Greetings and Salutations. More form the future. Get ready for some surprise visit.
There was an all round hug fest when Connor returned with Oz and Rahne. Xander, Oz, Willow and Buffy gathered in the centre of the room, just enjoying being together again.
"When Giles said you'd disappeared, I thought I'd never see you again." Oz said.
"Neither'd anyone else." Xander said. "'Cept Dawnie." Buffy laughed.
"Yeah, that's my little sister." She said. "The ray of sunshine." Buffy looked over at Rahne, Kitty and Jubilee. "But you…Oz, of all the people you could find to help learn control, not to mention fall in love with, you chose an X-man? I'm beginning to see a pattern here." Oz shrugged.
"I think it's good he's got a girlfriend." Willow said. "Everyone need's someone." She looked over at Blade, who was glaring at Oz. "Even if they are jealous, over protective head cases." Blade's glare changed target. Willow smiled sweetly.
"Buffy, good news." Dawn's voice interrupted their conversation. "I just heard from Dende. Faith's on her way. Trunks and Dragon Buu are with her; they're bringing the Time Capsule. They're bringing their daughter, Elizabeth, with them."
"Whoa, Faith's a mother? Faith?" Buffy felt suddenly out of her depth. "Irresponsible, 'Five by Five' Faith, a mother? I've missed a lot." Her eyes drifted out the window. "This is isn't fair." She muttered. "I feel like my life's been stolen form me, like I don't know what's going on anymore." She hugged herself. "I miss Logan. I want him back so bad."
"Maybe you should get some rest." Willow said. She was worried about her friend. Buffy tried to make like everything was fine, that she was coping with it all, but Willow knew it was an act. Times like this, when it really hit home that she wasn't home, made it all the more obvious. "You really haven't taken a break since you got back from…wherever. You need to rest."
"Yeah, getting bumped through time is sure to strain anyone." Xander said. "Take the night off. We'll cover it. There's enough of us." Buffy grinned as she looked around the room. It certainly seemed like most of the Scooby Gang extended family was here. Even Spike was being civil, which was a stretch for him.
"Yeah, maybe I should get some rest." Buffy said.
"No should about." Joyce said, coming up to them. "Get some sleep. You need it. Maybe you'll have some sweet dreams." She smiled mysteriously with that comment.
"That would be nice." Buffy said. "Dreams without someone trying to kill me." Oz grinned.
"Or the rest of us." He said. "Go get some sleep."
"What, you're all ganging up on me now?" She said jokingly.
"Yes." Angel said. "Sleep. Now."
"Yes, dad." Buffy said. They all looked at her. "Alright, alright, I'm convinced. I'm going to get some beauty sleep." She headed for the door. "After a couple of hours patrol." She muttered.
"Buffy." Buffy looked at Drusilla. She, Spike, Angel, Joyce, Max, Rahne, Oz and Blade all looked at her.
"What? Don't tell me you heard that?" She winced as they all nodded. Spike grinned.
"As much as I appreciate the need to keep busy, pet, you need some sleep." He said.
"Fine, alright, I'll head straight home." She said, exasperated.
"I'll take her." Max said. "Make sure she gets there."
"Thanks Max." Joyce said as they left.
Buffy climbed off the bike. "Can I presume your love of motorbikes came form spending time with Logan?" She asked. Max grinned slightly as they made their way to Buffy's apartment.
"Partly." She said. "The first time I saw him was when he saved me from the goons from Manticore. He sped past on his bike and grabbed me. I met Joyce not long after, and Angel, Kitty and Connor. Hadn't seen them in years, so when I saw you and Connor, I didn't recognise him." She waited as Buffy unlocked the door. "What was Logan like? When you knew him?" Buffy chuckled.
"Probably no different than when you met him." She said. "I don't think he changed much in his entire life."
"Yeah, maybe." Max said, following Buffy in. "He seemed to have a good heart he…"
"Just never let it show." Buffy completed the sentence. "Yeah, that's him. I remember the first time we met…" Her breath caught in her throat as she remembered that first fight.
"You sure we're all gonna fit in there, darlin'?" Logan asked, looking up at the house.
"Sure we will." Said Buffy "We've already sorted out the rooms, it'll be fine. Oh," she added, "call my sister 'darlin' again and I will rip your arms off." Giles gave Buffy a look of 'watch what your saying'. Logan, however, just shook his head and laughed.
"Whose ta say it was aimed at her?"
"Because," she began, grinning Scott's way. "now that I think of it, Scott's mentioned you in his letters, so I know you weren't speaking to Giles, and calling me 'darlin' is a good way of loosing something else." She gave him a warning glance before finishing. "I've had a bad week, so back off!" She picked up Scott's bags and headed inside, Giles and Dawn following closely behind her.
"You okay?" Max said. She shouldn't have let this conversation go this far; she knew how thinking of Wolverine hurt her. As much as it hurt to think about what might have been for her and Logan Cale.
"Yeah, I'm good." Buffy said with a weak grin. "I should know better."
"Yeah, you should." Max said with a laugh. "But I understand. I have my own problems."
