The crowded P.I. office quickly emptied, leaving Coreen and Willow alone to start their research. Coreen was sitting at her desk, a solemn expression on her face, her head resting on her hand.
Willow smiled politely and approached her, "So Coreen, you up for some Googling? Willow asked with a smile, awkwardly attempting to connect with the young woman. She reached out and touched her shoulder. "Hey are you OK? I can handle this if you have something else you need to do."
Coreen stared off into the distance. "It's all my fault" she mumbled.
"What are you talking about?" Willow asked quietly.
"Astaroth coming back, it's because of me." Coreen's eyes began to glisten with tears.
"Oh... don't be silly!" Willow said with humored disbelief, squeezing her shoulder tenderly.
Coreen wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. "It's true. If I hadn't gone to get a Tarot reading... if I hadn't been so stupidly obsessed with magic and the supernatural, I wouldn't have been possessed."
"Hey now... I'm Willow Rosenberg, number one fan of magic and the supernatural, not exactly agreeing with your logic here." She gave Coreen a comforting smile. "Astaroth used you. You were an innocent bystander and that's all."
"I shouldn't have played with dark magic. I shouldn't have done that spell with Vicki!"
Willow squatted next to Coreen. "OK, you lost me. What spell? I haven't heard anything about a spell?"
Coreen sighed then took a deep breath. "There was this mummy, Pachacamac, he wanted to kill Henry, to take his life force. Vicki and I did a spell.. a ritual to save him. We used dark magic. It's how Astaroth got to me..... I let him in."
Willow reached out for her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Hey, speaking from experience, a little dark magic doesn't necessarily make you a bad person. None of this is your fault."
Coreen's hand crept to her heart. She cherished the feel of it beating beneath her chest knowing that Vicki had used Astaroth's power to make it beat again. Vicki had made a choice between banishing the demon and saving her life... and she'd chosen to save her faithful assistant. The memory of Henry chastising Vicki for saving her still rang fresh in Coreen's mind. She couldn't help but wonder that if the power had been Henry's hands....would he have brought her back to life? Would he have let her die? Tears began to stream down Coreen's cheeks as she looked over at Willow. "If Vicki had let Astaroth kill me....it would all be over now. Astaroth would be gone."
Willow sighed, her heart breaking at seeing this young woman in such pain. "You've never talked to anyone about this have you?"
"No," Coreen sniffled, grabbing a tissue to blot away her tears. "Vicki has her own problems. And Henry... well Henry left... and I don't think he ever forgave me for helping Vicki with that ritual."
"Oh Coreen..." Willow reached out and wrapped her arms around Coreen and squeezed her tightly. "You're not to blame for any of this."
Coreen began to sob against the stranger's shoulder. Willow's compassion unleashed all the guilt and despair that she had been keeping locked up tightly inside. "I was so immature.. a stupid little goth" she cried.
"Aww you were a Goth? I didn't think these business-like clothes seemed like the real you. I bet you looked really cute as a Goth."
Coreen sniffled and hiccuped through her tears as her lips began curling upwards into a faint smile. "Yeah... black clothes.. fishnet stockings.. bad eye makeup and terrible hair... but that was the old me."
"I did the all black thing once.. was not a good look for me.. but on you.. ." Willow smiled sweetly.
"Really?" Coreen asked as she wiped away smudged mascara with a finger.
"Yep.. you'll need to show me a picture one day."
"Oh wait.. I think I have one." Coreen reached under her desk and pulled her cellphone out of her handbag. She pressed a few buttons then brought up a photo of 'goth self' on the screen. "Don't laugh... but this was me."
Willow chuckled, "Oh that hair... its definitely you. Wow.. you look great."
"Thanks" Coreen replied sheepishly. "Hey.....I'm curious. How did you know that Vicki was a CHB?"
"I don't know... I guess ever since I did that spell its like I have a slayer gaydar. Ah..I mean a slayer radar.. not that I can't pick out the gay slayers as well." Willow gave Coreen a sly smile.
Coreen's eyes widened "Ohhh so you're a..?"
"Lesbian? Yep. Does that bother you?"
"No.. not at all. I'm just happy to be working with an actual witch!"
"So... are you going to be OK? No more tears?" Willow asked with a concerned expression.
"Yeah I'll be fine... guess we should get on with the research huh?" Coreen tossed her used tissues into the trash can and turned her attentions to her computer.
"Alright... lets get to it." Willow smiled to herself, knowing she'd just made herself a new friend.
***
Vicki was sitting across from Buffy in a booth at a dingy bar where she took a swig from an ice-cold bottle of beer before obsessively picking at its condensation soaked label. The place had a musky scent of old cigarettes and the sour stench of stale beer. The clinking sounds of a nearby game of pool could be heard over the muffled hum of an old Bon Jovi tune that hummed from the jukebox.
Buffy dunked a french-fry in some ketchup then placed it in her mouth. "This is why I love coming to places like this... no one gives a crap about us or what we're doing here."
Vicki gestured with her beer bottle towards the bar before taking another swig. "Sure... tell that to the old toothless guy at the bar giving us the death stare."
"Hah... he's probably never seen a woman in here. He can deal. If he wants a fight... I can take him." She chuckled under her breath.
