A/N I've been noticing this one trend, the Buffy readers are split
into two camps. A/B and S/B. Mostly because I opened the story with a
Spike scene, I got a lot of Spuffy readers who reviewed, and some of them
said they wouldn't continue reading because the story will end A/B. I
really had no idea the pairing of the Slayer had such dominance over who
read. So, I will make this clear. There is B/S, B/A and B/R interaction.
Personally I think that the Slayer belongs with a certain cursed vampire,
but I also believe that the love Spike has for her is strong and true.
Sorry for the lack of Spike and Buffy in this chapter, I meant to have them, but I thought a little interaction between Riley and Angel and co. would be fun to write. The army boy is such an interesting character, he's mature, yes, but has many traits of a child. Well, onto the story, and please, if your reading, continue to because of the plot and my writing (word on the street say's it's good) and not stop because you dislike the pairing of the characters.
"She still not here?" Riley asked, jumping the stairs as he came down.
Both Angel and Wesley looked up from the assortment of papers they had been bent over. "Not yet." The vampire sighed and straightened to his full height.
"Wonder what's taking her." Wesley said, cleaning his glasses with one hand, he returned his gaze to the reading material. Darkness masked the windows, and they had been watching through them since they were painted with gold from the sun.
Angel walked over to the weapons rack and emerged with an ax. He started to clean it with a soiled rag that he had taken from a hook as Riley took a seat on the last step.
"You nervous?" The army boy watched the elder vampire. The silver shine of the weapon was coming strong now. Angel didn't answer.
"I remember when we used to make plans to get together." Riley went on, talking to himself. "I would look forward to it for hours before, doing school projects that weren't due for another week, excessively cleaning. . ." His eyes focused on Angel from their previous empty gaze. The vampire stared back, and then looked down at the weapon he was still shining. He turned and put the ax back in it's proper place on the rack. Riley grinned and went on.
"Of course, usually she was so busy she had to cancel, being the Slayer and all." Riley kept talking as Angel walked toward the door, and peered through the window. "The nights that we were together though, it was like everything bad in the world would just melt away. No scientific experiments gone wrong, or vengeful gods, demons, or vampires, just me and her." He looked up at the ceiling and back again at the floor as though looking for a scrap of memory to materialize.
"You still love her?" Angel said, turning from the window.
"Buffy?" Riley asked, bringing his attention to the vampire.
Angel nodded and leaned against the wall.
"Do you?" Riley countered.
He didn't say anything for a few moments and took another glance out the window. "Yeah, I still love her."
Riley took a minute to taste what the vampire had said, He rolled his shoulders and answered the question for himself. "I do, but it doesn't matter, she doesn't love me back."
"You so sure of that?" Angel asked, finally departing from the window.
The army boy looked at him squarely in the eyes. "It's a demon she wants, I can't give her that."
Angel put his hands up in mock defeat and stepped back, smiling. "You think I'm a demon?"
"You and Spike both, just because a monster is chained doesn't mean it's teeth aren't still there, that the hunger doesn't come up every time a meal, a person, walks past." He met his eyes to the vampire and saw the recognition fly through. "I see Buffy as a human, but she didn't want that. You and Spike treat her as a demon, and she doesn't get that she isn't one."
"The Slayer is born of darkness." The comment came from Wesley who had finally taken his attention off of the papers and turned it to the vengeful lovers.
Riley stood up and stared straight at the ex watcher. "Buffy is not a demon."
"She's not human." Wesley countered back. "And neither is Faith, or any Slayer before them."
"Your right." The words came from Connor, he was standing on the stairs, looking down and leaning against the railing. "About the vampires." He continued to Riley. "Even with the soul, they're still monsters."
Angel looked up. "Thanks for the support son."
"Welcome." Connor smiled and jumped off the railing and onto the floor of the lobby.
Riley gave out a breath as the boy walked over to them. "Impressive." He put simply.
Connor answered with him with a nod. "When is the Slayer coming?"
"Supposedly a few hours ago." Wesley said.
