Chapter 6: The Season Part 1

California, Burbank, Wienerlicious, December 10th, 2007

"You don't have to come with me, Chuck," Sarah told him as they drove up to her usual parking spot. "I'm just checking The Castle before I open the store."

He knew that - it was part of their daily routine. And they would have been contacted by the CIA already if there were anything urgent to deal with. "I don't mind. I'm a little early," he said.

"Really?"

"According to Buy More standards," he explained with a grin. At her slight frown, he added: "I'm still the most punctual among the staff. Apart from Casey."

"Ah."

"Speaking of," he went on, "I was wondering about our cover. The way we had to shuffle things around and deal with Buy More stuff when we get a mission…" He shrugged. "It just feels a little… suboptimal, you know? Do you usually pick such cover jobs?"

"Chuck, we got these cover jobs because of you."

"I kind of figured that out. But usually, you wouldn't be working close to full time in a store, would you?" He leaned against the counter.

"No, I wouldn't. Unless it was the only way to get close to a target." She opened the secret door to The Castle in the storage room. "But, usually, I'd be leaving the area after a mission."

Oh. He pressed his lips together.

She nodded. "And you can't really leave your friends and family and move to Langley, can you?"

He winced behind her back as he followed her down the stairs. "Actually, I think Ellie would be at least a little bit happy if I were to abandon my promising career at the Buy More and get a high-paying job as a data analyst for the CIA." His sister would be a hypocrite if she got mad at him for finally following her advice to 'stop wasting your talents, Chuck'.

"We can't hire you for the CIA, not even as a cover story," Sarah said, turning to face him. "A mole would quickly track your past, and you'd get on the radar of Fulcrum."

"Uh, I was just commenting hypothetically on Ellie's reaction." Mostly. He smiled. "I wouldn't like to leave my family and friends." Only sometimes, and that didn't count.

"And Caridad would probably try to track you down," Sarah muttered, checking The Castle's surveillance system.

"She's been a lot less, uh, flirty," he pointed out.

Sarah's huff told him that she didn't think the Slayer had stopped her pursuit of Chuck. "Anyway, so there's no chance that we could switch to a less demanding cover here?" he asked.

"Not for the time being."

Chuck was both disappointed and relieved.

California, Burbank, Buy More, December 10th, 2007

"Bartowski! You're late!"

Chuck winced as he put down his bag on the Nerd Herd desk. Getting greeted by Big Mike early in the morning was never a good thing. It usually meant more work, a complaint, or both. "Sorry, Big Mike," he said, "but my girlfriend had a small computer problem, which I had to solve," he lied.

"Did she hire Nerd Herd?" Big Mike frowned at him, hands on his broad hips.

"Uh… no?"

"Then she doesn't get your time - the time you owe the Buy More franchise!" Big Mike bellowed. "I know some people have been taking it easy in the store, but from an Assistant Manager, I expect exemplary conduct!"

"And you'll get it, Big Mike. Have I ever disappointed you?" Chuck knew he hadn't - although having a backdoor into the computer system and CIA hacking tools helped a lot with that.

"Yes. Like, right now, by being late, man!" The large man shook his head. "But things will change. Corporate sent us an expert to increase the store's efficiency ratings. Emmet!"

A man dressed in a freshly pressed Buy More uniform complete with tie and wearing an eager smile appeared at Big Mike's side. "Yes, sir?"

"Chuck, this is Emmet Milbarge. He's our new efficiency expert. Buy More Corporate personally selected him. Emmet, this is Chuck Bartowski, my assistant manager."

"And chief Nerd Herder," Chuck added with a grin as he held out his hand.

"I see." Milbarge's handshake was weak and his smile about as honest as a politician's. "You're responsible for the store's staff, then, right?"

The store's staff, of which half a dozen people hadn't yet arrived, Chuck realised with a sinking feeling. "Yes."

"I see," the Buy More Corporate stooge repeated himself as his teeth started to show.

