What if... (Into The Woods)

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Berktwad
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Buffy had got there in time? What would have happened? How do you think things would have went? Would Buffy have expressed regrets? Would Riley have apologized to her? Would they have kissed while the helicopter flew away? 😉

Go ahead and write what you think would have happened then, and also how the season would have played out with Riley amongst them!

P.S: I know Spuffies will be annoyed by this, but still, I'm not saying Spuffy wouldn't happen, it could still have, but how would it have played out with Riley still there?
 
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Willow My Love
Best. Banner. Ever. :p
I think she would have tried harder with him, but ultimately, he wasn't long-term guy. Buffy took him for granted. He loved her, but she didn't love him in the same way. Not saying she didn't love him at all, just she wasn't in love with him. I feel like when she met him, she was still hurt from Angel. She hadn't healed properly. I feel more like he was rebound guy, rather than someone she was in it for the long-haul with.

Had he stayed, I think, eventually, he would have left anyhow. Riley wasn't happy there anyway.
 
Willow My Love said:
Had he stayed, I think, eventually, he would have left anyhow. Riley wasn't happy there anyway.
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Agreed. I think if he had stayed it would have been good for a while, Buffy would have tried more to show him how she felt (at the sacrifice of what one might wonder? Her plate was already quite full) but then eventually they would have ended up in a similar position yet again.

You can't change someone, Buffy was giving what she could and Riley wanted more, it's not really either of their's fault. They just weren't perfectly compatible, at least not right then and there. Riley's insecurities or his lack of things to do wouldn't have gone away... in Sunnydale he more or less existed for Buffy only, whereas she had a whole calling and life. He needed to go away and do his own thing, even if he loved her I don't think he was truly happy being non-soldier guy.
 
I think Buffy might have convinced him to stay, but I do think things would have ended eventually, I'm not sure if he would have left before the Gift, and it would be interesting to see Riley reaction to Buffy's death.
 
these are really good thoughts. I do think that it would have only prolonged the inevitable, like you guys are saying...

Interesting question, [MENTION=11401]ticonderouga[/MENTION], regarding how riley would have reacted to buffy's death.

I'm thinking that if everything else had happened pretty much in the same way, and spike had still had warren make the buffy bot and glory had still mistaken him for the key and tortured him... I think buffy knowing that would have really affected things between her and riley.
 
I think he would have stayed. Undoubtedly they would have had an incredible make up kiss while the helicopter pulled away, and probably would have enjoyed a really golden few weeks (maybe even a couple months) of renewed vitality for their relationship. It wouldn't last though. They would still end up parting. However, I do think it is more likely that Riley would have ended up staying out of duty, due to the gravity of the Glory situation and the pain of Joyce's passing. That really blows the whole ending of S5/start of S6 wide open. Would he have stayed and looked after Dawn? I think that is likely. I also think the whole thing would have absolutely broken him.
 
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Another thought that I had, is would Glory's minions have mistaken Riley for the key rather then Tara and/or Spike? After all, Riley would make more sense then Tara would. He's much closer to Buffy, so she would be in a better position to protect him then she would for either Spike or Tara. So would Riley have been brain sucked and/or tortured by Glory? Or would he have been killed, trying to protect Dawn or Buffy? I think one of the reasons why they wrote Riley out when they did was because he would seriously complicate the plot.
 
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Willow My Love
Good point.
He would've stayed but it wouldn't have lasted much longer. I mean Riley still can't stand the fact that Buffy is stronger than him, and Buffy still wouldn't be able to let him into her life and just thoughts more. She doesn't need protection. She says that in an episode, something along the lines of being a slayer means you always have to be in control. Plus, I don't know if she could forgive him or look at him the same way after he willingly got himself bit time and time again by vampires.
 
I think they'd be happy for a week or so and then fall back into the same pattern. Eventually, he would've left.

Yeah Buffy realized that she wants him in her life but that doesn't change the fact that she can't give him her heart. Riley would've been happy that she came after him but he still can't stand that she's stronger than him and that she won't let him in emotionally.

It would be interesting to see how The Body would play out with Riley in the picture. Would the graveyard scene with Angel even exist? If it did, how would that change Buffy/Riley's relationship?
 
I don't think it would have lasted. I don't think he would respect her decision to sacrifice herself instead of Dawn. If somehow he was responsible for Dawn's death that would have pulled them apart, and if he wasn't responsible but she died, it would affect Buffy so much that she'd change. She might have been exactly like she was in season six anyway, just for different reasons.
 
Willow My Love said:
I think she would have tried harder with him, but ultimately, he wasn't long-term guy. Buffy took him for granted. He loved her, but she didn't love him in the same way. Not saying she didn't love him at all, just she wasn't in love with him. I feel like when she met him, she was still hurt from Angel. She hadn't healed properly. I feel more like he was rebound guy, rather than someone she was in it for the long-haul with.
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I agree. As much as I loved Riley and Riley with Buffy, I know they wouldn't have lasted long-term because Buffy's heart wasn't in it nearly as much as Riley's was.
 
I think it would end up anyway. Their relationship wasn't perfect and definitely not long-term.
Riley had too many problems with himself, Buffy couldn't focus on him so it had no chances to work.
 
I think they would've gone in circles no matter how much harder Buffy tried to let him in & really love him.
 
I think he would have stayed, but the relationship would have ended eventually, as he wasn't the right guy for her.
 
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