Part 3
Buffy looked around her, somewhat disappointed. For a Friday night the Bronze was kind of quiet. She had really wanted it to be kicking so that Lucy wouldn't get too bored. After all, she said that she came from London and everybody knows that the capital of the UK was a happening place. Besides, she really wanted Lucy to like her. OK she thought. So that's a bit childish. But she's a part of Riley's past and I'm his present so... Here her thoughts came to a halt as she realised that she was now babbling to herself.
"Penny for them?" asked Willow, as she and Xander arrived back at the table with the parties drinks.
"Not worth a red cent!" replied Buffy. "So I won't take your money! Will, what do you think of Lucy?"
"Why?"
"Just curious."
"Well, she's nice. Riley's description wasn't exactly spot on, but hey, he's a guy. Sometimes though.." Willow trailed off.
"Sometimes?" prompted Buffy. Willow tried to marshal her thoughts to reply but Xander got in there first.
"Sometimes she seems like she's our age." He stated. "She knows all the latest stuff, technology, films, music etc. But other times it seems like she's really, well, sometimes she has old eyes." Willow nodded and the pair looked at Buffy trying to make her understand what they were getting at. Buffy stared at them then said,
"That's probably because she's English. They have all that history to contend with!" she giggled. Willow and Xander joined her and the trio fell about laughing.
"What's so funny?" asked Riley as he and Lucy returned to the table from the dance floor.
"Oh you know, just girlie stuff!" replied Buffy.
"Hey!" exclaimed Xander, somewhat insulted. Riley shook his head as he and Lucy sat down.
"This is so great!" enthused Lucy. "I haven't been to a club like this in ages! I'd forgotten how much fun it was." Willow, Xander and Buffy exchanged glances as Lucy continued.
"This band is really cool too. Although, is it me or does it seem like someone is missing from the line up? The balance isn't quite right is it?" There was a sharp intake of breath from Willow, then a silence fell around the table. Buffy laid her hand on Willow's arm and Riley and Xander looked anywhere but at the people sat around the table.
"Whoa." Said Lucy. "What did I say? I said the wrong thing right? Look whoever I said the wrong thing too, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean too. I mean I didn't know." She turned to Buffy, "Now look who's babbling." She said. Buffy smiled slightly as Willow answered Lucy somewhat shakily.
"My boyfriend used to be the guitarist in the band. He had some head issues to sort out so he had to go away. The other guitarist is just filling in to cover the gigs till he comes back or.. Or the Dingoes find someone permanent." Lucy gave a Willow a sympathetic smile.
"Recent, huh?" she asked. Willow nodded. "Still hurts like a bitch?" Willow nodded again, tears forming in her eyes. Suddenly Lucy jumped to her feet.
"Would you do me the honour of this dance, mademoiselle?" she asked Willow in a dreadful French accent. Without giving Willow time to answer, she pulled her from her seat and whirled her off in a mock waltz, somehow managing to keep in time with the heavy rock beat of the Dingoes music. As they danced Xander spotted Anya entering the Bronze.
"Oops, gotta go." He muttered. "Catch ya later!" With his head down and jacket collar turned up Xander slipped away quietly in a vain attempt to hide from the ex demon with a passion for his body.
Riley and Buffy watched the their friends in companionable silence for a while. Lucy and Willow had now finished their waltz and were attempting to Charleston, hampered somewhat by the fact that they were in absolute hysterics. Chuckling to himself Riley turned to Buffy.
"So?" he asked.
"So what?" countered Buffy.
"You know what! What do you think of Lucy?" Buffy thought for a moment, then replied,
"I like. She's cool."
"Yes she is." Riley looked at Lucy and Willow who had given up on the Charleston and were now attempting the can can. His chuckle developed into a roar of laughter. Buffy narrowed her eyes and looked at him.
"Hey, do we have a case of reoccurring crush here? she asked him. Riley turned to her and cupping her chin with his hand he answered softly,
"There is only one woman for me and she's right here." He kissed her gently. Eek thought Buffy, There goes that tingle again! With somewhat of a struggle she forced herself to listen to what Riley was saying.
"Lucy once told me that she loved me and that she always would." Buffy pulled away slightly, this she did not want to hear. Riley pulled her back to him and continued to explain.
"She said that the love she had for me was more of a sister's love for her brother than anything else. And that that was all it would ever be. I won't deny that at the time I was disappointed but strangely enough it doesn't worry me any more." He smiled at her and she wriggled closer to him.
"Well, that's OK then. Because if she was after you then I'd have to kick her butt. And then yours and then any one else's who got in my way." Riley chuckled yet again. Gotta love a girl with violent tendencies he thought. Then, as the Dingoes began their last number, the couple got up to dance with Lucy and Willow, who had decided to pass on the ancient dances and were now instead break dancing.
