Time Frame: A decade after both BtVS & AtS finales.

Rating: T-Mature (cuz Faith still curses like a sailor)

This story contains several gay relationships, consider yourselves forewarned.

Pairings: as of the moment, only B/F, D/X and Wes/Ill are planned. More may eventually follow.

Final Note: This is my first fan-fic, reviews, beta reads and constructive criticism are all welcome.

Legalities: All B:TVS characters are that of the Mighty Whedon and his glorious intellect. This work is meant only in celebration and nothing ulterior.


Chapter 8 - Housewarming Part I: The Midnight Train To Georgia

Music blared from the ballroom. An all-girl band rocked out on the stage before a crowd of slayers and even a few witches and watchers. Jessie and Joey, were hand in hand jumping up and down to the rhythm of bass. Denise danced provocatively with another slayer while surrounded by dozens of other young women and girls. Everywhere one could look in the large space you could see obvious signs of celebration;eating, laughing and general carousing was evident in all directions. Beer was drank for those of age and a taco and burrito buffet kept the general populace fed. Thanks to long hours of extensive training, a good number of underage slayers were able to sneak their drinks despite the age limit. In the general sense, fun was being had by all.

Wendy sat at a table against a wall with tall arching windows farthest from the swelling crowd by the stage. From there she could see out into the manor grounds lit by the moon. Buffy and Faith sat near enough to be heard when speaking. She and Buffy had met the brunette minutes ago. She was sporting the paramilitary gear the guards wore, Buffy maintained her neat office attire. Faith placed a holstered Colt revolver onto the table, both women produced knives before they sat. Several times people would walk by them and greet the Lehanes with hello's but they would address Buffy specifically with a "Hey, Chief!" The ambient noise helped fill the awkward silence of the dark corner she shared with two other women. Watching the wind swept grass out the window was as relaxing as the alcohol.

Wendy had been told about a war so quiet that only whispers of it existed out in the open. Slayers were the peerless warriors that manned the front of this silent struggle. They were inhumanly strong, fast and boasted heightened senses as well. She was a potential, the cub to the lioness that a slayer was. The New Watcher's Council did their best to educate, prepare and train the potentials who chose to fight with them. Buffy was strong to emphasize the latter. These girls were volunteers not conscripts. The education was a basic high-school regimen with a strong focus on practical skills, history and athletics. The preparation of the academics were done by watchers and other supplementary staff, the physical training was mostly overseen by older slayers. The latter portions didn't pertain to Wendy, she'd never be a slayer. She was well past her activation stage when they were called ten years ago, so she did not receive any strength. Her speed and senses still remained at a human level, though her dreams intensified to the point of insomnia sometimes. What else was changed when The Council's people activated the potential in her?

The quartet on stage was was energetic and showy with their lead guitar jumping around pumping up the crowd. On the bass drum, "The Slay Belles" was spelled out in duct tape. They were above average and the singer did not suck, according to Faith.

"They got their name at last years Christmas party." explained Buffy who sat across from Wendy. The older woman nodded but did not respond. She was nursing her second beer for the last hour. Buffy finished her first beer; Faith was on her fourth. The brunette let out a hearty belch. Buffy rolled her eyes at her wife, who seemed quite impressed with herself. They sat besides each other facing the entrance as though in anticipation of something.

The former realtor only nodded at Buffy, her words barely registering in Wendy's mind. There was so much to process. Everything she had heard today made her feel a sense of ease despite having a hard time understanding any of it. Is there a name for an emotion that had equal parts relief and confusion? Wendy did not know. She looked up at the two younger women before her, they contrasted each other in nearly every way. The watcher thought a moment then spoke.

"How long have you two been married?" Wendy inquired politely, the couple smiled at one another.

"How'd you guess?" Buffy asked as Faith took her small hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

"Matching rings," Wendy explained glancing to their wedding bands. "and Faith mentioned a little missus with good fashion sense when I first met her." Faith looked up as though trying to recall the memory, Buffy simply looked pleased.

"Almost seven years now." Buffy answered. Wendy gave a small smile and nodded.

"I've had dreams about you two, I think." a furrow was made in her brow. It was strange to speak about the dreams now, for years they had come to her but she had never voiced them, mostly thinking that they were inconsequential. Just her overactive imagination taking over while she slept. Now that there was substance behind those nightmares, a reason for her fitful sleeping, Wendy wanted to know more.

"Sometimes a potential will dream about past slayers. When they're called, watchers believe that they could be prophetic." Buffy explained over the din of the blaring music.

"Most of the time they're just really wonky." Faith added.

"Wonky would be a good description of them sometimes." Wendy conceded, remembering one dream she had with a caricature of a man offering her a plate of cheese. Perhaps that had nothing to do with anything at all.

