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Chapter 12: Man in the mirror
Buffy and Angel were laying on the bed in a passionate kiss. Slowly his hand drifted down her side and she let out a soft moan, pulling his head even closer to her. After a while he pulled back looking down at her disheveled appearance and almost groaned out loud.
“We can't do this here”, he managed to choke out but just looking at her was making it difficult. “Why not? Willow said she'll be in the library studying with Tara. Maybe all night”, she said stretching the last part suggestively. A lopsided smile rose to his lips and he pressed a kiss to her neck.
“Is that right”, he whispered huskily and she shivered when his breathe hit her neck. His hand trailed down her side and he started to slide the shirt up her body. She rose to a sitting position pushing him with her and she let him pull her shirt over her head. As soon as the shirt was off her body, she attacked his lips with a hungry kiss and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. She was about to slide it off his shoulders when Willow ran through the door. They quickly pulled apart and Angel covered her bra clad breasts with the discarded shirt.
“Willow?” Buffy asked out of breathe and a little annoyed that her friend had burst in on her and Angel.
“There's a demon, it attacked the library! Hurry!” she yelled in near panic and both Buffy and Angel jumped off the bed running towards the library. She quickly opened the door with a crossbow in her hand, Angel right behind her with an axe.
As soon as they were inside the door, group of people jumped in sight and yelled in unision: “Surprise!” Buffy took a step back and hid the crossbow behind her back since there was a lot of people that weren't involved with slaying. She turned to look at Angel with a small smile playing on her lips and asked with a soft voice: “Did you know about this?” Angel shook his head, feeling slightly uncomfortable around so many strangers.
“No, I didn't. If I had, we wouldn't have been doing what we were interrupted in”, he whispered to her ear and the smile she had only widened. “Maybe we'll continue later”, she whispered back with a small smirk.
Willow came to them and grabbed Buffy into a tight hug. “Happy birthday, Buffy. See, no slaying tonight, just partying.” Buffy smiled back at her and shrugged. “We'll see. You know how my birthdays always end up.” Angel shifted uncomfortably remembering both occasions he had witnessed but soon it was all out of his mind as he saw Riley approaching. Willow turned to look where Angel was scowling at and turned to Buffy again.
“Oh, I invited Riley and some students. The more people, the better party, right.” “Hey Buffy. I hear congratulations are in order. Happy birthday”, Riley said and smiled gently at Buffy. “Thank you”, she answered politely.
“Buffy, I'd like to talk to you, in private”, he continued and glanced at Angel. “Oh? Okay. I'll be right back”, she answered and gave a quick kiss to Angel before following Riley. Both Riley and Angel glared at each other jealously. Once they were out of hearing range of people that shouldn't be hearing the stuff they were going to talk about, Buffy turned to look at Riley and asked: “So what's the what?”
“Professor Walsh would like to see you.” “Why?” Buffy asked slightly confused. “Well, she's the commanding officer of our base. I told her that you are the slayer and she would like to speak to you.” Buffy sighed deeply, she had asked him not to tell anyone and he had, to professor Walsh of all people, it didn't come as a surprise that she was involved in Initiative since she had that dictator air about her. “We'll see about tomorrow. I'm going for a patrol tonight”, she answered.
Buffy was thrown against a headstone and her attacker stomped closer to her looking very menacing. Angel growled in anger and attacked the demon, pounding his fists into it in fury. The demon spun around and threw him off of him, he landed onto a tombstone shattering it under him. Buffy grabbed the axe Angel had previously dropped and ran after the demon.
But she was taken back by surprise when Riley appeared and shot with his tazer gun at the demon. It roared in anger and that gave Buffy her chance, she lifted the axe and swung it decapitating the demon. The head rolled on the ground and stopped at three feet. Buffy looked up and saw Willow, Xander and Anya standing there with a surprised look on each of their faces.
“Hey guys?” “Hey, Buffy... Riley? We thought we could help with the slaying, just like old times”, Willow answered the unasked question. “And I thought we could show Anya the great tradition of it”, Xander added eyeing Riley suspiciously.
“Riley? What are you doing here?” Willow asked turning to him even though she knew the answer. “Umm... I was just passing by... On my way to a friend of mine”, he started and Angel just rolled his eyes, very juvenile he knew it but couldn't help it.
