Disclaimer: The usual – not mine, wish they were blah blah blah

A/N: Thanks for reviews – they make me all warm and fuzzy! Just to remind people the story is kind of AU from this point on so please don't yell at me for messing up the time line – though I'll do my best not to. Thanks again for reading – it really does give me a happy!

Chapter 2 – Life and death in LA

"Spike please!" Buffy exclaimed, her aching muscles screaming at her that she hadn't had a rest since before...since before that thing she wasn't thinking about any more. "Spike I can't carry you all the way. You're gonna have to help me a little here!"

The reason why Buffy had actually taken Spike with her when she fled Sunnyhell still eluded her. Maybe she couldn't stand to leave him alone in his grief, so much like her own. Maybe she knew that he'd have just lain there till the sun came and ended his pain, and vampire though he was, she couldn't bear to see a one time ally meet such an unfitting end. Maybe she just didn't want to be alone, and even a mortal enemy.... were they even still mortal enemies?... would be better than being alone. Well whatever the reason, here they were in some crummy, run down excuse of a motel on the outskirts of LA and Spike was just being his usual pain in the ass self. At least he wasn't doing it on purpose this time!

Somewhere, deep in the back of his grief addled brain, Spike was able to make sense of the slayer's words. He knew she was trying to get him inside before the imminent sunrise, and that he was just making her task harder by being unresponsive. It must have been that same part of his brain that made his legs move under their own steam since the rest of his mind was still occupied with one very simple train of thought: *Dru gone, Dru in hell, my fault, no more Dru, Dru gone, Dru in hell, my fault, no more Dru, Dru gone...* Granted it wasn't the most useful of thoughts, but it was all he had at that moment.

Buffy had been surprised when she'd found the large roll of bills in Spike's duster when she'd been looking for his car keys. What would a vampire need money for? Didn't they just steal whatever they wanted? Whatever the reason she was grateful it was there – it had paid for this crummy room they were holed up in, probably for the foreseeable future – it wasn't exactly five star accommodations. Now she stood under the shower, waiting for the hot water to easer her various aches and pains. Of course it helped with her physical pains, but there was an ache in her heart that nothing was going to fix.

*Angel's gone* and with that one simple thought, she gave in to the tears that had threatened to take her since she saw her lover fall into hell.

Distantly, Spike could hear the slayers cries. Part of him wondered if he should go to her, talk to her, try and make it better somehow. Another part of him wanted to go and taunt her, tell he she should cry, tell her it was all her fault. Another part of him understood her pain and knew that nothing he did could possibly make it better, probably couldn't make it any worse either! Another part wondered why he should even care in the first place!

"The shower's free if you want it!" Buffy called as she left the bathroom. Spike however, wasn't in the chair where she had left him. In fact, he wasn't even in the room anymore. Suddenly panic filled her. What if he'd gone out in the sun, what if he'd just upped and left her – she'd be all alone. Before she could collapse into a quivering heap however, the vampire in question came back into the room holding a large brown bag – 'Art's liquor' printed on the side.

"Where did you go?" She asked, trying and failing to keep the relief at seeing him out of her voice.

Spike looked at her as if she were insane and held up the bag. "Needed to get supplies." he explained before sitting heavily on the end of the only bed, pulling the first of many bottles of whiskey out of the bag.

"Did you pay for those?" Buffy asked nervously, truly hoping that she wouldn't have another death on her conscience.

"Do I look like I'm in the mood to kill anyone right now slayer?" Spike replied without even looking up. Opening the bottle he drank nearly half it's contents in one gulp.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. She knew he'd eventually feel like killing again, but she'd deal with it when it came up. Right now she was too tired to think about it. Sitting down next to him, she began to look through the bag. She looked up at him incredulously.

"Didn't you buy anything that wasn't alcohol?"

Spike simply shrugged, taking another gulp to finish his bottle before answering. "Don't know 'bout you slayer, but getting pissed seems like a damn fine idea right about now!" He then reached into the bag and pulled out one of those fizzy alcopops. "Here slayer – figured you'd need to start off slow!"

Buffy shook her head but accepted the drink anyway. The shower hadn't worked. Maybe Spike's inebriation plan might help to dull the pain...

Several hours and many empty bottles later, Buffy thought Spikes plan had been the best idea in the world! She was sure she'd think differently in the morning, but that was then, this was now...and now she wanted another drink!

"Oi! Gimme that!" she shouted, snatching the last bottle of rum from Spike just before he could drain it.

"That smine shlayer!" he told her, trying to grab it back but failing miserably. Eventually he gave up and looked in the bag for a new bottle. "Greedy bint! You drunks it all! Snone left!" he yelled upon finding the bag empty.

Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. "Nayh nayh!" She taunted before finishing the rum, deftly avoiding one last ditch attempt from spike to grab it back. "Guess s'time for beddy byes then!" She stood up uncertainly from her spot on the floor and lurched towards the bed.

"Where am I s'pposed to shleep then shlayer?" Asked Spike, reaching out a hand to steady her as she stumbled.

"You're a vampire stupid!" She replied giggling sleepily as she hugged the threadbare sheets around her tiny form.

"Yeah I know but where do I shleep?" he asked again, sure he was missing a point of some kind.

"I get bed at night!" She explained as if speaking to a very stupid five year old rather than a 120 year old master vampire. "You do vampy things at night and you have the bed during the day!" She yawned before continuing, sleep rapidly taking its hold. "We'll take it in turns."

Spike suddenly felt very sober. "How long you plannin' on hangin round with me then shlayer?" he asked. All he received as an answer were the quiet snores of a slayer shaped lump on the bed. He sighed sadly and shook his head. "S'alright pet. Don' really feel like bein' alone either!"

A/N: And there's another chapter. Please R&R because the happy it gives me inspires me to write more quickly! Honest.