A Single day

Disclaimer: I own nothing , Joss the genius owns it all and good luck to him. I wouldn't mind just a piece of James Marsters from time to time, you know just to make me a cup of tea! (Oh as if).

Plot: An all human Spuffy.

Chapter One.

"But I thought"

"It was just a shag."

Even from the other end of the bar, Buffy could hear every word of this exchange from her seat. She tried to bury her head in her beer, but turned as the girl began to cry and ran out of the club. She shook her head as he grinned wildly at his drinking buddies raising his arms in the air like a victory dance. Buffy sighed and turned her attention to the barman.

"Two beers, Paul!" she shouted above the noise. The bar was filling with the usual Friday-Nighters, the men looking for a quick fumble in the car park and the girls only too willing to comply. They left the bar with a guy and a bad reputation. She wanted to warn them, but to them she was just that one who sat at the bar. She paid for the beers and almost immediately felt a pair of arms around her neck, squeezing hard . He was here after his victory lap of the bar. Buffy felt the eyes of the women in the bar boring into the back of her neck.

"Spike. " She said hoarsley, trying to get her breath.He perched on the seat beside her and she grinned at him. She could telll why every woman in this bar had a thing for him. He wasn't very tall, but he was very muscular. He had a beautiful face, sculpted cheekbones, a scarred left eyebrow that he lifted when amused and a shock of bright blonde hair that she helped him bleach every couple of weeks. But he was more than that to her, he was her best friend and had been since he moved next door to her when he was 12. He had moved to America with his parents. His father was a teacher at the local school and his English accent was still as prominent as it had been since the day they had met.

This had been their place at the bar since they were legally able to sit here, and before that they had hidden in the corner with a fake I.D. Buffy knew everything about him, the good and the bad and the frantic sex life that he had been experiencing for the past six years. Most of the women here tonight he had slept with, but never more than once. Still they looked at him with longing, thinking that maybe it would be them who finally tamed him.Buffy was trying to educate him with regards to a proper relationship, but he just laughed.

"What do I want all that shit for luv?" He had said.

"How about someone to share things with,have a laugh with,someone to talk to,to go out with?"

Spike had looked blankly at her.

"But I have you for all that!"

She had laughed at him, but he had spoken the truth.

" What if I get married?" She had queried.

"What will that change?"

"Well...what if my husband doesn't like you?"

Spike had shrugged then.

"We've been through that before,Buffy." Spike's face closed instantly as his thoughts had turned to Buffy's ex, Angel.

"Angel didn't like anyone," Buffy said softly." Least of all me."

Buffy had had a relationship with Angel for twelve months.Twelve months of hell and pain that had almost destroyed her.The twelve months made worse because of Spike's absence from her life. Angel had forced him to stay away and had beaten him up a couple of times to re-inforce this. In the end, to protect him, Buffy had urged him to stay away too. Everyday she suffered some torment or other and then towards the end of their time together he had put her in hospital and left her for another woman. Lying in her hospital bed with a broken jaw, fractured ribs and serious bruising she was thankful that it was over. She just wished she could've warned his new girlfriend.

Lying in agony, waiting for the painkillers to arrive, her head and jaw aching,she heard the footsteps approach and leant up on her elbows to wait for the nurse. She gasped loudly when she saw that it was Spike and stared at him in surprise. He looked so tired and even more pale than she remembered, and his hair, although still blonde, was showing roots and looked like it needed a good wash.

"Spike" She whispered and immediately felt the tears. He did not come to her,but moved to look out of the window. She watched as his shoulders moved and she realised with horror that he was sobbing. She climbed off the bed and stood behind him, putting her arms around his waist and holding on tightly. "Spike." She repeated and moved him round slowly,the tears freefalling down his face.

"Spike..." Still the only word that had been spoken between them. His arms slipped around her waist and he held her as tightly as he dared.
"I am so sorry" He whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "Oh Buffy,luv, I missed you so much."

"Me too." She said into his chest, the pain almost forgotten.

"Has the wanker gone?"

Buffy nodded and he squeezed her tighter.

"It's over, then." But even though Angel was gone, Spike knew that it would take a while before she could get her life back. The last twelve months had killed something in them both, although they had both survived.

"Where were you?" Spike queried. They were at the bar again, and Buffy realised that she had spaced out. The past was over.

"Just here." she lied, but the look on his face told her he didn't believe her.

"It's over, Buffy." He said quietly, rubbing her thumb to gain her attention. She nodded ,realising that she should've known that he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"I know...I just..." She shrugged sipped at the beer in front of her.Looking slyly at him, she continued: " Not all relationships are crap!"

His face froze at the words. Relationship was not a word in his everyday vocabulary.

"They don't get you anywhere,pet," He leant close to her "Just hurt."

He looked knowingly at her, raising one eyebrow in the way that pissed her off.

Buffy shook her head at him.

"If I could try a relationship again, then maybe you could at least try one once." He frowned at her.

"You've met someone ?" He asked softly, tilting his head and looking at her.

"No...I mean if I did, I would,you know,be ready. If I did, I mean." She stopped as she realised she was rambling.

Spike sighed.

"Buffy you loved him,and he beat the crap out of you...And me." He rubbed the scar on his left eyebrow."What would want to make you try it all fuckin' again? He was a wanker and you could meet someone just like that all over again." He was gripping the bar so hard she thought he would break his knuckles. Buffy touched his arm gently and he raised his blue eyes to her.

"Spike...It's ok." She squeezed his arm firmly. "Like you said,it's over, and we're ok. Aren't we?"

He focused his attention on his beer.

"Look,Spike,you stop worrying about me and I'll stop worrying about you." She smiled at him, knowing it would never happen.

"So," She said,after a swig of beer. "Who's the lucky girl tonight?" She glanced around the bar, at all the girls looking at them. He looked down at his beer and she prodded his arm for reaction.

"Come on, I know you want to."He glanced sideways at her and smirked.

"Maybe the red head in the corner..."

But when he left with the said red head at closing time,Buffy felt an instant and profound sense of loss that she had not felt before.She put it to the back of her mind and carried on drinking...

A/N:Sorry if you've been following my other story, 'One Way or Another'. I will get back to it eventually, although at the moment I've got serious writer's block with it. (Plus my Spikebot has been keeping me busy lately...half price on Ebay,worth every penny!)

R&R please, hope you like this one!