"We need to get Caridad in here!" Lester declared in a whisper at the Nerd Herd desk shortly before Chuck's regular break.

"What?" Chuck asked, surprised. That was the first time Lester wanted the Slayer in the store, as far as he could remember.

"Yes!" Lester glanced over his shoulder. "She can slay Milbarge! I'm sure that he is a demon in disguise, sent to ruin our lives!"

"She can't slay him!" Chuck protested.

"Yeah, dude," Morgan agreed. Chuck smiled at him in gratitude for the support. Until his friend went on. "I already snuck her in to check - Milbarge is a normal human. No Slayer prey."

"Damn!" Lester gritted his teeth. "We have to do something, though - this pest is ruining the store!"

"Yes," Morgan added. "Employee morale is in the gutter. Stress levels are up. People are burning out."

"Milbarge has been working for a little more than one hour so far," Chuck pointed out.

"He's stressing me!" Lester said. "Told me I wasn't meeting house call quotas! I'm a Mac specialist! I don't do PCs!"

"He's planning to cut our hard-earned breaks!" Morgan added in a whisper. "I overheard him talking to Big Mike. Soon, we'll be reduced to eating gruel at our posts, working nonstop from dawn to dusk!"

"I think you're being melodramatic," Chuck said. The usual two-hour lunch break certainly could do with a little trimming, in his opinion. "Now, I'm taking my fifteen minutes morning break," he announced with a smile as he straightened. "Lester, you're in charge until I return."

"I'm acting assistant manager?" Lester asked, eyes widening.

"No," Chuck replied. "You're handling the Nerd Herd desk. Also, you can't assign any jobs to me."

"Oh." Lester's face fell, and Morgan looked relieved. As if Chuck would let Lester run the store!

"Anyway - see you later, alli…" Chuck trailed off as Milbarge appeared around the next aisle. "Bartowski! Where are you going?"

"I'm going on my break," Chuck told him.

"The break room is the other way."

"I'm taking my break with my girlfriend." Chuck pointed through the store's entrance towards Wienerlicious. "She runs the store there."

"That's not according to Buy More guidelines," Milbarge said. It looked like he tried not to sneer too much and was failing. "The staff has an assigned break room for a reason."

"We're not required to spend our break in the break room," Chuck retorted. "I checked," he added.

"Staff members aren't required to use the break room - although they're encouraged to do so - but management has to have a constant presence in the store." The man sniffed. "And as assistant manager, you are, barely, management."

All the work and none of the perks, Chuck thought - he was doing his usual Nerd Herder work anyway. "Big Mike is here," he said. "And he's the manager of the store."

Milbarge narrowed his eyes. "He can't be everywhere. That's why you are an assistant manager. And handling the staff is one of your core duties, isn't it?"

According to the contract, yes. Chuck nodded, trying not to glare at the man.

"You can't do this if you abandon the store to fool around with your girlfriend on company time!"

"What?" Chuck stared at him. As if they would… Well, he had some fantasies, but fifteen minutes certainly wasn't long enough!

"So, it's my advice - which I'm sure the manager will heed - that management should spend their breaks in the store, to be available in case of emergencies." The odious man sniffed. "And not support our competition."

"Competition? The Buy More isn't a restaurant or food stand," Chuck exclaimed.

"We might expand into catering," Milbarge retorted. "In any case, my decision stands."

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Fine. The break room it is." He pulled out his cell phone to inform Sarah.

"And don't stay too long!" Milbarge tapped his wristwatch. "You've got six and a half minutes left!"

What? Chuck gaped.

California, Burbank, Buy More, December 10th, 2007

"...and then he told me that I was already signed out before he found me, and that it was the employee's duty to sign in whenever they were on company time, so me failing to do so as soon as he started to talk to me was my own fault, for which I was liable!" Chuck said, snarling, between bites of great Kung Pao. "And then he threatened to report me for not taking my mandatory break in full."

"And that's the reason we're eating lunch in the Buy More's parking lot?" Sarah asked.

