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Work in Progress. If you like this story, check out my other stories on the Fanfiction Net, Twisting the Hellmouth, and Fonts of Wisdom websites. Other sites please ask before using.
by Marcus L. Rowland
XX
"...and you're sure that there are no problems you want to discuss with me?" asked the student counsellor. "Your grades have been a little low lately."
"I went through a bad patch," said Dawn, "kinda felt people were ignoring me, but I guess they just had a lot of problems of their own. Things are a lot better now, and I think everything's gonna be okay."
"Is there anything that you would change if you could?"
"Well, obviously it'd be good if mom were still alive, but that's not gonna happen. Other than that, it'd be nice if we had more money, but that seems to be sorting itself out slowly, the IRS are giving us some money and my sister caught a criminal that everyone's after and turned him in for the reward, so she'll be able to take some time to look for a better job."
"But don't you wish..."
"Wishes are for losers, you have to make things happen for yourself. I nagged my sister into admitting she was dating someone, she was hiding it 'cos she thought I wouldn't like it, now it's out in the open and they're a lot happier. That wouldn't have happened if I'd just wished for it."
"I don't know, sometimes our wishes reveal our true feelings, don't you think so?"
"Err... I guess, but you can't live on wishes. Either they don't come true, or they do and you regret it. I've got ambitions, sure, but they're not gonna happen just by my wishing for things."
"What if they did? What would you wish for?"
"Umm.. Don't get me wrong, but your name wouldn't happen to be Halfrek, would it?"
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Just you remind me of someone who used to talk about wishes, and she said she had a friend called Halfrek coming to town for her wedding. And the talisman of D'Hoffryn's a bit of a give-away."
"Oh poot. You're remarkably well-informed."
"Come on, the Slayer's my sister and I help with research, I've seen pictures of the thing. Heck, I met the guy a few days ago. Anything else, or should I get back to class?"
"You sure I can't tempt you?"
"No chance. No hard feelings, but I saw what wishes did to my friends, no way I'm going through that. And I really wouldn't advise trying anyone else here, 'cos Buffy will know who to blame if there's problems."
"Very well," Halfrek said sulkily. "Have a nice day."
Halfrek waited until Dawn had gone then left. She didn't think much of her chances in a school containing that girl, but Sunnydale had other schools, and other children feeling pain. If she didn't make the wishes she granted too conspicuous...
"I thought you were supposed to let me call my lawyer as soon as you arrested me," Warren said nasally.
"This is as soon as we arrest you," said the detective, "we were just questioning you before."
"Great."
Warren tried to focus as he punched in the number. There was something odd about the last few days, huge gaps in his memory, and he had an idea that the Slayer was to blame. He'd overheard the police say that she'd bought him in, and he couldn't even remember that. Then there was the pain in his side, and his teeth, and the doctor who'd said he was missing a kidney. What the hell had happened? First priority was the call.
As he hit the last number the modified pager he had called sent coded signals to devices he'd planted months earlier, as a backup plan if he were ever captured. One was inside a junction box on the outside wall of the precinct house, and took out the power. Another cut the phone lines. The third and fourth set off charges of plastic explosive, blowing holes in the walls. The fifth blew open a tear gas canister inside a nearby water cooler. Warren began to breathe through his nose, thankful that he'd somehow managed to keep his filter plugs with him. As the confused police stumbled around him he worked his way towards the door and out of the building, ignored by the men who were rushing towards the holes or retching from the gas. Jonathan and Andrew were still in there somewhere, he expected that they'd live. They certainly wouldn't get out, he hadn't seen any point putting the bombs near the cells when the phone was on the floor below. On the way out he stole a .38 revolver, left in a shoulder holster on the back of one of the detectives' chairs.
"Want another beer? Soft drink?" asked Xander, listening to the battle raging inside Buffy's house and checking that he still had a good grip on his mace.
"Not right now," said Willow, digging a hole in the lawn with her heel. "Think we should go back inside and help them?"
"No, I guess Buffy and Spike have things under control," said Tara. "We'll just guard the perimeter like she said. Anyone got any ideas on how that demon got into the house?"
"It came from the hall," said April. "I didn't see where it was before that."
