Winter Of Discontent 8
Author: Gileswench
Contact: gileswench@yahoo.com
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome. Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I
just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my
twisted mind which you really don't want. Please don't sue.

Short hair. Very short. But soft. No way to tell from that who she was.
His hand traveled lower, down her smooth cheek and over her throat to
her...

Adam's apple.

Angel groaned.

Not a man!

He'd never sunk that low before, no matter what rumors Patrick
McMasters had spread about him and a cow once upon a time. Liam had no
taste for buggery, nor had Angelus. Nevertheless, here he lay in bed,
naked and next to a man. Things could not get worse.

His bedmate propped himself up on one elbow.

"Hello, lover," Spike drawled.

*****

Buffy breezed into the Magic Box and headed for the tarot table. Sure
enough, Giles was there, poring over a volume of ancient lore and
entirely on another plane of existence. With a knowing smile, she snuck
up behind him. A split second before she could hug him from behind, he
spun around in his chair and pulled her into his lap, kissing her
soundly.

"Now that's what I call a welcome," she giggled. "You're in a good
mood."

"It's been a good afternoon, and it just got a great deal better," he
told her. "How was the mall?"

"Very mall-like. Stores, Frappuccinos, and kids lined up from here to
eternity to see Santa. Oh, and next year, you can stand in that line
with the sprout while I take the coward's way out and slay stuff. That
was way scarier than Mayor Dick at Graduation."

"You didn't have one of those Frappuccino things, did you?"

"No. I was a good girl. The smell is enough to make me toss cookies
these days. Where's Anya?"

"At the bank. She'll be back in a moment so I suggest you ravish me
while you have the chance."

Buffy laughed.

"What got into you today? You're not usually this flirty in public. Not
that I'm not loving this."

Giles tucked her hair behind her ear and gently stroked his hand down
her cheek.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. I want so much to make you happy, luv."

"You do. And you're being incredibly mushy tonight. What were you
reading when I came in?"

"It's nothing really..."

Buffy pulled the book out of his hands before he could move it out of
her reach.

"Faerie Tales of Ancient Europe? Okay, I already fought Hansel and
Gretl. Please tell me I'm not going up against the Ugly Duckling or
Jack and his beanstalk."

Giles blushed as he took the volume from her.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Rupert? This wasn't about a big bad, was it?"

"No. It was about...a small good," he admitted sheepishly as he placed
his hand protectively over Buffy's slightly bulging belly.

"I think our kid is pretty damn lucky. You reading bedtime stories is
gonna be great."

She leaned down and kissed him thoroughly. When she pulled back, she
swiped away a smudge of lipstick from his mouth. She hesitated a moment
before speaking again.

"Rupert, there's something I want to do, and please don't turn me down
until you really listen to my idea, okay?"

"Anything, luv. What is it you'd like?"

"I want to start training again."

*****

Angel nearly fell in his hurry to leave the bed.

"You...and I...Spike...No, we didn't....didn't....did we? Please don't
answer that. Oh God, this is a nightmare."

"Want me to pinch you, Peaches? You liked it last night."

Spike lit up a cigarette. He lay calmly smoking as Angel scrambled to
cover himself.

"Give it up, Angel. You've just done what you've always wanted to do. I
don't know why you're so upset. It's not like I raped you."

"This goes no further than this crypt, got it? We never did this,
Spike. If I hear you spreading stories about this, I swear I'll cut you
to ribbons slowly. I never touched you. You never touched me."

"Hmmm...I suppose I could lie about that, much as I hate lying. On one
condition. Get me back in good with the Slayer and the Watcher. Make
them keep me safe from the nancyboy soldier when he comes. Or would you
be more comfortable if I say when he 'arrives'?"

"Fuck you, Spike!"

"Again? Already? No wonder the Slayer was so hot for your body once
upon a time."

Angel glared at Spike. Still, he knew when he was beaten.

"No need, Spike. I'll get you back in. But you have to help me out
here. You can't hit anybody or steal their stuff."

Spike took a thoughtful drag on his cigarette.

"Yeah, alright, mate. I could do that."

"And Spike? Nobody hears about this. And it never happens again."

"If that's how you really want it, Peaches."

"And stop calling me that!"

By this point, Angel had gotten dressed again. He peered out the door
and found it was just after sunset. Without another word to Spike, he
left. A moment later, Spike prodded the figure under the bedding that
had slipped to the floor. A vampire girl poked her head out in sleepy
bewilderment.

"What?"

"Run along now, luv, and don't let the one who just left see you. He
doesn't remember you, y'see."

Spike laughed to himself as he continued to smoke. There was no way he
was going to tell the Great Poofini they'd never laid a finger on one
another.

"Like I'd ever be such a poofter as to let that nancy touch me. I'm not
that sort of boy. But Angel doesn't need to know that."

*****

"Training? Buffy, luv, you can't be serious."

"But I am. See? This is me being serious. I want to get back in shape."

Giles frowned and shook his head.

"You've not been well and in case you've forgotten, you almost lost the
baby not so long ago."

"Almost lost. Weeks ago. Due to pointy stick of wood sticking into me.
I'm better now. The doctor said."

"You're still not to overexert yourself. The doctor said that, too."

"And I can still do some things. I'm not talking training to win
triathlons here. Maybe some easy stuff at first, like some stretching
and some light aerobics. Rupert, I'm going nuts not doing anything.
Going to the mall and the hospital only goes so far with me. Then I
need to be doing something. Anything. Please, Rupert."

She stroked the back of his neck softly in the way she knew made him
shiver. He closed his eyes and pulled her hand away. He kissed her
palm. Then he moved to stand, so she had to as well.

"We'll talk to the doctor at you next appointment and see what she has
to say. Will that do?"

"Thanks, sweetie," she said as she wrapped her arms around him. "And I
promise not to do anything until we get the green light on it."

"See that you don't," he admonished her, tapping the end of her nose
lightly. He bent his head to kiss her softly. "I worry about you."

"I know, mushy guy. Believe it or not, so do I."

*****

A ring of herbs surrounded Willow where she sat cross-legged on the
floor of her bedroom. She intoned a chant under her breath, lighting a
candle as the final syllable left her lips. The flame rose nearly to
the ceiling then guttered out almost immediately. With another phrase,
it leaped back to life. Power surged through Willow's veins. She fed a
slip of paper into the flame. As the paper turned to ash, she blew out
the candle and slumped in exhaustion.

It was done.

Now she would be proved right.


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