Title: Invisible Assassins
Series: Help From The Future For The Past
Author: Kimberly aka last_days_of_pern
Feedback: I have come to live for it, so pretty please :)
Rating: never over R
Pairing: Willow/Tara, Buffy/Faith, Anya/Xander, Cordelia/Kate, Dawn/Danny, Iz/Samantha
Disclaimers: I own nothing, please don't sue me.
Summary: Marci has graduated from her assassin training and her first job is a Scooby member, will she succeed, or with the Scoobies help her find her way and her reflection?
*Secret base used for secret military training*
"Congratulations Marci, you've done very well you should be proud." The elderly but defined man said as he handed a certificate to the air in front of him, who took the paper and left.
Marci headed back to her quarters, when she got there, there was a black folder lying on her bed. She picked it up and opened it, her first real assignment. She looked at the picture of the blonde woman walking on a campus somewhere. "Sunnydale," she read out loud, her first assignment would be her old home, a revenge of sorts.
She continued to read the given information, "5'6, blonde hair, blue eyes, witch, hmm interesting, no occupation, lives on campus during school an apartment in the summer, no family in the area, what the?" Marci was surprised when she looked at the space telling her with who and where the woman could be found, "Cordelia Chase, I'll be, we'll meet again, goody." Marci closed the folder and got ready for her journey to Sunnydale; this was going to be fun!
*Willow and Tara's apartment*
Willow snuggled in closer to Tara and sighed, "honey are you ok?" Tara asked concern in her voice.
"I miss Xander, I'm even starting to miss Anya, which really worries me, she was like enemy number one, and now I miss her, but most Xander 'cause he's my friend and we haven't been apart since we were little and it isn't fair the only really good job he could get is in L.A.," Willow babbled out in reply. Tara smiled and held her closer; she had missed Willow babble while she was reliving her childhood. But she was back now; she smiled wider and pulled Willow even closer, and began kissing her cheek and neck lightly.
"Hmm, what can I do to take your mind of your woes for awhile?" Tara asked still planting feather light kisses on her lover's neck, driving the girl insane.
KNOCK, KNOCK
"Damn." Willow muttered as she got up to answer the door despite the pouty face Tara was giving her, "Hey what are you guys doing here?" Willow asked of Dawn and Danny as she ushered them in.
Tara came into the room and smiled at the younger couple, although she was still annoyed at the interruption, "hi Dawn, Danny."
"Iz and Sam came back today and Buffy and Faith are talking to them about the dream you guys had, so we thought we would come bug you." Dawn said grinning.
"Really we just wanted a ride to the movies, Buffy won't let us walk back at night, and you're closer than Kate or Giles." Danny filled in what his girlfriend had neglected to mention.
"Because I have a car, makes since, let me grab a coat. Oh Tara why don't we see that new one you wanted to see while we're there?" Willow asked forgetting all about what she and her girlfriend were doing before the youngest Scoobies showed up.
Tara on the other hand had totally not forgotten, which is probably why she was frowning as she shook her head up and down, going to the closet to get her and Willow's jackets. Mentally thinking of ways to get her back later for having to wait such a long time to
indulge in her favorite past time, making love to her love, her Willow.
*Summers' Home*
"So you're from the future too?" Faith asked trying to clarify everything in her muddled brain; it wasn't working too well so far.
"Yes, one minute I was in my house falling asleep, then I was in the dreamscape, and then the hospital. I'm not sure how or why," Sam looked next to her at Iz, "but I'm not complaining."
"We're going to need a bigger house soon," Buffy said smiling.
Iz however missed the smile completely and looked worried for a minute, "we can find somewhere else if that's what you want Buffy, we don't want to be a burden or anything like that." Iz frowned grabbing Samantha's hand under the table for support; she liked living here with her friends.
"Iz chill she was joking, more the merrier, and less often a turn for the dishes comes around," Faith smirked at Iz, the two of them dreaded dish duty more than anything else.
"Right, joke, haha, they have those in the future right?" Buffy asked in the straightest face she could muster.
Iz who now had caught on to the playful mood replied, "joke, hmm, let me think, don't know Sammy?"
Sam was quickly figuring out why Iz liked these people so much and decided to play along, "huh, I dunno, could you explain the concept a little?" Buffy could no longer keep her straight face, and broke out laughing; Samantha was going to fit in just fine with this group. That is of course if she was good with the coming up with puns in near death situations, it was a required thing in the Scooby gang.
The group of friends sat around talking and just plain enjoying themselves until Dawn came home from the movie, and they all decided it was time to go to bed and get some sleep.
