Let the Dominoes Fall - Ch. 3
Title: Let the Dominoes Fall
Fandoms: BtVS, Law & Order SVU & Dexter
Pairing: Buffy/Willow, Alex/Olivia & Debra Morgan/OC
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dexter and Law & Order SVU do not belong to me, nor do the other characters contained herein, ‘cept for the original ones, like Jimmy, he’s all mine and no one else can have him. Title of story belongs to Rancid - ‘cause they're my boys and I love ‘em dearly. This is for fun, not money…suing is bad and provokes the wheel of Karma in a negative fashion…
A/N:A while back, I was asked for a prequel to the first story in this massive A.U., One Last Shot, and the stories that followed, Dark Passenger & Animal. This A.U. took a turn for the wacky in Dark Passenger, crossing over with Dexter and then more so when I wanted to see what damage I could do to the gang from the One-Six.
Let the Dominoes Fall isn’t a true prequel, but it answers questions that a lot of the readership wants to know…at least I hope it does. For that reason, this can actually be a stand-alone if you accept the fact that Buffy and Willow & Alex and Olivia are in established relationships. I hope you read and enjoy…like the rest of the series…they have been experiments to test the boundaries of my writing ability…for this I’m sorry. I hope I succeeded with this endeavor.
Thanks for reading!
Ch. 3 - Let the Bombs Blow
Olivia checks her phone for any missed calls or texts as she and Buffy emerge from the residence hall. She squints against the glare the high, winter sun is causing on her BlackBerry screen and shoots off a few text messages to Alex, Deb and Jimmy. She looks over at Buffy doing the exact same thing. After gathering up the meager amount of evidence Sarah Holland’s room held, Buffy and Olivia made their way to a set of dorms one floor up that had hosted a floor party that Sarah had attended.
After coming out of the hall and the interviews with the few students that knew the young college student, Olivia voices her opinion, “Were you buying any of that?”
Glancing up from the screen of her phone, Buffy smiles and shakes her head. “I’ve known soulless demons with more credibility.”
They jog together across the street and slip into the unmarked Interceptor. As soon as Olivia has the door slammed shut, she slips the key in the ignition, turns the car over and cranks the heater. “Okay,” she stutters slightly, her teeth chattering, “This has got to be the coldest day of the year.”
Buffy shivers in her seat and bobs her head. “I’d be happy to say that at least it’s not snowing, but I feel that’d jinx things so…”
Sending the blonde a playful glare, Olivia fastens the safety belt and puts the car in drive. “I was thinking we swing by the morgue, check in with Melinda and that woman who puts up with you then back to the one-six?”
“Sounds good, Jimmy says they’re on their way back. The Holland’s are going to be coming down tomorrow to start taking care of everything.” The blonde stares out the window, the city passing by in slow motion as they make their way towards downtown.
Thinking about her first few months here in New York and how vastly different things are from where they began to how they are today, threw the resident slayer for a little bit of a loop. Buffy had been floating through life, even after having joined the N.Y.P.D., but when Willow came to visit - as soon as the red head hit J.F.K., she had upended the slayer-turned-cop’s world.
Nearly four years later, the witch and the slayer share an apartment with Buffy’s work partner and best friend, Jimmy while the slayer agrees that her life has surpassed even the best-case scenario she put together years ago.
Of course, the same could be said for Detective Olivia Benson’s life just as well. Alexandra’s Cabot’s return as her departments A.D.A. had set into motion a life style change nearly a decade in the making and it was better than even Olivia had thought possible. Work for the veteran detective has its moments of horror, but it’s no longer her and an empty apartment waiting on her. Now she mostly falls asleep next to a blonde that’s come back from the dead twice and has been kicking some serious ass in Major Crimes unit as their active Bureau Chief.
“Summers, you comin’ in?” Olivia barks, effectively snapping Buffy out of her daydreaming.
“Oh,” Buffy blinks and looks around. “We’re here.”
Olivia nods and asks as they both step from the car, “Where’d you go?”
“Mental vaca,” Buffy retorts and winks at her friend.
They take the steps into the building two at a time, sign in and take the stairs up three floors. The two detectives follow a familiar path to Willow’s office, stepping into the space without even a knock.
“Will,” Buffy calls out before looking up to see the office empty. Her hands go to her hips, tapping her fingers against her body, before stepping over to the side door to the left of her wife’s office. Cracking it open, she pokes her head through and asks, “Will?”
The admin who is responsible for Melinda, Willow and a few other doctors and technicians looks up from her computer screen and smiles at the familiar face. “Detective, it’s good to see you and that woman you seem to be so fond of is in the morgue. She and Melinda have been down there the better part of today.”
“Thanks, Gilda,” Buffy chirps and goes back into Will’s office.
“Why’d we bother coming up here in the first place,” Olivia snarks and Buffy shrugs.
“Habit?” the blonde detective offers as the two head back the way they came, but bypassing the exit to the lobby they go down another flight of steps and move through the door labeled ‘Basement Access’.
They follow the puke green painted walls and linoleum tiled hallway to the set of autopsy suites towards the back of the building. Ignoring the clatter and clink behind the forensics department’s doors as they pass, they push through the double swinging doors and stop as the two detectives watch the two doctors, backs to them, read a computer monitor next to a steel slab and open body.
Will doesn’t turn around as she stops the conversation with her colleague and says, “Hey baby. Hi Olivia.”
Olivia just smirks used to how in tune the two are with each. As much as Olivia loves Alex, she still hasn’t mastered that type of awareness.
“Buff, if you don’t quit making that face and get over here, I’m going to make you cook dinner tonight,” Willow deadpans as Olivia looks over at her friend to confirm that indeed, Buffy’s face is scrunched as she looks at the body on the table.
“You do know,” Melinda says, doing a horrible job at masking the amusement in her voice, “that that’s just kind of creepy?”
Willow turns to her friend and winks. “It’s why I do it.”
Finally the two doctors turn to the detectives and motion them closer.
“We finished up the post on your vic,” Melinda starts, “Do you two want a walk through?”
Buffy and Olivia nod simultaneously and Willow’s face sours, moving next to her wife to lace their fingers together. Buffy reaches up and pecks her wife on the cheek in greeting before turning her attention back to the other M.E.
