Title: Bring Me Into the Light (30/?)
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 30

So easy to get distracted from the mission. It was a good thing they had Sam to keep them in line. The answering warmth Riley had seen in Buffy's eyes was almost enough to drive all sense of duty and obligation out of his head. "Let me rinse my plate. You two head out and I'll catch up?"

"I was going to wash it quick..." Buffy indicated the sink full of soapy water, still hot but cooling behind her. "It'll just take a minute; I can meet you outside, if you want." With a glance down at herself, in a t-shirt and shorts, Buffy blushed faintly. "After I get dressed, I mean. But really, Sam went to all the trouble of cleaning up in here; I don't want to leave things sitting again."

"I'll wash, you dress." The plate was in Riley's hand and he was halfway to the sink with it before he looked over his shoulder at both of them. "Sam, are the rest of my clothes in the wash or are they..."

"Upstairs in Buffy's room. I'll get them." She took Buffy's hand in hers, tugging lightly. While Riley looked good in just the jeans, he would need to have something more on if they wanted to get any shopping done. The whole bare feet and chest thing was a far too attractive look to share with anyone else.

Buffy went easily with Sam, almost jogging up the steps to keep up with her longer-legged lover. Into the bedroom and back to her closet to find something she could wear. After a moment to consider, khaki Capri's and a black tank top with a golden lion stitched on the hem at her left hip were tossed onto the bed and Buffy went to her dresser for clean underwear and a pair of socks.

Being used to having Willow around, Buffy was unembarrassed by Sam's presence and began to strip off her t-shirt and shorts.

Sam debated running Riley's clothes down to him but opted instead to take a seat in the chair. She tucked her hands in her pockets and watched Buffy undress. Watched as her lover's beautiful body was revealed for a few moments and then covered back up again. It was a good thing her hands were in her pockets. Otherwise they would have been all over Buffy.

He washed the plate, rinsed it and set it in the rack to dry. Riley checked around for anything else that needed doing before jogging through the dining room to the bottom of the stairs. Where he stopped.

If he went upstairs, Buffy would probably be changing and since Sam hadn't come downstairs with his clothes yet, she was probably watching. Or maybe she was kissing Buffy. If she was kissing Buffy and he found them kissing, they wouldn't even make it out of the house, let alone to the store.

Buffy pulled her tank top on, not particularly caring that her bra straps showed beside the spaghetti straps of the top. No one was going to see them anyway. Going back to her closet, Buffy pulled out the leather jacket that Angel had given her so long ago. It still had weapons in all the hiding places she'd devised over the years, and she'd rather have it than not.

She held it for a moment, letting the memories slide through her mind pleasantly before letting them go again. When her mind cleared, she slipped on the jacket with a smile for Sam. "Lots of memories... I've had this jacket for quite a while." But she wouldn't tell Riley that it came from Angel. If he specifically asked, she wouldn't lie to him... but she didn't think he'd ask. He'd never asked where any of her clothes came from before.

And it was a little like Sam's.

"Looks good on you." Sam snagged her own jacket which was lying across the bed. It fit smoothly across her shoulders, hiding all her weapons. She picked up Riley's clothes along with his boots and his boot knife. "Let's go."

A quick nod and the two women left the bedroom, headed back downstairs. Buffy watched Sam hand Riley his clothes, and Riley disappeared into the downstairs bathroom to change. In a soft voice, one that wouldn't carry very far, Buffy asked Sam, "If… if Riley asks about my jacket, will you help me divert him? If he really wants to know, we can talk about it later... but if we get into it now, we'll never get anywhere and likely wouldn't be through it before Dawn gets home... Please, Sam?"

Only one reason would bring that about... well, maybe two. Spike's. But the jacket was too big for that vampire. It looked like it would fit a guy built more life Riley which meant... "Angel's," Not a question, not at all.

Sam eyed the jacket. It was a good cut and really good quality. It looked like it had seen a bit of wear but was holding up which considering Buffy's night-time activity said even more for its quality.

"Yes. A very long time ago, before he and I were ever anything." Buffy bit her lip lightly and admitted, "It's kept me safe a number of times. And, as I know your does, it hides a wide array of weapons."

