A/N: I'm sorta lost on where to go next. This seemed like a fitting place for an interlude …

Minor Riley bashing. Don't read if you like him.

Another note: I hope I didn't come off as ungrateful in my last 'please-review' message. It's just become customary for me to leave one, and it seemed like a cool fact to share. I'm thankful to all my readers and reviewers who have interest in my ramblings. You guys rock!

Thanks you, BAforever (I love that you love my story, lol. thanks!), Guardian Angel4 (I agree, but you'll just have to read and see who it is ...), paige (you're the best-est for always leaving me a comment ... ; ) lol), funkydevil206 (thanks! I hope this isn't disappointing ...), soccerchic1099 (I'm glad you like it! ), and Moonjava (thanks for always reviewing my stories!), for the thoughts!

Disclaimer: I am the evil genius, Joss, and I control the characters of BtVS! Muhahahahaha! … Or I'm just a demented teen sitting at home with illusions of grandeur. I still get to borrow the characters to play with them , though … hehehe …

Rating: PG-13. Swearing, angst, violence, previously minor child abuse. You have been warned …

Pairings: B/S eventually. W/T, X/A.

Distribution: Yeah, sure, take it. Tell me first, though.

Reviews: Yup, please. It's what keeps this fic going.

Previously: Buffy has a stalker, Xander and Anya meet, and Buffy and Dawn make up …

"No. Way." Buffy voiced her disbelief.

"Yup." Willow said with solemn giggles.

"You're kidding."

"Nope." More giggles.

"I can't believe Sam actually married Riley Finn! I thought she had more sense than that!" Buffy exclaimed.

This time, there was full-out laughter from all the girls crowded on the couch. Since it was the weekend, Buffy, Anya, Willow, Tara, and Dawn had opted for an all-girls' night (unceremoniously kicking Spike out of the house), and were now pigging out on junk food, watching movies, and gossiping.

"H-he seemed like a nice guy when I met him," Tara stated, confused.

"That's because you haven't had to sit through hours of his conversation," Dawn retorted. "When he used to have a thing for Buffy, he would come around all the time, trying to 'impress' us with what he knew. Unfortunately, football's the deepest subject he's ever talked about. "

All the girls giggled at her comment.

"What else has happened?" Buffy asked, eager for more news of her high school classmates.

"Well," Willow racked her mind, "Um … Cordelia actually got an acting scholarship to somewhere."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"I still can't believe she and Xander were together for a while."

"Yeah, that sorta weirded us out, too …"

"Shh!" Dawn suddenly hushed. "I wanna hear the movie. I never get to watch Shakespeare in Love. Spike wouldn't rent it because he said it was a chick flick and watching Gwenyth Paltrow being English was depressing."

Buffy snorted. "Yeah, that sounds like him. I seen this a couple times 'cause I've always had a thing for cute guys with British accents, though."

"You mean like Spike?" Anya pipe up.

Everyone turned to Buffy curiously as her eyes widened and she began to stammer her denial, "W-what? Spike's accent? Hehe … I didn't even notice. I mean, I'm so used to hearing his voice. Nope. Absolutely no liking of Spike's accent whatsoever."

Anya was relentless, "Then why were you guys almost kissing that night in the backyard?"

Dawn's eyebrows shot up (in a way that was not unlike the guy in question), "You kissed Spike?"

"What! No, of course not!" Buffy looked like a deer in headlights, panicked by the sudden turn the evening had taken.

She didn't," Anya supported, "but she almost did."

"Do you like Spike?" Willow asked curiously, addressing Buffy.

"No! He's, like, the guy I've known for forever," Buffy protested.

"T-that doesn't m-mean you can't like him," Tara offered.

"But I don't. Really!" Buffy continued. "I love him like I would love, um … Xander."

"You can't have Xander. He's mine," Anya informed them primly.

"Oh!" Buffy grasped desperately at the change in subject. "How was your date the other night?"

If possible, everyone's eyebrows rose in synchronization. They allowed Buffy's avoidance to go unchecked, but all gave her looks that promised that the subject would come up again.

"It was great," Anya answered, humoring Buffy. "I think I may have scared him once or twice, but it seemed to go well."

"Are you guys going out again?" Willow asked.

Anya nodded happily.

"Then, as Xander's best friend, and because the poor guy's parents barely know he exists, I have to give you the obligatory 'if-you-hurt-him-you-die' speech," Willow said with her Resolve Face. She took a deep breath. "OK. If you hurt Xander, you die."

Everyone waited for more.

"Um, yeah … that's pretty much it," Willow blushed. Tara smiled encouragingly.

"Don't worry," Anya reassured. "I promise to be nice and give him lots of orgasm --"

"Eww! Minor's ears present!" Dawn cut in. Willow and Tara turned red. Buffy laughed.

" … unless he hurts me first," Anya continued thoughtfully. "Then, all bets are off."

The others shuddered at the vengeful gleam in her eyes.

"Oh! Look, she made it to the play," Dawn exclaimed.

Everyone was confused by the non sequitur, but then they realized the teen referred to the movie that was still playing.

Their attention turned back to the screen as they watched the film end and the credits roll.

"OK," Dawn announced as she popped the tape out. "What next? Horror, Comedy, or Sappiness?"

The rest of the night was filled with more gossiping, teasing, and popcorn-throwing until they all fell asleep, exhausted, in their makeshift sleeping-bag camp on the living room floor.

Just before Anya drifted off, she turned to Buffy. "So, what'cha gonna do?"

"Wha'?" Buffy asked blearily. "Do 'bout what?"

"Liking Spike," her friend answered matter-of-factly.

Buffy sat up, suddenly awake. "I do not like Spike!" she whispered furiously.

Anya stared at Buffy. "Uh-huh. Yeah, right."

"Besides, even if I do – and I'm not saying I do! - I'm just another best friend to him," Buffy reasoned. "I don't want to ruin that by trying to make more out of it."

"Buff, I'm the outsider here," Anya began, "and since I'm still getting to know everyone, I can speak with a little less bias. From what I saw of the two of you together, there was major sparkage."

"No," Buffy corrected, "that was old-friends-reunited-and-still-being-able-to-click that you saw."

Anya rolled her eyes. "I can't believe how deep you're able to go into denial-land sometimes, Buffy. I get to say 'I told you so' when you figure out that I'm right."

"Not likely," was the other blonde's answer. But she couldn't help the thoughts that filled her head as she drifted off the sleep …

I know, sorta short. Um ... reviews make my muse happy?

le faye