Xander's Basement
"I just don't get it, Will. Why the hell would she want to keep that thing?!" Xander said outraged.
"Xander, it's not that simple. It never is." Willow said in attempt to calm him down from his thirty-one minute and, oh forty-two second rant.
"Yeah, I get that, except that it's half demon. She said it herself."
"Yes, but you forgot that it's, the baby, I mean, is half hers. Xander, we're her best friends. She needs us; our support and our love. And hey, Mr. Big Hypocrite!" she exclaimed while swatting him on the arm.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Stop being such a baby. How can either of us judge her? Especially you. How quickly we forget indeed. I've dated a robot demon and a werewolf, and your track record consists of Anya, the former 1120 year old vengeance demon, praying mantis lady, a mummy girl and a Cordelia. So how bout you just back off, buster." Willow said with her infamous resolve face. Xander allowed the info to marinate in his brain. Then a cloud of guilt covered his face ad he exhaled deeply.
"Yeah. Point taken. Besides, we always said there would never be normal relationships for us on a hellmouth. I promise to stop being an ass." he said with a wan smile.
"Well good, cause I would've hated to put a spell on you. You know, again. Hey, maybe in a few months, let's throw her a baby shower or something."
"Yeah, it would be a party and parties are always fun. Well, except when it's one of Buffy's..."
"Yeah, yeah... but hey! This time it'll be majorly different. No demon parts or raising the dead masks are gonna stop us."
"I sure hope so, Will."
1630 Revello Drive
"Buffy, how could you be so irresponsible?"
"It's not like I knew, mom. Besides, I wasn't exactly myself. Remember: mind altering beer?"
"But sweetheart, you can do something about it before this gets out of hand." Joyce said in a placating tone.
"God, haven't you been listening? I will not kill my own child. Come to think of it, I'm glad it's Spike's. I'd probably kill myself if it was Parker's."
"Don't talk like that young lady. You know you don't mean it. But what about school, your slayer duties, your life? Why do you insist on throwing it away?"
"I'm not. Mom, look, I just couldn't- I won't kill my own child. Would you?" *Well, except that one time with the whole burning me at the stake.*
As if reading her daughter's thoughts, she replied, " In my right mind, of course not."
"Then you don understand why I've decided to do this?"
"Oh, sweetheart." she said as she embraced her in a hug.
"If you ever need anything..."
"I know. Well, actually, I was wondering if in oh, say a few months, if I could, ya know, move back in?" she asked timidly.
"I was hoping you would say that. It's too quiet here without you anyway. I think it's for the best."
"Oh, thank god!"
*********************
UC Sunnydale- Lunch Hall
"So, why don't you just ask her out already." Forrest said.
"What? Who are you talking about?" Riley asked, quite perplexed.
"Oh come on man. It's so obvious. We all know you've got the hots for Buffy Summers." he said with a devilish grin, swallowing another spoonful of cheerios.
"Yeah man. You ogle her like all the time and talk about how 'peculiar' she is." Graham added.
"Well, maybe. But she's spoken for." Riley said ruefully.
"No she isn't. She's all alone and ripe for the picking." Forrest countered.
"How do you know? What about the bleached haired guy?"
"You mean the one that was hell bent on protecting her chastity? Oh he's long gone, man. Haven't you seen the forlorn look in her eyes?" Forrest asked.
"No."
"Riley man, you don't have a clue, do you? None of us have seen him in awhile, meaning he is out of the picture." Graham said.
"Besides, what do you got to lose? The worst that could happen is she says no. But then, you'd be in the exact same position you're in now. Alone." Forrest said as he rose from his seat.
"So, what's it gonna be Finn?"
"It's just, she's probably looking for Joe Normal."
"And you're not him, Mr. Iowa?" Forrest asked incredulously.
"Fine. Affirmative in requesting a date to one Buffy Summers." Riley said with finality.
************* Later at the Library
"Willow, hey!" Riley said cheerfully.
"Oh hi Riley. What can I do for you?"
" Oh, I just wanted to see how you were and all. Sorry about your breakup." he said sympathetically.
"Oh, thanks. I'm dealing fine." she replied nonchalantly.
"Say, I was wondering that if you weren't busy, maybe we could-"
"Riley, sorry but, you're nice and all, but it's just too soon."
"What? Oh, no I just wanted to talk to you about something. Someone, actually, not that going out with you wouldn't be nice too." he said with a nervous chuckle.
"Oh. That's okay. Sorry about the mix up." she said as he took the empty seat next to her.
"Well, I figured if anyone would know her better, it'd be you. The only thing I know she likes is you, so I figured..."
