[Reviews - 229]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2020 times

- Text Size +




A MURDER IN SUNNYDALE


Chapter 44: ‘Williamson and Winston’


“Hey, Buff,” Riley Finn grinned, charmingly, at his ex-wife. Before Buffy could ask him what the hell he wanted, or slam the door in his face? Riley strode into the apartment as if he had leased it himself.

“Why don’t you just come in, then,” Buffy offered sarcastically. Riley flopped down on the couch and threw his right leg over his left one.

“Uhm, Riley,” Buffy began, carefully, “can I ask what the hell you’re doing here, in Sunnydale? Or in my husband’s and my apartment for that matter?”

“Came to pay my last respects to Xander Harris, Buff,” Riley replied, coolly. “Oh,” he added quickly, “congrats on the marriage by the way. Can’t imagine ‘you’ married again, especially to a Brit. Or a Williamson for that matter, but…”

“Cut to the chase, Riley,” Buffy sighed as she planted herself in front of her ex. She chose to remain standing, at the moment, and nervously watched Riley peruse her body up and down.

“You were never ‘that’ close to Xander Harris, Finn,” she said evenly, “and I don’t think that your wife, Samantha, would appreciate you being in your ex-wife’s apartment, so, just get to the point. Why are you really here?”

Buffy noticed a tinge of sorrow pass over Riley’s dark eyes, briefly, then he grinned again. She saw a shadow of his old bravado appear on his mouth, in his eyes. Somehow, however, this did not comfort her.

“Sammy left me,” Riley said simply. “About a week ago. She up and left me. Left me a note, though,” he chuckled. “I guess I should be grateful for that much, huh?”

“Oh,” Buffy stammered, a little embarrassed by her faux pas. She soon snapped out of it and said, “okay, Samantha left you. I’d ask you why, but it’s none of my business and frankly, I don’t really care. So,” she continued harshly, “why don’t you just tell me the real reason you’re here. I’m expecting…”

Buffy stopped suddenly from explaining the fact that she was expecting Will’s parents and Wesley at any time now. Something in her ex’s eyes alerted that it might not be too wise to give out any more information then necessary. He was watching Buffy, Riley was, intently, and it disturbed her, terribly.

“You’re expecting?” Riley asked quietly, his eyes never left hers.

“I meant,” she quickly covered her earlier words, “that I’m expected at the hospital. Soon. My husband’s been shot, by Xander, that is. He, Will, he was shot trying to save me and…”

“How noble of him,” Riley chuckled with a half smile.

‘His eyes,’ Buffy thought to herself in sudden realization, ‘they’re as cold as ice. His mouth is in a smile, but his eyes are narrowed and calculating.’ She remembered what Giles had said, earlier, at the hospital.

‘It sounds like Riley,’ Buffy’s mentor had told her. ‘The one that Meers had seen many times at Webster’s apartment. Just recently, too. If it is Riley, Buffy dear, then that could mean…’

“So,” Buffy began carefully, “this sudden ‘affection’ for Xander Harris? Is this some retro feeling, like the one you had for Thomas Ford? My old partner?” She watched Riley’s eyes grow narrower, into near slits.

Buffy nervously glanced around her apartment, her eyes finally resting on her new leather jacket. The one Will just bought her. In the front, right-hand side of that jacket was her police revolver. Too bad the jacket and gun were nearly fifteen feet away from her, on the bay window seat.

“Let me ask you something Buffy,” Riley broke into her anxious reverie. “Why would someone have ‘me’ of all people investigated? I mean, down in LA? I got wind of some private dick, running around the City, asking all kinds of questions and shit. Can you guess who the dick was?”

“No idea,” Buffy shrugged, hoping against hope that her demeanor was convincing this moron.

“I’ll help you,” Riley replied smoothly, standing up and closing the gap between Buffy and himself. “Let’s jog Buffy’s memory, shall we?” Riley was babbling on about something as he neared Buffy.

“It was your dear old dad, Hank Summers,” he hissed as he reached Buffy. When he got to her, Riley grabbed Buffy by her arm and yanked her close up to his body.

“You bitch!” he rasped as he wrapped his free arm about her body. “You sicked your old man on me. To echo your own words? I’d ask ‘why’ but you’d only lie to me, even though ‘this’ is my business.”

“Let go of me, you asshole,” Buffy hissed as she struggled to pull away from Riley. “Get your hands off of me, you…”

“You what?” Riley asked smugly. He grinned down at Buffy and she suddenly felt like a two-year-old looking up at some giant from a fairy tale.

“You’ve no right to be here,” Buffy whispered, still trying to pull away from Riley. “Get out!” she hissed firmly.

“I think I’ll stay,” Riley countered smoothly. “I’ve got a feeling you know more then you’re playing at Slayer.”

Buffy flinched at the use of Riley’s old pet name for her. No one had called her ‘Slayer’ in years, especially this man. She didn’t even want to recall the reason behind the nickname, not now, not ever.

