Title: Bring Me Into the Light (15/?)
AUTHOR: Mistress Ace & Em
E-MAIL: rosewood@inreach.com & slayerbuffy@aol.com
FEEDBACK: Is the butter on our bread. We write because the story begs to be told. Feedback lets us know if we struck a chord with you.
DISTRIBUTION: Our site, Fandom Writers (http://www.fandomwriters.com), of course. FINNatics, Vamps-N-Slayers, the other list archives as well. Anyone else interested, we'll be happy to share.
RATING: NC-17
CATEGORY: Story: Romance, Angst
SPOILERS: As You Were
PAIRINGS: B/R/Sam, m/f, f/f
DISCLAIMER: Don't own the characters at all. (More's the pity) They belong to the Great God Joss Whedon et al. We are just borrowing them for a little bit. That's all. No BtVS characters were harmed in the writing of this fic. Well, maybe just a little.
SUMMARY: Not back for long enough. Not nearly long enough and there were too many things left up in the air. But isn't that the purpose of fan-fiction?
DEDICATION: From Ace: Well, to Em of course for bringing this Riley to the fore. For her lovely Buffy and for giving me the chance to get to know Sam. To Jenf'r for the original pairing idea and to our betas – you rock.
From Em: To my talented co-author for bringing her Riley, because we all know Em doesn't write Riley well. To Jenfr, for her comment "Now someone must write the AR where Riley and Sam take Buffy with them" after the episode "As You Were" - we deviated quite a bit but you put the plot bunny in my head. And to our betas - you're the best!

 
Chapter 15

A shaft of bright sunlight shining through a slit between the curtains woke Buffy. She stretched and then opened her eyes slowly, blinking sleep from them before she realized that she was in a completely unfamiliar place. A touch of panic gripped her not-yet-awake mind and she slowly turned over, wondering just who's bed she'd ended up in. **Maybe I am turning into a slut,** she thought.

Her eyes widened and her panic stilled when she recognized Riley Finn beside her. At least it was someone she knew. Someone she could trust, despite the past. So even if she was becoming a slut, at least she knew who he was.

For a moment she took that in stride before another thought occurred to her. Wasn't he married? Where was Sam?

Too early for the alarm and God, he was so tired. Throat ached a little and everything else was pleasantly sore. Must've been one hell of a score last night - Sunnydale style - for him to be this sore. Vaguely remembering wiping out a bunch of vamp nests, Riley opened his eyes to a world full of sunlight and the familiar comfort of another body in bed beside him.

What he told Xander was the truth. There was nothing like the married life. Sam was the absolute best. He rolled over onto his side to start his day out right.

With a kiss from his wife.

And found himself nose-to-nose with Buffy Summers. The one and only. Who was looking at him like he was an apparition or a demon. What in the world was she doing in his bed? What happened last night? Just how drunk had he gotten for this impossibility to come about?

Oh God, where was Sam?

As they stared at each other, equally dumbfounded and still half-asleep, they heard the door open. Heard footsteps and Riley sat up, looking desperately for his clothes. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath, trying to shake the last cobwebs out of his brain. Curiosity had given way to sheer panic.

How the hell had he ended up here?

With Buffy?

Sam was gonna kill him.

**Please, please, please let that be Graham coming in. Graham'll only wound me. Better yet, let this be a dream... **

"Morning sleepyheads." A bright, happy voice filled the room, brimming with good cheer as Sam Finn poked her head around the corner. "Figured you two might want something to eat when you finally woke up. Ry, you slept through the alarm."

Riley stared at his wife while he wondered what alternate dimension he'd wandered into last night. She was fully dressed, while they were... he checked quickly. Yep. Naked. In bed and naked and Sam was beaming at both of them. Standing there with a cardboard drink tray loaded down with what was probably coffee and sweet rolls.

**Okay, Alex, I'll take surrealism for a thousand.** Maybe she'd only wing him if he came up with a logical explanation for all this. **Think, Finn, think!**

Buffy blinked several times and just stared at Sam. What was going on? Had the Hellmouth struck again? Was Sam going to kill her for being in bed with her husband?

