Previously: Angelus reemerged and decided to seek revenge on Buffy and her friends. When he got to Sunnydale, he met Riley, took an instant dislike to him, and plans to take him down, too.
Note: Angelus *does not* like Riley and makes it clear. Riley fans might want to avoid this story.
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Angelus slipped the convertible into an opening in front of Buffy's house. It was the closest he could get; the presumptuous Riley Finn had, not surprisingly, taken up the entire driveway. Angelus then entered the Summers' house only to find that Riley was also hogging the couch, not that Angelus wanted to sit next to him anyway. Instead, he selected an easy chair and angled it so he could better face his rival.
Buffy was hovering around Finn like a fly. "Riley, do you want anything? Soda or a sandwich?"
"A Coke would be good."
"Okay. Angel?"
"No, thanks. I already drank."
"I'll just be a minute, then." She disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.
Angelus decided to capitalize on her absence and get to know his newest enemy a little better. First step was to find Finn's weak points so Angelus started with a deliberate, although veiled, insult. "Buffy told you all about me, huh? Strange how she never even mentioned your name to me."
Riley's fixed smile wavered. "I really wouldn't expect her to share the news with her ex-boyfriend. Not that I would have minded if she had. We have a very strong relationship and we're both completely secure in our feelings for each other."
Yes, a definite score there. Finn seemed overly anxious to ensure that Angelus knew he and Buffy were tight. Which meant he actually wasn't so confident. Angelus moved on to a less threatening question, to avoid raising too much suspicion so soon. "So, Riley, what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a TA. That means teaching assistant," Riley explained patronizingly. "Buffy's in the pysch course I work with. That's how we met."
With a great effort, Angelus restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "Where are you from? You don't look like a California native."
Riley hesitated, but apparently couldn't see any harm in the question and answered, "I'm not. I was born in Iowa."
"Let me guess: You grew up on a farm."
"Yeah." Riley frowned. "How did you know?"
"You seem like the type. So, a farm in Iowa. How...rustic." Angelus felt a sneer rising to his lips. He could just imagine Finn frolicking in the sties with the pigs. Buffy must have gone mental after Angel left her, to have taken up with this moron. He studied Riley's broad features and milky eyes. The fellow even looked somewhat like a farm animal. Maybe a cow.
"Farm life taught me to love the outdoors. Now Buffy and I patrol together a lot. We make a great team." Riley puffed out his chest, and Angelus revised his animal assessment to rooster.
Before he could ask another question, Buffy came back into the room carrying two cans of soda, one of which she handed to Riley. He immediately made room for her on the couch, and she dropped down beside him. "Have you two been getting to know each other a little better?"
Riley threw an arm across her shoulders. "You could say that."
Buffy turned to Angel. "You said a threat to the Hellmouth brought you back? What is it this time?"
"It's nothing immediate," Angelus answered vaguely. "I mean, from what I heard it will be coming soon, but I didn't show up at the last minute. There's time for Giles to research the situation." Angelus paused. "Speaking of Giles, how is he? And the others?"
"They're okay. Except Oz broke up with Willow and left town. It's best not to mention his name too much around her," Buffy cautioned.
Riley cleared his throat and glanced at his watch, then at Angelus. "It's getting pretty late. Since the world isn't in imminent danger I guess you'll have to be going, Angel. Buffy shouldn't stay up much longer. She has a psych test in the morning."
Angelus nodded. "I suppose I can still find a hotel that has a vacancy." The second he'd heard Joyce was out of town, he knew how to play the scenario.
Just as he had anticipated, Buffy rose to the bait. "You don't have anywhere to stay yet?"
"No, but I can find a hotel room. I just don't like the thought of going back to the mansion. It's so big and empty and lonely, and I'm used to being around people pretty much all the time now."
"Why don't you stay here, Angel? Like I said, Mom won't be back for a couple of weeks. You can have her room. I'll be right down the hall in case you need anything. I'm house-sitting while Mom's away."
Angelus knew he only had to put up a token argument and things would work out perfectly. "Are you sure it's all right? I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."
"It's no problem. I have the space, you need a room..." Buffy shrugged. "What more do you want?"
