"You heard me correctly," Walsh said.
"But, Professor, I don't understand," said the young man she was addressing.
"You don't need to understand, Lieutenant Davis. You merely need to accept, and follow orders. I know you have questions, and that is understandable. But these people are anarchists. Some information has come into new light just today that shows they are actively working towards the downfall of our greatest projects," Walsh said. "You understand this is classified, even beyond your level."
"Yes, ma'am. I don't doubt your intel, I just have a hard time believing that."
"Believe it, Lieutenant. As much as it pains me to say so, this 'Scooby Gang' is a threat to national security, and the world."
"Yes, ma'am. Your orders?"
"They must be dealt with in the quickest and most stringent of ways. I want a raid of their headquarters, this 'Magic Box'. If they're not there check residences. Surveillance teams show these addresses as the most likely places for them to be," Walsh said, handing him a piece of paper. "Ten men, live rounds."
Davis nodded slowly. "Just one more question, ma'am?"
"Yes?"
"I understand why Commander Finn isn't in on this. . . he's hardly objective. But why isn't Commander Gates leading us?"
Walsh eyed the young man. "Commander Gates is on a special assignment for me," she said.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Lieutenant Davis, I want this to go as smoothly as possible. Riley still has influence in this group. I want you to take the soldiers you think are likely to have the least amount of sympathy for him, and by implication this group of. . . mystical terrorists."
"Terrorists, ma'am?"
"Davis, if you'd seen what I saw. . . "
"Yes, ma'am. How soon do you -"
"I want you on the move within the half hour," Walsh said.
Davis snapped off a quick salute and left to find his soldiers. Walsh checked her watch, and re-ran the scenario in her head. She had to be sure of her timing.
* * * * *
The door opened.
"Hi Riley," Dawn said, smiling at the much taller man.
"Hey, Dawn," Riley said, stepping into the Summers home. "How's school going?"
"It sucks," Dawn said, frowning. "Everybody hates me, they're, like, shunning me. I'm almost as much of an outcast as my sister was."
"Yeah?" Riley asked.
"Yeah," said Dawn. "I guess I shouldn't have told everyone I was sleeping with Xander."
Riley couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "No," he said. "Probably not. But you'll recover."
"Maybe," she said glumly. "Well, Faith should be ready in a few minutes. Buffy's helping her with her makeup. It's too bad you guys couldn't stick around tonight, everybody's going to be eating here."
"I would have loved to," Riley said, "but it took me, literally, a month to get these reservations."
"That's a long time," said Dawn.
"Yeah." Riley's beeper went off. "Dang," he said. "Can I use your phone?"
"Sure," Dawn said, "it's in the kitchen."
Riley walked into the kitchen and greeted Mrs. Summers before picking up the phone.
"Yeah, this is Finn," he said. "Yes, I'll hold."
Riley waited patiently for a minute while he was routed through the system. Joyce watched as he perked up when he was put through.
"Yes, I just got the page," he said. "No, not yet. I was just picking her up. How did - right. No, that's - What? No, that's impossible I was just talking to him. No, he can't have. . . but, I was just. . . " Dawn came into the kitchen and looked from Riley to her mother, who shrugged.
"I understand," Riley said. "Of course. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Riley hung up the phone and his shoulders slumped.
"Riley?" Joyce asked. "What's happened?"
Riley looked up at her. "It's Forrest," he said, eyes wide and unblinking. "He's dead."
Joyce's hand rushed to her mouth in shock as Riley walked, zombie-like, from the kitchen. Dawn rushed ahead of him and up the stairs. Seconds later, Faith was hurtling down the stairs half-dressed, with Buffy and Dawn not far behind. The Summers women stood to the side and watched.
"Baby," Faith said softly, latching onto Riley and embracing him. Riley's arms made their way around her, and he held on as tightly as he could.
Riley slowly raised his eyes to her. He swallowed before speaking. "I'm going to have to cancel tonight," he said. "Sorry."
