Falling Apart

Ch 2 – Shock

As dinner was wrapping up, Joyce began clearing the dishes away for pie. Brian Dunleavy assisted her and sharing smiles with Buffy and Dawn, headed toward the kitchen. They'd both wondered why he'd be hanging around their house on the holiday, but neither had been rude enough to ask. Fortunately, Brian was a talker and in no time they'd discovered that his family was in Ireland, where naturally, Thanksgiving wasn't a big social event. For this reason, when he'd been invited to spend the holiday with Joyce, he'd jumped at the chance. As he'd explained it, he'd had to work up the nerve to ask her out officially for nearly three months.

Thanks to Willow's searching and hacking, they'd already determined that he wasn't a demon in disguise nor were there any red flags indicating he was anything more or less than what he appeared: An antiques dealer who'd found their mother to be a delightful woman and wanted to get to know her far better. Buffy and Dawn were whole heartedly supportive.

Despite the fact he was about seven years her junior, he had a quiet authority and green eyes that were easy to read. His dark black hair was maintained in a conservative cut and Buffy had noticed his nails seemed to be kept manicured. Truth of it was, she was a little jealous- she could never keep her nails done with all of the slaying. Brian's quiet demeanor and obvious respect for their mother's intelligence went a long way in gaining her daughters' support.

As they returned with the pie and a bottle of port, Joyce mentioned her regret that Giles wasn't in the country to join them. He was still in England, trying to wrestle information from Travers and the Council. As far as Brian was concerned, he was just visiting family in England. Buffy tried not to worry. After all, there wasn't any real reason that the Council would try to detain Giles. And more to the point, her mystery woman hadn't been skulking around them, so she'd felt certain that Dawn's secret remained safe. But then again, Quinton had always struck her as petty and vindictive. She'd just feel better when Giles was really home, back in Sunnydale.

As Anya began to regale the gathered about her made up family Thanksgivings in Indiana, Buffy excused herself to try to call Riley. She was worried about him, too. He was supposed to have been to dinner tonight, but never showed and hadn't called her yet. Not that that part was a surprise; they seemed to be doing a lot of not communicating lately.

She waited on the line, listening to the endless ring on the other end. Xander soon joined her, giving her a small smile. He could see the worry lines around her eyes.

As soon as the machine picked up, Buffy disconnected without leaving a reply. "I wish Riley still had his cell phone. I mean, I know I shouldn't be, but I'm worried. He was supposed to be here tonight."

"I'm sure he's fine," Xander said. He wasn't really sure of any such thing, of course. Riley thought that Buffy didn't love him the way he loved her and lately they seemed to be drifting apart. Worse, Riley had looked to him the last time he'd seen him like he wasn't getting much sleep. He'd wanted to mention it to Buffy more than once, but it always seemed like butting in where he didn't have any business. If Riley really needed Buffy to know how he was feeling, it seemed that he should be the one to sit down and tell her. And Xander knew why he'd felt the way he did; he'd seen Buffy before when she was 'all-Slayer gal'. It was easy to feel ignored when she was in that sort of emotional place.

"Besides, he is a soldier. He can handle himself," Xander continued. "And isn't that Graham guy still hanging around on the base for some reason? Maybe he decided to have a meal on the base with the grunts, for old time's sake."

"Maybe," Buffy sounded doubtful. "But he could at least have the decency to call."

Further discussion was interrupted by a knock on the front door. As Buffy went to answer it, meeting Joyce in the foyer, Xander returned to the table. Anya was still going on at length about her family who never existed and the turkeys they'd supposedly raised from hatchlings. If he didn't know any better, he might actually have believed her. He wondered where in her head she came up with these things. Brian was grinning and the two of them laughing. Apparently he'd raised piglets in the 'Old Country' and could relate to Anya's tale of getting attached to the animals when slaughter time came. There was something surreal about the whole scene. Catching Willow's eyes, he saw the same wonder at Anya's storytelling skills reflected in her own expression.

From the foyer, Xander heard Spike's voice and an involuntary smile came to his face. He wondered if Buffy would lift the 'no entry for Spike' ban on her home. He couldn't really blame her if she didn't. Just because Xander had gotten around to forgiving, a little, Spike's recent plans to get de-chipped; it didn't mean she had to.

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She answered the knocking at the door, only to have her face fall in disappointment. Buffy had naturally thought it would be Riley, but this being her life, she should have known it would be Spike…again.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Buffy…" Joyce said from behind her. "Hello, William. Happy Thanksgiving to you. Although, being British, I guess today doesn't mean so much."