“So you dress like Halloween to meet your friends?” Willow teased. “Paintball! We're going to go play some paintball.” Willow giggled.
“At night? Very nice try, Riley. We guess you're part of the whole commando group sneaking in here.” Riley sighed, it was no use to make up any more excuses.
“Okay, you got me. But you can't tell anyone.” “Yeah, we know the drill, done the whole secrecy thing for years now”, Xander said. “Okay. I'll just be... off. I'll see you tomorrow Buffy, Willow. Bye”, Riley said and left the cemetery in a hurry.
Angel walked behind Buffy and wrapped his arm around her waist. “What did he mean by that?” he whispered to her ear trying not to sound jealous.
“His boss wants to meet me. The boss being professor Walsh”, Buffy answered smiling at his hidden jealousy. “I don't like it”, he said and she just rolled her eyes but she wasn't going to say that she wasn't so sure about the meeting either.
She turned to look at her friends and said: “I'm sorry guys. But I guess there's no slaying tonight.” “It's okay. We like the traditional vampire versus vampire slayer, other demons are not so much fun, they just growl no comebacks to your banters”, Willow said shrugging.
Buffy met Riley on the front of the school building and they started walking towards professor Walsh's office. “I just have to ask you this, it may be too forward so forgive me. Why are you with that guy? Angel I mean”, Riley asked and turned to Buffy. They both stopped walking. Buffy crossed her arms in front of her and answered: “Because he's my boyfriend and I love him.”
“But he's not even alive”, Riley tried but didn't score any points. “Riley, I like you but don't push your luck. Nobody messes with my boyfriend, he may not breathe or have a heartbeat but I love him and he's a good person.” Riley just nodded but didn't change his mind that Angel wasn't right for her. They continued walking and went to Walsh's office. She was sitting behind her desk and pointed the chair in the front for Buffy to sit in.
“So, you're the slayer. I was certain you were a myth”, she started the conversation. “Yeah, well I'm not. I'm very real”, she answered, the woman made her nervous, she couldn't tell why, she had faced giant snakes and all kinds of demons but still she felt like going to finals with her.
“And to think, all that time you were sitting in my class- well, most of those times. I always thought you could have done better, but now I understand your energies were directed elsewhere”, she said with a stern voice.
“I understand that agent Finn told you about our organization even though it is highly classified”, she continued and Riley tried to tell how it really went but was stopped by Walsh's hand rising to the air as a sign to be quiet. “But he also told me the circumstances. It's all right. We're all on the same team.”
“We are?” Buffy asked trying to keep the scepticism out of her voice. “Our goals are similar. We're each interested in curtailing the Sub-terrestrial menace. It's only our methods that differ. We use the latest in scientific technology and state-of-the-art weaponry and you... If I understand this correctly... poke them with a sharp stick”, Walsh said and added the last part with a slight edge of sarcasm in her voice.
“It has got the job dome just fine so far”, Buffy answered getting her defenses up, some old hag who hadn't fought a demon in her life was not going to belittle her.
“Oh, I'm quite sure of that. As I'm just as sure we can learn much from each other. I'm working on getting you clearance to come into the Initiative. I think you'll find the results of our operation most impressive. Agent Finn here, alone, has captured or killed...”, Walsh continued and turned to Riley. “How many is it?”
“Seventeen. Eleven vampires. Six demons”, Riley answered quite proudly and puffed his chest out. Buffy nodded and tried to be impressed which was hard giving the way both of the Initiative members were so proud of the achievement.
“Huh. That is... Wow, seventeen”, she said trying to act impressed. “What about you? How many hostiles would you say you've... slain?” Walsh asked obviously expecting something less. Buffy glanced at both people in the room, trying to find something to answer that wouldn't hurt too much Riley's male pride.
Buffy told Walsh and Riley few stories about her slaying and at least Riley was impressed. Later he made her promise a sparring session and they met at the gym later that night. Buffy tried not to hurt him but he tried to make her not to hold back. She added the power which send him flying to the wall and she was still holding back.
After she had showered, she left back to the mansion. She found Angel sitting in front of the fire, reading as usual. She sat next to him and placed a soft kiss to his neck.
