Rainbow Over Sunnydale Chapter 21
by Joseph Black
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.
Authors 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.
Antonio Cabass: Yes you can bet that Sergey Golovko will be putting in an appearance; it won't be for a while yet though.
Ack: Thank you
Dorothy: I have no plans for abandoning the story; my school schedule this quarter is something of a bear though, so I might be somewhat slower in posting chapters for a little while.
LMiC2001: Thank you, I'll try to get them out as quick as I can, but see above.
Catlimere: More will be explained about code named people in future chapters. I would love to claim credit for the Holy Water Cannon, but credit goes to a friend of mine.
Thanks to all that reviewed. Constructive criticisms always welcomed. Flames cheerfully ignored.
Buffy rushed down the hall, just before she would have been seen from the first floor she slowed and walked to the top of the stairs. Downstairs she saw Giles was standing in the doorway in his trademark tweed staring daggers at Ding who was just coming out of the living room with a clean set of clothes in one hand and his bath stuff in the other. Ding adopted a defensive stance and waited for the stranger that had barged into Buffy's house to do something.
"Wow, feel the testosterone in the air," Buffy said, a smile in her voice.
Giles glanced up at her on the steps and gave her a tired smile in return, "Buffy," He said simply, more than a little relief in his voice. "Who's this?" He asked nodding at Ding.
"Giles, meet Major Domingo Chavez, Ding, this is Rupert Giles, my Watcher."
"Just call me Ding," Chavez said. He transferred his bath supplies to his other hand and walked over to Giles with his hand out.
"Rupert Giles," The Watcher said politely, "Initiative?" He then asked.
Buffy finished coming down the steps and approached Giles, "No. He and his boss are here to fight them." Buffy went over to hug Giles and welcome him back but she was cut off when a line of three teenage girls filed into the house.
"Hello," The first one, one of two black haired girls said in an English accent.
"Pleased to meet you," The second, a brunette said, also with an English accent.
"The Slayer lives here?" The other black haired one said, clearly unpleasantly surprised.
Buffy stared after the girls, then turned questioning to Giles.
"They are Potential Slayers Buffy," He began, "The Watchers Council has been destroyed, and their Watchers were killed in the blast."
"What?" Buffy asked, "I just talked to Quentin Travers a couple of days ago!"
"The First's agents attacked headquarters and Travers had called a meeting of the council, during the meeting a bomb detonated, I believe they were all killed. I was checking on a watcher and his charge that we couldn't get in contact with when it happened. I immediately collected them," he said nodding at the potentials," and got on the first plane for New York.
"Now what's this about Major Chavez being here to fight The Initiate?"
Buffy explained what Riley had told her; Ding interrupted a couple of times to expand on what Buffy had said. When Buffy got to The President being suspected of being The Anti-Christ Giles nodded and said, "The Council suspected the same thing when it happened, Travers contacted Wesley and I and asked if we thought that since you were fully involved with Glory if it might be a good idea to get Faith out of prison in case he was."
"You never told ME!" Buffy said indignity.
"I didn't think you needed to be distracted, besides Wesley contacted me and we both had told Travers the same thing, that given Faith's history, it would be foolish to send her after a charismatic enemy. Since they never moved against President Ryan, I assume that they were satisfied that he was in fact not the Anti-Christ."
Buffy nodded, personally the longer Faith was in jail, and far away from her loved ones, the happier she was.
"You two look like you need to catch up on some things, how bout I go and take my shower?" Ding offered.
"Thanks Ding," Buffy said.
"I'll try not to use all the hot water," Ding said as he started up the stairs.
Giles watched him go and when he heard the water start he turned to Buffy and asked, "Can we trust him?"
Buffy waved everyone into the living room and shrugged, "He was in the house all last night and didn't murder anyone in their sleep."
As the girls found chairs Giles turned to Buffy and said, "I hardly think this is a joking matter. The First is a master of misdirection, we must be very careful of who we trust, especially people who are just coming into our circle."
Buffy sat down on the armrest of the couch, "I wasn't joking, He was in the house all last night, He, Riley, and his boss General John Clark stood watch all last night."