Naked?

Buffy shook her head, trying to wake herself up enough to think. It wasn't working very well; she'd slept long and hard, much to her surprise. But it meant her brain was extremely hazy and it would take a while for her to remember how she got here.

Wherever here was.

Finally, confusion and sleepiness still evident on her face, she looked over at Riley and asked, "Is she always this chipper in the morning?"

They both looked so cute there. Just like two kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Riley blinking and checking under the sheets while Buffy's eyes were as big as saucers. The chipper question was enough to send Sam into gales of laughter as she set the tray down.

"Mmm-hmm, usually," Riley's comment was hushed as the confusion started to clear away. They'd wiped out the Stevens place last night where he'd driven another stake through the heart of his past. Then driven a few other things. A deep blush started somewhere around the center of his chest, rushing up his neck and tingeing his cheeks and ears.

They'd made love last night...

All three of them together.

Sam confirmed that bit of information when she knelt on the bed, cupped Buffy's chin in one hand and murmured, "Good morning, beautiful." The kiss that followed brought the rest of the memories flooding in. At least for Riley. He wasn't too sure how quick Buffy was being on the uptake right now. Especially with Sam kissing her so gently, a barest hint of tongue-tip touching half-parted lips before she pulled back.

"Good morning, honey," the next kiss was for him and he could taste Buffy on her mouth. God, that was a far too familiar taste. One that haunted him more than he cared to admit. There was nothing for Riley to do but moan and thread his fingers through Sam's hair, pull her in for an even deeper kiss.

Not a dream.

What happened last night was not a dream.

Or if it was, he never wanted to wake up.

Buffy sat back and watched them, a feeling of deja vu coming over her as the sleep haze began to slowly clear. She sat there, thinking, memories slowly rising to her mind's eye. The nest at the Stevens place. The long talk, explaining to them what had happened after Riley left. The offer made about a job, and the offer to have lovers again to help keep her safe. Dancing, and losing control.

Sex-play in the SUV, and lots of sex in the hotel room. She'd asked to stay the night, she recalled, and they'd gone to sleep. Briefly, anyway, before she woke to feel Sam watching her. Another discussion and more sex. And then... then...

Buffy's eyes went wider and a look of pure panic crossed her features. Her startled gaze was drawn to Riley's neck where she fixated on the bandage Sam must have put there. "Oh my God, what have I done?" she whispered.

She could've hurt him.

She could have killed him.

Her conscience screamed at her to back up. Move away from them before she hurt them again... and Buffy listened, scrambling off the bed without consciousness of her nudity.

All she could do was stare at Riley's neck and berate herself for what she'd let happen.

"Buffy?" No hint of sleepiness in his voice any more. Riley's entire attention was fixed of Buffy who now across the room from them with her back pressed against the wall as she stared at him. Stared at his throat to be exact. Bringing a hand up, he found a bandage and managed not to wince.

She bit him. The last time, when they were both being so wild and fierce with each other, Buffy had bitten him. Had covered one of his scars and staked her claim. Instead being shocked, Riley felt a rush of warmth as well as a rush of something else to points south.

She'd taken him back. Taken him as hers in a way she'd never done before. It wasn't something to be ashamed of... No. Something to be proud of instead. He cast a quick glance at Sam who was watching Buffy. A silent signal passed between the Finns and together they moved to the edge of the bed.

"Buffy. It's all right." Sam, ever calm, got to her feet. She approached Buffy cautiously, holding her hand out to the trembling girl. Ever the voice of reason on their team, Sam was the one who talked people off ledges and brought even the most terrified in from the cold. Useful talent in their line of work. "It's all right. He's not hurt. You didn't hurt him and you didn't hurt me."

"But I could have. I could have killed him. I could have killed you both." Her panic-stricken, fearful eyes met Sam's and though her hand twitched and started to move forward, she pulled it back again suddenly. "I should never have let go... that part of me is deadly, Sam, and I can't control it when it takes over. It's strong and primal and is what makes a Slayer powerful. But I don't ever want to hurt anyone... I don't want to be Faith, don't want to lose to the darkness in me..."