"Was there anything in your dreams that you wanted to talk about?" Buffy asked, the concern on her face was evident. Wendy could relate to that look, she had given them to her own children. To receive it from someone who was almost two decades her junior was amusing. The older blonde gave a small smile, welcoming it. This woman felt so familiar, so relatable. There was a warm tingle over her skin that she mistook for the alcohol.

"I feel almost silly talking about specifics." Wendy looked at her drink and pursed her lips. "It's always about fighting monsters, but sometimes it's you two fighting each other and sometimes it's about other women from the past."

"Sometimes you're like a cave-girl?" Faith asked, a look of interest painted on her face. Wendy nodded furiously.

"Those are the craziest ones. The things I kill in those dreams made me wake up screaming, scared my husband to death."

"Ex-husband." Wendy corrected herself quickly. Buffy strode past the awkwardness with some history.

"Her name was Sineya, she was the first of us." explained the younger blonde.

"How did she..." Wendy was unsure how to parse the words.

"Cowards." Buffy cut in. Her face twisted into a sneer. "Men too scared to face those things themselves, so they twisted a girl with their power and turned her into something that could." Wendy heard the derision over the crowd. "They chose from girls because they thought one would be easier to control."

"But things have changed, obviously." Wendy pointed out. Buffy caught Faith's eyes as her wife took a long drink from her beer.

"Yeah, those dusty old bastards must be spinnin' in their graves with the new management."Faith snorted as she finally put the bottle down. Buffy frowned at the crass words. Before Wendy could ask another question the couple's faces lit up. Wendy followed their eye line to see a large man with an eye-patch across the room.

He was easy to spot. Amidst the throng of dancing teen aged girls, his dark hair and scowl was beacon in the fog. His rolled up flannel shirt made him look like a lumberjack. The older woman, perhaps the oldest woman in the room Wendy mused, tried to see what it was about the one eyed man that would give these two women such happiness. He moved towards their table. Wendy noticed that several girls stopped what they were doing to openly point at the large man. Other girls clearly swooned as he passed them. When he cleared the crowd a child burst out from behind him in a run. The boy was also wearing flannel. Matching outfits with the child made the larger man less intimidating. Faith got up and strode towards the child and when she got arms length of him, he was scooped up into her arms. Buffy was grinning ear to ear watching Faith and the child embrace. The smiles and the laughs brought Wendy back to a family she had an eternity ago.

"Your son?" Wendy asked the younger woman, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yep! My pride and joy!" Buffy answered happily. Faith returned carrying the boy on her back with the large man poking him as they walked causing the child to giggle and squirm. The boy was deposited lightly in front of Buffy and the younger blonde woman got a squealing hug and kiss as well. Wendy guessed Faith to be his mother, he had her nose. His eyes didn't match his mothers roundness, they were sharp and keen. Those eyes finally settled on Wendy and he looked to Faith and Buffy for some unspoken confirmation. Faith gave him an encouraging nod. He turned back to the older woman and introduced himself in a clear voice.

"Hi, I'm Nicky. Whats your name?" His cheeks were round and his eyes seemed to study her. He held out his hand without hesitation. Wendy took it into hers and shook it clearly looking impressed by his manners. She gave him the best smile she could muster.

"Well, hello Nicky. My name is Wendy, I work with your mothers." She hesitated a bit with the last few words, but met eyes with both women who both nodded furiously. Wendy smiled genuinely. From behind the child, the one eyed man spoke-up. The watcher had almost forgotten about his intimidating visage while speaking with Nicky.

"Hey! Xander Harris, at your service." He introduced himself in a flourish. The stern demeanor that Wendy saw slipped away into to an affable one. His tone was warm and his bow was almost humorous.

"Wendy, this is one of The Council's best field watchers." Xander and Faith seemed amused at Buffy's statement. "He's been with us since before the beginning. He pretty much helps handle everything anywhere." Xander pulled out a chair and sat besides Wendy and Nicky took over Faith's lap.

"Major Carlisle, Samantha Finn sends her regards." Xander fixed his good eye on the older blonde. She instantly became more attentive hearing her former rank and a familiar name. Wendy got a lot of intel from Sam Finn and her second while working in Peru. She had come to respect the idealistic woman and her shadowy partner, the info received from them turned out to be lifesaving more than once. Wendy smiled, she should be shook from their knowledge of her but she continued to feel comfortable. Watching Faith bounce her child on her knee while talking about her SOF time in South America gave a wry sense of amusement. Their details that they knew of her military background legitimized the rest of the insanity they offered as explanations. How else could they be so well versed in her nightmares?

"She was a smart kid, real dreamer though." Wendy remembered aloud. "How is she doing?"

"Retired with kids."

"Iowa?" Wendy asked hopefully.

"Yep, like she talked about. Her and the big mister got a soybean farm out there." Xander said with a wide grin which was shared by Wendy. They also shared they same thoughts and emotions.

