Willow on the beach. In a bikini. Faith was more than OK. She was…
Damn it! Silently cursing Nicole for planting crazy ideas, Faith raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, Red. After all that time in SunnyD, I think I hit my limit on sun and sand. You wanna trade the swimwear for ski gear, though, I'll help ya' up the mountain." That was better. Images of Willow, hidden under layers of scarves, hats, and ski suits, were cute – not hormone-inducing hot. Faith slammed the door on a few fantasies involving Ski Willow and a private cabin lit by firelight that lingered in her mind.
"I guess," Willow said, grabbing a map from the table. "I'm not really coordinated, you know. And just because I'm Wiccan doesn't necessarily mean I like hugging trees." A grin crept out as she took Faith's arm and pulled her toward the door. "If I broke something, you'd have to wait on me hand and foot. Think you're up for it?"
"Been tellin' you since the beginning, I got mad skills. I'm always up for…it," Faith teased back. The cold air that surrounded them as they left the cabin made Faith shiver. The sweat slicking her skin turned to ice. "Son of a bitch! It's cold out here. Why couldn't the end of the world happen in the summer?"
Stuffing her hands into her pockets, Faith hunched against the wind and scowled as Willow chuckled. "While we're driving to St. Reginald, Faith, rethink your vacation plans. If this has you whining, I'd hate to listen to you in Aspen." She gently shoved at Faith before trotting ahead to the car.
The comment was uncalled for. Even cruel. Stomping her feet on the frozen ground, Faith stalked after Willow, fighting to keep a frown on her face. "I ain't never telling anyone how nice you are again, Red. Picking on me like that." She crowded close to Willow as if attempting to intimidate her. "I don't whine." Of course, Faith couldn't come up with any other way to describe the high-pitched, grating sound of her final teasing comment.
Willow's hands settled under the elastic hem of Faith's hooded sweatshirt. "Really? Sounded like a whine to me. And I'm an expert. I lived with Dawn for years."
"D ain't a Slayer, Red." God, Willow's hands seemed to burn through Faith's jeans, spreading warmth in waves through her body. Unconsciously leaning closer, Faith stared down at Willow's wide smile. "Slayers are different." Her head dropped.
So close. Willow's lips were so close.
Faith froze as a puff of Willow's breath brushed her face. "Faith?" Even Faith could hear the entreaty in Willow's voice.
She heard it. She wanted to respond. Instead, Faith forcibly ignored those enticing lips when her enhanced hearing picked up the crunch of gravel beneath tires on the drive to the cabin. "We've got company," Faith said, and if her voice was rough and frustrated... "Nic! Amy!" Vampires didn't normally arrive in cars, but the specter of Angel behind the wheel of black Plymouth made it a possibility. Faith wanted to be ready.
Seconds later, Junior Slayers poured out of the cabin. Faith saw weapons glinting in the faint moonlight as they fanned out. Their shadowy figures melted into the darkness briefly before the blaze of two headlights spotlighted the area. Shielding her eyes with a hand, Faith squinted at a familiar car. "Fuck. My bad, guys. Stand down. The Chief's friends ain't gonna be happy with all the steel and stakes." They probably wouldn't be any happier with the information she and Chelsea had, either.
Faith made sure the girls at least looked unarmed and waited for Olivia and Detective Munch to get out of the car. It didn't take long. The car coasted to a stop a few feet away and both doors popped open immediately. "Where's Chelsea?" Olivia demanded before she'd even cleared the car.
"Are you always this fuckin' rude?" Faith shot back without thinking. "Get outta the car and take a deep breath. The Chief's in the cabin. I'll have one of the Juniors grab her." She felt slightly ashamed of the stab of pleasure she felt at Olivia's scowl.
"Detectives, why don't you come with us? We all need to talk." Willow appeared at Faith's shoulder, one hand resting on Faith's forearm. "I'm sure the girls can finish packing without us."
