"Daughter of Rosenberg..."
Summary: One year after the events of "Groom of Rosenberg" Buffy the Rosenberg Monster and her honey have returned to ask a special favor of their creators Rosenberg and Praetorius...While Tara faces the more or less Big Bad...
Disclaimer: Would Joss want his name associated with this? I think not...But anyway all BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...Though his brother Mort gets nothing...
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, ...
(After long delay, the continuation…)
...
Part XXX...
The Magic Box, next am…
Xander and Anya, with Giles…All seated at counter…Anya examining the larger pieces nearby with an eye to considering their possible value as museum pieces.
After all, there is an interested collector in town…Who seems to keep losing exhibits.
"So do we wait?" Xander asked. "To see how Jon and Dawn…" Uh boy, not those words, he gulped… "Made out…?" Anya offered as he hesitated.
"…with Buffy and Spike." He sighed. Anya, slight shrug…
Better get used to it, Xander…Given Giles' tracker put them a jeweler's later last evening.
"We do." Giles nodded.
"But…" Xander eyed him.
"But…I reserve the right to use the other means at our disposal to see to the situation…" Giles agreed.
"Giles…? You know Dawn has a point about the way the Council behaved. Last century at least…" Xander, carefully as Anya frowned. "I mean according to what she got from Buffy…And you confirmed."
I suppose, given I know Buffy would've come after me if I'd shown any lapsing back into demon, it's only fair. But…
Monster…Killer vampire…Choke hold on Giles…On me…Kidnapping Tara to resurrect her boyfriend.
See, I generously don't throw in killing Warren Mears…Who would? But…She sighed.
"I mean…If this is true, you…Sorry, I mean the Council…Killed her whole family." Xander noted. "And there's the thing with Spike…You knew who he was and you never told Buffy? Any of us?"
"I've given you the reasons, Xander. What would have happened if Buffy had known this maniac was her lost husband? A 17 year old impressionable girl when they first met…"
"She would have saved him or died trying…" Anya noted.
"Died…Being the key word." Giles, calmly. "Died or much worse, as you both know…"
"Because Buffy would die or the world wouldn't be saved…A lot?" Xander eyed him, then sighed. "Look, I know you felt it was best for her and us and the world…But you owe her, Giles."
"I've agreed on that." Giles nodded. "And it's why I've hesitated to take harsher measures. But we do need to keep our options open here. And tracking them in a way other than the obvious ones Jonathan surely guessed and detected is one. Clearly, judging by his and Dawn's movement's last night, he and she are aware we were maintaining surveillance. I'm sure, in fact, he detected my tracker though he was clever enough not to disable it."
Really?...Kinda cool if you think about…Xander eyed Giles' frown at his distraction.
"Well then, what do you intend to do now?" he asked.
"I'll do nothing, for now, until we see what Jonathan and Dawn have to say today. But we will be prepared if anything more happens that seems potentially dangerous. I don't want to antagonize Buffy if possible."
"Ok." Xander nodded. "Good."
"But you do know where she and Spike are now, right?" Anya cut in, a bit anxiously.
"We have a rough idea. According to our aural tracings from last night, they seem to be in the Lake Sunnydale area."
"Lake Sunnydale? Waterfront property, nice." Anya nodded.
"I hardly think they've purchased a lakefront house, Anya. But there are many places to conceal themselves about there." Giles noted.
Hard to picture Buffy Anne Summers hiding out in some shack or sewer drain, Anya and Xander eyed each other.
Spike, on the other hand…Anya suddenly weeping.
"An?" Xander reached for her hand.
"She's living in a drain for his sake…Oh…It's just so beautiful…Love." She kissed his hand, weeping.
"Yes…Well…" Giles, a bit embarrassed.
"That's not just hormones, Giles." She eyed him sternly. He nodding, with wan smile…
"You haven't sent Faith in?" Xander, concerned.
"Not as yet…But I reserve the option…" Giles, firmly.
Bell over door jangled…
"Hi." Friendly voice of Lou the security guard/Assistant curator in casual shirt and slacks now. "Remember me, from the museum?"
"One of you Alexander Harris?"
…
Sunnydale General…Nurse's station, General Cardiology…
"Whatdaya mean, you have no idea where my wife went?" a frazzled Willow, newly awoken to find Tara quite vamoosed from their hospital room, fumed at the desk nurse.
"The night duty nurse saw her leave her room two hours ago but she claimed she was just taking a walk."
"A walk?...And no one did anything when she didn't come back?"
"There was no indication she'd left the hospital, Ms. Rosenberg. She had a perfect right to walk around a bit, even to leave if she'd chosen."
"Where's my phone?" Willow fumbled for her purse, pulling phone and dialing… "My father will be cutting his annual donation in half, I promise you.,,Giles?" she blinked, suddenly turning a bit pale and dazed.
"What? Oh, no…I just wanted to check in." she murmured, as the nurse frowning, moved off to tend to another patient's relative coming to demand assistance.
"Everything is fine…" she noted, a bit blankly. "Tara's good. I'll see you guys later. Bye…What? No, just a little tired. Anything else? Oh, good…A line on Buffy? Great. Sure, the Magic Box…Yeah, I'll see you later." She pressed to end the call, and putting phone back in purse, headed for the elevator.
"Hey, Willow." Harmony in blouse and slacks, light sweater vest greeted her in the elevator, the door closing on them.
"Hello, Harmony." Willow nodded.
"You ready to help us out? We're all set."
"Of course." Nod.
"And you told your guys everything was ok, right?"
"Yes, Harmony." Nod.
"Great." Beam. "Say you want some coffee before we head out? You look all in."
"Thanks, yeah." Blank stare. Harmony pressing for the cafeteria floor.
"Nice job they did on remodeling here since I was last here when my gran was sick a few years back. The cafeteria looked really good when I stopped by for…A snack. Oh and how's…Your whatever?" Harmony, diplomatically.
"She left…" wan stare.
"Oh, great…All better and went home, huh?"
"I don't know…" trailing voice. They stepped out of the elevator, passing a wan-looking young woman in cleaning uniform with a large cart who glanced at Harmony briefly. Hey, quick wave.
Thanks for breakfast…
"Oh, well I'm sure she's fine." Harmony, brightly as they entered the coffee shop of the cafeteria. "They wouldn't let her go unless they'd fixed her up." Quick pat. "Sorry to keep you out, I'm sure Andrew will send you home as soon as we're done. Maybe you can check in with her while we set up once we reach the lab, ok?"
"Yes, Harmony." Nod.
….
"Willow seems exhausted…But Tara is apparently…" Giles noted to Xander as he put down phone…
"Willow…Rosenberg?" Lou stared. "She's the one I came to tell you about…!" anxiously. "Mr. Osbourne says…"
"Oz? You talked to Oz?" Xander regarded the heavyset man. Anya and Giles staring…
"That vampiress…A friend of yours from before? Harmony?" Lou began…
Well, two out of three…Xander noted…Eyeing Anya…
….