*****
“Why are you so cheery this morning?” Willow asked Buffy lightheartedly.
“Riley’s taking me out for a picnic today. A whole blissful day of non-slayage, and normalcy. Plus he said he would bring the food like last time. It’s so cool not having to make any effort at all, I’m great at making zero effort what-so-ever,” Buffy told her ginning goofily, “So whatchyou upto today?”
“Oh I found this really cool looking spell at Giles’. I thought I might go over to Tara’s and try it out.”
“Would this spell happen to be out of one of the books Giles tries so hard to keep hidden from you?
“Sure is! Well if he went to such lengths to try and hide them, there’s gotta be something cool in them,” Willow ginned mischievously, “And I worked out all of Giles’s hidey places ages ago.”
Buffy grinned back at her best friend before saying her good-byes and heading out of the dorms.
*****
“Are you sure we s-should be doing this Willow? I mean they look like kinda powerful spells, and we haven’t been doing this kind of thing together for very long.”
“It’s totally ok Tara,” Willow reassured her new Wicca friend, “I’m sure they can’t be that bad. And we aren’t very powerful yet, I’m just starting out, and you haven’t really developed your power that much, so I’m sure whatever we conjure won’t do much damage if any.”
“O-ok, if you think it’ll be alright,” Tara quickly smiled at Willow before starting the chants.
They weren’t exactly sure what the spell would do as the spell was in Spanish, but Willow had figure from her limited understanding of the language, it was a kind of protection spell, something to do with love. So Willow had figured it would be cool to do the spell on Buffy, seeing as she needed the most protection.
El amante será concedido a usted
El amante le protegerá
En amante usted encontrará el uno
Para un día y una noche sus amantes serán
intensificados
Both Wiccas chanted slowly while holding their
hands palms facing upwards, only the tips of their fingers touching.
At the start of the spell a picture of Buffy laid on top of their hands
but was now floating and spinning. In a blink of an eye, the picture
disintegrated with a small amount off pink smoke rising to the ceiling.
Both girls simultaneously opened their eyes and stared at each other.
“Uh, was that supposed to happen?”
*****
Buffy was listening without really listening to Riley prattle on about something or rather, while propped up on her elbows basking in the sunlight. She was just happy to be finally going out with a normal, well at least semi-normal guy while having a normal-as-a-slayer-could-get life, it didn’t really matter if he WAS kinda boring.
“…and I have these tickets to this basketball game in LA, so I was thinking…,” Buffy turned away from Riley and looked up at the sky, not noticing the blue light the flashed in Riley’s eyes, “…would you marry me?”
Snapping her head back to him, “Huh? Run that by me again?”
“I can’t live without you Buffy. These past few weeks… they’ve been like heaven, I-I don’t think I can live another day without you. I love you. Please? Marry me?”
Buffy slowly sat up, blink a few times, and shook her head her a few times.
“Alright, I think the stress of college life is getting to me. I thought you just declared your love for me then asked me to marry you.”
“I did.”
“Huh.”
*****
“So? What do you say? Will you make me the happiest man alive?”
Buffy blinked a few more times, before it finally filtered to her brain that she had just been asked to be his wife. *holyshit! How the hell am I gonna get out of this*
“Uh…Riley, I don’t know how to say this…NO! Huh? I guess I did know how to say it,” Buffy told him, still a little confused.
“What?? But-but Buffy? I want to spend the rest of my life with you!”
“Ok now you’re scaring me. I-I’m just gonna…go,” Buffy said while inching further away, bit by bit, before standing up and making a run for it.
“Wait!! BUFFY!!” Riley cried out sounding like someone had just ripped out his heart.
*****
~That night~
Buffy started her patrol full of thoughts of what had happened that afternoon. She was still in shock. Riley *seemed* so normal and SANE.
*I can’t believe I was just proposed to! Riley’s nice and all, but really, me being a wife?? And all domestic??* Buffy was horrified at the notion. *I wonder what it would be like? The whole white picket fence thing? Oh yeah and we could have dinner parties with our demon friends, Yeah I can just see it! “Oh dear, I’d like you to meet one of my closest friends, this is Fred. He’s a Polgar Demon. Oh remember the time you tried to kill me Fred? Ahh, fun times,”*
Buffy snorted very unladylike at the concept before another disturbing thought came to mind.
“If I married Riley I would be… Buffy Anne…FINN?? Ewww much?!* Buffy was so engrossed in her thoughts she didn’t notice two very familiar figures approaching her.
"Buffy." Angel's soft voice brought her out of her troubling thoughts.
“Angel,” Buffy gasped before getting back her composure, “what-what are you doing here?? Is there any specific ‘world in peril’ trouble? Or is this just a social visit?”
