author: Lucinda
rating: pg/pg13
fourth in 'Faith and Second Chances'
main characters: Riley, Forrest
mention of Riley/Buffy and possibility of Riley/Faith
disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
distribution: TNL, Wic, Paula, Cat - anyone else ask first.
set in season 4, just after the body-switching has been reversed.
"Man, I've heard of bad break ups, but that Buffy chick seems really torqued about you." Forrest dropped onto the couch near Riley, a frown replacing his usual good humor. "Care to share?"
"It's... complicated. Really complicated." Riley glanced at his friend, wondering if there was any chance that he would be able to escape the messy details.
"Hey, I can follow soap operas and stay awake in a two hour history lecture by Dobbins, I think I can follow the story of 'why Riley and Buffy split up'. Stop trying to delay this." Forrest leaned back, clearly intending to stay until he had answers.
"Well... don't say I didn't warn you." Riley sighed, knowing that his chances of not giving some answers were gone. "And I don't know all the details."
"You don't know all the answers to your own break up?" Forrest shook his head, giving Riley a disappointed look. "Of all people, you should know what happened."
"Buffy's the Slayer. That myth that all the hostiles are scared of? The Slayer's not a myth, she's Buffy. And somehow, there's another one, named Faith. Faith came to town, and something happened that made her go evil, and she and Buffy fought. Faith was in a coma, she woke up, and somehow - that's one of the things I don't know - switched bodies with Buffy. I didn't know that she'd... that they'd..." Riley couldn't quite find the right words to explain this.
"So, Faith looked like Buffy, and Buffy looked like Faith?" Forrest looked fascinated and slightly confused. "So, how's Faith measure up to Buffy in the sack?"
"Well... ummm..." Riley really didn't want to go into that one.
"You did, didn't you? You took your girl to bed, only she wasn't really your girl?" Forrest looked amazed, before understanding dawned. "So that's why she's so pissed off."
"She looked like Buffy! She sounded like Buffy! How was I to know that she wasn't?" Riley defended, feeling rather awkward about the whole thing. "Buffy's decided the whole thing was a terrible betrayal, and she's done with me."
"So, what about this Faith chick? Is she still evil? Is she looking for a guy?" Forrest had this little teasing smirk, and Riley wasn't quite certain how serious he was.
Scowling at Forrest, Riley almost growled. "Faith is not evil, she's just... confused. She doesn't need anyone chasing her towards a bed, especially not someone who's just playing around."
"Defensive? Calm down, I was just teasing." Forrest raised his hands, as if gesturing surrender. "So, is she as hot as Buffy?"
With a smile, Riley let himself think of Faith, with her dark hair and those eyes, so full of emotions. "Yeah..."
"Ahhh, I see how it is now." Forrest chuckled. "So, since it doesn't look like you want to get back with Buffy, that mean she's fair game for the rest of us guys? I know Tompkins was saying that she had a nice set of legs."
"Tompkins? He'd never be... well, it wouldn't last. But if someone else wants to try... I'm not going to stand in their way." Riley sighed, feeling as if there was something wrong with the whole Buffy-twist to the conversation. "Why are you asking me? Buffy's not a toy to be passed around, or a prize to win. If someone want to try, go for it, but it might not work."
"Fair enough, man." Forrest shrugged. "She's not my type, but she is pretty. I just hope that Faith doesn't mess up your work like Buffy did."
"Faith? But... I'm not involved with Faith." Riley sputtered.
"Not yet, you mean." Forrest sounded almost amused. "That's the same sappy look you got back when you were calling Buffy peculiar. You may not be getting it on, but you like her, and you want her."
"She's not ready for something like that." Riley muttered, staring at his shoe. "She needs to sort out the last couple years, figure out where things went wrong and how to keep it from happening again. Then, maybe she might be ready for a guy in her life."
Forrest nodded, as if something had been confirmed. "You want to be the guy when she's ready."
"Absolutely." Riley didn't even hesitate. "She's... I can't explain it, but there's this pull. It's not love, but... She wants to be a better person, to do the right thing. And I want to be there, helping her remember what's right, helping her face her demons."
"Inner demons?" Forrest stood up, one hand tucking the pocket lining back into his pants. "Or the nastier hostiles that can bite everyone else?"
"Both." He barely whispered the word, feeling like the world's biggest sap as it emerged.
"Too much of the wholesome midwest in you, Finn. You sound like the old Superman comics - truth, justice, and the American way. If you weren't my friend, you'd be the guy we all picked on for being mushy." Forrest was definitely laughing at him now.
"Yeah, but Superman always wins, even if he doesn't get the girl." Riley commented, trying to smile.
"Faith doesn't sound like she needs a Superman in her life." Forrest seemed to have gone a little more serious.
"So I'll be Batman. I know what's out there, I know she has to deal with it, and I can try to help." Pausing to think about the old Batman comics that he'd read, Riley grinned. "But I don't sit brooding in a cave."
"Here I thought that the chicks went for that sort of thing?" Forrest was definitely teasing now.
"Right..." Laughing, Riley shook his head. "Brooding goes better with dark hair anyhow."
