"The Slayer is some kind of boogey-man for the sub-terrestrials. She's a myth, Ry."

"So you're telling me she doesn't exist."

"Am I bursting someone's bubble here? Maybe this is a bad time to tell you about the Easter Bunny."

Forrest was recalling his conversation with Riley earlier in the week. He laughed to himself again, thinking about Riley's look of disappointment when Forrest had burst his fairy tale bubble. Funny, though, Riley had almost looked disappointed in him, not in his answer.

Bounding up the stairs, he knocked at Riley's door, then opened it without waiting for a response. "Riley, you're needed downstairs..." his voice trailed off as he took in the scene before him. Buffy and Riley were entwined on the bed, locked in a passionate embrace. They were both oblivious to him.

"Well, it looks like Riley and Buffy made up," Graham commented, peering over Forrest's shoulder to get a better look at the action on the bed.

"Didn't know they had a fight," Forrest commented, debating whether or not to interrupt. He decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and voyeurism was good too. He continued to stand in the doorway, avidly taking in the heavy kissing session in progress.

Rolling Buffy away from the door and toward the edge of the bed, Riley blocked her from the guys' view. Both sighed in disappointment.

"Haven't your mothers ever told you it's not polite to stare?" came a feminine voice from behind Riley's back. "Riley, your friends are a couple of Peeping Toms who are obviously suffering from a lack of their own girl action."

Riley groaned, then unwrapped his arms from around Buffy and sat up. Buffy remained laying on the bed, her hair spread on the pillow, lips slightly swollen from Riley's passionate assault.

"Could your timing be any worse?" Riley glared at his two friends.

"Sorry, man, but you're needed downstairs...a new 'pledge' just came in," Forrest nodded at him significantly. He shut the door and turned to Graham. "Should we wait for him?"

"Nah, give them some privacy," Graham said, grabbing Forrest's arm and walking him toward the stairs. "Riley's been stressing out about something with him and Buffy ever since the night he found those demons in the clocktower. Came back the other night from reconning with a mean attitude and a load of pain about Buffy."

"Where was I?" Forrest asked, somewhat hurt that Graham had been the one Riley turned to.

"Guy, he said he felt like you were sick of hearing about Buffy. He needed to unload, he and Buffy had just had a huge fight. Wouldn't say what about, just that she had a carrying around a lot of past issues and he couldn't seem to get through to her. " Graham paused for a minute, looking thoughtful. "I think she told him she didn't want to see him anymore, not that they had really started dating yet."

"Who can understand the female of the species," Forrest commented. "From what I see, she must have parked her issues somewhere on her way over here. That was not a 'get out of my life' scene we just walked in on." They headed down the stairs toward the lab.

"Sorry, Buffy, I have to go. The team brought in a new Hostile that I need to try to talk to," Riley paused, then reached out to caress Buffy's face. "Will you stay? I'll only be gone about an hour."

"Sure, I can play hooky from my life for one evening," Buffy nodded with a smile. "One more kiss before you go?"

She reached her arms up to Riley, and he picked her up, kissing her with a warm, loving possession that made her melt. Passion quickly reignited between the two of them, an overwhelming emotional surge that she had only felt once before, with Angel.

Maybe it is possible to move on, she thought to herself, then pulled away and smiled at Riley. "You'd better get going, big guy. Hey, do you mind if I go on down and raid your 'fridge? With all you big, strapping men in this house, you must have major food products in your kitchen."

"Sure," Riley smiled, grabbing her hand and leading her to the door. "Just don't snack on the big, strapping men, okay?"

She laughed as she followed him down the stairs. Leaving her happily digging through the contents of the House refrigerator, he headed for the Initiative lab entrance. Confirming his voice identity with the words, "MY girl," he grinned happily, waiting for the elevator to open. When it did, he was greeted by the sight of Forrest, being held in a headlock by a Hostile demon.