"Technically, it's the loading ramp and, therefore, part of the store," he pointed out. "But, well… yes?" He sighed. "That man is really a nuisance." And really annoying. "If he had his way, we'd live in the store, always ready to work when needed."

"He sounds rather unpopular," she commented.

"Yes!" he agreed. "He's the personification of all that's wrong with Corporate America!"

"That's treasonous talk, Bartowski."

Chuck looked over his shoulder and saw Casey standing behind them and taking a large bite out of a sandwich. He looked angry - although that wasn't unusual for him. "That's freedom of speech," Chuck corrected the spy.

Casey snarled at him, then bit into his meal as if he was trying to kill it by tearing out its non-existent throat.

"Do I detect hostility that's above the norm?" Chuck asked. He tried to hide his grin. "You've met our newest employee as well, then?"

"I've met the man." Casey grinned. "And he has my full support. About time the dead weight around here is taken to task!" He took another bite from his sub, waved the rest and left.

"There goes my hope that Casey would be annoyed enough to arrange an accident - a non-lethal one, of course! - for Milbarge," Chuck said in a low voice.

"That is back on the table as soon as Milbarge becomes an obstacle to our next mission," Sarah said. "But since he's only a temporary addition to the staff, eliminating him would pose an unnecessary risk to your cover."

Chuck sighed. "Let's hope he'll be gone soon. There are a dozen other Buy More stores in the area with staff he could terrorise."

California, Burbank, Buy More, December 11th, 2007

"You know," Chuck said, staring at the corpse on the Buy More loading ramp, clearly visible under Casey's flashlight despite the late - or early - hour, "when I hoped he'd be gone soon, I didn't mean for him to die. Who did this?"

"That's what we're here to find out," Casey snapped.

Sarah pressed her lips together. "According to our surveillance, he was inspecting the store's stocks after it closed. He must have heard something since he suddenly went out here to check."

"He must have found whoever made a noise," Casey said, "and paid for it with his life. I'm thinking it was a burglar he surprised - your deadbeat friends don't have the guts to do this."

"They wouldn't murder someone! Not for being annoying, at least," Chuck added - who knew what Jeff and Lester would do if they thought they were in danger? And Morgan certainly was capable of killing someone - he had killed vampires and other demons before.

Casey grunted. "He was beaten to death by a masked man. By the time I arrived, the killer had already escaped. Classic startled burglar murder."

"Not exactly."

Chuck didn't scream, even though he was startled by Caridad's sudden appearance. At least he didn't draw a weapon on her, unlike Sarah and Casey.

The Slayer ignored both and bent down over the body, sniffing. "He smells faintly like a slime demon." She looked at Chuck. "This was done by one of those constructs."

Shit.

"They must really want to kill Jeff," Chuck said after a moment, "if they sent another one to the Buy More after already having lost one construct." Although it might be a case of the sunk cost fallacy.

"And with the Slayer on the job," Caridad added.

"They might not know that," Chuck pointed out.

"Who else could have killed one of those slime constructs?"

"Good point," Chuck admitted, ignoring the slight frown on Sarah's face, and the not so slight snarl of Casey. "Does that make them dumb or desperate?"

Caridad frowned. "Hard to say. Dumb, probably - they came to hunt in my city, after all. And they could pick easier areas to hunt demons."

Chuck had a chilling thought. "Unless they aren't hunting just any slime demons or half-demons, and they need to hunt in this area."

Caridad grimaced. "Oh, no!"

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.

"It could be a prophecy. Which usually means it's an apocalypse," Caridad explained. "It's the season, anyway."

"What?" Sarah gasped. "An apocalypse? Like those you told us about?"

"Well… off-season. May is apocalypse season," Chuck said, trying to sound less concerned than he felt.

"Apocalypses are also in season in December," the Slayer replied.

"What kind of threat are we facing here?" Sarah asked in a sharper tone. And Casey was glaring.

