been in LA, her thoughts more often than not drifting to a certain blond vampire whom she had thought to be dead. And now that she knew he was alive? She hadn’t stopped thinking about him yet.

BEEP!

“Buffy, it’s Andrew, watcher in training calling. Just informing you that the school is missing you, oh great one. I’m calling to ask permission for disciplinary reasons. Faith showed me this neat trick with the ropes and --”

Buffy frowned at the muffled sounds she heard and waited patiently for him to continue.

“By Gandalf, I’ve been discovered! I shall await your return call on this issue.”

“Andrew, what are you doing in my office?”


Andrew gasped and the message ended halfway through an excuse. Buffy shook her head, laughing softly to herself when she heard the irritation in Giles’s voice. She could always count on Andrew to do or say something that would brighten her mood, even if only slightly.

BEEP!

“Buffy, it’s Angel. I’m just calling to apologize, for not tell--”

Buffy slammed her finger on the delete button before he finished his spiel, her semi good mood evaporating instantly. She knew he was sorry but she couldn’t help but feel that he was only apologizing because he was caught out. What if she hadn’t forgotten her beeper this afternoon? She never would have even realized that Spike was back from the dead.

The machine informed her that she had no more messages and Buffy slumped down onto the soft coverlet of her bed. She curled herself into a little ball in the middle of the massive king sized bed, drawing a pillow to her chest and hugging it tightly as she closed her eyes, praying that sleep would claim her.

If she was going on a hunt for Dana tonight, she was going to need her mind to be clear and refreshed.

~~~

Buffy woke several hours later feeling no more refreshed than before her nap. Night had recently blanketed the city and she knew she should probably be out looking for Dana, but considering the shock she had had thrust upon her today, she wasn’t exactly in the right frame of mind for any sort of patrolling. She was just as likely get herself hurt or killed, her mind was so muddled. Patrolling whilst deep in thought, not of the good. Besides, Angel’s firm was paying for her accommodation anyway, why not make the bill a little larger?

So tonight, Buffy was going out.

Showering quickly she dressed in a little black dress—or LBD—pinned her hair up in a messy chignon and applied some makeup. Her eyes were darkly rimmed with eyeliner; thick mascara coated her lashes and a pale gloss was applied to her lips. She twirled in front of the full-length mirror and once she was satisfied with her appearance, grabbed her purse, making sure the card key for her room was inside it before she left.

The lift delivered her to the lobby and she blushed at the appraising look she received from the guy standing at the reception desk—Danny, if she remembered his name correctly.

“Evening, Miss Summers,” he practically purred at her.

Buffy smiled politely as she walked past him and out through the front entrance of the hotel. A valet signaled a taxi for her. They exchanged small talk as the vehicle slowly crawled up the road and in mere moments she found herself on the way to what was apparently the hottest new club in LA Denim, at the recommendation of the attendant.

~~~

Angel paced his office, throwing the occasional glance over his shoulder at the ornate clock on the wall. Buffy should have reported in over an hour ago and she wasn’t answering his calls. Making a decision, he reached for the telephone and dialed the number of her hotel.

“Good evening --”

Angel interrupted before the male receptionist even had the opportunity to finish his introduction. “I’ve been trying to contact a guest you have there and there’s been no answer. Can you tell me if she’s still in the hotel?”

“I’m sorry, Sir, but that information is confidential. If you would like to leave a voicemail message I’m sure your friend will call you back when--”

“This is Mr. Angel calling from Wolfram and Hart,” Angel introduced purposefully, knowing the power the firms name held. Especially considering they represented the owner of the hotel.

“Mr. Angel, I d-do apologize,” came the stuttered response. “The name of the guest you’re trying to contact?”

“Buffy Summers.”

“Oh! Miss Summers has left for the evening already,” he responded, remembering clearly the short little black number she had been wearing. “I think she was going to a bar.”

“A bar?” Angel repeated in confusion. “Thank you…”

“Danny,” the attendant offered.

“Danny,” Angel repeated before disconnecting the call. Obviously Buffy wouldn’t be making an appearance at the firm this evening. With a crinkled brow, he walked towards the private elevator to his apartment. He would leave another message on her machine later on.

If Buffy wanted a night off he would give her space. Tonight. Tomorrow would be a different story…

~~~

Spike hit the streets a little later than he had planned, having spent far too much time mulling over his clothing selection for the evening. He was going to find Buffy tonight and speak to her. And he wanted to make sure he looked just right.

He growled as he remembered the fact that she had a boyfriend, quickly brushing it away. She was here in LA and the ponce who had dared to touch his Goldilocks was on the other side of the globe. Buffy had said they had met last month, so it wasn’t likely all that serious, and if he had any say in the matter it wouldn’t be much of anything by the end of the night.

He was going to find her and remind her of that vow she had made on the Hellmouth. She had told him she loved him then and he didn’t believe that her feelings could have dissipated completely. And if they had waned, well he would just remind her of why she had loved him.

A scream pierced the night and Spike took off in its direction.

~~~

Buffy sipped the remnants of her cocktail only to find another one placed in front of her. At her quizzical look directed at the bartender he pointed towards a sandy haired guy tall enough to be a basketball player. The generous giant offered her a little wave. Tilting her head in thanks, she lifted the glass in a silent ‘cheers’ and tasted it.

Obviously having taken her smile as a way in, the tall stranger ambled towards her. Sliding into the seat next to her he offered his hand. “Tyler Benson; twenty-seven, professional basketballer, art admirer and dog lover. Available and hoping,” he added with a smile.

