Under the Sun

Author: enigmaticblue

Rating: PG-13

Archive: Sure, if you already have my stuff. If not, just ask.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters herein; Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and other lucky folks do. Of course, I'm not the one making money off of them.

Summary: Set after Avocation in an alternate S4 where many events of canon get thrown out the window. This one won't make any sense if you haven't read the previous story.

A/N: The title comes from Ecclesiastes, which most people know from the phrase, "A time for everything, and a season for everything under heaven." Really, this story is based on the entire book, which is probably my favorite in the Bible. It talks about making the most of what one has now, and while some find it depressing, I love it. If you've got the time, I'd really recommend you read the whole thing.

Chapter 9

"...I have given no man of my fruit to eat;/I trod the grapes, I have drunken the wine./Had you eaten and drunken and found it sweet,/This wild new growth of the corn and vine,/This wine and bread without lees or leaven,/We had grown as gods, as the gods in heaven,/Souls fair to look upon, goodly to greet,/One splendid spirit, your soul and mine./In the change of years, in the coil of things,/In the clamour and rumour of life to be,/We, drinking love at the furthest springs,/Covered with love as a covering tree,/We had grown as gods, as the gods above,/Filled from the heart to the lips with love,/Held fast in his hands, clothed warm with his wings,/O love, my love, had you loved but me!..." ~ Algernon Charles Swinburne, "The Triumph of Time"

The restaurant was a nice change, not least because they didn't have to worry about being interrupted. The days when Joyce left the number of the evening's destination with a babysitter, or Buffy, had long since passed.

In theory, anyway.

"So have you spoken to Buffy about it?" Giles asked.

Joyce laughed. "It hasn't come up. Besides, I haven't seen Buffy since Halloween. If she's not on campus, she's with Spike, with no time to spare for her mother."

"It is rather a nice change," Giles agreed, thinking that he hadn't seen much of his Slayer recently either.

"How is the planning coming?" Joyce asked.

Giles shrugged. "It's coming along quite nicely. I've got the rent paid up through the next few months, and stock ordered. I was thinking about hiring Xander to help me set things up since he seems to be between jobs at the moment."

Joyce appeared sympathetic. She'd heard through the grapevine that Xander had quit working at the campus pub and was now trying to find another job. She'd always had a soft spot for Buffy's friends. They'd usually wound up at her house, if they weren't at the library or out saving the world, and she'd gotten a pretty good understanding of their home situations. The more she discovered, the more sense it made that it was her house where everyone congregated.

While Joyce didn't mind, there were times when she was just as grateful to have her home to herself these days. Well, mostly to herself.

"Have you told Buffy about the bookstore?" Joyce asked.

Giles shook his head. "No, there hasn't been an opportunity. Although, I did think of letting Spike know, simply because he would most likely make himself useful."

"He really is good at that," Joyce replied. "I had to call him over last week to look at my car again." She gave Giles an amused look. "It always breaks down when you're not available."

He frowned, trying to remember when that would have been, and finally recalled that he'd had a meeting with the bank. "Did he get it fixed?"

"He did," Joyce said. "He said it was a benefit to being around since before cars were invented."

"I imagine he was more help than I would have been," Giles said. "I'm afraid that I am not what you'd call handy."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing Spike is around." Joyce smiled. "I never thought I'd be grateful that my daughter is dating a vampire."

Giles shook his head. "I suppose we ought to be grateful that Spike isn't your typical vampire." He rose from the table, assisting Joyce with her chair smoothly. "I think we have another appointment yet tonight."

