Strider was a large gray horse, strong, and he knew the meaning of "GET!" But he could be gentle, he could be lazy and walk around for a day, even forgetting where or what he was supposed to do. He used to be Riley's horse, now, he belonged to Lis, he went with her to competitions, and he let her ride him to the stream. Strider was and always had been, a good horse, a loyal creature, which looked out for everyone's welfare.

"So, how do I get on this thing?" Buffy asked. Riley lifted her up and inserted her tennis shoed feet into the leather holds.

"See? It's not so hard, it's like driving, you get one good experience, and poof, and you're set on the activity."

"Okay, it's not so bad, I admit as much, but, sincerely, I feel really weird on top of some humongous animal that could trample me." Buffy laughed giddily.

"My first feelings exactly, to the word. I didn't want to marry you without you having a good horsey experience." Riley chuckled, stabilizing Buffy on the horse.

"I guess that's kind of like my idiosyncrasy, except, it's something about slaying one vampire." Buffy giggled.

"Well, I guess I'm clear, then?"

"Damn right you are." Buffy joked leaning over to kiss Riley, she fell of the horse. She smiled, dazed, she laughed at herself. She raised her hand for pick up; he grabbed it and pulled her to her feet.

"Maybe, I should ride with you." Riley lifted Buffy up with him and he sat down on the horse.

They rode around, Buffy up front, Riley securely holding onto her, guiding the horse. They rode for three hours. Over the whole Finn farm. They talked, anticipations, aggravations, everything that popped into their heads.

"You scared about the rehearsal dinner?" Buffy asked trembling.

"Considering it's tonight. I'm pretty freaked. Because, it means, by this time tomorrow we'll be married." He smiled while twitching.

"Ah, pre marital jitters, I've felt them since you asked for my hand." Buffy smiled tenderly and then looked away into the distance.

"What's wrong?" Riley asked quietly.

"Oh, I just think Wood should be at your house by now. They should be, anyway. God, it's so bright. It's beautiful." Buffy said awed by the very existence of the sun.

"Just like you." Riley grinned and stroked her arm softly.

"Ah, flattery, usually, it doesn't work on me, but I've surrendered." Buffy joked.

"I just want to stay out here all day, bask in the sunlight, absorb the energy, get to be part of the light." Buffy said, like she was asking Riley if he felt the same way.

"It has that effect on people." Riley hugged her from behind softly, he hugged her soft as the breeze flowed through the trees, this was the stuff. Nothing like the animal instinct of the college days, it was sensual, not sexual, it went right into Buffy's heart, and was locked there, as if he only had the key. She smiled into the distance of fields and such like, the flowery aroma, swept into her nose, and stayed, lingered, the lazy smell, attracted all her being, his too.

"So, you think we should go back? It's getting to be noon, already." Buffy looked at a tree, a virtual sundial.

"We should go to the house." Riley nodded and got off the horse, Buffy followed. Riley got up front while Buffy clung to his back. Strider ran at his command, he ran like nothing anyone had seen, fast, speedy, even for an old horse like himself.

"You know, don't you?" Riley asked abruptly as they were running.

"What?" Buffy replied.

"That, that, I came to town, to Sunnydale, a few times. After, well, you know." Riley said.

"WHAT?" Buffy was outraged. "And you didn't drop a call?"

"Well, I was hoping you'd find me, she who hangs out in cemetaries. I thought if you nightly patrolled, you'd find me, I sat in the cemetary, waiting, slaying random vampires." He said truthfully.

"God, Riley, if you don't call, how would I know you were there?"

"I just had this feeling you would." He shrugged.

"Riley, I moped, I fought demons, I moped, I fought Glory, I died, and you never thought to let me know you were there, that's just wrong. You knew where I was, The Magic Box, my house, Giles's place, and you didn't say 'Hey, nice to see ya'?"

"Buffy, I was nervous, I just felt, discarded, lost, and you'd find me again and make me new. It was just a matter of my guts, I felt you'd find me, and it'd be better." Riley admitted.

"It's not that easy, a lot less hassle for both of us, if you had come straight to me. Who'd you talk to while you were in town?" Buffy asked.

"Spike, Giles, Xander, Dawn." Riley said ashamed.

"Oh my god, you talked to them and they didn't say a word. They are so dead when I get back." Buffy made a fist.

"Buffy, I made them promise, they all urged me to come to see you, I was a coward not to see they were right." Said Riley quietly. Buffy's fingers uncurled.