Chapter 66: Playtime
Once in the terminal, naturally they had to check for Reese, in case his flight had been delayed or he'd decided to hang out here rather than pay for an extra night's hotel room. They went in search of all the secluded, tucked-away places he could hide.
"Goddamn it," Clay muttered after their third possibility proved to be staffed by a security camera. "Where the hell is a mutt supposed to hole up around here?"
Before he stormed down the car-rental hall, Dawn caught his arm and pointed to a sign warning of construction ahead.
"About time," he grumbled. He took Savannah's hand and Savannah looked around to make sure the coast was clear then the two of them disappeared in a flash of green. The sisters waited for any indication that the coast wasn't clear—screams, shouts, foul language—then Dawn took Buffy's hand and they too disappeared in a flash of green. When they appeared, Clay and Savannah stood beside a pile of drywall, his head tilted, nose lifted, trying to catch the sound or smell of workers.
Buffy and Dawn turned down a side passage. It was short, ending at a locked door.
Buffy considered the wisdom of snapping the lock when Clay strode up behind Dawn. Before she knew it, her sister and Clay were already making out and on their way to full blown sex. Buffy made the excuse of checking other spots around the airport and said she would send Dawn a thought through the link if she found anything. Then she rejoined Savannah and they disappeared in a flash of green.
Dawn knew Buffy wasn't prudish about sex. It was just her sister didn't want to watch her and Clay going at it. She also knew Savannah was no longer the innocent kid they had liberated from the compound. Her niece knew about sex, she hoped that Savannah had not had any yet though. That said she was sure that Savannah did not want to watch her aunt and uncle go at it, just as she would rather not watch her own mother go at it.
He chuckled and kept kissing Dawn's neck, inhaling deeply, telling her how good she smelled, how much he'd missed her, how much he loved me, until the distant clang of a door had them jumping apart.
"No sign of Reese here," Dawn said as she pulled her jeans back on. "Buffy?" she projected through the link. "Any sign of him?"
"No."
"Okay, we're going to meet you and Savannah at the baggage carousel. And then we'll go get the rental car," Clay thought. "You two can tell Jeremy we checked every nook and cranny. Now time for that run."
Buffy and Savannah met Dawn at the baggage carousel. She would have asked where Clay was but she knew already. There were too many people around the baggage carousel. And Buffy herself had seen the woman at the car rental. She was sure that Dawn had sent Clay possibly trying to get a free upgrade. Which he usually managed to do.
"They were out of Explorers," Clay said as he met the sisters and Savannah pulling the luggage. "We got an Expedition."
"Uh-huh," Buffy and Dawn said.
"And this." He held up a navigation system. "It was some kind of monthly deal."
"Did they have any free T-shirts? Ball caps? Travel mugs?" Savannah asked.
"Sorry, honey," Clay said as he ruffled Savannah's hair. He looked at the sisters. "Got some maps, though." He held up a handful. "Good ones."
"Monthly deal?" Dawn asked.
"Guess so."
They found their vehicle—a massive SUV with tinted windows.
"We didn't need to find a quiet corner inside," Dawn said. "We could have just crawled in the back of this."
"Let me guess," Buffy said. "You two going at it while I'm driving down the road trying to ignore the moaning in the back."
Since Anne had been born, Buffy had finally gotten her driver's license.
"I could drive, mom," Savannah said. "I brought my learner's permit with me. Just in case, you know."
Buffy had insisted that Jeremy teach Savanah to drive, just as he had done with her. So that should something happen and they need an immediate emergency evac that Savannah could drive them while whoever she was with was tended to by other members of the Pack.
"Huh." He opened the hatch and looked in. "Could try it out…"
"I'm sure we will," Dawn said winking at her sister. "Later. Right now, I want my run, followed by my post run romp. Once took the edge off. Twice would spoil my appetite."
"Wouldn't want that," he said, and heaved the bags in.
