Part: 22/?
Author: PsycGurl
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Set in season three of Buffy, around the episode 'Enemies'.
Feedback: Hell yeah…what's a fic without it?

Distribution: Ask me or tell me where it's going.

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone. I have had urges to own DB or JM…but ahhmm…that's another story.

CHAPTER 22

RESEARCH PARTY- EVERYONE

~*~*~*~

The Next Day

~*~*~*~

The Scooby Gang had been researching throughout the night, with ummm…a few interruptions.

Willow had gone all 'Darth Rosenberg', as Xander put it, another time. She had brewed a thunderstorm and thrown Buffy and Angel around the library a few times with a whish of a hand. More books flew off the shelves and Willow even threatened to kick Buffy's ass now and again. Once that episode withdrew Willow had huddled herself in her corner, crying uncontrollably. Buffy and Xander had wanted to console her, but were too afraid to.

Oz had also attempted to escape the cage, but with a few more kicks from Buffy he remained put until a little after dawn when he changed back to his human-self. Unfortunately for him…he changed buck-naked, though Cordelia and Buffy didn't seem to mind.

Cordelia and Angel threw glances at each other throughout the night. Some from their future selves…some from their present own. Buffy caught on to them, as well as Xander, but all they could do was clear their throats or divert Angel and Cordelia's attention from one another.

Buffy, although remotely calm and determined, threw a few fits now and again and kept yelling at her friends. She also, undesirably received urges for Spike. She would be flipping through a book and a sudden lust for the peroxide vampire would overcome her. Then, she would run into the bathroom.

Xander, on the other hand, kept excusing himself to go out of the library and roam the school hallways for fresh air. He didn't encounter any physical manifestations yet…just emotional ones.

Giles remained focussed on the texts and volumes in front of him. Thoughts of his future raced through his mind, but he knew he had to be the grown-up. He had to keep charge and he had to give the children guidance. He didn't want to run away like his future self would.

And Wesley sat…looking at all of them go through such grief over finding out portions of their future. He saw the usually quiet and intelligent Willow and her cool, collected boyfriend warp into malicious creatures. He felt like 'tsking' their future selves for becoming influenced by bad and not knowing what was right and what was wrong. He knew that, personally, he would never commit a wrong or become immoral.

Wesley recalled Xander and Giles' visions, realising that they had fled from the ones they loved to do what they had thought was the 'right thing'. Under similar circumstances, Wesley knew that he wouldn't act in such an impromptu manner.

And as for his two future companions, he couldn't help but feel jealous of their relationship. Recently, he had become infatuated with the brunette teenager, Cordelia.  As for Angel…Wesley did not like vampires, period. But he too was becoming aggravated with the love-struck glances they shared throughout the course of the night. Why couldn't they, future they, just tell each other how they felt?

'I mean it mustn't be that hard to tell someone you're secretly in love with them…right?' Wesley thought. Whilst wondering whether he, himself, had any form of love life in his future he skimmed a passage of the thick volume he was reading.

" Eureka!" Wesley exclaimed, jumping of his seat. All eyes turned to him.

" You found something?" Giles asked.

" Well, if he didn't…then that was totally uncalled for. I mean hello…it's 1998! Nineteenth century jargon was in last year. I mean…I remember using…" Cordelia began.

" Cordy! Really not the issue right now, is it?" Xander exclaimed as Cordelia gave him a glare, crossed her arms and sat quietly.

" You mean that's all we have to do to shut her up?" Buffy joked as Cordy stuck her tongue out at the slayer.

" Wesley, please tell me you found something." Giles pleaded, trying to divert attention from Buffy, Cordelia and Xander's argument.

" Well I read the Gabba text and if I cross-reference it with the Coliath, which I related to the Taenaris…" Wesley began.

" Wes! Speak English!" Buffy interrupted.

" American English, preferably." Cordelia added.

" Well, when loosely translated, the passage says that these demons are harmless…any type of future demon that is. The particular one that I assume infected all of you was the Kilionera futurus, one that evokes future memories.  However, they are a dormant breed and only use their power when hired and paid." Wesley read from his notebook.

" Paid?" Oz repeated.

