author: Lucinda
rating: pg13
main characters: Riley, Faith, Buffy
Faith and Second Chances 9: Prodding at the Wounds
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.
Lunch had been good, pasta and vegetables at the Italian place. She'd listened as Riley talked about Forrest, thing that they'd done together. About basketball behind the dorm building, and hanging out at the movie theater, or the way that Forrest would go from girlfriend to girlfriend, like a finicky butterfly. She'd laughed at the description, and at the way that Riley had said everyone else had teased him about it. But at least Riley was remembering Forrest the way that he'd lived, instead of the way that he'd died.
Honestly, it was one of the better days that she'd had in a long time. Nice weather, nobody trying to kill her, no panicked efforts to find and slay... Life was almost good. Part of her was wondering what would spoil it.
"Riley? What are you doing with her?" Buffy's voice was filled with hostility and dismay. And the way she'd made the word 'her' sound... It was as if she couldn't think of a word vile enough to use.
"Buffy?" Riley had the slightly shocked look that reminded Faith of a deer caught in headlights. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Putting one hand on her hip, Buffy looked at them, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you here with Faith? She's not... I'd think you'd have something better to do."
"It was time for lunch." Riley was trying to keep a level voice, but Faith could se the anger in his eyes. "And I see no reason why Faith can't have lunch with me."
"Moving on already? Or is it that you're just that lonely?" Buffy was glaring at Faith now, her eyes glittering with emotion.
"B, it was pasta and vegetables in public, not a floor show." Faith reminded herself that she wasn't supposed to get into fights with humans. That Buffy wasn't something to Slay, no matter how frustrating she found the other Slayer.
"Shouldn't you be somewhere else, locked up?" Buffy sniped, the hand not on her hip curling into a fist.
Riley glanced from Faith to Buffy and back again. "Buffy, you broke up with me, not the other way around. If I want to take Faith out for lunch, it's not your business anymore. It wouldn't be any of your business if I kissed her, or if we were sleeping together, because you and I aren't dating anymore."
"I'm surprised you aren't spending time with your soldier buddies." Buffy looked at Riley, apparently deciding to ignore Faith. "Or are they just as disappointed by your new honey as I am?"
Riley sucked in a breath, the briefcase falling from hands gone suddenly limp. "Forrest is dead. Graham's got a class right now. I think that you've said enough."
"Riley, I..." Buffy looked shocked, and almost apologetic. "I didn't know."
Faith knelt down, picking up the case so that she wouldn't try to hit Buffy. It was amazing how that blond could go from pit bull to sweetheart in the blink of an eye. Which Buffy was the real one? Or were they both a mask? And most importantly, why had they had the bad luck to run into her today?
"Maybe you didn't." Riley spoke slowly, as if he was rejecting a dozen words for each one that came out. "But your words were very rude and hurtful. And I don't know why you care, considering the way you ended things."
"Riley, maybe we should go. I don't think she's very happy with either of us." Faith tried to keep her words quiet, tried to keep the anger that she felt under wraps.
Riley looked over, and a small smile melted some of the anger from his eyes. His hand reached out, resting over hers on the handle of the briefcase. "Yeah, I get that feeling too."
Faith smiled back, just a tiny upturn of her lips, and they started to walk away from the little restaurant. Faith had the feeling that things weren't over, that Buffy wouldn't just stop. After all, Buffy had never liked the idea of another Slayer in the town, the idea of that other Slayer - one who'd turned into an enemy, no less - with her boyfriend... Okay, ex-boyfriend, but the point was that it would still probably be infuriating to Buffy.
"I think she's disappointed that I'm not off rotting in some jail cell." Faith muttered.
Riley shrugged. "I don't think that she likes you." His thumb slid over her hand, almost a little caress. "But I'm glad that you're here."
"I'm... well, I'd rather be here with you than off in a cell. But I don't think..." Faith took a deep breath, wondering why her chest felt so tight. "I'm a Slayer. There isn't a retirement program, and the Council... They're not happy about me."
