"I'm glad you decided to come onboard here with us Robert," dressed in his crisp, light blue uniform of the Sunnydale Police Department, Robert followed Chief Daryl Morgan out of his office and through the main department office building. Given his past experience, good performance when he was riding with a training officer on Sunday and the department's need for officers, Robert was being put on patrol by himself after only a day. "Though I've got to admit it took me by surprise," the two walked into the parking lot where the chief pointed Robert's new patrol car. "Thought you'd have stayed in Los Angeles, I heard they offered you a job there."
It was an issue he definitely did not want to discuss this Monday morning or anytime for that matter. "Yeah well, I just wanted to get away for a while."
"I was sorry to hear about your dad," the chief continued into another subject Robert did not want brought up. "You know he and I worked together in LA when we both started on the force."
"Didn't you introduce him to my mom?" Robert preemptively asked the question to get it out of the way, hoping once it was done with the chief would move on to a different subject.
"Yeah I did," Morgan's voice was also grave. "Listen Robert, I'm real sorry about both of your folks, your sister too. If there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."
"The job is more than enough boss, it's a big help."
"Surprised you came to Sunnydale of all places," Chief Morgan could not help but press for a little information that he was getting, it was almost second nature for him after over twenty-five years of police work. "Doesn't seem like the type of place a young man like you would choose to make his home. What made you decide to move here anyways?"
Robert pondered on the best answer to give that question. To say he came to kill vampires and demons probably wasn't the best comment to make to the chief of police, especially given the tremendous amount of faith the chief was showing in him. "A couple good friends of mine live here," he decided that it wasn't entirely a lie. "I didn't think staying in LA would do a lot to help me get through this so I figured, why not come where my friends are?"
"Good enough," the chief handed him the keys to the white Ford Crown Victoria police interceptor with the blue stripes of the Sunnydale Police Department on the sides. "You'll be working a rotating shift. We'll keep you on the 7AM to 3PM shift for a while but you'll probably be moving to the night-shift eventually."
Robert had no qualms with that, he could then patrol for vampires while doing his job, killing two birds with one stone, to use the old saying. "I'll work whenever you need to me to chief." Robert unlocked the door to the car, tossing his black duffle bag carrying various pieces of equipment into the passenger seat, anxious to get on the road and end what he saw as an unpleasant conversation.
"Well, get after it," the chief's voice became more encouraging to fit the situation. "Good luck and be careful out there."
"I will chief," Robert assured him, already sitting down in the car and starting the engine. As the chief walked off, he closed the door, put on his seatbelt and threw the car into reverse, quickly backing out of the parking place and leaving the department parking lot.
Driving through the streets of Sunnydale, waving to people, scanning for anything suspicious and making the police presence known, he began to wonder about Chief Morgan's question, why was he here? The more he thought about it, the more he didn't believe the explanation he gave himself of this being the best place to kill demons and vampires. When giving himself that answer, he was forced to consider at least part of the reason he chose to become a demon hunter.
And that explanation led to the other thing he didn't want to think about. Faith. He couldn't deny that she was a major motivation for his wanting to be part of this life and hence for his coming to Sunnydale. After Angel had told him she now lived in this city, he didn't think twice before packing up what he needed, taking off from Los Angeles and seeking her out.
Robert wasn't sure what he was expecting when he came to Sunnydale. He doubted Faith would just up and throw her arms around him but he had expected something a little different than the cold shoulder she was giving him. Granted he hadn't attempted to be too social with her either but he didn't feel as though any attempts to get closer to Faith would be very well received. All in all, he wondered if he hadn't made a big mistake coming to Sunnydale and if he hadn't come for all the wrong reasons.
Text began coming across the screen of the computer mounted on the inside of the car, indicating that the police department was dispatching an assignment to him. Not a strange occurrence in Sunnydale, the assignment was to respond to and investigate a dead on scene in a residential neighborhood. Information also indicated that emergency medical services and the coroner's office had already been notified as well. He lifted his radio microphone off the dash and keyed the transmit button. "1144," he identified himself by his unit number before continuing. "Clear on D.O.S. call, be responding."
"PD clear 1144 at 0930." A female communications office acknowledged his transmission. Not knowing the exact nature of the death, Robert decided to err on the side of caution and get there quickly. He reached down to the switch and activated his vehicles flashing red and blue emergency lights, accelerating through the streets. Approaching an intersection, he engaged the siren, shooting into the turn lane and going through a red light.
