Disclaimer: Buffy and Torchwood universes are not mine. I'm just playing with them ^^

My muse has been very productive these days. I've just finished the fourteen chapter and done something I've never done before: I wrote the end of the fic. I just knew how I want the end and I couldn't not write it. And I've plan four or five chapters... It's been a busy week ^^
All the reviews had been really helpful. A really really big thank you!

Enough talk. Here's the next chapter.

Chapter Three

And oh look! He even had a tie!

Two days after her meeting with Cadogan, Buffy found herself in a room full of policemen. Chief Cadogan had just explained to them her presence in the city and the way they were going to work with her. He had called that morning and suggested that she be there. She had agreed, thinking it would be good to meet them all properly. They had eyed her curiously. Some of them were showing their discontentment without even trying to hide it. It wasn't until the Chief explained to them how they would have to act faster than Torchwood, and how Buffy's role would remain unknown to them. Their attitude changed completely and she caught a playful gleam in many of their eyes.

She couldn't help but smile at their reactions. If she wanted to make friends, she just had to find ways to mess with Torchwood. When the meeting was over, she stayed for a little while. She talked with some of the people and found herself quickly at ease and joking around with them. They were quite intrigued by the little blond Californian girl who was going to work with them.

"You're going to have a lot of friends with that kind of technique."

"Andy!"

The blond man smiled at her. He reminded her a little of Andrew, though a lot less geeky. He seemed so open, and so nice!

"I got your note."

"I wanted to talk to you but you were busy with someone."

"You could have interrupted me. Next time, do it."

She saw the anger in his eyes and quickly changed the subject.

"So, this drink? I'm not hitting on you. I don't know anyone here and you seem to be a nice man and I could use a friend right now. And
you should say something right now before I embarrass myself even more."

"Okay. A drink will be nice. Do you have a pen and a paper?"

She sent him a relieved look.

"I've got better," she said, taking her cell out of her bag.

He dictated his phone number and she saved it on her cell.

"You know that now I can harass you?"

He left out a theatric sigh: "Harassed by a beautiful woman… It could be worse."

She pinched him without thinking. He made her feel so at ease. He reminded her of the Scoobies, the way they were before everything went to Hell. He turned her head toward someone before looking at her again:

"I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Don't be. Someone has to work."

"I'll call you soon."

"I'll wait."

Happy, she decided it was time to leave. She didn't have much to do. She was contemplating the idea of taking some classes, instead of searching for a job. After all, the Council was paying her. She didn't know what courses exactly, she just wanted to learn more. She was also excited and couldn't wait to be called. She was craving some action.

The call came the same night. It was eleven pm when her cell rang. She jumped up and answered before the third ring. It was a simple case for her. A body found bloodless with puncture marks on the neck. She was out of her building before the call ended.

One taxi ride later and she was at the scene, flashing her badge with her best smile to the policeman who was keeping the crowd away. He let her pass, lifting the yellow ribbon for her. The victim was a young girl, twenty-two years old according to her ID. She had been dragged into a dark alley. The manager of a restaurant found her when he took the rubbish out. The morbid view was disturbingly reassuring. American or British, it didn't matter; vampires were all the same.

She smiled when she recognized Andy coming towards her:

"No witnesses. It's the fourth in two weeks. Two of the bodies have disappeared after they were buried. The ground had been turned over."

It seemed like a simple messy vampire. The question was: was he –or she- creating newbies or were these just accidents? She had to be certain that this body wouldn't be awakening. If she let it be buried, she knew there was a large chance that a certain Torchwood would be at the cemetery. They were hated but not dumb.

She walked over to the man in charge of the forensics unit and showed him her badge. She handed him a piece of paper with an address.

"Take the body to this address. Tell them you work for me. And can you so it before our 'friends' arrive?"

"Sure. I'll do it as fast as I can."

"Thank you."

Fifteen minutes later, the body was gone and the policemen were slowly leaving. Buffy had said goodbye to Andy but stayed hidden a little ways away, just beside the still talking crowd gathered behind the yellow tape. She heard a loud engine and soon a big black SUV appeared with Torchwood written on its side. She rolled her eyes. These people were worse than her at the secret identity thing. She saw a few knowing smiles on some of the cops faces. The situation was amusing them! The doors of the SUV opened and out stepped the Torchwood agents.

She studied the four of them as they exited: the Gwen Cooper chick and… oh! Mr Rude-Guy was there! Her neighbor was a Torchwood agent. She couldn't be that unlucky, could she? She caught sight of the other two and she couldn't help but let her gaze turn appreciative. They were hot! Maybe she should introduce herself? Just to see them a little closer. The young one was clad in a dark suit and oh look! He even had a tie! It was reinforcing the serious and confident expression on his gorgeous face. The other seemed to be in charge. He had an undeniable charisma. He walked like he owned the place, head held high and allocating orders. He seemed out of time in his old-fashioned military coat.

Then suddenly he stopped, only just noticing the leaving police. He frowned, trying to understand why the cops were already leaving. Buffy watched as Andy walked towards them with a playful smile on his lips. She used her Slayer hearing to hear what he said:

"You're too late. There's nothing to see."

