"Fred, could you and Wes come with me? There is something that we need to speak about." The lovers looked at each other in concern as they accompanied Buffy to the study. "Don't look so afraid. We are only going to talk. Fred, I know that you have been getting stronger magically, but the concern is the type of magic."
"What do you mean? She hasn't done anything of a largely dark nature," Wesley growled at the implied threat to his mate.
"That's not true is it, Fred?"
"N-n-no Angel forced me to perform some raisings against people who hid something that he wanted to find. There were a few other spells, and one or two for Cordy as well. He said that he would kill you, Wesley. I had to do it," Fred stammered with tears racing down her cheeks.
"You liked the power though, didn't you, Fred? You were trying to find a way to obtain enough power so that no one would ever threaten you again." Buffy held the other woman's eyes, ignoring Wesley's protests.
"I was tired of being pushed around. I'm smart, smarter than all them; I wasn't going to let them hurt Wesley. They were going to offer me to Charles' pard as a toy."
Wesley bellowed at that; jumping up from his chair ready to return to LA and exact revenge for the offense to his mate.
"Sit down, Wesley," Buffy ordered in a soft voice that tolerated no discussion. "Fred, you are very smart with a natural affinity for magic. Your choice is which type - white or black. I can help you channel the energy needed into Earth Magic, but only after you atone for what you have done. With lots of hard work and commitment, you could learn to protect yourself, and hopefully, others. It's called balance, but you know all about that, being a big brainiac. Are you up for it?" Buffy didn't have to read Fred's thoughts, her expressive face and eyes told Buffy everything she needed to know about the latest additions to her home. Unable to find words at the kind offer, Fred's head bounced up and down happily. "Okay, enough of the drama-rama. Don't know if you had an opportunity to grab weapons before scampering out of Evil Inc. There are plenty enough to pick from here, so no worries."
Buffy opened the hidden bookcase, showing them into the weapons rooms. Wesley saw the scythe hanging on the wall and walked over to observe it more closely. A memory from his Watcher's days tickled the back of his mind, just out of reach. He tried to touch the mystical weapon, but some unseen force prevented him from doing so, no matter how hard he tried.
"You can't touch it. Sorry, no one can but me, just me."
There it was 'for her alone to wield' he turned back to Buffy who saw the wheels spinning in his head. "You're the Guardian; they said it was a myth. Some crazy prophecy about the First Slayer's creation and the one who will become. That's you isn't it, Buffy?"
"You busted me, Wes. Yep, that's me, Guardian Girl." Buffy grinned at her former Watcher. "What weapons are you most comfortable with? I hate guns myself. That's how I died the third time then Willow went all DarthWIllow and yanked it out of my chest. Poof, there I was on wake up number 3."
"You really did die four times?" Fred faltered; her large eyes seemed to fill up the rest of her face.
"Yeah, but it's okay, it was all big picture, test, perseverance, that type thing."
Fred rushed over to embrace Buffy with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry that your life has been so hard, Buffy."
Buffy hugged the sweet Texan before kissing her cheek. "It's okay, Fred. It got me here and here is pretty great. The road trip sucked, but man the amenities are great. I've found my bond mates, family, and friends. So, it's okay. You can't get something for nothing, certainly not something worth having."
Deciding to break up the moment before Fred turned into a pile of mush, Wesley announced. "I'll take the Glock and the blades. Fred uses a Firestar and several small knives, along with throwing stars that she hides I'm not sure where on her body."
"That's a secret girl thing." Buffy winked at Fred. The two women exchanged knowing smiles. "What about Lorne?"
"Surprisingly, he carries a katana down his back and stiletto in his boots. He's quite good, but he won't touch a gun."
"Cool, I'd like to spar with everyone. Everyone needs to feel comfortable with one another's styles. We don't want to misread anybody's body language in a tight situation. We can do that later in the week. Tonight though, we party. I'll introduce you to the Master of the City. How about 9:00? Fred, if you didn't pack anything, I'm certain that something of mine will work for you."
Buffy lent Fred a blood red halter dress that looked marvelous on her. She assisted her with her makeup and hair; they laughed and talked, becoming fast friends. Buffy was happy to have a woman to talk to again. She wore in a gold colored satin dress that criss crossed over her breasts and fastened at the sides, leaving a bare triangle of smooth, toned stomach showing. Tiny pleats flared over slender hips when she walked.
They arrived at Dance Macabre shortly after nine. After finding a table large enough, everyone sat down to enjoy the music. Jean-Claude greeted them. "Ah, petite sorciére, you have returned safely, wonderful. Who is this lovely lady and your other companions?" He bowed over Fred's hand, ever the consummate courtier.
