Title : Replica
Author : Harmony
Rating : PG-13
Summary : Buffy's got a new boyfriend, who is almost exactly like the guy she's trying to get over. Buffy is the last to realise it.
Feedback : It is my oxygen.
Author Notes : Any 'Friends' fans will recognise the basis of this story. Oooh cryptic.
---
"So we're going on a date. A real movie-popcorn-soda-walkmehome date"
Buffy pulled a grip pin from the roller on her crown, let the curl tumble out of it and turned on her seat, smiling.
"Hence the dress up. You do look really pretty, Buffy" Willow cooed, handing another large roller to her friend.
"Thanks, Will. This is going to be so cool. I mean, even if we just stay friends. I don't know if I want to get all...attached just yet" Buffy's eyes flicked to a picture of Dawn and Spike, that was pinned to her noteboard. It was taken just before she came back, apparently, because she couldn't remember when Spike had been at a night-time barbecue when she was alive.
"Come on, Buffy. You said he was nice. You said he was cute. You said he made you laugh. He sounds great. I say go for it" Willow encouraged, grinning a mischievous grin.
Buffy shook her head
"I'm not looking for smoochies" Buffy smiled as she stood up "But he is cute"
Willow turned onto her stomach, and rested her chin on her hands.
"What does he look like?" the redhead asked
"Well...he has blue eyes, and he's got great arms. And his hair is...well, you'll meet him later" Buffy pulled on a pair of black pants, and a red off the shoulder shirt "How do I look?"
Buffy held her hands up and Willow beamed
"You look hot!" She paused "You lie. You are totally looking for smoochies, you slut"
"Well maybe a little" Buffy confessed, before glancing at the picture of Spike again.
Forgetting him was going to be hard, seeing as he was everpresent, but now she was going on a date with a new guy. A nice, new, human guy.
It wasn't just because he was always there either. She often woke in the middle of the night, wishing he would climb through the window...she missed him. Even when they spoke almost every day when they met on patrol, she missed being with him. But it didn't change anything. She was moving on.
---
"Hey" Buffy turned as her date leant over her shoulder and presented her with slightly crushed flowers "Sorry 'bout the daisies. I, uh...I tripped and fell on them. But see it as, uhh, modern art"
Buffy grinned and attempted to straighten out some of the petals. This was Kane or Cathan. Not many people got away with calling him Cathan. They'd met at the DoubleMeat Palace. He worked there with her, and he was the only one who made her work bearable, with his jokes and not zombieness. He'd introduced himself as Kane, but Buffy was pleased to be one of the only people who knew his real name was Cathan.
He'd been clumsy in asking her out. He was confident and jokey and cocky usually, but asking Buffy out reduced him to stammers. He'd finally managed to blurt out "Movie? With me?" and when Buffy said yes, he'd pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead and sighed, before serving the next customer.
She liked his sense of humour and his attitude most of all. He was dangerous, just the way she liked her men. And his clothing, although it was far from the Gap, always looked great. Tonight was no different. He wore a red bowling shirt, with the name "Eddy" embroidered over the pocket. It was open, with a black vest underneath. He had black jeans and boots on.
"Insert a cliche about the thought counting" Buffy quipped, before searching for a way to hold the flowers.
"Here. I'll take them" Kane offered. Buffy handed them too him, and he threw them into a nearby trashcan "I bought them. You were impressed. They were a pain to hold"
Buffy grinned again, and walked with Kane to the cinema doors.
He bought their tickets and led Buffy into the lobby.
"Do you want popcorn, or anything?" he asked, looking sideways at her. She was biting her lip, and trying to decide what she wanted. It was entirely possible that he was in love.
"Umm...we could share a big bucket?" Buffy suggested, with the smallest suggestion of flirtation in her voice.
"That we could. Soda?"
"God no. Don't you get fed up with free soda at Doublemeat?"
Kane smiled
"I was being polite. I was hoping you'd say no" he admitted.
Buffy waited in the lobby as he went to buy popcorn. So she could see herself falling for him. Like totally, and utterly. He wasn't an instrument to get over Spike. Far from it. She genuinely liked him. Her feelings for Spike ran deep down. But she had an inkling that if she spent anymore time with Kane...well, then she was going to be having deep love feelings for two guys.
In a moment of madness, Buffy glanced at the door and considered running.
That idea was squashed when he walked back to her.
Consequences be damned. She was going to have a nice time.
