(1)

"Gman where's the Buffster?  Long time no see, " Xander said as he entered the shop.

Giles glared at his visitor. " I presume you meant to ask me if I know where Buffy is?"

Xander nodded with an apologetic smile.

"Well I don't have the foggiest notion, " he said with some feeling.

"Ever since that business with Willow and Spike, she's been spending most of her time with Riley and his Initiative team," Giles said as he stacked boxes on the counter with more force than needed.

"and training, don't ask me about training, " Xander opened his mouth, but Giles kept stacking and speaking, " she hasn't participated in a proper
training session for weeks.  The excuses she gives are an insult to my intelligence.  What she thinks …"

"Whoa Giles, slow down.  I know that vein in your neck shouldn't be standing out like that."

Giles stopped and took a breath, "I suppose you're right but I hate to see her turning her back on her mission and ignoring the tried and true
techniques."

"Look at it this way, she's still in the vamp and demon elimination business, but now she has some help from people with big guns and snappy uniforms, " Xander said with a grin.

"With an added bonus, " Xander continued, "that yours truly and Willow aren't out front with the possibility of becoming involuntary blood donors."

"As you say, but the safety of a few individuals doesn't outweigh the importance of the Slayer's mission, " Giles said with feeling.

Xander frowned, "excuse me for living and having functioning body parts."

Giles' expression softened, " I apologize, I suppose I'm just frustrated over her lack of attention to her duties."

"And maybe her lack of attention to you?" Xander added.

As he almost always did when faced with a personal question, Giles removed his glasses and absently polished them.

"Nonsense, " he said without much conviction, " I don't want her to forget her purpose in life."

"Speaking of forgetting, I haven't seen much of Willow either, " Xander said.

At this, Giles got his second wind, " a perfect example of the effect of Buffy's inconsiderate behavior.  Willow has hardly been available for
researching since this 'flirtation' with the Initiative began."

Xander smiled inwardly at Giles' choice of words.

The Watcher pulled down a large dusty book and slapped it down on the counter.

Opening it, he said peevishly, " what could Willow possibly be doing that is more important than researching the Venduvian Slime demon?"

"Timeout, " Spike said pushing a grinning and rosy cheeked Willow back to her side of the bed.

"I know you started late luv, but do you have to make up for all those lonely virgin years all at once?" he asked.

"Jeez, I thought vampires were always up for anything, " she said moving her hand toward him under the sheet.

"Just an expression luv, " he said ending with a squeak as her fingers closed around him.

She nodded, " I see what you mean Tiny."

"Tiny, " he said, " I'll show you Tiny."

He pulled her toward him, picked her up at the waist and slowly lowered her onto him.

Watching the satisfaction on her face, he grinned, " what do you think about Tiny now?"

She leaned forward and put her finger to his lips, "shhh, just be still."

Then she closed her eyes and began a very slow up and down motion.
 

(2)

After showering, Willow dressed while Spike, already dressed, stood in a sunless corner of the balcony smoking.

"The more I think about it, " he said, " the more I think how bloody lucky we were to get away from the sodding Initiative in one piece."

"I know, " she replied, "but it wasn't really the Initiative.  The way Buffy explained it, it was this one researcher who went a little nuts and set up
some secret experiments; but that Doctor was killed by an escaped demon the day we escaped."

Now dressed in jeans and a light sweater, she grinned, "remember Initiative good, no more mad scientist, only hunky soldiers like Riley and Graham and Forrest and …"

"If I have to come in there, " he threatened.

"Don't start anything you can't finish, " she shot back.

He was on her before she knew it, holding her tightly and gazing into her eyes with a half smile.

She blinked, " OK, I give up.  I'm sorry.  I really do have to get out of the bedroom sometime and make an appearance in the outside world."

"Still making excuses instead of telling them about us/"

She colored, " I thought we agreed that we'd take it slow …"

He interrupted, " if this is taking it slow, I'd like to bloody well see what taking it fast is."

"Let me finish, " she said.

"We agreed to take it slow in telling people about us.  I'm not sure how Giles will take it.  Then there's that Buffy/Angel thing and now there's Riley.  Considering your past with him, I wouldn't think he's your favorite guy to hang with."

"You're right there, "he said as she turned to leave.

"At least that cold bitch of a Doctor is dead and gone, good riddance, " he continued.

Willow stopped and turned back.