"Let me guess. It has something to do with this other Logan everyone's talking about, right?" Buffy asked. Max looked at her in surprise. "I'm not stupid. There are two reasons a girl works for nothing. One, she doesn't have a choice or two, she likes the guy she's working for. Or with." She added.
"Alright, you got me." Max said, flopping down on the lounge. "But it's no good. There's no hope."
"Okay, now your starting to sound like Angel did when he had the happy clause." Buffy said, a hint of frustration in her voice. "So what's your excuse?"
"I got caught by Manticore a while back." Max said. "They planted a virus that doesn't affect me, but if me and Logan have any kind of intimate contact…he dies." Buffy smiled.
"That's it?" She said, reaching for the phone. "That's your problem? That might be easier fixed than you thought. Do you have anything on this virus?"
"Yeah." Max said sceptically. "Why?"
"You'll see." Buffy said. "Hey Connor? Yeah, I know, I'm supposed to rest, but I need to speak to Henry McCoy. You wouldn't happen to know if he's still around, would you?" Her face was nearly split in two by the grin that appeared. "Could you get Kitty to get in touch with him for me? I've got a project for him. Something he'll absolutely adore. A virus set to attack a particular person. Yeah, right up his alley. Right, thanks Connor. Yes, I'll go to sleep. 'Bye." She hung up, still grinning. "Heh, well wadaya know. Ol' Blue Boy made it through the Pulse."
"Who?" Max felt her hope raise slightly.
"Henry McCoy. He was one of the top scientists when I disappeared." Buffy was amazed at how easily she could say that. "He was also an X-Man. One of the originals. He did a lot of work on the Legacy Virus, trying to find a cure. If anyone can help you, it's him."
"You think he could?" Max asked hopefully. "How much will it cost?" Buffy shrugged.
"Probably nothing." She said. "He'll do it to help. Besides, he's probably looking for a challenge."
"Y'know, I'm glad you came back." Max said. "Besides this, you've helped me find Joyce and helped keep the various underworld elements…under. You're everything he said you were." Buffy smiled.
"Then he was exaggerating a bit." She said.
"Any way, I'd better head back." Max headed for the door. "Get some sleep. You do look like you need it."
"Alright. Try and keep them out of trouble for me." Max nodded and left. Buffy walked into her room. A little bit of sleep, and then she'd work out a little.
"Great, here we go again." No sooner had Buffy laid her head on her pillow than she found herself in that annoyingly familiar black area. "What is it this time?"
"I thought you wanted ta see me, darlin'." The rough voice that cut through the darkness was painfully familiar. Buffy turned to meet its owner.
"Logan?" Buffy's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. "What…How…?"
"Been waitin' for ya." He said. "Thought ya would've shown up in Valhalla by now. Should'a known better."
"Yeah." Buffy said, her voice cracking. Without warning she threw herself into his arms. "Oh God, Logan, I'm sorry. I should've been there."
"Hey now, enough of that." He said, wrapping his arms around her. "It's not yer fault. If anyone's ta blame here, it's Belasco." He held her tight. "I tried ta wait."
"I know." She said. "You're a stubborn bastard. You wouldn't have believed I was dead til you saw the body." Logan grinned.
"Took me long enough to find ya." He said. "I didn't mind waitin' a little longer. Ya found Joyce yet?" Buffy nodded.
"Dawn called her, Jubes Kitty, Angel and Connor in." She told him. "I called the rest of the gang. So much has changed."
"Ya expect it all ta stay the same?"
"I guess not." Buffy said. "By the way, I found Max."
"Yer jokin'." Logan remembered the girl with the buzz cut that wouldn't stop calling him 'sir'. "How is she?"
"Well, for one thing, you rubbed off on her." Buffy said with a smile. Logan chuckled.
"Well she didn't really have much of a personality when I met her." He said. "Always called me 'sir' like she was in the army. Took a while ta break through her defences."
"Well, she isn't a soldier anymore." Buffy informed him. "She goes tearing down the road on a motor bike, disregarding speed limits. Like someone else I know."
"Well, it's nice ta know she managed to survive." He said. "So waddaya doin' now?"
"First, I find out what Belasco's up to." She felt him stiffen slightly. "Him and Wolfram & Hart are trying to get their grimy claws on some land in Seattle. I find out what the big deal is, then head home, make things right."
"That's my girl." Logan tightened his grip on her. "I just wish I could help."
"You can." She said. "Talk to someone, see if you can find out what the hell's going on. I get the feeling Belasco's up to something." Logan nodded.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Logan pulled away a bit, looking into her eyes. "Watch yer back, darlin'. Belasco doesn't make mistakes like this if he knows the score. Somethin's up." Buffy nodded.
"I'll be careful." She said. "And I will fix this."
"I don't doubt it for an instant, babe." He said. "I just don't wanna lose ya, fer good."
"Not happening." She said as their lips came together.
So, Logan makes a visit, Beast might be stopping by and Faith and co. still haven't arrived, but are on their way. I feel some serious butt kicking coming for some one. Review, please and, as always…
Stay tuned.
Doc.