Buffy walked into the office with a smile on her face. She had her hands full with coffee and donuts. Her thoughts drifted to the previous night, wondering when she would get a late night visitor in her own little lair. Buffy spied Lula talking ninety to nothing at Connie. "Morning, girls, I bring goodies. Ain't it a beautiful morning?" Buffy plopped the donuts down on Connie's desk before handing out the coffee. Avoiding the piercing stare she was getting from Connie, Buffy smiled at Lula. "Where's Stephanie? She and Joe decide to try their outfits from last night?" The girls exchanged conspiratorial looks. Somehow, Stephanie talked Joe into dressing like a submissive to her dominatrix. They were the second biggest draw of the evening after Ranger.
"Do I smell donuts? I'm starving more than usual this morning," Stephanie said, entering as if on cue. The other three women looked at each other and died laughing. "What? What did I say? Do I have something on my face? Did Bob leave doggy drool in my hair again?" Stephanie wiped at her famous curls, but her hands came back without any tell-tale signs of slobber. Her hands went to her hips, without her knowing it, and to her ultimate horror if she had, Stephanie duplicated her mother's best you had better tell me or you're in trouble look.
Buffy tried to stop herself from giggling, but when Stephanie did the 'Mom' look, she lost it completely. She gasped out, "Yes, mistress." This caused the others to lose their tentative composure. Laughter rang out in the office. Stephanie sputtered, turning a bright red. Connie and Lula were clutching their sides laughing. Buffy leaned against the wall for support, soon sliding down it to land on the floor. Lula was now gasping for air, pulling on her spandex, trying to get her lungs to re-inflate. Connie was eyeing the much larger woman and backing up.
Ranger walked into the office to see Lula's arms flailing about like she was trying to take off for outer space. He couldn't decide whose eyes were larger with fright; Lula's or Connie's. The large black woman was tilting forward, making a strange 'uurgh' sound, while Connie had backed herself up against the desk and was emitting something like 'eep' every time Lula tilted near her. Ranger had started forward when Buffy shot up off the floor, where he hadn't even seen her lying. She tackled and caught Lula all at the same time. Ranger shook his head, trying to wrap his senses around what he had just witnessed, but couldn't seem to come to grips with it. How could Buffy, huh? He walked over to help Buffy out from under Lula's weight. Listening carefully, Ranger heard her talking softly to the large woman.
Buffy laid her hands on Lula's eyes closing them. "Lula, do you trust me?" She felt her friend nod her head. "I know this is going to sound stupid, but I promise that it will work. I want you to hold your breath until I tell you to let go." Buffy felt Lula's body tense. "It will help your heart slow down and your breathing will return to normal. You will be able to catch your breath again, I promise. I would never let anything happen to you, Lula. You're mine now, my friend; I never let anything hurt my friends, even me." Buffy gently brushed the brightly colored braids away from Lula's face. She smiled down into the large scared eyes. Buffy felt Lula take a shallow breath, then hold it. "That's right, that's it. Now, hold it as long as you can. Listen to my voice, while your heart slows down. Your great big ole heart needs a minute to catch its breath. It will get back to taking care of you and your gorgeous body in a little bit."
Lula gasped for air, taking in a large gulp then another, but soon she found herself breathing normally. Her heart didn't feel as if was going to burst right out of her chest. Who would have thought laughing could kill you? "I can breath and my heart ain't slamming a disco beat no more. Thanks, Buffy."
"You're welcome, Lula. Do you think you can get up? I think my legs have gone to sleep." Buffy winked at her.
Lula started to laugh, stopping herself in time. "Think I done enough of that today." She looked up at Ranger. "Well, what are you waiting for? Ain't you gonna help us up?"
He gave Connie and Stephanie a look that had them rushing over to help their friend. Ranger reached down to help Buffy up. He whispered in her ear. "I missed you this morning. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I didn't want to wear out my welcome." She gave him a siren's smile, glancing up from underneath her lashes, watching his face.
"If you would have stayed, I could have shown you that you are always welcome," his voice went low and rough with hidden meaning.
Buffy wanted Ranger; she knew that without a doubt. She just wasn't sure that he wanted her. Oh, in his bed no doubt about it, but in his life as his equal, that was another subject. She would have to wait and see how it all played out. Buffy did know that she would never again allow a man to run her life. He would accept her as she was, or he would have to go.
