"Buffy." Angel breathed, rushing up to her with vampire speed and
taking her in a hug. She stood stunned for a moment, and then returned the
gesture. Caustically she buried herself in the shoulder of his black coat,
breathing in the dusty scent of him and the nostalgia that rammed itself
through the air. The Slayer let her eyes close, she hadn't realized how
much she had missed him until she found herself in his arms. After what
seemed like forever to Buffy, Angel broke the embrace, but kept her by the
shoulders.
"It's good to see you." He said finally.
She smiled at him. "Same here."
"Uh, hello?" Riley waved, drawing both their attention. He had taken position leaning against the desk and grinned at his former love. Buffy looked back over to the vampire, We'll-Talk-Later gaze held in her eyes, and then returned her attention to the army boy. The Slayer ran over, and threw him the sword when she was close enough as to not accidentally impale him.
Riley looked the blade over and ran a hand along the dull side. "How is it that I get a sword and he gets a hug?"
"You want a hug?" The Slayer gave a fake pout and opened her arms wide for him to fall into. He smiled and set the blade down onto the counter and embraced her himself. The hug itself was sweet, not dripping with passion or need as her vampire lovers would give, but sweet none the less, and as she continued her hold on to Riley, she realized that everything with him had been just that . . . sweet.
He started to withdraw. "Missed you."
"Miss you too." As they departed, Buffy kissed him. Even after she did it she couldn't realize why, as though it was only second nature. He looked at her with his eyes of amber brown and smiled.
"Well, Buffy I'm glad you finally showed up." Wesley said, coming over. She turned and looked at the once Watcher.
"Wesley." She stammered out, looking him over. Riley stood beside her, a look of slight loss as the Slayers attention was turned else where masked his eyes, but only Connor saw the change in emotion as he stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room. "You look good." She said at last. He smiled at her and came to give her a hug of his own.
Buffy let him embrace her, and a heavy emotion that had been weighing her down finally disappeared. The confrontations between her and her old lovers was over, and now she was in the arms of someone who missed her for herself, and not her body. When the embrace was over, the Slayer looked around as if to confirm she was done with re introductions and her eyes fell upon Connor. He returned the gaze with glazed eyes.
"So this is the Slayer?" He asked, Buffy guessed to Angel who had taken stance next to the strange boy. "She isn't as pretty as the other one."
She shifted her weight at what he had said. The vampire gave him a backhand to the head.
"Ow!" The boy cried, clutching the spot where Angel had hit him. "What was that for?"
"Didn't we have a conversation about being nice to our guest?" Angel asked, walking away from him.
"Oh yeah." Connor muttered, rubbing his head again. "I forgot."
"C'mon Buffy." Angel said, walking past her and to the stairs. "I'll show you were your room is."
The Slayer didn't move for a moment, eyes locked with the boy. He stared back, smiling coyly.
"You should meet my sister." She said finally, and turned to follow Angel up the stairs. The vampire had already mounted the steps halfway and she ran to catch up with him.
"Interesting kid you got there." Buffy commented when they were out of earshot.
He looked at her and gave nothing away through his dark eyes. There was no pain left, the anguish from the soul, the death. . . her, it had disappeared, leaving only an almost cold gaze. "You have no idea."
Angel shifted his attention toward the hall and away from the Slayer. She let her hand rest on the railing as they mounted the stairs. "He any good at fighting?"
"If there was a male Slayer, he would be it." The vampire said after pondering the question for a few brief moments, he turned a first right.
"Oh, wow." Buffy stopped walking as Angel started to open the door to a room. "Is he human, demon, what?" They both walked in, and the Slayer stepped to the bed, sitting on the edge, eyes on her former lover.
"It's a long story." He said coming to sit next to her.
She looked at him and gave a soft smile. "I have a lot to tell you too."
His eyes had adopted a warmer gaze. "You want to go first?"
Buffy nodded slowly. "All right." Angels hand came to clasp on her own, and taking it as an invention, she let her head rest in the crook of his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Dawns an entity of power that was crafted into the form of human from me so that I would protect her from a hell god. Every memory we have of her was made up by monks."
The vampire took a minute to process the information. "Explains a lot."
