Quid Pro Quo

A/N: Let me again thank Megan_Peta for betaing this chapter for pushing me pushing me to improve. Her advice is invaluable.

Special thanks to Anon, Kimber, shippy, aliciaspiked, becky, millie, and jane for the reviews.

I promise that the spuffy is coming, it has just been slow developing, and that is why I started writing Just a Fling to get a smut fix :)

Thanks to madders for putting me on her list of friends.

Chapter 7 – A Little R&R

“Aahhh, just what the doc ordered.” Spike took another drink of his Guinness, licking the foam off his upper lip. The five of them: Spike, Angel, Nina and Illyria plus Dawn, were all at O’Reilly’s on Euclid Street partaking in a little R and R. The bar was dark, crowded, had an alternative rock band playing and had Guinness on tap. Perfect. They immediately took over one of the pool tables in a back corner.

“Peaches, you play like a bloody turtle.” Spike and Dawn were playing Angel and Nina while Illyria/Fred was playing some chump for money a couple of tables down.

Angel stopped for a minute, put his hand on his hip and scowled. “What the hell are you blabbing about, you idiot? They don’t have hands. They barely have paws.”

“My point exactly.” Pleased that his grandsire had fallen for the joke, Spike laughed as he sank his shot.

During the third game where Nina and Spike were playing against Angel and Illyria, Spike felt someone touch his arm. Instantly alert, he swung around, tense. What he found wasn’t threatening in the least. What he found was Willow wearing a tentative smile.

Willow prayed she would say the right things. “Spike, I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Spike shook his head coolly, unsure what she was doing in the bar.

Willow knew this might be hard, and she was right. “I know that we buried the hatchet earlier today, but I wanted to talk to you and Angel.” She turned to address Angel. “Dawn told me why you are so mad with me. I want you to know that I had no idea that you had needed my help with your friend. Giles never even told me. You should have known that I would have come to help if you had needed me.” Willow stood there wringing her hands.

Angel considered and then nodded. He did know Willow, and he did know deep down that she wouldn’t have refused to help.

She turned to Spike

Spike melted at the expression on Willow’s face. All his anger over the Fred incident was gone with those few words. There was no way this woman would have let Fred die without trying to help. He would just save his anger for Giles, the bastard.

Willow let out a sigh of relief. “Now, can I be the witch that you use for this hellmouth problem?” Her smile was much bigger this time.

*****

After one of Angel’s turns, he stopped the usual constant banter and walked over to Spike.

Nonetheless, Spike beat him to the punch. “She’s here.” He didn’t even need to look to see Buffy. In fact, he didn’t want to see her. He had felt her the second she entered the bar, and Angel’s approach confirmed that Angel had, too.

Angel’s jaw clenched but then relaxed some. “Yes, I feel her and wish I didn’t.”

Spike knew exactly what he was talking about. He blew out a long stream of air before answering. “I’m trying to get over the ‘loving Buffy’ illness. I’m staying away, and talking to her the least as possible during this bloody mission. And…I am making an educated guess that ignoring her will drive her out of her noggin.” Spike’s smile was wicked, but inside he wanted to saunter over there and kiss her senseless.

Angel smiled, also.

Spike moved away to teach Illyria how to smile sweetly and fleece for money some guys at the next table that had been watching her. He needed the diversion badly.

“Spike…”

Spike smirked. He knew what she was going to say. He had been teaching Illyria how to be a top notch pool shark for the last couple of months. “Buggered are you, Spankie?”

“Spike, they won’t play with me any longer.”

“I told you, luv, you have to lose once in a while to keep them playing. Sucker them in.”

“Spike…”

“Look, blue meanie, they have a new keg of Guinness on tap, and you’re messing with a perfectly good buzz. Piss off.” Spike pretended to ignore her for a moment, but then turned his attention back to Illyria. “Try this, love. Go back over there, do an ‘awe shucks’ and maybe even throw in a nod this way, tell ‘em how your boyfriend isn’t being nice to you. Let’s see how well that goes, pet.” Illyria fixed her face in a pout with Spike’s help and left for another try.

*****

When Buffy stepped into the bar, the group from LA was easy to spot. In the far corner was a well lit, raised area with four pool tables. Why was she not surprised that the group was playing pool? Angel with his usual dark and handsome looks stood to the side of one table. What was unusual, at least to Buffy, was that he had his arm casually wrapped around the waist of the girl called Nina. A small smile played at his lips. Buffy had to admit she had never seen him so happy-- or had she ever seen him truly happy?