"Joyce," Spike nodded. "You look lovely this evening."

As Joyce preened under the compliment, Buffy just huffed and rolled her eyes. She felt her mother's hand give a light squeeze of her shoulder and was met with a 'Buffy, it's the Holiday. Behave' look. She hadn't seen it since she was hitting puberty, but it was still clear as day.

Buffy gave a small smile to her mother and stepped outside onto the porch. Closing the front door in, she hoped, a casual manner she turned her attention back to the vampire. The small smile for her mother immediately disappeared into an icy glare.

"I asked why you're here."

"Nothing urgent. No Hellmouth business or anything. I was just walking by and noticed there seemed to be a lot of activity at the homestead, is all."

Spike looked at the dining room window and through the sheer drapery he could see Tara laughing at some bloke he didn't recognize. "So, uh, looks like some sort of dinner going on then?"

"It's Thanksgiving, Spike. People…American people…tend to have dinner with others today. Turkey, potatoes, pie, wine, salad…no blood."

Spike shot a hard look at her. But she acted as if she couldn't have possibly insulted him. "I am familiar with human food, thank you. Sounds like everyone is having a good time?"

Buffy recognized the hint, but chose to ignore it. If Spike thought he was going to wrangle an impromptu invitation by showing up on her doorstep, he had another think coming. Of course, if he wanted to earn it…

"Yeah, everyone is having a pretty good time," she smiled. "And if you want an invite in, I'd be willing under one condition…"

Spike pursed his lips into a thin line, but damn it, he was feeling lonely and wanted to spend time with the gang. "And that would be?"

"Find Riley. Deliver a message for me that he was supposed to have come to dinner and I'm missing him. If he shows up, you get to come in."

"Hmm. I thought the Great Olive Drab would have been here."

"Me too," Buffy said frowning.

As something passed over the vampire's features he broke out in a smile that made Buffy uneasy. It felt like an evil smirk to her, but it was gone before she could be sure.

"I think I may just know where your soldier-boy has got to," Spike said. "Grab your coat, Slayer. I think there's something you need to see."

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As Buffy followed Spike toward Riley's neighborhood, she grew more and more uneasy. She was trying to figure out why he'd be leading her to wherever he thought Riley was. Why not just tell her? Why not just go fetch him, especially since it was obvious he wanted to be invited in to see the gang? The whole situation felt wrong, but she couldn't determine why. She considered this was some sort of trap, but it just didn't fit with the circumstances. Besides, Spike had been pretty much behaving himself except for wanting the chip removed. She didn't think he could lead her into a death match right after having conversed with her mom. Something didn't fit, so she simply kept walking and glancing suspiciously at him.

Just as she was about to put her foot down and demand to know what he was up to, Spike stopped outside of a derelict apartment complex. It was only four stories and Buffy had probably passed it dozens of times. Something about it was different this time though because her Slayer instincts were detecting vampires. Lots of them, too, by the feel of it.

She shared a glance with Spike, "Vampire central?"

"Feel 'em, huh? Well, let's not go all stake-happy, alright? I can guarantee no one's in there that doesn't want to be."

"I don't get it, Spike. And why would Riley be here?"

"Just follow me in. And stay calm, no need for violence, alright?" Spike waved her forward as he mounted the steps to the rickety door.

The first thing to hit Buffy's senses on crossing the door's threshold was the smell. It was musty and mildewy and she could swear that rot was actually crawling up from the floor and sticking to her skin. She shivered in revulsion. After this initial impact, sounds began to make themselves known to her. Sighing and slurping with a few groans and whispered encouragements. She felt her face grow hot and red with embarrassment and was already planning a skinny, boney ass kicking for bringing her to a place where sex was obviously going on. Very soon afterward, however, she got a different impression. For although there were some couples that were definitely getting groiny with each other, most seemed to be passively allowing vampires to feed from them.

Buffy was appalled. "What the hell," she whispered indignantly in Spike's general direction. "What is this place, Spike, and why am I here?"

"Just follow me a little bit further," he said back to her and his voice was also whispered.

Around her in the deep recesses of the room they were passing through, back where the weak kerosene lantern light didn't reach she heard worried whispers. "The Slayer!" "She'll kill us all!" "We should get out!"

She tried to ignore the vampire hoard around her as she continued to follow Spike toward a flight of stairs. So shocked by what she was witnessing, and so many questions did she have, that she'd completely forgotten that Spike was supposed to be leading her to Riley.

