Chapter 119: Into the Woods
At the Manor, candles are lit. Romantic music plays. There's evidence of a half-eaten dinner on the coffee table... Buffy and Riley have pushed some of the furniture back and they're dancing, holding each other tight and swaying to the music. Buffy sighs happily.
"Can we put this song on repeat?" Buffy asks.
"Whatever you want." Riley says.
"Can we put this night on repeat?" Buffy asks.
Riley nods, "Absolutely."
"Good..." Buffy says. "Goddess. I can't believe how relaxed I feel. Like all the tension's just been released from my body..."
"Already? I had that scheduled for a little later on." Riley says.
"Scheduled? Are you planning to seduce me?" Buffy asks, coy.
"Always." Riley says as they smile and he kisses her tenderly. "I want tonight to be special for you."
"It's more than special. It's perfect." Buffy says.
"I'm glad." Riley says.
"Riley, there's something I need to tell you." Buffy says.
"Whatever it is, it'll be okay." Riley says.
Buffy sighs, "I'm pregnant."
"Oh." Riley says. "How long?"
"A couple months now." Buffy says. "Since I went to L.A."
"Since you went…" Riley says as realization hits him, "You cheated on me?"
Buffy sighs, "Sorta. There was this day that no longer exists. A day where Angel was made human."
"How is that possible?" Riley asks.
"A demon did it. In the end Angel found out that I would have died trying to protect him. So he went to these powerful beings, he called them Oracles. And they rewound time. Nothing was supposed to stick. Problem was during that day I got pregnant." Buffy says.
Riley nods, listening. "And so then the baby no longer exists?"
Buffy shakes her head, "She exists. Along with Angel, I was allowed to remember the day. It seems my daughter was prophesized to be a Champion. If they hadn't rewound me with the day she would not be born."
Riley frowns, "Why are you telling me this?"
Buffy sighs, "Because I love you. Because you deserve to know now. Not when I start showing."
"I… I have to think about this." Riley says.
"I'm sorry if you're disappointed in me." Buffy says.
"I'm not, Buffy. It's just this is a lot to take in, you know?" Riley says. "To find out your pregnant with another man's baby when we were dating."
"How can I make this up to you, Riley?" Buffy asks. "Please I want to make this up to you."
Riley sighs and nods, "Let's sleep on it and see what comes of it in the morning."
A few hours later Buffy is sleeping. Then a noise wakes her. She sits up, holding the covers to her. "Dawn?"
Spike slinks from the darkness. "It's me."
Buffy's suitably surprised and pissed. "Spike. Every time you show up like this, you risk all your parts - you know that?"
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a good reason. As usual I'm here to help you." Spike says.
"Get out." Buffy says.
Spike can't help it - he's flustered by her nearby nudity. "I'm serious..."
"Get out or I'll drop you out, head first." Buffy says.
That sobers Spike. His tone is suddenly deadly serious. "I want to show you something."
"What?" Buffy asks, suspicious.
"You need to see it." Spike says.
Buffy assesses his tone. Finally decides that he may be on the level. "This better be worth getting out of my warm bed for, or so help me-"
"It is." Spike says. "But we have to move if we want to get there in time."
Buffy doesn't budge. Spike just stands there, hoping. Buffy makes it clear with a look that Spike's going to have to turn around before she goes anywhere.
Spike scoffs, "Please. Like I give a bloody damn." He turns around.
A little later Spike leads Buffy into an same alley and into a building.
Spike leads Buffy up some back stairs and into the first floor of a seedy flophouse that looks like a cross between a crack house and a low-rent whorehouse. The walls are covered in graffiti, the floors littered with debris and mattresses... It's dark, but we can see that the place is inhabited by a sordid bunch of lowlife humans and vampires.
Through the darkness Buffy can just make out people passed out in corners, folks locked in strange embraces, money changing hands here and there...
Spike leads Buffy to another flight of stairs. Before they can start for the second floor a tough-looking vampire gets in Spike's face. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Just having a little look, mate. Keep it down." Spike says as he tries to move past him - but the guy won't go away.
"You can't just go up there." Tough Vamp says.
WHAMP! Spike grabs the vampire by the neck and nearly chokes the life out of him. "I said, keep it down."
Spike casts the guy aside. The vampire hits the ground hard, gasping for air... Spike and Buffy move up the stairs.
Buffy enters a room, which is lit only by one dim bare light bulb. The only thing in the room is a soiled mattress, where Riley sits - getting bit by a trashy, junkie vampire girl.
