Title: no title (yet)

Disclaimer: The characters from the show Buffy The VampireSlayer or Angel:The Series are not mine (boohoohoo). They all belong to Joss Whedon and MutantEnemy and lots of other people, me excluded. I only use them to make Siobhan and Clare happy J

Feedback: yes please! But be gentle, it's my first fic! Email me at Adora_Vampiress@hotmail.com

Dedicated to: Siobhan, who set the challenge.

Distribution: If you'd like to have it, email me and ask for it!

Summary: This is my answer to a challenge set by Siobhan. The challenge is this:

Must include

  • Spike/Buffy not necessarily in a romantic way but preferably
  • Spoilers must not go past Listening To Fear and The Trials
  • Buffy finding out about Spike stealing her ahem clothing from her room
  • Joyce being slightly better - as in Buffy can leave her side but she's still sick
  • Buffy walking in on Spike talking to the dummy of her

Must include some of these

  • A teddy to cheer someone up
  • A rose
  • Buffy and Spike slaying together
  • A book
  • Some kind of bonding between Buffy and Spike

Note: thought's are written in between a pair of these: thoughts

I can't believe you're lying here like this.

So peaceful when you're asleep.

As if you're going to wake up all healthy tomorrow.

As if you're going to stand next to my bed and wake me up for school.

Just like you always have.

As if…

"Hey Buffy."

"Willow, hi." Buffy quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, not realizing she was smearing her mascara all over her face.

"Oh my God, Buffy! Are you okay?" Willow quickly walked over and sat down on the arm rest of Buffy's chair. She put her arm around Buffy's trembling shoulders and squeezed lightly.

"Is she… worse?"

Buffy sniffed and wiped her nose, then took a tissue out of the box that stood next to her, on her mothers night stand.

"No, no, it's not that. Actually, she is doing a little better now. It's just… seeing her like this… it's so hard, you know?"

Tears were streaming down Buffy's face again, but this time she let them run.

"She looks like my mom, but she isn't. My mom is happy and busy and… alive."

Willow held Buffy closer and stroked the sobbing girls' back, but said nothing. The two girls sat in silence for a while, staring at the sleeping woman in the hospital bed. Then Buffy turned her head to Willow.

"Why are you here at this time of night anyway? Did you come all by yourself?"

"No, Xander and Giles walked me here. They had to go to the magic shop, Giles needed some supplies. They said they'd pick us up at ten. That is….if you are able to leave your mom. Giles said something about a new group of vampires. But if you'd rather stay here, I'm sure we can handle things ourselves for once."

Buffy looked at her mother.

"I can't do anything for her now. I'll come with you."

"Okay, but we still have some time. We can stay here till then."

Buffy smiled.

"Thanks Will."

"Oh, that's okay. But er…I came here to give you this."

Willow reached for her bag, and took out a package wrapped in Winnie the Pooh-paper. She held it out to Buffy.

"It's from Giles and Xander and Anya and Tara and me. It's a cheering-up-present. Sorry about the paper, I didn't have anything else."

Buffy smiled through her tears.

"Thanks. What is it?"

She shook the gift, but didn't hear anything.

"Just open it."

Quickly, Buffy tore the paper. With wide eyes and a big grin on her face she held up the teddy bear she had been given.

"Thanks Will."

"Don't just thank me. We all chipped in."

"I'll thank the others later."

"So, what are you going to call it?"

"Ehm… I don't know. I'll think about it on the way to Giles's. I'll go freshen up a little and then we should go downstairs. I bet Giles and Xander are already waiting for us outside."

End of part one