"Good for her." Wendy said with much relief but a touch of envy as she sipped her drink. Xander gave her another lopsided grin hearing both clearly in her voice. Faith cut into the conversation, passing a laughing Nicky over to Buffy.

"I was planning for you and Xander to spend sometime together. Mostly to show you our operation here in Cleveland." Faith explained to the older woman, Wendy could tell there was something was being left unsaid. "You'd probably be bouncing back and forth from downtown to here, but I figured you're good with driving everywhere." Long drives to listings were common place for her, the trip would be inconsequential.

"Listen, forget all the mystical crap for a couple days." Xander offered. "The HR stuff is going to help ease you into everything and all the paperwork is going to make this feel like another job for a while." Human resources stuff to fight monsters, Wendy mused. It was like the last road block to acceptance was removed from her mind and she laughed. The rest of the table seem bemused at her reaction.

"I'm sorry, this all seems so surreal. I guess you're going to mention your life and dental plans next." She laughed harder when Buffy mouthed "braces" and slyly pointed at the distracted child in her lap.

The band finished playing and said their thank you's to their crowd. "The Slay Belles ladies and gentlemen!" A DJ at her booth by the stage announced over the sound system as the girls started breaking down their equipment. The lights by the stage cut out covering it in darkness though the shuffling of the girls continued to be heard. People started milling about the dance floor or walking back to tables or to food receptacles lining the walls by the entrance. Wendy noticed there was a great deal of Mexican food.

"Our world can be hard but we're hoping you can help make it easier." Buffy added. The DJ continued speaking overhead anouncing the next act whom Faith spoke over. Girls at their tables began twittering excitedly, even some of the adults laughed and joined a sudden migration to the stage.

"You work with us, we'll do our best to take care of the little problems. Things are tough enough without having to worry about your gums." The brunette added. Buffy hugged Nicky a little as Faith spoke.

A spotlight hit the stage to reveal a thin woman with long dark flowing hair, her skin was an odd shade. Perhaps it was the lighting, Wendy mused. She wore a light purple sundress and held the mic-stand like a weapon. A steady beat and soft trumpets sounded over the speakers before she almost moaned into the mic. The singer's voice was deep and sultry, it poured out from her with the thick sweetness of molasses. She was almost professional, though Wendy noticed a lacking of passion in the words.

'Mmmm...L.A. proved too much for the man' she sang, with the throatiness found in blues clubs long gone. The crowd cheered and whistled at her.

"Watchers are always treated with respect." Buffy stated, giving her attention to the stage as more spotlights revealed four men in matching tweed jackets. The crowd erupted identifying the fastidious Rupert Giles dancing in time with the other back-up singers. Loud hoots and louder whistling came from the girls seeing him on stage.

'Proved too much for the man, he couldn't make it.'

The back up singers were all dressed uniformly not just in jackets but in their loafers, button suspender and khakis. Even their bow-ties matched. Wendy only recognized Giles, flanking him were two black men the older woman hadn't seen before nor the fourth, a slim middle aged white man. The back-up singers crooned into a pair of mic-stands in front of them. Buffy's wide eyed anger made her assume the younger blonde knew at least one person singing up there. Wendy saw Faith dive for Nicky before Buffy stood up nearly dropping the child. Xander only seemed confused.

"IMGONAKILLTHATSONVABITCH." Buffy erupted incoherently as she stalked off from the table and waded her way through the crowd. The ghostly woman continued singing words that drew Wendy's eyes from the angry slayer's back to the performance on stage.

'So he's leaving the life...mmm...that he's come to know..ooo' Sang the possibly blue woman. The back-ups spun and clapped in time to the song as they alternated lines with the lead.

(He said he's going)
He said hes going back to find
(Going back to find)
Ooh What's left of his world
The world he left behind not so long ago


Forty-five minutes prior...

The two walked the hallways as music from the downstairs ballroom echoed across the old manor. They were opposites in nearly everything; height, hair, gender, skin tone. Even their clothes marked their differing duties.

Lynn bumped Jacob with her hip as they walked. "Watcha thinkin' 'bout, Cutie?" The tall young man's thoughts were shaken along with his gait. He scowled a little at the freckled blonde. From head to boot she secreted several styles of blades in her person and she swung a hatchet aimlessly by its strap. A harness holstered a heavy silver pistol to her chest, she had left her shotgun at her station deciding that she could manage a walk with the new watcher without it. Jacob thought the armament made her seem more charming. He was wearing still wearing the white collared shirt and gray slacks that screamed "I'm business-casual but on the go." His black leather carryall slung over his shoulder.

"Thinkin' if all slayers are pushy." The young man teased. Lynn played along, acting incensed.

"You don't know yet? A watcher must observe." The freckled blonde teased.

"Yeah?" The young man asked intrigued.

