Disclaimer. As per Chapter One. If you recognise it……etc.

Chapter Eight

Fastest Delivery in the West.

In a Los Angeles mall, two women, a mother and daughter, were sitting in a coffee shop. Their discussion was rapidly going downhill.

"Mom, why won't dad even talk about it. All I want is for him to meet her, to-to just talk to her. I love Kennedy, a-an she loves me. Her parents are really nice; divorced, but really nice, and they still get on well. Why is dad still so….so ….. OLD FASHIONED!!" She almost shouted.

The couple on the next table looked at her in surprise.

Sheila Rosenberg sighed. "Willow, if you get angry about it he'll just be more stubborn dear. All he ever wanted was for you to meet a nice Jewish boy and settle down."

"Mom, we both know that's never gonna happen. Even Xander stood more of a chance than that. Living on a Hellmouth for all those years, changed us in more ways than one."

"Alex was a nice boy. What happened to him? And what happened between you and that young man, the musician? Oswald? Was it?"

"Xander's got Vi, a-an he's happy. And it was Oz mom, Daniel Osborne. We're friends now, but we had some issues that we had to get through when we were in college. Besides he's in Tibet, he helps out with the Asian sector of the WSC."

"So you do like boys then?!"

"Yes, mom I like boys, I just don't love boys. I loved Tara. That wasn't meant to be, I know that now. And I love Kennedy.

"I know you do, you get so attached to these girls, they lead you astray." She paused. "And the other issue is the witchcraft!" Said her mother, more loudly.

"Mom. Shhh." Willow looked around to see if anyone else in the coffee shop had heard her mothers comment. Luckily not..

Unfazed, Sheila continued. "Even I have a problem with that. It's not natural, or normal. And your hair, it used to be so, so…red!"

Willow had to concede that her hair wasn't the deep red it used to be ever since the spell to activate all the potentials three years ago. She'd tried dying it but each spell she did just negated the chemicals, so she'd left it alone. Kennedy liked it anyway.

"Mom, I've never been normal. And we do so much good in the world. We save lives. Goddess, we've saved the world ….. more than once."

"I know dear, you were always special. We had such high hopes for you, academically speaking. Maybe if you hadn't met Buffy, thing's might have been different….."

"Maybe, if I hadn't been born in the town from hell... And if I hadn't met Buffy I might be dead, or a vampire! Where does that fit in with your nice little scenario mom. Huh!"

Sheila didn't have an answer. Willow gave her an ample space to reply but still none came. Her red headed temper began to flare. She raised her voice.

"Y' know what mom. I don't care. I-if dad wants to be so stuck in his ways that he can't see past a little sexual orientation issue, I don't need him. We don't need him. Kennedy and I are gonna be married and if he doesn't want to be there we won't invite him. Whether you come or not is up to you. I'll ask Giles to give me away. He's been more of a father to me now for years, so I think he's earned the right."

Willow got up and stormed out of the coffee shop. At the last outburst several of the other customers had overheard and raised eyebrows and whispers were being passed between them. Sheila ignored them, called the waitress over and paid the bill. She calmly left the shop herself. It wasn't until she reached the seclusion of her car that she broke down in tears……

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Willow sat on a bench outside a playground watching children chase around laughing and shouting; smiling wistfully at their innocent fun. She gave a silent prayer to the Goddess to keep them safe. She'd needed time to calm down after leaving her mother in the mall and lately she'd been calmed by children's voices. There always seemed to be some around. Natalie, Lisa and Jamie, and when Buffy gave birth, there would be more……..

Her cell phone ringing pulled her from her reverie. Faith calling. Said the display.

"Yo, Red, where are you? We're on for that pickup at the CTU." There was a moment of silence from both ends….. "Red. You Okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Just sitting quiet, thinkin'…. Y' know me; always with the thinkin'."

"Right. Tell me 'bout it when you get here….Audrey says the password's Conglomerate…"

"Gotcha. See you soon."

Willow got up and left the park and it's happy scenes behind, shaking herself mentally for the task ahead. She walked the half a block to the entrance of the CTU. Once in the compound she was searched, asked for identity, given a visitor's pass and escorted into the building.

She noted all he security cameras positioned around and wondered to herself what they would say later when no images of her showed up on the tapes and her identity was not on their files….

Bill Buchanan greeted her as she walked into the office accompanied by the security guard.

"Ms. Rosenberg. Pleased to meet you. I'm Bill Buchanan. This is Chloe O'Brian. Chloe's our Senior Analyst and she's going to give you a brief rundown on what we've got for you. Do you have a few minutes to spare?"

"Willow smiled inwardly. So that was their game was it. "Sit me down, coffee, chat, get all the info on how we're gonna solve what they couldn't…..No way, Jose…..Probably gonna tail me after too. See where I go." She thought.

In the split second that it took her to evaluate all this she glanced around at the computer systems and equipment in the office before answering.

"Yeah, I've got a few minutes, although I will have to say that I'm not at liberty to tell you anything. It's classified." Those were the two words she loved using in situations like this. They covered a multitude of unanswerable questions; and it sounded a little better than Xander's terminology. "I could tell you. But then I'd have to kill you.'"

Chloe's first question almost stumped Willow, it came straight out of left field.

"Why did we have to put Jack's coat in there as well?"

"Er, …..Sorry, Chloe. Classified" She retorted. "Good try though." Willow smiled. Chloe frowned and the pout she gave would have given Buffy a run for her money.

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Chloe was amazed when Willow understood everything about the systems she worked on and the IPSec architecture behind them.

"So, you know about all of the systems we use. Then you must have worked for either DoD or a CTU office before. Where are you from?" She was certainly direct, and abrupt with it, Willow noted.

"No. …. No. … And California. … Just outside L.A." Answered Willow, keeping it short.

Chloe eyed her clothes. "Beverley Hills?"

"No, Sunnydale. Look I'd love to stay and chat; but I gotta fly. Need to get this to my office."

"Where's that?" Asked Chloe.

"Cleveland." Replied Willow.

Bill was listening to the conversation develop. When he heard the name Sunnydale his thoughts turned to what he could remember of the place. Suddenly it came to him.

"Earthquake three years ago. Town sank into a crater!!" He exclaimed.

They both looked at him surprised.

"Sunnydale." He explained.

"Well remembered!" Said Willow, brightly. "Anyway gotta go. … Flying." She added, picking up the bag with the jacket, files and disks in.

"So soon. Can I get you a ride to the airport?" Asked Bill.

"It's alright, I got it." She answered.

Bill could see that he wasn't going to get any further. He conceded to her and called security to have her escorted out.

She left the compound and noted the car parked a little way down the road, it's engine running. As she passed she could see a man reading a newspaper in the drivers seat. She turned the corner a little way past the car and gave a small wave of her hand. "Cease." was her command, and the engine stalled. The driver panicked and touched his earpiece communicator. By the time he had got out of the car, reported on its failure and rounded the corner. …… Willow was in Cleveland.

End of Chapter Eight.