It was even easier to spot Spike with his hair appearing white under the bright lights illuminating the tables. And from what she could see, Spike was partnered with Dawn, and they were playing Willow and Nina. When neither one of them were shooting, Dawn stood close to Spike, laughing at his comments. Buffy had known that Dawn had grieved the loss of Spike, but seeing her now, Buffy realized just how much Dawn had actually missed him. And judging from the way Spike looked down at her, the feelings were mutual. What she had no idea of was that they were talking about her.

“Bit, big sis just came in.”

Dawn started looking around. “And…”

“She’s staying on the far side of the bar, at least for now.”

Well, that wouldn’t do, Dawn thought. How were these two going to get back together if they are never together.

Back by the bar, the more that Buffy watched, the more she felt like she was in an alternate reality. Angel watched Spike and her sister play pool against Buffy’s best friend, and Angel’s girlfriend. A truly warped reality. What had happened? Angel and Spike had hated each other with a passion. Willow had almost been killed by Spike - twice, and Angelus had tried to kill one and all. Now, everybody was all smiles. Go figure. They appeared to be friends out for a night of fun like she used to do with her friends at the Bronze in Sunnydale.

As she watched, Nina and Willow won the game. Buffy smiled a tiny curve of her lips, suspecting that Spike had thrown the match. Willow handed her pool cue to Angel as the girl whose natural state was that of a blue and red demon, came up to Spike.

And there she sat in the shadows stealing peeks at the group. Buffy was hurt. She couldn’t believe Willow had come without asking her if she wanted to join her. But knowing Willow-- since she had unknowingly been in on the display of distrust shown to Angel and his crew-- Buffy suspected that she had come to bury any hatchet in the form of hard feelings. That blame lay on Giles and herself. Oh, and Andrew that must have reveled in playing the big man and telling the two vampires that they were no longer part of the team.

She wanted to put more of the blame on Andrew, but she had to take a good portion on herself. She had been the one to send Andrew and the slayers to collect the insane slayer. But could she completely blame the spell she was under from the Immortal? Most of it, but she had also jumped into the Immortal’s camp too fast and too easily. She had been hurting so much from the last days in Sunnydale -- she had been searching for something that would make her feel good-- and had found that sleaze. She had been hurting from losing Spike and found a poor substitute. The other part of blame was definitely at Giles’s feet. She couldn’t help to be reminded how Giles had tried to kill Spike during that last year in Sunnydale. And the year after that, he had alienated Angel. She had questioned Giles’s judgment in Sunnydale and maybe she should have questioned it even after Sunnydale was gone.

But Spike was acting like he had no blame in this melodrama. Ha. That blonde pest always had some blame somewhere or it just wouldn’t be Spike. How was she supposed to run into his arms if she didn’t even know that he and his arms were back? Just think. He told that rat, Andrew, but not her?!

And Angel. Whether he liked it or not, he should have known that she would have wanted to know that Spike was back. When he had come to Sunnydale that last time and smelled Spike on her, she had made it clear that she had feelings for Spike. He was almost as guilty as Spike was in this mess. And the wimps. Letting Andrew and the Immortal get between the strong bonds between herself and Spike and Angel. The more she thought about it, the madder she got. They fought to get Dru and Darla back, but not her?

“Buffy?”

Buffy had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed Dawn and Willow until her little sister had called her name. And when she did become aware of them, Buffy also noticed how cloudy both of their expressions looked. “Dawn? Willow?”

Willow put her hand over her friend’s on the table where Buffy was sitting. “Buffy, what are you doing here?” What a stupid question, Willow thought, but they did need a conversation starter.

“Oh, just out for some fun.” Why was Willow ignoring the obvious? Buffy didn’t know where this was going, but she didn’t think she was going to like it.

Willow hated to do this, but she and Dawn had agreed that it had to be done. “If you are trying to get up your nerve to go over there, don’t. Tonight we think you need to leave.”

“I can be here if I want to.” Buffy puffed up and sounded like a petulant child

Grimacing, Dawn tried to help Willow out. “Buff, you are sitting over here just spying on us…”

Buffy went on the defensive. She would have put her hands on her hips, but she didn’t think it would make much of an impression since she was sitting down. “I am not spying.”