Her voice dropped as she continued, speaking just barely loud enough for Sam to hear. "I'd tell Riley, but it would only upset him. If I could make him understand about the past... but he's not rational about that subject. Maybe because he doesn't know the whole story... but he doesn't know the whole story in part because of his attitude about it." A soft sigh; Buffy hated having to keep anything from either of them... secrets only spelled trouble. But this was one that she would keep until she thought he would understand. There was a LOT more to her history with Angel than he knew. A lot more.

"Then you need to tell him. Even if we have to tie him to the bed." Sam hesitated before a smile quirked up the corners of her mouth. "He'd probably enjoy that."

She wasn't going to lie to Riley. That was counter-productive but she could probably steer him away from the subject. At least long enough to get them through the rest of their chores.

"Enjoy what?" They both jumped at the sound of his voice. Riley was behind them, fully dressed with the SUV card-key in his hand. He smiled at his wife and then at Buffy. "Nice jacket. Haven't seen that one before." He stepped closer, fingered the collar and tugged on it. "Thick. Good protection. I approve."

A bright smile appeared on her face and Buffy nodded. "Thanks." She didn't need his approval of her jacket, but having it made her feel good. And she was relieved that he hadn't asked where it came from. "And you'd enjoy being tied to the bed, 's all. But it'll have to wait for later because we have shopping to do. Anyway, are we ready to go?"

"Tied to the bed?" Riley blinked and Sam laughed. There was the deer-in-the headlights look again. She snagged the key out of his unresisting hand as he blinked again. "Tonight?"

"Yes, Ry. Tonight. Hotel though, not here. Too many things to explain." She took one arm and Buffy took the other, leading him toward the door. "Groceries. Discuss everything with the Scoobies. Talk to Willow and Dawn about housework. Go back to the hotel..." By now, they were on the porch and Riley's dumb-founded look had become a broad smile. "We'll tie you up... if you're good."

Buffy shook her head, a rueful smile on her lips. Before today she'd never imagined Riley would be into bondage. It was definitely going to take a little getting used to. For herself, Buffy had no associations with being tied up that weren't incredibly bad... she hoped she wouldn't get upset over Riley and Sam's enjoyment of it. And she had no idea what she would do if they asked to try it on her...

Putting that thought out of her mind, she resolved not to worry about it unless or until it happened. It would probably depend on the situation anyway.

"I'll be good. Promise," he said, eagerness coloring every word as they stepped out onto the porch. Bright spring day, sun spilling onto the weathered boards, then onto their shoulders as Riley led the way to the car.

Their lover's silence was not lost on Sam, nor was the half-hearted tilt of Buffy's smile. She could almost see the concern behind the other girl's eyes and knew it for what it was. Fear.

Not surprising given her history. Sam was certain Buffy's life experiences with chains and ropes were anything but pleasant. Restraining the Slyer would be a prime goal whenever an immediate kill wasn't on the agenda.

"Nothing happens that you don't want to, Buffy." Sam murmured as she opened the door for her. "Nothing at all."

"I know," the little blonde murmured back as she climbed into the SUV. The problem was that she'd never had to make that kind of choice before. She'd honestly never thought about bondage as a turn-on. Granted that she'd never been in a situation where being tied up could be a turn on... but still. It wasn't that it was a trust issue, though; that wasn't her problem, because she knew she could trust them with her life.

It was her internal reaction that she was uncertain of. She had no idea if she would enjoy it or not. But perhaps... perhaps the easy way to find out would be to see if she enjoyed it when she wasn't the one tied up. If she enjoyed that, then maybe turn-about would be fair play. But, again, she just didn't know. She had nothing to compare it to.

Riley took the card-key from Sam, lifting it deftly out of her fingers as she watched Buffy take her place in the back seat. When Sam turned to protest, Riley shook his head. "Simple choice, Sam. I know Sunnydale like the back of my hand."

A moment later, Sam nodded in agreement. He was right. Even though she'd studied the street-maps of the place, her familiarity was nothing compared to his. "Fair enough." She hauled herself up into the passenger seat and buckled up while he took his place.