"Uh…" Chuck cleared his throat. "That's hard to say - we don't know if there's a prophecy or apocalypse; it's all speculation so far. If there's an apocalypse, it's usually an event that could, if not stopped, destroy a town, or a city."

"Or the world, but we haven't had one of those for a while," Caridad said. "Three years ago, there were some volcano cultists in the Pacific trying to make an extinguished underwater volcano erupt, which could have caused a giant tsunami somehow, but Faith stopped that."

"Faith?" Casey asked.

"A Slayer," Caridad replied. "Not the prayer and stuff faith."

"Second-most experienced Slayer," Chuck added. "She was in Sunnydale in my last year there."

Caridad pouted. "I was in Sunnydale as well! In its last year!"

"A giant tsunami?" Sarah looked doubtful.

"Like Krakatoa, but underwater," Chuck said. He'd had nightmares for a while after Morgan had casually informed him about this particular mission.

"Krakatoa."

"Yes, the eruption in 1883, which…" Chuck trailed off as he realised that Sarah hadn't asked for an explanation.

"That's what could happen here?"

"It's just a possibility," Chuck was quick to reassure her. "The absolute worst case. It's much more likely that the demons behind this are just stubborn, dumb or both."

"Yeah!" Caridad chimed in. "California's had a dozen near-apocalypses, but that was before the Sunnydale Hellmouth was closed and Wolfram & Hart destroyed. It's been pretty safe since then."

That wasn't as reassuring as the Slayer probably thought it would be, Chuck knew. But that was something for the Council to worry about - they had more urgent problems. Such as a body at the Buy More.

He cleared his throat. "So, uh… What about him? I don't want to sound too callous, but if he gets found here, it'll complicate things." If this really was an apocalypse in the making, the last thing anyone needed was a murder investigation on the spot. Perhaps they could claim an escaped gorilla had killed Milbarge...

"We can drop the body somewhere else," Caridad said.

Casey shook his head. "Half the degenerates on the store staff would be suspects if the police started an investigation. And they will, once he misses work."

"And the police might discover some of our surveillance measures," Sarah added. "And that could draw attention we really can't afford."

"I'll arrange an accident," Casey said.

"And I'll inform Phil." Caridad nodded. "He'll check with the Council." She waved and left, jumping over the fence behind the store.

Chuck looked at Sarah. He knew that expression. "And I'm going to tell you everything I know about apocalypses in great detail?"

She nodded.

California, Los Angeles, Echo Park, December 11th, 2007

"So, the most common attempted apocalypses were centred upon opening a Hellmouth," Sarah summed up Chuck's slightly meandering tale.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"But Los Angeles doesn't have a Hellmouth."

"No. Which is why it's pretty peaceful with regards to demons, compared to Sunnydale."

Sarah wouldn't have called the city 'peaceful'. Not after her various encounters with demons. "You don't seem overly worried," she commented. Chuck didn't seem to be more nervous than he usually was on a mission. Sarah herself had to struggle with the urge to evacuate the entire station.

"Well, the Council's got a good track record," Chuck said. "The world's still standing, after all, and the only town that got destroyed under their watch was Sunnydale - and that was a special case. If there's an apocalypse threatening the city, they'll know what to do. If needed, they'll call in every Slayer available. That's how they saved Los Angeles the last time, in 2004."

"Every Slayer available?" Sarah didn't want to imagine dozens, perhaps hundreds of Caridads, gathered in one place. "Wouldn't that lead to a famine after a few days?"

Chuck laughed. Sarah laughed as well. But she was wondering - just how many Slayers did work for the Council?

But she had to sleep now; it was already far too late for a workday.

California, Burbank, Buy More, December 11th, 2007

Chuck was late to work in the morning - he had stayed up far too late last night, which had been the fault of the late Emmet Milbarge. Even dead the man had managed to make Chuck's life more difficult. And to make him feel guilty for not being sad about the man's demise. If they were on a Hellmouth, Chuck would have had the body burned just to ensure it wouldn't hatch a real demon. He didn't know any species that reproduced like that, but better safe than sorry. And it would have gotten rid of the body as well.