---
"Huh"
"You didn't like it?" Buffy asked, falling into step with Kane as they walked back to her house.
"No...no. It's just occured to me I enjoyed a Russell Crowe film...That's never happened before" Kane said, shaking his head.
"You didn't like Gladiator?" Buffy asked, disbelieving. The whole world liked Gladiator.
"Chick flick" Kane said, matter of fact
"Yes...because chicks dig all the blood and gore. How was it a chick flick?"
"Chicks dig Russell Crowe. Guys hate Russell Crowe cos chicks dig Russell Crowe. Chick Flick"
"Interesting. And wrong. He's not my type of guy" Buffy said.
"Who is?"
"Uhhh, Ben Affleck" Buffy said, earning a groan from Kane.
"That's original" he mocked.
"What? He's cute. Okay, Cathan, who do you like?"
"Angelina Jolie" Kane muttered, sheepishly. That wasn't exactly the most original choice either
"You seem like a Jolie type of guy. My ex boyfriend liked her too" Buffy muttered, feeling slightly disturbed that both Spike and Kane liked a brunette with long hair, and a curvy figure, when she was a blonde, with shorter hair, and a not so curvy figure.
"Then he has good taste, to like Angelina Jolie AND Buffy" Kane complimented, making Buffy blush, but giving her a sudden burst of confidence.
She found his hand, and held it. Kane glanced down and then up, and smiled a wide wide smile.
They walked in silence until they came to her house.
"I live here. Here's where I live. You want to...come in?"
"That'd be nice. I mean, I was going to be dying my hair, but that'll just have to wait, won't it?"
Buffy smiled again, and they walked up to the driveway. Buffy opened to door, and almost screamed when she saw Xander, Spike and Dawn sitting in the lounge. She'd only bargained on Willow and Dawn. Xander was a surprise. Spike was a big big shock.
Just as she began to back out again, Xander shouted through
"Hi Buff! Nice night?"
Buffy led Kane in and shut the door. She noticed Spike looking up at her. He'd seen Kane and had his eyebrow raised in question.
"Yeah. Great!" Willow darted out of the lounge and gasped, before smiling widely. Kane smiled back, and waited for Buffy to introduce him. Buffy smiled a small apologoy smile at Spike, and then turned to Willow.
"Will, this is Kane. Kane, this is Willow, my best friend since forever" Buffy waved her hands between the two.
"Hi Willow" Kane said, with a small waggle of his fingers. Willow shot Buffy another look, and turned back to Kane.
"Hey. So...you work at the doublemeat too?"
Buffy slipped away as Willow got involved in conversation with Kane, to grab a drink. Spike. Here. Kane. Here. Wow.
"Hello, Buffy"
Buffy jumped as she saw Spike standing in the kitchen. She hadn't even seen him go in.
"Spike...you scared me. Okay. Hi. How are you?"
"Holding up. You?"
"Also holding up" It was true. Deal with stuff in her life WAS harder without him. Althought she doubted Spike believed her, seeing as she was out with other guys "What are you doing here?"
"We can bugger off"
"We?"
"Me and Xander"
"You and Xander? What are you doing with Xander? Don't you like, hate each other or something?"
"Well, sort of. But we're both in reluctant singlesville now, so we have that in common. We bumped into each other at the Bronze, played a little pool, ended up here"
"Neat. I mean, I never thought you two would get on"
"It's only when it comes to you that we hate each other, pet. Soooo...who's the guy?"
"Umm...someone I really don't want to talk about with you" Buffy said, as nicely as she could make it sound. Spike nodded and started out of the kitchen "He's Kane"
"Kane? That's his name?" Spike asked, glancing out of the kitchen at him, who was engaged in conversation with Willow, and now Xander.
"Yeah. Short for Cathan. But you don't know that"
"What's with the hair?" Spike asked, glancing once more at Kane. His hair was spikey with a fading bleach job. His brown roots were beginning to show through.
Buffy looked down at the kitchen counter. She had hoped, upon meeting Kane, that Spike would not notice the fact that Kane's hair was peroxide blonde.
"It's a thing...he has his hair, you have the duster"
"I also have the hair" Spike said with a smile.
"Quite. So, if I introduce him to you, you won't...you know, verbally bite his head off will you?" Buffy asked.
"No. He seems like a nice attempt at making me jealous. Can't hold that against him"
"It's not to make you jealous" Buffy smiled devilishly "Is it working?"
