Buffy stood at the large department store window looking at the beautiful, billowy, white dress that was on the other side of the glass. Her hand was placed on the window, she sighed. Willow and Dawn were in the nearby store, THE PORTAL, a phenomenon of style for teens. They were probably playing with headbands of Burberry print and pins with snoopy and woodstock on them. Buffy kept staring at the beautifully detailed, embroidered, and sequined dress. She heard brief and very soft footsteps behind her, she turned around and saw...

"Riley!" Buffy blushed.

"Are you dreaming of that dress and the grandeur that comes with it?" He grinned. Buffy went up to him and playfully beat on his shirt covered chest. She finally settled for hugging him.

"Yea, I was peeking, but now you interrupted my good stare at it." Buffy joked.

"God, I haven't seen you peek at something that hard since you were fake engaged." He laughed.

"I didn't tell you the whole truth on that one, and how could I? You didn't know I was in an eerie supernatural group at that time."

"What's the truth?"

"Oh, one of Willow's spells went wrong, and well, Spike was still hissy, you know thought he was still 'the big bad' and all, in this spell Spike asked me to, well, marry him. And well, I was supposed to 'marry him' and well, thank good god that she undid it before it was too late."

"Yuck, you married to the undead, a very creepy thought." Riley grinned.

"Yep, we were making out, and once she undid the spell, ick, ick, ick, wiping off the nasty germs."

"That's good."

"You know what I just thought of?."

"What?"

"How I got the highest SAT score of all my friends, but somehow I ended up at that burger place."

"One of those unsolvable mysteries, maybe it's because you quit college."

"Hey, don't guilt me! I had a major thing going on, namely me sacrificing myself for Dawn's sake." "Okay, I accept that excuse."

"You better." Buffy smiled.

"Well, what do you say we get out of the road."

"Oh, oops, my mistake." Riley laughed and they went onto the sidewalk.

"Well, do you want to go with me to the very frightful teens' shop down the street, where Dawn and Will are?"

"Even if I'm past the teen stage?"

"Well, I'll consider that a yes." Buffy smiled softly, took his hand, and led him down the street. They entered the boutique and saw Willow spinning around in a chair that was very furry and spinny.

Willow saw Buffy and Riley dumbfounded so she said ", You know I think they were going for THE GAP, but it was taken. Dawn's in the changing room, I'll pay for it."

Dawn came out in a shirt with palm trees on it, the shirt said "My conscience took a holiday."

"Dawn, that's cute." Buffy said quietly.

"That's what Will thought." Dawn laughed. Riley smiled and laughed, looking at Buffy as if he didn't know what to say.

Soon they were back at the house. Buffy and Riley sat on the couch, they talked.

"Whenever we were in a class after you left, they talked about jungles, and I always wondered if it was the one you were in. It was like a stab in the heart at two o' clock every day."

"When someone said Bu.., I thought they were going to say your name but they were going to say but, butt, butter, or other things."

"Well, all that doesn't matter now, just that we're on the couch talking does." Buffy leaned over and nuzzled her cheek against his own.

"I missed you. Buffy, my peculiar Buffy, my cheese loving Buffy." Riley playfully put her head in a headlock.

"I missed you Riley Finn. My little goldfish, my Joe Normal, my fiancee, my commando boyfriend. I love you." She escaped the very loose headlock and giggled.

"That Joe Normal comment was very hurtful but to know that it was heartfelt makes it better." Riley blushed and grinned.

"So there's a little college boy left in there after all?"

"I guess so." He grinned softly.

"Mature, immature, and all in one guy, I do believe I've hit the lotto." Buffy laughed.

Xander walked past and saw what was going on. "Ah, the pre-marital insultation complementation ritual. Already? It took Anya and I months for that to happen."

"Oh, congrats on the wedding, sorry about Ana, though." Riley said. Xander looked at the floor.

"Riley, not the best choice of words..." Buffy looked down at her hands.

"What Buff's trying to say is well, I kinda chickened, I left it, I stood her up." Xander frowned.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Riley said embarrassed.

"No pity please, let me scrape up my dignity. Anyway, how could you have known, but, Buff told you about Anya though?"

"She told me alot."

"Anything about Spike's Buffy-Sex-Bot?"

"Whh-aaa-tt?" Riley was astounded.

"He got The Goofy Nerd Trio to make him a Buffy-Bot, like a femme bot of Dr. Evil's, it was made to look like Buffy, uncanny resemblance. Very freaky, it loved Spike, you know all over him, too much for us to handle, Buffy was out of town, she came back in time, so we wouldn't disown her for being ditzy and all over Spike 24/7."

"Goofy Nerd Trio?" Riley looked at Buffy.

"Yep, all into Trek, Star Wars, Xena, Jonathan, was one of 'em, you know short, kind of weird, alternate reality guy. Warren the leader, very gawky guy, now very dead, courtesy o' Willow, he tried to kill me, he shot me, Willow got the bullet out but she was very dark, and evil looking and acting. We found out she was that way because of Tara." Buffy looked at her feet.

"Where's the third? 'Cause I want to kick his ass!" Riley was in rage.

"Settle down, Rye, it's okay, he's using his knowledge for good now." Buffy said calmly. "Good? Like what does he do? Is he an accountant somewhere? Does he fight with Superman?" Riley joked.

"He fights with us." Buffy said quietly.

"What? His friend tried to kill you and you employ him demon hunter?"

"Riley, he never really had it out for me, it was his friend. And well, we brought him in for interrogation and he ended up working with us, even if he is a sissy." Buffy smiled but said it seriously.

"I heard that!" Andrew yelled from the basement.

"Still, Buffy, God, his crew tried to exterminate you and you let him work with you? That's insane."

"Yep, I am insane Buffy, you've already commented on that in the past." She laughed softly and went over and sat on his lap.

"Am I your cozy chair?" Riley joked.

"You're just very...., what's the word? Comfortable, warm, secure, and I love ya." Buffy turned to him and kissed him lightly. They seemed all alone, quiet, but loud, noisy, alone, as if they were the only beings in existance, though Xander sat in a nearby chair. Each of their breaths came out steadily, softly, the air went in and out, life stopped.