Title: "Macaroni Key," part two of the "Macaroni Drowning" trilogy

Author: LadyAvalon

Category: Angst – and then some

Rating: R – for language and adult situations

Spoilers: Buffy: "The Body," "The Gift," and Season 6 up to "Once More, With Feeling"; "Angel:" None as far as I know; BSB: How can you spoil a BSB? Ah, to be able to find that out!

Summary: Two friends visit Sunnydale to help Buffy and Dawn and find more than they'd bargained for.

Theme song: "Round Here," Counting Crows; "Rain King," Counting Crows

Author's note: OK, so you BSB fans got sent over here because you are apparently fans of other pieces of this series. Macaroni Games, Macaroni Key and Macaroni Spell are a trilogy. They GO together. The first two take place at the exact same time; the third (which won't be up until March 2002) is the last four days of the week. The entire trilogy is called "Macaroni Drowning." Now you understand? *Nod, even if you don't* Now, to make one more thing clear, yes, there is at least one mention of the Backstreet Boys and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in all three stories. If you don't read all three, you're definitely missing something.

Disclaimer: The characters of the Buffyverse belong to 20th Century Fox, UPN and Mutant Enemy. The Backstreet Boys belong to themselves, Jive Records and are represented by The Firm. Remember: Me no own, you no sue.

The characters of Kira, Roberta, Toree, Autumn and Addie belong to the author, LadyAvalon, and cannot be used, quoted or referenced to without the author's express written permission.

Also, I am aware that this universe follows no fixed timeline and I have taken liberties with the characters that appear within. Remember, in the Macaroni Baked Universe, things aren't always what they appear. ;)

Another disclaimer: I do not advocate the following: smoking of any substance, drinking alcohol if underage, excessive consumption of alcohol, use of illegal drugs, illegal use of drugs, driving without a license, having sex before marriage, having sex without protection or having sex. I also do not advocate (although these things are not in this trilogy) jumping out of a window from any floor of a building; trying to find Bethesda, Md., from Alexandria, Va., even with a map; working in newspapers; getting involved with a co-worker; travel to Afghanistan; and/or watching Season 9 of "The X-Files."

The author of this story assumes no liability for the damage this may cause your mind or your gut. She hopes you enjoys and that you leave a review. If you would like to contact the author: macaronibaked@hotmail.com.

Now presenting: "Macaroni Key"

Chapter One: Take Me Out

After leaving the gigglers, Addie and Kira, in Los Angeles, it had been a quiet trip into Sunnydale, Roberta realized as they stopped outside of the town at a gas station. Roberta had been lost in thought on the gorgeous drive that wound along the California coastline. Roberta had seen it before, but it still took her breath away with its rugged beauty. She looked over at Toree to share her thoughts, but she saw that look on her friend's face. The look that meant she was thinking about Jack. There was no point in trying to draw her out in conversation then.

Of course, she should have known that's what Toree was thinking about; "August and Everything After" was playing in the CD player. Even though some of the songs were light in sound, the lyrics were so heavy – all about love lost and love about to be lost. All of the characters in that CD were so tragic.

"So when are you coming home

Sweet angel?

You leaving me alone?

All alone?

Well, if I'm drowning darling, you'll come down this way on your own"

Roberta stretched as she got out of the car, grateful to be free of the metal cage. Toree began pumping gas. "Does it feel… strange to you here?" Roberta asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I just…" Roberta shut her eyes for a moment and let her mind clear. Yes, there it was. That funny tickling that always let her know that there was something not right around her. "Never mind. Addie's getting to me."

"I don't know — I've known you long enough to know that when you do that, there's something going on," Toree said, putting the gas pump back.

Roberta shrugged and looked down into the valley at Sunnydale. It looked like any other California town – sunny and picturesque. It could be a postcard or a model city. Addie had to be wrong about it. She had to have mixed it up with something else.

Toree consulted her directions, then changed the CD to "Bridget Jones's Diary," a much lighter track. The lawyer drove into town, singing along with the radio. "It's raining men…" Roberta hid a giggle. Toree might be a great dancer and a great lawyer, but a singer she was not. That was Roberta's specialty.

They searched for some time for 1630 Revello Drive before Toree pulled the car into the driveway of the two-story home. "Welcome to suburbia," Roberta said dryly. "Two cars, two kids, the great life."

"Not so great here. Buffy's about to lose custody of her sister if I don't fix this for her." Toree sighed. "I haven't seen Buffy since I was about 12 and I barely remember her baby sister Dawn. Her mom was my mom's college roommate and we used to meet every summer in Nantucket. My mom was so saddened by Joyce's death last spring."