After leaving the office, Buffy called Randy, asking him to meet her somewhere safe. He told her about an abandoned house just outside Trenton. She told him that she could be there in hour. Although her little friend sounded pretty down on the phone, Buffy hoped her news would brighten his day. Big Dog had called her before she left the apartment this morning. He told her that the nerd got a few hits on the searches he'd been doing, and if she dropped by the station she could pick them up. Buffy couldn't believe the information that she saw on the printout. She asked Big Dog if he had read it. He simply told her to call him if she needed backup. Buffy kissed him bye, rushing off to work. She knew it wouldn't be easy to set things in motion, but she hoped Randy would help her find any holes in a plan that she'd been working on for a while.
Navigating her motorcycle through Trenton's streets had become second nature to Buffy. It brought a smile to her lips, thinking about what her friends would say if they could see her driving around the Burg. She remembered the jokes about her being more dangerous with a car than she was with a stake. Buffy admitted that she liked her life here in Trenton. It was nice meeting people who didn't have preconceived ideas about who she was or what she could do.
Buffy stopped a block from the house. She hid the bike, entering the house from the backyard. Buffy didn't hear anyone inside, but she somehow knew that Randy was already there. Slipping open the back door, she entered the house, looking around the empty kitchen before walking silently towards a dark living room. She hoped that no one had followed Randy. Not wanting to take a chance with the tiny man's life, Buffy withdrew a deadly knife and slid around a corner. Spying movement in the corner, she allowed her body to fall back into the shadows.
"Is that you, Buffy?" Randy's voice shook as it called out in the abandoned house.
Buffy sighed with relief when she heard his soft voice. "Yeah, are you okay? No one followed you did they?" She walked over to him; the shadows played across her face allowing the concern to peak out, showing her feelings for the man she considered her friend. Seeing no furniture, Buffy sat on the floor. Her eyes swept over Randy's small frame, searching for any injuries. A smile crossed her lips to see that he hadn't kept anything from her regarding his safety.
"I'm okay. I told you that I knew how to lay low." Randy grinned at her; his blue eyes twinkling with mischief.
Buffy giggled. "Friends worry, get over it." She watched his grin blossom into a full-blown smile, changing his gnome-like features into an almost handsome face. "You should smile like that more often. It would drive the girls wild." Buffy winked at him.
Randy did a perfect fish imitation before his sharp edged persona took over. "Right, like a woman would ever give me the time of day."
"You'd be surprised what women like in a man, Randy, and height isn't necessarily number one on the list. Enough about your love life. I think I know how to smoke out your nasty little FBI man. You want to help me?" Buffy's green eyes turned a deep emerald. They seemed to glitter in the dim light with the unbridled excitement she felt.
"Are you kidding? What do you want me to do, and where do you need me to do it? I'm tired of hiding," Randy sighed, his small shoulders sagged, and his smile wilted.
Buffy leaned forward, her arms sweeping out to wrap around the tiny shoulders, pulling the small man into an embrace. Randy stiffened at first, unused to the contact, and then relaxed in her arms. He tried not to show the world how lonely he felt, but somehow Buffy knew. His arms tentatively moved to hold her, expecting a rebuff. When none came Randy did something he hadn't done in a long time, he hugged another person. Closing his eyes, a silent tear slid down a smooth curved cheek, slipping into the collar of his shirt to slide down his chest, and land directly on his heart. He wasn't sure how he got lucky enough to have a friend like Buffy, but he knew his life would never be the same again.
"We are going to catch the Big Bad and put him away. You won't have to hide anymore, I promise. This is what I need to show you." Buffy pulled out the printout Big Dog gave her. "Is the guy you told me about on here?" She handed him the papers, waiting for his response.
"That's him. How did you get this? You didn't give anyone my name did you?" Randy's voice trembled at the thought.
"Of course not." Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "I asked Big Dog to run some searches for me using some keywords without telling him how they were linked. He doesn't know which guy on the list is the one that I'm after, but he does know I'm looking into the FBI files for something or someone. Big Dog isn't stupid. He told me to call him if I needed backup."
She tapped a slender finger next to her temple. Standing in one fluid motion, Buffy started pacing about the room. "We need a way to flush him out, to get the information back to him without him knowing that it's coming from us. He has to want to come after me to get to you. I have to make him lose his cool enough to do something stupid, and when he does, I will scoop him up and deliver him to the Feds. I will make sure that Mr. Scampi knows that you weren't the one taking his money or selling him out. You'll be sitting pretty and free to do whatever you want." Buffy's hands waved about her body as she paced.
Randy watched fascinated as she threw out one idea after another. He showed her the holes in her logic, which she would quickly adapt and keep bulldozing ahead. Randy had never met a more tenacious person, except maybe Stephanie, and that was more dumb luck on her part. Buffy got the bit in her mouth and had no intended of letting go until she figured out a way to solve the problem.