*The Docks*
Marci stepped off the boat, unnoticed, of course that could be because she was invisible. She looked around, not much had changed since she was here last. She went over in her head what she was going to do, first kill the target, and then she had a few bitches from high school to visit. Oh yeah she was definitely going to enjoy this trip down memory lane.
*Magic Box*
Marci stood in a corner of the magic shop simply observing the people who seemed to spend way too much of their free time there. Marci had been observing Tara mostly since that was whom she was here to eliminate, and any fun to be had, would just have to wait till the work was done. She was mentally making notes about what she would need to know to make this as easy as possible, the girl seemed somewhat shy, even with her friends, and she seemed extra cautious and aware as well, she kept looking around her, that was all good to know.
The one person Marci hated most in the world was one of the targets good friends, wouldn't it just be a shame if Miss Queen Cordelia Chase got in the way and had to be eliminated as well.
For what seemed like the thousandth time Tara checked her surroundings with her eyes, still nothing out of the normal. "Tara are you ok?" Willow asked worriedly, for the past hour since they had gotten there Tara had been acting funny.
"Yeah, it just…"
"What?"
"It feels like I'm being watched or something, but no one is there to be watching, I feel like I'm going crazy," Tara said with a frown on her pretty features.
Willow looked even more worried at that, "um, should we tell Buffy or someone, I mean "the watcher" didn't necessarily mean Lindsay."
"I guess, but I'm not sure it's anything like that, with everything that has happened lately I'm just getting paranoid."
Willow smiled her cute little puppy-dog smile and said, "what afraid you'll be attacked by a bunch of pre-schoolers again?"
Tara couldn't help but laugh despite her uneasiness, "yup that's it, terrifying little critters." Willow smiled as well and got up to call Buffy just in case this was more than paranoia. When Willow got up Tara looked around again, but as always saw nothing but her lover and Cordelia behind the counter ringing someone's purchases up. Her eyes stopped in one corner particular, but there was nothing there, maybe she was going crazy.
Marci straightened when the girl started talking about being watched. She didn't understand the fear of little kids, but just chalked it up to an inside joke that didn't matter. Then the redhead got up, no Willow, she vaguely remembered her from high school, someone who was shy and picked on a lot. What she would have given to be picked on in high school, at least then she would be visible. Her heart nearly stopped when the girl stopped looking around, her eyes looking directly into hers, but then she looked away.
She hadn't seen her, but then how could she?
*Summers' Home*
Faith and Buffy were relaxing on the couch, having nothing that needed to be done until patrol, but that was hours away. No music, no TV, no roommates, or young teenagers, no sound. Just the two of them laying in compatible silence, enjoying the heat the other was giving off.
So when the phone began ringing both girls jumped nearly to the ceiling they were so startled. Buffy reached over and grabbed the phone, "hello?"
"Buffy it's Willow, can you and Faith come to the Magic Box?"
"New big evil ready to destroy the Earth?"
"No, nothing like that, I'll explain when you get here ok?"
"Okie-dokie Willers, see you in a flash."
"Thanks, bye."
"Bye." They both hung up the phone and Faith looked questioningly at her. "Willow needs us at the Magic Box, she'll explain when we get there." At Faith's still questioning stare Buffy got uncomfortable, "what?"
"Okie-dokie Willers?" Buffy stuck her tongue out at her and got up to get ready to leave, but Faith pulled her back down onto her lap, "don't stick that thing out unless you plan to use it," and then Faith kissed her soundly on the lips, and got up and retrieved her jacket heading toward the door. It was nearly a minute after the kiss before Buffy managed to get her body functioning again, when she got to the door, Faith gave her her patented smirk and opened it for her to walk through.
It didn't take them long to get to their destination, heck it didn't take long to get anywhere in Sunnydale, especially with Buffy driving. Faith got out of the car, the color of her face slightly pale from the many near-death maneuvers Buffy had made while driving. With somewhat shaky legs she walked into the Magic Box to see Cordy behind the counter, Giles and Tabitha looking at a book, and Willow and Tara looking at each other. A normal day.
"I remember being owed an explanation for dragging myself and Faith off the couch to get here to be explained to."
Willow looked confused by Buffy's statement but decided to ignore it and just mark it under her long metal list of things Buffy said that she just didn't understand. "Tara keeps having the feeling that someone is watching her, and since the whole beware the watcher thing was never completely solved, we figured you should at least know."
"I thought it was solved, the Lindsay thing, you know watching and casting spells, and following," she looked at Faith, "wasn't it solved, I could swear we said it was solved."
Faith for her part just shrugged her shoulders, "you 'k Tar?"
