A/N - I have seen this type of Spuffy AU before but most of them are left unfinished or have rushed endings. I did my best to not use plot points I had seen in other works. For those of you who are reading my other fic - Monster, How Should I Feel? - I am working on that one as well.

Sometimes though, I'd rather just write than plan complex subs plots and story lines so this is my compromise.

Drop a review if you like it, hate it, wish it had never been written. I'm always keen to see what you guys think.

Enjoy.

Chapter One - Long Road To Ruin

The building, located nearly dead center on Grove Street, was easy to miss during the day. Its brick exterior had been painted an unimaginative grey, the blackened out windows only serving to make the appearance more dismal. It would have looked abandoned if not so obviously well cared for. The paint was not chipped or peeling and the sidewalk in front was devoid of even a single weed.

Despite that, most people who were bustling down the street hardly spared it a glance. Whether it was because the shoppers wished to finish their business before dinner or because the grey building had simply become so alarmingly mundane it no longer garnered any attention, it was largely ignored in favor of the brighter shops between which it was sandwiched.

If it was not for the lone blonde woman making her confidently towards the front door, the building might well have existed in a different dimension entirely.

Buffy shook her head vigorously, the long pieces of hair falling across her face tickling her nose. Reaching into a small compartment in her purse, she withdrew a key and unlocked the main doors of the grey building, a bar by the name of Ripper.

Stepping inside, she looked around the brightly lit interior.

It was a large space, the high ceilings making it seem bigger than its already far from modest three thousand square feet. The concrete floor was littered with tables and stools, most of which were concentrated around a small, raised stage.

Despite the stage, the owner was always adamant that Ripper was a bar first and foremost, not a nightclub. Regardless, local bands played at the venue most weekends, drawing in hefty crowds of students from the local college.

As today was only Tuesday, business was anticipated to be much slower, only a few dozen people dropping in for a few drinks after work. It would not be the most interesting shift Buffy had ever worked but it was money so she was satisfied.

She made her way through the maze of tables, ending up at the bar - a massive piece of wood housing a collection of stools. Next to it was a hallway which led to the bathroom and storeroom. It also housed the owner's office, which was where she always headed at the start of a shift.

Without knocking on the door, which had a rather large sign displayed on it that read 'Employees Only' in blocky letters, she pushed it open and entered the small space.

As tight as the office was, it was positively bursting with stuff.

An old maroon colored couch was pushed against the right hand wall, ideal for naps during break. Filing cabinets ran along the opposite side, all neatly labeled in the same elegant cursive writing.

The real centerpiece, though, was the L shaped desk that somehow managed to fit among everything else.

It was a massive piece of furniture, the large surface housing files, receipts, and, of all things, a single burner camping stove with a stainless steel teapot.

"Oh hello Buffy, I did not hear you arrive." a head appeared from behind one of two computer monitors.

"Hiya Giles." Buffy greeted her boss cheerily, taking a seat on the couch.

"If you would just give me a moment…" Giles returned to typing quickly on the smaller computer.

Buffy was content to wait, crossing her legs and she watched the man finish his work.

She had first met Rupert Giles seven years ago when her and her mother had first moved to Sunnydale in the middle of her Freshman year of high school. Her less than stellar school record - which may or may not have included a possible arson attempt - had earned her few friends among the staff of Sunnydale High. Giles alone had given her help, studying with her every evening after regular classes to help her pass.

As the school librarian, Giles had also been largely ignored by his colleagues and in him Buffy had found a sort of mentor. It was also through him she made met her friends, Willow and Xander, who both had used the library as an escape from school and their sometimes turbulent home lives.

So when Giles had sought a career change three years ago after the second high school principal in three years died under mysterious circumstance, Buffy had offered her assistance. She had spent her first two years of college waitressing most nights and learning all there was to know about the bar business. At the beginning of her Junior year, Giles had decided to promote her to a bartender as she was over twenty-one.

It was not glamorous work by anyone's standards, but it was home, just like the school library had once felt.

"Finished." Giles announced, pressing one final key and sitting back smugly in his ancient desk chair.

"What were you doing?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Informing Mr. Malcolm Reeder that his services will no longer be required at this establishment."

Buffy gaped at him, "You fired another bartender?"

It was an unfortunate side effect of having a bar in a college town, most students over the age of twenty one were more interested in drinking at a bar than working in one.