"In that case, I'll take you up on your offer. Let me just go out to the car and get my things." Angelus shot a glance at Riley's glowering face before he jogged out to the convertible to retrieve his suitcase and cooler of blood. As he popped the trunk, he concentrated on hearing the conversation that was sure to be taking place between Buffy and Farm Boy in his absence.
Sure enough, Riley was already complaining. "What are you thinking, Buffy? You just asked a vampire to stay with you."
"A vampire who's my friend," Buffy replied. "He's proven himself over and over."
"Not to me, he hasn't."
"Riley, please, trust my judgement. Angel would never do anything to hurt me and I wouldn't feel right sending him away."
"I guess I can't say anything that would change your mind," Finn whined.
Buffy sighed. "It isn't like that. This isn't about you."
"No, obviously not."
"I'll make it up to you, I promise," Buffy said in a softer voice.
Angelus grimaced. He sincerely hoped not. As he crossed the porch, he deliberately walked heavily, and the conversation inside quickly halted. Angelus shoved open the front door, dropped his bag, and held up the cooler. "I'm going to the kitchen to take care of this."
"Sure." Buffy nodded.
Angelus retreated to the other room and removed his small supply of blood from the cooler. He couldn't leave it in its original packaging or Buffy would know it was human and start asking nosy questions. As Angelus searched for a suitable container, he resumed his eavesdropping on the couple in the living room.
Riley was still complaining, only in a lower voice this time. "At least let me stay in the house too? In case he tries anything."
"I am not continuing this conversation," Buffy warned him.
Finn must not have been quite as stupid as Angelus had figured, because he backed down a bit. "I worry about you, Buffy."
"You don't have to, you know. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Buffy sounded like she'd made that statement quite a few times before.
Angelus hummed to himself as he carefully squeezed the contents of a bag into Joyce's crystal pitcher. Riley and Buffy were arguing about him. How long until *that* relationship collapsed like a drained blood vessel? Especially with *him* around to act as accelerant. He shoved the pitcher to the back of the refrigerator and returned to the living room, pleased to see that Buffy was on her feet with her shoulders tense and Riley was standing halfway across the room from her.
Buffy smiled when she saw Angelus in the doorway. "Let me help you get settled upstairs."
"Riley." Angelus briefly acknowledged the other man as he collected his suitcase and trailed Buffy up the stairs and down the hall toward Joyce's room. Once they were well away from Finn, he asked in his most concerned tone, "Are you sure my staying here is okay with you?"
Buffy stopped in front of the hall closet and selected a fresh pillowcase and sheet. "You heard Riley and me just now, didn't you? I'm sorry about that. I have to explain something about him to you. He's part of a group called the Initiative that hunts demons. I told him about you in case you ever came back to visit so he would know you're not like other vampires and he should leave you alone. I guess I didn't do such a good job of getting the message across. But as soon as he gets to know you a little better, I'm positive you two will be friends." She led Angelus into her mother's room and began to make the bed.
"I'm sure you're right, Buffy," Angelus lied.
She tucked in the sheet and continued, "If you go out at night, you ought to be careful about showing your game face. Riley will leave you alone, but the other Initiative members don't know about you and I don't want to tell them. I don't trust them."
"No need to worry," Angelus said impatiently. "You're not the only one who can handle yourself." The day he needed a Slayer to give him safety tips was the day he hung up his fangs.
"Sorry," Buffy apologized. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you." She surveyed the room. "Think you're all set? I'd stay longer and talk to you more, but Riley was right. I have to get some sleep before that test."
"That's all right. I'm kind of tired myself." Angelus held the door open so Buffy would take the hint to leave. Being so sickeningly polite was quite a strain. The second Buffy was out of his hair, he flopped down on the bed in relief. Christ, she had even fluffed his pillow for him. Was his revenge going to be pathetically easy or what?
It wasn't long before Angelus heard subdued goodbyes exchanged downstairs, followed by the sound of Riley's car moving away. He continued to listen as Buffy prepared for bed in complete ignorance of the threat she had welcomed into her own home. Angelus waited until he heard her breathing pattern even out, then closed his eyes and drifted into delicious dreams of world dominance, agonizing torture, and demonic evil. Unlife was sweet indeed.
TBC