((I don't own Buffy, the X-men, Charmed, Underworld, or Angel. Judy is an OC inspired by elements of these worlds however.))
BART stretched from Oakland, across and beneath a mass of water and resurfaced to the underground transit station at the Embarcaderro, a hub of down-town, corporate and tourist attractions packed on the edge of the water front of San Francisco's eastern border.
The small entourage emerged from below the city streets pulling long wheeled suit-cases and looking around at the large buildings, the crowded streets, the plethora of bicyclists speeding past. The buildings were tall and imposing, a montage of modern and classic architecture, framing the busy streets in a chimeric panorama from before and after the great earth-quakes of centuries past.
Dawn pointed her cell-phone at everything which made little clicking sounds at regular intervals.
"I'm buying you a video camera." Said Buffy as she reached for her buzzing phone only to see a picture of the building she was standing next to reflected on the screen.
The troup traversed bustling intersections following one of their member sporting an eye-patch and consulting a large map. They finally arrived at the Hotel Le Diva, walking through the large glass doors and crossing the lobby beneath a large hanging chandelier. Xander, the man with the eye-patch went to the Matradee to check them in as the others sat in plush, overly cushiony, elaborately decorated sofas.
Buffy was perusing a copy of GQ as she heard a voice from behind her, "Ohoy! Buffly!"
Buffy looked over her shoulder quickly and then stopped dead, dropping her mouth to a visible and dramatic gape. Her companions seeing her reaction looked for the impetus and followed suit.
Sitting at the hotel bar across the lobby was a would-be-distinguished English gentleman raising a tall mojito to them in salute, precariously keeping his balance on a sturdy plush stool.
"Oh my goddess..." whispered Willow standing up "... is... is that Giles?"
"Dawn don't look." said Buffy reaching for her sister who quickly ducked out of the way.
"I already saw." began Dawn. "And what's the big deal, old people drink all the time, you guys always do after I go to bed."
Two people exclaimed "Old!?" in unison as Dawn completely ignoring them, strode over to the bar and gave Giles a hug.
"WEEEeeelll Hallo Dawny." said Giles giddily taking another sip of his strong mint-flavored beverage.
The bartender glided over to them wearing a short cut sequin dress. "Is this your father?" she asked Dawn kindly.
"No... he's my... he's my sisters librarian." said Dawn taking the drink from Giles and placing it on the counter.
Tucking her head under one of his arms, Dawn led Giles away from the bar as "Buffly" finally made her way over with the others.
Xander took Giles' other arm. "Sooo Giles, having fun in the city I take it?" Xander asked giving an over the glance at the bartender.
"Yess.. It's quite a cilty you know." Giles slurred.
"What room are you in?" asked Dawn.
"Room thsirteen... " Giles answered merrily "... it's a lucky number you know shliertshteen." after this Giles began chuckling uncontrollably and they couldn't get anything else sensible out of him as they made there way through the elevator to room thirteen.
Gently placing him on the bed dawn took the opportunity to explore the small but very posh room as Willow got a damp cloth and began dabbing the mans forehead. "Poor Giles."
"It's his own damn fault." said Buffy "He knows brittish people can only drink burben."
"Another great man suckered by the great deceptive powers of the minty beverage." commented Xander as though he were a cop looking at a crime scene.
"Oh. Maybe not." said Dawn from the small desk next to the polished rose-wood armoire.
The others turned as she brought a book with her and sat at the foot of the bed. "These are star-charts... " explained Dawn. The books in Latin but you can see Giles translated a bunch of it onto a calender and made a bunch of notes on it."
Buffy leaned closer, the charts looked overly complicated but she could make out Giles' extreemly dainty scribble on the calander alright.
"See here, it says the Equinox following the first blood moon of.... of Virgo... sorry, and that something will happen... a fire? or maybe a test?"
Buffy looked over calender as Dawn translated through the highlighted portions of the book.
"A great forging... it's kind of unclear... or maybe it's just my Latin... " continued Dawn "and when the test has come to pass, humanity will... will meet it's fate." Dawn looked up "I think that's it, another apocalypse prophecy I guess."
Buffy looked at all the dates and the notes Giles had scribbled on the calender. Monday the sixth "Arrive in SF."Tuesday the 7th "See Dorlea about my order."Nothing marked for Wednesday and Thursday. Friday the 10th "9am: Surprise Buffy at the Airport. 12noon: Take Dawn shopping for school supplies."Saturday the 11th "Visit the Sisters." Sunday the 12th "Talk to Buffy."
"So you think Giles got drunk just because the world is going to end? You know that excuse only works seven or eight times before you have to admit you have a problem." Xander chided at the sleeping Giles. Dawn shrugged.
"You may not be wrong Xander." said Buffy solemnly. Turning the calander over she pointed to Monday, November 13th, three days away. In small blurry handwrigting that trailed off into a scribble at the end.
"I will die."