Choices

Chapter Three

"All right, Angelus, it's been six bloody hours and she's still not home! I'm through waiting. You can wait. I'm going after her!" Spike shouted.

"What the hell did you say to her?" Angel demanded.

"I didn't say a bloody thing! She just got weird all of a sudden and bolted out the door."

"Well, you must have said something to upset her! Why else would she take off like Satan himself was at her heels--and be gone this long without letting us know where she is?"

Spike glared at him. "This discussion isn't getting us anywhere. I'm going." Grabbing his duster, he started for the door when Buffy came in giggling with a girl behind her, also giggling.

Both vampires watched her, dumbfounded. What was going on?

She stopped short when she saw Angel and Spike staring at her. "Hi guys!" She said cheerfully. "This is Willow. I used to go to school with her. I met her in the library this afternoon and we've been catching up."

"For six hours?" Spike sputtered.

Buffy shrugged. "We went out to lunch and walked around. Wait. Let me do the introductions properly. Willow this is Spike and Angel. My brothers."

"Hi," Willow greeted them, giving them a small wave and smile. She w"as a tad shorter than Buffy, with short, bright red hair and hazel eyes. She seemed nice enough, but...what was going on?

"We've been worried, Buffy." Angel broke in.

Buffy looked at, co, coldness creeping in her eyes. "Aren't you going to say hello toWillow, Angelus?"

Spike turned to see Angel's reaction to that. She had that willful look on her face that only meant trouble, and she only called him Angelus when she was upset with him. Much like he did.

Angel clenched his jaw and then nodded toward Willow, giving her a fake small smile. "Hello, Willow."

"Hi Willow. Buffy, we've been worried." Spike finally spoke up.

"Told you to call," Willow nudged Buffy with her elbow.

Buffy set her mouth in a firm line. "Well, I'm home now. I'm not staying though. Willow and I are going to the movies. I just needed to get a jacket."

he mhe movies? What time are you going to be home?" Angel asked, following her into her bedroom.

"Later. We might go out after, so I don't know. I have a key, remember? So it's not like you have to wait up." She flashed her keys in front of his face.

Angel clenched his jaw again. "What about the plans we had?"

"You had plans with your brothers? I didn't mean to intrude, if you want to--" Willow began but Buffy cut her off.

"We didn't have definite plans. It's not a problem." Buffy stared Angel down, daring him with her eyes to argue with her.

Spike intervened and stood in between them. "Just be careful, okay kitten?"

Buffy nodded, her eyes softening at Spike's words. Wordlessly, she led Willow out her bedroom and then out the door.

"What is her problem?" Angel shouted and started to pace the apartment.

Spike followed him and casually sat at the kitchen table. "She found herself a nice, human friend is all."

"It's not like her to act that way."

"Can't say I blame her, really. We kind of interrogated her.\
"W
"What does she expect would happen when she takes off like that?"

Spike sighed. "We can't expect her to slay every night. We also can't expect her to stay by our side all the time."

Angel looked at him warily. "Since when do you have all the insight? You were the one that was all set and ready to go and find her."

Spike shrugged. "Since you started acting like the raving lunatic. If we both fly off the handle, it won't help matters much."

Spike nodded thoughtfully, "I was. Now I know she was safe. I think the point has been driven home, but you know how she is. If you push her, she recoils and does the exact opposite of what you want her to do. She found herself a buddy, Angel. It's better than her hanging out all day with us."

"You didn't seem to mind before... I get it though, and you're right. Much as it pains me to say that."

Spike grinned. "I wager I'm right about a lot."

Angel glared at him. "Don't push it."

Spike stood. "Well, since slaying is off for the night, I'm going to the bar. Care to come?"

Angel shook his head.

"Gonna stay here and brood all night?"

Angel glared at him. "I do not brood."

Spike gave him a cheeky grin. "Yeah, tell me another one, Peaches."

*******

"Nother one," Spike told Willy behind the bar and pointed to his shot glass. Willy nodded and filled it with whiskey, no questions asked. Looking around the semi-seedy bar, Spike took in the fellow customers. Few men, few women, no vampires.

"All alone tonight?" A sultry female voice asked next to him.

He turned his head slightly to see a brunette with ruby red lips sitting next to him. She had on a tiny shirt and tight leather pants. She was quite the looker, but Spike wasn't much into tramps. This one, the tramp vibe oozed out of her.
"Yeah, I am. Kind of like it that way."

"Do you now? Well, I'm alone too and I don't want to be. I'm thinking you really don't want to be either." She reached out and trailed a finger down his arm.

He looked at her, eyebrows raised.

"Spike?"

His head swiveled and he found himself staring into Buffy's beautiful green eyes. She was looking at him in question. Her gaze darted to the woman beside him.

"Hi, I'm Faith," the girl introduced herself. "Was just introducing myself to Spike here."

Buffy nodded.

Spike slid off his seat and placed himself in front of Buffy. "What are you up to, kitten?" The look on her face was unnerving him. It was an expression he couldn't read. Usually her looks were a book to him. He knew everything she was thinking and feeling just by looking at her, but this was different.

"Nothing, just here with Willow. I'll leave you alone with your new friend."

He grabbed her arm. "You don't have to go anywhere. You and Willow could join me."

"No, that's all right. You already look busy," and she released herself from his grasp. He could hear bitterness and venom dripping in her voice. That was unlike her.

"Nice to meet you Faith." She walked away, not even giving Spike a second look.

"Who was that?" Faith asked.

Spike watched Buffy make her way over to where Willow was and order a drink. "Long story."

"Friend? Girlfriend?"

Spike looked at her, "does it really matter to you?"

Faith grinned, "not at all Spike. Care to tell me how you got that name?"

Spike's eyes went back to Buffy and he found her on the small dance floor, laughing and dancing with Willow. Spimilemiled. She was a good dancer. Her moves turned more provocative and as they did, Spike found it hard to turn his eyes away. Her hips gyrated, her breasts bounced, her waist wiggled. She was sexy as hell. He couldn't stop staring at the way she moved, how she exuded sex and didn't even know it. He imagined those hips working quite well in other places.

"So, she has to be something for you to be drooling over her," Faith grumbled.

Spike scowled and glanced at Faith. "I don't drool. I'm staring. Entirely different."

"So, who is she?"

"Someone I care about very much."

"Looks like she's making new friends too."

Spike looked back at Buffy and found some boys swarming around her and Willow. They made no show of trying to hide the fact that they were checking out her ass. And wha ass ass it was, clearly defined in those tight jeans she was wearing. He snapped out of his reverie and went towards her. The stupid gits were about to meet the Big Bad if they kept leering at his girl like that. Spike growled as one of them had the balls to put his hands on her hips and whisper in her ear. She answered by rubbing the ass he'd been ogling into him. Okay, that was it. Spike strode over and pulled the guy off her. When the git had the audacity to yell at him, Spike bared his fangs and the ponce took off.

"Spike!" Buffy shouted at him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"You were being molested!"

"I can take care of myself thank you."

"What were you doing letting him paw you like that?"

Buffy looked around, noticing the stares of the people around them. Spike didn't care. He was shaking with anger and jealousy.

She turned to Willow. "Call you later?"

Willow just nodded, wide-eyed. Buffy didn't bother to say anything before marching for the door.

"Don't you dare!" Spike shouted and bound after her. He forgot how fast the girl could run especially when angry though. She was nowhere to be found by the time he'd reached the outside. Running a hand through his hair, he decided it was best to go home.