Kissing Riley and Buffy sat alone on a bench surrounded by the chilled air. Warmed only by their own body heat. As the kiss grows, Riley's hands roam from her hair to her waist and the sides of her thighs. Breaking their concentration on one another, they both share the same nerve racking disturbance. A twig snaps in a nearby bush. Immediately standing up, Buffy is fighting-stance ready. Riley, a little too caught up with the moment before stood bewildered, standing at Buffy's side.

"Meowww." Exiting from it's refuge in the darkened bush a stray cat appears in their view. Concluding that the sound had apparently sourced from the tiny strayed cat that was too out on a night prowl.

"We should probably make our way back to that Bronze. At least to make an appearance. I told everybody that I would meet them at 9 o'clock. It's 9:30 now." She reasoned with her current boyfriend.

"Okay. Who's everybody? I mean who is all coming tonight?" They began to walk hand in hand, Buffy assuming lead, still in patrol mode.

"Oh, the usual; Willow, Xander, Anya." Weaving around a pair of bushes before reaching the road. "There aren't very many people who know about my little extra curricular destiny and it's never ending rival."

Getting her point, "Right."

Upon entering and finding their friends seated at a table amongst the crowd, Riley and Buffy decided to dance. Xander and Anya had silently decided to sit out for that particular song do to the fact that Willow was Ozless, or manless for that matter. Keeping her company, they desperately tried to hold a conversation in hopes to keep her from feeling singled out. Which was a little too late to begin with. "So, Will, how has your spell, conjure stuff been comin'?" Xanger, steering as far from the thought of Oz's absence, asked.

"Good!" Obviously excited to know that someone else was interested in her well developing talent/hobbie. "I'm still working on this whole, locate-Adame-spell, but I think that if I could just-"

"Hey, guys!" Full of energy Buffy unpurpossly interrupts Willow, will Riley in tow.

"Hey, Buff. I see that you've chosen less primitive dance steps since two years ago." Eyeing Buffy with a little "you know what I'm talking about" look.

"Funny." Buffy, looks around at the crowd. "Sure are a lot of people. I'm a little overwhelmed with all the noise mixed with the voices." Everyone looks at her without understanding, searching for a little more background for the comment. "Slayer senses, hearing, vibes. It gets a little too much sometimes." Everyone still in confusion. "What?" Looking to Riley for some support in explanation in what they were thinking.

"I didn't say anything. I barely know what you're talking about. You see I still haven't gotten the full low-down on all of your abilities when it comes to you being the.... slayer." Attempting to keep the single word a whisper, even though everyone knew with all of the racket from the new fast song that had just begun would keep enough people from eavesdropping.

Becoming side tracked from the conversation at hand Buffy notices that everyone but Willow was involved with the hanging-out thing. "Whats up, Will? Still moping?"

"Hmmm? Oh, no! No moping here. Why would I be moping, besides the fact that my boyfriend or should I say ex has left to God knows where and that I am still guyless." Sliding of her stool-seat at the table she picks up her belongings.

"Calling it a night? Already? You can't the night just started. Come on, I'll go dance with you." Anya widens her eyes.

"Xander!" Xander gives Anya a look with explanation written across his face. "I"m sorry, Will, but well, Xander's mine." She tries to be on her best behavior and as kind as possible when it came to talking about her feelings of resentment of other women with Xander, even if it were just friends. Somehow it just never turned out the way she plans.

"I get it. Thanks for the offer anyway, Xander. But I have class tomorrow, I should get some rest. Go to bed early for the first time in like months since....ever." Taking the time to really contemplate her answer, being as honest as possible.

"Well, I guess I'll go with you then, I mean I could use the sleep too." Turning to the table, grabbing her bag and leather jacket. One so familiar, all of her close friends knew where it had come from. Being such a part of her life, they all have not thought about where the source of the soft material had come from. If one were to ask her, the answer would be revolved around truth.

"No, Buffy. You stay I can make it on my own. Don't let me ruin your guy's fun." Willow started for the door, only making it as far as one step away from the group.

