A/N: Thanks to all have reviewed- you're wonderful :D


Xander's Basement


"I just don't get it, Will. Why the hell would she want to keep that thing?" Xander partially yelled, 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 slapped 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 gave him 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 gave her 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, we could 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?" Her mother’s look of anguish may have had an effect on her had Buffy actually had control over actions that led to her unplanned pregnancy.

"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 don’t you understand why I've decided to do this? And let’s face it mom- the life span of a slayer isn’t that long anyway. Might not get another chance on experiencing excruciating labor pains, right?" She gave her mother a small smile, trying to make a joke out of it, but they both knew the seriousness of what she said.

"Oh, sweetheart." She embraced her daughter 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!" Buffy exclaimed, squeezing her mom a little tighter.

*************

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 gave him a pointed look 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 called out cheerfully.

"Oh hi Riley. What can I do for you?"

"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 gave 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 gave him 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're 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, who wasn’t as good looking... So don't need to go there she thought pensively. It wouldn't be fair to drag him into all of this, but it was no harm in being nice.

"Okay, but just coffee, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Coffee and friendly conversation." He grinned, eager at their “date.”

**************

Back at the dorm...


"So, how'd your not-a-date go?" Willow asked.

"By far, more interesting than I ever imagined." Buffy’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"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 so. But I so don't need another failed relationship right now. Friendship or otherwise."
“But Buff, you never know. Maybe something good could of all this.” Willow’s look of hope was slowly making her resolve of solitude crumble. What she really wanted was Spike, and not be alone, or settle with some guy. But you can’t always get what you want, can you?
********


Five Months Later in Madrid...

Thoughts of William the Bloody

Sodding hell. I don't know what's wrong with me. It seems no matter how far I seem to go, I can't escape her. First it was little things. Little, highly disturbing things, mind you- like dreams about her, all the bloody time. Then one night, I made a slip up with Harmony's name, at the worst time ever. My subconscious thought it best to betray me while we were shagging... I tried to act as if it was nothing. But of course, I failed horribly.

"Oh Buffy..." I inadvertently murmured into her blond hair.

"Oh my god," she stated calmly as she pulled away from me.

"What is it?"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. I said- I said bunny. You know, a pet name like poodle or kitten or—”

"No. At first I thought it was just me. But you say her name often in your sleep. You dream about her all of the time, don't you!" She rightly accused. I distanced myself away from her by getting out of the bed.

"What are you yammerin' about? You're off your bloody nut is what you are!" I shot back.

"No, I'm not. Like every other night, I hear you moaning to yourself, and I would hear you say 'Schlayer' or what I assumed was 'Bunny,' but you've been saying Slayer and Buffy all along, haven't you?!" The bint was completely outraged.

"Well, it's not like I can control my subconscious, luv," I spat derisively.

"Pfft. Yeah, your subconscious. But you were fully awake just now, Spikey; fully conscious. You have no right. You-"

"What does it bloody matter anyway? It's just a bloody fantasy. It doesn't mean anything. You talk about other blokes all the time and I never complain."

"Maybe not, but I never slept with any of them. But that mystery girl you slept with... Buffy?"

Instead of even bothering to answer, I reached for my lighter and pack of smokes, pacing as I lit up.

"Can I say eew? God Spike! What the hell were you thinking? She's a nobody. I mean, yea she's got cool super powers, but so do I. And at least I'm a natural blond. You could do so much better," she sneered. I stared at her long and hard before replying with carefully measured words. I said them slowly (for impact and so she wouldn't miss anything).

"You know what? You're absolutely right. I can do better- a helluva lot better. Good-bye, Harm," I finished as I hastily began redressing.

"But I- Spike! I didn't mean me!" she pleaded before begging me not to leave her. It was quite pathetic, really. I would have just dusted her and put the silly bint out of her misery, but it was just so damned funny! I left all of the minions with her. What the hell did I need them for? As long as I had the Gem, I didn't need anyone or anything else... Besides, they slowed me down with the whole "no sunlight" thing.

That was three months ago and I've been wanderin' around Europe ever since, and it's only gotten worse. Being the sexy bloke that I am (don't mean to brag, but a fact is a bloody fact), I've never had a problem with women- well, in my unlife anyways. I still don't. Go to a bar and they're all over me. But they're never good enough. At first, I thought it was just some sorta insatiable appetite. But it wasn't that, it was her. And I was seein' her everywhere. The back of every long haired, blond female I envisioned to be her. As soon as they would turn around, the illusion was over. Even if I closed my eyes, the scent was all wrong, or the skin wasn’t as soft—the hands lacking her powerful strength… She’s truly irreplaceable.

And then outta nowhere, I became all noble (though I'd love to chalk up to boredom). Killing people just wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It became terribly easy. Sure I thought it was easy before but now... Here I am- Mr. Invincible, chasing after easy targets. First I tried to make it interesting by giving them head starts in running away. Then I only went after males, then body builders (which was soddin' bad idea. Most of them used steroids which totally ruined the blood). I mean, where the hell was the spot of violence? Goin’ for the easy kill was the Poofter's way, not mine. So, I began picking fights at the local demon bars. Really pissed em' off they couldn't stake me. Bloody hilarious. And even that became utterly boring. So I did the only natural, logical thing; I headed back West for a real challenge. I headed back to Sunnyhell for my Slayer.



A/N: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!