"Riley, no, don't worry about it, baby," she said. "You do what you have to do. Do you need. . . anything? Can we. . . "
"No," he said. "I mean. . . I don't know. I have to go."
Faith embraced the man one more time. "I love you," she said.
"Love you," Riley replied. Faith watched as her lover made his way out to the driveway, got in his car, and drove off. Buffy stepped up to her sister Slayer and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Faith turned and looked sadly at the elder Slayer, then sat on the stairs, and caught her breath.
"I wonder how. . . well, what. . . you know," said Dawn.
Joyce quickly shushed her youngest daughter.
"I don't know," Faith said, shaking her head, her expression going quickly from pensive to cold. "But. . . if Riley finds out, something's gonna die."
* * * * *
"That's horrible," Willow said later that night as she and Buffy set the table.
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "He was just zombie-like. I mean. . . I mean, I think he'll be okay. Faith does, too. It sucks."
"So, where did they go?" Willow asked.
"Faith didn't know what crypt Pike and Spike were in, so she just kind of dragged Xander to show her. She was gonna see if they knew anything, do a little recon for Riley, just in case."
Willow nodded, set down her last plate, and went into the kitchen, where Tara was helping Mrs. Summers season the food.
"Hey, sweetie," Willow said, giving Tara a peck on the cheek and eliciting a blush from the young woman. "Mrs. Summers, how many serving spoons do we need?"
Joyce took a quick inventory of the dishes she was preparing. "Three," she said with a firm nod.
"Mom, oven," Dawn said from the stool where she sat.
"Right. Four," Joyce corrected.
Willow nodded with a smile and grabbed some utensils as someone knocked on the door.
"I'll get it," Buffy said. She opened the door and ushered Giles inside with a wave.
"Hello, everyone," Giles said, pulling a bottle of red wine from under his arm. "How are we today?"
Giles leaned over the stovetop and gave Joyce a quick kiss.
"Oh, my eyes!" Buffy said. "Oh, I didn't need to see that. Somebody, quick, I'm blind."
"Buffy," Joyce scolded.
"She's got a point," Dawn said. Joyce sent a withering stare her way.
"Oh, come on!" Buffy said. "If I can't mock you two, my life will be all but joyless."
"Even with Xander around?" Willow asked.
Buffy opened her mouth to speak, paused, reconsidered, and said "I choose not to answer that on the basis that it might tend to incriminate me."
"Where is Xander?" Giles asked.
"With Faith, looking for the Ikes," Willow said.
Giles' brow furrowed. "I thought she and Riley were -"
"They were," Buffy said. "But instead, one of Riley's friends in the Initiative was killed. We don't know how. Faith and Xander went to see if Spike and Pike know anything."
"Oh, dear," Giles said. "Will Riley be all right?"
"Faith thinks so," Buffy said. "I guess we just gotta -"
Buffy cut off as windows around the house shattered. The group quickly dropped to the floor. Buffy grabbed a couple of knives from the counter top and slid one to Giles.
A man dressed in combat fatigues kicked open the back door and quickly fell backwards out of it as Giles hurled his knife into the man's stomach. Another soldier came in from the dining room, and Buffy swept his legs out from under him, dropping him to the ground. The soldier tensed as he hit the ground and sprayed gunfire across the room, eliciting screams from Joyce, Dawn and Tara, none of whom were used to this level of 'excitement.' Everyone in the room ducked again as a distinct gunshot rang out from the backyard, followed quickly by a scream. Which was quickly silenced.
Buffy punched the man in the head, knocking him unconscious, then looked to Giles who was sitting against the wall, holding his hand to his shoulder, blood darkening his shirt.
"Buffy," Giles said, nodding at the rifle the soldier carried and wincing from the pain the movement caused. "These are carrying live ammunition."
Buffy stared for a moment, then picked up the gun and bent the barrel. "This one's not," she said, before twirling her knife around, getting to her feet in a crouch, and moving towards the front of the house.
"Buffy!" Joyce cried from the kitchen. Buffy turned back to see her mother holding her crying younger sister, who was bleeding from her stomach. "We have to get to a hospital."