"A watcher must see the truth." She spoke sagaciously as though quoting something.

"Where's that from?" Jacob queried.

"Watcher's manual." Lynn explained dismissively baiting Jacob's curiosity.

"We get a manual? I didn't know that." Jacob admitted blinkingly. "Do slayers get a manual?"

"Nope, we get a handbook."

"Witches?"

Lynn had to stop and think about that. There wasn't a whole lot she knew about coven's teaching system. "Maybe a tome?" She mused out loud nodding. Jacob gave it a thought as well, unsatisfied with the answer.

"Maybe a grimoire." He supplied. They both nodded at that, deciding it was a cooler to call magical texts 'grimoire.'

"How are you holding up with all this?" There was a touch of concern in Lynn's voice.

"I chose to be here, it's still all crazy but it's what I want." Jacob's words were bold mostly to help convince himself. Lynn let him walk ahead a bit and gave his back a quizzical look. She matched pace with him as he walked tall and bumped him with her hip again.

"Didja meet the new headmaster?" the freckled blonde questioned Jacob who perked up at the subject. Charles Gunn wasn't hard to understand. He was like a pugilist while speaking, in your face and to the point. Very much the opposite of the cryptic Wesley. Jacob wondered how the big man fought physically. Despite him fitting so many black male stereotypes, which chagrined Jacob to no end, Mr. Gunn's title and legalese marked him, at the very least, highly educated. Something that Jacob would respect from anyone.

"He seemed cool." The new watcher told the slayer besides him, she nodded absently.

"Heard he was head of L.A.'s legal branch. Nobody knows why they sent him out here since its almost a demotion for him." Lynn gossiped. Those were big titles that followed the headmaster, thought Jacob. When they had met, he did not seem bitter or angry as one would expect from a demoted employee. From the short time he had spent with the big man and Wesley, Charles Gunn seemed like a man with a great deal of work to do.

"Dunno, maybe its not about the position."

"Yeah, maybe its a watcher thing."

They stopped at the end of the hall by a large window looking over the grounds. The grass outside was windswept and the moonlight gave it the greens a dark blue shade that matched the night. The nearest light besides the moon was in the hall several yards away, the shadows wrapped around them but when Lynn would turn her head the moon's rays would catch her eyes and make them shine.

She caught Jacob staring at her and which made him turn away in a blush. She turned and grabbed onto his carryall's strap that ran across his chest. Jacob was yanked downward by the strap and landed into the softest sweetest kiss he'd ever experienced. He wrapped his arms around the contours of her body as he deepened their kiss, he felt muscles in her shoulders and her back. Lynn heard herself moan as she let his tongue into her mouth. She tiptoed pushing herself upward and broke their kiss. They embraced as her giggling echoed in the hallways. Jacob mumbled something to himself.

"What'd you say?" Lynn nudged.

"I was sayin' that I think that I finally understand Byron." Jacob offered. Lynn gave him a puzzled expression.

"Who?" She tilted her head as though the question weighed her down.

"A poetry thing." Jacob smiled. Lynn smiled back and the moonlight coming from the window made her glow. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they looked deep into each others eyes. He gazed into those starry orbs as they reflected the universe outside in the night sky. He leaned in and kissed her again, they both groaned softly as they held each other tight. After stretched moments in each other's arms and mouths, a sudden clearing of a throat broke their kiss.

Seeing a stern faced Faith Lehane, Lynn immediately broke their embrace as well. She almost leaped out of Jacob's arms to the far side of the hallway and stood straight up. Faith stood arms crossed before them. Lynn looked like a child caught misbehaving, Jacob was perplexed as to why she would react this way to his neighbor. Faith started speaking before he could ask.

"Where's your station, slayer." Faith's tone was agitated.

"Second floor hallway intersection." Lynn answered crisply.

"And what are you doing away from it?"

"Uh..." She looked to Jacob for help who could only shrug not knowing what to say. "Patrolling?" She offered lamely. Faith snorted through her nose clearly not amused.

"In his mouth?" the brunette quipped angrily, both Lynn and Jacob seemed embarrassed. "That why you leave your shotty at your station where anyone could get to it?" Faith demanded. Lynn was shame faced. "There's kids sneakin' drinks downstairs, you think leaving loaded shotguns lyin' out in the open is smart when there's drunk potentials stumbling around?" She did not raise her voice she kept it calm but harsh.

"No." Lynn answered crestfallen.

"Why were you given guns, slayer?" Faith pressed.

"Because I was considered responsible enough to train with them." the younger slayer answered mechanically, her head lowered a little more with each question and answer.

"Is this a good demonstration of your training, slayer?"

"No."

"No." Repeated Faith tersely "Cuz you were too busy getting cozy with the new guy, right?" Lynn's body was straight and rigid but her face was showed her devastation.