"Where's the body?" Boss-man asked.

"Taken care of."

"By who?"

Ooh! Could that be anger in his voice?

"Some kind of new agency. The NIC? INC? Something like that. They came and took the body."

"We're above them! You should have waited for us."

"Sorry Captain Harkness. We received orders. They were faster than you. Now, if you'll excuse me… My work here is finished. Have a good night."

He started to walk away but Gwen intercepted him:

"Andy, wait! What can you tell us about this agency? Their agents? How many are they? What do they look like?"

"I'm sorry Miss Cooper," he addressed his former partner. "Torchwood is on its own."

It seemed like she had been hit. She wasn't moving, just standing there, looking at Andy's back as he walked away. Captain Harkness had a hand on his earpiece and was talking rapidly to someone named Tosh. While he was doing this, Rude-Guy and Suit-Man were studying the alley, searching for whatever clues were left to tell them what had happened. The crowd was dispersing now that there was nothing more to watch. Buffy needed to leave as well before they spotted her. She disappeared with the last passerby.

She went home after that and sent an e-mail to Chief Cadogan, asking if he could send her the files on the other three victims. After a quick shower and some relaxing meditation, she went to sleep.

The next morning, the files she had asked for were sitting in the tray of her fax machine. She did her little routine before examining them. Four murders in twelve days. One every three days. The body of the first and third victims had disappeared after being buried. There were two men and two women, three whites and one Asian. They were young, between twenty and thirty-one years of age and they all had been out on their own. Witnesses said they saw them arrive alone but didn't know if they still were when they left. Buffy supposed they weren't, or the vampire had followed them. She finished her coffee, grabbed her bag and coat and left her apartment.

The Council had a partnership with a private clinic in Cardiff. A few selected members of the medical team had signed a contract with them. If Buffy was injured, she had to go there. But mostly, she was using them as a laboratory. They had access to the Council database created by Willow. It could reference all kinds of things: demon profiles, weird substances and a lot of other things useful in identifying supernatural activities.

Out in the hall, she showed her badge. Each time she did this simple gesture, she wanted to giggle. After ten years of secrets, she could do her work officially. Walk in a room, show her badge and be recognized for what she was: a professional doing her job. It was a warm feeling. After years of darkness, she was seeing a little light.

"Miss Summers, how are you?"

She shook the offered hand: "Fine, and you Doctor Paisley?"

"Fine too, thank you. You're here for the body?"

"Yes."

"This way please."

She followed him into the lift and then through the corridors. He was the head of the medical unit that worked with the Council. He was a good doctor, a respectable fifty-two years of age. He had a lovely wife and two boys in high school now if she remembered correctly. Buffy liked him. He was always joyful and enthusiastic. He was the kind of man that could put you at ease immediately.

She found herself in front of the victim's body in no time. Paisley had a file in his hands. He confirmed to her that the cause of death was the blood loss, so there was no doubt it was a vampire. She had already guessed that; she was interested in something else. Paisley's unit had been working with the Council for two years now and in that time they were studying a specific subject: the transformation into a vampire. He was interested in the changes a body went through. He had found subtle signs in the body chemistry that could predict a change.

"We've found traces of blood in her mouth."

"Let me guess: not her own?"

"No. It was a mix of several groups and it's old blood."

"So, the transformations aren't random. Someone is creating a nice little family."

She saw an electric saw on one of the steel tables and made to grab it, but was stopped by the doctor:

"What are you doing?"

"Beheading her. Then, she won't change."

"Maybe she won't."

"He drank her blood and forced his own down her throat. She's going to be a vampire."

"I would like to see it happen, monitor it. We haven't taken any chances before, but now you're here."

She didn't like the idea but the doctor was helping her. She looked at him:

"Okay, but it's only this one time. So you'd better be ready to collect everything you need. You'll get only one shot at it Doc."

"Thank you."

Buffy discovered that they had already prepared everything. They put electrodes on the body, explaining that would help them keep a close watch on the nerve and brain activity. Then, they buried the body in a big chamber, full of mud. It was supposed to simulate a real burial. She was thinking it was a sick idea but she had never quite understood scientists.

Anyway, the body wasn't sending out any weird vibes so there was a little time before she woke up to her new undead life. She assured the doctor she would be back by the end of the afternoon, advising him to lock the room until then. It was safer that way.

She went home and prepared herself for a night of patrolling. Putting on some dark blue jeans and a black top, she took three stakes, a silver knife and a bottle of holy water. She made sure her silver cross was safely locked around her neck and prepared herself a little meal. Living by herself had forced her to improve her cooking skills. At first, she had wondered if starving to death wasn't a better idea than eating her own cooking. But now, she could make pasta without burning any noodles. Or catching the kitchen on fire. Maybe someday, she would be able to drive a car.

She studied the area where the victims had been last seen and where their bodies had been found. It was in a narrow area, full of bars and clubs. She knew the neighborhood. It was the worst side of the city. The underbelly. She took the victims pictures and went back to the laboratory.