“We’re still waiting on the blood panel to come back to get an exact quantity, but your victim had a few drinks, enough to impair ability and advanced motor functions. No other markers on the body indicated any drug use so that should make things a bit clearer for prosecution.” Melinda beckons the three closer as she points out a few markings on the body. “Restraints were used; the fibers that were pulled indicate a thin nylon rope, standard purchase at any hardware store. The attack was planned. There were a few splinters in her stomach and breasts, indicating that she was face down when the rapes occurred.”
“Rapes? As in plural,” Buffy grits out.
“Yeah,” Willow answers, offering a hand squeeze in support. She, just as much as Buffy, hates cases like this. To Willow, this type of assault was the worst and she knows her wife feels the same way. The witch suspects that is one of the reasons Buffy and Jimmy never made the full transition into Special Victims; Buffy took rape cases the hardest. “Again, prelim reports indicate three unique semen samples from the swabs.”
“No condoms?” Buffy asks.
Both doctors shake their head, but Willow answers, “I’ve looked at the crime scene and given the attempt at a ritual, there may be something in the rite that would call for the lack of protection.”
Buffy scowls as Olivia swallows the lump in her throat and clips, “Walk me through it.”
Melinda eyes the two detectives before nodding. “From what we’ve been able to determine, Sarah was led, either willingly or she was coerced, to that warehouse. No defensive wounds exist except for the bruising on her wrists. She was more than likely placed on the edge of the platform in a prone position so that her buttocks and legs were left hanging off the edge.”
Willow lets go of Buffy’s hand and moves to stand by Melinda pointing out a set of horizontal bruises marring the upper thighs and groin region of their victim. “Bruising here and here,” Willow says, “indicates that she was pushed against the side of the platform. The pictures Melinda brought back will be able to give a definite match.”
“So they,” Buffy swallows the bile rising in the back of her throat along with the knot of anger and rasps, “they took her from behind, three of them and then what?”
“After they finished with her, we can only guess at how, but a hairline fracture on her left wrist and a small abrasion on her palm could mean that she was pushed up and used her left hand to lessen the impact between her and the platform,” Willow responds and lights up the x-ray box to her right. “This line here is the fracture and consistent with a fall. From there, we think they cut in to her. There were a few hesitation marks surrounding the top of the cut.”
“Also, your killer, at least the one that made the cut, was left handed,” Melinda nods in Willow’s direction.
Buffy and Olivia exchange glances both thinking of one of the young men they interviewed that was not only left handed, but also ‘pinged’ for the two women.
“This will make things easier for you two. Because Melinda’s a genius, we were able to pull a set of prints off the body,” Willow says with a bit of pride.
“Come again?” Buffy asks, sticking her finger in her ear wondering if she heard her wife right. A set of prints would make this nightmare of a case almost bearable.
“One of the attackers, while they were,” Willow fidgets and waves her right hand around blushing, “Uhm, that is, while the assailant was behind her, he placed a hand on her back to steady himself. He sweated through the latex gloves he had on. There was enough residue and oil remaining that we were able to pull three full prints from the right hand and one partial.”
Debra Morgan looks out of the car window, the winter country landscape passing by in increasingly slow increments while her partner for the day and boyfriend meanders along another country highway heading back towards the city. Scowling, she shoots off a text message to her friend.
“How come we got stuck with the shit assignment?”
Her phone vibrates shortly after with a reply, Buffy’s name appearing on the screen above the message:
“Wanted to give u time to molest my partner, which we know u will”
Unable to suppress the smirk, Deb replies, “Fuck off, we’re on our way back. Nearly to the highway.”
“You get an update from Cupcake?” Jimmy asks, his eyes skirting to Debra.
The brunette snorts and shakes her head. “You know it’s scary that you know when I’m talking to her right?”
Jimmy chuckles as he turns down the horrible country music. “Meh, it’s a thing. Any word?”
“Didn’t ask. I was just bitching about us having to make the drive out here,” Debra teases and leans back in her seat.
“Better than interviewing college students that were probably too wasted to remember what happened last night.” Jimmy checks the rearview mirror and signals his move into the fast lane as the car in front of him hits the breaks. “And really, how come every damn time these assholes see an unmarked they hit their breaks?”
Debra laughs and amends, “Like we give a damn if they’re speeding. Do we even have a radar gun in here?”
Jimmy turns to her and wiggles his eyebrows. “True, but they don’t know that.”
Shaking her head at her boyfriend’s antics, she unbuckles her seatbelt and decides to take a few liberties by sliding over to the center of the bench seat to snuggle into Jimmy’s side. For his part, Jimmy grins to himself and wraps the arm that was draped on the back of the seat across the woman’s shoulders.
“What’d you think of the family?” Debra asks, playing with a loose button on Jimmy’s light blue button down.
“Not a lot. They were upset. Don’t think they had a lot of contact with their daughter though.” He gnaws on his lower lip as he pieces together the impressions he gleaned from their interview with Sarah Holland’s family.
“Just seemed…” Debra tries to put words to her thoughts. “Like, I dunno, they didn’t care too much about her. Sad she had died but…”
“Like it was a third removed cousin they just found out that died?” Jimmy offers, enjoying the fact that Debra and him are on the same page when reading people. It is just one of the things that make them work. He knew when he first laid eyes on his girlfriend that she was different and it wasn’t just the fact that she had survived weeks of torture at the hands of a sadistic vampire that killed her entire family, nor was it that he saw past the cuts, bruises and stitches that marred her beautiful face. It was an instantaneous connection, which Debra confirmed she felt too, the first time their eyes met.
“That’s fuckin’ it,” she sighs into his chest.
And then there was the other thing that just confirmed Jimmy’s feelings towards the young detective, she cussed like a sailor on shore leave and damn him to hell, but every time an expletive fell from her lips he got a little turned on. Needless to say on the rare occasion that they did work on the same case, it was a tad distracting.
They let the conversation die out, enjoying the silence except for the whir of the tires and the sounds of passing cars. A short while later as the mile markers for New York City became less and the city loomed in the distance, Debra decides to broach a touchy subject of conversation with the man that she has been sharing a bed with for nearly a year. “You think about our conversation?” she asks tentatively, in a way that she really is unaccustomed to.
Debra Morgan doesn’t do the shy thing, especially around boyfriends, but Jimmy is different for her. From the get go, he is the one person she felt comfortable showing the slightest bit of vulnerability to. He doesn’t abuse or acknowledge when she freaks out or when she cries, he just lets her be and holds her when the time calls for it.
