The examination was less intrusive than the average physical. After Carmichael finished with the sisters, they rejoined their party in the waiting room and were lead into the interrogation room.
Matasumi considered restraining them but remembered that Dawn was a very powerful witch, who could teleport out of her restraints and decided it was better not to. He did restrain Buffy though. Then he began questioning them again. About twenty minutes into the session, someone knocked at the door. A guard came in and told Bauer and Matasumi that someone named Tucker requested their presence in the cell block to advise on an issue. Bauer balked, insisting Matasumi could handle it, but it involved some special project of hers, and after a moment's argument, she agreed to go.
After Matasumi and Bauer left Buffy motioned toward the mirror as if to say do you think anyone's back there. Dawn tried to teleport to the other side of the mirror and frowned. She then tried teleporting from one side of the room to the other, that worked. "I can't teleport out of this room," she whispered. "Which means while we were being examined Bauer talked to the sorcerer and had him put a ward around whatever room I'm in. We're now trapped unless we want to try and make a break for it."
"They probably have a guard outside," Buffy said. "As much as I want to get out of here, we need intel."
Bauer and Matasumi weren't gone five minutes when the door behind them opened. A man stumbled into the room, tripping over his leg irons. The scent that wafted up to Buffy and Dawn told them this was the mutt and instantly triggered a name to go with the scent, Patrick Lake. Behind Lake walked in Houdini, or as they had been told Xavier.
"All alone?" he asked.
The sisters didn't reply. Xavier leaned out the door to check the hall. Then, shoving Lake ahead of him, he crossed to the one-way glass, peered through, frowned, teleported into the next room, and returned.
"Alone," he said, shaking his head. "You got to love this place. Military efficiency, high-tech security, the latest communication gadgetry. And for all that, as disorganized as my mother's kitchen cupboards. I can't believe they left you two alone."
"I see you can still teleport," Dawn said.
"Let me guess, you can't," Xavier replied. "Freaking Katzen. Anyways it is eight o'clock, isn't it?"
"Let me check my watch," Buffy quipped.
He chuckled. "Sorry. They sure have you tied down, Buffy, don't they? Somebody's not taking any chances with you at least. Still it's futile for them to even try and restrain you, Buffy. You would think if that since Dawn can teleport out of hers, she could teleport you out of yours. Regardless you could break them at any time, couldn't you?"
"More than likely," Buffy replied.
"Anyways I'm sure it's eight," Xavier continued, "and I was supposed to bring Lake up here at eight. Now they can't even keep their scheduling straight. Someone's got to hire a secretary."
Lake stared at the sisters, or more importantly Buffy.
"Like her?" Xavier asked.
Lake muttered something and tried to wrench his gaze away, but he didn't succeed in breaking visual contact. He walked behind Buffy's chair, leg chains sparking static against the carpet.
"I'll admit, she's a good-looking girl," Xavier said. "But don't you think you're overdoing it, buddy?"
"Shut up," Lake growled and kept circling.
"Don't worry," Xavier said, turning to Buffy. "If he tries to sniff your crotch, I'll snap a muzzle on him."
Lake turned on Xavier and growled a string of epithets. Then he looked back at the sisters. "You two were there, weren't you?" he said. "In Galveston. With him. When he did this to me." He lifted his cuffed hands and thrust them out. His left palm was permanently fixed in handshake position, the rest of the forearm gnarled and wasted, the result of too many breaks and insufficient setting.
"Who's 'he'?" Xavier asked.
"Clayton," Lake spat.
"Oh, Dawn's husband." Xavier gave a mock sigh. "Did you have to mention the husband? I saw him in Vermont, and I'm still feeling pretty inferior about the whole thing. Please tell me that guys got some nasty habits. Body odor. Picks his nose. Give me something."
"He's a fucking psycho," Lake snarled.
"Perfect! That's exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Pat. I feel much better now. Whatever my questionable mental status, no one has ever accused me of being a psychopath."
Lake stepped closer to Buffy and eyed her bonds.
"Don't be getting any uncivilized ideas," Xavier said. "You touch her, and I'll have to let her touch you back. You don't want that. She's a strong girl; in fact they're both strong." He motioned toward Buffy. "She's stronger though. Aren't you Slayer?"