Paisley was waiting for her, impatient. Outside, the sun was setting. He said that the computers had recorded spikes of brain activity. She followed him inside. As soon as he opened the door, her spidey sense kicked in. The Slayer flared inside of her, eager to fight after such a long period of inactivity. She took out a stake and ordered the doctor to stay by the door. His eyes were shinning with excitement and it reminded her of the Initiative scientists. He had a little laptop in his hands and was reading all his precious information. She walked toward the artificial grave and saw the mud was moving. At the doorway, people had started to gather, curious and eager to see the awakening of a vampire. The sight disgusted her.

A dirty hand appeared suddenly from the muck and the Slayer took it and helped the new vampire out of the grave. As soon as she had a clear view of the heart, she plunged her stake into it. She heard shouts of protests coming from the doorway. They wanted her to wait, to see the vampire coming to her senses, searching for food. She felt anger well up in her chest. Before the dust had touched the floor, she had Paisley against the wall, a hand on his throat. The man had wide, round eyes and the rest of the team had stepped back, surprised and frightened. She growled:

"No experiments will be done here. Demons are living things; dangerous predators. You need to treat them as such. If they are a threat, kill them. But you don't study them! Never! This is the only time you will come near one of these creatures here. Know, that if I hear that you take any more as guinea pigs, I will shut this place down and make sure your career is over. Am I clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good. Now, if you excuse me, I have some vampires to kill."

She strode out of the building, edgy and angry. She hated experiments. Every time she heard the word, memories of the Initiative and Adam would surface, as well as the faces of the dead. It was one of the worst set of memories in her life. She couldn't understand the scientists, the need they had to understand everything and at whatever costs. It always led to blood, pain, and violence. She hated it.
She spent her night going all over the clubs in the darker parts of the town. Drinking, talking, dancing, all in full Slayer mode. Vampires and demons seemed to be nonexistent. Giles had been worried that the rift could attract unwanted attention but right now, it seemed to protect the city from the supernatural attention. It was near two in the morning when she finally felt it. The familiar vibe of a vampire. She scanned the crowd and quickly spotted him. The first victim. He was pale and seemed insecure but she recognized the bloodlust in his eyes.
A ferocious smile appeared on her lips. Time to hunt.

She followed him, using all her Slayer gifts to stay under his radar. Inwardly, she was hoping he wouldn't take a victim. She would appreciate it if he could lead her to the nest. But it was unlikely. He was a new vampire, his thirst was too strong. He left the bar an hour later, a drunken young woman at his side. Stupid girl!

They walked a while and the vampire led her to a dark corner near an alley. There wasn't any light. He kissed her, pushing her against the wall. For a fraction of second, Buffy asked herself why all vampires were doing the same thing. Could she one day meet an original vampire? His head was in her neck now and she ran toward him at full speed.

Too engrossed in his craving for blood, he had left his guard down. With an experienced vampire, she couldn't have done that. But this one was a baby and had everything to learn. She grabbed him by the neck, pulling him off his victim. The girl fell down on her ass, looking at her with glazed eyes.

"Get out of here now!" ordered Buffy.

The girl didn't move. Then, the vampire rushed toward her in full game face. That seemed to clear her mind. She struggled to get up and
stumbled away. In a blur of movement, the Slayer sent the vampire flying against the wall. He regained his footing, and roared like an animal while trying to rush her. She met him with a punch to his throat. New vampires were extremely stupid. She grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head down, her knee meeting his face halfway. She heard the familiar sound of breaking bones. He screamed and when she saw his face, his nose was a bloody mess. She shoved him, face first against the wall and pressed her stake against his back, just over the heart.

"I'm bored. So, tell me, where's your Sire?"

She felt the other just in time to duck the blow. The other newbie was facing her, growling. She spotted some blood stains on her top, telling Buffy she had already fed. She jumped a little on her feet and smiled.

"Ooh! Another playmate!"

Her first 'playmate' was standing up. The female vampire barely glanced at him, choosing instead to glare at Buffy. She sniffed the air and growled again.

"You took her away!"

Buffy frowned. "Who? The girl from last night? Yeah. She's dead now. Really dead. Not undead like you. A little stake and poof! She was dust."

"Murderer!"

She lifted her chin proudly. "No, I'm the Slayer."

Without waiting, she threw her stake and watched it sink into the male vampires chest who promptly exploded into dust. Using the females surprise, she hit her with a round house kick. The bitch got to her feet quickly and didn't hesitate. She had already fed so she had a clear mind. And she was furious. Which made her dangerous. But Buffy had been fighting vampires for ten years now. She let the fight last a few minutes before ending it. Brushing the ashes off her clothes, she grimaced.

"I guess that means no answers tonight."

She went home at four am, happily exhausted and with a new enemy. The Sire wouldn't be happy when the morning came and they found out that their family had been killed. And it would make them a dangerous one. She would have to act quickly. But for tonight, she had had enough. Besides, the Sire couldn't do any damage with what was left of the night. The sun would be up soon. She got ready for bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.