Title: Common Ground
Summary: Graham and Riley talk about their future after the Initiative
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Minor for ?Where the Wild Things Are?, and ?Restless?, major for ?Primevil?
Disclaimer: They?re not mine
Archive: UCSL, Xanderslash, Graham Crackers
Date: May 30, 2000
E-mail: Saone@yahoo.com

*********

?Hey.?

?Hey.?

?So.?

?So.?

I?ve never been an overly verbose guy, but this conversation with Riley was bordering on painful, and that says a lot considering my tolerance levels got pretty high during that debriefing we just sat through. Speaking of which. . .

?How was the. . .?

?Fine. Yours??

?Okay.?

?Good.?

We stand for a few more minutes in a tense silence. Neither one of us moves. Neither one of us wants to leave it like this.

Riley, ever the commander, asks the first actual question. ?You know what you?re gonna do yet??

I shake my head. ?I haven?t made any definite plans. . . but, I know I?m out.?

He looks surprised, like he really wasn?t expecting me to say that. ?They?re not pressuring you into this are they? Cause I?ll accept full blame for. . .?

?No, Ri. It?s my decision, my choice.? I feel a rueful smile form on my face. ?It?s about time I started making them on my own, ya know.?

I see a glimmer of understanding in his eyes, then the admonishment. ?There are a few specific people who are to blame for everything that happened at the Initiative, Graham, and you are definitely not one of them.?

?I know I?m not responsible for it, but I sure as hell could have handled things better.?

?You did what you had to do.?

?No, I did what I was told.?

?That?s what soldiers are supposed to do.? Riley insists.

?And, that?s why I can?t be one anymore.? I shrug. ?I just can?t go back to being the good little soldier boy, Riley. Not after everything I?ve seen, not after everything that?s happened. The world?s not normal, not by a long shot. . . and I can?t ignore that.?

Riley?s brow creases and his lips purse, and for the first time I notice how his ?deep thinking? face looks remarkably like his ?just ate the strange green stuff from the cafeteria? face. Huh.

?So, you gonna go back home?? He finally asks.

?I?ve thought about it. But, not too keen on answering any questions that might come up about my sudden career change.? I pause, wondering how I should approach this next topic. ?I do think I?m gonna head to Saint Louis for a few days, though.?

I don?t think I?ve ever seen Riley?s eyes look so haunted before. ?You can?t tell them the truth. . . they?re better off not knowing it anyway.?

?I know that, but they?re due more then just an official telegram and a weighted casket.? I don?t want to get angry with him, especially not over this. ?They?re his folks, Ri. They deserve more.?

?You?re right. . . they do.?

I really don?t want to ask, but I need. . . something. ?Ri. . . I. . . Forrest, is he. . . was he. . .?

Riley cuts me off. ?He?s at peace now. . . and that?s all that really matters.?

That?s not the answer I wanted, and he knows it, but I?m not gonna press.

I stick my hands in my pockets, and start the line of questions I?ve been thinking about since I first saw him earlier today. ?So, what about you??

He raises an eyebrow. ?What, about me??

?What are you gonna do now.?

?Haven?t given it much thought.? He chuckled. ?I mean, I?ve been so busy just surviving lately, I. . . I didn?t bother thinking about. . . after.? He runs a hand through his hair. ?Hell, for a while there, I wasn?t even sure there was gonna be an after.? He pauses for a moment, then smiles. ?I do know that I?m gonna stay in Sunnydale.?

?Because of Buffy.?

?No. . . yeah. . . partly.? He sighs. ?It?s complicated.?

Tell me about it. ?You?re gonna keep fighting.?

He nods. ?This is the real stuff, Graham. I mean, this war isn?t just about the leaders of two countries getting into a pissing contest. We?re talking actual good, and evil here.?

I take a deep breath, cause people are supposed to take deep breaths when they start a new part of their life. ?Need any help??

He doesn?t look surprised. ?I can?t speak for everyone, but, I?m pretty sure the fight against darkness could always use another hand.?

?You think they?ll have me??

?Probably. I mean, you want to help for all the right reasons, right??

?Of course.? I look at him reproachfully.

He gives me this wide grin. ?Ah, so the fact that you?re totally smitten with Xander doesn?t factor into this decision at all.?

Son of a. . .

?H-how did you. . .?

?Oh please,? He scoffs. ?Like anyone could miss those longing looks you were sending his way at that party.? He lays a hand on my shoulder. ?I may be an idiot when it comes to figuring out who *I* like, but. . .?

?Yeah, yeah, I get the idea.? I shrug him off. If there was one thing I wanted to keep to myself, that was it. Course, I can?t stay mad at Riley. I really want to, but I can?t. . . not with that great, big, doofy grin on his face.

Okay, so Riley knows. This could be a good thing. ?So, do you think. . . I mean, would he. . . uh. . .?

He shrugs. ?Not sure. . . But. . .?

Crap. Oh Crap. I know that look. It?s got meddleing written all over it.

?Riley, don?t even think about it. I mean it!?

He gives me his ?I have no idea what you?re talking about because I?m as innocent as a new seedling? face. ?I think. . . that summertime is rife with possibilities.?

Rife?

Rife?!

Dammit.

I wonder if it?s too late to join the Air Force?

**********


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