FIC : Of Stakes & Spells" 17/?

["satanslilangl" <satanslilangl@xxxxxxxxx>]

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(Author's Note: Sorry about the delay, 
it took me a while to find some free 
time, and I had to write this chapter 
a couple of times before I got it to a 
point where I didn't feel utter shame 
in posting it . . . Well! On that 
note, here it is! Chapter 17 . . . )

.

..

= = = (*The Second Course*) = = = 

"Riley . . ." He turned towards then, face set, though his nerves 
were bubbling under the stony surface. Willow walked slowly over to 
her desk, and put down her bag. 

"Buffy." It was a statement, not a question. Buffy stayed by the 
door, leaning against it, arms crossed. Riley approached her, and 
she looked like she was about to growl. The Corn-Fed-All-American 
stopped in his tracks and looked to Willow.

"Willow, could you excuse us for a minute?" Willow nodded and headed 
to the door. 

"No." Buffy said, looking from Riley to the witch and back 
again, "Anything you have to say, she can hear." Willow held in a 
smile, thou8gh feeling awkward about being unwanted in the room.

"Uh . . . Buffy?" Riley started slowly, "There are a few things I 
wanted to speak to you about in private . . . ?" He reached out to 
take her arm, and this time she really did growl. 

"No . . ." Buffy calmed and looked to Willow again, "I want her to 
hear." Riley became rather stiffened, and walked over towards the 
bed. "Why don't you start us off, since this was you idea?" Riley 
cleared his throat and looked to the floor.

"Who are you?" No Answer, "Why is a freshman walking through the 
streets of Sunnydale at night when people's hearts are being ripped 
out . . . with a cross-bow no less?!" Buffy tried to hide her 
smile, and Willow held in a small laugh. "I want some answers, 
Buffy . . . I think you owe me that-"

"I owe you?!" Buffy yelled, "I don't owe you anything! And I'm not 
the only one that kept secrets . . ." Riley looked away, sputtering 
slightly. "I'm a Slayer." Riley stared at her blankly.

"You're a what?" Buffy surprised.

"Slayer?" Nothing, "One who Slays Vampires?" still nada, "She who 
spends way too much time in grave-yards . . .?"still nothing but a 
slightly glazed stair. "Look it up, ask around. 'Slayer,' 
comma 'The' . . ." Willow giggled. 

"Okay, so you're a Slayer-" Buffy cut him off again.

"Yeah, and what are you?" he didn't respond, seeming as though deep 
in though, "Let me guess: You're a soldier, working for a top secret 
government organization that tracks, kills, and neutralizes Vampires, 
Demons and other evils in order to research and control their numbers 
and abilities." It sounded like a question, but it wasn't. It was a 
statement, and Riley knew it. 

"Close," he said, Willow smiled, "A little too close . . ."

"I bet you even have a Sci-Fi-Movie-esk name for them like-"

"HSTs . . . . Hostile Sub-Terrestrials." He filled in, frowning 
slightly, "How do you know all this?" Buffy just smiled, though it 
was obviously to hide her anger.

"You and your Commando-Demon-Hunter-Wanna-Bes have been getting in my 
way. Almost got Willow killed a few weeks ago . . ." Buffy looked 
at her, and the Witch almost snarled.

"Twice, actually." The witch was done hiding in the corner, "And 
where do you come off trying to kid-nap me? First Spike comes in 
here in order to piss Buffy, then a bunch of men break into my room 
and try to drag me off . . . !" Willow was practically yelling in his 
face now. Buffy put a hand on her shoulder, and Willow turned 
around and hugged her quickly.

"That still doesn't answer how you know all this . . ." Riley stated, 
slightly worried about a security breach . . . {An Insider, maybe?}

"You've been invading my turf. My number are down, and weird guys 
in uniform have attacked an . . ." Buffy paused, trying to think of a 
word to describe exactly what Spike was to them, " . . . 
An 'associate' of ours. He told us about your operations and 
explained some of the stud going on in your underground 
facilities." Riley looked shocked, {Must be an Insider!}

"Who do you work for?" he asked cautiously.

"Me?" she asked dismissively, "I don't work for anyone anymore." He 
looked confused, "I used to work for the Watcher's Counsel, but I 
quit last year . . ." she glanced at Willow, then back at 
Riley, "You're really never heard of me?" She asked skeptically.

"She's kind of the scourge of the Un-Dead-Underworld . . . Most 
Vampires and Demons know who she is." Willow frowned, "I'd have 
thought that a soldier from a highly trained and organized military 
project would at least have heard of her." The witch glanced at her 
girl-friend, and Buffy smiled. The Slayer took her work seriously, 
and even prided herself on it at times. 