On his feet now, Riley walked over to her and leaned against the wall. He kept just enough distance not to crowd Buffy. His arms were folded across his chest as he watched her intently. There was no hint of embarrassment at his unclothed state, no hint that he was even aware of being naked. That fact came under the heading of 'not important'. Especially not after hearing the name of Buffy's sister Slayer.

Unlike Sam, he'd met Faith. In a up close and personal way. Much to his chagrin, he'd slept with Faith, which almost destroyed his chances with Buffy. Not a conscious choice on his part but, hey, Sunnydale - Hellmouth. Home of weird things happening against your will.

Water. Under. The. Bridge. His new mantra.

A soft and soothing tone flowed from him, one than matched Sam's in intent if not timbre, "Buffy. There's the difference between you and Faith. She wouldn't care if she hurt one of us. You do." She looked away, unable to take the utter honesty of his words or the love that shone in his eyes. "I won't let you hurt Sam. No matter how wild you get. And she won't let you hurt me."

"We can hold our own, Buffy." There was so much fear in the other girl's eyes. All Sam wanted to do was hold her close, hold her tight until the fear subsided. But this was something that couldn't be kissed or hugged away. They had to deal with it. And deal with it now. "Has this ever happened before? Have you ever been rough with someone?"

"Nothing quite like this has ever happened before," Buffy admitted softly. "Not with the Slayer part of me actually taking over. But I've had some... violent tendencies lately." She couldn't meet their eyes, afraid to see contempt from them. "Not in general... just with Spike."

"Okay. That's understandable. I've got some pretty violent tendencies where he's concerned." The words were out of his mouth before he had time to think about them. When Buffy looked up at him with another apology on her lips, Riley shook his head. "We're not here to judge you. That's not how we work... how I work. Remember?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sam had to hide a smile behind her hand. Riley's opinion of Spike was a well-established fact and he wasn't shy about voicing it. Not after last night. "Why don't we sit down and talk about this?" Moving closer to Buffy, she opened a drawer and pulled out a nightgown. Not that she minded Buffy being naked but it might make her feel more comfortable. "I imagine you're a little thirsty, Buffy?"

Riley looked down the length of his own body and agreed with Sam on the clothing issue. Clothes were great for hiding body language. He'd probably be a lot less intimidating if he wasn't naked. Sometimes he forgot just how big he was in comparison with Buffy. His robe was hanging in the closet right behind him and he reached in to snag it.

"A little, yes," she answered Sam. A little calmer now, the panic beginning to subside. She did remember that Riley never judged her, but it had been so long since she'd had anyone who didn't judge her in one way or another, she'd forgotten.

Buffy took the nightgown Sam handed to her, held it in her hands and looked at it for a moment. It was very soft, probably comfortable. Noticing that Sam was fully dressed and Riley was now wearing his robe, she pulled the gown on over her head. It was a little large for her, but a better fit than anything she might have borrowed from Riley. "Thanks, Sam," she said softly when the fine fabric was settled around her slender frame.

"You're welcome." So far, so good. Taking Buffy's hand in hers, Sam led her to the table. She unpacked two large coffees and an orange juice. "I wasn't sure how you took your coffee or even if you liked it straight so I got you orange juice." A little bit of normalcy would help here. Help calm her down even more.

"De-caf latte," Riley commented as he held out a chair for Buffy and then one for Sam. "Sometimes a cappuccino or a mocha, never plain." He hadn't forgotten anything about Buffy. Not one thing. Hadn't forgotten how she liked her coffee, or that the best thing after slaying for her was a foot-rub or that her favorite stake was named Mr. Pointy and she sometimes slept with a pig named Mr. Gordo. It was all ingrained in his memory.

Picking up his own cup of coffee, Riley took a sip. Sam knew him about as well as he knew Buffy. Coffee black with two sugars, strong and sweet. Just like the women in his life. Strong, sweet and perfectly capable of knocking him on his ass when he got out of line.

Perfect.

