Chapter 21 – Divided by Truths
They could
hear the sound of an engine reverberating through the empty morning street.
Spike dashed to the window to check to see if it was Buffy finally returning to
them. The last few hours spent waiting to hear from her had driven his emotions
into a frenzy of worry. His logical side accepted that she was a Slayer with
all the skills of a warrior to ward off attacks. It was the protector in him
that feared for the sometimes naïve young woman alone on the streets of
The sight
waiting for him did nothing to bring him relief. Buffy was climbing off the
back of a motorcycle in a flash of teeth and golden hair tossed over her
shoulder. The man she was with said something and she laughed up at him.
Jealousy weaved all his feelings together into an explosion waiting to happen.
A warning growl echoed through the almost empty office as he watched them enter
the building.
“Is it
her?” Angel asked.
“Yes, and
she’s got some bloke with her,” Spike answered, turning to look back at his
mate.
Footsteps
pounding up the stairs muted out the conversation of the pair as they came
toward them. The words were barely distinguishable but the coquettish lilt to
Buffy’s voice was a like a song they hadn’t heard in forever. The smile that
lit her face when she walked through the door was just as foreign. It hurt
Spike more than he wanted to admit even to himself. Every insecurity he had
came tumbling to the forefront as he witnessed Buffy being happier with someone
else than she had been with them in a long time. Angel’s hand on his back
reassured him that he was not the only one stinging from her actions.
She
faltered when saw them waiting for her but defiance replaced her fear. Her lack
of concern for what she had put them through only added to Spike’s already
overloaded system. He wanted
justification and in her indifference to him he found what he needed. A nod
from Angel and they moved in synchronicity. Spike held Buffy against him as his Sire pushed
her companion into the wall with his forearm at the man’s throat. Angel vamped
out and growled his displeasure causing the man to pull back as far as he
could. A grin of satisfaction danced across Spike’s face as he smelled the fear
return.
“Angel,
stop it,” Buffy said, pulling free from Spike. She slipped between the two men
and pushed back on her mate. “It’s Wesley. Remember he was mine and Faith’s
Watcher.”
“Yes, yes,
it’s me,” Wesley sputtered. “I’m your old friend, Wesley, remember?”
“You were
no friend of mine,” Angel stated, releasing him with obvious reluctance as his eyes
swept over Wesley taking in the changes. He turned to Spike motioning him to stand
beside him as he slipped back into human guise. “This is quite a change for
you.”
“Time makes
a difference for us all,” Wesley said. “You must be Spike. Buffy has told me
quite a bit about you; all good of course.”
Spike took
his time perusing the man before him. He’d heard of Wesley from both of his
mates but this didn’t match their descriptions of him. The Watcher he’d heard
about was someone that he wouldn’t think twice about letting Buffy be alone
with. This man he didn’t want anywhere near his girl.
“You must
have been seeing her for awhile if she has had the time to tell you that much,”
Spike said coldly stepping closer to him. “She hasn’t mentioned you except in
the past tense.”
Angel moved
in so that Wesley was forced back against the wall again. “This is true. How
long have you been seeing Buffy? And what exactly is your business with her?”
“We just
ran into each other tonight,” Wesley said. “I haven’t seen her since
graduation.”
Buffy
laughed and stepped between her mates and Wesley. She looked up at Angel,
tilted her head as she studied him for a moment. “We weren’t doing anything
more than what you claimed you and Faith were doing tonight.”
The shadow
of his guilt crossing Angel’s face left no doubt that his encounter with Faith
hadn’t been totally innocent. How much
more hurt can I take? Spike thought as he watched the two beings he loved
more than anyone else face off yet again.
He blinked back tears as he watched them wondering how long it was going
to take before it was all over. How long until he was forced to choose between
them?
A hand
curled into his and he looked down to see Buffy holding onto him. She didn’t
give any other indication that he was there. He squeezed it and some of his
anxiety was alleviated when she returned the gesture.
“Touché,
Buffy,” Angel said. He turned to Wesley. “Thank you for bringing her home. I’m
sure there must be places that you need to be.”
The Watcher
glanced at Buffy as if he was waiting for something. Her deep intake of air
warned Spike that something was about to happen that he and Angel wouldn’t
like. It was times like this that he felt the most torn. He closed his eyes as
he waited for her to say the words that would probably only take more life from
their relationship.
“He’s not
going anywhere,” Buffy said, ignoring the growl from Angel. “We could use his
expertise here in
Spike
laughed. What else could he do? There was nothing they could say to refute her
decision. They’d chosen to retain Faith to help with
“Expertise
in what?” Angel retorted. “Letting me die, destroying Faith.”
“Don’t,”
Buffy said. “Things and people change. Isn’t that what you’re going to tell me
about Faith? I bet she’s still here too. It doesn’t seem to matter to you how I
feel about something. You make life altering choices without me all the time.”
