Title: "Faith Never Had a Fed She Could Call, Part 2"
Author: Bug Eyed Monster
Rating: Adult to be safe
Category: General
Spoilers: End of TV series for Buffy; None for Numb3rs.
Warnings: Language, references to child abuse- nothing specific.
Summary: Faith follows up on Buffy's request a second time. Continuation of "Never Had a Fed Say 'Call Me' and "Never Had a Fed She Could Call 1." BtVS/Numb3rs crossover. Mild crossover with Early Edition.
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. *sob!*

(Author note: For those who don't know, Early Edition was a T.V. show where the main character, Gary Hobson, received the Chicago paper a day early. A mysterious cat usually accompanied the paper. Hobson was always trying to prevent the tragedies in the paper from occurring. I'd definitely recommend checking out the series.)

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Colby Granger leaned in. "Don, Lehane is on line 7 asking for Summers." Don once again tapped into the speaker and Colby signaled to Buffy.

Buffy picked up.

"Hey, Faith...."

Lehane didn't bother with the mock insult greetings. "Buff, ya' gotta get to these kids."
"Huh?"
{Clever comeback, Summers.}

Faith was sitting on the ledge of the payphone, her feet propped up on a cement pillar near the phone.

"Mrrown." Said the calico cat by the base of the payphone. Faith was looking at the article on the front. 23 kids brought in by slavers found dead in a shipping container. Or they would be, if she couldn't get someone to them.

"They're in a blue shipping container. It's got China Shippin' on the side. Number 182. I ain't exactly sure where in the yard it's been dumped, but it's near the water." The article showed a picture of the container. Lucky for the kids.

Back in the Federal Building, Don's eyebrows went up as he glanced at Megan. Summers gave Faith a non-verbal "I'm listening" sound.

"They've been in there for a few days with their water running dry. The fu**ing bastards didn't put enough in there, and it's been hot. Now they're sittin' there, waitin' for the limp-dicks to pick 'em up."

"Ya' gotta get someone there, Buff. They ain't gonna' make it to tomorrow. Tell your boss whatever ya' need. Make up something 'bout me, if ya' need ta'. Just get someone there."

"I will. Promise."

Lehane hung up. Don swore under his breath. He picked up the phone and dialed. "Robin, we need a warrant."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don drove up to the door of the shipping office. Le stepped out of the office looking smug.

Don smirked at Le as he passed him the warrant and looked around the shipping yard. Le was clearly angry, but said nothing. Don was quietly grateful to Robin for finding a sympathetic judge willing to take the word of an ex-con with Lehane's rap sheet and push the warrant through on record time.

"Colby, take Buffy with you." Summers nodded and followed Colby.

Buffy had an attitude closer to Colby's when taking orders, she acted like a soldier, despite being a civvie.

And Don still couldn't find anyone who would give him even a *hint* at what her classified Homeland Security file contained.

"Okay, blue China Shipping box." Buffy said.

"There's got to be 30 dozen of them here." Colby said.

"She said it's near the water."

"I guess we start over at that end."

Buffy followed Colby, glancing at different blue containers and keeping her Slayer-ears perked for any sounds. A few rows over they split up, trying to cover more ground.

"I found it." Colby's voice came over Buffy's ear-bug. "The door's got a lock, Don, and some dick-head closed the vent." Buffy hurried over to Colby. He was at the side of a cadmium blue container, with the numbers 182 on the door.

Buffy looked at the lock. It would be no match for Slayer strength, but making with the explain-y for popping the lock didn't appeal to her.

Buffy went to look at the vent. Now that was do-able. She pulled her metal hairstick out. (The other was wood.) "Boost me." She said to Agent Granger.

"Excuse me?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Boost me up. I'll balance on your shoulders, and use this" here she waved her hairstick "to push open the vent."

"You'll balance on my shoulders?"

"I used to be a cheerleader in high school. I weigh 110 pounds, which should be easy-peasy to handle for a big strong strapping guy like you." Granger grinned at that, she knew a man-ho like Granger would eat up that compliment. Some men were so easy. Buffy stepped out of her pumps.

The boosting went without problems. Balancing on his shoulders was easier than it had been in high school with the other cheerleaders. Granger didn't wobble.

Once Buffy had a good look at the vent, she realized that she could not only push it open, but probably push it out.

Buffy looked down to see Agent Sinclair. "Hey, Sinclair, toss me up a screwdriver."
"What?" Granger yelped.
"Don't worry. I can catch." She said down to Granger. Someone passed a screwdriver to Sinclair, he tossed it to her. She caught it effortlessly.

"Nice catch." Granger quipped.
"Told you I was a cheerleader."
"Too bad you're not wearing the skirt."
Buffy grinned down at Granger. "Maybe later."

Buffy attacked the vent with her hairstick and screwdriver. The vent was finally coaxed loose. She could hear the kids inside crying and saying stuff in some language.

Buffy tried to pull the vent outside, but there was a lip to the vent-hole. She balanced the vent on her hairstick and the screwdriver. "Look out below!" She yelled before letting the vent slowly slide off. It clattered as it hit the floor of the shipping container.

Buffy put her hairstick back in place, and tossed the screwdriver back to Sinclair. She flexed her knees and did a back-flip to a perfect landing behind Granger. "Nice." said Granger. Some of her fellow feds, techs and others gathered around applauded.

SAC Don Eppes grinned at her. "Nice show you two. Hope you're ready to do that again. The tech said it will take him two hours to cut the lock."

"Wouldn't cutting the door be quicker?"
"One- he's worried about hurting the kids or starting a fire inside. Two- the container wall is pretty thick. Megan's getting some food and water you can lower down to the kids."

Summers mock saluted. "Aye aye captain." She turned to Granger. "Guess what, you get to look up my pant legs again!"

Eppes snorted. "Calm down and get a room later, you two. There's a translator here now-"

"I can boost her up." Buffy piped up. Don resisted saying anything, otherwise he would be agreeing with ex-con Lehane, who always called Buffy a cheerleader.

"I was thinking you could drop a phone in, and the translator could talk to the kids."

"Oh." Summers visibly deflated.

Five minutes later, Summers was back on Colby's shoulders, lowering a bag through the vent. The translator, Sue Huang, called the phone. One of the kids answered. She chatted with someone for a bit, then turned to Don. "There's four children who are really sick. The others are a bit weak."

"Right." Don said. "We need some ambulances here."

Sue kept up the conversation.

Three ambulances slowly made their way over.

The tech managed to cut the lock in record time- one hour. EMS evaluated everyone, and took five of the kids off to the hospital. The other kids were evaluated as mild heat exhaustion, with rest and plenty of fluids prescribed. ICE took the remaining kids to a safe-house.

Don sighed. Tonight was the party and auction. He really need to talk to Lehane. He was actually grateful to her (an ex-con!) for making this call- his mind was already too full of images of dead kids. His over-active imagination played images of what the kids would have looked like in another day. Or two. Or a week.

*fin*