Buffy was horrified at the scene in front of her.
Spike had a hole in his chest made by a plastic wood-grained stake.
Riley had gone to all the trouble to make a plastic stake look wood and then to try to dust Spike.
All of this was because Riley couldn’t keep his hands off vampires.
Riley stepped towards Buffy saying, “This isn’t what it looks like.”
Buffy put her hands on her hips moving in Spike’s direction and further from Riley’s saying, “This isn’t what it looks like? You aren’t there holding a plastic stake that you had made to look like a wooden stake. Spike doesn’t have a hole in his chest where his heart should be from your hand? And you aren’t here because we caught you getting all sucky with vampires?”
Riley blinked as he backed up trying to come up with something to say.
He put the stake in his pocket and said, “Don’t let this get to you. Spike is nothing. He’s just a thing not even a man.”
Riley’s eyes suddenly got big as he said, “Why are you here and wearing something that looks like Spike’s clothing?”
Riley's eyes got cloudy as he turned around and jacked Spike up against the wall whipping out a real wooden stake.
Buffy ran jumping in the middle of the two saying, “Get out Riley.”
Riley blinked saying, “You can’t possibly mean you are staying?”
Buffy didn’t reply and just pointed to the exit saying, “This is Spike’s place. He can’t keep humans out but I sure as hell can. Get out!”
Riley took one last look at Buffy and knew what he was going to do. He stood up saying, “Buffy they want me back. The military does I mean. I’ve been asked to go to South America. It’s deep undercover and allows no contacts with civilians. The transport is leaving tonight.”
Buffy blinked forgetting what was going on for a minute as she said, “Tonight? When were you going to tell me about this?”
Riley stated in a matter of a fact tone, “I’m telling you now.”
Buffy looked up at him asking with her voice a little softer than a minute ago, “Are you going?”
Riley shrugged saying, “I don’t know. If we can’t work this out…”
Buffy got angry saying, “Then what? This is goodbye?”
Riley shrugged and Buffy got even madder, “You are unbelievable. You’ve giving me an ultimatum?”
Riley replied, “No I’m not.”
Buffy didn’t listen and instead said, “Yes you are! You expect me to get over it now or you’re gone!”
Riley stuttered saying, “I don’t, Buffy. That’s not what I meant.”
Buffy frowned then yelled out shaking her head, “I’ve heard enough. I will not take the blame for this.”
Riley grabbed her arm as she tried to walk away saying, “I’m not asking you to.”
Buffy shook his arm off her saying, “Let go of me! I want you gone. I want you out of here!”
She pointed towards the door and then turned around refusing to look at him as she heard the sound of the door opening and closing.
She forgot where she was as she sunk down to the ground and cried.
Spike stood there for a moment watching her and sighed knowing he couldn’t stand to see her like this.
He walked over behind her and she didn’t even react as he wrapped his arms around her.
She sat and cried for what was going on in her life and what she was losing. Riley was her only chance at a normal life and she had been convinced for so long after Angel left that she wanted normal.
She felt her tears stopping and suddenly found herself surrounded by the comforting scent of leather and tobacco.
She sniffled as she realized she was clinging to his now very wet shirt thanks to her tears.
She looked embarrassed as she moved out his embarrassed.
He watched as she wiped her eyes and she noticed his shirt wasn’t just wet with tears but with blood.
She gasped as she remembered what Riley had done and what the results were.
She knelt down in front of him and pulling up his shirt looking at the gaping wound in his chest.
She put her hand gently over it realizing it was still bleeding but more in shock at how close he had been to being dust today.
She suddenly realized she didn’t want that and perhaps she never had. She whispered, “You’re bleeding.”
Spike nodded saying, “Your solider boy thought he was being funny. A real riot that was.”
Buffy bit her lower lip as she stood up and went to the counter grabbing a towel and returned to kneel down in front of him to hold it to his wound. She whispered, “We need to get that wrapped up.”
Spike shrugged then grimaced as Buffy frowned.
Spike figured she wasn’t going to disappear so he said, “counter near the kitchen has some bandages I keep here in case of emergencies.”
She went over to the counter and found the kit. It was nothing like her kits but would work.
There were strips of cloth in it, tape, but no alcohol.
Buffy could use the brandy bottle she saw on the floor.
She walked back to him leaning to pick up the bottle. She whispered, “Lay back so I can bind this thing.”
Spike usually would have ignored it until it healed but was touched she would take the time to bandage him up so laid back allowing her room to work.
Buffy carefully straddled his knees and lifted his shirt off his head as she poured the alcohol over it.
He hissed and yelled at her, “Bloody hell slayer! Watch it!”
Buffy shouted back, “It’s to prevent infections!”
Spike shook his head shouting once again, “We don’t get infections. Don’t you know anything about vampires?”
Buffy blinked but shook her head saying, “You seem human sometimes.”
Spike nodded but said, “Doesn’t make me human luv. Remember that ok?”
Buffy nodded but said nothing as she leaned down over his chest carefully wrapping the long strips around his chest to cover the wound and hold the soft pad in place preventing further bleeding out.
She used the tape she had brought from the kit to hold it in place and then nodded satisfied he would be okay.
She didn’t move right away instead studied his face as though looking for something in particular.
Spike watched her for a moment and then relaxed as she smiled slightly and stood up offering her arm to help him up.
He pulled his shirt over his head and got helped to his feet and he went over to sit on the coffin in the center of the room where Buffy sat next to him.