“Hey”, she whispered and leaned her head to his shoulder. “Hey. How was your talk with Walsh?” he asked and placed the book down.
“She wants me to go on tour on the Initiative. I think I should do it, see what's it all about. If we should worry.” “I don't like it”, he said looking at her straight into eyes.
“Yeah, but we still need to find out about them. Don't worry, I'm a big girl”, she said and leaned into a kiss. “Yeah. Speaking of it, I still haven't given you the other part of your birthday present.” A smirk rose to her lips and she looked at him suggestively. “And what would that be?” He chuckled and shook his head. “Not what you seem to think.” “Oh. I don't know should I be disappointed.”
“Come on, big girl, it's time for your present”, he said smiling and pulled her with him up from the couch. He lead her to the car he had blackmailed from Spike and drove to a destination he wasn't going to tell her. After a while, he stopped the car and turned to her. He pulled out a red scarf and whispered to her: “Trust me.” She nodded, her eyes betraying no distrust. Slowly he tied to scarf around her head covering her eyes and continued driving.
After a while he stopped the car and helped her out and guided her into a building. Buffy heard a click of a light switch and some movement around her but there was no other besides Angel. Angel stepped behind her and gently pulled the scarf off. She blinked and looked around her a wide smile rising to her lips.
“Angel”, she whispered breathlessly as she looked at the lighted ice skating ring. “We never made it to skating and I know how you love it. Do you like it?” Buffy turned to Angel nearly in tears and pulled him into a desperate passionate kiss.
“I love it. And I love you”, she answered and he smiled widely before pulling her into a long kiss. “But you have to teach me to skate again. It's been more than 250 years since the last time I had skates on”, he whispered to her ear and a wide smirk rose to her lips. “I can't wait to see you on skates mister stealthy.”
Buffy and Willow were sitting in the cafeteria and Buffy couldn't wipe the smile off her face. “It was so great! It was so sweet that I almost weeped like a girl”, she told Willow almost in tears just from the memory. “You are a girl”, Willow reminded her with a smile.
“Yeah, but like a weepy girl that screams when she sees a vampire. And you should have seen him on skates, it was so adorable.” Willow shook her head. “I just can't imagine Angel on skates. I don't think I can look at him in the same way again.”
“By the way, I didn't hear you come in last night. Where were you?” Buffy asked and Willow shifted nervously. “So you came home for the night... I was at the chem lab, by myself. I was trying to do a spell. Floating a rose, when all of a sudden: Zing! Zing! All over the room, like a... rose-based missile”, she answered waving her fork in the air. “Yikes.”
“I know. I think there's something out there. I felt like, there was this presence, this dark-magic energy blocking the spell. It's new.”
“Someone else doing magics?” Buffy asked. “Maybe. If so, it's someone pretty powerful.”
“Huh. I'll tell Giles about it. And maybe Walsh, she seems interested in this kind of stuff, learning the mystical side of the demon-hunting biz.”
“Talk to Giles, he's feeling a little hurt right now. How come you never told him about Riley being a commando?” Willow asked slightly concerned. “I did, right?” Buffy asked slightly unsure of the answer. “He says no. He's feeling all neglected and out of the loopy.”
“Ouh! At first I wasn't supposed to tell anyone and then you just found out and I forgot he didn't know. Ouh! This is not good. I'll make it right next time I see him. Tomorrow. I'm spending today with Angel.” “Of course. I forgot that's what you always do on days when the Earth rotates”, Willow answered feeling a little jealous and neglected.
Later that day Buffy and Willow went to meet Giles but found his place trashed which was never a good sign. Buffy thanked heavens that it was night cause she didn't know how she was going to handle it if Angel couldn't be with her. She ran to the phone booth and called Angel who came rushing to the apartment.
He went to Buffy and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “How are you holding up?” he whispered to her ear and she turned to look at him. “I'm okay. But I'm no good at research. Xander said something about bunny ears on the demon but I'm getting blank.”
“No bunnies! Tufty ears, no bunnies!” Anya yelled and others looked at her like she had finally lost her mind.