Jacob stood awkwardly watching Faith addressing Lynn's many mistakes. She had always been easygoing around him, sure he'd witnessed her bitch-mode operating at it's maximum a few times, but she was never so authoritative. She was even understanding when scolding her son. This woman in the same gear as Lynn was someone Jacob had never seen before. But she did bear a remarkable semblance to his friend from across the street. The tall young man tried to defend the freckled blonde.

"Yo, you don't gotta..." Jacob's mouth shut tight after receiving a strong, almost demonic glare from Faith. The angry woman turned her attention back to Lynn.

"What do we do about mistakes, slayer?" Faith barked.

"Learn from the ones that don't kill us." Lynn answered crisply.

"What'd you learn?"

"Don't leave my post."

"Go." Faith ordered and Lynn hot-stepped it back to her station, leaving Jacob alone with Faith in the hallway. He shifted in place nervously as the young woman he was just kissing disappeared around the corner.

"Holy shit." Jacob muttered receiving another glare from Faith, though lacking the previous venom. "You're in charge." He realized.

"Chief of security, kid." Faith explained, referring to her title. "Leavin' guns around ain't secure."

"You told me you work for a school." Jacob felt slighted. Faith shrugged dismissively which caused her gear harness to rattle a bit after she dropped her shoulders. Besides the holstered pistol was a yellow patch vaguely resembling the sun.

"Do that too. Council owns the school." She looked him over, perhaps trying to see if she could spot a change. "I'm guessin' you ain't here for the tour."

"I took the offer." Jacob announced to his neighbor who gave him a derisive look. Her rolling eyes painted frustration on Jacob's face.

"Don't gimme that look, Faith. You and Buffy give it to me all the time."

"Yeah? What look?" Faith challenged.

"The 'Oh-You-Kids' look." He said, imitating his aunt's brassiness. "The 'You-Shoulda-Known-Better' look." He said with a head shake and a wagging finger.

"That's 'cuz you are a kid and you shoulda known better." she said as she started walking back towards the main stairs. "I took the offer." She repeated in a high pitched imitation of Jacob. "Kid, you jumped in. And like the genius you are, you did it head first." Jacob followed behind her.

"But, I can help, I can be part of something bigger!" he sputtered out his defense almost chasing after Faith.

"Get eaten by a fuckin' bear dumbass! It'll be the same thing." She stopped short making Jacob stumble a little trying not to bowl the smaller woman over. She caught him with firm arms and steadied him roughly, disheveling his clothes. Her angry expression dissolved into a concerned one as she fixed his collar and smoothed out his shirt. This was the Faith he knew. "I know you can help, Jake. Hell, Gunn probably told you how much we need it, but..." Faith stumbled with her words, Jacob used his to help steady her in turn.

"You worry." He finished for her.

"I didn't hafta worry 'bout you yesterday, Jake. Now, I'm probably gonna worry 'bout you all the time." Faith sighed and shook her head. "Buffy feels the same way, you gotta get that. She flipped out on you last night because she worries about a lot of other shit. And the thought of adding you to the stuff we deal with, that's a lot for her." She paused and looked up at Jacob. He said nothing but frowned.

"She knows every name of every slayer, watcher and witch that's died for The Council since we took over. She memorizes them." Faith spoke quietly. Jacob furrowed his brows at the revelation.

"Why would she do that?" He asked matching her low tone.

"She's probably been doin' it since she became a slayer. That's almost two decades of names, Jake. Almost everyone in this building's got a list just like hers too and the longer we keep at this, the longer that list gets." Faith declared sadly.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you made a decision Buffy really ain't cool with and you're going to have to deal with that. She's got her pull on The Council that you really wanted to be a part of." Jacob processed those words. He wanted to ask about where Buffy's place was in all this.

"You're a man now, Jake." Faith continued. "I get that, but sometimes Buffy gets so protective that she forgets, y'know? She don't want you on her list. I need you to understand that 'cuz she's going to be up in your face when she sees you." Faith explained.

"Is it that bad?" Jacob asked, growing genuinely worried.

"Yeah, you're probably better off keeping your head low while you're around for a little while. If you give her some time she'll come around. But she'll come at anything fist-first she sees as a challenge." Jacob digested the words. He worked with them now, he was part of their organization. Faith held a high rank in it apparently , he wondered if Buffy did too. For the sake of professionalism and his friendships he decided to follow the given advice.

"Head low, I can do that." Jacob nodded. Faith gave him another look.

"Gunn's lookin' for you, last I saw he was by the ballroom. Tell Lynn to take you there."

"You're a good person Faith Lehane." Jacob grinned hearing the last part, the woman grimaced.

"Make sure she brings her shotgun." she ordered the young watcher who was now making his way to find a certain freckled blonde at guard somewhere on the floor, yelled back a halfhearted 'will do' and disappeared around a corner.

