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Cousin Arabella by Lilachigh
 
Chp 6 We’re not together!
 
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Cousin Arabella by Lilachigh


Chapter 6 We’re not Together

“Div’vid,” Buffy said, “Can we sit down to talk. It’s really hard to concentrate when your feet aren’t on the ground!”

The seven foot green regurgitating Frovlax demon stared down at the small blonde girl he held in his arms as they danced and realised her toes were a good six inches above the shining dance floor. “My deepest apologies, Miss Summers,” he boomed in his deep, cowlike voice and dropped her.

Buffy regained her balance and let him lead her away from the Ballroom, out into the cool garden. She glanced over her shoulder to see what Spike was doing. Her heart sank as she saw Arabella appear in a swish of blue velvet, link her arm through Spike’s and begin to dance.

The marble terrace lead to a flight of steps that curved down into a formal garden with little gravel paths and a huge raised pond with a fountain of a leaping dolphin in the centre. The fine spray pattered down on the surface of the water and drifted into her face, cooling her heated skin. She sat down on the stone wall of the pond and Div’vid seated himself next to her. “Miss Summers - ”

‘Oh, please, call me Buffy. Miss Summers sounds so - so old and creaky.”

‘Buffy! That’s such a nice name.” His expression became as stern as a very nice cow can look. “ Now Buffy, I want to know what’s going on between my wife and William. How can he look elsewhere when he has such a lovely lady as yourself.”

Buffy bit her lip. “Spike - I’ve always called him Spike, you know - well, we’re not together - I mean, I know we’re here together, but he needed a partner for tonight and I wasn’t busy, and so - ’

Div’vid waved a huge emerald paw to stop her. “Buffy, I may only be a Frovlax, but even I can tell when people are in love.”

“In love!” Buffy spun round so fast that she almost fell backwards into the fountain. Div’vid’s huge hand caught her shoulder and held her fast.

‘We’re not - I’m not - well, he says he - but I don’t - ” She gazed into the deep velvety brown eyes and found her voice drying up. She was finding it impossible to say she didn’t love Spike. But that was ridiculous. She was the Slayer, Chosen One, a save the worldy, lurking in graveyards type person. He was an evil vampire. She killed vampires. Tonight was an exception, of course, but she was only here as a favour.

OK, he was chipped and harmless and occasionally helpful and very good at sex and sometimes she felt she would crawl over broken glass if it would make him touch her in a certain way he had, but in love - ?

No, surely love was what she’d felt for Angel. It was trouble and problems, flowers and sighs and gazing out of windows waiting for him to appear. It was sighing and crying and all the urgent longing to hold hands and walk in the moonlight.

She’d never had any urge to hold hands with Spike. She knew exactly what she wanted his hands to do; she knew what she wanted to do to him. Oh God, did she know. She’d never imagined doing anything to Angel! She’d never known half of the things she and Spike did together even existed then!

But Angel had been her first love when she was so young, so immature. Spike was - Spike is your last love, your real love, a voice said in her head.

Real love, Buffy suddenly realised was about connecting - not just hearts and flowers and anguish, but connecting on every level of your being. Angel had loved being in love, but had never tried to solve the problem that parted them. He just walked away from it. He loved the angst, the trauma, the pain. She knew with a complete certainty that if she and Spike ever faced a problem like that, he would go anywhere, do anything to try and make it work.

And the shock of the truth speared through her in a red hot lance.

Div’vid was speaking again, ignoring her confusion. “Why does William try to take my Arabella away from me?’

“He isn’t! He wouldn’t! He loves Arabella, but just as his cousin, as family. He’s very fond of her. He’s told me that.”

Div’vid looked at her. “Arabella has told me he has made certain - advances - towards her. Arabella would never lie.” His kind brown eyes suddenly gleamed red with demon light. “If I felt William had touched my wife in that way...I would kill him!“

Buffy stared at him in despair. If it wouldn’t have made such a mess of the little hairstyle she had left, she would have run her fingers through her hair in temper. Div’vid was such a sweet, lovable guy. And she was getting royally pissed off that she couldn’t tell either him or Spike exactly what sort of woman Arabella actually was. She was getting so fed up with having to worry about protecting the feelings of the males in this triangle.

But Div’vid was so sweet; she could only imagine how hurt he would be to discover what a big ho his wife was.

Spike and his cousin, Div’vid and his wife. And she was right in the middle!

“Hey, there’s obviously been some sort of misunderstanding. Why don’t we - perhaps we can all - ” she was floundering, wishing that Giles was here. He’d know exactly what to say. Then she remembered something her mother had said to her once when she was squabbling with Dawn - “Why don’t we all sit down together and talk it out. Then everyone can say what’s on their mind and clear the air.”

The big demon’s ferocious frown faded a little and he put his arms round Buffy and gave her a hug that almost broke her ribs in several places.