“Yeah, Sweetcheeks, I may have given it a thought or two,” he teases lightly.
“And?” she asks, sitting up to look at his face to gauge his reaction.
“And…you know the girls factor into this for me,” he explains softly.
Deb smiles at him then, knowing that this was going to be a factor in their talks about living together. She also knows that he worries about her feelings towards Buffy and Willow. She just doesn’t know how to reassure him enough that his loyalty to his partner and her wife are pretty much a non-issue for her. She had spent some time after being released from the hospital and closing out the case that took her brother away from her, living with the three of them and she feels confident that it is something she could do again.
Buffy and Willow are good people, dedicated to not only their job but each other and Jimmy as well. They love him and she couldn’t fault either woman for their loyalty to her boyfriend. Truthfully, she appreciates that loyalty more than anything else.
“You know I’m okay with you three right?” She looks at him, locking hazel eyes with his soft green ones.
“I, think, yeah, but I just…I’m not sure how they feel about it ya know?” Removing his arm from around Debra he uses his now free hand to rub the back of his neck. “I don’t wanna cause any waves.”
Unable to suppress the snicker and snort she manages, “Babe, you make waves every fucking time you open your mouth.” She sticks her tongue out at him and he rolls his eyes.
“It’s not just with Buffy and Willow. Fact, I think Cupcake and Red would be copacetic with you crashin’ our little three-way…it’s just, Susie…she…”
“She fuckin’ hates me,” Debra offers and runs her left hand through her hair.
“Yeah,” Jimmy doesn’t deny it. His daughter’s a thorn in his side. He loves his daughter, that isn’t the issue, he just isn’t sure if he likes the person she has become. He also isn’t too sure what he can do about that. His son, God love the fairy, is everything Jimmy could want in a son. He’s smart, kind, cares about his family and even the extended ones that Jimmy has adopted namely Buffy and Willow. Also, it doesn’t hurt that Jimmy and his son’s partner, Tim, get along. Jimmy has even gone to a couple football games with his pseudo son-in-law and had a great time.
Susie just can’t get passed his relationship with Buffy and Willow and now with Debra, citing that Deb’s age is Susie’s issue.
Shaking his head, he comes to a decision, one that’s been brewing for four years, “Ya know, what, as much as it hurts to say this, Susie’s gonna hafta get over herself. We’ll talk to Cupcake and Red tonight at dinner, see what they think about bunking with your crazy ass.” He turns twinkling green eyes and a beaming smile to his girl to sees the joy reflected back at him in her’s.
“Wait,” he sobers slightly, “What’s gonna happen when you get pissed at me and I can’t sleep in our bed?”
Deb playfully socks his chest and snuggles into his side once again saying, “I’ll just send your ass in to sleep with your other women.”
Jimmy’s chest rumbles with laughter and he leans down, places a kiss on top of brunette hair and merges on to the George Washington Bridge sighing as the car’s tires roll onto Manhattan soil.
Stephen MacNamara raises the bottom of edge his glasses that were resting on the bridge of his nose and rubs the abused skin. When he became the lead Assistant District Attorney for the Manhattan Special Victims Unit a year ago he was grossly unprepared for the job. With a little bit of help from Bureau Chief of Major Crimes, Alexandra Cabot, Captain Donald Cragen and the detectives of the squad, he feels only a little more prepared, but a lot more passionate about his assignment, so much so that he has passed up a promotion to continue his work here.
Now, at three in the afternoon, after he’d spent the better part of his day listening to a defense attorney, despite the physical evidence and victims statements on three counts of rape, try to get the case against his client dismissed, Detectives Olivia Benson and Buffy Summers stand in front of his desk asking for warrants on one Hugh Taylor.
“We’ve got a positive match on the prints and the perp was seen with the victim last,” Olivia finishes.
Steve can’t help the smile that pulls the corner of his mouth up. The passion Olivia has is evident. The two while on the same side have butted heads about how to go about getting justice for the victims who come their way, but they work alright together. “Why are you laying out the case for me?” Steve teases the woman, “You had me at positive match with the pulled prints three minutes ago.”
Buffy snickers while Olivia gripes, “Seemed like the thing to do. You get twitchy when I want to make a quick bust.”
Steve shrugs and picks up the phone, dialing Judge Donnelly’s personal line. “Donnelly,” the woman picks up on the second ring.
“Judge, MacNamara here. I need an arrest and search warrant signed off,” Steve chirps into the phone looking at the detectives in amusement.
“I trust you’ll have all the documentation needed?” the judge and former prosecutor asks.
“Of course, I’ll see you in five minutes. Thanks, Liz,” the attorney says before hanging up. Turning his attention to the two detectives, he says, “I’ll meet you at the hall. Go prep a unit for the arrest.”
“Thanks Steve,” Buffy says.
Olivia nods her agreement and the two make their way out of the A.D.A.’s office.
“You want to stop by to see if Alex is available?” Buffy asks as they head in the direction of her friends office.
“Yeah, may as well.” Olivia smiles and strides towards the closed door of her girlfriend’s office. Knocking lightly, Olivia pokes her head through and peers inside. Alex’s bright blue eyes blink behind her black frame glasses before a smile spreads over her face. Taking that as her cue, Olivia pushes the door open and steps inside.
Buffy follows her partner, shuts and quietly locks the door behind her.
“Liv, Buffy, what brings you two by?” Alex asks standing up and coming around her desk to give Buffy a hug first. She then turns to her lover and places a soft kiss on waiting lips.
“Getting a warrant from MacNamara. Thought we’d stop in and see how your day was going,” Buffy answers taking a seat in one of the two chairs across from the attorney’s desk.
Alex’s eyebrow quirks and Olivia fills her in on the case, “That call from this morning, nineteen year old college girl was gang raped and then sliced open.”
Alex visibly cringes as she asks, “You two already have someone in mind?”
Olivia knowing Buffy secured the door behind her pulls Alex down into her lap and wraps her arms around her lover’s waist. The long day finally catching up to her as the heat from Alex’s body settles over her.
“We do. Will and Melinda pulled a nice set of prints off the vic. We’ve got a match via the DMV and we just popped in for the warrant.” Buffy’s pride in the work they’ve done today obvious in her voice.
