Chapter X: I'm so gracious

Riley wiped the last of the dried blood from his face and glanced at himself in the mirror before him. His injuries didn't look so bad now that his face was clean. Sure he had a bandaged gash and dark bruising across the bridge of his thankfully unbroken nose, a split lip, a shiner beneath his right eye, and a bright welt on the side of his forehead, but other than that his face wasn't too bad. And he didn't have that all around swollen guy-who-just-got-beat-up look. He liked to think the markings on his face looked more like the injuries a brave, tough action hero would get. They were his battle scars that, along with his stained and torn clothing, somehow made him look more debonair than ever before.

He tossed the bloodied paper towel to the trash bin and fell back on the very comfy king sized bed with a contented sigh and a hiccup. Riley's day was finally looking up for him, even it was nearly over. He was in the most lavish hotel he'd ever seen in the biggest penthouse suit he'd ever been in. This was Polly's place, or where she'd been staying for however long she'd been in the area spying on Sloan. After the O.S.I. guys had managed to track Polly's location and bust into the warehouse, the place was thoroughly searched and processed while both Polly and Riley gave their long winded accounts of what had happened to them. Thanks to Riley's quick hacking skills, they were able to locate and destroy all of the disarmed bombs as well as Sloan's secret bomb shelter. The agents were preparing to go after the rest of the terrorists when Polly suggested it was time to go home. Riley had been immensely grateful the other agents agreed and took him and Polly back to the city. Riley didn't even mind that the O.S.I. guys didn't have time to take him all the way back to his apartment—Polly's place was much, much nicer.

"Yes…okay I will…thank you, chief."

Polly strolled back into the room following her interrupting phone call and snapped the cellular device shut as sank down next to Riley on the bed. She grinned at him before reaching towards the nightstand to refill their two glasses with more celebratory hotel champagne.

He looked up at her and took his glass with a wide smile. "Good news?"

"Very," she said, holding up her glass to clink against Riley's. "Cheers."

Riley poured most of the liquid down his throat in one large gulp, too tired and tipsy to even hold the glass to his lips any longer than necessary. "So…wait…we got them already?"

Polly finished off her own glass and set it back on the table alongside the now empty bottle. "Sloan and his goons were right where you said they'd be," she explained in response to Riley's query. "O.S.I. got there and the entire faction of their terrorist syndicate here in the States has been arrested. We won't be getting any trouble from them for a very long time."

"Definitely good news then."

"And we couldn't have done any of it without your help." She patted his chest affectionately and eased herself off the bed to stand in front of the mirror Riley had been looking into just moments before. She kicked off her heels, though even without them she would still stand inches above Riley's head. She eased her torn and stained blouse off and tossed it to the side with a slight groan of disgust. She was left in a small tank top with her pale shoulders and upper back bare as she examined her torso casually for previously hidden bruises.

"But I'll need to be back to headquarters tomorrow morning," she was saying. "I have to make sure someone can drop you off at your townhouse before I leave."

"Okey dokey," Riley muttered, as he was—for probably the millionth time that day— much more interested in gawking at her than really listening to what she was saying.

He perched himself up on his elbows and watched her from behind as she undid the barrette from her hair. Dark, wavy locks slipped out of the bun they'd been done up in and fell down over her shoulders with a light bounce. She was taking small pearl earrings out of her ears when she finally caught him staring at her through the mirror. A pink blush rose in her cheeks as she smiled at his reflection.

"What are you looking at?" she asked playfully without even turning around.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," he mumbled with another hiccup. He wished he could get the goofy smile off his face but he seemed to be stuck looking that way. "I was just…thinking how pretty you are."

"Really?"

Now Riley was blushing, too. "Well, yeah. You are. Pretty, I mean."

She turned to look at him face to face with a smirk. "You're just saying that to get me to sleep with you, aren't you?"

"Wh-what?" Riley stammered. He felt himself break out in an uncomfortable cold sweat. "I wasn't…I didn't mean to…insinuate anything…I mean…"

She smiled seductively took slow steps towards the bed. "I saw how you were watching me before," she said in a husky voice.

"B-before?"

She took the glass that he hadn't even realized was still in his hand and set it to the side. "Yeah—before when we were in that warehouse. And even before that, too. You've been staring at my legs in particular since I met you this morning."