Tara looked up when Faith addressed her, she for the most part seemed ok, but there was something akin to fear in her eyes, "yeah, I guess, just freaking out is all." Faith shook her head in understanding and sat down at the table.
Buffy looked over the girl, then around the shop, "do you feel it now?"
"No, I did earlier, but shortly after Willow called it went away."
Marci watched as Willow talked to her friend Buffy on the phone. She also remembered her, she was the slayer, killed the dead guys. Then she looked at Cordelia again with loathing. The customer whom she was helping was about to leave, so she made her way over behind the young woman shopper, and followed her out. She stood outside the window for a few more minutes, still just watching, slowly formulating her plan. This was going to be so easy. There was some part of her brain telling her too easy, but she easily shut that part off.
*Summers' Home*
"So someone is trying to mess with Tara?"
"That or someone is messing around and Tara was the first to notice." Buffy was telling Iz everything that had happened that day. She was still confused on some things. But if this was some new evil she was sure that the master plan would be told soon enough, evil was so clichéd.
Dawn came into the room and saw the solemn faces of it's occupants. And knew it was something slayery that she would just kicked out of anyway, so she just walked out without saying a word. Buffy and Iz had looked up when Dawn came in, and looked confused when she just walked out, but decided to ignore it till later when there was time to try and puzzle out the girl's brain.
*Sidewalk in Sunnydale*
Tara surveyed her surroundings; Sunnydale was so peaceful during the night when you didn't walk in constant fear. Normally she would, it being night and Sunnydale and all, but she and Willow had their own personal slayer bodyguard for the trek home. It had been several hours now since she had the feeling of being watched and for that she was extremely grateful. She looked to her left where Willow was walking quietly. She seemed worried, but who wouldn't under the circumstances.
Since she had nothing better to do while walking back to her and Willow's summer apartment Tara just stared up at the stars. What was it Willow had said about them? She couldn't remember that well, just that Willow was worried about Joyce, and she had pointed out her personal constellations to her. She smiled, "the big pineapple is out."
Faith looked at the two smiling girls next to her, "huh?"
"Tara doesn't like the real constellations so she made up her own, one of which is the big pineapple." Willow explained for her girlfriend remembering their time spent on the rooftop alone.
"Right, pineapple, gotcha." Faith smirked, they were nuts, but she wasn't going to say that to their faces. She had no inclination for being turned into a rat, or any other rodent for that matter. They continued on their way in silence once again. Tara still looking around, she noticed that Faith was now doing the same thing. Someone was watching them, and now she wasn't the only one who had noticed.
Marci eyed the trio; seemed simple enough, go in kill, get out. Easy. She walked right up next to them, completely unnoticed, she was loving the thrill of the chase, but it was time to end this once and for all. She took out the gun with built in silencer she kept under her coat so it wouldn't be seen and aimed at the blonde's head.
The first thing Faith noticed other than the eyes she felt watching her, was the floating gun. That just wasn't right, nope not at all. She saw where it was pointing and grabbed Tara falling to the ground with the startled girl, "Will down now!" Willow saw what Faith saw just a second after and hit the ground at Faith's command.
Marci started firing, and Faith covered most of Tara's body with her own, a girl should only be shot once a month after all. She never heard the loud bang signifying shots being fired, but felt something hot burn her arm, she had been grazed and damn it now she was pissed. When the gun was no longer firing she jumped up and tackled the wielder of the weapon with all the slayer strength she had in her.
Marci was just trying to scare them at first, only grazing the dark haired one, but then the gun jammed, this wasn't good. She looked at the weapon to see what was wrong, and before she even knew what was happening the tall, dark haired one had tackled her and was holding her down. Damn she knew this was too easy, she had to listen to her instincts. Although she was probably going to die now, and that was the last thought she had before her world went dark.
Faith didn't know what she was swinging at, but she was connecting with something. The whatever it was under her stopped moving, using her hands she felt around, it was a person. A female person, who was still breathing, and had a pulse. She picked up the gun and tucked it into the back of her pants at the small of her back. Then lugged the invisible figure onto her back. "Where to?" She asked her mind not working so well with the weight on her shoulder, and the wound on her other arm.
"Um your house?" Willow said nervously, invisible things attacking just wasn't fair.
"'K lets go." Faith started off in the direction of home, hopping that Buffy and everyone hadn't decided to go out to eat or something.
*Summers' Home; an hour later*
Marci woke up, and the first thing she noticed was she was tied up. 'Well at least they didn't kill me.' She looked at the people around her, the target, Willow, Buffy, Cordelia, Giles the librarian, and some other people she didn't know, including the girl who had hit her.
