One of the Scoobies





Buffy flipped up the lid of the white cake box, hoping no one noticed the little dent in the corner. "Tada!"

Willow quickly stifled a laugh with her hand as the rest looked on in silence. Xander, finally broke the moment. "Um, Buff, are we going for poignant irony or did we just fall into sillyland?"

"What?" Buffy asked, her eyes wide and a little girl pout to her lips. She looked down at the cake and then had to stifle her own laugh. She grasped her sides and let her laugh come tumble out. "I swear I didn't know, guys!"

Spike felt the cold spot in his chest warm at her carefree laugh. He smiled and wanted more than anything to wrap her close and feel her body shake against him in a totally different way. He glanced at the cake in question, the soft smile shifting to a smug, considering smirk. It was almost funny. Until he wondered what his place was.

"I can't believe you got a Scooby-doo cake! That's so cute! I could just pinch Shaggy's cheeks. Oh, except for the cake gooeyness, of course," Willow said with a grin.

"You're Velma," Xander said, pointing from Willow to the screenprinted character emblazoned on the white icing.

Spike tilted his head consideringly. "Yeah, Willow's definitely Velma." He pinned Xander with a dark look. "And you are definitely Shaggy." He looked at Buffy with her blonde locks and slim, tempting body. "And I gotta say you're Fred."

"What!?" Buffy shrieked, deeply hurt that a man who she'd shared her bed with had compared her to a man. "Why am I Fred?"

"Well, Fred's the leader. I could almost say that you're Daphne, because, well...you're Buffy," Spike elaborated.

"And what's that supposed to mean," Buffy interjected.

"But I think the blind leadership qualities outweigh the...Buffyness," Spike continued.

Anya raised her hand and waved frantically, "I'm Daphne! I'm Daphne, aren't I?" She beamed and looked at Xander. "I'm Daphne," she declared.

"Hold on, luv," Spike said and there was an evil glee in his eye as he continued. "You're Xander's girl and Xander is Shaggy who always hung out with..."

"I'm the dog!?" Anya asked in horror. "I'm Xander's dog!?"

Xander's face switched to shocked horror and he shot Spike an evil glare. "Honey, you're not my dog," Xander laughed it off as if it were ridiculous. "I love you, An."

Anya glared at him, studying his face in minute, suspicious detail. "Xander Harris," she seethed, "couch!"

"But I didn't say anything! Spike said it! He's evil!" Xander pleaded.

Now Spike truly quivered with laughter.

"So, who is Daphne?" Tara asked curiously, scanning the room for remaining scoobies.

Buffy smiled wide. "I think I know." Tara looked at her with curiousity. "I think it's Spike."

Spike looked shocked and lost for words, meeting her eyes. Dawn laughed. Willow looked at Buffy closely. Giles finally lifted his eyes from his magazine. Xander and Anya bickered.

Finally Spike caught his words. "How the hell am I Daphne?"

"The painted nails, the bleached hair, the clothes," Buffy slowly ticked off her points.

"There is a certain vanity to Spike that does seem to parallel with Daphne," Giles said in a scholarly voice.

"And Daphne and Fred are always going off together," Xander said in his softly modulated "aha!" tone. He paused a second, his brow knotted. "Wait, that came out wrong."

Buffy shifted her body towards Spike so no one could see her expression and gave him a flirty look. He felt his body awaken towards her as it always did. Making him come alive, the blood thumping through his veins in its sesual mockery. "Yeah," he said slolwy, only seeing her, "maybe I am Daphne."

The moment shimmered with the heat between them and everyone shifted in their seats, sensing something they couldn't quite put words too. Willow wore her frown as she looked to Tara and Dawn. "This is just silly," she said. "Nobody has to be anybody. There just aren't enough Scoobies to go around."

"Yeah," Tara said. "Why don't we all just eat?"

Dawn's smile had vanished long ago. She was nobody. Nothing. "I'm not hungry," she said softly, pushing away from the table.

Anya wore a mutinous look, her arms folded across her chest. "Yeah, me either," Xander said, looking over to her. "I think we're just gonna go home." He stood up. No one else did. "Anya?"

"Fine, Xander Harris," she spat, "why don't I just follow you like an obedient puppy."

"Anya," he cried exasperatedly. She stormed from the room and he followed at her heels. He stopped in the doorway and gave Spike a hard look. "Dinner party's over, Daph."

Spike grit his teeth and opened his mouth to say maybe he'd just spend the night if he wanted to. Buffy could almost see the declaration form in his head and jumped to her feet, eyes wild. "Yeah. Over. Right. I'll see you guys out." She grabbed Spike's arm and pulled him up, dragging him out of the room.

The four stood in the foyer tensely. Xander helped Anya into her coat and she ran out the front door in a quick, mad flurry. Spike didn't want to leave. Not yet. Not after the other night when she'd invited him. He'd had such high hopes that she would tell them all. He so wanted them to know. He didn't know why. But he did. Maybe so she'd have to let them know she cared for him, maybe to assert that she was his, maybe just to see Xander's face. So he stood in the door a moment longer than he should before screwing up his mouth in anger and disgust and following Anya's example out the door.

Xander was more slowly sliding into his coat, his face tight. "She'll calm down," Buffy said confidently, but her mind was not on Anya and Xander as she patted his arm, but her own demon love problems. She turned and walked back into the dining room to clean up, passing Tara.

Xander slowly turned his head as Buffy's presence was replaced by the soft glow of Tara.

"Couch, huh?" she said breathlessly, ducking her head slighlty.

"Yeah," he answered hoarsely, turning to face her.

"Maybe this will help you get through it," she said, moving closer to him.





Buffy grabbed up some plates from the table. Giles was already in the kitchen, idly washing one plate over and over as he stared at page 53 of his cosmo. Dawn was sulking in her room. That would have to be dealt with later. Spike would be sulking in his crypt. He'd just have to wait.

Willow grabbed up some dishes and followed Buffy, casting a worried look over her shoulder in the direction Tara had gone. Xander was already gone, she assured herself, and she needed to talk to Buffy.

"Giles," Buffy said with a slight tinge of disgust at his rabid fascination. "Just go. I'll take care of it."

"Oh, good," Giles said absently, swiping his hands on a checkered cloth, picking up the magazine and walking out. "I'll just go then," he mumbled to himself.

Buffy and Willow stationed themselves at the vacated sink. Buffy washed, Willow rinsed. They continued in silence for a moment. Willow looked over to her silent friend and finally asked, "Since when did Spike become a scooby?"



Shadows