Talk. It always came down to talking. Stifling a pained sigh, Faith let Willow pull her back toward the cabin. Junior Slayers cleared a hasty path for them. "Will, we need to get moving," Faith argued softly. "The kids is packing up and there ain't nothin' left in the cabin but Simmons. It's time to go, remember?" The thing about Simmons wasn't entirely true. Faith spotted Nicole and a couple of other Junior Slayers and Chelsea in the main room with Simmons. Still, she thought her point was valid. Chelsea had asked a lot of questions when they'd done the big reveal at her apartment. Faith was sure the two cops behind them would have just as many – if not more. If Willow had wanted to do all the convincing before they left, she should have told Faith.
"Don't worry. I've got it covered." Willow let go of Faith's arm and moved away. "Detective Lake, can you join us?" she called out.
Chelsea considered her answer. Yes, she could go over and join Willow. Or she could simply stay where she was and avoid what was sure to be an emotional and very difficult conversation with Olivia and Munch. Sighing, she gave in to her better nature and handed the box of books in her hands to the Slayer next to her. "Sorry, it looks like I'm being summoned," she muttered.
"Then you better hurry," the girl answered, eyes flickering to Willow and then back. "I've heard stories about her…" Apparently, the stories were cautionary. "You don't want to keep Willow waiting."
"Uh…" Chelsea wanted to hear what the kid had to say. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she added after a second. She'd have to get the scoop later. Striding quickly across the room, Chelsea watched Munch examine the room. "Hey, Sarge. Put that look away, will you? Save the crusty Bad Cop persona for later."
Her words made one of Munch's eyebrows raise imperiously. "I am never the Bad Cop when Liv is around, Rookie. I was merely noticing the tender age of most of your friends. Is this your secret? The Family dabbles in underage escorts?"
Faith stiffened noticeably and several of the Junior Slayers put down whatever they had been holding. Shit! Chelsea glared at Munch and started to explain.
"Munch, I'm beginning to think all that conspiracy theory crap has rotted your brain," Olivia drawled, beating Chelsea to the verbal punch. "I worked Vice, and I've never seen pros like this. That one?" She pointed at a particularly well-muscled Junior Slayer. "She's built to kick your ass, not kiss it."
The girl smiled. "Got that right." Turning away, she hefted a box onto her shoulder and forcibly shoved another Slayer toward the door.
Relaxing now that things had settled down slightly, Chelsea gestured toward the table behind Willow. "Have a seat. We're about to hit the road again, and there are a few things you need to hear first." Chelsea took her own suggestion and sat down next to Olivia. The rest of the chairs filled up quickly. Even Nicole joined them; although, she seemed uncomfortable with her inclusion in the meeting.
No one spoke at first. They traded glances as the silence grew.
"It looks like I get to break the news," Willow muttered, narrowing her eyes at Faith and Nicole. "Wow. I'm shocked." She sighed and met Munch's eyes. "I'm sorry we had to lie to you the other day, Sergeant. Faith and I – and Nicole… We aren't in New York for a soccer tournament. We're here to protect Detective Lake."
Munch considered the information, elbows on the table and fingers steepled in front of his face. "From the Masuccis?"
"No, Sarge," Chelsea answered. "This isn't about the Mob." Actually, it was. The Mob was simply made up of vampires. Trying again (but leaving out the vampires), Chelsea went on. "Not the Masuccis, anyway. Or any of the big families we're used to." Her explanation stumbled to a halt and she searched for words. "We were on the right track back at the House. It's all about my family…about me."
No one at the table moved. Chelsea could feel them looking at her, though, and she sensed Faith's and Willow's impatience. The Junior Slayers were ready to move. She didn't have time for a long and drawn out explanation.
And that's where Chelsea struggled.
How did she tell two long-time police officers – people she'd known for only a few weeks – that vampires, demons, and things that go bump in the night were real? Not only real, but part of an army that was out to kill her?