Shaking her head, Dawn continued. “I know that you have hurt since the moment that you lost Spike, and I know that is one of the reasons for that beast, the Immortal, but judging from the way that Spike and Angel are acting in the last day or so, it’s not such a good idea that you should be here tonight.”

Buffy could feel pain shooting through her chest. She loved those two men. Differing amounts over the differing years, but each for extended times. They were a part of her, and now they were completely rejecting her? “Who says? Angel? Spike?”

In a way, Willow felt sorry for her. Her friend had brought some of this onto herself, but on the other hand, so had Angel and Spike. A little honesty goes a long way, guys. Duh. “Even if they know that you are here, neither has said anything. Buffy, I know that you love both of them, in different ways, of course, and want to be over there with them, but Buffy, they are pretty bitter against you and Giles.”

Dawn put her arm around her sister. She had seen the toll of losing Spike had taken on her sister, and wished that with Spike back, things would get better. But this might be rushing it a bit. “And I unfortunately agree that they have good reason. In the same way, you have every reason to be mad at them. Here you had been hurting over Spike when you didn’t have to. Either way, maybe tonight is not such a great idea.”

“Buff, we’re not trying to do anything behind your back. We’re just having a nice civilized night between friends.”

“But what about her? Friend?” Jealousy flying like a flag, Buffy pointed at Illyria/Fred, who she could see had Spike’s attention.

“She fought by Spike and Angel’s side in LA.” Dawn found the reference to Illyria interesting. Jealousy was a sign of the good. Love was still there, even though the Immortal had tried to erase it.

Out of hurt, Buffy turned on her little sister. “When did you become Spike’s appointed mouth piece?”

“For what he did in Sunnydale and all the grief we gave Spike over the years, he earned my friendship again. And if he wants tonight Buffy free, then that’s his choice.” Dawn changed tact. “Buffy, the Immortal was scum. I can’t talk, but we were both just too blind. You were just like a long string of other women with him, including Drusilla and Darla, which hurt Spike and Angel even more. You and Andrew chose him over Angel and Spike. I’m not saying that it is hopeless for you with Spike. Farthest from, but try to make peace some other time.”

Buffy pleaded her case. “I was under a spell. Didn’t you tell them that?”

Willow didn’t let her off the hook. “But you fell for the Immortal’s lines before you ever got that ring. And no, I didn’t tell them about the spell. I think you should talk to them about the Immortal yourself.”


Dawn wrapped her arms around her sister. “The mega love he had for you is still there. I know it. He just doesn’t want us knowing it. Please, Buffy. I want you to be around and talk to Angel and Spike, especially Spike, but I don’t think now is good.”

Willow squeezed Buffy’s hand again. “She’s right, Buffy. They are both way, way defensive right now. If it is the future you are looking for, one more night waiting isn’t very long.”


Back at the pool table, Angel was now playing Spike. As Angel and Spike passed close to each other, Angel spoke in a hushed tone. “She’s leaving now.” He would have loved to have heard the conversation that had taken place, but the noise level in the bar and the distance away were too great.

“About bloody time.” Just as Angel had, Spike had known the minute Buffy had walked into the club and felt it the minute she left. He may be part human now, but he could still feel vampires close by-- and his Slayer. Try as he might, he still thought of Buffy as his Slayer even though it had never really been true. Merely true in his heart. The only time he had allowed himself to glance her way was when Dawn and Willow headed in that direction. Oh, how he had wanted to be a fly on the bar during that conversation, but they must have said something convincing because Buffy had left instead of coming their way. He wanted to live in the land of denial, but he did have some fault in that he didn’t tell her that he was back. Would things have been different? Would she be in his arms now instead of walking away? Spike could just kick himself because his traitorous heart followed her.

But then he remembered the night that she had asked him about the death of the two slayers at his hand. He had bragged and exaggerated while they had played pool. She had been cold. He had shown her the moves out in the alley, and she had been below zero. Then it all changed when she had pulled out her money to pay. He had tried to kiss her, and she had knocked him to the ground where the money rained down on him. Now he was the one cold to her. Well, he didn’t need the money or the heartache anymore. He didn’t need her. He just had to tell his heart to zip it up.

TBC

Reviews would be very much appreciated!! Huge thanks.