No one seemed to notice she was awake, and as long as she stayed quiet they wouldn't, this way she could find out what they were going to do with her. She just hoped if it included death, it would be quick and painless. Things just never work out how you would like though.
The whole group was sitting in the living room looking at magical books. Hoping against hope that they could find a spell for Tara and Willow to do so that they could make this thing visible.
"Found something I think," Samantha said almost shyly, still not used to being around all these people.
Tara and Willow both got up to look to see if in fact something useful had been found, and indeed it had. "Great job, and everything we need for this should be in the magic shop," Willow said looking at Giles, who just rose from his seat and grabbed his keys.
It only took him about 15 minutes to return, and the Wiccans set to work. It was an easy enough spell, and didn't take long to complete. Within two hours of being attacked, they could finally see their attacker.
Marci's eyes grew wide as she realized just what was going on, they were going to do something magical to her. Something magical to see her. And if they could see her, she could see her, this may not be so bad after all. That is if they forgave her for trying to kill them and all.
A bright flash surrounded the form tied to the chair, and slowly the person came into view, it was as Faith had thought a girl. A girl who looked to be about their age, and judging from the faces of some of them in the room, a girl they knew. This suspicion was confirmed by Willow's question.
"Marci?"
"You remember me?"
"Invisible people are hard to forget. What are you doing here and why were you trying to hurt Tara?"
Marci looked down, a tear sliding down her face, "it's my job, I had no choice really."
"Your job? Who do you work for that they would make you kill harmless people?" Buffy asked, remembering the first time they had encountered the girl.
"US government, special projects, sometimes known as the Initiative."
The first thought that came to Buffy's mind was Riley, "why did they want you to hurt Tara?"
"Don't know, the folder just told me what I needed to know to get rid of her."
"G…get r..r…rid of m..me?"
"Yeah, which means you either know something or how to do something that they don't want the general populace to know. Hell as far as I know there is someone assigned to all of you." Ok she knew she was going to have to play along, so she had to act all sorry, she wasn't doing that very well, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, it's just waking up tied to a chair will put a person in a mood ya know?"
"It is ah, something we should er, consider however, there would be no um, reason to kill Tara and not the uh, rest of us, there isn't anything really that er, she knows that the rest of wouldn't."
"Well that gives me some not so fuzzy feelings G-man." Faith stated wearily, her arm still hurt like hell too.
Buffy gave Marci a hard look, "how can we find out if there are others coming?"
Marci looked thoughtful for a second, "I could call a friend and say that I thought there was another here, but I would have to be untied first."
"Try anything and you have two slayers, two witches and a bunch of their friends here to kick your ass," with that Buffy untied the girl and started leading her to the phone.
Marci followed behind Buffy, but stopped when she came upon a mirror, she just stood there staring. Her hand shakily reached out and lightly touched her reflection in the mirror, "it's been so long since…" Marci's voice cut off in emotion. Maybe now she could finally go home, but did she even have a home anymore. She didn't know.
Buffy lightly laid her hand on the girl's shoulder from behind, and urged her onward, not quite knowing what to say to her. Marci quietly followed along to the kitchen and took the phone when Buffy offered it to her. She dialed the secure number, and the pin for the section she worked, then her id number, finally a human voice came on. "Is it done?"
"Do you think we can trust her?" Faith asked after Buffy had gotten the now visible girl to the kitchen.
"She seemed to really want to reform for what she did when they took her away, I wonder what happened." Cordelia stated still looking at the mirror Marci had stopped in front of just seconds earlier.
"Yeah she did, wait you remember that?" Willow asked somewhat shocked, she knew some of Cordelia's old friends had been hurt because of Marci, but she didn't think Queen C had ever even noticed the girl.
Cordelia gave her friend a hard stare, "I wasn't a complete bitch then you know. Yeah I picked on you and the others like you, but you had friends who supported you after I walked away. People who would diss me along with you just not to my face, Marci had no friends like that. I couldn't be seen with her of course, but I left her alone so things wouldn't be harder on her than they already were!"
Willow blinked at the tirade that just left her friend's mouth. And she felt bad for thinking that of Cordy, sure then she could have easily said that the girl had no heart, but now she knew better, she knew just how big that heart was too. "I'm sorry Cordy I didn't mean…"
"Yeah you did." Willow just looked down at her lap, feeling fully chastised for her accusation. Tara came over and sat next to her, leaning slightly to get Willow to look up. When she did Tara rewarded her with a sweet, gentle kiss, with a hint of promise for later. Kate was doing something similar to get Cordelia's mind of the little fight as well.
"Not yet, soon though, I have a question, is there someone else here?" Marci tried to hide the quiver in her voice, and she did quite well.
"Um no, not yet."
