A/N Bits of dialogue from “Into the Woods” by Marti Noxon.  There will be less and less canon from this point.

***
Chapter 5
***

Riley, in a cloudy haze of euphoria, looked at the vampire girl firmly attached to his arm.  Yeah, he knew he was flirting with danger and consorting with a Sub-Terrestrial, at that.  'What would the guys think?'  The brief flash of shame was quickly overpowered by the bliss of being the center of someone's attention. 
 
Buffy had been shutting him out for what seemed like ages.  That little 'No Riley Invited' dinner party hadn't been the first time.  He wondered just what Buffy wanted from him.  'I've overlooked her not-quite-human superpowers and weirdness.  I've even put up with her calling some HSTs friends, refusing to let me take them in when we had the proper place for them right there in the labs,' he thought indignantly.
 
This whole thing started because he wanted to know firsthand what could make a nice girl like Buffy, the 'Chosen One’ according to her little group, even tolerate an HST.  'She's let more than one of them bite her.  Dated one of the worst.'  There had to be something, some lure.  Well, now he understood that the bite could be addictive, but it still seemed like more than that with Buffy.
 
'Wonder if she's letting Spike bite her?'  The thought of Spike having any of his parts in or on Buffy sent a wave of rage crashing through him and he nearly yanked his arm away from Violet's fangs in response.
 
'Reverend Baker was right.  These things have to be Devil's Spawn to tempt even a good Christian like me to indulge in this depravity.'  Riley promised himself this was the last time, the very last time.  He'd repent.  He'd burn down this den of Satan himself and then he'd make sure Buffy knew what sort of evil she'd let run loose in the town she was supposed to protect.  He'd bring the Chosen One back to her calling, back to the side of the angels.  Well...maybe he'd call it something different; no point in bringing up THAT particular HST.
 
***
 
"Not tryin' to cause trouble in paradise here, pet." Spike really hated having to be the one to clue in the Slayer to her Soldier Boy's newest folly.  "All it would take is one slip and the bloke you let into your house might not be the kind for sunny picnics anymore."
 
He was glad that Buffy was willing to listen and maybe even believe his story about where he'd found himself when he had trailed Riley.  She had been horrified at the information about the suck houses, never having heard of them before. 
 
"Surprised there's any still open, with all the smart demons leavin' town in droves," Spike offered.  "'Course, no one said the kind of trulls workin' in a place like this have too much in the ol’ brain-box."  He politely ignored the snort from Buffy and her look that clearly asked, "So, why are you still here?"
 
They stood outside the dilapidated house and watched as customers furtively entered and left.  "Looks like business is down," Spike noted.
 
"Gonna be more than down after tonight," Buffy was livid.  Yeah, she’d planned on ending things with Riley, but aside from the personal betrayal, this showed a real lack of thinking on his part.  He could have been killed, turned!  Buffy could just see any one of her friends or family letting a vampire wearing Riley's face in with no question!  "If I wasn't sure before, I am now.  We're way past talking."
 
The determined Slayer headed into the building with a look on her face that almost made Spike feel a bit sorry for the idiot inside.  Almost.
 
***
 
"I wanted to know what you felt.  I wanted to understand why you let them in, gave them so much power over you," Riley pleaded.
 
"So this is my fault?  ‘Hey, gee, Buffy's so mysterious, I think I'll go out and almost die, let some creepy vampire whore...’"  She shuddered.
 
"They made me feel something, Buffy," he whined softly.  "They needed me."
 
"They needed your money and your blood," Buffy crossed her arms, rather than slap him silly as she so wanted to do.
 
"You keep me at a distance, Buffy.  You didn't call me when your mom went into the hospital, much less have me over with all your friends, and even SPIKE, for that dinner!  SPIKE, Buffy, and I wasn't even invited?  Yeah, I saw.  I dropped by to check on you…er, your mom."
 
"Look, we are not doing this here." Buffy glowered at him.  
 
"Looks to me like we're done doing anything anywhere." Riley sounded dejected.
 
"It's so much more than this, Riley, and it's not all your fault."  Buffy put up a hand to forestall his interruption.  "There are so many things not working between us.  I tried everything to find a way to make it work.  You can't handle the fact that I'm stronger than you, and that's not gonna change," her voice showed the sadness she felt at another failed relationship.  "You don't approve of how I handle my calling.  You don't get my friendships."  She looked around for Spike, only to note he had discreetly left the scene.  "You don't get me."
 
