Chapter Three
Throughly Predictable
After everyone had managed to clean up the kitchen as best they could, the group gathered in the living room. Riley was introduced to Darry, Kellie's cousin, and Oz, who Riley remembered as the werewolf the Initiative had captured a few years ago.
However, Buffy was less interested in introducing her friends and more interested in what Riley was doing back in Sunnydale. And the reason that Spike had come to the house during the day. Buffy's attention, at the moment, was more focused on Riley.
"Let me guess, you're here because your mission in South America is over so you just decided to come back to Sunnydale with hopes of saving your relationship with a certain Slayer we all know, when you know that you really have no chance." Buffy said, her eyes fixing on Riley.
Riley flushed a little. "Throughly Predictable." He said, without looking at her. Then he said, "You hit it right on the head, Buffy, it's like you're reading my mind."
Buffy smiled slightly, but it was a smug, forced smile. "Great. Now you can read mine." Buffy said and the smile disappeared from her face and a cold glare replaced it.
Riley winced at Buffy's stare. Darry noticed this and then turned to look at Buffy, surprised by her friend's anger. Buffy had mentioned Riley to Darry one time and by the way she talked about him, Darry always thought that Buffy would love it if Riley came back. However, looking at her now, Darry couldn't tell.
Darry decided to step in before it came to more fisticuffs. "So, Buffy said you went to South America, why?" Darry asked, looking over at Riley.
Riley looked over at Darry and then over at Buffy who just shrugged. "You see, Darry was it, I'm like a Slayer, only not really. I work for a team called the Initiative, which captures demons and tried to make them, well, un-demon-like. You know, not violent to anything human." Riley answered. He looked over at Spike. "Apparently they only work for a short time." He muttered, remembering how Spike had struck him earlier.
"Wrong, solider boy, me and Kellie here took care of that sodding old chip ourselves." Spike said and wrapped his arm around Kellie's waist.
Riley frowned. "So, the chips can be taken out." Riley muttered and Darry could see him making a mental note to 'tell the mother-ship' or whatever his 'leader' was called.
Spike shrugged. "Well, I guess you're lucky that all demons aren't as smart as I am." Spike said with a smug smile. Kellie smiled as well and looked up at her vampire beau.
"I beg to differ." Buffy muttered, soft enough so no one could hear.
Darry looked over at Buffy, who looked at her and smiled and raised an eyebrow. Darry shook her head gamely and then turned her attention back to Riley, studying him and still trying to decide if she liked him or not.
Oz looked over at Riley, not giving the man more then glance; Oz couldn't forget how Riley and the other Commandos had captured him to run tests on him because he was a werewolf.
Oz looked over at Darry, who was standing beside him; Darry had her gaze fixed on Riley, Oz could tell by the way her eyes moved around that she was thinking about something.
Oz couldn't help but get slightly angry, not with Darry because she didn't know what Riley had done, but with Riley; he was angry that Riley could command such attention from Darry, when he knew that if Riley knew that Darry was a werewolf that he might want to do the same sort of tests on her.
As if Darry could sense that Oz was thinking about her, she turned to face him, her hair spilling down her shoulders.
Darry noticed that Oz had a slightly worried, or angry -you could never tell with Oz-, expression on his face. "What's the matter?" She asked, low enough so only he could hear.
Oz shook his head, now was really not the place to tell Darry about it. However, Darry wouldn't let him get away with just a head-shake. She grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen without bothering to say a word to anyone else in the living room.
When they were in the kitchen, Darry looked at Oz with a concerned expression on her face. "What's wrong?" She asked.
Oz looked away from her for a second and then looked at her, as if he just decided what to say. "What is it with you and Riley?" Oz asked.
"What?" Darry asked, as Oz realized who vague and stupid his question was.
"I mean, why were you staring at him like that?" Oz asked, once again wishing he had picked another way to ask his question.
"I don't even know what you're talking about, so nothing. Nothing is 'going on' between us." Darry answered, still not understanding what her boyfriend meant.
Oz shrugged. "Okay, then let me guess: you are interested in him because you've never met a guy like Riley, who seems really good on the outside and like the guy-next-door but you know that he's really not like that but you can't help but be interested in him. Besides Buffy was once interested in him so it intrigues you and you want to find out why." Oz said, taking a guess just as Buffy had done.
