College Girl (Book Four, BTVS)

chapter 18 - Where the Wild Things Are

During the day, Buffy and Riley were telling Giles, Willow, Tara and me about what had happened last night when they had patrolled alone, in a college lounge, about how a demon and vampire helping each other.

Riley was sitting in a chair. Buffy was sitting on Riley's lap.

Willow, Tara and I were sitting on a couch.

Giles was sitting in a chair, holding a rolled-up piece of paper. "There's always been great discord between them. And yet you say that the--the vampire went to the demon's aid. The two of them were working as a team?"

Buffy nodded. "Everything except giving each other little pats on the behind."

"Extraordinarily odd," Giles told us, sitting back, crossing his legs, gesturing with the paper. "As a rule, demons... have no empathy for any of the species other than their own." Buffy and Riley looked at each other. "In fact, most think of..." Giles saw someone walking by, lowering his voice. "Vampires as... abominations. Mixing with human blood and all."

"So, what brought these two together?" Willow asked.

"Not what," Riley told us. "Who."

I nodded in understanding. "Adam."

Giles pulled off his glasses.

"Think about it," Buffy told us. "Who better to bring together a bunch of... demon type than someone who's made out of a... bunch of demon types?"

"So, he's, um, bridging the gap between the races," Tara told us.

"Huh, like Martin Luther King," Willow told us.

Giles raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Um..." He cleared his throat, looking at Buffy and me. "I suggest that, uh, over the next several nights, you two..." Buffy and Riley's hands were stroking each other. "Concentrate your patrol in that same area. If there's any other peculiar pairings or groupings, you let me know."

"I'll let the squad know as well," Riley told us. "They're patrolling." He looked at Buffy and me. "We'll have a, uh, reserve unit out during the party."

Giles frowned. "Party?"

"Tomorrow night," Riley told us. "We're having a thing."

"At a time like this?" Giles asked. "Who, well, whose idea was that?"

"Mine," Riley answered. "Boys are pretty ragged, need to let off steam."

Giles nodded. "Point taken."

"You're welcome to come," Riley told him.

"Well, much as I, uh, long for a good kegger, I have other plans," Giles told us. "The Espresso Pump."

Giles sat back, looking embarrassed.

Buffy and Riley exchanged another amorous look, with more hand stroking.

"What are you doing there?" I asked.

"I'm, um, uh, it's a--a meeting of, uh, grownups," Giles told us. "It couldn't possibly be of any interest to you lot."

"Buffy, hey, look at the time," Riley told her. "Don't you, uh, have a class?"

"Yeah, in about 20 minutes," Buffy answered.

"Yeah, but... I have that... thing," Riley told her.

Buffy realized. "Right. That... thing. We could... squeeze in... before."

"Yeah," Riley agreed.

Buffy and Riley stood.

"Bye," Buffy told us.