Title: Bring Me Into the Light
AUTHOR: Mistress Ace & Em
E-MAIL: rosewood@inreach.com & winter@sapphire-dragon.net
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 44

The ride to the base was silent, neither of them ready for or capable of speech. Not after the last forty-eight hours. Riley reached for Sam's hand and she held onto him, tight. This was the first time they'd been alone since running into Buffy in Restfield and suddenly their lives felt so empty.

Quietly determined to get this over with, Riley marshaled his thoughts and his feelings. He locked them away, being emotional wouldn't get the job done. The hard shell he'd built around his heart was coming back up and would be fully in place by the time they hit the Colonel's office. Lifting Sam's hand to his mouth, he placed a warm kiss in her palm.

"Thank you, Ry." Sam said finally as he turned onto the last street. Ahead of them lay the base gate and a young soldier snapped a salute to both of them. Young, younger than either of them and probably fresh out of ROTC. Not jaded yet… not like they were.

Riley let go of Sam's hand and returned that salute. Quick snap of his wrist and they were through the gate, headed toward their temporary HQ. "For what, Sam?"

"For not letting me go. And for letting her back in. Best thing you've ever done." She took his hand again when it was offered and kissed his knuckles. A warm brush over them which was enough to send a shiver down his spine.

"I think so too... And thank you. For letting me do it." His eyes stayed on the road although he spared her a quick smile. Beautiful, his wife was beautiful... inside and out. Most generous woman he had the privilege of knowing.

"Anytime, Finn, anytime." Soft, affectionate laughter followed that comment and their world was back on an even keel. Even though it hurt like hell leaving Buffy behind, they had a duty to perform. And they would perform it well.

*****

Awakened by something, Willow frowned and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. 5:26am. Why had she woken up? Had she heard something? Her bedroom door was open because she'd decided to listen for Buffy's return this morning. Maybe that was what she heard?

She sat up in her bed and listened carefully. Soft, muffled sounds reached her ears every few seconds. Head canted to listen better; she tried to identify the sounds. It was hard to be sure, but she thought it sounded like... like someone crying?

With a gentle sigh, Willow crawled out of her warm bed and reached for her robe. Dawn must be having another nightmare. Though they'd almost disappeared since Buffy's return, Dawn still occasionally had a dream about watching her sister dive off that tower. It was no wonder the poor kid woke up crying. Tara had always calmed Dawn better than she had, but Willow knew that now wasn't the time to start missing her former lover again.

Willow was about to knock on Dawn's door when she realized that the sounds weren't coming from Dawn's room. They were coming from Buffy's. **Uh-oh,** Willow thought as she headed for the other door. **Looks like I might have to get the shovel out after all...**

After tapping on the bedroom door, Willow called, "Buffy?" and cracked the door open just enough to see through. The sight before her drove away thoughts of asking to come in or shovels or anything else. Willow quietly shut the door behind herself and was across the room as fast as her legs would carry her. She gathered her best friend into her arms and leaned back against the headboard as she rocked gently.

So upset was she, Buffy didn't even realize that she wasn't alone anymore until gentle arms wrapped around her. Not strong enough to be Sam or large enough to be Riley, Buffy identified Willow in her mind and clung to her. Cried on her shoulder until her breath came in hitching gasps and her eyes were red and swollen.

Poor Willow had absolutely no idea what had thrown Buffy into such a state. This was nothing like the last time Riley left her. If anything, this reaction was even more heartbreaking. "Shh, Buffy... it'll be okay... I'm here... shhh..." Willow soothed, rocking the blonde in her arms like a little girl. Stroked her hair like she'd seen Buffy do with Dawn; it worked well on both sisters, and slowly Buffy's sobs lessened and finally ceased. "Buffy... Buffy, what happened?" she asked when she finally had the other girl's attention.

"I... we got a call..." Buffy began very softly. "Sam and Riley... they were called away. A mission... life or death kind of thing... and Wills, I... I can't go with them. They could die, and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it! No one knows how long they'll be gone... when they'll come back, or even if they'll come back..." Tears began to trickle down Buffy's cheeks, and Willow wiped them away with her fingertips.

"If they'll come back? I don't have to hunt them down and beat them to death, do I?" Willow asked softly.

"No, no, nothing like that," Buffy objected immediately. "But don't you see... they can't even tell me where they're going! I can't do anything but sit here and wait for them to come back or word to come that they died..."

