Life Lessons and Love

[Angelic]

Summary-
The "Spuffy" relationship progresses. A 2 familiar faces return to Sunnydale and messes everything up.

"I don't know much about...dimensional thing and portals but...wherever I was, I was happy." Whispered Buffy, "I guess you could call it...heaven...and they brought me back here...my own version of hell." She said quietly.
Spike let out a short, sharp gasp. "Buffy…I…I…"
Buffy nodded, "They never find out. Ever." She said quietly, "It would kill them." Slowly, she stood up, dusting off her clothes and turning when Spike spoke. "Slayer?"
"Yeah..."

"Why are you here? I mean...not that I don't mind you an' all but...well, it's not exactly the best place to 'ang out is it?" He asked.
Buffy met his eyes and smiled, "They brought me back here."
"No... I mean here. My place." Spike looked misty eyed at Buffy.
"Oh." Buffy said. "I like it here."
"Good enough for me pet...you're always welcome, ya know that, don't you?"
Buffy nodded, "Bye Spike."

She walked home, hands shoved in her pockets, her mind befuddled "Willow." She said smiling as she stepped into the hallway of her house, looking at her best friend. "Everything okay?" She asked. Willow nodded, "I was just...worried about you, that's all." Admitted the redhead, her face coloring slightly.
"I was with Spike we were...patrolling, talking..." Said Buffy, shrugging her shoulders. "Is Dawn asleep?"
Willow nodded again, "For ages now..." Scrutinizing her friend's face closely, Willow stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright Buffy?" She asked.
"Fine." Buffy replied sleepily, "I'm going to bed now...wake me up in the morning?" She asked. Ever since she'd came back, getting out of bed was really hard, sleep coming almost as soon as her head hit the pillow and not wanting to leave, sucked in by dreams, dreams of the past...things that had happened in her life...

She climbed wearily up the stairs and into her room, changing out of her patrol clothes and into her yummy sushi pajamas, getting under the covers. For a long time she lay, wondering why sleep hadn't come as it easily as it usually had, her face basked in the light glow of the moonlight.


~*~*~
"No, I know exactly what they feel when they bite me, because I feel it every time we're together. It's like the whole world falls away. And all there is... is you." Riley said, staring at her.
"And you think that I don't feel the same way about you? How dare you tell me what I feel?"
"You keep me at a distance Buffy." Riley said, "You didn't even call me when your Mom went into hospital."
Buffy looked up at him incredulously, "Oh, I'm sorry. You know, um, I'm sorry that I couldn't take care of you when I thought that my mother was dying!"
"IT'S ABOUT ME TAKING CARE OF YOU! It's about letting me in, so you don't have to be on top of everything all the time." Said Riley, desperately.
"But I do." Buffy said, "That's part of what being a slayer is...and that's what this is really about, isn't it? You can't handle the fact that I'm stronger than you."
"It's hard sometimes, yeah." Riley said, "But that's not it."
"Then what? What else do you want from me, Riley? I've given you everything that I have, I've given you my heart, my body and soul!"
"You say that, but I don't feel it. I just don't feel it." Riley said, defiantly.

"Well whose fault is that? Because I'm telling you, this is it, this is me! This is the package and if it's so deficient that you need to get your kicks elsewhere, then we really have a problem."
They both stood there in silence, staring at each other, until Buffy looks down. Riley sighed, "They want me back Buffy...the military." Buffy looked up at him, shocked. "It's deep undercover, no contact with civilians. Transport's leaving tonight."
"Tonight?" Said Buffy, glancing up at him. "When were you gonna tell me about this?"
"I'm telling you now." Replied Riley.
"Are you going?"
"I don't know. If we can't work this out..."
"Then what? This is goodbye?" Asked Buffy. Riley shrugged. "You are unbelievable. You're giving me an ultimatum?"
"No, I'm not." Said Riley.
"Yes you are! You expect me to get over it now or you're gone!"
Riley shook his head, "I don't, Buffy, that's not what I meant!"
"Well I have heard enough! I will not take the blame for this!" She said, beginning to walk away.
Riley grabbed her arm, "I'm not asking you to!"
"Let go of me..." Buffy said angrily, pulling her arm away. "Or what?" He asked, "You'll hit me? Go ahead, come on. Do it."
"Get out of my way." Buffy said.
"I'm serious Buffy, hit me." Riley walked right up to her - watching as she stepped around him, picking up her jacket. "I'm leaving Buffy." She stopped walking, but didn't turn to face him, "Unless you give me a reason to stay, I'm leaving tonight."


