Made For Each Other
by Colleen Hillerup
There was a knock at the Summer's front door. "Darn it," Buffy exclaimed, wrapping her bathrobe around her dripping body, hair limp and wet, "I wish Dawn would remember to take her key." She flung open the door. "You!"
The tall ex-commando grinned sheepishly. "Hi Buffy," said Riley, "How are you?" He scanned her, from the top of her soggy head to the pool forming at her feet. "Did I come at a bad time?"
"No," she replied, "No, it's okay. Come in." He seemed paler, blander than she remembered. "To be honest, I never thought I'd see you again." Awkward silence. "Let me go throw something on and we can talk."
"I won't be long," he said, catching her hand in his. "There's something I need to tell you."
She looked down at his hand, down along a muscular arm covered in bites and scars. He let her go. As she looked up at his face, she paused at the further wounds at his throat. "Still living dangerously, I see," she said.
He knew what she meant, heard the pain in her voice at the memory of betrayal. "Buffy, it's not what you think. What my wife and I do in the privacy of our bedroom is our business."
******
Spike picked his gold chain off his dresser and put it in his jewellery box. "And I thought she'd like it," he said to himself. "Maybe the silver...."
"Hey, Blondie Bear," a familiar voice called.
He spun around and reached for a defensive weapon. Darn, where was that stake?
"Spikey, did you miss me? It's been so long."
"Hello, Harmony," the vampire said. "Finally come to kill me, then?"
"No, silly," she replied, waggling her left hand in his face. "Guess what? I got married."
*******
Buffy sat in the armchair, staring at her ex-lover. "How?"
"I was working in the jungle, helping overthrow an unfriendly government, when I got separated from my men. I was wandering around, looking for the platoon, when I came across this little waterfall. I swear, it was like something out of a movie. There she was in the moonlight, bathing in the stream, using the cascade like a shower. So beautiful." He paused, overcome with the memory. "Like a dream."
"But, Harmony?" Buffy asked. "Harmony? She's an idiot."
Riley stiffened with anger. "Don't call her names. You don't know her. Not like I do." He took a deep breath. "She recognized me, of course. I knew her. It was the last place you'd expect to meet an old acquaintance. Anyway, I knew what she was. She stepped from the water and took the rifle from my hands. I was ready to die. But she didn't kill me. She kissed me, Buffy. She just kissed me."
"I really don't need a play by play," Buffy said.
"I think it was because he loved you, because she lost him to you, at first. I think it was her idea of revenge." He smiled. "That lasted about ten minutes. I never really believed that he loved you, because I didn't think vampires could love. I thought they were just things. Evil things." Buffy winced. "I was so wrong," he said.
She rolled her eyes. "So you're telling me that she fell for you, and you fell for her, and the fact that you used to capture her kind and she naturally kills yours made no difference because of your love."
Riley nodded. "That's about the gist of it."
"Give me a break," she said.
*******
"Captain Cardboard?" Spike exploded with laughter. "You married that wanker?"
"He's not a wanker," she pouted, "Whatever that is. He's my big strong soldier boy and I'm his little cuddlebug."
"Oh, I'm sure." Spike sat on the edge of his bed, unable to contain his glee. "Let me guess, he gets off on having you suck his arm in the sack."
"How did you know that?" she asked. She giggled. "Yeah." Wheels turned in her cranium. "Oh, right, you caught him with those hookers. He told me. He doesn't do that anymore."
Spike's laughter abated. "He told you?"
"Of course," she said, "He tells me everything. He loves me. He's my husband." She plopped down on the bed beside him and crossed her legs. "So, how's things with you and Buffy?" She patted his hand. "I just want everyone to be happy as me."
******
"So, Spike still hanging around?" Riley asked.
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "He's... around."
"He loves you a lot. You should cut him some slack."
"What?" Buffy asked.
Riley took her hand in his. "We had a long talk before I left. Poor guy doesn't think he stands a chance with you. 'Course, I always thought he was after one thing. That was before Harmony."
"You know, Riley," Buffy answered, pulling away and crossing her arms, "Your wife's evil. She hasn't got a soul."
"Like I said, Buffy, you don't know her. I know she can't get everything she needs from me," he rubbed a scar on his arm involuntarily, "But the rest of the time she lives on cow blood. She tried pig, but it upsets her stomach. Poor baby."
Buffy shook her head. "This is ridiculous. She'll turn on you."