"Riley's here?" Giles asked surprised.
"They showed up last night, Riley's group was the only one that didn't run off with this Billing Me. He's out right now with Xander looking for someplace that they can turn into a base."
"Good," Giles said, "The First is apparently trying to end the line of The Slayer. Its agents have been killing every potential Slayer that they can reach, once they kill all the potentials I believe they will move on Faith, and then…"
"Me," Buffy finished grimly.
"Yes," Giles agreed.
"I have put the word out, to all potentials everywhere, instructing them to come here," Giles said.
"Uh Giles, " Buffy said, "The First is already here in Sunnydale, we were attacked by Bringers last night," She told her Watcher, nodding at the plywood over the windows, "They took Spike."
"I thought it would be, but with you here to provide training and protection I felt it was the best chance they have."
"You know I only have one bathroom right?" Buffy sighed. All three of the potentials looked at each other and grimaced.
"We'll have to make do," Giles said.
Buffy and the three potentials winced.
The water switched off upstairs so Giles switched back to safer subjects, "So how is everyone?"
"Anya isn't a vengeance demon anymore, she's crashing on the couch because D'Hoffryn is after her, Xander is on-again/off-again trying to get into her good graces. They rebuilt the high school and I had to send Dawn there, on the plus side I'm a guidance councilor there so I have access to the school all the time."
"How's Willow?" He asked.
Buffy slapped herself in the forehead, "Willow! She wanted me to call her!" She grabbed the phone and dialed Willow.
The phone rang a couple of times when Willow came on with, "Hello?"
"Willow?" Buffy replied.
"Billy?" Willow asked.
"Billy? Willow, are you all right?" Buffy asked concerned.
""Oh, I'm fine, thanks for asking, just let me find someplace private so we can talk." Willow said in an unconcerned tone of voice.
A minute or so later she came back on, in a lower voice and urgently, "Buffy listen, someone blew up the watchers council, and Giles is coming here," She told the Slayer.
"Yeah with three potential slayers in tow," Buffy told her friend.
"How did you know that?" Willow asked confused, "You have a Slayer dream?"
"No Giles is standing here with them," Buffy replied deadpan.
"Buffy!" Willow said, "You have to hide him! The FBI is looking for him for the English who think he blew up the Council and want to take him back to England to question him. General Clark is trying to get the English to send someone here but we haven't heard anything from them yet. Giles needs to hide till we know."
Just then a voice came over the phone, "Willow when you are done talking to Buffy could I speak to Rupert Giles?" It was the General.
Sunnydale FBI Office
451 Front Street
Sunnydale CA
26OCT2002
1222 hours
Willow looked at General Clark with an affronted expression on her face, "You listened in on a private conversation!" She accused.
"You were attempting to warn Buffy to hide Giles," he replied reasonably. "I'd say we were even.
"General Clark wants to talk to Giles," Willow told Buffy, then handed the phone over.
"You can't have him," Buffy told him flatly.
"Buffy, I don't want him, I especially don't want to take on you our any of his friends to take him, I got a good health plan but they get cranky with the kind of expenses that would entail. You have to understand, the whole law-enforcement community of the US is looking for him and his traveling companions. He won't be able to function in any capacity except as a fugitive. Dan Murray, The head of the FBI is working right now to get the Brits to send someone over to talk to Rupert Giles rather than shipping him back, if they don't honor that request I'll call Jack and ask him to contact the them and call in a favor, they owe him a few."
"Will he go for that?" Buffy wanted to know.
"I think so, but I can't absolutely promise anything, now can I speak to him?" Clark finished.
A few seconds later a voice with an English accent came on and said, "Hello?"
"Mr. Giles, My name is John Clark, You are aware of the fact that you are wanted by the British Government in relation to the Bombing of the Watchers Council?"
"Yes, I have been informed of that," Giles replied, "I assure you that I had nothing to do with it, I was checking on a colleague that we could not get in touch with when the explosion occurred."
"Would it be possible for you to come down to the local FBI office?" Clark requested.
"I'm afraid I have too many things to do to spend time in a cell waiting for the US and British Governments to workout what they are planning to do with me," He told the General.