"This is how many apocalypses for us now?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, uh, well...six...at least. Feels like a hundred." Giles said.
"I've always stopped them, always won." Buffy said quietly.
"Yes."
"I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him *so* much. But I knew...what was right. I don't have that anymore. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world if these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish that...I just wish my Mom were here." Buffy stood up, tears forming in her eyes. "The spirit guide told me...that death is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all."
"I think you're wrong about that." Said Giles.
"It doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it, I'm quitting."


"If you don't wanna hear what I have to say, I'll shut up, right now." Xander said.
"Good." Buffy said, pushing him aside "Cause I don't."
She went to walk away when Xander stopped her, "I lied. See, what I think, you got burned with Angel then Riley shows up."
"I know the story Xander." Buffy muttered, getting very angry.
"But you miss the point. You shut down Buffy, and you've been treating Riley like the rebound guy. When he's the one that comes along once in a lifetime. He'd never held back with you. He'd risked everything. And you're about to let him fly because you don't like ultimatums?"
Buffy's eyes filled with tears as Xander's words hit home.
"If he's not the guy, if what he needs from you just isn't there, let him go. Break his heart, and make it a clean break. But if you really think you can love this guy...I'm talking scary, messy, no-emotions-barred need...if you're ready for that...then think about what you're about to lose..."
Buffy muttered "Xander!"
Xander understood and said "Run."


"You think you're losing your ability to love." Said the first Slayer, looking at Buffy.
"I-I didn't say that...yeah..."
"You're afraid that being the Slayer means losing your humanity."
Buffy paused for a second, "Does it?"
"You are full of love, you love with all of your soul. It's brighter than the fire...blinding. That's why you pull away from it."
Buffy was surprised, "I'm full of love? I'm not losing it?"
"Only if you reject it. Love is pain and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love...give...forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift."
"What? I-I'm sorry, I, I'm just a little confused. I'm full of love, which is nice, and...love will lead me to my gift?"
"Yes?"
"I'm getting a gift?" Buffy asked truly perplexed, "Or, or do you mean that I have a gift to give to someone else?"
"Death is your gift."
"Death..." Buffy started to say.
"Is your gift."
"Okay no. Death is *not* a gift, my Mother just died. I know this. If I have to kill demons because it makes the world a better place then I kill demons, but it's not a gift to anybody."
"Your question has been answered."


"Dawn, listen to me, listen. I love you. I will *always* love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles...tell Giles I figured it out. And, and that I'm okay...and give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong." Buffy stared at her sister, "Dawn, the hardest thing in this world...is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."
~*~*~


When she was eventually pulled from her dreams, Buffy was sobbing, sitting up in someone's arms. Feeling tears wet the top of her head, she looked up, "Spike?" She whispered softly.
He looked down at her and nodded, "I couldn't wake you..." He whispered, "I was just about to shout for Red..."
As Buffy looked at him, she noticed he was trembling. "I thought I'd lost you again..." He mumbled, furiously swiping at the tears teaming from his eyes. His blue eyes full of pain, he stared down at her, bringing a hand up and gently touching her face. "Still can't really believe you're back...losing you again would probably kill me..." He said softly. Buffy wiped the tears away from her eyes and sighed.

"Luv?" Spike said softly, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"I...I keep having...dreams..." Buffy whispered quietly. "Of...Riley when he left...of Dawn...of what happened before I..." She couldn't say that word, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't say out loud that she'd died. It made it seem more real somehow. She watched as Spike's face fell and immediately felt guilty. "Do you still love him, Pet?" He asked Buffy not wanting to hear this answer.
Buffy nodded, "I always will love him but...he's not in my life anymore. I'm not really sure what my life IS anymore, Spike. All I know is...I was brought back here, no choice, no nothing. All I am is the Slayer, that's why I'm important..."
Spike shook his head, "No luv, you're important 'cause you're you...not 'cause you're the Slayer. People needed you, not the Slayer..."