Joyce smiled. "Just as long as we don't get interrupted."

~~~~~

Wesley entered the garage, hearing Spike cursing. "Is everything alright?"

"Bloody stupid vehicle," Spike muttered. "Hand me the spanner, Wes."

Wesley handed him the tool. "You said you needed me."

"Need you to give Rupert a hand," Spike replied. "He's got his first shipment coming in, and I've got a date tonight." He straightened, glaring at his car. "Or I will if I can get this hunk of junk working."

Wesley's eyebrows went up. "I thought you loved your car."

"I do." Spike grinned at him. "Just like a woman. Love her, but she annoys the hell out of me sometimes."

Wesley found himself grinning in response. He caught the keys Spike threw in his direction. "Start her up, and let's see if I'm going anywhere tonight."

Wesley slid behind the wheel, stifling his envy as the big engine roared to life. He cut the engine on Spike's signal and got out of the car. "It appears that you'll make your date after all."

"You don't mind helping Rupert out, do you?" Spike asked. "Told him to give me a call when he needed me, but I'd already made plans with Buffy."

"Not to mention the fact that we're leaving in a few days, and you want to spend as much time with her as you can," Wesley said, knowing how Spike worked at this point.

Spike shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not like Rupert doesn't do the same with Joyce."

Wesley felt a pang. It appeared that everyone around him had paired up, and he was alone. He supposed that he should just be grateful that they all tried to include him as often as possible. "To answer your question, I don't mind giving Giles a hand. I certainly didn't have any other plans for the evening."

Spike shot him a look, his blue eyes sympathetic. "You ought to get yourself a girl, mate. Go out more."

"With whom?" Wesley asked quietly.

Spike winced. "Yeah, there is that. Tell you what, Wesley. We'll go out some night. See if we can find you a nice girl."

"I appreciate the thought, but I think I'll look on my own," Wesley said dryly. "Given our usual haunts, I'm not sure how successful we would be."

Spike shrugged. "I suppose that's what you get for hanging around with the undead. You could always strike out on your own, take your chances somewhere else."

"I think I'll survive," Wesley replied.

"I'm sure you will," Spike replied. "After all, I went over fifty years without a date, and it didn't kill me."

Wesley gave him a dirty look. "Why doesn't that make me feel better?"

~~~~~

The band on stage had a nice sound, which was a pleasant surprise. Not that Spike didn't appreciate Oz's choices in music, but there were times when he was less than thrilled. The lead singer had a presence about her that triggered a warning signal for Spike, however. There was something there, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this caught up in the music before," Buffy said, leaning over to speak directly into his ear.

Spike shook his head. "Don't think I've ever heard anyone like this bint before," he replied. He glanced over at Oz, who was staring at the girl. "Looks like Red's boy hasn't either."

Oz seemed to break out of his trance when he heard Spike referring to him. "Yeah. Veruca's band plays every Wednesday night."

"They're really good," Willow said, trying to be generous, rather than jealous. She'd never seen Oz like this before. He wasn't the kind of guy to stare at other girls. He never had been.

"Yeah. They've got a nice sound," Oz replied, his words disinterested, but his intense stare indicating something else altogether.

"When are the Dingoes playing again, Oz?" Buffy asked, sensing Willow's growing alarm.

Oz shook his head. "We're up on Friday."

"That'll be good," Willow said. "I always like hearing you guys."

"Yeah." Oz was soon caught up in the music again.

Buffy glanced over at Spike, who appeared to be watching the girl on stage with the same intensity, but with a frown of concern on his face. "Penny for your thoughts."

Spike looked back over at her, shaking his head. "Probably not worth even that much, luv. Just feel that there's more to the girl than meets the eye."

Buffy glanced at Oz, and then over at Spike. "Should I be worried?"

Spike snorted, obviously incredulous. "You're the bloody Slayer, pet. Whatever presence that chit has, you've got it ten times as strong."

She flushed slightly, giving him a quick kiss in reward for his flattery. "You say the sweetest things sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" he teased.

"When you're not being a pig," Buffy replied.

He smirked. "Keeps things interesting, though, doesn't it?"

She rolled her eyes, not bothering to acknowledge that Spike always kept things interesting. She caught Willow's worried expression again, and wondered what was up with Oz tonight. He was usually as focused on Willow as Spike was on her.

"Maybe we should get out of here," Buffy suggested, catching Willow's eye. "We could go to a movie. I'm kind of jonesing for popcorn."

Spike frowned. "Dunno, luv. I didn't think there was anything playing you wanted to see when we looked earlier." He felt the toe of Buffy's boot give him a sharp kick under the table. "Of course, if you want to go see a movie, that's fine."

Willow looked over at Oz. "What about you? Would you mind if we went to a movie?"

Oz looked away from the stage, blinking absently. "Huh? Oh, sure, but I thought you enjoyed the band."

Willow and Buffy exchanged a look that spoke louder than words. Spike, who wasn't completely oblivious, quickly said, "It's getting a bit old. Not bad music, but in small doses."

Oz shrugged. "Sure. We can split."

