Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me.

CHAPTER SIX

Great Northern Forest – Pylea – February 2004

Noting that the patrol had returned to camp Vi approached the nearest girl but it was as if she was looking right through her. The other slayers eyes seemingly focused off in the distance, her expression blank and she wasn't the only one of the group wearing the same expression, although others looked either angry or on the verge of tears. Looking around Vi noticed that Ashton was already reporting to Wesley and hurried over to find out what had happened.

The mercenary gave the slayer a nod of acknowledgement as she arrived and pulled his water-bottle from its pouch on his belt taking a swig before pulling off his light green Foreign-Legion beret and pouring the rest of the bottle over his head. Wesley rubbed his own neck to realease some tension and turned to Vi, a concerned expression on his face. 'We might need to send some of the girls home' he told her, 'or at least give them a couple of days off.'

'What happened?' Vi asked, doing a quick headcount. There didn't seem to be any missing and none were wounded, for that matter not only weren't they short anyone they had bought a few people back that they hadn't set out on the mission with, two women and a little girl all dressed in rags had apparently returned with them to the camp and were now being looked at by one of the girls that had gone through medic training.

The mercenary wiped the water off his face with his hand and spat on the ground. 'We took out the viaduct and double-timed to the next objective as planned' he told her.

'The grain silo' Vi queried.

Ashton nodded. 'Yeah, but that wasn't the only rations being stored there' he said then ran his hand through his close-cropped and now wet hair. 'When we went in we found the three civvies locked up waiting for their turn on the chopping block' he told Vi. 'It was a slaughterhouse too, literally.' he explained.

'Oh shit' Vi exclaimed turning to look at them her eyes widening.

The mercenary pulled his beret back on and straightened up. 'Beg to report Ma'am that we also found at least another dozen human civilians that had already been butchered and were being placed in salt barrels for use as field rations we believe' he told her in the most professional manner he could manage. 'Men, women and children' he added, twitching slightly when he said the latter.

The slayer felt her jaw drop and she looked at the girls who had been on the mission. 'Oh my God' she said quietly.

Wesley crossed his arms. 'The girls took it pretty hard according to the Corporal.'

'That's the understatement of the fucking century with respect Sir' Ashton responded coolly. 'I nearly puked myself and I've seen some really fucked-up shit in my time.'

Vi collected herself. 'What did you do?' she asked him.

'After securing the area and quashing resistance we torched the place as per orders and then dealt with the enemy prisoners that threw down arms' the mercenary replied.

Wesley looked him in the eyes. 'Dealt with?' he queried.

'I asked for volunteers for a firing squad and put them up against a wall' Ashton told them flatly. 'Some of the girls wanted to crucify them or burn them alive along with the buildings but I vetoed that' he added in an entirely matter-of-fact manner.

Wesley took a deep breath. 'How many did you kill?' he asked.

'Eleven summary executions Sir' the mercenary answered. 'Perković and myself finished them all off with a bullet to the head.'

Wesley looked away. 'Surprised you showed such mercy in the circumstances.'

Ashton straightened up. 'We're professional soldiers not psychopathic thugs' he responded curtly, 'and anyway the girls needed to think it was justice not revenge' he continued. 'Not like we can drag the bastards to the Hague to stand trial for war-crimes.'

The slayer closed her eyes. 'Did all the girls… did they see?' she asked.

'Yes Ma'am' the mercenary replied. 'I think given the circumstances you should pull the team out of the field until they get their heads straight again' he advised. 'If they went out on a mission now they could lose it, they're not hardened enough yet to deal properly' he opined then looked away. 'Just do them a favour and after they've come to terms find a nice enemy base and let them raise it to the ground to get it out of their systems' he requested.

'We'll talk it over' Wesley responded, the mercenary giving a nod in response, he knew he was only the hired help and just a grunt at that.

'One more thing Sir' Ashton said. 'I bought a case of scotch with me along with the first ammo shipment' he said. 'Request permission to get myself and the girls fucking wasted' he asked.

