“Hi, Riley.” Buffy kept her tone light and easy as she turned her attention to Riley. “What’s up?”

A strange, perplexed sort of smile came over his face as he looked at her, stepping slowly nearer. “I was sort of hoping you could tell me, Buffy,” he replied, his voice calm and even. “What exactly are you doing here?” he asked with a soft little laugh, shaking his head slightly in amused disbelief.

“I just came home for some of my things,” she explained with an innocent little shrug, meeting his steps toward her with a few of her own, not wanting to appear intimidated or afraid of him in any way.

After all – now that her Slayer-strength was back where it belonged, she could knock him senseless with her pinkie if she wanted to.

“Huh.” Riley did not sound at all convinced. “Find a lot of stuff that you left in *my office*?” he asked pointedly, his tone mild and teasing, but his eyes dark with anger and suspicion he could not quite conceal.

“Just thought I should check everywhere,” she replied. “I’m not planning on coming back anytime soon. So I figured I’d better be sure I have everything when I go for good.”

“Yeah,” he smirked, glancing past her at the frightened vampire behind her, still standing by the wall, his eyes downcast. “Bringing back some things of mine, too, I see.” Riley smiled when Spike flinched slightly.

Buffy’s own expression darkened, her eyes narrowing and her smile becoming cool. “I didn’t leave with anything of yours,” she informed him with a soft intensity. There was a quiet threat in her voice, and a wiser man would have heeded it.

Riley, on the other hand, was not exactly a wise man. He persisted, stepping closer to her and a little to the side, as if to pass her. Although she smoothly stepped into his path, not allowing him to get any nearer to Spike than he already was, the shaken vampire still drew back in alarm at Riley’s subtlely menacing move, and the larger man smiled in satisfaction at achieving his desired effect.

“I think you did, Honey,” he laughed softly, his cold eyes never leaving Spike’s face. “And I’ve got the papers to prove it.” His eyes finally came to rest on Buffy again, wanting to see her reaction to his words.

The Slayer was utterly unphased. “Yeah,” she sneered softly with a single nod. “I saw those. I wasn’t terribly impressed.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Riley’s irritation was clear in his voice. He had expected his revelation to at least shake her up a little. He had not counted on her snooping around in his office and finding out ahead of time what he was planning, robbing him of the pleasure of seeing the expression on her face when she found out what was going to happen to her precious pet.

And why was she not any more upset over it than she was, anyway?

Buffy just shrugged, that infuriatingly calm smile still on her face. “Just that I’ve got some papers of my own that I’d like *you* to see.” She walked slowly toward the desk, knowing that she had provided just enough information to arouse his curiosity, and that he would undoubtedly follow her to the desk.

He planned to – but not without a little detour first. He took a single step toward Spike, who flinched back against the wall behind him, terrified at his approach, not as much by Riley himself, as by the threat that he represented. Riley’s recent torture had been agonizing and terrifying, but was nothing compared to the suffering he had experienced in the training center.

And he knew that Riley had the power to send him back there any time he felt like it.

Riley smiled, enjoying the effect he had on the well-trained slave, planning to enjoy it even more before all was said and done – but before he could take a second step toward Spike, Buffy caught his arm and yanked him back around to face her, startling him with her strength, her hand on his arm painfully tight.

“If you try to go near him again…I’ll break your arm,” she said sweetly, with a wide, false smile – but her eyes were deadly serious.

Her patronizing manner was absolutely infuriating to him, and he opened his mouth to respond, but Buffy released his arm as suddenly as she had grabbed it, and turned dismissively back toward the desk, her attention back on the papers scattered over it -- and Riley’s curiosity got the better of him in spite of himself.

He walked up to the desk, and she stepped aside to allow him closer, standing behind him and a bit to the side with an expectant smile on her face as he picked up the paper she indicated and began to scan it quickly. Buffy and Spike both held their breath, waiting for his response as Riley read through the legal arrangement she had come up with.

Then – Riley laughed out loud.

“Buffy,” he gasped after a moment, giving her an incredulous look, still laughing. “You – you can’t be serious!”

“I am,” she insisted, her voice still calm and even, but her eyes sparking with anger.

Riley’s eyes widened when he realized that she was indeed absolutely serious, and turned his eyes back to the paper in his hand, looking it over more closely for a moment. “Buffy,” he said in a slow, overly patient voice, without taking his eyes off the page. “First of all – this is ridiculous. Like I’d ever just sign over my rights to an expensive slave like him to you! I mean, come on, Buffy. Why don’t you try actually thinking for a second for a change?”

The patronizing tone, the insulting way of speaking that he had used with her for so long, that she had gotten used to while living with him, now was terribly offensive and utterly unacceptable to her. She could hardly believe that she had put up with it for as long as she had.

Clearly, Spike found it unacceptable as well. They were all surprised – himself included – by the low growl that suddenly rose in his throat, as he stared intently at the man who was speaking so derisively to the woman he loved.

Riley’s eyes narrowed in fury and he turned his attention to Spike – but Buffy’s recent threat was still fresh in his mind, and he knew that now, she was capable of carrying it out. So he did not make a move toward the vampire, just gave him a cold, menacing smile.