Bartenders at Ripper typically did not last long, either they quit or Giles would fire them for being lazy. It was good for Buffy who never had to deal with bad coworkers for long.

On the other hand, she had not had a day off in three weeks.

"Giles, this is getting a little extreme." she noted worriedly, "I mean, no one has lasted more than a week here since school started."

"I do apologize about the inconvenience, it was in no way my intention to cause you any duress." Giles said sheepishly.

"No, it's fine. At least Xander can work some nights." Buffy replied.

"How is it going with the construction company? He does not seem to get many hours." he frowned.

Buffy nodded, "Because he's new and everything, the foreman doesn't use him for more technical jobs. He said he'd hopefully be back to working full time with them in a few weeks. In the meantime, I think he prefers it here."

"Employment is actually the subject I wished to discuss you with."

Buffy sat up straighter, realizing the time for banter was over. This was business Giles.

"After interviewing what I suspect to be every young adult in Sunnydale, I think I have finally found a permanent bartender to work alongside you." he leaned forward, elbows resting on the desktop.

"Oh thank God." she sighed in relief, "Because I seriously need just one day off. Who is it? Someone from the college?"

"Actually, do you remember my nephew Spike?" he looked to her.

Buffy blinked in surprise. Now there was a name she had not heard in a long time…


The two library tables, arranged in a cross formation, had books strewn all across their surfaces. Crumpled notebook papers littered the floor and more than one pencil had been tossed savagely across the room and now lay forgotten underneath the bookshelves. In the midst of the mess sat Buffy, hands fisted in her hair.

The biggest English essay of the year was due tomorrow and she had absolutely nothing. Nada. Zilch.

She had done all the research, even going so far as to listen to Giles' advice and color code all her information, but her ideas simply refused to flow. They tickled her brain, itching to be released, but every time pencil touched paper, all that came out was a mess of words that made no sense.

Groaning, she rested her head on the table, reading to admit defeat.

Giles had been supposed to help her but had been called into a staff meeting without any explanation over an hour ago. She had no idea when he was supposed to return and in the meantime, the clock was ticking towards her impending doom.

"Er… hello?" a masculine voice asked cautiously and Buffy sat up sharply, nearly sending her chair toppling backwards.

A man she had never seen before was standing just inside the library doors. He was dressed almost completely in black, minus the few silver bracelets adoring his left wrist. Buffy had seen the look before, though this was her first time encountering it in the suburb of Sunnydale. Everything from his black combat boots to the black spiked belt he wore on - you guessed it - black jeans screamed punk.

"Hi." she responded, embarrassed to be caught so unaware, "Do you need something?"

"I'm lookin' for Rupert Giles." he responded, British accent now apparent.

The words were harsh, with a bit of a bite. It sounded nothing like Giles whose accent was so upper crust it made her feel like an uncultured child sometimes.

"He's in a meeting right now. I'm not sure when it's over." she realized she had forgotten to introduce herself and added, "I'm Buffy Summers by the way."

"Spike." he replied, wandering farther into the room.

Yeah, definitely punk.

"Well, I'll him know you stopped by." Buffy wanted him to leave. Aside from having to finish her essay, this guy was started to wig her out a little. Seriously, who had a name like Spike?

"S'alright. I'll just wait for 'im here. The meetin' can't go on forever." and with that, he flung himself down in the chair opposite her.

Buffy blinked, taken aback by the sheer audacity his guy was displaying. Who did he think he was, coming in and acting like he owned the place?

Lowering her gaze to her hardly touched essay, she resolved to ignore Spike until Giles returned and could deal with him. She could not fathom what connection the librarian could have with the punk, they existed in different worlds.

For awhile, the only sound was the scratching of her pencil, usually followed almost immediately with the squeaking of her erasure. Having Spike in the room was not helping her, if anything, his presence was making it even harder to focus.

Pulling one of the opened books closer to her for reference, she skimmed the pages she had bookmarked. She was reading the words, she knew, but was absorbing nothing. Frustrated, she set the book aside and returned to her essay again.

Spike had been silent this whole time. She wanted to look up and see what he was doing but could not bring herself to do so. What if he caught her?

Then she wondered if he was staring at her right now and sweat started forming on her palms, making it difficult to hold her pencil.

She wished Xander had been able to stay, he also had to finish his essay, but he had gone home early to avoid their Biology test. If he had been here, she was sure this Spike guy would have left instead of hanging around like a creep.