"Yet?" Buffy's head shot up at the question, only being able to hear half of the conversation.
"Two more are on their way to take car of the slayers and other witch."
"And the others?"
"Nothing supernatural, but we'll keep our eyes on them, that's for sure."
"Right, thanks." Marci hung up the phone. She looked troubled, "two more are coming here, soon."
Buffy grabbed Marci's arm and practically dragged her into the now silent living room, "tell them."
Marci took a deep breathe, "they are sending two more people here to kill the slayers, and Willow. The others will be allowed to live, watched of course, because they aren't supernatural."
"They obviously don't know about Cordelia, Dawn, Samantha, and I," Iz said looking around the room mentally counting the different supernatural things about the group.
"Huh?" Marci asked confused, what on Earth could be supernatural about them, especially Cordelia, unless she was really a demon. That would make sense.
"I'm a seer, I see the future, Iz and Samantha are from the future, and we'll not telling in the case of Dawn." Cordelia explained then asked the question that had been burning in her mind since Marci had shown up, "why?"
Marci cocked her head to the side and frowned in confusion, "why what?"
"Why this, you were invisible once they let you go, you could have just disappeared, but you didn't, you came here, why?"
Marci looked down in shame, damn visible for ten minutes and her conscience was coming back full force, "trust me you don't want to know."
"You were going to do the job, and then what? Get back at the people from high school?"
"Not all of them…"
"Just the ones you started on then, me…"
"Yeah." It was stated so plainly that Cordelia stopped her next question in her throat, choking it back down.
"Isn't it ironic how my not wanting to hurt you, hurt so much." Cordelia saw the questions in Marci's eyes but didn't stick around to answer. She grabbed her jacket and Kate's hand and the two of them left.
"What is she talking about?"
"Marci no one ever wanted to hurt you, Cordelia left you alone in high school, that was her way of not hurting you. She didn't want to make fun of you like she did the rest of us." Willow explained what just moments ago Cordelia had explained to her.
"But why?"
"We haven't really figured out how her mind works, but when we do we'll let you know," Buffy smiled with her statement, but it was the truth. One minute Cordy could be a heartless bitch, the next the most caring heart-on-her-sleeve person in the world.
"Ok gettin' back to the whole invisible people tryin' to kill us, how do we stop them?" Faith asked, uncharacteristically trying to keep everyone on track.
"You made me visible can't you just do that again."
Tara looked down at her hands in her lap, this was going to be hard to say, "well we would have to have them right in front of us, plus," Tara took a deep breathe, "it's only temporary."
Marci looked as though the wind had just been kicked out of her, the greatest gift she had ever received was going to be snatched back away from her before she could truly enjoy it. "How long?"
"24, 36 hours at the most." Upon hearing Tara's words Marci closed her eyes tight, willing the tears to not fall. Samantha quietly got up and gently pulled the girl out of her chair and into the kitchen.
"So what do we do, two more anytime now, and then when she goes back to invisible there is nothin' sayin' she won't try and finish the job."
"Faith try to be a little more sensitive about her feelings, I mean…"
"No B, I know what it's like to feel invisible, like you could die and no one would care. I know what it's like to truly be alone, and have the world hate you. And knowing all this, I know sympathy isn't what she needs." Faith had a cold hard glint in her eye as she talked about the feelings that had driven her to hurt the people she loved, turn to the mayor and murder. All things she didn't want to ever, ever go through again.
"Thanks."
Samantha looked at the girl sitting across from her, still valiantly holding back the tears that would eventually burn her eyes so much they fell down her cheeks. She didn't know this girl, or what had happened to her, or what the others were talking about when they talked of her, all she knew is she felt sorry for her. No not sorry, that would include pity, she felt upset that this could happen to anyone, not just the young girl here. "How?"
"Have you ever felt so alone, thought that no one could see you, that no one would want to? That no matter what you did it wouldn't change a thing?"
"Can't say that I have, I have always had someone, a friend or family to lean on."
"So many years of school, more of life, never being noticed. Never having a friend, someone who cared, feeling invisible. One day I woke up, and was."
"Then you hurt people right?"
Marci looked down in shame and said in a quiet barley audible voice, "yeah."
"Some people took you promising help?"
"Yeah."
"But instead, they taught you how to kill, and follow orders, and use your hurt to hurt others?"
"Yeah."
Samantha took Marci's hands in her own and waited for the girl to look up, "no one should have to go through that, and from now on just know you aren't alone. I can't speak for the rest, especially the ones you've tried to hurt, but if you need a friend you have one."