Darry shrugged. "Throughly Predictable. But, wrong in most cases." Darry said, trying to keep her voice from betraying any emotion.
Oz looked surprised at what Darry said. "What?" Darry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Riley said that: 'throughly predictable'." Oz said, as though he was accusing Darry of a crime.
"So? It's a catchy phrase and it's not like I'm making him my role model or anything." Darry said, snapping at him without meaning to. Darry studied him, noticing that there was something wrong with Oz that he wasn't telling her. "What's wrong Oz?" Darry asked, all harshness dropped from her voice.
Oz turned to her. "Nothing, it's really nothing; look I'll see you later, Darry." Oz said. He kissed her quickly on the cheek and then left by way of the kitchen door.
Darry frowned when he disappeared, letting out a deep sigh and finding herself unable to turn away from the kitchen door. Whatever was wrong with Oz had to do with Riley, Darry just didn't know what it was.
Back in the living room, Riley suddenly took a deep breath and turned to face Buffy with totally serious look on his face. "Buffy, I guess I haven't been entirely honest with you." Riley began, Buffy cut him off before he was able to finish.
"Which isn't a surprise." Buffy muttered.
Riley ignored him and continued. "There's something I have to tell you; when you were telling me why I was back in Sunnydale, you got most things wrong. In South America, I met someone; her name is Melissa and she was in South America by way of the Peace Cor." Riley said.
"What are you trying to say?" Buffy asked.
"You see, Buffy, before I came back to Sunnydale, Melissa and I got married." Riley answered, his voice getting low as though he was ashamed by that fact.
"Whoa, you got married?" Buffy asked, surprised.
Riley nodded. "You should come and meet her, Buffy, I'm sure you'll like her." Riley said, as though he was defending his wife.
Kellie, before Buffy could say anything, said, "Why not, I'm sure she's a great person. Besides, it's not like we have anything else to do."
Darry re-entered the kitchen just as Buffy agreed with Kellie's idea. Kellie also suggested that Spike come as well and went to get his blanket from the kitchen. Willow quickly filled Darry in; Kellie returned and helped cover Spike up with the blanket.
With Spike covered up, everyone left the Summers house and headed toward the apartment that Riley lived in with his wife.
Throughly Predictable
After everyone had managed to clean up the kitchen as best they could, the group gathered in the living room. Riley was introduced to Darry, Kellie's cousin, and Oz, who Riley remembered as the werewolf the Initiative had captured a few years ago.
However, Buffy was less interested in introducing her friends and more interested in what Riley was doing back in Sunnydale. And the reason that Spike had come to the house during the day. Buffy's attention, at the moment, was more focused on Riley.
"Let me guess, you're here because your mission in South America is over so you just decided to come back to Sunnydale with hopes of saving your relationship with a certain Slayer we all know, when you know that you really have no chance." Buffy said, her eyes fixing on Riley.
Riley flushed a little. "Throughly Predictable." He said, without looking at her. Then he said, "You hit it right on the head, Buffy, it's like you're reading my mind."
Buffy smiled slightly, but it was a smug, forced smile. "Great. Now you can read mine." Buffy said and the smile disappeared from her face and a cold glare replaced it.
Riley winced at Buffy's stare. Darry noticed this and then turned to look at Buffy, surprised by her friend's anger. Buffy had mentioned Riley to Darry one time and by the way she talked about him, Darry always thought that Buffy would love it if Riley came back. However, looking at her now, Darry couldn't tell.
Darry decided to step in before it came to more fisticuffs. "So, Buffy said you went to South America, why?" Darry asked, looking over at Riley.
Riley looked over at Darry and then over at Buffy who just shrugged. "You see, Darry was it, I'm like a Slayer, only not really. I work for a team called the Initiative, which captures demons and tried to make them, well, un-demon-like. You know, not violent to anything human." Riley answered. He looked over at Spike. "Apparently they only work for a short time." He muttered, remembering how Spike had struck him earlier.
"Wrong, solider boy, me and Kellie here took care of that sodding old chip ourselves." Spike said and wrapped his arm around Kellie's waist.
Riley frowned. "So, the chips can be taken out." Riley muttered and Darry could see him making a mental note to 'tell the mother-ship' or whatever his 'leader' was called.
Spike shrugged. "Well, I guess you're lucky that all demons aren't as smart as I am." Spike said with a smug smile. Kellie smiled as well and looked up at her vampire beau.
