Title: Bring Me Into the Light (25/?)
AUTHOR: Mistress Ace & Em
E-MAIL: rosewood@inreach.com & vicedragonv@msn.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, for the moment. When we post fully edited chapters, those can be posted elsewhere. 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?
 

Chapter 25

Buffy nodded. "Sure. You can do whatever you want with 'em." She stepped over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of panties and a bra. Tossing them onto the bed, she crossed over to her closet and stood in front of it, trying to decide what to wear.

Riley set the bracelet down on the dresser and gathered up the letters. He laid them in the drawer, carefully, reverently. While Buffy debated clothes, Riley dressed and then sat down on the bed to wait for her.

He heard Sam on the stairs and glanced up when she walked past the door with a wrench in her hands. Fully dressed and intent on her target. Woman with a mission - leaky showerhead, look out. "Honey, you need some help with that?"

"No, I'm good. I found the main water valve and shut it off. This won't take but a minute. You call Drum yet?" The words were said over her shoulder as she opened the bathroom door. This was a quick fix, nothing serious but she wasn't surprised to find repairs that needed doing. A house took maintenance and Buffy's training, from what Riley had told her - which was quite a bit - probably didn't entail the intricacies of modern plumbing.

Finally pulling out a pale blue baby doll t-shirt and a pair of black leggings, Buffy closed the closet and started to get dressed. It only took a minute, then she stood in front of her dresser to brush her hair. Short as it was, brushing her hair was a pretty quick task. There wasn't a whole lot she could do with it anyway.

"So, phone call, then grocery store?" She turned around to face Riley, who was still sitting on her bed.

"Sounds good to me," It also didn't surprise Riley that Sam hadn't waited for an answer. She was one incredibly focused individual. Her agenda right now was simple – something drips, fix it. Funny. She reminded him of someone else.

Said someone else was watching him intently, her face framed by a cloud of golden hair. Like spun sunshine, soft and warm. He reached for it, hesitated and decided on a better course of action.

Leaning over, Riley picked up the bracelet. He looked at it and then looked at Buffy. At her bare arms. "Buffy... would you?"

Buffy looked at the bracelet in his hand, recognizing it immediately. He'd found it, then. She smiled and nodded, agreeing without a second thought. "Put it on me?" she asked softly. She stepped closer and held out her left arm, knowing that it was safer there than on her right. She'd always loved it, his gift to her for their anniversary. But she hadn't been able to wear it since he left.

But she would now, because he wanted her to as much as she wanted to.

"Happy to," he murmured, opening the catch and fastening it around her wrist. It caught the light, sending random flashes around the room. Riley caught her hand in his and brought it to his lips for a kiss. Pulled her closer, pulled her into his arms and cupped the back of her head. Just as his lips touched hers, they both heard a crash and a muttered curse from the other room.

They looked at each other and then towards the bathroom. "Sam, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she called back before hooking the wrench back around the showerhead. It had slipped and her elbow caught the edge of the soap dish and sent the bar into the tub. It hit a shampoo bottle on the way down as well as a few other things. She'd clean up the mess in a minute. The job was almost done.

When she finished tightening things down, Sam turned and found that she had an audience. Riley leaning against the sink and Buffy standing next to him. They were both watching with identical expressions on their faces. Concern mixed with humor and love. Definitely love.

Seeing bottles and other bathroom products on the floor of the tub, Buffy relaxed. "Wow. A clattery banging noise that didn't actually have major problems attached to it. I'm impressed, Sam. I think that's a first, for this house. Most crashy sounds come complete with much destruction or demons attached." With a grin and a glint in her eyes, Buffy started picking up the scattered bottles.

Rather than respond, Sam just laughed. She moved forward to give Buffy room and to give herself more leverage with the wrench. Had to get the right amount of torque on it.