The presumed wolf kills had both occurred about twenty miles south of Anchorage, so with Dawn's laptop open to a newspaper article's rough map, they headed out, planning to run in the same general area in hopes of picking up a wolf or werewolf scent.
The map in the article was very rough. It showed the highway, one side road and two X's to mark the kill sites, with no concept of scale. So, until they talked to locals, they were guessing at the location. But none of them realized how much they were guessing until the highway left Anchorage.
Finally, they turned off onto one of those long, dark roads. Clay drove a mile, found what looked like a service road and parked along it.
Buffy hopped out … and sunk knee-deep in the snow. The air, though, wasn't as bitterly cold as they'd feared. They left their valuables—watches, wallets, wedding bands—in the locked glove compartment, then set out, tramping through the deep snow. They didn't go far from the road to Change, but it took them a while to get there.
The area was wooded enough for them to find separate thickets. They undressed and put their clothes in the backpack that Savannah always carried when she was out with any of the Pack on a run. And then it got cold. When the sisters got down on all fours, and sunk in snow up to their breasts, they were gasping for breath.
"I wish I could heat things up for you," Savannah said, knowing had bitterly cold it must be against her mother's, aunt's and uncle's skin.
"Thanks, honey," Buffy said.
It took a few moments for them to relax enough to begin the Change, but once it started, the cold was the last thing on their minds. And when it was over, Buffy and Dawn collapsed onto their sides, panting, muzzle buried in the snow to cool off.
Once they'd caught their breath, the sisters rose slowly. When Savannah was sure her mother was ready, she climbed on Buffy's back. Being a Slayer turned werewolf, meant that Buffy's increased strength made it possible for her to carry someone. Usually Savannah would run beside them as she could run as fast as any of the Pack when Changed. But it had been agreed with the snow as deep as it was that Savannah should ride. Footfalls padded around their thicket. Gold fur flashed, glistening under the moonlight. Then Clay's smell wafted in.
Clay circled again, faster now, impatience growing. Buffy and Dawn lowered themselves to their bellies and slunk forward, slow and silent, until their noses were at the thicket's edge. Then they bunched their muscles, hindquarters rising, wiggling, waiting, waiting…
Clay loped past and the sisters shot out behind him. By the time they heard the crunch of his sharp turn, Dawn was running full out, tearing across the open stretch, eyes half closed, wind sluicing through her fur, moving so fast her paws didn't break the crust.
Clay's heavier mass as well as Savannah riding on Buffy meant they did break that crust, and they fell farther behind with each stride. Dawn crossed the clearing and dove into the forest, but as soon as she did, she realized her mistake—protected by the thick canopy, the ground had only a thin layer of snow, and she lost her advantage.
Soon Buffy and Clay were right on her heels. Savannah saw Clay getting ready to leap at Dawn. She was tempted to warn her aunt but decided it would be funnier to just watch. Dawn tried diving to the side, but as her hind paws flew up, he caught one of hers and wrenched. Dawn's front feet skidded out and she belly flopped.
With a snort, Dawn bounded up and she spun around. He was twenty feet away, prancing away, tail waving. Every instinct said to chase, but she had a plan. Dawn toppled back down into the snow as she whined in pain.
He circled Dawn as did Buffy, wide and wary. Dawn licked her foreleg. He came a little closer, staying out of lunging range of Dawn. Dawn struggled to her feet, paw raised, then gingerly touched it to the ground. Clay came closer, head lowered, nose working hard to catch the scent of blood. Dawn lifted her paw and whimpered.
Savannah smiled as she leaned down next to her mother's ear and whispered. "She's teasing Uncle Clay."
Buffy mentally laughed as she and Savannah watched while pretending to be concerned for Dawn.
Then Dawn sprang. Clay danced out of her way and took off. Dawn hesitated, then started snuffling the ground. He stopped, head tilting. Dawn kept sniffing, checking out all the prey trails.
"What is it, Dawn?" Buffy telepathically projected towards her sister.
