Driving to Distraction - Chapter 11

Buffy stared at the drink as her redheaded friend Willow placed it down on the table in front of her. She sighed as she tried to think of something else, something other than what had been on her mind all day.

It had been halfway through her psychology class that she’d realised it was precisely two months since she’d last seen Spike.

She couldn’t believe it had been so long. So much had happened.

Her mother had come home to find her still stood on the porch, surrounded by her suitcases, and she’d taken her inside. Buffy had sought comfort in the cup of hot chocolate her mother made for her and told her everything about the journey, and all about Spike. Even without her saying what had happened between them, her mother had instinctively known that something had, and she’d offered her all the comfort she could.

But it hadn’t been enough.

The first week without him, she’d been unable to sleep for any amount of time and had jumped at every phone call.

The second week she began to tell herself that he wasn’t going to call, but her heart still held out hope.

The third week she started college and her mother never mentioned that anyone had called for her so she just presumed that no one had.

In her fourth week, she’d met Willow, a slim redhead who shared a few classes with her and she’d introduced her to another girl, a brown haired one named Anya.

They’d eased the pain a touch, but she still couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Hadn’t stopped from the moment he’d left her.

And now she was in some club in Los Angeles because it was Friday night and Willow had prescribed a little musical therapy, with the added bonus of alcohol to drown her sorrows in.

She sighed as she lifted her drink up and stared at it.

Two months seemed like an eternity.


Spike strummed his guitar idly as he stared at the picture of Buffy that was resting on the crate beside him. It had been two long months since he’d seen her and he still couldn’t get her out of his thoughts. He ignored Xander as he said something unintelligible and walked towards him.

When Xander smacked him over the head with a drumstick, Spike frowned.

“Should have called her, man.” Xander nodded towards the photograph and shook his head.

“Wouldn’t have worked.” Spike said quietly and strummed his guitar again, letting his fingers idly play out a tune as he stared at the picture of Buffy.

He’d tried to call her, had called her. It seemed like a million times he’d picked up the phone and dialled her number.

“You know that’s crazy talk.” Xander watched his friend as he just continued to stare at the picture. For two months, he’d watched his friend being more miserable than he’d ever seen him. When he’d been to New York to see Spike after the Drusilla incident, he hadn’t been this depressed.

“Apparently I’m insane then…she used to tell me that. I’m a fucking psycho.” Spike smiled to himself as he remembered the time they’d been cut up by the two trucks.

“Come on…we better get up there.”

“Give me a minute…” Spike said as he stood up and put his guitar down, slipping the photo of Buffy into his wallet and leaving through the stage door for the bar.


Buffy rested her chin on her palm as she toyed with her drink, listening to her friends and trying not to think about Spike. She kept her back to the band, intentionally showing Willow and Anya how much she didn’t want to be here and how much she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

She didn’t want to have fun.

She smiled internally as she remembered the time she’d spent with Spike. It wasn’t the regular kind of fun, but she’d enjoyed every minute of it. He’d opened up a whole new world to her and had given her a whole new perspective on life.

She could take the risks.

She was already planning to spend next summer travelling across country—just going where her feet wanted to wander.

“Buffy, are you even listening to me?” Willow frowned at her friend as she heaved a sigh.

“Sorry?” Buffy asked as she glanced over at the redhead. She’d clearly missed something because both of the girls were looking at her and rolling their eyes.

“You have to stop thinking about him.” Anya stated as she sipped her drink.

Buffy half listened to her and half listened to the band that were finishing up on stage. They weren’t bad, and if she’d been in the mood for being out then she probably would have been dancing along with the rest of the crowd.

She’d discovered that a large part of the reason Willow and Anya had chosen to bring her to this club was because Anya had a crush on the drummer of the main band, the one that would start in just a few minutes.

Heaving a long sigh, Buffy stared into her drink and then turned her head sharply to the left when she saw a flash of blond hair out the corner of her eye. She craned her neck to see over the crowds gathered around the bar and frowned when she couldn’t see any blond men.