"Oh, I think I'm beginning to," Riley was starting to let go of his guilt and embrace his inner self-righteousness.  "You don't see that there are humans and there are monsters, hell spawn, and never the two shall co-exist.  That's the line, Buffy, a line you cross a lot, and if you were a Slayer like the kind I read about in those books Giles has, you wouldn't need reminding.  The only thing an HST deserves is a quick trip back to the hell that created them."
 
"That what you were doing in there, Riley?"  Buffy was beyond angry at his sanctimonious words.  Where did he get off telling her what her duty was?
 
"No, but I'm not ruling out demonic attack. I can't swear that I haven't been targeted by demonic forces to lure me to the side of the enemy.  I guess I should be glad you found me here, pulled me back to the side of good."  He looked down at her ingratiatingly.  "You must care, you saved me."
 
"I care, Riley.  Of course I care about you."  Seeing the look of hope flare, she knew she had to squash any further walking down that dead end.  "But you are right:  I don't love you.  I've tried and if you have to try to fall in love, it isn't love."
 
"Maybe I'm not the only one under demonic influence here," Riley huffed then turned from her without a backwards glance, as if Cerberus were nipping at his heels.
 
***
Reverend Cal Prentiss shook Rabbi Goldstein’s hand, then pulled him into a hug.  "I had hoped this day wouldn't come, Saul.  Sad day, a sad day." 
 
"Indeed.  We may be called to believe in some things we cannot prove, but nowhere are we asked to check our intellect at the door on the way!  You can feel the hatred brewing, the fear that only makes it grow."
 
"Had a young fella in my congregation, really good with the kids and active in all kinds of good works.  Nice family too.  Lister demons, so he told me.  Had to leave town with nothing but what they could carry just last week.  One of his neighbors lived there nigh on 25 years too, reported the family and tried to burn their house down with them in it!"  Rev. Prentiss shook his head sadly.  "Nice family.  What a shame."
 
"Chaim Rosenberg, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine from our food kitchen days, Reverend Cal Prentiss, Pastor of the Bethel A.M.E. over on Cottonwood. Cal, this is my cantor and oldest friend, Chaim Rosenberg."  Chaim and Cal shook hands and took their seats in the large but cozy office.
 
"Chaim is a wiz at organizing and speaking and I thought he might be a real asset if we're going to try any effective countermeasures to all the nonsense happening lately."
 
The elderly man shook his head in sadness. "Makes me nervous, all this talk!  Even my son and his wife-- well educated, logical people--are spouting all sorts of idiocy they've been hearing on the radio and on TV."  Chaim's face softened, "Of course, my einikel, my Willow, she tries to tell them they know bopkis, but do they listen?"  He gave a 'what can you do?' shrug.  "Too little listening happening, if you ask me," the Rabbi nodded in agreement.
 
"Too much listening to some things.  You ever tune into that Charlie Cooper show on talk radio?"  Prentiss shivered.  "Pure hate.  Gets people all riled up.  Yesterday's show was him calling for any non-human to be destroyed, even those living in peace, even the little children! He's got bumper stickers he's offering to his callers, has 'em using his buzzwords: 'No Appeasement, No Quarter Given', and 'Humans Only for the Earth as God Intended'.  Idiot leaves out every other species, never mind these folks they're callin' demons."
 
"Indeed, that's why I called you, Cal.  We need to carefully canvass the faith community, find out who's buying into this, promoting it, and try to take countermeasures.  Our people will be depending on us for good, sane counsel."
 
"Heard that Baker's stirring up the soup.  Even has a youth group forming to flush out demons.  Giving real fire and brimstone speeches about being the 'hand of God' in this battle." The Rabbi leaned back in his chair with a sigh.
 
"Well, he always was one to grab the spotlight.  Nothin' like decidin' a whole group of folk are demonic to give him a platform," Reverend Prentiss nodded.  "Not that I don't believe in demons, and not that I haven't seen some of these folk do evil.  Then again, I've seen plenty of evil done by pure humans too.  Just seems too easy to lump them all together and I can't quite see anything in Scripture that tells of demons from hell coming here to deliver pizza or run a dry cleaner’s shop like the family I mentioned a while ago."
 
"Well, let’s look over the list of congregations, see who's still thinking rationally, shall we?"  Rabbi Goldstein turned to Chaim and smiled, "Mind taking notes?"
 
***
 
Col. Ellis, formerly of the Sunnydale Initiative, looked over the paperwork Graham had handed him. 
 
