Fool For Love

Michael and Kaz downed the JD without hesitation and banged their glasses on the table. Despite the fact that they'd done it before they still made faces when they downed the JD.

"Come on," Kaz said, "It's as easy as that."

So Xander knocked his back, and made a face, but still banged his glass on the table. So, Willow, Tara and Anya followed suit all reacting in the same way.

"Again?" Michael asked.

They all nodded and Lowal poured another round.

In his crypt, Spike threw open an old trunk and started searching through the contents. Harmony was looking at him with concern.

"Spike, what are you doing?" Harmony asked.

"Beneath me... I'll show her." Spike said to himself.

Spike took out a double-barrelled shotgun, cracked the breech and loaded two rounds.

"Put her six bloody feet beneath me. Hasn't got a death wish? Bitch won't need one."

Spike gathered up his things, preparing to go after Buffy. Harmony was worried for him.

"Okay, I'm trying to be supportive here so don't drive a stake through my heart like last time, but you can't kill Buffy. She's the Slayer. She is so gonna kick your ass."

"I've got two barrels here that'll prove you wrong."

"I knew you'd take this personally. You are so sensitive! How are you going to kill her? Think! The second you even point that thing at her, you're gonna be all ahhh!"

Harmony held her hand to her head in mock pain.

"And then you'll get bitch-slapped up and down Main Street unless she's had enough and just stakes you!"

"Sure, it'll hurt like Hell for about two hours..." Spike said.

Spike grabbed Harmony by the neck and twisted, she gasped in pain.

"But she'll be dead just a little longer than that."

Spike tossed Harmony aside and ran out.

"Fine! But don't come crying to me when you fail. You couldn't kill her before you got the chip. You had plenty of chances!"

Outside a Spanish-style tavern in South America, 1998, Drusilla and Spike were arguing.

"Why can't you kill her?" Drusilla asked.

"You're the one who keeps bringing her up! I haven't said a word about the bloody Slayer since we left California. She's on the other side of the planet, Dru!" Spike said.

"But you're lying! I can still see her floating all around you, laughing. Why? Why won't you push her away?"

"But I did, pet. I did it for you. You keep punishing me. Carrying on with creatures like this."

A Chaos Demon was standing nearby, holding a beer. He was tall with antlers that dripped and oozed.

"Okay, you guys obviously have a thing going on here." The demon said.

"I have to find my pleasures, Spike. You taste like ashes."

"So this is my fault now?" Spike said, talking about the demon.

"I didn't know she was seeing somebody." The demon said then off Spike's look. "I should take off."

"Yeah, why don't you do that?"

The demon blew a kiss to Drusilla, then walked off.

"You can't blame the ghoul, Spike. You're all covered with her. I look at you... all I see is the Slayer."

Buffy entered Joyce's to find her mother packing a suitcase.

"Hey, I put together that grocery list for you." Buffy said.

"Oh, great. Thanks, hon." Joyce said.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Have you seen my conditioner?"

"Did you look under the sink?"

Joyce realized that's where it was and went to retrieve it.

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, I was hoping to put this off but... you know the nothing that I've been dealing with the last couple of weeks? It might not be nothing."

"What is it?"

"I'm staying overnight at the hospital for observation. I'm getting a CAT scan."

Buffy didn't know what to say. Joyce was quick to reassure her.

"It's only one night and they say even if there is something, it's still very early if they didn't see it before. I'm going to be fine."

Buffy put on a brave smile for her mother's sake.

"I know you will."

The back door to the Summers' house opened and Buffy walked out and sat down on the back steps. She was terrified for her mother; her eyes were brimming with tears. She put her head in her lap and sobbed uncontrollably.

Spike watched her from the bushes, then moved forward, striding purposefully toward her, gun at his side. He raised the gun and cocked it. Buffy looked up at the sound, her face wet with tears.

"What do you want now?" Buffy asked.

Spike was about to pull the trigger when he saw her tears and through them, her pain. His rage vanished in an instant.

"What's wrong?" Spike asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Buffy replied.

Spike lowered the gun.

"Is there something I can do?"

Buffy said nothing, the reality of her mother's situation hitting her like a steel weight, overcame her.

Spike sat down next to her and tentatively patted her back, trying to comfort her. She let him. The two of them, sat together, side by side in silence.