Spike frowned slightly as the words he'd spoken elicited a sigh. "Listen pet I think I should g..."
"Stay with me?" Buffy interrupted quickly, knowing what he was about to say. Spike looked down at her, genuinely puzzled, "Huh?"
"Until I fall asleep..." Buffy whispered, her eyes closing. "Just hold me..."
"Pleasure's all mine, Pet..." He whispered, kissing her forehead as she fell asleep, his arms wrapped tightly around her.


He was drunk. They'd been in Sunnydale around thirteen hours, in which time he'd had enough time to shower, change, get nervous over going to see her, and get drunk. Their mission was a complete success, Riley, now the commanding officer had returned to Sunnydale.

"C'mon man..." Chuckled Mason, heartily. "I'd like to get home some time this week..."
"Ah...home..." Said Riley, "Mase? You think...she'll still be waiting...I mean...its been a long time...I've been gone...no civilian contact...she might've gotten a new guy...it could've 'appened...right?"
Mason sighed, "Ri...we're in a cemetery...we need to get out of here before she's saving our ashes...oops...asses..." He laughed.
Riley nodded, "Yes sir!" He mock saluted, losing his footing and falling with a thump, his heavy body hitting the grass with an 'oomph'...

When Riley looked up, his eyes widened and he immediately sobered up. "Ri? Riley where are ya, I've lost ya..." Mason stopped, noticing his friends ashen face, reaching out to touch a tombstone.
"Riley?" Mason was now feeling the sobering effects too. "What is it?" He asked.
Riley sat there, completely still, running his fingers over a name. Buffy Anne Summers.
"Oh, ****..." Said Mason quietly. "Riley? RILEY?"
"Guess I don't need to be worrying about another guy now, huh?" Whispered Riley, breaking down into heaving sobs.

TBC...
Feed back

[Angelic]

"How is he?" Asked one of the guys in Riley's command quietly, looking at Graham. The heavy padded soldier responded with a shake of his head and a sigh. "Not good, the guy went pretty catatonic after Mason brought him in... kept saying he should have been here...to help her."
"Is he gonna go see her friends?" Asked Mason, appearing at the doorway.
"I doubt it...he said it himself a few minutes ago, what would he say? Hey, sorry she died, I just got back in town, I'm a complete hypocrite?" Asked Graham.
"Y'ask me, she didn't deserve him." Said the other soldier, shaking his head. "I mean...the girl could have been off doing anyone while he was away and he still mourns her? Needs his head read..."

A fist came flying out of nowhere, connecting with a heavy thud. "Nobody asked you." Growled Riley, his eyes red from crying.
Graham sighed, "Riley...there's another mission...in North Afr..."
"Screw it. I'm not going." Said Riley, shaking his head. "I'm staying here."
Graham's face contorted into a mixture of confusion and worry for his friend, "Ri, listen...I know you're hurting but...even you said that there's nothing keeping you here, even more so now..."
"You want me to use my fist on your face too Soldier?" Asked Riley quietly. "I'm not going, you heard me."
Graham nodded, "You want me to take you somewhere, man?" He asked.
Riley declined, "No. I just wanna walk for a while..."

Pressing something into his hand, Graham looked at his friend, "Take these...in case..."
He'd handed him a taser, and a stake. "Don't want nothing happening to you Ri...you're a jerk, but you're a good guy occasionally." Said Graham, motioning for the other soldiers to step back.
Riley smiled at Graham, walking around the group of small soldiers and out into the night.


The vampiress chuckled languidly, staring up at the stars. "Slayer 'urts...'urts badly..." She danced around on top of a grave. Not just any grave. The grave of the Slayer.
"You promised me Spike..." She whispered, "You promised me WE'D dance on her grave. Well, Princess has got 'er dancing shoes, just you wait...you'll be dancing with me and Ms. Edith in no time at all, dear Spike."