They began to gather up their things to prepare to leave, and Spike cast one last look back at the stage. There was still something strange about that girl. He'd bet his next paycheck that she was going to be trouble.

~~~~~

"I appreciate your assistance, Wesley. I had thought Spike would be able to make it." Giles handed Wesley another box of books he'd stored in his mostly-unused apartment.

Wesley shrugged. "As I explained to Spike, I didn't have any other plans."

"I believe Joyce was going to make dinner this evening. You're welcome to join us," he invited.

Wesley was rather touched by the invitation. "I might just do that."

"How has working for Spike been?"

Wesley hesitated, not knowing quite how to reply to Giles' question. Although he knew that Giles liked Spike, and that he wasn't with the Council anymore, Wesley was wary of such inquiries, being too used to his father's reaction to such matters.

His father's reaction to hearing that he was working for Spike had been less than enthusiastic.

"I've enjoyed it," Wesley replied cautiously.

Giles slammed the back of the truck closed. He'd rented it to transport the boxes of books from his apartment to the new store. Only a few shipments of rare books had come in so far. Giles had wanted to store them at his apartment until he was closer to opening. He'd decided to stock a mix of new and used volumes, as well as some magic tomes. The magic store in town had spell supplies, but few books, and Giles hoped to draw from that crowd.

"I just thought that it might be hard working for a vampire," Giles pointed out. "Your background with the Council would seem to suggest that it would be a difficult transition."

Wesley was quiet for a long moment. "It's Spike," he finally explained.

"And that makes it different?"

"I don't know." Wesley looked off into the distance. "He's been nothing but kind to me, Giles. He—I don't know how to explain it."

"I think I understand." Giles shook his head. "You are in a unique position, Wesley, to experience a side of the world that Watchers rarely see. In a way, you have an opportunity to see how the other side works."

Wesley was already shaking his head. "I won't betray his confidence. I'm not a Watcher any longer, and I—"

"I'm not talking about now, Wesley." Giles cut him off, his tone acerbic. "For the future. For the Slayer, and any who might come after her. For when the Council is under different, perhaps more liberal, leadership."

Wesley laughed. "You know as well as I do how likely that is to happen. Men like Quentin Travers do not suffer rebels to remain on the Council payroll for long."

"Men like Travers do not live forever," Giles responded. "I'm just asking you to think about what it is you're learning."

Wesley raised an eyebrow. "Do try to remember that I was trained as a Watcher. I may no longer work for them, but as you well know, it doesn't just go away."

Giles nodded, his lips twitching at Wesley's sarcasm. The younger man really had matured considerably under Spike's tutelage. He was beginning to wonder if all Watchers shouldn't spend some time demon-fighting on the front lines. "No, it never does go away."

"Giles?"

"Yes?"

"If Spike had offered you this position, would you have taken it?"

Giles frowned, considering the question. "No, not now. But ten years ago? I wouldn't have passed it up for the world."

~~~~~

Willow had no idea what to do. Everything had become so strange between her and Oz, just over the last few days. Their relationship—other than the mistake she'd made with Xander—had run amazingly smoothly. They didn't really fight, or even disagree. Sex was good, and Oz was sweet and supportive and everything that a girl could want in a guy.

And then there was Veruca.

She'd seemed to come out of nowhere, and Oz paid more attention to her than he had to any other girl but Willow. Veruca was a musician, and she had some indefinable something that Willow lacked.

She made a face. No, not quite indefinable. Veruca was a big 'ho.

Willow had even gone over to Oz's place, hoping to seduce him with her new look, and he'd turned her down cold. She needed some male advice, and she had no idea who to go to. There was Xander, but he didn't know Veruca, so he couldn't really judge.

Which left Spike.

"Red." He ushered her inside, always the gentleman. Willow had come to him a few times before, but this was the first time she'd ever come to him for advice about boys. It seemed logical, though. Spike knew her, and Oz, and he'd seen Veruca. If anyone could explain the mystery that was the male mind, it would have to be Spike.

Maybe. Or maybe this was a mistake.

"You want to spit it out before you drive yourself into a frenzy?" Spike asked, amusement coloring his tone.

Willow shook her head. "I shouldn't have bothered you. I'm sorry, I'll just—"

Spike took her by the elbow, leading her into the kitchen and sitting her down. "You're upset about something, and you didn't go to Buffy, which means you think I can help you for some reason. You know I'd do whatever I can for you, Willow."

"It's Oz," Willow blurted out. "It's just—I think he likes Veruca."

"The girl that was singing the other night?"

"Yeah."

Spike watching as she twisted her hands nervously. "Okay. What makes you think that?"

"The way he was staring at her that night," Willow replied. "Plus, he was eating lunch with her the other day, and when I got there, they both got up and left."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Hardly evidence you can build a good case on, pet."

"Well, I thought...I thought I could..." Willow trailed off, suddenly realizing the impossibility of explaining the entire situation to Spike. It just felt weird.

"You thought you'd shag him to remind him why he's with you?" Spike suggested, his gentle tone belying the coarse wording.

Willow nodded miserably. "He didn't want to."

"Even the most insatiable guy has an off day, Red," Spike said quietly. "Don't think that proves he doesn't want you."

Willow sighed. "It's just—Veruca. I mean, you saw her."

