(O.O)

"Riley! What are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.

The young man looked surprised, but answered, "No, reason, I was just checking some stores in town. You?"

The TA stared at the jar in her hands.

"Oh! I was out shopping with my friends!" Buffy said, nodding her head towards Spike and Willow.

A frown graced her face as she noticed the fear in Spike's eyes that was there for a fraction of a second before her vampire donned a neutral look.

"Oh! Hello, Willow," Riley said to the redhead, who waved at him in response. He then turned his attention to the blonde man beside her. "And you are?"

Spike stared back at him blankly, before answering, "William," he said using a classier Giles accent, "Pleasure to meet you."

Riley frowned and continued to stare intently at the vampire. "Nice to meet you too, William," he said, offering his hand.

The vampire stared at it blankly. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with the idea of touching the taller man.

Buffy saw this and understood that Spike was avoiding Riley touching his very cold vampire skin, and immediately came to his rescue.

"Spi-I mean, William doesn't like shaking hands," Buffy said, moving in front of Spike. "It's kind of a British thing. Germs and all that," was her hurried explanation.

"Oh!" The TA pulled back his hand. "Sorry. I can understand that some cultures differ from ours," he said with a smile, that didn't quite reach his eyes. "So how do you know Buffy and Willow?"

"Oh! I met them back in their high school," was the vampire's response. This earned him another frown from the taller man.

"He knew my ex-boyfriend and we used to be in the same band together," Buffy answered with her dumb blonde tone.

This earned a smile from the vampire.

"Really?" Finn said, but it sounded like he didn't believe that one bit.

This got a rise from the Slayer.

"You don't believe me?" she asked with a challenging tone.

Fortunately, this was enough to make the TA back off.

"No-I mean, you don't seem like someone that would be in a band," he said, "Him?" Nodding at Spike. "I can see."

"It was a phase." She shrugged. "Anyway, we better get going," she said, "Nice seeing you."

She didn't give him time to respond before the blonde and her companions went on their way, leaving Riley bewildered at the meeting.

"I'm pretty sure I've seen that guy somewhere," he muttered as he intensely watched Spike, who meekly followed the two women.

Once the group was out of Riley's sight, Buffy let out a loud sigh.

"Man, I hate that guy," the Slayer said surprising her red-haired friend.

"Riley?"

"Who else?" Buffy said.

"Um, I thought you liked Riley. You know being nice, good-looking and of the normal and not undead variety," Willow reminded her.

"Please! If by normal, you mean BO-RING! The guy obviously doesn't have an ounce of fun in him. You don't look like someone that's in a band! Bah! Just cause I don't wear punk or goth clothing, it doesn't mean I can't be artistic or musically inclined," Buffy ranted.

"But you're actually not any of those things and you never really joined a band," the redhead pointed, "At least, I don't think you have-joined a band, I mean. You didn't, right?"

Buffy merely gave her an exasperated look.

"Not the point," she said to the witch.

"What I'm trying to say is that Riley doesn't have substance. I mean, the whole good boy from Iowa routine may be alright for catching goody goody farm girls and future housewives. But I'm the Slayer, I save the world all the freakin' time. I think I deserve someone more than a boring and ordinary boy next door, who will probably run away the moment they learn about my Sacred Calling or when the next vampire comes chasing us on one of our dates."

"I didn't know you feel that way," Willow said sadly.

Buffy merely shrugged. "That's cause I hid it from everyone."

"But I thought you wanted to be normal?"

"I do," Buffy agreed, "But seriously, what's normal for a Slayer? It's practically a miracle if I have one night in a week where I don't encounter a vampire or a demon or two. And if I do end up with a night off, give it 2 hours and I'll probably still be patrolling since I need my daily dose of violence."

"Daily dose of violence?"

The blonde nodded.

"I know it's weird but I have to admit that I need a spot of violence before sleep. Otherwise, I end up too hyper and ignore sleep altogether."

