Greetings and Salutations. This is the next chapter.
Buffy sat in the chair, waiting for the meeting to start. "I wish he'd hurry up." She said. At that moment, the monitor sprang to life, showing the now familiar Eyes Only graphics.
"Elizabeth Summers?" Buffy made a face, making sure she was facing the camera.
"I prefer Buffy." She said. "Elizabeth makes me sound like a snob."
"Connor told me about the vampires, so there'll be no reason for you to explain that."
"Good." Buffy said. "It's been a while since I had to explain the whole Slayer thing. I don't think I remember it."
"Instead," Eyes Only continued. "I thought I'd ask you about where you've been the past seventeen years."
"Would you believe, I don't know?" Buffy said sheepishly. "All I remember is getting zapped by red demon guy, and then waking up here."
"You don't know how it happened?"
"This, I can answer." Buffy grinned. "Spells can be exact. Sometimes you need a name. You use the wrong name, you don't get the result your looking for. Sometimes, it just doesn't work. If there are other factors, like a reward from a cosmic being of infinite power, you get the unexpected or impossible. Like being thrown forward in time." Buffy shrugged. "He called 'Ms Summers'. I haven't been 'Ms Summers' since my daughter was born."
"I see." Buffy stared straight at the camera.
"Look, super star." She said angrily. "I don't know what your deal is, but the way I see it, this has nothing to do with your normal deal. So, what's the interest?"
"I've been doing investigation into Wolfram & Hart." He said. "Some of your past associates are high on there 'things to do' list."
"So you want to make sure I am who I say I am?" She asked. She began to re-evaluate her opinion of him. "So, we gonna meet face to face, or is this closest we're gonna get?"
"I don't meet face to face." He said.
"Of course." Buffy said, slightly frustrated. "So, what now? I can find a lift home," Let him stew on that for a while. "but I'm not going anywhere until I figure out what W&H are doing with that building and what horn head has to do with it."
"I'll organise some ID." Eyes Only said. "And a job. I'll tell Connor if I find anything."
"All right, but don't screw with me." She said dangerously, getting to her feet. "It's a good way of getting hurt."
Logan Cale sat back in his chair, thinking over the meeting with Buffy. That girl had a lot of problems, besides the fact that she was time lost. He closed his eyes. Thrown through time because of a screwed up spell, that was more than he was willing to believe, yet Connor went along with it, and it matched what Max had told him earlier that day. Everything pointed to the impossible and unbelievable fact that she really had been thrown through time. If that was the case though, why here? Why now? Did it have something to do whatever it was Wolfram & Hart were up to? He didn't know, like he didn't know a lot of what was going on. One thing was for sure; he couldn't go to air with this. Max would hate him forever.
And there is my other problem, he thought sourly. My feelings for a relationship that could never happen because of that bloody virus. He got out of his chair. I need a drink.
Willow looked out the window of their private plane as it touched down at Seattle. It had been two weeks since they had gotten the message, and they had finally made it. "You alright?" Blade asked.
"Yes. I mean no. I mean…" He sat down next to her. "Can't you ask Riley that question? He'd probably have a straighter answer."
"Yeah." Blade agreed. "But I don't give a rats ass how he is. It's you I'm worried about." Willow leaned on her lovers shoulder.
"Do you think she knows about Logan yet?" Blade thought for a moment.
"You mean do I think Joyce and the others have told her yet?" He corrected her. "They probably didn't have to." Willow nodded sadly. Looking out the window again. At least they landed at night. There was no way they were going to be able to keep Dru on the plane. When she had shown up in Sunnydale all those years ago with her soul in tact, Buffy had been the only Scooby that had trusted her without question. Her disappearance had affected Dru more than any of them. She had happily fled into insanity to escape the pain. It had taken Spike, Tara, Dawn and herself to bring her back out. With Buffy's return…
"Wills, we've landed." Blade said. Willow sighed, tearing herself from his arms and planting a quick kiss on his lips.
"You pay off the nice authority figures and I'll prep the van." She said. "And try not to kill anyone." She said. She looked at Spike as she passed him and Dru. The Pulse had shorted the chip, but by then, he had asked Dawn to give him his soul, permanently. "That goes for you too." She said. He may have had his soul, but that didn't mean he refrained from killing the odd cop or some other extremely annoying authority figure.
Two hours later, they were off. Spike was driving, about which Blade bitched to the extreme.
"Do you not know the meaning of speed limit?" He demanded.
"What the bloody hell is a speed limit?" Spike yelled back, taking his eyes off the road.
"Would you watch where the fuck you're going?" Blade yelled. "You may already be dead, but the rest of us do not want to end up that fucking way." Spike grinned as he dodged in and out of on going traffic. "That's it, Willow. I'm gonna dust his ass here and now."
"Behave Spike." Willow ordered.
"Aw, come off it Red." The blonde vamp said as he dodged yet another car. "I'm just having some fun." Dru, who was sitting behind him, leant forward and whispered something into his ear. Spike gave a goofy grin and his driving immediately improved.
"All you have to do is ask nicely." The seer said.
"I really don't want to know how you asked." Willow said. She looked at Riley, who was sitting on the other chair. "You alright?" She asked.
"Nervous." He said. "We never really left things on a good note." He looked at the red head. "How do you think she'll feel seeing me again?"
"She'll probably just be happy to have another familiar face." Willow said. "Don't sweat it."
"Yeah, don't sweat it." He mumbled as they stopped at Connor's building. Willow and Dru literally flew out of the van and up the stairs.
