"She's so loose and free," Drusilla sang as they left the club with Willow leaning heavily on her.
"She's soused." Spike snorted and spit some laughter. "We all are."
"I feel so light," Willow slurred. "Spike can you carry me?"
"I can try." He laughed again and swung Willow into his arms. "Your tolerance to rum is sky high."
"Higher than the puffy things?"
"Since you don't even know they're clouds, I have to so say no. But still high." He stumbled but didn't drop her. "Dru, love?"
"Yes, my dark prince?" Drusilla was half swaying and half stumbling.
"We need a roof tonight. Ideas?"
"You can come to my parents. We'll all sleep in their super king," hiccup, "sized bed. You're totally invited." Willow passed out then.
"Cherrywise's house then," Spike grinned big and stupid. "Dru, don't walk in the street. A car accident this close would give me a headache."
"Sorry, my Spike. Rivers of stone make such nice twirly places, I couldn't help myself."
They yammered all the way to Willow's. It took half an hour but Spike found the right room and tucked Willow between him and Dru, Willow automatically curling into Drusilla. "Don't forget to share."
And they were all out cold.
Willow regretted every drink she had the night before. She was on her way to Joyce's wake, and every step through the sun hurt her head. "I'd say never again, but I'd be lying. Eventually lying anyway."
She stopped in front of Buffy's new house with Giles and Janna and sucked air in hoping for courage before entering. At least she wasn't expected to smile. Her hangovers didn't allow for smiling.
None of the people there were familiar, so Willow found the kitchen again and with it Buffy. "How you holding up?"
"My dad sent me a picture of my mom at least." Buffy showed it to Willow.
"She looks so happy. It's a good way to remember her." Willow pushed the picture back to Buffy.
They sat in silence for probably an hour before Buffy looked at Willow. "You look tired."
"I'm hungover. Rum always kicks my ass."
"Raid your parents' liquor cabinet often?"
"I think Spike owns stock in every liquor company out there. The mansion was always full up enough for random parties or boredom. We went to a club last night. Drusilla looked great in her slinky dress and her hair pulled up. But Spike always has to test my tolerance. Managed not to puke." Willow glanced up and saw Buffy staring at her like she'd died. "Sorry. You probably didn't want to hear about Spike and Dru, huh?"
"It's fine but can we talk about something else today?" Buffy didn't really think it was fine, but she didn't want to lose Willow forever by harping on her about spending time with Spike and Drusilla.
"Sure. Are you going to school tomorrow?"
"I don't know. I'll decide when I wake up if I'm up for it. What about you?"
"I'm thinking I might get my GED and apply to college. Get away from Commandant Snyder and the Cordettes." Willow sighed. "How all over each other are Xan and Cordy these days?"
"Um, they haven't been arguing much but I get the feeling you meant something else."
"I caught them kissing last time I was in the library. I guess I assumed they'd become an official couple."
"I had no idea. Xander and Cordy? Really?" Buffy scrunched up her nose.
"Really." Willow placed her hands on the table palms flat. "Tell me you have pain killers and yogurt."
"As it so happens." Buffy got up and retrieved the ibuprofen, poured Willow a glass of water, and balanced those items with a yogurt and spoon. "Here you go."
"I need to crown you queen. Remind me about that when my head isn't threatening to spill out my ears."
"Will do." Buffy started, stopped and then gave in and asked, "Are you gay?"
"Kinda, I suppose. Never really thought much about it." Willow popped the pills and washed them down. "Why?"
"We went to see Angel last night, and he said that you had sex with Drusilla on like a regular basis I guess."
"Not that it was his place to tell you anything, but yeah. Drusilla's special, you know."
"But she eats people."
"And you eat burgers. What's your point?" Willow peeled the lid off the yogurt container.
"Um, I thought that was the point. Her and Spike, how they kill people."