Buffy, stunned beyond words, takes in the scene before her... The vampire in Riley's arms... The money on the mattress...
Riley hasn't noticed them standing there yet. Instead, he speaks to the vampire girls, his tone hard and insistent, "Harder."
Buffy gasps as Riley looks up. He and Buffy meet eyes.
Buffy's face is a mask of shock, but it gives way to horror. She can't believe what she's seeing. Behind her, Spike stands - savoring every minute of this.
Riley, also in some kind of terrible shock, can only utter- "Buffy-" Buffy's every instinct is telling her to get out. She turns and runs. "Buffy!"
Riley, still weak from the bite, tries to disentangle from the girl in his arms.
Spike lingers behind a moment. "We only came here because we care about you, friend. You need help."
Riley, infuriated, lunges at Spike - but Spike's already out the door.
Buffy's races down the stairs to the first floor of the building, half blind with shock and disbelief. Suddenly the intimidating vamp owner of the place, Whip, comes at her - either trying to calm her or hurt her, it's not clear which...
"Hey, hey!-" Whip says.
Buffy doesn't waste any time figuring out his intent. Instead she hurls the guy out of her way with all her might. Whip goes flying and crashes into a nearby wall... A few more paces and Buffy's out of there, with Spike not far behind.
Buffy and Spike spill into the street from the tenement. Buffy is so stricken, she looks ill.
Spike sees this, tries to offer some kind of explanation- "I thought you should know. I-"
Buffy shoots Spike a look so deadly and full of pain that it stops him in his tracks. It's clear that another word from him might mean his demise.
Buffy takes off down the alley, disappears around the corner.
Later back at the Manor, Buffy comes home, truly freaked by what she's just seen. She leans against her bedroom door - upset and bewildered.
Piper having heard Buffy come home, knocks on her door.
Buffy slowly opens the door and looks at Piper, tears in her eyes.
Piper sighs and pulls Buffy into an embrace.
The next day Buffy enters the Magic Box, clearly agitated. "Giles, I need to find out everything I can about a vamp nest downtown."
"A nest? What sort of-" Giles says.
Buffy cuts him off, not letting him finish his question, "It was like a... there were people there. It looked like they were paying vampires to bite them."
"Now I know what to get for the person who has everything." Xander says, jokingly.
"Who would pay to get bitten?" Willow asks.
"It's been going on for centuries. Humans hire vampires to feed off them. They get off on the rush." Anya says.
Giles nods, "And the danger. Traveling in the underworld can become addictive for these people."
"Why don't the vampires just kill them?" Xander asks.
"Because they get cash, hot and cold running blood - and they don't leave any corpses around, so they don't get hunted." Anya says.
"Still, it's terribly dangerous for humans. People end up dying accidentally or meeting a vampire who only pretends to play by house rules." Giles says.
Buffy turns to Giles, a little too intense. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me?"
Giles is a little surprised by her attitude. "I- I haven't seen it since my Ripper days. I didn't know it was going on in San Francisco.
Buffy moves to one of the weapons cabinets, starts to load up. "Well it is, and I'm going to stop it."
Giles moves to her. "Buffy, even if I had known about this - I might not have told you."
"What? Why?" Buffy asks.
"I'm not sure this is where your efforts are best spent. Perhaps you should focus your efforts on a... less ambiguous evil. Glory, for instance." Giles says.
"You said people are dying." Buffy says.
Giles nods, "But they're willing victims. And there are so many other people who deserve your help who aren't..."
"Not to mention the fact that if you cut off their supply - they'll only look for another fix someplace else." Anya says.
"Vampires are vampires. And my job description is pretty clear. Are you coming with me or not?" Buffy says.
"What's the rush, Buff? If we're going into a nest maybe we should come up with a strategy. Wait for Riley..." Xander says.
Buffy's face clouds a little at Riley's name. Xander sees it. "Back me up or not, I'm not waiting." And she starts out. Giles, Willow and Xander exchange a look. Then gather their own weapons and move after Buffy.
"Anya - will you mind the store?" Giles asks.
"Sure thing." Anya says as they all head for the door. Anya calls after them in her cheerful shopkeeper voice- "Have a nice day. Don't get killed!"
Back at the vamp nest the place is empty as Buffy, Giles, Xander and Willow troop down from the stairs that lead to the second floor. They've clearly been over the whole place once before.
"I don't know what happened. This place was doing serious business last night..." Buffy says.