Buffy played with his fingers between her own. "Your turn."
"The kid, Connor, he's my son." Buffy resisted the urge to sit up as he continued. "Wolfram and Hart brought Darla back to life and somehow she bore our child, and then she died."
"He a vampire?" She asked, a pit forming in her stomach. It wasn't as if she had been chaste between graduation and now, but she hadn't fathomed that Angel wouldn't remain so.
He squeezed her hand. "I don't know what he is, but he's not a vampire."
The Slayer opened her eyes and looked up at him, acknowledging it was her turn. "I'm fucking Spike."
"I've had a crush on Cordy." He said in response. They sat in silence.
"Where is Spike by the way?"
Buffy curled in closer to him before answering. "He was being a bastard so I kicked him out, he's probably wandering the streets trying to find his way here."
"It's a pretty loveless relationship then?" Angel asked.
The Slayer tasted the question and thought. "I don't know."
They both remained speechless, but not from lack of anything to say, until the sound of footsteps echoed off the walls, Buffy disentangled herself from Angel as Riley walked into the room.
"Am I interrupting something?" Riley said in mocking tone.
Angel stood and Buffy traced his motions. "Just catching up." The Slayer answered quickly.
Riley nodded but the fact that he didn't believe them shimmered in his eyes. "Wes wants you." He said, directing the comment to Angel and jabbing toward the door. The vampire gave one last glance at Buffy and strode to the door, not meeting the eyes of Riley who stepped aside for him to pass.
"He's not that social is he?" The army boy smiled at the Slayer who returned the gesture. He moved further into the room, closing the door.
"I'm sure you two bonded between now and the time I came." Buffy disrupted the silence that had held and tried to avoid her ex lovers eyes without looking painfully obvious.
Riley shrugged. "How was Xander and Anya's wedding?" The subject change was abrupt.
"Didn't happen." She put simply, walking over to the window and peering out. "Where's Sam by the way? I was looking forward to seeing her again-"
"She's dead." Riley cut her off. The Slayer turned around to face him, sympathy painted her eyes.
"I'm so sorry." She stammered.
Riley looked away, trying to keep in tears that had suddenly been drawn up. "It's OK."
Again silence overtook the room. "And Tara and Willow, what's up with them?" His effort to regain his strength showed through the sob that threatened to break through his voice.
"Tara got shot with a bullet meant for me a little while after you came back." Buffy said, trying desperately to pull away from the subject of his wife, even if it was with the death of a friend.
Riley drew a hand through his hair and sighed. "I should have been there last year, should have been there to fight Glory." He brought his gaze up to her, unwavering. "What happened between us, that shouldn't of made me leave, there was a demon that you died fighting, and I wasn't there."
"Who told you that I died?" She asked softly, again trying to drive the conversation to a lighter note. "Maybe Angel and I did do a bit of bonding." He gave a smile, but it was still laced in pain.
Buffy rubbed the back of her neck, and as much as she tried to change her mask, her face stayed solemn. "After you left, again, I broke up with Spike." As his eyes became impossible to read, Buffy kept going, wondering why she was telling him this. "He tried to rape me afterwards- not succeeding." She stammered out quickly at the surprise in his eyes. "Then he left and came back with a soul, he was insane and dying."
Riley looked at her and anything resembling sympathy or love was drained, just a cold stare that she had seen all too many times tonight. "Am I supposed to feel for the vampire?"
"I'm just. . ." She searched for the words helplessly. "Things have been so messed up." Buffy sat back on the bed and put her head in her hands. "Willow never got over her addiction and nearly destroyed the world, I can't handle Dawn anymore, I mean, I love her, I'd die- I died for her, but she's a teenager and I didn't even understand myself when I was a teenager. Xander grew up, Anya grew up, everyone grew up and everyone knows what they're doing, and I'm just so lost." She started to sob and Riley rushed to her, putting his hands around her back and hushing caring words into her ear.
Buffy brought her head up and looked at him, tears running down her face. Without thinking, she brought him into a passionate kiss, and before she could stop it, he had her down on the bed.
