Speed and Calleigh were in her car, following Willow and Xander's rented SUV back to the coven house where they would be staying. The Miami pair wanted to make sure they didn't get lost in a city the two "scoobies" didn't know. They had found out some interesting things about them tonight.
And Tim could sympathize with loosing a best friend.
"God, they've gone through so much in seven years," Calleigh said quietly. "I don't think I could have stayed sane going through half of that."
"I don't know Cal. You're a strong person. I think you'd have made it through no problem."
She smiled. "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself."
Tim chuckled. "I thought my high school life was a horror story."
"I certainly brings it all into perspective, doesn't it?"
He grew serious. "You know, when Luke died I didn't know how I'd survive. I can understand why Willow used her magic to bring Buffy back. I would have done the same if I had her type of power."
"I don't know," Calleigh sighed. "I mean, I do understand where they were coming from. But to bring her back to life, to take her out of heaven. . ."
"They didn't know she was in heaven."
"Yeah, but it's still scary. That someone can do that. I just hope anyone with that kind of power – Willow included – uses it responsibly."
"I'm with you there I guess."
******
The two vehicles pulled to a stop outside the coven house. "This is the place," Xander said as soon as they were all out of their cars. "Thanks for making sure we got back fine."
"Not a problem," Speed assured. "They won't be worried that you guys were gone till. . ." He glanced at his watch. "3:22 am?"
"Naw, they understand the demon fighting stuff. Plus we called Jean-Marc after talking to Giles to let him know what was going on."
Willow yawned. "I think that's our signal to call it a night," Calleigh joked. She lightly squeezed Willow's arm. "We'll see you at the lab sometime tomorrow?"
The witch nodded. "Still got the sword to worry about."
"I'll say," Tim muttered at the thought of the sword that could drain souls. "Kind of creepy."
"Very," Xander agreed.
********
Willow walked into the kitchen sometime after noon. To her surprise Xander was already up, drinking coffee and eating a jelly filled doughnut. "Morning Sleepyhead," he greeted. "Or should I say afternoon?"
"You're already up?"
"Construction. I'm out all night helping Buffy, then get up mornings to go build things. I've learned to get by on less sleep."
"Although he only got up fifteen minutes ago," Linda tattled as she entered the kitchen.
Willow arched an eyebrow and Xander shrugged helplessly.
"As soon as you're ready, we can continue our research on the Blade of Morgal," the older Wiccan continued.
"Are there anymore jelly filled doughnuts?"
*******
"Wait!" Xander shouted nearly two hours later. "I think I've got something!"
"What did you find?" Jean-Marc asked.
"It looks like some kind of ritual to destroy the blade," the younger man explained passing the book he'd been reading over to Jean-Marc.
"You're right. This is definitely a ritual to destroy the Blade of Morgal."
"Well, now we just to need to get it out of police custody," Willow said with false enthusiasm.
*******
Speed was examining some of the hairs lifted from the freighter. He couldn't believe their murder was a vampire – or vampires, if there was more than one. He wondered how they'd bring them to justice. It wasn't like they could sentence them to life in prison, could they? Absently he wondered if it would drain the taxpayers over the next centuries to pay for an immortal being's incarceration.
"You look a little distracted," Calleigh observed from the doorway.
He turned in his chair toward her. "I was just wondering. How much do you think it would cost to imprison someone for life if they're going to live for eternity?"
"This is what's on your mind?" she asked, her voice playful.
"It's a valid concern."
She shrugged and came into the room. "I suppose it is."
"And how the hell are we going to narrow down a list of *dead* suspects?"
"Maybe Willow or Xander can offer some insight."
"Maybe. After all they deal with this on a daily basis." Tim ran a hand through his hair. "Do you realize how fuckin' crazy everything is. We're looking for a vampire for our murderer. And how the hell are we supposed to get the judge to issue a warrant on a corpse."
"You're getting yourself all worked up over this," Calleigh said softly. "We just need to concentrate on the evidence, and hope everything else will fall into place." She leaned forward and tenderly pressed her forehead against his. "Don't get all stressed out on me."
"Are we interrupting?" Xander said behind them. They turned to look at him. Willow stood right behind him and they both were giving them a knowing smile.
"Your timing's impeccable," Tim muttered under his breath.