"Guess everybody jumped ship when word got out that the Slayer found their bassinet." Xander says. "And let me just apologize for that use of the word bassinet."
"You think they'll set up shop again here in town?" Buffy asks.
"It's hard to say. I imagine they'll lay low for a while." Giles says.
"But they're around somewhere. There's got to be a way we can find these creeps." Buffy says.
Willow shakes her head, "Don't worry, Buff. You'll find them."
"Yeah. I'm sure you'll get 'em next time, champ." Xander says.
Buffy looks at Xander, her attitude openly steely. Then she grabs the Coleman stove from the ground and hurls it against the opposite wall. Kerosene splatters everywhere and the whole area goes up in flames.
"We'd better get going." Buffy says as she heads quickly out. The others lag a bit behind, exchanging concerned glances. Buffy's turned into the Terminator and they don't know why.
Later back at the Magic Box in the training room, Buffy is working the punching bag hard - trying to expel some of her anger and hurt... She notices Riley standing in the doorway, looking grave. Buffy falters a moment at seeing him - then continues, her face going hard. She's too freaked and upset to deal with him.
Riley moves closer. "We need to talk."
"I'm not ready to talk to you yet." Buffy says.
Riley catches the punching bag - stops it. "Too bad."
Buffy just looks at him for an angry beat. Moves away from him and starts to gather her stuff. "I'm serious. Unless you want a fight-"
"So let's fight. We need to have this out, Buffy. Right now." Riley says.
Buffy turns on Riley. "And say what, Riley? What were you thinking? How long have you been lying to me? Or is this about the fact I told you I'm pregnant. Nothing you can say right now is going to make it better." She tries to move past him, but Riley grabs her - holds her fast.
"I realize that. I don't expect... I just need you to hear me out." Riley says.
Buffy relents a bit - but her expression remains hard. "Fine. But get your hands off me." She says this last with such pain and force that Riley unhands her. Buffy stands her ground, waiting for him to talk.
"I think - I... when this thing started, it was just some stupid, immature game. I wanted to even the score after you let Dracula bite you-" Riley says.
"I did not let him-" Buffy says.
"I know. On some level I know that. But I was still spun, and, I don't know... I wanted to know what you felt; I wanted to know why Angel and Dracula had so much power over you… Especially after you told me you and Angel had slept together and he got you pregnant." Riley says.
Buffy shakes her head, "You so don't get it."
Riley grows emphatic, trying so hard to be understood. "Exactly. Which is why I let the first one bite me... I wanted to get it, Buffy. I wanted to get you-"
"So this is my fault? Gee, Buffy's so mysterious - I think I'll go almost die. I think I'll let some other woman..." Buffy says.
Riley sighs, "This isn't your fault. It's mine. And I feel like hell for what I've put you through. But it's just - these girls-"
"Vampires, killers," Buffy says.
"They made me feel something. Something I didn't even know I was missing until-" Riley says.
Buffy starts past him again - this is too much. "I can't. I can't hear this-"
Riley grabs her by the arm again, desperate to get through to her, desperate to make her understand... "You need to hear this-"
"Fine. Tell me about your whores. Tell me what on earth they've been giving you that I can't." Buffy says, livid.
"They needed me, Buffy-" Riley says.
"They needed your money! It wasn't about you." Buffy says.
"No - on some basic level it was about me. My blood. My body. When they bit me, it was beyond passion... They wanted to devour me, all of me-" Riley says.
"Why are you telling me this?" Buffy asks, pained.
"It wasn't real. I know. It was just physical. But the fact that I craved it, that I kept going back... Even if it was fleeting - they made me feel like they had such hunger for me..." Riley says.
It dawns on Buffy now what he's trying to say - and it hits her like a slap in the face. "And - I don't? Make you feel that way?" Riley falls silent. That's what he's saying. Buffy's appalled. "How can you compare me to, to that? How can you say you understand what those vampires were feeling? You're not a passion to them, you're a snack! An idiotic, willing snack!"
"I know exactly what they feel when they bite me - because I feel it every time we're together. It's like the whole world falls away - and all there is, is you." Riley says.
"And you don't think I care that way about you? How dare you tell me-" Buffy says.
"You keep me at a distance Buffy. You didn't even tell me you were pregnant till yesterday, when you're already a couple months along."
"I'm sorry I couldn't take care of you when I had my own problems to deal with. Do you know how hard it is when you find out you're going to become a mother?" Buffy asks.