As he was already fairly close, it took him less than two minutes to reach the residential district the call was in. Once he was onto the residential roads and clear of the traffic on the main city streets, he deactivated both his overhead lights and siren. Turning onto Ave. H, Robert checked the address on his computer again and scanned the addresses of the houses before he located the one he had been dispatched to.
Robert's first impression was that everything he could see was the definition of normal. A two story house, white with a light brown trim, a garden and picket fence in the front yard with the family's last name, Peters on a sign on the gate and a basketball hoop hanging over the two car garage. Parked in the driveway was a newer model dark silver SUV and a green sports car, also a newer model.
"1144, show me arrived on scene," Robert put his car in park, turned the engine off, reached to his duty belt, turning on his hand held radio and stepped out of the vehicle.
"10 – 4, 1144, arrived on scene at 0932."
Robert walked through the gate and across the stone walkway to the front door, still surveying the house and the yard for anything out of the ordinary, his right hand resting naturally on the thumb break to his firearm's holster. He peaked through the two rectangular clouded glass windows into the house, seeing nothing. He raised his hand and knocked twice on the door, peering through the windows to see if anyone was coming.
After waiting for two minutes, he knocked again on the door. "Police Department." Still not receiving any answer, Robert stepped away from the door, and glanced through the front window of the house. The white curtains blocked most of his view and he could not see any movement in the small area of the house that was visible. He went back around and again knocked on the door. "Police!" He raised his voice, hoping to reach any occupants.
He was growing suspicious. Robert walked back down the driveway, glancing at the license plates on the two cars parked in it. He keyed the lapel microphone to his handheld radio. "1144." The police department communications acknowledged his transmission. "1144, need two vehicle registration checks." Looking for a place to start, not wanting to resort to kicking in the front door, he decided the cars would be as good a place as any.
"1144 go ahead sir," as dispatch answered, the front door the house flew open, a disheveled looking man standing inside it. Robert heard the door open, turned around and saw the man.
"1144, disregard," Robert walked back up the stone path to the front door. The men was in his mid-forties and, judging from his untucked shirt, hair that had obviously had fingers ran through it and tear stained face, was no doubt a family member of the death Robert was sent to investigate. Up until now, it had all seemed so impersonal, before seeing the distraught look upon the man's face.
"Mr. Peters?" Robert assumed, maintaining a cool and professional demeanor.
The man could barely speak, still fighting back tears and stuttering several times before his mouth formed the words. "Yes, yes sir, thank you for coming so quickly." He extended his hand that Robert took, gripped firmly and shook it for a brief second before pulling his hands away.
"Officer Robert Bloodworth, Sunnydale Police Department."
"Eric Peters." Mr. Peters barely shook his hand in return. Robert stood silently for a moment, hoping Peters would begin an explanation as to what had happened, allowing Robert to avoid the awkward situation of having to ask what was going on, something never easy to do in circumstances like this.
"Ummm … come in please," Peters led the way into the house. The inside was in line with what Robert had expected. Clean white paint with family pictures and prints of artwork adorning the walls, polished hardwood floors with a modern assortment of furniture, nothing out of the ordinary. As far as Robert could tell, they were a fairly well off, normal family, leading him to begin to discount any sort of a supernatural explanation.
"My wife and I were out of town this weekend," Eric continued, leading Robert through the entryway, living room and up a set of straight stairs. "Visiting her parents. We got home a few minutes ago and noticed my daughter Sarah's car was still at home, she should have been in school today so we were wondering what the problem was. She wasn't in her room but we heard the shower running." As they finished ascending the stairs, Eric pointed to the second door on the left of a narrow hallway. Robert took his lead and slowly opened the door.
With Mr. Peters standing behind him, Robert walked the short distance across the tile bathroom floor to the shower and slowly opened the pastel yellow curtain. Robert cringed at the ghastly sight. The body looked as though it had been eaten alive, blood, muscles and organs were exposed, all showing visible signs of damage. "We found her like that and called the police," Peters continued, standing behind Robert who could do nothing but look at the body. "We turned the water off but didn't move the body."
"1144," Robert turned his head away from the body and keyed his lapel microphone. "1144, confirmed D.O.S. Contact the on call investigator and ask them to respond to my location, tell EMS they can stand down."
Within fifteen minutes, the Peters residence was buzzing with officials from the county coroner's office, additional police officers, police detectives and a crime scene investigation unit. Victims' services personnel were consoling Mr. and Mrs. Peters while they contacted other family members, telling them about Sarah's tragedy.