"Oh, no." Pulling on her jacket. "I am not letting you go out there without one of us. Not with Adam and Faith out there on the loose." Turning her head back. "Besides, Riley's coming with and he and I'll just hang out in the halls and talk. I've been waiting for some time to talk with him about my past encounters. He seems really interested. Of course major editing is required." Exchanging a smile the started off.

Upon arriving to their dorm room, Buffy and Riley had planned to sit outside of her room and talk. Riley sat on Buffy's bed while he waited for Buffy to take down her hair, allowing herself to be as comfortable as possible. While untangling the bobbypins from her now loosing hair she had begun to slow her pace. Before, in a rush in order to leave Willow to her well desired sleep. Her chest became heavy slowing her breathing slightly. Feeling nauseous she quickly backed into the nearby computer desk's chair.

"Buffy, you all right?" Rising from his seat on the comfy bed, he walked over to her, knelling in front of her.

"Yeah." Forcing her head up to face him. "I just got a little dizzy, thats all." Pulling the remainder bobbypin from her hair she throws it on the desk.

"You sure?" His hands now cupping her face with his hands, looking deep into her eyes to determine what was wrong with his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I just need a drink of water." Quickly standing up, she grabs a cup near the bottled-water dispenser. After gathering herself a small cup of water she rapidly gulps the contents down. "See? I feel all better." Setting the empty glass on her personal nightstand near her bed, she headed for the door. "Goodnight, Will. Sleep tight." Just as she reached out for the door knob the door was uncontrollably knocked upon. "Who is it?" A little startled from the sudden jolt of energy.

"A friend. Open up." The door swinged open with Buffy and Riley in fighting stance, waiting for something demonic to jump out at them. Riley; still waiting for an explanation, and Buffy; in frantic mode.

"Pike! What are you doing here?!" Pike stepped over the threshold without invitation. Rushing through the small room, over to the only empty bed which no one was sitting at. Removing all of the pillows without a care as to messing the well made bedding. "Pike, what are you doing? Whats going on?" No answers. He continued on his little rampage. Stepping in his way as he retraced to the door once again. "Talk to me, please, Pike! Whats going on?"

"I-" Without being allowed to finish. Another familiar man came through the doorway pushing the door further open with his elbow. He held a small, limp child's body in his arms. The young girl from her present state looked to be of 13 years old. He red hair dangled off the edge of his arm, her head stretched out over his muscles revealing her throat. A large cut was spread vertically on the right of her forehead.

"Oh, my god." Watching in astonishment Buffy allowed Whesly to lie the girl on the readied bed.

"Here, put this on her head, apply pressure to that cut." Handing Pike the towel that was set earlier that morning by one of the girls on the desk.

Following Riley's advice, Wesley held the front of the girls head in his palms. "What happened, Wesley? Vampires? Demon? What?"

"Faith." It felt like a high school reunion, everyone was appearing after a long time apart. Waiting hesitantly at the doorway, Angel answered Buffy.

"God Damn. Does no one call?" Under her breath, and yet still heard by everyone in the room. Watching Cordelia push through Angel's blockade in to the entrance she stumbled in the already filled to capacity room.

"Buffy!" Once gathering her semi-friend's attention she glanced over to Angel.

"Right." Forgetting that Angel must be invited in, even during a crisis he can not cross the barrier without being welcomed first. "Come in." It wasn't said as an offer, but as something as a rutine.

Taking the advantage of the release, he immediately rushed to the young girl's side. "She's been cut." A slight panic in his tone.

"We got it under control." Referring to the pressured hands on her head, Wesley proclaimed.

"No! I mean other than that. She was cut somewhere else. Her stomach and chest. I can smell it." Without thinking he reached over to her abdomen and began to unzip her wind-breaker. Exposing her blood stained shirt.

Realizing that in order to get to the wounds she would have to remove the shirt from her body for easier access of repair. "Uh.... Riley why don't you take Angel and Pike, here, down to the lobby to get a bucket of ice for us, while Cordelia, Will and I take care of this?"

"Yeah, sure." Catching on to the hint in which their friend/lover/ex was implying, they all move out in a hurry.

Part Two

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