"Huh?"

"Maybe it's my Slayer make-up or whatever, but I don't rest unless I slay at least a couple of vampires or demons in a night," she explained to her friend.

"And because of that, you no longer want to be normal?" Willow asked, looking more and more concerned.

"Weren't you listening? I want to be normal! But I want a Slayer's standard for normal. Guys like Riley just don't meet the cut," the Slayer said irritatedly.

"Slayer's standard?"

"Yes, there's a standard for my kind of normal. I am the Slayer - Chosen One. She who hangs out a lot in cemeteries. I spend my free time either making stakes or sharpening my ax and almost every May, averting an Apocalypse or two. At the same time, I am Buffy who loves shoes, shopping, ice cream and dislikes anything with Math."

She turned to face her companions.

"With that in mind, my standard for normal is slightly skewed towards the supernatural side of things. If I can find a guy who can put up with demon goo and vampire dust on a nightly basis and respects my Calling, and still treats me like I'm the queen of his freakin' life, then he has a right to be in my life. But if not then he shouldn't even come near me."

"So Riley is a big no-no?"

"More like a major no-no. Riley is, how should I say this? Well, he's just too vanilla for me," Buffy said.

"Vanilla?"

"Too normal? Too boring? Too white bread? I don't know. Take your pick. Just remember that I'm the Slayer and I need someone extraordinary in my life," she explained.

"And Spike?" Willow couldn't help but ask.

"Well-" A blush graced her features. "He's hot, smart, and a really strong fighter. What's there not to love?" Buffy stared at Spike as she said this.

"Love?" Willow squeaked.

Buffy merely shrugged before handling the jar of Pallé to the redhead. She then approached Spike and grasped his hand.

"Okay, not love, yet. But there is definitely some attraction, right?" She stared expectantly at the vampire, who smiled and nodded shyly in response.

Willow had no idea how to respond to her friend's words and actions. She had never thought Buffy felt that way about-well everything.

In the past, her friend had always emphasized that she wanted to be normal, but she never showed any inclinations that there was a kind of normal that she liked. Aside from that, her friend who earlier that afternoon was horrified at being engaged with a certain vampire was now openly showing affection and attraction to the same vampire.

The redhead had no idea how to take in all of this. However, her friend was making goo-goo eyes at her mortal enemy and her mortal enemy was showing a positive response to her affections was the last straw for her.

It's just so wrong on so many levels. The thought came to her from out of the blue.

It's because of this stupid drug that she's acting this way. She thought angrily.

"Buffy, are you really sure that's how you feel? I mean, don't get me wrong, Spike is hot but are you so drugged up that you are forgetting who you're trying to hook up with? That's Spike for goodness sake!"

"So?"

"So? Are you seriously considering that he'd be the right person to be with? In case you've forgotten, he kinda wants to kill you, and how about what he's done in the past? Bottle in the face, ring any bells? Are you saying that you're willing to forgive him for all that and go out with him? Are you so hung up on being with another vampire that you're going to forget all the horror we've been through with Angelus?! What kind of Slayer are you?"

Willow was breathing heavily after that long rant. But she was satisfied that she was able to get it off her chest. At least until she saw the horrified and hurt expression on her friend's face.

It took a minute for her to realize that the drugged version of herself had reared its head and she actually hadn't meant to say any of those things out loud.

"Buffy, I-" she tried to say.

"No! Don't say you didn't mean it!" Cried the Slayer, "Because we all know that you meant every single word of it. Do you think that I'm a horrible Slayer for wanting to find happiness in any way I can? Fine! Then I am a bad Slayer! Fuck you, Willow Rosenberg!"

With that, Buffy ran away from her friend.

"Buffy!" Willow called out, but Slayer's speed made it impossible for her to even attempt to follow the distraught blonde.

Gosh! I really didn't mean it that way. She thought, feeling awful at what she had done and said to her friend.