Before Chelsea found the right words, Faith found them for her. "An army of vampires is wanting to kill Chelsea," she announced without preamble. "Me and the Juniors are here to make sure that don't happen."
Munch and Olivia gaped at her. Chelsea stared, too. Did Faith really think her blunt statement was going to make this talk any easier?
"It's hard to believe, I know." Willow was there with a self-deprecating smile to back up Faith's outrageous claim. "The first time I heard about vampires, I was in high school. I didn't believe it until one of them tried to make me a late-night snack. It's hard to keep saying vampires aren't real when you have big, nasty, blood-sucking teeth pressed to your throat."
"Let's go, Lake." Olivia stood up and grabbed Chelsea's shoulder. "I've heard enough."
The pressure from her hand urged Chelsea to leave the table. Breaking Olivia's hold, Chelsea resisted. "No. Liv, it sounds crazy. I understand." She wryly remembered her own disbelief in her apartment. "But this is real, and I need your help. We can't do this without you. Faith and Willow think we're outnumbered, that not even Faith and the Junior Slayers will be enough. Elliot and Fin are on their way with Anshu, and I need you and Munch to join the team."
"Stabler's in on this?" They definitely had Munch's attention. "I thought I was your confidante, Chelsea." He stared intently at Chelsea, still seated at the table.
His eyes… Chelsea stared back, ignoring Olivia's tense and impatient form beside her. Munch believed her. She could see it. "You were," she mumbled. "You are." Hope rose, pushing out some of the cold dread weighing down her limbs. "Elliot doesn't know anything yet, Sarge. I wanted you to be the first to know."
"Now that ya' do, can we go? Me and the Junior's got a job to do, and we can't do it sittin' here talking." Faith stood and waved at the girls still frozen in place around the room, watching the tense confrontation. As if her movement was a signal, several of the them bolted for the door.
Bolted for safety, Chelsea thought with an inner chuckle. If she wasn't such a big part of the explanation, she might run, too.
Olivia wasn't going to be so easy to convince as Munch, and she proved it a heartbeat later. "Put your hands where I can see them and step away from the table. Now!" she ordered Faith, one hand dropping to the butt of her gun.
Faith, being Faith, crossed her arms and glowered.
"I'm not going to say it again. Put your hands where I can see them." Olivia's gun cleared its holster.
"You don't put that thing away, and I'm gonna show you about Slayers the way I showed the Chief," Faith said in a low, threatening voice. It was the wrong approach. In Chelsea's experience, Olivia rarely responded well to threats.
This time was no exception. Olivia raised her weapon until it pointed at Faith.
Starting to climb to her feet, Chelsea reconsidered. She was in the line of fire. If she startled Olivia, the firefight might begin. And she sure as hell didn't want to get in the way if Faith decided to do a little demonstration of her skills. She sank back into her chair and waited, tensely, for the scene to play out.
The wait wasn't long.
A cold breeze swirled suddenly, chilling Chelsea and rustling the last of the papers on the table. "You know, I'm all out of peace, love, and understanding, Detective," Willow stated. She didn't stand. She didn't appear to do anything. That didn't mean nothing happened. The breeze grew into a gale force wind. Books and papers flew around the room. The outer door sprang open and closed. "Put the gun away."
Olivia went pale and the gun wavered. She didn't lower it, however.
Chelsea wished Olivia had followed directions. Willow's eyes turned solid blue and her hair lifted from her head. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She raised one hand and pointed an imperious finger at Olivia. A tiny, golf ball-sized blue orb flew from her fingertip and across the table, landing with a soundless explosion on Olivia's gun.
The metal glowed. "Son of a bitch!" Olivia shouted. She pulled her hand from the gun's molded grip and took a step back.
Despite no longer being held, the gun didn't fall to the ground. Instead, it floated several feet off the floor, surrounded by a blue aura. As Chelsea watched, transfixed, the aura expanded and brightened. The gun shimmered for a second. Then it appeared to liquefy, dropping to the floor in a flood of melted and smoking steel.