Willow took a thoughtful bite of yogurt. She remembered a time when she agreed with Buffy. But she couldn't think of Spike and Dru as mindless monsters. With a shrug, she decided it didn't matter, so long as they didn't hurt her friends. She continued to eat her yogurt.
"Willow, killing people is wrong."
"Why?" Willow sighed and set her food aside. "Buffy, no offense but what's so special about people? They pollute and kill their way across the entire planet. I don't get what the big deal is about culling the herd."
"People aren't animals. They're not a herd."
"But we are. Buffy, we're all animals. We eat, sleep, breathe, mate, reproduce, and kill each other. Saying we aren't animals is pretentious. Especially when we're worse than most, because we're killing the planet too. You think vampires are so terrible but really, we need more of them not less. We need kept in check and there aren't enough vampires out there to do that right now. I get that you've been forced by the Council to kill them, but really, all you need to do is stop the perennial apocalypse and relax the rest of the year."
Buffy stood up, her mouth a thin line. "This is my mother's wake. She was killed by one of your precious vampires, and you need to leave."
"Joyce died from her own stupidity. Don't act like you didn't warn her. I know better." Willow raised an eyebrow at Buffy's loss for words.
"Out."
Willow smirked at her as she stood up. Buffy threw a punch but Willow grabbed the fist and sucked Buffy's energy. She didn't hit Buffy, but she did leave her wobbly. "I'm not a pushover anymore, Buff."
Slayer energy worked wonders to get rid of a hangover. Willow was all smiles as she made her way back home.
Spike scowled at her when she walked in the house. "How is it you look like a bloody daisy?"
"Sucked off some of Buffy's Slayer juice. I'll give it up when I'm sure I'm free and clear of any sign of hangover." Willow skipped into the kitchen. "Let's see if the rents left any food."
"Not a lot." Spike scratched his stomach and leaned in the doorway, because he had it on good authority he looked sexy leaning in doorways. "Already raided the icebox. Hangovers…"
"Make you peckish. I know." She smiled at him before looking in the fridge herself. "Ooh, lox. Yummy."
"If you say so, love. Could never stand the stuff myself."
"Dru's still sleeping?"
"You know how she sleeps late when she's hungover. Better for everyone trust me. She's a terror when she's got a headache."
"I'll take your word for it." Willow put a sandwich together and poured herself some milk.
"So why did you snack on the Slayer? You also must answer how you do that at all, forewarned."
Willow chewed her first bite and considered her answer. "She's a close minded bitch is why. The how is that I had down time between the torture at the mansion and taught myself different types of trances. I can go into any of seven at a moment's notice."
"I like you more and more every day." He picked off some of her sandwich and spit it out when he tasted the lox. "I will teach you about good food. That is not it."
"Spike."
"Yes?"
"You're my best friend. Never change."
He smiled at her. "Don't worry your cute head about it. Vampires don't change much." He frowned when her head tilted and he saw how livid that scar still was. "Hey, you wanna try to fix that?"
"How?"
"Cut it open again and drink more vampire blood. Might get rid of it. We were healing so much last time, your body didn't prioritize the cuts. It probably would now."
"Sure, let's give it a go." She tossed him a knife from the butcher's block. "You were always better with a blade than Angelus."
"You should let me sire you. You're already half vampire with the way you take pain and dish it out."
"Nah, I don't want to be seventeen for the rest of eternity."
"We'll talk about it again in a few years. Now get your ass over here so I can fix your face."
She sat on the floor with her face in his lap while he traced the jagged scar, cutting deep enough for her to gasp.
"Willow?" Xander called angry and desperate as he entered the house.
"Shit," Willow muttered.
"Can't stop now, ducks." He bit his wrist open and offered it to her.
Her eyes closed as the pain in her face disappeared with the rivulets of blood coursing down her throat.
"Oh my God, Willow!"
She licked her lips clean and looked up at her childhood friend. "Hey, Xan? Here to lecture me?"