A blood-curdling scream had brought Spike from the peaceful slumber he lay in having Buffy fall asleep in his arms. He almost jumped a mile and looked down, tried to avoid getting hit by flailing arms as she screamed, sobbed, wailed...
"Angelus...NO PLEASE! DON'T!" She cried, fighting him off desperately. "Slayer...slayer...BUFFY..." He yelled. She came to with a sob, bursting into tears. "Luv, what 'appened?" He asked, holding her in his arms.
"Angelus...and R-Riley...they killed Cordelia...and Dawn...and then h-he took me and he was trying...he r-ra...he was trying to..."
"Sssh, Luv." Spike had gotten the basic gist of what that ******* had been trying to do to her. Spike sighed, encircling her in his arms, "It's alright pet..." He whispered, eliciting a cry from Buffy, "Spike it felt so real..." She whispered, "He was...it felt so real..." She cried, leaning into his arms.

Gently, Spike pressed his lips to the top of her head, "It wasn't real luv...what's real, is you and me, here now...not Angelus. Angelus is gone...you kicked his bony corpse all the way back to hell, remember?" He asked softly.
No matter how he tried, Buffy was inconsolable, the poor girl had had it rough these past couple of days and his heart, though un-beating, almost broke. "Slayer? You think you can get some sle..." Spike was stopped as soft lips were pressed to his, something he'd only experienced when Buffy had pretended to be that stupid Bot...

"I don't..." Gently, he pushed her away, "Listen luv, as much as I want this to happen, it can't not now..." He whispered.
Buffy looked at him, broken hearted, "Spike...why?" She asked, "I feel close to you...I can't go to sleep knowing what he did...what he was going to..."
Spike met her lips with his again, "Luv, as long as I'm here he'll never get his hands on you, I promise." He whispered softly, kissing her again and again.


Riley stood next to her grave, hands thrusted in his pockets. "Buffy, I'm sorry." He whispered.
A presence behind him made him turn and she grabbed his throat. "Be in me...see, what you want to see, be in me..."
And then, the pale skinned, raven-haired vampiress was gone, in her place was Buffy. "Buffy, I..."
"Shush..." She whispered, "It doesn't matter, you're home..."
"Yeah…home." Riley muttered
"Now…close your eyes"
And with that, she sunk her fangs in his neck, changing Riley Finn forever...


He awoke with a start, mildly aware of pain, and lots of it...and a smell of
smoke...and burning...and...
"BLOODY HELL!" Spike screamed, leaping from Buffy's bed to a part of the room
the sun didn't touch. Buffy woke, wild eyes and looked round, "What is it?"
She asked, her gaze falling on Spike, terrified. His gaze softened and he
nodded towards the window, "The sun, luv..." He whispered. Realization dawned
on Buffy's face and she hopped out of bed, pulling the curtains closed. "Oh
God...I'm so sorry...I should have woken up..." She said, looking down at the
clock on the bedside table.

Spike shook his head, "'S alright...no harm done..." He smiled, thrusting his
hand behind his back. Buffy sighed and knelt in front of him, "Give me your
hand..."
"It's just a scratch...nothing to bother about..." He lied, but Buffy stayed
where she was, holding out her hand. Reluctantly, Spike gave up and held out
the blistered hand. Buffy sighed and stood, walking into the bathroom to get
the first aid kit. Gently, she bandaged his hand and placed a soft kiss on the
palm, meeting his eyes. "What's going on here, luv?" Spike asked.

Buffy looked at him puzzled, "I...I don't know." She whispered, "All I know is
that I...I feel safe when you're around...when you're with me and...I want
more." She cast her eyes downwards and Spike, though weary, pushed his
bandaged hand under her chin, making her look at him. "Whatever you need,
whenever you need it, ya know I'll be here..."

The Slayer nodded and leaned forward to kiss him softly when Dawn burst into
the room, (she really *did* have the worst timing). Buffy sprang back and
looked up, "I heard screaming..." Dawn muttered uncomfortably. She wasn't stupid,
she'd seen what was about to happen.
"Ello Niblet..." Spike said, nodding to the youngest Summer's girl. "I just
got...a little over-zealous with sun, that's all, nothing to screech about..."
Dawn nodded, "Looks like you'll have to stay here for the day then, don't want
you bursting into flames, right?"
Spike chuckled, "God forbid luv...Slayer, that alright with you?" He asked,
casting a glance at the woman next to him. Buffy nodded. "That's fine."
She smiled.