Marci finally stopped fighting the tears and let them fall down her face, it felt good, she had been fighting the tears for as long as she could remember. Emotion swept through her and she let it all out, she barely registered Samantha getting up and pulling her into an embrace, letting her cry into her chest.
"Faith you're not alone, you've got me, Will, Tara, Kate, Dawn, Cordelia, Tabby, Giles, Angel, Oz, and more, I'm just running out of breathe."
Faith looked at her girlfriend, she wasn't alone…now. "I know that B, someone was always there for me, but I didn't see that until I was looking back. What I'm saying is no matter how many people help that girl, they won't ever be able to see her, until she can see them." Buffy looked confused, and Faith was about to continue till Tara broke in.
"You mean what she needs to do to become visible permanently is see that we're here to see her."
Faith shook her head, "right. It wasn't that people ignored her that did this, it's that she saw them as looking through her, whether they actually did doesn't matter, it's what she sees."
The watchers had been quiet this whole time letting the young people figure things out on their own, and Giles and Tabitha were extremely proud that they had, "exactly what I was thinking, Tabitha?"
"I say someone is smarter than she lets on." Faith did something that she never did; she blushed at the appraising words from two people she really looked up to.
The rest of the group looked sullen for a moment then Buffy asked, "so what do we do to help her, and get rid of the others coming?"
When finally no more tears would come Marci looked up at Samantha and gave a small smile, "thanks I needed that."
"What are friends for, now come on their probably wondering what's going on in here." Marci stood up and followed Samantha back into the living room where the conversation abruptly ended at their arrival.
"Ok, so I have like what 22 hours left for sure before I go all see through, to do some good, what are we sitting around for?"
"Calm down speedy we have no plan yet, not to mention we have no idea how to hide from something we can't see." Buffy stated, somewhat shocked at the girl's willingness to help, she would have to have a talk with Samantha later.
"Then why hide? You have magical protection. Oh and I can make another phone call, get a meeting set up, and boom. Ambush. Then I think I'll turn in my letter of resignation." Marci headed to the phone in the living room this time so everyone would hear the conversation.
"What Marci?"
"This is going to be harder than planned, they have some kind of barriers against trouble, I think the others and I should work together…"
"Fine, where can I reach you for details of the meeting?"
"Don't, I'll reach you." Click. Marci hung up the phone so that she wouldn't get any arguments. "I'll have to call from somewhere else next time, they'll be tracing my calls now."
"You mean they didn't before?" Buffy asked suddenly scared the government would come get them in their sleep.
In a very matter of fact tone Marci said, "there was no reason to doubt my loyalty before, now there is." Those words shut everyone up. There was nothing to do now but wait.
"Wait what if they are here and see you?"
"Well they've never seen me before, they'll just assume I'm a friend."
"But when they see you at the meeting they'll know."
"They won't see me at the meeting," she looked down at herself sadly, "I'll be invisible again by then."
"Oh. I think it's time we all got some sleep then it's really late."
Everyone nodded their agreement and started out the door, leaving Buffy, Faith, Marci, Iz, Samantha, and an already sleeping Dawn.
*Unknown location in Sunnydale*
"A meeting, why?"
"She said they had magical wards or something and it was proving more difficult then she thought it would be."
"She was at the top of the class, she would know what to do without having to work with us."
"In her defense she was sent here alone, and we were sent together, to do the same job. She may really need help, plus some of these people she knew before, she could be rethinking things."
"Damn teenagers."
"Hey!"
"Sorry, you kids today and peer pressure, ok we meet with her, and find out if she's lying."
"If that's you think, then you must know it could be a trap."
Even though it couldn't be seen the elder of the two present let an evil smirk fall over her face, "then we meet somewhere where they can't try anything. I'm thinking during the day Sunnydale park will be full of kids."
"You scare me sometimes you know that?"
*The next morning*
Marci quietly snuck out of the house before sunrise, she walked down the streets deep in thought, and stopped at the first pay phone she came upon. She dialed all the necessary numbers to be connected and then asked for the information they would need for the
meeting.
"2 p.m. Sunnydale Park by the benches." Click. 'Damn that means they suspect something already, not good, not good at all.'
She quietly walked back to the Summers house trying to come up with some sort of plan, it wasn't till she was at the house again that she noticed the sun was fully up now, and when she walked inside she discovered people were already up.
"Where the hell were you?" Buffy shouted when Marci came back in.
"Calling in, they want to meet at the park in the middle of the day, so we need a new plan." Buffy was still worried that Marci had betrayed them so soon, but shook her head, they would need a new plan, and soon. She got up to call the others. "Oh and your friends will have to change me back for the meeting since it's so soon." Again Buffy just shook her head and continued on to the phone.