"No," Riley said softly. "She won't. She tried to straighten out once before, reconnect with old friends, but then she got involved with some stupid vampire self help group. Knocked her right off the wagon. When they turned on her in South America, she got frustrated. Told me she'd had enough. Told me love felt better. She really loves me. It's great."
"But..."
"And she doesn't even have a chip in her head," he continued, "Just made up her mind to do better. Don't get me wrong, I could beat Spike to a pulp for the way he treated her, but she won't let me. Says she understands now. He didn't love her. He loves you. Says she's grateful he let her go."
"But...."
"Anyway, cut him some slack, is all I'm saying. I've been wrong about a lot of things, things I was told but didn't question. I think that 'soulless vampire only do evil' thing is one of them." He headed for the door. "Got to run. I told Harm I'd pick her up at Spike's crypt. We're off to LA. She wants to visit Cordy, Angel and the baby."
"Baby...?"
He turned back and pecked her on the cheek. "Be happy, okay? Love can be great. Don't shut the door if it calls." He laughed. "Corny, I know. Comes from growing up in Iowa. Bye, Buffy."
******
"Wow," Harmony's eyes opened wide. "I never thought she'd let you do that. But she never said that she loves you?"
"Quite the contrary, pet." Spike took a swig from his whiskey bottle. "Said I was.... convenient."
"Bummer."
"So," he said, "I live in limbo. Told her I won't put up with the garbage anymore, but, truth be told, I'd like a lot more out of the relationship than being tolerated."
"Poor Blondie Bear." She gave him a hug. "She'll come around. How could she resist you? I couldn't."
He pulled away and looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve to be treated like dirt. Payback," he sighed, "Is a bitch."
They heard a voice call from the crypt entrance. "Harmony, honey, are you there?"
"Coming, Snookums," she cried. "Be there in a sec." She kissed Spike on the forehead. "Give her time. You have 'irresistible charm'."
"Yeah," he said, "Who told you that?"
"You did." She climbed up the ladder and turned one last time. "Bye, Spike. Be good."
******
Riley swept Harmony into his arms. "So, how did your visit go, little matchmaker?"
"Cool," she replied. "Of course, they'll never be as happy as we are."
He kissed her tenderly. "Couldn't be," he said.
by Colleen Hillerup
There was a knock at the Summer's front door. "Darn it," Buffy exclaimed, wrapping her bathrobe around her dripping body, hair limp and wet, "I wish Dawn would remember to take her key." She flung open the door. "You!"
The tall ex-commando grinned sheepishly. "Hi Buffy," said Riley, "How are you?" He scanned her, from the top of her soggy head to the pool forming at her feet. "Did I come at a bad time?"
"No," she replied, "No, it's okay. Come in." He seemed paler, blander than she remembered. "To be honest, I never thought I'd see you again." Awkward silence. "Let me go throw something on and we can talk."
"I won't be long," he said, catching her hand in his. "There's something I need to tell you."
She looked down at his hand, down along a muscular arm covered in bites and scars. He let her go. As she looked up at his face, she paused at the further wounds at his throat. "Still living dangerously, I see," she said.
He knew what she meant, heard the pain in her voice at the memory of betrayal. "Buffy, it's not what you think. What my wife and I do in the privacy of our bedroom is our business."
******
Spike picked his gold chain off his dresser and put it in his jewellery box. "And I thought she'd like it," he said to himself. "Maybe the silver...."
"Hey, Blondie Bear," a familiar voice called.
He spun around and reached for a defensive weapon. Darn, where was that stake?
"Spikey, did you miss me? It's been so long."
"Hello, Harmony," the vampire said. "Finally come to kill me, then?"
"No, silly," she replied, waggling her left hand in his face. "Guess what? I got married."
*******
Buffy sat in the armchair, staring at her ex-lover. "How?"
"I was working in the jungle, helping overthrow an unfriendly government, when I got separated from my men. I was wandering around, looking for the platoon, when I came across this little waterfall. I swear, it was like something out of a movie. There she was in the moonlight, bathing in the stream, using the cascade like a shower. So beautiful." He paused, overcome with the memory. "Like a dream."
"But, Harmony?" Buffy asked. "Harmony? She's an idiot."
Riley stiffened with anger. "Don't call her names. You don't know her. Not like I do." He took a deep breath. "She recognized me, of course. I knew her. It was the last place you'd expect to meet an old acquaintance. Anyway, I knew what she was. She stepped from the water and took the rifle from my hands. I was ready to die. But she didn't kill me. She kissed me, Buffy. She just kissed me."
