Aug 28th - Scavengers
Title: Scavengers
Author: acswatwst (acs)
Rating: FR-18
Word Count: 1,908
Crossover: BtVS / Dr Who / Clifford B. Hicks: Alvin's Secret Code
Disclaimer: This is a derivative work. All BtVS characters and concepts belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox Television, and others. The BBC owns all things Dr Who (K-9, Romana, etc.). Riverton, its residents and the events that occur there belong the the estate of Clifford B. Hicks.
Author's Note: This should really be two stories but we're getting to the end of the month so I've crammed two things together into one. Hopefully it's not too rough around the edges.
Summary: Well, hello Ripper! Missy distracts Giles while Buffy, Alvin, and Romana go get some books.
Buffy was sitting on a tombstone when she heard the distinctive sound of the blue box her mom's time traveling friend used to get around in. It seemed to slide into place between two graves.
"And you're back," Buffy said. "No mini-Mom?"
"She's with Daphne," Romana said.
"The other slayer," Buffy said. "Your friend."
"Yes," Romana said, looking around the sparsely lit cemetery.
"Did you find someone to train her?" Buffy said.
"There were several who would have been suitable, but no one was willing to take her on," Romana said with a frustrated sigh.
"The Watchers have that all wrapped up," Buffy said. "No one wants to get noticed by them, according to Willow. So what are you going to do?"
"I'm still searching," Romana said.
"Mom's memory came back last week," Buffy said. "You and Sam, and Sam's doc showed up. Is it cheating if I tell you what she said about Daphne?"
"It hasn't happened for me yet," Romana said. "Best if you don't give me any details. In my current timeline she hasn't lost her memory yet."
"That must be so confusing," Buffy said.
"Time Lord minds developed over hundreds of thousands of your years to handle it," Romana said. "But we do try to avoid learning about our future, to avoid timeline related problems."
"That must be wild," Buffy said. "Mom won't talk about Daphne, says I'll find out eventually. Which I think is a great big hint."
"Possibly," Romana said. "If I can't find anyone else, I may bring her to you. Or you to her, for a few weeks."
"So, I'd be the Buffy of last resort?" Buffy said. "That doesn't give me the warm fuzzies."
"We don't know anything about how this so-called mystical Slayer ability works," Romana said. "Time travel may break it or your connection to it."
"Mom did say she and Daphne spent a month with someone called Miyagi," Buffy said, "and when they came back, you'd found some slayer books somewhere."
"They seem to be tightly controlled," Romana said. "Your school library is the only place I've found books about these demons that didn't have someone from the Watcher's Council guarding them or are inaccessible, like in the Vatican archives."
"Merrick, my first Watcher, long story, had all the standard Watcher books," Buffy said. "Not sure what happened to them, but Giles said the Council never got his diaries. So, you have a time machine, and I know where they are..."
"Joyce won't approve," Romana said.
"She doesn't have to know," Buffy said. "We can pop down to LA, grab the books, and come back, after you take mini-Mom and Daphne to this Miyagi guy."
"Meet you in the library?" Romana said. "Is your Mr. Giles going to be there?"
"Possibly," Buffy said. "He doesn't know about any of this time travel stuff, but Willow and Xander said they'd distract him when you show up."
"You have this all planned," Romana said. "Your mother is good at planning, if you feed her enough espresso."
"Are you the reason we have one of those crazy expensive Italian espresso machines in the house?" Buffy said. "It drove Dad crazy. She treated it better than his car. She won't let us use it."
"Possibly," Romana said, frowning. "I'm not sure yet what caused the memory loss, but it happened before she moved from Dayton. That she remembered her espresso addiction is unexpected."
"Let's try to avoid more amnesia," Buffy said. "She was arguing with Sam about something about the time vortex, or whatever it was, last night. Science Mom is scary. Even scarier than Culture Mom."
"She just likes to argue with Samantha about science," Romana said. "I'm not sure why."
"You go take care of that other stuff and meet us in the library," Buffy said, waving her off. "Looks like we have company." Hopping down from the gravestone, she sauntered away.
"Right," Romana said. "Find this Miyagi, get Joyce and the others to him, and meet in the library." She turned and hurried into the TARDIS. "It's going to be a busy night, K-9," she said, starting to push buttons and pull levers.
"Do tell," Missy said, sauntering into the room. "Interesting location for a meeting."
"No time for your schemes," Romana said. "If you want to be useful, stay out of the way. Go play in your lab."
"Let me know when you go back to Sunnydale," Missy said, sniffing dramatically. "Something I need to pick up while we're there."
-- -- --
Buffy, Willow and Xander were hanging out in the library, pretending to study. Giles was behind the counter doing something librarianish.
"I've got your list," Buffy told Willow quietly, pulling a piece of paper out of a pocket. "Do you think we'll have time to grab all of them?"
"If they're where you remember, yes," Willow said, in a low voice. "Make sure you grab the Watcher journals. The Council reports say they were missing along with the books. The only things left were his personal things."
"Got it," Buffy said. "If it looks like a Watcher book, take it. I didn't go back there after he died. Do you think anyone will see me? That wouldn't be of the good."
"The Council didn't find out about Merrick for a week afterward," Willow said. "There should be plenty of time."
"So, Romana stops here, I jump in and we get the books and take them wherever mini-Mom and this slayer are. I do a quick 'How to' on killing demons and vampires, and Romana brings me home. And nobody notices because it's a time machine."