"All of a sudden, a bloody axe comes out of nowhere and there's Joyce standing
above me, telling me to stay the hell away from her daughter!" Spike laughed,
smiling at the two young women in front of him, "If looks could've killed I'd
have been ten foot under..." He said, grinning.
"Uh...Spike...you're dead." Said Dawn with a grin.
Spike gasped, a hand flying to his throat, "Bloody 'ell...I'm dead! When did
this happen?!" He asked sarcastically, "Slayer, your sister is quite the
genius, move over Harvard and that other bloody British school, Dawn
Summers is on 'er way..."
Dawn blew a raspberry at Spike who then laughed, glancing at Buffy who had
stayed silent throughout most of this, "You alright?" He asked, his face
softening into a concerned look.

Buffy nodded and smiled, "Just thinking about my Mom." She said softly. A
smile broke across Spike's face and he nodded, "She was a good lady...real
nice...always had a nice cup of tea ready...I see you didn't inherit the tea
making skills, niblet..." Spike said, poking Dawn in the ribs. Dawn laughed,
"That's a hint for me to get off my lazy ass and make you a drink, huh?"
"You know me so well." Spike replied with a lazy grin. He watched as Dawn
removed herself from the couch and Spike slid along, sitting next to Buffy,
gently taking her hand in his unhurt one, "You sure you're alright, pet?" He
asked softly. Buffy nodded her head and smiled...then shook her head, "N-no..."

Spike's face fell. "What's wrong?"
"Um...I wanted to ask you something but...I dunno whether...I mean you
might...but you might not, ya know?" She babbled nervously, leaving poor Spike
more puzzled than ever, "Uh...no luv...I don't..."
"W-what I'm asking is..." Said Buffy, "Is if you want to...go out...with
me...tonight. Just to the Bronze or something..."
Spike's face broke into an incredulous grin, "You mean...a date?" He asked.
Buffy nodded, "A date."
"Right..." Spike said, puffing out his chest proudly, "We have a
date...um...should I pick you up here?" He asked, then suddenly thought for a
second, "Hang on luv...be right back." He got up off his chair and went
through to the kitchen, "Niblet...can I talk to you for a second?" He asked.
Dawn turned from her position at the counter, "Sure, what's up?" She asked.

"Well...thing is, see...I know this guy...and this...girl...has asked him out
on a date. And he wants to go...but he's afraid he's gonna make a fool out of
himself," He paused, "See, this guy...hasn't dated in quite a while and..."
"Let me guess, centuries?" Asked Dawn, suppressing a giggle.
"Actually never..." Spike said, blushing, "It was basically get rebuffed by all the
bloody women in England...um...somewhere on account of his...bloody awful po..." Seeing the grin on Dawn's face, he growled in frustration. Dawn laughed, "Did you
just growl?"

"Oh, bloody 'ell, alright, Dawn the Genius has cracked my code..."
"Wasn't that hard..." She interrupted.
Spike frowned and sat next to her at the counter, "Thing is...we all know the
disaster with the chocolates on her birthday...and I need to know
well...stuff..."
Dawn looked at him and laughed, "Yeah, like *I'm* the expert on all things
date-y...remember MY last date, with an evil vampire who wanted to suck my
blood?"
"Hey!" Spike said indignantly, "I'm...evil..."
"Yeah...you're evil...puh-leaze! I'm more evil than you are! Big million year old key thingy, remember?" Dawn replied with a grin.

"Do you *live* to bloody goad me?" Asked Spike.
"Nope, I *live* to goad my sister, you I goad for fun!" Dawn said, "Spike,
listen to me, Buffy doesn't need chocolates or flowers, candy or...even
jewelry, chances are, if she's asked you out on a date then she likes you for
you *not* all the dented chocolates in the world."
"So...no chocolates then...flowers?" Spiked asked taken aback. Dawn groaned in
frustration, "Spike! BE YOURSELF...that's the *you* she likes!" With that,
she hopped off the counter and Spike ambled back into the living room where
Buffy sat, "Pick you up at eight, luv?"
Buffy smiled.

