Author: Ambrosine

Title: Perfect

Summary: In the midst of heartbreak, Charlotte York finds Mr. Perfect

Spoilers: none really, you just need to have a general knowledge of both shows. This happens a little after season 6 for Spike and right after Charlotte divorced Trey.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I get nothing, I am not making money out of this, and that is that.

Monday 10:00 P.M. Charlotte York was tired, tired of her "perfect" apartment, "perfect" clothes, "perfect" life that was no longer so perfect. She was a divorced, jobless, ex-housewife with nothing better to do than walk around, admiring her "perfect" apartment, using her old wedding band as a security blanket. But Charlotte was not going to put herself through this again, not a chance. She was strong...

Tuesday 10:00 A.M. Charlotte woke up with her head pounding and a terrible nauseous feeling throughout her body. She rolled over, expecting to find her "perfect" silk pillows on her "perfect" silk queen-size bed. That was not what she found. She fingered the rough, cotton sheets wondering where in the house she had found cotton sheets and why on earth she purchased such terrible fabric. That moment, while she was pondering bed linens with a slight ache roaring through her body was when she heard it. A rough cockney accent filtering through her thoughts and echoing through the room was what she heard. She didn't recognize that voice. That very male, and all-too-close sounding voice was the reason Charlotte did not want to open her eyes

"That's right princess, you got drunk, slept with a stranger and are now here in my humble abode" His sarcastic voice cut through her thoughts and her eyes opened at the pure gall of the man.

"Why you unpleasant...filthy-" She started to rant as she looked up at him, but stopped and stared. Wow, was her only coherent thought. He was pure masculine beauty, with pale, muscular skin like marble, almost.... soulful blue eyes, and cheekbones that looked like they were cut with knives. The only thing that seemed out of place was his hair, bright, peroxide blonde hair (with emphasis on the bright). He was the most strange, exotic, lovely creature she had ever seen and that was saying a lot because she did used to work at an art gallery, after all. It appeared that she had good taste in men, even when she was drunk.

"Would you like a cigarette, love?" He asked as he pulled out a pack of Marlboro's and put one in his mouth.

Maybe not so fabulous taste, she thought.

"Ah...no thank you" She responded with an unknown look of disgust on her face.

He rolled his eyes, lighting his cigarette.

"So, ah, lovely apartment- err...." She tried to start small talk as she looked around the man's small, plain apartment while subtly hinting for his name. He clearly had a fetish for the color black. Black sheets, black walls, black curtains...

"Spike, the name's Spike" He said with a short laugh.

"Spike?" What the hell kind of a name was Spike?

"William, if you prefer" He replied mockingly, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Charlotte, I'm Charlotte York," She said as she held out her hand to shake. What she didn't expect was for him to take her hand and lightly brush his lips across her knuckles.

"Well, it is very nice to meet you, my lady" He said with a smirk as he winked up at her.

Charlotte blushed, and thought to herself: wow, was this an awkward situation.

"Would you happen to know where my clothes are?" She asked him, a faint blush still tinting her cheeks.

He, no, William, she thought, chuckled and got up to put some pants on. Her fading blush came back quickly. He had a very nice backside...........

Perhaps, she made a good choice after all.

-Several Weeks Later-

Maybe Spike had been what she had needed all along, Charlotte thought as she pulled what seemed like the hundredth cigarette out of his mouth.

"They really are bad for you, you know" She admonished him as he looked at her with a wry smile.

"Of course, pet" was his response, as it often was.

She sighed, as he pulled her into his lap and pondered him and their wonderful, albeit strange relationship. Under that entire tough guy exterior was a gentleman, a true gentleman. Sometimes she thought all he needed was a lady to suit him, that lady being she of course. He laughed when she told him her thoughts about that. Come to think of it, he laughed a lot. He usually had this knowing look in his eyes. He was so... unusual. Yes, that was definitely the word to describe him. While she loved being with him, the lovely William, he seemed to be holding back. She knew close to nothing about him. He was a chain smoker and an alcoholic- 2 habits she was trying desperately to break him of. He told her he had moved from a small town in California to here in Manhattan to "find himself" as he put it. She had no clue what that was supposed to mean, but he was very closed- lipped about it. She had asked him about his family, but all she got out of him was that they were dead. Well, no need to ask any further about that, she thought. At least, she wouldn't have to deal with any more crazy mother- in-law's like Bunny. Once was enough, thank you. Although, for some reason, she didn't think he was going to ask her to marry him. For some reason, it didn't matter. She barely knew him, but also knew she could spend eternity with him. Maybe Charlotte was a romantic, but she thought there could only be two loves in a life and this was it. The second one, she could feel it. The only problem was she couldn't get him to open up.

He had some peculiar habits, that was for sure. He refused to go out in the daylight. That was unusual. She asked him why and he said he had a rare blood disease with a smirk on his face. For some reason, she thought he was lying, but didn't approach it further. If he didn't want to go outside, that was fine, she had just bought some darker, thicker curtains. You knew it was love when you had to change the color scheme of your apartment for your hubby.

She hadn't told Carrie or the girls about him yet, for several reasons. First being she knew they would either be worried for her because Spike wasn't exactly considered her type or laugh at her for that same reason. Also, because there just seemed to be something about him she hadn't figured out yet. Charlotte wanted to get to know him better before introducing him to the girls. Or maybe, a darker side of her thought, just maybe she wanted a dirty little secret.

"What are you thinking about, princess?" He asked, holding her tight against him. She burrowed into the leather of his duster. She could smell his scent, that distinct scent he had. He smelled like...the night. His musty smell consisted of alcohol, leather, cigarettes, hair gel, and beneath all that...the night.

"You" She responded with a smile, looking up into his piercing blue eyes.

"Well, why didn't you just say so, you silly bint?" He said as he flipped her over on the couch and began kissing her.

Did she mention he was a fabulous lover? Anyways, the point is, he made her life perfect. She no longer wandered around the house with only her wedding ring for comfort. Despite some of his peculiarities, he completed her. To Charlotte, Spike was... perfect.