Spike grabbed his water off the girl with a false smile and held out his money to her. He frowned as he turned his back on the bar and started toward the stage, not letting his eyes wander anywhere but his final destination.

He couldn’t believe he was doing this. How the hell was he supposed to sing about good times and love when he woke up every day with a broken heart?

He was going to kill Xander after the gig.


Buffy looked at the empty glasses that were filling the small round table she was sitting at and just listened to the band on stage. They were a lot better than the first one, but they just seemed to knock out tune after tune with no breaks. The crowd didn’t seem to care—they were all bouncing along to the songs being played.

Finishing her soda, she sighed and looked at her friends. They were supposed to be having a good time tonight and all she was doing was bringing them both down.

Putting her empty glass back down on the table, she sat up a little straighter, getting the attention of Willow but not Anya as she was transfixed with the stage.

“You’re right, I have to move on. I’m young, pretty, and I can have anyone.” Buffy smiled broadly. Anyone but the man I want.

“Good, Buffy, you really should have moved on when he didn’t call you…no use pining over some jerk.” Willow smiled at her.

Buffy listened to the final notes of the song echoing into the background and then felt her heart leap into her mouth as someone finally spoke.

“Thanks.” An accented voice that sent shivers of recognition up her spine made her leap from her seat and turn to face the stage.

Her eyes widened as she caught a flash of blond hair as the band exited and she was pushing her way through the crowd before she even had time to think. As she shoved the last person out of the way, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

Spike.

Scrambling up onto the stage, she pushed past the rest of the band and ducked under the security guards arms. The second Spike turned to see what the commotion was, she threw her arms around his neck and held onto him tightly.

Spike stumbled backward slightly, his arms full of girl and his head full of confusion.

“Not into groupies, pet.” He tried to pry the girl off him but she wouldn’t let go. This was the last thing he needed when he was all sweaty and tired—some bint all over him.

Buffy realised that he didn’t have a clue who she was.

“You sure?” She asked as she pulled back and smiled into his eyes, loving the look of disbelief that had settled on his face. “I better go then.”

Moving to get down, she smiled wide as his arms snaked around her waist and he tugged her back to him.

“Stay.” It was the only thing he could say as he looked into her green eyes.

Dipping his head, he crushed her lips with his and kissed her hard, stealing her breath from her as he held her tightly in his arms.

He smiled awkwardly as he pulled back and saw she looked a little dazed. “Sorry…been thinking about doing that for a long time now.”

“Me too.” Buffy breathed up at him and began kissing him again.

“Hey, Spike…shift your skinny white ass…” Xander prodded his back with his drumsticks. When Buffy broke the kiss and looked over Spike’s shoulder at him, Xander’s eyes widened. “It’s photo girl. It’s really her, and you were all with the ‘She doesn’t like me’ routine!”

Spike shot him a warning look, knowing all too well his reputation was about to be shot dead. “Xan!”

“No…I mean. I’ve had two months of listening to him brooding over you!” Xander ignored Spike’s glare and just continued to talk to the blonde girl.

“Xan!” Spike shouted at him and then turned to Buffy. “There was no brooding.”

“Buffy?” Willow’s voice caught her attention over all the noise and she turned to try to find her in amongst the crowd.

Willow tugged Anya’s hand and pushed her way through the crowd, emerging the other side only to find Buffy wrapped up in the singer of the band’s arms.

She didn’t think that moving on would happen so quickly.

Buffy caught the stunned look in her eyes and then smiled broadly. “Oh…it’s fine…this is Spike.”

“See, I said she wasn’t crazy.” Willow hissed under her breath at Anya, but she was staring blankly at the drummer.

“Buffy.” Anya’s voice was an urgent whisper as she nodded toward the man in question.