Robert watched in the bathroom as the corner's office and crime scene unit photographed and collected what evidence was available from the scene. Standing next to him, looking stark and business like in his dark brown suit with white shirt and blue tie was Investigator Richard LeMay who was equally in the dark as to the possible cause of death. "The parent's story checks out," he glanced at Robert who was intently watching the corner's office as they prepared to move the body. "I asked the mother if she could think of anyone that might want to hurt Sarah," LeMay reached into his jacket pocket, produced a color photograph and handed it to Robert. Robert glanced at the picture of Sarah and a young man, obviously at some sort of school dance judging by their attire.
Said her ex-boyfriend took it pretty hard when they broke up." LeMay shrugged. "I know it's kind of a long shot but you might want to check it out."
"I don't know how an ex-boyfriend could produce wounds like that," Robert did not mean to question the investigator's instincts but he could not see a human causing wounds like what had killed Sarah. Nor did it seem inline with many of the demon species he was aware of.
"Like I said," LeMay lit a cigarette in his mouth. "Long shot but it might be worth it for you to check out. If for no other reason than so we can tell the parents that we're pursuing all possible leads."
"I'll get on it as soon as we're done here," Robert acknowledged the need to make it seem like they were doing all they could to find the perpetrator of this heinous act. The corner's officials removed the body from the shower, placing it in a black bag and walking out of the bathroom with Investigator LeMay following.
Robert took the opportunity to check the shower for any final clues that may have been hidden by Sarah's lifeless body. Looking into the still blood covered shower, he instantly saw one. Grabbing a pair of latex gloves from his duty belt and an empty evidence bag left behind by the crime scene unit, he reached into the tub, picking it up and placing it in the bag.
He hid the bag inside his uniform, between his blue shirt and his bullet proof vest. It was a good thing Investigator LeMay had asked him to go to the high school and talk to Sarah's ex-boyfriend because he now needed to talk to Faith. Something decidedly unnatural was going on.
***
"And remember," Andrew needed a few final words to the class as the bell rang and the students began gathering their belongings. "Mr. Potter will be back tomorrow and your homework for tonight is to read chapter six in your textbooks." He had nearly said no when Principal Wood had called, asking if he would substitute for a high school robotics class but was now finding it very rewarding.
"Hey," a blonde-haired student walked up to Andrew as he was gathering materials in his briefcase before his off period. "Just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the lecture," Andrew smiled at the compliment. "Mr. Potter always makes things so boring, like he's talking out of a text book, probably because he is but you really made it fun."
"Well good, thank you Tyler," Andrew was flustered, not used to receiving compliments like that. He was more adjusted to people not wanting to hear what he had to say or telling him to shut up when he did have a comment. "I'm glad some high school students think about more than lunch, football and girls."
"Yeah," Tyler said with a large smile. "I'm totally into robotics, computers, all sorts of stuff like that. I do a lot of it in my own time, you know, just as kind of a hobby."
"Really?" Andrew was surprised to have met someone like this who didn't buy into the normal high school fads. "What kind of stuff do you work on?"
"Hey," Tyler suddenly seemed anxious. "I've got to go to class but we'll talk later." He quickly made his way out of the classroom and into the hallway. Andrew surveyed the now empty classroom, making sure nothing was left behind before he locked up for a period. Something not entirely unusual caught his eye. On top of one of the light brown desks was a single piece of paper. He was sure someone simply forgot their notes or assignments and would be back for it later and therefore decided to put it on his desk where it wouldn't become lost or damaged.
When he picked up the paper however, he saw it was much more than simple notes. The writing and drawings on it were small, a great deal being crammed onto one piece of paper. It contained a list of materials, various sets of instructions and equations as well as drawings for various components of some kind of robotic device. The technology was advanced, too advanced for most. Whoever had done this was decidedly too advanced for the class.
Andrew considered bringing this information to Faith but decided against it for the moment. He sat down at the teacher's desk, intently studying the document, deciding it would be better for him to know what this thing was and what it was designed to do before he brought it to the attention of the Slayer. "Weird," he commented to himself as he began to go over the design more thoroughly.
***
"I'm telling you, it wasn't just that he wanted to be seen, it's that he wanted to make a difference also. He wanted his life to have some sort of meaning, he wanted to matter," Dawn insisted, continuing her conversation with Kennedy over the book they were currently assigned to read in their English class.
Kennedy smiled and shook her head, almost thinking that she was hearing Dawn talk about her own life, knowing she often thought people only saw her as Buffy's helpless little sister. "I think you're reading too much into it sweetie, why can't we just take it as a good story, told by a good author who just wanted to tell a good story?"