Hours later, Buffy was driving away from the house after seeing Randy safely on his way. They worked out a plan that they thought would smoke out their man, now all they had to do was set it in motion. Buffy had just the man in mind to help her do that. She wasn't sure that he would appreciate her drafting him into helping her, but when it was all said and done it was for a worthy cause, besides he deserved it.
The next morning Buffy drove directly to Joe's house, parking the bike in plain sight. She skipped up the front steps and hoped that she didn't find her cousin in an awkward moment. Shrugging her shoulders, Buffy used the spare key Joe had given her to open the front door. She stuck her head in, looking down, and called out. "Morning, everybody, cover all the jiggly parts, I'm coming in." She heard Bob's loud 'woof' of happiness at hearing her voice, but nothing else in the immediate vicinity. Cocking her head to the side, Buffy heard whispering and footsteps coming from upstairs. So, she went into the kitchen to start the coffee brewing, knowing Joe and Stephanie would be down shortly. Bob padded into the kitchen, ready to devour his favorite person, but a quick snap of her fingers had him sitting at attention. Buffy was scratching his head while he docile sat at her feet when Joe and Stephanie arrived.
"I still don't know how you do that, shorty," Joe said, grinning at the tiny blonde who glared at the nickname.
"Dogs, like men, need to know who's in charge." Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. "Coffee is almost ready. I thought I'd come over and take Bob out for a run before I went to work this morning." The large dog's tail thumped happily on the floor, causing everyone to laugh. "Oh, I wanted to ask you about some guy I ran into the other day. What was his name again? I suck at names." Buffy scrunched her nose up as if she was thinking hard, trying to remember the name. "Something Feathers, I think. Medium height, blonde hair, blue eyes, all American boy looks, do you know who I am talking about?" She watched Joe decipher her garbled words, smiling to herself.
"I don't know a Feathers, but there's a Fellows. He's an FBI agent working on a big case that I'm involved with down at the station. Jason Fellows could be who you described. Does that name ring a bell?"
"Yeah, that was it. He said that he knew you. Does he live around here or something? He was out jogging the other day." Buffy poured coffee into three mugs, passing it out while she waited for the answer to her questions.
Stephanie watched her cousin, not sure what was going on, but she had a feeling something was. She wondered if Buffy liked this Jason guy, or was trying to get Ranger jealous. Stephanie could tell Buffy right now that was not the way to go with Ranger.
"I'm not sure where he lives. The Bureau finds their agents temporary housing when they're on an extended stay for long cases like ours. Why are you so interested in Fellows? I thought you and Mancuso were an item," Joe asked, his eyes narrowed trying to figure out where this was leading.
Buffy shrugged a slender shoulder, sipping on her coffee. "I'm a free agent, Joe. The reason I asked was that he startled me while I was jogging, and I forgot to ask about him. I don't like people trying to pick me up when I'm out for a run. Throwing out your name made this guy think he had a definite in with me. Sorry I asked." Buffy pouted, showing her hurt feelings. To lay it on a little thicker, she turned her large green eyes up to him, giving him the best puppy eyes he had ever seen.
"I'm sorry, Buffy; I've been a cop too long. I'm suspicious of everyone when they start asking questions, even Stephanie. I'll talk to Fellows, and tell him to back off, that you're not interested," Joe offered, trying to smooth over Buffy's hurt feelings, hoping to stop the puppy eyes.
"Don't worry about it, he got the message. I just wanted to know for sure that he really did work with you. What are you working on, or can't you talk about it?" Buffy's face was the picture of innocence. A hint of pleading remained in her eyes, with enough real interest on her face that Joe felt flattered by the attention.
Stephanie started to interrupt, knowing that Joe couldn't and wouldn't talk about his work. She almost swallowed her tongue when the street-smart cop started blabbing his guts. Stephanie felt her jaw drop open. Her large blue eyes bounced from Buffy back to Joe, trying to see if this was a joke. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, then listened to Joe explain his case.
"I can't give you all the details, but since we're about to wrap this up soon, it should be okay to tell you this much. We caught a big time mob guy's computer geek hiding money from his boss. After shaking him down, we got him to turn on his boss and agree to testify. He won't tell us where the money is yet, but he will soon."
"That doesn't make any sense," Buffy interrupted Joe's story.
"Huh?" Joe looked insulted. He had worked hard on this case, and one lucky break led him to Randy Briggs.
"I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job, Joe, and I know squat about computers. My best friend is a genius on one though, and Willow can make one sit up and sing the Star Spangled Banner. If this guy was smart enough to work for the mob, which face it, wouldn't hire a stupid guy, why would he be that easy to catch? It doesn't make sense. I know that Willow has her stuff protected so that it will self-destruct if anyone but she messes with it. She once told me that the more you know about computers, the more you put into them. Is this guy like that?" Buffy watched the wheels turn in Joe's head until the light bulb went on upstairs.