Buffy frowned for a moment and then let her eyes widen as she understood what Anya was trying to say. “Ooh…um…Spike…”

Spike arched a brow as he looked down at her, completely confused as to what was happening and wondering when the whole world had gone weird. “Love?”

Buffy leaned towards him and whispered in his ear, explaining what was going on. She smiled as he pulled back and raised both his brows, looking past her to his friend.

“Xander…this is Anya.” He pointed from his friend to the girl and watched as she blushed furiously. “Apparently she fancies you something rotten.”

Buffy slapped Spike’s arm playfully as he smirked. He arched a brow and grabbed hold of her as she tried to escape. Pressing a firm kiss to her lips, he let the world around them drift away as he focused on making the most of what he was holding in his arms.

“Hey…” Xander smiled stupidly, nerves taking him over as he stepped off the stage and looked at the pretty girl who was smiling wide at him. “I’m Xander.”

“Anya.” She said, her smile not faltering.

“I’ll be back in ten, clean and ready to buy you a drink.” He smiled as the girl blushed and then winked at her as he disappeared into the back.

Willow just rolled her eyes as her friend looked as though she was about to faint and then swallowed hard as she caught sight of the bassist.

“Holy moly.” Willow just blinked at him as he smiled in her direction.

“Daniel…but you can call me Oz…and I was thinking of asking you if you wanted a drink. Think you’ll say yes?” Oz watched her as she pretended to mull over his words.

“I think so.” She smiled and watched him as he disappeared into the back, following Xander.

Spike pressed another long kiss to Buffy’s lips and then dragged himself away from her. “Ten minutes…don’t disappear.”

She smiled against his mouth as he came back and kissed her again, almost giggling at how badly he didn’t want to leave her.

“Stay put…please?” He asked as he peppered her cheeks with kisses.

Buffy nodded.

She wasn’t going anywhere.

Not without him.


Spike smiled at the ocean as he watched the moon playing on it. The sea was barely moving, as still as a millpond and quietly reflecting how he felt inside.

Peaceful.

Turning his head slightly, he looked over at Buffy where she was sitting beside him in the front seat of his Desoto. He’d missed her more than he could say, and something told him that she’d missed him too.

Letting his hand slip from her knee, he intertwined his fingers with hers and smiled as she looked up into his eyes.

Buffy smiled warmly at him, holding his hand a little tighter in hers and wondering just what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

Just where he’d been.

Averting her eyes so she was staring at the ocean, she felt a little awkward as she built up the courage to ask him.

“You never called.” Her voice was quiet.

“I did…” Spike lowered his eyes so he was staring at his knees. “At least ten times a week, for the past two months.”

Buffy looked up at him with wide eyes full of disbelief. “You did? I didn’t know.”

“Your mum kept answering.” He looked boyish as he smiled slightly.

Buffy’s eyes widened a little further as she saw how awkward he felt about it. She’d never seen him so embarrassed, never thought she’d ever see him like this.

“You’re the person who kept putting the phone down?” She asked and he nodded at her. “Why didn’t you just ask for me?”

Spike raised his eyes to meet hers. “And when she asks me who I am, what am I supposed to say? I deflowered your daughter and now I’m in love with her?”

Buffy’s mouth dropped open.

Spike froze.

“You’re in love with me?” She couldn’t quite bring herself to believe it.

“Forget…” Spike started.

“Too late, already filed it away.” Buffy smiled mischievously and snuggled up a little closer to him as she thought about what he’d said.

“Fine, you got me…” Spike wrapped her up in his arms and smiled into her eyes. “I’m in love with you.”

“Good.” She said flatly.

“That’s all you have to say? Good?” He pouted slightly at her.

“Good, because I’m in love with you, too.” Buffy smiled at the same time he did.

“Worked out perfectly then.” He grinned and then dipped his head, capturing her lips in a tender kiss.

Buffy thought about that as she began to kiss him back.

Worked out perfectly.

She couldn’t agree more.

The End

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