“Wow, nice work,” Alex praises and squeezes Olivia’s arms. “Why aren’t all your cases like that, Liv?”
“Shut up, Cabot. It’s a good break on a disgusting crime. Nailing these pricks is gonna be the icing on the cake of my pre-dawn wakeup call this morning,” Olivia moans into Alex’s shoulder. Pushing Alex up, Olivia stands and motions for Buffy to follow suit. “We need to go get a few uni’s together for the bust. I may make it home in time for dinner.”
“Well then, text me and let me know for sure and I’ll cut out when you head home. I’m up to my ass in motions. Idiotic defense attorneys and incompetent junior A.D.A.’s do not make me happy.” Walking her friend and lover to her door, she clicks the lock off and opens it up. Buffy offers the lawyer a warm smile before leaving the two alone to say their goodbyes.
Olivia joins her in the hall a few moments later, lip gloss a little smudged, something that Buffy more than happily points out and they make a few phone calls to get two cruisers to meet them at the hall. A half hour later and a round of Olivia and Buffy singing along to Janet Jackson’s “That’s the Way Love Goes”, that neither would admit to under threat of death, they pull up behind the waiting Uni’s and meet MacNamara in the lobby.
He grins holding up two folded blue pamphlets. “Per your request, but I’d like to be there for the arrest. Listening to this kid grovel will make my day just a little better. In fact, seeing him snivel may just give me…Buffy what’s that word you use…happy?”
Buffy’s eyebrow quirks in his direction and she shakes her head. “Yeah, that’s it.”
“Excellent, seeing this kid grovel will give me a happy,” he says stuffing his hands in his pockets and laughing.
“Okay, Summers, seriously, you need to quit rubbing off on my people. Next thing I know I’m going to have El referencing obscure pop culture and trying to fit “-y” at the end of every word,” Olivia snips.
The blonde sticks her tongue out at the other detective and says, “Alright, let’s go get our Shaft on so I can call it a day. Some annoying detective from another unit dragged me out of bed before I could get my morning happy.”
The A.D.A. and other detective exchange looks as Buffy takes off towards the bank of elevators.
The phone’s cradled between Buffy’s shoulder and ear as she waits for her wife to pick up. Three rings in and she hears, “Doctor Rosenberg.”
“Will, you had to have known it was me,” Buffy teases as Olivia pulls out into traffic following one of the two cruisers holding their suspects.
“Actually, I didn’t. It’s called a Bluetooth.” The detective hears some clinking in the background as Willow talks over it, “But that’s beside the point, what news do you have for your wonderful Wiccan wonder?”
The blonde laughs and says, “Perhaps, maybe those prints you and Doc Warner pulled netted us not one but three collars and barring anything serious happening with the interviews and bookings, we can actually have dinner at a decent hour. Also, if you can talk to your people at the labs, we could use a rush on any of the work that still needs to be done; it would make me all sortsa happy.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Dinner sounds nifty, but…” Willow trails off.
“But what Will?” Buffy whines.
“Nothin’. I just wanted to tease you.”
“Will,” Buffy whines, “It’s been too long of a day. No fair.”
“Alright, don’t pout. I hate when you pout. How about I start dinner and have it ready by say six-ish?” Willow asks. While they did their best it wasn’t as often as either she or Buffy would like that they can sit down and actually have a meal together. Most of their time was divided between eating a rushed dinner together at the morgue or the precinct or on occasion a restaurant close to their respective offices.
Today was a rarity and Willow was loath to miss the opportunity.
“’Kay,” Buffy brightens, “You finish up and I’ll meet you at home. Love you, Will.”
“Love you too,” Willow parrots back and ends the call.
Slipping her phone back into her pocket Buffy looks over at Olivia who is still on the phone.
“Lex, it looks like we’ll be good for dinner. You want to eat in or out?” Olivia asks through her own headset.
“In, I can throw something together. If you want to stop on your way home and pick up a bottle of wine that would be nice,” Alex answers as she shuffles another stack of files to the other side of her desk.
“Will do, babe. I’m gonna go, we’re almost to the station and I’ve got reports and three interviews to do.” Olivia merges onto 8th and ignores the cab that just cut her off to focus on her conversation with Alex.
“Aright, text me if anything changes. Love you, Liv,” Alex says as she hears Olivia give her a similar response before hanging up the phone.
Turning to her partner, Olivia asks, “You ready to wrap this thing up?”
Nodding, Buffy agrees, “You may have an idea of how excited I am. I just can’t believe this pulled together so easy.”
“Don’t jinx the case, Summers. We still have three interviews to go through and anyone of them can recant and lawyer up so fast it’ll make even your reflexes seem slow.”
Huffing, Buffy puts her phone to her ear and waits for Jimmy to pick up.
“McAllister,” her friend’s voice barks.
“Old Man, where are you and that woman of yours?”
“Just stepping into the one-six. Where’re you?” he asks stepping into the elevator with Debra. He covers the mouth piece and says, “The girls are on their way in. We should be good.”
“Nice. We’ll see you soon then. If you want to meet us in booking we can split the paperwork and interviews,” Buffy tries to bargain.
“Huh?” Jimmy asks confused as to why they would need to meet his partner in booking.
“We got three suspects coming in. The Uni’s are dropping them off and Olivia and I are coming in to finish it up. Will and Warner worked their magic and we got a set of latents off the body. Our search of the dorm proved all sortsa fruity.” Buffy grins unable to believe that the case still went the way it did today.
“Hot damn Cupcake. Good work,” Jimmy says motioning Deb to change directions and follow him back down the way they came. “We’ll meet you down there.”
“’Kay, see you two in a bit. Maybe you can work one of the interviews and shave off some time. Also, MacNamara should be there before us. He can start the gears and paperwork.”
“I’ll let him know. Bye, blondie.” Jimmy grins at her snippy fuck you before she hangs up.
“You do know that you and Jimmy are fuckin’ weird right?” Olivia asks from the driver’s seat.
Buffy shrugs and slips her phone back in the inside pocket of her coat. She knows it, but she really couldn’t picture it any other way. Work without Jimmy would be unbearable and something she doesn’t want to contemplate.
“Still can’t believe Hugh gave up his buddies like that,” Olivia whistles appreciatively.
“I know. Who knew he’d cave as soon as he saw the handcuffs,” Buffy smirks.