“You are a good girl, Buffy. William is lucky to have you. Yes, you are right. We will all sit and talk. Arabella is so sensitive. She suffers badly with her nerves, you know. She’s very delicate, not strong as I feel you are. I call her my little flower, sometimes. Maybe she has read too much into a cousinly gesture. Maybe William was drunk - although that wouldn’t stop me from killing him, of course.“

Buffy sighed with relief. What she was keen to do was pick the ‘little flower’ and trample it into the mud. But OK, no trampling. There was no way Arabella could sit with Spike and her husband and continue with this pack of lies. Buffy knew she hated Spike’s cousin with every fibre of her being, but she also had a good idea that she wasn’t dim. Surely she would see she had to stop playing these silly games.

She stood on tip toe in front of Div’vid as he sat on the fountain wall and kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, “I’ll sort it out. It’s what I do.”

“There! William! Look! ” It was Arabella, standing behind them on the steps leading down from the terrace, pointing dramatically at Buffy. Spike was standing next to her, looking puzzled.

“I told you she wasn’t to be trusted. The little bitch is kissing my husband! I told you she wanted Div’vid, but you wouldn’t believe me. Well, perhaps you’ll believe what you can see with your own eyes. Kill her! Do it for me, William. She’s leading my Div’vid astray. Kill her!’ She vamped out, her blue eyes glittering gold. “Kill her now!”

Buffy broke away from the friendly hug she was giving the big green demon as Arabella, flashed into game face. Buffy stared at Spike and his cousin and as she looked, Spike’s face, too, changed and his demon self appeared.

“Yes, Div’vid, old mate,’ he hissed as he stalked forward, his red shirt fluttering in the night breeze. ‘Never mind Buffy leading you astray, what are you doing kissing my girl? I knew I should never trust you around a pretty woman. Especially a pretty woman who belongs to me!”

Div’vid bellowed and lowered his emerald head, ready to charge. “It’s you who can’t be trusted! You’ve been pawing at my wife all night! Making advances, touching her, holding her – ”

“Kill Buffy, William!” Arabella snapped. “Kill both of them.”

Div’vid turned a startled face in his wife’s direction. “Bella, sweetheart, I promise I haven’t done anything.”

But the two vampires were still advancing towards each other, step by step.

“This is ridiculous! Stop it right now!“ Buffy finally lost her temper. “I came here as a favour to Spike. And I’m just tired of tip-toeing around, being careful not to upset all your little family apple-carts. Of being piggy in the middle. I really have had enough of the whole jealous vampire scene.”

She snatched a stake out of her purse and stood between the three of them. “Nothing is going on with me and Div’vid, Spike. And if there was something, which there isn’t, then it’s nothing to do with you! We’re not - we’re not a couple! I certainly don’t belong to you. And Arabella, you should wash your mouth out with soap, not trusting your husband. He’s a really sweet guy. So just stop it, all three of you!”

Arabella gazed at the stake in horror and snapped back to human face. “Slayer!” she spat. “You’re the Slayer!”

Div’vid swept his wife protectively to one side with a huge green hand. “A Slayer in my house! William, you brought a Slayer here, on our anniversary! Are you mad? How dare you!”

But Spike wasn’t listening. He prowled forward, eyes glittering. “You’ve always been jealous of me. You wanted Drusilla once, didn’t you? I remember you trying to get her away from me. You kissed her. I saw you. Now you want Buffy! And I saw you kissing her! You can’t deny it.”

Div’vid circled round him. “Of course I deny it. Buffy kissed me! Okay, I admit I kissed Drusilla - once! That was before the puppies! We were all very drunk. It doesn’t count,” he roared.

“I’m bloody well sick of great, tall, hulking demons taking my women away from me! First Dru and her Chaos demon with his slime and his antlers, and now you with your cow’s ears and bad breath wanting Buffy. Well, it ends here!”

“Spike! Snap out of it. I am not your woman and will someone please tell me what the hell is the story behind the puppies,” Buffy pleaded, but no one was listening.

“Stop them,” Arabella said suddenly, clutching Buffy’s arm. “They’ll kill each other.”

Buffy shook her off and glared. “I thought you wanted Spike to get rid of your husband? Wasn’t that your plan?”

Arabella tossed her head and pouted like a spoilt child. “Oh, that! I thought he might kill you. That would be fun. I didn’t really think he’d try to kill Div. You must mean a lot more to him than you think. I just wanted Div’vid to pay me a bit of attention. It’s all business, business, business these days and that disgusting regurgitating every night has been driving me mad. But now - look - he’s changed colour. He’s going yellow! Once that happens, he’ll fight to the death, whoever it is.“

Buffy glared at her again as, with a roar, Div’vid swung at Spike who ducked under his arm, jeering. “You’re a vampire and he‘s your husband. You stop him! And quickly. We’re drawing a crowd.”