"It's gotta be hard for them," Roberta said, opening the door. "This is going to be an easy case, Tor. I read the files. The father hasn't been in the picture for years."

"Yeah, but he's got all the money, and a stable home. Buffy's not that much younger than us and she's just now starting a full-time job."

As Roberta got out of the car, the static she'd felt earlier hit her again. It was stronger here, more intense. She had tried to describe the feeling to Kira once and got as far as saying that it felt like moving energy had suddenly come alive in her. Something primitive. Something primal.

"They're here!" she heard a teen-age voice yell from the doorway. "Hi!" called a girl, waving. She had long brown hair and huge blue eyes that seemed to see right through you. Roberta realized it had to be Dawn, Buffy's sister.

A redhead and a blonde with faraway eyes came out of the house. "Hi, you must be Roberta and Toree. I'm Willow," said the redhead. "This is my girlfriend Tara. We're friends of Buffy's. Let's help you get these bags in, OK?" The energy in the air increased as Roberta observed the two women. It was friendly, though, almost comforting. Roberta didn't mind them reaching for her suitcase, despite the contents it held.

Toree was ever independent and picked up her own luggage – all three pieces of it. "Thanks, I've got it," she said, smiling.

Dawn, on the other hand, made her skin crawl, especially when she saw her with Buffy, who was in the kitchen, making dinner. There was something not quite right about the girl. Of course, children always made her skin crawl.

However, Toree, who had two younger sisters of her own, seemed to sense nothing wrong. She played with Dawn's hair and talked to Buffy about typical things -- weather, the drive, real estate, the food Buffy was preparing.

Roberta turned her attention on Tara and Willow. Willow, who was charged, like a positive particle, with the slightest hint of darkness to it. Tara was so relaxed, so calm, so happy that it radiated from her. "Welcome to Sunnydale -- where the motto is try to leave this place the way you found it," Willow quipped.

"Like the Girl Scouts?" Roberta added dryly. Willow rolled her eyes playfully. "So what's there to do here?" Roberta asked, trying to start conversation.

"Not much," Tara said. "Hang out...."

"There's the Bronze," Xander said, coming into the kitchen. He stopped and looked at Toree, giving her the traditional up and down look. Who could blame him? She was tall, willowy, with short dark curling hair and very red lips. But it was her eyes that caught his attention -- they were shining gray pools with a sparkle that, despite the serious situation she was talking about, promised fun. Then those eyes turned on him. "Hi, I'm Xander," he said, offering her a hand.

Toree smiled. "Toree. I'm Buffy's lawyer."

"A lawyer? Smart and beautiful."

"Yeah, a dangerous combination," Toree replied. "And this is my friend Roberta. She'll be assisting me with the case." Roberta threw up a hand, not amused by Xander's fawning. She observed that no one else in the room was either.

"Where's Anya?" Willow asked. "Y'no, your fiancé?"

Xander blinked and took his hand away from Toree. "She'll be here in a while -- she's closing up the store. So what's up for tonight? A little playing, a little slaying?"

Buffy stared at Xander, her face showing panic. It was the forced laugh that caught her attention. "You're so funny, Xander. No, I think we're going to go over my case tonight." She looked at Toree for reinforcement.

Toree nodded. "Yeah, that's what we've got to do. We've got a lot of review ahead of us."

"Why don't you take Dawn with you and go to the Bronze after dinner?" Buffy suggested. "You guys should all get out more often."

Willow concurred. "Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea. We could use some down time. Roberta you want to go out with us?"

"Do they serve beer?" Everyone nodded. "Then it's fine by me."

As the others were getting ready to leave the house, Xander watched Toree open her attaché case and pulling out files and books. "I'm sorry you can't go with us," he said to her, leaning against the doorframe, looking into the dining room.

She looked up and smiled at him. "I'll go when we're celebrating that Dawn will get to stay where she belongs -- with her sister."

"I'm going to hold you to that," he said, smiling back at her.

"Where's Anya?" Willow asked, coming down the stairs.

"She said she'll meet us at the Bronze," Xander explained. "I hope you get done all ... the stuff you need to get done."

"Shooo!" Buffy said. "Go! Get!" She leaned up next to Xander. "If there's a problem, you can call me. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"That's reassuring," Xander said. "Besides, we have Willow. She can just magic it all up."

Buffy and Toree got down to work. Giles walked into the dining room, silently observing as Toree asked Buffy several questions and took notes. "Oh, sorry," he said, when the women saw him. "Don't let me interrupt."