“You telling him about “Chester” didn’t have anything to do with it though.” Olivia’s eyebrow quirks in her friend’s direction, still a little surprised that Buffy would use a fictional suspect to threaten the young student with.
Snickering, Buffy says, “They gang raped a girl and then cut her open because his stupid friends wanted to join the dark side.” Buffy rolls her eyes and folds her arms across her chest. “It’s fucking stupid and if they really want to see dark, leave them alone with me for three minutes. “
“Easy there, slayer. I’ve seen you kick demon ass and don’t think I haven’t forgot about that jacket you owe me. The guts from that thing you killed will not come out,” Olivia reminds the slayer.
“Yeah, yeah, we’ll go shopping on our next day off. I need some new shoes anyhow.” Buffy slumps back in her seat and takes the knit cap from her head, shaking her hair from the bun she had it in.
“Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but going back to you in New York for the first time…that’s seriously all it took for you to sign up?”
The blonde shrugs and says, “Well it seemed like a good fit. I spent my life saving people, that’s not something you turn off. But coming to the city showed me that there’s other ways to do that besides stopping vamps from making budget meals of innocent people.”
“And the Academy? How did you make it through that without giving anything away, you aren’t the wimpiest blonde in the city…?” Olivia cocks her eyebrow and the blonde gives her a sheepish look.
Fandoms: BtVS, Law & Order SVU & Dexter
Pairing: Buffy/Willow, Alex/Olivia & Debra Morgan/OC
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dexter and Law & Order SVU do not belong to me, nor do the other characters contained herein, ‘cept for the original ones, like Jimmy, he’s all mine and no one else can have him. Title of story belongs to Rancid - ‘cause they're my boys and I love ‘em dearly. This is for fun, not money…suing is bad and provokes the wheel of Karma in a negative fashion…
A/N:A while back, I was asked for a prequel to the first story in this massive A.U., One Last Shot, and the stories that followed, Dark Passenger & Animal. This A.U. took a turn for the wacky in Dark Passenger, crossing over with Dexter and then more so when I wanted to see what damage I could do to the gang from the One-Six.
Let the Dominoes Fall isn’t a true prequel, but it answers questions that a lot of the readership wants to know…at least I hope it does. For that reason, this can actually be a stand-alone if you accept the fact that Buffy and Willow & Alex and Olivia are in established relationships. I hope you read and enjoy…like the rest of the series…they have been experiments to test the boundaries of my writing ability…for this I’m sorry. I hope I succeeded with this endeavor.
Thanks for reading!
Ch. 3 - Let the Bombs Blow
Olivia checks her phone for any missed calls or texts as she and Buffy emerge from the residence hall. She squints against the glare the high, winter sun is causing on her BlackBerry screen and shoots off a few text messages to Alex, Deb and Jimmy. She looks over at Buffy doing the exact same thing. After gathering up the meager amount of evidence Sarah Holland’s room held, Buffy and Olivia made their way to a set of dorms one floor up that had hosted a floor party that Sarah had attended.
After coming out of the hall and the interviews with the few students that knew the young college student, Olivia voices her opinion, “Were you buying any of that?”
Glancing up from the screen of her phone, Buffy smiles and shakes her head. “I’ve known soulless demons with more credibility.”
They jog together across the street and slip into the unmarked Interceptor. As soon as Olivia has the door slammed shut, she slips the key in the ignition, turns the car over and cranks the heater. “Okay,” she stutters slightly, her teeth chattering, “This has got to be the coldest day of the year.”
Buffy shivers in her seat and bobs her head. “I’d be happy to say that at least it’s not snowing, but I feel that’d jinx things so…”
Sending the blonde a playful glare, Olivia fastens the safety belt and puts the car in drive. “I was thinking we swing by the morgue, check in with Melinda and that woman who puts up with you then back to the one-six?”
“Sounds good, Jimmy says they’re on their way back. The Holland’s are going to be coming down tomorrow to start taking care of everything.” The blonde stares out the window, the city passing by in slow motion as they make their way towards downtown.
Thinking about her first few months here in New York and how vastly different things are from where they began to how they are today, threw the resident slayer for a little bit of a loop. Buffy had been floating through life, even after having joined the N.Y.P.D., but when Willow came to visit - as soon as the red head hit J.F.K., she had upended the slayer-turned-cop’s world.
Nearly four years later, the witch and the slayer share an apartment with Buffy’s work partner and best friend, Jimmy while the slayer agrees that her life has surpassed even the best-case scenario she put together years ago.
Of course, the same could be said for Detective Olivia Benson’s life just as well. Alexandra’s Cabot’s return as her departments A.D.A. had set into motion a life style change nearly a decade in the making and it was better than even Olivia had thought possible. Work for the veteran detective has its moments of horror, but it’s no longer her and an empty apartment waiting on her. Now she mostly falls asleep next to a blonde that’s come back from the dead twice and has been kicking some serious ass in Major Crimes unit as their active Bureau Chief.
“Summers, you comin’ in?” Olivia barks, effectively snapping Buffy out of her daydreaming.
“Oh,” Buffy blinks and looks around. “We’re here.”
Olivia nods and asks as they both step from the car, “Where’d you go?”
“Mental vaca,” Buffy retorts and winks at her friend.
They take the steps into the building two at a time, sign in and take the stairs up three floors. The two detectives follow a familiar path to Willow’s office, stepping into the space without even a knock.
“Will,” Buffy calls out before looking up to see the office empty. Her hands go to her hips, tapping her fingers against her body, before stepping over to the side door to the left of her wife’s office. Cracking it open, she pokes her head through and asks, “Will?”
The admin who is responsible for Melinda, Willow and a few other doctors and technicians looks up from her computer screen and smiles at the familiar face. “Detective, it’s good to see you and that woman you seem to be so fond of is in the morgue. She and Melinda have been down there the better part of today.”
“Thanks, Gilda,” Buffy chirps and goes back into Will’s office.
“Why’d we bother coming up here in the first place,” Olivia snarks and Buffy shrugs.
“Habit?” the blonde detective offers as the two head back the way they came, but bypassing the exit to the lobby they go down another flight of steps and move through the door labeled ‘Basement Access’.
They follow the puke green painted walls and linoleum tiled hallway to the set of autopsy suites towards the back of the building. Ignoring the clatter and clink behind the forensics department’s doors as they pass, they push through the double swinging doors and stop as the two detectives watch the two doctors, backs to them, read a computer monitor next to a steel slab and open body.