"It's about me taking care of you! It's about letting me in, so you don't have to be on top of everything all the time-" Riley says.
"But I do. See, that's part of what a Slayer or a Charmed One is. And that's really what this is about. You can't handle that I'm stronger than you." Buffy says. "Or that I have powers."
"It's hard sometimes, yes. But that's not it-" Riley says.
Buffy sighs, "Then what? What do you want from me Riley? I've given you everything I have. Every part of me, body and soul-"
"You say that, but I don't feel it." Riley says, anguished. "Especially after…"
"Well whose fault is that? Because I'm telling you - this is me. This is the package. And if it's so deficient that you need to get your kicks elsewhere then we have a real problem." Buffy says.
This hits Riley hard. "They want me back, Buffy. The military. It's deep undercover. No contact with civilians. The transport's leaving tonight."
"Tonight? When were you going to tell me about this?" Buffy asks.
"I'm telling you now." Riley says.
"Are you going?" Buffy asks.
"I don't know. If we can't work this out..." Riley says.
"Then what? That's it - goodbye?" Buffy asks as her anger returns, ten-fold. "You are unbelievable! You're giving me an ultimatum?"
"I'm not. I-" Riley says.
"You are! You expect me to get over it now or you're gone!" Buffy says.
"I don't. Buffy-" Riley says as Buffy's had it, she starts for the door. Riley blocks her way. "That's not what I meant-"
"No. I've heard enough. I'm not taking the blame for all of this-" Buffy says.
"I'm not asking you to-" Riley says.
Buffy shakes her head, "Let me go, or I'll-" She stops herself.
"What? Hit me? Go ahead." Riley says as Buffy just stares at him. Riley forces the issue, wanting the connection - desperately wanting something from her- "Come on, do it."
"Get out of my way." Buffy says.
Riley stands his ground. "I'm serious, Buffy. Hit me. Hit me." Finally Buffy just moves around him. Grabs her things. Riley deflates. She just going to walk away... Buffy almost hits the door when- "I'm leaving, Buffy. Unless you give me a reason to stay, I'm leaving tonight."
This stops Buffy in her tracks. She takes this in, expression hard. A long beat - then she walks out the back door of the training room.
Buffy walks aimlessly through an alley - devastated. Completely distracted by her fight with Riley. Then she realizes that she's not alone... Whip moves out of the shadows. He has the junkie girl vamp that bit Riley on his arm. The junkie girl vamp has been beaten - looks really out of it.
"The pyro act was a bad idea, Slayer." Whip says.
Buffy's in no mood. "Felt pretty good to me."
More of Whip's vamps surround Buffy. She goes on high alert - aware of danger on all sides.
"I'm not running. And you're not shutting me down." Whip says as the vamps start to close in on Buffy. "In fact - you're not going to make it through the night."
Buffy's in no mood for this. She warns them, her tone pained and lethal, "Walk away." But the vampires continue to move in. "I'm serious. Don't do this. Not now-"
One of the vampires lunges for her. That's it. Buffy springs into action, ripping a thin, long wooden plank from a boarded-up window nearby. In a series of blindingly fast, economical moves Buffy breaks the wood plank at each end, making stake-like points. Fighting "Trinity Style" in the Matrix, Buffy spins and thrusts her double-ended stake, dusting vampires left and right. The vampires don't even have time to react - one through seven are gone. Then she unceremoniously finishes off Whip with one final, deft move.
The whole fight takes about eight seconds - and the only other creature left standing in the alley besides Buffy is the junkie vampire girl who bit Riley. The girl trembles, wide-eyed, before Buffy. Clearly messed up and harmless. Buffy hesitates. She can't kill this one. It stinks of pointless vengeance.
Buffy slumps, spent and feeling no better for the raw display of power. The junkie girl realizes she's being spared, then the girl takes off running down the alley.
Buffy hears the girl retreat. She doesn't move... The moment plays out for an unusually long time... As long as it took Buffy to kill those vampires...
Then, without warning, Buffy hurtles her weapon toward the retreating vampire girl. WHOMP! She impales the junkie vamp girl who dusts. The double ended plank clatters to the ground...
Buffy just stands there - looking at the space where the vampire girl just was. Expressionless.
"So how'd that work out for you? Make you feel better?" Xander asks.
Buffy turns to see Xander moving out of the shadows. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you might need to talk. Then I saw you get into this skirmish... I was going to lend a hand - but you seemed to grow a few extra ones." Xander says.