Riley cleared his throat, and reached to take Buffy's arm. Before 
he even had the chance to think, his arm was twisted behind his back 
and his face was pressed against the back of the door. Wincing 
against the pain, Riley grunted. Willow smiled to herself. 

"Don't even try it Riley . . ." She growled.

"Ahh!" He grunted as she pressed his arm higher, "I wasn't gonna hurt 
you, I was just gonna take you out-side."

"Why?" she asked coldly.

"I wanted to talk to you . . ." He groaned, " . . . About when 
we . . ." he grunted, and she let go. Rubbing his shoulder he 
opened the door expecting her to walk through it. She didn't 
move. "Uh, Buffy?" he asked, pointing to the open door.

"I told you," she said, voice still chilly, "Anything you have to 
say, you'll have to say in front of Willow." She paused to look at 
the Witch in question and her face softened slightly with a 
smile. "Besides, I want her to hear."

{Oh, yeah . . .} Riley thought, {I forgot that Willow was really 
pushing for us to get together. I bet she'll be glad that I finally 
took the plunge last night}

"I just wanted to talk to you about the rest of last night. I'm a 
walking bruise today, but you . . ." he stopped to look her up and 
down, causing Willow to squirm, ""I don't see a hair out of place. 
You took the same beating I did, maybe more . . . How are you 
walking? I saw you take a scalpel in the back?" Willow's eyes 
bugged, and she paled considerably, turning to Buffy. The Slayer 
looked back apologetically. 

"It's a Slayer thing." Buffy brush off the comment quickly, "Besides, 
Willow took really good care of me." Buffy smile held a secret to 
Riley, though Willow's blush (which he missed entirely) would have 
cleared it right up. Riley smiled and turned to the blonde.

"You could have come to me," he replied, more then just a hint of 
flirtation in his voice, "I'm sure I could have treated you just 
fine . . ." Buffy turned and walked past Willow, a disgusted look on 
her face as she headed to her closet. Opening it, she removed her 
jacket.

"Trust me Riley," Buffy said, voice cold again as she hung her coat 
and closed the door, "I needed special care." She winked at Willow 
and smiled when she blushed. Her smiled widened as she turned back 
to Riley. "So, how's you shoulder?" She asked, a snide tone to her 
voice.

"Almost broken . . ." he said slowly looking confused, "The doctor 
said I was lucky it didn't snap-"

"Yeah, and you try that crap again and I'll be the one to 
Snap . . .!" The Slayer practically snarled at him. "What was that 
all about Riley? You're a great friend, but . . ."

"You didn't know I liked you?" he guessed, glancing at Willow who was 
not looking very pale. "I thought you'd see right through me . . ." 
Riley bowed his head and did the shy-smile-thing. Both girls rolled 
there eyes and glance at each other, both faces the very essence 
of 'Puh-leez!'

"No, Riley . . ." Buffy said, voice softening slightly, "I knew. I 
just don't feel that way about you. Did I ever make you think 
otherwise?" Riley was about to reply, to defend himself, when he 
realized it was true. Though they had been friends, and were 
getting to be close friends, there was really no evidence to show his 
feelings were reciprocated. "If there was, I'm sorry if I led you 
on. Besides, I'm with someone now . . ." Buffy discreetly looked to 
Willow who was trying to wipe the small smug smile off her face.

"Yeah, I heard." He said shortly, "Willow told me." Buffy looked at 
the Witch surprised, "She told me you were sort of 'UnOfficially' 
seeing someone. Sure I can't change your mind?" he asked, putting 
on his best smile. Buffy smiled at him disappointedly.

"Sorry." She didn't feel it though, "I hope this won't effect our 
friendship too much . . . ? I really liked hanging out with you. 
How am I supposed to pass Psych 101 without you to explain it to me?" 
she asked kindly. He smiled sadly, and nodded. He walked to the 
door, and opened. They said their goodbyes, and with perfect 
synchronization both girls flopped down onto their beds. The looked 
to each other, and smiled.

"Is it just me," Willow asked, "Or is today a *really* long day?" 
Buffy giggled, and nodded her agreement.

"But you make it worth it." The Slayer stated seriously. Willow 
smiled and looked at the clock.

"And lucky us, it's only 3:40 . . ." when she looked back at Buffy's 
bed she found a sleeping Slayer snoring adorably. 





(Author's note: Hope you liked the chapter! More is to come as soon 
as possible, and I should warn you that there will be a little 
more 'Romance' on the way. The only trouble is Danny, my friend who 
wrote those sequences for me, is kinda . . . not my friend anymore. 
So from now on I will be the author of the Lovin' scenes, and they 
therefore will not be as good as the once were. Sorry . . . :-( E-
Mail me at VixenRaign@xxxxxxxxx )