Riley didn't offer to help, he knew Sam had it well in hand. An offer to help would be an insult, she'd proven many times over that she could handle any job a man could. **Proved that last night with Buffy. And, okay, mind in the gutter again.**

Not a bad place to be, in his humble opinion. The memory of Sam's head between Buffy's legs sent a flash of heat through his entire body. Now there was an image he really enjoyed. Wanted to see more of it. Soon.

Setting everything back in its place, Buffy stepped back to watch Sam. She really did know what she was doing, or so it seemed. "Glad I have you guys around. I'm so not good at fixing things. I tend to break them even worse, most of the time." And she did - the good old 'not knowing your own strength' thing. She did know her own strength, but she sometimes overestimated the ability of certain things to withstand her strength.

Sure, she could bend metal pipe with her bare hands... that didn't mean that it had to break when she tried to tighten the joint like Xander had showed her. Did it? Oh, well... better to let them handle it, anyway.

"Have tools, will travel," Sam's comment was punctuated by a soft grunt of satisfaction as she finished the job. One chore down, several to go. There were some problems down in the basement that needed her attention. Most of the pipes down there were new but some of the joins were loose.

Riley eyed the showerhead and nodded. It looked good and secure, though the real test would be when they turned the water back on. He pushed off from the sink, caught Sam with a quick hug and a kiss. "Great job, honey. You do good work." The compliment was colored by his voice, low and suggestive.

Not that he was planning on starting anything again but he couldn't shake the image. Especially when Buffy joined their hug, sliding in under his arm. The urge to see them kiss, the need to see them kiss became paramount. He kissed Sam again and then kissed Buffy - soft and slow and deep.

Buffy smiled and kissed Riley back, then wrapped an arm around Sam's neck, pulling her down for a kiss of their own. It was a good thing they were so accommodating, though; otherwise she'd have a real problem with this height difference. Even standing on her toes, she wasn't quite tall enough to kiss either of them properly.

"Oh God," two words, one breath and a wealth of desire. Riley shook with it, his mouth dry and heart beating faster than it should. He watched, watched as Sam's head dipped down and their mouths opened. Watched tongues touch and slide and dance.

Rather than respond to that passionate whisper, Sam drew Buffy closer. She didn't need the words to know the effect this was having on her husband. He liked to watch, which was a new thing but fit right in. She certainly didn't mind giving him a show... even though they had things to do.

Things to do, which were currently vanishing from Buffy's mind. She melted into Sam's embrace, feeling the kiss all the way down to her toes. And from the sound of it, Riley was clearly enjoying this, so she saw no reason not to just give in and go with it.

Soft breast against the palm of her hand, warm and weighty and perfect. Sam turned her head a little to the side and their mouths slid together perfectly, sealed to one another. Good intentions, with them, were like a house of cards. One breath and they all fell down.

Riley cupped Buffy's other breast, thumbing the nipple and the soft, needy sound she made was incredible. They were going to end up back in bed any minute now. All it would take would be one more thing, one more sensation. He dipped his own head down and kissed Buffy's throat, right in the hollow of her shoulder.

Buffy couldn't have stopped the soft moans, even if she wanted to. Deciding that they weren't going to get on the phone anytime soon and, what was more, that she didn't care, she surrendered to her lovers. She arched into their hands, her hips shifting forward to lightly rub against both of them.

They needed to get out of this tiny bathroom, though. Preferably soon. But she couldn't make herself pull away long enough to say so.

If this was any indication how their life together was going to be, Riley was certain they wouldn't get a whole lot done. Except each other. Something he was okay with... actually ecstatic was a better term. Bathroom was too small for whatever was going to happen, though. Time to move. "Buffy, Sam... c'mon. Let's go."

Sam broke out of the kiss looking a little dazed. He eyes were dark, fathomless as she met his own steady gaze. She nodded, slid out of their embrace and took each of their hands. Led them out of the room, led them down the hall and back into Willow's room.

Excellent reflexes were the only thing that kept Buffy on her feet, those first seconds after Sam pulled away. More than a little dazed herself, Buffy took a moment to gather herself together enough to follow along back to the bedroom. With a quick shake of her head, she muttered flippantly, "Okay, and we bothered to get dressed why?"