"Yes"
"Good" Buffy imitated their wedding conversation, earning a laugh from Spike "Thanks"
"Welcome"
"I miss you sometimes" Buffy blurted, almost immediately regretting it. Spike turned to face her completely
"Ditto. But it doesn't change anything?"
"No"
"Figured as much. Okay. Look, I'll be nice. I wanna meet this guy, you know. Scope him out"
"Spike...No scoping. Just meeting"
Kane had now been ushered into the living room, and was chatting away happily to everyone, including Dawn, who was telling him about school.
Spike walked into the room, and everyone looked at him, including Kane.
Buffy coughed awkwardly.
"Kane, this is Spike. Spike, Kane"
"Nice to meet you, Spike" Kane stood up and offered his hand to Spike, who shook it awkwardly, giving Buffy a pointed look. Buffy's face grew red. Spike had picked up on that tiny detail of Kane being English.
"Yeah, you too" Spike replied.
"Spike's a friend of mine" Buffy supplied. Kane nodded, and took a step backwards. There was some history between the two of them. He could tell.
"Where in England are you from?" Spike asked, finding himself lost for future insults. He seemed like an interesting guy.
"Kensington, London. I moved here a couple of years ago. You?"
"Camden"
The assembled group watched the two men talk, knowing Spike had to be hating him, for being with Buffy when he couldn't, and that Kane had to be feeling it.
All of them, Buffy particularly, were surprised when Spike invited Kane into the game of Poker that Xander had begun to deal.
Buffy sat down next to Willow, and watched as Xander, her date and her until recently lover played cards, talking amicably between themselves.
"Buffy, you never told me he was English" Willow said, quietly
"Well, it wasn't important"
"He's got bleached hair"
"And?"
"He's like a better human version of Spike!!!" Willow said, excitedly.
Buffy opened her mouth to tell her that he wasn't like Spike at all, and that Spike was pretty good anyway, but closed it.
Kane really was like Spike, and maybe that was why she liked him so much. He was the Spike she COULD deal with loving.
---
Spike ducked out onto the porch. It was late night, and it had turned into a real party. He'd been a good jealous ex, managing to not rip Kane's head off. And besides, he liked him. It made him sick. He wanted to hate him, to have him be boring, like Riley, or a nancy boy like Angel. Just so he could apply a nickname to him.
But he had great taste in music, in TV, in women.
Spike lit up a cigarette and inhaled. He sighed as he exhaled a stream of smoke.
"Mind if I join you?" Kane's voice said from behind him.
"Uh, no, sure" Spike muttered, really wishing he wouldn't.
To Spike's surprise Kane lit up his own cigarette.
"Does Buffy know you smoke?" Spike said. Well, this was something. He smoked. Buffy hated that.
"Yeah. She knows. She's cool with it, though"
Bugger.
"Where'd you meet her?" Spike asked
"At the Doublemeat Palace. We both work there" Kane said, making it clear he hated the job "What about you and Buffy?"
"Four years ago, The Bronze. Or rather behind the Bronze. I threatened to kill her" Spike smiled, remembering the first time he'd seen her.
Kane stared at him, like he'd grown a second head.
"I'm joking" Spike lied
"Oh...okay. She tells me you only settled down here about two years ago"
"Well, I left for a bit. Came back to town to visit. Then left again. Then came back, and stayed. Mainly because of Buffy really. She helped me out a bit. I helped her out. Then some nasty business with her boyfriend leaving, and we fell out over that"
Spike thought he was revealing a little too much, but didn't linger on that thought.
"Why?"
It occured to him that Kane was strangely interested in his business.
"I hated the guy. A real lunkhead, he was. I told Buffy as much after he left, and she didn't take it too well. Then Glory came along and during that escapade, we became friends"
"Glory?"
"Umm....yeah. Glory, the...uh...social worker"
"So you're good friends?"
"Kinda. We don't always get along"
There was a long pause, filled with inhaling and exhaling of smoke.
"You're the ex boyfriend, aren't you?"
"What? What makes you say that?"
"The fact that you are so very obviously still in love with her"
"You are off your rocker, mate" Spike spluttered
Kane shrugged and headed back indoors
"And what's more... she's in love with you"
Spike looked up at the sky, and frowned
"You tell her that" he muttered.
"Well, that'd ruin MY chances, now wouldn't it?" Kane said, closing the kitchen door behind him.