"I did." Spike shook his head. "Girl's got a feeling to her, I won't deny that. Almost like..."

He trailed off, and Willow leaned forward. "What?"

"Dunno, but I don't know that she's all human. Let's leave it at that."

"You think she's a demon?" Willow asked.

Spike shook his head. "No, she's not a demon. That I know for sure. If I got close to her, I could probably tell you what it was, but I don't think I'll have an opportunity to do that."

"But if you did?"

"Then I might be able to tell you more, but I don't know that it's a good idea. It'd have to be at night," Spike reminded her.

Willow was excited. If Spike could tell that Veruca was evil, and she could present the evidence to Oz, then he'd have to stay away from her. "The next time they practice at the Bronze?"

"If I'm in town," Spike hedged. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Spike!" Willow said. "I really appreciate it."

His face softened. He'd always had a soft spot for the girl. "Told you, luv. You need me, I'm there if it's within my power."

~~~~~

Buffy slid into the backseat behind Wesley, his longer legs giving him the better rights to the front seat. "What are you thinking?"

"We patrol, make sure no one gets hurt tonight," Spike replied. "Talked to a few people after you called, and they said there were two werewolves out last night. Male and female."

The Slayer squeezed her eyes tightly closed. She had heard about the "wild dogs" attacking Professor Walsh and had immediately known from the description that the dogs were werewolves. The fact that Oz had been reinforcing his cage when she'd found him after the attack only underscored the idea that he had been one of them. The only question was the identity of the second, and if Oz didn't know—as he'd said he didn't—Buffy wasn't sure what to do. Her fear was that it was another innocent, someone like Oz, who didn't have a clue as to what was going on.

Her fear was that someone else would find the second werewolf before they did.

Buffy didn't think that Wesley would have been her first choice of backup, but she trusted Spike's judgment. If her boyfriend said that the ex-Watcher was ready for this kind of assignment, then he must be.

In theory, anyway.

"Do you have any idea where she would head?"

"Depends," Spike said. "She might head for a populated location if she's hungry."

"What about areas with a high concentration of adolescents?" Wesley suggested. "Werewolves are typically drawn to large crowds of people, especially where there are more pheromones."

"That's where Oz went," Buffy said. "Before he knew he was a werewolf, I mean. He turned up at the Bronze."

"We'll go there first, then," Spike decided. "Maybe I'll catch the scent."

None of them knew how to feel when the sun rose with no sign of the werewolf.

~~~~~

Willow was feeling pretty cheerful on the whole. The Wicca group orientation was going well, and it looked like it might be kind of fun, even if no one had talked about real magic yet. Spike was going to help her prove that Veruca was evil, so she had a plan to deal with the other girl, too. It was going to be okay. She was just going to bring Oz breakfast to prove what a good girlfriend she was, and—

The thermos and paper sack hit the stone floor of the cave as she caught sight of Oz—and Veruca—naked. Wrapped around each other. There was no mistaking it for anything other than what it was.

"Oh, my God," Willow said, backing up.

Oz reached for his pants. "Willow, wait. It's not what you think."

"What I think?" she asked, looking between them in horror.

"She's a wolf, like me," Oz said. "I had to lock her in here with me."

"Oh, I'll bet!" Willow exclaimed. "You couldn't have told someone? Buffy and Spike were out all night, making sure no one got hurt, and you couldn't have told them?"

Veruca had been watching the show with a smug expression. "She's got a point."

Oz turned furious eyes on her. "Leave!"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I—"

"Now!"

Something in his expression warned Veruca that now was not a good time to push her luck. She left.

"I'm sorry," Oz said.

"I knew!" Willow replied. "I knew, and you said everything was fine. You, you lied to me, you jerk! That's as bad as—as—"

"I know. I remember how it feels."

"So that's what this is?" Willow asked, beginning to choke back sobs. "This is payback?"

"No, Willow—"

"Because I thought we were past that," she continued relentlessly. "What we did can't even compare to what you did with her. Did you know? Do you love her?"

"No, I didn't know. I didn't mean for this to happen. When I'm the wolf, it's like I'm gone."

"But you wanted her before, didn't you?" Willow asked, her tone begging him to tell her otherwise, even though she knew better.

Oz shook his head helplessly. His hands hung uselessly. There was nothing he could do to soothe this hurt—he was the one who had caused it. "I sensed something."

"So you wanted her in an animal way?" Willow asked. "You wanted her...more than me?"

She couldn't take it anymore. Willow turned and ran, not even thinking about where she was headed. For an ache this big, it was Oz she would have turned to, and now he was out of her reach.

Maybe he'd always been out of her reach.