As he had expected, he was the last to arrive - Milbarge's one-day-long reign of terror must have scared the rest of the staff into actually coming to work on time. If not for the fact that everyone looked nervous and jittery, as if they expected to be ambushed at any moment, Chuck would have been happy about that.

"Chuck!"

"Morning, Morgan." Morgan was the only one who looked relaxed, Chuck noticed as he put his case down behind the Nerd Herd desk.

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Subtle, Chuck's friend wasn't. Morgan leaned forward on the counter and whispered: "Caridad gave me the great news!"

Chuck clenched his teeth. "Morgan!" he hissed, "a man was murdered."

"It was only Milbarge - trust me, he had it coming." Morgan chuckled. "Imagine if he had arrived when Caridad was still working here! He would have spent the next month in traction!"

"It's not funny, Morgan," Chuck snapped. "Besides, aren't you concerned about the possible reason behind the murder?"

"Nope." Morgan shook his head. "The Scoobies would have noticed a prophecy already. You know Willow. And they have Seers."

"I know that Willow is very, very busy," Chuck replied. "And that Seers are unreliable."

"Well, if there's a problem brewing, the Council's send help." Morgan shrugged again. "I'm not going to let this ruin my Milbarge-free day!"

"Morgan!" Chuck looked around. "You can't act like this. No one knows about his death yet. Casey's arranging an accident, but if you act like this, people will assume you knew already that he wasn't coming to work."

"Yes?"

"Which means you'll be a murder suspect," Chuck explained.

"Oh."

At least now, Morgan looked as nervous as the rest of the staff.

"Bartowski! Where have you been? First Emmet, and now you? My office, now!"

Chuck sighed. Once again, Milbarge caused trouble for him posthumously.

California, Burbank, Wienerlicious, December 11th, 2007

"I've informed the Council of your suspicion. They'll look into it."

Brown-Smythe didn't seem to put much stock into Chuck's theory, Sarah thought. He was the expert, of course, and he had the experience - although Chuck had grown up in Sunnydale. Or Sunnyhell, as he sometimes called it.

"Yes," Caridad chimed in between scarfing down her fifteenth free hot dog for today. "If there's anything to fear, they'll find out."

Sarah couldn't decide what annoyed her more - the fact that Caridad had managed to get her to close the store for this briefing, or that the Slayer was stuffing herself on the CIA's dime.

"More importantly, I've managed to find a few substances that might affect the constructs." Brown-Smythe pulled out a few coloured bottles.

Sarah frowned. "Are those perfume bottles?"

The older man coughed. "I found some of those flacons make excellent containers for specially-prepared concoctions. Due to their unique appearance, there's a very low danger of mixing them up in a fight or when visibility is low."

It was a logical explanation. Sarah was smiling anyway. As were Chuck and Casey. Well, Casey was baring his teeth while leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"He still won't let me bill the Council for my perfume," Caridad complained.

"How dangerous are they if they are spilt on a human?" Chuck asked.

"Like us," Grimes added.

"Most are harmless, as long as they do not end up in your eyes or mouth and nose. They might cause a rash on exposed skin, though - like some of the perfume that was in the bottles, I might add," Brown-Smythe explained.

"'Some'." Casey didn't move, but he slightly cocked his head.

"Ah, yes. These two are rather dangerous." The Watcher held up two bottles - green and red, respectively. "Acidic and poisonous."

"That means if we stumble and they break, we'll be dead or the Joker," Grimes said with a grimace.

"Easy solution: don't stumble," Casey spat with a sneer.

"That's not easy in a fight with demons," Grimes replied with uncharacteristic backbone. "They tend to knock you around - even tough guys like you." But Casey bared his teeth again, adding a little growling, and Grimes flinched and ducked his head. "Just saying."