She realized that she had spent the last five minutes worrying about Spike instead of doing any work. Chastising herself, she decided to just take a quick peek at her unwanted guest and stop procrastinating.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and, keeping her head partially bowed so her hair hid her eyes, chanced a quick look.

Twin black voids surrounded by pale blue irises the color of the morning sky on a winter evening greeted her. Streaks of grey interrupted the blue like thin storm clouds, bleeding some of the warmth away and leaving behind a canvass of ice.

Buffy could only stare in amazement, seeking every minuscule detail in those orbs. She had never seen anything like them, nothing close.

Pale lids blinked closed for a moment, hiding the source of her fascination, and the spell shattered.

She realized how close Spike was to her, only a few inches separating their face, and did the only thing that occurred to her.

She punched him in the face.

He reeled back, clutching at his left eye with a startled hiss. Staggering out of his chair, one of his booted feet caught the foot of the table and sent him crashing to the floor.

Buffy leapt to her own feet, face afire from a blush that spread all the way to her neck.

"What are you DOING?" she screamed at the figure sprawled on the floor.

Spike winced at her high pitched voice, rolling slowly onto his back. One of his arms was thrown across his face, hiding his eyes from her. The other was curled around his midsection, which had hit the corner of the table when he had fallen.

"Think you broke my face." he moaned, ignoring her question.

"Well you deserve it! Who the hell stares at people like that!" she had lowered her voice a little but her anger had not abated in the slightest.

"I was tryin' to read your essay. Thought I could help." his voice was had become somewhat strained.

Buffy just gaped at him, speechless. What kind of person just invaded someone else's personal space like that?

The library doors swung open, revealing a rather somber Giles. Rubbing at the bridge of his nose, he did not immediately notice the scene before him.

"Buffy, I am sorry. The meeting ran far longer than anticipated. I am ready to help you with your… your… Spike, what happened?" Giles eyes were practically bugging as he stared at the man lying on the ground.

Spike, still shielding his face, gave a sigh of relief, "Oh thank God you're here. This lousy bint just attacked me." he gestured vaguely in the direction of Buffy.

"I didn't attack you! You were being creepy so I… punched you." she argued.

Giles knelt besides Spike, looking concerned, "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Feels like my eye exploded." he complained.

"Don't be dramatic." Giles gently pulled Spike's arm away from his face.

Buffy's stomach dropped to somewhere in the vicinity of the floor when she saw the large red mark covering Spike's entire left eye and brow. The skin was already beginning to swell and pucker, promising a black eye. Tears leaked from the injury, tracking down the hollow of his cheek.

"You'll have quite a bruise but otherwise you'll live." Giles proclaimed, prodding gently at the puffy skin.

Spike sat up sharply, swatting his hand away in irritation. He glared at Buffy, the effect diminished by the tears still flowing freely from the injured eye.

"What are you takin'?" he demanded of Buffy.

"Taking?" she asked, not following his train of thought.

"You must be on somethin'. Steroids maybe. No girl hits that hard." he growled, rising unsteadily to his feet.

Giles rapped him lightly on the back of the head, "No more of that. Be polite." he reprimanded the scowling blond.

Buffy watched the interact, puzzled. Giles was treating Spike like they were friends or something.

"So, you two are buddies?" she asked.

Giles shook his head, "Not quite. Spike is my nephew." he gave the younger man a hard look, "And right now he's supposed to be in class."

Spike shrugged, "Class was canceled, the professor called out. I thought I'd drop by for a visit but Buffy here," - he said her name with contempt - "tried to kill me."

"Oh grow up!" she snapped, "I was doing my essay and he was staring at me."

"Er… you hit him because he was looking at you?" Giles asked, not sure he was following.

Buffy felt her blush return. When he said like that, it did sound like she might have overreacted a tad.

"He was super close to me and I…"

"Tried to kill me." Spike finished defiantly.

She glared at him. This whole thing was completely his fault. She had been good and doing her work until he showed up.

"Both of you stop quibbling, you're not children!" Giles said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes hard, "Buffy, I will help you with your essay in a moment. Spike, I think it is best if you go home and ice your eye."

Spike looked annoyed at being told off. With a muttered curse, he stooped and picked up a book that had been knocked off the table when he had fallen.

"See ya later Rupes." he said, stalking towards the door. Right before he left, he paused and threw over his shoulder at Buffy, "And by the way, the author of To Kill A Mockingbird is Harper Lee, not Harper Collins. That's the name of a bloody publishing company. No wonder your essay makes no soddin' sense."