Dawn scratched off the top layer of snow, trying to uncover the scent. Clay whipped past again, this time veering and sending a tidal wave of snow over Dawn. He didn't dare let any snow hit Savannah, it was bad enough she had on several layers under the parka, he didn't want to risk that wouldn't be enough. Dawn shook it off, nose still working, trying to pick up the mystery scent. When she glanced up, she caught a whiff of it in the air. She tracked it to an old tree with missing chunks of rough bark. There, caught on one loose piece six feet from the ground, was a tuft of brown fur.
"Bear?" Dawn projected.
Clay plowed into Dawn's side. She went flying. Then she bounced up, snarling, and tore after him. Buffy and Savannah chased after them.
When the forest opened into a clearing, Dawn hit full speed, head down, paws sailing over the snow, closing the gap. Clay swerved … right at the edge of a small embankment. Dawn tried skidding to a stop, but tumbled over it, down the five-foot cliff onto the ice-covered creek below, each leg going its own way as she spun snout-first into the snowy embankment on the other side.
From behind Dawn came not only the growls of Clay and Buffy's wolf laugh but Savannah's laugh as well. Dawn's answering growl was not nearly as amused. She got to her feet slowly, digging her claws into the ice for traction. Then, without turning to look at Clay, Buffy and Savannah; Dawn gingerly picked her way along to a spot where a branch poked through the ice. She scratched at the thinner ice around it until she had a hole. Then she lowered her muzzle and drank.
Dawn lapped the cold water, so clean and sweet that she closed her eyes to savor it. She could hear Buffy and Clay pacing along the embankment. As Dawn bit off a chunk of ice, making the hole bigger she saw her niece sliding off Buffy's back. She understood why. She was afraid that her added weight on Buffy's back that the ice might break beneath them. Dawn shifted aside to give her sister and Clay room. They tore down the creek side, slowing as they reached the ice, testing each step under their weight.
When Buffy and Clay got up beside Dawn, the ice groaned, but held. They were sure that if Savannah had not gotten off that the ice might not have held. Buffy and Clay brushed against Dawn on opposite sides of her, their tails beating the back of her legs as they drank, droplets of icy water spraying her face. Dawn shifted closer to Clay, rubbing against him. He made a deep-throated noise closer to a purr than to a growl. Dawn quietly scraped at the ice with her far front paw. Buffy must have seen the movement as she moved back toward the embankment. Then Dawn reared up and slammed down, all her weight on her front legs. As she twisted and tore off the crack of the ice rang through the quiet forest.
Now it was Savannah, Dawn and Buffy's turn to stand on the embankment and laugh, as Clay scrambled like a lumberjack on a runaway log jam, jumping from piece to piece as they sank beneath him. He leapt for the shore, but didn't quite make it, splashing down to his dewclaws in icy water.
Savannah got back on her mother's back and Buffy and Dawn tore off, but they'd stayed to enjoy the sight a few seconds too long. He caught them ten feet from the embankment, grabbing Dawn's back leg, yanking her down, then pouncing over her and shaking, water spraying everywhere.
Buffy barely managed to get far enough away so none of the spraying water would hit Savannah.
Dawn tried to buck Clay off, but he bit the scruff of her neck and pinned her beneath his soaked underside while Buffy and Savannah watched and laughed.
Dawn flipped him over and they tussled, fangs flashing, nipping and kicking and snarling.
Just then a scent floated past and Buffy looked away from the tussling duo.
"Aunt Dawn, Uncle Clay," Savannah telepathically projected.
Clay and Dawn stopped and looked at Savannah and Buffy. Then they heard it the distant murmur of a voice. Dawn and Clay got to their feet and moved to flank Buffy. They turned their noses into the breeze.
"Huh," came Clay's reply when he and Dawn caught the scent.
Dawn started to move toward the source when Clay caught Dawn's hind leg in his jaws. Just a light tug, like catching her arm. She looked back. He had his ears down, expression uncertain, cautious even.
