Chapter 2

Willow found Buffy crying when she got back to the dorm, never seeing her friend take something so hard before, not even when Angel left.

“It’s okay, Buffy. Maybe it wasn’t what you thought.”

She glanced up at the red head, wiping her eyes hastily. “How can it be anything else? You saw that girl. She was so pretty, and with the way he looked at her, how could I ever compete with that?”

Willow sat down next to her, rubbing her back in comfort. “If it makes you feel any better, I hit him.”

That brought a small smile to Buffy’s face. “It does…a little.” An idea suddenly formed in her head. “Maybe you could do another spell, to make these feelings go away.”

Willow didn’t like that idea. “I don’t know, Buffy. I think I’ve done enough with my last one. This isn’t something I can just make go away.”

“You have to do something; I can’t keep feeling like this. Every time I see him, it’s like I can’t breathe. My heart beats so fast, I feel like it might break out of my chest. How can I feel so much for someone that isn’t Angel? What’s wrong with me, Willow?”

She shrugged. “Nothing, it just sounds like you’re in love.”

Buffy took in a deep breath. “Do you think there’s a chance I could still be under that spell? Maybe these are the side effects or something.”

Willow shook her head. “The spell is completely gone, Buffy. This is all you.”

She threw herself down on the bed. “This is so not fair. Why am I the only one going through it? Shouldn’t he be having the same problem? I bet Spike is back in his crypt right now with that slut, enjoying his unlife and not giving me a second thought.”


* * * * *


Spike growled and crumbled up another sheet of paper, throwing it to the ground.

“Bloody wanker, writing poetry for a girl that doesn’t even know you exist. I have officially lost my sodding mind. I should have taken that bint up on her offer, given her a proper shag, get the bloody Slayer out of my head. Stupid witch and her hocus pocus; this is all her bloody fault.” He ripped another paper to shreds the second he actually wrote the word effulgent, throwing the pieces to the ground and stepping on them. “I need to kill something.”


* * * * *


Buffy twirled her stake, silently begging a vampire to show up. She needed a good staking to take her mind off of things. Buffy stopped when she got her wish, but it wasn’t the vampire she was expecting.

“Slayer, I wasn’t expecting to find you out here.”

She put the stake back in her pocket. “It’s a cemetery, I’m patrolling, where else would I be?”

He shrugged, lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag from it. “Good point, so, where’s the boy scout tonight?”

Buffy was so mesmerized by the sight of him that she almost didn’t hear his question. “Who, Riley? He’s probably out with his friends. We don’t spend all our time together, you know. Only been out on a few dates, it’s not even that serious.”

Spike held his hands up. “All right, whatever you say.”

“What about that chick you were all over last night?”

It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about. “Oh, yeah, she left a couple of hours ago. Girl could hardly walk after the shagging I gave her.” Spike didn’t know where that came from, but for some reason, he didn’t want her to think that he was spending all his time alone.

Buffy could feel the ache in her chest get bigger, wishing that the ground would just open up and swallow her, but tried to act like she didn’t care. “I’m surprised you left her alive. She didn’t seem to be your type, but you did date Harmony. I guess anything would be a step up after that.”

“Why do you even care, Slayer? I didn’t even know you were there last night. Keeping tabs on me, are you?”

She scoffed. “Please, I could care less about what you do. As long as you’re not killing anyone in my town, you can do whatever you want.”

He glared at her. “Fine, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Spike could tell that she was angry, but he still didn’t understand why. Her chest was heaving, and she looked so fucking beautiful. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and prove to her that the other woman meant nothing to him, but he couldn’t manage to get his feet to move. Instead, he thought of something else to say, anything to keep her from leaving. “I want my ring back.” Spike silently cursed himself for being such a ponce. Anything would have been better than that.

Buffy’s eyes widened. “You…You want the ring back? But it’s a piece of crap, why do you care about getting it back? Besides, I threw it out, like I would have actually kept that around. The last thing I need is a reminder of that horrible spell.” She pretended to shudder, hoping that he would buy it.

Spike clenched his fists at his side. “You think I want a reminder, either? I just wanted it back so your little witch wouldn’t have access to anything of mine. There’s no telling when she’ll get spell happy again, Lord knows what disgusting thing she would have me do next.”

Buffy would not cry in front of him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, instead holding her head up high. “You don’t have to worry about that, it’s long gone.”

He nodded. “Good, that’s all I needed to know. I’ll just be off now.”

She watched him leave with a heavy heart. Buffy then grasped the chain around her neck, slipping it out of her shirt to gaze at the ring dangling from it. The tears wouldn’t stop after that.


* * * * *


Spike kicked a nearby tombstone, feeling like a fool for ever thinking she had any feelings for him. If he didn’t have the bloody chip in his head, he would really make her think twice about talking back to him. He would make her remember exactly who he was. William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers. Spike shuddered at just the thought of it, knowing that he would never be able to hurt her. Chip or no chip, he was too far gone. That spell opened up his eyes to the sweetness and caring nature of Buffy Summers. One way or another, he was going to get that Buffy back. Spike didn’t care if he had to chain her up to do it, but he was going to make her listen to him. There was something between them. It wasn’t pretty, but it was real. He knew that he couldn’t be the only one who felt it. Spike would get her to admit it, even if he ended up with a stake through his heart.