Practically Perfect in Every Way

Coupling: S/B..Sometime this year...

Rating: PG-13. *Flashes you all and giggles the boobies, ignoring all the horrified on lookers.*

Author: Hostile 17

Disclaimer: I felt his strong hands on my back, gently soothing out the knots caused by the stress of the upcoming series finale. These characters that we had all loved for seven years were coming to an end. Some would live, some would die. But then as he spread the massage oil on my back he said the most magic words. A cabana boy had asked him what people should do with that extra hour of free time. Then he said "Write fan fic." I will my love, I will. Now "harder, harder, oh yeah right there Joss baby." Some words were borrowed from "Intervention" written by Jane Epenson. And by borrowed I mean stole because it's not like she personally gave me permission or anything. Snooty lil . I mean . *runs away*

A/N: Now I'm writing something serious. *Glares at the people gasping about in the room* My friend Dee, the writer on ff.net and the cute lil vengeance Demon that William now has a restraining order against has been given the boot from ff.net once again. Those little whores thought that she was writing actor fic (she wasn't) and someone reported that. Instead of actually reading the thing they just trusted this person and deleted her account. I suggest you catch her stories, now under the name of Desired. She is a wonderful author and an even better person. Now that that's done..*shimmies out of clothes to reveal a may is here* let's party people.

Chapter 6

Buffy couldn't believe it. Who the hell did he think he was? All Mr. High and Mighty. Okay so she had shrugged off some research time to spend time with him. It wasn't that big of a deal right? I mean Glory didn't know who the key was, and Dawn was safe. She knew he was right though she had shrugged off her duties as a sister and a slayer to try and get some snugglies out of him. But that was why she had made the wish. To have this perfect boyfriend and now he didn't love her. How is that possible? She made her way up the stairs wondering how the wish had gone so wrong. It wasn't until she reached Dawn's door that she noticed a light coming from the inside. 'I need to talk to someone. Figure out what went wrong.' She knocked on the door before letting herself in shocked to see that not only was Dawn not up but that she was also glowing. Quickly forgetting everything else that had happened that night she ran to her sister's side to see if she was okay. After seeing that she was sleeping peacefully she went into her mom's room and woke her up.

Buffy had decided no matter how much she hated Spike at the moment for being so cruel to her that she needed his help. He was the only on that could keep Dawn and her mom safe. He was the strongest. Dawn had freaked out of course when had woken up. It's not everyday that she glowed like night light. They had quickly grabbed clothes and headed towards William's place. Her thoughts raced as she tried to figure out what to tell him, how to ask him, without the hurt and anger of rejection betraying her in her voice. When they arrived Buffy was surprised to see that he hadn't come home yet, she was happy however when she found his door unlocked and let herself in, Joyce and Dawn following timidly behind.

"I'm going to go find Spike and tell him what has happened. I don't know why you're glowing but I have a feeling that it has something to do with Glory. Stay here and do not leave. Lock the door behind me and don't let anyone in. Unless it's William. But you wouldn't have to let him in because he owns this place. Mr. High and mighty owns this place, asshole." When she noticed Dawn and Joyce giving her looks of confusion she shut herself up. "Stay here and don't leave."

When she had finally gotten the courage to leave her mom and sister she made her way back to the house. Once again thinking of William's words to her. She was astounded at the idea that he might not love her anymore. Sure he was mad at her for shirking responsibilities but he couldn't have just fallen out of love. Could he? She began to think back to Spike. The way he would look at her like he would never hurt her, except that whole time they were enemies, but that didn't count. She wondered why she was so afraid of falling for him. Was it her friend's reaction that she was afraid of? Giles? Her mom? Why had she made the wish to begin with? This Spike was so well not Spike. Lost in her thoughts she tripped when her shoes had tangled with something on the ground.

A coat. A familiar coat. One that she had been wearing no longer than thirty minutes before. Bile began to rise in her throat and a panic began to take over. William had been attacked. She had felt this way when Dawn was glowing and now it was magnified at the fact that William was now missing or dead sans coat. Almost sprinting from where she was she ran to her house and called Willow.