A quick look over his shoulder to check the driveway and street beyond revealed the pensive expression on Buffy's face. Riley wondered about the source for a minute before it hit him. Tied up, he wanted to be tied up which was a relatively recent development in his own emerging sexual tastes. It was something he'd never suggested to Buffy. Never would have dared, all things considered.

Another point of discovery, thanks to Sam. He'd taken to locking his right hand around his left wrist and stretching his arms above his head whenever she rode him. Testing his limits, finding where he had control and where he always lost it. Until she leaned over one night and pinned his wrists down. Pinned him, reached over to where he'd dropped his belt and cuffed him to the headboard... with his own cuffs.

Neither of them had been able to walk the next day. Explaining the bruises on his wrists to Graham had been... difficult. Requisitioning a new set of cuffs and a headboard... mildly embarrassing.

"He probably knows this town as well as I do," Buffy chipped in from the back seat. "We've covered most of it on foot together at some point. I'm not sure which of us has lived here longer, though, to be honest." She'd never asked. She didn't know if Riley had gone to UC-Sunnydale as an under-grad or if his presence in town only dated to the Initiative.

It just hadn't ever come up, though she wasn't entirely sure how long he and the Initiative had been around to begin with. Not terribly long tended to be her opinion or she would surely have run into them earlier than she did. And the fact that they hadn't known about the Hellmouth, plus Riley's comment before they dated that he hadn't been through an earthquake before tended to reinforce that opinion.

She'd been through several, and recently tended to associate them with apocalypse. There had been three in Sunnydale while she'd been living there.

"You've been here since you were fifteen, right?" While he drove, Riley kept an eye on the road. Her history had a lot of blanks in it. Things she hadn't told him, secrets that she kept. Whether she kept them because she was protecting herself or protecting someone else didn't really matter.

Privacy was privacy and he could respect that. As long as it didn't impact their relationship, he'd learn to deal.

"Yep. Beginning of sophomore year at high school... not too long after the divorce." The divorce had sucked, moving had sucked... Sunnydale had sucked, for a while. Now, she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Which was probably just as well because she doubted she'd ever get to leave for long. The Hellmouth just had to have a Slayer... it was too dangerous to not.

Buffy looked at Riley, taking in the set of his shoulders as well as the tone of his voice. Something was bothering him, and she could only guess at what. She suspected, though, that since he and Sam appeared to know each other's life story he was beginning to feel the lack of knowledge about her. Which was understandable.

And though in some cases she kept secrets because she wasn't comfortable talking about it or didn't know how to tell him, other times it was mostly because he'd never expressed an interest. He hadn't seemed to want to know. And what she'd needed to tell him, he either hadn't really understood or had reacted badly to. Like the whole thing with Angel. So she'd never volunteered the rest.

Buffy knew she was far from normal, and her life was the same. If he'd had a relatively stable childhood and young adulthood, he might never understand just what she'd been through. So she didn't talk about it.

"Only lived here for two years, myself. Came when Maggie had things up and running. She asked for the best. Got me and my team." Sam knew the story but Riley was pretty sure Buffy didn't. Before he left the Initiative, there hadn't been any time to tell her. And after he left... there had been Adam to kill, a chip to cut out of his chest and people to save.

Then a quick trip to DC for a debriefing. Where he swore not to tell anyone about Maggie's failed project. Anyone who didn't have a Top Secret clearance. So when he came home, he had secrets to keep. Since he couldn't tell Buffy his, there was no point in insisting she tell him hers.

With her agreement to join up, she'd get that clearance for which he was grateful. There were a lot of things Riley wanted to tell her.

Sam remained silent, letting him talk. If he volunteered too much, there were signals she could use to make him back down. Not that there was a need for him to back down. Buffy was going to be part of their team, that decision had already been made so disclosure at this point was a safe bet.

Buffy nodded, her suspicions confirmed. "I thought you might have only been here for a little while... remember the day of the earthquake, when we were in my dorm room? You said it was your first earthquake... and I said it wasn't mine." Quiet for a moment, then she softly continued, "Major apocalypses tend to come complete with earthquakes. I've been through three since I've lived here. The first one was spring of my sophomore year. Right before I died the first time."

