Okay, so I'm not trying to make Riley a bad guy, but I need to get him out of the way. True, I really don't like the character, but he's more of an annoyance than anything.

Buffy walked back into her dorm room and froze in surprise. "What the hell?!"

Ethan grinned at her from the bed, his long legs stretched out before him, ankles crossed. He set aside the magazine he'd been skimming and motioned for her to come closer. "Hello, pet. How was your day?"

Buffy tossed her bag onto the floor by the desk. She flexed her fingers and grinned at him. "Oh, I am so going to enjoy kicking your butt out of my building."

Ethan's eyebrows rose and he swung his legs to the side of the bed so he could stand. "As delightful as that sounds," he smirked, "I was thinking more along the lines of lunch."

Buffy paused, confusion crossing her face. "Um, what?"

Ethan grinned, hoping she was off-kilter enough to not hit him. "You. Me. Food. It's just a meal, pet. Not the end of the world."

Before Buffy could respond, someone cleared their throat behind her. Buffy turned and bit back a groan. Riley was looking at her sheepishly. "Can we talk?" he asked, pulling a small bunch of daisies from behind his back.

Ethan stepped up behind Buffy and glared at the young man. Buffy sighed and looked at her now ex-boyfriend. "Riley, I'm not sure we have anything to talk about. You broke up with me, remember?"

Riley studied the stranger. "Who's this?" he demanded.

"Ethan Rayne," the sorcerer said casually. "We've met before."

Riley's eyes widened. "You're the Hostile who put that spell on Mr. Giles! Don't worry, Buffy! I'll get the Initiative over here immediately!" He started to reach for his phone, but Buffy grabbed it from him. "Hey!"

Buffy turned and turned it off quickly. "One, I don't need the Initiative to handle Ethan. Two, he's human, not a 'Hostile'. Three, excuse us, but we're on our way out." Buffy grabbed Ethan's elbow and pulled him from the dorm room. She shut the door behind them and marched toward the stairs.

It wasn't until she reached the grounds that she slowed down. Ethan kept pace beside her, wisely keeping his mouth shut. He did reach out to guide her toward his car. Buffy wasn't surprised to find he drove a silver BMW.

She slid into the passenger seat and buckled up. Ethan got in and started the car. "Mexican or Chinese?" he asked casually.

Buffy noticed Riley standing at the door to her building. "Ice cream," she said firmly.

Ethan nodded and pulled out of the parking lot.

Buffy scooped up a cherry from her banana split and looked at Ethan curiously. So far they had both been quietly enjoying their desserts, not a word spoken to each other since their arrival. She glanced out the window at the Initiative van parked across the street and briefly thought about storming over there and kicking some soldier butt. She chewed for a moment before giving in to her curiosity. "What are you up to?"

Ethan swallowed a bite of his double fudge brownie a la mode and smiled. "Why do I have to be up to something? Maybe I just find you attractive and want to spend time with you."

Buffy snorted with disbelief. "Even if you did, um, like me, you'd still be up to something."

Ethan laughed softly and shrugged. "Very well. You're right. Something is up. I don't know exactly what, though. Janus has been drawing me here for months. Something huge is coming. However, I do find you attractive. There's also the added bonus of irritating Ripper. I assume you told him I was making my presence known."

Buffy nodded. "Yep. Spoke to him this morning, as a matter of fact." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace box. She slid it across the table, not noticing the flash of sorrow in Ethan's eyes. "This is yours. I can't take it." She paused and shrugged. "Actually, I can't take any of the stuff, but this especially you should have back."

Ethan picked up the box carefully and slipped it into his own pocket. "Ripper told you it's history?"

She nodded. "Why would you send that to me? It's an heirloom."

Ethan shrugged. "It's just a trinket," he said softly.

Buffy glanced at him sharply. She knew a lie when she heard one. They went back to their desserts and silence fell over the table again. When they finished Ethan put her arm through his and led her back to the car. He paused for a moment to give a jaunty wave toward the black van, which made Buffy smile. The drive back to the campus was filled with music from the radio, but little else.

She was surprised but a bit charmed when he walked her back to her dorm room. Ethan paused outside her door and cleared his throat. "Look, I'm not here to cause you trouble." He grinned slightly. "Ripper, maybe, but that's a different story. Have dinner with me tomorrow."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Why?"

He shrugged and gave her a smirk. "Live a little, Slayer. What's the worse that can happen? I swear to be on my best behavior." He turned and headed back toward the stairs. "7 o'clock. Dress for dancing."

Before Buffy could think of a response, he disappeared down the stairs. She unlocked her door and stepped inside her room. Willow was still out, thankfully. Buffy wasn't sure she could explain having Ethan Rayne bring her back.