Buffy smiled and studied the table as she moved to take her shot. This was turning out to be a fun date. She looked up at the assorted demons, and the smoky air. There were plenty of cheap tables and chairs and the décor had seen better days, but she was enjoying herself. She glanced up at Spike and winked as she took the shot. His good-natured grumbling was all the confirmation she needed. The table was still hers.

"I thought you had never played, Slayer." He said as she examined the table.

"I haven't, but come on. It's a game with a giant stake and I appear to have gotten more than language ability from you," She kissed his cheek and splayed her free hand on his abdomen. "Plus, if I win I get breakfast in bed for a week. Hard to resist."

"Hustled by my mate for food delivery, what is the world coming to?" Spike watched her move and line up her next shot. Watching her play, watching her actually enjoy the moment, made it worth getting up early and losing his bragging rights.

Buffy made her final shot and danced about in silly celebration. He growled at her and she stuck out her tongue at him.

"Could the two of you take the weird and disturbing love fest outside? Some of us came here to enjoy a drink, not a floor show." The horned demon with purple skin glared at Buffy and Spike with distaste.

Buffy looked at the demon and giggled. She stalked toward it and made a strange set of clicks and whistles. It stood and smashed the bottle on the table and lunged for her.

She grinned and sidestepped, letting the large demon's bulk carry him into the wall with no help from her.

"Luv, it might be best to avoid insulting the Gremlath demons. They can do a lot of damage." Spike leaned his rear against the table and watched as Buffy spun her cue like a staff. She was all elegance and lethal precision.

"Well, Baby, I finished kicking your ass," Buffy grinned and winked at him. "I need entertainment, so I am going to kick his ass now."

"Fine, Slayer. Enjoy your demon baiting." He waved his hand at the demon struggling to his feet. "I'll be at the bar."

"Get me a soda. I'm gonna work up a thirst." Buffy smiled at him over her shoulder as she ripped one of the horns from the Gremlath's head.

"No, you won't." He watched as she stabbed the demon through. It stutter-stepped and collapsed as its body fizzled and began to melt. "Sorry mate. Hoisted on your own petard."

Buffy trotted over to him with a happy grin on her face. She was radiant, and half the bar had emptied already. Angelus would have to send a group of minions to investigate. He shook his head and grabbed her hand as they walked through one of Sunnydale's worst dives.

Buffy slid onto a stool and watched as a group of small demons rushed into the room and drank down the demon goo, leaving the floor pristine. She raised an eyebrow at Spike and he shook his head.

"Do you think we could save the fighting for our intended victims and leave the poor demonic sundry alone?" Spike groused at her as he paid for their drinks.

"Gremlaths are not setting up shop here. They are territorial and opportunistic. One is an easy enough kill, a colony is an organized menace." Buffy rubbed his knee. "That was an unattached male. He would have set up a colony soon enough."

"So, you were planning on fighting him from the moment we walked in." Spike shook his head. "Do you think we can stick to the plan now?"

"Depends." She shrugged and downed her sweet drink. "I've had to take on two colonies in the last year. They nearly got me the second time. Taking out a problem before it becomes a situation means more time in bed with you."

"Well then, have at it." He kissed her and picked up his beer. "Want to play another game?"

"Sure. What are we playing for?" Buffy smiled up at him and he shook his head.

"Enjoyment. I've learned my lesson." He slung his arm around her and pulled her close. "Never bet against you."

"You'd better remember that lesson." She leaned her head on his shoulder and he spun her in a wide arc.

"My break." He racked the balls and was removing the abused triangular plastic piece when Buffy erupted in giggles.

"No honey, my break." She was pointing to a group of vampires that strolled in. The lead was wearing a white tee, but his little helpers were evenly divided between striped shirts and solid ones.

"Oh, whatever is he thinking?" Spike laughed and leaned against the table for support. "He let them leave like that. He's off his gourd."

Buffy smiled at him and burst into action. She used her cue like a pole-vaulter and stabbed it on the ground before swinging on it and planting her feet squarely on the chest of the white clad minion. She rode his body to the floor and stabbed her cue through the solid blue shirt of one of his comrades.

"Solids." Buffy laughed out and smiled as the vamp dusted in a swirl of ashes.

"Righto, stripes it is." Spike unscrewed his cue and jumped over the table shoving both pieces deep through the backs of two of the stripe-clad vamps as they circled the melee looking for an angle. He landed in a crouch with swirls of ash pluming up from either side of him.

He caught sight of Buffy as she drove her cue in a straight line through three of their attackers. She tossed him a grin as their dust wafted around her. He saluted her with a touch of two fingers to his forehead and turned to face a small semicircle of his own opponents.

He spun and whirled, easily avoiding their ham fisted battle tactics. He came up under the largest one and drove his partial cue up through the poor git's giant belly into the heart and kicked out behind him to knock back the one approaching him from behind as the ash drifted in front of him.

His eyes caught on a flash of golden hair and he watched as Buffy kicked the poor cue ball vamp into the last of his solid shirted comrades. Her happy giggle filled the air and Spike spun back into action with a joyful shout of his own.

He made quick work of the two remaining stripes, stabbing them as the rushed him he stepped through the space between their bodies second before the dusted. He twirled the pieces of his cue in big arcs and looked up to see Buffy playing with their cue ball.

"Getting some practice in, Luv?" He asked and righted a chair to sit in.

"Well, this one feels different. He's got some age on him. Do ya recognize him?" She raised a quizzical brow and he noticed her eyes glowing a bright green.

"Can't say as I do, Luv. It's not so unusual for weaker vamps to be drafted as minions. Angelus needs cannon fodder. Are you done playing this game? I have another you might like a bit more."

Buffy smiled and dusted the vamp with an easy movement. She rested the cue against the wall and held out her hand to him.

They strolled out into the night their hands joined and swinging between them.