Buffy accepted his hand, squeezing it lightly as she introduced herself. “Buffy Summers; twenty-three, high school guidance counselor, movie buff – no pun intended,” she smiled politely, “– and also a dog lover. Not available.”

Tyler laughed good-naturedly. “The good ones are always taken. Your boyfriend is…?” He looked around in question.

“In London,” she supplied. “I’m here on business for a couple of days.

“And he let you come by yourself?” he inquired with a raised brow.

Buffy frowned, retracting her hand from his grasp. “I can look after myself.”

“I’m sure you can,” he agreed, shrugging apologetically. “I didn’t mean to offend. It’s just… if you were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”

Another Riley… she thought idly.

At her silence, Tyler continued. “I’m sorry, if you’d prefer I left you alone…” He pointed over his shoulder at the other end of the bar.

“No, it’s fine,” Buffy assured. “Some company might be nice.”

Tyler smiled brightly, clinking his glass against hers before drinking. “Bottoms up!”

~~~

Spike dusted the last vampire, brushing the dusty remains from his black t-shirt. It had been the third attack on his way to Buffy’s hotel. Now that the secret of her presence was out it hadn’t been difficult to weasel the location of where she was staying out of Lorne. In fact, the green skinned demon had seemed almost smug in his telling of her hotel.

If only he could get there without another interruption.

RING! RING!

“Soddin’ hell,” he cursed towards the heavens.

His cell phone vibrated against his hip and he ripped it out of his pocket and flipped it open, his annoyance in his tone very clear. “What d’you want, Doyle?”

Laughter sounded on the other end of the line. “Someone’s cheerful tonight?!”

“You have a bleedin’ point to this chit-chat?”

“Alright, no small talk, that’s fine,” Lindsey said with a smile in his voice. “I just had a vision. A girl is going to get herself into a spot of trouble at a new nightclub that’s opened up in town. Nothing super natural, but the guy is going to try and get fresh with her and she ain’t interested if you catch my drift. You being the hero should probably check it out.”

“This club got a name?” Spike asked in irritation. Just what he needed, something else to keep him from getting to Buffy’s hotel. It was as if the whole world was plotting against him.

“Denim. It’s a couple of blocks south of Hollywood Blvd.” Lindsey paused. “And Spike, hurry.”

Flipping the phone closed and effectively disconnecting the call, Spike began moving south in the opposite direction of Buffy, cursing his luck. But he refused to give up. Before it had been acceptable for him to think of going to her and then not following through, firstly because he couldn’t thanks to being tied to W&H, and secondly because he was too afraid of how she’d react. Well that first reaction had come and gone, and now that he knew she was in town, within reaching distance, it was going to take more than a couple of interruptions to keep him from his girl.

My girl…

If he had anything to say about it, that’s just what she’d be.

~~~

Lindsey slipped his cell phone into his pocket. “It’s done.”

“Excellent,” Eve purred as she slid across the satin sheets and crawled up his body, her negligee clad body hovering over the tented sheet. “Danny has been quite helpful these last couple of days. Keeping tabs on the Slayer’s movements. Perhaps I should reward his efforts?”

Lindsey gripped Eve’s hips possessively, pulling her firmly against him. “I’ll double his fee; you will be offering no rewards.”

“Of course, baby,” she purred. “Now we beep Tyler and let him know the ball’s rolling, and we’ve got the rest of the night for us.”

~~~

The glass slipped from Buffy’s fingers before she even realized, smashing into a million pieces on the floor. “Oops!” she giggled. She had just finished her sixth? Or was it seventh…. cocktail. It seemed that Buffy and alcohol were still an un-mixy combination and she should probably be slowing down her consumption. But the warm tingle she felt in her belly that signaled that her intoxication was growing, had almost completely washed away her earlier upset and she liked that very much.

Tyler laughed along with her when he felt a buzzing sensation against his hip. Unclasping his beeper he read the message quickly before re-attaching the device to his belt.

Buffy pouted. “You’re leaving?”

“No, you are,” he grinned. “Dance floor now, before the bartender alerts security about your drunkenness and tries to throw you out.”

Buffy laughed, feeling more light-hearted than she had in weeks as she was steered onto the dance floor. Tyler’s hold on her was a little tighter than necessary but Buffy was glad for the assistance, knowing that she would be swaying slightly if he let her go.

Her partner looked towards the entrance of the club, catching a flash of bleached hair and knowing that now was time for the show to begin. His demeanor changed instantaneously, his gentle touch becoming aggressive as he groped at her chest with one hand whilst using the other to force her body against his.

Buffy instantly began struggling…

~~~

Spike stepped inside the club and scanned the place for a girl in trouble. It was still relatively early in the night, not even midnight yet which meant the club was barely half full. It would make spotting the girl in question relatively easy. All he had to do was sit back and wait for the silly git to make his move.

Moving closer to the dance floor, he didn’t have to wait all that long. A blond girl in a black dress so sort it should be illegal, was struggling with her dance partner. From the way she swayed on her feet when she pulled herself out of his grasp, he gauged that she was obviously drunk. Striding towards the pair, Spike yanked the guy by the back of his collar and pulled him away from the girl.

“It’s alright,” he reassured. “He won’t touch…” His words died on his lips when the girl lifted her head up, confused hazel eyes peering out from beneath a curtain of blond.

“Buffy?”



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N Hope you guys like! ::runs and hides::
 
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