********
Xander leaned toward Willow and stole one of her fries and she ignored him. Speed smothered a grin. They were sitting in a café a few blocks from the CSI building eating a late lunch. Eric didn't join them due to the fact he had eaten just an hour earlier.
To anyone who watched the four, they would have thought they were two couples enjoying the afternoon.
Of course what they were actually watching were two best friend who couldn't imagine life without the other and two co-workers who were more than close friends, but not quite a couple.
Xander and Willow secretly thought it was fun to watch Calleigh and Tim interact. They flirted and teased, without ever openly admitting to each other that they were attracted. Xander thought they deserved the gold medal for denial.
Of course Tim and Calleigh felt the medal belong to the Sunnydale duo.
"Hey," Calleigh snapped in mock anger when Speed followed Xander's example and stole a fry from her plate. "Xander, you're being a negative influence on Tim."
"Nope, I'm pretty sure it comes naturally for him."
"You know," Tim said. "I was wondering if you know about the vampires that did the killings. Do you guys have some sort of database on maybe which ones have this particular?"
Willow swallowed the bite of her burger she'd been chewing. "We'd have to narrow it down based on the evidence. Even then it's tricky. Unless we're talking older vampires, there probably wouldn't be any records on them."
"Do we
know if Angel's still in L.A.?" Xander asked Willow.
"It's not Angelus' style. He's more artsy. And Angel still has his soul."
"Far as we know," Xander said tensely.
"Oh, my God!" Willow said, realization dawning on her. "Angel's soul! The sword steals souls."
"Damn it!" Xander cursed, slamming his fist against the table. "Why didn't we see it sooner?"
"What?" Speed was curious as to what they realized.
"If Angel loses his soul he goes homicidal on the world. He'd be the best tool to destroy Buffy," Xander explained.
"And Spike has a soul now too," Willow added.
"But you said he was in love with Buffy before he got his soul," Calleigh said.
"Yeah, and he's got the chip too. Doesn't mean it couldn't get ugly if someone's figured out how to remove the whole enchilada," Xander said.
Tim could see how worried the two were. "Who do you think it is?"
"Drusilla."
********
Tim entered Horatio's office with Calleigh, Xander and Willow close on his heels. "We've got our suspect H," he announced.
"A vampire named Drusilla," Xander explained. "Totally loopy but totally powerful. We need to destroy that sword now!"
"It's locked away securely in the vault where no one can get to it. And besides it's evidence in a murder case."
"I. Don't. Give. A. Fuck. You'll have a shit load of murders stacked up right in this building if she finds out it's here."
"She can't get into the vault. The door is three feet of solid steel. Even vampire strength couldn't rip that think open," Speed said, agreeing with his boss.
"Dru doesn't need to rip it open," Willow said softly. "One of you would open it for her."
"Bull shit," Tim snapped. "We know how to deal with threats to our lives."
The witch
shook her head. "Not this kind. She can hypnotize others to do what she
wants."
"Yeah," Xander agreed. "She'll have all of us under her whammy so easily. Then when she gets the sword, she and her minions will have a banquet. And guess who's the main course."
"I'll clear out non-essential personnel and have the security company change the computer code to the vault," Horatio insisted. "It's not our place to hand over this blade. When this is all over you can make something up, or even tell the owner the truth, and hope he lets you take care of it. But until this case is closed, it's police property."
"You don't even fuckin' know what you're dealing with," Xander said in a low, angry voice.
"Hey
man. Let's just back the fuck off and
deal," Tim said, placing himself between his boss and the slayerette. "Just help us get things ready to deal with
this vampire and we'll go from there."
His voice matched Xander's; telling the young man that if he made the
wrong move the investigator would take him down.
"I'll damn well help you get ready." With that Xander turned and left. Willow looked at the CSIs with pity, and then took off after her friend.
"Well, *that* went good," Tim sighed angrily.
********
"Xander!" Willow shouted and caught up to him down the corridor. "We just can't leave them. They'll get killed. We may have only known them a couple days, but Calleigh and Tim are our friends. Eric too. Do you want them to die?"
"No. And I'm gonna get things ready for Dru like Speed asked," he explained as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Giles' number.
"Hello?"
"G-man, we know who's after the sword. It's Dru. And if I know our government, then I only have to give this message once. We need Riley."
Author's Note: Did you really think I wouldn't get to who the killer is? Heehee!
Next Chapter: The government steps in to help put a stop Drusilla as the CSIs meet one crazy vamp.