"I understand," Willow soothed gently. And she did. How many times had she and the gang watched Buffy walk into a dangerous situation and not be able to help? They'd watched her risk her life numerous times... Seen her die not once, but twice; been afraid she was dead when she disappeared. Willow could definitely understand. "They'll be back, Buffy. They love you... they'll come back to you, you'll see." Willow prayed to the Goddess she was right. That they would be back.

"I hope... God, I hope so," Buffy murmured softly before a fresh wave of tears overtook her. Not knowing what else to do - or what else she could do - Willow continued to hold Buffy. To whisper soothing things and just let her cry.

As she sat there, Willow tried to figure out why this was bothering Buffy so much. She finally came to the conclusion that Buffy was born to fight. As the Slayer, her every instinct geared her up to fight anything that threatened and keep her loved ones safe. Now, a power higher than herself dictated that her lovers go where she couldn't follow. The US Military was like that with its secret forces, and Buffy wasn't part of them yet. So they wouldn't allow her to do what her mind and heart both demanded she do. And the struggle with herself had broken her down.

Willow didn't pretend to understand every little thing about being a Slayer. But Buffy had told her a lot... almost everything, up until the trouble with her mom and Riley had started. So Willow felt she had a pretty good idea of what was happening to her best friend. Also, Buffy had seemed so different yesterday. Like some of the coldness she'd been projecting since before Giles' return to England had started to dissipate. In all honesty, Willow couldn't remember the last time Buffy had looked as content as she had at dinner last night. And perhaps that change was another part of the reason for this abrupt downswing.

While Willow was lost in thought, Buffy slowly began to quiet. It was the abrupt lack of sound in the room that caught her attention again. She looked down at the girl in her arms and realized Buffy had cried herself to sleep. Poor thing, she must have worn herself out. Moving gently, Willow moved out from underneath her friend and lay her back on the pillows. She pulled off Buffy's shoes and set them on the floor, then pulled up a blanket to cover her. After one last look of concern at her best friend, Willow crept out of the room to return to her own bed.

*****

Their HQ here was like all their mobile commands... it was mobile. Usually a spare office that no one was using and a couple of desks. Their work demanded that they be able to operate out of anywhere; an office, back of a truck, a tent... under the shelter of some rocks... whatever they could find. So what Drum had right now, a private inner office with a staff secretary out front, was sheer luxury.

The Colonel was waiting for them, even though they were ten minutes early. Not only was Drum in residence but Graham Miller and one of the new recruits, Joseph Reyes were also in the office, pouring over some topical maps when Riley knocked and opened the door.

Riley acknowledged the Colonel with a quick nod, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of the maps. "Good morning, sir. Captain and Lt. Finn reporting for duty." Sam fell in right behind him, shoulders back, head up... all traces of her earlier tears gone.

"Good morning Finn. Good to have you here. Everything secure on your end?" Henry Drummond was distracted. The situation in New Mexico had gone from bad to worse in the space of five hours and there really was no time to devote to the Finn's recruitment of the Slayer. He hoped they'd have time before shipping out for Riley to fill him in. Judging from his young Captain's startling phone call last night, there was quite a story to tell.

"Yes sir. New recruit is ready to come on line. Wishes she could join us for... this." As the last word was spoken, Riley leaned over the map. White Sand Missile Range, Alamogordo, Carlsbad Caverns... it looked like there were at least going to remain Stateside. "Situation?"

Silent beside him, Sam studied the same maps. She'd done some hiking in the area circled in red. It was peppered with natural caverns and with the testing range so close, just about anything could have taken roost there. There were little marks on the map, red X's - civilian casualties. Nasty stuff.

"Looks like we've got something big here, and here." Colonel Drummond pointed to two separate areas of the map. "Small town, there's been at least sixteen unexplained disappearances and Bravo Company found bodies... here." He pointed to another section of the map. "Ritual killings - throat slit, eyes gone, hands too. Not pretty. Bravo sent three men into the caves yesterday... their bodies were found this morning."

Riley felt his jaw tighten and his stomach rolled when the Colonel laid out a set of pictures on top of the map. Any doubts he had about going in vanished in an instant. The oldest victim from the town might have been fifteen, hard to tell with the angle of the body but his main impression was young, not much more than a kid. No way he or Sam could walk away from this.

"It doesn't look good, sir," Graham said to Riley, his expression as hard as stone. "There are entrances to the caves here, here, and here." He pointed to spots on the map. "This one looks like it goes to a dead end, but there may be gaps or cracks that they widened. These things aren't your typical mindless breeder-demon. Evidence suggests that they like traps."