Even as she spoke, the doors to the ballroom opened and a gang of demons surged out, drawn by the shouting and the smell of a fight. Buffy backed up against the low marble wall of the fountain. She was aware that the atmosphere had changed. Spike and Div’vid were blissfully unaware, circling each other, trading blows and punches, and shouting insults that seemed to have swerved away from Arabella and Buffy and be mostly about Spike being a Red and supporting Manchester United. Div’vid being a Blue and supporting Manchester City and some game years ago when there should or shouldn’t have been something called a penalty.

But the other demons were looking at Buffy, their eyes glowing red and they certainly didn’t seem friendly, fluffy folk any more. There was a low growling and grunting that could only spell trouble.

“William! Stop it at once!’” Arabella shouted as Spike’s fangs tore a strip off of one of Div’vid’s prettty cow ears. “Buffy - he’s your boyfriend - stop him hurting my husband!”

“For the hundredth time, he’s not my boyfriend!” Buffy yelled, jumping back as the flailing bodies surged towards her. “He’s an evil thing who just happens to be around when I need him - sometimes! I like him - a bit, I suppose - but that’s it!”

Arabella’s sapphire eyes narrowed. “You keep saying that. But you’re lying! It’s not what your bodies say when you’re together. It’s not what his mind says when you’re not nearby. All the time he’s thinking of you, feeling for you. And your eyes say the same thing. Oh, your mouth says no, but the feelings in your heart shine out of your eyes and they say yes. No wonder Drusilla left him. I didn’t understand before, but I do now.”

Buffy winced as the fighting got louder and nastier. She didn’t want to think about what Arabella had said. She just wanted to get Spike away from Div’vid and his cousin. She wanted to get him home, somewhere quiet where she could think about things and hold him and -

Crash! The two bodies hurtled into a glass topped table sending it smashing into splinters.

“Oh this is ridiculous,” Arabella stormed. “I’m going to have to ruin this dress and I only bought it yesterday! Men!!”

With a gesture that Buffy was forced to admire, she shook her long brown curls loose from their ribbon, rushed forward with a swirl of blue velvet, threw up her hands, gave a theatrical little gasp and collapsed into a graceful faint between Spike and her husband.

Div’vid swayed in mid punch, then with a cry he bent over his wife, patting her hand and smoothing the hair back from her forehead. “Bella, Bella, my dearest girl. Oh dear, oh dear, help someone. Buffy, quickly, help me. Bella’s fainted.”

Spike’s face shimmered back to normal and he looked down in concern at his cousin lying at his feet. Buffy wondered if she could applaud. She might hate Arabella, but she had to admire her handling of this situation. Spike’s cousin reminded her of Cordelia - she’d been another girl who’d always known exactly how to handle men.

“Wish I could,” Buffy muttered. “If I’d fainted, they’d have just stepped over me to get on with their fight!” But she suddenly realised, that although Arabella - who was now being carried away in his arms by a concerned Div’vid - had stopped Spike and her husband fighting, the demons and vampires were still slowly surrounding Buffy.

“Spike!“ she snapped. “I think I’ve got a problem over here.”

“Bloody hell, Buffy. It’s a party. What on earth are you waving a stake around for?’“He crossed the terrace in two swift strides and stood back to back with her, facing the oncoming demons.

“Excuse me! You were the one vamping out and fighting Div’vid to the death just because you thought he was kissing me!“ Buffy hissed over her shoulder. “The tails and horns rent-a-mob only arrived when you two started!“

“To the death? Bloody rubbish, Slayer. It was only a scrap. We were enjoying ourselves!“

“Enjoying yourselves! You were killing each other! And that was all your cousin’s fault. God, she’s a manipulative bitch! Sorry, I know she‘s family, but - god. she’s a manipulative bitch!“

“Bella? A bitch? Hey, you were the one kissing her husband, remember? Bloody hell, she’s even collapsed under the strain, poor love. Not everyone has your strength, Slayer. Mind you – “ he reached behind him with one hand and squeezed her waist. “Not complaining here! I like you just the way you are.“

Buffy shook him off. If he thought he could get round her by touching her - well, yes, he probably could get round her by touching her, but – “Remind me to tell you just how much I hate you, when - if! - we get out of here alive!“

Slowly they moved along the terrace towards the steps that led down into the garden. The mob of demons padded after them: the snarls were getting louder, there were a lot of red eyes glowing and Buffy caught a glitter of claws and scales appearing amongst the posh dresses and jewellery.

A thin black vampire at the front of the crowd hissed at Spike. “What are you doing, protecting her, Spike? She’s a Slayer! You fighting against your own kind now?“

Spike vamped out and Buffy heard a deep growl come from inside him. “She is my kind!“ he snapped. “She’s my woman. You want her, you take her over my dust.“

to be continued























 
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