He was gone before Buffy could reply, library doors swinging wildly in his wake.

Giles sighed, leaning heavily against the table. He looked older, some of the vigor of only a moment ago bleeding from his frame.

"You must excuse Spike, he is rather temperamental. I do not know where he gets it, his mother was quite lovely." he said softly.

"Was?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Giles looked at the door soberly, "She died last year from a rather resilient form of tuberculosis. Spike was only seventeen at the time."

"Oh." Buffy sank back into her chair, no longer angry.

She wondered what it would be like if she were to lose her mother and what it would do to her, what it would do to her younger sister. Her mom always knew when she was sad and bought her favorite ice cream, would sit up with her and tell her stories about disastrous dates to make her laugh, or simply sit with her and watch old movies.

"Believe it or not, I genuinely think he was trying to help you." Giles said quietly.

"He should have said something instead of getting that close." Buffy said, a bit sharper than she had intended.

Buffy was used to being looked at by guys. As a cheerleader, she lapped up the attention. Something about having Spike that close at seemed bizarrely intimate. She had never felt that way before, like the world had somehow stopped turning.

And those eyes… they were gorgeous, plain and simple. She had never seen anything close to them, warm and cold at the same time, full of humor but also knowing sadness.

At fourteen, she was too young to understand the emotions she was feeling.

"His social skills are not the best I'm afraid. He always preferred to be alone in his youth and, aside from myself and his mother, did not bother with other people."

Great. The guy had just been trying to help her and she had blackened his eye.

"Guess I should find him and apologize." she said aloud, giving Giles a humorless smile.

Giles was still staring at the library doors, "Do not worry, he will be back before long."

She frowned, "Why? I was kind of a jerk and I punched him." she admitted, feeling guilty.

To her chagrin, Giles smiled at the comment.

"Which is precisely why he will return. As angry as he was, I reckon he was quite impressed by you." he straightened, turning to take a look at Buffy's essay, "Now, I hope to God I misheard, but did you really mix up Harper Collins and Harper Lee?" he asked fearfully.

"Um… maybe." Buffy did not look up, though she could imagine the look of horror Giles was almost certainly giving her.

It was a simple mistake really, what was the big deal?


"Buffy?" Giles' voice through her reminiscing and she was brought back to the present.

"Yeah, I definitely remember Spike." she responded, "But I thought he moved to Britain four years ago?"

"Five actually." Giles frowned, "That woman talked him into it."

"Drusilla?" Buffy asked.

Drusilla O'Leary was someone she was not keen on ever seeing again. From the moment she had started dating Spike, the dynamic between him and the others had shifted dramatically.

Before, Spike had, just as Giles had predicted, hung out quite often in the library. Buffy had apologized and a sort of peace had been established between them. He was never been talkative but had helped with her homework often. Once or twice, he had driven her, Xander, and Willow home after lengthy nights studying at the library in preparation for finals.

The moment Drusilla had stepped into his life, the blond had become conspicuously absent from the group. He appeared only rarely, usually to speak with Giles.

The age gap had meant he and Buffy were never friends but she had always thought, given a few more years, they could have become close.

All that had ended when, at the end of her Sophomore year, Drusilla had demanded Spike move with her back to Britain. He had readily agreed and Buffy had only seen him twice since, the final time being after Senior year had ended.

Giles had needed help moving his personal collection out of the school library as he had just resigned and Spike had flown over for a visit. He had changed dramatically from the quiet person she had known, everything about him somehow louder.

Despite that, the two had gotten along well and she had been sorry to see him leave two weeks later.

Life for her, however, had gone on without him and despite the fact he had been a central part of her early high school life, memories of him had faded much like those of her classmates. In the last three years, she had hardly given a thought to the blond punk. If not for the fact he bore some similarities to Giles, it was likely she would not even be able to recognize him if he were to pass her on the street.

"Actually, Drusilla is the reason Spike is returning to Sunnydale. He claims she missed it here." the note of derision which soured his tone surprised Buffy.

Normally Giles was polite to a fault - especially when it came to women. To hear him speak so condescendingly about the raven haired female meant she must have wronged him greatly.

"But it was her decision to go to Britain in the first place." Buffy replied, confused.