Dawn looked at Buffy as if asking what do you want to do? Since Jeremy had come to the decision that Buffy would be his successor. Both Dawn and Clay had been looking to her for direction. Trying to get her used to fact that some day she would be Alpha.
"We'll check it out," came Buffy's thought.
Dawn nodded as Clay snorted, his jowls vibrating, huffed breaths hanging in the air. Fine, but he wasn't happy about it. Especially when it came to his future Alpha's protection.
Buffy took off at a lope, Dawn and Clay at her heels. The sun was cresting the mountains now, the valley still gray and gloomy, with patches of snow glittering where the sun pierced the thick trees. It was a strangely eerie time of day, shadows playing with the light. They went a half mile before the distant murmur turned into three distinct male voices, and even then, they couldn't make out what they were saying. As the voices grew loud enough for Buffy to eavesdrop without effort, Clay nipped her heels, saying they were too close already. Dawn knew Buffy could have safely gone another fifty feet, but they stopped before Clay's nervous nips became anxious bites.
They couldn't see the men, but their voices seemed to come from a lighter patch ahead, presumably the forest's edge. Buffy led Clay and Dawn as she circled to the east, until she could see a frozen lake through a gap in the trees. She kept circling, wide enough to keep Clay's complaints down to a steady grumble.
When Buffy drew close to the forest's edge. "Savannah," Buffy projected. "You won't draw attention like we will."
Clay grumbled, but knew Buffy was right. It was moments like this that Savannah was useful since she was not a wolf. That said he didn't like it any more than if it were Dawn or Buffy.
Savannah slid off her mom's back and made her way through the trees. When she was at the edge she hid behind a tree and peeked out and saw four men—three standing, one on the ground. Savannah could tell the one on the ground had been dead a long time as she caught the smell that had alerted her mother, the stink of decomposing flesh.
Savannah was sure the corpse must have been buried under a layer of snow, now found and uncovered. She could tell most of the clothing had been torn away. What remained was dark with frozen blood. She could tell that the body had been eaten, but unless her mother or aunt could get close enough to sniff it, she was sure they would have no idea what had done the eating—wolf, werewolf, mink or one of the dozens of other predators out here. Even knowing what ate the man wouldn't tell them what killed him. Savannah turned her attention away from the corpse to listen to what the men were saying.
"Fresh snowfall yesterday means no tracks today," the shorter cop said. "No way to tell if it was canine, ursine or Homo sapiens."
"You think a person could have done this?" The taller cop's voice squeaked with surprise and youth.
"Eat poor Tom for dinner? I hope to hell not, but I wouldn't put it past some of the whack-jobs we get up here. I meant he could have been murdered, then eaten by scavengers. He's so chewed up, we might not ever know for sure."
"I always told Tom he was crazy," the hunter said. "Checking his traps at night. But it was his favorite time."
There was a moment of silence for the dead man.
The younger cop broke it first. "I saw some wolf tracks back there."
"Wolf?" the older cop said. "You sure about that?"
"I can tell canine from ursine, Reed."
"He means there's more than one kind of canine out here," the hunter said.
"And I mean don't go jumping to conclusions," the older cop said. "Folks hear about paw prints near a dead body and they start crying wolf."
"My money's on a wolf-dog," the hunter said. "City idiots think it's cool to own a dog that's half wolf … until it turns out there's some wild beast in their pet pooch. Fancy that. Then what do they do? Let them loose out here and tell themselves they've done the humane thing."
"That'd explain the big canine tracks people have been seeing since the pack moved on. A wolf-dog got dumped here, started harassing the pack, scaring off the prey, so they left. If an animal's been raised by people, it doesn't fear them. It gets hungry? That big hunk of meat on two legs looks damned tasty."