That comment brought Sam up short. She stopped a few feet from the bed, her face a bright red. Selfish, she was being selfish. It had been so long and she was going overboard. "Oh. Sorry... sorry..."

Buffy shook her head and pulled Sam into her arms. "No, Sam, I didn't mean it like that." She kissed Sam, long and deep, before pulling back to look at her. Hazel eyes glinted with humor as she said, "We just seem to keep doing the 'let's get dressed and be good' thing for all of about thirty seconds before we end up in bed again. Not that I'm complaining, honest. It's just kinda funny."

"New relationships are like that. We had our moments, remember?" Riley teased both of them as he undid the tie to his sweatpants. When he'd started with Buffy... well, a few weeks after he started with Buffy because of getting a hole punched in his side by Adam and the whole body-switching thing with Faith made for a frosty reception, he and Buffy had a hard time keeping their hands to themselves.

Same thing with Sam. After Singapore, they spent every night in each other's bed. Or every day depending on what they were hunting and when the down time was. Lots of fond memories there.

Sam allowed herself to be comforted and teased. She was worried about coming on too strong, knew she had a tendency to barge right in and think of the consequences later. It worked in some scenarios but not in all. This was too important to her to screw it up, too precious.

Buffy tugged at Sam's shirt until the hem emerged from her waistband; gentle fingertips skimmed up over the soft skin of her flanks, traced the underside of soft, full breasts before cupping them lightly. Her thumbs flicked over Sam's nipples at the same time as she stood on her toes and leaned in for another kiss.

She'd seen the hesitation in her lover's expression and knew that she needed to take over in order to reassure her lovely Sam that this was what she wanted, too. And it was what she wanted. Very much so. Buffy regretted her flippant comment that had shaken things up so badly. It hadn't been her intent at all.

Getting ignored didn't bother Riley at all. He was perfectly happy to function as an observer. A naked observer but an observer nonetheless. His clothes were piled neatly on the floor as he eased himself onto the bed, sitting with his back against the headboard.

Sam returned Buffy's kiss with one of her own, fingertips grazing his lover's chin. The first sign of relaxation was a soft moan, a lean into another kiss, her hands sliding up under Buffy's top. The rate they were going, clothing was definitely going to be an optional thing when they were alone.

Clothing was beginning to feel restrictive, and Buffy moved to start unbuttoning Sam's shirt again. She wondered to herself again why they'd even bothered to get dressed. Well, Riley actually hadn't – not completely. But she and Sam had, and it was proving to have been a pointless exercise. At the moment, she just wanted the clothing gone.

When the buttons all finally parted, little hands pushed the fabric aside and off Sam's shoulders. The same hands slid around her lover's back to unfasten the bra, then up to slide the straps down before needing Sam to lower her arms so the clothes could come completely off.

Slow drop of her arms and Riley drew in a deep breath, caught again by the contrast. Bronzed beauty, tall and lithe and graceful, every movement a symphony of sensuality. His wife, his glorious wife. And before her, undoing the last of Sam's clothes and stepping into the circle of her arms was their lover.

Their lover.

Petite, so tiny he could span her waist with his two hands. Delicate blond goddess whose exquisite face was lit by a brilliant smile. So gorgeous that it made his heart ache to look at her.

How could he have gotten so lucky? Any man would be lucky to simply know them, to be friends with them. And they were so much more than friends.

"So beautiful," Buffy murmured softly. She slid her arms around Sam's waist, nuzzling gently against the center of her chest. Lips trailing over soft skin until they found and captured a nipple, sucking lightly. Hands sliding over Sam's back, tracing random patterns with gentle fingertips.

Strong, sure fingers threaded through her cap of golden hair, holding her close as Sam arched her back, a tiny moan of delight filling the otherwise silent room. Untrained, yes, but a natural at this. Not surprising from what Sam understood about Buffy. If it was physical, she could do it and she did it well.