"OK, so are you going to tell me what the hell we're doing here?" Vicki was feeling a mixture of curiosity and caution. She hadn't quite decided if she trusted this woman yet.
Buffy shrugged. "I just figured that if you and I are going to be working together that we should get to know each other a little better. Besides.... I was thirsty."
"Umm... OK" was Vicki's confused reply.
Buffy reached for another french-fry. "So.... you and Henry... was I stepping on your turf?"
Vicki paused mid-drink, the rim of her bottle inches from her mouth. "Me and Henry? There is no me and Henry... I'm with Mike."
"You don't sound too certain." Buffy had a sly smile on her face.
"I'm very certain. I love Mike. He's been a huge part of my my life, he's been nothing but good to me." Vicki kept her eyes focused on the table, fearing Buffy might know the truth if they made eye contact.
"But?"
"No buts..."
Buffy laughed. "Oh come on... I saw how you looked at me when you walked in on Henry and I. You wanted to claw my face off."
"Well... yeah.. maybe just a little." Vicki also laughed upon remembering the raw jealousy she had felt upon seeing Buffy half-naked with Henry.
"So what's the deal?" Buffy asked as she reached for another greasy french-fry.
Vicki sighed, "It's complicated. I had my chance with Henry and I didn't take it. Life goes on. I made my choice. I'm with Mike now."
"Damn woman! How on earth did you have the willpower to knock back such a hot looking vamp?"
Vicki caressed her beer bottle as her mind began to wander to all those intimate moments with Henry. "I really don't know. There were times when I almost didn't." A deep sense of regret began to overwhelm her. Vicki was desperate to change the topic. "So what about you? Whats the deal with Spike?"
"Oh that's my very complicated story."
"Well go on.. I have beer and french fries.. I'm all set for some serious listening."
A sombre expression came across the Slayer's face. "There's not much to tell really."
Vicki reached over the table and shoved Buffy's arm playfully. "C'mon.. give me some faith some that slayers have some luck in love... or at least just get lucky once in a while!"
Buffy smiled then sighed. "I dunno.... I thought I had true love once... not with Spike though. Unfortunately the relationship with my first love was void of all things physical. I guess I just longed for some passion... some fire y'know? And along came Spike. He was dark and dirty and totally sexy and he made me feel alive. He gave me all the passion I could ever ask for.... but I don't think I love him. I care about him.. but I don't think it's love."
"But back at Henry's place Spike said you told him you loved him?" Vicki asked curiously.
"Well.... several years ago he sacrificed himself to save the world.... I watched him die." Buffy trailed off as she remember watching Spike burn and turn to ash, shaking her head to clear her mind. "Then when I saw him in Paris.... alive...I was so overwhelmed. Before I fell asleep in his arms the words just came out of my mouth."
"I'm no expert... but it sounds a little bit like love." Vicki suggested.
"Yeah well.. whatever. How the heck did you manage to change the topic away from you and Henry anyway?"
Vicki smirked. "Damn... I was hoping you wouldn't notice!"
"So finish your story. What's the history with you and Henry?"
Vicki nervously swirled a piece of potato around in a pool of ketchup. "Let's just say that love triangles are no fun. That even when you think there is a choice to be made there isn't one. Inevitably the universe chooses for you. The cards were dealt."
Buffy leaned back into the booth and folded her arms. "You say that like you had no control over who you are with?"
"I just don't think we should necessarily trust our instincts when they tell us what we want....who we want." Vicki stared aimlessly at the table again.
"Well... if there is one thing a slayer has it's her instincts. You should listen to what your gut tells you."
"Yeah and maybe the slayer should take her own advice." Vicki replied sternly.
"OK you got me there. Point taken." She reached for more food. "Hey can I ask you something?"
"You mean we're not already playing a game of twenty questions?" Vicki responded in her typical smart-ass tone.
Buffy rolled her eyes before continuing. "No. I'm curious. Whats your background? Family life I mean?"
Vicki was not used to sharing so much personal information but reluctantly answered. "Hmm well...I was an only child with a single mother."
"Did you know your Dad?"
"He left when I was young. Haven't seen or spoken to him since."
"And your Mom? Do you have a good relationship with her?"
"Yeah.. I get along OK with my Mom." Vicki suddenly realised she was speaking in present tense. "I mean... got along OK with my Mom. I lost her to cancer a few months back."
"I'm sorry.. I know what that's like." Buffy replied sympathetically.
"You lost your Mom too huh?" Vicki asked.
"Yeah. I gotta tell you ..your history just reaffirms you are part of the slayer bloodline. It seems that all slayers are doomed to loneliness. My dad also left when I was young, and I lost my Mom to cancer several years back. I've seen similar things with all the potentials and CHB's I've met. We struggle to maintain relationships and we inevitably seem to lose the ones we love. Maybe it supposed to keep us focused on the mission or something. Wish I knew. Oh did I mention the short life span?"
Vicki uncomfortably gulped down another mouthful of beer. "Well you're just full of good news aren't you?"
"Sorry... its another reason I wanted to talk to you over drinks. The numbing affect of alcohol eases the pain of a few harsh truths. Speaking of which... I think it's time for another beer don't you?" Buffy stood up in preparation of heading for the bar.
Vicki chugged back the remnants of her beverage then smacked her lips. "It's always time for another beer."