Violins And Heartstrings - Chapter 7

"It's not every day I get to sit next to such a Venus." Spike leant over slightly and smiled at her, his heart still fluttering madly in his chest and it only worsened when she blushed.

"Just don't go being Adonis." She whispered out of the side of her mouth as she closed the violin case and flicked the latches shut.

"Been reading up have we?" Spike arched a brow at her and went to say something else but was interrupted by the host.

"That was breathtaking Miss Summers, I hear you're in town to record with the New York Philharmonic?"

Spike frowned as he watched the host lean towards Buffy in an over friendly manner.

"Yes, I'm so excited. I've never done anything so big in my life."

Spike chuckled.

"Spike's in town to shoot a movie, maybe he could coax you into contributing to the soundtrack?"

"Miss Summers is far too good for me." Spike leant into the couch and gave her a hard look as she met his eyes. Buffy flinched slightly.

"I'd love to, only I rarely have time to watch movies. Life's a little…hectic." Buffy frowned at him slightly and he averted his eyes--it hit home that she'd really hurt him all those years ago.

"I'll say. You've been touring solidly since graduating from the Paris Conservatory." The host gave her a wide smile and Buffy smiled back at him before looking around at Spike.

Spike looked at her, she'd really gone and lived her dream--he only wished that she'd waited for him to tag along. He couldn't stop looking at her throughout the rest of her interview, his angel returned to him--almost.


As the show ended Buffy bolted towards the exit, she knew if she looked back at him that she would never want to leave, she'd stumble at the first hurdle.

"Wait." Spike ran up the hall after her, she'd given him the slip on the way to the green room but her shoes seemed to be on his side and were slowing her down.

He wanted to grab her arm but couldn't bring himself to do it.

Buffy stopped in her tracks by the exit.

"Don't, William, please." Buffy kept her back to him and drew a long breath to steady her heart as it pounded against her chest--she didn't want a confrontation.

"Don't what? I just want to talk, Buffy, it's been so long." Spike looked at her back and sighed.

"I can't. Not right now."

"Why not?"

"I'm tired, confused, I only arrived in town last night. Seeing you again I don't know whether I'm supposed to run into your arms or run away." Buffy turned her head slightly towards him.

"A little time then." Spike backed off an inch.

"Time." Buffy moved to leave, her heart was pounding so fast and he was so close behind her that she just wanted to turn around and hold him.

"Don't leave me." Spike reached a hand out to her and didn't bother to hide the note of desperation in his voice. It cut into Buffy like a knife. "Least tell me where you're staying. I can't let you disappear, not again."

Buffy paused and then turned to look at him, as her green eyes met his clear blue ones she felt lost all over again. Fumbling in her bag, she produced a small white card and held it out to him, her eyes never leaving his.

"It's in Westchester."

"Westchester." Spike repeated as he memorised her soft look.

She backed away until she reached the doors, as she felt them behind her she managed to smile at him.

"I missed you." Buffy blinked at him before holding her hand over her mouth and running out of the building.

Spike stared at the doors dreamily as they swung back and forth, and then stared down at the card she'd given him. "I missed you too."

He raised his head as he turned around, only to see Drusilla standing behind him with her arms folded and a black look on her face. Spike narrowed his eyes for a split second and the next thing he saw was her fist flying towards him and connecting with his left cheekbone.

He screwed his eyes shut as the pain rocketed around his skull. Part of him was saying he was a fool to chase after Buffy again and the other part of him was rejoicing over Drusilla storming off, leaving him available for the girl that he loved.


Back in his apartment he sprawled out on the bed, the TV was playing one of his movies and he arched a brow at it before changing channels. He'd never liked that movie and it pissed him off that it was the one everyone remembered. Spike surmised that he didn't like it because on some level it reminded him of Buffy. It was about a guy and a girl, they are looking for each other but keep managing to miss each other and it infuriated him. When he'd shot that movie he'd constantly thought about Buffy, wondering if that's what they were doing, passing each other like ships in the night.

He picked up the little card from the bedside table and sighed at it. The temptation to call the studio right now was overwhelming, he knew she wouldn't be there at this time of night but he didn't care, some tiny part of him told him there was probably a one percent chance she'd be there and that tiny chance was enough for him.

Spike grabbed the phone and stared at it, remembering how she'd told him earlier that she needed time. He realised he was going to have to play by her rules if he wanted to see her, closing his eyes he let the handset click back down onto the receiver.

He pressed the half melted ice pack to his cheekbone again and blinked slowly. His face was killing him and he knew that he was going to wake up tomorrow with a black eye. The director was going to have his head for sure this time but Spike didn't care--so he couldn't shoot the movie with a black eye but it would give him time to go and see Buffy.

Time. Spike thought about it hard as he closed his eyes. If Buffy needed time to gather her thoughts then he'd give her time, so long as she didn't need any longer than a day. The day after tomorrow his eye wouldn't look so bad and she would have had all the time she was getting from him to figure out what was happening in that pretty head of hers. Spike nodded to himself like he'd just laid the plan in stone. Now all he had to do was find out where Westchester was.


Buffy had decided on the drive home that she didn't need as much time as she thought she did. She was pacing her bedroom as she thought about Spike, a huge part of her hoped that he would show up bright and early tomorrow morning but she knew she was kidding herself. She'd clearly told him to back off for a while and if he had any sense then he would at least give her a day or two before he attempted to see her.

As she slipped into bed, Buffy cursed herself, she was so wide awake that she couldn't see herself sleeping tonight and tomorrow was meant to be her first day in the studio. Turning the TV on she stared at it blankly as she flicked channels, when a familiar peroxide blond appeared on her screen she snuggled into the blankets and watched him intently. It was time she found out what he'd been doing with his life and what better way then watching him in a movie.

She watched Spike more than she watched the movie, then drove to the local 24-hour gas station and bought several magazines with him in and another of his movies. Buffy watched the second movie while flicking through the magazines and reading up on him. As far as she could see it, he led an amazing life but he didn't seem to be enjoying the spotlight as much as other actors did. Buffy smiled at that--some part of William was still in there and still causing shyness on some level.

As the night started turning into day, Buffy fell asleep on a picture of him in one of her magazines with a smile playing on her lips--she'd finally found him.

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