A/N Oh god was this was out of character! I mean, it was in character, but it so didn't flow well! I'm beginning to think I should of set this 3/6, because that's how I'm having all the characters act, but Spike needs to have a soul! So just bare with me here people here. Oh, and don't hate me for the B/R, Buffy just needed some care and Riley was there, trust me, if it had been one of our vampires she would of kissed them.
"It's good to see you." He said finally.
She smiled at him. "Same here."
"Uh, hello?" Riley waved, drawing both their attention. He had taken position leaning against the desk and grinned at his former love. Buffy looked back over to the vampire, We'll-Talk-Later gaze held in her eyes, and then returned her attention to the army boy. The Slayer ran over, and threw him the sword when she was close enough as to not accidentally impale him.
Riley looked the blade over and ran a hand along the dull side. "How is it that I get a sword and he gets a hug?"
"You want a hug?" The Slayer gave a fake pout and opened her arms wide for him to fall into. He smiled and set the blade down onto the counter and embraced her himself. The hug itself was sweet, not dripping with passion or need as her vampire lovers would give, but sweet none the less, and as she continued her hold on to Riley, she realized that everything with him had been just that . . . sweet.
He started to withdraw. "Missed you."
"Miss you too." As they departed, Buffy kissed him. Even after she did it she couldn't realize why, as though it was only second nature. He looked at her with his eyes of amber brown and smiled.
"Well, Buffy I'm glad you finally showed up." Wesley said, coming over. She turned and looked at the once Watcher.
"Wesley." She stammered out, looking him over. Riley stood beside her, a look of slight loss as the Slayers attention was turned else where masked his eyes, but only Connor saw the change in emotion as he stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room. "You look good." She said at last. He smiled at her and came to give her a hug of his own.
Buffy let him embrace her, and a heavy emotion that had been weighing her down finally disappeared. The confrontations between her and her old lovers was over, and now she was in the arms of someone who missed her for herself, and not her body. When the embrace was over, the Slayer looked around as if to confirm she was done with re introductions and her eyes fell upon Connor. He returned the gaze with glazed eyes.
"So this is the Slayer?" He asked, Buffy guessed to Angel who had taken stance next to the strange boy. "She isn't as pretty as the other one."
She shifted her weight at what he had said. The vampire gave him a backhand to the head.
"Ow!" The boy cried, clutching the spot where Angel had hit him. "What was that for?"
"Didn't we have a conversation about being nice to our guest?" Angel asked, walking away from him.
"Oh yeah." Connor muttered, rubbing his head again. "I forgot."
"C'mon Buffy." Angel said, walking past her and to the stairs. "I'll show you were your room is."
The Slayer didn't move for a moment, eyes locked with the boy. He stared back, smiling coyly.
"You should meet my sister." She said finally, and turned to follow Angel up the stairs. The vampire had already mounted the steps halfway and she ran to catch up with him.
"Interesting kid you got there." Buffy commented when they were out of earshot.
He looked at her and gave nothing away through his dark eyes. There was no pain left, the anguish from the soul, the death. . . her, it had disappeared, leaving only an almost cold gaze. "You have no idea."
Angel shifted his attention toward the hall and away from the Slayer. She let her hand rest on the railing as they mounted the stairs. "He any good at fighting?"
"If there was a male Slayer, he would be it." The vampire said after pondering the question for a few brief moments, he turned a first right.
"Oh, wow." Buffy stopped walking as Angel started to open the door to a room. "Is he human, demon, what?" They both walked in, and the Slayer stepped to the bed, sitting on the edge, eyes on her former lover.
"It's a long story." He said coming to sit next to her.
She looked at him and gave a soft smile. "I have a lot to tell you too."
His eyes had adopted a warmer gaze. "You want to go first?"
Buffy nodded slowly. "All right." Angels hand came to clasp on her own, and taking it as an invention, she let her head rest in the crook of his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Dawns an entity of power that was crafted into the form of human from me so that I would protect her from a hell god. Every memory we have of her was made up by monks."
The vampire took a minute to process the information. "Explains a lot."
Buffy played with his fingers between her own. "Your turn."
"The kid, Connor, he's my son." Buffy resisted the urge to sit up as he continued. "Wolfram and Hart brought Darla back to life and somehow she bore our child, and then she died."