Will doesn’t turn around as she stops the conversation with her colleague and says, “Hey baby. Hi Olivia.”
Olivia just smirks used to how in tune the two are with each. As much as Olivia loves Alex, she still hasn’t mastered that type of awareness.
“Buff, if you don’t quit making that face and get over here, I’m going to make you cook dinner tonight,” Willow deadpans as Olivia looks over at her friend to confirm that indeed, Buffy’s face is scrunched as she looks at the body on the table.
“You do know,” Melinda says, doing a horrible job at masking the amusement in her voice, “that that’s just kind of creepy?”
Willow turns to her friend and winks. “It’s why I do it.”
Finally the two doctors turn to the detectives and motion them closer.
“We finished up the post on your vic,” Melinda starts, “Do you two want a walk through?”
Buffy and Olivia nod simultaneously and Willow’s face sours, moving next to her wife to lace their fingers together. Buffy reaches up and pecks her wife on the cheek in greeting before turning her attention back to the other M.E.
“We’re still waiting on the blood panel to come back to get an exact quantity, but your victim had a few drinks, enough to impair ability and advanced motor functions. No other markers on the body indicated any drug use so that should make things a bit clearer for prosecution.” Melinda beckons the three closer as she points out a few markings on the body. “Restraints were used; the fibers that were pulled indicate a thin nylon rope, standard purchase at any hardware store. The attack was planned. There were a few splinters in her stomach and breasts, indicating that she was face down when the rapes occurred.”
“Rapes? As in plural,” Buffy grits out.
“Yeah,” Willow answers, offering a hand squeeze in support. She, just as much as Buffy, hates cases like this. To Willow, this type of assault was the worst and she knows her wife feels the same way. The witch suspects that is one of the reasons Buffy and Jimmy never made the full transition into Special Victims; Buffy took rape cases the hardest. “Again, prelim reports indicate three unique semen samples from the swabs.”
“No condoms?” Buffy asks.
Both doctors shake their head, but Willow answers, “I’ve looked at the crime scene and given the attempt at a ritual, there may be something in the rite that would call for the lack of protection.”
Buffy scowls as Olivia swallows the lump in her throat and clips, “Walk me through it.”
Melinda eyes the two detectives before nodding. “From what we’ve been able to determine, Sarah was led, either willingly or she was coerced, to that warehouse. No defensive wounds exist except for the bruising on her wrists. She was more than likely placed on the edge of the platform in a prone position so that her buttocks and legs were left hanging off the edge.”
Willow lets go of Buffy’s hand and moves to stand by Melinda pointing out a set of horizontal bruises marring the upper thighs and groin region of their victim. “Bruising here and here,” Willow says, “indicates that she was pushed against the side of the platform. The pictures Melinda brought back will be able to give a definite match.”
“So they,” Buffy swallows the bile rising in the back of her throat along with the knot of anger and rasps, “they took her from behind, three of them and then what?”
“After they finished with her, we can only guess at how, but a hairline fracture on her left wrist and a small abrasion on her palm could mean that she was pushed up and used her left hand to lessen the impact between her and the platform,” Willow responds and lights up the x-ray box to her right. “This line here is the fracture and consistent with a fall. From there, we think they cut in to her. There were a few hesitation marks surrounding the top of the cut.”
“Also, your killer, at least the one that made the cut, was left handed,” Melinda nods in Willow’s direction.
Buffy and Olivia exchange glances both thinking of one of the young men they interviewed that was not only left handed, but also ‘pinged’ for the two women.
“This will make things easier for you two. Because Melinda’s a genius, we were able to pull a set of prints off the body,” Willow says with a bit of pride.
“Come again?” Buffy asks, sticking her finger in her ear wondering if she heard her wife right. A set of prints would make this nightmare of a case almost bearable.
“One of the attackers, while they were,” Willow fidgets and waves her right hand around blushing, “Uhm, that is, while the assailant was behind her, he placed a hand on her back to steady himself. He sweated through the latex gloves he had on. There was enough residue and oil remaining that we were able to pull three full prints from the right hand and one partial.”
Debra Morgan looks out of the car window, the winter country landscape passing by in increasingly slow increments while her partner for the day and boyfriend meanders along another country highway heading back towards the city. Scowling, she shoots off a text message to her friend.
“How come we got stuck with the shit assignment?”
Her phone vibrates shortly after with a reply, Buffy’s name appearing on the screen above the message:
“Wanted to give u time to molest my partner, which we know u will”
Unable to suppress the smirk, Deb replies, “Fuck off, we’re on our way back. Nearly to the highway.”
“You get an update from Cupcake?” Jimmy asks, his eyes skirting to Debra.
The brunette snorts and shakes her head. “You know it’s scary that you know when I’m talking to her right?”
Jimmy chuckles as he turns down the horrible country music. “Meh, it’s a thing. Any word?”
“Didn’t ask. I was just bitching about us having to make the drive out here,” Debra teases and leans back in her seat.
“Better than interviewing college students that were probably too wasted to remember what happened last night.” Jimmy checks the rearview mirror and signals his move into the fast lane as the car in front of him hits the breaks. “And really, how come every damn time these assholes see an unmarked they hit their breaks?”
Debra laughs and amends, “Like we give a damn if they’re speeding. Do we even have a radar gun in here?”
Jimmy turns to her and wiggles his eyebrows. “True, but they don’t know that.”
Shaking her head at her boyfriend’s antics, she unbuckles her seatbelt and decides to take a few liberties by sliding over to the center of the bench seat to snuggle into Jimmy’s side. For his part, Jimmy grins to himself and wraps the arm that was draped on the back of the seat across the woman’s shoulders.
“What’d you think of the family?” Debra asks, playing with a loose button on Jimmy’s light blue button down.
“Not a lot. They were upset. Don’t think they had a lot of contact with their daughter though.” He gnaws on his lower lip as he pieces together the impressions he gleaned from their interview with Sarah Holland’s family.