“My name’s not Slayer,” she hissed back at Riley. “You’re the only one ever called me that. I remarried Finn, my Will wouldn’t ever call me that!”

“Maybe ‘your Will’ doesn’t know you like I do, eh Slayer,” Riley chuckled. He was truly baiting Buffy now and it was working. It had to be, or she would never have blurted out the next sentences so freely.

“It was you,” Buffy growled at her ex-husband. “You’re the one that sent Amy St. Claire the threats. You threatened her, her son, anyone that stood in the way of you and Holden’s empire. Your move to LA? It was a ruse, wasn’t it Riley? When I read your name in Holden’s list, I should have known you’d never cut your ties to him. You’re just too much of a God damned follower to ever do that, right?”

“Holden should have kept his fucking mouth shut!” Riley screamed loudly. “Should have known the prick couldn’t ever shut the fuck up and leave ‘us’ out of it. Me, O’Connor, Harris, all the others that ‘helped’ him out all of those years. Webster just had to be the big man in Sunnydale, didn’t he? He just had to play God and write everything down, didn’t he. The ten commandments of Holden Webster law, right?. Law number 1: Screw your cohorts and keep a record of their crimes. What a prick that worthless shit turned out to be. What a fucking coward! Bless Harris for blowing both of them away, Holden and his little whore!”

Riley had a murderous look on his face and Buffy was beginning to get really scared now. She had no idea, at the moment, just how to difuse this situation, so she decided to go with ‘stalling’ her ex.

“So,” she swallowed her fear and asked, evenly, “it was you that was trying to take over? Webster’s business that is?”

“So to speak,” Riley responded through gritted teeth. “I could have, too, if you bunch of fucks hadn’t butted in. You know, Buff,” Riley added, smugly, “your husband, this Billy Idol freak? You might be interested to know that he’s a real contender, in the game I mean? What’re you going to do when he decides to make a play for Web’s empire? Gonna’ stand by your man then? Be the little ‘mafia Princess’?”

“Will and me, we’re going to go back to England to live. Make a new life for ourselves, together, Riley. My husband has no interest in Webster’s world, or his businesses. He’s a good man, Will is. Not interested in your fucked up idea of a life and…”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Riley countered gruffly. “But Amy St. Claire is another story, isn’t she? Her and that little bastard of hers. They are a real threat to me, aren’t they?”

“Leave them alone,” Buffy whispered, her voice strained with emotion. “You can’t hurt them anymore, or me and Will. You’ve got no power, Riley,” she snorted, “none whatsoever. It’s over. All of the Sunnydale legal system knows what you’re about now. You’ve lost and I’m going to give you some advice.”

Buffy grinned, wickedly at her stupid ex’s face. “Get out of Sunnydale, now,” she ordered firmly. “In fact,” she continued smugly, “I’d head for the nearest border, state or country that is and keep running. Samantha left you, probably because she found out what a real jerk you are and all. Maybe you better brush up on your Spanish, Rile, you think?”

“Samantha left me because she found out I was being investigated, Buff,” Riley hissed harsly at her. “She was pissed that I was caught out at my little coup. What?” he asked innocently when Buffy gave him her stunned look.

“My wife is almost as ambitious as I am, sweetheart,” Riley continued with a chuckle. “She had to be. You don’t rise from whore to girlfriend, to wife then to head honcho’s wife by being a shrinking violet exactly, now, do you?”

Buffy tried to pull out of Riley’s grasp, but he just tightened his hold on her. She noticed he was giving her the ‘once over’ again and it made her more afraid then anything.

‘What now?’ she asked silently, a sense of terror rising up to her throat. ‘Riley the rapist?’

“You look good, baby,” Riley purred as he ran his meaty right hand down her arm. “Good enough to eat,” he murmered, pulling her head forward so that he could crash his lips onto hers.

“Let me go,” she gasped, struggling again to get away from this revolting man she once thought she loved. “I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” Riley sneered as he yanked her forward again, shaking her roughly. His right hand was now tangled up in her long, blond hair and he was using it to keep a strong hold on her head.

Before either of them knew what was happening, Winston came hurtling out of the bedroom and literally leapt onto Riley. The mastiff clamped his puppy mouth, with his still pretty powerful locking jaws, around Riley’s ankle and began to tear at it. He growled like a large and in charge big dog as he shook his head and bit, hard, causing blood to flow from Riley’s leg.

“You fucking little prick,” Riley screamed as he shook his leg, trying to throw off the little doggie dynamo. Finally, he managed to shake the puppy from his ankle, flinging the poor little thing up against the nearest wall.

Buffy watched in horror as her precious Winston hit the wall and slid down to the floor. The pooch began to whimper and howl in pain when it hit the ground, then lay still.

Taking this opportunity to make her move, Buffy searched the area to find something to ‘harm’ Riley with. ‘Thank God for Winston,’ Buffy thought as she scanned the nearby area.