Author : Harmony
Rating : PG-13
Summary : Buffy's got a new boyfriend, who is almost exactly like the guy she's trying to get over. Buffy is the last to realise it.
Feedback : It is my oxygen.
Author Notes : Any 'Friends' fans will recognise the basis of this story. Oooh cryptic.
---
"So we're going on a date. A real movie-popcorn-soda-walkmehome date"
Buffy pulled a grip pin from the roller on her crown, let the curl tumble out of it and turned on her seat, smiling.
"Hence the dress up. You do look really pretty, Buffy" Willow cooed, handing another large roller to her friend.
"Thanks, Will. This is going to be so cool. I mean, even if we just stay friends. I don't know if I want to get all...attached just yet" Buffy's eyes flicked to a picture of Dawn and Spike, that was pinned to her noteboard. It was taken just before she came back, apparently, because she couldn't remember when Spike had been at a night-time barbecue when she was alive.
"Come on, Buffy. You said he was nice. You said he was cute. You said he made you laugh. He sounds great. I say go for it" Willow encouraged, grinning a mischievous grin.
Buffy shook her head
"I'm not looking for smoochies" Buffy smiled as she stood up "But he is cute"
Willow turned onto her stomach, and rested her chin on her hands.
"What does he look like?" the redhead asked
"Well...he has blue eyes, and he's got great arms. And his hair is...well, you'll meet him later" Buffy pulled on a pair of black pants, and a red off the shoulder shirt "How do I look?"
Buffy held her hands up and Willow beamed
"You look hot!" She paused "You lie. You are totally looking for smoochies, you slut"
"Well maybe a little" Buffy confessed, before glancing at the picture of Spike again.
Forgetting him was going to be hard, seeing as he was everpresent, but now she was going on a date with a new guy. A nice, new, human guy.
It wasn't just because he was always there either. She often woke in the middle of the night, wishing he would climb through the window...she missed him. Even when they spoke almost every day when they met on patrol, she missed being with him. But it didn't change anything. She was moving on.
---
"Hey" Buffy turned as her date leant over her shoulder and presented her with slightly crushed flowers "Sorry 'bout the daisies. I, uh...I tripped and fell on them. But see it as, uhh, modern art"
Buffy grinned and attempted to straighten out some of the petals. This was Kane or Cathan. Not many people got away with calling him Cathan. They'd met at the DoubleMeat Palace. He worked there with her, and he was the only one who made her work bearable, with his jokes and not zombieness. He'd introduced himself as Kane, but Buffy was pleased to be one of the only people who knew his real name was Cathan.
He'd been clumsy in asking her out. He was confident and jokey and cocky usually, but asking Buffy out reduced him to stammers. He'd finally managed to blurt out "Movie? With me?" and when Buffy said yes, he'd pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead and sighed, before serving the next customer.
She liked his sense of humour and his attitude most of all. He was dangerous, just the way she liked her men. And his clothing, although it was far from the Gap, always looked great. Tonight was no different. He wore a red bowling shirt, with the name "Eddy" embroidered over the pocket. It was open, with a black vest underneath. He had black jeans and boots on.
"Insert a cliche about the thought counting" Buffy quipped, before searching for a way to hold the flowers.
"Here. I'll take them" Kane offered. Buffy handed them too him, and he threw them into a nearby trashcan "I bought them. You were impressed. They were a pain to hold"
Buffy grinned again, and walked with Kane to the cinema doors.
He bought their tickets and led Buffy into the lobby.
"Do you want popcorn, or anything?" he asked, looking sideways at her. She was biting her lip, and trying to decide what she wanted. It was entirely possible that he was in love.
"Umm...we could share a big bucket?" Buffy suggested, with the smallest suggestion of flirtation in her voice.
"That we could. Soda?"
"God no. Don't you get fed up with free soda at Doublemeat?"
Kane smiled
"I was being polite. I was hoping you'd say no" he admitted.
Buffy waited in the lobby as he went to buy popcorn. So she could see herself falling for him. Like totally, and utterly. He wasn't an instrument to get over Spike. Far from it. She genuinely liked him. Her feelings for Spike ran deep down. But she had an inkling that if she spent anymore time with Kane...well, then she was going to be having deep love feelings for two guys.
In a moment of madness, Buffy glanced at the door and considered running.
That idea was squashed when he walked back to her.
Consequences be damned. She was going to have a nice time.