Lake snorted.
Xavier looked to Lake. "You don't believe me? They both been here a few hours and they've already put a hole in their cell wall and forced Bauer to have Katzen put a ward around whatever room Dawn is in. You've been here two weeks and haven't even dented yours, nor even managed to escape. Could be they're both stronger than you in multiple ways."
"Not likely."
"No, maybe not. You're bigger. More muscle mass. Male advantage. But they're definitely smarter. Figured out how to outsmart me. You and I went ten times as many rounds and you never laid a finger on me. The female of the species is more deadly than the male. Who sang that?"
"It's from Kipling," Dawn said.
"See? They are smarter than us."
"Better educated," Lake said. "Not smarter."
"Well you do have a Ph.D.," Buffy said as she looked to her sister.
"Really?" Xavier asked. "What in?"
"Mythology and Ancient Languages," Dawn replied. "Any way of getting a leg up on the demons of the world. After all Buffy doesn't work for the Council anymore, hasn't in a long time."
Xavier nodded as he looked back at Lake. "How about a bet? A match. If the Slayer takes you, I get your diamond ring."
"Go to hell," Lake muttered.
"Sociable guy, isn't he? Brilliant conversationalist. No wonder you won't let him in your Pack."
"Go to hell," Lake enunciated slowly.
"Touched a sore spot, did I? Oh, come on. Play my game. Show me what a big bad wolf you are. You want some comeuppance for that arm, don't you? How about it, Dawn? Buffy? Feel like a few rounds with Mr. Personality?"
"We don't fight on command," Buffy said. "Besides it wouldn't be a fair fight and you know it."
Xavier nodded. He knew she was right, as the Slayer she could have taken a werewolf. Now as a combination of the two, he was sure Lake would pose no threat to Buffy. He strolled over to Buffy and undid all the straps holding her to the seat, leaving only the handcuffs.
"Hey!" Lake said, striding toward them.
Xavier stopped him with an outstretched hand, knelt to undo Lake's leg irons, then unlocked his handcuffs. Lake shook the cuffs off and drew his arm back for a swing at Xavier. But his fist connected with empty space. Xavier was gone.
Buffy and Dawn stayed where they were. Lake stepped back and surveyed the sisters. A grin tickled the corners of his mouth.
"Don't bother," Dawn said. "It's been tried before under far more advantageous circumstances and Buffy has beaten everyone back. Besides you know what'll happen if you even try. Clay will ensure you can't ever try again. It's a little-known fact but Clay sees Buffy as his sister and of course me as his lover. Clay will come after you if you look at either of us the wrong way."
"Really?" Lake's eyes widened and he looked around. "I don't see him here. Maybe I'm willing to take the chance."
"Fine," Dawn said. "Knock yourself out."
Lake moved toward Dawn who teleported to the other side of the room.
"I can keep that up all day," Dawn told him. "You will never touch me."
Lake turned and circled Buffy's chair. He grabbed her hair, wrapping the long strands around his fist. Dawn could tell that Buffy was waiting for him to make the wrong move. Either that or she was playing with him. Dawn wasn't sure which, both were possible.
He yanked Buffy's head back. She only glared up at him. With a growl, he released her hair, grabbed her shoulders, and shoved her forward out of the chair against the table. She twisted as she hit the table and it skidded out of reach and she collapsed to her knees, her manacled hands shooting forward to break her fall. Lake slammed a foot into her ass and sent her crashing onto her face.
Buffy smirked playing time was over. Even with her hands cuffed she managed to push off with a back flip.
"Ooh you made her mad, now," Dawn said.
Lake drew his foot back, aiming at Buffy's chest as she swung her right hand up and caught his leg. Her nails tore through his jeans and sank into flesh. When she had a good grip, she yanked, ripping his leg open. Lake screamed and stumbled away.
"Fuck! What the fuck—?"
He looked at Buffy's hand. Only it wasn't a hand. It was a claw. The cuffs hung from her other hand. The partial Change had narrowed her hand enough to pull it through the bracelet.
"What the fuck?!" Lake repeated backing against the wall.
"Pack trick," Dawn said. "Takes concentration. Too much for a mutt."