“You fucking bastard!” Buffy screamed at the top of her lungs. Without a second thought, Buffy grabbed the nearest, blunt object she could get her hands on. The heavy combination telephone and answering matching. She didn’t even bother to disconnect the device, just brought her right arm and hand back, then swung them, phone first into Riley’s big, stupid head. Buffy hit the man with such force, that he fell like a rock and landed on his back on the floor.

For one moment, Buffy was sure she’d killed her ex-husband with the blow. However, she realized he was very much alive when Riley groaned in agony from his position on the carpet.

Before she knew what she was really doing, Buffy took another swing with the telephone and bashed Riley’s head again. This time, it knocked the huge man out, cold. Just to be sure, Buffy smashed the phone/answering machine down again on Riley’s bleeding skull.

Buffy scurried to Winston fast as she could and picked up his warm little body. She felt tears begin to fall from her eyes as she clutched the tiny trembling body to hers.

“Be all right, Winston, please, sweetie,” she whispered as she buried her face into his soft fur. “Please be okay, honey,” she pleaded as she tried to check the puppy for injuries.

Winston kind of shook a little, then began to lick Buffy’s face with his cool tongue. Buffy felt his tail wag and his heart beating, steadily. She burst out into tears and hugged the pooch to her, thankful that he seemed to be okay.

Carrying the puppy with her, Buffy hurried over to her jacket on the window seat and pulled out her gun. She then clicked on her cell phone and dialed 911 to have the police come. After that, she dialed Captain Wilkens and told him to get his ass over to her apartment, that ‘he’d want to be there to see this’!

Still toting her hero, Winston, with her, Buffy gingerly neared Riley and checked to see if he was still breathing properly. He was she discovered, almost disappointed by this.

“Mummy will get you to a vet, Winston. Get you all checked out proper,” Buffy promised as she snuggled the once again lively puppy to her. “Just as soon as I take care of this piece of shit here,” she added smugly, glaring at Riley’s still body.

“This is for harrassing all of us,” Buffy hissed as she forcefully kicked Riley in the ribs. “Oh,” she added harshly, “this is for hurting my dog, asshole!” She then kicked the man again, as hard as she could with her boot covered foot.

“Daddy will be so proud, of both of us Winston,” Buffy cooed into the puppy’s ear. “I’m so glad you’re all right, sweetie,” she nuzzled Winston’s warm, huge head with her cheek.

There was a sudden knock at her front door and Buffy’s anger was broken, momentarily. She realized that it was probably Wesley and the Williamsons.

“How the hell am I going to explain this?” she wondered out loud as she pointed the gun at Riley. “Well,” she sighed, “I’ll just have to somehow.”

Buffy strode to the front door of the apartment, took a deep, calming breath and asked ‘who was there?’

“It’s Wesley, Buffy,” came the clipped accent of her husband’s cousin. “I’m here with Uncle Johnathan and Aunt Anne. Is everything all right then?”

Glancing over at Riley’s still form, Buffy shook off her anxiety and opened the front door. She found Wesley and a good looking, older couple standing in the hallway, rather odd looks on all of their faces.

“Hey, Wes,” Buffy greeted, amicably. “Hello,” she smiled warmly at Will’s parents. “Come on in.”

She waved her gun around, carefully, and motioned for the trio to enter the apartment. They did, somewhat apprehensively.

“This is Buffy,” Wesley pointed at the little blond, holding the gun. “This is William’s parents, Buffy. Johnathan and Anne Williamson. They…”

Just then, Anne Williamson, Buffy’s new mother-in-law gasped in shock and glared down at Riley Finn’s still body.

“Buffy,” Wes stammered, “just, who exactly is that?” he asked with wide eyes. The serious Brit stared down at Riley, his dark eyes filled with stunned confusion.

“That,” Buffy scowled, “is Riley Finn. My ex-husband.”

Johnathan Williamson slowly maneuvered his way around his nephew and looked over the prone, large man on the floor. The taller version of Spike eyed the blulky man and then looked at his daughter-in-law, his left brow raised in wonder.

“Your ex-husband, you say?” Buffy’s father-in-law inquired in an educated, clipped accent. Buffy found both of her in-laws quite interesting, already.

“Yes,” Buffy nodded as she pointed her gun at Riley’s body. She just knew she appeared quite proud at getting the drop on her prick of an ex.

“I see,” Johnathan Williamson responded simply. The older man then broke out into the most lovely smirk and turned to his wife, Anne.

“Well, Annie,” he began with a chuckle, “seems our William ‘has’ truly met his match in a wife. Suppose our son better not brass off our Buffy here, eh? Wouldn’t want her to ‘divorce’ him, huh my love?”


Anne Williamson leaned over, slightly, and looked down on Riley Finn, somberly. She finally stood back up and nodded, “no, I suppose not, dear,” she grinned affectionately at her spouse.


A/N: I hope you readers got the title ‘Williamson and Winston’ and find the humor in Spike’s parents’ reactions? Thanks for reading, please review. Luv, Spuf





You must login (register) to review.