TITLE: Aria Ready?

AUTHOR: raven39_25

PART: 1/1

DATE: 3/14/01

DISCLAIMER: Joss' toys, my playground.

FEEDBACK: Please! I love feedback good or bad.

DISTRIBUTION: Sharing is good. Just ask.

RATING: G

SPOILERS: First half of "Crush".

SUMMARY: I'm going to apologize in advance for this. It's

a quick throw-off because my Spike was feeling like he needed to

express himself in a new (well, old) way. Hope you like it. Oh,

Buffy & Spike are obviously tolerating each other here. Sorry

for the pun in the title. I couldn't help myself.

A NOTE OF THANKS: To Maggie for encouragement and bravery.

Aria Ready?

Buffy's mom had gone all out for her 20th birthday. Cake, candles, party guests, party hats and…karaoke? Unfortunately the karaoke machine was programmed with "classic" songs- nothing since she'd even been born. No, really mom, you REALLY shouldn't have, Buffy insisted.

Spike looked over the song list and tossed it down in despair. "No Ramones? Not even any Billy Idol." he huffed.

"Sorry, kids, but this was all they had. Come on, it'll be fun,"

Joyce teased and showed them by putting on a very respectable

rendition of "Everyday" by Buddy Holly. One of her favorites. Especially the "goin' faster than a roller-coaster" line and the "A-Hey-hey's".

She eventually coerced Buffy into getting on stage to sing. She was not used to the limelight, and they all knew she couldn't sing a lick. So she chose something she couldn't screw up and sang "Happy Birthday" to herself. Everyone joined in at the end, and she sat back down as quickly as possible, to polite applause.

Everyone eventually joined in. Giles, obviously forewarned by Joyce, pulled out his guitar and sang all 15 minutes of "American Pie", rather admirably, if he did say so himself.

Willow and Tara sang a unique interpretation of Waterloo.

The last notes of Xander and Anya's gooey duet were trailing off, "Floatin' like the heaven above…looks like muskrat love…" when Spike sighed and stepped up to the mike for his turn.

Xander and Anya sat down as he picked up the song sheet and looked it over for a moment. When Xander called out, "Sing "Bad to the Bone" Spike!" he glared at him.

He selected a song and punched the numbers into the machine. He looked out over the room then turned his back on them, planting is feet slightly apart on the carpet. He flipped up his collar, adjusted his posture and waited for the music to begin.

The three tones rang out of the machine, announcing the beginning of his song and, right on cue Spike turned toward the crowd once more and, with upper lip beginning to curl, he sang:

"Well, it's one for the money, Two for the show,

Three to get ready, Now go, cat, go.

But don't you step on my blue suede shoes.

You can do anything but lay off of my Blue suede shoes.

They were all caught off guard, staring open-mouthed at a side of

Spike they'd never even considered MIGHT exist, and he was good!

Well, you can knock me down,

Step in my face,

Slander my name

All over the place.

They looked at each other and laughed. Then they began clapping and

stomping with his music.

Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,

Honey, lay off of my shoes

Don't you step on my Blue suede shoes.

You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.

Buffy had never seen him actually have fun. He definitely had the moves down. His English accent even slipped away, replaced by something like Elvis' southern drawl. Her eyes got wide and her hand went to cover her mouth in amused surprise as he sang.

You can burn my house,

Steal my car,

Drink my liquor

From an old fruit jar.

Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,

Honey, lay off of my shoes

Don't you step on my blue suede shoes.

You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes."

Everyone applauded when he was done, Xander even whistled. Spike was embarrassed - he'd have blushed if he could - but looking at Buffy he saw that he'd made her genuinely smile and that had been something new.

****

After everyone left, Spike stayed to help clean up. Joyce tried to pitch in, but he got everywhere first. Finally she gave up and went to bed. Buffy was in especially good spirits and sang to herself as she did KP.

Spike carried in the last load of dishes from the living room and set them on the counter. He watched silently as she put them in the dishwasher. Is this what it would be like? He wondered. Vampire/Slayer domesticity? Not half bad.

"Buffy? "

"Yes, Spike?" she looked up eagerly.

"C'mere, luv," he coaxed as he grabbed her hand and led her back into the living room. "There's something I want to do for you while you still have this time machine."

He sat her down on the couch, then punched in a few numbers and sat on the coffee table in front of her. What was he doing?

The machine rang out its three warning notes and went into two bars of introduction before Spike began,

"Love me tender,

love me sweet,

never let me go.

You have made my life complete,

and I love you so.

Love me tender,

love me true,

all my dreams fulfill.

For my darlin' I love you,

and I always will.

Love me tender,

love me long,

take me to your heart.

For it's there that I belong,

and will never part.

Love me tender,

love me dear,

tell me you are mine.

I'll be yours through all the years,

till the end of time."

The music trailed off. "I don't know why I feel this way about you, Slayer. Maybe it's some bloody bored little hell god's sick joke. He's getting' off on making me go through this. Whatever it is, I do love you, Buffy, but things as they are…well, it can't go on. It's tearing me apart."

Buffy looked at the floor, but she was listening.

"All I'm askin' for is a chance, luv. Even if it's a chance in hell…I've got connections there. Maybe I could pull it off."

He smiled at his own joke and the craned his neck to try and see her

reaction.

She lifted eyes to look at him. They sparkled with laughter. He'd made her laugh again. And twice in one night! Now THAT was progress.

FIN