"Makes sense." Riley flipped the map up and found a diagram of the caves themselves underneath. "How big are they? Anybody got a visual?" The majority of the caves were narrow, so small that he and Graham would have a hell of a time crawling through them. A quick glance back at the photos confirmed his first impression. Whatever made the wounds on those bodies was good-sized. Large jaws, big teeth and claws.

"Between six and seven feet tall based on the one transmission we got before Bravo's communications went out. Big... they won't be able to use most of these." Drummond tapped the diagram, pointing out the larger chambers and the two large entrances. "Probably only able to inhabit these areas. Any ideas, Finn? Suggestions?"

"Yes, sir. We come in through here. Block the two main entrances; don't let them have a way out. C-4 placements, here and here should bring down enough rubble from the cliffs above. A team could come in through this one." Riley tapped the diagram, right over one of the smaller entrances. "Wide enough for us to get through with ordinance, small team only. Too many bodies in the dark and we'd be risking friendly fire problems."

Sam studied the map and shook her head. "Can't we just seal off all the entrances and have them suffocate?"

"Not sure if they need air to breathe and there are still some civilians missing." Drummond wished it could be that easy. Just blow the place to hell and gone. Let the caverns become a burial ground but there was no guarantee the demons would all die or that they'd been able to find all the escape routes. "Need to make sure they're wiped out."

"Got it." Quick nod of agreement and Riley was running the necessary supply list through his head. "How many men and when do we leave?" This was his and Sam's duty, what they were trained for. Rescue the civilians and neutralize the HST threat.

"Both of you, Miller and Reyes. Like you said, too close of quarters to send a whole squad in. You're the best shot, Finn. Reyes is our demolitions man. Sam, you handle any casualties and Miller... won't leave my doorstep unless he can go." Up until that moment, Drummond had been tense, every word clipped. But Graham Miller's devotion to anything with Finn's name on it was legendary and he found a bit of humor in that.

Graham shot a look at Sam, then at Riley and nodded. They weren't going without him, not if he had anything to say about it. Not only was Riley his CO, he was his best friend. They'd been together for a long time, and nothing was about to change that. Graham knew it amused Drum, but that didn't bother him a bit.

Reyes, for his part, looked a touch nervous but was doing a credible job of keeping it to himself. He busied himself with estimating the amount of C-4 he'd need to cause the cave-in they needed.

"Last question, sir." Drummond met Riley's steady gaze, raising his eyebrow as he waiting for his XO to complete the request. Colonel Drummond knew Riley Finn inside and out. With the exception of his first few months in, this man was one of the finest soldiers he'd ever known. Marrying Sam did a lot to calm Finn down and Drummond appreciated that. It was nice to know his best operative wasn't going to end up dead in some questionable woman's bed.

"When do we leave?" Riley asked, his voice as steady as his gaze. The sooner they did this, the sooner they could get back.

Just the question he'd been anticipating. Proud of this young man, really damned proud of him. A couple more years and Captain Finn would be giving him a run for his money as the leader of the whole Black Ops division. "Transport is set for 08:00. Call supply for any ordinance and gear you need. Lt. Finn, you're dismissed to pack yours and the Captain's gear."

Sam nodded, it was obvious Drummond had more to say to Riley and it did make sense for her to take care of their gear. It also would give her a chance to call Buffy or at least send Willow an e-mail. She caught Riley's eye, lifted a fine brow in silent question and he nodded once. Tacit permission to contact their lover and bring her up to speed on what they knew.

"This shouldn't take more than a day or two." Riley studied the map one last time as he waited for the Colonel's confirmation of his assessment. It came as a quick nod, Drummond leaned over the map again, tracing the points where Riley had suggested laying charges to seal the entrances.

"No. Day or two at most." Drum confirmed, thinking out loud. Four hours to get them there, an hour to set up the explosives, a few more to get in through the narrow entrance Riley had chosen. With the right weapons, the demons should be easy to take down, especially with infrared scopes and lenses. They'd probably be back in time for evening mess tomorrow.

"Reyes, go get your gear together," Graham instructed, dismissing the younger man before he returned his attention to Riley. His CO looked tired, tense, in a way, but also not. Something was definitely up, here, but he reined in his curiosity for later. Best to keep personal issues away from Drum.

