***** Hello everybody! This is another of my Buffy one-parters. It's been a while since I wrote a story, but I'm back now. I don't know for how long, because I'm very busy and I don't think I have the time to write, but there is another one-parter coming up. A Buffy/Angel one-parter to be exact. So you can expect that one very soon. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And I don't own any of the characters (*sigh*).

I'm not exactly sure when this takes place. Anya and Xander are not together anymore and she's a vengeance demon again. Spike has tried to rape Buffy and ever since that they haven't been on speaking terms. I guess that's all you need to know....Have fun! And please leave a review!

*****

Buffy sat at the bar in the Bronze. She watched her friends: Willow and Xander and her little sister Dawn dance and smiled. She noticed Anya sitting at a table in a dark corner. Buffy hesitated for a moment and part of her wanted to get up and go keep her company, but she decided it wouldn't be fair to Xander, since the two of them weren't exactly on speaking terms lately. Which of course didn't mean that Buffy couldn't be friends with Anya anymore, but of course there was this thing that Anya was a demon again. She sighed. Things were always like this on Saturdaynight. She would just sit at the bar, having a couple of drinks while everybody else was having a good time. Somehow she couldn't do that anymore. She felt like it would be bad if she had a good time. Like she wasn't allowed to, because.....because there were more important things. Buffy picked up her empty glass and stared at it like it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Then she heard someone sitting down next to her. She looked up and saw a cute guy. He was looking at her and she couldn't help but blush. He had dark hair, dark mysterious eyes and an amused smile on his face.

Guy: "Hey"

Buffy: "Hey"

Guy: "You need a refill?"

Buffy looked at the guy.

Buffy: "Excuse me?"

The guy pointed at the empty glass she was still holding.

Guy: "Your drink"

Buffy: "Oh...yeah, sure. Just something without alcohol, cause I've learned the hard way that's just not my thing"

A little smile appeared on the guy's face. A charming smile, Buffy thought.

Guy: "Do I wanna know?"

Buffy: "Nah...I would probably bore you to death"

The guy smiled another of his charming smiles, then he ordered two drinks. The bartender handed them over and the guy paid for them.

Buffy: "Thanks"

Guy: "Welcome....So, what's a beautiful girl like you doing here all alone on a Saturdaynight?"

Buffy: "You think I'm beautiful?" she suddenly said, suddenly realizing that that wasn't the point and he had asked her a question and she was kinda making a fool of herself.

She saw how the guy was about to say something, so she quickly added:

Buffy: "I mean..., I'm not alone. I'm here with my friends and my little sister...and you're here now, so I'm far from alone...I'm like....aloneless!"

Guy: "Is that a word?"

Buffy: "It sure is now"

She picked up her drink and took a sip. She carefully watched every move of the guy next to her. He was really cute. He saw her staring and smiled. She smiled too. Then he held out his hand.

Guy: "I'm Alec"

She shook his hand.

Buffy: "Buffy"

Alec: "It's nice to meet you, Buffy"

Buffy: "It is, isn't it?" Buffy said with an amused look on her face.

She started to think now that she was really gonna like this guy. He looked into her eyes and she looked back. She noticed the spark in his eyes.

Alec: "And here I was, expecting a normal 'same here', but no...."

Buffy: "Sorry to dissapoint you, but...I'm not normal. I'm far from normal"

Alec: "You're not dissapointing me.....I don't think it's a bad thing you're not normal"

Buffy: "You don't?" she asked, knowing that they were only kidding. Little he knew about her, he didn't realize that she wasn't really kidding.

Alec: "No. It's good to know that you're not normal, so you won't do the things I think you'll do"

Buffy: "And what's that?"

Alec: "I think you're gonna spent the whole night talking to me and you're gonna say you call me, but you won't"

Buffy: "What makes you think that?"

She was really curious about his answer. She knew he probably wasn't even serious about this, because they didn't even know each other, but she would like to know what he thought of her.

Alec: "The look on your face"

Buffy: "What about it?"

Alec: "I think you have trouble trusting men. My guess is they treated you bad"

Buffy looked away, staring at her oh so beautiful glass again.

Buffy: "....I think I'm the one who treated them bad"

Alec: "And somehow I find that hard to imagine....You seem like such a nice girl"

Buffy: "Exactly. Seem. Excellent choice of words. Your opinion will very likely change about that.....when you get to know me"

She moved her gaze back to his eyes when she said the last part. He was looking at her too and she gave him a promising look.

Alec: "Will I get to know you?"

Buffy: "Do you want to get to know me?"

Alec: "Do you want me to get to know you?"

Buffy: "Do you want me to want you to know me?"

Alec: "Do you really expect me to answer that, cause it's getting a little complicated"

Buffy: "True" Buffy agreed and the guy smiled again.

She felt the chemistry between them. It had been a while since a guy had showed interest in her. Someone who wasn't undead, like Spike. And she liked it. She liked the attention. It made her feel like a normal girl.....for now at least.

Buffy: "So, Alec...I don't think I've ever seen you around here before"

Alec: "I've seen you here before..."

Buffy: "So you come here often?"

Alec: "Yeah...pretty much every week"

Buffy: "Weird that I haven't noticed you then"

Alec: "Not that weird, when you realize that you sit here every week with that sad look on your face and that empty look in your eyes....and you're freaky interest in your glass"

Buffy chuckled.

Buffy: "So you've been observing me, then?"