Savannah decided she had heard enough and made her way back to her mother, aunt and uncle. Clay huffed in relief and herded his niece to Buffy who got on her mother's back. Savannah telepathically relayed everything she saw and heard as they started walking away. She watched as Dawn put her nose to the ground, skimming it like a metal detector. Clay also watched for a moment, and then made that rumbling noise deep in his chest, one that said he'd rather get as far from these humans as possible. Buffy let out a soft growl telling him to follow Dawn's example as they too put their noses down and joined the search.
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They found tracks about a half mile from the kill site. It looked as if the trail went in that direction, but they didn't dare follow it any closer—not until the people had left. The tracks were definitely canine, as the young officer had said. While they seemed too big to be wolf, they wouldn't say definitely too big, because wolves have been found weighing up to two hundred pounds. The average, though, is just over half that. These tracks were the size of Clay's, but the scent already told them they were dealing with a werewolf.
The trail was a few days old, the prints remaining only because the tree canopy protected this patch from the freshly fallen snow. Buffy and Dawn had to pace along it before their brains really latched on to the smell. Then they sat on their haunches and mulled it over, like a wine expert with a cork, trying to place the vintage. When it didn't tweak a memory, they sniffed again. No match to anything in their mental file cabinet.
Buffy glanced at Dawn who glanced at Clay, who was sniffing another section of the trail. He lifted his muzzle from the ground and shook his head—no one he knew either. She looked to her sister and Clay who looked back at her waiting for orders. She sighed mentally, though she understood why they did. But she was not ready to be back in that position again. But as they all knew Jeremy had made his decision on who would succeed him and no matter how much Buffy objected to the contrary, he would not change his mind. Which effectively made her his second in command, dropping Dawn as co-spokesperson. Buffy was now Jeremy's only spokesperson for the Pack. She told them they should try and see if they could track the trail that led away from the kill site.
Dawn led for almost a mile before the trail ended at a clearing. Inside, they found a piece of plywood and a wooden crate. A werewolf's winter locker—a place to Change in the mud and snow, and to store their gear.
The clearing reeked of scent and sweat, meaning someone was using it regularly. As Dawn sniffed more, she realized it was more than someone. They had two distinct scents and possibly a third.
Two or more werewolves, none the Stillwells. And as soon as they set foot in this clearing, they'd know there were three werewolves in town, two of them female and a Slayer.
Dawn started backing out of their change-room, but it was too late. The moment she and Buffy got within ten feet of the spot they'd left a scent that was sure to get their attention. And the werewolves once they knew someone had visited their change-room would start looking for Buffy, Dawn, Savannah and Clay.
Dawn looked to Buffy and saw that her sister was thinking the same thing she was. Since they'd already left their scents, they might as well take a better sniff around. Buffy gave a nod for the go ahead and they covered every inch of the clearing searching for remnants of the man by the lake, and found not a speck of blood or shred of flesh.
Once they were sure they'd gotten all the information they could and had committed their scents to memory, they left the clearing. As Dawn stepped out, she caught a movement in the bushes. She froze, blocking Clay, who blocked Buffy and Savannah. Clay nudged Dawn's hindquarters. She edged backward, scanning the woods. The only noise was the wind rustling dead leaves overhead. It was too quiet. Clay went still, knowing something was wrong.
Dawn kept looking, ears swiveled forward, nose working. Nothing to see. Nothing to hear. Nothing to smell. Yet the forest stayed deathly silent. Clay nudged Dawn again—now he was worried and wanted to get moving.
Dawn slid from the clearing. Clay nudged Buffy indicating he wanted her and Savannah between him and Dawn and then he followed. They stood in the dense, dimly lit forest, looking, listening, sniffing, catching nothing. Then a bird called. Another answered. A squirrel chirruped and scampered over a branch overhead, dead leaves raining down. Dawn shook one off her head, and rubbed against Clay, grunting an apology for over reacting. He licked Dawn's muzzle and then Dawn and Clay looked at Buffy and waited for instructions, ready to cede the lead now that any danger had passed.
They found the scent from the werewolves in human form, and followed it. It didn't go more than twenty paces before ending at a trail thick with the stink of mixed gas and oil. Snowmobiles.
