Chapter 36

“Are you okay Poppet………baby…Harm?” Xander worriedly tapped on the bathroom door

Harmony panted for breath, and stood up from bending over the toilet.

“Yeah, um, yes, fine Pookie, don’t worry”

“You want eggs for supper? – I know you can’t have anything hard at the moment because of the new crown”

The thought of eggs in her already queasy stomach had her heaving again.

“Poppet…let me in – I’m worried about you”

“No, I’ll be okay, don’t worry…look – um – I’m not really hungry at the moment, baby, I’ll be in very soon”

“Have you been sick?”

“A little, I um, I think it was the er, the anaesthetic the dentist gave me”

“Okay then, if you’re sure” Xander went back into the lounge.

Harmony sat on the bathroom floor, and leaned against the wall. She didn’t like lying to Xander, but she needed a little time and space. The dentist hadn’t given her any anaesthesia at all, all he’d done was cemented the new crown in place. She reached for her purse and took out the bag from the pharmacy.

Taking out the little box, she read for the umpteenth time the instructions. With shaky fingers she took out the small plastic wand, and looked at the little blank window. Praying that it would stay that way, blank, instead of indicating a blue line. All she had to do was to pee on the end of the wand, and wait for a minute. She new it would be the longest minute of her life.

“HARM, DON’T FORGET TO SET THE TAPE TO DO BUFFY’S SHOW, YOU KNOW I CAN’T DO IT!” Xander bellowed from the lounge.

Harmony had just been ready to sit on the toilet when Xander had called, and her nerve went, and she stood up and leaned against the sink.

**Do it tomorrow, do it tomorrow** was the thought running through her head, and she reached for the box to put the predictor back.

She felt the need to pee, and suddenly spurred into action, she sat, did what was required and after flushing the toilet and washing her hands, she sat on the edge of the bath, holding the wand, with her eyes closed, she was supposed to be counting, but instead she was praying…………

It had to be a minute up by now, surely…just a few more seconds…how was it she used to count when she was little? One, Mississippi, two, Mississippi, three Mississippi…that was when there was a thunderstorm, to see how far away it was…in the lounge, she could hear Xander laughing, then he called out,

“Hey babe, you should come and see this dog, it’s on the ‘World’s Whackiest Animal Show, he’s in Loveland, Colorado, and he’s snow-boarding with his master – he’s got his own board, and he’s better than the humans, they are falling off, and he isn’t!”

Harmony knew, that a minute was definitely up by now, probably nearer three or four, truth be known. She opened her eyes, but didn’t dare look down at her shaky hands.

“It’s now or never” she whispered to herself, she closed her eyes again, and let her head drop forward………opening her eyes, she focused on the wand. She let out a gasp and covered her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.

                                                        ***********

“Spike – concentrate!” Buffy giggled and ran around the bed, away from him. He was grinning like a mad thing, intent on grabbing her.

“That’s easy for you to say – I’m not the one running around in black and pink lacy knickers!”

The imagery of this set them both giggling, and then Buffy chided,

“It’s not pink, it’s fuchsia!”

“Fuchsia, pink, it’s all the same to me pet”

“So, you like?”

“Yup, BUT”

“But what?”

“I prefer YOUR pink bits!”

Buffy blushed beet red and in a trice Spike had caught hold of her around the waist from behind, then he slid his hands up and cupped her breasts, ‘pretend’ ravaging her neck, making piggy-grunt noises, making her helpless with laughter.

“You give in?” Spike asked, holding her firmly, which was just as well, because she her legs had turned to jello and couldn’t stand up. She sagged in his arms.

“Think I‘ll have to, I’m too weak to protest now!” Spike nibbled her neck again; he knew just the right spot to render her helpless.

“S-Sp-Spike – I’m sup-supposed to be – oh – s-s-s-sorting out my OUT-ooohh, my outfit!”

“Hmmm………we got bunches of time yet, now………where was I? – Oh yes, right here I believe…………”

Buffy’s eyes rolled and closed, she let out a wail of pleasure.

                                                        ************

“Poppet, come on babe, you’re missing this, there’s this kangaroo on now…in Australia, well, that goes without saying, but there’s this place called Bogan, well Bogan’s Gate, and the kangaroo thinks he’s in a gymkhana, he bounds around, then jumps over this gate, turns around, and does it again, all day long…………ha-ha-ha-ha…” The programme had put ‘cartoon’ type springy noises over the film to make it seem even funnier.

Harmony put her hand on her chest to calm herself. She sniffed, snatched off a few squares of toilet tissue and wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

“Be right there, Pookie” She called, and shoved the wand back into it’s box and threw it into the bin. Splashed her face with cool water and patted it dry. She checked her appearance in the mirror.

“Well………thank you god………you gave me a scare there for a moment…so it must have been something I ate…that or nerves because of the dentist” Harmony said to herself

She walked into the lounge to see Xander giggling away at a dog chasing it’s own tail.