"No Spike, Doctor Conners was the man who came up with all the testing for me and that crazy demonstration with you, " she explained.

"I don't know about any testing, but the person behind the experiment was a woman, a Doctor Walsh."

She shook her head, " you see Doctor Conners used Director Walsh's authority to get the experiment set up, but she didn't really know anything about it."

"Bloody hell she didn't, she was as close as I am to you when she made me the proposition.  She wanted me to kill you and turn you in exchange for removing the chip, " Spike said with finality.
 

(3)

"What are you thinking about, " Riley asked as Buffy gazed into the distance.

She started at his voice, " oh not much, Xander was telling me how much Giles and the rest of them are missing the way things used to be.  I really haven't been spending much time with them."

He frowned and looked away.

She touched his arm, " no, it's not the you and me time.  No complaint there, " she said with a smile.

"It's patrolling and the other Slayer stuff.  They're used to researching and patrolling."

"Don't they understand that it's better for you and safer for them to use our research resources and professionals on patrol?"

"I know but they seem so hurt, " she sighed.

"Better to hurt their feelings than have something worse happen one night when you can't protect both them and yourself, " he said grimly.

"I know, you're right, " she admitted.

"Anyway, " he smiled, " I'll bet they're just a little jealous."

"Maybe, " she said as they set out for the Initiative and a strategy meeting with Doctor Walsh.

Maggie Walsh glanced at the plain round clock on the wall opposite her desk.

Almost time for our latest 'Slayer strategy meeting, she thought frowning.

She resented the time her personal handling of the girl was taking away from her other duties; but she knew it was important to maintain personal control. What better way to assure that the girl didn't interfere with her plans than actually being able to direct her activities.

The corners of her mouth turned down, she thought of the girl herself. Vacuous blonde fool, she thought harshly, just pretty enough to turn the head of every hormone ridden young man in the facility.

With an act of will, she avoided thinking of the Slayer's effects on one specific young man.  A young man who was very important to her and her plans. Knocking on the partially opened door interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up to see Forrest standing expectantly in the doorway.  She motioned him to come in and be seated.

"The rest should be here in a few minutes, have you anything to report?" she asked.

"She has been drawing away from her former companions.  It's been weeks since she patrolled with anyone but our group.  I think there've been a few complaints, but she seems to see the advantages to limiting her 'special activities' to just our personnel."

"Her personal relationship?", she asked.

He nodded and then seemed to grow uncomfortable with the increasing silence.

Finally, he spoke, " She and Riley are almost inseparable.  She, ah, spent the last two nights with him at the group house.  He'd also spent the night
at her place when her mother was out of town on business."

She would let none of the anger and frustration show, but she was inwardly incensed; just the thought of Riley and that tramp, her Riley.

She noticed Forrest's movements and looked up to see Riley, Graham and Buffy enter the office."

She gave a small smile and nodded at Riley.  She retained the smile as she greeted Graham and Buffy, but the hint of warmth was now gone from her eyes.

She picked up a folder and passed it to Riley.

"Our instruments have detected an intense localized area of paranormal activity on the eastern outskirts of town, " she paused noting Buffy's frown>

Continuing, she said, " I know this isn't in the normal area frequented by non-humans, but this change in itself maybe an indicator of serious things to come."

Buffy spoke up, " Doctor Walsh, I've never patrolled out that far.  I've never 'felt' any activity out there.

"No one is perfect, not even the Slayer, "Doctor Walsh said dryly.

"Mister Finn, " she said swiveling her chair to face him, " what do you think?"

"I've got confidence in our sensors and data interpretation.  I think we should follow them and patrol toward the East, he responded.

Buffy looked at him and shrugged, " I'm in too."

As they all got up to leave, Maggie motioned for Forrest to stay.

"I'll catch up with you guys in a few, OK?" he called out to a retreating Graham who slowed, looked back and nodded.

Maggie lowered her voice, "while you and the rest are out to the East, I should like some minor harassment of the Slayer's former colleagues.  Do you have any Trusty's capable of being restrained.?"

He nodded, I have a couple of demons in mind who've been circulating among the prisoners gathering intelligence.  They're smart enough to do what
they're told.  They've already been implanted with training chips and learned the consequences of disobeying instructions."

"Very well, " she said, 'I'll leave the details up to you."

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and he hurried off to join the others.

next

back