Wesley frowned. 'Some of them are just kids' he pointed out, 'fifteen or sixteen.'

The mercenary fixed him with a look. 'They might be fifteen or sixteen but they'll never be kids again' he replied. 'It was an adventure until today, now its not' he told them. 'By the way, congratulations you've fucked-up their lives, hope it's worth it' he added before snapping to attention and giving them a crisp salute. 'I'm going to open that scotch' he announced and marched off without waiting for a formal agreement to do so.

Wesley let his chin drop to his chest and took an uncommon interest in the ground before eventually raising it with a wry smile. 'The first casualty of war may be innocence but the second is apparently abstinence' he observed then shook his head. 'Shit' he swore and kicked the toe of his right boot hard into the earth before turning to Vi 'We'll change the mission rota to give them some time off and check tomorrow if we think any need to go home' he told her.

The slayer nodded. 'What about executing the prisoners?' she asked quietly. 'Standing orders from Buffy were not to do that.'

'I might have gone with the crucifixion idea myself so unless you want to make a big deal of it I won't' Wesley responded.

Vi nodded. 'I don't think it matters now' she told him. 'I guess things are going to get darker here from now on.'

'Inevitable I'd say' Wesley agreed.

'Does getting drunk actually help?' she asked him.

Wesley shrugged. 'Sometimes it beats the crap out of being sober' he replied honestly. 'I hope we've got plenty of aspirin in the stores I'll bet they'll be some hangovers tomorrow morning.'

'Never had one' Vi told him. 'Woken up with plenty yourself I'd bet' she added trying to force a smile.

Wesley nodded. 'Woken up with worst things' he told her. 'Lilah for example' he joked, also trying to lighten the mood, they both needed it.

'Never done anything like that either' Vi told him.

Wesley's eyes twinkled. 'Well if you do she's even more of a bitch before she's had her first cup of coffee and please provide video of the previous night' he requested.

The slayer blushed then started to giggle. 'More Kennedy's thing' she responded.

'Just keep it in mind' Wesley told her with a smile. 'So want to go out tonight and kill something?' he asked.

'Sounds good' Vi agreed. It was better than thinking about things.

Warehouse District – Cleveland – January 2004

The door opened but instead of one of the girls answering the door as usual it was a guy wearing a T-Shirt, jeans and a pissed-off expression. 'Yes?' he asked in a British accent.

'Who are you?' the stranger asked. 'Is Shannon in?' he continued trying to look around the British guy.

'I live here' Stephen told him. 'Who are you?' he asked.

'I'm Shannon's boyfriend' he replied. 'Is she in?' he asked, then paused. 'What do you mean you live here?' he asked.

Stephen fixed the guy with a stare. 'I mean this is where I sleep and all my stuff is here along with a horde of frequently obnoxious females' he replied. 'How old are you?' he asked suspiciously. The guy must be in his twenties Stephen decided.

'Oh for God's sake' Kennedy said from behind and pulled Stephen away from the door. 'Come in Greg' she told the visitor then turned to yell 'Shannon' she bellowed. 'Greg's here' she told the other girl who was in her room.

'I'll be out in a minute' Shannon yelled back, her voice muffled by the closed door.

Kennedy addressed the visitor. 'Greg this is Stephen, he's a friend of ours and crashes here at the moment until we can find somewhere else to put him' she explained. 'Like he said Greg is going out with Shannon' she told the watcher.

Stephen looked the guy up and down and sized him up deciding he'd beat the crap out of him in a fair fight and kill him in an unfair one. 'So what do you do?' he asked.

'I go to Cleveland State' Greg answered. 'What's it got to do with you?'

'Just idle curiosity' Stephen replied. He was dying to comment that he was too old for Shannon but he could do without the abuse he'd get for being a hypocritical bastard given his age gap with Emily.

Kennedy watched Stephen's expression. 'Is this some kind of testosterone driven territorial thing?' she asked the watcher sardonically.