Spike may have been quiet when she had known him but he had also been notoriously pig headed and his temper could be fierce when he felt pressured by others. She could not fathom him simply complying with his girlfriend's wishes and uprooting himself twice merely to appease her.

"My nephew, unfortunately, simply adores that woman. I was quite surprised to learn of the move actually. Drusilla has never been fond of me or my influence over Spike." Giles sighed, looking tired, "I have not spoken to him in nearly two years, something which I believe to be entirely her doing."

Buffy had never understood how a relationship could ever hold up when such unequal compromises were required. A relationship had to be built on proper give and take if it was to survive in a healthy manner.

Granted, she was hardly the guru of dating advice. She had only had two relationships, one in high school that had ended dreadfully and her current one.

"When does he start work?" she asked.

"Later this week. He will be here to alleviate some of the weekend pressure." Giles replied.

"And Drusilla?" she asked after a brief hesitation.

"The week after. Spike said she wants some time to say goodbye to her friends." his tone made it obvious that he thought Drusilla should just stay in England.

"Xander will be pleased. He practically hero worshiped Spike Freshman year." she said dryly.

"By all means, tell him when he arrives." Giles smiled, the dismal mood lifting. He glanced at his wristwatch and continued, "Which should be soon as we open shortly."

Buffy stood, "I have to finish taking inventory but from what I saw, we should be good for the rest of the week."

"Just let me know if we run low on anything. I already know we have only two kegs left of Budweiser but the next deliver will not be until Monday." he returned his attention to the computer.

Buffy saluted him smartly and walked out, purse tucked under her arm.

She wondered what it would be like to see Spike again. They had parted on good terms but that had been nearly five years ago. She did not think she had changed much since high school, aside from the typical things that went along with growing up.

Spike though, he could have gone in a million different directions. He might not even remember her anymore.

For some reason, the idea that he may have forgotten about her left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Entering the main room, she found Xander kneeling on the floor with a clipboard, doing inventory.

"Hey. I didn't hear you come in." she slid behind the bar and set her purse in the small locker the employees used for their personal belongings.

"I figured you were busy talking with Giles so I started working." he straightened, setting the clipboard on the back counter, "Ready for tonight? This is, if I remember correctly, your twenty second day in a row working."

Buffy rolled her eyes at his teasing tone, "Don't remind me."

"At least Malcolm is scheduled to come in tonight." he pulled out two short aprons, handing one to Buffy.

"No, it's just the two of us. Giles fired Malcolm."

Xander paled, "Damn, I can't do another weekend with just the two of us. We'll get overrun."

"At least we don't have to share our tips tonight." Buffy nodded towards the communal tip jar set up on the corner of the bar.

At the end of every night, all the employees would split whatever tips had been made, any left over money going back to Giles.

"Small consolation." he groaned, "Do you know when Giles is going to hire another bartender?"

"Actually, he thinks he's found a permanent one this time." she double checked the register, making sure it held enough singles to make change for patrons.

"I'll only believe it when I see it."

Buffy toyed with the idea of stringing Xander along a little longer but decided to put him out of his misery.

"Do you remember his nephew Spike?" she asked, smiling as Xander's eyes lit up excitedly.

"Of course! He was awesome." he grinned goofily, "One time he gave me a ride on his motorcycle. It was so cool!"

"He's coming back to America so Giles offered him a job here." Buffy, finished setting up, leaned against the wall and waited for the clock to hit six so they could open.

Never in a million years would she have ever guessed Xander and Spike would become close. Xander had idolized the blond, following him around the library every time he made an appearance and asking endless questions. Spike had seemed like an alien in Sunnydale, where his choice of style stuck out like a sore thumb.

Despite Spike's short temper in regards to people, he had answered every question posed to him with mild amusement. It was not long before the two found out they had similar tastes in movies and the two started geeking out, entering hour long conversations about Star Trek or Planet of the Apes.

Xander had been devastated when Spike had moved away.

"That's terrific! We used to email back and forth after he moved but we lost touch. When does he start?" he bounced excitedly on his heels.

Buffy giggled, "Later this week and you need to calm down. You're like a puppy!"

Xander stopped his fidgeting, though the spark remained in his brown eyes.

"Maybe you should work the floor and work off some of that excitement." Buffy said.

On weekdays, one person would work behind the bar while the other would serve the tables by the stage. Working the floor was never fun, it required moving around the room with drink laden trays and constantly being asked for things like napkins or refills.