"What about Riley?  Agent Finn? I'm telling you, sir, if we go in for a sweep and drop, he's definitely a guy we want on the team."  Graham hoped his superior would look at his old friend as a great choice for their new assignment. 
 
"We could look to bringing him on board.  Has the qualifications and the spleen, from the looks of it."  Ellis frowned, "Wasn't he part of that group of insurrectionists that brought an end to the operation last year?"
 
"He got involved with this girl, sir, the one the HSTs call 'The Slayer'.  She got his head all turned around for a while. They gave him an honorable and I know he went reserve."  Graham had seen his friend when he got home the previous night.  He had looked terrible.  "I think his relationship with the girl is pretty much in the past now, sir."
 
"Bring him by," Ellis nodded.  "We need all the good men we can get.  Looks like we'll be getting that green light soon and roundups will be going into high gear."
 
***
 
Spike flinched as the door to his crypt crashed open.  Expecting Buffy, he didn't immediately go on guard.  That gave Riley the opening he needed to grab Spike by the front of his shirt and yank him from his chair.
 
"Guess it takes a while to get back to full strength after those bites," Spike smirked. 
 
Riley slammed him up against a pillar. "I knew it had to be you.  No way did Buffy just stumble on Violet's place by accident.  Get your jollies showing her my weakness?"
 
"Look, I'm not the one who got you into this. Don't kill the messenger."  Spike couldn't fight the oaf, not with the chip, but that didn't mean he was going to cower in front of a bully.  He’d had enough of that when he was human. 
 
Riley scowled and pulled back his arm.  Spike gasped when he spotted the stake in his hand.  "Why the hell not?" Riley sneered as he slammed it into the cornered vampire's chest.
 
The pain that shot through Spike was like nothing he'd ever felt before.  Funny, all the vamps he'd seen staked--hell, he’d staked enough himself--he’d never thought about the physical moment of pain as the stake tore through tissue and exploded into the heart.  Spike's brows furrowed in puzzlement.  Pain. Yeah. Tons of that. But no dust?  He looked down in confusion at the implement now protruding from his chest and then back again to the red, furious face of his attacker.
 
A smug Riley was grinning. "Plastic wood-grain. Looks real, doesn't it?"  He grabbed Spike's shirt again and removed the stake with a squelching sound, leaving a large hole and lots of blood in its wake.  "Don't think I don't know what's going on with you, Spike. Stay away from her. Or we'll do this for real next time."  He patted Spike on the cheek in condescension then walked away. 
 
Spike leaned against the pillar, trying to stay upright. 'Not gonna let this wanker make me look weak.' Had to hit back the only way he could, with his mouth.  He began to laugh, "You're really under it, aren't you? Look at you, afraid I’m hot for your honey.  Even if I wasn't in the picture, you couldn't hold onto her.  You bollocksed up the romance all on your own."
 
Riley nearly growled and stalked toward the wounded vampire again. "I mean it, 17, keep away from her."
 
"Last I saw you're not her husband.  Not her anything anymore, from what I've heard."
 
Riley jabbed his fist in the wound, causing Spike to double over in pain.  "She's a human, or so she says.  It'll be more than me making certain you're out of the picture.  Bank on it, demon."
 
***
 
Xander seemed to take Buffy's breakup with Riley harder than the girl herself did. "See, what I think, you got burned with Angel, then Riley shows up. You shut down, Buffy. And you've been treating Riley like the rebound guy."
 
"He is the rebound guy, Xander."  Buffy drew in a deep breath.  "I know you like Riley.  I know everyone says I need a nice normal guy--not that an ex-drugged and chipped commando is normal.  It doesn't work!  He's not the one that comes along once in a lifetime. I tried!  The feelings just aren't there and they aren't going to suddenly show up either."
 
"I just hope you made it a clean break, Buff.  If you can't love this guy--I"m talking scary, messy, no-emotions-barred love--well…," he sighed sadly, "then I'm behind you.  You did the right thing.  Still don't want you to give up looking for that nice normal guy, though."  He smiled crookedly.
 
"And why should Buffy settle for a normal, weak human?"  Anya was pretty sick of hearing how wonderful 'people' were just based on their species.  She had dealt with plenty of terrible normal human males over her years of bringing justice.
 
"There's always Nick; even Anya likes Nick."   He tried to placate his irate girlfriend.  "What do you say, Buff, jump back in the water?  See what other fish are out there?"
 
"At least Nick could do better keeping up with the Slayer with that demon strength of his," Anya agreed.
 