"Because high school English teachers never accept that an author might have written a story just to write a story." Kennedy and Dawn stopped at her locker where the potential Slayer spun the lock around until it opened; replacing her two English books with the text book she needed for their next class.
"I just don't understand why everything has to have a deeper meaning." Kennedy closed her locker back. It wasn't that she didn't understand the point Dawn was making, simply that she didn't agree with it. "I just don't see why we can't take things for what they are rather than trying to figure out what someone might have meant for them to be."
"Because that's what we have to do to get an A," Dawn was less than enthusiastic with her comment, leading Kennedy to believe she didn't entirely buy into the whole deeper meaning deal either. "And an A is a good thing."
"So I gathered," Kennedy remarked with a subdued smile, facing Dawn. When she turned around, she was immediately confronted by Amber, Brooke and Alyssa, walking towards them with almost fake smiles on their overly made up faces, wearing flashy outfits in bright blue, red, green, purple and yellow colors.
"Kennedy!" Amber squealed, waving as she ran up to Kennedy, throwing her arms around her, drawing quizzical expressions from both her and Dawn. After a few seconds of hugging her tightly, Amber eased up and looked her in the eyes. "I told the girls what you and Dawn did for me and we are just so grateful you saving my life from that," Amber paused for a moment as she tried to remember what they had said her attacker was.
"Vampire," Kennedy finished the sentence for her.
All three of the girls seemed taken aback by the comment. They didn't quite understand what Kennedy meant when she said vampire because everyone knew vampires were just in movies. Amber admitted that it definitely was something bizarre but, having had time to think about it since she was attacked, doubted Kennedy's explanation, thinking it had to be someone who had taken too much speed.
"Well whatever," Amber waved off Kennedy's comment. "The point is, you saved me and, well I just don't know how to repay you." As Amber continued talking to Kennedy, Alyssa looked up at the red numbered digital clock on the ceiling, seeing they only had about a minute to get to their next class. She tapped Amber on her shoulder, pointing to the clock.
"Kennedy, Dawnie, we've got to jet but we'll see you two at lunch," Alyssa and Brooke grabbed Amber's hands as the three cheerfully went down the hallway on their way to class.
"I hate being called Dawnie," Dawn's obvious distaste for the three girls was more than evident in her voice. She and Kennedy began strolling through the hall where dozens of students were scrambling to reach their next class before the tardy bell, in fear of the ever threatening tardy.
"I think they're nice," Kennedy could understand why Dawn didn't like them. They weren't the most intelligent or serious but Kennedy at least saw that they're intentions were good. "I mean, they're not the brightest bunch in the world but at least they're friend … and appreciative."
"They're friendly because you saved her life," Dawn scolded. She believed that she understood better how high school friendships were defined. Do a favor for someone popular, they like you. The bigger the favor, the more they like you. "Remember how little attention they paid to either of us before Saturday night."
"I'll give you that," Kennedy admitted that Amber and her bunch hadn't been the most social towards her before she had saved Amber from being the next meal of a vampire. "But they are friendly."
"Hey Dawn," Dawn instantly recognized Tyler's voice from behind her. Both she and Kennedy turned around, Dawn wearing a large, flirtatious smile, getting one in return from Tyler as they locked eyes.
"Hey Tyler," she was slightly more relaxed this time then when they had talked on the phone Saturday night.
Kennedy decided to give the two of them some alone time. "I'll see you in class Dawnie," she whispered wryly into Dawn's ear, causing her friend to shoot her a glare as she walked off. She quickly returned to smiling at Tyler.
"Dawn I need to get to class too but I just wanted to say I'll see you at lunch."
"Yeah," Dawn was enthusiastic. Seeing at lunch was another term for eating lunch together which was a step in the right direction as far as she was concerned. "I'll see you then," the two parted paths as the bell rang, both realizing they would be late to class and neither particularly caring.
***
"You don't find it a little odd?" Robert was like a statue standing in front of Faith's desk as the Slayer organized the small amount of personal items she had brought to decorate her work space. She hadn't officially started work yet but she had been hired and wanted to get her desk in order to have everything organized for when she did start.
"No," Faith said from underneath her desk where she was struggling to hook up her computer. "I'll admit the police officer thing did throw me when you first showed up, especially considering you never told me about it but I don't think odd is the word to describe it." She found the correct plug on the computer and hooked the monitor cord into it.