"Jean-Claude, these are friends of mine from LA. This is Fred, Wes, and Lorne. They are under my protection, JC, so don't beat your chest over it. We are going to open a club in the mansion, and they are going to run it. It will be a place for supernatural beings to come; otherwise, they won't be able to find it. Cool, huh? Even vamps need a place to do the Monster Mash." Buffy grinned at him.
The French vampire laughed at her. "That is a marvelous idea, ma sorciére, do you need investors?"
"Naughty boy, you can't have your hand in every pie. No, I have it covered. We are going out tomorrow to see it. It's should be overcast in the late afternoon so we can go see it then. How's Anita?" Buffy asked the last quietly, almost hesitatingly.
"Marianne and she get along well. She seems to be getting a handle on things. Ma petite has almost completed the animator's certification. Anita's worried that without her powers, she won't be able to do her job."
"How is the pard? I know that Nathaniel missed them."
"I think that she is growing closer to the Nimir-Raj," he said sadly.
"Don't give up hope, JC. If it's meant to be, it will happen. She may feel comfortable around him because of his beast and because they don't share a history. It's nice and safe, but it's not necessarily love." Buffy patted his arm in sympathy.
Dark sapphire eyes told of his turbulent emotions swirling inside him. "I will always wait for ma petite, now that I have found her."
"I'll have to talk with Marianne and see if she believes that Anita is ready, but there may be a way to eliminate some of your barriers. Would you be willing to seal off a piece of yourself from her if that were the price of being together?"
Jean-Claude's eyes grew large with excitement, and Buffy could hear his heart speed up ever so slightly. "Mon dieu," then a few seconds later, "yes, if it means we were together, then I would do even that."
"Does Anita know how much you love her, Jean-Claude? When did you decide to stop playing power games?"
"When a certain blonde vigaro, how you say, kicked my ass, and told me to straighten up or I would lose everything. I realized the only thing that I cared about losing was Anita." He turned leaving with a dramatic exit.
Buffy crossed her arms pouting. "Vigaro," she huffed, kissing Damian before pulling him and Asher onto the dance floor.
"She is just a whirlwind isn't she?" Fred's eyes followed the threesome on the floor.
""Yep, she's a little moonpie. It will never be dull around here, Fredikins. Nice to be wanted, not just used for what you can do for someone else," Lorne smiled watching Buffy dancing between Damian and Asher. She laughed and smiled with several people in the club. Lorne noticed what a bright gold her aura glowed. He wondered what Angel was doing now that he knew Buffy was alive and even further out of his reach. He shuddered at the thought, gulping down his drink.
Cordelia crawled on the floor away from the bed. Angel was becoming worse every day. She thought once he realized that Buffy wanted nothing to do with him he would go back to her. She did everything he said, anything he asked no matter how humiliating. Her hair was back to its original brunette. She had it cut shoulder length and curled softly. Cordelia wore the sexiest clothes she could find, showing off her ample charms. Angel needed to realize that he needed a real woman not some scrawny girl.
Angel started calling her chunky, he wouldn't call her by her name anymore just. 'Here, chunky, bend over, chunky, on and on it went. Tonight was the worst. His business meeting went badly and he came home in a rage. Gunn hadn't been there to ensure the legal end and it fell apart, right before they signed. Angel walked in the door grabbed her by the hair, flung her on the bed, and beat her with his fists, then fed from her before forcing his way into her. The demon in her relished the pain, but not the shame and the blame. She knew that by morning, she would heal, but her anger at one person grew to an unmanageable level - Buffy.
The next morning when the maid came to clean the room, Cordelia grabbed her in exactly the same way Angel did the night before. She forced her to strip, the woman cried begging Cordy for mercy,but found none in the seer. She was a were, part of Gunn's pard, and could take a lot of abuse. Cordelia forced her to crawl to her bed and pleasure her, until she was satisfied. After Cordy kicked her from the bed, the girl tried to stand; that was when the seer attacked. She shackled the maid to the wall, grabbing Angel's favorite whip, and started to systematically beat the girl for over an hour. Cordy grew bored after she worked out her initial anger. Dumping the girl's body in the hall, she called to have someone come and take out the trash. She left to go shopping, kicking her victim on the way out, breaking her ribs with a malicious smile on her ruby red lips.
Cordy was shopping in Barney's, trying to figure out what to do about getting rid of Buffy. She recalled an assassin called Death who went after supernatural creatures for the right price. Cordy doubted that Death would take a job from the Master of LA's human servant. She knew she would need someone as a liaison. This had definite possibilities.
Oh, I have just the person. She has a kid about five, yes, that will work out great. Angel will see that we are perfect for each other.