Together, Specialist Joseph Reyes and Lt. Samantha Finn left the Colonel's office. They shook hands outside, glad to have each other on the team. Sam Finn, while being one of the most beautiful women Joe Reyes had ever met was one hell of a doctor. She could perform miracles with the thinnest of supplies.

For her part, Sam was happy to have the young specialist on board. She'd been part of his screening process, running him through the psychological tests required to join Black Ops. Reyes had been one of the few who hadn't screamed, fainted or thrown up when brought face-to-face with an HST. Nothing rattled him, nothing at all. "I'll see you out on the line in 45."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be there." That said, they parted company. Each moving quickly to accomplish their goals.

*****

"Captain, about your other mission." Drummond left the maps behind and took a seat behind his desk. His XO remained at the table, taking notes with one ear turned towards him - totally absorbed in the project but still listening.

"Yes, sir. She's ready and waiting to come on board." Riley kept his voice bland, not wanting to say her name. If he did, then he'd be right back at her house, holding her while she cried. Where Buffy was concerned, everyone, including his commanding officer, was on a need to know basis. And there were a lot of things that nobody needed to know.

"Still in agreement with the terms we discussed yesterday?" His coffee was cold, had been for at least the last hour but at least it washed the taste of bile out of his mouth. Looking at those pictures did nothing to help his incipient ulcer.

"Absolutely. Like I said, she wanted to come with us on this. Next time, we won't be able to hold her back." Riley looked up, meeting the Colonel's eyes over the rim of his coffee cup. "She's the best there is. You won't regret this, sir. I'll stake my career on it."

Graham continued to listen silently, puzzling over the riddle being presented to him. A new recruit? A female recruit, at that. One who was the best there is... Graham's eyes narrowed slightly. There was only one woman Riley talked about like that. Only one she who was the best out there. Not to mention that Riley and Sam had just gotten back from Sunnydale.

Buffy. Riley was trying to recruit Buffy. And had succeeded, from the sounds of this discussion.

Graham just hoped that Riley knew what he was doing. Ry still loved the little blonde he'd left behind. Graham knew it, and he thought Sam knew it too. If Riley started to get ideas about leaving Sam for Buffy, Graham would damn well be sure to knock some sense back into him.

"Good. I've seen her stats from the Initiative. Damned impressive." Another sip of his coffee and Drummond grimaced. Cold and bitter, perfect compliment to their mission. "Not big on the discipline but that'll be your problem. You'll whip her into shape." Something strange about Finn's expression for a moment, like he was holding back laughter. It was only for a moment though.

"I'll do my best, sir." Mild comment even though he was silently shaking with laughter. The thought of whipping his favorite anarchist into shape could be intriguing... expect for it being utterly ridiculous. Buffy would follow orders, if only to help him save face. But she would question them when no one else was around.

Next to him, Graham actually snorted. He was studied the map with a single-minded purpose but Riley knew his comrade-in-arms and best friend was just this side of cracking up. Or tearing him a new one for not discussing the whole Buffy situation with him first. Preferably over a case of beer.

Of course, if he had, Riley was pretty sure he would have woken up in a transport headed for Timbuktu or Tierra Del Fuego or Easter Island. Probably tied hand and foot with Graham grumbling the whole way about his lame-brained schemes.

Uh huh. Sure.

Riley was gonna whip Buffy into obeying orders? That little girl was a force of nature. Just look at the way she'd torn through Riley's life, not to mention the whole of the Initiative. Okay, so there had been problems at the heart of the Initiative. But not all of it had been bad.

Though he held his peace for the moment, burying himself in the plans in front of him, Graham resolved to talk to Riley at the earliest convenience. Preferably at a time when he really could knock some sense into him. Get a few drinks into him and then play 'repeat after me' until Ry got the point.

Yes, Buffy was one hell of a fighter. She probably would be a major asset to the team. But only to the team. Ry had his marriage and he wasn't about to cheat on Sam. If Ry and Buffy could work together without being together, then fine. They could use the help. If not, Graham would do his best to keep her as far away from his best friend as he could.

"First priority when you get back. For what it's worth... Walsh was an idiot where Ms. Summers was concerned. From what I've been able to dig up, she'll make a damn fine operative." His coffee was finished and it looked like Captain Finn was done with his notes as well. Both he and Miller were eyeing the map one last time, Finn pointing out the entrance they were going to use. But his comments brought the young officer's attention back to him.