"More often not decaf, these days," Buffy mentioned the small amendment. "Haven't slept well in months... need the caffeine. Juice is perfect, though, Sam. I'm quite awake this morning." Still slightly uncomfortable, Buffy was definitely calmer. She sipped at her juice, realizing that she was actually hungry for the first time she could remember since being back.

The sun streamed through the window behind her and turned her tousled hair into a golden halo. Dressed in Sam's white nightgown with its loose folds hiding most of her thinness, Riley was once again struck by how much she looked like an angel. Golden and delicate and like him... fallen.

Fallen almost to the gates of hell. Although for totally different reasons.

His fall had been voluntary, brought about by his own hand. Like Lucifer he thought he could touch the darkness and come away unscathed. But the darkness more than touched him. It tarnished him. Brought him so close to madness that redemption had been a miracle Riley never expected.

But Buffy's fall had been the ultimate sacrifice. She'd given her life to save the world and the people she loved. People who saw fit not to let her enjoy the rest that she richly deserved. Raising her from the dead was the worst atrocity he could imagine. The grave that held her body for those months still clung to her, he could almost smell it on her skin... especially the night he'd found her curled up next to Spike. His angel with wounded eyes and tattered wings and one hell of a right cross.

And Jesus – he was not going to go there now. Not now. Not ever.

"Hungry?" Sam's question was well timed, as was the plate of pastries she laid on the table. Ostensibly the question was directed toward both of them but she really wanted Buffy to eat. And Riley to knock it off with the brooding look. It didn't work for him at all.

Never let it be said that he couldn't take a hint. "How'd you sleep?" Riley asked as he reached for the bear-claw, breaking it in half just in case either of them wanted it. His gaze fixed on Buffy's face, watching her as she sipped her juice and basked in the sunlight. Beautiful, beautiful woman.

"I slept like the dead, if you'll excuse the phrase. I feel pretty good, actually." Buffy leaned forward and picked up an apple Danish. She began to nibble it, as she had with most of her food of late, and then surprised herself by beginning to take larger bites. The sweet pastry was gone in under two minutes and she reached for another one. "I guess I am hungry. That's good, right?"

She looked up at Sam hesitantly and smiled a bit when the other woman nodded. It was almost like she'd passed some kind of test...

"Yes, it is." Stretching her whole body, Sam smiled at both of them. That movement reminded Riley that his wife was good at the seduction game. Really good... and the husky tone was pretty damned riveting. "Not surprised. Activity like that always leaves me starving..." She left the comment open for interpretation, starving for food or for something else.

"Sam..." he warned gently. The rumpled bed was right behind them and if his libido had anything to say about it, they'd happily rumple it some more. But this wasn't the time for more fund and games. It was the time to talk.

Morning-after kind of talk.

Smiling to herself, Sam picked up a croissant and bit into it. Ry was so much fun to tease. Mainly because there was so much going on behind that calm exterior. There was a smoldering fire that lay hidden underneath layer upon layer of Midwestern propriety. All you had to do was fan the flames enough and things like last night happened.

Buffy, on the other hand, was largely unfamiliar with seduction and so missed some of the subtleties of the by-play between the couple in front of her. With Angel, she'd had suppressed passion and impossible love. With Riley, it had been straightforward, honest desire and genuine love. Buffy was a little more out of her depth with Sam, but she hoped she'd learn to be able to pick up on it at least.

Not knowing what to say, she picked up the leftover half of Riley's bear claw and began to nibble on it. She just watched the interaction between her lovers in silence. Not quite lost but cautious about where this might lead.

"Stand down, soldier." Not really an order, more an acknowledgement of his wife's attractiveness and honest appreciation of her charms. Somehow he managed to say that well-worn phrase with a straight face.

"Oh... down? Are you sure, Ry?" Sincerely amused jade eyes watched him over the top of her coffee cup and Riley's poker face broke. He laughed before taking another bite of the sweet pastry and washing it down with the strong coffee.

Awake, he was definitely awake. Certain parts were more awake than others. When he caught Buffy's look of honest confusion, Riley shook his head. "Buffy... meet Sam Finn. Mind always in the gutter." He was blushing a little but it was obvious he enjoyed the attention.

