Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. I am all poor.
Thank to my reviewers. You are wonderful and great and I love you all.
She had been in surgery for hours. Every minute seemed to crawl by to Buffy. She had gotten Dawn a hot chocolate and laced it with a sleeping tablet. The girl had been so worked up with worry that Buffy had wanted to let her rest. She hadn't been sleeping well.
Riley was there at the hospital with them. Buffy had pretty much just forgiven him for the military involvement. She hadn't had the energy to keep falling out with him. She was too worried about her mom.
Spike had subtly called in to see her but he'd had to leave after a while because they were sitting in a sun filled waiting room.
She wished that she'd begged him to stay. She needed him there. Riley was . . . well he wasn't the same. What her mom had said to her was on her mind too. It was true that Spike made her happy, but Riley made her happy too. It was just different. He gave her what she needed, a small part of her life being normal; even if it was only an act and only for a little while. Buffy felt Riley take her hand, "I can't stand this. What's taking so long?"
Riley squeezed her hand and smiled, "It doesn't mean anything."
"You think?"
"I'd be more worried if you're mom was out of surgery quickly, it might mean that they couldn't do much."
Willow was practically squirming in her seat. She hated the waiting. She hated the not knowing and the worrying. Before when she had heard stories of bereaved families talking about how the only thing worse than grieving was the not knowing, she had not understood. How could anything be worse than losing someone? Now she did understand, sort of. You were just left to desperately hope that things would be okay. There was no end to that horrible feeling of snakes squirming around in your stomach; of the feeling that there's more that you can be doing to help.
Looking over at Buffy and Riley gave her that squirmy feeling times ten. Buffy didn't need extra pressure right now and as well as her mother, she was trying to deal with Spike; it was unfair on so many levels. Buffy didn't need this. Willow felt the intense urge to take her friend in her arms and try to comfort her somehow. Buffy had so much pressure on her at the best of times, now she was trying to deal with her mom, and the added weight of Dawn relying on her, and now men. God. She could definitely remember why she had given up on them.
Willow was surprised that Giles hadn't gone to stake Spike on the spot when he had found out. Though she though that Buffy had told her more than she had told Giles. After their talk in the hospital, Buffy and her had talked again and Buffy had confessed that she had slept with Spike. Willow had had a little trouble dealing with that revelation but it wasn't her place to judge her friend, she never would. But she didn't think that Buffy would have told Giles about that bit, a little bit too much for paternal type ears.
Willow almost smiled, she hoped she was there if Buffy told Xander.
There was something different about Riley; Xander could see it. He was. . . different. He was worried for the ex-soldier. He could see that there was something coming. There was no way that this situation wasn't going to implode.
Apart from all that, Xander thought that there might be something going on with Buffy. He could be wrong; it could be nothing, it might just be stress from her mom, but he wasn't sure. There was something.
Riley felt useless. Buffy was still distancing herself from him, when he had taken her hand, she had held for a second and then she had pulled away and held Dawn in her arms, stroking the young girls forehead and playing with her hair. She wouldn't turn to him for comfort even now, unconsciously or otherwise she turned to every one but. Her sister, Willow, Giles and Xander, yes. Him? No.
Riley was getting itchy feet he wanted to get out of there, he wanted to go back to the nest where he'd found the vamps who accepted money and then they'd bite him. There were other people there, they got off on the feeding too, but he wasn't like them, they were pathetic people who couldn't find any other way to feel like that, he only went . . .well he still wasn't like them.
Giles just didn't know what to do. The hurt seemed to be coming off his slayer in waves. She was scared too, scared of losing her mother and what that would mean to their family. Giles was afraid of losing Joyce too. He cared for the woman very much. She was a good woman. And aside from everything else, Joyce was someone that could always be relied upon. With her, he had always felt like the weight of his responsibility to Buffy was split, he didn't have to try to bear it all, because she loved her daughter and would always be there to help him if he asked. And now with this new development with Spike, Giles had a horrible feeling that he would probably need her. Especially as Giles was getting the impression, that Buffy hadn't told him everything.
Buffy stood walked towards the doctor as he came toward them, holding Dawn's hand. She saw her friends all stand up out of the corner of her eye.
"Everything went fine we're moving her into recovery."
Buffy felt her heart jump, "How is she?"
"Well the good news is that we were able to visualise the tumour which means that I was able to get all of it. So barring complications in recovery I think that you're mother's going to be fine. We'll watch her carefully for the next couple of days and have her back in for some follow up testing"
Buffy felt tears sprig to her eyes. She turned to her sister and flung her arms around her slight body. She and her friends hugged each other and Buffy turned to the doctor, "Oh doctor, doctor, thank you so much."
