A/N- sorry for the hiatus, but I got tied up with school. Next chapter (24)
be longer and more involved.
Jill
Chapter 23
"Xander, honey! You have company! Would your guests like some of those little boxes of raisins, or some fruit punch?" His mother asked in her usual drunken stupor.
"What, mom? Who is it?" Just then Jonathan, followed by Warren, Andrew and a timid Faith filed down the stairs.
"Hey, what the hell is going on here, Jonathan? Who are those two guys and what the hell is Faith doing in my house?!" Xander yelled.
"Yeah, and you can't take us all, missy. I don't know what your plan is, but Buffy is so gonna kick your ass." Willow added.
"Look, guys, it's not what you think." Jonathan tried to explain.
"Oh, isn't it? It looks like four uninvited guests. One of which, a murderous skank." Anya said, as she stood protectively in front of Xander like some attack dog.
"Look, we're not gonna get anywhere by pointing fingers. We came here cause we need your help." Warren said.
"Okay, I think we should all have proper introductions. You know, to make everyone less hostile." Everyone stopped and looked at Andrew expectantly. He cleared his throat and began talking.
"Well, you all know Jonathan, and that's Warren. He went to Sunnydale High for awhile, excellent with computers. I'm Andrew. I brought the demon monkeys to the Romeo and Juliet play. Oh, and Tucker's my older brother. Uh, and you all know Faith, obviously. But um, there's some things that you don't know." Faith didn't look at any of them the entire time. She was silent.
"Yeah, about that Xander, can I talk to you for a second?" Jonathan asked. All authority temporarily left his voice and was replaced with a pleading one. Xander nodded his consent and the two men walked off to the side.
When Jonathan told him what happened to Faith at the Initiative, he was stunned speechless. At first he felt pity for her, then he felt guilty for feeling anything at all. Then he felt more guilt for feeling guilty for feeling concerned in the first place. But, she is human after all he thought, and said that she could stay.
"What?! Xander, what's wrong with you? I mean, she's batting for the other team! I mean, the team of evil." Willow said.
"Yeah, Xander. And she's straight, which means she may try to jump your bones. You are not welcome!" Anya yelled, pointing her finger in accusation at the eerily quiet slayer.
"Wait, you guys don't understand." Xander said.
"Yeah, and Jonathan didn't even explain it all." Andrew said.
"Uh, yeah. He did this spell to fool everyone he was like general or something. He found out what's been playing mad scientist with the humans and demons lately." Warren said, attempting to add his own two cents.
"You know who's been killing these people?" Willow questioned. He nodded his head and gulped deeply in his nervousness.
"Well, wouldja tell us already, short stuff?" Anya said.
"Well see, Maggie Walsh created this thing that's part demon, human, and computer. He was made virtually indestructible. He doesn't eat. He makes a kill, I believe to study them. He has a power source made of Uranium 235, meaning he'll live essentially forever. Killing him means annihilating him completely.
Maggie's been playing mad scientist all along. Not just Adam, but she had some special plans for Buffy, Faith, Riley and Spike. I don't know where she is now, but it looks like Adam is picking up where she left off." He finished solemnly. After hearing the news, they all went deathly quiet in contemplation. The suddenly, Andrew broke the silence.
"So uh, where's Buffy?"
*****************
Summer's House
"Honey, you're home." Spike said as he and Buffy crossed the threshold.
"Yea. Feels good to be back." Buffy said as she sat down on the couch with the baby.
"I missed it, you know? Being in my own element. And my friends."
"So, you gonna call them then? A long awaited meeting of the Scoobies?" Spike asked, striding towards them.
"At this very moment? No. I just wanna like sleep for a week. And if any time during the middle of the night Joy decides she needs a bottle or a change of diaper, you are so on duty mister." She said, grinning at him.
"Sure thing, pet. Whatever my ladies need." He answered as he sat next to her, picking up his baby girl from her arms. As Buffy gazed at the two of them, she thought of how perfect-
Ring, ring. Ring, ring.
The loud ringing of the phone brought her out of her thoughts. With what seemed to be much effort for her, she rose to go answer it.
"Hello?"
"Buffy? Thankgodyou'rehome. AngelsaidGilesandJoycearewithyouandwereallyneed-"
"Whoa, calm down, Will. My mom and Giles are at his place. What's up?"
"Buffy, there is major, major trouble. And we have some guests over... Anyway, we need to have an emergency meeting with you guys like, yesterday." Willow said agitatedly.
"Okay, I'll call Giles. You guys all be here in an hour." Buffy said in full Slayer mode. She hung up the phone with a dreary sigh.