"One of us has to live there, Ry," Sam teased back, sly smile lighting up her face and she leaned toward Buffy. A conspiratorial tone laced its way through her next comment. "Was he always this straight-laced?"

"A little," Buffy agreed with a bit of a smile. "But then, so was I, if not more so. I think uptight was used to describe me a couple of times." She shrugged, indicating that the description hadn't bothered her much. It was probably pretty accurate; sex hadn't ever been something she was casual about, especially after her 17th birthday. But that was something she really didn't want to talk about at the moment. Perhaps not ever.

Riley had issues with Angel as it was.

"Well, it's a good thing you two have me. I'll lighten you up." She set her coffee down and leaned forward, stopping when she was nose-to-nose with Buffy. "Why don't we start this morning over? Good morning, Buffy." Before Buffy could answer, Sam kissed her again. She even licked a little bit of sugar off that soft and startled mouth before Buffy stiffened and then relaxed into her arms.

Shaking his head, Riley calmly finished his coffee while he watched his wife and their lover kiss. There were a lot of things they needed to talk about this morning but there was no harm in re-establishing some of the easiness they'd found with each other last night. Plus, indulging the shallow male that lived within his head, they looked really good together.

Really good.

Buffy kissed Sam back, smiling a bit and wrapping her arms around the other woman. On impulse, she pulled Sam closer and shifted their legs until Sam was sitting on her lap as that kiss slid into another and another and another. It probably looked a little odd, but Buffy could handle it. It was comfortable.

"Good morning, Sam," she replied when their lips finally parted.

Okay, his turn to have the mind in the gutter. Going back to bed was becoming more and more tempting. Especially with Sam nestled so comfortably on Buffy's lap. Maybe if he pulled the table out, he could just go to his knees and push up that white nightgown. Reacquaint himself with just how good Buffy tasted in the morning.

As Riley's eyes drifted up their bodies and took in the placement of Sam's hand, right below the rounded curve of Buffy's breast, he found himself looking into two pairs of very amused eyes. "Looks like Agent Finn's got something in mind, doesn't it?" Sam whispered into Buffy's ear, her mouth brushing against the delicate skin. That touch got her a delicate shiver in response.

Breakfast. He was eating breakfast. Wasn't he? Riley stared at the tiny bit of pastry still in his hand and wondered how it had gotten there. This was bad. Having these two on his squad was going to play hell on his self-control.

Buffy giggled and lifted her chin so she could whisper back, "It sure does. Would it be terrible of us to tease him?" She was trying to play along, she really was. But part of her was still tense, worried about what had happened the night before. Beyond her panic attack, there hadn't been any morning after issues; neither of them seemed to regret making her a part of them, or the claim that they'd all staked on each other.

That was of the good.

But she couldn't quite relax this morning. She'd always been partially afraid of the primal qualities of the slayer within her... The fact that the slayer spirit had been completely unleashed last night scared her more than she wanted to admit.

"No, I don't think so. He could probably stand some teasing." Sam could feel how tense Buffy was and knew her ploy to relax her this way wasn't working. At least not well. Time for the other alternative. "But I really think what he wants, and what we all need, is to talk."

Riley was in complete agreement. Sex had its place and would have a large place in their lives. But right now dealing with Buffy's fears and their own concerns about it was the best course of action. "You're right. That really is what I want. Buffy... we need to talk. Are you good with that?"

He glanced at the clock, which showed that it was still early. Not early enough for him to take a run but early enough they could hash some of this out before Dawn had to be at school. And they needed to hash it out so they could present a unified front to the rest of the world.

This wasn't going to be an easy relationship. But nothing worth having was ever easy. And this was worth having.

Buffy nodded with a soft sigh. Should have known she couldn't fool them, especially Riley. He just knew her too well. The only differences in her during the last year were proportions rather than feelings: greater pain, greater damage, lesser confidence, lesser happiness. But nothing that hadn't been there before.

She loosened her hold on Sam, looking up at the woman on her lap in question. She'd let go if Sam wanted her to, but it was kind of nice to have one of them close to her. Buffy didn't really think this would be an easy discussion and, though she never backed down from a challenge, she was likely to get emotional during a difficult talk.