"What do you mean 'demon strength'?"  Xander turned to her, an appalled look on his face.  Buffy looked stunned as well.
 
"What?  You don't know that the Perkins family, including Nick, are Dyown demons?  I think Kate may be half Lister, but I'm not certain."  Anya looked like she was seriously pondering the genetics of Joyce's neighbor and friend.  "Maybe Bracken, but I'm thinking more Lister."
 
"But how....when...why?"  Xander was stuttering.  He'd known the Perkins family as long as he had known Buffy.  He'd even helped babysit their kids.  "They're...demons?"
 
"I just said that, didn't I?"  Anya shook her head.  Sometimes Xander and even Buffy and Giles could be so blind. 
 
"Wow!"  Buffy blinked, her face a picture of surprise.  "I had no idea.  I'm guessing they're the peaceful kind of demons, yeah?"  She really hoped there was no reason for her to stake her mom's best friend.
 
"Of course they are," Anya gave them both a disgusted look.  "You should know by now that there are several species of demon that live and work around humans quite peaceably.  Who do you think takes all the night jobs here on the Hellmouth?"
 
"You mean the pizza guy?"  Xander's mouth gaped like a landed fish.
 
"Well, duh!"  You think a human is going to deliver pizzas for that tiny salary at night...here?"
 
"Okay, maybe not Nick then," Xander began.
 
"Make up your mind, Xander.  Should Buffy have a nice guy who can keep up with her or some puny human she'll break?"
 
"How about we just let Buffy decide?" said the slightly irritated Slayer.  "I think I’m not really ready for round three in the love games just yet.  Riley and I only broke up yesterday."
 
Giles entered the Magic Box looking  preoccupied and like he was in a hurry about something. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to go back to London for a short while.  Anya, you can handle the shop on your own, right?"
 
"What's up, G-Man?  Apocalypse in the offing?"  Xander grinned.  "Seems a little early in the season, doesn't it?"
 
"Not an apocalypse as such, but trouble--far more than we may be equipped to handle, I fear."  He looked at the young people gathered and he worried about what may be up ahead.  An apocalypse might be easier if things continued as they seemed to be headed.  "Have you listened to the television news today?"
 
"Not on my Tivo list, Watcher Man,"  Xander shrugged.
 
"Not enough room with all the Babylon 5, Doctor Who and war movies you record," Anya chided.  "Although I do try to tune into the money market news. One of us has to be the responsible adult, especially about our money."
 
"They've announced a new Senate sub-committee on hostiles and demons, part of the Judiciary committee, just like the one they set up for terrorists."  Giles explained.  "Senator Hatch said that with all the attacks by these unknown non-humans it was time to have our government and its military get more heavily involved."
 
"So you’re heading off to London...why?"  Buffy looked concerned but confused.
 
"Rumor has it that Quentin Travers is planning to speak before this sub-committee, as well as a session of the UN.  I'm not certain what he is planning to divulge, but I have a bad feeling about this.  I have certain contacts within the Council who are equally alarmed.  I'll be meeting with them."
 
***
 
Giles had been gone only a day before Willow and Anya began trading barbs and looking daggers at one another.
 
Anya was straightening her merchandise and lamenting the lack of movement with the chicken feet stock. Willow had been poking fun at her concerns and Anya was heartily sick of it.
"Make fun of the ex-demon! I can just hear you in private.  'I dislike that Anya. She's newly human and strangely literal.'  You are as bad as all those zealots out there grabbing innocent demons off the streets!"
 
"Well, it would help if you at least tried to act more human, especially now," Willow huffed.  She didn't like or understand Anya.  The former vengeance demon clearly had no remorse for any of the death and disaster she had caused as a demon.  She still acted as if she were a demon half the time, and yet Xander was like a puppy dog around her. 
 
Tara spoke up, "It-it is dangerous.  My friend Davey West is a-a human, but he has a disease that makes him look odd.  He's been fired from a job he loved and is getting harassed by people on the street.  He's taken to carrying around a note from his doctor stating he's fully human, just suffering from an illness.  Just in case."
 
"I am being careful.  Xander has made it clear that I have to talk less, and more like you do when I talk.  We're supposed to go to a cookout at his boss’s house tomorrow and I think Xander is hoping I'll decide I want to stay at home."
 
The three girls looked at one another silently with a vague look of unease on all their faces. 
 
***
 
"Hey, Xander, bring that plate of brauts over here, will ya?"  Max Taylor was in his element flipping burgers and turning sausages on the grill and bellowing out orders like on the job. 
 