Buffy decided it was time to return to the kill site. When they got back the men hadn't left yet. There was no reason for her, Savannah, Clay or Dawn to linger. By the time the crew removed the body, all their tracks would have erased the faint trail of the killer. They returned to the SUV and Changed back.
Buffy suggested they get something to eat as breakfast was long overdue. They drove back to Highway 1—the main route through Alaska… or the 5 percent of it that could be reached by car. Earlier they'd passed only one service center. They returned there now and found a gas station, bakery and pizza parlor.
They headed outside to eat after getting a couple espressos, a coffee for Clay and some pastries and couldn't find a single bench or picnic table. Given the view—snow-covered mountains with the sun cresting the ridge—they couldn't imagine why everyone chose to drink their coffee inside. Buffy supposed that it was the subfreezing temperatures, after all that was why Savannah had gotten back in the SUV instead of enjoying the view with her family.
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Jeremy and his visiting girlfriend, Jaime, were getting ready to take the kids to swimming lessons, meaning Buffy, Clay and Dawn's timing was perfect—Anne, Logan and Joyce were too excited about swimming to ask when they were coming back. Clay talked to Joyce first, which would give Savannah, Dawn and Buffy plenty of time to enjoy their lattes and muffins. They listened in as Joyce told Daddy everything that had happened since he'd called the day before. Everything. In detail. And through the entire fifteen-minute recitation, Clay's attention never flagged.
Finally, Jeremy interceded on the call—telling Joyce they had to leave soon—and he gave the phone to Logan. That conversation was more two-sided. Clay had sent Logan a junior science set from Atlanta, and they discussed experiments Logan had done yesterday, under Jeremy's supervision. Science wasn't Clay's area of interest or expertise, but he was as fascinated by the working of his son's precocious mind as he'd been with his daughter's adventures.
As Clay and Logan talked, Savannah, Buffy and Dawn could hear Anne in the background, telling Logan to hurry, that she had to talk to Mommy. He calmly continued his conversation, neither hurrying to please his cousin nor stalling to annoy her. Even before they could walk, Anne had tried establishing dominance over her cousins and Logan had made it clear that while she might be bigger and stronger, he wasn't putting up with that crap. All three of them considered each other equals, despite the fact that Anne had Slayer blood mixed in, making her the physically stronger cub of the three.
When Logan finally handed Anne the phone, Anne told Buffy and Savannah everything she had done that day. Including training. Buffy had consented that Savannah could give Anne some Slayer training so Anne could learn to control her werewolf enhanced Slayer strength. Of course, Savannah was in Alaska so Jeremy had taken over. When Anne was done, she handed the phone to Joyce who gave Dawn a replay of her day, then Logan came on and informed Dawn that he wanted to go to school in the fall. Apparently, he'd overheard a phone call Jeremy took from the school, inviting them to the prekindergarten registration session. The twins would be four the following fall and Anne a few months after that. The problem was.
By the time registration came around they would be in Sunnydale. So, Buffy and Dawn had decided put off worrying about prekindergarten till after the move. Clay on the other hand wanted to hold off until kindergarten.
Finally, Logan handed the phone to Jeremy as Dawn handed the phone back to her sister. Buffy could barely hear him over the kids bickering about school. Then she caught Jaime's voice, reminding them it was snack time, and the arguing was replaced by pounding footsteps, then silence.
"Food always works," Buffy said.
"We'll be in trouble when it doesn't. So, how was your flight?" Jeremy replied.
Buffy told him what they'd done so far.
"Go check into the hotel and get some sleep," he said.
"Has Paige gotten a hit on Reese's cards?" Buffy asked. When Dawn was not able to hack to get information. They relied on Paige, one of the witches in the Coven, Buffy still wasn't sure which Coven Paige actually belonged to. Every time she or Dawn talked to Paige it was simply referred to as the Coven.
He paused.
"That means yes," Buffy said. "I could have Dawn call her herself, you know."