"Trouble?" Her lover asked. She turned and looked at him with a troubled expression.
"What else?"
Chapter 23
"Xander, honey! You have company! Would your guests like some of those little boxes of raisins, or some fruit punch?" His mother asked in her usual drunken stupor.
"What, mom? Who is it?" Just then Jonathan, followed by Warren, Andrew and a timid Faith filed down the stairs.
"Hey, what the hell is going on here, Jonathan? Who are those two guys and what the hell is Faith doing in my house?!" Xander yelled.
"Yeah, and you can't take us all, missy. I don't know what your plan is, but Buffy is so gonna kick your ass." Willow added.
"Look, guys, it's not what you think." Jonathan tried to explain.
"Oh, isn't it? It looks like four uninvited guests. One of which, a murderous skank." Anya said, as she stood protectively in front of Xander like some attack dog.
"Look, we're not gonna get anywhere by pointing fingers. We came here cause we need your help." Warren said.
"Okay, I think we should all have proper introductions. You know, to make everyone less hostile." Everyone stopped and looked at Andrew expectantly. He cleared his throat and began talking.
"Well, you all know Jonathan, and that's Warren. He went to Sunnydale High for awhile, excellent with computers. I'm Andrew. I brought the demon monkeys to the Romeo and Juliet play. Oh, and Tucker's my older brother. Uh, and you all know Faith, obviously. But um, there's some things that you don't know." Faith didn't look at any of them the entire time. She was silent.
"Yeah, about that Xander, can I talk to you for a second?" Jonathan asked. All authority temporarily left his voice and was replaced with a pleading one. Xander nodded his consent and the two men walked off to the side.
When Jonathan told him what happened to Faith at the Initiative, he was stunned speechless. At first he felt pity for her, then he felt guilty for feeling anything at all. Then he felt more guilt for feeling guilty for feeling concerned in the first place. But, she is human after all he thought, and said that she could stay.
"What?! Xander, what's wrong with you? I mean, she's batting for the other team! I mean, the team of evil." Willow said.
"Yeah, Xander. And she's straight, which means she may try to jump your bones. You are not welcome!" Anya yelled, pointing her finger in accusation at the eerily quiet slayer.
"Wait, you guys don't understand." Xander said.
"Yeah, and Jonathan didn't even explain it all." Andrew said.
"Uh, yeah. He did this spell to fool everyone he was like general or something. He found out what's been playing mad scientist with the humans and demons lately." Warren said, attempting to add his own two cents.
"You know who's been killing these people?" Willow questioned. He nodded his head and gulped deeply in his nervousness.
"Well, wouldja tell us already, short stuff?" Anya said.
"Well see, Maggie Walsh created this thing that's part demon, human, and computer. He was made virtually indestructible. He doesn't eat. He makes a kill, I believe to study them. He has a power source made of Uranium 235, meaning he'll live essentially forever. Killing him means annihilating him completely.
Maggie's been playing mad scientist all along. Not just Adam, but she had some special plans for Buffy, Faith, Riley and Spike. I don't know where she is now, but it looks like Adam is picking up where she left off." He finished solemnly. After hearing the news, they all went deathly quiet in contemplation. The suddenly, Andrew broke the silence.
"So uh, where's Buffy?"
*****************
Summer's House
"Honey, you're home." Spike said as he and Buffy crossed the threshold.
"Yea. Feels good to be back." Buffy said as she sat down on the couch with the baby.
"I missed it, you know? Being in my own element. And my friends."
"So, you gonna call them then? A long awaited meeting of the Scoobies?" Spike asked, striding towards them.
"At this very moment? No. I just wanna like sleep for a week. And if any time during the middle of the night Joy decides she needs a bottle or a change of diaper, you are so on duty mister." She said, grinning at him.
"Sure thing, pet. Whatever my ladies need." He answered as he sat next to her, picking up his baby girl from her arms. As Buffy gazed at the two of them, she thought of how perfect-
Ring, ring. Ring, ring.
The loud ringing of the phone brought her out of her thoughts. With what seemed to be much effort for her, she rose to go answer it.
"Hello?"
"Buffy? Thankgodyou'rehome. AngelsaidGilesandJoycearewithyouandwereallyneed-"
"Whoa, calm down, Will. My mom and Giles are at his place. What's up?"
"Buffy, there is major, major trouble. And we have some guests over... Anyway, we need to have an emergency meeting with you guys like, yesterday." Willow said agitatedly.
"Okay, I'll call Giles. You guys all be here in an hour." Buffy said in full Slayer mode. She hung up the phone with a dreary sigh.
"Trouble?" Her lover asked. She turned and looked at him with a troubled expression.
"What else?"