He couldn’t stop thinking about what he had witnessed – Buffy and Spike’s kiss. The image haunted him in his sleep, torturing him, and when he was awake, things weren’t much better. Everywhere he went, he saw them together, entwined passionately. The sight was seared into his memory and nothing he did could remove it. No matter how hard he tried, there was no way to stop himself from thinking about it either. He desperately tried to think of anything else but it would take only minutes for the thoughts of them together to return.
Questions raced through his mind: was Buffy in love with Spike? Were they together already, but had just been hiding it? Did anyone else know?

He needed a distraction and it soon came in the form of a news story about a security guard frozen solid at the local museum. It was a poor distraction, but he took it, gladly preparing himself and making his way out into the town. Even as he walked though, he saw Buffy and Spike together with every step. He would close his eyes to try and force the image away, but it only seemed to make it clearer. His imagination was running wild too, making things worse: he saw them smiling, laughing together; saw Buffy sitting in the vampire’s lap, smiling down at him lovingly. And at the end it always came back to that one scene: their kiss in the cemetery.



He shook his head angrily and sped up his steps, hoping to reach the museum that much sooner and distract himself. As he drew closer, the sounds of the crowd started to reach him and as he rounded the final corner, he saw the hoards of curious Sunnydale residents. Rolling his eyes, he moved forward, reaching the fringes of the crowd moments later. Several police officers were moving about just past the tape and he saw a few stationed at the door of the museum.

Taking a quick look to the side of the museum, he moved away from the group and slipped around the side of the building. It was quiet here and he kept walking, searching for – well, he didn’t really know what. He turned the next corner and walked around the back, listening out for anyone as he continued, surveying the building and its entrances. He hadn’t seen any signs of a break-in as yet. He rounded the next corner but quickly slipped back behind it as he heard raised voices. Familiar raised voices.

Pressing his back against the wall, he peeked around, watching on with interest as Buffy and Spike had a heated conversation. They were obviously trying to keep quiet but every now and then, an angry remark would come out louder.

“You don’t get it!” Buffy remarked.

Spike caught her arm but she shook him off. He said something in a low hiss – Riley couldn’t hear what – and caught her arm again. Reacting just as he might have expected, Buffy lashed out with a right hook that made the vampire stumble backwards. Spike retaliated with his own punch and fell to his knees moments later, clutching his head in agony. Buffy gave him an angry look and stormed away towards Riley.

He pushed himself back against the wall, hiding as she strode past and disappeared between the buildings. He glanced back at Spike, who remained on the ground, and after a moment’s hesitation, he went after Buffy.



As he came out into Main Street, he thought he had lost her, but he caught a glimpse of her just ahead of him and broke into a jog. He reached her side and took a moment to take in her crossed arms and frown.

“Hi.”

She turned to him with surprise, obviously jolted out of her thoughts.

“Oh, Riley, hi!”

“How’s it going?”

“Huh?” she asked distractedly, “Oh, yeah. Good.”

She turned her gaze back to the ground, her mind obviously elsewhere.

“You okay? You seem a little distracted.”

“Me? No, I’m… I’m good.”

She glanced up at him and looked away with a tiny smile.

“Did you hear about the frosted security guard?” he asked, hoping to draw her out of her reverie.

“Oh… yeah. I was… I just went there.”

“Did you find anything?”

She frowned and tightened her arms across her chest ever so slightly.

“No.”

“Do you think it’s supernatural? Or just plain old crime?” he joked.

“I don’t know,” she answered seriously, lost in her own thoughts once more.

She came to a halt a moment later and glanced back along the street.

“Look, I’m sorry, I really need to go.”

“Sure.”

She gave him a half smile and turned on her heel, heading back the way she had come.



He watched her go and turned towards home, not knowing what to think of the night’s events: the image of their kiss had been distorted by the argument he had seen. It confused everything that had been running through his head. Had that kiss been simply nothing? A mistake, perhaps? Had it been just a reaction to the shock of losing their memories and regaining them once more? He could not tell, but Buffy had not seemed happy about the situation when he had just seen her and although he hated himself for his pettiness, he couldn’t help holding onto that one thought, that one ray of hope. Maybe it had meant nothing and there was still a chance that Buffy could be his.

