THE CHALLENGE

Requirements:

Setting: An alternate reality set after the S5 finale 'The Gift' in which Buffy never dies.

Pairing: B/S. Aren't they all? ~_^

Length: Whatever you want, but it'll probably have to be a longer fic to get in all the story requirements.

Basic Plot Elements:

1. The episode 'The Gift' ends slightly differently. Everything is the same until the point when Buffy kills the Doc. (So, Spike falls off the tower and all that.) However, Buffy manages to stop Dawn from bleeding. (Either she kills Doc before he cuts Dawn, or she has the common sense catch the blood with something so that it doesn't open up the portal.) Anyway you do it, Buffy doesn't die as a result of the final battle with Glory, and she and Dawn and everyone else make it out OK.
2. However, Spike considers himself to have completely failed Buffy because Doc got the best of him. He becomes withdrawn, depressed, drunk... You know, the usual.
3. The catch is that Buffy's just starting to fall in love with him. He won major kudos for helping with the Glory business, and Buffy's starting to see him in a new light and so are her friends. But all her attempts to try to draw Spike into the group and her life fail because Spike's still beating himself up. He's willing to help with the slaying, but he doesn't think he's worthy of the sudden kindness he's been getting.
4. Eventually, Spike's being so hopeless that Buffy calls Angel. In this phone conversation, it must be revealed that a) Buffy's now in love with Spike, and b) Angel's now in love with Cordy. Both Buffy and Angel must accuse each other of being out of their minds for their bizarre choices of love interests. And then they can't help but laugh at themselves for their strangely parallel ridiculous situations. The conversation ends up pleasantly, and Buffy and Angel both agree to get on with their lives already. ~_^
5. Angel gives Buffy a particularly juicy tip in wooing Spike. What is it? Why, that's for you to decide, but make it good. ^_^
6. Show Buffy winning Spike over, convincing him he did good, all that fun stuff. There need to be more light and funny stories out there.
7. Willow is, under no circumstances, addicted to magical crack or some such nonsense. ~_^ You might want some sort of Big Bad in this story, but it can't be Willow. Or any of the other Scoobies. Or Angel.
8. If you decide to get this far, don't turn Xander and Anya's wedding into an angst-fest.
9. Giles leaving or staying is up to you.

Extras:

1. Either Willow or Tara nursing Spike's wounds while Buffy and Xander rush Dawn and Anya to the hospital. Whichever of the witches (or both) helps Spike eventually becomes his confidante and helps to try to explain to Buffy why Spike's suddenly got such cold feet. There just aren't enough good friendship moments in fics these days. ^_^
2. Buffy 'tricking' Spike into a date in imitation of his own behavior back in 'Crush'. Spike is baffled as to whether he's reading too much into the situation or not. Whether he tries to call Buffy on it is up to you.
3. Anya tries to give Buffy seduction tips. She then goes on to praise the sexual prowess of vampires, all in her typically blunt and graphic manner. Xander claims to be traumatized for life by hearing the words 'Spike' and 'sex' in the same sentence.
4. Buffy tells the rest of the Scoobies about Angel and Cordy. They all think it's hilarious and burst out laughing, except Tara who demands clarification on who Cordy is. Tara's conclusion: "One of these days I'm going to have to actually meet these people. Even if it's only to find out why this is so funny."
5. Upon Buffy's decision that she's in love with Spike, Dawn promptly gives her the "See, I told you he was hot!" speech.
6. Extra bonus points for somehow fitting Buffybot in. ~_^
7. Add whatever funny scenes you can.
8. Oh, and smut's always nice. ~_^