“Just seemed…” Debra tries to put words to her thoughts. “Like, I dunno, they didn’t care too much about her. Sad she had died but…”
“Like it was a third removed cousin they just found out that died?” Jimmy offers, enjoying the fact that Debra and him are on the same page when reading people. It is just one of the things that make them work. He knew when he first laid eyes on his girlfriend that she was different and it wasn’t just the fact that she had survived weeks of torture at the hands of a sadistic vampire that killed her entire family, nor was it that he saw past the cuts, bruises and stitches that marred her beautiful face. It was an instantaneous connection, which Debra confirmed she felt too, the first time their eyes met.
“That’s fuckin’ it,” she sighs into his chest.
And then there was the other thing that just confirmed Jimmy’s feelings towards the young detective, she cussed like a sailor on shore leave and damn him to hell, but every time an expletive fell from her lips he got a little turned on. Needless to say on the rare occasion that they did work on the same case, it was a tad distracting.
They let the conversation die out, enjoying the silence except for the whir of the tires and the sounds of passing cars. A short while later as the mile markers for New York City became less and the city loomed in the distance, Debra decides to broach a touchy subject of conversation with the man that she has been sharing a bed with for nearly a year. “You think about our conversation?” she asks tentatively, in a way that she really is unaccustomed to.
Debra Morgan doesn’t do the shy thing, especially around boyfriends, but Jimmy is different for her. From the get go, he is the one person she felt comfortable showing the slightest bit of vulnerability to. He doesn’t abuse or acknowledge when she freaks out or when she cries, he just lets her be and holds her when the time calls for it.
“Yeah, Sweetcheeks, I may have given it a thought or two,” he teases lightly.
“And?” she asks, sitting up to look at his face to gauge his reaction.
“And…you know the girls factor into this for me,” he explains softly.
Deb smiles at him then, knowing that this was going to be a factor in their talks about living together. She also knows that he worries about her feelings towards Buffy and Willow. She just doesn’t know how to reassure him enough that his loyalty to his partner and her wife are pretty much a non-issue for her. She had spent some time after being released from the hospital and closing out the case that took her brother away from her, living with the three of them and she feels confident that it is something she could do again.
Buffy and Willow are good people, dedicated to not only their job but each other and Jimmy as well. They love him and she couldn’t fault either woman for their loyalty to her boyfriend. Truthfully, she appreciates that loyalty more than anything else.
“You know I’m okay with you three right?” She looks at him, locking hazel eyes with his soft green ones.
“I, think, yeah, but I just…I’m not sure how they feel about it ya know?” Removing his arm from around Debra he uses his now free hand to rub the back of his neck. “I don’t wanna cause any waves.”
Unable to suppress the snicker and snort she manages, “Babe, you make waves every fucking time you open your mouth.” She sticks her tongue out at him and he rolls his eyes.
“It’s not just with Buffy and Willow. Fact, I think Cupcake and Red would be copacetic with you crashin’ our little three-way…it’s just, Susie…she…”
“She fuckin’ hates me,” Debra offers and runs her left hand through her hair.
“Yeah,” Jimmy doesn’t deny it. His daughter’s a thorn in his side. He loves his daughter, that isn’t the issue, he just isn’t sure if he likes the person she has become. He also isn’t too sure what he can do about that. His son, God love the fairy, is everything Jimmy could want in a son. He’s smart, kind, cares about his family and even the extended ones that Jimmy has adopted namely Buffy and Willow. Also, it doesn’t hurt that Jimmy and his son’s partner, Tim, get along. Jimmy has even gone to a couple football games with his pseudo son-in-law and had a great time.
Susie just can’t get passed his relationship with Buffy and Willow and now with Debra, citing that Deb’s age is Susie’s issue.
Shaking his head, he comes to a decision, one that’s been brewing for four years, “Ya know, what, as much as it hurts to say this, Susie’s gonna hafta get over herself. We’ll talk to Cupcake and Red tonight at dinner, see what they think about bunking with your crazy ass.” He turns twinkling green eyes and a beaming smile to his girl to sees the joy reflected back at him in her’s.
“Wait,” he sobers slightly, “What’s gonna happen when you get pissed at me and I can’t sleep in our bed?”
Deb playfully socks his chest and snuggles into his side once again saying, “I’ll just send your ass in to sleep with your other women.”
Jimmy’s chest rumbles with laughter and he leans down, places a kiss on top of brunette hair and merges on to the George Washington Bridge sighing as the car’s tires roll onto Manhattan soil.
Stephen MacNamara raises the bottom of edge his glasses that were resting on the bridge of his nose and rubs the abused skin. When he became the lead Assistant District Attorney for the Manhattan Special Victims Unit a year ago he was grossly unprepared for the job. With a little bit of help from Bureau Chief of Major Crimes, Alexandra Cabot, Captain Donald Cragen and the detectives of the squad, he feels only a little more prepared, but a lot more passionate about his assignment, so much so that he has passed up a promotion to continue his work here.
Now, at three in the afternoon, after he’d spent the better part of his day listening to a defense attorney, despite the physical evidence and victims statements on three counts of rape, try to get the case against his client dismissed, Detectives Olivia Benson and Buffy Summers stand in front of his desk asking for warrants on one Hugh Taylor.
“We’ve got a positive match on the prints and the perp was seen with the victim last,” Olivia finishes.
Steve can’t help the smile that pulls the corner of his mouth up. The passion Olivia has is evident. The two while on the same side have butted heads about how to go about getting justice for the victims who come their way, but they work alright together. “Why are you laying out the case for me?” Steve teases the woman, “You had me at positive match with the pulled prints three minutes ago.”
Buffy snickers while Olivia gripes, “Seemed like the thing to do. You get twitchy when I want to make a quick bust.”
Steve shrugs and picks up the phone, dialing Judge Donnelly’s personal line. “Donnelly,” the woman picks up on the second ring.
“Judge, MacNamara here. I need an arrest and search warrant signed off,” Steve chirps into the phone looking at the detectives in amusement.
“I trust you’ll have all the documentation needed?” the judge and former prosecutor asks.
“Of course, I’ll see you in five minutes. Thanks, Liz,” the attorney says before hanging up. Turning his attention to the two detectives, he says, “I’ll meet you at the hall. Go prep a unit for the arrest.”
“Thanks Steve,” Buffy says.
Olivia nods her agreement and the two make their way out of the A.D.A.’s office.
“You want to stop by to see if Alex is available?” Buffy asks as they head in the direction of her friends office.
