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DISCLAIMER: This story has many characters, but I don't own any of them. I won't even claim the extras. Joss Whedon and friends have that right.

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Buffy couldn't remember a worse time in her life. The doctors found something in the cat scan, and her mother was in surgery. It had been hours, and every minute felt like an eternity. Her mother had a tumor in her brain.

She stroked Dawn's hair as she slept in Buffy's lap. It had been a hard week. Neither of them slept much.
A cup of coffee was handed to her, and she gave Spike a small smile as he sat down next to her. He had surprised her by showing up everyday. She didn't know why, but his presence soothed her.

"Thanks. I don't know if I can stay awake without this." She took a sip of the coffee.

"Why don't you take a nap? It might be a few more hours." Spike fiddled with his hands in his lap.

Buffy shook her head. "I want to be awake if there's news about my mom."

Spike gave her a look of sympathy. She was too tired to ask him why he cared.

"Just last week, I hated the noise my mom made every morning. I wanted so badly to move out." Buffy bit her lip to keep her composure. "Now, the house is too quiet."

Spike nodded in understanding. He had told her that his mother had died after a long illness when he was younger. The fact that he knew what she was going through, made her feel closer to him.

"Buffy?"

She looked up to see Riley quickly walking towards her. God, she'd been so worried about her mom, that she forgot to call him. Gently pushing Dawn off her lap, she quickly walked to her boyfriend and let him hold her. It felt good to be held.

"I'm so glad you came." She held on to him tightly.

"Willow called me. You should have told me."

Buffy rubbed his back. "I've been so preoccupied, I don't even know what day it is."

"I understand." He paused. "I'm surprised Spike came to the hospital."

Buffy looked to where Spike was sitting, but the chair was empty. "Me, too. He's been here every day."

Riley stiffened and looked at her. His eyes conveyed his hurt. "He's known for a week?"

"Miss Summers?" The doctor who had operated on Joyce came into the room. "Your mother is doing fine. We've moved her to the recovery room."

Buffy let out the breath she was holding, the look of hurt in Riley's eyes forgotten. "When can I see her?"

"She shouldn't be disturbed for a few hours. Why don't you take a break and get something to eat?"

Buffy nodded and turned to Riley. "She's okay." All the tension left her body.

Riley smiled, his previous unease gone. "I'm sure you're hungry. Why don't we go down to the cafeteria."

Buffy walked over to wake up Dawn. She realized that Spike never came back, and her stomach jumped. Was he still mad at Riley? Pushing thoughts of him away, she focused on just being happy her mother was okay.

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"I don't think I should have left her alone." Buffy watched the crowd from the car window as Riley found a parking place.

Riley put the car in park and turned off the ignition. "She'll be fine. You both needed to get out of that hospital."

Dawn stuck her head in the front seat. "Mom basically pushed us out of the room."

Buffy smiled a little as she remembered her mother's insistence that they do something besides sit in her room. Even sick, her mother was clearly in charge. Buffy didn't know what she would have done if the surgery hadn't been a success.

A group of squealing teenage girls passed them. An Initiative show was not the first thing Buffy would have chosen, but it would get her mind off her mother. Thinking about anything else was the main purpose for the outing.

Riley took her hand into his and led them both past the bouncer. Buffy tried to think about how normal and comfortable it was. Here was her caring boyfriend, and they were going on a regular date. Well, it was a regular date along with her sister.

She couldn't help but think about the last time she saw the Initiative. Spike had insisted that it wasn't Adam singing. He was never going to get along with Riley - not while he didn't have his column. She wished she could stay out of it, but she was stuck in the middle.

The band came onto the stage as they did the last time she saw them. When Adam started to sing, her mind became clear. Before, she thought it was strange that he had improved so much. Now, with the idea that it wasn't really him already in her mind, she couldn't convince herself that Spike was wrong. The voice was different. Even if Adam had improved, it wouldn't sound like this. Why didn't she notice it last time?

There was something funny going on. Even when Adam sounded awful, the Initiative had a fanatical following and got great gigs. A thought nagged at her that this was connected to the lack of gigs on the Scoobies' end. But, she thought to herself, that was too outrageous.

Riley squeezed her hand under the table. She was going to have to tell him the truth. Hopefully, he will understand.

After the concert, Riley asked if they wanted ice cream. Buffy wanted to get back to the hospital, so she declined. When they got to the hospital, they dropped Dawn off and went to park the car. As soon as the car was parked in the garage, Riley leaned over to kiss her.

Buffy turned it into a chaste kiss. "Riley, I need to tell you something."

"Nothing bad, I hope."