"That's when you drowned." Sam turned in her seat, looking back at Buffy. Lazarus never looked so good. Petite and blond and heart-breakingly thin... but so beautiful. Hard to imagine such a little person was responsible for saving the world... many times over.

"Mmm-hmm," Riley confirmed, turning the wheel as the light in front of them changed from red to green. The store was only a block away now. "Yep, that's when Xander saved the day. You know, get a few beers in him and he waxes poetic about it."

"So do you," his wife said, her eyes twinkling. "Finn can't hold his liquor, Buffy." A derisive snort and a quick glare from her husband greeted her comment. "Oh, please. First night I got you drunk, you asked me why I hated men. Actually... if I remember it right..."

Her voice dropped an octave or two and Sam grinned at Buffy as she did a very credible imitation of a drunk Riley. Complete with a slight slur halfway through. "So, Sam... What's up with you and guys? Hate 'em? Love 'em? Or are you into... you know, girls."

Buffy laughed softly. "Mmm... sounds just like him, Sam!" She shook her head. "He probably holds his liquor better than I do. But I don't stay drunk for long - Slayer metabolism. Though I still think my best 'drunk' experience was the one that turned me into cave girl Buffy. It was freaky, but it had its good side."

"I heard something about that." Riley grinned, he'd actually heard a lot about that. Student Union building sustained a bit of damage that night, nothing too drastic and Maggie had lots of fun studying the three members of Beta Company who'd gone Neanderthal. But what Riley really enjoyed was the story about how Buffy clocked Parker with a tree branch. Knocked him on his ass... in fact knocked him clean out.

Served the jerk right. Buffy wasn't the only freshman girl that had fallen to that weasel's charms. A few days later, Riley took the time to visit Parker in his hospital room and coerced him into changing schools. Told him a drastic change of scenery would be good for his health. It apparently worked because the last time Riley heard anything about him, Parker was somewhere in Alaska

Buffy shook her head, smiling slightly. "I'm surprised that the whole campus didn't hear a lot about it. The Union got rather trashed. I know Admin chalked it up to either drunk students or a gang down from LA, but most of the students knew better." And honestly, it had been a little embarrassing. Still, she'd very much enjoyed taking that tree branch to Parker's head. It had been most therapeutic.

And it was also very enjoyable to imagine the look on Parker's face when Willow told her that he'd tried with her... and that she'd laughed at him. Oh, yeah, that was fun, too. Mucho brownie points to Wills for that one.

The store was ahead of them on the left and Riley signaled. Waited for a couple of cars to pass before turning into the lot and started the search for a parking spot. "Well, we hushed most of it up. Walsh wasn't too happy to have half a squad in quarantine for three days."

Sam laughed even as she scanned the lot too. Middle of the day and the place was packed. "No wonder you're always saying Sunnydale's the place to go when you're bored, Ry. Never a dull moment."

"People by day, demons by night," Buffy chipped in, nodding. "I think a lot of the adult population manages to maintain their residence in the land of denial because they don't go out at night much. Stuff is always busy during the day, though. Besides, this is the only decent-sized grocery store in town. There are little convenience stores, but the nearest major grocery store after this one is in the next town over."

Shaking her head, Buffy remembered past tirades about the lack of shopping. "I mean, geez, do you know how far we are from the nearest Neiman Marcus?"

It was Riley's turn to laugh. He knew the answer to that question. "Two hours... An hour and a half if I ignore the speed limit." Big night at the Bronze and Buffy had broken the heel on her favorite boots. They'd just started dating then, hadn't even really kissed yet and she'd called him in tears. So he drove her to Neiman Marcus because he really was a sucker for big hazel eyes framed by damp lashes.

A parking space opened up in front of them and Riley waited long enough for the other car to vacate it before pulling into place. Buffy was right, Sunnydale residents tended to be diurnal. Nighttime was spent with the doors locked and windows barred. Everything except for a few bars and the main drag downtown closed up at sundown.

Riley's words and his laughter made Buffy smile. She remembered exactly how he knew the distance to the closest Neiman's; she'd had him completely wrapped around her little finger before they'd even started to date. He'd genuinely cared that she was upset, and she'd always thought it was so sweet of him to take her shopping.