"Mr. Giles I give you my word that you will be free to leave once we finish our discussion. I will tell you right now that the head of the FBI is pushing his contacts with Scotland Yard to send an Investigator here, rather than ship you back."
Giles sighed into the phone, "What happens if I am at the FBI office and the order comes down to put me in custody. No I'm sorry Mr. Clark I think I shall lay low until such a time it is agreed upon what will happen. Good day," He said and started to hand the phone back to Buffy.
"Wait!" Clark called into the phone.
"Yes?" Giles returned.
"Look Giles," Clark tried, "You go to ground and we will have no choice but to chase you, we will have to stake out Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies, it could put a fatal strain on any chance we have of working together. You won't be able to travel freely like you will need too, and will run a risk every time you run through customs. Add that to the resources that The First could bring to bear and how long do you think it will before you get dimed out and might get accidentally shot will resisting arrest in some backwater? Please reconsider, if nothing else I promise you a half hour head start if the order comes down while you are here."
Giles considered it for a moment and then said, "Very well General Clark, I and my charges will be down in twenty minutes."
"Thank you Mr. Giles," Clark told him.
They both disconnected.
Clark turned to Willow and said, "I appreciate someone who tries to protect their friends Willow, but next time consider that I'm on your side, I want to tap Rupert Giles about his knowledge of the Hellmouth and how it may be opened. They are going to ship him to England only after I'm sitting in a jail cell right next to him. I need him, he's staying." Clark handed back her phone and started back toward Frayne's office.
"That plus you were in the CIA before you became a counter-terrorist when I try to pull the wool over your eyes," Willow finished.
"That too," Clark agreed from the Hallway.
Outside the FBI Office
Sunnydale CA
26OCT2002
1225 hours
Xander found a parking place almost in front of the FBI office and got out and waited for Riley to climb out of the SUV. Riley for his part was already sorry he had slugged Xander; he had told himself that he needed to control his emotions when dealing with D'Hoffryn, so naturally what did he do? Let them get away from him, Sighing he climbed out of the vehicle and went to Xander who was standing at the front of it. "Xander I'm…" He began when Xander belted him and knocked him to the ground.
"That," Xander said angrily, "Was for deserting us in the middle of the Glory mess. If you weren't so hot to go back and play soldier boy because you couldn't deal with Buffy not being able to be Lois Lane for you maybe she wouldn't have to have dived off that tower.
"I know I said it probably wouldn't have made a difference if you had been there or not, but you know what I lied, it just might of made all the difference in the world."
Xander turned and started stalking off toward the front door of the FBI office when he turned and said, "Oh, one other thing, don't ever hit me again."
Riley laid there on the sidewalk, he glanced around to see if anyone had witness Xander's attack but there was no one on the street. He ran his tongue around his jaw to see if the punch had loosened any teeth, but they all seemed okay.
"You coming? Or are you just going to lay there?" Xander said from the door.
Riley shook his head; he had deserved that, so no use crying over it. He climbed to his feet and joined Xander as he rang the bell.
A short blond came down a minute or so later opened the door and asked? "Can I help you Agent Finn?"
Riley nodded, "Agent Conners, nice to see you again, I need to speak to General Clark."
Xander noticed that the FBI agent was not all that happy to see Riley either. She also looked at the bruise that was darkening on the side of his head, and the vivid red mark that bespoke of an awesome bruise that was going to be forming on Riley's jaw. "He's in with Willow right now, but come in," She said as she stepped aside and allowed the two men to enter. She then led them upstairs and caught up with Clark as he left an office.
He turned to the two men and was about to say something when he narrowed his eyes at the evidence of the trading of blows, "What happened to you two?" He asked.
"Walked into a door," they said almost simultaneously.
Clark snorted, "How did the search for lodging go? Buffy has a couple more house guests."
"Who?" Xander asked. Thinking that he hoped Dead Boy and company weren't up from LA.
Rupert Giles and a couple of young ladies, someone blew up The Watchers Council in England, and he came here."
"I found a good one, Xander says the owner will let it go for a little over a mil, I'd like to get the funds released."