---
"Huh"
"You didn't like it?" Buffy asked, falling into step with Kane as they walked back to her house.
"No...no. It's just occured to me I enjoyed a Russell Crowe film...That's never happened before" Kane said, shaking his head.
"You didn't like Gladiator?" Buffy asked, disbelieving. The whole world liked Gladiator.
"Chick flick" Kane said, matter of fact
"Yes...because chicks dig all the blood and gore. How was it a chick flick?"
"Chicks dig Russell Crowe. Guys hate Russell Crowe cos chicks dig Russell Crowe. Chick Flick"
"Interesting. And wrong. He's not my type of guy" Buffy said.
"Who is?"
"Uhhh, Ben Affleck" Buffy said, earning a groan from Kane.
"That's original" he mocked.
"What? He's cute. Okay, Cathan, who do you like?"
"Angelina Jolie" Kane muttered, sheepishly. That wasn't exactly the most original choice either
"You seem like a Jolie type of guy. My ex boyfriend liked her too" Buffy muttered, feeling slightly disturbed that both Spike and Kane liked a brunette with long hair, and a curvy figure, when she was a blonde, with shorter hair, and a not so curvy figure.
"Then he has good taste, to like Angelina Jolie AND Buffy" Kane complimented, making Buffy blush, but giving her a sudden burst of confidence.
She found his hand, and held it. Kane glanced down and then up, and smiled a wide wide smile.
They walked in silence until they came to her house.
"I live here. Here's where I live. You want to...come in?"
"That'd be nice. I mean, I was going to be dying my hair, but that'll just have to wait, won't it?"
Buffy smiled again, and they walked up to the driveway. Buffy opened to door, and almost screamed when she saw Xander, Spike and Dawn sitting in the lounge. She'd only bargained on Willow and Dawn. Xander was a surprise. Spike was a big big shock.
Just as she began to back out again, Xander shouted through
"Hi Buff! Nice night?"
Buffy led Kane in and shut the door. She noticed Spike looking up at her. He'd seen Kane and had his eyebrow raised in question.
"Yeah. Great!" Willow darted out of the lounge and gasped, before smiling widely. Kane smiled back, and waited for Buffy to introduce him. Buffy smiled a small apologoy smile at Spike, and then turned to Willow.
"Will, this is Kane. Kane, this is Willow, my best friend since forever" Buffy waved her hands between the two.
"Hi Willow" Kane said, with a small waggle of his fingers. Willow shot Buffy another look, and turned back to Kane.
"Hey. So...you work at the doublemeat too?"
Buffy slipped away as Willow got involved in conversation with Kane, to grab a drink. Spike. Here. Kane. Here. Wow.
"Hello, Buffy"
Buffy jumped as she saw Spike standing in the kitchen. She hadn't even seen him go in.
"Spike...you scared me. Okay. Hi. How are you?"
"Holding up. You?"
"Also holding up" It was true. Deal with stuff in her life WAS harder without him. Althought she doubted Spike believed her, seeing as she was out with other guys "What are you doing here?"
"We can bugger off"
"We?"
"Me and Xander"
"You and Xander? What are you doing with Xander? Don't you like, hate each other or something?"
"Well, sort of. But we're both in reluctant singlesville now, so we have that in common. We bumped into each other at the Bronze, played a little pool, ended up here"
"Neat. I mean, I never thought you two would get on"
"It's only when it comes to you that we hate each other, pet. Soooo...who's the guy?"
"Umm...someone I really don't want to talk about with you" Buffy said, as nicely as she could make it sound. Spike nodded and started out of the kitchen "He's Kane"
"Kane? That's his name?" Spike asked, glancing out of the kitchen at him, who was engaged in conversation with Willow, and now Xander.
"Yeah. Short for Cathan. But you don't know that"
"What's with the hair?" Spike asked, glancing once more at Kane. His hair was spikey with a fading bleach job. His brown roots were beginning to show through.
Buffy looked down at the kitchen counter. She had hoped, upon meeting Kane, that Spike would not notice the fact that Kane's hair was peroxide blonde.
"It's a thing...he has his hair, you have the duster"
"I also have the hair" Spike said with a smile.
"Quite. So, if I introduce him to you, you won't...you know, verbally bite his head off will you?" Buffy asked.
"No. He seems like a nice attempt at making me jealous. Can't hold that against him"
"It's not to make you jealous" Buffy smiled devilishly "Is it working?"
