Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the characters featured. They all belong to Joss Whedon =/

Author's Introduction: This takes place after the end of Buffy and Angel. Admittedly I never watched Angel, so I don't know much about the plot surrounding Spike in that series, except what I read on Wikipedia, haha. So I'll try to do my best. Oh, also, this ignores any of the comics made after the end of the series…except for whichever one stated that Buffy wasn't actually dating the Immortal and that that was actually a decoy. Basically, this is intended as a realistic continuation of the Spike and Buffy relationship, given how the writers ended the series. I felt that it wouldn't be realistic to say that after Sunnydale Buffy was consumed with sadness for Spike, because the writers imply that Buffy leaves Sunnydale happy-finally able to lead a normal life. I thought it would be much more realistic to go with that premise, and see how living a "normal life" has eventually turned into a boring existence for the slayer. Throughout the show we were told that Buffy does get some sort of high from slaying bad guys...which raises the question of how happy she can actually be if she leaves her calling.

[Scene: Bottom of the screen reads "Somewhere on the outskirts of Cleveland, Present Day" We see the back of Buffy's head as she enters a house, puts down her keys and takes off her jacket. For simplicity's sake we can just assume this house has the same layout as Buffy's house in Sunnydale.]

Buffy: (yelling upstairs) Willow…I'm home; (more quietly and in a rhetorical manner) are you?

(Buffy sighs heavily and walks into the kitchen. We see a bunch of dishes staring back at her. She sighs again with exasperation and walks over to the sink to start washing them. Cut to Buffy a long while later, finally leaving the kitchen and heading toward the living room. She plops down on the couch, tired, and starts to close her eyes. After a moment we heard the door open, it's Willow.)

Buffy: (opening her eyes and looking over) Hey.

Willow: (smiling) Hey, you're home early

Buffy: Yeah, I left work early, decided to clean up around the house.

Willow: Oh, Sorry about the dishes. I was going to do them…but uh, then I kinda, sorta…forgot.

Buffy: Will, it's fine. Not like anything else exciting is going on in my life right now.

Willow: Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about that.

(Buffy looks up, kind of confused. Willow sits down in a chair across from the couch)

Willow: I was talking to this girl I know at work, and um, I mentioned that I had a single girl friend and she mentioned that she had a single guy friend, so we were thinking maybe we could, uh, totally butt into your lives and match you two up.

Buffy: (smiles with slight condescension) Will, we've talked about this. I don't need some guy in my life just to feel complete. I am my own person (getting defensive) and…and, hey you're a lesbian. Shouldn't you be on my side?

Willow: Buffy, everyone needs someone. To, you know, get nice and cuddly with from time to time…and to, uh, talk to about stuff.

Buffy: Well I have you for the talking stuff and I don't need anyone for the cuddly stuff. (notices that Willow still looks concerned) I'm fine, really.

Willow: You say that, but I mean, Buffy you haven't seriously dated anyone since Sunnydale—don't you think it's about time? Plus, you've been going through this slump.

Buffy: It's not a slump. I'm not slumpy…It's more like a…a slight dip.

Willow: If you don't want to go on this date that's fine. I'm just worried about you is all. I kind of expected that after we destroyed the Hellmouth you would, you know, be happier.

Buffy: I dunno Willow. Maybe you're right. I know I should be happy. I've got a normal job…that I'm actually good at. For once I'm not drowning in a very big sea of debt, and Dawn's school is close enough to visit. But for some reason I don't…feel…right. I don't feel normal.

Willow: That's why this date would be perfect.

[Scene: We see a crowded local club. Haha, since I'm not all that creative, I'll just refer to it as the Bronze Deux. Buffy enters the club and looks around for her date]

Buffy: (approaching a table with a handsome 20-something guy) Hi, are you Peter?

Peter: Uh, yeah, are you Buffy?

Buffy: That would be me (sits down across from him at the table)

Peter: It's great to finally meet you.

Buffy: Finally?

Peter: Oh, well, I heard a lot about you from Willow.

Buffy: (suspiciously) uh-huh.

Peter: Oh, uh, nothing too personal. Just that you were really funny and independent. And that you were looking for a date.

Buffy: (to herself) Well I don't know if "looking" is really the right word…

Peter: So, tell me about yourself.

(Buffy takes a deep breath as if she is about to say something…but she doesn't know what to say, and just smiles back at him.)

(Cut to Buffy and her date an hour later. Buffy clearly isn't feeling a connection, but she's still trying to pay attention to his story.)

Peter: And then my friend Josh looks over at me and says he has the perfect solution. Next thing I know I'm in the woods with just a crossbow and a—

Buffy: (suddenly interested) What kind?

(Peter is totally thrown by her interruption and looks confused)

Buffy: I mean was it a compound crossbow, or a recurve? I find that the recurve has less recoil, but then again (she finally looks up and realizes that he is totally baffled by what I'm saying)…and you have no idea what I'm saying. Sorry…um, continue.

Peter: That's okay. Willow said you had a weird weapons fetish.

Buffy: (forces out a meek smile) heh, yeah, that's me, (trailing off) with the weird fetishes and rambling speeches.

Peter: So anyway, I'm in the woods with this huge crossbow and absolutely no idea what I'm doing there. Turns out that…

(his voice fades into the background from Buffy's perspective as she looks past him. Suddenly she thinks she sees a man in a black duster walk through the crowd on the other side of the club. She strains to look harder, because it totally looks like Spike, but after one more brief flash of the jacket, the figure disappears in the crowd. Peter's story starts to fade in again as Buffy tries to tune back in to what he's saying)

Peter: And after all that he told me that it was just a clock radio. I mean, can you believe that?

Buffy: Huh? Uh, a clock radio? Oh my God that's so funny (tries to fake laugh while Peter actually laughs)

Peter: I know, I couldn't believe it!

(Buffy stares off into the distance)

[Scene: Willow is sitting on the couch in the living room, watching television and eating popcorn. The front door opens and Buffy comes inside, taking off her coat and heading to the couch. Willow sees her and mutes the T.V.]

Willow: Sooo? How was the date.

Buffy: (sitting down on the couch) He seemed really nice. He was exactly like you said—smart, cute, funny—but…

Willow: What?

Buffy: I dunno (sighing in frustration, she closes her eyes and drops her head back on the couch)

Willow: Was it the hair? I wasn't sure if you'd be turned off by a redhead.

Buffy: (opens her eyes, looks confused, turns to Willow) What? No! My best friend is a redhead.

Willow: Yeah but, red hair on a girl is refreshing…red hair on a guy is kind of, eh.

Buffy: Well, that wasn't what bothered me…Actually there wasn't anything about him that bothered me.

Willow: That's good, right?

Buffy: Yeah, but, I just felt like I had no connection, you know? I guess I just couldn't relate.

Willow: Well, I know another guy at school who said he was looking to finally start dating again since his divorce.

Buffy: Divorce? How old is this guy?

Willow: A lot younger than most of the guys you've dated. (they both smile) He's actually only a year older than us I think. But he's really nice and I think you'll like him.

(Buffy looks extremely skeptical)

Willow: How bout this. I'll come along, and if he seems like a total creep or there's no chemistry, I can just say we have to go or something. Take the pressure off.