The question remained if she could handle the other aspects of their relationship. Sam didn't want to push the issue even though she longed for it. Let Buffy do things at her own pace. If it wasn't something she wanted to do... Sam would live with it.

Curling in around Buffy, holding her close, Sam cast a glance at Riley. She already had the best, his mouth was nothing short of amazing. He could do things to her that made her see God.

Buffy purred softly at Sam as she switched from one breast to the other, lavishing the same attention on the second as on the first. She was rather enjoying her oral explorations and, if she wasn't quite as fixated on it as her lovers, she wasn't doing too badly, either. Fortunately, Sam didn't seem to mind letting her explore... even when she fumbled a bit.

She hoped that patience would continue, because there were other things that she wanted to try. She was just a little nervous, because she knew her inexperience would in no way compare with either of her lovers' skill. But Buffy figured that she had to start somewhere...

Her fingers tightened for an instant as Buffy's mouth descended, tightened and then let go. The moan was a word now, a single word. Her name... over and over again.

Sam's knees felt like they were going to give out and while she knew Buffy could hold her up easily, why do that when there was a bed handy? After a few more blissful moments, she moved away, shifting out of her lover's embrace. Soft sound from Buffy, almost like a complaint before Sam's hand was in hers, leading her over to the bed.

Riley stayed where he was, content to watch for now. He shifted a little when Sam sat down, giving her more room as she stripped the shirt off of Buffy and let it fall to the floor. The leggings went next, peeled down those glorious legs.

With Sam sitting on the edge of the bed, Buffy knelt on the floor in front of her. Small hands reached up to unfasten Sam's jeans and then peeled them down long legs until they hit the floor. Panties followed without a second thought and the little blonde rose to her knees, moving forward to sit between Sam's legs. A soft kiss on Sam's left flank, another on the right. A third on her belly, tongue dipping into her navel.

Lifting her eyes to Sam's, Buffy murmured, "Stop me if I do something wrong..." Tentative fingertips reached out, parting moist folds. Buffy leaned in and kissed Sam intimately, then flicked out her tongue for a first hesitant taste.

"Oh God," two voices and one thought. Riley's arms went around Sam, holding her up since her own arms didn't seem capable of it. He kissed her shoulders and cupped her breasts while Buffy continued to explore.

Soft mouth, tentative touches and so sweet. Sam let Riley hold her so she could encourage Buffy with her hands and then her voice. "Yes. Oh yes... right there. Buffy, so good."

The taste was unique; a little more distinct than tasting it on Riley's lips, but not unpleasant at all. Buffy took her time exploring with lips and tongue, following every curve, every fold, and noticing all the spots that made Sam gasp or speak. She especially took note of the places where Sam seemed to particularly direct her to.

When she had her lover mapped to her satisfaction, she turned her attention to those special spots; experimenting with different amounts of pressure and different sweeps of her tongue, curious about what actions provoked the best reactions. She wasn't intentionally teasing, just enjoying herself.

Leaning back into her husband's arms with their lover pleasuring her so well, Sam couldn't think of anything more perfect. Buffy found a hot spot and when she gasped in response, the tiny blond exploited it. Sucked and licked, humming to herself as Sam's shuddered in pleasure.

Her earlier suspicions were correct. If it was physical, Buffy could learn it. Each pass was a little more skilled, a little less tentative as she gained confidence. Sam bit back a cry of delight and Riley leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "Don't hold back. Sam. No one to hear you but us."

"Oh... Oh honey, that's it. That's it. A little higher... yes... yes." Pleasure, white-hot and sharp rushed through her. Arching her back and driving her hips up against the soft warmth of Buffy's mouth. First wave, harsh and strong... second wave even stronger.

Urged on by Sam, Buffy went one step further. Finding the same spot with her tongue, she pressed her lips around it and sucked gently. Listening to Sam, a little thrill went through her and she began to understand why they loved doing this so much. It was quite a thrill, and it felt really good to know that she could do something that Sam enjoyed so much.