"Women." Spike muttered, pulling out a cigarette.
Buffy looked out the window. Soon as Max showed up, they'd do a quick patrol then head for Crash. They were still no closer to figuring up what Belasco was up to. Buffy was all for the direct approach, which meant breaking into Wolfram & Hart, but everyone else said that they should wait for the others. A knock on the door broke her train of thoughts. "I'll get it." She said, smiling at the muffled chorus of thankyou from Connors room. She was glad Eyes Only had found her a place of her own. She didn't think she could have handled whatever Connor and Joyce did in there. I don't even want to know, she thought as she opened the door. Her brain stopped working when she saw who it was.
"Willow! Dru!" She hugged her friends tightly. "Thank God, your both still here."
"Yes, well someone had to wait for you." Dru said with a grin.
"Yeah, I…" Buffy stopped. "Wait a sec! Your sane!" Dru's grin widened.
"Almost." She said. "And your disappearance didn't help." Her grin fell as she thought of what happened, how, so soon after she had started atoning for the pain she had caused Buffy, so soon after becoming her friend, she had taken from them. Buffy hugged her tight. She had never realised how important she was to the seer.
"Well I'm here now." She said. "And as soon as I get details on what needs fixing and what Belasco's up to, I'm going back to make sure this doesn't happen." Dru looked at her, her grin returning. Willow had smile of her own.
"Well, don't forget to let me and Blade meet at least once." She said. "I can't imagine life without him anymore."
"You talkin' 'bout me pet?" Spike asked as he, Blade and Riley walked up the stairs. Buffy smiled at him.
"Spike." She said sweetly. "Still part snake I see?" Spike winced.
"Bloody hell. Seventeen years hasn't calmed you down any." He said.
"You've still got a smart mouth girl." Blade said. Buffy smiled at the Daywalker.
"What you think a little thing like a trip through time is gonna change me?" She said cheekily. "You better be taking care of Willow, bub. Otherwise, well, you remember how easily I took you down last time." Blade chuckled. Buffy looked past him, her gaze falling on Riley.
"Hey." She said neutrally.
"Hey Buffy." He said. He sub consciously rubbed the scar on face, a little reminder of his time as the Dragon's host. "You're looking good."
"And you are looking better than the last time I saw you." She said. He nodded. "I guess I'd better let you in. Connor and Joyce should be up soon."
"No guesses for what they're doing in there." Blade said.
"Jealous?" Willow poked him in the ribs. Blade grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close.
"Why would I be?" He said, kissing her hard on the lips. Buffy gagged. The others chuckled.
"Geez, Willow. What happened to your taste?" Blade gave her a look that said 'I really detest you' while the others laughed aloud. Even Riley indulged in a chuckle. Buffy smiled sweetly as they entered. "I'll go see if I can untangle the love birds." She went to Connors bedroom door and knocked loudly. "Up an' at 'em, kids." She called through the door.
"Aw, come on, Buffy." Connor yelled. "It's…seven pm. Give us a break."
"I'd love to, but Willow and Co. just arrived." She said. Mumblings of 'oh shit' could be heard quite clearly as they scrambled to untangle the covers. Buffy chuckled as she went out to join the others. "They'll be out soon." She said. She saw Willow over near Connors photos. She walked over and saw she was looking at the photo of the old gang.
"Seems like a life time ago." The red headed witch muttered.
"I know." Buffy whispered. "On the up side, Xander and Angel are already in Seattle, Kitty and Joanie are with them and Jubilee's here too." Willow turned to face her. "I got a message from Oz as well."
"So Giles tracked him down?" Willow couldn't believe it. It really felt like the gang was coming back together.
"Yeah." Buffy nodded. "If I read the message right, not only has he got a girlfriend, but he's either got control over the beast, or a total cure."
"He finally found something?" Willow couldn't believe it. After all these years… "And a girlfriend?" Buffy shrugged.
"Guess we'll find out soon." Buffy said. Max walked in at that moment, surprised at the amount of company.
"Who are all these people?" She asked. Buffy made her way to her, making sure to step on Spike's foot on the way.
"Hey, watch it!" He yelled indignantly. Buffy stuck her tongue out at him.
"Can it, William." She ordered.
"Bloody hell, she hasn't changed." He mumbled. "Still a bitch." Dru shot a death stare at him.
"Watch it, Spike, that's my mother you're calling a bitch!" Joyce yelled.
"Bloody mutant and her bloody hearing." He was thrown over the back of the chair as Buffy's knee hit his face.
"Say anything like that about my daughter again, Spike, and so help me…" Buffy glared at him threateningly.
"Logan said you weren't someone he'd like to cross." Max said, walking up behind Spike. She grabbed him by the neck, lifting him into the air. "But then, neither am I. Military trained transgenic. I know thousands of ways to kill a normal human. Where a vamp's concerned, I know thousands of ways to keep you in pain for a very long time. Joyce is a good friend of mine. Talk about her like that again, and we get to see what works. Understand?" Spike nodded, as much as he could, and Max dropped him. Dru moved to his side.
"You just couldn't keep your mouth shut could you, baby?" She whispered.
"Not my style, pet." He said. "You know that."
"Suggestion." Max said with a grin. "Get a new style." Buffy cracked up, with Spike giving her all sorts of dirty looks. Willow grinned, looking at the photo again. Almost like old times.
See ya next time (I'm running low on wit. So sue me, its twelve thirty am).
Stay tuned.
Doc.