Buffy had only left two days ago, and Angel's angel still boiled at the thought of her. He couldn't figure out who he was angrier with though. It started to focus mainly on Cordy and he wasn't exactly certain why. Mainly, because she always thought she was better than Buffy, and could replace her simply because she wanted it that way. Looking at Cordy, Angel realized that he chose to have a life with a vain, self-centered and selfish woman, rather than Buffy who could be self-centered, but was never selfish or greedy. He looked at his life and didn't like it. He had allowed Cordy to run it for too long, before he took it back and had punished her for it ever since.
Zane opened the door to Edward. "Anita, it's that guy who likes to kill everybody," he screamed.
"Can you narrow it down for me, Zane?" Anita came out of the kitchen with a penguin coffee cup in her hand.
"Come in, Edward. Who are you after this time?"
"Anita, is that anyway to talk to your soul mate?" Edward's smiled, but it didn't reach his pale blue eyes.
"Cut the shit, what's up?"
"Got a contract on a witch that uses small children as sacrifices, need you help. She's here in your town," came the cryptic response.
"You've got to be kidding me. What information do you have and how reliable is it?" Anita had a bad feeling about this, a really bad feeling.
"Talked with one of the victims mother's in LA. Saw the autopsy reports. They cut his heart out and skinned him while he was still alive."
The blue eyes showed no emotion, going even colder, even deader, leaving no doubt where his nickname came from - Death.
"I'm in; what's the bitch's name?"
"Buffy Summers."
"Damnit, Edward! Someone set you up. How, I'm not sure. Much as she isn't my favorite person, no way would she harm a child, or any innocent for that matter," Anita started pacing the room.
"Was she in LA two days ago?"
"I think so."
"Then she's the one. She's guilty Anita. When are you going to quit protecting the monsters?"
"I'm telling you that you're wrong. Look, I'll take you to meet her, if you don't change your mind, then go and try to complete your job. Oh yeah, good luck on that."
'What the hell does that mean?"
"You'll see. Come on."
They arrived at Buffy's house and Nathaniel let them in. Anita looked at him, wondering when the last she saw him was. "Do you come here everyday?"
He smiled at her shrugging. "Buffy's in the backyard doing laps in the pool. You know the way, Anita."
Anita and Edward stepped outside to watch slice through the pool. She appeared oblivious to them. Anita took several steps away from Edward. He pulled his gun pointing it at her head, when she was suddenly gone from the pool. Edward felt a tap on his shoulder, then a fist slammed into his jaw at the same time that he turned. His gun wound up pointing at the ground, no longer in his hand, but in a small, honey golden one.
"Hi, Anita, long time no see. Who's your friend?" Buffy smiled as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. She wore a shimmering silver and green bikini, a silver moon tattoo could be seen shining on her left breast. Suddenly guns from several different windows and doors were pointing at Anita and Edward. "It's okay, guys, just a misunderstanding." She threw Edward his gun before walking over to grab a towel and started drying off and heading into the house. "Come on in, I'm thirsty. Would you like some tea or maybe some coffee, Anita, Blue Mountain?"
Edward watched her hips sway as she sauntered into her home without a care in the world. That was an evil witch that killed small children. She was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen.
"Wipe your chin, Edward, there's a little drool. Come on, this ought to be really good."
"Buffy, this jerkwad is Edward. He was given a contract in LA based on your sacrificing small children for witchcraft," Anita explained.
"Eew, that is gross. I do magic, but so not into the evil stuff. LA, huh, doesn't sound like Angel - too hands off. My guess would be Cordelia. Who hired you and gave you the information, Edward was it?" Buffy looked at the professional bounty hunter.
"A woman named Cecile Kennedy," he answered tersely not liking what was hearing.
"Cecile works for Angel Inc. She has a five year old little boy," Fred supplied joining the conversation.
"Yep, my guess is Queen C. So, the question is what are you going to do, Edward? Gotta warn you, I'm hard to kill." She smiled at him waiting to see what he would do next.
Edward put his best Ted Forrester face on and said, "Can't complete a job that is based on incorrect Intel."
Buffy looked him straight in his baby blues. "Edward, huh, no that name isn't right for you, like a coat you take off and put on. What are you an Eddy, a Teddy, nope those are just more layer. Mmm, now what's this make the lie close to the truth easier that way right? I'm thinking you look more like a Forrest. I know a guy named Forrest once, monster killed him, make happen to you, Forrest? Forrest, Forrest, what, oh, I get it. It's like a riddle. You are Forrest Waters, nice to meet you. Whenever you decide to quit hiding, Forest, I might like to meet you, haven't made up my mind yet. I will give you a job though."
"Lady, don't play with me." Death was staring back at Buffy.
"I've seen scarier than you could ever hope to be; so put it away, before you piss me off. You can take back proof of my assassination, then you get that mother and find her child who had better be alive. You bring them to me here, safe and sound. Don't screw this up."
Buffy's eyes glowed and the air grew thick with her power.