"True. You'd never be able to pull it off if you tried." Forrest just laughed, sauntering towards the door. "Let's just hope everything works out better for you and Faith than things did for Batman and Catwoman."
end Faith and Second Chances 4: Question of Faith.
rating: pg/pg13
fourth in 'Faith and Second Chances'
main characters: Riley, Forrest
mention of Riley/Buffy and possibility of Riley/Faith
disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
distribution: TNL, Wic, Paula, Cat - anyone else ask first.
set in season 4, just after the body-switching has been reversed.
"Man, I've heard of bad break ups, but that Buffy chick seems really torqued about you." Forrest dropped onto the couch near Riley, a frown replacing his usual good humor. "Care to share?"
"It's... complicated. Really complicated." Riley glanced at his friend, wondering if there was any chance that he would be able to escape the messy details.
"Hey, I can follow soap operas and stay awake in a two hour history lecture by Dobbins, I think I can follow the story of 'why Riley and Buffy split up'. Stop trying to delay this." Forrest leaned back, clearly intending to stay until he had answers.
"Well... don't say I didn't warn you." Riley sighed, knowing that his chances of not giving some answers were gone. "And I don't know all the details."
"You don't know all the answers to your own break up?" Forrest shook his head, giving Riley a disappointed look. "Of all people, you should know what happened."
"Buffy's the Slayer. That myth that all the hostiles are scared of? The Slayer's not a myth, she's Buffy. And somehow, there's another one, named Faith. Faith came to town, and something happened that made her go evil, and she and Buffy fought. Faith was in a coma, she woke up, and somehow - that's one of the things I don't know - switched bodies with Buffy. I didn't know that she'd... that they'd..." Riley couldn't quite find the right words to explain this.
"So, Faith looked like Buffy, and Buffy looked like Faith?" Forrest looked fascinated and slightly confused. "So, how's Faith measure up to Buffy in the sack?"
"Well... ummm..." Riley really didn't want to go into that one.
"You did, didn't you? You took your girl to bed, only she wasn't really your girl?" Forrest looked amazed, before understanding dawned. "So that's why she's so pissed off."
"She looked like Buffy! She sounded like Buffy! How was I to know that she wasn't?" Riley defended, feeling rather awkward about the whole thing. "Buffy's decided the whole thing was a terrible betrayal, and she's done with me."
"So, what about this Faith chick? Is she still evil? Is she looking for a guy?" Forrest had this little teasing smirk, and Riley wasn't quite certain how serious he was.
Scowling at Forrest, Riley almost growled. "Faith is not evil, she's just... confused. She doesn't need anyone chasing her towards a bed, especially not someone who's just playing around."
"Defensive? Calm down, I was just teasing." Forrest raised his hands, as if gesturing surrender. "So, is she as hot as Buffy?"
With a smile, Riley let himself think of Faith, with her dark hair and those eyes, so full of emotions. "Yeah..."
"Ahhh, I see how it is now." Forrest chuckled. "So, since it doesn't look like you want to get back with Buffy, that mean she's fair game for the rest of us guys? I know Tompkins was saying that she had a nice set of legs."
"Tompkins? He'd never be... well, it wouldn't last. But if someone else wants to try... I'm not going to stand in their way." Riley sighed, feeling as if there was something wrong with the whole Buffy-twist to the conversation. "Why are you asking me? Buffy's not a toy to be passed around, or a prize to win. If someone want to try, go for it, but it might not work."
"Fair enough, man." Forrest shrugged. "She's not my type, but she is pretty. I just hope that Faith doesn't mess up your work like Buffy did."
"Faith? But... I'm not involved with Faith." Riley sputtered.
"Not yet, you mean." Forrest sounded almost amused. "That's the same sappy look you got back when you were calling Buffy peculiar. You may not be getting it on, but you like her, and you want her."
"She's not ready for something like that." Riley muttered, staring at his shoe. "She needs to sort out the last couple years, figure out where things went wrong and how to keep it from happening again. Then, maybe she might be ready for a guy in her life."
Forrest nodded, as if something had been confirmed. "You want to be the guy when she's ready."
"Absolutely." Riley didn't even hesitate. "She's... I can't explain it, but there's this pull. It's not love, but... She wants to be a better person, to do the right thing. And I want to be there, helping her remember what's right, helping her face her demons."
"Inner demons?" Forrest stood up, one hand tucking the pocket lining back into his pants. "Or the nastier hostiles that can bite everyone else?"
"Both." He barely whispered the word, feeling like the world's biggest sap as it emerged.
"Too much of the wholesome midwest in you, Finn. You sound like the old Superman comics - truth, justice, and the American way. If you weren't my friend, you'd be the guy we all picked on for being mushy." Forrest was definitely laughing at him now.
"Yeah, but Superman always wins, even if he doesn't get the girl." Riley commented, trying to smile.
"Faith doesn't sound like she needs a Superman in her life." Forrest seemed to have gone a little more serious.
"So I'll be Batman. I know what's out there, I know she has to deal with it, and I can try to help." Pausing to think about the old Batman comics that he'd read, Riley grinned. "But I don't sit brooding in a cave."
"Here I thought that the chicks went for that sort of thing?" Forrest was definitely teasing now.
"Right..." Laughing, Riley shook his head. "Brooding goes better with dark hair anyhow."
"True. You'd never be able to pull it off if you tried." Forrest just laughed, sauntering towards the door. "Let's just hope everything works out better for you and Faith than things did for Batman and Catwoman."
end Faith and Second Chances 4: Question of Faith.