"He a vampire?" She asked, a pit forming in her stomach. It wasn't as if she had been chaste between graduation and now, but she hadn't fathomed that Angel wouldn't remain so.
He squeezed her hand. "I don't know what he is, but he's not a vampire."
The Slayer opened her eyes and looked up at him, acknowledging it was her turn. "I'm fucking Spike."
"I've had a crush on Cordy." He said in response. They sat in silence.
"Where is Spike by the way?"
Buffy curled in closer to him before answering. "He was being a bastard so I kicked him out, he's probably wandering the streets trying to find his way here."
"It's a pretty loveless relationship then?" Angel asked.
The Slayer tasted the question and thought. "I don't know."
They both remained speechless, but not from lack of anything to say, until the sound of footsteps echoed off the walls, Buffy disentangled herself from Angel as Riley walked into the room.
"Am I interrupting something?" Riley said in mocking tone.
Angel stood and Buffy traced his motions. "Just catching up." The Slayer answered quickly.
Riley nodded but the fact that he didn't believe them shimmered in his eyes. "Wes wants you." He said, directing the comment to Angel and jabbing toward the door. The vampire gave one last glance at Buffy and strode to the door, not meeting the eyes of Riley who stepped aside for him to pass.
"He's not that social is he?" The army boy smiled at the Slayer who returned the gesture. He moved further into the room, closing the door.
"I'm sure you two bonded between now and the time I came." Buffy disrupted the silence that had held and tried to avoid her ex lovers eyes without looking painfully obvious.
Riley shrugged. "How was Xander and Anya's wedding?" The subject change was abrupt.
"Didn't happen." She put simply, walking over to the window and peering out. "Where's Sam by the way? I was looking forward to seeing her again-"
"She's dead." Riley cut her off. The Slayer turned around to face him, sympathy painted her eyes.
"I'm so sorry." She stammered.
Riley looked away, trying to keep in tears that had suddenly been drawn up. "It's OK."
Again silence overtook the room. "And Tara and Willow, what's up with them?" His effort to regain his strength showed through the sob that threatened to break through his voice.
"Tara got shot with a bullet meant for me a little while after you came back." Buffy said, trying desperately to pull away from the subject of his wife, even if it was with the death of a friend.
Riley drew a hand through his hair and sighed. "I should have been there last year, should have been there to fight Glory." He brought his gaze up to her, unwavering. "What happened between us, that shouldn't of made me leave, there was a demon that you died fighting, and I wasn't there."
"Who told you that I died?" She asked softly, again trying to drive the conversation to a lighter note. "Maybe Angel and I did do a bit of bonding." He gave a smile, but it was still laced in pain.
Buffy rubbed the back of her neck, and as much as she tried to change her mask, her face stayed solemn. "After you left, again, I broke up with Spike." As his eyes became impossible to read, Buffy kept going, wondering why she was telling him this. "He tried to rape me afterwards- not succeeding." She stammered out quickly at the surprise in his eyes. "Then he left and came back with a soul, he was insane and dying."
Riley looked at her and anything resembling sympathy or love was drained, just a cold stare that she had seen all too many times tonight. "Am I supposed to feel for the vampire?"
"I'm just. . ." She searched for the words helplessly. "Things have been so messed up." Buffy sat back on the bed and put her head in her hands. "Willow never got over her addiction and nearly destroyed the world, I can't handle Dawn anymore, I mean, I love her, I'd die- I died for her, but she's a teenager and I didn't even understand myself when I was a teenager. Xander grew up, Anya grew up, everyone grew up and everyone knows what they're doing, and I'm just so lost." She started to sob and Riley rushed to her, putting his hands around her back and hushing caring words into her ear.
Buffy brought her head up and looked at him, tears running down her face. Without thinking, she brought him into a passionate kiss, and before she could stop it, he had her down on the bed.
A/N Oh god was this was out of character! I mean, it was in character, but it so didn't flow well! I'm beginning to think I should of set this 3/6, because that's how I'm having all the characters act, but Spike needs to have a soul! So just bare with me here people here. Oh, and don't hate me for the B/R, Buffy just needed some care and Riley was there, trust me, if it had been one of our vampires she would of kissed them.