“There you are, baby…are you okay?” he patted the sofa by him, and Harmony immediately sat next to him and snuggled. Xander put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

The commercials came on and Xander leaned towards her and said,

“There’s a new blank tape here, I thought we could tape Buffy’s show, then there’s a good film on channel 9 later………I thought we could tape that too…we could have an early night – that’s if you feel okay?”

Harmony swallowed, thought about the ‘close call’ she’d just had and said,

“Well, my tummy feels a little delicate still, but I could always…………” she reached for his zipper and slowly ran it down, smiling at him.

                                                        ***********

“What do you think, up or down?” Buffy was standing in her underwear in front of the wardrobe mirror, holding her hair piled up on top of her head.

“Which feels more comfy – tell you what, wear it up, you have a very pretty neck –in fact, you have a very pretty everything!” Spike came up behind her, and dropped a light kiss on the side of her throat. Buffy smiled and said,

“Hey, you – don’t get me started AGAIN – wait until later – I’ve got a show to do!”

“So, I’m on a promise, am I  - great!” Spike said cheekily, and ‘twanged’ her knicker elastic making Buffy shriek and let loose her hair.

“You’ll pay for that!”

“Oh yeah…can’t wait – bring it on, little girl!” Spike said cockily, they grinned at each other through the mirror.

“I’ll go grab a shower, leave you to get dressed in peace”

“M’kay, what time have I got to be there?” Buffy asked, taking out her make-up bag.

“Well, there was a Post-it note on my monitor screen saying you’re to be at the Burbank studio 5 at 7PM – I know where it is, if we leave here in…roughly three quarters of an hour, we’ll be there in plenty of time, okay Kitten?”

“Great!”

                                                        **********

“Looking good! – She won’t be able to resist you!” Angel said to his own reflection in the mirror. He was grinning broadly. He was wearing leather trousers and a white shirt. For some reason, the trousers felt a little more snug since he last wore them, but he told himself it was just because they were ‘cold’, as soon as they warmed up a bit, they’d soon stretch again. He picked up the photo he’d taken out of his High School year book.

You could tell instantly it was Buffy, same long blonde hair and sunny smile, she just looked younger. The caption he’d written under her photo in the year book had been,

‘Girl most likely to………serve you in Walmart.

A little cruel perhaps, but it was true, she’d been no great shakes academically. Under Willow’s picture he’d written, ………’Always to be a geek’, and under Oz’s picture he’d written ‘Always one step behind everybody else.’

To Angel, Oz didn’t appear to be ‘laidback’ like everyone else thought, Angel just thought he was slow. The thing he’d never know was, in Buffy’s yearbook, she’d written (after they’d split up, that is) ‘Always to be a fat jerk!’ Willow had put, ‘destined to be a failure’ and Oz had written Guy most likely to………’Still be playing ‘air-guitar’ in front of the mirror when he’s 35’.

Of course, these comments were in their own private yearbooks, for their own private consumption, but it just went to show how SOME of the comments rang very true………

                                                        **********

“Ready then Kitten?”

“Yes, oh, hang on………I want to wear my ‘lucky’ earrings…”

“Lucky?” Spike asked with a quirked eyebrow

“I wore them the night I won Search For a Star, the night I met you, how much more lucky can they get?” Buffy reasoned.

“Aww, you’re sweet…come on then Kitten, let’s get this over with, and remember, don’t let Glory give you any shit”

“I won’t”

                                                        **********

Waiting to be taken down to the hospitality room, Riley and his wife Sam sat in reception. A woman came over and asked them to follow her.

“Would you like to come this way.” She led them down a series of corridors, telling them the rules as they walked.

“We ask you to please not leave this room until somebody comes for you, so there is no risk of the guest seeing you. There is every facility you need, rest room, and there is food and drink, TV, but no alcohol until after the show. Would you please turn off any mobile phones you have, there is a direct land-line telephone for use in the room, somebody will be along to take you to your appropriate places when the time is right.” The woman left and the couple sat.

“So honey…are you going to let me in on the big secret?” Sam asked standing and going over to the hospitality table and getting herself a drink.

“Want one?”

Riley looked decidedly uncomfortable, he had never been this nervous before in his life. Live TV………

“Riley………hey, you, Mr!”

“Wha-what?”

“Drink?” Sam waggled a bottle of water at him.

“Oh, no, no thanks…it’ll only make me want to go, you know, and I’m nervous enough already”

“So who is it? An old colonel - headmaster? “ Sam sipped her water and studied her husbands face. He looked decidedly uneasy.

“Riley, in less than half an hour, I’m going to find out anyway, and I’d much rather you tell me now”

“It’s…” Riley was just about to say, when the door opened and Angel came in with the lady who had bought them down.

“If you’d like to wait in here, Mr Stebson, there are some guests already here, be back later”

Angel smiled at the woman, then turned and noticed Riley sitting down.

