TAMING GOLIATH

Buffy Summers never felt so alone before.

Her friends were on the dance floor, having the time of their lives, and
Buffy was sitting in the corner, taking little sips out of her drink, and
not looking at anything in particular. Sometimes she would stir her drink
idly, not quite sure what to do next. Tara and Willow were dancing and
laughing, and Xander and Anya were almost having sex in front of everybody.

Of course, if she wanted to dance, she could have. She had received six
offers, but turned them all down.

"You're just a regular fun fair, aren't you?"

Buffy looked up. "Sorry about that… why are you here anyways? The last time
I checked you were committing gross indecency on the dance floor."

"Gross indecency is hard on the legs," Xander said. He motioned towards
Anya, who was dancing by herself. "Anya however, still remains unaffected."

Buffy pursed her lips and looked at Anya. "Funny, I thought you two were
permanently attached at the hip."

"Ooh, touchy."

"Sorry. I'm in the bitter phase right now."

"Bitter Buffy bites."

"That's because bitter Buffy's bad boyfriend bailed."

"Well, bitter Buffy'd better behave b-"

"Why are we talking like this?" Buffy cut in.

"You're asking me?" Xander shrugged. "At least we're not talking in
rhymes."

"That would be kind of hard to pull off all the tim… while."

Xander smiled at her. "Hey, you want to dance?"

"Nah. Thanks anyways," Buffy pushed her drink to one side. "Besides, I
think your Siamese twin might freak out a little."

"Well, we could have a dance-threesome."

"That's disgusting," Buffy said. "And I just had a strange mental image
which I do not want to discuss."

"I have those mental images every night."

"Another thing I don't want to discuss."

"At this rate, we'll run out of things to talk about very soon."

Buffy was about to answer when Anya came up to them, placing her palms
firmly on the unsteady table, shaking it a little and sending Buffy's drink
toppling over the side. Buffy looked forlornly at her wasted drink but
didn't do anything about it except sigh. If Anya noticed it, she made no
indication of being apologetic.

"Xander," she began, "That guy there just bumped into me. My arm hurts. Go
beat him up."

"What?" Xander looked at the person she was talking about. "He's like nine
feet tall!"

"Don't be ridiculous. He's like seven feet - tops."

"He looks like he's about to destroy New York City!"

"So?"

Xander looked helplessly at Buffy.

"Don't look at me," Buffy said almost immediately. "I have enough freaks on
my mind already."

"Just go and beat him up," Anya stressed to Xander. "You have to defend my
honor. I saw it on television once, it was very romantic."

"I think it would also be very romantic to have an unbroken face."

Anya looked at Buffy. "Buffy, tell him."

"I thought I said something about not involving me," Buffy said.

"Well I don't really listen to what you say anyways," Anya answered.

"Anya, I really don't think you should be encouraging Xander to beat up
strange giant men in a club," Buffy said. "If you're listening, anyhow."

"Oh, sure, when it's a vampire or a demon, you're all gung-ho on violence,"
Anya grumbled. She turned to go. "All this listening is making me thirsty.
I'm going to get a drink."

Xander raised an eyebrow and looked at Buffy. "And you think you've got
problems."

"Actually, it puts that whole Riley thing into perspective."

"You know, you shouldn't be beating yourself about that over and over
again. It's not going to change things."

"I know," She looked down. "But it gives me something to do."

"I read somewhere that women who blame themselves for their broken
relationships most likely end up crazy. Or they cut record deals."

"You really should stop being literate. It's a bad habit."

"I know. But it gives me something to do." He grinned at her.

"Don't you… oh great," Buffy stopped short.

"What?"

"Spike," Buffy said, looking behind Xander. "He's stalking me. Again."

Xander looked behind him and smiled to himself as he watched Spike try to
dart behind a pillar. His platinum blonde hair stood out like a sore thumb
and Xander couldn't help but laugh.

"Somebody's got a crush," Xander said in a sing-song voice. Buffy punched
him on the arm.

"He's really getting on my nerves," she said. "Yesterday I caught him
putting my picture in a locket. He told me it was for a voodoo curse."

"Right," smirked Xander. He waved wildly at Spike. "Spikey! Spikey!"

He could hear cursing from across the room as Spike trudged towards them.
"What the bloody hell do you…"

"What's with the whole hiding-behind-pillars act?" Xander asked innocently.

"I… well, I… none of your bloody business."

Xander flicked the locket Spike was wearing. "How's the voodoo curse coming
along?"

"It's coming along bloody fine." He stared at Buffy. " You'll all … die.
Soon. Ha."

"Big surprise there," said Buffy.

"Yeah, well… it'll be painful," Spike said spitefully. "And… and… and
long."
"Sounds fun," said Xander. "But could we not die on Thursday? Because I
have plans on Thursday."

"And I have classes on weekdays," Buffy added.

"Sunday's no good either," said Xander. "I kind of want to rest then.
Saturday's good for me, though."

"Saturday morning," Buffy said. "I have to patrol at night."

"Ah… pike off!" spat Spike. "I don't have to take this bloody kind of
ridicule from you people."

"Then why are you still here?"

"Because… I… ah... pike off!" Spike managed to say before he stomped away.

"That was fun. Do you think we were a little mean?" Xander asked.

"He'll get over it," said Buffy. She sighed.

"Are you back to bitter Buffy again?" Xander asked after a long silence.

"Yeah, I guess," Buffy said.

"Bitter Buffy bites."

"Don't you start that again."

"I thought you thought it was cute."

"Where did you get that idea?"

"Oh, you know, you gave me that old Buffy smile when I said it."

"Old Buffy smile?"

"Yeah. The smile you give at almost everything I say," Xander said, giving
her a smile of his own. "Admit it, you find me irresistibly cute and
adorable."

"You see through me like glass," Buffy said sarcastically.

"Well, I do , you know. And not just about the cute thing."

"Really, now," she said, leaning her elbow on the table. "And just what do
you see?"

"I see someone wonderful who's melting down completely just because of one
tiny bump in the road. I see someone who's shutting out her friends, even
though she knows she needs them. And that they need her too."

Buffy listened to him, looking down. "And you figured this all how?"

"Keen observation, and too much TV."

She looked back up at him and showed a tiny trace of smile. "Well, I
wouldn't say you're completely … wrong."

"I'm never wrong."

"How about the time you thought the theory of relativity was about
genetics?"

"Okay, I was wrong that time. But I was only seven."

"…teen."

"Seven, seventeen, same difference."

Buffy laughed a little. "I guess you still have the same level of maturity
for both ages."

"Thank you." He got up. "So, you want to dance or what?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Maybe just one dance."

* * * the end * * *