" Okay, so they like money. That's useful!" Buffy exclaimed sarcastically.

" Hmmm…so we're dealing with a wealthy demon." Xander declared, tapping his chin in thought.

" I'm hungry. All in favour of Chinese raise their hand!" Cordelia spoke from the background.

" Of course…I should have realised! They're gluttonous demons." Angel said to himself.

" I'd like Chinese." Willow yelled from the corner of the library. Giles paced around the table, rubbing his eyes…unable to focus on his train of thought with the interruptions.

" Quiet!" Once everyone was silent he continued. "This is good Wesley. This tells us that someone paid the demon to infect us…that narrows our search." Giles grasped.

" Why would someone hire a demon to…what did he do again?" Buffy asked.

" Distract us." Angel understood, standing up from his chair.

" Of course! We've been at this case for two days. Our attention is fully focussed on this…on this false case. That means…"

" The person wanted to pull something big off without being interrupted by us." Buffy finished.

" Or they've already pulled it off." Oz pointed out.

" Wait…now who would hate us enough to hire a demon to…well infect us?" Cordelia spoke up.

" Only…I dunno…a million demons and vampires!" Xander exclaimed. The occupants of the library then exasperatedly turned to Buffy.

" Sorry! I'm the slayer. I tend to make a lot of enemies."

" So who is the one person who has intense hatred for you, at the moment?" Wesley asked.

" And who's loaded to pay a demon that much?" Cordelia muttered, reading Wesley's notes.

There was the simultaneous response from the rest of the Scooby Gang.

" The Mayor."

~*~*~*~

" This was a wicked idea, boss. And this is a thing of beauty." Faith proclaimed to the Mayor, who smiled, as she took out a knife with an intricate design from a gift box with a huge grin.

" It was a good plan, wasn't it? I didn't realise that their futures were this disturbing. They still haven't showed up to save those humans and babies. What great vampires those mortals will make. And of course those babies are for me…I need to maintain a healthy diet. Their little cute bones are full of calcium. Which reminds me…have you had your milk?" Mayor Richard Wilkins III asked the rogue slayer, pushing a glass of milk towards her. Faith looked down at it and pushed it back and remarked.

" B's slayer sense is slowing down."

" Must be all that trauma of knowing she's going to sleep with an enemy. Handsome vampire though. Shame, that Angel liked that skinny slayer over a beautiful, energetic girl like you, and then she'll go and sleep with her enemy. Did you ever watch that movie? "Sleeping with the Enemy"? It was…" Mayor Wilkins began.

" You know what's in B's future?" Faith interrupted curiously.

" Faith, you know I wouldn't dream of prying into someone else's future. I am only looking out for that girl. The fatherly instinct within me persuaded me to. I know what is in store for her future and Angel's. And, I'm not very happy with that young girl." He added.

" Do you know mine?"

" Do you want to know yours?" The Mayor posed.

" Will something happen to me if I wanna know?"

" Maybe, but it can wear off if you drink this potion." The Mayor responded holding up a small bottle of emerald liquid.

" So do you want to know, young lady? Do you want to know where you'll be…what you'll be doing in a few years time? Hopefully, going to university. I hear that Yale is good. " The Mayor asked. Faith paused for a second, glancing at the new dagger the Mayor had handed her and trance-like slid it over her hand.

" Faith, do you want to know what paths you'll choose?"  The Mayor continued.

Blood began to trickle from a cut she formed on her palm and she looked at in fixation. She then looked up at the Mayor, back at her blood and answered.

" Yes."

The Mayor smiled a huge, one of his campaign smiles, and pressed the intercom on his desk.

" Judy, bring Fuzzylumpkins back in. He's got one more job to do."

A/N I apologise so much for like the 4-month hiatus from this story. I guess the usual excuses apply. That therefore means I've been sorta out of the whole fan fic thing for a while. So this is like my comeback…so it might not have been very good. Anyhoo…I will be done with this story before the end of the year. I guarantee it (sorta)! Also, this was the first time ever that I've ever written "The Mayor" and "Faith" 's characters, so tell me what you guys thought 'bout them. Thanks all!