“Isn’t that
what I’m supposed to do?” Angel asked. “Take care of you. Tell me, Buffy, what
exactly do you want from me?”
“I want you
to love me.”
Through his
other tangled emotions pride became a dominating force within Spike as he
watched her stand straighter to return their lover’s stare without even a
flinch. Something had changed Buffy while she’d been gone. A strength that he
hadn’t seen before made her almost glow in its power. Desire stirred his loins
as he stared at the potential radiating from the girl revealing the woman she
was becoming. If she didn’t let go of it under Angelus’ duress then there might
be a chance she’d earn his demon’s respect.
“I do love
you and if you would quit whining you’d see that.” Angel snapped.
“Maybe this
isn’t the time,” Wesley said, interrupting them. “It’s been a long emotional
night for everyone.”
Angel
snorted. “It’s always that way around Buffy.”
“Wesley,”
Buffy said, ignoring Angel. “I agree this isn’t the best time. There’s a hotel
down the street why…”
“No,” Spike
said, trying to keep her from leaving again. “There’s an empty office down the
hall with a couch in it if you don’t mind roughing it a bit.”
“That would
be fine,” Wesley answered with a laugh. “It’s probably better than some of the
other places that I have stayed lately.
The three
faced off as Spike waited. Neither Buffy nor Angel seemed to be willing to give
but it was finally his Sire that relented with a slight nod of his head. The
relief was evident in the exhales of the humans. Spike stepped back slightly
when Angel held his hand out indicating for Wesley to proceed into the hall.
“I’ll show
you where the office is,” Angel said, giving a glance to Buffy before leaving
the room. “We’ll talk when I get back.”
Buffy
nodded, watching them walk away before closing the door with a decisive thud.
She seemed to be in quandary about something and Spike waited. The only sound
in the room around them was the sound of Buffy’s breathing. The sun was
attempting to sneak through the gaps in the blinds and he stepped away from the
windows.
“I’m sorry,
Spike,” Buffy said, following him toward the couch. “I needed some time alone.”
“You didn’t
seem very alone to me,” Spike said, sitting down. “It seems you found yourself
someone that makes you happy.”
“You make
me happy,” Buffy whispered, kneeling between his legs. “I love you.” Her hands
slid along his thighs to his belt. “I promise you that no matter what happens
between Angel and me that I will always be yours. I won’t make you choose
between us.”
“I don’t
want to choose between you,” Spike said, sliding his ass closer to the edge as
she undid his pants. “I want both of you with me. The way we promised.”
“I intend
to do everything I can to keep that promise,” she said, before leaning down to
take him into her mouth.
“Oh, my,
God, Buffy,” Spike ground out as she sucked his cock. She knew everything that
he enjoyed but this time it seemed she wasn’t just out to please him. She was
devouring him whole. The heat of her mouth slid along his shaft, alternating
from sucking to licking him with long strokes. The pleasure was inducing him
into a haze that he never wanted to return from.
The door
opened and Angel stepped through. Their activities didn’t even faze him as he
closed the door behind him before leaning against his desk. Their eyes met but
Spike couldn’t hold his gaze as Buffy pushed him to fulfillment. Every stroke
of her tongue along his length took him closer and when she cupped his balls,
squeezing them softly, he fell over the precipice she was pushing him toward.
Buffy lovingly arranged him back into his pants, fastening them before she
stood to face their mate.
“We need to
talk, Angel,” Buffy said. “Or should I say Angelus?”
“We are the
same person.”
Her arms
crossed as she sat on the couch. Spike could feel the slight tremor of her body
that appeared to be relaxed as she settled closer to him.
“Yet Angel
has never treated me the way that you have,” Buffy said. “You seem to have a
real talent for making me feel unloved.”
“And you
have a talent for emasculating the very men that you proclaim to love. You run
off, leaving us to wonder if you’re all right, then you think a blow job is
going to make it all go away.”
Spike
stood, looking around as if for a place to hide. Everything was starting to
implode and he didn’t want to watch. If there was only a way for them to see
each other through his eyes maybe they wouldn’t have to go through this. He
felt Buffy stand beside him but he refused to look at her. He guessed she gave
up vying for his attention when she moved away.
“Angel, I
love you,” Buffy said with determination. Spike looked up to witness her
cupping their mate’s face. “I love both of you.” She sighed. “We need to talk
not fight. I wish you had told me everything; about Angelus, about the chip and
yes, even about Faith. I know that you love me even if I’m not feeling it right
now. So, I’m going to give you some time to work things out.”
Please Angel, don’t mess this up.
She’s trying.
“All
right,” Angel said. “Stay for today and we’ll talk after I get a few things
settled.”
Buffy
nodded and gave Spike a sense of hope that he hadn’t felt since their arrival earlier
that night. It was only compounded as his mates embraced. Their faces showed
the love they had for each other. He was drawn to them and they welcomed him
into their arms.