Buffy advanced on him. He hesitated, and then launched himself at her. They went down. Buffy clawed his back. He yelped and tried to wrestle free. She grabbed the back of his shirt with her left hand and flung him off her. As Buffy scrambled to her feet, the door flew open. Bauer hurried into the room with Matasumi, Tess, and two guards at her heels. All five stopped inside the doorway and stared. Then Bauer strode across the room, barreling down on Lake.
"What the hell is going in here?" Bauer said.
"She started it," he said.
"Oh, please," Buffy said, getting to her feet. As the door had opened, she had returned her hand to normal and even slipped it back through the cuff.
Xavier strolled through the doorway.
"He started it," Lake said.
"Just following orders." Xavier leaned against the doorjamb, hands in pockets. "The ring's mine, Pat. She whupped your ass."
"Is it on tape?" Matasumi asked.
Xavier yawned. "Of course."
Bauer spun on both of them. "Orders? Tape? What happened in here?" She started reaming out Matasumi, then stopped herself. She dismissed Xavier and Tess for the night, and then asked the two guards to escort the sisters back to their cell. Once they were out of normal earshot, she lit into Matasumi again.
The sisters had been back in their cell for about twenty minutes when Bauer brought them dinner. Ham, scalloped potatoes, baby carrots, cauliflower, salad, milk, coffee, and chocolate cake.
Before the sisters ate, Bauer showed them around the cell, pointing out the toiletries, demonstrating how the shower worked, and explaining the meal schedule. Two sets of nightgowns and a single day's worth of clothing were kept in a drawer under the bed. Why only one change of clothes? Bauer didn't say.
Bauer didn't leave after conducting the cell tour. "I apologize," she said after the sisters sat down to eat. "What happened upstairs … I didn't know they planned that. I don't believe in tricking our guests. This whole arrangement is difficult enough for you two without having to worry about stunts like that."
"It's okay," Dawn said.
"No, it isn't. Please tell me if anything like that happens when I'm not around. Would you like Doctor Carmichael to look at your stomach wounds, Buffy?"
"I'm fine," Buffy said. "The Slayer healing will have them fixed by morning."
"There's clean clothing if you want to change out of that shirt."
"I'm fine," Buffy said, and then added a conciliatory "Maybe later."
Once they'd finished their meal, Buffy and Dawn took turns taking a shower. Neither of them liked the bathroom setup. While they had gotten used to waltzing around Stonehaven naked. They both preferred not to do it in front of strangers. When they both used the toilet, they draped a towel over their laps. Some things demand privacy.
After the showers, Buffy and Dawn put their own clothing back on. They may have been provided a nightgown, but neither of them was wearing them. Nor would they wear the fresh clothing tomorrow.
In the late hours of the night, someone called their names: A woman's voice. But they were asleep before they knew more.
Buffy dreamt that night of Savannah. But it wasn't the Savannah she had seen that day. It was an eight-year-old version of Savannah.
Buffy chased Savannah through a yard playing hide and seek. Suddenly Savannah vanished and Buffy became frantic as she looked for Savannah.
"Joyce?" Buffy called out looking for Savannah. "Joyce, where are you?"
"Here, mommy. I'm here," came a reply from all around her. She looked down at her stomach and found she was pregnant.
Buffy sat up straight in bed sweat pouring off her. She looked over at Dawn who was still asleep and then down at her stomach. Her eyes then shifted in the direction of Savannah's cell. It wasn't possible was it? Was Savannah the daughter she had given up at birth?
The next morning Bauer brought them breakfast. "So you two live near Syracuse," she said as
Buffy and Dawn nodded. "My family's from Chicago. Bauer Paper Products. Have you heard of it?"
"It sounds familiar," Dawn lied.
"Old money. Very old. It's odd, you know," she said, settling into her chair. "Growing up with that kind of name, that kind of money. Well, not odd for me. It's all I know. But you see yourself reflected through other people's eyes and you know you're considered very lucky. Born with the proverbial silver spoon. You're supposed to be happy, and God help you if you aren't."
"Money can't buy happiness," Buffy said.
"But you two are happy," Bauer said.
Buffy's eyes shifted toward the wall, toward where she knew Savannah was. Buffy wondered if that was true. Was she happy that she had given up her only daughter all those years ago? Or had she been deluding herself these last twelve years.
