13247/A pitstop at the graveyard..

A pitstop at the graveyard..
Date of Scene:	10 May 2021
Location:	Brendan Cemetery, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Some things never change.....
Cast of Characters:	Buffy Summers, Spike

---

Buffy Summers has posed:
It's your typical spooky graveyard in the middle of the night, but after a light rainshower throughout the day, the grounds are now moist and squishy. Which just makes it a bit messier to lurk through and it makes the fresh graves behave more like quicksand which makes them even more dangeorus to lurk about in.

Of course, Buffy is used to her usual patrols, rain or shine. Or snow. Or hailstorm. Or tornado. Okay, maybe not tornado but..You get the picture. She's out here again, maybe having patrolled this area more than once in the last hour. It's like, she's bored or something. Let's see, Willow's busy with her new room mates, Giles is busy with..Who knows what. Nick is busy with showbiz..And Thomas..Is out of town on business meetings.

Which left her feeling a little bored and lonely. Even Dawn was out of town, visiting friends in New York, while her mom was on a business trip too. "Well. This sucks. Cant believe I'm soo bored I'm spending a weekend night hanging out in a lonely graveyard instead of with friends." she sighs, swinging her legs slowly back and forth as she sits atop a gravestone. She hadn't realized that her steps had brought her close to a certain crypt that a certain bleached blonde vamp had haunted in years gone by.

But even he hasn't been around here since moving to Gotham and hanging out with what's her face.

Spike has posed:
"Well, well, well," Spike said behind her. It was so annoying that he could sneak up on people. Not having a heartbeat helped, but he was able to move quietly, even in rain soaked grass it seems. At least when he wanted to. He regarded her, taking in the subject of so much frustration, so many plans foiled, and of late, so many adventures. It was a strange life, afterlife, whatever one wanted to call it.

He could have gloated, he could have made fun of her, he could have done any number of things, but instead, he moved around, his feet suddenly making noise as he wasn't trying to hide, and he sat down next to her on the gravestone for someone named Henry Adams, "if you wanted to stake me, that'd kill some time, now wouldn't it?" He of course was joking, but said it in a serious tone in the hopes of making her laugh, or at least smile.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers sighs, not entirely surprised as he makes himself known. Had she known he was there, or was she just playing it cool? Either way, her reactions upon seeing him are..Mixed. Their relationship had always been complicated at best. Wasn't it one of the reasons why Spike had left Bludhaven and moved to Gotham?

"Spike.." she sighs, "What are you even doing here? I thought you were in Gotham these days, living the life..Or. I guess unlife in your case." Buffy didn't come unprepared of course, and carries a utility belt with stakes hooked in it, along with holy water, and her spiked tonfa, folded and attached at the hips as well.

But she doesn't bother to draw any of them upon seeing him. Maybe she didn't see him as a threat or maybe she just couldn't be bothered.

"Stake you? Seriously? Now why would I do a thing like that?" she smirks, "Unless of course you're feeling a little suicidal lately, in which case that can be easily arranged.."

Spike has posed:
"Nah, Gotham's too much city for me. I like Bludhaven, it has the Hellmouth, the Bloodhounds," referring to the local soccer team, "you, and," he gestured, "can't fault the view." It was an entirely unremarkable view, but it was somehow comforting. The way the greenery met the headstones, seeing the downtown of Sunnydale off in the distance.

"Well, can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind," they had found him trying to stake himself once, back when he had to stay at Xander's, and was forced to wear one of Xander's shirts. He had gone through a lot of emotional turmoil since they implanted the chip in his head. But he had seemed to become a better person since then. It was so weird. He was Spike, and yet, he was Spike. They could see a vampire starting to dig their way out of a grave. "You want this one, I get the next?" He offered to her matter of factly.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers narrows her eyes at him warily, trying to figure him out. "Funny, I thought you left town, precisely because of me. Thought we both figured it was for the best." She shrugs, not sure how she felt about that, but it is what it is.

The whole talk of suicide does cause her to regard him with maybe the slightest bit of worry. "Oh..Really? Because of the chip? I mean..I thought you'd said recently it wasn't even an issue or anything anymore? Or was that just another bad joke?"

But it seems they are about to be interrupted. With a sigh, Buffy climbs to her feet, pulling out a stake. "Oh great. Can't believe i'm spending my weekend night in a graveyard..With Mr Billy Idol wannabe. Fine..Whatever. If you're here, may as well make yourself useful.."