"Buffy had said a little about the things that you did. Back when we were dating that is. I can see why the Council would be unhappy." For a few moments, Riley was quiet. "They don't sound very big on second chances."
"No, they aren't." Faith sighed, part of her wishing that she could just fling herself into his arms and sob as he magically fixed all of her problems. But that sort of thing only happened in romance novels and movies, not real life. "Of course, they aren't big on independent thought either."
"What do they want then? Someone who follows all the rules, kills things, salutes, and always eats their peas?" Riley asked, one eyebrow raising a little.
"Yeah. Well, I don't know about the saluting, but that sums things up." Faith snickered a bit. "Of course, I don't salute except with only one finger, and I burned the rulebook."
"There's actually a rulebook?" Riley sounded surprised. "What about the peas?"
"Put a little butter on them and they're fine." Faith muttered, and then chuckled. "Forget the peas, they aren't important. Of course there's a rulebook, the Council's mostly run by stuffy British guys. There has to be a rulebook. It's about the size of that Psych book that you were using as a coffee coaster this morning."
Riley started to chuckle. He kept glancing over at her, and then he'd snicker a little more. Eventually, he was laughing so hard that he wasn't quite walking straight.
Faith pulled him to a stop, and looked at him. "Riley... Not that it's bad to see you laughing instead of moping, but what's so damn funny?"
"You flip people off instead of saluting, burned the rulebook, went to the Dark Side, but you eat your peas?" He gasped the words out as he laughed.
Faith blinked, and then smiled. "I guess it does sound kind of funny when you put it like that."
Maybe the afternoon wasn't completely shot. Not if he could laugh, even if it was sort of at her. Especially not since it was something that she could laugh along with, and he'd pretty much told Buffy off. Not particularly rudely, but still... She'd enjoy it while it lasted.
end F&2ndC 9: Prodding at the Wounds.
rating: pg13
main characters: Riley, Faith, Buffy
Faith and Second Chances 9: Prodding at the Wounds
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.
Lunch had been good, pasta and vegetables at the Italian place. She'd listened as Riley talked about Forrest, thing that they'd done together. About basketball behind the dorm building, and hanging out at the movie theater, or the way that Forrest would go from girlfriend to girlfriend, like a finicky butterfly. She'd laughed at the description, and at the way that Riley had said everyone else had teased him about it. But at least Riley was remembering Forrest the way that he'd lived, instead of the way that he'd died.
Honestly, it was one of the better days that she'd had in a long time. Nice weather, nobody trying to kill her, no panicked efforts to find and slay... Life was almost good. Part of her was wondering what would spoil it.
"Riley? What are you doing with her?" Buffy's voice was filled with hostility and dismay. And the way she'd made the word 'her' sound... It was as if she couldn't think of a word vile enough to use.
"Buffy?" Riley had the slightly shocked look that reminded Faith of a deer caught in headlights. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Putting one hand on her hip, Buffy looked at them, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you here with Faith? She's not... I'd think you'd have something better to do."
"It was time for lunch." Riley was trying to keep a level voice, but Faith could se the anger in his eyes. "And I see no reason why Faith can't have lunch with me."
"Moving on already? Or is it that you're just that lonely?" Buffy was glaring at Faith now, her eyes glittering with emotion.
"B, it was pasta and vegetables in public, not a floor show." Faith reminded herself that she wasn't supposed to get into fights with humans. That Buffy wasn't something to Slay, no matter how frustrating she found the other Slayer.
"Shouldn't you be somewhere else, locked up?" Buffy sniped, the hand not on her hip curling into a fist.
Riley glanced from Faith to Buffy and back again. "Buffy, you broke up with me, not the other way around. If I want to take Faith out for lunch, it's not your business anymore. It wouldn't be any of your business if I kissed her, or if we were sleeping together, because you and I aren't dating anymore."
