Chapter/episode 14: Goodbye, Iowa.

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Buffy, Angel, and Spike were back with the Scoobies at Giles's apartment. They were explaining what had happened. Well, Buffy and Angel were explaining. Spike wasn't really doing anything.

"She tried to kill you?" Willow asked, looking horrified.

Buffy nodded. "The Initiative has it in for me."

"But why?" Willow wondered. "I thought they were excited about working with you."

"Buffy thinks she might have been getting to close to something." Angel said. "Maybe something the Initiative was hiding."

"Do you think Riley is in on it?" Xander asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I do know that Maggie especially wanted me dead. I just wish I knew why."

"And Riley," Willow said. "He doesn't seem like he would tell a little white lie. Let alone a whole bunch of big dirty ones."

"Well that's why they call it the secret forces, Will." Xander said. "They kind of keep the whole lying thing to themselves."

"They also know that Angel's a vampire now." Buffy said. "Which means they have another reason for coming after me: to get to him. And possibly Spike too."

"Well I bet the mad scientists aren't too thrilled that the whole Scooby Gang is in on their plan." Xander said.

"Which brings us back to the not safe for any of us concept." Buffy pointed out. "You guys are in danger too."

Suddenly the door opened and Riley walked in. Everybody tensed. Riley walked right up to Buffy. He glared at Angel. "Your boyfriend's a vampire." He said.

"I know." Buffy replied.

"How can you not only let him live, but actually go out with him?" Riley yelled in anger. "You said you were the Vampire Slayer."

"I am."

"But yet your boyfriend is a vampire."

"He has a soul. He's good."

"There's no such thing as a good vampire." Riley said darkly. "They're monsters and they deserve to die. All this time, behind my back, he was the very thing we were trying to kill, and you didn't tell me."

"He's not like the others." Buffy yelled back. "He's saved lives, Riley!"

"And how many has he taken?" Riley asked. Buffy didn't answer. Riley shook his head. "I thought so. You can't trust him, Buffy, he has to die."

"I'm standing right here." Angel said. Riley rounded on him.

"You don't deserve her." He said. Angel gave him his best death glare.

"I think you're avoiding the important subject." Buffy spoke up. Riley turned back to her. "Maggie tried to kill me."

"I don't believe that." Riley said. "There must be a mistake."

"She tried to kill me, Riley. If I wasn't a Slayer I probably would be dead. Do you know why?"

"She didn't try to kill you! She wouldn't do that, she likes you! She liked you even before I liked you-"

"You didn't like me?" Buffy interrupted, looking hurt.

"That is not the point!" Riley shouted. He looked furious. "You know what? Stay away from me, all of you." He stormed out the door.

"Riley, wait!" Buffy shouted. But he was gone.

It was silent for a moment. "Well that went well." Spike said.

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They decided to hide in Xander's basement for the time being. Buffy had gone to investigate a suspicious murder. Everyone else was sitting around.

"Well, as much as I like hanging out with you lot, I think I'll be off." Spike said. He turned to leave.

"Spike, wait." Angel said. He went up to Spike. "Um…thank you, for helping me find Buffy before." It was very painful for him to say.

"Uh…you're…you're welcome." Spike replied. They stood there awkwardly for a second. "So…bye." Spike said, and hurried up the stairs.

"Bye." Angel said, and went and sat down again.

"That looked like it caused you physical pain." Xander said.

"It did."

Buffy walked in. Everybody looked at her expectantly. She looked a little in shock. "Maggie's dead."

"Professor Walsh is dead?" Willow cried. "Oh no!"

"What happened?" Angel asked. He had seen the woman just last night, and she's been alive then.

"She was killed by some sort of demon." Buffy said. "I ran into Riley, he told me."

"What demon could have gotten in?" Angel asked.

"You and Spike did." Xander pointed out.

"Yes, but we had Riley's help." Angel said. Buffy gave him a look. "Ok, forced help." He admitted. "But the point is, we had someone with clearance. You don't think somebody let it in?"

"I think it came from inside." Buffy said.

"Like one of the captured demons?" Angel asked. "But you said the cells were state of the art, pretty much inescapable. Spike was lucky."

Buffy shook her head. "I think it has to do with what I was getting too close to. There were labs in the back, and nobody would say anything about them, if they knew anything at all. I think Maggie and a few other scientists were experimenting with demons back there, and one of them got out of control and killed Maggie."

"So what do we do?" Xander asked.

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know."

"It's late." Giles said. "We should all get some rest."

"Giles is right." Angel said. "You look exhausted, Buffy." He walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm still shaking from thinking you were dead." He whispered so only she could hear. She kissed him.

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The Next Morning

Everybody was lying around, having just woken up. Buffy was curled up with Angel on the bed. Willow and Anya were also on the bed. The TV was on, and they were watching cartoons. "That would never happen." Buffy said as she watched.

"That's why they call them cartoons, Buffy, not documentaries." Willow said.

"She has a point." Angel said. Buffy gave him a dirty look.

Suddenly Riley came bursting down the stairs. Everyone jumped up in surprise. "Riley, what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"I…I can't…I don't…" Riley stammered.

"He doesn't look good." Angel said.

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

Riley shook his head. "What's happening to me?" he asked.

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Once Riley was sitting down, Willow turned to the others. "It's like he's going through drug withdrawal." She said.

"Could the Initiative have been giving him drugs?" Angel asked.

"It's possible." Giles said.

"But Riley doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would take drugs." Xander said.

"I don't think he knows." Buffy said. They all looked at her. "Maybe they put them in their food. To make them better soldiers."

"So what do we do?" Anya asked.

Buffy thought for a moment. "I'm going to the Initiative. My clearance should still work. Xander, you're with me."

"Why does Xander have to go with you?" Anya cried.

"Because he has military experience." Buffy replied. She looked at Xander. "You still remember everything from Halloween a couple of years ago, right?" she asked him. He nodded.

"Don't worry, An, I've helped Buffy loads of times." He said.

Buffy turned to Angel. "You stay here with the others. I wish you could come but it's not safe for you to come to the Initiative again."

"I know." Angel said. "Just be careful, all right?"

Buffy smiled. "Always."

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After Buffy and Xander had left, Angel, Willow, Anya, and Giles stayed with Riley. "He'll be fine." Willow said. "He just has to get through it. And not eat anything the Initiative gives him."

"Yeah." Angel agreed.

Suddenly Riley stood up. "Where did she go?" he asked.

"Buffy?" Anya said. "She and Xander went to the Initiative."

"No!" Riley cried. "She can't…I have to go."

"Riley, you need rest, you can't go back." Willow said. She stepped in front of him. Riley pushed her out of the way, knocking her onto the bed.

Angel grabbed him and tried to hold him back. Riley pushed him away too. Angel fell and looked up just in time to see Riley run up the stairs and out of sight. "Are you ok?" he asked Willow. She nodded.

"He even managed to knock you to the ground." Giles said in amazement.

"Yeah, I think I figured out what the drugs did." Angel replied, standing up.

"Should we go after him?" Willow asked. Angel shook his head.

"No, he'll be alright."

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Buffy and Xander came back. Buffy sat down next to Angel, looking tired. "What happened?" Angel asked.

Buffy told them all about Adam, Maggie's creation that had killed her and was now on the loose. She also told them about Riley, and how he was now going to play double-agent guy for them. "He was injured but he should be fine." She sighed. Angel put his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Adam's pretty dangerous." She said. "We'll have to be careful."

"Always." Angel replied, making her smile.

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