She's already stepping towards the first vamp who yawns and stretches as he climbs out of his squishy grave. And another couple are already rushing at Spike from opposite ends. Just like old times. Maybe.

Spike has posed:
Spike nodded his head, "Yeah, I did, and yeah, we did," he agreed, not yet elaborating on what's changed. "The chip's working fine. I'd show you, but I don't fancy the headache," or was it that he didn't want to hit her? He watched her slip off the headstone, "useful? You really need me to deal with one vampire?" He knew she could take it in her sleep. Especially a fresh one. This was a case of a tiger playing with a bunny rabbit. Spike hadn't even noticed the other ones, so when one rushes him, he gets knocked off the headstone, "hey," and he vamped up, growling, "looks like this night just got interesting."

He would rush the one that had knocked him down, pulling a stake out of his jacket and presing it into the man's chest. Just as he did it, the other one grabbed his arms, holding him, "bad move, mate," he said, as he used his head to butt the other man, just doing it in reverse, the back of Spike's head to the forehead of the other vampire, who went sprawling. It too would turn to dust in a moment, "is that it?" He called out, wishing that he had dragged it out longer. It was so unsatisfying to dust a vampire that quickly, or two.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers laughs, practically dancing with her own quarry, which, as a newly born vamp, is easy prey. But she's clearly bored or frustrated as she takes her time to beat it to a bloody pulp before driving her stake into it.

"Yeah, what else are you good for, than as a secret weapon?" she smirks, "Or at least, it seems to be the one thing you can still do, neutered as you are." yeah, she's taking stabs at him again, like she often does when she's feeling on edge. So what's new?

She glances over at him only briefly and shrugs, effortlessly stabbing her vamp with a little puff of exploding dust. "Guess so. To be honest, it's been pretty quiet around Bludhaven lately. I wonder if it has something to do with the recent vamp attack in Manhattan..?"

Spike has posed:
Spike, turning back to his normal self, said, "hey!" when she mentioned he was neutered, "I'm all man," he had to get that off his chest, not liking being referred to as neutered, impotent, or anything related to that. Just because he can't hurt human beings doesn't mean he's neutered, even if it was kind of apt for her to say it. It just stung so much.

"Vampires tend to go where the slayer is. When you're in Bludhaven, vampires are in Bludhaven. If you went to Greenland, vampires would still be in Bludhaven." They weren't going to Greenland, no matter how many slayers were there.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers chuckles, "What's wrong, it's the truth isnt it?" ah yes, it never gets tiring, taking jabs at him. "Sure you are." she shrugs and decides not to argue that point, even though she can say so many other unfairly cruel things..

His next comment does cause her to arch a brow though. "Hmm, you think it'd be the reverse. You think they'd be scared of me, know better than that. But then again, you sure don't know what's best for you." there it is, another unfair jab.

"Even so.." she sighs, settling down on that tombstone again with a shrug. "I'm not talking a handful of vamps. I'm talking an army, came out right during the whole solar eclipse the otherday. Like they were waiting. And besides, you don't usually have that many vamps in one place, unless there's a hellmouth..I thought the only hellmouth this side of the hemisphere was in Bludhaven here..But maybe I was wrong?"

Spike has posed:
Spike did not like the jabs. It might be fun for her, but kick the Spike was his least favourite game. "Oh yeah, right, time for everybody' favorite game, kick the Spike." He was pacing in the graveyard, shouting, making a bit of noise, and likely driving off any vampires that might have been lurking in the area. Moving closer to her, just in time for her to take another pot shot at him. "It's not about scare, Buffy, it's about the challenge. You're the best slayer in my lifetime, and I'd wager quite a few other's."

He walks up to the tombstone, standing before her, "there's another one in Cleveland, but who wants to go to Cleveland. We're evil, but we're not that evil."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers arches a brow. "Challenge, huh? You'd think they'd be kinda scared, running for their lives. At least if they have half a brain. You? You're...Different.." she peers at him thoughtfully, wondering if she went too far this time."

"I suppose, some might find it a challenge, if they're foolish enough to even try. But you? You're different. You're what, 252 or so old? You're clearly smarter, stronger, more talented than your average vamp. I can see why you might find fighting The Slayer a challenge..Although I guess that chip makes things different.."

The 'We' in the next sentence causes Buffy to frown, not even bother to scan for anymore vamps. "Why do you say 'we?' I thought you were trying to be good these days.." Why, she almost sounds..Disappointed?