Sharp hazel eyes regarded him for a few moments before his XO spoke. Any mention of Maggie Walsh garnered a marked reaction from him and this time was no exception. Finn's opinion of his former commander was well known as was her unauthorized tampering with her troops. This one had born the brunt of her experiments so it was no wonder he held her in contempt. "She won't disappoint you, sir."

Clipped words, jaw tight - this was the Riley Finn he knew. The man he trusted with his life and the lives of their men. Finn's word was as good as gospel where Drummond was concerned. If he said Summers was good, then she was damned good. If he said she was the best, then Drummond had to have her under his command.

Quick glance between Drum and Riley. If Ry was pushing this, Graham would back him to the brass. But words would be had later. Mastering his concerns, Graham spoke up. "She is the best fighter anyone could ask for, sir. I don't think it's in her file, but she mentioned once that she'd been fighting HST's since she was 15. If she was 18 when she started college at Sunnydale, that'd make her 21 by now."

"Fifteen... even more impressive. I'll start the paperwork now. Bring her in to see me after you get back, Finn." Drummond had been waiting for Miller to speak up. Lt. Miller was a man of few words so when he did decide to speak, it was worth listening to. With his endorsement, Buffy Anne Summers, had just secured herself a job.

"I will. Are we done here, sir? I need to call supply." Riley started to fold up the map but Graham handed him a copy. Almost slapped him in the chest with it, the rattle of the paper inordinately loud in the small room. When Riley looked up at him, he caught the downward tilt of Graham's mouth and knew he had some serious explaining to do. Four hour flight to New Mexico would probably be just enough time... so long as he didn't mention anything about the real arrangement between him and Sam and Buffy.

If that got brought up, even a flight around the world wouldn't be long enough.

Graham waited quietly as Drum shook his head and dismissed them. A pair of snappy salutes later, Riley and Graham were on their way out of the office. Gray regarded Riley with a coolly assessing stare, until it caught Riley's attention. But he'd wait and see if Ry broached the subject first - if Ry didn't talk, then Graham would pull out the big guns and make him talk.

Side-by-side they walked back toward the visiting officer's quarters, shoulders almost touching. Riley turned his head a little to look at Gray who stared right back at him. "All right. Out with it, Miller. What's on your mind?"

He knew he was in trouble. A lot of trouble. But he wasn't going to start by apologizing because he hadn't done anything wrong. Except for the whole breaking God's commandments but he did that every day in his job. 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' ranked right up there with 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery'.

And he'd done both. Killed on a daily basis, mostly demons but there were humans who got caught in the crossfire and he was a soldier after all. Hard to avoid. And the adultery thing had been done with Sam's full knowledge, full consent, and hell - full-on participation. Not that it made him any less damned in the eyes of the church but there was no way he was going to feel guilty about it.

Just no way.

"You want a list?" Graham asked, one eyebrow raised. "Well, for one, why didn't you tell me we were trying to recruit the Slayer? And for another, do you really think you'll be able to work with her without it getting personal? And what about Sam... what does she have to say about it?" There... three big issues out in the open. Waiting for Riley's response. But Graham would have his answers.

"One - you would have tried to talk me out of it. Graham, we need her and she needs us. Her mom died, her dad's MIA and she's trying to raise her kid sister on minimum wage." There were a lot of other things he could spill about Buffy but those were told in confidence. Riley wouldn't lay her life out for someone not involved to pick apart at will. Even if that someone was his best friend.

He pushed open the outer door and they walked out into the quad. His and Sam's quarters were to the left as were Graham's. "Two - I can work with Buffy just fine. Been killing demons since she was fifteen. And thanks for bringing that up to Drummond. It probably sealed the deal."

The sun was fully up now, the last of the dew burnt off and his breath no longer steamed as they walked along. Graham was still silent, watching him and waiting for the rest of it. "And Sam's okay with it. She likes Buffy... got a chance to fight with her night before last. We cleaned out four big nests. Two without Buffy and two with."

"Hmmm," Graham murmured thoughtfully. He took a few minutes to consider, then relented. "Okay, you've got a point that she needs this job... and I meant it when I agreed that we could use a fighter of her caliber. I remember the tests Walsh put her through as well as you do, and we both know she's just that good. You know I'll back you to the brass if you think you can handle it."

"Just be careful, man. If you and Sam are okay, then we'll see how it works out." Graham would keep his eyes open, though. See how things went, sure. Have a good, firm talk with her about Ry if necessary. And if it came down to it, maybe Drum would listen to a recommendation to put her in another squad. Ry might fight it, but if it was for his own good Graham would do what he had to.

*****

 
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