Brown-Smythe cleared his throat. "I've prepared a variety of flacons so that next time we encounter one of those constructs, we can test them and find out which works best." He lifted a suitcase and put it on the table he had commandeered for this meeting. "I think it would be best if Caridad kept it here, out of the reach of certain elements of the Buy More staff."

Sarah agreed with the decision. As much as she wasn't keen on having magic vials in the store, she disliked the thought of letting Jeff or Lester, or their friends, get close to such substances.

Grimes, of course, wanted some 'ready in the store as the obvious target', and Chuck just had to support his friend.

Between Sarah, Casey, Brown-Smythe and the Slayer who apparently wanted to hoard all weapons and what she considered weapons for herself, the proposal to stash some 'harmless' vials in the Buy More was shot down. Sarah didn't think that she was the only one who thought that the Buy More's future looked a little brighter for that.

Unfortunately, as Sarah realised later when the 'briefing' had ended, it also meant that any health inspection of the Wienerlicious would find a case full of very hazardous substances stashed in the store's storage room. Granted, the case was placed with the cleaning supplies, but Sarah didn't think that would matter very much to an inspector.

Not that there would be a real inspection any time soon - the store had been inspected before its opening already. But there was a reason for their regulations. Sarah really didn't want to find out what spilling a dozen concoctions - magic concoctions - would do to the store. Or to herself, if she were anywhere nearby.

Or to The Castle beneath the floor. The base was supposed to be isolated and protected, but the planning hadn't taken magic into account. She could only hope that NBC-proofing would work against such things as well.

Shaking her head, she opened the case to check on its contents - she didn't trust the 'flacons' that much - and discovered that the case was already missing two bottles. That meant… "Caridad!"

"Yes?" the Slayer yelled from the main room of the store. "No need to yell, I can hear you whisper and mutter just fine!"

Sarah pressed her lips together. She didn't need to be reminded of the woman's superior senses. Walking out of the storage room, she glared at her. "Where did you put the bottles?"

Caridad blinked, then her eyes flicked towards the counter.

Muttering a few curses, Sarah pushed past the Slayer and knelt down next to the counter.

And closed her eyes. "You've placed them behind the condiments."

"Yes! Hidden, but handy!"

If there were a health inspection, they'd be made an example of, Sarah knew.

California, Los Angeles, Echo Park, December 11th, 2007

"...and she thought hiding them behind ketchup and barbecue sauce would be a good idea!"

Chuck nodded in apparent agreement with Sarah, refraining from adding 'Yes, dear.' She was in a bad mood - more so than usual after spending a day with Caridad. "Well, she wouldn't accidentally mix them up, so she doesn't really think it'd be a problem for others," he pointed out.

"And what would happen if the counter were smashed in a fight with a demon?" Sarah asked as she parked on their usual spot. "I've seen what happened in the Buy More."

"Oh? When did… ah, the cameras, of course." Chuck nodded, grimacing - he should have realised that at once.

"Yes. So don't tell me it'll be safe. The last thing we need is our base's front being closed down for health reasons!" Sarah snapped as she got out of the car.

Of course, if there were a fight with a demon in the Wienerlicious, the store would be closed for repairs for a few days at least. But Chuck didn't think pointing out that would help her mood. He started to walk towards their apartment. It still felt nice to think of that - their apartment. Not his. "Well, I don't think…"

Sarah interrupted him by pulling him behind him and drawing her pistol. "Someone's hiding in the bushes," she whispered, staring towards their door.

"Hi, Chuck! Hi, Sarah!"

Chuck blinked He knew that voice. "Harmony?"

The vampire emerged from behind the bushes, brushing bits of foliage from her skimpy dress. "You need to clean up more here," she remarked with a frown. "It's, like, super-dirty there."

"I'll be sure to vacuum the bushes more often," Chuck replied with all the sarcasm he could muster. "It wouldn't do to inconvenience any stalker hiding there."