Spike has posed:
Ignoring the suggestion that he has half a brain, or less than half, he smiled, and says, "I've always been smarter than the average vamp," which really does hammer it home, as most wouldn't know the Yogi Bear reference. Spike knows pop culture, and has continued to observe it since he became a vampire, straight on to the present.

"Hey, I'm still 178, and will be until my birthday on August 20th." She knew his birthday, it was in the records, that he had been William Pratt before he was sired by Drusilla, but it was surprising that he still thought of birthdays, celebrated them. It was unusual for a vampire.

"I am a vampire, just because I have a chip in my head, just because I help you Scoobies, just because I save people with nary a care for how it benefits me, it doesn't change the fact that I am a vampire." Actually, it kind of did. Vampires didn't help the Scoobies. They certainly didn't save people. And they generally didn't do things for others. Spike was largely unique in that.

And he had shown compassion and commitment long before the chip to. Everything he did for Drusilla. He helped her. He worked for her. She only helped him when it served her needs. Just like Angelus. Vampires were not capable of compassion, and yet Spike could show it. It didn't make sense.

"Besides," he was about to say something, then stopped short. "Nevermind," and he turned, intent on heading to his crypt. Was he... was he sad?

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Right.." she sighs, "Dunno why I thought you were older than that. I mean, I was there for your birthday party last year and all, Willow even brought cookies.." she chuckles faintly, shaking her head although the memory of the very awkward night causes her to frown a bit. Right. Best not to pine on that for too long.

It's really sad to think of it, all of it..Even if he *is* a vampire, this was forced on him, he cant even hurt humans, not even bad humans anymore. "Wait, Spike!" she blinks as he suddenly turns, and she can sense the sadness in his voice. In fact, she reaches out to touch his shoulder lightly.

"I think you're wrong about yourself, you know? In spite of our differences, you've done things no normal vampire would do..How many times have you protected Dawn, saved my life? Even...Other things."

She cant say 'keeping company' when she was lonely, taking care of her when she did bad things while dead drunk, saving dawn's life countless times..That stupid awkward wonderful birthday party..

Spike has posed:
It was very strange that they held a birthday party for Spike. He pretended to hate it, but he did a piss poor job of it. Everyone knew that it had actually touched him that they thought enough to include him in it. There was even a special desert that had been cooked with real blood, cow's blood, from the butcher, but still, it was the thought that counted.

He stopped at she grabbed his shoulder. He couldn't feel her hand through the duster he wore, but he could feel her pulling him back. "Yeah, that's right, Spike, just a cuddly vampire babysitter for your mom and the little bit." He actually really liked Buffy's family. Joyce was his favorite, since she always had a cup for him, she treated him with respect, and as a man, not a monster. She had never said one bad word to him, or gave him anything but kindness. Even if he could bite her, even if she weren't Buffy and Dawn's mother, he wouldn't hurt Joyce.

"I tried, I really did, to be one of your bloody Scoobies, to be the protector, and what has it got me... you still... you still kick me, knock me about, send me tumbling down, and you know what the worst of it is? You know what really hurts? Buffy, you're dating a vampire, not one with a soul, not one with a chip in his head, but a vampire that feeds on people, feeds on you, and that's supposed to be all right? I know, I know in my heart, that I will never be worthy of you, but... but I'm a damn sight better than..." and he just trailed off, having said far too much. He just looked at her. Surprised at his own outburst.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers blinks slowly, eyes widenning as he just lays it all out like that, making it sound worse than it really is. Or is he? It really was pretty bad, how she used him, how she needed him, how she...Felt something towards him but then hated him and took jabs at him all the time.

"Yeah..I guess I did.." she sighs, "Thought that's why you left town. Thought you were happy, but, here you are again." Buffy hops off the crypt, letting go of his shoulder. "I think maybe it's because you feel lost, aimless. You need a purpose. Maybe it's what we gave you. And..Maybe we gave you friendship too. I know I haven't always been the best ally but..I tried.."

Her voice almost cracks there..And then he talks about Thomas like that and her eyes narrow, her voice growing a bit colder. "Dont *ever* talk about him like that. He's more human than any vampire and yeah, he has a soul. He cant help it if he's got some parasitic demon living in him, feeding off of him, forcing him to feed off of others' to surrive." well..These days he solely fed off of Buffy and that seemed to bother everyone.