"And you aren't the only slayer in this year, what with Kendra, so no one will notice a slayer disappearing from Sunnydale," Willow said.
"Do we trust this Miyagi person?" Xander said. "You said he comes from an old Watcher family. Kendra's Watcher has strange ideas about slayers and obedience."
"He left," Willow said. "And he isn't one of those stuffy English or colonial Watchers. Completely different attitude towards slayers."
"We'll see," Buffy said. "At least he'll know what she needs." She tilted her head. "And here she is." Buffy jumped to her feet and came around the table.
The TARDIS appeared, sliding into sight with barely any vibration or disturbance in the air.
"Buffy?" Giles said, staring at the TARDIS. "Please step back from that thing."
"You've seen it before?" Willow said.
"Don't worry, Giles," Buffy said. "We've met. They're friendly."
"You've met?" Giles said, taking his glasses off and cleaning them.
"Yup," Buffy said. "Well, not her," she added as the first person out of the TARDIS was a short woman dressed in a black, Victorian era dress, carrying a parasol.
"Ripper!" the woman said, sauntering over to Giles. "You look... old," she said, smirking.
Next out was Romana, who looked over at the woman and sighed. "Missy insisted on coming," Romana said.
"Apparently she knows Giles?" Willow said, frowning.
A man stuck his head out of the TARDIS. "Are we ready to go?" he said.
"Is that Alvin Fernald?" Willow said.
"Who?" Buffy said.
"An inventor," Willow said. "He has so many amazing patents on different things. That crossbow you like so much is one of his designs."
"Daphne is his sister," Romana said. "You've heard of him?"
"There aren't any records of his sister being a slayer," Willow said. "But that makes so much sense. He builds things for a slayer. What year did you just come from?"
"1975," Romana said.
"That's a 'lost slayer' year," Willow said, nodding to herself. "Sometimes the Council doesn't find a new slayer and they disappear before they can be found, and then there's a new one activated somewhere else."
"Well, let's make sure she survives first, right?" Buffy said.
"Of course, Buffy," Willow said. "I have a few ideas. Just make sure you come back."
"Of course," Buffy said. "It's like just taking a stroll." She headed towards the TARDIS door. "The plan is still - get the books, go see this Miyagi, show Daphne some things, and come back?"
"Yes," Romana said.
"So, that's Missy," Buffy said, pausing in the door. "Is Giles safe?"
"From her?" Romana said. "Probably. From whatever scheme she's working on in Sunnydale? If he's fast on his feet? Maybe."
"That inspires confidence," Buffy said sarcastically, rubbing her eyes. "Hopefully Willow and Xander can keep him out of trouble."
"Do we have everyone?" Alvin said, standing next to the console.
"Are we waiting for anyone else?" Buffy said. "Tin dog, genius inventor, alien time traveler, and me, guide and muscle."
"No, this is it," Romana said.
"Good," Buffy said. "1996 LA, here we come." She gave Romana an expectant look.
"Are all slayers tiny?" Alvin asked, as they waited for Romana to push her buttons and pull levers. "Daphne is only an inch taller."
"Camouflage," Buffy said. "The demons don't see us coming."
"Really?" Alvin said.
"Nope," Buffy said, laughing. "We come in all sizes."
"We're here," Romana said.
Buffy poked her head out the door, "Yup, looks like that old dump Merrick stayed in. His books should be down the hall from here." Pulling out her stake she left the TARDIS.
"Ballroom?" Alvin said, cautiously exiting the TARDIS behind her.
"Old Hollywood mansion from the Twenties," Buffy said. "There shouldn't be anyone here, but be careful." She walked across the room and out into the hall, Romana and Alvin following her.
Holding up a hand, she stopped them outside the room. "Sounds like someone else had the same idea," Buffy said. "Wait out here." She pushed open the door, and slipped inside.
There were two vampires pulling books off the shelves at the back of the room. A tall gangly one and a skinny starving looking one.
"The library is closed," Buffy said, throwing her stake at the tall vampire, staking it before they could react to her presence.
"That was amazing," Alvin whispered to Romana, as they watched.
"Time to check those out," Buffy said.
"These belong to Lothos," the skinny vampire said, baring its teeth at her. "By right of conquest."
"Wrong answer," Buffy said. "His library card has been revoked. Lothos is going to be a dust bunny really soon." Moving almost faster than the eye could see, she knocked the vampire away from the books and onto the floor. She shoved her stake into its heart as it tried to get up. "Well," she said. "No vampire dust on the books. Giles would be so proud."
"We'll need a couple boxes or a cart," Alvin said.
Romana pulled out a dog whistle and blew it twice. "K-9?"
"Yes, Mistress?" K-9 said from the door several minutes later.
"We need an anti-grav cart," Romana said.
"Acknowledged, Mistress," K-9 said. Turning he rolled away, headed back to the TARDIS.
"That'll work also," Buffy said. She looked around at the piles of old books. "I'll be right back, need to get something from Merrick's room."
-- -- --
"That's everything on Willow's list, and more," Buffy said, looking at the piles of books in the TARDIS. "Where are we taking them?"
"I have a place," Alvin said. "An old friend left us his house. We've been using it as our base, so Mom and Dad don't get suspicious."
"Okay, off to the secret lair to dump off the books, and then to Miyagi's place," Buffy said. "Easy peasy."