Warm mouth right below her ear, Riley's voice weaving magic as he whispered words from half a dozen languages. All of them telling her how beautiful, how sexy and how special she was to him. They helped sweep her away along with the soft suction in just the right spot. Sam closed her eyes and simply let go.

Let it wash over her, didn't fight it... didn't want to fight it. This was what she wanted from the first moment she'd kissed Buffy. It couldn't be more perfect.

Buffy wracked her brain, trying to remember what came next, when Sam or Riley did this for her. But she couldn't - usually by this point she was too caught up in what she was feeling to know what they were doing; Buffy was a case study in the expression 'lost in it'. She kept on as she was for the moment, trying to catch Riley's eyes. He could help her out, keep her from getting lost, if she could get his attention.

She didn't want to mess this up; it had been going far too well up to this point.

Riley caught her eyes and the question in them. He released his hold on Sam's breast and held up two fingers. Words would be difficult and would distract Sam who was making little needy sounds in her throat. Panting cries that signaled she was on the verge of orgasm. When Buffy's brow wrinkled in confusion, Riley moved his fingers upward, pantomiming what she should do.

Sam needed more, needed them inside her. She always came hardest when he sucked on her clit while stroking deep. Guaranteed to make her shatter into a million pieces.

It took a moment, but she caught on. Buffy slid her hand between her body and Sam's, gently caressing until she found what she was looking for. She dipped her fingers in, tracing a circle around Sam's entrance before sliding them in further. In and out, a little at a time, working carefully until they slid easily inside. Long, smooth strokes, as deep as she could manage with her little fingers.

Never thought she'd regret having little hands again, but she did. But she did try, pressing lightly upwards as she rubbed.

The panting changed, became a keening sound and Sam's eyes snapped open. She looked down at Buffy, surprise and shock written on her face. Another stroke of those strong fingers and she was gone, her gaze locked with Buffy's as her climax finally hit.

Pleasure, so intense that it took her breath away. Somehow she managed to gasp Buffy's name, managed to keep her eyes open as she shared the only way she knew how. Sam could feel Riley behind her and heard his encouragement, his voice rich in her ear. "Yes, Sam... So beautiful. You two are so beautiful."

Buffy's eyes met and stayed on Sam's. Riley was right, she was so beautiful. Never more than at this moment. Buffy kept moving, letting Sam ride out the waves of her orgasm and easing her down, backing off slowly. She remembered doing that last night, with Riley. Well, he'd done most of it, but she'd helped a little. This time it was her turn, and that much of it she remembered.

Finally, Buffy's movements faded to a stop. She sat back on her heels, a self-satisfied expression on her face. Her messy face, she realized. She lifted a hand to wipe traces of Sam off her chin as she rose to her knees again. She wrapped her arms around Sam's waist and rested her head on her lover's stomach, just holding her as she calmed.

It took a few minutes for the trembling to stop and when it did, Sam smoothed a hand through Buffy's hair. Marveled at her lover's skill and her generosity. She'd never met a more giving person than Buffy... with the exception of the man currently cradling her. They were cut from the same cloth, no thought of their own needs or their own pleasure until their partner was satisfied.

How in the world had she gotten so lucky?

Riley supported Sam with one hand braced behind him. The other was in Buffy's hair, stroking it slowly. "I love you," he murmured to both of them. His heart was full, his life was full and finally... finally he felt whole. No darkness, no fear... just this sense of utter peace.

Buffy closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of their fingers in her hair. She soaked up the bits of attention and was content with that. After several quiet minutes, she softly asked, "So, that was good?" She didn't really think Sam was going to complain, she'd certainly seemed to enjoy it very much. But she still felt better checking, wanting that extra little bit of reassurance.

She'd never gone down on a woman before, this was a new thing for her. Another one. The past 24 hours had been full of new experiences. But this was the first one that had been entirely for someone else's benefit, so she wanted to be sure.