All the sarcasm he could muster wasn't enough for Harmony. She beamed at him. "Thanks! Ellie said she didn't want to see me around, so I had to hide there." The vampire pouted. "She was rather mean - I asked if she could warm up my blood bag for me in her microwave, 'cause I forgot to do it before I came here and got hungry, but she refused. Even though I was like all considerate and didn't even ask if I could come in and do it myself because I know she's got some issues with vampires. I had to drink my blood cold! Do you know how flat that tastes?"

"No, I don't," he replied. Was there a blood bag littering his garden?

"Very flat. Blood needs to be warm, or it doesn't taste right. Fresh would be best, but where can you get an otter in Los Angeles?" Harmony shook her head. "It's so hard to be a vampire in this city!"

"How dreadful," Sarah said with all the sincerity of a used car salesman.

"Exactly! Not only is it far too sunny all the time, but people look at you as if you were a freak if you ask for a Bloody Mary with real blood!" Harmony's pout would have been almost impressive, if not for the hint of blood on her lips and the fangs peeking out.

"Aren't Bloody Mary's served cold?" Sarah asked.

"Well, it's different with alcohol, duh," Harmony replied. "Like with Spike and his Weetabix." She shook her head with a grimace. "Those are awful, but not because of the temperature. Like, how can you eat cereal with blood?"

Chuck cleared his throat. "Not to interrupt such a fascinating discussion…"

"Well, you just did!"

He ignored her. "...but why are you here, Harmony?"

"Oh, right." Harmony looked confused, then nodded. "I almost forgot why I came here."

Chuck waited a moment, then cleared his throat again. "And why did you visit?"

"Ah! Lorne sent me. Why he couldn't just call I don't know - it's not as if he can't use a phone, right? I mean, he's, like, almost human. But he said that he had a disturbing vision when a new guest got drunk and hummed a song while waiting at the bar. Apparently, there's a group trying to summon a powerful demon or so. The Lord of Slimes, or something like it."

Chuck felt his stomach drop.

"I've informed Morgan, who'll tell Phil and Caridad," Chuck announced as he stashed his cell phone. He looked at the takeaway boxes on the counter. "I think we should eat quickly; this looks like a double-briefing day."

Sarah laughed at the joke if only to break the tension. Chuck smiled in response, which was a good thing. She had known to expect the worst - it was an unspoken rule - but she had hoped that they were mistaken; that the 'poachers' were merely stubborn and - hopefully - stupid.

She opened her own box and grabbed the chopsticks. The noodles were great, but she couldn't enjoy them properly.

"I wonder why Lorne sent Harmony, instead of calling us," Chuck said between finishing one dumpling and picking up another. "She's not the most reliable person, and this is important."

"Saving face?" Sarah asked. "He isn't exactly a fan of the Council, as I recall." Or of Chuck and Morgan. She saw Chuck frown and added: "It's stupid, but so is providing a neutral, safe space for monsters." Stupid and reckless - at best. Providing aid to an enemy, at worst. She wasn't a fan of the Slayer, but Caridad had the right idea about demons.

He nodded, if a little reluctantly, or so it seemed.

"Or he hoped that Harmony would get herself killed," Sarah added, grinning to show she was joking. Mostly.

"Well, hiding in the bushes so Ellie wouldn't see her wasn't exactly the smartest decision," Chuck admitted. "Even for Harmony."

Sarah made a noncommittal noise as she swallowed another mouthful of noodles. Before she could say anything in response - and she had a few choice comments ready about that vampire's intelligence, or lack thereof, ready - their phones buzzed as new messages arrived.

Sarah didn't have to glance at hers to know both messages identical.

Chuck confirmed it: "Phil called for another meeting."

Casey's apartment had gained some character, Chuck thought as he entered. It had also gained an impressive collection of medieval weaponry. And modern medieval style weaponry, such as a composite crossbow with more attachments than a maxed-out gun in Medal of Honour.

