The scope was deadly accurate; any scope was, but this one could hit a
mole
on a man's neck from 500 meters away. Or so Riley liked to brag. And
right
now he would put it to the test...he swore he would.
"Put the gun down, mate." warned Spike, pushing the gun away from the
target.
"But I can hit it and knock the power out." he protested, but the
vampire
shook his head.
"Power outs? They just scream ambush. Buffy would be dust in
seconds."
Unfortunately, he had yet to invent a better plan. After all, planning
had
never been his forte. But just then the human shoved the binoculars in
Spike's face. "She'll be dust anyway if we don't do something."
Spike took them roughly and held them expectantly before his eyes. His
hands
clenched the metal as his knuckles turned white in outrage for what he
saw.
Yet Riley only saw the faintest glimmer of pleasure in the vampire's
face.
If he saw anything... He was upset by Spike's apparent non-chalance.
It was
an insult to his love. "Aren't you upset by what you saw?"
Spike stood and brushed off his famous duster. "Not really. Because
the
thought of what I'm going to do to those wankers cheers me up
immensely."
*****
"So what's your plan?" trailed Riley. Spike had simply broken through
a
window...the Watchers had been overconfident in their security which
made for
relatively easy break-ins.
"We're just going to walk into a room filled with men and weapons?"
"Right." came the answer as Spike halted by a particular corridor to
sniff
the air. "But first we're going to free my friends."
Together they rushed toward the detention cells until Riley pulled
back. "We
don't have time for this!" he argued. "We have to get to Buffy!"
The vampire whipped his head around, game face ready. "You idiot!
You're
wasting time by talking. And the two of us could never handle the
Council."
For a second Riley appeared sated, but then he shook his head. "Then
I'll go
distract the Watchers. You don't need me to free anybody."
Before Spike could respond Riley had abandoned him in the corridor.
From
further in the hall he could hear the echo of footsteps as the guards
came to
inspect the commotion.
Instinctively he glanced at the ceiling, knowing in a building such as
this
the ceiling would make an easy escape. Above the cardboard tiles would
be a
metal frame, some pipes...and empty space.
By the time the guards had reached him Spike had vanished.
*****
At first glance Riley had believed the situation impossible. She might
have
already been dead, nor did the constricted circle of Watchers crowded
around
where she had been give Riley any other indication to dispel his fears.
Yet,
when the crowd parted in surprise at the new arrival he saw indeed she
was
not dead..but she might as well have been.
"Agent Finn." recognized one of the older Watchers. "I thought you had
been
informed that your services were no longer necessary"
He stared at them helplessly as he attempted to fabricate an
explanation. It
might be different if he had appeared in street clothes, but to show up
in
full military garb and his most lethal tranquilizer gun...how could he
ever
explain that?
"N..no." he stammered. "I hadn't been aware of that. In fact, I was
tracking a vampire just now. I had no idea this building was your
headquarters."
The head watcher, a young man with glasses and jet black hair stepped
forward
limping ever so slightly as he swung his cane.
"Well," said the Watcher, moving aside to present an ample view of the
former
Slayer lying weak and half-chained to the floor. "Here's your vampire.
Not
much for hunting, is she?"
Riley stared numbly at the Watcher, and then at his love as he
struggled to
remain calm. He had not laid eyes upon her in years, nor even had a
picture
to remember her by. Yet in all that time he had always known they
would meet
again. But not like this. Riley's hope was that common to any man in
mourning. He had dreamed of her and held such visions in his mind as
that of
an angel, too dazzling and luminous for the human eye.
She was still an angel, though neither dazzling nor luminous, but she
moved
grown men to tears and her suffering infuriated them.
"If you could have caught her yourself..." choked the hunter. "Why did
you
bother to contact me?"
Wesley shifted his weight to his good foot. "You are the best vampire
hunter
in the world. We thought you would be necessary to catch a demon
Slayer; we
never anticipated that she would fall directly into our trap." There
was a
pause before Wesley added, "Nor did we expect her to lure you to her
side."
*****
Willow had barely roused herself when the commotion ended. There had
been a
brief scuffle and then the crash of a body against metal...and at the
last
the liberating jangle of keys.
Oz appeared at the doorway, his hair mussed from his two week
confinement.
"Oz!" she threw herself at him. "How did you..."
When Spike appeared she could barely keep from embracing him, but
somehow she
doubted he'd appreciate it.
"C'mon. There's no time. I hear noises...you free Giles and Xander.
I
think Riley's in trouble."
And he was down the hall in a flash leaving Willow to stare at her
husband.
"Riley?"
*****
"Lure me?" sputtered the hunter. "Now I was just tracking..." but he
stopped, knowing it was too late to be believed.
"Agent Finn, you never told us of your previous history with the
Slayer."
Wesley raised his eyebrows derisively. "In fact, we never told you it
was
the Slayer you were hunting. So if you are indeed tracking her...what
else
are we to believe than the fact that you have been entirely doubled
faced in
your dealings with us?"
There was a rattle of chains and a strained voice to answer the
question. It
came from Buffy.
