I'm not a Riley fan. I don't think he was emotionally strong enough for Buffy. His insecurities and jealousies had him competing with Buffy instead of supporting her. He never understood her calling, nor did he honestly try to, in my opinion.

Buffy walked into her dorm room, Riley right behind her. She tossed her books onto the desk and gave Willow a smile. "Hey, Will. How was class?"

"Exciting," Willow said with a grin. "You got flowers."

Buffy spun quickly, a blush creeping up her neck. Sure enough, there was a pretty blue glass vase holding a huge bouquet of daisies. She reached out warily and plucked the card from the middle.

"Someone sent you flowers?" Riley asked with a frown. Buffy pulled the card out and read it quickly, even though she had a good idea who sent them.

Happy Birthday, Pet.

E

"Who's that?" Riley asked, reading over her shoulder.

"Ethan Rayne," Buffy said stiffly.

Willow's eyes widened. "Ethan sent you flowers? Really?"

Buffy nodded. "He's done it the last three years. If I ever get my hands on him again…"

Riley looked from Buffy to Willow and back. "Is this guy an ex? Is he stalking you?"

Willow looked appalled, but Buffy looked seriously grossed out. "Eww! He's definitely not boyfriend material! He's a troublemaker. Unfortunately, he's also human, so I can't stake him. No matter how much I might want to."

"Why does he send you flowers?" asked Riley, not willing to drop it yet.

"His idea of a joke," Buffy answered. "Just a little reminder that he's still out there."

Riley frowned and started to say something else, but Buffy turned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Riley, as cute as the 'jealous boyfriend' thing is to some, I'm not liking it."

Riley blushed and looked at the flowers one last time before nodding. "Fine. Want me to throw those out?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course not! I love daisies. I don't care who sent them."

Riley backed off, catching the warning look Willow sent him. He didn't like the idea of some other guy sending his girlfriend flowers. Especially ones she liked. But it was Buffy's birthday. The last thing he wanted to do was pick a fight right before her surprise party.

Ethan grimaced as the soldiers shoved him into the back of a van. They weren't all that smart, though. They handcuffed him behind his back. Never handcuff a sorcerer behind his back. It was like begging him to escape. He moved carefully, inching his fingers into position to pick the lock. He had heard rumors of these soldier boys and what they were doing. He wasn't about to end up one of their experiments.

Ethan watched under his lashes as the soldiers began talking amongst themselves. Apparently one of their own, the pretty boy who had collared him, was dating the Slayer. They found it incredible that this Riley guy had brought her along on a hunt. Didn't these wankers know who she was? This had been her hunt.

He got his hands free, but kept them behind him. He needed to cast a spell, but without a circle, there were few he could trust to work right. He was just deciding to go for the element of surprise and throw a punch when the van screeched to a stop. Ethan fell to the floor and grunted as a boot caught him in the thigh.

The soldiers scrambled out the back door and there was the unmistakable sound of fighting. Ethan coughed as smoke began to fill the vehicle. A hand grabbed his collar and he was jerked out onto the road. He scrambled to his feet, the hand tugging roughly, and found himself propelled into an alley.

He coughed to clear the smoke from his lungs as a slender figure jumped up and grabbed the bottom rung of a fire escape. He wasn't quite so athletic (which made him suspect he knew who his rescuer was) so he had to step onto a large crate to follow. They climbed quickly to the roof and moved away from the edge.

Ethan watched warily as the Slayer pulled off a ski mask and shook out her hair. "Pet, you are the last person I expected to come to my aid."

Buffy glared at him furiously. "You have no idea how badly I want to let them lock you up. In a cold dark cell, deep underground, out in the middle of nowhere."

"So why didn't you?" he asked, glaring right back at her.

"Because you're human," she hissed. "Because I don't know if I can trust the Initiative, yet." Buffy sighed and crossed her arms defensively. "I know what they did to Spike. If I thought that all they would do is put a chip in your brain so you couldn't hurt people, I'd stick a bow on your head and deliver you myself. But I can't be sure."

Ethan gave her a sly grin. "Are you sure it's not just because you liked the birthday present I left for you?"

Buffy gritted her teeth and spun to storm across to the roof exit. "Cheap flowers in a lame vase? As if I cared."

Ethan flinched but his temper flared a second later. He raced across the roof and caught her arm before she could step into the stairwell. "I've never done anything cheaply," he growled. Then he grabbed her by the nape and hauled her against his chest.

Buffy gasped as Ethan caught her off guard and proceeded to kiss her. His tongue swept across hers before withdrawing so he could nip at her bottom lip. A second later he released her and slipped down the stairs.

Buffy leaned against the steel door and tried to catch her breath. What the hell was that? And why the hell did it feel so good?! Oh god! Ethan Rayne kissed her, and it wasn't horrible!