Not only had he driven her, but he sat with her while she tried on ten different pairs of boots before finding one dressy enough to wear dancing but solid enough to fight in. It was always tough to find shoes to meet her requirements. But he'd been patient; not volunteering to help, but he'd at least tried to offer an opinion when she asked for one.

There were places where Buffy was closer to Riley which Sam acknowledged without bitterness. She'd known her husband when he was still... innocent was probably the best word. When his life was more than battle plans and acceptable casualty figures. Known him before he'd seen villages completely devoid of anything with the exception of flies and the stench of rotting bodies

Buffy had him when he was young and idealistic. Sam's Riley was tougher, full of hard edges and silent pain. Both good men. Very good men.

As Riley turned off the engine, Buffy unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted forward to touch his shoulder. "It's good to hear you laugh, Riley. I missed it." A soft squeeze and she was moving, out of the car and into the bright sunlight.

She liked to hear him laugh for a lot of reasons, she decided. Laughter had been largely absent in her life for the past year, and she'd missed it a lot. But also, when he laughed was when he most resembled her Riley... the one she remembered best, the one she'd fallen in love with. She still loved him... more than she knew how to tell him... but it was hard seeing the differences and having to learn to deal with them.

And harder to know that, to some extent, she was the cause of them. Indirectly, if nothing else.

In a moment, Riley was by her side, flanking her. Sam took up the other position. Not quite touching but as they walked, their hands brushed and then fingers tangled together. The two women walked side-by-side while Riley took point. He scanned the lot, watched each car as it passed, judging space and distance while he checked out the occupants. Guard never down, never fully relaxed.

Sunnydale was fairly safe during the day but not everything evil was a vampire. Sunlight didn't always equal safety. When they reached the doors, he stepped through and did a quick recon. Nothing worth worrying about yet.

"Riley, relax, please?" Buffy rested her hand on his arm, dropping her voice so that only the two of them could hear "Remember that there are a handful of 'good' demons who also live in town, and that we don't want to cause trouble here if we don't have to..." The grocery store was pretty safe. No vamps were going to be out, the nasties tended to stick to nighttime anyway, and some demons did eat normal food.

Like Whistler, wherever the hell he was.

Buffy's quiet plea had quite the effect. Sam had to hide a smile behind her free hand as she watched her husband's tension kick down a notch or three. He moved a little easier, stopped checking every corner three times and even smiled when he retrieved a cart for them.

Resisting the urge to tease him about standing down without being ordered to do so, she chose instead to kiss the back of Buffy's hand. Her lover's attention was drawn by that soft touch, wide hazel eyes flicking up to look into Sam's own. "Why don't you two get started? I have some things to pick up in the pharmacy."

With Riley relaxed somewhat, Buffy was able to relax as well. His alertness at times when it wasn't needed tended to wear on her senses, shooting her with adrenaline when there was no need for it. It was easier this way. "Mmm... okay. We'll just walk the aisles." Gentle squeeze of her fingers against Sam's, soft smile. She knew what Sam was going to get, but there was no need to get into it at the entrance to the store.

A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she asked, "Did anybody remember the list?" She wasn't used to having one, so she hadn't remembered to grab it.

"Yep, right here." Riley held the neatly folded piece of paper up for her inspection. "Grabbed it before we left." He slid an arm around Sam's waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Hurry back."

"Do my best, Finn." Melting in his arms wasn't an option. At least not much of one. Miles to go. One last kiss and Sam was gone. Moving down one of the aisles and arrowing toward the very back of the store.

Buffy took the list and looked it over as she walked beside him. Remembering the few times they'd shopped for her mother in the past, Buffy just let him handle the cart. He'd always teased her about her ability to 'drive' anything, so she'd stopped insisting that she could push the cart if he didn't want to.

Instead, she just fell into place beside him, her hand on his arm and her eyes alternating between looking at the list, watching where she was going, and glancing at him. He was always one of her favorite things to look at, after all.

It was interesting doing something this domestic with Buffy. Something he honestly enjoyed. Riley caught her little sidelong glances, felt the warmth and love behind them. Every once in awhile, he consulted the list and picked things off the higher shelves. The cart filled rapidly with the basics. Flour, sugar, salt, bacon, pasta, canned soup...