"Hi Giles," Buffy said. "Please meet Victoria. She's my lawyer and an old friend of the family."

Toree got up and extended her hand, her Boston-bred manners showing. "You can call me Toree – everyone else does."

The man took her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Rupert Giles. And please, call me Giles, Victoria."

Buffy smiled, glad an awkward moment had been avoided. "Giles is an old friend of the family, too. He's staying with us at the moment, so that he can keep an eye on us."

"So Buffy, do any of your friends not live in your house?" Toree teased.

"Well, Xander and Anya have their own place," she said with a grin.

"Thank God," Giles said sarcastically to Buffy. "How's the case coming?"

"Pretty well, actually. Since we go to court in the morning, I was worried we wouldn't have enough time to get things together, but actually, we're way ahead," Toree said. "I'm just making sure that Buffy's comfortable with what she's going to have to talk about in court tomorrow."

"Let me know if I can be of any assistance. I'll do anything to help."

Toree smiled. "That's so thoughtful of you. I'll let you know."

Giles wandered off and Toree stared after him. Buffy cringed. "You know we can't let your boarding house situation get out in the courtroom," Toree said to Buffy. "Whatever you do, don't mention that you're living with two lesbians and a man who could be your father."

"Are you saying that wouldn't look good?" Buffy laughed. Toree laughed with her, but her mind was on the man who had just left the room. "What about the fact I let my 15-year-old sister go with two lesbians, a couple that's living together and your friend a club?"

At The Bronze, Roberta got herself a Guinness and took a look around. The bar, observed, looked like nearly every other bar she'd been in since she started college. It was dark, smoky, loud and full of people of every kind. In one corner was the bar; in another was a stage with a live band. The dance floor was in front of it. She found a table in a far dark corner and sat back to listen to the music. She saw Xander wander off, she watched Dawn, Willow and Tara dance on the floor and then she sipped her drink, then lit up a cigarette, not even caring to people watch.

Her cell phone rang and she looked down at it. Kira. Roberta rolled her eyes. She hadn't had enough beer yet to deal with Kira. Honestly, if she heard Kira whine one more time about Howie, she was going to backhand her into high school where she belonged.

"I can't believe you're drinking *that* when you could be drinking an English beer," commented a man with a British accent, standing before her table.

Roberta looked him over. He was blonde, and not unlike a certain '80s rock star, he was clad in black leather. But that wasn't what made Roberta look twice – it was his pale skin, his to-die-for cheekbones and his piercing blue eyes. "You see an English beer on tap?" she asked, meeting his eyes.

The eyes were the windows to the soul and Roberta abused her gift for a moment, trying to get a read off of him. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. She felt like she was prying back layers – something she'd never felt before. But the overriding feeling she got that he was a decent guy with a hell of a mean streak, one dying to escape for just a few brutal moments.

Personally, Roberta hoped those moments would be in her bed.

As she ended the connection, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness and guilt. It was unexpected and took her breath away.

"You all right?" he asked her. She nodded. "You're not from here, are you?" he asked.

"I'm from Washington, D.C., at the moment and New Jersey before that," Roberta answered, swinging her head slightly so her auburn hair moved, catching the light. She had no idea that he had been watching her for some time, attracted to that auburn hair and the isolation she had shrouded herself in.

The guy smirked. "Should've known from your accent. Been to both places. Washington, that's a place where people don't have their souls anymore, isn't it?" he quipped.

"A regular hellmouth," Roberta said, smirking back.

The blonde man looked at her oddly. "So what brings you to Sunnydale?"

Roberta decided to play this close to the vest. "Seemed like as good a place as any," she said. "You're not from here either."

"What gave it away? The accent?" he asked with sarcasm.

"Where in England?" she asked, ignoring his tone. "I've been many times."

He glanced at her again, that same odd glance. Could it be that she was surprising him? When he answered London, they discussed the area as her pint dwindled. "Let me get you another," he said, getting up with her glass.

Roberta watched him go. "Nice ass," she muttered with a grin.

Willow waved at her and mouthed, let's go. Roberta nodded, stood and looked for the blonde man. Her height was a disadvantage -- she couldn't see him. She shrugged and followed Willow, Tara and Dawn out of the club.

"Did you have a good time?" Tara asked.

"Yeah. I found a good conversation." It was then she realized she'd never found out the guy's name. Oh well, it wasn't like she'd planned to see him again. But she found she couldn't get his eyes out of her mind. Even as she fell asleep that night, she could only see his eyes looking so intently into hers.