Buffy gave a weak smile and looked out of the window. "It's about the Initiative."

Riley furrowed his brow. "What about them?"

"I don't think that's Adam singing." Buffy continued when he remained silent. "I saw them perform a few months ago, and he sounded... different. Then last time I saw him, I thought it was strange that he had improved so much. But Spike said.."

"Spike? He's jealous and bitter. I wouldn't listen to anything he has to say about the Initiative."

"That's what I told myself last time." Buffy laid her hand on his arm. "But, after listening to them tonight, I realized that he was right. It's not Adam's voice."

Riley was quiet for a moment. "You're wrong." He shook his head. "Maggie Walsh is in charge, and she wouldn't do that. She's the CEO and President of a multinational company. She's been like a mother to me."

She touched the side of his face. "I'm sorry."

Riley only shook his head slowly. "When I was younger, I wanted to be a rock star. Unfortunately, I never had any talent. I went to business school, instead. When Maggie told me about the Initiative, I thought at least a little part of my old dream could come true. Sure, I'm not on stage or getting the cheers, but I'm a part of them." He peered into Buffy's eyes. "I won't believe that it's all an illusion."

He got out of the car and opened her door for her. She let him drop the subject. He would find out the truth eventually.

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The Initiative practiced at night in one of the corporate buildings. Riley had been there once when he first started helping out in order to meet the band. He stayed and thought they were pretty good. Of course, he really couldn't tell the difference between rock bands, so his opinion may not have been valuable. After that, Maggie told him that he didn't need to waste his free time watching them practice. Riley agreed with this, he never did anything except move equipment. Now, he had doubts and wanted to know the truth.

He could hear them practicing as he walked down the hallway. The drummer played a few riffs and the bass was warming up. Riley's heart lightened. He may not have had a good ear for music, but he could tell that wasn't a recording. Buffy and Spike were wrong.

They started a new song when he reached the door. Peaking in the room, his heart dropped. The band was playing, and Adam was singing. Except that it couldn't have been Adam, because he was just watching the band.

"Okay, now let's try it with movement. Remember, Adam, don't let anything in the audience distract you, or people will know." Maggie Walsh, looking professional in her business suit, stood in front of the band with a clipboard.

The band began playing the song again. Riley noticed that the keyboard player started the song. In fact, Riley remembered that he started every song. This time Adam moved, lip-singing perfectly.

Riley stood in the doorway, unnoticed. If Maggie was willing to cheat for a small band, what else did she cheat on? He had trusted her.

"Riley? What are you doing here?" Maggie held up her hand for the band to stopped and walked over.

Riley looked at her with new eyes. "Adam's not really singing. This whole thing's a fraud."

"Why did you come here?" Her voice was low.

"Buffy said that it wasn't really Adam singing. I had to see it for myself. She was right."

Maggie scowled and smoothed the back of the short, blonde hair. "I knew there'd be a problem if you dated someone from the Scoobies."

"No, you aren't going to blame this on her. You are the one cheating - I saw you." Riley ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't do this."

"You're not going to help the band?"

"I can't work for you. I quit." Riley turned and left.

She didn't try to stop him as he walked out the building. He had admired Maggie, but she turned out to be un-trustworthy. What was he going to do now? He wanted to talk to Buffy, but relationship was strained ever since she hadn't told him about her mother. He could have understood if she only told Willow or Xander - she had known them longer. But, Spike, a man Buffy claimed to hate, knew longer than he did.

He felt all alone.


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Maggie shook with anger. For months, she had this planned out, and now it was in jeopardy. Adam wanted to be a lead singer in a popular band. She was just doing what any mother would do to make sure he gets his dream.

"It's our word against theirs. They can't prove anything." Adam rested his hand on his mother's shoulder.

Maggie smiled at her son. "You're right. We don't have a tape or cd of the voice."

Adam glanced at the keyboard. "It's all in there."

"I'm worried by the Scoobies, though. Not only do they suspect us, but have a good chance of winning the Battle of the Bands."

Adam's face grew dark. "I thought you were going to take care of them."

Maggie paled, but she threw herself together. "I paid almost every club around here to cancel their shows. I thought it would have caused them to break up, but they seem to be getting better instead."

"That's because they have Spike helping them."

"From the Lethal Bite? I wondered what he was doing now," Maggie mumbled.

Adam smiled wickedly. "There could be a way to use him to our advantage. I'm sure if Spike got the idea he could get his column back, he'd be willing to help us with our problem."

Maggie relaxed, sometimes she just needed to let him do things himself. "You make a mother proud."


TBC





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