The band joined the others round the table when they finished their set.  Riley, to his surprise, found he no longer felt awkward with them.  It might have been that they were just great company and used to being around the blind because of Spike.  Or it might have been because he’d had more beers in one evening that he’d had in an age.  But he finally decided that the most likely reason for him to feel at ease was Faith’s hand on his thigh.

All too soon, one of the barkeeps came over to let them know that Xander and his cab were waiting at the backdoor.  Reluctantly Spike and Riley got to their feet, and the whistles and catcalls from the others let Riley know that Spike and Buffy were kissing.

“Uh…well, it was nice meeting you, Faith,” Riley said, awkwardly.  He’d hated the end of the night crap when he was sighted, now it was ten times worse.

“Yeah, you too.”  Faith stared at him, then after a pause added.  “Damn…is that it?  You’re blowing me off?”

“What?  No, it’s just…”

“So are you going to ask me for my number then?”

He shook his head.  “I’m not from Sunnydale, so it’s okay you—”

“Well unless you’re gonna tell me you’re from Outer Mongolia, what difference does a few miles make?”

“I don’t know, but…”

Faith rolled her eyes when his words trailed off.  “Oh, I get it.  There are two ways you could be seeing this.  One, you really are blowing me off, or two, you think that I’d blow you off if you call.”  She put a hand on his arm.  “So which is it, big guy? ‘Cause I have to tell you, I’m not used to not getting my way and I want to see you again.”

“Faith…it’s not you, it’s—”

“Just tell me your number, and I’ll call you.”

“What?”

“Give it to me.”  He opened his mouth to speak.  “Just do it.”

Despite himself, he grinned. “Yes, Ma’am.”  He recited his cell phone number.

Her fingers flashed over the keypad of her phone.  “Done.”  She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, purposely choosing the side with the worst scars.  “I will call you, Finn, Riley Finn.” 

“Oi!  Ri, we’ve got to go,” Spike called out.  “Faith, it was good to meet you.”

“You too, Spike,” she said, before turning her attention back to Riley.  “I’d better let you go, and you’d better pick up the phone when I call.”  She kissed him again, winked at the others who, with the exception of Spike, were all staring at her and Riley.  “See ya, guys.” Faith raised a hand to them and then strode away.

“Hell, that is one fine looking woman,” said Devon, with feeling. 

When Riley blushed and shifted from foot to foot, the others chuckled, and Oz walked over to offer his arm to guide him out to the cab.  They said goodbye to the others and followed Spike and Buffy to the cab.

“Are you sure you two are going to be okay?” asked Buffy leaning in to give Spike another kiss as he sat in the rear seat.

“’Course we will.  Why wouldn’t we?” Spike said.

“Uh, maybe because I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink, and I don’t think Riley is far behind you.”

“We’ll be fine.  Won’t we, Ri?”  Spike elbowed him, and he grunted before agreeing with Spike.

“Sure.”

“Don’t worry, Buffy.  I’ll make sure they get inside safe, okay?” Xander offered.

“Thanks, Xander.  I’ll call you in the morning, Spike.”

“Not too early,” Spike said quickly.

“Hmmph.  Men!”  Buffy kissed Spike’s cheek, deftly avoiding his attempt to kiss her back. “Goodnight.”  She pushed the car door closed and slapped her hand on the roof.

“Are you really so drunk?” asked Riley as Xander pulled out of the club’s parking lot.

Spike snickered.  “Probably.”

“You guys better be okay when I leave you,” said Xander glancing at them in his rear view mirror.  “If anything happens Buffy’ll kill me.”

“Jeez, Xan.  You sound worse than my mother,” Spike said, scowling.

“Impossible.”  Xander disguised the word in a cough.  He’d heard enough stories about Drusilla to be glad he’d never actually met the woman.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” 

A short time later, he pulled up to the kerb.  “Here you go.  Now wait until I get the door for you.  Or not,” he added as Spike opened it and began to climb out of the car. 

Xander leapt out to assist him and somehow managed to guide a slightly wobbly Spike and a chuckling Riley into Spike’s apartment.  He watched as they flopped down on the sofa bed that Spike had the presence of mind to make ready before they went out, and shook his head.

“This has disaster written all over it, you know that, right?”

“We’ll be fine, won’t we, Ri?”  Spike put his arm around Riley’s shoulder.