"Willow he's missing?" Buffy said, panic betraying her calm exterior when Willow finally arrived.

"Who? Buffy where is everyone?"

"Spike, uh, I mean William he's missing. He and I got into a fight and he left and then he , he ..Willow I don't know what to do. He's gone and he can't protect Dawn if he's dead."

"What happened to Dawn, Buffy?

"She's glowing. And not in that pregnant or post sex way, she's literally glowing. I think Glory did something so that she could see her for what she is. I took her and mom to William's and he wasn't there. I wasn't too worried until I tripped on this." She explained holding up the torn jacket. "They're safe but he's not. I need you to do a locater spell. Can you?

"Sure Buffy." Willow left and quickly came back with the needed materials. She tried the spell only to be dismayed that it wasn't working. She couldn't find him anywhere. It would locate him if he was injured or dead but nothing was showing up. "Uh, Buffy I'm having a slight problem."

"How do you mean? What kinda problem? Is he dead? Oh God I got him killed didn't I? I made that stupid wish and now he's dead." She kept rambling not noticing Willow's reaction. "I mean how could I have been so stupid. Why didn't I.." What's the matter Will?"

"What do you mean you made a wish and now he's dead? Did you make a wish Buffy?"

"I, uh, yeah I did. But it was just a little one."

"Buffy if he's not real he's not going to show up by doing this spell. What did you wish for?" Willow said a frown appearing on her face and a fire in her eyes that would only get brighter with every word that Buffy spoke.

Buffy couldn't hold it in anymore. She explained to Willow how she had met Desire and how Desire had offered to grant a wish. She just wanted to have the perfect guy and she thought Spike/ William was it. She had made changes, like the human thing and ended up here where everything was just perfect. Her friends loved him and so did she. Then she explained how the spell had gone wrong and that instead of him being all perfect that he was mad at her and didn't love her which isn't right. Everything was wrong and now William was missing.

"You made a wish to change someone you obviously already loved? Why would you do that Buffy?"

"Because, because I don't know. You guys would have freaked if I bean going out with another vampire. I didn't want that again. I just wanted a normal boyfriend."

"So instead of coming to us you decided to change our memories, our world just so you would be happy? That's so selfish Buffy what were you thinking? You could have come to us. We would have understood eventually." Willow put her head in her hands as memories from the other world began to flood her brain. Spike crashing parent teacher night with a gang of vampires. Spike kidnapping her and Xander, Spike getting the chip and trying to attack her. Spike helping the gang out, helping Dawn and Buffy. Everything was overlapping with what she thought were her real memories. Them having lunch out in the sun, William comforting her when she realized that she had feelings for Tara but was still afraid to admit it. William helping her out with her spells. She could feel the tears forming in back of her eyelids. It wasn't real. None of it was real. Standing up she headed towards the door to angry to look at her friend.

"Willow where are you going? Aren't you going to help me?"

Willow looked and Buffy and then the jacket. She knew she had to finish the spell but the temptation to leave her without a way to get to this man she had falsified was just as powerful. She could see that Buffy felt bad about the wish but only because it hadn't worked out the way she had planned. But she couldn't do that to William. Real or not he was her friend and she loved him. With a wave of her hand she said the spell needed for someone who wasn't there. "Riveli che cosa io cercano, riveli quello, quello non `e reale." (Reveal what I seek, reveal that, that is not real.) They both watched as the map began to light up and then dim down. Leaving two dots, one at Spike's apartment and one across town. Buffy ran to the map studying the quickest way to get there. She didn't notice that Willow had left until she heard the slam of the door.

After calling and leaving Willow a message asking her not to tell anyone about the wish she set out to find William. She approached the mansion with caution. Buffy had seen this place before, the snake had been going there. Or at least in that direction. If Glory happened to be the one kidnapping him she didn't know how they were going to get out alive. Silently praying she entered the house, surprised to find it unguarded. She walked around looking for signs of life when she heard yelling upstairs. Rapidly finding the stairs she made her way up to the next floor.