Even as he thought this, he shook his head, ashamed at his own notion. He had to stop holding out for that one in a million chance, or he would end up even more broken-hearted than before. He couldn’t keep hoping that one day Buffy would turn around and be the girl she had once been. So much had changed – for both of them – and the more he thought about it, the less he was convinced that they could still be happy together. Even if the idea pained him.



Buffy may not be happy, but he had no doubt of what Spike’s reaction had been; the vampire had been in love with Buffy for too long not to relish the moment they had shared, however fleeting or meaningless it may have been. It was the one thing he had been hoping for for months now. But he had been rebuffed back at the museum, sent away with a punch and harsh words, no doubt. Surprising himself, he couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for the vampire, who he saw now had changed mostly for Buffy, whether he realised it or not.

It was true that the chip had stopped him from feeding, but Buffy had brought him over to their side. If not for his love for her, which Riley now thought must have started further back than he had imagined, he would be the same, dangerous monster – with a leash. He had changed though and now everything he wanted was within his reach. It must have been intoxicating.

Needing to know if he was right, Riley turned his aimless steps in a new direction, headed for the vampire’s home. He wanted to see how the vampire was dealing with this, and if Buffy’s earlier harshness had hit its mark. Knowing Spike, he doubted it very much.



He reached the cemetery in no time and made his way to Spike’s crypt. He knocked briefly and pushed the door open, letting himself in. He was barely two steps inside when he spotted Spike pacing the floor, mumbling to himself. He turned as Riley entered and his eyes lit up.

“You!”

He took a few quick strides forward and before Riley could say anything, he let loose with a fierce punch to the nose. Riley reared back with a cry and Spike did the same almost instantly. Blinking away the pain, Riley righted himself and frowned at the vampire, holding his nose.

“What was that for?”

Spike straightened but instead of answering, he began to laugh.

“Spike?”

The vampire was laughing fitfully now, shaking his head.

“Spike?” he repeated more forcefully.

“It’s her!” Spike crowed around a laugh.

“What do you mean, ‘it’s her’?”

After several moments, the vampire managed to calm himself, although a smirk now settled across his expression.

“Should have known. She’s different, ‘course.”

He let out another laugh and Riley frowned in confusion.

“Spike, what’s going on?”

The vampire met his eyes with an ever-growing smirk.

“Chip’s broken.”



He couldn’t stop the instinctive reaction to step backwards and Spike laughed again.

“Well, obviously it works on you, you idiot.”

“Works on me?” he repeated slowly, “Are you trying to say it doesn’t work on someone else?”

“You got it, Soldier Boy!” Spike exclaimed, pointing at him and letting out another laugh.

“Spike, who doesn’t it work on?” he asked, starting to get impatient.

Spike let out a laugh but then calmed and turned to face him, his expression now turned serious.

“Buffy.”

A moment’s silence passed before Riley reacted.

“What?!”

“You heard me. It doesn’t work on Buffy.”

“How do you know?”

“We had a little fight,” he explained with a shrug, “I hit her and it didn’t hurt.”

The image of that fight outside the museum flashed before his eyes and in that instant, he realised Spike’s pain had been faked. His eyes went wide and he returned his gaze to the vampire.

“I should look into this.”

“You don’t need to do anything,” Spike commented, “You know I’m not going to hurt her.”

A smile twitched at the corner of his lips and the vampire added:

“Not much anyway.”

“Spike, if you hurt her-“

“Oh shut up, you ponce,” Spike cut in, gathering up his jacket and slipping into it, “I’m not going to hurt her. I’m just going to show her a thing or two about respect.”

The vampire flashed him a grin and pulled out a cigarette, tucking it between his lips and moving towards the door.

“Spike, don’t -“

Before he could finish his sentence, the vampire was gone and he trailed off.

“…do anything stupid.”