Rainbow Over Sunnydale: Chapter 21


Disclaimer: Red Storm and Tom Clancy own Rainbow and Characters. Joss Whedon owns Buffy and Characters. Anyone else belongs to me. I make no profit of the following except to have a little fun.

Spoilers: Buffy to present. Rainbow to Bear and the Dragon.

Author's note 1: I am adjusting the Buffy time line slightly, this fic starts just after "Never Leave Me", moving things back about a month.

Authors note 2: I can't seem to get Fanfic to except my special formatting. So anytime you see this '* anything inside is in a foreign language. And if you see this [*] it's some ones thoughts.

Author's Note 3: black_rose, I got your email but when I tried to reply to you my email server told me you didn't exist. The term AWOL means Absent Without Leave. When a military person misses muster he is considered AWOL. Usually they wait 24 hours before declaring it though. It is a serious offence that can result in dismissal from service though other administrative punishments are often used. The US Military doesn't use that phrase anymore; instead they use UA, or Unauthorized Absence. I used AWOL because I thought that it was more familiar to people. If a person is AWOL more than thirty days then he is considered a deserter.

Author's Note 4: Thanks for the idea Jim!

Notes to Reviewers:

Direwolf757: Riley is using the .50 Action Express version of the Desert Eagle.

Panzefaust 150: Vampire commando's…hmm… hold that thought.

Dorothy: Riley is feeling some serious guilt issues here. Granted it's his fault that he wasn't there, but I think that would just enhance what he was feeling. Yes I think the Scoobies having a trauma surgeon is a good thing.

Hecatonchires: There are three problems with Ding going out with the good doctor.

He's married. His wife's a doctor herself so she both owns a scalpel and knows how to use it. His father in law is General Clark.

Harriet: Thanks for the review, glad you are still enjoying the story.

LmiC2001: Oh yeah I have plans for the doc, indeed I do.

Ack: D'Hoffyrn has the patience of a saint…er demon. He knows that if you wait long enough and just poke gently at something eventually you will get what you want.

Thanks to all that reviewed. Constructive criticisms always welcomed. Flames cheerfully ignored.


Ranger Robert Broadman pulled his truck into the fire road where the poacher's pickup was and saw Buffy waiting patiently besides the truck. She picked up her crossbow and walked toward them as he stopped the truck. Broadman got out and opened the tailgate of his truck so Buffy could load her equipment into it. They then both got back into it and started back toward Sunnydale. After about five minutes of riding in relative silence Buffy asked, "The vampire problem you had, how did you solve it?"

"What?" the ranger asked.

"When we first met, you said that you found out who I was from a local cop when you had a vampire problem that he couldn't help you with," Buffy replied. "How did you get rid or them, or did they just leave?"

"No we got rid of them," The ranger said. "They weren't actually preying on the reservation, just lairing in a small shack on the edge of it. They were eight of them, a small group of wanna-be Pagans that got turned. I went up there one bright and sunny afternoon and told them to clear out. They laughed at me, so I went back and got our fire pumper. There is a priest on the reservation that doesn't ask many questions so when I asked him to bless the water in the tank he just did it. Then my men and me waited for sunset and went up and called the gang out. We all stood there holding shotguns and axes and waited for them to come out and laugh again, when they did Bill, who was on the water cannon let them have it. Nice thing about vamps is there isn't much of a clean up afterward."

Ding just stared, Buffy couldn't help herself, she giggled, and "You used a holy water cannon?" Giles has to here about this one!

Ding finally said, "Man I'm glad you're on our side."

"And I always will be Ding, I always will be," the ranger returned.

The group laughed all the way back to town. They were having such a good time that no one noticed the dark gray neon that was parked off the road. In the car Jurgis Ewell sat and watched the ranger's explorer disappear around the corner of Route 46. He reached under the driver's side seat and pulled out a pre-paid cell phone. He dialed a number, waited a couple of seconds and punched in some more then lifted the receiver to his mouth and said, "Cadmus, Atlanta seems to have joined up with the local forest service. There was an unknown subject with the ranger. He is Hispanic, 5'8, 165, black and brown. He gave his name as Juan Gonzales, but I heard him addressed as Ding. Any information you can send back would be appreciated. I'll check drop 2."