The doctor started to say how no thanks was necessary but Buffy just flung her arms around him and hugged him until her cried out in pain, "Oh. Sorry, sorry.
Riley caught Buffy by the wrist just as they were heading out. The two girls had been allowed in to see their mother but worrying medical staff and that intern Ben, whose interest in Buffy had not escaped Riley, had soon herded them out. "Buffy, I was wondering if maybe we could have an evening at your house tonight to celebrate your mom's good news, dinner, music? Sound good?"
Buffy smiled, "Yeah. Sounds good."
Buffy had no idea what she was going to do but for now, it had to be good enough. She could probably just say that s was too tired. Oh well, she'd not worry just yet. "Does half eight sound good?"
Riley smiled, "Yeah."
Buffy headed for the cemetery after getting some lunch with dawn. As a treat, they had ordered whatever they had wanted and however much of ii they felt like from the Double meat Palace and they had eaten almost all of it. For the first time in days they had laughed, joked, and eaten well. Buffy had dropped Dawn off at home to get a couple few hours sleep, or watch some TV. She hadn't made her younger sister go to school, it was way past lunch and she was exhausted anyway; she probably wouldn't have been much good at school anyway.
But Buffy had to se Spike, she wanted to tell him about her mother, she had never been in such a good mood. She just wanted to see him. Opening the crypt door she stepped in, "Spike?"
Spike appeared from what appeared to be some kind of a lower level, "I'm here pet." Spike only had to take one look at Buffy's face to know, "She's all better then?"
Buffy's grim spread across her face, "She'll be home in a few days."
Spike smiled, a genuine smile, "That's the best news I've had in while."
Buffy let out a little giggle and threw herself across the room into his arms. She kissed him hard and he clutched at her back. Buffy pulled Spike over to the sarcophagus in the centre of the room and pulled his shirt over his head. Running her hands over his back and chest.
Spike slipped his hands under the fabric of her shirt and pulled it off her.
Spike smiled at her, "I love you slayer."
Buffy smiled and kissed him.
Spike closed his eyes and tried not to notice that she didn't say it back.
Thank to my reviewers. You are wonderful and great and I love you all.
She had been in surgery for hours. Every minute seemed to crawl by to Buffy. She had gotten Dawn a hot chocolate and laced it with a sleeping tablet. The girl had been so worked up with worry that Buffy had wanted to let her rest. She hadn't been sleeping well.
Riley was there at the hospital with them. Buffy had pretty much just forgiven him for the military involvement. She hadn't had the energy to keep falling out with him. She was too worried about her mom.
Spike had subtly called in to see her but he'd had to leave after a while because they were sitting in a sun filled waiting room.
She wished that she'd begged him to stay. She needed him there. Riley was . . . well he wasn't the same. What her mom had said to her was on her mind too. It was true that Spike made her happy, but Riley made her happy too. It was just different. He gave her what she needed, a small part of her life being normal; even if it was only an act and only for a little while. Buffy felt Riley take her hand, "I can't stand this. What's taking so long?"
Riley squeezed her hand and smiled, "It doesn't mean anything."
"You think?"
"I'd be more worried if you're mom was out of surgery quickly, it might mean that they couldn't do much."
Willow was practically squirming in her seat. She hated the waiting. She hated the not knowing and the worrying. Before when she had heard stories of bereaved families talking about how the only thing worse than grieving was the not knowing, she had not understood. How could anything be worse than losing someone? Now she did understand, sort of. You were just left to desperately hope that things would be okay. There was no end to that horrible feeling of snakes squirming around in your stomach; of the feeling that there's more that you can be doing to help.
Looking over at Buffy and Riley gave her that squirmy feeling times ten. Buffy didn't need extra pressure right now and as well as her mother, she was trying to deal with Spike; it was unfair on so many levels. Buffy didn't need this. Willow felt the intense urge to take her friend in her arms and try to comfort her somehow. Buffy had so much pressure on her at the best of times, now she was trying to deal with her mom, and the added weight of Dawn relying on her, and now men. God. She could definitely remember why she had given up on them.
Willow was surprised that Giles hadn't gone to stake Spike on the spot when he had found out. Though she though that Buffy had told her more than she had told Giles. After their talk in the hospital, Buffy and her had talked again and Buffy had confessed that she had slept with Spike. Willow had had a little trouble dealing with that revelation but it wasn't her place to judge her friend, she never would. But she didn't think that Buffy would have told Giles about that bit, a little bit too much for paternal type ears.