They were going to need more than one cart. Riley loaded two gallons of milk into the top basket and caught Buffy's frown. "I drink a lot of milk, remember? And with the bones you break... calcium's a good idea."

He added yogurt and cottage cheese and eggs and butter. Dairy was taken care of, that was one major food group. Now for the others...

In the pharmacy, Sam showed her credentials to the clerk. He nodded, handing her the items she'd called in for earlier. Not a word was exchanged, there was no real need. While he searched for the last bottle, she checked out the display under the counter. Found what she was looking for there as well and grabbed several boxes. Buffy's supply was old and latex didn't last forever.

In the middle of the store, at the back, was the produce department. With its aisles arranged in a different pattern than the whole rest of the store. When they reached the end of the dairy aisle, they were right at the start of the produce section. Buffy led the way through, stopping frequently to bag things up and add them to the cart.

Carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, an avocado, a couple of lemons, bag of apples, bag of oranges, bunch of bananas, head of lettuce. Buffy was big on fruit, and she'd missed having salads; she knew exactly what she liked, what Dawn liked, and what Willow liked. She knew that if Riley wanted anything she didn't grab, or if Sam would want it, he'd either tell her or get it himself.

It looked like a lot, but there were five of them. It would get eaten, no problem.

Riley looked over her choices and added some of his own. Mostly vegetables. Broccoli, kale, spinach, asparagus which was in season now and pretty cheap, fresh green beans, mushrooms - not just the small Montereys but some Portabellos as well, flat and as big as his hands. They'd go good with some steaks.

He loaded a bag of potatoes into the bottom rack. Grabbed another bag of apples, some green and red peppers, a small sack of onions and four more avocados. By then the cart was full.

"Let's go put this by the check-stand," he offered, wheeling it in that direction while Buffy followed along. "We can leave it there and grab another one." Two major food groups down which left two to go.

"Okay. Hopefully it won't disappear on us..." Buffy nodded and followed him to the front. While he parked the cart, she went to grab another one and joined him at the beginning of the next aisle. "Maybe we should skip over to the other end and work our way back here?" she suggested. They'd just reached the frozen foods section; stupid store put the meltable stuff in the middle, where people would only be half-done with their shopping.

On the far side was the bakery and the deli; coming back this direction would take them through the cereal and crackers, snack foods, beverages that didn't have to be kept refrigerated, and then they would hit the far side of the refrigerated cases.

"Can do that," Riley caught the eye of the clerk at the register and nodded to the full cart they'd left there. He got recognition from the man, a smile and a nod. Their cart was safe there. "We'll do frozen foods and meat last."

It was then that Sam caught up with them. She had several bags that she set down in the front of the cart. There was a teasing smile on her face as she took in its empty condition. "So, what have you two been up to?"

"Filling up carts. That one's ours, too." Buffy grinned and pointed to the full cart that Riley had left by the register. Buffy couldn't remember the last time she'd been involved in a grocery trip this huge; of course, she also couldn't remember the last time their pantry had been empty unless one counted the day she and her mom moved in.

The trio headed for the far wall, to the bakery. Buffy grabbed a box of fresh croissants and set it in the cart, then added a long loaf of Italian bread. She suddenly had a craving for spaghetti and if she didn't make it tonight, she'd make it tomorrow. The bread would keep for a day. Next stop was the deli counter, where Buffy got lunchmeat and sliced cheese to make lunches for Willow and Dawn, when they needed them.

Also, a sandwich made a good snack when she had post-slayage hunger of the food variety. Then they moved on to the bread aisle, where Buffy grabbed a loaf of bread, hamburger buns, English muffins and bagels. **Bagels, cream cheese...** "Hey, did we grab cream cheese, Riley?" She didn't know what all they'd gotten from the dairy section, so she turned her eyes to him in hopes that he did.

"Nope. Missed that. I can go get some." He jogged off, intent on his mission. Both Buffy and Sam watched him go, each of them sighing when he disappeared from sight.

Apropos of nothing, Sam grinned at Buffy and commented even as she added another loaf of bread to the cart - whole wheat this time, "He's got a great ass."

