Chapter 10: Scooby Interlude

A/N: Because people were wondering, here's an interlude to explain why the Scoobies are visiting Buffy. Very short chapter. I'm just trying to kick-start Musie on the story again.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Thanks to my betas: no need 'cause it's so short.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami characters belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. Diagnosis Murder characters belong to Joyce Burditt and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

Interlude (before Buffy woke up)…

Cordy groaned as she got into her car with Willow and Xander. They were going back to the hospital yet again! And for what? Buffy 'I can't handle killing my psychopathic boyfriend before he kills half the town, and when I finally do, I run away, leaving my responsibility to people who will probably get killed doing it for me' Summers? Like she deserved their concern. After all, it was fairly obvious she was about to take off on them again, leaving all the slaying on their shoulders…again. "Why exactly are we going to visit Miss 'Slays When She Feels Like It'? It's not as if she even knows we're there."

"Because Giles is already ticked at us because of the fight Buffy started before she ran out-" Xander started to say.

"And once she wakes up and apologizes to us for everything, we can get back to normal," Willow cut in.

Xander glared mildly at Willow for the interruption, but kept talking as if she hadn't said anything, "…and Giles won't give us the key to the weapons cage unless we go along with this charade and show up at the hospital. You really want to walk around Sunnydale with no Slayer and no cool weapons?"

"Charade? Pretty fancy word there, dweeb-boy," Cordy snarked. "I still don't see why it should be up to us to fight the vampires. Shouldn't Kendra's death have given us a new Slayer? Let's just get the Council to send her here!" she complained. It wasn't as if this was their sacred duty or anything. Buffy was the one with all the special abilities and everything.

Groaning at what she was about to say, Willow looked at Xander with a grimace. "Actually, as much as I hate to admit it, Cordy has a good point. I mean, we'd have to be careful about how we got the information about Buffy to the Council so that Giles doesn't figure out it was us…" she trailed off, scared of getting the Watcher mad at them again. "Until then, we'll have to stay close to Buffy, and convince her when she wakes up that we'll forgive her for taking off and not telling us."

When the others simply stared at her, Willow added, "Even if we haven't yet. It's not as if she'll know the difference."

"Whatever," Cordy scoffed. "I just hope the new Slayer does a better job of killing the monsters instead of falling in love with them."

"Here, here," agreed Xander from the passenger seat. "Where's Oz?" he asked belatedly, realizing he hadn't seen much of Willow's squeeze since Buffy went into the hospital.

Willow pouted at the mention of her boyfriend. "He said he'd meet us at the hospital. He's still angry about the other night. He wouldn't even listen to my side of the story." She bit her lower lip, then asked, "Do you think he's fallen for Buffy? Is that why he's sticking up for her?"

"Don't know," Xander replied with a shrug of his shoulders. It wasn't as if he could blame the guy; Buffy was hot.

"Would make sense," Cordy answered at the same time. "He's her type: part man/part monster," she explained in her usual tactless manner, not caring that Willow flinched at the description.

That unhappy thought set the mood for the group for the rest of the day. They all sighed in unison, resigned to having to sit at Buffy's beside for another fun-filled afternoon/evening (please note the sarcasm). Just so that Giles wouldn't glare at them when they wanted weapons for patrol.

A/N: Next…Miami meets LA.