Spike has posed:
It was weird to hear her lying. He didn't have a soul. That sort of thing didn't come without pain and suffering and events. There was a reason that there were prophesies about the vampire, singular, with a soul. Sure, there were a few pseudo vampires laying about, but they too, had unique origins, scientific experiments and the like. They weren't actual vampires. And it hurt him to hear her deceive herself. And for once, Spike was left speechless. She was so delusional. What could he possibly say to wake her from it. All he could was reiterate the truth that she did not want to hear. "Buffy, he does not have a soul. People have souls. It's" and he gestures to the air, nothing in particular, "it's a gift from on high, whatever it is, whoever it is. That's what's so special about people. But for the rest of us, nothing comes without sacrifice and hardship. If you really believe he has a soul, ask him, how did he get it? Or, if you really want to know, have Willow do one of her spells." And sensing her clear and obvious anger, he pulled the ultimate gamble, pushing away his jacket, his shirt, exposing his chest, and in particular, his heart, "you can stake me if you don't believe me. Come on, we both know you've wanted this for a long time." Maybe he did have suicidal impulses.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers narrows her eyes at him, a bit mad now, still gripping the stake from earlier, and it really is quite tempting to just stab him right there, get it over with.

"Dammit, Spike! You don't even know who he is, where he's coming from..He was a human once too, before this stupid curse..Just like you were. I...I only wanted to help him, just like I wanted to help you. Is that so wrong? Is it?"

She grits her teeth, charging towards him now, pressing the stake against his chest. "I could do this you know, maybe I should have a long time ago. If you keep tempting me like this, maybe I will!"

Spike has posed:
Spike was offering himself. He had a good run. 178 years. Almost 179. Sure, the first few weren't that great, but after he was sired, life, afterlife, whatever, was pretty great. He killed people. He had fun. He saw the world. And he killed two slayers, which was two more than almost every vampire he had ever met. He had never actually met or even heard of one that had killed two, one sure, but never two.

"You sure about that Buffy?" If there was one thing Spike was, it was a good judge of character. Before his chip, before he joined the Scoobies, he could read her like a book. She even commented that she could lie to her friends, lie to herself, but not Spike. He saw through it, every time. Perhaps this was all some game, a plan he had concocted. It was hard to tell with Spike. He was a manipulative bastard, but he was also driven by his passions.

With her teeth gritted, the stake pressed to his chest, he could feel it dig into his skin, not breaking it, but there. And then, he leaned forward. Not to bite her. But to press his lips towards hers, if she let him, or worse, what if she kissed him back?

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers's eyes widen, her body stiffening as he moves in on her, like a deer caught in the headlights. She should stab him, get this farce over with..Except that she cant, no matter how many times she tries. The stake falls from her limp hand, lips parting just slightly..

Dammit..Why does it always end this way with them, no matter how hard she tries?

And if he knows her better than anyone, he can tell that there's just a hint of desire in her eyes as she watches him as she leans forward, if ever so slightly to meet his kiss, or was it it simply to catch her balance as she lost her grip on the stake?

She's certainly not fighting back, maybe even for a moment..Enjoying the connection? Just for a moment, before she pulls back, snapping out of her reverie, blinking a couple of times.

"D-dammit, Spike! What the hell are you doing?!" there's that anger again, eyes narrowed as she pushes him back, holding him at arm's length as if she's not quite sure what to do with him.

Spike has posed:
Buffy easily pinned Spike against the headstone. It was a good one, big enough for them to both have sat on earlier, so it wasn't going to break easily. Either one of them probably could break it, if they wanted, but it might take a few hits, as it was a big one, thick too. So, he was there, between her and the headstone, at her mercy. But he knew. She knew it too.

She had kissed him back. She had leaned in to the kiss. And because of that, he was smiling widely, knowing that he had gotten a little under her skin, or was it into her heart? Whatever it was, there was a chance. There was hope. And that was enough. "Oh, don't play coy now, Buffy. You and I both know what we just did."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers narrows her eyes, shaking her head, pulling back, trying not to look at his bare, muscular chest..Which, admittedly is kinda distracting. "What WE did? Geez, aren't you delusional? You caught me off-balance with that move and I stumbled forward, so keep dreaming."

She kicks at the stake, knocking it into the air to catch it easily in her hand, twisting it around to point the tip at him. "Maybe next time I wont feel so generous. Especially if that chip of your's starts to malfunction." Oh yes, she's angry now.