"I beg to differ." Buffy muttered, soft enough so no one could hear.
Darry looked over at Buffy, who looked at her and smiled and raised an eyebrow. Darry shook her head gamely and then turned her attention back to Riley, studying him and still trying to decide if she liked him or not.
Oz looked over at Riley, not giving the man more then glance; Oz couldn't forget how Riley and the other Commandos had captured him to run tests on him because he was a werewolf.
Oz looked over at Darry, who was standing beside him; Darry had her gaze fixed on Riley, Oz could tell by the way her eyes moved around that she was thinking about something.
Oz couldn't help but get slightly angry, not with Darry because she didn't know what Riley had done, but with Riley; he was angry that Riley could command such attention from Darry, when he knew that if Riley knew that Darry was a werewolf that he might want to do the same sort of tests on her.
As if Darry could sense that Oz was thinking about her, she turned to face him, her hair spilling down her shoulders.
Darry noticed that Oz had a slightly worried, or angry -you could never tell with Oz-, expression on his face. "What's the matter?" She asked, low enough so only he could hear.
Oz shook his head, now was really not the place to tell Darry about it. However, Darry wouldn't let him get away with just a head-shake. She grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen without bothering to say a word to anyone else in the living room.
When they were in the kitchen, Darry looked at Oz with a concerned expression on her face. "What's wrong?" She asked.
Oz looked away from her for a second and then looked at her, as if he just decided what to say. "What is it with you and Riley?" Oz asked.
"What?" Darry asked, as Oz realized who vague and stupid his question was.
"I mean, why were you staring at him like that?" Oz asked, once again wishing he had picked another way to ask his question.
"I don't even know what you're talking about, so nothing. Nothing is 'going on' between us." Darry answered, still not understanding what her boyfriend meant.
Oz shrugged. "Okay, then let me guess: you are interested in him because you've never met a guy like Riley, who seems really good on the outside and like the guy-next-door but you know that he's really not like that but you can't help but be interested in him. Besides Buffy was once interested in him so it intrigues you and you want to find out why." Oz said, taking a guess just as Buffy had done.
Darry shrugged. "Throughly Predictable. But, wrong in most cases." Darry said, trying to keep her voice from betraying any emotion.
Oz looked surprised at what Darry said. "What?" Darry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Riley said that: 'throughly predictable'." Oz said, as though he was accusing Darry of a crime.
"So? It's a catchy phrase and it's not like I'm making him my role model or anything." Darry said, snapping at him without meaning to. Darry studied him, noticing that there was something wrong with Oz that he wasn't telling her. "What's wrong Oz?" Darry asked, all harshness dropped from her voice.
Oz turned to her. "Nothing, it's really nothing; look I'll see you later, Darry." Oz said. He kissed her quickly on the cheek and then left by way of the kitchen door.
Darry frowned when he disappeared, letting out a deep sigh and finding herself unable to turn away from the kitchen door. Whatever was wrong with Oz had to do with Riley, Darry just didn't know what it was.
Back in the living room, Riley suddenly took a deep breath and turned to face Buffy with totally serious look on his face. "Buffy, I guess I haven't been entirely honest with you." Riley began, Buffy cut him off before he was able to finish.
"Which isn't a surprise." Buffy muttered.
Riley ignored him and continued. "There's something I have to tell you; when you were telling me why I was back in Sunnydale, you got most things wrong. In South America, I met someone; her name is Melissa and she was in South America by way of the Peace Cor." Riley said.
"What are you trying to say?" Buffy asked.
"You see, Buffy, before I came back to Sunnydale, Melissa and I got married." Riley answered, his voice getting low as though he was ashamed by that fact.
"Whoa, you got married?" Buffy asked, surprised.
Riley nodded. "You should come and meet her, Buffy, I'm sure you'll like her." Riley said, as though he was defending his wife.
Kellie, before Buffy could say anything, said, "Why not, I'm sure she's a great person. Besides, it's not like we have anything else to do."
Darry re-entered the kitchen just as Buffy agreed with Kellie's idea. Kellie also suggested that Spike come as well and went to get his blanket from the kitchen. Willow quickly filled Darry in; Kellie returned and helped cover Spike up with the blanket.
With Spike covered up, everyone left the Summers house and headed toward the apartment that Riley lived in with his wife.