William woke up to find himself chained up and standing in front of the hell goddess known as Glory. She was a pretty thing he would give her that much. Would probably shag her if she wasn't all evil and out to end the world. 'Some people find that appalling.' His mind mentally smirked thinking back to Buffy when Angelus and his whore Drusilla tried to unleash Acathla. Sure she had killed Angelus, but she had refused to give up hope when her old honey was tryin to end life as they knew it. He closed his eyes and shook the thought from his head as others began to enter. Buffy loving him for one. Did the chit lose her mind? He barely even liked her. He was tolerating her because of her friends, because she was the slayer and helped save the world. He thought that was how they had both felt. Sure they had been getting along recently but he thought it was just for Dawn's sake. Buffy's sister had instantly taken a liking to him when they had first met and he was practically her big brother. It had been hard on her when she saw Buffy and William fight, scowl or just plain ignored each other. He thought that she was coming around to ease Dawn's worries. To show they were a united front in defeating Glory. He opened his eyes to see Glory studying him.

"So you're my Key? Aren't you a hottie? All with the cheekbones and lean muscled body. If you weren't so important I would fuck your brains out before killing you. But you're pure and I wouldn't want to ruin my day by getting my rocks off now would gorgeous." She said pinching his cheek in a demeaning manner.

'Shit! The bitch thinks I'm the key. Breathe, breathe.' His face remained calm but his mind was trying to figure out how to escape. He knew that eventually that he wasn't the key. And then she'd kill him, but not before she brain sucked him to find out who the key really was. He looked at her as she went back to the couch and began to look at her ankles.

"Do you think my ankles are fat?" She asked.

"No of course not oh splendorous one. Nothing could make your striking ankles look fat or even bloated." One of her minions said as soon as the question left her mouth.

"I wasn't asking you, you hideous thing. I was asking my baby. The Key. What do you think?" She asked, giving him the once over then waiting for an answer.

"Your ankles are fine. It's your ass that could use some work." He said knowing that if she just killed him first that she wouldn't find out who the key was from him.

It worked and she came flying towards him. "What did you say?"

"Your ass it could use some work." She punched him, it hurt but he continued. "Even the slayer has a better ass than you and mark my words. She is going to kick yours. You cheap whorish goddess with the fashion sense of a tree are going to die at the slayers hand. He didn't even see the second or the third punch, but they were hard enough to send him flying into the back wall and free him from his restraints. When he looked up she could see that she was confused about why her key would want to be killed. Then he saw the realization hit her. He wasn't the key, and now he would die because if it.

"You tricked me. You tricked me into thinking you were the key. Why would you do that?"

"Sod off whore." Was his answer, he smiled when she raised her fist again. She then thought better of it. This frightened him.

"You know I'm hungry. I could just kill you true, but sucking out your brains just sounds like so much more fun. Don't you think?" She asked, looking at him like she thought he'd agree. He tensed when she began to massage his head, preparing to do her worst when he heard the voice of an angel. Well not so much an angel but a Slayer.

"Get away from him."

"Oh yay the blonde back to rescue her boyfriend."

"I'm not her boyfriend."

Buffy ignored the comment and kept her eyes on Glory. "You want the key you are going to have to go through me. You leave William out of this. It isn't his fight." It was then that she finally looked at him. The blood on his lips slowly falling onto his shirt, the eye that she knew would be swollen shut in a few hours and the shortness of his breath told her that Glory had broken some of his ribs. She held her gasp in, as to not show fear to the bitch now standing in front of her. "You'll pay for this." She said motioning to William who had passed out.

It was Buffy that threw the first punch, and the second. The anger and frustration she had felt at being the slayer, at William not loving her, at having to give up everything that was normal, she took out on Glory. They pounded into each other not caring if they themselves were hurting. Round house kick there, a bitch slap here and all was good in Buffy's world. She never noticed herself getting tired. Never noticed that Glory was in fact winning the fight. She just wanted it over. Her feet left the ground at Glory's last punch and her head it the floor with a sickening sound. She never heard it though. Consciousness had left her the moment she went flying.