He swallowed hard. Generally when a girl says that she'd caught him staring at her, it would result in his face getting slapped. "N-no I wasn't…if I was I, uh, didn't mean to, really…"

She crawled up onto the bed and stopped so her knees could straddle Riley's legs. He clamped his jaw shut and sat very still, wishing he wasn't so nervous all of a sudden. He was practically trembling in her close proximity.

But Polly just leaned forward, looking more beautiful than ever as she whispered seductively right into his ear, "so, Riley Poole—would you care to join me in bed?"

Relief washed over Riley and he sighed, "oh my God, yes." He was immensely grateful she'd asked him. It was always easier to get going when he didn't have to beat around the bush…so to speak. "Okay, so should I start…or did you wanna—"

She didn't give him a chance to finish as she pressed her slight hands to his chest and leaned in slowly until her warm lips caressed his. He let himself fall onto his back on the bed and she fell with him, her mouth never leaving his as her hands ran up his chest to caress his neck and face.

Riley kissed her right back, all the while trying very hard not to wince when her tongue brushed against the sore spot in his mouth where a tooth once was. He was stiff for a moment, unsure of what to do with his hands while hers started to undo the buttons of his shirt. He figured he'd better follow suit and brought his hands blindly around her waist and let his finger trail down her bare lower back. He was just starting to fumble with the zipper on her skirt when he paused and pulled his mouth away from hers with a funny look on his face.

"What?" she asked breathlessly. "What is it? I didn't hurt you did I?"

Riley didn't hear her as he screwed his face up in intense concentration and suddenly put a finger in his mouth, like he was searching for something there. When he finally retracted his hand, it was with a triumphant grin and a tiny spec of metal held between his fingers.

Polly blinked, unsure of what she was looking at for a second. Then her eyes widened with realization. "Oh wow. How did you…?"

Riley smiled deviously. "It can't tie cherry stems, but my tongue is a freaking divining rod for microchips, I guess." He crushed the tiny tracking device between his fingers and flicked the pieces to the side. "Looks like you're gonna need a new filling, though. That kinda sucks."

He didn't get a chance to elaborate on his "why I hate dentists" speech, as Polly suddenly stopped gawking at him and kissed him even more fervently than before.

What followed was like a wonderful dream to Riley—a dream that he actually got to finish. He didn't know how much time had passed or how many times they'd made love, but all was going extremely well for both of them until Riley did something very, very stupid…

"I…love…you…" he whispered softly as he craned his neck to press soft little kisses to her throat and collar bone. Though seconds after the words had left his mouth his eyes widened and he suddenly froze in horror. Did I really just say that?

Apparently he did, because she too stiffened for a moment before gently easing herself up and off his body. Polly laid down next to him and pulled the sheet up over her bare chest. "Um, Riley…I—"

Riley sat upright with a wince and frantically shook his head. "No, no…it's okay, I didn't really mean…to say…I mean, I like you, a lot, but…but this happened kinda fast…and I don't really get, you know, laid a lot, so…" He smacked himself in the forehead when he realized what he'd said. "Ugh…that's not what I mean either…you're great, really. I just don't want to ruin…this." He waved his hands around dramatically to indicate the situation they were in now. "I swear I didn't mean to let the 'l-word' slip if it made you uncomfortable, and if we could just forget about that and go back to, you know, doing it, then that would be really super awesome—"

She reached up to put a finger over his lips and smiled. "You really can't shut up when you're nervous, can you?"

"No," he whimpered pathetically.

"It's adorable," Polly said with a giggle.

Riley still didn't smile. He wasn't sure if that was a compliment, or if she was just making fun of him.

"I really do like you too, Riley…"

He nearly melted into the sheets with relief. "Oh, thank God," he sighed as he leaned in to kiss her again.

"…But you have to understand," she said, her voice and expression suddenly very solemn. "I…I didn't intend…initially for any of this to happen, or for us to go this far. Not that I'm not glad it did," she added quickly. "It's just…it's weird. It's like we're just taking some pleasure after a really, really crappy day. I…I want you to know that I'm truly sorry if you feel like I used you today, or led you on tonight…what with the booze and everything…"

"No way," Riley insisted. "I wouldn't think that. No way."

She smiled, despite the sadness that remained in her dark eyes. "That's good. I would hate for your last impression of me to be of like a desperate whore or something…"

Riley blinked, his confused face now leaning over hers and only inches away. "Wait, what do you mean 'last impression'?"