When he was finished he got out of the car and walked a short distance into the woods. Finding a convenient rock he slammed the cell phone against it, shattering the phone. Hunting through the wreckage he found the memory chip, placing it against the rock he took a smaller rock and crushed the chip between them. Dusting himself off he headed back to his car; he needed to get back to town if he wanted to get this story done before deadline.

FBI Office

451 Front Street

Sunnydale California

26Oct2002

1054 hours

Clark finished dialing Dan's number and waited for him to pick up, "Murray," came the voice over the phone.

"You can send the photo files anytime," He said.

"They check out?" Murray asked.

"I'm in the office with them now. Agent Murphy states that he was ordered by the Initiative to report supernatural events to them rather than you," Clark explained.

"Let me talk to him then," Murray ordered.

Clark handed the phone over to Murphy and said, "Director Murray wants to talk to you."

Murphy took the phone and said, "Yes Mr. Director."

"Agent Murphy, I am now countering any previous orders that you had. You new orders are as follows. You are to render any assistance possible to General Clark and the forces under his command. He is operating under invitation from the Justice Department; as such you will be his liaison, and local contact person. He is in complete control of the operation however so while you can act in an advisory position, that is all you are to do. Do you understand my orders?"

Frayne Murphy refrained from making any snide comments, much to Sue Conners relief. He simply said, "I understand sir."

"Do you have files on what you have observed during your stay in Sunnydale?" Murray then asked.

"Yes sir, " Frayne told his superior.

"Very well, copy them. I want a copy, make sure that General Clark has one too." Murray ordered

"Yes Sir," Murphy replied.

"Thank you, Agent Murphy, please let me speak to General Clark again."

"Your welcome Sir, It's pleasant to know that Sue and I haven't been abandoned." Frayne said before he handed back the phone.

"John, did you get anything on Giles from the locals?" Murray asked.

"I believe they are heading this way, they should be here in the next couple of hours." Clark responded. At Clark's words Willow suddenly looked very concerned. Clark shook his head at her to relax.

"How did you manage to get that information?" Murray asked perplexed.

"Well," Clark replied, a twinkle in his eye, "Willow is a witch."

"Magic huh? I wonder when all this is over if Willow would be willing to sit down for some experiments to see how we can use magic in law enforcement?"

"I doubt that Pat would go for it," Clark replied. "I think that defense attorney's would have a ball with it though."

"Your probably right. It's something to dream about though," Dan said. Turning serious, "I think I'll have Pat stick around though, he can take two people as easily as one."

"I doubt that Dan," Clark said seriously.

"You don't think that Pat could handle him?"

"Him maybe, but I doubt that he could handle any of the other Scoobies that would be defending Giles. Well he could probably take Dawn, but since Buffy has been working with her I make no guarantees about it." Clark said seriously.

"The President promised we would pick this guy up for the Brits, they really, and I mean really want to talk to this guy." Dan replied.

"Look, if he is coming here, he's coming to Buffy. He must know that the Council is gone, so he is coming here to go to ground. Just have the Brits send someone to Sunnydale to talk to him. If he doesn't have anything to hide then we aren't losing the time it would take to ship him back to London. That could be what The First wants us to do." Clark said. Willow watched him, and his aura. She realized that he wasn't playing a game to get her to relax, he was trying to keep Giles from being shipped somewhere.

"Okay, I'll contact the Brits and see if they are okay with this, if they are we'll do it your way.

Okay, we're going to start sending you your photos, check the headings they will have the row number, and the placing in the row. This is going to take a little while there are a lot of them," Murray finished.

814 Front Street

Sunnydale CA

26Oct2002

1052 hours

Xander watched Riley carefully as he came out of the building, that he was still very angry was very plain in the length and speed of his strides. Xander toyed with the idea of running, but he could take care of himself, plus he wasn't totally convinced that he didn't deserve to get the crap beaten out of him for what he had helped to do to Buffy.

Riley climbed into the SUV and said, cold and correct, "Okay, we'll take this. Do you know where the FBI office is in Sunnydale?"

"Yeah, why?"

"General Clark will have to okay the release of funds, might as well make sure we have his okay before we talk to a realtor." Riley explained.