It didn't take but half an hour and the whole group was once again assembled at the Summers home. "Dawn Danny why don't you guys go catch a movie and then some lunch." Tabitha handed enough money to them to keep them busy all day.
"Fine, I mean it's not like we could help or anything, we just saved your lives and all recently." Dawn huffed as she walked out the door with Danny, at least they would have plenty of make out time.
"Ok Willow you two sure you can change her back?"
"Yup just as easy as making something visible, few words and poof. And we brought the stuff for protection too"
"Ok first we plan, then we magic. So plan?"
"Too bad you guys aren't kids still, we could take you to the park and be inconspicuous."
"Let's not even think that please." Giles said although he was smirking at Faith's joke.
"Trust for now is the only plan we can have."
Everyone looked at Samantha; it was her first time talking during a Scooby meeting, "huh?"
"We have to trust Marci, she'll have to act like she is still committed to her job, and we'll have to trust that she will." Samantha said rather matter of factly, just daring anyone to argue with her.
"Sounds right to me." Faith said, thinking this just might be the first step in making the girl normal again, this and lots of counseling.
"Ok Wicca girls you're up, it's magic time."
Marci got up and took one last look in the mirror, what she saw there may be something she never saw again. "Ok, lets get this over with."
"Well can't say I missed this," Marci said as she looked in the mirror and saw nothing but what was behind her. "Ok I'm going, I don't want to be late."
"Wait! Is she still here?" Buffy asked looking around her.
"Yes."
"Someone should come with you."
"They know all of you though."
"They don't know me, I just got here," Samantha said standing up.
"It wouldn't do any good for you to come, you won't be able to be close enough to hear, and you can't see me if I did happen to need help. I can handle this." Samantha sat back down; after all she was the one who said they needed to trust the girl.
"Ok." The door opened and closed, she was gone.
"These magical protection things stop bullets and stuff right."
Willow gave Tara a sideways glance, and that was all the answer that Buffy needed. She really hoped Marci could pull this off and not betray them.
*Sunnydale Park*
Marci walked over to the bench next to the park and whistled. "Hello Marci."
"Who am I talking to?"
"Stacy and Jon."
"Well I've heard of you Stacy, I'm honored."
"Ya thanks, so what is it that is making this so difficult you needed our help?"
"They know I'm here, I tried to take out the target and the slayer, who I didn't know was a slayer, stopped me."
"What did you tell them, and how did you get away?"
"I told them that I was here to do a job on the witch, and I got the ropes loose during the night and walked out."
"Did they use any magic on you, are they tracking you?"
"No, no magic, and even slayers can't track what they can't see."
"Then we'll have to take them out quick and together."
"It just so happens I know where they all are right now."
"Where?"
"The slayers' home."
"Lets go then."
*Summers' Home*
"I've got a bad feeling."
"What kind of bad feeling Tara?"
"I don't know Faith, its just, bad."
"Maybe here isn't the best place to be right now, incase well, incase something bad happens." Willow said moving a little closer to Tara also getting a bad feeling.
"AHHHHHHH!" Cordelia fell over with the force of her vision, only to be caught by Kate. When she could talk again she said, "she set a trap, they're coming here."
"What kind of trap?" Kate asked gently holding Cordy.
Cordelia's face lit up in a smile, "flour."
Everyone in the room looked at the seer like she had finally gone nuts, Willow was the first to speak, "huh?"
"She's bringing them here, there is a flour bomb outside that will make all three figures seeable, we work from that."
"Well that explains why it took so long to make a call this morning, flour, I like her style," Faith said smirking envisioning it in her head.
"Well I say we load up with weapons it shouldn't be long before they get here."
"We can't kill 'em B, they're people."
"I wasn't going to kill them, just knock them over the head…really, really hard, with lots of force even."
"Ok so everyone except B, Tar, and Will hide."
"What can we do?" Tara asked.
"You're the magic people think of somethin'."
"Oh that's helpful Faith," Willow pouted, Tara tugged on her arm lightly and whispered something in her ear, a bright Willow-smile lit up her face, "Oh great idea Tara!"
The slayers looked at each other somewhat fearful, "what?"
"You'll see." Buffy and Faith grumbled but went to find head bashing weapons anyway.
As they thought it didn't take long for the tell-tell sign of the flour bomb going off. The door opened and BOOM! Marci being the last one pushed the other two inside the house.
Buffy and Faith each took a swing at the first two, Tara and Willow started chanting and the room flooded with an eerie green glow and then disappeared just as soon as it came. Everyone in the room stood shocked at what the witches had done.
Faith was the first one to have any kind of reaction, she burst out laughing, "bunny rabbits?" Sure enough two white little bunny rabbits sat on the floor where the once scary invisible assassins were.