"I'm surprised you aren't spending time with your soldier buddies." Buffy looked at Riley, apparently deciding to ignore Faith. "Or are they just as disappointed by your new honey as I am?"
Riley sucked in a breath, the briefcase falling from hands gone suddenly limp. "Forrest is dead. Graham's got a class right now. I think that you've said enough."
"Riley, I..." Buffy looked shocked, and almost apologetic. "I didn't know."
Faith knelt down, picking up the case so that she wouldn't try to hit Buffy. It was amazing how that blond could go from pit bull to sweetheart in the blink of an eye. Which Buffy was the real one? Or were they both a mask? And most importantly, why had they had the bad luck to run into her today?
"Maybe you didn't." Riley spoke slowly, as if he was rejecting a dozen words for each one that came out. "But your words were very rude and hurtful. And I don't know why you care, considering the way you ended things."
"Riley, maybe we should go. I don't think she's very happy with either of us." Faith tried to keep her words quiet, tried to keep the anger that she felt under wraps.
Riley looked over, and a small smile melted some of the anger from his eyes. His hand reached out, resting over hers on the handle of the briefcase. "Yeah, I get that feeling too."
Faith smiled back, just a tiny upturn of her lips, and they started to walk away from the little restaurant. Faith had the feeling that things weren't over, that Buffy wouldn't just stop. After all, Buffy had never liked the idea of another Slayer in the town, the idea of that other Slayer - one who'd turned into an enemy, no less - with her boyfriend... Okay, ex-boyfriend, but the point was that it would still probably be infuriating to Buffy.
"I think she's disappointed that I'm not off rotting in some jail cell." Faith muttered.
Riley shrugged. "I don't think that she likes you." His thumb slid over her hand, almost a little caress. "But I'm glad that you're here."
"I'm... well, I'd rather be here with you than off in a cell. But I don't think..." Faith took a deep breath, wondering why her chest felt so tight. "I'm a Slayer. There isn't a retirement program, and the Council... They're not happy about me."
"Buffy had said a little about the things that you did. Back when we were dating that is. I can see why the Council would be unhappy." For a few moments, Riley was quiet. "They don't sound very big on second chances."
"No, they aren't." Faith sighed, part of her wishing that she could just fling herself into his arms and sob as he magically fixed all of her problems. But that sort of thing only happened in romance novels and movies, not real life. "Of course, they aren't big on independent thought either."
"What do they want then? Someone who follows all the rules, kills things, salutes, and always eats their peas?" Riley asked, one eyebrow raising a little.
"Yeah. Well, I don't know about the saluting, but that sums things up." Faith snickered a bit. "Of course, I don't salute except with only one finger, and I burned the rulebook."
"There's actually a rulebook?" Riley sounded surprised. "What about the peas?"
"Put a little butter on them and they're fine." Faith muttered, and then chuckled. "Forget the peas, they aren't important. Of course there's a rulebook, the Council's mostly run by stuffy British guys. There has to be a rulebook. It's about the size of that Psych book that you were using as a coffee coaster this morning."
Riley started to chuckle. He kept glancing over at her, and then he'd snicker a little more. Eventually, he was laughing so hard that he wasn't quite walking straight.
Faith pulled him to a stop, and looked at him. "Riley... Not that it's bad to see you laughing instead of moping, but what's so damn funny?"
"You flip people off instead of saluting, burned the rulebook, went to the Dark Side, but you eat your peas?" He gasped the words out as he laughed.
Faith blinked, and then smiled. "I guess it does sound kind of funny when you put it like that."
Maybe the afternoon wasn't completely shot. Not if he could laugh, even if it was sort of at her. Especially not since it was something that she could laugh along with, and he'd pretty much told Buffy off. Not particularly rudely, but still... She'd enjoy it while it lasted.
end F&2ndC 9: Prodding at the Wounds.