"I really don't need a play by play," Buffy said.
"I think it was because he loved you, because she lost him to you, at first. I think it was her idea of revenge." He smiled. "That lasted about ten minutes. I never really believed that he loved you, because I didn't think vampires could love. I thought they were just things. Evil things." Buffy winced. "I was so wrong," he said.
She rolled her eyes. "So you're telling me that she fell for you, and you fell for her, and the fact that you used to capture her kind and she naturally kills yours made no difference because of your love."
Riley nodded. "That's about the gist of it."
"Give me a break," she said.
*******
"Captain Cardboard?" Spike exploded with laughter. "You married that wanker?"
"He's not a wanker," she pouted, "Whatever that is. He's my big strong soldier boy and I'm his little cuddlebug."
"Oh, I'm sure." Spike sat on the edge of his bed, unable to contain his glee. "Let me guess, he gets off on having you suck his arm in the sack."
"How did you know that?" she asked. She giggled. "Yeah." Wheels turned in her cranium. "Oh, right, you caught him with those hookers. He told me. He doesn't do that anymore."
Spike's laughter abated. "He told you?"
"Of course," she said, "He tells me everything. He loves me. He's my husband." She plopped down on the bed beside him and crossed her legs. "So, how's things with you and Buffy?" She patted his hand. "I just want everyone to be happy as me."
******
"So, Spike still hanging around?" Riley asked.
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "He's... around."
"He loves you a lot. You should cut him some slack."
"What?" Buffy asked.
Riley took her hand in his. "We had a long talk before I left. Poor guy doesn't think he stands a chance with you. 'Course, I always thought he was after one thing. That was before Harmony."
"You know, Riley," Buffy answered, pulling away and crossing her arms, "Your wife's evil. She hasn't got a soul."
"Like I said, Buffy, you don't know her. I know she can't get everything she needs from me," he rubbed a scar on his arm involuntarily, "But the rest of the time she lives on cow blood. She tried pig, but it upsets her stomach. Poor baby."
Buffy shook her head. "This is ridiculous. She'll turn on you."
"No," Riley said softly. "She won't. She tried to straighten out once before, reconnect with old friends, but then she got involved with some stupid vampire self help group. Knocked her right off the wagon. When they turned on her in South America, she got frustrated. Told me she'd had enough. Told me love felt better. She really loves me. It's great."
"But..."
"And she doesn't even have a chip in her head," he continued, "Just made up her mind to do better. Don't get me wrong, I could beat Spike to a pulp for the way he treated her, but she won't let me. Says she understands now. He didn't love her. He loves you. Says she's grateful he let her go."
"But...."
"Anyway, cut him some slack, is all I'm saying. I've been wrong about a lot of things, things I was told but didn't question. I think that 'soulless vampire only do evil' thing is one of them." He headed for the door. "Got to run. I told Harm I'd pick her up at Spike's crypt. We're off to LA. She wants to visit Cordy, Angel and the baby."
"Baby...?"
He turned back and pecked her on the cheek. "Be happy, okay? Love can be great. Don't shut the door if it calls." He laughed. "Corny, I know. Comes from growing up in Iowa. Bye, Buffy."
******
"Wow," Harmony's eyes opened wide. "I never thought she'd let you do that. But she never said that she loves you?"
"Quite the contrary, pet." Spike took a swig from his whiskey bottle. "Said I was.... convenient."
"Bummer."
"So," he said, "I live in limbo. Told her I won't put up with the garbage anymore, but, truth be told, I'd like a lot more out of the relationship than being tolerated."
"Poor Blondie Bear." She gave him a hug. "She'll come around. How could she resist you? I couldn't."
He pulled away and looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve to be treated like dirt. Payback," he sighed, "Is a bitch."
They heard a voice call from the crypt entrance. "Harmony, honey, are you there?"
"Coming, Snookums," she cried. "Be there in a sec." She kissed Spike on the forehead. "Give her time. You have 'irresistible charm'."
"Yeah," he said, "Who told you that?"
"You did." She climbed up the ladder and turned one last time. "Bye, Spike. Be good."
******
Riley swept Harmony into his arms. "So, how did your visit go, little matchmaker?"
"Cool," she replied. "Of course, they'll never be as happy as we are."
He kissed her tenderly. "Couldn't be," he said.