"Yes"
"Good" Buffy imitated their wedding conversation, earning a laugh from Spike "Thanks"
"Welcome"
"I miss you sometimes" Buffy blurted, almost immediately regretting it. Spike turned to face her completely
"Ditto. But it doesn't change anything?"
"No"
"Figured as much. Okay. Look, I'll be nice. I wanna meet this guy, you know. Scope him out"
"Spike...No scoping. Just meeting"
Kane had now been ushered into the living room, and was chatting away happily to everyone, including Dawn, who was telling him about school.
Spike walked into the room, and everyone looked at him, including Kane.
Buffy coughed awkwardly.
"Kane, this is Spike. Spike, Kane"
"Nice to meet you, Spike" Kane stood up and offered his hand to Spike, who shook it awkwardly, giving Buffy a pointed look. Buffy's face grew red. Spike had picked up on that tiny detail of Kane being English.
"Yeah, you too" Spike replied.
"Spike's a friend of mine" Buffy supplied. Kane nodded, and took a step backwards. There was some history between the two of them. He could tell.
"Where in England are you from?" Spike asked, finding himself lost for future insults. He seemed like an interesting guy.
"Kensington, London. I moved here a couple of years ago. You?"
"Camden"
The assembled group watched the two men talk, knowing Spike had to be hating him, for being with Buffy when he couldn't, and that Kane had to be feeling it.
All of them, Buffy particularly, were surprised when Spike invited Kane into the game of Poker that Xander had begun to deal.
Buffy sat down next to Willow, and watched as Xander, her date and her until recently lover played cards, talking amicably between themselves.
"Buffy, you never told me he was English" Willow said, quietly
"Well, it wasn't important"
"He's got bleached hair"
"And?"
"He's like a better human version of Spike!!!" Willow said, excitedly.
Buffy opened her mouth to tell her that he wasn't like Spike at all, and that Spike was pretty good anyway, but closed it.
Kane really was like Spike, and maybe that was why she liked him so much. He was the Spike she COULD deal with loving.
---
Spike ducked out onto the porch. It was late night, and it had turned into a real party. He'd been a good jealous ex, managing to not rip Kane's head off. And besides, he liked him. It made him sick. He wanted to hate him, to have him be boring, like Riley, or a nancy boy like Angel. Just so he could apply a nickname to him.
But he had great taste in music, in TV, in women.
Spike lit up a cigarette and inhaled. He sighed as he exhaled a stream of smoke.
"Mind if I join you?" Kane's voice said from behind him.
"Uh, no, sure" Spike muttered, really wishing he wouldn't.
To Spike's surprise Kane lit up his own cigarette.
"Does Buffy know you smoke?" Spike said. Well, this was something. He smoked. Buffy hated that.
"Yeah. She knows. She's cool with it, though"
Bugger.
"Where'd you meet her?" Spike asked
"At the Doublemeat Palace. We both work there" Kane said, making it clear he hated the job "What about you and Buffy?"
"Four years ago, The Bronze. Or rather behind the Bronze. I threatened to kill her" Spike smiled, remembering the first time he'd seen her.
Kane stared at him, like he'd grown a second head.
"I'm joking" Spike lied
"Oh...okay. She tells me you only settled down here about two years ago"
"Well, I left for a bit. Came back to town to visit. Then left again. Then came back, and stayed. Mainly because of Buffy really. She helped me out a bit. I helped her out. Then some nasty business with her boyfriend leaving, and we fell out over that"
Spike thought he was revealing a little too much, but didn't linger on that thought.
"Why?"
It occured to him that Kane was strangely interested in his business.
"I hated the guy. A real lunkhead, he was. I told Buffy as much after he left, and she didn't take it too well. Then Glory came along and during that escapade, we became friends"
"Glory?"
"Umm....yeah. Glory, the...uh...social worker"
"So you're good friends?"
"Kinda. We don't always get along"
There was a long pause, filled with inhaling and exhaling of smoke.
"You're the ex boyfriend, aren't you?"
"What? What makes you say that?"
"The fact that you are so very obviously still in love with her"
"You are off your rocker, mate" Spike spluttered
Kane shrugged and headed back indoors
"And what's more... she's in love with you"
Spike looked up at the sky, and frowned
"You tell her that" he muttered.
"Well, that'd ruin MY chances, now wouldn't it?" Kane said, closing the kitchen door behind him.