Fate, Faith & Family

Chapter Seventeen

"I warned Cordelia that you'd claw her eyes out for hurting him!" Andrew exclaimed. Then softened, "Buffy, it's okay. He's all right now. She's making amends now. That's all that matters."

All Buffy could do was stare at him speechless. She was still trying to wrap her mind around what Andrew was telling her, trying to make sense of it. Was it true? Had she been the butt of some cruel joke? How could Spike do that to her? No, he wouldn't—would he?

"Buffy there you are! Whew, thank God." Cordelia.

Buffy spun around and faced the woman that was ‘making amends' with HER Spike. "What the hell is going on? What happened to Spike last night?" Buffy demanded.

"He got drunk," Cordelia rolled her eyes, "or as he kept saying ‘pissed.'"

"I just told Buffy you took him home to make him all better. She was not happy that you upset him Cordelia
Chase!" Andrew butted in.

"Andrew, I love you to pieces, but shut up please," Buffy told him.

"Fine," Andrew pouted and scuttled off.

Buffy pointed at Cordelia, "you brought him home? Which home would that be exactly?"

Cordelia looked at her as if she'd grown three heads, "mine of course."

"You brought—what is going on?!"

"Would you stop screaming? You're going to scare everyone away."

"I don't care! I want to know what's going on Cordelia. What's all this stuff about you mending the heart you
broke. . . Are you and. . . Are you and Spike. . . together?"

"As if! Not only would I never go out with him, but his heart belongs to another."

Buffy's lower lip trembled, "who?" She asked meekly.

"Don't you know?"

"I don't think I know much of anything anymore."

"Do you love him Buffy?"

"Yes," a tear trickled out.

Cordelia smiled broadly. "It's about friggen time!"

Buffy stared at her. "What?"

"How did it feel to know that he possibly could have been doing the deed with me last night? Be honest."

"It felt as if someone had reached in and ripped my heart out."

"Then you have an idea of what Spike felt like thinking you and Angel did the deed last night. Which, did
you?"

"Cordy!"

"I'm helping you here. Tell me."

Giving her a look, Buffy confessed. "No. I couldn't do it," she said in a small voice.

"Because?"

Buffy glared at her, "because I love him."

"And you didn't tell him that when he told you, did he?"

"Cordy, what are you? Dr. Phil?"

"For the record, I did tell him that springing it on you the way he did was way wrong. I've been pushing the
boy for months to say something to you, and when does he decide to do it? Just before you decide to go ‘all the way' with Angel. Pity you didn't do it. I would have liked to know if I was missing something."

"You knew this whole time about Spike?" She needed to sit. Slumping into the bar stool, Buffy reached for a bottle. She didn't care what it was, she just needed to calm her up and down nerves.

"Of course I knew. I've known since High School. Pretty much everyone knew since then except for you two."

"Why didn't you give me a heads up at least?"

"Not for me to do. It had to be Spike."

Buffy swigged down something hard and strong. "Blech. You're right."

"I know," Cordy said on a sigh. "And I only took him home to my place last night—where he spent the night on the couch FULLY dressed—because I was hoping you'd come to your senses if you thought he and I were. . . intimate."

"I came to my senses before that thank you. I was ready to kill him!"

"You still can. For me. Drunk Spike. . . " She shuddered. "Let me just say that you need never worry about
him being unfaithful. All I heard last night was how ‘bloody' wonderful you were and that kiss you shared—you did share a kiss didn't you?"

Buffy nodded, smiling. No, beaming.

"I have to say Buffy, I'm envious. I wish I had a guy that loved me as much as Spike loves you."

"You will, Cordy. Where is he now?"

"His home now. I sent him away. He's got a massive hangover and he doesn't plan on coming in today so if you wanted to drop by on your day off and nurse him back to health, I think he'd like that."

"He's not mad at me?" Buffy asked sheepishly.

"Mad? No. Scared? Yes. He's so afraid that you slept with Angel last night. I think his hangover will be relieved ten tons by knowing you didn't."

Buffy placed the bottle back on the counter and hugged Cordy. "Thanks for the help Cordy. And thank you for taking care of Spike."

"Yeah, it won't be happening again."

Buffy smiled and started for the door. "Hopefully not."

Making her way to Spike's apartment door, Buffy hesitated with her hand over the door. That would not help
his head. Or his mood. Spike with a hungover was not pretty. She tried the door and it opened. She frowned.
She'd have to talk to him about that.

"Spike?" She called out, trying not to be too loud.

No answer.

"Spike?"

"Buffy?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Suddenly Spike appeared before her in navy blue sweatpants and no shirt. He looked a mess, but a cute mess. HER mess. His hair was spiked in all different directions, he looked exhausted and in pain. She couldn't stop herself from going up to him and wrapping her arms around him.

"Buffy?" He asked softly.

She pulled back and ran a hand through his hair. She finally met his eyes and found him staring at her blankly. "What's going on? Am I dreaming?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I've come to take care of you."

He grimaced, "you heard."

She nodded.

He pushed her away then. "No. Don't you have things to do with Angel? Post morning bliss and all—"

"I didn't do it Spike. I didn't have sex with Angel."

He blinked. "Y—you didn't?"

She shook her head.

"Why?" He whispered.

"Because I love somebody else and I don't want to just have sex, I want to make love," she told him, using his words.

He shook his head as if he were in a fog. "Are you saying that--?"

"Yes."

"And you're not with—"

"No."

"And you're with--?"

"Yes. If you still want me."

"Want you? Are you kidding me? I've never wanted anything more." He grabbed her and pulled her against him, smothering her in a kiss that left her breathless. He pulled back and regarded her quizzically. "Why do you taste like whiskey?"

Buffy started to laugh.

TBC...