"No way, it's your turn." Xander argued, "And besides, you're better at it."

Buffy's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the compliment, "Alexander Harris, flattery will get you nowhere."

He shrugged, "Worth a shot." he said sheepishly.

"Let's just trade off every hour." she decided, "It's easier that way."

"And because I'm such a gentleman, I'll take first shift." he vaulted over the bar, nearly face-planting. Recovering quickly, he gave a massive bow to hide the dull flush of embarrassment dusting his features.

Buffy rolled her eyes good-naturedly at his antics.

"It's opening time. Unlock the door will you?" she asked, straightening her apron as she prepared to work.


Music was throbbing from the sound system, the bass turned up too high. The first chance she got, Buffy was going to fix the settings. Someone must have been messing with them again.

Though it was nearly ten, the bar was crowded with two dozen people, most of them close to being buzzed. It was Xander's turn on the floor and he was tending to an additional ten people, moving so quickly he was a blur to her.

The turnout was not bad for a Tuesday, generally their worst night of the week. The tip jar already had a decent amount of money in it and the register was stuffed.

"Another?" Buffy asked a man with a denim jacket.

He nodded, handing over his empty beer mug. She refilled it, mentally counting how many the gentleman had already drunk. He would have to be cut off after this one, she decided, handing it back over.

Xander appeared with a tray full of empty glasses and an order.

"I need two Whiskey Sours and a tonic water for table eight." he said loudly, fighting to be heard over the music.

Buffy nodded, taking his empty glasses and setting them in the sink. Turning to the register, she entered the order and printed out the receipt.

"How are you doing?" she asked Xander as she set about making the drinks.

He leaned against the bar tiredly, taking a break for a moment.

"Pretty good. We close early tonight right?"

"At eleven." she confirmed, focusing on getting her pours right.

The bar door swung open, though neither bartender noticed. A group of five college students ambled in, looking around the premise curiously.

"How come we never come here?" one of them, a man with a square jaw, asked.

"That's because Finn's girl works here." another grinned, slapping the back of the largest member.

As raucous laughter rippled through the group, Buffy glanced up. The interior was not well lit and it took a moment for her eyes to zero in on the young men. She recognized most of them from the college, had even taken classes with some of them.

As they approached one of the tables, the lighting caught them right and Buffy froze, a half filled glass in her hand.

"Riley?" she murmured allowed, surprised to see her boyfriend here.

Despite the fact they had been dating for two years, he had not once stepped foot in Ripper when she was working. He had never, in the strictest sense, approved of her working in a bar. Though he denied it, Buffy knew that he thought the job was beneath her…

And in a way, beneath him too.

As if he sensed her, he turned and looked towards the bar. Their eyes met and, after a brief hesitation, Riley made his way towards her.

Hastily, Buffy finished pouring the drink she had been neglecting and handed it over to the woman who had ordered it. She gave the bar an expert glance and, deciding that no one would need to be served in the next three minutes, moved to where Riley was now standing expectantly.

"Hey!" she said, leaning across the bar to kiss him quickly, "What are you doing here?"

"Gordon was complaining that we don't go here often enough." he replied, looking around with a frown.

"Well, it's good to see you anyway." she said.

Riley nodded, "All these extra night you're working, when do you get a day off?" he asked.

Buffy's response was halted as someone from farther along the bar called out, "Nother beer over here!" in a demanding tone.

"Hold on, I'll be right back." Buffy said, moving to where the shouting customer sat.

"Same thing sir?" she asked politely.

"Obviously. I've been ordering the same damn thing all night." he snapped at her angrily, not looking up.

Buffy tensed at the customer's belligerent tone but kept her voice even as she replied, "Just a moment." and moved to refill his mug.

Bringing the drink back, she set it at his elbow. The man glanced down at it and looked back up at her, leering as his eyes slid over her body appreciatively.

"Thank you darling." he said, eyes glittering.

Buffy retreated, knowing that starting a fight would not end well. If the man made an inappropriate comment, she would get Giles and have him tossed out. Until then, it would be easier to simply ignore him.

Returning to Riley, she smiled again. "Sorry about-" she stopped short, as he glared at her.

"What the fuck was that?" he spat.

Buffy watched him warily. He must have seen her interaction with the customer, it was the only thing that could have gotten him so bent out of shape.

"Nothing." she said indifferently.

"Nothing? That bastard was ogling you like a piece of meat!" he said hotly.