"Buffy, oh Riley..." Willow thought about it for a moment. *Maybe a date with a seemingly nice safe guy like Riley would be good for her. Or maybe she would want to be alone. Too soon and all. Or, how about this Rosenberg- she decides for herself?*
"Well, I honestly don't know what she'd say Riley. She's going through a trying time right now."
"Has she ever talked bout me?" he asked eagerly.
"Sorry." she said with a kind, yet pitying look on her face.
"That's okay. I'll just have to make myself noticeable."
"Yeah, that's the spirit. Just have a nice, friendly chat with her."
"Can you tell me what she likes? Maybe help me strike up a conversation?"
"Umm... there's cheese, figure skating- though in a non ironic way, and she has a stuffed piggy named Mr. Gordo that she's had since she was a little kid.
"Uh huh. Not very much to go on."
"Well, the rest if for you to find out, my friend."
************* In the Quad...
"I don't know Riley. There's lots of things going on in my life, and I think that-"
"Just a coffee or something. Nothing serious." Once he found out her little secret, she knew it would definitely be nothing serious. He was nice and all, but kinda like a really boring Angel... So don't need to go there she thought pensively. It wouldn't be fair to drag hi into all of this, but it was no harm in being nice.
"Okay, but just coffee, okay?"
"Yeah, sure. Coffee and friendly conversation."
************** Back at the dorm...
"So, how'd your not-a-date go?" Willow asked.
"By far, more interesting than I ever imagined." Buffy said sarcastically.
"That bad, huh?"
"Ugh. Worse. I mean, he's nice enough, but for the first fifteen minutes he babbled on about cheese and get this- figure skating. Totally weird."
Willow's eyes grew, but she remained silent.
"You should still give him chance though. I mean as a friend. Friends are always a good thing, right?"
"Guess not. But I so don't need another failed relationship right now."
Ugh, it hurt my brain with all that talk about Riley. But I need him as a pivotal point later on. Hope ya understand, and comments please!
Jill
The next to chapters or so will be told in POVs. I figured it would be easier to tell what happened, considering we've all seen season four, and who wants to rehash all of that? Right, so I'll throw in what happened in actuality, and changing how I see fit. And oh, the return of Spike (to Sunnydale) is imminent!! Not now, but soon. But at least he has his own chapter, right?
"I just don't get it, Will. Why the hell would she want to keep that thing?!" Xander said outraged.
"Xander, it's not that simple. It never is." Willow said in attempt to calm him down from his thirty-one minute and, oh forty-two second rant.
"Yeah, I get that, except that it's half demon. She said it herself."
"Yes, but you forgot that it's, the baby, I mean, is half hers. Xander, we're her best friends. She needs us; our support and our love. And hey, Mr. Big Hypocrite!" she exclaimed while swatting him on the arm.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Stop being such a baby. How can either of us judge her? Especially you. How quickly we forget indeed. I've dated a robot demon and a werewolf, and your track record consists of Anya, the former 1120 year old vengeance demon, praying mantis lady, a mummy girl and a Cordelia. So how bout you just back off, buster." Willow said with her infamous resolve face. Xander allowed the info to marinate in his brain. Then a cloud of guilt covered his face ad he exhaled deeply.
"Yeah. Point taken. Besides, we always said there would never be normal relationships for us on a hellmouth. I promise to stop being an ass." he said with a wan smile.
"Well good, cause I would've hated to put a spell on you. You know, again. Hey, maybe in a few months, let's throw her a baby shower or something."
"Yeah, it would be a party and parties are always fun. Well, except when it's one of Buffy's..."
"Yeah, yeah... but hey! This time it'll be majorly different. No demon parts or raising the dead masks are gonna stop us."
"I sure hope so, Will."
1630 Revello Drive
"Buffy, how could you be so irresponsible?"
"It's not like I knew, mom. Besides, I wasn't exactly myself. Remember: mind altering beer?"
"But sweetheart, you can do something about it before this gets out of hand." Joyce said in a placating tone.
"God, haven't you been listening? I will not kill my own child. Come to think of it, I'm glad it's Spike's. I'd probably kill myself if it was Parker's."
"Don't talk like that young lady. You know you don't mean it. But what about school, your slayer duties, your life? Why do you insist on throwing it away?"
"I'm not. Mom, look, I just couldn't- I won't kill my own child. Would you?" *Well, except that one time with the whole burning me at the stake.*
As if reading her daughter's thoughts, she replied, " In my right mind, of course not."
"Then you don understand why I've decided to do this?"
"Oh, sweetheart." she said as she embraced her in a hug.