"Okay, we're off to the FBI office," Xander agreed as he reached for the ignition keys.

Just then Riley, with out warning punched Xander in the side of the head. Xander's head bounced of the driver's side window and rocked back. Xander shook his head and was mildly surprised that the glass hadn't cracked. "Okay, I guess I deserved that," He said, but he turned and watched Riley to make sure no more blows were coming.

"That wasn't for helping to drag Buffy out of Heaven, that was for not digging her up first," Riley said hotly. "And just when was someone planning on letting me know that Spike tried to rape Buffy last year?" Riley said, his voice if possible.

"How…" Xander asked, to confused to even think about denying anything.

"D'Hoffyrn paid me a visit in there," Riley explained, nodding at the warehouse.

"And you believe what a demon lord tells you?" Xander asked shocked.

"In this case, yes. He wants something from me," Riley said. Then nodding at the road he said, come on we need to see the General if we are going to get this place before Rainbow gets here. I definetly don't want to spend the night at Buffy's with a dozen or so people there."

Xander nodded, still rubbing his head where Riley had punched him, "What did he want anyway?"

"Just wanted me to give something to Thibault," was the response.

Xander asked, "Who?" As he put the SUV into gear and pulled it out of the lot onto the road and headed for the FBI Office. Not waiting for Riley to answer he went on, "If you hadn't gotten so hot in there, not that you didn't have a reason too, I would of told you about Spike next. Heck even if the raising Buffy from the dead thing hadn't come up I probably would have mentioned it before we got back."

Riley nodded, "Thibault is what D'Hoffyrn call's General Clark. He wants to talk to him."

Quick'n Mini-Mart

Corner of Estaban and Wilkens

Sunnydale CA

26Oct2002

1105 Hours

Carol Picket carefully looked around to make sure she wasn't being followed. She went to the pay phone on the side of the store, reached into he purse and pulled a plastic Ziploc bag filled with quarters out of it. She fished two of them out of the bag and dropped them into the phone; she dialed a number and waited. When the call connected she waited three seconds then entered a five-digit extension number. "Aries," an electronically filtered voice said.

"Cassandra," she replied. "I think that Washington may be reacting quicker than we anticipated. Inspector Pat O'Day showed up in the office to day with a General John Clark, and Circe. I was given the rest of the day off so I am not able to confirm what was discussed. I will try to find out what was said at the meeting. Please let me know what else I have to do."

As Picket said that she became aware of someone walking behind her and entering the store. As she walked past she glanced in as if she was checking what was on sale to get a look at who it had been. She almost missed a step when she saw that it had been Dawn Summers. Briefly she went over what she had been saying as Dawn walked behind her. Nothing incriminating per say, still maybe she should do something make sure Dawn couldn't report anything. She started walking, "[No even if she had heard the entire conversation the amount of mayhem that The Slayer would reek trying to find out who had killed her sister would be worse. She would report the problem to Aries and let him decide. If he decided that Dawn needed to go then the carnage would be on his head, not hers.]" Carol Picket having made the decision headed off down the street wondering if the ham salad was fresh at Miller's.

1630 Revello Drive

Sunnydale CA

26Oct2002

1200 hours

Buffy came in through the front door calling, "Anyone else here?" When she didn't get an answer she shrugged and put her crossbows on the table in the dinning room and headed for the kitchen. "Want anything to drink Ding?" She called to him as he came in.

"Yeah, Gatorade if you got any, or water if you don't" He told her.

Buffy came back in holding a Diet Coke and glass of water which she handed to Ding.

"Thanks," he told her as he took the glass and drained it.

"Want the shower first?" Buffy offered.

Ding shook his head, "No go ahead."

"Thanks," Buffy said as she headed upstairs. When she got into her room she noticed that there was a post-it note stuck to the mirror. Taking it down she saw that it was from Willow, it said, "Buffy call me as soon as you get in, it's important!" 'important' was underlined three times. Buffy frowned and pulled out her cell phone. She was about to start dialing when she heard the front open and a second later a very familiar British voice ask, "Hello, who are you?" Buffy headed for the stairs, she recognized that tone, Ripper was about to come out to play.