"Better than good. Perfect," Sam whispered, not trusting her voice lest it crack. Her bones felt like water and she was pretty sure that walking was not going to be an option for quite some time. She craned her neck so she could catch the expression on Riley's face and noted he was grinning. "Given enough practice you might end up bet..."

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by startled laughter as Riley tickled her, his fingertips resting under her arm. "Don't go there," he teased, knowing exactly what she was going to say. "Give her a few more times and we'll compare. Bet you won't be able to crawl out of bed by the time we're done."

Buffy laughed. "She has to volunteer to let me practice, first. Though she's been remarkably good about letting me experiment, so far." The little blonde sat up, getting out of the way of the tickle fight in front of her. It was more fun to watch.

Sam squirmed in Riley's arms and managed to turn around. Despite the fact that he topped her by a good four inches and probably had at least seventy pounds on her, Sam gave as good as she got. His ribs were ticklish and along the shadow of his hipbone. She wrestled him down onto the bed - no quarter asked, no quarter given.

Riley's laughter was great to hear. Strong and carefree even though she had him pinned to the bed. Sam straddled his chest as she looked down at him. "Helpless again, Finn? What would Drum say?" she tisked before tickling him again.

With another laugh, Buffy jumped onto the bed. "He'd tell you to watch your back, Sam!" Her fingers unerringly found the spot under Sam's arm, where Riley had gotten her before. She found a similar spot on the other side, tickling mercilessly.

The three of them rolled around on the bed, laughing and poking at each other until they ended up sprawled in the middle while Riley on his back, Sam draped across his legs and Buffy across his chest. Both of them holding him down but he didn't mind. Instead he took the opportunity to kiss Buffy and enjoy how she tasted.

Strange to taste his wife in someone else's mouth, tart and sweet at the same time. The kiss deepened, his fingers on her shoulders and then in her hair as he pulled her closer.

Buffy shifted herself above Riley, moving so that she could press closer, kiss him deeper. Her tongue danced with his, sharing with him her first taste of Sam.

This, all of this, was so incredible. Her life had turned completely around, so much that she almost didn't recognize it as hers. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this happy, this loved... and she threw herself into it, soaking up as much as she possibly could. It warmed her in a way that she hadn't known was missing until she felt it.

Sam lounged on Riley's legs and indulged in what was becoming one of her favorite pastimes, watching Buffy and Riley together. The love they felt for each other, still felt for each other despite the time and distance and all the things that had happened in between was strong and true. They… well, fit together. Rather than be jealous of their connection, Sam was glad she chose to be part of it.

Part of this.

She wasn't just an observer. Wasn't on the outside looking in. No. She was part of them and they were part of her and Sam was happy to spend the rest of her life locked into this partnership. Into a triumvirate, rather than a triangle.

For triangles were fragile, they could shatter at the lightest touch. They were not fragile; they were a blended whole that would withstand the worst of times. Or at least that's how she felt about it.

A familiar hand caressed her shoulder. Although Riley was happily kissing Buffy, he made certain that Sam was included. That she knew she was welcome. Welcome and wanted and needed.

After long minutes, Buffy gently pulled away from the kiss out of a need to breathe. She didn't move far, though, and the smile on her face spoke clearly on her feelings. She bent her knees, kicking her bare feet in the air in no particular rhythm; just needing to move in some way or another. "So..." she purred softly. "What's the game-plan now?"

Not that she expected them to follow any kind of plan. So far, they had been remarkably successful at distracting or sidetracking themselves every time, or nearly, they started to do something that involved putting clothes on. Or keeping them on.

"Well," Sam intoned, head propped up on one hand, chin nestled in the palm. She's almost recovered but walking was still an issue. "Someone was supposed to be calling Drum."

The point was taken even though it was delivered in with such an indolent tone. Riley laughed and reached for the phone. Being dressed and calling his commander were two things that weren't meant to be together today. So he'd call like this, call while lounging in bed with the two most beautiful women in the world. "Yeah, someone was."

*****

 
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