One year. Higgy, Red and DL had been gone one year and he was lonely. Buffy had died and come back and she was lonely too but had found comfort with some secret guy. Willow was fine she had Tara back. Xander and Anya had each other. Dawn was a teenager and too busy trying to break every rule she knew than to spend time with him. Giles was too old for company and he was bored! Angel was back in L.A. for a bit but he had promised to visit soon. Unfortunately, Spike was bored now.

He had been living alone in his flat the girls had left him for a year now and it was boring. Photos of them all posted around and blood and beer in the fridge. It was a typical vampire apartment. 365 days of being alone and he hated it. So instead of moping round and sitting on his arse, he went out every night. Every night for 365 days he had been going out and getting pissed. The same bar, the same guys the same drinks, the same results.

Pissed Spike bleeding and broken in the gutter. It wasn't so bad when Angel was here, the older vampire used to keep him entertained or take him out somewhere for the night. But the fact was that Angel wasn't here and Spike needed something to do. So it was back to the ritual. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila floor.

Higgy, Red and Dl. God he missed those girls. They would have kept him occupied. Talked to him. Held him. Fought with him. Cared for him. Cared, that's what a carer did. But Higgy and her friends were currently back in merry old England looking after some lower vamp of the Auralius line. Sometimes he wished he was going through Sinco again just so they would be there. Max had come to double check he was finished with Sinco about two weeks after Higgy had left. She had come, checked said her farewells and gone. Bye. See ya. Cheerio. Toodleoo. Gone.

The scoobies weren't really adequate enough to keep a master vampire entertained anymore. They were growing up and they simply didn't have time for him. The demons they fought were getting weaker and weaker. There was no big bad this time and all they were against were three twerps. Of course he still visited, it was just less than before. He kicked a coke can hard across the street and let out a growl of frustration. Was the Hellmouth just frozen or something?

So he was going to the bar again. Going to get pissed out of his mind and try to 'accidentally' get caught in the sunlight to die. Wouldn't really be that bad would it? No real tragedy. Another vampire dying on the Hellmouth. Whoopdee-bloody-doo. At least he had a plan. A crappy plan but it was a plan just the same. It was good to have a foolproof plan. Even he couldn't fuck it up.

He stormed in and took his usual seat at the bar. Didn't even have to look up before his drink was in front of him. Smart man that Willie. When he wanted to be of course. One drink down, he grimaced as the liquid scalded his throat, only about twenty to go. Well better get started...

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"All right Spike I think you'd better get going buddy." Willie's voice floated through his head God his head hurt. "It's almost sunrise." Spike grinned and staggered to his feet.

He had only had to wait nine hours. Nine hours of drinking, fighting, getting thrown out, coming back in and repeating the circle. Overall not the worst time of his unlife. But it didn't really matter. He was now slowly making his way to the door. That wonderful door that would be the last one he ever walked through. Stumbling slightly he made his way to the street. Glancing at the sky he gave a feeble salute to the stars before gulping down the last of his bottle of J-D and collapsing to the floor.

The sunrise was going to be perfect.

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He groaned and rolled over wanting to rip is own head off for being so stupid. His head hurt like hell and so did the rest of him. God what a hangover! Wait...hangover? That meant he had to be alive. Bugger it all to hell! What had gone wrong? It was a perfect plan! Go out. Get drunk. Collapse. Get fried. How could he screw it up?

Groaning again he buried his head into the pillow and tried to slip back into unconsciousness. Wait...pillow? Opening one eye slightly, Spike glanced round and saw he wasn't in his crypt. He was in a room. In a bed. Huh. That was weird. Looking round, he managed to locate the things all rooms needed. A door to the left of him, a window that was covered with curtains and his clothes. Wait...

Spike lifted the covers and found himself in only his boxers. God he hated underwear. He frowned and tried to remember why he wore them exactly...then found it hurt to think so he went back to laying and contemplating the faults in his scheme.

Then his eyes fell on a new sight. Someone with sandy blonde hair was watching him from the doorway. "Oh, you're awake." The stranger smiled and made his way into the room. Spike blinked a few times.

Who the bloody hell...?

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Okay. Sequel to I don't need you even though that one isn't finished. This is just the beginning so it wont be added to until I Don't need you is completed. I had to write it because otherwise I'd loose all the plot bunnies. And yes, I need them, is the third in the trilogy. Luv Higgy xxx.