Dawn smiled. "Well, at this very moment, being held captive in a cell, I wouldn't exactly say—"
"But otherwise," Bauer said. "Before this. You both are happy with your lives."
"No complaints. It's not perfect," Dawn said noticing that Buffy's attention was not on the conversation. "There's still that nasty werewolf curse—"
"Neither of you see it that way, though. As a curse. You say it, but you don't mean it."
"Some days we mean it. Trust me." Dawn polished off her bagel. "These are great. Real New York bagels. I don't suppose there's any chance of seconds."
"I'm sure we can arrange something." Bauer checked her watch. "I should be getting you two up to Doctor Carmichael for your physical."
"Is that a daily routine?" Buffy asked as she finally looked back at Bauer.
"Oh, no. Yesterday was just a checkup. Today is the full physical."
Bauer lifted her hand. The door opened and two guards walked in. When the sisters stepped from their cell, Dawn saw someone in the room across from theirs. A woman seated at the table, her back to them. She instantly felt the magical energy radiating from the woman instantly recognizing its signature. Ruth Winterbourne.
"When …?" Dawn asked.
Buffy and Bauer followed Dawn's gaze and Bauer smiled as if Dawn had uncovered a hidden present. "She came in with you," Bauer said. "We were in Vermont near the meeting hall that morning. When we saw you two leave with your mates, Xavier and I decided to follow. The rest of the team stayed near the others. We knew someone would be alone eventually. Fortunately, it was Ruth. A very good catch, well that was till we got you. We're changing our priorities when it comes to Ruth. We're going to be comparing the two of you. See what's different about your powers compared to hers, why you are more powerful. Savannah now is another matter, given her youth we want to see what happens when she come into her powers, especially with what we know of her mother's powers."
"How come we didn't see Ruth yesterday?" Buffy asked.
"The trip was unusually … difficult for her. Her age. The very thing that makes her valuable is something of a liability. We overestimated the sedative dosage. But she's quite fine now, as you can see."
"She looks pretty down," Dawn said as she noted that Ruth held the same facial features Buffy had exhibited a few minutes earlier. And realized what it was, depression. "Depressed." She wondered what Buffy would be depressed about.
"It happens."
"Maybe we could speak to her," Dawn said. "Cheer her up."
Bauer tapped her long nails against her side, considering. "Perhaps we could arrange something," she said. "You two have been very cooperative. The others were worried, but other than the wall-punching and demonstration of your powers, you two have been surprisingly well behaved. I believe in rewarding good behavior."
Without another word, she turned and left them to follow. The sisters suffered through the physical without protest. The physical lasted several hours. At noon, someone knocked, and then opened the door without waiting for a reply. Two guards walked in. They escorted in the human chameleon, Armen Haig.
"I'm running behind," Carmichael said, not turning from a series of X-rays clipped to a lighted wall.
"Should we wait outside?" one guard asked.
"Not necessary. Please take the other table, Doctor Haig. I'll be right with you."
Haig nodded and walked to the table. His guards promised to return in an hour, then left.
For the next twenty minutes, Carmichael bustled around the infirmary, checking X-rays, peering through microscopes, jotting notes on a clipboard. Finally she stopped, surveyed the room, and then snatched a tray of fluid-filled vials from a metal cart.
"I need to run a test in the lab before we finish up here, Ms. Andrews and Ms. Andrews."
Carmichael headed for the exit, then stopped and looked from the sisters to Haig. After a pause, she laid the tray on the counter and picked up the intercom phone. Though she turned her back and lowered her voice, her words were impossible to miss in the silent room. She asked someone in security whether there were any issues with leaving Haig and the sisters together for a few minutes, if Buffy and Dawn were manacled. There weren't.
"Don't forget to turn on the camera," Haig murmured as she hung up.
Carmichael snorted. "I can't program my damned VCR. You think I can operate that thing?" She waved at the video camera mounted overhead. "A word of warning, though. Don't think of leaving. I'll be locking the door behind me. There's a perfectly functioning camera in the waiting room and guards in the hall. They won't look kindly on an escape attempt."
She took her tray of vials and left the room.