Chapter 2

Wednesday, November 15, 2006 11:15 am

A long wisp of smoke rose from the half-finished cigarette propped in the large crystal ashtray. Across the poorly light office, the well-worn duster hung on the coat rack next to the door. The walls of the office were covered with the tools of its occupant's trade, battle-axes, knives, and other assorted weaponry. Before the desk was a pair of hard wooden chairs for the rare client visit. On the desk itself was a computer surrounded by file folders in various states of disarray. The only hints of personality were an ashtray overflowing with spent butts and a picture of a smiling, young, brown-haired woman. The frame identified her as Dawn.

Buffy Summers took the cigarette and brought it to her lightly painted lips and took a deep drag. Hazel eyes framed by shoulder-length blonde hair looked down at the case file on the desk in front of her. She sighed, exhaling the smoke from her lungs, and turned back to the computer. The paperwork on last night's job was almost done. Buffy needed only to send out the update on her screen, and then get on with the business of this day.

Just as she sent out the file, she heard the office door open followed by the familiar thuds of her partner's heavy boots. Buffy smiled as she crushed out her cigarette and called out the massive demon, "Curtis, can you come in here for a second."

"Hey Buff, successful night?" Curtis cheerily replied, entering the office and taking a seat in front of Buffy's desk. The excessively skinned demon set his ever-present bag of snacks in the other chair. "No problems I assume?"

"Nope, pretty simple job. That's one thing about vamps, especially the male ones, they're real easy to entrap." Buffy smirked at Curtis, who responded with a small grin and a nod of his head. She knew there was no way she could have survived in Chicago if it wasn't for Curtis. When Buffy left Sunnydale behind, Clem had called up his cousin to help her set up a new life. She came here with nothing but her slayer strength and her sister. Now, over four years later, their investigation business allowed Buffy to support herself, pay Dawn's tuition, and provide Curtis with all the snacks he needed.

When they started B & C Investigators, it dealt exclusively with human clientele. Curtis was Buffy's primary trailer. He had the patience to stake out a client's house, or follow them around to investigate their extracurricular activities. Buffy was the front person. She met with the clients and did any necessary interviews. They were struggling to get by with cases, mostly marital infidelities, lost and stolen items, and the like, but B & C Investigators really took off when Curtis hooked them up to Pinder Gast. Now, ninety percent of their work was for Pinder and his organization. However, they still had a few real clients, to keep up appearances.

"So how'd your assignment go last night? Catch him back there again?" Buffy inquired about one of those few real cases they had.

"Yep, Jimbo is definitely keeping this girl on the side." Curtis replied a sadly knowing look crossing his face. "I know how much you love nailing these bastards."

Buffy frowned, obviously remembering something unpleasant, "It's just that it pisses me off when a guy says he loves you, and he goes and sleeps with another woman. Guys like that need to be thrown in a vamp nest without a stake."

"Buffy, sweetie, you really need to let go of all your bitterness. I mean, your aura is really dark and all this brooding can't be good for the soul." Curtis's new mission in life was to get his best friend back in the dating game. Though she never said anything about it to him, the demon could smell the vampires she fucked/killed all over her and was becoming concerned that his best friend would never be happy again. Dawn had told him she had a plan, but Curtis was going to do his part in encouraging her.

"Hey, it's not my fault all men are pigs. Besides, men aren't looking for run down slayers with a decade of back-breaking baggage in potential girlfriends," Buffy retorted defensively.

"Well, if it means anything, I'd date you, but you're not really my type. Thin, skinless, and human, eeww!" Curtis laughed.

Laughing, Buffy responded, "Yeah, well, if you weren't a fat, ugly, demon, I'd feel the same way."

She paused to light another cigarette, as her face again turned serious. "So what's on your agenda for today?"

Curtis frowned as he contemplated the unpleasantness ahead of him. "I'm supposed to meet with Harold today about a job." Harold was the difficult son, and heir, to demon boss Pinder Gast. He currently operated as consigliore of the organization, and as such, was usually the one handing out marching orders to B & C Investigators. "Have you ever figured what exactly is rammed up his ass?"

Buffy gave her partner as rueful smile and ashed her cigarette while responding. "Near as I can tell, the boy is just the slightest bit jealous about me becoming daddy's favorite agent. Harry's got a little bit of snobbishness in him about demons mixing only with their own kind and all. Maybe there's something more, but I've never been able to figure it."