Spike has posed:
"Stumbled forward, is that it?" He was enjoying this, "what, you losing your edge, not as coordinated as you used to be now that you're not in high school anymore? I've seen you fight, and I don't mean those bloke earlier. You haven't lost anything, and anyone who says otherwise is daft and blind."

She was angry, she had a stake, and she wasn't afraid to use it. She could kill him right now, where he stood. "Come on, you look like you could use a drink," and without waiting for her, he would turn and head towards his crypt, a crypt with electricity and a refrigerator. He probably had some alcohol in there, as well as blood.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers is getting angrier by the minute, and the way she's holding that stake suggests she's not afraid to use it this time. "Whatever. You have no idea what you're talking about. You're just grasping at straws.." Or, however that expression went.

She grits her teeth and shakes her head. "Why the hell would I want to share a drink with my arch nemesis in his spooky cr---!?"

Oh...Waaaait a minute, isn't that the same crypt she sneaked into last Christmas, y'know, when she got bodyswapped with that blonde bimbo vamp (no, not Harmony, some other blonde bimbo), and was hiding from all those crazy cultists - and the Scoobies who didn't realize she was Buffy at the time and were hunting her down?

Annnnnd didn't she leave a few personal items in there - y'know, like an old diary that had a bunch of her most private thoughts in it.. Oh..shi---

"Hey..Wait! Hold up!" she hurries to join him, swallowing her pride. Dammit!

Spike has posed:
"Arch nemesis? Maybe, once, but that kind of went out the window when you started asking me to babysit yer mum and the little bit, now didn't it?" He asked, holding the door to the crypt open for her. It wasn't spooky. Spike was fairly homey, for someone who didn't have a regular income and had to beg or steal for what he got. So, he was trying. There was some furniture, down below, he had a bedroom, with a bed, closet, since he did have a few shirts, but up there, chairs, TV, fridge, stereo, coffee table, those kinds of things.

Once in, he would make a bee line to the fridge, pulling out a beer for himself, and asked, "beer, some kind of fruity strawberry drink, probably loaded with sugar, or hard liquer? What's your poison?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers just sighs and shakes her head as she follows cautiously after him. Oh, she's been here plenty of times, y'know, to ask him to watch Dawn, or because she happened to be passing by..Or...Insert other lame excuse to come here in the past...

Sigh. When did things get so complicated!?

She doesn't talk much when she steps in, peering around intently. The place looks as homey as it always does, although Buffy is still surprised. Last she heard he was lurking in the subbasement of the flat she shared with Willow, before she moved into the Blue Lady.

"What, got tired of Gotham? Missing home sweet home? I mean seriously, how do you manage to make a spooky crypt look like a cosy apartment suite?" and how'd he pilfer elecritity to watch tv and power a friggin' fridge anyways!?

She keeps one eye on him, one eye on the sofa, peering around for that damned diary. "You know me, not into sugary girly drinks. Just grab me a beer." she turns back to the sofa, crawling behind it, pulling up the cushions...

Spike has posed:
Spike used technology. He even had a phone, pre-paid. Whenever he needed more time, he'd just buy it with money given to him by people he scared, or robbed. Although robbing people was hard these days, thanks to the chip, so he'd have to steal stuff at night and pawn it at the pawn shop. Not that he ever explained how he got some of the stuff in his crypt, or paid for gas for his car.

Spike would grab two beers, Wrexham lagers, which had a red dragon on the label, gold writing, and a green background. If she read the label, it'd say that it was Welsh, and that it was the only lager served on board the Titanic. Inside, it was lightly colored, with a prickly fizz popping out, and very smooth. The hopping was subtle, but enough to leave a lemon character at the finish. It'd definitely meet German approval.

Of course, as he brought the beers towards her, he got to see Buffy bent over his couch, looking behind it. Instead of calling her out, he just enjoyed the view, silently smiling at her antics.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Dammit!" she snarls, nearly vanishing behind the couch, "Can't find it anywhere! I'm sure I..Left it here..." she grits her teeth, popping up again, crawling on the sofa on her knees next as she searches under the cushions.

Annnd that's when she notices Spike. And freezes. "Oh. Spike! Uh..what's up? you're probably wondering what I'm doing to..Uh..On your couch!" she clears her throat, sitting upright on the couch, straightening her tanktop, having shrugged out of her jacket earlier.. Dammit, it's not there either.

"See, I kinda..Lost an earring! Must have snagged on something in the dark, so..Uh...." Funny. Buffy's not even wearing any earrings tonight.