He was tempted to ask - jokingly, of course - if Caridad was moving into Casey's apartment - but managed to control himself. Casey wasn't exactly Mr Sense of Humour, and the situation was tense enough. Not to mention that Caridad might misunderstand the joke. Or, worse, think that Chuck might be jealous.

"New acquisitions?" Sarah, obviously, had no such qualms. But she was a trained spy who had known Casey for years.

The man grunted, then took a bite out of what looked like a ration bar. "Always be prepared."

"I didn't think you were a boy scout," Chuck blurted out before he could help it. "I mean, I don't know anything about your childhood, obviously." It had been redacted in the man's file.

Casey glared at him. "Instead of asking stupid questions, tell me what this meeting is about."

"We've received intel that the people behind the slime constructs are trying to summon a powerful demon, possibly called 'The Lord of Slimes'," Chuck told him in his best spy voice.

Judging by Casey's snort, Chuck's best spy voice wasn't enough. "And what are the capabilities of this demon?" he asked.

"Uh… I have no idea," Chuck said. He didn't cringe under the man's glare, but he quickly added: "I'm no Watcher in training. That's Morgan. However, I think we can expect a great amount of various dangerous slime. Probably acidic and poisonous. Or slime that hardens around you and traps you."

"You're speculating," Casey said.

"Uh, yes," Chuck replied. "But it's based upon our experience with slime demons." Mostly Jeff, of course.

Casey apparently didn't think much of Chuck's experience. Or of Chuck. But that was nothing new. Sarah reached out and grabbed, then gently squeezed his hand. He smiled at her - she was the best.

And he was the worst spy in the team.

Morgan arrived fifteen minutes later. "Hi guys! I came as fast as I could."

Casey scoffed, prompting Morgan to stare at him, then look at Chuck and mime 'what's wrong with him?' behind the agent's back.

Chuck shrugged. Casey was always angry, anyway.

"Anyway, Phil'll take a little while longer," Morgan said. "His Smart's not the fastest car on the street, and he doesn't let Caridad drive it."

Which was a very smart decision, of course, Slayers tended to drive in a manner that scared professional race drivers. Better late than dead - by heart attack. Slayers rarely crashed.

"So…" Morgan looked around. "That's a nice weapon collection." He walked towards a cavalry sabre mounted on the wall, but before he could touch it, Casey was up in his face, snarling. "Don't touch them."

Morgan recoiled. "Uh… sure. I wasn't going to. I just wanted to take a closer look. Never get between a man and his weapons, huh?"

Sometimes, Chuck wondered if his best friend had a death wish. Then he remembered that Morgan's greatest wish was to become a Watcher - in the field.

Finally, Phil arrived with Caridad. "Good evening, Mr Casey. Thank you for your hospitality. Sarah. Chuck. Morgan." He nodded at everyone present.

Casey grunted something that sounded almost polite.

"Hi, everyone!" Caridad announced. "Oh, you got the pattern 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword!" She was at the wall in a heartbeat and pulled the blade out.

Chuck winced. That would be…

"Yes, I did." Casey bared his teeth. No, that was a smile. "I had to threaten the delivery man so they wouldn't dare to drop it at the door."

"They tried to do that?" Caridad looked like she wanted to demonstrate the sword's edge on the next FedEx employee.

"They do it with my other deliveries all the time," Casey said.

Chuck blinked. Dear Lord - they were truly bonding! And he couldn't even whisper to tell Sarah since Caridad would overhear.

"A fine sword. English quality," Phil added. "I used one myself on occasion. But we've gathered here for something a little more urgent than discussing fine blades." He turned to nod at Chuck. "I've informed London about Lorne's message. They were alarmed."

Chuck felt his stomach drop again. If the Scoobies were alarmed, things were about to turn ugly.

"As we speak, they're on the way to Heathrow, to board the first plane to Los Angeles," Phil went on.

"They?" Morgan asked.

"Miss Summers. Miss Rosenberg. Dr Summers. Mr Harris. And Miss Lehane."