The Truth Revealed

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She walked alongside Riley, trailing just behind Willow and Spike as they made their way across town.

“Why did you save him?” Riley spoke up and she knew without asking just who he was talking about.

“He did the same for me.”

“He’s a monster.”

“No, he’s not!” she blurted out and then sighed, “Look, it’s complicated.”

“Are you sleeping with him?”

Riley’s words were so out of the blue that they stopped her in her tracks and she turned to him with wide eyes.

“Excuse me?!” she bit out.

“You heard me,” he answered lowly and she found herself clenching her jaw to control her anger.

“I can’t believe you would even think that,” she got out.

“I know you’ve been spending time with him. And what’s with all this helping each other out? He’s a vampire. You’re supposed to kill him.”

“You know what?” she bit out, “I’m not having this conversation. This is insane. I can’t believe you actually think that about me.”

Before Riley could answer, she strode off in front of him, hardly caring if he caught up to her. How dare he?!


No-one could miss the tense silence between her and her boyfriend as they finally reached Giles’ but she couldn’t bring herself to talk to him after what he had accused her of. She was seething inwardly and she didn’t realise just how worked up she was until she felt Spike’s hand rest on her shoulder and heard his soothing voice in her head.

Calm down, Slayer. Now’s not the time.

She nodded and took a deep, calming breath, running a hand through her hair as she perched on the arm of a chair.

“So this creature- Adam- is extremely strong?” Giles asked.

“He’s been made from the best bits of every demon we’ve killed in the last few months,” Riley explained in a low voice, his eyes just darting to Buffy’s and then away, “He was supposed to be a weapon for good.”

“Well, he killed a few of your men. I’d say that was good going,” Spike commented and Buffy glanced at him.

“Spike,” she warned in a low voice and he rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

“We saw it kill some soldiers. With a big nasty...tusk thing.”

“You were in the Initiative at the time?” Giles asked curiously.

“Yeah,” she replied, biting her lip, “On a rescue mission.”

Her eyes met Riley’s briefly but then she looked to her Watcher again.

“Rescue mission?”

“Well, s’only fair after I helped with that nasty thing the other week,” Spike answered for her and she met her Watcher’s surprised gaze squarely.
“Well,” he blustered, polishing his glasses, “I suggest we start thinking of a way to fight this Adam.”


She knew she had not escaped though and when she went through to the kitchen to have a glass of water, Giles followed her, his eyes following her worriedly.

“What is it, Giles?” she asked tiredly, leaning against the worktop.

“What on earth is going on with you and Spike? He saved your life, you rescued him. He’s still dangerous, Buffy. I hope the claim didn’t alter your view of him.”

“You know what, it has.”

And she realised too late that fatal use of the present tense.

“Buffy,” Giles got out, shock and anger mixing in his voice, “Please tell me you’re kidding?”

She sighed and placed her glass down on the worktop.

“The claim never faded, Giles. And it wasn’t going to. So I dealt with it.”

“How exactly did you deal with it?” Giles asked quietly, his anger barely suppressed.

“By being claimed.”

Before she could stop her Watcher, he had burst out of the kitchen and she could only follow in his wake as he went to the vampire, hauling him to his feet and pinning him to a wall.

“You animal! How dare you touch her!”

All eyes flashed to her and she grimaced, avoiding their gazes as she quickly went to her Watcher, putting her hand on his restraining arm.

“I asked him to do it, Giles.”


There was a silence and at her pleading look, Giles released the vampire and stepped back, taking his glasses off and polishing them.

“Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because, don’t you see? It was the only way to make it go away. Sort of.”

Giles didn’t look quite convinced but at least he wasn’t threatening Spike anymore.

“I’m not in his head anymore. Unless necessary. It’s a good thing, Giles. He saved me.”

Her Watcher’s eyes moved past her to glare at the vampire and she turned to him too with a small sigh.

“You better go.”

He met her eyes and with a nod, made his way to the door. The whole room remained in silence long after the door shut behind him and she turned back to Giles, her eyes begging him for understanding.

“Giles, I had to do it. It was driving me crazy. Just like the telepathic thing.”

There was silence again but then Xander spoke up.

“Err, what’s going on?”

“It’s quite obvious,” Anya said, “Buffy let Spike claim her so it would stop hurting her head.”

“What?!” Xander burst out, turning to stare at her in bewilderment, “You let Spike claim you? As in, you let Spike bite you?”

She sighed and took a deep breath. This was going to be a long night.


After what seemed like hours of persuading, her friends seemed halfway to accepting that she had done what was best for her mental health- and she was exhausted.

“Look, guys, can we worry about this another time? Right now, there’s some freaky science monster out there that needs dealing with.”

They relented and soon began to discuss possible methods of dealing with Adam. She could hardly focus on their words though: she could feel Riley’s gaze burning into her and she just wished he would understand. Despite the tension between them, she offered to walk home with him and he agreed reluctantly. Much of the way was spent in awkward silence, until finally she couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Riley, please don’t be mad. I did what I had to do.”

“With Spike. With a vampire!”

“I know. But I had no choice.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I just...I’m not an idiot, Buffy. I realise you must have to be pretty intimate to do something like that.”

“You still think I’m sleeping with him!” she got out quietly.

“What else am I supposed to think? He bit you and now you’re his.”

“If I was his, I wouldn’t be with you.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be.”

She froze at his words and stared at him, wide-eyed.

“Wh- what are you saying?”

“I think we should spend some time apart. I’ll help with Adam...of course...but as a friend.”

“Riley-“

“I’m sorry, Buffy.”

To her horror, he walked away and she could only stare at his retreating back, tears prickling her eyes.