Alec: "A little, yeah. It took me a while before I got the nerve to come talking to you"

Buffy: "I don't bite....usually at least"

She quickly turned around when she felt a hand on her left shoulder. She sighed when she saw a certain vampire standing in front of her.

Buffy: "What are you doing here?"

Spike: "We really need to talk"

Buffy: "...uh...No, we really don't. Bye, Spike"

She turned back and looked up at Alec.

Buffy: "Where were we again?"

Alec didn't know what to say or do. He obviously felt a little uncomfortable. His gaze shifted from Buffy to Spike and back to Buffy again.

Spike: "Buffy..." Spike tried again.

Buffy: "Go away, Spike"

Alec: "Who is he?" Alec asked Buffy/

Buffy: "He's no one"

Spike: "No one? So that's what I am nowadays? No one?! Weird,....in my memory I'm your boyfriend"

Buffy: "You're not my boyfriend! If anything, you're my ex-boyfriend! No wait, you can't even call it that...cos we never were boyfriend, girlfriend. You're a friend....a friend who's not even a friend, cos I don't like you.....guess you can't blame me, considering our recent....interaction. Or should I say: your interaction?" Buffy said without turning around, talking about the fact that he tried to rape her not so long ago.

Spike: "I told you we needed to talk"

Buffy: "Go away, Spike" Spike: "I want to talk"

Buffy: "I don't"

Spike grabbed her arm and wanted to turn her around, but he didn't even get the chance, because the minute Buffy felt his touch she remembered what happened and she started to panic. She immediately got up from her stool and took her arm back. Without even realizing what she was doing she punched him in the face.

Buffy: "Don't touch me!"

Spike felt a little dizzy, but he looked up at her.

Spike: "I'm sorry...I'm sorry....You're right...I shouldn't have..."

Buffy calmed down and realized she had hit him pretty hard. She felt a little confused.

Buffy: "Are you alright?"

Spike nodded. They were standing in front of each other, both not knowing what to say or do. It was all a little awkward. Buffy saw Xander, Willow and Dawn looking at them, but she gave him a sign that everything was alright. She looked up at Spike. He was looking at her too. Then she saw Alec getting up and leaving the club. Buffy watched him leave.

Buffy: "Look what you did! You scared cutie away!"

Spike: "I scared him away?! You're the one who went all mental on me!"

Buffy: "You told him you were my boyfriend. I think that kinda helped to scare him away too"

Spike: "I didn't mean to say boyfriend...I just forgot the two letter word in front of it."

Buffy: "Yeah, right"

She sighed and sat down on her stool again. She finished her drink. Spike hesitated for a moment, then he sat down next to her.

Buffy: "I didn't hit you hard, did I?"

Spike shrugged.

Spike: "You've hit me before. I know what to expect...besides I kinda deserved it"

Buffy: "I really liked him, you know?"

Spike: "The brainless, sporty-type?" Buffy: "He was cute!" she said a little offended.

Spike: "He was brainless"

Buffy: "And you've figured that out by looking at him?"

Spike: "Sort of"

Buffy: "You were jealous"

Spike: "Was not! I wanted to talk"

Buffy: "About what?"

Spike: "You know,..."

Buffy: "Your jealousy?" Buffy tried.

Spike: "You didn't really think he was cute, did you?"

Buffy: "He looked good!"

Spike: "Oh, please!"

Buffy: "Last time I checked you weren't in the position to judge these things...unless there's something you're not telling me and you are gay"

Spike: "You really wanna hear me say that I was jealous?"

Buffy: "Maybe the satisfaction of hearing you admit something will help me to get over cute Alec"

Spike: "Alec?! What kind of name is Alec?!"

Buffy: "Just say it, Spike"

Spike: "Fine, I was jealous"

Buffy: "Good"

Spike: "Does it make you feel better"

Buffy smiled a fake smile.

Buffy: "Way"

Spike: "Are we actually having a conversation here?"

Buffy looked up at him.

Buffy: "No! We're just...chatting...about random stuff....like you're just a guy sitting at the bar....no conversation...just a little chat"

Spike: "Okay. Just asking"

Buffy: "Maybe you should go"

Spike: "I said something wrong?"

Buffy: "No, I just don't feel like chatting anymore"

Spike: "Okay....well, I'm leaving then I guess. I still wanna talk though."

Buffy: "And I still don't. Actually, I want you to leave me alone"

Spike: "Sure...whatever you say...You know where to find me when you change your mind"

Buffy nodded. She watched how he got up and walked away. She also saw the look Xander gave him as he walked pass him. Buffy smiled. Xander was worried about her and she appreciated it, but the truth was that she could take care of herself. She got up and walked towards her friends.

Willow: "What was that about?"

Buffy: "I just scared a very cute guy away"

Xander: "And Spike?"

Buffy: "Wanted to talk"

Xander: "But you didn't"

Buffy: "No"

Dawn: "And you punched him! That was so cool...and he so deserved it"

Buffy: "Yeah..." Buffy whispered.

She wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She should feel better now she hit him after what he had done to her, but she really didn't. In fact, she only felt worse and a little guilty. When he apologized he looked so vulnerable...He was different. Almost normal. Almost like a normal guy fighting for the girl he loved. And she was that girl...She wanted to forgive him, but she couldn't. Not yet, anyway. When he was near her she kept thinking about the time he tried to rape her...It was too early, but he had changed and she knew it. Maybe in a little while...