"If you ever need anything..."
"I know. Well, actually, I was wondering if in oh, say a few months, if I could, ya know, move back in?" she asked timidly.
"I was hoping you would say that. It's too quiet here without you anyway. I think it's for the best."
"Oh, thank god!"
*********************
UC Sunnydale- Lunch Hall
"So, why don't you just ask her out already." Forrest said.
"What? Who are you talking about?" Riley asked, quite perplexed.
"Oh come on man. It's so obvious. We all know you've got the hots for Buffy Summers." he said with a devilish grin, swallowing another spoonful of cheerios.
"Yeah man. You ogle her like all the time and talk about how 'peculiar' she is." Graham added.
"Well, maybe. But she's spoken for." Riley said ruefully.
"No she isn't. She's all alone and ripe for the picking." Forrest countered.
"How do you know? What about the bleached haired guy?"
"You mean the one that was hell bent on protecting her chastity? Oh he's long gone, man. Haven't you seen the forlorn look in her eyes?" Forrest asked.
"No."
"Riley man, you don't have a clue, do you? None of us have seen him in awhile, meaning he is out of the picture." Graham said.
"Besides, what do you got to lose? The worst that could happen is she says no. But then, you'd be in the exact same position you're in now. Alone." Forrest said as he rose from his seat.
"So, what's it gonna be Finn?"
"It's just, she's probably looking for Joe Normal."
"And you're not him, Mr. Iowa?" Forrest asked incredulously.
"Fine. Affirmative in requesting a date to one Buffy Summers." Riley said with finality.
************* Later at the Library
"Willow, hey!" Riley said cheerfully.
"Oh hi Riley. What can I do for you?"
" Oh, I just wanted to see how you were and all. Sorry about your breakup." he said sympathetically.
"Oh, thanks. I'm dealing fine." she replied nonchalantly.
"Say, I was wondering that if you weren't busy, maybe we could-"
"Riley, sorry but, you're nice and all, but it's just too soon."
"What? Oh, no I just wanted to talk to you about something. Someone, actually, not that going out with you wouldn't be nice too." he said with a nervous chuckle.
"Oh. That's okay. Sorry about the mix up." she said as he took the empty seat next to her.
"Well, I figured if anyone would know her better, it'd be you. The only thing I know she likes is you, so I figured..."
"Buffy, oh Riley..." Willow thought about it for a moment. *Maybe a date with a seemingly nice safe guy like Riley would be good for her. Or maybe she would want to be alone. Too soon and all. Or, how about this Rosenberg- she decides for herself?*
"Well, I honestly don't know what she'd say Riley. She's going through a trying time right now."
"Has she ever talked bout me?" he asked eagerly.
"Sorry." she said with a kind, yet pitying look on her face.
"That's okay. I'll just have to make myself noticeable."
"Yeah, that's the spirit. Just have a nice, friendly chat with her."
"Can you tell me what she likes? Maybe help me strike up a conversation?"
"Umm... there's cheese, figure skating- though in a non ironic way, and she has a stuffed piggy named Mr. Gordo that she's had since she was a little kid.
"Uh huh. Not very much to go on."
"Well, the rest if for you to find out, my friend."
************* In the Quad...
"I don't know Riley. There's lots of things going on in my life, and I think that-"
"Just a coffee or something. Nothing serious." Once he found out her little secret, she knew it would definitely be nothing serious. He was nice and all, but kinda like a really boring Angel... So don't need to go there she thought pensively. It wouldn't be fair to drag hi into all of this, but it was no harm in being nice.
"Okay, but just coffee, okay?"
"Yeah, sure. Coffee and friendly conversation."
************** Back at the dorm...
"So, how'd your not-a-date go?" Willow asked.
"By far, more interesting than I ever imagined." Buffy said sarcastically.
"That bad, huh?"
"Ugh. Worse. I mean, he's nice enough, but for the first fifteen minutes he babbled on about cheese and get this- figure skating. Totally weird."
Willow's eyes grew, but she remained silent.
"You should still give him chance though. I mean as a friend. Friends are always a good thing, right?"
"Guess not. But I so don't need another failed relationship right now."
Ugh, it hurt my brain with all that talk about Riley. But I need him as a pivotal point later on. Hope ya understand, and comments please!
Jill
The next to chapters or so will be told in POVs. I figured it would be easier to tell what happened, considering we've all seen season four, and who wants to rehash all of that? Right, so I'll throw in what happened in actuality, and changing how I see fit. And oh, the return of Spike (to Sunnydale) is imminent!! Not now, but soon. But at least he has his own chapter, right?