"Just moral support? How come? Don't get me wrong, it's a wholly honorable position to fill, and I'm glad Buffy still has that to count on, but I always figured you as capable of more."
Using his napkin to wipe a bit of stray guacamole off his fingers, Riley moved on, allowing that question to remain rhetorical. It was an honest question, and well meant, but having asked it, Riley suspected he might have come across like a disapproving parent.
"I'm not talking to Angel, simply because I don't trust myself to do so with a level head. Okay, he's one of the good guys, a hero even. All the evidence points that way, or did until recently at least, so based on what you're telling me now, I can believe it. Regardless, some people just don't get along, and I just do not like that guy. And I don't want that unduly coloring my perceptions, not for something this important. And I'm not talking to Buffy...well, there are a couple good reasons for that too. Not the least of which is that I tried to dart her the other day. I didn't see that I had a lot of choice at the time, but I doubt she'll be feeling all that friendly when she learns that was me, and I can't say I blame her.
"That said, while I DID think of talking to Buffy, the fact is that the choices Buffy's made lately have caused a lot of people a lot of alarm, even before she started working for Wolfram and Hart. This Slayer army you've all been gathering...well, if you like, I'd be more than happy to explain everything. But for the moment, let me just come right to it.
"Personal feelings aside, Buffy and Angel are not the ideal people for me to talk to, precisely because they ARE the decision makers. My guess is they're already convinced that the choices they've made are the right ones, precisely because they're the ones who made them. You, on the other hand, are high enough up the chain of command to know what goes into those choices, but removed enough to take an honest look at them. If you tell me the way you're doing things is the right way to go, I worry less that you're saying it because it was your decision and you're feeling defensive. And if you tell me something was a mistake...well, I'll know you've given that some thought too.
"So, there it is. I need the most unbiased, objective and reasoned assessment I can get, but I also need it from someone I feel like I can trust. That's you."