Fearing he would start a fight, she lay a hand on his arm and squeezed gently.

"Riley, it's fine. Some customers are assholes but it's no big deal."

After working in the bar for three years, Buffy had become accustomed to the idea that a certain amount of heckling was to be expected. So long as no harm came from it, she kept her head and would forge on. On rare occasions when a customer got handsy, Giles would unleash his full fury upon the unfortunate person. For all his gentlemen act, Giles had spent a good part of his youth on the streets of London and knew how to use his fists.

People who caused problems seldom made the same mistake twice.

Riley jerked his arm away from her and she bit her lip to hide her hurt.

"I hate that you work here!" he growled.

"We're so not doing this now." she said quietly. A few customers near them were looking towards her curiously and she gave them a quick smile before looking back to Riley.

His jaw was working furiously, a muscle jumping as he grinded his teeth. She made no attempt to touch him again, his unexpected aggression making her nervous. Riley could be hot headed on occasion but this was the first time he had been so possessive of her.

"Well, when can we talk about this? You're working here every damn night. The only time I get to see you is during lunch if I'm lucky!" he was making no attempt to keep his voice down, drawing more and more attention.

"Tomorrow we'll talk, I promise." she said quickly, "But right now, I think you need to leave."

He gave her an ugly look, "Y'know, I'm joining the Army after college."

Unlike Riley, Buffy became quieter the angrier she got. If he had been paying any attention, he would have noticed that the blonde was positively fuming.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, voice cold.

"Nothing." he muttered, "See ya later." Turning, he stalked away from the bar, shouldering Xander out of his way.

Buffy was nearly shaking, anger and hurt fighting for control. She wanted to throw something. Hard.

It had been a long time since the last time she and Riley had fought. Usually, he was one of the most easy going people she had ever met. He had a mean streak though and at times like these, she wondered why she had ever put up with it.

"Buffsters, you okay?" Xander had slid behind the bar and was watching her anxiously.

"I'm fine." she said, trying to focus back on work.

It was like trying to stand in a moving bus though, her anger threatening to unbalance her.

"Listen, it's not too busy. You can go talk to Riley and I'll finish here." Xander offered.

He still looked anxious, shifting his weight from foot to foot tensely. Buffy felt guilty as she remembered that Xander's parents constantly fought. As a result, conflict always upset him.

"No, it's fine. He needs to cool off anyway." resolutely, she checked her customers, pretending she did not notice that Riley and his friends had left the bar.

Xander followed her as she made her way to the opposite end, "Well, take tomorrow off at least. Me and Giles can work."

"Thank you, but really, it doesn't matter." she paused by a couple who looked like they were ready to order.

Hands gripped her shoulders and wheeled her around, her shoes catching on the slip resistant mats on the floor. Nearly toppling over, she instinctively grasped at the arms holding her to maintain balance.

"Xander, what are you doing?" she exclaimed, startled.

He was looking at her seriously, not a trace of humor on his usually bright face.

"Buffy, Riley means a lot to you right?" he asked slowly.

Startled by how subdued he was, she nodded dumbly.

"Then take off tomorrow and talk with him. Your relationship is more important than work." Xander dropped his hands and took a step back.

"I… okay Xand. Thank you." she said, surprised at his sudden maturity.

But one could never put the boy off for long. A smile was already returning to his features, though it was small.

"Besides, Oz's band is practicing here tomorrow so Willow will be here." he leaned backwards slightly, checking the clock, "And my hour on the floor is up by the way so get your butt out there Summers."

Buffy giggled, her bad mood dissipating. Staying angry around Xander was impossible, he radiated joy and fun.

"Yeah yeah Harris." she responded, picking up one of the serving trays. As she moved past Xander, she impulsively kissed him chastely on the cheek.

He eyes widened and he gaped at her, looking very much like the pet goldfish she used to have as a child.

"Thank you." she said again, serious.

He swallowed, "No problem Buffy. We're friends right?"

"Until the end." she confirmed.

Moving onto the floor, hips ready to push people out of the way, she wondered what Riley had meant about joining the Army. He had brought it up once before though that had been last year and no mention had been made since. If he was bringing it up now, maybe he was serious this time.

But why say it in the middle of a fight like it was a threat? Because that was what it had felt like to her.

She signed, approaching a rowdy table. Tomorrow, the two of them would have a talk about all this. Until then, worrying about what if's would do her no good.