“See,” he remarked in a tone of mild amusement. “That’s why you need a trip back through training, Spike. They'll teach you to show a little respect again.”

The words had their desired effect, as the anger in Spike’s eyes faded into fear, and he dropped his gaze, stepping back again, and shook his head slightly, whispering, “No…no…”

It was stunning and heartbreaking to Buffy to see how quickly he backed down when faced with the threat of the training center – and it enraged her to see how badly Riley and those who worked for him had damaged Spike, and so many others.

“That’s *not* going to happen!” she snapped, her tone furious, and strained with the effort of keeping control of her anger. If things went as she expected them to, she would get the chance to vent her wrath on the sadistic prick she was married to soon enough. Of course, her rational mind reminded her that the best case scenario would not exactly involve violence.

This was one time when she did not hope for the best.

Riley looked at her and laughed in disbelief. “I don’t see how you think you’re gonna stop it from happening, Buffy,” he said, a cold, hard sound coming into his voice, though it lost none of its amusement at her words. “See – you have a little problem, Sweetie. This cute little piece of paper is missing a signature.”

His eyes hardened, his smile fading away as he paused to allow his meaning to sink in; he had absolutely no intention of signing the paper she had composed. “Like it or not, he’s *mine*. And I’ll send him back through training again if I feel like it.” He looked back at Spike with a cruel smirk and added, “And I think I *really* feel like it!”

Buffy took a deep breath, looking at the floor for a moment, before meeting his eyes again coolly. She was trying very hard not to show any reaction to Spike’s obvious distress at Riley’s threats; she knew that appearing to care too much would give Riley an advantage she did not want him to have.

Of course, her next words were going to make it all too clear just how much she cared.

“Riley,” she said slowly, her tone and eyes becoming serious. “I have an offer for you, and I’m only going to make it once. If you choose to turn it down – all bets are off.”

A mocking smirk rose to his lips as he asked her in a patient, indulgent voice, “Okay then. What is it?”

“If you’ll sign those papers – I’ll sign over all my rights to any alimony or support of any kind. From now on. If you’ll give me ownership of Spike right now – I’ll consider that our divorce settlement, and won’t ask for anything else.” Buffy’s voice was soft, clear, as she made her startling announcement, her eyes honest and open as they met those of her husband.

Spike could not hold back a little gasp of shock. After what had just happened between them, the terrible mistake he was sure he had just made, for her to make such a sacrifice, just to save him from the misery Riley wanted to inflict on him – the thought was overwhelming. He felt tears of gratitude spring to his eyes, and he swallowed back the lump that rose in his throat, wide blue eyes staring at her in grateful disbelief.

Riley’s eyes widened, also disbelieving at her words. For a moment, he seemed to consider her offer. After all, he was a very wealthy man. What she was giving up, realistically speaking, amounted to millions of dollars, the very least that she would certainly be granted in even the smallest of divorce settlements. He would be a fool not to even consider her stunning offer.

Then, a slow, smug smile came over his lips, and Buffy knew his decision before he said a word. “You know, Buffy,” he said quietly, shaking his head. “It’s tempting – but it’s just not worth it. This is just gonna be too much fun to pass up. Besides – when you’ve got as much as I do – what’s a few million? I’d really rather give you the money.”

Buffy’s smile was unexpected, and unnerving. “I thought you’d say that,” she replied, and the threat in her eyes was revealed in her voice as she stepped toward him. “I *hoped* you’d say that.

Riley’s eyes widened in surprise – and fear – as he realized exactly what she meant. Her Slayer strength made her much stronger than he was. He was not on the same strength-enhancing medications that his men were on – unlike them, he knew about the potential nasty side effects that came along with the super-strength. He took a step back away from her in alarm, obviously aware that things had just taken a dangerous turn for him.

And then, things began to happen very quickly, all at once.

Spike saw Riley’s hand reaching back toward his pocket, and opened his mouth to warn Buffy, realizing with alarm that he must have a weapon concealed there. At the same moment he stepped forward, intent on stopping Riley, though he knew that he could not do anything to hurt him. What happened to him did not matter; all he cared about was keeping Buffy from getting hurt.

But the Slayer had spotted the threat for herself, and before he could say a word or make much of a move, she had caught Riley’s wrist in her hand, an inch from its goal. Smiling into his eyes, she reached her other hand around and into his pocket, pulling out a compact, black pistol.

Her eyes widened in mock surprise. “Riley!” she gasped, with exaggerated shock and hurt in her voice. “What in the world were you going to do with this?”

For the first time during the whole encounter, Riley’s smile faded completely, and he swallowed hard, his eyes widening at the sight of the weapon in his wife’s small hand. “Buffy,” he said softly. “I wasn’t reaching for that. I carry it for protection. Please put it down.” His voice was carefully measured, calm, as if he were speaking to some deranged, psychotic person.

She found it terribly annoying.