"Who is it, Joe?" Stephanie asked, a bad feeling coming over her, telling her that she already knew.
"Randy Briggs," he answered, glancing at his girlfriend to gauge her reaction.
"That name sounds familiar." The lovers' heads snapped around to stare at Buffy in surprise. She rolled the name over her tongue. "Briggs, Briggs, is he real short?" Buffy let her eyes go wide as the question fell from her lips.
"You could say that," Stephanie crowed, "he's a midget."
"Where would you have met Briggs? He's supposed to be under witness protection." Joe didn't like the answer he knew was coming.
"Re-al-l-yy?" Buffy drew the single word out into a long question. "He got knocked over coming into the club I was at when I helped Ranger on a takedown. I bought him a drink as an apology, and we got to talking. We've been e-mailing ever since. He's a sweety." Buffy bit back the giggle that threatened to burst from her lips when she saw Stephanie's face.
"Sweetheart? Randy, a sweetheart? Little bitty guy, great big, blue eyes, are we talking about the same guy here?" Stephanie sputtered, wondering at her cousin's sanity.
"That's him." Buffy grinned, knowing that Randy's bark was worse than his bite.
"I've heard him called many things, but certainly not that,' Stephanie muttered, shaking her head, sending her curls tumbling in every direction.
"Did Randy tell you anything about himself, Buffy?" Joe probed, still trying to figure out why no one at the station knew that Randy was out and about.
"Not much," she shrugged before continuing, "just that he liked computers, and that I could always contact him that way. I told him about my friend, Willow, and we kinda hit it off. What's the matter, Joe?" Buffy saw the worry on the handsome Italian's face. His dark eyes had clouded over as he tried to work out the problem.
"He is supposed to be under witness protection. Without him, we don't have a case against Scampernelli." Joe raked a hand through his dark hair, and then started pacing the short confines of the kitchen.
"Who is this Scaloppini guy? Is he a Big Bad?" Buffy watched the barely controlled anger in every step he took. She could see that the pieces were falling together in his mind, and it would only take a few more pushes for him to fall over the edge.
"Scampernelli runs every chop shop along the Jersey coast, in one way or another. He has a finger in every operation. We've never been able to catch him with the goods until someone gave us a tip leading us to Randy. We got a subpoena which led us to sizable bank accounts and computer records linking Randy to Scampernelli."
"You fell for that. Even I wouldn't fall for that." Stephanie rolled her large blue eyes at her lover. "You were set up. I've seen Randy on that computer. There is no way he'd leave a trace that someone could follow back to him. Face it, Joe, someone played you." Stephanie couldn't help herself; she got a certain kick from seeing the shoe on the other foot for once in this relationship. Not that her heart didn't go out to Joe, but sometimes it got old being the only one that screwed things up.
Buffy didn't want Joe stewing for too long. "Joe, wouldn't it be easy enough to figure out if someone set you up?"
He turned to the small blonde with interest on his face. "How would it be easy?"
"Maybe I'm not seeing something, but wouldn't you just have to find the person who led you to Randy? Wouldn't they be the one responsible for setting this thing up, and wouldn't that have to be someone with the right connections? Why did they pick on Randy anyway?"
Stephanie wondered the same thing. Randy wasn't her favorite person, but she didn't want anything bad to happen to him either. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she let it out when Joe started talking again.
"You might be smarter than you look, shorty." Joe stopped pacing, and winked at Buffy. He walked over to Stephanie, sweeping her into his arms for a loud kiss. "Cupcake, your cousin sure keeps things interesting. Would you two mind meeting me for lunch at Pino's? I could use your help on this." His dark eyes pleaded with her for help without having to say the words.
Stephanie nodded, then thought about getting Buffy's agreement, turned and asked. "If it's okay with you?" She saw her cousin's green eyes sparkling with laughter.
"Sure, tell me when you want me there and I should be able to work my schedule around it. After I take Bob for a run, I'm going by the office, but other than that, my morning should be free. Stephanie, we could run through your skips, and after lunch have Lula meet us at the warehouse for some training." Buffy giggled when she saw Stephanie pale at the suggestion.
"How about I just meet you at Pino's at 12:00? I have to go by my folks this morning. Connie said that she didn't have anything for me, and that she would call if anything new came in for me. Have you already worked off your open work?"
"Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and take Bob out for his run. You two go back to what you were doing before I got here." Buffy wiggled her eyebrows up and down. Snapping her fingers, Buffy walked towards the front door with Bob bounding after her.
Joe and Stephanie exchanged looks, not sure what to make of the strange pair. "You know, cupcake, your cousin is all right in my book. I liked her idea about finishing what we started. You up for another round of good cop, bad cop?" Joe advanced on Stephanie a predatory smile on his face. His eyes swept over her body letting her see how much he desired her.
Stephanie stepped back, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. Her body felt flushed and heat pooled in her stomach, quickly journeying to lower, more interesting parts. Taking another step back, Stephanie pivoted before running for the stairs. Joe quickly caught her, and they raced upstairs laughing.
Buffy pulled her yoga pants off, stowing them in her saddlebags. She stretched her muscles while Bob ran around in circles barking. Several cars slowed down to watch, only speeding up when her head came up from the stretch. Buffy grabbed Bob's leash, heading down the street towards the park in a brisk jog. The large dog easily kept pace, his huge paws ate up the ground, making a loud slapping sound on the pavement. Even in heavy running shoes, the blonde Slayer's footfall didn't create a sound as it hit the hard cement. Its predatory nature automatically adjusting to the environment, blending in, and preparing itself to attack or defend as needed. Buffy kept her breathing calm, allowing her senses to take over. She knew that there weren't vampires or demons around, that didn't mean there wasn't danger. Trenton wasn't a Hellmouth, but it had its own demons, the worst kind - human. Buffy never realized how naïve or cutoff from the outside world she had become living in Sunnydale. Living on a Hellmouth, where each day could literally be the end of the world as we know it had given gave her a narrow view, and she realized that after coming to Trenton.
She understood why people ignored vampire attacks or demon sightings. They saw 'real' humans do much worse with no excuse but that they wanted to. Buffy wondered where the human's Slayer was. Why the Powers had never saw fit to create a champion for them? Oh, she knew the police tried, but what about when it went beyond their control or the police were the problem. It wasn't her place to judge, and she knew that she couldn't use her power against use humans, well, not really. She just questioned the big picture sometimes.
Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, telling her someone was watching her. They weren't close enough for her to smell them, but she could sense them. She continued her run as if she hadn't a care in the world. Turning the corner and heading towards the park, Buffy caught the black Bronco slowly keeping pace with her. She gave Bob's leash a gentle tug before taking off in a full out run.
Tires screeched as Ranger slammed his foot down on the accelerator. The chase was on. A mega-watt smile lit his face, but his dark eyes never left his quarry. Buffy had given him the slip yesterday at the office, and he still hadn't found where she lived. He knew that she didn't live with Joe and Stephanie anymore. The searches he did hadn't turned her name up on an apartment or house anywhere in Trenton. He wasn't sure what caused him to him drive by Joe's. Fortune smiled on him when he saw her bike parked out front, and again when he glanced down the road to see Buffy's unmistakable form jogging towards the park. Ranger did not intend to lose her again.
Taking a sharp corner, Buffy hurdled a park bench, pulling Bob along behind her. Luckily, the small park was practically empty, with only a few squirrels and a wino witnessing her performance. Searching for a place to hide, she quickly dashed around a tree going deeper into the wooded area, away from the road. Buffy knew that Ranger wasn't far behind her. Bending down she let Bob off his leash and sent him home with a sharp command. The large dog looked at her pitifully before taking off for Stephanie's. She grinned when she thought about Ranger following Bob, but didn't think he'd be fooled that easily. Seeing the perfect place to wait for her prospective lover, Buffy went to wait for the next chapter in the Bat and the Cat Show.
Ranger entered the park stalking the blonde prey that he intended on capturing. He didn't see Buffy anywhere, but he knew that she was still here. Walking carefully as he went down the jogging path, Ranger felt a sense of déjà vu when Buffy tackled him to the ground. He turned onto his back to look up at her smiling face.
"We have to quit meeting like this, gorgeous; people are going to talk," Ranger said, pulling her down to his waiting lips.
Buffy allowed her body to relax on top of his. Her tongue dueled with Ranger's for dominance. Neither gave the other the upper hand, only stopping when air became an issue.
"When you find my lair, we can see about continuing this." Buffy shot up into a standing position in one graceful move. She put her foot on Ranger's chest, keeping him on the ground when he tried to follow her. "Uh huh, you have to find me to keep me."
Ranger closed his eyes in frustration. He opened them when he felt Buffy remove her foot from his chest. She was nowhere in sight. Shaking his head, he got up from the ground, brushed himself off, and headed back to his truck. One thing was certain, life with Buffy would never be boring. Now, all he had to do was find where she lived.