Riley found not only cream cheese but cheddar and Gouda and Edam. He grabbed a bag of string cheese as well, remembering how Dawn loved the stuff. The kid could make one of those sticks last for hours, tearing off a tiny piece and sucking on it while she studied or watched cartoons. He wondered how long it had been since there was enough food in Buffy's house or the kind of food that Dawn really craved. Probably a very, very long time.

"Mmmm..." Slow drawl, lazy smile. "Yup, he definitely has that. And other things besides, but we're a little too public to extol his virtues." Buffy winked at Sam and grinned.

Into the next aisle. Buffy started picking out boxes: cheerios for Willow, Lucky Charms for Dawn, Raisin Bran Crunch, Golden Grahams - the stuff that always used to be in the house. She added a box of granola bars, the chocolate chip & oatmeal kind, a super-sized variety pack of instant oatmeal, and a package of pancake mix. God was it going to be nice to have food again...

"Pop-tarts," several boxes followed Sam's outburst, dropping into the cart and narrowly avoiding a loaf of bread. The twinkle in her eye had Buffy laughing. Sam knew she looked like a little kid right now but she really didn't care. "I end up craving these. Usually when we're hip-deep in a swamp or something. Believe me, MRE's are nothing to write home about."

Coffee and tea were added as well. Several flavors of coffee, freshly ground while they waited for Riley to return. He showed up with an armload of items. Not just cheese but pudding packs, probably for his sweet tooth as much as Dawn's, another container of butter and some sour cream. Two packages of tortillas were perched on top, threatening to slide away as he put his burden into the cart. "Did they have Jamaican Blue, Sam?"

"Already ground and ready to go, Ry. As if I'd forget your favorite?" She elbowed him lightly, turning her face up for a kiss while holding onto the bag that was still being filled with more fresh coffee. Whatever they didn't use could be frozen.

With a rather confused expression, Buffy grabbed her favorite kind of cappuccino mix and a couple 4-packs of the Starbucks frappaccinos as she waited until they finished kissing before asking Sam, "MRE's? What are those?" She felt really stupid and pretty much out of the loop for having to ask, but she had no idea what Sam was talking about.

"Meals Ready to Eat," Riley supplied even as he leaned over to kiss Buffy. There was a crash further down the aisle and all three of them looked. Saw a very flushed older woman bending over to pick up a can that she'd apparently dropped.

"Vacuum sealed, nutritionally balanced and bland as hell." Sam tapped the bag, settling the last of the fresh ground coffee into place. She folded over the edges, sealed it and dropped it into the cart next to the other three bags she'd already done. Their observer placed her dented can into a cart and wheeled it off, pointedly not looking at them any more.

"Ahh, I see." To herself, Buffy wondered how shocked that woman would've been if Sam had kissed her instead of Riley. It was a giggle-worthy thought, but she smothered it. Instead, she simply said, "Well, I think we've got grains covered. Off we go to Riley's favorite place in the store..." She winked at him as they headed towards the meats section. She paused once to grab a couple boxes of soda from an endcap: two cokes, a sprite and a root beer. They were 4 for $12, on sale. Might as well stock up.

"Let me guess." Sam drawled, giving her husband a lingering once-over look that started at his feet and leisurely crawled upward. "That would be... meat, right?" Double-entendre, spoken with a perfectly straight face.

And Riley blushed, probably from head-to-toe. Bright red neck and face, hot to the touch when he rubbed his hand along his nape. He grinned, shaking his head as he pushed the cart in that direction. "Yep. Nothing like meat to keep a body strong."

Buffy couldn't help it, she started to laugh softly. "Mmm... you took the words right out of my mouth, the both of you. Gotta love that... meat." Buffy hadn't thought that Riley could blush any darker, but he did. Which was highly amusing, because it didn't happen often. But when it did... boy, look at him go.

Riley closed his eyes, trying to ignore his body's reaction. The middle of the grocery store really wasn't the place to get an erection. But the combination of Sam's sexy drawl and Buffy's soft laugh did it for him. God, did it ever. Life with these two was going to be hard on his dignity. **Face it, Finn. It's just gonna be hard. Well... parts of you anyway. Down boy.** He walked stiffly, pushing the cart with one hand while still rubbing the back of his neck. Laughter followed him as did his companions.

