Greetings and Salutations. Alright, here's another chapter. Buffy and Joyce on patrol, and what's Max's part in all this. Plus the last days of Wolverine.
Joyce ducked under the vamps punch, bringing her right hand up. Spikes extended from the Witchblade, piercing through its heart.
"You're good." Buffy said as the vampire exploded into dust. "I'm glad someone in this backward hell hole taught you the ropes." If only you knew, Joyce thought. They walked along for a moment, eyes peeled. "Joyce, I need to know. How'd it happen?" There was no need to ask her to clarify. Joyce knew what she meant. How dad died.
"We'd found this kid, about a year before hand." She began. "She was dressed in some kind of uniform. Dad took her in immediately, and taught her how to think for herself. Then the guys that she escaped from caught up with us. Dad stayed to hold them off while I got her out of there. I got her to an old abandoned house and told her to stay put, then went back to help dad." She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears. "When I got back, dad was down. Poison dart, something his healing factor couldn't beat. I went to pick the girl up, and she was gone. I shouldn't have left her."
"It's all right." Buffy said, hugging her close. "You did what you thought was right. I doubt Logan would have faulted you, I don't."
"I just wish I knew if she was alive."
Max watched as they walked on, tears welling in her own eyes. That was the answer, that was why all this seemed so familiar! That was the one Wolverine had told her about, and Joyce was with her. She was debating on whether to go talk to them when some weird scaly guys jumped them. At first she thought they were transgenics, but there was something different about them. She leapt from the rooftop, clothes lining two of them. She took two more down with a roundhouse. She spun around ones strike and came face to face with Joyce.
"Long time no see." She said as they went back to back.
"Do I know you?" Joyce asked, trying to keep an eye on her mother. Several of the demons had her surrounded. Joyce smiled to herself. They don't know who they're messing with.
"I'm sorry I didn't wait like you asked me to." Max said, as she sidestepped a punch. "They got too close. Staying there was dangerous."
"Max?" Joyce ducked under another demon, ramming the Witchblade through its gut.
"We'll talk later." Max said. She looked over at Buffy. "Should we help her?"
"Hang on a sec." Joyce said, taking the last of the demons attacking her down. "She can handle herself."
"You sure?" Joyce grinned over at her.
"You heard my dad's stories." She said. "Let's see how right he was." Buffy grinned as she heard the comment, drawing her sword.
"Come on, lizard lips." She said. "Let's get this over with. I've got meeting tomorrow, and I still want to get home." The demon attacked, claws outstretched. Buffy leapt over him, slicing through the things back with her sword. "Next." The remaining two charged, mouths foaming. They were coming in to fast for her to dodge them. But then, she didn't have.
Flames gathered around her as she floated some inches off the ground. The blade of her sword burst into flames, the Phoenix at the end seeming to move. She brought the sword above her head, and then brought it down. A thin column of flame formed, slicing through the demons. Max watched as they disintergrated in the heat. "Holy shit." She breathed as the flames died down. Joyce ran over to her mother.
"I'm fine." Buffy said as Joyce helped her up. "But we'd better get out of here. Someone was bound to see that."
"If they didn't, they're blind." Max said. Buffy smiled.
"So you're the girl that Logan died saving, huh?" The two girls stared at her. "What, you think I didn't hear you? These ears aren't just there to frame my face you know." She looked directly at Max, giving her a warm and friendly smile. "And before you say it, don't sweat it. It wasn't your fault. If anyone's to blame, it's the creeps that were chasing you. And Logan. Never could refuse someone in need." She began to walk off. "Coming?" The two girls looked at each other, and then followed her.
When they got back to Connor's place, they were met by another familiar face.
"Xander?" Buffy ran up and embraced her friend. "My God it's so good to see you."
"Hey, Buff." Xander said, hugging her back. "Damn it's good to see you. What took you so long?" Buffy pulled back, a strange smile on her face.
"Seventeen years, and you still haven't changed." She looked over at the girl sitting in the corner. "Well, not to much. I can't believe you became a Watcher." Xander shrugged.
"Someone had to keep an eye on them." He said. "Besides, they offered. What can I say, they recognised the skills."
"What, Donut guy?" Buffy said jokingly, walking over to the girl. "I presume this is your charge?"
"That's her." Xander said. "Buffy, meet Joanie." Joanie got to her feet and held out her hand.
"Xander's told me so much about you." She said. "The Watcher's say you're the best." Buffy shot a glance at Xander as she took the Slayers hand.
"They changed their tunes once it got out that the Phoenix chose you to take out the Dragon." Xander said. "Plus the fact that Dawn's Guardian of the Earth."
"And the Master and Adam and everything else." Joanie said. "They actually give us all the Diaries to read. I read yours first."
"Well, looks like Faith got the message across." Buffy said, remembering the day Faith had brought the Diaries to her place for storage. "Where is she, anyway?"
"Headed of to live with her brother." Jubilee said. "Dawns probably already filled her in." Buffy nodded.
"At least one of us got their happily ever after." She muttered unhappily.
"Don't worry, we'll get you back." They turned to see Angel walk in with Kitty and Connor. "Trust me." Joyce ran over to Connor and wrapped her arms around him.
"Thanks for looking after her." She muttered into his ear. Connor grinned.
"We can talk rewards once we get everyone settled elsewhere." He said cheekily.
"You better behave yourself, kid." Buffy said.
"Always." Connor said. Buffy smirked.
"Yeah right." She looked over at Angel and Kitty. There was something different about the mutant, and it wasn't her age. Must be that Immortality thing Logan told me about. "And how are you guys going?" Kitty smirked and held up her left hand, showing Buffy the wedding ring. "Oh my God." The Slayer squealed. "When?"
"About three and a half years after you…disappeared." Kitty said. "We had some Belasco trouble and Angel wanted to make sure everyone knew who I belonged to." She cuddled up to her husband. "What can I say, he's got a soft side." Buffy smiled sadly.
"Congratulations." She said. "I'm happy for you. No I am. I…I am." Angel walked over to her.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah." Buffy looked out the window. "I…I miss him. I just wish he was here."
"I know." The others gathered around her.
"We'll get you home." Joyce said. "Then you can fix this." Buffy turned to her, a small grin on her face.
"You got a plan?" Buffy asked. Joyce grinned, looking at the others.
"Trunks." She said simply. Max looked at her confused. "Faith's husband. He's from another timeline, still has the time machine." Buffy punched the air.
"I can get home." She stopped. "After I've figured out what W&H want that land for and what Belasco has to do with it." Kitty stiffened. Joyce let out a low growl. "Plus, Eyes Only wants to interrogate me." Max winced. "What?"
"I'm the one that saw that whole fire bird thing." She said. "I couldn't properly remember where it seemed familiar, just that it did. If I knew who you were, I wouldn't have said a word."
"It's all right." Buffy said. "I'll just dazzle him with my…"
"Humour?" Xander said.
"Flare for the obvious?" Angel said.
"Be nice." Buffy said. "Besides, I must have something. I had you two fighting over me."
"Hey!" The two said indignantly.
Okay, that should answer a few of the questions, main one being how Logan died. If you want to know what kind of Belasco problems, check out Immortal beginnings (if you haven't already) and remove Buffy and Logan from that scene. It would've been close. In the next chapter, Buffy meets Eyes Only.
Stay Tuned.
Doc.