They all turned toward the door as it creaked open, as if on command, Buffy walked in. Her gold hair was down, and she was clad in a leather black coat that stirred up faint memories in Riley's mind. Held in her hand was a sword which was held at her side. She gave them all a sideways smile.
"Hey." She sight softly.
Sorry for the lack of Spike and Buffy in this chapter, I meant to have them, but I thought a little interaction between Riley and Angel and co. would be fun to write. The army boy is such an interesting character, he's mature, yes, but has many traits of a child. Well, onto the story, and please, if your reading, continue to because of the plot and my writing (word on the street say's it's good) and not stop because you dislike the pairing of the characters.
"She still not here?" Riley asked, jumping the stairs as he came down.
Both Angel and Wesley looked up from the assortment of papers they had been bent over. "Not yet." The vampire sighed and straightened to his full height.
"Wonder what's taking her." Wesley said, cleaning his glasses with one hand, he returned his gaze to the reading material. Darkness masked the windows, and they had been watching through them since they were painted with gold from the sun.
Angel walked over to the weapons rack and emerged with an ax. He started to clean it with a soiled rag that he had taken from a hook as Riley took a seat on the last step.
"You nervous?" The army boy watched the elder vampire. The silver shine of the weapon was coming strong now. Angel didn't answer.
"I remember when we used to make plans to get together." Riley went on, talking to himself. "I would look forward to it for hours before, doing school projects that weren't due for another week, excessively cleaning. . ." His eyes focused on Angel from their previous empty gaze. The vampire stared back, and then looked down at the weapon he was still shining. He turned and put the ax back in it's proper place on the rack. Riley grinned and went on.
"Of course, usually she was so busy she had to cancel, being the Slayer and all." Riley kept talking as Angel walked toward the door, and peered through the window. "The nights that we were together though, it was like everything bad in the world would just melt away. No scientific experiments gone wrong, or vengeful gods, demons, or vampires, just me and her." He looked up at the ceiling and back again at the floor as though looking for a scrap of memory to materialize.
"You still love her?" Angel said, turning from the window.
"Buffy?" Riley asked, bringing his attention to the vampire.
Angel nodded and leaned against the wall.
"Do you?" Riley countered.
He didn't say anything for a few moments and took another glance out the window. "Yeah, I still love her."
Riley took a minute to taste what the vampire had said, He rolled his shoulders and answered the question for himself. "I do, but it doesn't matter, she doesn't love me back."
"You so sure of that?" Angel asked, finally departing from the window.
The army boy looked at him squarely in the eyes. "It's a demon she wants, I can't give her that."
Angel put his hands up in mock defeat and stepped back, smiling. "You think I'm a demon?"
"You and Spike both, just because a monster is chained doesn't mean it's teeth aren't still there, that the hunger doesn't come up every time a meal, a person, walks past." He met his eyes to the vampire and saw the recognition fly through. "I see Buffy as a human, but she didn't want that. You and Spike treat her as a demon, and she doesn't get that she isn't one."
"The Slayer is born of darkness." The comment came from Wesley who had finally taken his attention off of the papers and turned it to the vengeful lovers.
Riley stood up and stared straight at the ex watcher. "Buffy is not a demon."
"She's not human." Wesley countered back. "And neither is Faith, or any Slayer before them."
"Your right." The words came from Connor, he was standing on the stairs, looking down and leaning against the railing. "About the vampires." He continued to Riley. "Even with the soul, they're still monsters."
Angel looked up. "Thanks for the support son."
"Welcome." Connor smiled and jumped off the railing and onto the floor of the lobby.
Riley gave out a breath as the boy walked over to them. "Impressive." He put simply.
Connor answered with him with a nod. "When is the Slayer coming?"
"Supposedly a few hours ago." Wesley said.
They all turned toward the door as it creaked open, as if on command, Buffy walked in. Her gold hair was down, and she was clad in a leather black coat that stirred up faint memories in Riley's mind. Held in her hand was a sword which was held at her side. She gave them all a sideways smile.
"Hey." She sight softly.