----------
End Chapter 22
"But, Professor, I don't understand," said the young man she was addressing.
"You don't need to understand, Lieutenant Davis. You merely need to accept, and follow orders. I know you have questions, and that is understandable. But these people are anarchists. Some information has come into new light just today that shows they are actively working towards the downfall of our greatest projects," Walsh said. "You understand this is classified, even beyond your level."
"Yes, ma'am. I don't doubt your intel, I just have a hard time believing that."
"Believe it, Lieutenant. As much as it pains me to say so, this 'Scooby Gang' is a threat to national security, and the world."
"Yes, ma'am. Your orders?"
"They must be dealt with in the quickest and most stringent of ways. I want a raid of their headquarters, this 'Magic Box'. If they're not there check residences. Surveillance teams show these addresses as the most likely places for them to be," Walsh said, handing him a piece of paper. "Ten men, live rounds."
Davis nodded slowly. "Just one more question, ma'am?"
"Yes?"
"I understand why Commander Finn isn't in on this. . . he's hardly objective. But why isn't Commander Gates leading us?"
Walsh eyed the young man. "Commander Gates is on a special assignment for me," she said.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Lieutenant Davis, I want this to go as smoothly as possible. Riley still has influence in this group. I want you to take the soldiers you think are likely to have the least amount of sympathy for him, and by implication this group of. . . mystical terrorists."
"Terrorists, ma'am?"
"Davis, if you'd seen what I saw. . . "
"Yes, ma'am. How soon do you -"
"I want you on the move within the half hour," Walsh said.
Davis snapped off a quick salute and left to find his soldiers. Walsh checked her watch, and re-ran the scenario in her head. She had to be sure of her timing.
* * * * *
The door opened.
"Hi Riley," Dawn said, smiling at the much taller man.
"Hey, Dawn," Riley said, stepping into the Summers home. "How's school going?"
"It sucks," Dawn said, frowning. "Everybody hates me, they're, like, shunning me. I'm almost as much of an outcast as my sister was."
"Yeah?" Riley asked.
"Yeah," said Dawn. "I guess I shouldn't have told everyone I was sleeping with Xander."
Riley couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "No," he said. "Probably not. But you'll recover."
"Maybe," she said glumly. "Well, Faith should be ready in a few minutes. Buffy's helping her with her makeup. It's too bad you guys couldn't stick around tonight, everybody's going to be eating here."
"I would have loved to," Riley said, "but it took me, literally, a month to get these reservations."
"That's a long time," said Dawn.
"Yeah." Riley's beeper went off. "Dang," he said. "Can I use your phone?"
"Sure," Dawn said, "it's in the kitchen."
Riley walked into the kitchen and greeted Mrs. Summers before picking up the phone.
"Yeah, this is Finn," he said. "Yes, I'll hold."
Riley waited patiently for a minute while he was routed through the system. Joyce watched as he perked up when he was put through.
"Yes, I just got the page," he said. "No, not yet. I was just picking her up. How did - right. No, that's - What? No, that's impossible I was just talking to him. No, he can't have. . . but, I was just. . . " Dawn came into the kitchen and looked from Riley to her mother, who shrugged.
"I understand," Riley said. "Of course. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Riley hung up the phone and his shoulders slumped.
"Riley?" Joyce asked. "What's happened?"
Riley looked up at her. "It's Forrest," he said, eyes wide and unblinking. "He's dead."
Joyce's hand rushed to her mouth in shock as Riley walked, zombie-like, from the kitchen. Dawn rushed ahead of him and up the stairs. Seconds later, Faith was hurtling down the stairs half-dressed, with Buffy and Dawn not far behind. The Summers women stood to the side and watched.
"Baby," Faith said softly, latching onto Riley and embracing him. Riley's arms made their way around her, and he held on as tightly as he could.
Riley slowly raised his eyes to her. He swallowed before speaking. "I'm going to have to cancel tonight," he said. "Sorry."
"Riley, no, don't worry about it, baby," she said. "You do what you have to do. Do you need. . . anything? Can we. . . "
"No," he said. "I mean. . . I don't know. I have to go."