"How about we move to the couch?" Sam offered; she didn't want to lose the intimate contact but it would be easier for both of them to be close to her there. As much as she wanted to hold and be held by Buffy, she was certain that Riley wanted the same... probably more so.

"Good idea. Buffy, is that all right with you?" He set down the last bite of his pastry and nodded toward the couch. Waited patiently for her answer. What he'd told her the night before still held true, nothing was going to be forced on her. Buffy was in control here and Riley wanted her to know that.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that. A lot." Buffy offered him a smile; a small one, but genuinely felt nonetheless. On a whim, Buffy shifted her grip on Sam, sliding one hand under her knees as she stood up easily. If she could throw vamps around, picking up Sam wasn't as hard. It wasn't easy, because the other woman was both taller and heavier, but it was kind of fun to watch their expressions as she carried Sam over to the couch and sat back down. Then she loosened her hold and held her hand out to Riley to join them.

Laughing to himself at Sam's truly startled look, Riley pushed off from the table. It wasn't often that somebody got the drop on Sam. "Give me a minute. You two get comfortable." On his feet now, he tilted his head toward the bathroom. A place that he should really visit before they settled down into a serious discussion. Plus it would give Buffy and Sam a few minutes alone.

"Of course, honey. We'll be fine." Her attention focused on Buffy almost completely, although Sam did track his progress out of the room. Once he was gone, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled down at Buffy. "Your strength surprises me sometimes. Not just the physical strength but the rest of it. I can't imagine surviving what you've been through. Must admit that I'm in total awe of you..."

Taken completely by surprise, Buffy stared back at Sam for a minute. No one other than Riley had ever said that to her before. Not Giles, not her friends, no one. "There's nothing really to be awed by, Sam. I just did what I had to do, because I was the only one who could. I haven't had a lot of choices in the matter, really. It happens and I just have to deal."

She shrugged and looked down at her hand, which was resting on Sam's lap. "I'm not really that strong. I've been letting myself be weak for quite a while... and I almost couldn't help it. I know that my friends think of me as the strong one, but it's part of my job to lead them. So they don't see the weaknesses, or how broken I've become. I guess I got good at hiding."

"No. That's where you're wrong. You are strong. You're still standing, aren't you? Even if you feel like your heart is made of nothing but broken glass, you're still here." To illustrate her point, Sam's hand rested on Buffy's chest, right over the heart in question. "A lesser person would have turned their face to the wall and died. You remind me of Ry that way."

At Buffy's quizzical look, Sam raised her hand to cup her little chin. She caressed it, thumb touching the corner of her mouth in a manner very reminiscent of their absent companion. "Buffy... please don't take this the wrong way. He doesn't blame you for how he was and neither do I."

"When I met Ry, he was shattered. Held together by nothing but grim determination and the fact that Graham wouldn't let him out of his sight. I never thought he'd heal... He was just so empty inside, like he'd been hollowed out and all that was left was the shell." It took her awhile to figure out why Graham stood watch over Riley's tent every night. Lt. Miller was Riley's shadow and a lot of guys made jokes about it but without that shadow, Riley Finn would never have survived.

Sam had even taken up the watch once she clicked to what was going on. She'd relieve Graham when he started to nod off and that was how they became friends. Even swapped stories about the guy in the tent behind them who led his soldiers brilliantly but couldn't be trusted with a loaded gun when they weren't in the field.

"Then one morning, Ry climbed out of his tent and sat down at the fire beside me. Gave me one of those odd looks and when I asked him what was up, he said he'd decided it was time to start living again." And that had been that. No more impromptu guard duty, no more crazy stunts... just a really solid soldier who prayed every night for people halfway across the world from him. And sobbed another girl's name in her ear the first time Sam slept with him.

Placing her fingertips over Buffy's mouth to keep her from speaking, Sam shook her head. "It's time you did the same. Whatever had happened between you and Spike, that's in the past. No matter how violent you got with him, no matter what he drove you to do or what you drove yourself to do... you walked away from it. That's why you remind me of him. He walked away from it and started living again. And so can you."

 
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