Buffy starts to walk away. "Go home, Xander."
"Buffy-" Xander says.
"I'm serious." Buffy says.
Xander heads after her. "So am I. Something's up. You're acting like a crazy person."
Buffy ignores him. She takes off and turns a corner; trying to get away from him. She sees a sliding door of a warehouse is slightly ajar. She runs to it and forces it open enough to slip inside. A beat later - and Xander comes around the corner, sees Buffy disappearing into the warehouse.
Buffy moves inside, upset and cornered now. Xander's right on her heels.
"Take this, for instance. You don't want to deal, so you hide? Not very Slayer or Charmed-like." Xander says.
"Just leave me alone, Xander. You have no idea what's going on." Buffy says.
Xander sighs, "No? Good. So you and Riley aren't imploding?" Buffy turns toward him, surprised. "Doesn't take a genius. What I can't figure out is how you didn't see it coming?"
"What? Who told you-" Buffy says.
"Nobody told me anything, Buffy. It's been right in front of my Xander face. The guy would do anything for you-" Xander says.
"The guy got himself bit by a vampire!" Buffy says as Xander reacts to this. He suspected, but... "He lied to me. He ran around behind my back and almost got himself killed. And now he has the nerve to tell me that he's leaving with some covert military operation at midnight, unless I convince him not to. No tell me you "understand" - because I sure as hell don't."
"Are you going to let him go?" Xander asks.
"It's not my decision if he wants to take off—" Buffy says.
"Of course it is." Xander says.
"Well, that's not fair!" Buffy says.
Xander nods, "Who cares if it's fair? In about twenty minutes Riley's gonna disappear - maybe forever - unless you do something to stop him."
"What am I supposed to do? Beg him to stay?" Buffy asks.
"Why wouldn't you? To keep Riley here, you wouldn't –" Xander says.
Buffy shakes her head, "I don't even know who he is! I mean he's... I thought Riley was dependable –"
"Dependable? What is he, State Farm?" Xander asks.
Buffy sighs, "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I think you mean convenient. I think you took it for granted that he was gonna show up when you wanted him to and take off when you didn't." Xander says.
"Look who's talking! You've got Anya following you around like a love sick puppy –" Buffy says.
"Oh boy is this not about me –" Xander says.
"Is she more than a convenience? 'Cause that'd be kind of a surprise." Buffy says.
Xander stares at her a moment, dead serious... Maybe she's got his number, or maybe he's just got hers. "If you don't want to hear what I have to say, I'll shut up right now."
"Good. 'Cause –" Buffy says.
"I lied. See, what I think? You got burned with Angel, not once but actually twice when he got you pregnant. Then Riley shows up-" Xander says.
"I know the story, Xander." Buffy says.
"But you missed the point. You shut down, Buffy. And you've been treating Riley like the rebound guy, when he's the one who comes along once in a lifetime. He's never held back with you - he's risked it all - and you're about to let him fly because you don't like ultimatums?" Xander says as this hits Buffy hard. Xander sees it, comes on strong- "If what he needs from you just isn't there - for God's sake, let him go. But if it is? If you can go deeper... Let him get to know that raw, unguarded heart you tried to put away... Maybe you'd better risk something too."
Xander's finally gotten through to her - her anger gives way to realization... "Okay. So he's drawn the line. Good. Cause either this is the end - or maybe it's the beginning. It's up to you."
Buffy looks at Xander with stunned tears in her eyes. "Xander-"
"Run." Xander says. "If he's the one you love, run. If he's the one you think could make good father for your child, run. If he's all that and more, run."
A flicker of hope lights Buffy's face. They share a quick look - Buffy's appreciation clear. Then she flames out.
Buffy flames in just as the helicopter lift off the ground. She yells - the sound of her voice obliterated by the chopper. "Riley!" She's desperate. They have to see her. She calls again as the copter takes off into the night. "Stop! Riley!"
Buffy stops yelling as the copter disappears into the darkness. She can't believe it... She slumps, spent and heartbroken. She turns and walks, numb with pain.
Later at the Manor Buffy walks up the stairs toward her and Dawn's room - but she's too broken to make it. She slumps to one of the stairs and just sits there for a long beat. Then she starts to cry.
From in the bedrooms; Dawn, Piper, Phoebe and Paige hear Buffy crying on the stairs. They each get up and make their way out of the bedrooms. They look at each other and then walk down the stairs and sit down next to Buffy. Each of them comforting her in whatever way they can.