"Double faced?" she whispered prophetically from the verge of a
temporary
insanity. Her hunger had returned, and with it the pain inflicted by
dozens
of wounds. The cauterized flesh of her chest and side heaved as she
struggled to stand. The arrow still embedded in her shoulder dripped
with
the holy water they had poured over her back and neck... But her game
face
remained undamaged. Her eyes were clear as she spoke. "Double faced.
My
husband has two faces. But when you see him he'll only be wearing
one."
On cue there was an outraged roar from the ceiling rafters as Spike
launched
himself into a protective position in from of his mate. Riley cocked
his gun
to his shoulder and aimed it ruthlessly at one of the watchers as the
door
slammed open behind him, revealing friends he had not seen in seven
years.
He fired his weapon, gleefully regarding the reunion. It had never
occurred
to him that these were the friends Spike had gone to free.
"Willow!" he cried, grabbing her attention. He tossed her a knife just
before a Watcher approached.
Buffy observed the chaos without much interest. She was barely
conscious of
the events at all. But she had felt her husband's presence, and had
seen his
reflection in the floor tiles. And her demon watched through her
mind's eye
the carnage that was laid at her feet. Spike would not kill without
her
permission...but he had crushed the legs of every watcher and mashed
the
bones until the marrow flowed like water inside their broken skin.
Perhaps she should have protested, but somehow it wasn't an issue.
Some
people were better off dead.
At last he came to free her, but it was not Spike who snapped the
cuffs.
Through the blinding pain it was not a vampire's arms she felt.
"Willow? Giles?" she asked softly. Her eyes blinked as another man
caught
her in his embrace and took her away from the forgotten warmth of life.
All
the sunlight in the world could not melt the love she shared with
Spike...but
those hands. That face. Her mind was numb, but sleep did not come
before
her lips had formed his name.
"Riley."
*****
If jealousy were ever to drive a man crazy, it could have destroyed
Spike in
an instant. He hated Riley almost as much as he hated those Watchers.
They
were the same to him, and their common points were that both had the
ability
to take away his wife. Buffy had been right; Spike was possessive.
That's
what a demon was...half animal. Always staking a claim. But he
couldn't
blame her any more than he could blame a piece of meat for being
stolen.
It was a horrible metaphor-comparing Buffy to a piece of meat. She was
above
such degradation. And with this realization came the insecurity which
accompanied loving her. To Spike she was above all things living or
dead.
Above himself especially. She was his only because she chose to be so,
but
she had said Riley's name. And she was speaking to Riley now because
she was
an angel greater than devils. Spike had turned her, but he had not
lowered
her. He could not imagine a Goddess going to live among dogs, and for
this
reason he had anyone higher than himself because he could never be
anything
but a dog. He could only offer himself. And he could only offer it
once.
If she did not accept then there would be nothing left to give.
He could not leave because he could not offer himself again. And so he
stared at her as she talked, with that heavenly smile upon her lips and
as
she held Riley's hand so gently and whispered into his ear.
*****
They did not notice Spike as he watched them, for they were too
involved in
the past to see. But it was not the cause for envy that the vampire
thought
it was. They talked of times past and of things that could never be.
"Why did you never tell me you were alive?" asked Riley, confusion
fretting
his brow.
"Because I'm not." was her simple answer, and she turned toward the
concealed
window with longing in her heart. "I thought it would be easier for
both of
us if I remained dead. Tell me I made the right decision."
Riley shook his head sadly. "It's easy to say that everything worked
out for
the best, because everything worked out. But we'll never know how it
could
have been..."
Briefly they remembered the few months when they had both been happy
together, each knowing what the other was and feeling perfect about it.
"I loved you." the vampire smiled at him weakly. She found herself
wanting
to quote Angel, and stopped herself. His arguments seemed even more
ridiculous now than before... "But we couldn't be together." she
finished.
"I still love you." he Riley told her softly, placing his hand on hers.
He
hadn't expected it to be so cold, and he couldn't help but flinch.
Instantly
he felt guilty, and hurried to apologize, but it was too late. Buffy
had
retreated inside herself and found reality.
"We're not the same kind-you and me. I married Spike; I love Spike."
She
began to chuckle slightly. "And let's face it, he's my type."
Riley recognized the pun and knew enough to groan. He stood slowly and
reached out as if to shake her hand. "I saw your face just now...you
know
you're really not fooling me. I know why you didn't ever tell me." he
withdrew his hand. "You fell in love with someone else."
"Riley..."
"No," he stopped her. "It's actually easier for me to know that." But
he
didn't care if she was someone else's girl. He leaned over and kissed
her
gently on the cheek, letting his lips linger in a final farewell. Like
ice...
"Good bye, Buffy."
*****
As soon as he stepped out the door he noticed Spike glowering at him.
"Don't look at me that way." Riley ordered. "If I didn't love her
you'd have
a reason to look at me that way, but as it stands...you're the winner.
Everyone loves her, but you're the only one that has her."
Spike started in surprise at the younger human. Then, as if jealousy
had
never crossed his mind he unfolded his arms and grinned. "I know."
And from behind the door frame he caught his wife staring at the
window. He
frowned as he watched her melancholy repose. He didn't know at all.