Spike has posed:
Spike noticed the lack of earrings, but he didn't bring it up, "oh, right," he would set their beers on the coffee table, both opened, but neither drunk from yet, "well, let's see if we can find it." And he takes off his duster coat, resting it on the chair, before moving to the sofa to look with her, although he's not really looking. For him, it's more like a game of twister, but he pretends to help her look. "Oops, sorry," he said as he brushed against her here or there, as if it wasn't intentional. It was fun to make Buffy squirm. It was practically Spike's favorite pasttime.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers blinks, covering her ears. "Okay, so I lost both of them! Geez..." oh yeah, she knows he can see right through her lie, he's smarter than that. But does he know? Did he already find it?

And then he's crawling over the sofa again, getting way too close, too comfy..Her eyes widen a bit, shoving him away from her. "Forget it! It's not there! just..Just sit still already!"

With a tired sigh, Buffy reaches for the beer, snapping the lid off with practiced ease and takes a long, tired sip. What a night.

"Sooo..How long are you in town for, this time around?" cuz you know, he never stays for long.

Spike has posed:
For some reason she still thought she could get one on Spike. It never worked. Sure, she might beat him most of the time, but it wasn't down to a lack of intelligence or wisdom on his part, well, except the fact he kept coming back for more. That wasn't wise.

He enjoyed pretending to look, but was quickly pushed away, so he would take a seat on the sofa, next to her, and reach for his beer. "Dunno, a few months, a few years, or I may get staked tonight. But that's up to you now, isn't it Buffy?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers sighs deeply and just shakes her head as she drinks her beer in silence for several minutes. "I'll never get rid of you...Or this..Problem, Will I.."

She frowns softly at the thought, shaking her head again as if to clear the cob webs. What was she thinking?

"I suppose..Dawn will be happy. She was mad at me for the longest time after that whole Pandora's box incident, she blamed me for you're leaving town for the past few months. I guess she's still crushing on you.."

Buffy laughs softly at that.

Spike has posed:
Spike allowed the silence, not breaking it with witless prattle. That was more Xander's fare anyway. And then she speaks. He listens. He was a good listener. "Do you want to get rid of me? Does it have to be a problem? Are you so sure you're not looking at it from all the angles?" He liked Dawn, not like that, but he was fond of the little bit. "It's good that she won't be mad at you. It's not good for sisters to be upset at each other. And she'll get over it. Just a phase."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers sighs and sets her beer down. "If I wanted to get rid of you, you would have been dusted already. And as for the rest...You know what, just forget it. It's nothing."

She frowns though, clearly bothered by something as she hugs her arms. "She's a brat and it's her fault anyway. I'm sure that stupid box was at least partly to blame for your and Thomas' behaviour that night. Anyway, it's not like you could understand..Not like you've ever had siblings..Or did you?"

Buffy glanced at him curiously then, realizing that she'd never really asked him about his life prior to being a vampire. Oh, she knew he was some sort of pathetic poet, trying to win over the love of some woman or other, but most of that was in that big old Slayer's handbook. Buffy never asked him personally about his human life, his family..And why would she?

Spike has posed:
"It's never nothing. You can lie to your friends, you can lie to yourself if you want, but you can't lie to me, Buffy. I don't know why you keep trying." He nodded his head as she went on about the issues with Dawn, just sitting there, being with her, enjoying his beer, but mostly, lending his ear. "No, no siblings, just me and me mum. Never knew my father." That would help to explain why he was so pathetic in life. He never had a strong male role model until, well, Angelus, really. Although that didn't last very long. He was too independent for it.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers frowns more deeply at that, shaking her head. "Sure you can, keep on fooling yourself into believing you can just go ahead and read my mind, read me like a book as if you know me better than anyone else." she snorts. "Well you're mistaken. How could you possibly know me?"

And why does she seem more troubled by the minute? Maybe because Buff knows he's right. And it scares her.

Still, Buffy is curious to know more, as she leans in a little, peering at him curiously. "Oh..Really? What was she like? Were you two close?"

She really can't help it, she's intrigued by his story, and of course by him, although if asked, she'll probably make up some lame excuse about getting to know your enemies better..Or something.