"I think they're cute," Tara defended her idea, "good thing Anya isn't here, she would freak out."
"Well like you said we couldn't kill them, and we couldn't turn them in, 'cause well to who? So bunny rabbits, anyone want a pet?" Willow babbled out smiling, they were awfully cute, if they didn't have Miss Kitty she would be tempted to keep one.
"But still rabbits?" Faith persisted.
"What you have something against bunnies?" Tara asked with an evil glint in her eye.
Faith saw the look directed at her and ducked behind Buffy for protection, "nope nothin' at all, not a thing, cute little things, yup." Faith rambled out nervously.
Willow and Tara looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Relax Faith, we wouldn't turn you into a rabbit, maybe a raccoon." Faith had started to relax until the last part was said, then she ducked back behind Buffy.
"Can you turn them back?" Buffy asked smirking at Faith hiding, she definitely wouldn't let her forget about this.
"Um, as soon as we figure out how to turn Amy back, sure." Willow looked a little nervous not knowing what the reaction to this bit of news would be.
Buffy saw Willow's reaction and decided to let her off the hook, after all she had no desire to be something small and furry, "anyone know the number for the pound?"
"Um what about me?" Marci asked looking down at the little creatures, she couldn't figure out why they hadn't done the same to her, after all it was her who tried to kill Tara just the day before.
"Oh you're to big for the pound," Buffy quipped smirking at the big flour covered figure in front of her.
"What do you want Marci?" Samantha asked.
Marci looked around at the group before her, she had already been given just about everything she had ever dreamed of, "a home."
"Definitely going to need a bigger house," Buffy said by way of an invitation.
"Huh?"
"That was her way of saying welcome," Iz explained remembering her reaction too much the same statement.
"Marci can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Cordelia asked already heading for the kitchen. Giving Marci little choice in the matter. She walked through the door awaiting the worst that Queen C could throw out.
Buffy looked around at the group left, "I was serious about the number for the pound, I don't want murdering rabbits, bad karma." Everyone laughed, although Buffy kept her straight face, which just made everyone laugh more.
"Sit." Marci did as commanded and looked at Cordy on the opposite side of the table from her. "Now, I don't know what happened that made you this way, but if there is one thing this group believes in it's second chances, and third, even fourth chances sometimes." Not knowing what to say Marci just shook her head, "so no more of this invisible crap."
Marci's head shot up, "it's not like I can just turn it off you know!"
"Yeah why not?"
"'Cause I don't know how."
"Well you can't say that it's 'cause people don't see you, 'cause that isn't true, I see you just fine. And so do Willow, Tara, Buffy, and all the rest of them. Because we don't look at the outside we look at the inside, and that is very visible."
The flour on Marci's face started to run away with the tears she couldn't stop at Cordelia's words. Cordelia gasped, and Marci looked up, "what?"
Cordelia ran out of the room and back in holding her purse, she pulled out a mirror and showed Marci what she saw, a girl covered in flour. "Welcome back to the world of the visible."
The whole group looked up as Cordelia came running into the room grabbed her purse and then ran back into the kitchen. They all decided it was worth further exploration and followed after her. When they got to the kitchen they saw Marci sitting at the table looking into a mirror. But most importantly they SAW Marci, not just a big flour covered area, but Marci.
Needless to say they were somewhat shocked, "Delia, how did you…"
"I don't know, I told her to cut the invisible crap and she did. Oh yay me!" Cordelia beamed and walked over to where Kate's mouth was still slightly ajar. "Never underestimate the power of being a bitch."
"I don't know who to fear more you, or the witches turning people into bunnies…Not that bunnies are bad!" Faith regretted opening her mouth for the second time that day, and again ducked behind Buffy.
"Well damn Cordy if that was all it took we should have sent you after her in high school." Buffy looked behind her, "how long are you going to hide behind me?" Faith's response was to simply stick her tongue out at her.
"It wasn't just Cordelia's words, it was also what Samantha told me last night, and all of you, and …"
"She had to be ready to see herself again," Iz finished for her. She looked around at the most unlikely group of friends in the world, "pizza?"
That was followed by a round of 'oh yeah's and 'lead on's. The group started to walk out when Marci spoke up, "do you mind if I take a shower first?" Everyone turned around and noticed that the girl was still covered in flour, and it set off another round of laughter. Once again the good guys had won, and it was a happy ending for all.
*Two weeks later*
"Finn come here, we want you to go back to Sunnydale, three of our best people disappeared there a few weeks ago."
Agent Riley Finn saluted his commanding officer, "yes sir."