Buffy heads home after working at the Doublemeat Palace and
runs into a vampire in the cemetery. But as soon as he gets a whiff of her
greasy smell from the DMP he doesn't want to bother eating her. She stakes
him anyway, highly insulted. Before she can enter her house, Spike stops
her and she doesn't want to go at it with him by her house but he convinces
her to a quickie outside. Afterwards she goes inside, slightly rumpled,
and hands Dawn a squished supper from the DMP. Dawn and Willow head out
to the Bronze but Buffy won't join them because she's tired. At the Bronze,
Anya and Xander are still discussing their wedding plans and they're getting
anxious about the event.
Buffy is cleaning at home and falls aslseep, forgetting garbage
day. She gets mail telling her that she missed the application date for
college an Dawn heads to school that morning while Buffy goes to work. While
she's working the cash, Riley shows up, stunning her into silence. Her tells
her he needs her to help him track down a demon. She ditches her job to
help him, leaving a stunned manager behind. Outside, Riley tells her briefly
about the Savolti demon. It breeds and grows constantly; one becomes ten.
They quickly find the demon on the streets and chase it into an alley. Unfortunately
it gets away too quickly and they jump into Riley's vehicle and track the
demon down. Riley hands Buffy some clothes to change into for the fight.
While, in the meantime, Anya and Xander get stuck in traffic while headed
for the airport to pick up their relatives.
Buffy and Riley track the demon to a plant where they scale
down a large fissure. They immediately find the beast and fight it viciously.
A woman appears and demands to know what Buffy is doing with her husband.
Riley then introduces Sam, his wife of four months, to, a once again, stunned
Buffy. The beast attacks again and Buffy kills it quickly. They then reveal
that they didn't want it dead. They reconvene at Buffy's house where Dawn
is none too pleased to see Riley and Willow vows to Buffy to hate Sam for
her. Riley explains that these demons are at the Hellmouth to spawn and
they know there's a nest in Sunnydale being protected by someone called
the doctor. Willow storms off when Sam mentions that Willow could do a locating
spell. Sam later on tells her that she's never met anyone with enough strength
to quit using magic. This brings a new hope to Willow.
Buffy and Sam head out for patrol. Sam tells Buffy she's awed
by her and that it took Riley an entire year to get over Buffy. Sam then
asks if there's any new guys in Buffy's life and Buffy answers no. Buffy,
feeling miserable, splits away from Sam and goes to Spike's crypt and asks
for some info. She then demands to hear that he loves and wants her. They
then go at it and wake up to find Riley barging in on them. Riley then addresses
Spike as the doctor and Buffy is humiliated to find Riley catching her in
bed with Spike. Riley knows that Spike is the doctor and goes down to Spike's
basement. Buffy follows him down where they discover over a dozen eggs in
Spike's crupt. The eggs then open quickly and Buffy and Riley are attacked
by dozens of spiddery demons. They lunge out of the basement and toss an
explosive into the basement, killing all the demons.
Later, outside the Magic Box, Riley and Buffy are talking
and Buffy admits that she's sleeping with Spike. Riley tells her that he
was terrified of coming back to see her. He tells her that her sleeping
with Spike, or her crummy job doesn't touch her, that she was his first
love and the strongest woman he's ever known. She tells him that she's sorry
for what happened between them. Riley and Sam then say their goodbyes and
take off in a helicopter.
After considering what Riley told her, Buffy goes to Spike's
crupt and tells him that it's over. He doesn't believe her at first, and
she admits that she does want him, but that she's using him. She can't love
him and it's killing her. She apologizes and walks out on him.
I was so damn happy I could have cried desperate tears of
joy. Riley Finn, how do I put this? I LOVE YOU. You're one of the
best things that ever happened to Buffy Summers. You knocked some sense
into her. As soon as Riley appeared on screen my eyes must have popped out
of my face. I was so happy to see him. He brought back a little something
special to the show. He brought Buffy back to her senses. And to all you
damn people out there telling me that I'm wrong to think the way I do...
well lookie here! Buffy said herself that her "relationship" with
Spike was killing her inside. Anyway when Riley gave his little speech to
Buffy at the end I broke into this wonderful grin... he was exactly what
she needed. And I'm ever so glad for that. She IS special, and she doesn't
need some fuck friend to make her feel better about her life. When Riley
found Buffy in bed with Spike... well I just about lost it. That was scary.
Jeez. And though the Buffy/Spike break up scene wasn't what I was looking
for (WILLIAM? I WANT YOU???) I suppose beggar's can't be choosers and I'll
sure as hell take this break up over anything at this point. It was really
nice to see Riley come back, I don't care if he was used to knock some sense
into Buffy, I was just glad to see it happen. The one thing I really didn't
like was the whole demons thing. I know they needed a reason for Riley to
come back, but Spike as some doctor PROTECTING demons just sounded way too
stupid to me. Ah well... now I'm free. No more Spike and Buffyness.