Willow almost smiled, she hoped she was there if Buffy told Xander.
There was something different about Riley; Xander could see it. He was. . . different. He was worried for the ex-soldier. He could see that there was something coming. There was no way that this situation wasn't going to implode.
Apart from all that, Xander thought that there might be something going on with Buffy. He could be wrong; it could be nothing, it might just be stress from her mom, but he wasn't sure. There was something.
Riley felt useless. Buffy was still distancing herself from him, when he had taken her hand, she had held for a second and then she had pulled away and held Dawn in her arms, stroking the young girls forehead and playing with her hair. She wouldn't turn to him for comfort even now, unconsciously or otherwise she turned to every one but. Her sister, Willow, Giles and Xander, yes. Him? No.
Riley was getting itchy feet he wanted to get out of there, he wanted to go back to the nest where he'd found the vamps who accepted money and then they'd bite him. There were other people there, they got off on the feeding too, but he wasn't like them, they were pathetic people who couldn't find any other way to feel like that, he only went . . .well he still wasn't like them.
Giles just didn't know what to do. The hurt seemed to be coming off his slayer in waves. She was scared too, scared of losing her mother and what that would mean to their family. Giles was afraid of losing Joyce too. He cared for the woman very much. She was a good woman. And aside from everything else, Joyce was someone that could always be relied upon. With her, he had always felt like the weight of his responsibility to Buffy was split, he didn't have to try to bear it all, because she loved her daughter and would always be there to help him if he asked. And now with this new development with Spike, Giles had a horrible feeling that he would probably need her. Especially as Giles was getting the impression, that Buffy hadn't told him everything.
Buffy stood walked towards the doctor as he came toward them, holding Dawn's hand. She saw her friends all stand up out of the corner of her eye.
"Everything went fine we're moving her into recovery."
Buffy felt her heart jump, "How is she?"
"Well the good news is that we were able to visualise the tumour which means that I was able to get all of it. So barring complications in recovery I think that you're mother's going to be fine. We'll watch her carefully for the next couple of days and have her back in for some follow up testing"
Buffy felt tears sprig to her eyes. She turned to her sister and flung her arms around her slight body. She and her friends hugged each other and Buffy turned to the doctor, "Oh doctor, doctor, thank you so much."
The doctor started to say how no thanks was necessary but Buffy just flung her arms around him and hugged him until her cried out in pain, "Oh. Sorry, sorry.
Riley caught Buffy by the wrist just as they were heading out. The two girls had been allowed in to see their mother but worrying medical staff and that intern Ben, whose interest in Buffy had not escaped Riley, had soon herded them out. "Buffy, I was wondering if maybe we could have an evening at your house tonight to celebrate your mom's good news, dinner, music? Sound good?"
Buffy smiled, "Yeah. Sounds good."
Buffy had no idea what she was going to do but for now, it had to be good enough. She could probably just say that s was too tired. Oh well, she'd not worry just yet. "Does half eight sound good?"
Riley smiled, "Yeah."
Buffy headed for the cemetery after getting some lunch with dawn. As a treat, they had ordered whatever they had wanted and however much of ii they felt like from the Double meat Palace and they had eaten almost all of it. For the first time in days they had laughed, joked, and eaten well. Buffy had dropped Dawn off at home to get a couple few hours sleep, or watch some TV. She hadn't made her younger sister go to school, it was way past lunch and she was exhausted anyway; she probably wouldn't have been much good at school anyway.
But Buffy had to se Spike, she wanted to tell him about her mother, she had never been in such a good mood. She just wanted to see him. Opening the crypt door she stepped in, "Spike?"
Spike appeared from what appeared to be some kind of a lower level, "I'm here pet." Spike only had to take one look at Buffy's face to know, "She's all better then?"
Buffy's grim spread across her face, "She'll be home in a few days."
Spike smiled, a genuine smile, "That's the best news I've had in while."
Buffy let out a little giggle and threw herself across the room into his arms. She kissed him hard and he clutched at her back. Buffy pulled Spike over to the sarcophagus in the centre of the room and pulled his shirt over his head. Running her hands over his back and chest.
Spike slipped his hands under the fabric of her shirt and pulled it off her.
Spike smiled at her, "I love you slayer."
Buffy smiled and kissed him.
Spike closed his eyes and tried not to notice that she didn't say it back.