There was rattling at the door and everyone were instantly on alert. Buffy pulled out a stake and Angel reached for an axe. Buffy pulled the door out of the way and became face to face with Riley.
“Riley? What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise. “There were 911 calls. From a couple different places. Including here.” “You get 911 calls?” Xander asked in awe.
“We have a tap into the system. It flags things with possible non-human causes. We check 'em out. What are you doing here?” Riley answered and turned to look at Buffy.
“This is Giles' apartment. He's missing. The calls, did anyone see what did it?” “Negativ...” Riley started till he remembered he wasn't talking to a military personnel, after a small pause he continued: “No. Neighbors just heard, you know, growling, things breaking. Sounded like a struggle.”
“Poor Giles”, Willow said miserably. Buffy turned to look at her and assured: “We'll get him back.”
After a long or at least what seamed like a very long time, they found what they were looking for. “That's the thing that attacked me!” Xander yelled and pointed at the picture in the book.
“Fyarl demon. Their used by other demons to do the dirty work. Very strong but not all that smart”, Angel said while leaning over the couch to look at the picture. Riley's cellphone started to ring and he flipped it open. “Agent Finn. Go ahead.”
Buffy turned back to Willow and asked: “How do we kill it?” “Silver. Something from silver”, she answered and Buffy went to Giles' desk. She looked through it and picked a letter opener. Riley disconnected the call and turned to the others.
“The demon attacked Professor Walsh. It got out of a small gray car. A Citroen.” “It stole Giles' car!” Willow yelped in surprise. “Why would a demon steal a car?” Xander asked confused. “Why would a demon steal that car?” Anya added.
Buffy crossed her arms in front of her and started: “A demon that steals a car has a reason. It has a purpose. But since Fyarl demons aren't really big independent thinking. The spells that have been going wrong, could that be caused by someone using magics to control a demon? Making this Fyarl demon attack Giles?" Willow perked up, this was her area of expertise.
“Yeah. Yes, that would draw a lot of dark energy.” “Willow, Xander, stay here. Whoever's controlling the demon may call, ask for ransom. Give them anything they want”, Buffy said taking in charge.
She turned to Angel and said with a more gentle voice but no less in control: “Let's visit the magic shop. Maybe they needed supplies.” He nodded and they headed out only to be followed by Riley which didn't sit well with Angel but since it was a emergency he didn't argue to waste time.
Buffy kicked open the door of the magic shop and marched inside Angel and Riley behind her. “Credit card slips, copies of receipts. Help me look”, she told Riley since she knew that Angel knew the drill already. Buffy and Angel started going through the papers and drawers.
“You shouldn't have done that to the door”, Riley said but Buffy continued looking around not looking at him while she answered: “Don't have time to play by the rules tonight.”
“I have a master key. Opens every shop on main street”, he said and dangled the key chain in the air. “That's a nice thing to have”, she said and pulled out what she was looking for.
“Ethan Rayne”, she said and showed the card to Angel. “Doesn't he ever learn”, he scoffed. “Who's that”, Riley asked, he was clueless to what was going on.
“Professional bad guy. He's gotta be the one who made the demon go after Giles. At least we know who we're looking for”, Buffy answered and turned to leave but was stopped when Riley spoke to the cellphone: “Come in... Are you there?” Buffy turned to look at him, feeling a little pissed that he was wasting time.
“What are you doing?” Riley didn't answer to her just talked to the phone: “This is Agent Finn. I need a search. Local hotel registrations matching the name Ethan Rayne. R-A-Y-N-E. I'll wait.” He turned to Buffy. “It'll take a couple minutes.”
She nodded and said: “We'll wait in the car.” She turned to leave with Angel when he took a hold of her arm, she turned back to look at him expectantly while Angel was boiling with jealousy.
“Professor Walsh gave me very specific orders. She said, when we located the demon... I... I'm not supposed to bring you along”, he answered struggling to get it out. “Oh”, she said unaffected and turned to leave again. “What are you doing?”, he asked once he realized she was heading out.
“We're going to the car. And then we're going where the demon is”, she answered like it was obvious.
“But Buffy”, Riley tried to protest but she interrupted him: “You're not taking me along. I'm going and I'm letting you come with me.”