"Take me out!" it demanded in a gutteral voice, tightening its grip around Forrest's neck. It pushed Forrest forward into the elevator, and Riley backed up into the wall, hands held up and arms spread, offering no resistance. Forrest's eyes pleaded with him to do something, anything, but Riley could see no way to rescue Forrest before the beast snapped his neck.

The doors slid closed.

Buffy was just putting the finishing touches on her *rather large, sloppy sandwich* she thought critically, looking with disgust at the lettuce, tomatoes, ham, and cheese sticking out everywhere from inside the Kaiser roll slathered in mayonnaise and mustard. *Gotta get a grip on the old snackage impulse* she told herself, then shrugged and took a huge bite. Getting up from the stool she had been sitting on, she headed over to the cabinets and began opening them one by one, looking for a glass.

"Okay...beer nuts, breakfast food, rat traps...oooh, that's gross. Who keeps rat traps next to the cereal boxes? Well, I guess it makes sense if you have hungry rats..." Buffy's voice trailed off as she heard a shout, then the sounds of a struggle.

The door burst open suddenly, and Buffy whirled to see Riley backing into the room, one step ahead of a large demon holding a very scared and not breathing well at all Forrest. This was not a good thing, Buffy realized, sensing her cover, and Riley's, was about to be blown. *May as well get it over with* she thought with resignation.

"Interesting frat pledges you guys accept these days, Riley," she said, circling to get out from behind the center island. Looking closely at the demon, she realized she had fought him just a couple of weeks before. He and another demon had tried to grab her for a sacrifice deal to some Lizard God, to bring on yet another demon invasion. Demon One was currently worm food, but this one had managed to get away during the fight.

"Slayer!" it growled, and abruptly loosened its hold on Forrest, throwing him to one side.

"That would be me," Buffy said agreeably, then continued, exasperated, "You demon types really don't know when to pack your bags and head home from vacation, do you?"

The demon leapt at her, claws outstretched. Buffy jumped to one side, and the demon slammed into the cabinet behind her. Spinning around, she stiff-armed him across the face, then threw him onto the center island. Kicking her in the stomach, it jumped to its feet, stalking toward her crouched on the ground. Riley reached out and snagged a stool, hitting the demon across its back. Turning to Riley, it reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders, flinging him across the room and into Forrest, who was attempting to get back to his feet. The two men collided and went down in a tangle of arms and legs.

Jumping to her feet, Buffy took the opportunity to glance around for a weapon while the demon was distracted. Her eyes lit on the coffee pot, still half full, and she grabbed it from its hot plate. "Hesitant though I am to encourage caffeine consumption, I think now would be a good time for you to have some coffee," she announced, splashing the hot liquid into the demon's face as it turned back toward her. It screamed in pain and grabbed at its face with both hands. Buffy gave it an uppercut that threw it halfway across the room toward Forrest and Riley, who were getting to their feeet. The demon slid into them, knocking them back down.

Buffy winced and cried out, "Sorry!" She yanked the demon back to its feet, putting it into a headlock. Since she was much shorter than the demon, this bent it backward, forcing it to hold still or be snapped in half. "Do you guys want this one back? Personally, I think he's a little too rowdy to pledge here, maybe a different House would be a better choice?" Raising an eyebrow at Riley, she crushed down on the demon's windpipe, choking it into unconsciousness. It slumped to the floor, and she backed away.

Going to the sink, she calmly washed her hands, poured herself a glass of water, then sat back down to finish her miraculously undisturbed sandwich.

Riley handcuffed the demon with a pair of pliable restraints pulled from his back pocket, then took Forrest's radio and called for backup.

Forrest staggered to his feet, and Riley steadied him. "What...who...how..." Forrest had a hard time articulating his disjointed thoughts.

Riley shrugged at Buffy, who sighed in acceptance.

"Forrest," Riley said, turning to the other man and waving in Buffy's direction. "Meet the Easter Bunny."