We made a little small talk and than I got to the point. "Riley, don't you think there's something a little strange about Rupert and Buffy's relationship?"

He looked confused. "Like what?"

"Well, they're… I'm just… (That's right Sharon, act like you're uncomfortable talking about these kind of things) I'm not sure their relationship is all that platonic. And if it is, I'm not sure it will stay like that for long. He has this hold on her… a certain magic spell… I'm not sure she can resist that (Like I care if he blames Rupert? All I care about is him getting her out of that house).

"So you're saying…"

"I'm saying you should try to protect what's yours before she's swept away into something she's not ready for, something that won't be good for her."

A man has both a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to operate one at a time. Fortunately for me, Riley was thinking with his penis. Some might say heart, but we all know that nothing north of the stomach does anything in a man.

He came with me to Rupert's apartment. We both knew where Rupert was and went over to Buffy's room.

And stopped dead in our track at what we overheard.

"Just put it in your mouth, I'll do the rest. And don't forget to swallow."

"It's too salty."

"I'm sorry, I didn't make it this way, you know."

"Well, do I have to take it all in?"

"As much as you can. The more the better, but do try not to bite down."

Riley and I looked at each other, than picked through the slightly ajar door.

Rupert was sitting next to Buffy, holding a bottle with juice, probably mixed with medicine. She was leaning on him, looking worse than I ever saw her, the bottle in her mouth. What he meant by "I'll do the rest" was that he was holding her up and the bottle in a comfortable angel, as she was completely covered with the blankets.

Riley cleared his throat, and Rupert looked up. "Hello."

He came in and I followed him. "Hi, how is she?"

"Taken a turn for the worse, I fear." Awww, poor baby…

Buffy opened her eyes slightly. She made a sound that might have been "Hi", but that juice bottle (He'd buy juice for her, but not for me?) was interrupting.

Well, Riley at least was on my side.

Against me were her buddies. They all let Rupert treat them like little kids sometimes, and it was hard to convince him it wasn't good for Buffy when they all excepted it so openly.

They came over for launch (uninvited), bursting in (without knocking), laughing a little at Xander's expense.

Buffy was asleep, but that didn't matter to them. They could visit Rupert or just hang around there, regardless of Buffy's whereabouts. Believe me I know, I once found myself alone with them. I had to do more than get Rupert away from Buffy. I had to get him away from them.

That would be harder, as Riley liked them and got along quite well with them. I was all alone on that fight.

Well, so was God when he created the world.

Xander and Anya were sitting on the chair, kissing like there's no tomorrow. Willow was trying to teach that Spike guy how to use her laptop, but he was almost as stubborn as Rupert about that sort of thing.

And Rupert… Rupert was helping Riley study something, which he obviously enjoyed doing. Considering he didn't seem to like him that much when Buffy was around, he was surprisingly friendly when she was in a different room.

Riley kept staring at Rupert, obviously thinking about what I said to him. He would be ready for action by the time Buffy woke up, I was sure of that.

What are buddies for?

The End

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