Spike has posed:
Spike was surprised by her leaning into him a little, it was almost like she was about to snuggle into him. He had one arm behind the back of the sofa, the other on the armrest, holding his beer bottle. Her interest in his prior life also surprised him. He paused, took a sip, thought about it, and looked her over. "All right, I'll tell you on one condition. No one, not Giles, not Willow, not Dawn, and certainly not Xander, ever hears a word o' this..."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers is of course, careful not to get too close, fearing a repeat of the disastrous birthday party incident which caused so much trouble for her.

All the same, she watches him intently as he speaks, as if hanging in his every word. At his request, Buffy nods slowly, but smirks just the tiniest bit.

"Wow, the way you're going on, it's like you're gonna reveal your biggest weakness to your most hated enemy or something."

She shrugs a casual shoulder, still acting as if they're enemies being forced to work together, because of that chip and no other reason. "But go on..If it means that much to you, I promise not to tell a soul.."

Spike has posed:
Spike trusted her. He knew she was probably about to laugh. Likely laughing so hard that she'd shake the foundation of his crypt, but she had asked, and so he told her. "My mother, her name was Anne, loved me. I was her special boy. And she... she was the most important woman in the world. I was... I was... well, I was a momma's boy." He waited for the reaction to that, and afterwards, "but she was sick, really sick. Tuberculosis. Doctor's couldn't do anything for her. When," this was hard, but he was letting her know, he was actually getting a bit emotional. "when I was sired, by Dru, as you know, the first thing I did was sire her, she'd suffered so much." Yeah, that was so unusual. He wanted to help his mother. Very first action as a vampire, he was thinking of someone else. "Except, vampires don't have souls. It wasn't... it didn't... I had to... it wasn't..." he was having trouble getting it out. Was he near tears? Spike?

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers peers at him some more as she grabs another beer, taking a long sip. When he speaks of being a momma's boy, she nearly choked on her beer, but quickly swallows it down with another big gulp, hoping he didn't notice.

When he speaks of her dying of TB however, Buffy blinks a couple of times, sighs and shakes her head. "Oh really? Geez, that's..." she tries to imagine what it would be like if her own mother died of some debilitating disease, and her gaze softens further, even venturing to reach out, to rest a reassuring hand on his thigh.

"Im sorry, I didn't know..You must have really loved your mom. I mean..Even as a vampire. I didn't think vampires were capable of love..But..But you always seemed different from the others. I never understood why.."

At the hesitation, she arches a brow, "Wasn't what...?"

Spike has posed:
He noticed. He may well have even timed it to when she was taking a swig of the beer. It was nice that she didn't laugh though. He liked the reassuring hand on his thigh, and may have even spread his legs just a little wider to make it easier for her to rest it there. "No reason to know. Not like you study vampires, what they were like in life. It's just stake 'em, dust 'em, move on to the next one. Besides, I doubt even the watchers council has records on what vampires were like before turning." He did love his mum, he tried to save her, and he had to kill her, well, not her. That wasn't his mum. His mother loved him. He killed a monster assuming her face. "I don't know, wit, reason, will, I've... always been smarter than the average vamp." And back to his mum. "I turned her. But, it wasn't her. My mother loved me. It was just a demon wearing her face." She had obviously said some pretty disturbing things, or just the 180.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods and shrugs, "Guess so, comes with the territory. Doesnt matter who they once were, they're mostly just an echo of who they once were. Once you become a vampire, you lose your humanity, what makes you you..Although, I hear those with strong personalities do retain some semblance of who they once were..To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how that works or why."

She remains near him, keeping contact as she speaks. In her own little world apparently. "But to be honest, there were a few vamps that I did study, vampires that were special, who stood out from the rest. The Master, Angel..You.."

Spike has posed:
"That's how it's supposed to go." He replied, again, he was something of an exception, retaining much of his humanity, not all, but more than most, after having been sired. "There's no rulebook. Or maybe there is. I'll bet Giles has big rulebooks, with subsections, and cross-references." He liked her being near him, so much physical contact, and she didn't seem to object to any of it. Why would she, she initiated it. "Aw, little old me? And what did you learn about the Big Bad." He deliberately ignores the reference to Captain Hairgel.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers hmms and shrugs, "Well..Yeah, there's the Slayer's handbook, although to be honest I never studied it in length. But...The section on you and Angel, I did read those in detail.." she frowns at the thought..Is it an obsession, or fascination that brought her to this point?

"All notable vampires were reported in the Slayer's handbook." she shrugs again, trying to pass it off as casual. "Not a big surprise really. Any vamps over 200 years are of interest to the Watcher's counsel as they pose a potential threat.."