"Sure thing, boss."  Xander took a whiff of the yummy meats grilling and spared a nervous glance at Anya, sitting apart from the rest of the group.  The off-hours get together was not something Xander felt he could easily turn down.  Max was a good boss and he paid well.  Still, the supervisor was also very much a fan of The Charlie Cooper Hour and had the loudmouth blaring out of the radio every day on the site.
 
Max served up another round of succulent meat and looked over his crew. This was the life!  Real slice of Americana right in his own back yard.  "I'm putting in a new policy, boys.  Gonna have DNA tests for all hires from now on.  None of those demons and other trash gonna be on a Taylor Construction crew, no siree!  Strictly human.  Like Charlie says, it's humans for humans."
 
Xander noticed Joe Perkins stiffen and edge over closer to Anya.  Knowing what he did now about his co-worker, he didn't blame him one bit. 
 
Taylor was still talking.  "Don't know if I'm gonna make you guys take it.  You all seem pretty human to me, but I'm not ruling it out.  Person can't be too careful these days.  Don't always know who you're talking to or dealing with."
 
Xander could see Anya starting to get annoyed and purposefully headed towards her with a plate full of potato salad and brauts. 
 
"Well, Mr. Taylor--," Anya began, only to be cut off as Xander dumped the plate in her lap, making a huge mess.
 
Joe quickly grabbed napkins and started to help clean up while whispering, "Probably better just to be quiet, Anya.  Let it go."
 
"What's that?"  Taylor asked, then noticed the mess.  "Say, there's a bathroom just inside that door if you want to clean that off," he pointed with the tongs.  "Xander, if you get that clumsy on the site, I might have to test you." He laughed at his own jest. 
 
"I think Anya was going to thank you for having us over.  She works a lot of hours and hasn't had a chance to meet many of my work buddies."
 
"Pretty lil’ gal you've got there, Xander." Taylor smiled lasciviously.  He'd heard that she had quite a mouth on her and the fellas knew more about Xander's love life than they had any reason to know.  Rumors always spread at a workplace. "I'm sure all the fellas will be delighted with her company.  You need to bring her around more."
 
Kate had sidled up to Xander and put a concerned hand on his forearm.  "Maybe I should take Anya home?  She'll want to get those stains before they set." 
 
"I can take her home, Kate, but thanks."  Xander noted the frown on Max's face.  He liked to be ruler of the roost and had wanted all his key employees at his little shindig. He wouldn't be happy if Xander bailed out now.
 
"Really, I don't mind," Kate looked nervously at Anya who had just returned from the bathroom still looking peeved.  "No reason you boys shouldn't stay and enjoy.  We ladies can take care of the laundry emergency by ourselves."
 
Xander bit his lip, "Okay.  Just...I won't be too late, honey." He kissed Anya briefly and let Kate lead her to her car.
 
Things were heating up and not just next to the barbecue pit either.
 
***
 
Buffy gave Spike a curious look when she noticed him flinch as they took out another rampaging Fyral demon, the second one of the night.  "Hurt yourself?  These guys too much for the Big Bad?"
 
"'M fine, Slayer," he lied through gritted teeth.  'Heart would have to be on the left side when I'm left handed,' he complained to himself. 
 
Buffy stopped laughing at him and grew concerned as she noted blood seeping from his chest.  "Did one of them get a piece of you?"
 
"No.  Rather not talk about it," Spike tried to pull his coat closer to hide the fresh leak his physical exertion had caused.
 
Buffy, not to be put off, pulled his coat aside and touched where he was bleeding, making him flinch in pain.  Eyes narrowed, she reached for the bottom of his untorn tee shirt to have a look at whatever injury could be causing the bleeding.
 
"Hey, hands off, Slayer," Spike tried to evade her hands, to no avail. 
 
Buffy's eyes widened as she took in the bandage, now soaked in blood, right over the heart area of Spike's chest.  "Want to tell me how this happened?"
 
"No."
 
"Want to try to keep me from harassing you till you do?"
 
"No."  He drew in an exasperated breath then leveled with her.  "Had a visit from your former honey.  Wanted to make a point I'd remember."  His tone of voice clearly meant to brush it off.
 
"If that point was wood, you would be in an ashtray right now.  What happened, exactly?"   Buffy looked determined to hear it.
 