Faith embraced the man one more time. "I love you," she said.
"Love you," Riley replied. Faith watched as her lover made his way out to the driveway, got in his car, and drove off. Buffy stepped up to her sister Slayer and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Faith turned and looked sadly at the elder Slayer, then sat on the stairs, and caught her breath.
"I wonder how. . . well, what. . . you know," said Dawn.
Joyce quickly shushed her youngest daughter.
"I don't know," Faith said, shaking her head, her expression going quickly from pensive to cold. "But. . . if Riley finds out, something's gonna die."
* * * * *
"That's horrible," Willow said later that night as she and Buffy set the table.
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "He was just zombie-like. I mean. . . I mean, I think he'll be okay. Faith does, too. It sucks."
"So, where did they go?" Willow asked.
"Faith didn't know what crypt Pike and Spike were in, so she just kind of dragged Xander to show her. She was gonna see if they knew anything, do a little recon for Riley, just in case."
Willow nodded, set down her last plate, and went into the kitchen, where Tara was helping Mrs. Summers season the food.
"Hey, sweetie," Willow said, giving Tara a peck on the cheek and eliciting a blush from the young woman. "Mrs. Summers, how many serving spoons do we need?"
Joyce took a quick inventory of the dishes she was preparing. "Three," she said with a firm nod.
"Mom, oven," Dawn said from the stool where she sat.
"Right. Four," Joyce corrected.
Willow nodded with a smile and grabbed some utensils as someone knocked on the door.
"I'll get it," Buffy said. She opened the door and ushered Giles inside with a wave.
"Hello, everyone," Giles said, pulling a bottle of red wine from under his arm. "How are we today?"
Giles leaned over the stovetop and gave Joyce a quick kiss.
"Oh, my eyes!" Buffy said. "Oh, I didn't need to see that. Somebody, quick, I'm blind."
"Buffy," Joyce scolded.
"She's got a point," Dawn said. Joyce sent a withering stare her way.
"Oh, come on!" Buffy said. "If I can't mock you two, my life will be all but joyless."
"Even with Xander around?" Willow asked.
Buffy opened her mouth to speak, paused, reconsidered, and said "I choose not to answer that on the basis that it might tend to incriminate me."
"Where is Xander?" Giles asked.
"With Faith, looking for the Ikes," Willow said.
Giles' brow furrowed. "I thought she and Riley were -"
"They were," Buffy said. "But instead, one of Riley's friends in the Initiative was killed. We don't know how. Faith and Xander went to see if Spike and Pike know anything."
"Oh, dear," Giles said. "Will Riley be all right?"
"Faith thinks so," Buffy said. "I guess we just gotta -"
Buffy cut off as windows around the house shattered. The group quickly dropped to the floor. Buffy grabbed a couple of knives from the counter top and slid one to Giles.
A man dressed in combat fatigues kicked open the back door and quickly fell backwards out of it as Giles hurled his knife into the man's stomach. Another soldier came in from the dining room, and Buffy swept his legs out from under him, dropping him to the ground. The soldier tensed as he hit the ground and sprayed gunfire across the room, eliciting screams from Joyce, Dawn and Tara, none of whom were used to this level of 'excitement.' Everyone in the room ducked again as a distinct gunshot rang out from the backyard, followed quickly by a scream. Which was quickly silenced.
Buffy punched the man in the head, knocking him unconscious, then looked to Giles who was sitting against the wall, holding his hand to his shoulder, blood darkening his shirt.
"Buffy," Giles said, nodding at the rifle the soldier carried and wincing from the pain the movement caused. "These are carrying live ammunition."
Buffy stared for a moment, then picked up the gun and bent the barrel. "This one's not," she said, before twirling her knife around, getting to her feet in a crouch, and moving towards the front of the house.
"Buffy!" Joyce cried from the kitchen. Buffy turned back to see her mother holding her crying younger sister, who was bleeding from her stomach. "We have to get to a hospital."
----------
End Chapter 22