There was a loud crash and an inhuman cry of pain. Dawn cuddled Zip, her new kitten, and said "I'll have a Dr. Pepper. Diet if you've got it." Xander pulled a can from the cooler.
Inside the house Spike shouted "Behind you!", then there was a crackling 'boom', followed by another inhuman scream. "That was Zap," said Willow, "sounds like he's having fun."
There was the noise of snapping metal, then things went very quiet.
"Okay," said Buffy, coming out onto the porch, "That settled his hash. Zap got him with his lightning gun, he tried to hide inside his sword and I broke it."
"His sword?" asked Dawn. "The sword you brought home last night? Is that how he got in?"
"'Fraid so. Sorry, but it did look like a really cool sword."
"Okay, now we know how he got in the house," said Anya. "Honestly Buffy, one minute you're bringing home vampires, the next it's demons. Isn't one boyfriend enough for you?"
"And the scary part is she isn't joking," said Xander, kissing her.
"Let's move back inside," said Willow, "we've got some clearing up to do. How much damage is there?"
"A few chairs and things," said Buffy, "some dents in the wall, nothing too serious. You know, the clear-up could wait for now and it's a really nice night, why don't we party out here?"
"Works for me," said Spike, coming out of the house with Zap on his shoulder. "Not like anything else is gonna try anything with us here and Willow's parents standing guard around the block, and Warren's in jail. Provided we get inside before dawn."
"We can't party too late anyhow," said Xander. "Work day tomorrow. And school for Dawn."
"Okay. Got any tequila?"
"Inside, I think, I only grabbed the cans."
"Okay. Someone wants to take the furball off me, I'll go get the booze."
April took Zap and said "Are you all right?" Zap gave her a very unkittenish grin then began to tidy his fur.
"Let's see," said Willow, "what are we gonna need for a picnic..."
The phone began to ring inside the house, then stopped. A minute later Spike came out and said "Police for you, wanted to warn you that Warren's escaped. They've still got the other two though."
"Okay," said Buffy, "let's take this inside just to be on the safe side. We'll party tonight, start looking for him again tomorrow."
"What happens about the reward?" asked Dawn.
"Buffy still gets it," said April. "It was a reward for his arrest, not conviction. There are numerous precedents, it's not her fault if the police are unable to keep him."
"Might be worth waiting a couple of days and seeing if they offer another reward," said Spike.
"It's tempting," said Buffy, picking up the beer cooler, "but I want to get him off the street before someone gets hurt."
Warren tried to slip through the shadows, looking for a car to steal. He didn't have any of his personal possessions, just the gun and his clothes, even his belt had been taken by the police. That meant he'd have to carjack someone, it was the only way to get everything he needed quickly.
Eventually he saw what he was looking for; an SUV parked outside a service station, the driver going inside to pay for gas. He could see that the engine was still running, the driver's door was even open. Perfect.
He scuttled to the door, climbed in, and reached for the gear lever. There was a loud click, something hard poked into the back of his head, and a woman's voice said "If you want to keep what's left of your brains I'd recommend staying very, very still."
"Oh, gee," Warren said desperately, "I must be more tired than I thought, my car's over there..."
"Shut up," she said coldly. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, then the driver came back, and she said "I've got a guest."
The driver pulled a gun of his own and put it to Warren's ear, then yanked him out of the car, while the woman patted him down and took his gun. "Carjacker?"
"Looks like it."
"Damn, we really don't have time for this."
"Just leave him here, the police can collect him. Don't want to get there too late."
"Okay." A fist slammed into Warren's chin, and he passed out. He came to a while later, and slowly realised that his hands were cuffed behind his back, and around a lamppost near the service station. It took a while longer for him to notice that his pants were missing.
"Were we expecting anyone else?" asked Dawn, as the doorbell rang for the second time.
"It isn't Warren," said Willow, "the suits would have tried to stop him."
"Okay," said Buffy, "Spike, cover me."
"Any time darling."
She held a stake behind the door as she opened it, and gasped as she saw the couple standing on the doorstep. There was a stunned silence, then Buffy said "Okay, I already knew it was a weird day," and stood aside to let them in.
To Be Continued