"You know, Ms. Willow, you aren't as kind as I pegged you to be," Spike said, from behind and startled her.

Willow quickly turned to face the vampire and practically flinched at the unforgiving gaze he directed at her.

"Ms. Buffy has saved your life many times. She's saved all you Scoobies a time or two. She has made so many sacrifices for her Calling and you go and do that to her," he said.

"I didn't mean it that way!"

"Don't lie. You and I, both know that you meant it exactly that way. Maybe if you aren't affected by the drug, you might've worded it better, but you know deep down that was what you meant and felt about your friend moving on to another vampire," he pointed.

Willow glared at him. Her drugged state of mind took over again.

"Okay. Maybe I did mean it! But Buffy should know better than to have another Angelus in our life! It's wrong and I'm right and she should know that!"

"There are three things that are wrong in that statement."

He held three fingers in front of her.

"One, she already knows that you lot don't need another Angelus in your lives. That's why she would rather pick someone like me, who, by the way, is not Angel. I don't have a soul to lose, so I'm not likely to kill you a lot or torture you for entertainment. That's not my style."

He then held two fingers up. "Two, Buffy is her own person and if she wants to be with someone, regardless if they're good or bad for her, it's her choice and not yours and your friends'. Just because you people help her save the world on a weekly basis, does not mean that any of you have a right to decide for her, especially you, witch."

This earned a glare from the said redhead.

"Ms. Buffy didn't get on your case when you dated a werewolf or when young Mr. Harris began his sexual relationship with Ms. Anya, who is an ex-Vengeance demon. Respect is one of the foundations of friendship. If you do not respect your friend's boundaries, then you are not her friend."

Willow looked like she was about to argue with him but stopped when he held three fingers in front of her.

"And lastly, she's the Slayer. Most don't get to live more than a month from when they were Called. She's been Slaying for nearly 5 years, and do you want to know why she's still around?"

He paused and waited for Willow to answer. When the redhead did not respond, he continued; "Because she has connections in this world. Slayers are killed not because they made a mistake or because they're not good or well trained. They die because they no longer have the will to live."

He slowly approached the redhead.

"Buffy has the will to live and fight harder because she has people who are waiting for her. So the more connections she has, the longer she'll want to stay in this world. If she wants to hook up with a vampire, and that vampire wants to ensure she becomes the longest-living Slayer, then I don't see why you should get in her way."

"Is that what you want then? For Buffy to be the longest living Slayer?" Willow asked.

Spike paused and thought carefully about the question. Did he really want that for Buffy?

It didn't take long though for him to arrive at an answer.

"If I'm being honest? I think that if Buffy and I do decide to be together, I would want her to survive long enough to see grey hair and wrinkles in her face."

He stepped away from the witch and his gaze turned to the direction where Buffy had disappeared to.

"If that's not going to persuade you of my conviction, just think about it this way. I lived with Dru for over 100 years more or less, and aside from what happened in Prague, I made sure she survived this long despite her insanity and whimsical ways. I never cheated on her and I never left her no matter how many times she cheated on me."

Turned back to face the redhead again.

"Now, put all that devotion and love on Buffy, and just imagine what you'll get from me. Another fighter in your ranks and one that can actually keep up with your Slayer and her Calling and another researcher, who knows several demon and human languages and with a knack for getting his hands on hard to acquire books."

He paused again to allow Willow to take in what he'd said. He could see the wheels turn inside the witch's head.

Now to put the final nail in the coffin.

"But most of all," he continued, "Buffy gets to have someone to fill that little list she provided earlier and get to have the kind of normal she wants, maybe that would be enough to keep her in this world. Don't you think all that should be enough for you to trust her decision in choosing someone like me?"

He didn't wait for her to answer. Instead, he turned and started walking in the direction where Buffy had run to, leaving Willow to think about what he'd said.

(O.O)

Spike found Buffy in one of the old mausoleums in Rest Field. The Slayer was on the floor, her arms hugging her knees and from the smell of it, she had been crying moments earlier.