"I'm gettin' soft." she muttered to no one as she walked towards a large sitting area that was unoccupied.

She sank into a well upholstered couch and checked her her smartphone for the time. She had another half hour until she would meet up with her wife. Nicky would be arriving with Xander soon after. She hated being separated from her son for such a long period of time. Buffy helped a lot, the first few days they never even left their bedroom. Work helped, busting heads and doing odd jobs for The Council were great distractions. But since two days ago she felt the separation more keenly. Time could not go fast enough until she saw her son again.

She saw that there were updates for the Cleveland region on The Big Board. Navigating the interface, she opened a mission status alert for the manor.

[0][0][0]LIVE AT THE ROBIN'S NEST HOUSEWARMING[0][0][0]
THE SLAY BELLES
Featuring: Illyria and The Shadowmen
[]KARAOKE AFTER 10:00 PM[]

[!][!]21 -2- DRINK[!][!]
Violators will be assigned
!CONSEQUENCE DUTY!

A sad smile crossed over an old warrior's face. She felt the ache of loss mix with pride and appreciation seeing the chosen name of the manor. All while being amused enough to chuckle at Andrew Wells's digital party flyer. She tapped a drop down menu and saw heavy attendance, with juniors and seniors from their local school in the bulk of the total. This was mostly a treat for those that worked the construction site for the manor after all. Faith heard the muffled music of youths in celebration downstairs. Passions were erupting all over the manor. Jacob and Lynn weren't the only ones that was caught amid a tongue-battle. Joey, the young warlock from Georgia, was found in the arms of Wesley's youngest junior-slayer less than an hour ago in the garden areas. Love seemed to be in the air, the brunette mused. Her thoughts drifted to her wife and son who she also loved and missed dearly. Another sigh and Faith checked the time again, another twenty-seven minutes before she saw Buffy and longer still before her son would arrive.


Twenty-five minutes prior...

Jacob found Lynn and told her the new orders from her security chief. After a series of disbelieving 'No ways, she said that?', the slayer gave the tall watcher a giddy peck on the lips and led him down the back way by his hand her shotgun securely in tow. They went down flights of stairs where they quickly stole more kisses and ran through the now empty kitchen to a hallway. Here the music was clearly heard and felt even through the walls. They approached a door that was left ajar, singing and talking could be heard from inside. Hearing both Wesley and Charles Gunn within the the slayer and the fledgling watcher entered.

Within, Jacob saw a mix of familiar faces and some not so. Giles, Wesley and Gunn were at the center of the room stepping and moving rhythmically in a row. They looked like they were practicing a dance number. Illyria stood in front of them inspecting their choreographed movements. Amy Madison, the witch, stood away from the dancing men talking to a pair of women, one was tan and Hispanic the other was a freckled redhead with a slight overbite. The Hispanic women had proud scars up and down her bare arms. The redhead sported one that traveled across her face over the ridge of her nose. All heads turned as the new pair entered the room.

"Mr. Turner!" Giles greeted him. Jacob had met the older man several times before during his innumerable visits to the Lehanes. He was genteel and polite in manner, so for the young man to see Buffy's adoptive father tipsy and flush from alcohol was amusing. Giles broke away from his group extending a hand out to the tall, young watcher.

"Welcome to the celebration young man! And I do have to congratulate you on joining our little organization. I've always thought you would make a fine watcher." The older watcher confided, though a bit slurred. The proffered hand was shook.

"Happy to be on board, Mr. Giles." It was like Faith's entire family worked for The Council, Jacob mused. He'd have to ask about this later. Giles then turned to the slayer besides Jacob.

"And you are Lynn, I believe." A polite nod came from The freckled blonde. "Wesley had just mentioned to me your success this Monday. A congratulations are in order for you as well. Your squad's capturing of that demon has given is a substantial clue as to what is trying to kill us this time." he took her hand and used both of his to give her a vigorous shake as Jacob gave her an impressed look. Lynn tried to stay humble amid the high praise.

"I'm just doing what my watcher tells me to do, Mr. Giles." Lynn cheerily replied to her former headmaster. The older watcher had always been in charge of the academic side of things and a decade later most of the newly appointed slayers would always see him as their old principal. An old teacher's pride welled in Giles's heart seeing a former pupil do so well.

The rest of the room had also stopped what they were doing to approach Jacob and Lynn. Amy held out her hand for a shake as well.

"Jacob, its nice to see you out and about now." She smiled at him as she spoke. The two women who had been speaking to the witch stood a distance away from the people gathering around the new watcher and slayer. Jacob assumed they were slayers as well with their uniforms similar to Lynn's except they both had a round yellow patch sewn into their harnesses like Faith did. Gunn then stepped besides Jacob and put his arm over his shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Now, Mr. Turner, how would you like to hear your very first assignment as a watcher?" Gunn asked. Naturally, Jacob was intrigued.