Buffy looked around her, somewhat disappointed. For a Friday night the Bronze was kind of quiet. She had really wanted it to be kicking so that Lucy wouldn't get too bored. After all, she said that she came from London and everybody knows that the capital of the UK was a happening place. Besides, she really wanted Lucy to like her. OK she thought. So that's a bit childish. But she's a part of Riley's past and I'm his present so... Here her thoughts came to a halt as she realised that she was now babbling to herself.
"Penny for them?" asked Willow, as she and Xander arrived back at the table with the parties drinks.
"Not worth a red cent!" replied Buffy. "So I won't take your money! Will, what do you think of Lucy?"
"Why?"
"Just curious."
"Well, she's nice. Riley's description wasn't exactly spot on, but hey, he's a guy. Sometimes though.." Willow trailed off.
"Sometimes?" prompted Buffy. Willow tried to marshal her thoughts to reply but Xander got in there first.
"Sometimes she seems like she's our age." He stated. "She knows all the latest stuff, technology, films, music etc. But other times it seems like she's really, well, sometimes she has old eyes." Willow nodded and the pair looked at Buffy trying to make her understand what they were getting at. Buffy stared at them then said,
"That's probably because she's English. They have all that history to contend with!" she giggled. Willow and Xander joined her and the trio fell about laughing.
"What's so funny?" asked Riley as he and Lucy returned to the table from the dance floor.
"Oh you know, just girlie stuff!" replied Buffy.
"Hey!" exclaimed Xander, somewhat insulted. Riley shook his head as he and Lucy sat down.
"This is so great!" enthused Lucy. "I haven't been to a club like this in ages! I'd forgotten how much fun it was." Willow, Xander and Buffy exchanged glances as Lucy continued.
"This band is really cool too. Although, is it me or does it seem like someone is missing from the line up? The balance isn't quite right is it?" There was a sharp intake of breath from Willow, then a silence fell around the table. Buffy laid her hand on Willow's arm and Riley and Xander looked anywhere but at the people sat around the table.
"Whoa." Said Lucy. "What did I say? I said the wrong thing right? Look whoever I said the wrong thing too, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean too. I mean I didn't know." She turned to Buffy, "Now look who's babbling." She said. Buffy smiled slightly as Willow answered Lucy somewhat shakily.
"My boyfriend used to be the guitarist in the band. He had some head issues to sort out so he had to go away. The other guitarist is just filling in to cover the gigs till he comes back or.. Or the Dingoes find someone permanent." Lucy gave a Willow a sympathetic smile.
"Recent, huh?" she asked. Willow nodded. "Still hurts like a bitch?" Willow nodded again, tears forming in her eyes. Suddenly Lucy jumped to her feet.
"Would you do me the honour of this dance, mademoiselle?" she asked Willow in a dreadful French accent. Without giving Willow time to answer, she pulled her from her seat and whirled her off in a mock waltz, somehow managing to keep in time with the heavy rock beat of the Dingoes music. As they danced Xander spotted Anya entering the Bronze.
"Oops, gotta go." He muttered. "Catch ya later!" With his head down and jacket collar turned up Xander slipped away quietly in a vain attempt to hide from the ex demon with a passion for his body.
Riley and Buffy watched the their friends in companionable silence for a while. Lucy and Willow had now finished their waltz and were attempting to Charleston, hampered somewhat by the fact that they were in absolute hysterics. Chuckling to himself Riley turned to Buffy.
"So?" he asked.
"So what?" countered Buffy.
"You know what! What do you think of Lucy?" Buffy thought for a moment, then replied,
"I like. She's cool."
"Yes she is." Riley looked at Lucy and Willow who had given up on the Charleston and were now attempting the can can. His chuckle developed into a roar of laughter. Buffy narrowed her eyes and looked at him.
"Hey, do we have a case of reoccurring crush here? she asked him. Riley turned to her and cupping her chin with his hand he answered softly,
"There is only one woman for me and she's right here." He kissed her gently. Eek thought Buffy, There goes that tingle again! With somewhat of a struggle she forced herself to listen to what Riley was saying.
"Lucy once told me that she loved me and that she always would." Buffy pulled away slightly, this she did not want to hear. Riley pulled her back to him and continued to explain.
"She said that the love she had for me was more of a sister's love for her brother than anything else. And that that was all it would ever be. I won't deny that at the time I was disappointed but strangely enough it doesn't worry me any more." He smiled at her and she wriggled closer to him.
"Well, that's OK then. Because if she was after you then I'd have to kick her butt. And then yours and then any one else's who got in my way." Riley chuckled yet again. Gotta love a girl with violent tendencies he thought. Then, as the Dingoes began their last number, the couple got up to dance with Lucy and Willow, who had decided to pass on the ancient dances and were now instead break dancing.