A/N: Takes place after the events of S5 E9 'Listening to Fear' after Buffy finds Spike in her house and they fought the queller demon. Then it goes to S5 E10 'Into the Woods'.
The crypt door burst off of its hinges revealing Buffy's heeled boot and stony face. Spike rolled his eyes, used to her antics and barely shifted from his armchair.
"What a way you have with greetings." He drawled.
"Wanna tell me what the hell you were doing in my house the other night?" Buffy growled.
"Killing a Queller demon, you?"
"Cut the sarcasm, Spike. Why. Were. You. In. My. Basement?"
"I already told you! I was stealing stuff. You got a lotta crap, I don't. It's simple really." Spike shrugged.
"I catch you doing it again-"
"You'll stake me good and proper. Got it." Spike nodded. "Though it wouldn't kill you to get a little more creative with your threats."
"I have a lot on my plate right now, okay? I don't need you piling it on." Buffy sighed.
"You're-" Spike paused. "You're right. Sorry."
"Did you just apologise?" Buffy choked.
"Alright! Don't rub it in, Slayer! It's just...the stuff with your mum. It's...bloody hell...illness...especially when it's your mum..."
"It sucks." Buffy finished for him.
"Sounds about right." Spike nodded.
"You got any alcohol?" Buffy asked, collapsing onto the sarcophagus.
"You even have to ask?" Spike reached under the armchair and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels.
He crossed the floor of the crypt and hopped up next to Buffy on the lid of the sarcophagus, placing the bottle ominously between them.
"Glasses?" Buffy said expectantly.
"What is this the bloody Hilton?" Spike muttered but left to find them anyway.
"I'm not sharing spit with some vamp."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Spike pointed out though Buffy ignored him.
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After three shots, Buffy was gone. Giggling, hiccuping, swearing and swaying were all she had left in her.
"Was gonna patrol after this. Guess not anymore." Buffy cackled.
"Yeah. Never woulda pegged you as such a lightweight, luv."
"Buffy and alcohol? Two very unmixy things. There was this one time when beer turned me into a cave person." Buffy revealed, knocking back a shot. Then after a thought added, "Of course it was magic beer."
"You'll have to tell me about that sometime, pet." Spike smiled.
"Oh I will. You know we get the results tomorrow."
"Results?"
"From the operation. Find out if they removed my mom's 'shadow'." Buffy put air-quotes mockingly around 'shadow'.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. She's a Summers, you lot are tough." Spike swigged another sip.
"Maybe. But maybe not. The not knowing is worse. Like if it's bad, I'll deal. If it's good I'll deal happily. But right now? I'm not dealing." Buffy admitted.
"No...but we are drinking." Spike clinked their glasses together and downed another.
"How long's it take you to get drunk anyway?" Buffy wondered.
"Bloody hard it is to get drunk. Sober up real quick too. But it means I can drink humans under the table for a few quid here and there."
"That's unfair." Buffy tutted.
"Hey, a chipped vamp's gotta get his kicks somehow." Spike shrugged.
"What happened to your mom?" Buffy asked suddenly.
"What?"
"Your mom. Something happened to your mom. That's why you felt bad for me." Buffy said simply, sounding remarkably like Anya.
"My mum had tuberculosis. Incurable back then." Spike revealed. "I woulda done anything to have her live forever. Hell I did. No one wants to lose their mum. But yeah...decisions were made. The wrong ones."
Buffy gulped, the pieces easily falling into place. "You sired her?"
"I did what I thought was best!" Spike barked suddenly.
Buffy ignored the outburst and said gently, "But it wasn't."
"No. She...wasn't the same. Not my mum anyway." Spike's eyes clouded with the memories of tomorrow.
"That must've been awful, Spike."
"It taught me something though. Death is a part of life. Sometimes they're better off that way. But your mum? No way. She'll be fine, pet. I just know it." Spike nodded vigorously.
"Yeah?" Buffy laughed humourlessly.
"Definitely."
Later on that night, Buffy had insisted she could walk home alone. Spike had followed close behind anyway to make sure she got in without stumbling on someone who could take advantage of her weakened state, human or vampire. As expected, Buffy had been fine and he faded back into the shadows.
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After the success of Joyce's surgery, Riley had decided him and Buffy should spend a night of romance at her place. It was fun. Great, even. But Buffy still felt so unsure. His actions during her mom's condition had been...not helpful at best. She tossed and turned in her sleep, now her brain was free to think about things beyond her mother, it had turned to Riley.
"Ugh." Buffy sighed in frustration.
She turned to the side and saw Riley still fast asleep. Kicking off the duvet, she slid into her sweats and ducked out of the window.
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"Slayer." A fledgling growled.
"Vampire."
He lunged and Buffy staked him cleanly through the heart. "Correction: former vampire, current dust."
Buffy continued to pace through the graveyard, twirling her stake in her hand. She wasn't sure if she'd left to think over her and Riley's relationship or to take her mind off of her and Riley's relationship. To be honest neither situation was gonna be easy.
"Speaking of difficult people." Buffy muttered as she felt a tingle creep up from her spine to dance across her neck. "Spike, just get out here."
A bleached blonde head appeared from behind a tree and sloped towards her. "Evenin', luv."
"What are you doing here?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "I wanted to be alone."
"That why you left the comfort of soldier boy's meaty arms?" Spike guessed easily.
"I just wanted to let off some steam is all." Buffy sniffed.
"Sure." Spike scoffed, realising he'd been right. "So how's Joyce?"
"She's gonna be okay." Buffy grinned. "The operation was a success."
To her surprise, Spike grinned back. "Buffy, that's great."
"Wow you really must think so. You smiled and used my name and everything."
"I wish you'd told me sooner." Spike admitted.
"You're right. I should've. I...didn't think. Sorry." Buffy apologised sincerely.
"Did you just apologise to the evil, soulless monster?" Spike asked, shocked.
"Don't worry, I won't make a habit of it." Buffy assured him jokingly. "What are you doing out here anyway?"
"Not doing anything dodgy in case that's what you thought." Spike hurried to defend himself. "No bite houses or drugs for me. No sir."
"Down, boy!" Buffy held up her hands in surrender. "I didn't think you were guilty...but now I do."
"Oh bloody hell."
"What's a bite house?"
"Watcher never told you about those? Maybe he was scared you'd get the rush." Spike scoffed.
"Well?" Buffy prompted.
"They're like...vamp prostitutes. But instead of sex they bite people."
"What? Why?"
"They get a willing meal and the humans get a little buzz." Spike shrugged.
"I've been bitten twice. It's not all with the buzzage." Buffy folded her arms.
"Can be. If it's done right, well. If you're into the person." Spike looked her up and down.
"That's stupid." Buffy decided.
"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."
"Take me to one." Buffy ordered. At Spike's astonished spluttering, she clarified. "Not to get bit. Gross. Just to see what all the fuss is about."