A/N: Here we are again! This little tale is actually nearing its end. I can hardly believe it myself. Not just yet though, so here's the next bit. As always, enjoy! And reviews are welcome!

PART 5: Show Me How

Chapter 14:

She felt different, Buffy decided. I wonder if I look as different as I feel? It was like after she'd slept with Angel, before that whole Angelus-drama; but not quite the same She had never been The Slayer with Angel; always Buffy. Even when she'd killed him. While it had been with slayer-strength, it was still her-Buffy- at heart.

But last night, (or rather, earlier that morning) with Riley, that had been different; intense. Probably the most intense experience of her life. And if he hadn't left when he did, she coulda definitely had more of those experiences. Which begged the question: Where did her lover run off to? Maybe his dorm? She angled her steps to Lowell House as soon as she reached the campus, but was intercepted by Willow.

"Buffy, hey," the redhead greeted her, smiling and waving.

"Will, hey'" Buffy answered back.

Willow hooked their arms, content to tag along with her best friend.

"Where you headed?" she asked.

"Um, to see Riley. He, uh, didn't really get the whole Faith deal."

Riley's question at the meeting had surprised her, which shouldn't really have surprised her, Buffy knew. Sometimes she just forgot how recent his involvement with the Scoobies really was. He kinda felt like he'd always been there. Or perhaps that was just how he acted. Solid. Dependable; the Initiative situation notwithstanding.

"I can't really blame him either, since he had my rather vague explanation to go on. Still, he tried to understand, and offered his support."

Willow smiled knowingly at the blush that accompanied Buffy's words.

"So, did he offer his support last night? Seeing as how our dorm woulda been perfectly private, and Willow-free ... " she trailed off, waiting for her friend to share. Judging by the look on Buffy's face, she thought there was quite alot to share.

"Well," the blonde began, "he came over, to my mom's." She continued quickly at the face Willow made.

"No, no, I was at home, cos like a total spaz, I forgot to warn her about Faith, and she didn't. Faith punched my mom in the face."

Willow gasped. "What? Is your mom okay?"

Buffy waved it off. "Oh, relax, she's fine. Just a little bruise; nothing to worry about." Not adding that she had been crying at the violence done to her mother, and that Joyce had to calm her til she stopped.

"Anyway, I decided to stay over, and Riley climbed in through the window."

Willow looked over at Buffy. "How did he know where you'd be? You never said anything about sleeping at home when we left Giles'."

Buffy suddenly stopped walking, looking at the redhead in shock. "What? What did you say?"

Willow frowned. "I said, how did he know where-"

"He couldn't have," Buffy interrupted. And then things got weird.

"Excuse me, Miss Summers -Buffy- have you seen Riley around?" The girls turned to face Graham Miller, one of Riley's Initiative colleagues.

"Hi Graham. Uh, I was actually goin' to the dorms to see him. Isn't he there?" Her confusion was evident. She had assumed that Riley left to go back to his dorm, and debrief or whatever.

"Negative. Finn returned to base after escorting Miss Rosenberg and Miss Maclay, then offered to do a last sweep. We lost contact with him at Restfield. We figured his comm unit was damaged while fighting a hostile, but no one can confirm seeing him this morning."

"Oh." Buffy looked from Graham to the dorm in the distance, then back again.

"He was at my place around midnight," she reluctantly admitted to the soldier, "but he left before dawn. Maybe he went for a run?" she suggested hopefully. The Slayer could see Willow's raised eyebrow from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Graham didn't sound convinced. "He'll probably show up at a later debriefing. See ya around," he said, taking off in the direction of the dorm.

"That was weird," Willow ventured, "Right? Buff?"

"He didn't look like he'd just come from patrol," Buffy answered softly, her brow furrowing.

"You think something's up?" Willow asked, biting her lip.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid. Riley's a good guy. He wouldn't do something ... stupid, would he?"

Willow shrugged her shoulders. "He's your boyfriend. Would he do something stupid?"

"Like what? Go looking for trouble? Faith-shaped trouble cos of some misguided sense of trying to protect me? Maybe," she conceded, sharing a worried glance with Willow.

"If he did?"

Buffy sighed. "If he did, it's time to go save the distressed damsel. I'll check out Restfield, and meet up with you guys at Giles' place."

When the hospital had phoned to report Faith's awakening, she had felt such relief. She hadn't killed. She was not like Faith. And then came the guilt, of course. But did that initial feeling of relief, of thank-God-she's okay, mean anything? Buffy had always maintained that Faith was her responsibility, and she still felt that way. Even though she now also felt a sort of guilt mixed in. The relief, while certainly justifiable -they were colleagues after all- was confusing her for some reason. Her mom's assertion that Faith was scared, and their awkward acknowledgement that she was also alone, didn't help either.

"I just hope he's out for jog, you know?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah. If not, we'll find him. Uh, maybe I could bring Tara? To Giles' and she could help; maybe magically track him down?" She smiled uncertainly at the other girl. Buffy smiled back.

"You really like her, huh?" At Willow's enthusiastic nod, she chuckled, then added "Sure, bring her along. I guess it's time Tara started hanging with the Scoobies full-time. And if I can't find Riley and she can, we'll be friends for life."

"Great! I'll see you there. And I'll ask Xander to bring extra donuts," the redhead added with a wink. "Bye, and be safe. Don't try to take her down by yourself, okay?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow at her best friend, then shrugged guiltily at the knowing look she received in return.

"She's probably halfway around the world by now, anyway."

A shared snort of disbelief.

"Fine, I promise. No engaging the hostile that is Faith," Buffy said, putting her hand over her heart.

"Good," Willow nodded. Then the friends departed, each to their own missions.

Chapter 15:

Riley Finn awoke to the sound of screaming. A woman was pointing at him, still in her payamas. He blinked groggily, before getting up.

"Where am I? What's going on?" he asked her, shaking his head to clear it. The last thing he remembered was ...

"Buffy," he said, turning in the direction of her house. He came over after checking her and Willow's dorm at Stevenson Hall, and having realized she had gone to protect her mother, he'd made his way to Revello drive.

"And then," he muttered, raking his hands through his hair.

He'd been attacked? Something -or someone- had hit him over the head, and the next thing he remembered was waking up. The neighbour had by now stopped screaming, since no one had come to see why, and after deciding Riley wasn't coming to kill her, had returned to her breakfast.

The soldier went to knock on the Summers front door. He needed to make a call.