AN: If you watched the last episode of Angel season 4 then you would hear Lilah say that Sunnydale was 2 hours up the coast from Los Angeles. I think Carmel is about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco and it's about an eight-hour drive so… (This is not fact; it is me knowing a smidgen about US geography).
Chapter 14 Logistics
"Come Jonas Quinn" Teal'c hurried the young Kelownan along "We have much to do and little time to achieve it"
Jonas glanced over at Teal'c "So what exactly are we looking for?"
As patient as ever Teal'c regarded him with a tolerant smile "We are looking for vehicle's large enough to accommodate the supplies that O'Neill and Buffy Summers require for their plan to become a reality"
"Ah" Jonas nodded "So we want a regular truck or van and…?"
The question hung on his lips
"Something large enough to carry an extraordinary amount of liquid"
Jonas nodded and grinned, "Does this mean I'll get to drive?"
"Are you sure this is alright" Janet looked at Faith as they went thoroughly through the abandoned hospital "I mean I feel kind of bad taking off with all these medical supplies. What if someone needs them?"
"Doc, the entire town is abandoned" Faith threw another set of bandages at the Doctor "No one will care, we've done it before." Faith rifled through a cupboard " How do you think we got all our supplies in the old days. People got real good at turning a blind eye"
She paused for a moment "Even at me. Especially once I joined up with the Mayor"
"The Mayor" Janet queried
"Yeah" Faith looked at Janet wondering whether she could tell the whole story "The Mayor was a really powerful guy who wanted to be a pure demon. He built the entire town to do it. Why else would you build a town on a Hell Mouth?" Faith shrugged "I joined his team… seemed like a good idea at the time" She grinned wryly. "Lets just say the shit hit the fan and… things went real bad for me, for everyone."
"So where are we going to locate a Priest in an abandoned town?" Mac was holding tightly as Buffy screeched out of Revello drive in the Jeep.
"Were not"
Mac closed her eyes, her knuckles turning white as her grip on the door handle tightened even more 'It's better if I just don't see' she thought
"There's a little town about an hour east. We'll head there first"
Mac could smell the burning rubber as they took off round the corner and headed east out of town.
Buffy grinned; she loved doing this to people. She really was a very good driver; it was just more fun to do it this way.
"Sir?" Carter looked across at her CO as they drove out of town "Where are we going to get this 'Hardware' you want on such short notice?"
Jack grinned slyly at her out of the corner of his eye "Probably from the same kind of people you got that nice rifle you used last night"
"Ah" She cringed slightly, she had wondered when he was going to bring that up.
"We just don't have to go as far as LA, and won't have to pay as much money for them."
"So where are we going again?" Maybe if Sam asked the same question over and over again she would finally get an answer
"Carmel" Jack knew al of her tricks… but he gave in anyway.
Spike was bored.
He had been sitting in this house for over three hours by himself now and so far they had all called in twice. There was nothing he could really do while he waited.
Except maybe cook.
He didn't want to do that.
Well… Maybe he could make some sandwiches when Faith and Janet got back.
Maybe.
"Hey Teal'c"
Teal'c looked around to see where Jonas' voice was coming from. They had headed down to the shipyards where they had found vehicles of all shapes and sizes but had yet to locate one that would suit their needs. Although if the holler from Jonas indicated anything, perhaps he had found a vehicle suitable for the plan that Colonel O'Neill and Buffy had come up with.
Teal'c still believed that it would need a lot of work and refinement if they we're going to pull this off.
Spying Jonas by two large oil tankers, Teal'c let a small smile grace his features "I believe that these will be sufficient for our needs"
"I think we're done here"
Faith could almost imagine Janet stripping off latex gloves as she stood over a patient. There was something in her demeanor that just screamed 'DOCTOR', but there was also something there, that hadn't been noticeable the night before. A guard had come up, and wasn't going to come down any time soon.
It worried Faith.
Not that she would ever admit to being worried about someone else.
Or would she?
"Thank you for doing this Father."
Mac and Buffy grinned at each other as they exited the rectory; as long as Jonas and Teal'c could find something they were right for making Holy Water, transporting and storing it.
Before they got into the car Buffy looked over at Mac.
"There's one more thing I have to do" The grin had dropped off her face as she pulled a bunch of papers out of her bag.
"Sam signed these before we left"
Mac gave the girl a measuring look over the top of the Jeep "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah" Buffy looked at the papers in her hand "I'm sure'
"You want what?"
Bill Roche was astounded, he hadn't heard hide nor hair of Jack O'Neill in years and then out of the blue he turns up looking for grenade launchers and flame throwers and other pieces of hardware that… well was hard to get and very flammable. He also wanted it cheap and within 24 hours.
"Jack, I don't think…" he started, wanting to convince Jack to take some stuff he already had and was not so… destructive.
"That's right Bill, you don't think, you do." Jack glared at him, attempting to be threatening.
"Jack you haven't been able to scare me for almost twenty years, what makes you think you can do it now?"
Jack grinned wickedly "I know I can't, but if you don't I'll let Carter over here have her wicked way with you"
"Hey" The blond Major cried from the background.