**Two Days later**

Buffy awoke to find herself in a hospital. Surrounded by friends and family once again. Her head was killing her and she felt a slight pain in her arm. She heard muffled voices of "She's awake and get the doctor." The look of concern on their faces was enough to tell her that the last beating had been pretty bad.

"What happened? How did I get here?" She remembered the fight but nothing after that. 'William.' "Where's William? Where is he?" Her voice panicked and somewhat hoarse from not having spoken or eaten in the last few days.

"He went to get the doctor honey. He'll be right back. As for what happened and how you got here, I'm going to let William tell you that." Her mother gently brushed Buffy's hair away from her face and then stood up telling everyone that they should give Buffy some privacy. She looked at them silently thanking them for being there when she noticed that Willow wasn't one of them. 'Did she go with William to get the doctor?'

It was then that both her doctor and William walked, both with relieved faces at seeing that she was actually awake and seeming fine in the health department. He performed the usual tests, by using the usual room temperature equipment, in effect giving her shivers when he moved it all over her back. Once he had finished he told her the discharge nurse would be in to give her instructions on out patient care and left William and her alone.

"How did I get here? How are you? How did we get out of there alive?" She had so many questions but he stopped her at the third one.

"I am fine. Couple broken ribs, my eye is opening and I am alive. I'm good. We got out of there thanks to a man that happened to be passing buy that heard the commotion and came in to help. When I came to he was pacing, on the phone with 911. He told them that it looked like there had been a pretty horrific fight. He kept checking to see if you had a pulse, and once he saw that I was awake he helped me. Buffy it was looking bad for awhile. We couldn't find a pulse, for a minute there. I was worried." There was genuine concern in his voice when he said he had been worried, hell he had been scared. They may not get along, and fight all the time but somewhere in him did care about the girl he was taking to.

"William you could have gotten yourself killed. What were you thinking?" She said, her eyes probing his as if they would answer why he seemed to have a death wish that night.

"Without his consent tears seemed to have formed in his eyes. "Buffy, I know that if anything ever happened to Dawn that it would destroy you. You and your mum. I couldn't live with you being in that much pain. Let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did."

She clasped his hand, tears forming in her own eyes. "Thank you. You don't know what it means to me for you to do that. For you to be willing to die for my sister, I just, thank you." She slid into his arms finally letting the sobs she had been holding in partly due to him come out.

They held each other for what seemed like hours but Buffy knew to be only minutes. Each finding comfort with each other because of what they had experienced. He finally broke the release somewhat so that he could look at her. He had never seen her so frail, so vulnerable. She looked at him, a longing in her eyes that was evident when she told him she loved him. He knew it was wrong, but he felt that this once he could break the rules. He leaned in slowly and brushed his lips against hers.

She felt his lips brush against hers and almost moaned at the contact. A little for the pain because her lip was split, but most from the contact. He was kissing her. He parted his lips and she took that as an invitation in but was surprised when he pulled back.

"Buffy I heard what you said before I passed out. I know that you were there as much as to save me as you were to save Dawn. Thank you. What you did for me, is the most unselfish thing I have seen you do in a long time. I was wrong, you are better than I thought. What you did for me was. real. It takes a person with a heart so full of love to be willing to give themselves up like that." He stood up, kissed her forehead and walked towards the door. "I won't forget it."

Buffy spent the remainder of the day filling out paper work and going over her medications dosage and everything unimportant to someone who was going to heal in a matter of hours. He r mind kept flashing back to the kiss and she would regularly touch her lips at the memory. Which of course brought on the pain. 'Stupid split lip.' She was about to make her exit when William stopped her.

"I would like you to meet the man that saved us."

He turned her around to see the man that was responsible for both of them still being of this earth. She took in his all American good looks, his smile that showed he could be trusted, and his brown hair that seemed quite soft in the harsh hospital lights. She extended her hand and thanked him.

"Hi, I'm Buffy."

"Hi, I'm Ben."