'Yes' Stephen replied deadpan. 'It's the only way I can deal with all the bloody oestrogen floating round the air in here' he declared then held out his hand to shake. 'Stephen Travers' he said.

'Greg Preston' the other man said taking and shaking the offered hand, 'So what's it like living in a house full of women?'

'Almost as bad as a hotel full but without the benefits of my own bathroom' Stephen replied. 'If you'll excuse me I was just making myself some lunch' he told him. 'See you around I'm sure' he told him and headed for the Kitchen.

'Take a seat Greg' Kennedy told him, 'help yourself to chips' she added pointing to the bowl on the table by the couch before following the watcher to the kitchen. Most of the girls were out either at the mall or had gone ice skating so the apartment was unusually empty and quiet.

Stephen went back to making the sandwich he'd started when the doorbell rang, it was nice not to have to fight his way in for once against a throng of girls each several times as strong as he was. 'Yes I know it's your place and I've only been here a few days' he said pre-empting Kennedy's comment as she caught up. 'Please don't berate me for being a man I can't help it' he joked spreading mustard over a piece of ham.

Kennedy chuckled. 'They say the first step is accepting you've got a problem' she told him.

'I've got lots of them, you're just the one in charge of the others' Stephen told her finishing assembling his sandwich, picking it up and taking a bite. That was more of a joke than anything, since he's arrived the watcher had played observer on several patrols and Kennedy and the other slayers had a very efficient operation going on here. They had the Cleveland Hellmouth well under control and had kept up their training regimen, staying fit and ready for action.

The slayer headed for the fridge and helped herself to a can of Dr Pepper. 'Oh come on' she said. 'Hellmouth watcher with all these slayers looking to you for advice, you're loving every minute of it' she told him, snapping open the ring-pull and taking a swig.

Stephen swallowed. 'It appeals to my oversized ego' he replied giving her a wink. 'Still feel out of my depth though' he admitted. It was a big step from being Giles junior sidekick at best to being a real field watcher largely left to his own devices.

'Welcome to my life when I got this gig' Kennedy told him. 'Go to Cleveland, by the way you're in charge try not to get anyone killed' she said with a wry smile. 'Well that was Buffy anyway, Faith just said "don't fuck up".'

'Easier to only be responsible for yourself' Stephen agreed. 'Well it's our calling isn't it?' he asked. 'Or duty perhaps?' he continued. 'Either way at least under the new order I'm just an advisor not the boss, if things do get monumentally fucked-up you carry the can not me' he told her with a grin.

'Screw that D'Artagnon' Kennedy told him. 'I'm not being responsible for your mistakes too if that's what you're thinking' she declared.

Stephen put on a serious expression. 'Well if you want to delegate more authority to me….'

'Nice try' Kennedy told him. 'Me boss, you token male.'

'Got to love that affirmative action program' Stephen responded before taking another bite of his sandwich.

'I'd have preferred Emily, really get the girl power thing happening' Kennedy replied with a smile. 'Missing her?' she asked.

Stephen nodded. 'Got used to seeing her every day and it was nice' he replied after swallowing. 'I imagine you feel the same about Willow though of course you do still see her fairly frequently.'

'You're not going to be jealous because my girlfriend can teleport in and yours can't' Kennedy asked with a smile.

'Envious perhaps' Stephen replied.

Kennedy smirked. 'Not like you were getting any' she told him then laughed. 'Sorry' she apologised.

Stephen ignored the laughter at his expense. 'Well that is one saving grace' he agreed. 'Although I think my virginity might be coming back' he joked.

'You mean you're not?' Kennedy asked. 'Shit I bet you were, we've got a book running on it.'

'Ha Ha' Stephen responded wryly. 'I had a girlfriend my own age before Emily you know, she was in my year at the academy and we were both of age back home.'

'Oh' Shannon responded with a sudden look of concern. 'She was killed right?' she queried.

