Be A Man

Sitting on her own at the dining room table, a half eaten bucket of fried chicken at her side, Buffy glanced at the clock again. Her mom had gone out to have dinner at Spike’s new place with him and Dawn and now it was almost midnight and there was no sign of them.

Getting up and dumping the chicken in the bin, Buffy pulled on her coat and grabbed her weapons bag heading out for a quick patrol to relieve her tension. She knew with a great gaping hole in her side she was in no fit state to be patrolling. Both Giles and Riley had told her over and over all day.

Dawn and Joyce fell in the door laughing, their joy quickly diffused by the sight of Buffy unravelling a blood soaked bandage from around her waist. After making sure Buffy was fine, Dawn was sent straight to bed while Joyce made hot chocolate. Taking her time, Joyce took a hot mug up to Dawn to say goodnight before going back down, making sure Buffy had bandaged herself up first.

Feeling guilty for not wanting to help Buffy, Joyce pushed the niggly thoughts away. If anything happened to her, it was important that her girls knew how to take care of themselves.

“You have a good night?” Buffy asked wearily, her side throbbing from where she had taken a kick hard enough to open her back up.

“Of course, Spike’s place is simply charming.” Joyce told her honestly. She knew that Buffy would rather she said he lived in a dark little cave than a nice apartment, but it past time for her to grow up and accept Spike as a man not a monster. Ignoring the sarcastic noise Buffy made, she carried on, “The views of the ocean and the town are breathtaking, it may be a little too expensive for my tastes, I’m sure Spike likes it.”

“Spike liked a crypt.” Buffy grumbled. What was with the Spike praise? Where was the Buffy sympathy for the leaking guts?

“That may be so Buffy, but Spike had turned his life around once and for all. I think he deserves hearty congratulations, don’t you?”

“Sure.” The Slayer mumbled. I’ll give him something in the heart, right after I get that gem back to Angel.

“That’s the spirit.” Her mom agreed, taking the empty mugs to the kitchen sink and leaving them to soak. Staring blankly through the shutters she reached up and felt her temple. She certainly didn’t feel like there was anything deadly in there. A brain tumour should be visible, she decided. At least then she would be able to give herself an explanation for her illness. A ‘shadow’ on her brain was about as vague as anything Buffy ever explained. Gently prodding the area the doctor had examined, the let the tears flow down her cheeks.

She really, really didn’t want to die.