“Hi…um Angel, Angel Stebson, you might know me as Angel O’Connor, I used to front the Sharks” Sam still wouldn’t have known him from a hole in the ground, but smiled and shook his hand politely.

“I’m Sam Finn, and this is my husband Riley” both men shook hands, saying ‘how do you do’.

“Can I get you a drink, um, Angel?” Sam asked putting her own drink down.

“Oh, um, oh not for me, thanks…so, how do you know Buffy then?”

Sam frowned, and looked at Riley, then at Angel. Riley could have died a thousand deaths, he closed his eyes and let his head drop into his hands. The smile on Angel’s face faded when he realised that he’d possibly said something wrong.

“Buffy, as in Buffy Summers?” repeated Sam, glaring at her husband

“Um, er, well, ye-yes” Angel said, looking back and forth between the couple. Suddenly, it all clicked into place for Sam. His reluctance to tell her who it was, and last time she was there, yesterday, that older guy she saw briefly in hospitality, the woman had called him ‘Mr Summers’, but she never connected the name until just.

The door opened again, and in walked the very guy Sam had just thought about, Hank Summers, who smiled and nodded to everyone.

Sam wanted to hurl the water over Riley, it had taken 18 months for him to get over Buffy – and of course – oh god – how STUPID was she – this Buffy, now a singer – won a competition with a song about lost love, her soldier…there was so OBVIOUSLY unfinished business between them!

Sam angrily snatched her purse up off the side and wrenched the door open.

“Sam, wait, come back, I can explain – I – please love, were not supposed to leave the room – Sam, SAM………” Riley dashed out into the corridor, where his distraught wife rounded on him.

“You KNEW! All this time you knew we were here to see your supposed EX girlfriend, a girl you SWORE to me you were well over, a girl that has written you a love song, you think you can buy me off, staying in a fancy hotel, when all along – “

“Sam, no, it wasn’t, it isn’t like that! Please honey, I love YOU, I just thought that well, look, how else could we afford to stay in a fancy hotel like that if it was not for somebody else paying – and I think you’re over-reacting, don’t you?”

This made Sam even more angry, and she stabbed the air with her finger

“So why didn’t you tell me from the start who it was, huh? YOU tell me it’s all over, YOU tell me you don’t think of her, she’s written you a love song Riley – you must think me SO stupid…it was in all the papers and magazines, and I’ve only just put two and two together…she wrote the song about her soldier she’d lost contact with”

“We lost contact because our group was lost in the jungles of Borneo!” Riley said, not thinking that this didn’t help matters at all.

“Exactly – so if you hadn’t got lost, you’d be together, happy ever after…well, you’ve found each other again, I hope you’ll be very …hap – “ Sam let out a sob and ran down the corridor.

“Sam, Sam please, come back love, oh god, this is SO how I not planned this!

                                                        ***

Buffy and Spike entered the studio, Buffy was immediately whisked off to make-up, despite her best efforts. Spike thought he’d go to hospitality. Walking down the corridor, suddenly one of the fire doors flew wide open and a very upset woman came bounding through, nearly running full-pelt into him and bowling them over. Luckily Spike caught her shoulders.

“Hey, hold up! Whoa! Are you alright, love?”

“Yes, no, I’m sorry, I must go – excuse –“ She carried on down the corridor. Spike rounded the corner to see a guy standing by hospitality room wall, bent over with his hands on his thighs.

“Are you okay, mate?” Riley looked up

“Actually that would be no” Riley said quietly

“Was that upset woman anything to do with you?” Spike asked, looking back down the corridor, but she’d well gone by then, and Riley nodded.

“I’m here to do a show, Buffy Summers, I used to date her, and my wife, well…I kept it a secret why we were here, now she’s got it into her head that there’s something going on, and I swear to you there isn’t”

“I know mate”

“You do? How?”

“Because, Buffy’s MY girl now”

“Oh, right. I wouldn’t have come, but well, the hotel they offered was really swanky, and since we’ve been married, well we haven’t been able to afford much, I thought it would be a nice break for her, and easy on my pocket to…but it’s all gone wrong”

“Go after her then, put it right”

“But, well, from what I gather this Glory Benson, she doesn’t stand any messing if I don’t do the show now, what if she tries to sue us – I couldn’t even afford the cost of the hotel we’ve stayed in, let alone…”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll sort it for you”

“You will, but how, I mean-“

“I’m Buffy’s manager as well as her boyfriend, I also work out of Aphrodite the same stable as Glory. I promise you, there won’t be any come-backs on you, I’ll see the hotel is paid, just get and sort things out with your wife, okay – oh, what hotel were you at?”

“The Holiday Inn…you’d do that – fantastic – I don’t know how to thank you!”

Riley shook hands vigorously with Spike, and took off down the corridor.

“You already did mate…you left Buffy” Spike said quietly after the retreating figure.