Stephen nodded. 'Along with all the rest of my friends and my father all on the same day' he replied. 'Not the greatest day ever.'

Kennedy went quiet for a little while. 'Did you love her?' she asked eventually.

'I remember I thought so at the time but I don't think I did now' Stephen replied, finishing off his sandwich and going to the fridge for a drink of his own, taking a can of coke from the choice available inside. 'I was too busy being chased by bloody Bringers and looking after the girls to grieve for her at the time, or anyone else for that matter' he told her then paused. 'I hope you don't think this sob-story is going to lead to a hug or some watcher-slayer bonding because firstly I'm British and secondly I've got a reputation to maintain.'

'What rep do you think you've got?' Kennedy asked her smile returning.

'Officious, occasionally obnoxious watcher bastard who likes to hit little girls with sticks during fencing practice' Stephen replied. 'It's all an act you know, well except for the hitting girls with sticks, I really get off on that' he deadpanned.

'Molly thought you were kinky' Kennedy told him.

'Now there was a girl who made a great sound when poked with a piece of bamboo' Stephen joked. 'I always suspected she harboured lustful thoughts about me too.'

'Jesus you really do have an oversized ego' Kennedy replied laughing.

'They only sent me here because they thought I'd be safe with the lesbian' Stephen told her then started laughing himself. 'But here we are flirting already.'

'In your dreams watcher-boy' Kennedy replied.

'Best not talk about those' the watcher responded with an exaggerated far-away smile plastered all over his face.

'You know you're not nearly the asshole you used to be' Kennedy told him honestly.

'You take that back' Stephen replied indignantly. 'I'm twice the arsehole I used to be, I've nurtured and cultivated it to the point it's become endearing, like Wesley and his apparent instability, Buffy and her delusions she's a great public speaker or Illyria and her musings on the positive side of brutal wars of conquest.'

'All right I give' Kennedy conceded, 'you're a full blooded limey watcher asshole.'

'And don't you forget it' Stephen told her. 'I know birth control isn't an issue for you but I hope Shannon and any of the others than might have a love life are being careful because if one of them gets knocked up by some smooth-talking twerp I guarantee Buffy will take it out on us two.'

'We could give them birth control pills mixed in with the vitamin supplements' Kennedy suggested.

'Excellent idea' Stephen agreed. 'Spoken like a tyrant, I can see why you do this job so well.'

'You know not only do I have a hellmouth, I've also got my own scythe and now a Giles of my very own too' Kennedy observed. 'I'm Buffy the next generation.'

'You'd have to start sleeping with vampires first to complete the picture' Stephen replied, 'I'm sure there's plenty of attractive female ones we could find for you.'

Kennedy pursed her lips. 'Not broody ones or peroxide blonds' she requested. 'You can take some things too far.'

'I'll make a note' Stephen told her. 'And if it's all the same I won't be wearing any tweed myself.'

'Deal' Kennedy agreed.

Hyperion Hotel – Los Angeles – February 2004

Buffy led the small group down the basement steps. 'You'd think they'd have learned their lesson when we started striping them naked and throwing them out of cars in front of the Wolfram and Hart Office building whenever we caught them' she observed sadly.

'Maybe we should rough this one up' Faith suggested.

'Shave his head' Xander suggested.

'And his eyebrows' Dawn added brightly.

Buffy laughed. 'Dawn I like how you think' she told her sister, 'humiliating and really funny without being violent.'

Faith snorted. 'I don't reckon they'll take practical jokes as seriously as practically killing the guy.'

'Tell you what' Buffy responded. 'You can beat up the next one we catch and if that doesn't get the message across we'll let Illyria take the one after that and put his head on a pike outside the Hotel.'

'Hey people criticise but Smurfette gets results' Faith replied with a grin.

They found the prisoner on his knees, arms outstretched with a slayer holding each and a third sitting on a chair in front of him pointing a pump-action shotgun at him. If the prisoner had tried to struggle earlier he had evidently given up on the futility of it by now and was knelt their placidly looking less concerned about the shotgun than he actually felt.

