A/N: This is my first ever AU and I won't be writing all the scenes from the episodes word for word. A few reasons being: that will take years, I hate it when AUs do that, it's kinda unnecessary due to all of us here having watched the episodes and finally I won't really be changing the storylines majorly. At least not yet. So most of the story will be focused around Buffy and Spike scenes as those will be the ones that'll be changing from canon. As the story continues there will be more scenes with other characters but generally you must keep in mind the canon scenes with other characters. Therefore if it's been a while since your last re-watch, I suggest you read a summary on Wikipedia prior to reading the corresponding chapter.

Begins at the end of S5 E7 'Fool for Love' and a few inbetween scenes from S5 E8 'Shadow'. Finally, on with the show! ~BB x

Silence. She'd said nothing since he sat beside her a few minutes ago. The longer the silence stretched, the more aware he became of the massive gun sitting beside him. That definitely wouldn't help his case.

"Do you wanna tell me what happened?" Spike asked gently. "If it was soldier boy I'll kill him."

"It...no...it wasn't Riley." Buffy gulped.

"Okay." Spike said, no further questioning.

"It's my mom. She's...sick. We thought it was nothing but-but it's not and...well now she's going for this CAT scan and that whole nothingyness could be...well...somethingyness." Buffy rambled.

"Oh pet." Spike sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah whatever." Buffy scoffed.

"No, really. I am." Spike placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, you're sorry. That's why you showed up at my backdoor with a loaded gun." Buffy snapped. Spike chanced a glance at the weapon over his shoulder. "Yeah I noticed."

"You hurt me tonight." Spike admitted.

"Yeah. I was all bitchy Buffy." Buffy nodded though she still wasn't about to apologise.

"Doesn't mean you deserve this. No one deserves this. Mums...they're special." Spike said quietly.

"William the Bloody was a big ole momma's boy." Buffy teased emotionlessly.

"Maybe." Spike sniffed.

"I can't believe I just told you all that." Buffy winced. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Who am I gonna tell? Harmony?"

Buffy smiled. "You better not."

"Can't make any promises. That girl has a piece of my heart." Spike mocked.

"Really?"

"Yeah the cold, dead bit that's tryna escape that bloody bimbo." Spike rolled his eyes.

"Anyway...I should go. Back inside." Buffy realised.

"Yeah. You do that."

Spike got to his feet and began to walk away. "Spike?" He turned on his heel. Buffy was waving his gun in the air. "You forgot your gun."

"You're gonna give that back to me?" Spike asked, surprised.

"Well I don't fancy getting arrested for owning one without a licence." Buffy shrugged then forcefully she bent the gun straight in half and unloaded the bullets for good measure.

"Thanks, pet." Spike chuckled.

Buffy placed the gun in his hand and quietly murmured. "Thanks yourself."

"Anytime, Slayer." Spike called as he swaggered off.

0000000000000000000000000000000

Buffy had spent all day at the hospital and was officially exhausted. Worse still, Riley was part of the reason. He'd been nothing but supportive and sweet all day and yet she couldn't stand it. Spike had told him when Riley had found him snooping around Buffy's house, he'd said. She could tell hearing it from the vampire was a sore spot but she wasn't in the mood to argue.

"Riley. Could you take Dawn home? I'm just gonna check on my mom." Buffy asked.

"Umm...yeah sure. Do you want me to come back for you?"

"Umm...no. Don't. I'll...Giles can come get me." Buffy assured him.

"Okay, if you're sure. Goodbye, Buffy." Riley pulled her head into his chest and gently stroked the length of hair, pressing a delicate kiss to the top of her head.

0000000000000000000000000000000

"Miss? Miss?" The concerned face of a hospital intern loomed over Buffy.

"Huh..." She stirred and sat upright.

"You fell asleep, next to your mom. Do you have a ride home? I'm Ben, by the way."

"Buffy." She mumbled. "What time is it?"

"Almost 2:30am."

"Oh crap! I can't wake up Giles." Buffy realised. "Guess I'm walking home."

"Are you sure there's not someone else we can call? Your boyfriend from earlier?" Ben remembered.

"No...it's...no it's fine...I can...I'll be fine."

Buffy pulled her coat tightly around her as she trundled out of the hospital. Standing outside, leaning casually against the edge of the building, cigarette dangling from his lips. Spike.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy scowled.

"Just went for a stroll. Thought I'd check in with the docs. See your mum's getting the best care." Spike stumped out his cigarette on the ground.

"More like stalking me." Buffy huffed. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"I like your mum! Nice lady she is!" Spike said defensively.

"I don't have time for your games right now, Spike! Especially not after what you did." Buffy stomped away from him and hurried through the parking lot.

"What I did? What'd I do now, Slayer?" Spike ran after her. "If this is about the whole nearly shot you thing I thought we'd moved past that. Had a right good heart-to-heart we did!"

"It's not that!" Buffy twirled around angrily. "You told Riley about my mom! You had no right!"

"I-" Spike stopped himself. "You're right. I thought he knew. Then he didn't."

"And so you took it upon yourself to rub it in his face that I told you and not him. Am I right?" Buffy asked sternly.

"Well not exactly-" After a glare from Buffy, Spike corrected himself. "Okay, yes exactly."

"That was a one-off, Spike! Okay? Get that through your thick, soulless skull! We're not drinking buddies. We don't open up to each other. We don't share late night thoughts and chats. So don't go around pretending you're some kinda confidante 'cause you're not!" Buffy shouted.

"Right. Got it. I'll be off then. Don't need me to speak to do you? Got soldier boy for all your needs." Spike huffed, sweeping away in a flurry of black leather.

"Spike?"

"What?" He barked, turning back around.

"You got your DeSoto here?" Spike quirked an eyebrow as if to say 'obviously'. "Then drive me home."

"I'm not your bloody lapdog!"

"You told Riley a serious family thing that you had no right to know let alone share." Buffy threw back.

"Oh bloody hell." Spike rolled his eyes and yanked on the door handle. "Get in the soddin' car."