"Giles?"
"Yes... Who is-"
"This is Cordy. Now listen, you better get out the crosses and holy water or something. But no stakes."
"Excuse me?"
"Okay, just listen to me for a sec. Acctually, this may take a while. Angel went off to help Gunn's cousin out of some weird stuff that was going on..."
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"Anyway, Buffy, I was thinking, you and me should go down to the park. Just get our minds off things. I mean, you need the break," Riley looked down at the small blonde next to him.
"No, I couldn't, I-"
"Need the break," he finished for her. He reached down and pulled her up out of the chair. "We're going for a walk," they went through the hospital doors, "and no resistance. Got it?"
Buffy nodded numbly. She still couldn't believe that her mother could die. She'd seen so many people die, many of them coming back to meet Mr. Pointy, but none of them ever really seemed to even touch how horrible she felt. There was no way out of it, she realized. Sighing, she tried to look half interested with Riley's talking.
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He felt her sorrow. It was so great, he almost fell over. He'd left her... to be like that? Had he been in his right mind, he would have stayed away. But somehow, rushing right into the thick of things seemed like such a good idea. Especially since that boyfriend of hers was looking tastey. Possibly with some tatar sauce, he mused.
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"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Isn't this better than sitting in that hospital waiting room?"
Buffy shrugged, then perkd up when a familiar feeling of warmth passed through her. "Angel..." Her eyes shot around, seaching for him, pleading with him to come out of the shadows.
Riley looked at her strangely, not understanding.
"Oh, please. You're going to tell me that he could comfort you like I could? Ha!" Both turned to see Angel standing behind them. He had an odd glint in his eye. One that Buffy almost related to... Drucilla?
"Angel," Buffy gave him a confused look, one that soon turned to a glare. "What are you doing here?"
"Well," the vampire shifted his weight, bringing his hand up in a thoughfull motion, "I was just sittin' there in LA, brooding the night away when a thought hit me: I'll go steal something. So I did. And I guess I took the wrong thing, because there was an awfull lot of voices in my head after that. Normally there's only two, y'see. Me and him. But then there was a whole lot and I was like, woah, seventies flashback." He stared at her, "Then I figured I'd come down here, but for the unlife of me, I can't remember why..."
He moved closer, his hand coming up behind her head. "But, somehow, kissing you seems so much more logical." She didn't fight him, not even when their tounges met.
"Get the Hell away from her, demon!"
Angel went flying into a tree, hitting it with a thud. Buffy whimpered at the loss of contact, then became worried when she saw him on the ground. Riley tried to hold her, put her behind him, be she faught him off. Running over to Angel. She kneeled down next to him, bringing her hand up under his chin. He stared back at her with gold eyes. Then his head jerked back and his hand shot up to his temple.
"Unh... Note to self: never agree to help Gunn's realitives."
"Angel!" Her arms were around his neck immeadiatly, holding him close to her.
Riley watched them, a disgusted look on his face. Spike had been right, he supposed. She liked demons. Something dangerous. Although right then, he was still confused as to what was going on. Not having a better idea, and it seeming much better than running away and crying, he took out a stake.
Angel looked up and saw the commando coming at him. He stood, still a bit shakey, and put Buffy back on her feet. Not really caring about how mad she'd get, Angel hauled off and punched the other man. The stake dropped to the grass. Angel growled at him, baring fangs, although he had no real intention of using them.
"Angel... Lover. Do you think that having someone to eat would help get rid of that headache?" Buffy rubbed the back of his neck.
"Um, er..." He tried to think straight, but it was kind of impossible when she was doing that. "Buffy... please, you know I can't eat people," he got out inbetween short purrs.
She pulled his face down to meet hers, "Humor me."
And that's why Riley Finn was never seen again.
The End