"No offence Carter" Jack threw over his shoulder, turning back to Bill "She has an IQ higher than both of us combined, I'll let her teach you everything she knows about physics…" he turned back to Carter "What's your full title again?"
"Major Doctor Samantha Carter, United States Air Force, PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics of which I'm a published author in. I'm working on a Theoretical Quantum Physics doctorate as well"
Bill paled visibly "Let me go make a few calls. I'll let you know"
"Thanks" Jack beamed
When Bill was gone Jack gave Sam a measuring look "When the hell do you get time to study for a degree in Quantum Physics?"
"Well Sir" Sam blushed "I don't actually study for it, I just do the exams and present the papers. Considering its half my job now, I figure that I should be qualified for it"
Jack slapped his forehead and groaned "Oh, for cryin out loud Carter, your smart enough. You don't need to be any smarter"
Sam grinned.
"Who do you see?"
"Huh" Buffy took her eye's off the road long enough to glance over at Mac.
"When The First appears to you" Mac said quietly "Who do you see"
Buffy gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter "Myself… people I couldn't save… but mostly myself"
"I was wondering about that" Mac mused as she watched the scenery pass by, Buffy's driving having improved dramatically much to Mac's relief "I mean, your alive and I thought The First could only appear as dead people?"
Not sure if Mac could handle it after the night before Buffy kept her answer short "It can"
"An explanation would be good, cause it's a little confusing" She wasn't going to give up any time soon was she?
"I died"
"Oh"
"Twice actually"
"Huh"
The car was silent for a few moments before Mac spoke again.
"What was it like?"
Buffy sighed, she hated answering this question, and she didn't want people's pity.
"It was everything that was ever good and more"
Summers Residence
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale California
"Hey Fang we're back"
Faith and Janet struggled through the front door with all the 'Shopping' they had done over the last few hours.
Heading straight through to the kitchen, Faith stopped short of the sight in front of her.
The former 'Big Bad' William the Bloody aka Spike was standing at the bench, oven mitts covering his hands, frowning over a cookbook he had located.
"What the…" Faith started but couldn't continue as a look of mass befuddlement, graced the bleached blond Vampires features.
Looking up to see Faith staring at him in barely concealed amusement, he ducked his head in embarrassment.
"Got kinda bored, knew you wankers'd be hungry when you got back so thought I'd see if…" He trailed off helplessly and shrugged.
"Still tryin to impress B?" Faith raised an eyebrow and sniggered.
"No!" Spike quickly retorted, a little to quickly to Faith's ears.
She sniggered again and was about to make another snide remark about love struck Vampires; but Janet's voice sounded from the front door cutting her off.
"A little help out here"
"Ok" Bill walked back into the room "I've got the tracers and flame throwers, the launchers were a little harder to get"
Jack glared at Bill.
"I said harder not impossible" He hastily continued not really wanting the impromptu physics lesson that had been threatened "They'll be here in twelve hours"
Jack smiled congenially at the other man "Well be back in twelve hours then"
"Come on Carter. We're going back to Sunnydale"
"Don't you ever say that your buddy Bill doesn't come through for you" Bill smirked at their retreating backs but his face paled slightly when he heard the word Sunnydale.
Jack walked out of the house with Carter following close behind, "Now I know why you wanted me with you" she said when they were far enough away.
Jack looked at her and rose an eyebrow "Why do you think I wanted you with me"
"You're using me for my brain"
"Ok fine" Jack threw back at her as he unlocked the car "I only want you for your brain"
Sam opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again and got into the car.
The deep roar of diesel engines startled everyone who was currently inside 1630 Revello Drive. Looking out through the front windows Faith laughed as she saw Teal'c jump out of the first Tanker with Jonas not far behind him in the second one.
Making her way out the front door she grinned at the two aliens (although she didn't know that was what they were).
"Damn, you guys and I say damn again. I know we said large and able to haul liquid but this takes the cake."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow at her
"I did not realise that cake would be needed for this venture, however Jonas Quinn has had an idea that may assist with the accomplishment of O'Neill and Buffy Summers plan."
Just then Buffy and Mac pulled up in the jeep, as they got out of the car Buffy and Mac gaped at the site of the two extraordinarily large trucks that now graced Revello Drive.
"I see you two were successful" Mac commented, "How about you and Janet?" She turned to Faith.
"Janet and Spike are inside, they're cooking up a storm and getting all the stuff we got organised"
Buffy was about to comment on the thought of Spike cooking but was distracted as from behind Mac a crossbow bolt whizzed through the air towards the young brunette slayer.
"Faith" Buffy screamed out a warning but couldn't do much else because she was on the other side of the car.
The four of them watched in horror as Faith attempted to move out of its path but wasn't quite fast enough.
She let out a strangled yell as the bolt struck her.
End AN: Just to let you know I made up the bit about Sam and a Doctorate in Quantum Physics. I know she was writing a book or something in 'Upgrades' but I have no idea if it was on Astrophysics or if it got published.