"What do you know of Gladys Knight?" demanded Illyria, she wore a purple sundress and white slip on shoes, perfect for a summer day's stroll. Her voice causing him to shiver slightly.

"Wait, as in "...and The Pips?" he looked at her incredulously.

"We need a fourth Pip." Gunn told him. "Blue here ain't gonna wail unless there's a complete set."

"She does a really great cover of Midnight Train." explained the redhead with the scar on her face. "Hi, I'm Violet." She introduced herself with a wave.

"Carridad. Everyone calls me Carrie." Said the woman besides her.

"I guess you guys are slayers too?" Jacob asked genuinely curious.

"Two of our best." Wesley stated garnering a nod from both Lynn and Giles and looks of humility from the two older slayers.

"Aw shucks Wes." Vi said in an exaggerated hill-billy accent as Carri shared a grin.

"Jacob Turner." Illyria spoke. "Will you be one of my pips as I sing?" Wesley had an approving look as she asked the question. Jacob had a feeling it was seldom she asked anyone for anything.

"Yeah, kid. You down?" Gunn asked.

"Your superiors have created an acceptable routine for their dancing. It is fairly simple, you should be able to absorb it easily." Illyria explained. Jacob thought back to when he was a boy in his mothers two bedroom home. Sundays after church she would cook make banana pancakes while old Motown and R&B classics would drift out from an old radio. The space they lived in was cramped and could just barely be called an apartment, but those Sundays with mom his brothers, sisters, Aretha, Etta and The Temptations were some of the best memories he had with his family. Of course he was also very familiar with Gladys Knight.

"I might need to go over the lines again but I think I can manage." Jacob said confidently. The older watchers all grinned happily, Illyria merely nodded.

"I'll look up lyrics for you, cutie." offered Lynn absently. She looked up mollified, realizing that she had used her nickname for Jacob out loud in a room filled with, essentially, her superiors.

"I mean, Jacob." she added weakly. Vi and Carridad exchanged knowing smiles. Everyone else made a point to ignore it.

"Thanks." Jacob said with an abashed smile and nudge to Lynn. Together with the older men, he formed a line and began to practice.

"See, lean in, lean out, spin and clap twice." Giles instructed. With Faith's warning forgotten, Jacob danced with his fellow watchers, trying to commit the moves to memory as three slayers and a demon looked on.

"I shall select the costumes for your performance while you practice." Illyria declared.

"Costumes?" Jacob asked nervously.


"Isn't that Jeopardy Jake?" Xander asked over the cheering of the crowd. He looked over to Faith to confirm, she could only make an exasperated face. Their table watched Buffy get swallowed up by the swell of people with only The Slayer herself having any inkling as to why. Nicholas's small form sat next to his mother, his other mother almost dropping him was already forgotten being too engrossed in Faith's smartphone. Wendy was completely lost as to what that outburst was about. She turned her attention back to the stage where a singer and a back-up quartet did a great rendition of 'The Midnight Train To Georgia.' Wearing matching outfits was a good touch, it really brought back the Motown feel of the song.

'But he sure found out the hard way that dreams don't always come true' The singer's almost frail appearance hid a deep soulful timbre in her voice.

'Dreams don't always come true aha, no aha' The backups chorused as they leaned back and forth, giving two claps right before the second aha.

"Oh yeah, Xan-Man, that's Jake. And this is to his funeral." Faith said with a wry grin as she raised a beer bottle in the stage's direction then sipped.

"So he's in the know now? I mean, Big Blue's all big an' blue right there on stage with him." Xander pointed out lightheartedly.

"So, that lady's really blue?" Wendy interjected. "I thought that was the lighting."

"That's Aunt Leery," Nicholas thoughtfully explained over the phones's screen, "shes' colored." The table grinned at him.

Buffy dove into was a sea of teenage hormones and demonic strength. This would not deter the her, she would wade through them to reach her goal. Buffy was a slayer on a mission. Specifically she had to rescue someone from being a moron. How can someone so smart be so stupid? What the hell is the point of having two diplomas if you can't figure out the obvious? She had a handful of college credits at best to her education and she could see the stupid plain as day. Finally, body after body, she laid eyes on her prey. Wesley Wyndam-Jerk-Face-Pryce. The man who came in from Los Angeles with his stupid demon girlfriend. Ever since Illyria resurrected him eight years ago he's been kind of a jerk.

So he pawned all his hopes
And he even sold his old car
Bought a one way ticket back
To the life he once knew
Oh, yes, he did, he said he would

Oh, he's leavin'
(Leavin')
On that midnight train to Georgia, mmm yeah
(Leavin' on that midnight train)

She reached the stage and nearly clawed at Jacob. The raised platform was waist high and despite her strength she was having a difficult time getting up. Underneath their stony exterior, Giles and Wesley were worried. They knew the moment Buffy remembered to simply climb on stage their set would be over. They were resolute; the band must play on, as they say. The youngest watcher winced when he caught sight of her. Jacob locked eyes with the small blonde slayer and the words of Faith Lehane echoed in his ear. He could picture her smirking smugly and heard her calling him a dumbass. He twirled and clapped to the music in dread.

