Long Way From Home - Chapter 31

Exiting the taxi at the top of North Parade, Buffy couldn't stop her mind from replaying the night Spike had bought her there. She smiled as she remembered what a good night it had been until Angel had rung, but Spike had taken her home and looked after her as best he could. She missed him, her insides felt like they kept pulling her - one minute it would be Angel and then the next moment it would be Spike, it was like an emotional tug of war.

Standing outside the little café, Buffy looked at Willow to gauge her reaction and then headed in, Willow took in her surroundings with wide eyes.

"Wow, it's so lovely, so bohemian, so very…not Spike." Willow smiled at her friend and Buffy giggled, it was a reassuring sound to hear.

"That's so what I said, but he countered with this whole sanctuary thing." Buffy interlocked her arm with Willows and walked up to the little bar.

"Hello ladies, what can I get you?" Willy smiled at them as they stared at the chalkboard menu.

"Hi Willy, can we get two cappuccinos and…a couple of those double choc muffins?" Buffy smiled at him and a look of recognition crossed his face.

"Spike's friend? Sure, coming right up." He grinned then turned away from them.

Taking the coffees a few minutes later, Buffy settled down onto the same couch she had sat on with Spike. Slipping her shoes off, she bought her feet up onto it and leant her side into the back of the couch.

"It's so nice here, homely. Do you think Spike would mind if I bought Oz here--he'd love it." Willow settled into the couch facing Buffy.

"I can't see why not, it's not like I told Oz so he couldn't be mad at me." She sighed as she thought about it, wondering what Spike was up to at that moment, he'd mentioned having to work on something at the museum so she imagined him preening cases of artefacts.

"You okay?" Willow caught the far away look in Buffy's eyes and worried it was about Angel.

"Fine, Spike, thinking about what he's up to." Buffy sipped her drink and smiled at the vision of Spike emptying his pockets of a million sachets of sugar.

"At least you're happy." Willow sounded relieved and Buffy couldn't help but notice it.

"Yeah, being here is comforting, kinda like Spike said it was." Buffy smiled but her thoughts slipped to Angel and her face fell into an expression of sadness.

"Aww Buffy, it gets easier. How'd he take it?" Willow rubbed her friends knee as she watched her.

"Pretty well, too calmly in fact. That's exactly what's worrying me, he'll be all calm about it so I worry and call him, I can't do that Will, I have to be strong now. He's going to tell my father, I know it and then they'll gang up on me just like in my dream. And oh God, what if Angel mentions Christmas, dad's going to get his credit card bill soon and I'm so dead when he does."

"Slow down, I'm getting lost, one thing at a time…you can't call him because it's obvious he is trying to get you to call, like you need him. So be strong Buffy, I know you can do it, think about what you really want and it will help."

"I won't fall…just look out for me Will." Buffy picked at the corner of her muffin idly.

"I'm looking, now what's this about your father?" Willow looked confused so Buffy decided it was best to share a few things with her.

As she related the whole of the Christmas period, Willow's eyes grew wider and wider until Buffy thought they might pop out of her head. She kept stirring her cappuccino until it had no foam on it anymore, as Buffy wound up with the car journey to the airport Willow took a deep breath.

"So, you introduced Spike to your mother over the phone and spent over five hundred pounds of your fathers money on a guitar for him as revenge for your not being allowed to come home. Then you two um…made whoopy…then decided things should progress a little slower? Finishing with you picking me up from the airport and me just thinking you two were a little kissy kissy." Willow breathed a sigh of relief; Buffy certainly was one for rash decisions.

"You missed out the fact I kicked his psycho ex girlfriends butt in a knife fight." Buffy looked triumphant.

"I was trying to blank that bit out of my memory along with the sexcapades." Willow took a big mouthful of her coffee.

"Oh. Too much detail?" She blushed with embarrassment and was spared an answer by her phone ringing.

Pulling it out of her bag, Buffy felt sick, she handed it to Willow who read the screen and saw it was Angel. Buffy made frantic gestures with her hand that made it clear to Willow she didn't want talk to him. Willow sighed and flicked the phone open.

"Hello Angel, it's Willow."

"Willow, where's Buffy?" He sounded calm just like Buffy had said.

"She doesn't want to talk to you. I'm sorry." Willow felt awkward as she played the intermediary.

"Tell her we can figure this out, whatever the issue is we can work through it. Please?" A falter in his voice let Willow know he was hurting even if he wasn't showing it.

She clasped her hand over the phone and looked at Buffy, she was frantically shaking her head.

"I'm sorry Angel, she says no. Please don't make this any harder on her."

"Why Willow? Why? Just give me a reason, any reason, another man? She doesn't love me?" Angel sounded upset, Willow watched as Buffy's eyes filled with tears.

"She loved you Angel, but you didn't love her the way she needed." Willow felt herself welling up as she remembered how upset Xander had been.

"What do you know? I love her with all my soul."

"But you still left her alone, cold and empty and unloved Angel. You put her father before her, it isn't the kind of love she needs." Willow sighed as she looked up, the bell above the door rang and Spike walked in.

"Let me talk to her please. She knows I love her with everything I have."

"Angel, if you really love her like you say then move on and make it easier on her. Time heals all Angel, but you aren't giving it time." Willow let a tear slip onto her cheek as she watched Buffy curled up into a ball and sobbing. She was thankful Buffy hadn't noticed Spike walking to the bar with a look of concern on his face.

"Tell her I'll call her sometime, maybe in a week or two." Angel sounded calm again, and then the phone went dead.

Willow clicked it shut and put it onto the table besides Buffy. Sidling closer to her friend she wrapped her arms about her and stroked her hair gently. Turning her head to look at the bar, she saw Spike watching them with a concerned face, he raised his brows at her and she read the look.

He wanted to know if Angel and Buffy were over and the look that Willow gave him confirmed it. Buffy looked upset but she didn't look like she was crying too hard, she must have broken up with him last night and today was the aftermath. He didn't know what he was meant to do, waiting for a signal from Willow he sat at the bar and toyed with his coffee.

Willow lifted Buffy's chin to face her, she wiped the tears from her face and smiled at her.

"He says he'll call in a week or two, it's progress. He didn't sound like he was hurting too much." She smoothed Buffy's hair so it was behind her ear.

"Thanks, I couldn't talk to him. I feel terrible Willow." Buffy pouted at her friend and sniffled.

"I feel terrible too, Buffy. I have to go and meet Oz now but I do know something that will make you feel better." Willow stood up and looked down at Buffy.

"What?" Buffy frowned up at her.

Willow sidestepped and sneakily pointed towards the bar. "Kinda tall, blond and snuggly. Think he's waiting for an invite, so I'll make an exit and he'll come over."

Buffy's eyes widened at the sight of Spike toying with his drink at the bar, she didn't remember him coming in which probably meant he'd walked in when she had been crying. Willow placed a hand on her shoulder and then looked at Spike.

"All yours." She mouthed at him, then walked out the door.

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