Emotions

by Brit

Summary: It's called Rebound and Riley showed up at the end of the previous chapter. What do you think it's about?!
Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to the almighty Joss.
Distribution: Feel free to post it on your site, as long as you give me credit for writing it.
Spoilers: Up through Season 5, except this is a little different, because Riley is an abusive alcoholic, and Joyce didn't actually die, although she almost did.
Rating: Pg-14 or PG-15 for language. Yes, I *gasp* wrote the F word.
Authors Note: I'm not good at writing fight scenes, so I tried to keep the fight short. Chapter 5 will be a bit longer, and should be out early next week (Monday, probably).
Authors Note 2: The original ending was very cheezy, because Martin came and saved the day. But then I realized that...oh wait, I can't give it away!! Warning: Don't read this if you're a Riley-lover (although I doubt you are).
Dedication: Anyone who sent me feedback. (That's not very many ppl!!)
Feedback: Yes, please!!! It's what keeps me going and inspires me to write more!!!\


"Bitch," he said in disgust. He stepped towards me, watching me closely, with hatred burning in his eyes. His men followed him, not missing a beat. Before Riley could get too close to me, though, Angel stepped between us.

"You come one step closer I will kick your ass, Riley Finn," Angel said fiercely. I grinned, knowing that Angel meant it. Riley would last 30 seconds in a fight with Angel. That is, if he was lucky.

To everyone's surprise, Riley laughed. "So I see you've heard of me," he said. "And who would you be, exactly?"

Oh god Angel, I thought. Don't say something stupid. Angel smirked at Riley and said, "Her boyfriend." OK, that was something I was *not* expecting him to say. Yes, we had just kissed, but I didn't know that it had meant we were back together. Again. Not that I minded, of course. I looked from Angel to Riley, then back at Angel again. He reassured me with his half-smile.

"Buffy? Is this true?" Riley asked, his voice starting to shake. I knew it wouldn't be long before he wouldn't be able to keep his rage under control.

I stepped forward, beside Angel, and grabbed his hand. "Absolutely," I said calmly. If Riley did get violent, Angel and I could take him easily. I just hoped his backup weren't as tough as they looked.

"You think you can just run away from me, bitch? You think you can just get up and leave whenever you feel like it, desert me? Then become some vampire's ho?!" he spat. Suddenly, he threw a punch at me, and I didn't have time to block it. He hit me square in the face, bruising my jaw.

"Buffy!" Angel cried out. But six or seven men came at him, using their best moves on him. I was about to run over to help him, but the other two back-up guys grabbed my arms to restrain me.

"Angel!! No!! ANGEL!!" I screamed. I watched in horror as they flipped him on his back, taking beating him. One of the guys kicked Angel's stomach over and over. I turned away, unable to watch him in so much pain. It seemed like it went on and on, that they wouldn't let it stop.

Riley grabbed my hair and slapped me. I looked at him, disgusted with myself for *ever* being attracted to him.

"Now," he said calmly. "About that little runaway stunt you've pulled. It seems that we're going to have to make sure you never try it again. And there's only one way to do that."

"And what's that?!"

He pulled out two pair of handcuffs. He used one pair to cuff my left hand to a pipe that ran along the ceiling. The other, to chain me to him. I just stared at him in disbelief and shook my head.

"*This* is your ingenious way to make me never leave you again?! You're gonna some fucking handcuffs? What, you're too good for all those high-tech Initiative toys now?!"

"Oh, this is just the beginning," he said with a smile. I did *not* like that smile. In fact, I didn't like anything about Riley. He pulled a tazor out of his pocket and looked at it as though it were a priceless piece of artwork, while I silently looked around the room, desperate to find a way to escape.

"Amazing, isn't it?" he said, a certain amusement in his voice. "That something this small, can cause you so much pain, so much agony?

"But the question is," Riley continued. "Do I use it on you, and let your so-called boyfriend watch, or do I use it on him, and give you the privelage of watching?"

"Riley, please..."

"Don't interrupt me, bitch!!" he yelled. I drew back from him. He looked at me, and I knew that at that moment, I had never hated him more.

"I'm don't know who I hate more. You, bitch, for running away in the first place..." He turned around and looked at Angel, who still lay on the floor, too injured to get up. "Or you, for trying to keep her away from me!"

Riley kicked Angel once more, causing Angel to gasp in pain. I felt so bad for getting him involved in all of this. It's all my fault, I thought. Oh god Angel, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.

It was as though Angel could read my thoughts. "Don't blame yourself," he mouthed to me. I guess it was too painful for him to talk. He showed me that half-smile again, which made me feel a bit better.

I turned my attention back to Riley. "Please Riley, if we can just talk about this..." I started. Although, I have to admit, I doubted from the start that reasoning with him would work.

"You don't just get to talk your way out of this one, bitch!!" he screamed at me. I flinched, and he pulled up his wrist, the one that was connected to mine via the handcuffs. I saw that in his other hand was the tazor, and he flicked it on with his thumb.

"Made up my mind," he said. I frantically searched for a way to escape. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as he lowered the tazor to my wrist. I felt electricity shoot painfully through my body.

I looked and saw that Riley's face was twisting in agony. Oh god, I realized. The metal handcuffs. The electricity. I looked at Angel, who had thousands of emotions on his face. I tried to cry out his name, but I blacked out before I got the chance.

The End

Did you guys get that? The whole metal-is-a-good-conductor-for-electricity-thing? Hope so. Well anyways, Riley got shocked with the tazor too.

Go to the next story, Blood

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