Buffy and Graham

Chapter 14

  "Riley?" Was all Graham could mutter staring at his longtime friend in total shock.

Riley smiled giving Graham a manly hug, "Good to see you Graham."

"What are you doin' here?" Graham asked watching Riley walk into the living room inspecting the apartment.

"Wow, man, this place is great!" He took a tour of the photographs on the fireplace mantel.

He picked up a photograph of Buffy and Graham at St. James Park. Graham's arms were wrapped around the blonde Slayer nuzzling his face into her neck. Luckily, she was unrecognisable in the photo. "Is this your girl?" Riley grinned.

Graham silently nodded.

Riley placed the photograph back in its stop and turned noticing a cracked open bedroom door with a with a child's written name-tag hanging from it.

The three year old boy ran out from the bedroom past Riley and straight into Graham's arms."Hey, bud, what's wrong?" Graham asked as he wiped Ryder's fallen tears. "Bad dream?"

Ryder nodded his head wiping his eyes with his tiny fists. "The b-bad man t-tried to get me!"

"Ry," Graham rubbed his sons back soothingly, "you know your Mommy and Daddy would never ever let anything happen to you. We will always protect you."

"I want Mommy." He whined and wiggled out from Graham's arms. Graham watched the Ryder's little bare feet run into the master bedroom for Buffy.

"Wow, you're a father." Riley's voice reminded Graham that he was still there. He had almost forgotten about Riley standing in his living room watching the interaction with fascination. "He seems like a great boy." Riley smiled. "So when do I get to meet the lucky girl who captured your heart and who I also assume is the mother?"

As if on cue, Buffy called out Graham's name from the bedroom. Riley looked at him strangely recognising the soft, breathless voice. She called out his name again and opened the bedroom door wider. "Graham?" Buffy froze noticing the familiar man from her past. "Riley?"

"B-Buffy? What are you doing here?" Riley stared at her confused. His eyes trailed down Buffy's slender frame that was covered by a dark blue button-down shirt.

"I live here." She said.

Riley's expression changed from confusion to realisation. "You what?!"

Before Buffy could respond, Ryder ran out of the bedroom and hugged Buffy's leg. "Mommy!"

Buffy bent down and picked up her son placing him on her hip. "Um, uh, Ryder had a nightmare." She said to Graham unable to concentrate on Riley.

"I know. He wanted you." Graham explained.

"I'm gonna put him back to bed." Buffy said avoiding Riley's eyes and disappeared behind Ryder's bedroom door.

Riley stared at the bedroom door placing his hands on his hips. His eyes shifted from the bedroom door to Graham. "What the hell is going on?" Riley asked angrily.

Graham silently crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Buffy to come back out. It was going to be a long night.
Graham stared at him unmoving. There was a time in their past where he would of coiled under Riley's anger because he was the head officer and it was his duty to follow the head officers orders. But since being with Buffy, Graham found a new found confidence that he never thought he had. Maybe somewhere in the back of his mind, he pretended he was the Slayer. He also knew someday this would happen. It was inevitable.

"Buffy and I are married." He watched Riley's eyes bulge out from their sockets. "And we have a son. His name is Ryder." Graham spoke as calmly as possible.

"She's your wife?" There was a tinge of pain in Riley's voice which was quickly replaced with anger. "Are you serious?!"

Graham felt bad for the guy.

"He is very serious." Buffy stood outside of Ryder's bedroom closing it behind her. "Graham and I married about two years ago."

"And the kid is... yours?" Riley needed confirmation from Buffy.

She nodded his head. "He is." Riley's expression softened realising that cute, young boy was apart of Buffy. The woman he was once madly in love with.

His soft expression was replaced with stern eyes and stiff posture. "How'd you meet?"

"I believe you introduced us." Buffy said sarcastically.

Riley spun around and glared at Graham. "Were you with her when she and I were together?"

"No." Graham said appalled by the idea. He knew Buffy very well and she would never, ever be unfaithful. Once she was in. She was in.

"Of course not." Buffy said insulted by the even fathom thought from her ex-boyfriend. "How could you ask us that?"

Riley faced her with anger boiling inside of him. He took a step forward towards her. "Tell me, Buffy. Were you with him when you were screwing Spike? A vampire." Riley's mouth twisted into an arrogant smirk seeing he had struck a chord with the couple.

Graham watched the Slayer's expression darken. He knew about Spike. She explained her relationship with the bleach blonde vampire a long time ago. Buffy admitted she was in severe depression. She felt a deep emptiness when she came back from Heaven. Spike was a temporary fill for that void in her chest. And it killed her every time because she knew in the end it wouldn't end good.

Buffy's eyes narrowed on Riley's face. "What gives you the right to judge me or Graham."

"WHEN DID YOU BECOME A COUPLE?!" Riley threw his hands in the air with frustration.

"When I came here." Graham broke his silence. "I came here looking' for a job after I left the military."

"A job?" His best friends words amused Riley. "So let me get this straight. You quit the military... your sworn duty... Then flew all the way to England to fuck my girlfriend into giving a job?"

Graham squeezed his fists tightly at his sides. "I came here to help people. That's what she does here Ry. She helps people. But why do you care what she does? You left. Did you forget that? You got married. Did you forget that, too? You get married then throw it in her face? Talk about being a ass, friend."

Graham and Riley stood face to face ready to duke it out. Buffy had a deja vu and stepped in-between the standoff. Her hands went to their chests pushing them away from one another. "Back it off." She stared at Graham.

Graham looked down and recognised her warning look. "Okay." He backed away. "I was hired to be the weaponry and combat trainer-"

"Still doesn't explain how you got into her pants." Riley interrupted Graham mid-explanation.

Graham ignored the crass comment and continued, "Buffy and I had a temporary arrangement for me to crash here until I got on my feet-"

"You certainly did." Riley crossed his arms exuding power.

"Cut me off again." Graham's voice low and threatening forcing Riley stand down with a bit of surprise. "Buffy and I became friends. Real friends. Then one night we, uh, became more than friends. It didn't take long for me to realise that I was in love with her." Graham caught Buffy's eyes and smirked softly.

"It wasn't long after that when I got pregnant." Buffy finished. "We didn't rush into a marriage but we didn't wait that long either." She hugged her arms around herself. Graham moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her blonde head.

Riley frowned as his eyes slid up from their conjoined hands to the tender moment he vividly remembered sharing with Buffy at one point. "I have to go." He pushed past the happily married couple to the elevator door.

Buffy and Graham watched the doors closed behind Riley.

"Well, that went well." Buffy muttered with a bit of sarcasm.

"Yup."