Chapter 14
Buffy
"Summers! Snap out of it! I don't pay you to daydream!"
Manny's voice cuts through my haze and I open my eyes to find myself
standing at the register. I bend at the waist and cover my face with my
hands. My heart clenches as I realize Dawn isn't waiting at home for me
and that my father isn't riding to Sunnydale on his white horse with
his magical lawyer. I wish it was a Slayer dream.
A throat clearing causes me to snap back up.
"Welcome to..." I stop when I realize who I'm looking at. "Riley," I say
softly. My hands move to smooth my hair down but hit the stupid chicken
hat instead. I knock it off my head. Smooth.
"Hi," he says.
"Hi," I reply. I hate the way my eyes are drinking him in. He left me...I
made him leave me...
"I, uh, didn't expect to find you here," Riley says breaking eye
contact.
"Yeah, well...I didn't either," I reply looking at the counter. I wish I
was anywhere but here right now.
"You look good," he says.
"I look orange," I reply. Oh yay, time for awkward silence.
"Look, the gov...I need your help. We've been tracking a
Suvolte demon and we've followed it to Sunnydale. These are dangerous
demons. They reproduce quickly and can wipe out a town in days...Will you
help?"
"Yes," I say before my brain can process the thought. I hop over the
counter yelling to Manny that I'm going on break and follow Riley out
of the building.
"There's clothes in the back that you can change into," Riley says
opening the back door to his jeep. "They'll, uh, help you blend in a
bit better."
"Okay," I say quietly. My movements are automatic as I change into the
black jumpsuit that is sitting on the back seat. It's just my size. I
stare into the rear view mirror, but Riley never once glances at my
reflection. I don't know why it hurts that Riley hasn't tried to sneak
a peak, but it does. I swallow the lump in my throat and climb into the
front seat.
"So," Riley says.
"So," I repeat.
A beeping from his watch interrupts.
"What is your status?" Riley says into his watch.
"Tracked the demon to a cemetery on the northwest side. Rendezvous
there," a female voice says.
"Roger," Riley says.
"How James Bond," I say nodding toward his watch.
"Yeah," he says stopping the car.
We're sitting outside of Spike's cemetery. Well, the cemetery that used
to be Spike's until he started spending all his time at my house...Oh my
God! I live with Spike! How am I going to explain that to Riley? I
think I'm going to be sick...The chip! Will Riley know the chip is gone?
Is he here to stake Spike? He can't do that! I won't let him. I...
"I think that's our demon," Riley says as a giant demon runs passed us.
I jump out of the car thankful for the distraction and take off
running. Riley is behind me I can hear his footsteps, but nothing
exists right now except for me and the demon. I hit it in the back with
a flying sidekick. It stumbles but doesn't fall. Instead it turns
around and backhands me, sending me flying into Riley.
"You okay?" he asks.
I nod moving toward the demon again.
"Wait," he says and quickly fires a dart into the demon's neck.
The demon roars and rushes towards us. I move to the side and hit its
stomach with a roundhouse kick. Another dart flies past my head and I
turn to see a woman dressed all in black holding a gun similar to
Riley's.
"Sorry," she yells.
The demon has fallen on its knees and I quickly step up behind it and
snap its neck.
"Buffy! Don't," Riley yells. "Kill it..."
"You didn't tell her this was recon only?" the woman asks.
"I hadn't gotten around to it yet," Riley answered.
"I think that was important information, Finn," the woman says.
"Um, hi," I say. "I'm sorry we haven't been introduced." Who the hell
is this woman?
"Oh, sorry. Finn talked about you so much I feel like I know you. I'm
Sam Finn," she says.
Huh, I don't remember Riley having a sister.
"Sam's my wife," Riley says.
XXX
Spike
I thought I was in time for Buffy's break, but it seems Captain
Cardboard has beaten me. What the hell is that ponce doing back here? I
light a fag and wait for her to kick him to the curb, but she doesn't.
She stares at him like a dog that's been kicked and is looking at the
person who kicked 'em. I wish I could hear what he's telling her.
I watch her jump over the counter and follow him outside. I half hope
she feels me nearby and will ditch Cardboard, but she doesn't. She gets
in the car with him.
What the bloody fuck is he doing to her? Come back to rip the band-aid
off her heart again? She's mine now. Mine, and I have more important
things to tell her than whatever he does...unless he's come to
stick chips in the heads of Dawn's foster parents.
I follow their scent to my old cemetery and arrive just in time to see
Buffy snap the head of a Suvolte demon. Shite. Good thing I get rid of
those eggs earlier or there might have been some trouble. I wonder how
close I can get before Finn's little toys detect me.
"Sam's my wife," Cardboard says as the tall woman next to him reaches
out to shake Buffy's hand.
"Oh, uh, hi," Buffy says.
That bleedin' fuck! Come here to parade his little woman in front of
Buffy. To remind her of all the things she can't have. Buffy's prettier
than she is anyway...and smarter...and stronger, both inside and
out. I tune back into their conversation just in time to realize my
presence has been detected.
"Buffy," Cardboard says lowly. "Hostile of the undead variety standing
behind you."
Does he think I can't hear that?
"I know," Buffy answers. "Slayer, remember? I can sense vampires better
than a sale at Macy's."
I figure the jig is up and saunter out from behind the headstone.
"Well, look who's come to visit," I say stopping just behind Buffy. I'm
not sure how close she wants me to be.
"Hostile 17," Riley grinds out. "What are you doing here?"
"Probably looking for me," Buffy says quietly. "I was supposed to meet
him on my break...sorry."
She directs the 'sorry' comment directly at me and I puff my chest out
a little further and move closer to her.
"Why are you meeting up with the likes of him?" Riley asks.
"That's none of your business," Buffy answers. "I'm none of your
business anymore. You gave that right up when you left."
She's building steam now, I can tell. Beautiful when she's angry.
Riley falters and Sam puts a hand on his arm.
"We'll just find the eggs and be on our way," she says.
I light a cigarette and lean casually on the headstone that Buffy is
standing in front of. "They're gone," I say smugly.
"Excuse me?" Riley asks.
"The Suvolte eggs, they're gone," I repeat.
Cardboard holds his gun up higher. "Then I guess you must be the
doctor," he says.
"What? Doctor?" Buffy asks. "Spike's not a doctor. He might like to
play...did I mention that Spike is not a doctor?"
"Where are the eggs, Doctor?" Cardboard says.
I roll my eyes. "They're gone. I found them when I was patrolling
earlier an' got rid of 'em," I lie. "Nasty little buggers those are," I
tell Buffy. "Was gonna tell you when we met up for your break." I hate
lying to her, but I made $5,000 off those eggs. Sold them to a
Burchuantu demon. Suvolte eggs are a delicacy to them. Bloke wanted to
have them for his daughter's wedding.
"See," Buffy said, turning to Riley. "Spike already took care of them."
"Well forgive me for not believing him," Riley answers. "Buffy, what
happened to you? What's going on here?"
"Life happened to me," Buffy answered. "Death happened to me. It's all
the same these days. Enjoy yours Riley, but stay out of mine." She
takes my hand and pulls me away, leaving Cardboard and his cutout to
stare after us, mouths open. "Let's go home," she whispers.
XXX