“I’m not sure, but Doyle got a vision and…” Angel turned away from the Slayer to glance at Doyle as a blue flash of light lit up his eyes, “…I thought… I… should,” the vampire paused to sniff the air with a funny look on his face,
“What’s that perfume you’re wearing Buffy? It’s musky like flowers and…sex,” he said huskily before fully vamping out.
“Angel? What going on?” Buffy asked a little scared.
“Buffy,” Angel said stepping closer to the Slayer, “I remember that night don’t you? The night we… you smelled exactly the same,” he whispered intimately into her ear pushing her up against a near by tree, his voice dripping with sensuality.
“Eeep!” Buffy squeaked panicked before Doyle came to her rescue.
“Angel man! You gotto get outta here, you know you can’t get all friendly with the pelvis again. Remember last time? With the grrr,” Doyle told him, urgently grabbing his arm.
Angel quickly backed away coming to his senses, “You-you’re right. I have to get as far away from here, from Buffy, as quickly as possible.”
He turned quickly but turned his head giving Buffy one more longing look and swiftly strode away not waiting for Doyle.
“Well that was kinda scary, wonder what brought that on?” Doyle asked confused at his friend’s behavior, turning to watch Angel’s quickly retreating back, as his eyes flashed a bright blue.
“I’m not sure. Why are you guys in Sunnydale anyway? Angel started to say but then he was all… well you saw,” Buffy asked, a bit bewildered.
“Don' ya be worring your pretty lil' head about
that darlin',” Doyle said as he turned to face her again, “it looks like
we’re all alone now, how bout we take advantage of it,” he raised an eyebrow
suggestively, giving her a sexy grin.
*****
“Exqueeze me?” Buffy asked confused, then realizing what she had said, muttered, “…I’ve been hangin’ out with Xand too long.”
“Don’t mind if I do luv,” Doyle replied not noticing her muttering.
Buffy just gave him a shocked look, shivering a little as his grin widened.
“So I was wondering,” he asked in a low voice,
”how do you feel about half-demons with Irish accents?”
“Well yeah, the accents pretty cool and all, but don’t you think you’re a little old for me?”
“C’mon, have you forgotten ‘bout your ex princess?”
“Point taken.” Buffy acknowledged thoughtfully, but quickly shook her head at the utter madness, “No Doyle look, I dunno what’s goin’ on, but this isn’t you. I hardly even know you!” Buffy said feeling highly frustrated with the situation.
“Well we can fix that can’t we?” Doyle said as he took another step closer to Buffy as she frowned.
*What’s going on with all these guys?!*
Changing tactics,since being reasonable didn’t seem to be making any impact, she decided to get Doyle and the other two to see Giles as quickly as possible.He would know what was up. *Something must be making them act this way*
“Alright Doyle,” Buffy took another step closer diminishing the space between them, “But I have to finish off my patrol. How bout …,” Buffy started making swirley patterns on Doyle’s chest as she said in a hushed tone, “you go to my place and wait for me,” she said, giving him her famous half smile.
Elated, Doyle practically skipped away, but quickly turned before he got too far, “Uh, where do you live again?”
*****
After giving Doyle the directions to her mothers place, Buffy went in search of Angel and Riley.
*Thank god mom went to LA for the weekend!*
Buffy couldn’t even start to wonder what was making the guys act that way. Totally confused and a little nervous, she made her way back to UC Sunnydale campus.
“AHHH!!” Buffy screamed as a hand settled on her shoulder.
“Stealthy,” the owner of the hand said softly behind her.
Spinning quickly, stake raised, Buffy faced her attacker, “Oz!! God you scared me!”
“Really? I thought I had tickled you,” Oz said with a wry grin.
Sighing in relief, Buffy grinned at him. He seemed normal. Hmmmmm.
Buffy was silent for a minute, studying the wolf’s features before asking tentatively, “Oz, you’re not in love with me are you? I mean, you’ve been here, in front of me, for what? Two minutes? And you don’t feel all mushy about me do you?”
“Umm, not to insult you in any way Buff, but aren’t you being a little conceited there?” Oz asked , eyebrow raised.
Buffy was so relieved to have someone NOT get all googgly eyed at her that night she ignored Oz’s comment and felt a flood of relief take over, “Oh god Oz, solid ground, level headedness, good ol’ Oz… I can’t believe it, all the guys in this town have gone crazy! Or maybe it was just those three?” Buffy wondered out loud as she turned around to loop her arm through Oz’s. When they passed by a tree,Buffy failed to notice the blue light flash through Oz’s eyes , as it did with the three before him.
Feeling a rush of tenderness toward the Slayer on his arm, Oz wrapped his arm protectively around her,asking tensely, “What other three?”