And that's why the blow, when it came was such a kick to the stomach. Spike took a deep breath in the hallway, scenting for something and when he pointed to a door and stepped aside, Buffy quizzically turned the knob.

On pushing the door opened on its squeaky hinges a sight so shocking and brutal met her that she couldn't stop her yell of surprise: "Oh, Jesus!"

There on the floor amid strewn pillows was Riley Finn, looking at her in shock and shame. His shirt was off and he lay with his legs splayed, though thankfully, his pants were still on. To one side lay Harmony, blood trickling down her chin. She also looked shocked but in place of shame was just abject terror.

On the other side of Riley, a girl Buffy vaguely recognized from high school was also looking at her. Her fanged mouth was open in an 'O' of surprise and her teeth were smeared with red.

As Buffy took in the details of what was playing out in front of her, she noted Riley's chest had blood trickling down over his nipples from the bite marks above his chest muscles. Her eyes again met Riley's and as she saw him about to speak, she couldn't take it. She couldn't stand to hear his voice, to hear excuses; she didn't even want to know him.

Pushing Spike roughly out of her way she made a mad dash down the hallway and took the steps down four at a time. Landing roughly on the first floor, she barreled through a few vampires and customers trying to make their exit and out into the cool night air. She was halfway down the block when she collapsed at the waist, her dinner violently flying out of her retching mouth and splashing onto the street.

Behind her, she heard Spike call her name, so she began running again. Pushing her Slayer muscles for more speed she made a frantic dash toward home and sanity. Eyes burning and stomach feeling like it was going to heave again at any moment, she half ran and half stumbled through winding streets with no thought on her mind except to get home. She just wanted to see her mom, to forget what she'd witnessed.

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On the second floor of the whorehouse, Riley's world imploded as Buffy's shocked and disgusted expression dominated his view. He wasn't even able to say anything as he watched her turn and run out.

"Oh, God. Oh, God, no…" Riley muttered as he struggled to his feet and tried to follow. Ahead of him, Spike was moving at double time and calling for Buffy to wait for him. He wanted to hate the vampire for bringing her here, but he knew already that the only one at fault was himself.

Behind him, Harmony was laughing hysterically. He heard Sandy tell her to shut her ignorant, hateful mouth and then he was on the stairs. Sandy called out his name in the hallway behind him, but he ignored her as he struggled to get outside and stop Buffy from retreating from him.

Ahead of him the vampiric bouncer, Lestat or Lestad, or something vaguely French with an 'L' was standing with his muscular arms crossed over and a scowl clearly showing through his ridged and fanged features. As Riley tried to maneuver around him, he felt himself shoved off balance and bounced off of a wall.

"You! You brought the fucking Slayer here?!"

"No! I…I don't have time for this; get out of the way," Riley exclaimed as he was again prevented from getting to the front door.

"I don't think so," the vampire menaced. "You're looking a little peaked. Doesn't look like it'll take too much to finish you off." The menacing laugh was abruptly cut off as Riley's palm viciously upper-cutted the vamp under his chin, driving his head up. Before he could recover, Riley had wrapped both arms around his head and gave a hard snap. The bouncer flopped to the floor, alive but completely paralyzed.

Seeing the sudden violence, the human customers began shoving and panicking to get away from the place. Vampires were caught between getting the hell out of dodge and taking advantage of the sudden chaos to completely drain the humans that had only been looking for a little excitement. Riley ignored the commotion around him and made his way out of the building, yelling for Buffy.

Halfway down the block he saw her bent form straighten up and take off at a mad dash. Spike's voice echoed out her name and caught Riley's momentary attention. Standing near the steps he'd just raced down to the street, Spike stood silently smirking. Riley gave him a harsh glance, but ignored him to take off at a run after his girl.

"Now, that was worth the wait," Spike grinned.

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Riley caught up with Buffy, huffing and puffing, as she reached the front steps of her mother's house. As he leaped up the steps and grabbed her arm, he begged her to just stop and listen to him explain why he'd done something so stupid.

Her answer was to spin around on her heel, her fist flying. It caught him across the jaw and he felt himself propelled out into the air. The wind was knocked out of him as he impacted on the cement walkway. Struggling to a half-sitting position, he was just in time to see her slam the front door.

He lay on the ground for a few moments and then dragged himself up. Rubbing the lump that was already forming along his jaw-line, he decided to head home. It was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to talk to her tonight, hell, maybe not ever again. And he had that coming. How could he have allowed things to get so far!

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End Chapter 02