"It's in good shape?" Clark asked.
"Needs a little work, Xander says he can get it done. We can move in immediately, might have to keep some of the gear out of sight till the work is done, but I think it's manageable."
"Okay," reaching into his wallet he extracted a card and had Riley write down the account number and told him the password. "Try to talk him down, but we need this signed this afternoon. Anything else?"
"Yes, but I think it should be in private," Riley told him.
Willow had just exited the office she had used so Clark waved Riley into it. "Shoot," he said.
"I ran into D'Hoffryn at the warehouse," Riley began, and then told Clark about the conversation with the demon lord.
Clark shook his head, "Thibault huh? I'll have to think about this, and kick it upstairs, maybe I don't want to talk to this guy, doesn't mean someone else doesn't"
Riley shook his head in agreement.
"One thing I want to know though," Clark continued, "Who threw the first punch, you our Xander?" The tone was kept conversational, just like Clark had asked Riley what the temperature was like outside.
Riley though almost snapped to attention, "I did sir."
Clark sat down in the chair behind the desk and closed his eyes; he was getting to old for this crap. "Captain Finn, did you or did you not understand what I told you this morning about not being able to spare you?"
"I did sir," Riley replied.
"You realize that if Mr. Harris had decided to press charges rather than dealing with the matter himself I would have no choice but to uphold the charges?" Clark continued tightly.
"Yes, sir," Riley repeated.
"Will there be anymore trouble between you and Mr. Harris, or any of the other Scoobies?" Clark asked.
"No sir," Riley replied.
"Good. Because if there is you will be on the first transport back to Washington and Colonel McCloud can make what ever use he wants of you." Clark finished.
Riley just stood there. "Is there something else?" Clark asked.
"Yes sir, I should not be directly involved with any rescue mission that goes after Spike," Riley said.
"You supported the mission this morning Captain," Clark reminded him.
"I still support it sir, I just don't think that I should be on one of the teams," Riley told him.
"And that is because?" Clark requested.
"I found out today why Spike left Sunnydale last year sir," Riley said evasively.
"And that is why?" Clark continued.
"He attempted to rape Buffy last year." Riley replied.
"What?" Clark almost shouted. "Why in the world would she want to rescue him then?"
"She feels responsible for the shape he is in, I think. Xander thinks he got his soul back to act as a check for his behavior around Buffy." Riley theorized.
"I thought he had a chip that took care of that," Clark asked.
"I don't think it works on Buffy," He said.
"Because she's the Slayer?" Clark wondered.
"I don't think so," Riley said, "I think because she died a year and half ago and she was somehow different when Willow brought her back."
"What do you mean Willow brought her back?" Clark asked.
"Willow resurrected Buffy Summers a year ago," Riley said quietly.
"Resurec…. as in from the grave?" Clark asked, still not quite grasping the concept.
"She was dead for four months sir. When they cast the spell they didn't dig her up first, so she came back to herself in the coffin and had to dig herself out," Riley reported grimly.
"My God," Clark said quietly, slumping back into the chair, looking up at Riley.
"The worst part about it sir is they didn't bother to check if Buffy wanted to come back, they just yanked her back."
Clark closed his eyes, and said a silent prayer for the Slayer.
Riley remained standing where he was, Clark eventually looked up and asked, "and If Willow could raise the dead, why didn't she bring Ms. Maclay back when she was killed?"
"In order for you to be able to perform a resurrection, the person must have been killed by mystical means, Buffy to my understanding died when she jumped into a magical portal to close it. Tara was shot, this would constitute natural causes to the supernatural so she would not have been eligible for a resurrection," Riley explained, "And that's about all I know about the subject."
"Okay Captain, head out with Xander if you think you can coexist with him and get that warehouse, I have a feeling we are going to need it." He ordered Riley who turned and started to leave.
"Oh, and Captain?" Clark said.
"Yes sir?" Riley replied, turning to look at Clark.
"That is the only chance you are going to get, screw up again and you will be out of here so fast you'll leave a vacuum." Clark told him.
"I understand sir," Riley replied and left.