The crowd was pretty wild and the former writer never performed in front of an audience of any measurable size before. He took his cue from Gunn and the other watchers who were steadfast. Determination surged him on to finish their number. The slayer snarled as her thin arms swiped uselessly at Jacobs feet as she was still too angry to find footing onto the stage. It was clear that the watchers saw her, though they could not hear her words, her face showed her outrage. Lately, women around Jacob have been all sorts of scary.

Said, he's goin' back to find
(Goin' back to find)
Ooh, a simpler place in time

And they were ignoring her. Oh. My God. Buffy fumed. She'd just leaped on stage but the girls dancing around her impeded a jump. Their own strength knocking her about enough to dislodge footing. It was bad enough that she couldn't keep their people from dying or that she felt constantly out of the loop on Council doings. Now she was being blatantly ignored too. Finally she slammed her palms on the stage and used them to boost herself up and on to the stage. The music was abruptly cut off leaving the once dancing crowd yelling their displeasure. From Faith's spot away from the stage, all that could be heard were random strings of words caught by a stray mic, voices of slayers and watchers alike were all jumbled together.

"...too dangerous..."

"...over my dead body..."

"...not in charge of watchers..."

"...fully capable of making his own..."

"...you're drunk..."

"...you're stupid..."

Someone bumped into a microphone and caused back feed on the sound-system's amplifiers. The crowd groaned at the high pitched squeal as watchers and other adults tried to reign in the mass of slayers. Faith's table winced along with the crowd and watched from her seat as Buffy leaped at Wesley only to be intercepted and strong-armed by the thin figure that was singing. Wendy and Xander saw the scene as well. Nicholas was only half paying attention as the running game on his mother's cellphone was very difficult and needed his utmost care. Back on stage, an Old One restrained a flailing and and snarling slayer. Jacob stepped up in front of the older men and began speaking not noticing that he was near a microphone.

"We're just singing, Buffy." He held his hands up in surrender trying to placate the blonde. He felt like an animal handler fending off a bear, wielding his poor excuse like a chair. "It's just a song."

"I swear to god, Wesley! I told you how I felt about him here!" She clawed in futility at the Englishman, held back firmly by Illyria's grip.

"And I told you that we desperately need people, Buffy. You cannot just deny that." Wesley shot back. "And given his education, he's nearly perfect for the position."

"Please remain calm, I do not wish to restrain you." Illyria stated. Buffy huffed out a sigh as she stopped trying to wriggle free.

"I bet they didn't have to even ask you! I bet you came straight here even after we spoke last night!" Buffy threw an accusatory look to Jacob, who flinched hearing such scorn. The crowd watched the spectacle, a lot of the new slayers had never seen senior council members upfront before. Some the older people peppering the ballroom had disapproving faces. Despite the growing unrest, Jacob remained self-righteous.

"And so what if I did. I get to make those choices and you can't tell me whether or not I'm allowed to." He channeled his mother's sass. "You ain't mah boss and you ain't mah mama!"

"Well actually..." Gunn didn't get a chance to correct him as Jacob continued his tirade.

"I'm not some little idiot that needs to be padded up and stuffed into a helmet. I can make my own decisions, Buffy!" Three watchers stood fast behind Jacob to show their solidarity. They nodded as he spoke. "I know what I'm doing! I mean, it's just a party! What can go wrong?!" Wesley and Gunn both slapped their foreheads hearing the young watcher's words. Giles took off his glasses to polish them. Buffy only rolled her eyes.

Collectively the whole ballroom groaned having heard every word over the sound system. Jacob looked over his shoulder. Beyond a microphone was a swell of booing voices. Angry words were yelled from the crowd before the stage. They went from rapt attention to outright hostility in a manner of moments. If watchers weren't in the crowd, Buffy was sure objects would have been thrown. The watchers behind Jacob were aghast.

"Nice work, dick!" yelled Joey the warlock from the crowd.

"Is he stupid?" cried a disbelieving slayer.

"Thanks for ruinin' the night, ya pillock!" A clearly British voice hollered. Several obscenities were uttered by the slayers from the Scottish highlands, but no one could understand them.

Jacob was confounded. "What'd I say?" He asked. Before Buffy could yell at him a crash came from the large arching windows that ran the length of the outside wall. Glass exploded into the crowd of screaming girls. Everyone got down on the ground reflexively, save Jacob who was pulled down by an angry slayer.


A/N: Midnight Train To Georgia written by Jim Weatherly. Inspired by the performance of Gladys Knight and The Pips.