"He used one to book a motel, but after that expensive flight, he's not leaving Alaska anytime soon, so you can get some sleep—"
"Savannah, Dawn and I napped on the plane. If Clay's tired, we'll drop him off—"
"I'm fine," Clay said.
"I know Reese isn't the most urgent item on our agenda…" Buffy said.
"There's nothing urgent on your agenda."
"Which is why Dawn and I want to clear him off our slate," Buffy said.
"You're wasting your time, Jer," Clay called as Dawn quickly agreed. "You know Buffy. Once she sets her mind to something."
Jeremy heard and sighed, then gave Buffy the information. "Go to the boy's motel, speak to him and then get some rest."
"Do we have an address for Dennis or Joey Stillwell? Dawn was just thinking, if it's on the way…" Buffy said.
He sighed again, and gave Buffy the address.
"Dennis's apartment is closer," Buffy said as Dawn got into the driver's seat. "We should probably stop there before Reese's motel."
"Yeah," Dawn and Clay said.
"And I'm guessing, Clay, you would rather we checked on Dennis first," Buffy said.
A pause, then a softer from Clay, "Yeah."
Dawn glanced over at Clay as she pulled from the lot. "Buffy and I know you're worried about them—Dennis and Joey."
"I'm not sure worried is the right word. I feel…" He looked out the side window, fingers drumming the armrest. "I don't really know how I'll feel, seeing Joey again."
The sisters waited.
"I feel bad, I guess," he said after a moment. "Falling out of touch."
"You were friends," Buffy said.
He nodded. "I was closer to Nick. Joey was a few years older. But, yeah, we were friends. Pack mates. Pack brothers. I should have kept in contact. I just … I was pissed off about them leaving. They didn't have much status in the Pack and that made them afraid to cross Malcolm. I get that. But I would have protected them. Joey wasn't a kid. He didn't need to follow his father. He could have said it wasn't right, abandoning Jeremy after all he'd done for them."
"But he didn't. They ran," Dawn said.
Clay went silent, loyalty to old Pack mates warring against a deeper feeling of betrayal. "Yeah, they ran," he said.
"And you couldn't forgive that," Buffy said.
"No. I couldn't." He looked first at Dawn and then at Buffy, who sat in the back seat next to Savannah. Clay had tried getting Buffy to move up front saying it was her right as Jeremy's successor. But she disagreed saying that Clay should be allowed to sit beside his wife. "It was their duty—their obligation—to stand by us. They ran, and things got worse. Their support may not have counted for much, but it would have tipped the balance. Jeremy would have won the Alpha race without bloodshed. He could have used their help and I would have protected them."
And that is what it came down to. In leaving, they'd abandoned Jeremy and hadn't trusted Clay.
"If they came back after Jeremy ascended, I would have been pissed, and it wouldn't have been the same between Joey and me. But I would have gotten over it."
"Why didn't they return?" Savannah wondered. She couldn't see herself permanently abandoning those she loved. And even if she could see herself abandoning those she loved, she knew the Slayer within her wouldn't let her. For the Slayer always protected those it loved.
"Jeremy said they were still worried about Malcolm, that he'd come back and take revenge against those who didn't support him. That's bullshit. Malcolm was a vicious, manipulative son of a bitch, but more than anything, he was a fighter. A fighter doesn't crawl back after a defeat, even for revenge. Once he's beaten, he moves on and picks a new battle. Later, when we heard Malcolm was dead, Jeremy told them. By then, though, they'd made a life for themselves here in Alaska."
"But now you're looking forward to seeing Joey. Having an excuse to get back in touch," Dawn said.
"It's been a lot of years, and whatever I felt then is gone. You'll like Joey. Savannah reminds me a bit of him, but Joey isn't as… He never had much confidence, much…" He trailed off again. "He was a decent guy. Quiet, thoughtful. A good friend."
"And a nice change from Nick now and then?" Buffy said.
A short laugh. "Yeah."