Spike led Moondust past Buffy and Riley, who were currently locked at the lips and standing so close together that it made Spike wonder what in the hell she was doing kissing him. Not that he would have minded if it went beyond kissing, he could use a little slap and tickle. But even he could tell the difference in the two kisses. When Buffy kissed him, it was full of passion and want, she was pliant in his arms. But he could tell that she was forcing herself to kiss this guy back and she stood stiff in his arms. It made him smirk as he watched them, knowing that she was more responsive to him, a almost complete stranger, than she was to her long time boyfriend.

He snickered as she pulled away from Riley and sent her a heated look. Buffy saw the heat in his eyes and gulped. She heard Riley's voice and shook her head and turned her attention back to his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry Riley, what did you say? I was distracted, thought I saw Moondust limping." she said, offering him a charming smile.

Riley grinned and squeezed her shoulder, "I was just saying that I've missed you."

"Oh, I've missed you too honey." she said giving him a warm hug.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, "I wont three of the four events I was in. Zeus performed wonderfully. You should have seen him. He was just flying over the cross country courses. And he blew them away in show jumping."

Buffy continued to smile even though that same haunting sadness she had been carrying ever since her accident invaded her eyes once more. She was happy for his boyfriend, happy that he could still compete and happy that his big roan gelding could still jump. But it still hurt when he would talk about the events they were in because it made her think of the shows she and Glory were in. And the one that cause the accident.

"Congratulations honey. I'm so proud of you and Zeus." she said. A snort had her turning her attention to the training ring where Willow was exiting riding a gray mare. Willow pulled off her hat and nudged Galia into a trot, stopping her in front of Buffy and Riley.

"Welcome back Riley." she said dismounting.

"Willow" he said with a nod before turning his attention back to Buffy. His kissed her forehead and couldn't stop grinning, "Buffy I have some wonderful news to tell you." He eyed Willow, "In private that is."

Buffy had to bite back a laugh as Willow stuck her tongue out at Riley behind his back. She grabbed his hand and led him into the stables, making their way to the office. Spike stepped in front of them as she started to open the door.

"Pet, aren't you going to introduce me?" he drawled, rolling a cigarette between his fingers.

Buffy rolled her eyes and plucked the cigarette from his fingers and tossed it in the trash, "No smoking in the stables. Surely such a jockey as yourself knows that. Riley, this is William Giles, the jockey. William this is Riley."

Spike held out his hand towards Riley, "Spike is what I prefer to be called. So your Buffy's boyfriend?"

Riley lifted a eyebrow and ignored the offered hand, "Spike? What kind of name is Spike? And yes I am Buffy's boyfriend."

Spike smirked, "Well don't get your knickers in a twist. That's Buffy's job." He ignored Riley's glare and Buffy cry of indignation and exited the stables. Buffy turned to Riley and offered him a apologetic smile, promising herself mentally to wring Spike's neck next time she saw him. She saw the look he gave her when he pushed past them and was thankful that Riley was obvious to it. It was one of those, I-always-get-what-I-want-and-I-want-you looks. And god help her, she wanted him too, she could feel herself get damp between her legs and scolded herself for it.

Riley tugged her back into the office and pulled her in for a kiss. She held the kiss for a moment and pulled away. She saw his hurt look and offered him a weak excuse, "Don't want my parents to walk in. So what's the big news?"

Riley's face immediately brightened when she mentioned his news, "Oh, well brace yourself. I've been invited to compete in a series of events over in Europe. I fly over to England tomorrow and it's a three month long series."

Buffy grinned, but only because she had to as she was his girlfriend and must show joy for these things. But inside she froze up. Three months was a long time, the longest he would be away. And she didn't think that she would be able to go three months without her boyfriend. It couldn't work out, wouldn't work out. Europe was just to far away. Besides with him gone, she would be tempted by Spike and didn't know if she would be able to resist him knowing that he boyfriend was on the complete other side of the earth. She was knocked out of her thoughts by Riley's next words.

"Aren't you happy for me?"

She blinked and looked at his hopeful boyish face and smiled weakly, "Of course I am. it's a wonderful opportunity for you and Zeus. Congrats."

Riley had caught the guarded look that hovered in her eyes, "But…?"

Buffy sighed, "But three months is a long time and Europe is way to far away."

Riley hugged her and kissed her nose, "That's the best part. You can come with me."

She stared up at him in shock and jerked away, "I can't come with you. What about the stables and my family? And Sunset? He's going to be going to New York to be trained for racing. And I have to be here for that."

Riley just waved it away, "You don't have to be here for the actual training, Its not like you can help in race training. And your family can manage without you for a few months. Come on Buffy, come away with me to Europe. Consider it a pre marriage gift."

"Pre marriage gift?" her eyes went wide at his words and she pulled away from him as he got on one knee and pulled out a ring.

"That's right. Elizabeth Anne Summers, would you marry me? Be my one and only?" he asked, offering the ring to her.

"What?" she nearly shrieked as she shoved the ring away, "Riley, I'm not ready for marriage. I'm only eighteen years old. I'm too young."

"But we've been together for nearly two years. Its prefect. We can have the wedding when I get back from the series." he continued, ignoring her negative response.

Buffy groaned inwardly and walked over to him and pulled him up to his feet and framed his face with her hands, "Riley, you know that I love you but I don't want to marry you. I don't want to marry anyone. Not for a while. I want to experience life. I don't want to be tied down so young. But I cant marry you. And I'm not sure, with you leaving for Europe that it's a good idea for us to be together."

Riley looked at her a combination of confusion and hurt on his face. He was so confident that Buffy would want to go to Europe and marry him. It was a slap in his face and his ego for her to not only say no to both, but to break up with him. He didn't understand how this happened.

"You want to break up. But I thought you loved me." he stammered.

Buffy smiled at him, "I do or I think I do. I'm just so confused right now Riley. What with losing Glory and now Sunset leaving the stables. I just need time to think."

Riley growled to himself, once more it was back to that damned horse Glory, "Buffy, stop using Glory as a excuse. That was two months ago. Glory is dead. Get over it. It was just a horse. You need to stop dwelling over it, its holding us back."

Buffy paused in the pacing that she started and blinked back a sudden rush of tears, "Glory wasn't just a horse. She was my friend. You know that. I thought you understood that."

"No what I cant understand is how you can sit here and throw a life we can have together away." he said harshly.

Tears started to fall down her face at his words and she wiped them away silently before speaking, "Because its obvious we don't want the same things. I'm sorry Riley. Good luck in Europe."

She left the office, shoving past Spike and Willow who were discussing some horse races and moved on to Sunset's stall, letting herself in and burying her head in the colt's neck and crying softly. Sunset nickered and nudged her back wit his nose, as if trying to comfort her.

Willow and Spike turned back to the office as Riley stepped out, wearing this shocked look on his face. Spike had to bite back the laughter but Willow seemed concerned, since he was her best friend's boyfriend, even if she didn't like him.

"Riley what happened?" she asked.

Riley turned his eyes on her and Spike, "Buffy dumped me."

Spike started to chuckle and even Willow had trouble not laughing as Riley stormed out of the stables and took off in his truck. Willow looked at the laughing bleach blonde, "I'm going to go and see if Buffy's ok."

"Ok pet. I'm just going to wonder around. Check out the place. You go make sure she's ok. She seemed upset." he said, genuinely concerned for Buffy.

Willow smiled as she went off towards Sunset's stall, knowing that's where her best friend would be. Spike headed out the stables and ran into Dawn and engaged in a rather enamoring conversation about the different ways to train a horse in racing.

A/N: Say bye to Captain Cardboard. See he went bye bye after just one chapter.