A couple weeks later
Riley entered The Bronze and scanned the crowd for Willow. When he finally found her, he made his way across the room to join her at her table for two.
"I'm glad you could meet me here, Will."
"Well, you said that it had to do with Buffy and I would do anything to help you two out."
"Yeah, it's very important. I need your advice."
"Sure."
"I don't know if you've noticed it, but Buffy has been acting... Well, different lately."
"Yeah I know. She's been kind of quiet. She's been avoiding slaying and some nights she just lies in bed with her eyes open. I think something is on her mind, but she won't open up and tell me what."
"Same here. Lately when I hold her, she feels empty."
"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Actually, no. Willow, yesterday I got news from the Initiative that said I've been asked to move to France to work on a new project going on there. This is really important and a really big opportunity for me. I love Buffy and don't want to leave her, but with the way she's been acting and all, I'm thinking of taking it. I want to talk to her about it and I don't know. I just don't know," Riley sighed, his head dropping below his shoulders.
"Wow, Riley. I had no idea."
"Yeah. I didn't see this coming."
"Well. do you want to take it?"
"Honestly? Yeah."
* * *
Buffy lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep because when she slept, she dreamed about Spike. The thing she least wanted in the world was to fall in love with him, but it was happening. When she kissed Riley, she thought about him. She didn't want to patrol anymore because she was afraid to run into him and Dru again. She didn't understand why she felt this way and she didn't want to.
"Taking time to ponder?"
Buffy looked up to see Riley standing in her doorway.
"I've never understood that word. Ponder. It sounds strange," Buffy replied, her eyes not moving from the ceiling.
"Buffy, I need to talk to you," Riley said gently as he walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. "Look, I got a call from the Initiative last night. Buffy- Buffy look at me please."
Buffy sat up a little and looked toward Riley.
"Buffy, the Initiative. They called to tell me about. About." Riley looked at Buffy and realized that even though her gaze was on him, she wasn't listening. Her eyes looked hollow and he felt as though she was seeing through him. "Buffy," he said forcefully, "I'm leaving for France with the Initiative tomorrow and I'm not coming back. I love you, but I know you don't feel the same. Good bye."
He waited for her to say something but her expression was blank. Slowly, he got up to leave. Suddenly, Buffy reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Please don't leave Riley."
"I'm afraid it's the best thing for me to do."
"Don't. Please."
"It's tearing me apart inside, Buffy. But my mind is made up."
With that, Riley brushed her cheek, which was stained with tears, put on his jacket, and walked out the door.
Riley entered The Bronze and scanned the crowd for Willow. When he finally found her, he made his way across the room to join her at her table for two.
"I'm glad you could meet me here, Will."
"Well, you said that it had to do with Buffy and I would do anything to help you two out."
"Yeah, it's very important. I need your advice."
"Sure."
"I don't know if you've noticed it, but Buffy has been acting... Well, different lately."
"Yeah I know. She's been kind of quiet. She's been avoiding slaying and some nights she just lies in bed with her eyes open. I think something is on her mind, but she won't open up and tell me what."
"Same here. Lately when I hold her, she feels empty."
"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Actually, no. Willow, yesterday I got news from the Initiative that said I've been asked to move to France to work on a new project going on there. This is really important and a really big opportunity for me. I love Buffy and don't want to leave her, but with the way she's been acting and all, I'm thinking of taking it. I want to talk to her about it and I don't know. I just don't know," Riley sighed, his head dropping below his shoulders.
"Wow, Riley. I had no idea."
"Yeah. I didn't see this coming."
"Well. do you want to take it?"
"Honestly? Yeah."
* * *
Buffy lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep because when she slept, she dreamed about Spike. The thing she least wanted in the world was to fall in love with him, but it was happening. When she kissed Riley, she thought about him. She didn't want to patrol anymore because she was afraid to run into him and Dru again. She didn't understand why she felt this way and she didn't want to.
"Taking time to ponder?"
Buffy looked up to see Riley standing in her doorway.
"I've never understood that word. Ponder. It sounds strange," Buffy replied, her eyes not moving from the ceiling.
"Buffy, I need to talk to you," Riley said gently as he walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. "Look, I got a call from the Initiative last night. Buffy- Buffy look at me please."
Buffy sat up a little and looked toward Riley.
"Buffy, the Initiative. They called to tell me about. About." Riley looked at Buffy and realized that even though her gaze was on him, she wasn't listening. Her eyes looked hollow and he felt as though she was seeing through him. "Buffy," he said forcefully, "I'm leaving for France with the Initiative tomorrow and I'm not coming back. I love you, but I know you don't feel the same. Good bye."
He waited for her to say something but her expression was blank. Slowly, he got up to leave. Suddenly, Buffy reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Please don't leave Riley."
"I'm afraid it's the best thing for me to do."
"Don't. Please."
"It's tearing me apart inside, Buffy. But my mind is made up."
With that, Riley brushed her cheek, which was stained with tears, put on his jacket, and walked out the door.