Curtis shrugged and moved to get up, grabbing his snacks, "Well I don't want to keep his spoiledness waiting. I'll see you later tonight."

"Yeah, good luck, and don't let him get on your case too much."

* * * * *

Wednesday, November 15, 2006 4:30 pm

Buffy escorted Mrs. Herzog out of her office. The woman had spent the past twenty minutes crying and carrying on after receiving confirmation that her husband was cheating on her. Though she had comforted her as best she could, Buffy was glad to be rid of the woman. After all, there was no good reason to get all weepy about man following his dick, 'as they all eventually do,' she thought to herself. A better response would be some righteous indignation, and maybe a little midnight scissors action.

Buffy came back to her desk and slumped into her chair. She lit a smoke and glanced at her watch. "Well, at least Dawnie will be here soon, so I can get out of here." She turned to her computer to check her email when she heard her younger sister enter the small office.

"Hey Buff, how was work today?" the perky young woman asked. Then noticing the burning cancer stick added, "And put that disgusting thing out while you're answering."

With a sigh, Buffy complied, "There, happy now."

"Well, I'll only really be happy when you quit those things completely," pointing at the ashtray, "but you already know that, so tell me about your day."

"Oh, you know, same demons, different day. Add one weeping woman and you have a typical Buffy party. How was school?"

Dawn was a sophomore at Northwestern University. Buffy knew her sister had gotten the brains in her family, and was extremely proud that she had gotten into such a good school. After a moment of thought, Dawn replied, "Oh, you know, the usual. Professors enamored with the sound of their voice yammering on about this and that." Both women chuckled at her description of college life. "We started Divine Comedy today in my Dante class. I mean, reading about what hell is like, even after living on its mouth for years, is kinda fun."

"Yeah, but most of what he wrote is bull shit anyways. I mean, I've been to heaven and its nothing like how he had it," Buffy teased.

"Well then, I'll just have to stop reading then. I mean why bother if it's all, as you say, bull shit. Ooh, or maybe I could write my paper as a blow by blow refutation of him based on a personal interview with someone who was there?"

Buffy tried to give her sister a disapproving glare, but couldn't help descending into giggles. "That would definitely be the paper to get you thrown into the loony bin, where you belong I might add." Buffy smiled at her sister, glad to have her brightening her day. "You wanna join me for dinner?"

"Sorry, I've got a group project I have to work on tonight, so I ate before I got here. But, I have a better idea," Dawn paused to heighten the drama. "You come out with me on Friday!"

Buffy closed her eyes as she began to respond, "Dawn, you know I don't want to be a extra wheel. Besides, I'll probably be hunting some rouge vampire nest or something." As soon as she said it, Buffy knew that lame excuse would never get her sister off her back.

Dawn stuck out her lower lip in a pout, "But Buffy, it would be really fun, and you wouldn't be an extra wheel 'cause I've got somebody I want you to meet." Dawn smiled brightly as she began her plan to help her sister out of her doldrums.

Buffy, horrified, "Oh no, you are so not setting me up with some guy. All by myself is just fine, thank you."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Its been two years, you really need to move on, besides, this guy is really nice, and perfect for you. I just know you'll hit it off. Please." Dawn resorted to begging.

With another sigh, something Buffy did far too often of late in Dawn's opinion, she acquiesced. "First Curtis harasses me this morning to go back into dating, now you. I think I smell a conspiracy." Buffy harrumphed. "Fine, I'll go on your little date, but I'm not promising anything."

Dawn jumped up in glee, ran around the desk, and hugged her sister, "You so won't regret this, and it definitely is a conspiracy. A conspiracy to get you laid!" As she disengaged herself from Buffy, Dawn glanced at her watch, not noticing Buffy's frown at the last comment. "Oh crap, I'm gonna be late. Sorry to hug and run, but we'll talk more about it at home." She again hugged her sister, grab the backpack she set on the floor upon entering the office and ran off with a skip in her step, leaving Buffy in dumbfounded shock.

The plan was going perfectly. As soon as Dawn exited the building, she pulled out her cell phone. The number she wanted was already programmed in, and she quickly initiated the call. The other end picked up after two rings, "Hey, its me. When are you getting into town?…Good, we're on for Friday….No, I didn't tell her it was you, though I still think it would be better if she knew….Hey, you don't need to shout, we're still doing it your way….Right, Holiday Inn in Evanston. I'll meet you there Thursday night to go over things….Don't worry Spike, everything will go great."