Spike looked sheepish and his voice was low.  "Wanker had a plastic stake.  Promised the real deal if I kept hangin' around you.  Told him he didn't get to play bouncer at your party and we parted as less than friends.  That do it for you?"  His wounded pride in telling how he had been bested by a mere human showed in his body language.
 
Buffy was livid.  "Who does he think he is, telling me who I can and cannot hang around with?  And what kind of pervert carries a plastic stake around to torture vampires anyway?"  She started to walk off in the general direction of the apartment complex where Finn currently resided.
 
"Best just let it lay, Buffy.  He was mad on account of me telling you about the suck house and because you gave him his walkin' papers.  No need to stir the soup."  Spike had heard a rumor that Finn was back in uniform and the last thing he wanted was to make a bigger target of himself, not with the chip in his head.
 
Buffy stopped, but her eyes were welling with unshed tears.  "I'm so sick of everyone thinking they have a say in who I can like."  She turned back towards Spike.  "Let's go back to your crypt and get this bandaged up again. Looks like no more demons needing killing tonight and it's starting to rain.  You can even make snarky remarks about my poor taste in men while I patch you up.  I won’t even break anything when you do. Boy, can I pick 'em!"
 
***
 
“Colonel Ellis, I’m honored to join your unit,” Riley stood proud and ramrod straight before his new superior.  “Feels like coming home.”
 
“I’ll have Graham show you around the facility then.  Good to have someone with your background and record on board.  Saves on training.”
 
Graham took Riley through the gates and gave him an overview on the security and procedures for working on the base.  “Over here are the labs.  Lots of the same faces doing the good work, just no Frankenstein monsters being made.”  He poked Finn in the rib and grinned, “Just like old times, only a bigger budget and not as much having to hide what we’re doing.  When we get the civilians on board, we won’t have to worry about any bleeding hearts shutting us down.”
 
Graham dropped his eyes and bit his lip, wondering how to approach the biggest question he had for his old friend and comrade.  “About that girl and her band of saboteurs…that going to be a problem this go-round?”
 
“Buffy and I are history.”  Riley looked thoughtful.  “You know, I saw a lot of things while I was with her and her friends.  Some of it doesn’t add up.”
 
“What do you mean?”
 
“Well, they talk about Buffy being ‘chosen’ like it’s some religious thing or royalty, but it smells off.  I mean it’s just not natural for a female to be that strong.  She is wicked strong, Graham!  She was holding back when we tested her with the group.  It’s not…well, not human.”
 
“Are you saying this Slayer is an HST?”
 
Riley looked a bit uncomfortable.  “I don’t know.  How can you tell for certain?  She reads as human on all our equipment, but I’ve never seen anyone other than an HST heal as fast as she does.  I’ve seen her take out groups of demons without breaking a sweat.  Something isn’t right.”
 
“Sure she’s not on some kind of drugs, like they were giving us?”  Graham couldn’t picture the small, cute blonde as a Hostile.
 
“No.  No drugs.  She doesn’t even really drink.  The legend is that the girl, the 'Slayer', gets this power when the previous one dies, then passes it on when she is finally killed.  It’s all supernatural oogie-boogie stuff--that is, if they’re telling the truth.
 
“Then there’s her friends.  She’s really soft on some demons, like that werewolf they sprang before the doctors could look him over.  He’s a friend of hers, or was, until he left town.  The girlfriend of her best bud says she herself used to be a demon.  Not sure how you become a human after being a demon.  Vampires do it the other way around, but it doesn’t make sense going from demon to human.”
 
“Maybe those are exceptions to her because they are human, or, in the case of the werewolf, mostly human?” Graham attempted to give Buffy’s choice in friends the benefit of the doubt.
 
“What about 17?!” Riley nearly snarled.
 
Graham furrowed his brow in confusion. “17 what?”
 
“HST-17.  The vampire that escaped early on from the holding cells in the old Initiative.” Riley turned and gave his friend a grim look.  “She’s been protecting the bastard since he escaped.    He’s always around.  She even lets him run tame in her mother’s home, has him to dinner.”
 
“Wait!” Graham exclaimed in shock.  “You mean that 17 is still alive ... or whatever?  He should have been dust ages ago from the chip.  None of the chipped Hostiles lasted very long after implant.  How is he still around?”
 
“Bagging it for blood,” Riley nodded. “Leaves the humans alone that way. He’s out showing off his fighting skills against other demons most nights, though.”
 
“Doc will want to get a look at that one!  He’ll be stoked to know an early subject is available for research.  Shouldn’t be too tough picking him up, since you say he hangs close to your ex.”