Not laughing at him was impossible, so Sam gave into it. She wasn't sure if Buffy understood why Riley was walking so stiff-legged but Sam certainly knew. She hooked her arm through Buffy's, drew her in close and whispered in her ear. "God, I love it when he does that."

Calming down enough to stop laughing, Buffy finally whispered back, "Does what?" She understood what was up with Riley, why he was walking funny. But she wasn't sure exactly what Sam was referring to that she liked. "How he gets all red and blushy? It's kinda cute..."

"Mmm-hmm. He doesn't do it often but when he does..." Sam's voice trailed off as Riley stopped and looked over his shoulder at them. The blush had faded a little, his guard was down and for a moment everything he was thinking was perfectly clear.

It was a good thing that Buffy had a hold of her arm because Sam would have melted into the floor from the sheer heat in that look. Either melted into the floor or been burned away to ash. Her husband was a passionate man, a very passionate man. Normally, the fire within his was banked or shuttered, locked away where no one could see it.

Not now, though. Not now.

Buffy didn't fare much better under the heat of Riley's gaze. She felt like melting and only the reflex that braced her body when Sam leaned into her kept them on their feet. All of a sudden, she wished that it was late so that she could be with them at their hotel room and not have to wait several hours before they could be alone together again.

She could almost see the ideas floating through his head, and she wondered just what he was picturing at the moment. Whatever it was, it turned his eyes into beautiful hazel orbs that danced and flared with passion. And it was directed at her along with Sam...

Privacy couldn't come fast enough, not where he was concerned. Not with the thoughts in his head. Sam on her knees, crouched in front of Buffy, hands and mouth occupied. Buffy so tight against him, around him, leaning into each thrust. Her back slick, beaded with sweat, his mouth on her tender nape, lifting her up into the next hit. Warm mouth on his thigh... Sam biting. Teeth and skin and heat and God why was it still the middle of the day?

Somehow, Sam stayed upright and even made it to his side. She and Buffy both looked up at him, each breathing hard. Her hand shook as she placed it in the center of his chest, right over his heart. In perfect silence, the three of them stood while the rest of the world continued on around them.

Buffy wasn't sure how she made it to Riley's side... but she did. She lifted her hand and placed it over Sam's, her fingers sliding between Sam's larger ones to touch Riley's chest as well. The rest of the world seemed to dissolve around her, leaving only the three of them. They were all she knew, all she could see.

Even though the conscientious part of her mind was trying to remind her that they were in a public place, the rest of her was oblivious, caught up in the emotions sweeping through her. A light blush stained her cheeks as she looked up at her lover's, her whole body growing warm and tingling. She was caught, but it was where she wanted to be.

Heedless of anyone around them, Riley laid one hand on Sam's nape and the other on Buffy's. He leaned down, brushed his mouth against his wife's, touched her lips with his tongue. Then repeated the action with Buffy, delving in a little deeper before pulling back. No need for words. The kiss said enough.

Everything went deadly quiet, the tension between them so taut and strong that the world had to pause for a breath. Without shaking his hand loose, Sam turned toward Buffy and kissed her as well. Warm mouth lingering, battle-roughened fingers on a satiny cheek.

Buffy lifted her free hand to rest over Sam's, holding the fingers to her cheek as they kissed. It was a warm and lovely feeling, being so close to them, and she wished it wouldn't ever end. With both of them, she let her emotions speak to them without words as they kissed, and she felt answering emotions in them. Love was such a beautiful thing, and it glowed in all three of them.

People stopped and stared at the trio standing by the meat case; even the most self-righteous among the viewers couldn't make a fuss about the scene. It was too obvious that the three young people shared a strong love, a feeling so powerful that no one who saw it could possibly label it as wrong. There would be talk later, of course, but for the moment everyone was stricken silent by the sight before them.

Riley felt the eyes on them and he looked around. Shamed several people into looking away with a cool, level stare. There was jealousy in some of the looks, curiosity in others and speculation in the rest. Let them wonder. They belonged together and Riley dared anyone to say anything about it.

*****

 
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