Chapter 2- Peroxide Pain in the Ass
Buffy glanced around her in the darkened cemetery. Her slayer sense’s were alerting her that there was a vampire in close proximity. Most vampires were stupid and attacked her first, trying to catch her off-guard. There was only one peroxide pain in the ass that would watch her from the shadows. "Great," she muttered to herself, turning around with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "I know you’re there."
Spike emerged from the shadows with a cigarette in his hand. "‘M not scared of you, slayer," he assured her, and himself.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Sure."
Spike inhaled the newly lit cigarette and blew the smoke in her face. "‘M not!" he insisted. "Your watcher send you down with my commission?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Rupert turning into a demon," he clarified. To his annoyance she just looked more confused, then angry.
"What did you have to do with that?" she demanded, taking it the wrong way.
"I helped him. Of course he’d leave that part out," he mumbled under his breath. "I saved him when you and your Scoobies couldn’t understand the git."
Buffy shook her head. "Nice try, but the only people who saved Giles tonight were me and Riley." Buffy internally slapped herself for the slip.
"Riley?" Spike questioned stubbing out his finished cigarette into the grass. "Got yourself a new pup already? My, my slayer, you’ve turned into quite the trollop since Angelus left."
"You’re a pig, Spike." Buffy turned to leave.
"Hm, where have I heard that name before?" Spike pondered. His face lit up when he remembered. "That’s right, Red called that soldier boy Riley." Spike started laughing obnoxiously. "Can G.I. Joe keep up with your slayer stamina?"
Buffy resisted the urge to smack the perverted smirk off his face. "You’re not worth it," she told him coldly before giving him a sweet smile. "I’ll just have my friends at the Initiative take care of you tomorrow morning."
Spike scoffed. "You don’t have the stones," he challenged. Buffy’s only response was turning on her heel and walking away from him back towards the college. "She doesn’t, right?" he mumbled to himself. "Buffy!" he called, but rethought running after her to make sure she was bluffing. He still had his pride. His hide, however, would be sleeping in a different crypt than usual that night.
***
Buffy kept her eyes closed as she awoke. She needed images from the previous night to remind her that Riley was not Parker. He wouldn’t discard her like she was yesterday’s trash. Her first time with Riley had been nothing like sex with Parker. Although both experiences were new and exciting, it was obvious Riley didn't have nearly as much experience as Parker. Which, she convinced herself, was a good thing. Her first time with Riley hadn’t been the fireworks she’d been expecting, but all they needed was time to acquaint themselves with each other’s bodies.
She finally opened her eyes, pondering for a moment if every guy had red sheets, before rolling over. Half expecting Riley not to be there, she was surprised when he was and even more surprised that he was fully clothed.
"Good morning," Riley greeted her with a smile.
"Morning," Buffy replied hugging the sheet closer to her body. "I’m feeling slightly underdressed here."
Riley chuckled. "I got us coffee." He went to grab the cups sitting behind him on the night table, but turned back to her. "You should probably put your clothes back on, you never know who might barge in unexpectedly."
Buffy raised an eyebrow not sure if he was kidding. When he didn’t acknowledge a joke being made, Buffy quickly scanned the room for the closest article of her clothing. With the sheet still firmly held in place, Buffy swung her feet around until they were hanging off the side of Riley’s bed. As she searched for her clothes, she was suddenly reminded of another time not so long ago that she’d been doing this exact thing. She frowned at the thought. Riley was supposed to be a gentleman, the country boy who wouldn’t break her heart.
Looking back at Riley, her eyes narrowed slightly at his dopey grin. Was he playing her just as Parker had? Don’t even think it! Buffy’s inner voice yelled at her. Riley’s probably not even smart enough to prey on unsuspecting freshmen. Buffy inwardly cringed at her cynical attitude. Just because there hadn’t been the morning smoochies she’d envisioned didn’t mean Riley was a bad guy. He probably wasn’t used to waking up next to a woman, and didn’t know how to act. The disaster with Parker had left her guard up, that was all.
"So how about that coffee?" Buffy asked, offering him a small smile. She wasn’t one hundred percent convinced that Riley wasn’t a huge jerk like Parker had been, but she owed it to herself to find out.
***
"How are things going with Agent Finn?" Dr. Angelman questioned from behind.
"Everything’s exactly as planned," Professor Walsh replied from her place in front of the numerous security televisions.
"Glad to hear it." Dr. Angelman approached the screens, watching intently as the slayer drank from one of the Initiative’s coffee mugs.
***
Riley hung his head as he walked through the lower level of the Initiative. What he’d done-what he’d been told to do-made him nauseous. He kept trying to convince himself that it was the job that mattered, but his ways of thinking had been somewhat altered ever since meeting Buffy. All her questions led him to question the real goals of the Initiative.
Riley stopped in front of the door that lead to the restricted area Professor Walsh spent much of her time in. Buffy had questioned him just that morning about what lie behind those secret doors. Now, he couldn’t help but wonder himself.
"Lose your way agent?" he heard Professor Walsh ask from behind him.
Riley turned to face his superior. "No, ma’am."
Professor Walsh offered him a sympathetic glance. "I think it would be wise for you to concentrate on other tasks for now." The warmth of her eyes now gone, Professor Walsh looked down at a piece of paper in her hand. "I’ve instructed Beta team to suspend pursuit of Hostile 17 until your arrival. I didn’t want any slip-ups, that’s why I’m putting you in charge. You’ll rendevous with them at these coordinates."
Riley nodded his understanding of the situation and accepted the document given to him. Wordlessly, he walked away from Professor Walsh.
"Riley?" she called to him, almost pleadingly. Riley turned around at her request. "I assure you, this is for the good of our operation. No harm will come to her."
Riley nodded his head once more. "Yes, ma’am," he replied, trying to convince himself of her words.
***
"Hello?"
"Willow, you’re there at last. Where’s Buffy?"
"I’m not sure. She never-uh, she’s at the library," Willow lied quickly, not wanting to give away Buffy’s current whereabouts. "You want me to go find-uh, get her?"
"Uh, no, no, it’s your help I need actually."
Willow hung up with Giles moments later. She looked over to her friend’s unmade bed, and felt a twinge of jealousy. Not because Buffy hadn’t come home, as she’d been out the entire night herself, but because Buffy was so engaged by her new comrades that she didn’t see her old friends as the team they’d once been.
She was happy that Buffy found a good guy. She trusted Riley to treat Buffy right. But that didn’t mean Buffy had to abandon her best friends.
Willow stopped herself before her train of thought turned ugly. The Initiative, Riley-it was all new for Buffy. Buffy needed time to adjust to the new people around her, knowing that her old group would be there waiting for her. Willow smiled sadly at her newfound compassion, wishing that Buffy had it in her to include the Scoobies while she was adjusting to the Initiative.
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