****
Buffy turned her head a little to look at Oz, puzzled at their closeness, “Oh just Doyle, Riley and Angel. They were acting all weird on me.”
“Angel?? What’s he doin’ back here?” Oz asked jealousy, though his jealous voices sounded a lot like his normal voice.
“Umm I dunno, something about Doyle getting a vision. Must not be a very big threat though, he got completely sidetracked.”
“How so?”
“Oh… he was just… trying to replay scenes from our turbulent relationship I guess,” Buffy told him with a far-off look.
Oz stopped abruptly, and turned Buffy to face him, grabbing her around the shoulders.
“He didn’t hurt you did he?”
“What… OZ?? No he didn’t hurt me, but if you squeeze my arm any harder, *you’ll* be hurting me.”
Instantly letting go of her arms at the sound of her distress, Oz became confused at his actions, “Oh god, I’m sorry Buffy, I-I'm not sure what came over me.”
“Oz what going on with you? I’ve never really heard more than two words out of you at a time, let alone emotions, what happening with you andohmyGOD!” Buffy cried out as realization dawned on her, “Damn it Oz! You too?!”
“Me too? What? Buffy, I-I don’t know what’s going on, it’s just… I feel…”
“Stop right there Daniel Osbourne. No declaring your love for me, or anything REMOTLEY resembling that. You’re Oz!! My rock! My steady ground! You can’t be like the others!” Buffy was getting damn frustrated with this…thing, “Urrggh!”
“You’re not going to do mime now are you? Cause that would completely change my feelings for you,” Oz said in a soft voice.
Buffy turned and took a long look at him, head tipped to the side.
“No I wouldn’t put you through that…again,” Buffy said with a mischievous smile, “What am I gonna do with all of you Oz?”
“Buffy I can’t help the way I feel…”
“Don’t Oz. I don’t think I can take another proposal or anything tonight. Look, I ...you probably won’t believe this, but this isn’t you. Just… do me a favor? Get Giles and go to my place, as in my mom’s, and wait for me. Doyle’s already over there, please?”
“Who proposed to you?” Oz’s jealously flared for the second time that night.
“Urrghh!”
*****
Once she had dealt with Oz, Buffy continued on her path towards Riley’s Frat house. *This is taking longer than I thought, if one more guy comes along I’ll scream!*
Just as the thought crossed Buffy’s mind, a very male figure strode towards her.
“AAAAHHHH!!! I can’t win!” She screamed at the top of her lungs.
“’Ello pet.”
“Oh it’s just Spike. OK I take back that scream. What do you want Spike? I have things to do, people to see.”
“Such as the punce? What’s he doin here this time luv? Come to lose that fragile soul of his again?” Spike asked snidely.
“You saw him? Where’d he go?” Buffy could always find Riley, Angel was another matter. That guy could blend into the shadows better than Batman and Robin combined.
“What do get out of it if I tell you?”
“You don’t get severely beaten is what you get,” The Slayer answered sadistically.
Spike raised his scarred eyebrow, “Really? Bring it on slayer, I always enjoy a chance to kick your arse."
“Talk Spike, the mood I'm all you get to kick is yourself right before I stake you."
“Ohh the Slayer suddenly grew a pair did she? I don’t…” Spike’s last line was cut shortly by a very strong punch to the jaw.
“Bloody hell Slayer!” Spike cried out as Buffy started raining punches and kicks on him.
He took one last kick to the middle section before he couldn’t take it any longer *damn the pain, the chit can’t get away with beatin’ William the Bloody up*
He threw one wild punch out at the Slayer, catching her on side of her head. As she went down from the blow, Spike did as well from the pain in his head, landing on top of her.
Both panting, Spike looked deeply into Buffy’s hazel eyes as a flash of blue brightened his own. Buffy mouth opened slightly at the sight, finally understanding how she had missed the change in all the other men before Spike. Before Buffy could get up, Spike quickly lowered his head and engaged her in a fiery kiss.
All thoughts were lost as the kiss deepened and the their embrace tightened.
After what seemed like an eternity they pulled apart, as Buffy needed air, and stared at each other for a long while.
The Slayer was the first to regain her composure and tried to cover up her reaction, “Well, that was…interesting,” Buffy stated indifferently, as she turned to leave.
“Wait Buffy…I…I love you.”
“Yeah you and the rest of the town, get in line buddy.”
*****
“God why was I so harsh?” Buffy asked out loud as she strode towards Lowell House. The kiss brought back memories of the short time Buffy and Spike had been engaged, memories that weren’t all together unpleasant. *I can’t think about that now. I just have to find Riley and then Angel, and get whatever spell, cause it has to be a spell, reversed. Spike will just have to fend for himself*
*****