She'd been ready for an hour and a half. She'd sat panicking in case she
looked like an idiot, she'd changed her dress three times, going for something
that she thought Spike would *really* like, then, deciding she looked like a
streetwalker, went back to the original choice of pale blue halter-top and
a black skirt, topping off with a pair of knee-length boots and hair piled on
top of her head for good measure, soft ringlets framing her face. Dawn knew
she'd made an effort.

"What time is it?"
"Three and a quarter minutes after the *last* time you asked me." Dawn said with a soft smile. "Buffy, relax it's not like..."
The doorbell rang and Buffy jumped up to answer it, nervously, "Should I answer
it...or you? Does it look too eager if it's me? Does it look clingy? I don't
want to be clingy, do I look okay?"
"YOU LOOK FINE!" Willow, Tara and Dawn chorused for maybe the 543rd time that
night. Buffy opened the door and was greeted by a HUGE bunch of large red
roses, a box of UN-DENTED chocolates attached to a leather clad hand and arm
and a muffled, "Hello luv..."
Buffy giggled, "Uh-oh...looks like Spike stood me up and sent something like
First-Date Bunny to pick me up..."
"Ha bloody ha..." Spike replied sardonically, then lowered the roses, smiling
sheepishly at Buffy, "I panicked."
A genuine smile passed across her face and Buffy stared at him for a second,
"Thank you." She said softly, taking the roses and the flowers from him,
walking through to put the flowers in water. Spike stepped quickly into the
sitting room, "Does this shirt look alright? I mean...I bought it earlier...I
was gonna buy this suede one but it looked like one the big bloody poof would
wear and when I went to get the flowers I didn't know what to get so I just got
the roses, that was a nice touch, right? I mean, the roses and the un-dented
chocolates, 'cause I remember Niblet saying something about..."

"SPIKE! Breathe!" Dawn said with a laugh.
This puzzled the nervous vampire immensely, "Why? I don't need to..." He said.
Dawn laughed and shook her head, "Have a nice time." Spike turned and Buffy
was at his side, carrying her jacket, "You'll wanna put that on luv...it's
pretty cold outside."
"Have fun...don't stay out too late...you have her home by ten, Mister!" Willow said, grinning at Spike. "And no funny stuff!" Tara added with a giggle.
"Well...maybe just a little." Dawn said, grinning as Buffy's cheeks burned
a pretty pink color.

"Come on...let's go..." Buffy said, taking Spike by the
arm and leading him out. "I'm only glad the glorified bloody bricklayer wasn't
there..." Spike said with a goofy grin as they walked down to the Bronze in silence,
"Um...you get a table and I'll get the drinks." Buffy nodded,
grabbing the nearest table to the stage and sitting down quickly. She twisted
her fingers nervously until Spike came back with the drinks, sitting down.
They stayed in silence for a while until they both spoke up together,

"You look nice..."
"You look great, pet..."
They both laughed and smiled, Buffy glancing up at him, "Why are we so
nervous?" She asked him.
"Got me..." He replied shrugging his shoulders. "I had quite a bloody dilemma
in Sunnydale mall choosing my shirt, all the bloody checkout girls was
laughing at me."
Buffy almost choked on her Pepsi, "Y-you! SHOPPING?" She asked, gasping.
Spike nodded, "Well, yeah...how else was I gonna get the shirt, the chocolates
and the flowers?" He asked with a grin.
"Where did you get the money, Giles?" Asked Buffy, incredulously. "Christ,
you'd think 'e was my father!" Said Spike, shaking his head and then looking
down, muttering something incorrigible like, "Ergorrabuddyslob.."
"What?" Said Buffy, leaning closer.

"I got a bloody job!" Said Spike, speaking louder, "It's not much...only
shifting crates and stuff at Sunnydale docks...gives me money to buy m' blood,
see...they ask no questions, just as long as they got a bit o' beef to shift
the crates for 'em, they don't much care..."