“Sure we will.”  Riley’s confident words were spoilt by him slipping down the bed a little.

“Let me make you some coffee before I go.  You’re too wasted to be trusted with boiling the water.”

“Hey!  I object to that.”  Spike waved his arm dramatically, narrowly missing clouting Riley around the head.

“Something’s gonna happen, and then Buffy’s gonna slay me.” 

Xander walked into the kitchen and made the coffee.  When he’d given the mugs to Riley and Spike, he said goodnight and headed home, his shift with the cab over for the night.

“So, come on, tell me.  What’s Faith like then?” Spike nudged Riley.

“She’s…great.”

“Wow, that was said with just about zero enthusiasm.”

“No, I mean it.  She’s great, but there’s no point in thinking about her.  Nothing’s going to happen.”

“Why not?” said Spike, taking a slurp of his coffee.

“Why’d you think?  Spike, I know what I look like, okay.  And let’s talk about something else.”

“I reckon she’ll call you.”

“Spike.” Riley’s tone held a warning.

“Okay, you grumpy sod.  I’ll shut it, but not before you agree to a little wager on whether she’ll call you or not.”

“Name your price,” Riley said, confident that come the morning, Faith would be regretting her promise.”

“Fifty dollars says she calls.”

“You’re on.”

The pair shook hands to seal the bet.  Spike took the empty mugs back into the kitchen and let Riley use the bathroom first, before sprawling across the sofa bed naked but for his wristwatch.  He grinned.  Least he didn’t have to suffer wearing pjs with Riley as his guest. 

*~*~*~*

There are good ways to be woken in the morning and there is being woken by a Billy Ray Cyrus ringtone when you have a thumping hangover. 

“Turn it off!” Spike yelled, the volume of his own voice making him wince even more.  “If I hear another sodding ‘achy breaky’ I swear, I’ll…”  He burrowed his head beneath the pillow, desperate to blot out the sound.

“I’m trying to!  I can’t find my jacket,” Riley said.

“That’s ‘cause you left it out here last night, you git!”  Spike tossed the pillow to the side, as a thought occurred to him.  “Don’t worry, I’ll get it.”

“What?  No!  Leave it!”

Chuckling, Spike crawled to the side of the sofa that Riley had sat on the night before.  “Seriously, it’s okay.  It’s no bother.”

Riley burst out of the room and all but dove onto the sofa bed, half-landing on Spike. 

“Jeez!  You’re naked.”

“Well, yeah.  Not like you’re going cop an eyeful, is it?  And if you’d mind moving your hand…”

“Christ!”  Riley recoiled and fell off the bed with a thump just as the phone went silent.  “Crap!”

“I forgot what a morning person you are,” said Spike, grinning.

Riley said nothing until he found his jacket and fumbled in the pocket for his phone. 

“Do you think that was her?”

“Only one way to find out.”

“I’ll wait and see if she calls again.  I mean, it might not be her.  There could be a problem at Sandar or something.”

“Yeah, mate.  It really can’t be the hot chick who spent the night talking to you.  Much more likely to be a work related thing.”

“I…I’m not sure I can call her.”

“Press to return a missed call and be done with it.  I’m going to get a shower.  And a drink of water.  Lots and lots of water.”  He got off the bed and tottered to the bathroom.  “I feel like shite.”

The phone began to ring again.  Riley yelped and almost dropped it.  Spike spun on his heels and returned to the sofa. 

“Or I could stay here and listen in…?”

“Fuck off to the bathroom.”  Riley’s voice was edged with desperation.

“Okay.  Just answer it before it rings off again.”  He headed back towards the bathroom singing along with the ring tone.

Riley was laughing as he pressed the button to take the call.

“I like a man who’s cheerful in the mornings.” 

“Faith.”

“Who did you think it would be?”

“I-I hoped it was you.”

“So, when am I gonna see you again?”

He snorted.  “You’re very direct.”

“Only way to be.  I see something I want, I go for it.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why me?”  His insecurities were plain to hear in his voice.

“Honestly?  I don’t know.  I guess I liked how you reacted when I yelled at you for tripping me, and then…I really enjoyed talking with you, Riley.  I’d like to get to know you more.  Is that so hard to believe?”

“Since you’re on the phone now, then I guess not.”

“So, tell me about yourself, Finn, Riley Finn.”

“You’re gonna keep on saying that, aren’t you?”