The vampire said nothing. He merely sat beside the girl, and simply accompanied her in the darkness.

Buffy had conflicting emotions when she felt the vampire enter the crypt. A great part of her, which she believed was the drugged version of herself, was happy that he hadn't left her to wallow alone. But another part of her was ashamed and guilty that she felt that way. She was the Slayer, she shouldn't feel happy that the vampire came after her.

Stupid Willow and her need to point out stupid things for me. She thought. What's wrong with wanting a little happiness for myself? What a poophead.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be happy, Ms. Buffy," Spike spoke suddenly, making her realize that she had actually said everything out loud. "If anyone has a right for happiness, I think that's you, Luv."

"Then how come Willow said all those mean things? I mean, I know I messed up with Angel, but you're not Angel. Why'd she have to go and say all those things to me?" She asked, turning her head to face him.

"Don't know, pet." He shook his head.

"But if I were to take a guess, I think it's her drugged-up part taking over. Back with Angelus, Ms. Willow had no control over what happened and while I'm not Angelus, I'm still a vampire and I guess she must have associated all the bad things that happened to her to that and not because Angel is a horrible person."

"So just because she's traumatized by Angelus that she has a right to tell me who I can and can't be with?" Anger evident in her voice.

"Of course not!" Spike answered. "No one has a right to decide for you. Your friends are entitled to an opinion but just because you made the mistake of sleeping with a psychotic pedophile, who didn't have the brains to research his curse beforehand, doesn't mean they should have a say in what you should and shouldn't do. It's your life, after all, Buffy."

"Exactly!" She agreed, standing up in the process.

"It's my life! If I want to spend what little time I have on this Earth flirting and fucking hot vampires with ambiguous evilness, then I am allowed to do it and no one should have a say in it!"

Buffy missed the surprise and panic look on the vampire's face as she said this because she started pacing.

"I'm allowed to have fun to get what I want for once. I shouldn't be judged for that, right?" She turned to face Spike again.

"I-I-huh?" Was the vampire's response.

"I lost you when I said, fucking, didn't I?" She said with a smirk.

Spike sputtered in response.

"M-m-miss Buffy!" he finally exclaimed, "That is highly inappropriate in this situation!"

This only earned a full laugh from the Slayer. It was melodic and was enough to change the atmosphere of the lonely tomb.

Normally, he'd be brassed off for being the butt of the joke. However, the hilarity of the situation was not lost to him. A vampire getting embarrassed at the mention of sex? Especially when it was a white hat like Buffy being the one who used it? Oh, how the tides had turned on them.

It didn't take long before the vampire joined with his own chuckles.

When the laughter finally died down, Buffy was feeling less shitty about what Willow had said and more accepting of the positive feelings she had for the vampire who had come after her.

"Thank you," she said to him.

The vampire returned it with a smile. "Any time, pet," was his answer.

This gave her a pause. She didn't know what that meant. Did that mean she could rely on him even when they turned back to their original selves? Did that mean he no longer wanted to kill her? Was he going to be her friend after this?

She didn't like that there were unanswered things between them, so she immediately asked the vampire.

Spike once again had contemplated the questions asked to him. But saw no reason to lie to the girl.

"I know that those cookies did a number on me, Ms. Buffy, just like it has done to everyone else. But like I explained earlier to you and Ms. Willow, we are still the same person we were before we ate them. Though I am less inclined to hurt you and everyone else, I'm still the same soulless and evil vampire you and everyone remembers."

The Slayer took a step back from the vampire. She didn't like where this was going.

However, seeing this reaction from her, Spike hurriedly explained.

"That's why, when I say to you that I'll have your back, I mean it. So even when we return to our former selves, I'm certain that I'm going to be by your side."

He smirked, which reminded her of the old Spike she knew, before he added. "At least if you'll have me when you come back to your natural pleasant self."