Buffy was staring at him like he had six heads, four eyes and...well, she was
staring at him like normal when he'd said something disgusting. "What?" He
said, looking at her.
"You...and the word job are like...totally UN-mixy things." Said Buffy,
shaking her head. Spike started to laugh, a little uncomfortably, "Gotta get
money somehow, luv..."
Buffy found herself staring into his eyes and smiled when he offered her his
hand, "Dance, pet?" He asked softly. Placing her coat on the chair, Buffy
nodded, taking his hand. "Lead the way kind sir..." They got to the dance-floor
and Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, her head placed tentatively on his
shoulder.

Today I feel like pleasing you more than before
Today I know what I want to do but I don't know what for
To be living for you is all I want to do
To be loving you it'll all be there when my dreams comes true

~Bloody 'ell...~ Thought Spike, ~Girls like this kind of sap? Doesn't say much
for us Sex Pistol lovers' does it? Although...sometimes...I feel like I do
live, for her...~

Today you'll make me say that I somehow have changed
Today you'll look into my eyes, I'm just not the same
To be anymore than all I am would be a lie
I'm so full of love I could burst apart and start to cry

~It was so easy...to pretend that I felt nothing for him but...I know I do...is
it love? *Can* I love him?~ Thought Buffy, glancing up at him. His
expression was soft and Buffy smiled, "I like this song..." She whispered
softly.

Today everything you want I swear it all will come true
Today I realize how much I'm in love with you
With you standing here I can tell the world what it means to love
To go on from here I can't use words, they don't say enough
Please, please, listen to me
It's taken so long to come true
And its all for you
All for you.....

"I do too pet..." Said Spike, feeling his music tastes drag down just that
little bit more. Okay, so once or twice he'd admitted to liking these new punk
bands, one Xander was listening to at the minute, 2 Doors Up...something or
other anyway, but he really did like this song...the lyrics were...nice...
Slowly, Spike bent forward as Buffy reached upwards...


Meanwhile, outside, a disgruntled vampire stood, "My Spike...on a date with the
Slayer...not nice, not nice at all. Have to fix..." Said Drusilla and looked
at Spike, "Go in, make her see..." She smiled.
And Riley Finn, obeyed, stepping into the Bronze, locating his target and
walking towards her.

Their lips touched briefly and everything sort of seemed to fade away. After a
couple of minutes, when Buffy *really* needed to breathe, she pulled back and
smiled, "Wow..." She whispered. Bodies gyrating close to them, made Buffy
blink and she laughed, "Guess we missed the end of that song, huh?" She asked,
grinning up at Spike. Taking his hand, she walked back to the table and sat
down, "Would you like another..."

"I always knew you had a thing for vampires." A familiar voice made Buffy
freeze and slowly, she turned, looking up into corn blue eyes. "R-Riley..." She said quietly.
"So, Buff...wanna explain?" He asked, "How long has this been going on?"
Buffy looked at Spike desperately, begging silently with him *not* to leave.
But Spike stood, "I think...I should go...let you two talk..." He said, his
voice devoid of any emotion, while inside he was screaming for her to ask him
to stay. But she didn't and Spike walked away.

"Riley, I..."
"This had better be good, Buff." Riley smirked. Buffy however, had very
little strength to argue, so she just nodded, "Riley...a lot's happened since
you've been away..."
"I've got all night." Riley said.

Outside, Spike punched the wall repeatedly, taking out at least *some* of his
anger on an innocent wall.
"My Spike's upset...naughty Slayer...Miss Edith says she'll pay..." Said
Drusilla, walking towards Spike.
"Bloody hell, they're all crawling out the woodwork tonight aren't they?" He
asked, turning around. "Come to cause more trouble, Dru?"
"Be in me..." She whispered, "See what you want to see..."
And when Drusilla turned Spike round, Riley and Buffy were kissing furiously,
passionately. And, in a fit of anger, Drusilla's Spike was back...hoisting her
up against the wall, kissing her roughly, "Well, two can bloody play at that
game..." He growled into his Sire's mouth...while what was *really* happening
inside was an awkward silence between two ex-lovers that only seemed to get
more difficult and the Slayer...wanted to be with one person and one only...and
it *wasn't* the one sitting in front of her...