Title: Caught Between Two Lovers Author: Pattyanne snapkik@yahoo.com Disclaimer: All I own is the story Feedback: Yeah-huh! Summary: Set early second season. A retelling of Spike and Buffy's first meeting. For the purpose of the story Angel does not exist and Spike is different. Part twenty-nine..... Two Less Lonely People In The World ~~~~~ "I was down, my dreams were wearing thin When you're lost, where do you begin? My heart always seemed to drift from day to day Looking for the love that never came my way" ~~~~~ Buffy stared at Xander, surprised when he pulled a silver hip flask from inside his jacket. "Where did you get that?" He had dragged them all outside a few minutes ago, instructing everyone to get a glass of fruit punch first. After taking a quick look around for authority figures, he unscrewed the cap on the glass and poured a shot of something into his own cup. "I knocked over a liquor store on the way to the dance," he replied, rolling his eyes at her. "Where do you think I got it? My house is better stocked than the sport's bar on 14th street." He began adding a shot to everyone's cup. Willow stared doubtfully at the punch in her cup. "It smells weird," she said, wrinkling her nose. Oz placed one hand on her back. "Don't drink it then, babe." She sighed. "No, I will. It's...sort of a rite of passage," she said nervously. "Isn't it?" "That's right," Xander cut in. "It's a step beyond sneaking a beer in the basement. Next thing you know...we'll be sip- ping fine champagne." The words made Buffy smile, a smile she hid by raising the cup to her lips and taking a tentative taste. The others followed suit, except for Cordelia who'd refused to even consider tasting it. It tasted as vile as it smelled. Buffy swallowed and made a face of pure disgust. "It tastes...like cherry flavored turpen- tine," she choked. "I tried to warn you," Cordelia murmured, patting her on the back. "Are you going to throw up?" she asked, suddenly backing away a few feet. "I'm...I'm trying not to," Buffy coughed, her eyes watering. Xander noticed that Oz had swallowed the liquor without flinching, and attempted to do the same. "Whoa" he gasped, shaking his head after the liquid burned it's way down his esophagus. "Not....bad." Willow stood frozen, clutching the cup in her hand, reluctance to participate in this "rite of passage" written all over her face. Oz solved the problem for her by taking the cup and drinking the spiked punch for her. Buffy was about to toss the remnants of her cup into the bushes, but was startled by the sound of a car starting up with a roar. The five of them edged out away from the building to see what was making all the noise. Tires screamed on asphalt, and an engine revved again. "Geez," Xander said, gazing toward the far end of the parking lot. "Oh, man," he added. "That is one hell of a car." Buffy's cup dropped from her fingers, hitting the ground and staining the hem of her dress. "Oh..." she whispered, her eyes wide with shock that turned to distress when she saw the car leaving the parking lot. "No....wait." She knew that car. She had ridden in it, tried to drive it, dented it....and been made love to in it's back seat. ~~~~~ "Then you smiled, and I reached out to you I could tell you were lonely too One look, then it all began for you and me The moment that we touched, I knew that there would be" ~~~~~ Without a word, she left her friends behind and began to follow the car, starting to run when it picked up speed. "Wait!" she cried, almost screaming the word. "Wait for me!" The car pulled out into the street, and she ran faster, trying to get to it before it was out of sight. She made it all the way across the parking lot without mishap, but when she stepped down from the curb to run in the street, her foot turned on a chunk of loose asphalt. Thrown too suddenly off balance, she went sprawling to the ground. Her ankle turned painfully beneath her, and she scraped the palms of her hands when she tried to keep her face from connecting with the road. Attempting to stand, her ankle warned her not to and she caught her dress under her knee, sending her right back to the ground, hitting her chin and leaving an ab- rasion. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she could no longer hear the car. He was gone. For some reason he had come here tonight to find her, then left without her. Not caring that she was lying in the street, she laid her cheek on her arm and began to cry.... ~~~~~ "Two less lonely people in the world And it's gonna be fine Out of all the people in the world I just can't believe you're mine" ~~~~~ ....when she felt a pair of strong arms picking her up and carrying her back to the safety of the sidewalk. Opening her eyes, she looked into the dark blue gaze of her lover. "William?" she murmured softly. "Sweetheart...are you all right?" he asked, concern for her overwhelming any other emotion he had been running from. Buffy wound her arms tightly around his neck, hiding her face. "I am now." ~~~~~ "In my life where everything was wrong Something finally went right Now there's two less lonely people in the world Tonight...." ~~~~~ Feeling her arms around him, taking in her scent and the warmth of her body, he knew that he had behaved like an idiot. Buffy loved him. If she had been dancing with her friend...well, that was all it had been, a dance. No matter what that boy might feel for her, she felt nothing like it for him. When he had glanced into his rearview mirror and saw her running after him, he'd taken his foot off the gas. But when she'd fallen, he'd swerved into the curb and left the car without turning the engine off or closing the door. Covering her soft hair with kisses, he tightened his arms around her, hushing her sobs the way he always did. Only seconds later, he heard running feet and looked up to see her friends coming towards them, Xander in the lead, calling Buffy's name. Although he managed to keep his face from shifting, Spike couldn't suppress a warning growl as he held Buffy closer. "She's all right," he said curtly. "I've got her. You just...go back inside. I'll take care of her." The four kids stopped about ten feet away, looking worried. "Buffy?" Xander said, ignoring Spike's words. "Are you okay?" She nodded, without raising her head. "Yes," she said quietly, sniffling. "You guys...go back inside. I'm fine." Spike turned and began to carry her towards his car. Xander, unwisely, tried to follow. "Wait a second! Hey... you wait!" he demanded. "You can't just show up here and take her like that. She fell down...she probably hit her head." "Xander..." Willow interjected, trying to shut him up. But he refused to be silenced. "No, Will...he can't do that. Just try and take her." Spike kept walking. "Hey!" Xander yelled. "I'm talking to you. Who the hell do you think you are?" Turning on him, Spike's eyes flashed with anger and dislike. "I'm her husband!" he snapped. ~~~~~ "Just to think what I might have missed Looking back, how did I exist? I dreamed, still I never thought I'd come this far But miracles come true, I know 'cause here we are" ~~~~~ Four faces turned white with shock, four mouths gaped open. Buffy raised her head and met William's direct gaze. Smiling tremulously, she lowered her head to his shoulder again, sighing deeply. Placing another gentle kiss on her hair, he turned and continued towards the car. As he set her down on the passenger seat, he heard Xander say, "Did he just say he was her husband?" "Yeah, that's what he said," Willow replied. There was a short pause. "When did she get married?" Xander asked. Spike paid no further attention to the conversation. He closed the passenger side door and went around the front of the car to the drivers seat. Before he put the car into gear, he reached for Buffy. Pulling her across the seat, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her, deeply and passionately. When he felt her arms sliding around him, the heart he thought had stopped forever, took flight. ~~~~~ "Tonight I fell in love with you And all the things I never knew Seemed to come to me somehow Baby, love is here and now...there's Two less lonely people in the world And it's gonna be fine Out of all the people in the world I just can't believe you're mine In my life where everything was wrong Something finally went right Now there's two less lonely people in the world Tonight......" ~~~~~ TBC (Better?)