"It's…complicated," she said slowly, wondering how she should properly phrase her reasons for leaving without really hurting his feelings. "We can never see each other again."

"Why can't I see you again?"

"I won't be in this area for much longer—or probably ever again."

"Oh," he mumbled. Polly chewed guiltily on her lip, but Riley still couldn't quite grasp what was supposed to be keeping the two of them from being together. He snapped his fingers as the answer suddenly came to him. "No, wait I get it. Are you, like…moving or something? 'Cause we can just figure out the time change thing and I'll call you. I don't know how great the phone sex will be, but there's a first time for everything, right?"

She shook her head ever so slightly. "It…it's not that easy, Riley…"

"Sure it is. You have a phone, I have a phone. What's so not easy about it?"

She stared into his big, beautiful blue eyes that looked back at her with such innocence and adoration…and she just couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't tell him that in her line of work, having contacts or relationships with anyone would only mean putting those people in danger. She'd already lost too many of her loved ones in the past—loved ones that had been sacrificed for things they weren't even a part of and would have never really understood. And she didn't want to do that to Riley. Not after everything he'd already been through today because of her.

Instead of trying to explain to him why he could never see her again, she swallowed hard and forced a smile as she reached her hands up to caress his neck and pull him back into a deep kiss.

"Okay," Riley said when they separated for a momentary breath. "So does this mean you're cool with the phone sex?"

She forced a smile. "Of course I am." She resumed kissing action…

…But he pulled away to speak again. "And…you're gonna be my girlfriend?"

"Sure, Riley," she said with a soft laugh to cover her feelings of aching betrayal. "I'll be your girlfriend." She stroked his cheek with her finger and leaned in again, but Riley still wasn't done with their little conversation.

"So…now that we're boyfriend and girlfriend…" He paused, obviously liking the sound of their new titles. "Can I just…ask you something?"

She looked confounded, not knowing what else he could possibly want to ask her. "Um, yeah, I guess so…"

"If Reiy's not your name, and Polly's not really your name either, I was just wondering…what is your name?"

"Oh." She smiled warmly and didn't hesitate for another second before answering, "it's Anya."

"Wow," he muttered with a sleepy grin. "Pretty name for a pretty lady." He reached forward to embrace her but stopped when a thought struck him. "Wait a second…with all these secret code names, you're not gonna have to like kill me or something now that I know your real name, are you?"

He looked honestly afraid of her answer, so she laughed and ruffled his hair affectionately. "No, Riley," she chuckled. "I guess I won't have to kill you. We just need to keep this little secret to ourselves, okay?"

She spoke to him like he was child, but he didn't mind. He was too tired and elated that he had a girlfriend to care. "Okay," he yawned.

He had just enough energy left to gather her into his arms before exhaustion finally claimed him. His heavy eye lids fell shut as she planted a gentle kiss to his lips. He sighed contentedly and held her close, thinking that, even after everything that had happened to him, maybe today hadn't been such a bad day after all. He would get almost kidnapped and mistaken for a secret agent and beaten up every day if it meant being with Polly…or Anya afterwards. He quickly drifted off to sleep, while images of her beautiful face and body embellished his dreams.

Riley was so out of it that he didn't even notice when she gently eased out of his grasp and off the bed without a sound. She quickly cleaned herself up and redressed in a freshly inconspicuous outfit before gathering her things, determined to leave as the sun rose. But at the doorway she paused, unable to take her gaze from Riley's peacefully sleeping form. Her heart broke to see him so content and serene, knowing that her leaving would be devastating for him. She also knew that staying would hurt him even more.

She stood there for a moment in her internal debate, chewing on her lip when she suddenly dropped her bag at the door and took quiet steps back to the bed. She leaned down to kiss to his temple and smiled when Riley sighed euphorically in his sleep.

Polly didn't hesitate now when she moved back to the door, gathered up her things and left after closing the door quietly behind her.

I was thinking a lot about Dustin Hoffman's character in "The Graduate" for some reason while I was writing nervous Riley wanting to have sex—"Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Robinson…" :) And sorry Rolly shippers, but Polly had to leave somehow. I was gonna kill her off but then she wouldn't ever really be able to come back if I so choose to bring her back—I mean, this isn't a Batman comic for crying out loud…

Seriously though, thanks very much for the reviews everybody—it really means a lot :) Oh, and Happy New Year! See you later in twenty oh nine. Let's hope it's better than twenty oh eight was.