“Buffy, it's not really your call. This is a military operation now.” Angel smirked triumphantly, the boy was in so much trouble.
“I am the slayer, this is my job. So get the troops to stop me, cause nothing less than that's gonna do it. This demon did something to Giles. And I'm gonna kill it”, she said with a low voice and walked out the door with a discreetly smiling Angel following her.
Buffy burst through the motel door and attacked the large demon. “Don't let him get away. I'll deal with him as soon as I finish his pet”, she said grinding her teeth and punched the demon with a strength that send it staggering backwards.
While she was fighting the demon, Ethan tried to make a run for it only to be grabbed by Angel and pulled back. He tried to swing at Angel but missed and Angel threw him against the wall.
“Only reason you're not unconscious on the floor right now is because of Buffy”, Angel growled into his ear and did his best not to mash his head against the wall. He turned to look at Buffy fighting the demon, she always was so graceful and he had to admit it, he loved watching her fight even though he wanted to help her but he knew she had to do this on her own.
Buffy knocked the demon to the ground and jumped on top of it. “This is for Giles”, she said and plunged the letter opener into the demons chest. But then she saw his eyes and the recognition hit her.
“Oh my God! Giles! I'm sorry! Please don't die!” she yelled and started to hover over him.
Ethan was sitting on the floor in front of a smoking spell ingredients. “I really should learn to just skip town. The Stay and gloat gets me every time”, he said feeling slightly depressed. Buffy just ignored him and went to Giles who was back in his own body, looking into the mirror very uncomfortably and the smallest reason wasn't Ethan's hideous shirt he was wearing.
“You okay?” she asked him gently. “Embarrassed mostly. Ethan's wardrobe not helping the matter.” Then it hit him and he turned to her. “How did you know it was me?” Buffy gave him a small smile.
“Your eyes.” After a small pause she continued: “You're the only person in the world that can look THAT annoyed with me.” He laughed but the moment was interrupted when Ethan decided to speak. “Is this gonna go on much longer? I'd rather be going.”
Buffy shifted on her feet crossing her arms and asked: “And what makes you think I'll let you go?” You've got no choice. I'm human. You can't kill me. What's a slayer going to do?” he asked confidently and that's when the bunch of commandos walked in.
“By the authority of the U.S. Military, you are being taken into custody pending a determination of your status”, Riley said and the military men escorted Ethan out the door. Riley turned to look at the others in the room, feeling very manly and confident against Angel. “They'll take Mr. Rayne to a secret detention facility in the Nevada desert. I'm sure he'll be rehabilitated in no time.”
“If you don't mind, I'm just gonna go and watch them manhandle him into the vehicle”, Giles said excitedly and left the room.
Buffy was talking to Giles further away while Angel watched after her. He could feel and hear Riley closing in on him and stopping to stand next to him but he wasn't going to acknowledge him.
“Let's get this straight, I don't like you. To me you are still a hostile and I don't know if the soul makes any difference with you”, Riley started and Angel turned to him sharply, it took everything in him not to flinch at the move.
“Believe me, boy, you'd know the difference”, he answered with a low voice and turned back to looking at Buffy.
“I still believe you are not right for her. Her life shouldn't be like this, hunting demons and then spending time in the darkness with one.”
“I know I don't deserve her. But who does, you? You don't know anything what being a slayer is like, you believe that she could just walk away from it when ever she wants to. Let me tell you, boy, it doesn't work that way.”
“I would never treat her badly. Just now inside you didn't even help her when she was fighting a demon many times her size”, Riley accused but Angel didn't let it get to him.
“Because it wasn't my place to interfere. She needed and wanted to do it by herself. Just because you are playing soldier with other kids doesn't make you a demon hunter or if you read few books doesn't make you understand other people”, Angel said and walked away.
He stopped behind Buffy and wrapped his arms around her, placing his chin to her shoulder. She let out a satisfied hum and leaned against his chest. “How 'bout next year we won't celebrate my birthday?” she asked and closed her eyes, enjoying the closeness with him.
“I don't think that would make any difference. Now it has been three days since your birthday.” She groaned and turned around in his arms. She lifted her head to look at him and whispered: “Let's go home.” He smiled and leaned into a gentle kiss.
