They wandered through the cemetery, side by side, keeping a look out for fresh graves or anything else that might be about at that time of the night. So far their night of killing had consisted of chasing off an attempted mugger and chastising the young girl for being out in a dark alley this late at night.

"So, what's with the check-out job?"

"It pays the bills. Vamp's gotta eat, gotta live somewhere. Bit past the slumming it in a crypt thing. Like some comforts. Not a lot of call for unskilled workers, with no resume."

"I guess. Though I think you're being a bit harsh. You'd fixed the Restfield crypt up pretty good, really."

Spike snorted. "The bedroom was a hole in the ground with a coffin poking out of the wall."

"Well yeah, but the bed was comfy and the rugs were nice."

"If I recollect properly, we didn't make much use of the bed."

She blushed and even in the dim light she knew he'd see the red of her cheeks, smell the blood pooling under her skin.

"Yeah. So how come the market? You never struck me as the check-out chick, er, person, sort. More like a bouncer or something."

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's Angel's. He offered, back when I first... back when. Somewhere to get a start."

"What? Angel owns a supermarket?"

"Angel and Nina. Own a chain of them, actually."

"Holy cow. Angel the retailer. I never knew."

"So, you keep in touch with him, then?"

"Well, when we want some intel around here, we do. I just never asked what he did now. I suppose I must have known he had to do something to support his family."

"Yeah. Should've known wolf girl would be a good breeding bitch."

"Spike! That's a bit rude isn't it? Besides aren't they like your nieces and nephews or cousins or something,"

There was a pained look on his face for a minute, before he shrugged. "Since Angel, or rather Angelus, was my grand sire, then they'd technically be me uncle and aunties."

Buffy looked at him incredulously, then burst into laughter.

"'S not that funny, slay... er Buffy."

"Oh, it's funny alright. Hilarious. So you and Angel get on alright then?"

"Well, about the same as always I suppose. Course we can't fight like we used to, him being human and all. We have our moments though. Nina usually kicks us out, tells us to take our unlife business elsewhere."

"Unlife business?"

"Yeah, or vampire shit, if she's in a mood."

"So, do you still do a bit of demon fighting?"

"Truth be told, not a lot of it about here. Which you'd know if you'd been here any sort of time. Planning on staying around these parts?"

"Don't know yet. Giles' found a prophecy."

"Oh hell! Course it's a prophecy." He kicked at a headstone. Then bent and set it to rights. Buffy just looked at it a moment and frowned.

"So, um, how long have you been with Angel?"

"A few months, give or take."

"Oh, not long then."

"Think I see something over by that big mausoleum. Gonna go take a look." With that he was off, disappearing into the shadows before she'd even registered which direction he was headed in. Buffy looked around but didn't see anything. She wasn't getting any tinglies though, so no vampires about. In fact, no vampires at all. She heard a noise and looked up to see Spike coming back to her.

"Was nothing. Probably a cat or something. Must be getting late. Might call it a night, I think."

"So, you going to ask a girl back for a night cap?"

"Don't think that'd be wise, Buffy."

"Why not? Unless, I mean. Sorry I just assumed, I mean... um..." She looked perplexed.

"Spit it out s..Buffy."

"Unless you have a girlfriend, or something."

"Actually, I do have a roomie."

"Oh." Her heart just fell into her boots.

"Yeah. That fella at the store, Mike. We share one of Angel's condos."

"He has property too?"

"Apparently he socked a bit away before we took on the Wolf, the Ram and the Heart. Always been careful with his investments. Took good care of the Aurelius fortune, while he was head of the family."

"Wait, you mean all that time I was working at the Doublemeat Palace and trying to find the money for copper pipe, Angel had money?"

"Well, yeah. Not like he could just spend it though. Lot of rules and stuff associated with it. Course now that Dru is head of the family..."

"What? You're crazy ho of an ex is head of your vampire family?"

"Dru is my sire and no, just teasing. No, old bat face had quite the family. Not sure how Angelus ever got his big mitts on the family title but that went by the bye when he got all soul having."

"So you and she, haven't been, um, together?"

He just looked at her. "Buffy, I've still got me soul. I'm still a demon pariah. Least in some circles. To finish the story, Angel didn't have access to the family fortune, though he did have access to his share through Darla."

"God. It's like days of our lives. Tune into the unlife streaming story of the Vampire from LA. Except of course now, it's here."

"Yeah. Right little soap we'd make. Life is stranger than fiction."

"So, Mike would be at home now?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. You could come back to my place, except I'm sharing with Dawn and her family."

"Niblet has a family?"

"Didn't Angel mention it?"

"Didn't ask, I guess."

"Oh. Spike?"

"Hmmm?"

"Never mind. Dawn's married, got a little boy and is due to have another baby in a couple of weeks."

"Oh. Right. Hard to think of her as anything but that annoying little teenage sis. Grown woman now, of course. Missed a lot haven't I?"

"Yeah, you have. I'm Aunt Buffy."