There really must be an apocalyptic prophecy at work if Faith is going celibate. Spike losing his temper over Buffy applying and getting welfare really is unreasonable, they pay taxes, time to get back. The friends getting together to help clean up the mess is truly worth more than gold itself. You really cannot buy the kind of love and friendship they have. The children becoming aware of the strain that money is having in their home life must be frightening and confusing. Myself growing up, I used to do babysitting and have yard sales to get money, my brothers had a paper route, did yard work, washed cars, walked pets and/or fed them for neighbors, and we even had a lemonade/bottled water stand which we sold for double the money during hot days. Our elderly neighbors would have us help them unload groceries and put them up, help do some light cleanup around their home, it was a mutual relationship for both of us, they got company to check in on them to make sure they were alright and get help with being independent in their home and the kids got to earn money and learn respect and compassion for the elderly. Win…win situation. We used to love hearing their childhood and life stories and it fueled our imagination for playing later on. We never felt poor, only proud that we could be independent and the money we earned did not get spent frivolously. During the rainy season, we would earn money by pushing cars out of low areas in the road where they stalled. People would only be glad to pay a bunch of kids to push their car out of the water so they could stay inside the car and dry. (Fond memory). During the holidays, us kids would bake (under adult supervision) peanut butter cookies and brownies and sell them around our neighborhood. It was surprising just how much some of our elderly neighbors looked forward to buying them. Never did we ever feel like we wanted to “keep up with the Jone’s” on the latest toys or gadgets, that was not what made us happy. Building a tree house, putting on a play at home for our parents sharing our limited time together is what we looked forward to. Now Spike may hate the idea that his kids would want to earn their own money, look at how Bess made hers. But, their family breaking up over finances would be a worse bitter pill to swallow than his wounded pride. BUT! Knowing your evil muse, he would have the IRS want the kids to declare any income they made! He’s EVIL!

Author's Response: LOL!! re: the Faith celibacy thing - Willow says the same thing in a later chapter! That's too funny! I love the story of pushing the cars out of the water ... that's free enterprise at work! I'd pay for that! When I was a kid, my father owned a storage/warehouse thing and there were several people in there with businesses (there was the cement man and the pool man and the cabinet man and the a/c man and the screenman and the hat man ... I didn't know any of their actual names ... LOL! ) I earned money working for them off and on, doing whatever - sweeping the floor or washing stuff or whatever they could find for me to do until I got a 'real job' at the age of 14 ... My dad invented 'thrifty' ... look it up in the dictionary and you'll see his photo! ;) We didn't do plays, we did CONCERTS ... bring the record player outside in the yard and we'd stand up on a big wooden spool (a cable spool), that was our stage, and we'd sing along with the records... the whole neighborhood would come to our concerts ... LOL! My muse is evil, he does love to toture them and us ... but you know, in the end, he loves them and they'll only be stronger for the torture ... or dead. One or the other... :P {{hugs}} -p4s 2011.12.14

Why did I stop reading this, sometimes I am so silly.
Poor Buffy and Spike. I can see both of their points, but I have to agree with Buffy. If they have one less bill (and food has to be a big one) maybe they have a better shot of catching or at least stop falling.

Author's Response: Hi gopher101! I don't know ... sometimes I think my muse's penchant for angst gets the best of some people - he does like to torture our heroes ... Glad you'e back! I have to agree with Buffy, too - Spike's trying to be all things to everyone and it's just too much ... which Buffy is getting ready to point out to him very soon. Thanks so much for coming back! Love hearing from you! -p4s 2011.12.14