“Maybe you’re right,” she went on in the same mockingly serious tone, shifting the weapon in her hand, at the same time using her hold on his wrist and her greater strength to maneuver them both around so that his back was to her, and he was facing the desk, with her standing behind him. “It’s probably not safe for me to have this. Being just a clueless little woman and all; it’s not like I have any experience in combat or anything.”

The angry, sarcastic note in her voice made him close his eyes for a moment with a little grimace, remembering just how skilled Buffy *was* in the art of violence – though he did not believe that she was anywhere near the expert he was in actual cruelty.

He hoped he was right.

“I really *don’t* have a clue how to use this thing,” she confessed in a secretive tone, leaning in close in a confiding sort of way. “Never really had much of a chance to practice, what with guns not being the usual weapon of choice against monsters.” She paused, suddenly pressing the gun to his temple, smiling when he winced at the contact, and added, “But I’ve learned recently, Riley – there are all kinds of monsters.”

He did not resist her, his demeanor and expression remaining calm, his military training warning him against doing anything to startle her while the gun was in such a dangerous position. “Buffy – you *really* don’t want to do this,” he warned her quietly, calmly. “You’re about to cross a line you can’t go back from. Right now, you can still just walk out of here, and we’ll just act like this never happened…”

“Right,” she smirked. “You would love it if we just walked out and forgot this whole thing, wouldn't you? Considering that *you're* the one who decided to pull a gun on *me*. I think you’re the one who’d have some explaining to do if this little incident came to light. I was the one threatened; all *I’m* doing is defending myself. And to tell you the truth -- I'm not ready to leave yet," she informed him with a smile, "so why don't you have a seat,” as she spoke she put her hand on his shoulder and shoved him forcefully into his desk chair, “and we’ll finish this conversation. Okay?”

“Okay,” he said softly, very much aware of the gun that was still in her hand, though she had removed it from his head. “What exactly do you want, Buffy?”

Wordlessly she took the sheet of paper that he still held in his hand and laid it on the desk in front of him, smoothing it slowly, then taking a pen from the holder on his desk and placing it pointedly on top of the paper, giving him an expectant look.

Riley stared at it for a moment, and then laughed softly. “That’s all?” he asked with a mocking note in his voice.

“That’s all,” Buffy affirmed, fighting back her irritation and keeping her voice calm. “What more do I need? This paper affirms that you’re signing your ownership of Spike over to me, relinquishing any and all control over him into my hands.” She shrugged. “And that you’re signing this of your own free will, without any form of duress or intimidation.” She could not suppress the smirk that rose to her lips at the humorous irony of the statement.

Despite his situation, neither could Riley. He shook his head slowly, looking down at the paper. “You don’t call this duress?” he asked her, his mocking expression telling her that he still really didn’t see her as much of a threat. “Well, of course not,” he answered his own question with a sneer. “You don’t even know what ‘duress’ means, do you, Sweetie? That little baby in your hand right there pretty much qualifies.”

His mocking, derisive tone, talking to her as if she were a stupid child, infuriated her. “You know,” she said softly. “you’re right. Guess I’d better ditch this thing, huh? Never liked them anyway.”

She looked up at Spike, who was watching the situation intently from that same spot by the wall. Catching his eye, she tossed the weapon to him, and he caught it quickly in his hands, giving her a questioning look. “Just hold it,” she told him gently, looking back to Riley, who was looking incredulously between Buffy and Spike.

“You know you’re no good at this whole strong-arming thing, right?” he sneered. “He can’t even use that thing!”

“That’s kind of the idea,” Buffy shrugged with a smile. “The gun’s out of play. They make me nervous.” Suddenly she grabbed his hair and yanked his head back, smiling into his eyes. “And I don’t need it anyway.”

Riley winced in pain, as she picked up the pen and pressed it into his hand. “Buffy, you don’t know what you’re doing here. I’m a very powerful man…”

She only yanked his head back harder, so hard that another inch would snap his neck. “You don’t look very powerful to me right now, Riley,” she said softly. Then her voice hardened as she snapped, “Now shut up and sign it!”

Riley was obviously restraining his natural instinct to fight her, knowing that it would prove to be futile. His knuckles were white on the desk, his hands gripping the edge tightly. He did not respond for a long moment, closing his eyes. Then, surprisingly, he opened them, smiling oddly.

“Okay…okay, Buffy, just…just relax. I’ll sign your paper. Okay? Just ease up.”

*Well. That was easy.*

Buffy frowned, a little suspicious, but not about to argue when she was so close to her goal. She released her grip on his hair, stepping back a little. “Go ahead. Sign it,” she urged him.

Smiling at her coldly, not even looking at the paper, he scrawled his signature onto the line she had indicated. “There ya go,” he smirked. “All set.”

Her frown deepened, as she searched his expression. “What are you smiling about?” she demanded, suddenly feeling very apprehensive.

At exactly that moment, the door burst open, and about a dozen armed men flooded the room, guns drawn and aimed at the Slayer and the vampire, as Riley slowly stood from the chair and took a step away from her, a smirk on his face as he replied smugly, indicating the men with a wave of his hand.

“That.”