The slayer with the shotgun got off the seat and offered it to Buffy who sat down. 'We found him half a block away on a roof with surveillance equipment' the slayer reported. 'As per standing instructions we grabbed him and bought him and the equipment with him back to base' she told Buffy.

'Good work' Buffy told her. 'All three of you' she told them. 'You'd think they'd have learned by now' she continued, shaking her head before pointing her index finger at the prisoner who was wearing normal civilian clothes. 'We don't like Wolfram and Hart people spying on us' she told him. 'Be grateful we don't usually kill humans because if we did we'd start throwing you off roofs instead of dragging you off them.'

The prisoner said nothing. He was in his late twenties, early thirties with close-cropped hair and a decent build, another one of the Law firms mercenary Special Ops people almost certainly Buffy decided.

'Strong silent type' Xander noted.

'You know if we pulled his eyebrow hairs off with tweezers instead of shaving them I bet he'd make a sound' Dawn suggested with a smirk.

'You're on form today Dawnster' Xander told her with a grin. 'Inspired I'd say.'

Buffy leaned forward so she was nose to nose with the prisoner. 'Look' she began, 'I know you're just doing your job but the people you work for are the lowest form of life, and I mean even lower than ordinary lawyers' she said, 'You guys always get caught and never learn anything from watching us anyway because the whole building is protected against all the electronic bugging stuff you've got and we've got wards to stop your seer and mystic types looking in too.'

'Hey be fair' Xander interrupted. 'That guy who could astrally project got in a couple of months back. Of course Willow magically bitchslapped him before he could do anything.'

'Ouch of Body Experience' Dawn joked. 'He had blood pouring out of his nose.'

'Now I've got to admit that was funny' Faith agreed. 'She made him visible and just after he made that crack about how we still couldn't touch him she punched him in the face' the slayer recalled with a laugh. 'I could slug this joker here if you want, give him the same treatment.'

'No Faith' Buffy told her sternly.

'I never get to do anything fun anymore' Faith complained. 'Even the newbies get to patrol more than me' she moaned.

'Sorry about this' Buffy apologised to the prisoner, 'we're not always this infantile, of course the fact we're kicking your teams ass proves that one' she added smugly.

Xander wandered over to the pile of confiscated equipment. Maybe Fred or Knox would get some use out of this junk he thought? They had already used previous items of seized Wolfram and Hart surveillance gear to upgrade that homemade UAV which was buzzing around Pylea, taking pictures and baiting dragons.

'You know you might as well say hello or something' Buffy told the prisoner, 'or maybe swear we'll never get you to talk' she suggested. 'We could you know, get you to talk I mean, but you won't know anything we don't already know or is worth hearing so we won't be getting out the thumbscrews and rubber hoses.'

'We'll be offering him a tasty beverage while he waits next' Faith muttered. 'Oh come on B we could have played good-cop, bad cop for a few minutes or something' she said more loudly. 'You haven't even got that chair turned backwards like you're supposed to.'

'I was thinking that too' Xander interjected. 'Hey if you ever want to see it done right me and Anya were great at that, the good cop, bad cop thing I mean'

'Probably all the roll play they do it the bedroom' Faith observed. 'We all know why Anya got you that Viking helmet' she told him.

Xander was on the verge of a snappy reply when his eyes locked on something amongst the equipment and his jaw dropped. 'Oh shit' he swore and picked it up. 'Buffy take a look at this' he said showing it to her.

Buffy groaned. 'Oh yeah that's all we needed' she said.

'What is it?' the slayer with the shotgun asked.

'Electronic Stun Gun' Xander explained. 'DRI issue' he added.

'Demon Research Initiative' Buffy explained, 'the government' she added.

Xander shrugged. 'Could have been worse' he sad. 'Better the DRI than the IRS.'

Buffy thought about that one. 'Fair point' she agreed.

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