For the second time since this incident began, Buffy jumped him and wrapped her arms around the vampire.

"I'll have you!" She stated, "I promise. Even when we turn back to the horrible versions of ourselves, I'll still want to be your friend and maybe more!"

The vampire merely smiled at the blonde.

I didn't know she was such a hugger. He thought as he patted her back.

"How about we make this promise official?" he suggested.

Buffy looked up at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm suggesting that we make a promise to each other, so when we return to how we once were, we won't ignore that this happened and force ourselves to forget everything," he explained.

She adorably scrunched her nose as she thought about what he said and missed the endearing look he gave her.

She's so cute. He thought.

"Okay," the Slayer finally said, before moving away from his arms. She was already missing those said arms.

"Let's make it official and swear on it," she said, holding out her pinky.

"This is a pinky promise, and when you make a promise to it, it's a binding one. We're not going to be able to break it," she explained with a serious tone.

He didn't comment on how immature and childish he thought a pinky promise was because he found that it was adorable when she suggested it. So instead of arguing, he held up his pinky.

Buffy smiled brightly at him as she hooked her pinky to his.

"From this day forward, I, Buffy Summers, will continue to be Spike's friend or more even when I turn back into a bitchier version of myself," she stated.

"Same," Spike responded, "I, Spike, promise to be Buffy's friend and properly court her when I return into my charming and horrible self."

"Court?" Buffy asked, with an expectant look.

His shyness returned threefold. He pulled his hand away and rubbed the back of his neck with it.

"We-well, you kept saying that you wanted to be more than friends, s-so I thought that it would be more appropriate to start courtship than to immediately have intercourse as you mentioned. Not that I don't want to bed you! You're actually a beautiful woman and deserve so much more than a one night stand and-"

His expression became more and more agitated at the embarrassing word vomit he was doing.

"Dear Lord! Please, if I got the wrong idea, you can forget I ever said any of that!" He hurriedly said, covering his eyes with his hand.

"Oh my God! How can you be this adorable?!" Buffy said as she giggled at the vampire's babbling.

"Oi! Please don't call me adorable. It's not really manly," he implored.

Buffy merely shook her head in response and slowly grabbed his hand.

"Spike," she said, giving him an adoring look. "I already said that I like you. I think that's a big hint that I want us to go out on a date or at least court each other."

"Court each other?"

Buffy shrugged. "Well, this is the 21st century. Women are more proactive. So yeah, I want to court you too!" Her smile widened.

"That sounds oddly romantic," Spike responded with a goofy grin.

"Well, you said you like poetry earlier. So, I took a leap of faith and thought you like romantic declarations as well," she stated, looking quite proud of herself.

Spike was touched by this. No one took time to really take notice of the things he liked. The fact she remembered that tidbit from earlier meant that she paid attention to him.

This made him slowly take a step closer to the Slayer.

Buffy must have seen something in his eyes because she approached him as well.

Spike cupped a hand on her cheek and tilted her a bit so he could gain access to her lips.

"I am going to kiss you," he stated.

The Slayer smirked. "Do you really have to ask?" Before smashing her lips into his.

Intense.

That was how Buffy would describe their kiss.

She had kissed a lot of boys in the past. But none came close to the kiss she received from Spike. Not even Angel, who was the love of her life, could top Spike's lips at that moment.

It was fire, passion, and pleasure all rolled in one kiss, and she wanted more from the vampire. Her hands wandered from his face to his firm chest and began her exploration of his body.

She knew he was built. His tight clothes didn't leave much to one's imagination. But she never imagined he'd be this solid and-God! What was that he did with his tongue?!

A moan escaped her and she heard him growl in response.

They were so focused on each other that they completely missed the crypt's door opening until a pinging sound was heard followed by a loud bang and white light flooded the room.

TBC

(O.O)

And that was that! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know your insights because I enjoy reading your reviews! Thanks and see you in the next one!