As for what she learned, Buffy just smiles a little, "Ohh, Yknow, the usual, unusually strongvampire, unusually intelligent and insightful. Travelled with Drusilla, also an ancient vampire in her own right, they formed one half of the whirlwind, travelled over Europe for over a century, wrecking havok, and of course you took down two Slayers in your lifetime.." she frowns at that..

Spike has posed:
She may have frowned, but it had Spike smiling for most of it. She was listing off his greatest hits, but when he saw that she frowned, he decided to try and lighten the mood. "You know, living as long as I have, you'd have thought that I would've set up a long term savings account at some bank, get me some compound interest. And I thought about it, tried it twice. Both times after winning at a casino. Both banks declared bankruptcy. Just my luck, right," was he being honest, or did he just make that up in the hopes of making her laugh or smile.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers shakes her head, not looking amused at the slightest. "This isn't some joke, you know!" she pulls away quickly at that, "You're like..Really old. A seasoned vampire. You..You killed two of my predecessors. That's a big deal, you know?" she sighs, leaning back against the surprisingly comfy sofa, squeezing her eyes shut.

"One day we'll be forced to fight, so..What am I doing? You're my enemy, and I let you live this long.." why? She still has the stake, she can still end things before they get out of control.

Spike has posed:
"No, it's not. Vampires and Slayers are natural enemies. Xin Rong and Nikki Wood killed plenty of vampires in their time. They tried to kill me." They failed. "But I'm not like that anymore. Not since I got this chip in my head." And perhaps even before that. He had always been a vampire of his word. He displayed a surprising amount of humanity. He could actually express compassion. That was unheard of by vampires, especially ones without a soul. "I'm not your enemy, not anymore. If I were, would you entrust me to protect Joyce and the little bit? How many vampires have I killed. Or do you think I only kill 'em when you're watching?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers shakes her head vehemently, climbing to her feet. "No..You're wrong. You *are* my natural enemy and you always will be. The only reason why I keep you alive is because you're useful to me..But one day, that chip really will malfunction and I'll be forced to kill you, one way or the other."

She heads for the exit, reaching for her jacket, "Make no mistake Spike, your days are numbered..." her tone is decidedly colder now, pausing only briefly to sweep her surroundings. She never found her diary, but with any luck, neither will he.

Spike has posed:
Spike messed it up. He was trying. And once again, all his efforts fell on deaf ears. She really did love to play kick the Spike, or it seemed that way. So did her little friends. And after all he did for them, they still kept him at arm's length. He spoke, even as she had her back to him, even as she was making to leave, "you keep driving a man away, making him out to be the enemy, you best not be too surprised when it comes true." But there was no threat in his tone, no, it was, almost sad, more self-reflective. And just as she was about to walk out the door, he added, "diary's in the basket. I didn't read it."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers was about to leave..But pauses when he mentions the diary, a but surprised that he didn't touch it..Afterall, the best way to know your enemy's weaknesses is to know them, inside and out, so to speak..

She sighs softly, shaking her head as she steps towards the basket, reaching for her diary. "Why?" she says simply, her gaze softening just a bit as she says that. Of course that could mean a lot of things.

Spike has posed:
The diary was in the basket, underneath a jacket that Buffy had left some time ago. Spike stood up from the all too comfortable couch, moving towards her as she reached for the diary. He spoke softly and gave her a half smile, "because I knew you wouldn't want me to." Which is exactly how mortal enemies were supposed to behave. He was supposed to pass up valueable information. Of course, Spike wasn't above lying. At least in the past. Had he lied to her since he got the chip? If he had, he hadn't been caught.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers blinks slowly, choosing to believe him this time. If there's one thing she has realized from all this, it's that she can trust him, that he has risked his life on many occasions to protect her family, heck, even herself, in battle. In small ways maybe but..

"Spike..." she turns to face him, her gaze softening somewhat. "I...Thank you. I'm sorry I doubted you.." maybe she feels guilty now, just a bit.

Spike has posed:
Spike was a noble vampire. He had many admirable traits, and some not so admirable ones: a lot of not so admirable ones actually. He may have surprised her by not gloating, not making a joke, but simply offering, "you're welcome." He liked to tease her, but only about things that were relatively harmless. He never actually wanted to embarrass her, and they were alone, so it was far less fun to even hint at it. When they were alone, he could drop the pretence. "Anytime." He added, suggesting that she was welcome in his crypt anytime.