Robert scowled at her as she emerged from under his desk but could not hold his anger when he saw her, dressed in light blue jeans, a spaghetti strap red t-shirt with her dark hair pulled into a ponytail. That was a power Faith always had over him, no matter what she did, he couldn't stay angry with her.
"But hey," she turned around, going through the brown box she had set on her desk chair. "I suppose I'll get used to it after a while, just not to used to being friends with law enforcement types you know? Must be the whole spending time in prison thing." She took a framed photograph out of the box and put it next to her nameplate on the surface of the desk. Robert caught the image from the corner of his eyes, a picture that was likely a few years old of Buffy, Faith and Willow, all looking as though they were happy, smiling at least.
"You know that's not what I mean Faith," Robert wasn't in the mood to play games. The death of Sarah and the possible connection to whatever had attacked him and Spike had left him shaken. More so, he was racking his brain trying to come up with a possible connection but came up with nothing no matter which avenue of thought he explored.
"Right," Faith lifted the box, still containing a few items off the chair and put it on the floor so she could sit down. As she leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs and holding a pencil in her hands that she put to her lips, she quickly looked Robert over. Normally, a man in uniform wouldn't be the type of thing she would be attracted to but Robert was always the exception to that rule. "Some sort of freaky little robot things killed a girl and attacked you and Spike. You got any leads?" Though she didn't seem interested, Faith wanted to get to the bottom of this as much as Robert did, she just didn't quite see it as a Slayer issue, no demons or dark powers being involved.
"Just one," Robert pulled the photograph from his uniform pocket and circled around the desk to show it to Faith. "The girl's mom said his name is Tyler Jacobson," Faith recognized the name as a boy Dawn had talked about more than once. "They dated for the better part of last year and she said that he took it pretty hard when she broke up with him."
Faith took the picture and leaned forward, slowly tapping at keys on her keyboard while she played with the pencil in her on the edge of her lips. In a moment, Tyler's permanent record appeared on her screen. Both of them read over information on his grades, extra curricular activities and as well as comments from his counselor the previous year. "Straight A student," Faith remarked, still reading through it. "School newspaper, band, yearbook, debate team and drama club." She glanced up at Robert with a curious expression. "This is your killer? I think you're grasping at straws here Robbie."
It was the first time she had called him that since he came to Sunnydale. "Yeah, I figured it was a long shot when the detective asked me to check it out. Still couldn't ignore the possibility."
"Yeah," Faith glanced into his eyes, seeing instantly how much this was bothering him. "But you've got one of the robots, we should check and see if we can't find where the parts might have come from, maybe then we can figure out who it is building these things."
"Good thinking, we can check the local electronics stores, anyone who bought this many parts will no doubt be remembered."
Faith grabbed her white over shirt off the back of the chair and put it on. "I'll tell Dawn to keep her eyes and ears open too. Since that girl did go to this school, there's a chance one of her friends might have heard something that could be relevant."
"I'll meet you at the car," Robert left the counselor's office, Faith following slightly behind him. They parted ways in the hallway as Robert headed for the parking lot to pull his car around to the front of the building and Faith went to find Dawn. As they walked away, Robert stole a final look at the Slayer.
***
Spike was bored. Still brooding over his encounter with the robots and wishing he could get his hands on more of them or whatever was controlling them, the latest episode of Passions was providing him little comfort. He needed to get out, he needed to find something evil, beat it to a pulp and kill it. Unfortunately he had the sunlight to contend with.
A sound coming from his sewer access below raised his attention. Though visitors at the crypt were not infrequent, much to his dismay, they usually chose to come to the front door rather than use the sewers. He left his chair, quickly throwing a tape in the VCR and pressing record, not wanting to miss an important moment in his show and proceeded to the lower level of his home.
Three figures, their faces displaying their vampire nature, waited for him below. Spike shook his head and grinned when he saw them. "Well, well, well, the Ellis brothers." Spike vividly recalled his last encounter with the three brothers when he and Dru had visited them in Texas years back.
"Been a long time Spike," the eldest brother had the thickest of the group's southern accents. "I heard you went and got a soul," he laughed with the other two joining in. "Fell in love with a Slayer, I couldn't believe it."
"Yeah well, not really in the mood for playing catch up with you boys. Care to tell me why you're trespassing in my home?"
"We have a message for you and the Slayer," the middle brother commented, taking a step closer to Spike.
"Care to share?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow. A message for him and Faith probably would not be a good thing.
The youngest brother stepped closer as well. "Die!"