"If that child has been murdered then you find out whose responsible, and let me know ASAP. I'll take it from there." Buffy stormed from the room.
"Well, that went well," Anita commented, glaring at her so-called friend.
Minutes later, the sounds of swords clanging resounded through the house. Everyone ran to the gym and stopped. There stood Buffy, still in her swimsuit, sparring with four men at once with swords, fists, and feet. She moved in a blur of motion as she defeated each man, one after another. Finally, stopping in the middle of the room, Buffy dropped her sword and cried.
Edward saw a man with long, dark, red hair rush forward followed by a tall blonde. They gathered her close, comforting her with quite words and tender caresses. He heard her broken words.
"Cordelia's holding a five year old for ransom, if she hasn't already killed him, just to get rid of me. He must be so scared and his mother is probably going out of her mind. I remember when Glory took Dawn. I shut down because I couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Damnit, why can't they just fight me head on?"
Damian picked Buffy up in his arms. Asher followed close behind. The small family left the room to comfort their distraught mate.
"That's the evil witch you were going to kill," Anita said sarcastically to Edward. She watched him watch Buffy.
"Where did she come from? How did she get so powerful?" Edward asked. Buffy scared him, reminding him of a life he lost a long time ago, reminding him of name he hadn't heard since he was eighteen. How did she know my name?
"I'm not sure that I want to know anymore. She destroyed the Council and has done lots of good since she'd been here. I've been a royal bitch to her, but when am I not?" Anita walked out the door with Edward following her lost in thought.
Upstairs in the bedroom, Buffy lay between Damian and Asher while they held her close. "I need to talk to Selene. Can you make sure that everyone stays away?" She smiled when she felt them nod against her head. They kissed her before leaving the bed to guard the door. "Mommy, I need you."
Selene appeared beside her on the bed, gathering her child in her arms. "Little star, what is wrong?"
"I need to know if it will cause any problems if I go back to save a little boy's life and possibly his mother's as well. If they die, it would be my fault. They are being used to get at me."
"I will find out for you, dear heart. I'm sorry but you are going to have to pass judgment on Angel and Cordelia. Her demon half brought her baser characteristics forward; and Angel, well, he is considering change, but there isn't much hope that he will follow through with it. That certainly isn't his strong suit. You have until you find out the child and his mother's fate, then a judgment must be passed on either one or both." Selene kissed Buffy before disappearing in a sparkle of silver and white twinkling lights.
"Thanks, Mom." Buffy whispered before closing her eyes exhausted from the rollercoaster emotions. A soft smile graced her lips when she felt her mates join her on the bed. They curled up on either side of her, giving her their comfort and love.
Edward, Anita, and Micah arrived at Buffy's the next morning to set up the assassination pictures. Warwick showed them into the living room. He glared at Edward and Anita, letting them know his feelings. Buffy joined them a few minutes later, followed by the former AI team members.
"Hello, everyone, perfect day to fake a death. Wonder if fake ones count?" Buffy sat down in a large leather chair. She cocked her head to the side as she pondered her own question.
"Moonbeam, don't joke. We don't like this," Lorne said sadly.
"It's okay, sweetie. Edward is going to lay it out and make the shot then take the pictures. Remember, we are trying to save two lives here; that is the most important point. We can't take a chance that someone will be able to tell a difference."
"What are you talking about?" Edward didn't like not being in the know about any situation pertaining to his work. The idea that someone set him up already pissed him off, now Buffy sat there talking in some code. His temper was ready to blow.
"Hold your jets, lone gunman." Buffy told him not looking away from Lorne. "You know that we discussed this, and I need you help to make sure that this is believable. Cordelia believes her own hype, and along those lines I have something I need to ask you later." Buffy gave him an encouraging smile.
"Buffy is right. Cordelia will be more prone to believe it, if we are in the pictures and won't be able to throw them out. Once Angel sees them, what he does will make a big difference in what happens to him," Wesley agreed with Buffy's logic.
"Okay, here's how this is going to work. We are going to be out by the pool, you take a shot at me, hit me directly in the chest, take your pictures, you know before, after, with me and a big hole in my chest, and my new friends hovering over me. Got it." Buffy rolled the scenario off her tongue like she was talking about the latest movie at the theatre.
"Are you crazy? I can't shoot you in the chest, you'll die." Edward shot up out of his chair to yell in her face.
Buffy gave him a Cheshire cat grin. "Told you I'm hard to kill, just do it, got my old T-shirt on and everything. Let's get this show on the road." She gently pushed him away and almost skipped from the room heading for the backyard patio.
"Anita, is she for real?"
"Yeah, she took a long range rifle shot straight though the back, heart high. The bullet popped out and mended over. Oh, she saved my life too, since it was meant for me. I would be six feet under instead of talking to you. Just do what she says."