Faith’s rich laugh stirred parts of him he thought had long been put out to pasture. 

“I sure am.  I mean, who actually introduces themselves like that anymore?”

Spike, who’d been hovering just inside the bathroom door eavesdropping on Riley’s side of the conversation, smiled and went to turn on the shower when he heard Riley’s laughter. 

“You need to give her the three Fs, mate,” he muttered, smiling broadly. 

*~*~*~*

Spike lounged on the sofa, still feeling headachy after Xander had collected Riley to take him home to Sandar.  Buffy wasn’t due to come over until the evening.  She’d called just after he’d had his shower, relieved to find out that the men had survived the night without mishap.

He groaned when the intercom buzzed and heaved himself to his feet.  “If that pillock from number six has forgotten his key again…”

Leaning against the wall, Spike thumbed the button and said, “What?”

A throaty chuckle crackled through the intercom.  “Good afternoon, Spike.  I see I’ve found you in good humour.”

“Sorry, Rupert.  I had a skin full last night.”

He opened the door as soon as Rupert knocked on it.

“Come in.  I don’t know why you won’t have a key to the place.  I still have mine for your house.”

“That’s because it will always be home for you.  I haven’t got a key because you know full well that your mother will find it and drop in unannounced all the time.”

Spike ran a hand over his head, pushing his hair back from his forehead.  “That is true. I forgot about that.  I’m going to sit back down if you don’t mind?”

“Not at all.  Can I get you anything?  You do look rather pale.”

“Nah, I’m alright, thanks.  Just drank a bit more than I have in a while.  And before you say anything, I’m not likely to be repeating it anytime soon, okay?”

Rupert laughed and followed Spike into the living area, sitting on a chair opposite the sofa.

“I came to talk to you about your birthday,” he said when they were both settled.

“Oh, shite.  What’s Mum got planned?  I’m not having her use my birthday as a bloody excuse for her to have a party and show me off to all her charity pals.”

“Not a party, no.”

Spike tensed, from Rupert’s tone he knew he wasn’t going to like what he was going to hear.

“So what is it then?”

“Dinner.  You and Buffy are invited to dinner with me and your mother.  I thought perhaps at a restaurant would be a better option than at home.”

“Oh, shit, Rupert.  I don’t know.  They didn’t exactly get off on a good footing.”

“Are you serious about Buffy?”

“Yes.  I am.  Very.”

“Well in that case, you can’t keep her away from your mother forever.  I know Dru can be…difficult at times, but she is your mother and she cares for you deeply.  Is having a meal out with her such a terrible thing?”

“Jeez, when you put it like that,” Spike said with a snort.  “Okay.  I’ll ask Buffy about it, she’s coming round later.  But if she says no then that’s it.  I’ll come to dinner, but I won’t force her into coming if she doesn’t want to.”

“I’m sure she will oblige.”  Rupert stood up.  “I’ll be off then and leave you to your recovery.”

“Oh, right.” Frowning, Spike got to his feet. 

“I suppose you’re wondering why I dropped in, if just to ask you that?”

“Uh…yeah.  A bit.”

Rupert smiled.  “Hold out your hands.”

“What?”

“Don’t be so suspicious.  Hold out your hands.”

Spike did so, muttering, “Least you don’t have to tell me to close my eyes.”

Rupert’s smile faltered at Spike self-deprecating words.  “Um…er…”  There was a rustle of paper, and he placed an envelope in Spike’s outstretched palms.  “This is your birthday present.  A pair of return tickets to London with ten days at a hotel.”

For once, Spike was speechless.  “Rupert…I…”

His step-father pulled him into a brief awkward hug.  “I thought you might like to show Buffy where you’re from.”

Blinking back tears, Spike nodded.  “I don’t know what to say…”

“Thank you is the customary response.”

Spike grinned.  “Thank you, Rupert.  I mean it.”  He turned the envelope over in his hands.  “Thanks.  For everything.  Not just this.”

Rupert squeezed Spike’s shoulder.  “I know.   So call me about dinner, okay?”

“Okay.”

He stood in the centre of his room for several minutes after Rupert had left, with the envelope still in his hands.  Part of him was terrified at the thought of leaving his comfort zone to travel back to an England that would be alien to him, now he had no sight, but a larger part was excited at the thought.  He needed to go back to where his life had been changed so dramatically.