“Yeah, may as well.” Olivia smiles and strides towards the closed door of her girlfriend’s office. Knocking lightly, Olivia pokes her head through and peers inside. Alex’s bright blue eyes blink behind her black frame glasses before a smile spreads over her face. Taking that as her cue, Olivia pushes the door open and steps inside.
Buffy follows her partner, shuts and quietly locks the door behind her.
“Liv, Buffy, what brings you two by?” Alex asks standing up and coming around her desk to give Buffy a hug first. She then turns to her lover and places a soft kiss on waiting lips.
“Getting a warrant from MacNamara. Thought we’d stop in and see how your day was going,” Buffy answers taking a seat in one of the two chairs across from the attorney’s desk.
Alex’s eyebrow quirks and Olivia fills her in on the case, “That call from this morning, nineteen year old college girl was gang raped and then sliced open.”
Alex visibly cringes as she asks, “You two already have someone in mind?”
Olivia knowing Buffy secured the door behind her pulls Alex down into her lap and wraps her arms around her lover’s waist. The long day finally catching up to her as the heat from Alex’s body settles over her.
“We do. Will and Melinda pulled a nice set of prints off the vic. We’ve got a match via the DMV and we just popped in for the warrant.” Buffy’s pride in the work they’ve done today obvious in her voice.
“Wow, nice work,” Alex praises and squeezes Olivia’s arms. “Why aren’t all your cases like that, Liv?”
“Shut up, Cabot. It’s a good break on a disgusting crime. Nailing these pricks is gonna be the icing on the cake of my pre-dawn wakeup call this morning,” Olivia moans into Alex’s shoulder. Pushing Alex up, Olivia stands and motions for Buffy to follow suit. “We need to go get a few uni’s together for the bust. I may make it home in time for dinner.”
“Well then, text me and let me know for sure and I’ll cut out when you head home. I’m up to my ass in motions. Idiotic defense attorneys and incompetent junior A.D.A.’s do not make me happy.” Walking her friend and lover to her door, she clicks the lock off and opens it up. Buffy offers the lawyer a warm smile before leaving the two alone to say their goodbyes.
Olivia joins her in the hall a few moments later, lip gloss a little smudged, something that Buffy more than happily points out and they make a few phone calls to get two cruisers to meet them at the hall. A half hour later and a round of Olivia and Buffy singing along to Janet Jackson’s “That’s the Way Love Goes”, that neither would admit to under threat of death, they pull up behind the waiting Uni’s and meet MacNamara in the lobby.
He grins holding up two folded blue pamphlets. “Per your request, but I’d like to be there for the arrest. Listening to this kid grovel will make my day just a little better. In fact, seeing him snivel may just give me…Buffy what’s that word you use…happy?”
Buffy’s eyebrow quirks in his direction and she shakes her head. “Yeah, that’s it.”
“Excellent, seeing this kid grovel will give me a happy,” he says stuffing his hands in his pockets and laughing.
“Okay, Summers, seriously, you need to quit rubbing off on my people. Next thing I know I’m going to have El referencing obscure pop culture and trying to fit “-y” at the end of every word,” Olivia snips.
The blonde sticks her tongue out at the other detective and says, “Alright, let’s go get our Shaft on so I can call it a day. Some annoying detective from another unit dragged me out of bed before I could get my morning happy.”
The A.D.A. and other detective exchange looks as Buffy takes off towards the bank of elevators.
The phone’s cradled between Buffy’s shoulder and ear as she waits for her wife to pick up. Three rings in and she hears, “Doctor Rosenberg.”
“Will, you had to have known it was me,” Buffy teases as Olivia pulls out into traffic following one of the two cruisers holding their suspects.
“Actually, I didn’t. It’s called a Bluetooth.” The detective hears some clinking in the background as Willow talks over it, “But that’s beside the point, what news do you have for your wonderful Wiccan wonder?”
The blonde laughs and says, “Perhaps, maybe those prints you and Doc Warner pulled netted us not one but three collars and barring anything serious happening with the interviews and bookings, we can actually have dinner at a decent hour. Also, if you can talk to your people at the labs, we could use a rush on any of the work that still needs to be done; it would make me all sortsa happy.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Dinner sounds nifty, but…” Willow trails off.
“But what Will?” Buffy whines.
“Nothin’. I just wanted to tease you.”
“Will,” Buffy whines, “It’s been too long of a day. No fair.”
“Alright, don’t pout. I hate when you pout. How about I start dinner and have it ready by say six-ish?” Willow asks. While they did their best it wasn’t as often as either she or Buffy would like that they can sit down and actually have a meal together. Most of their time was divided between eating a rushed dinner together at the morgue or the precinct or on occasion a restaurant close to their respective offices.
Today was a rarity and Willow was loath to miss the opportunity.
“’Kay,” Buffy brightens, “You finish up and I’ll meet you at home. Love you, Will.”
“Love you too,” Willow parrots back and ends the call.
Slipping her phone back into her pocket Buffy looks over at Olivia who is still on the phone.
“Lex, it looks like we’ll be good for dinner. You want to eat in or out?” Olivia asks through her own headset.
“In, I can throw something together. If you want to stop on your way home and pick up a bottle of wine that would be nice,” Alex answers as she shuffles another stack of files to the other side of her desk.
“Will do, babe. I’m gonna go, we’re almost to the station and I’ve got reports and three interviews to do.” Olivia merges onto 8th and ignores the cab that just cut her off to focus on her conversation with Alex.
“Aright, text me if anything changes. Love you, Liv,” Alex says as she hears Olivia give her a similar response before hanging up the phone.
Turning to her partner, Olivia asks, “You ready to wrap this thing up?”
Nodding, Buffy agrees, “You may have an idea of how excited I am. I just can’t believe this pulled together so easy.”
“Don’t jinx the case, Summers. We still have three interviews to go through and anyone of them can recant and lawyer up so fast it’ll make even your reflexes seem slow.”
Huffing, Buffy puts her phone to her ear and waits for Jimmy to pick up.
“McAllister,” her friend’s voice barks.
“Old Man, where are you and that woman of yours?”
“Just stepping into the one-six. Where’re you?” he asks stepping into the elevator with Debra. He covers the mouth piece and says, “The girls are on their way in. We should be good.”
“Nice. We’ll see you soon then. If you want to meet us in booking we can split the paperwork and interviews,” Buffy tries to bargain.
“Huh?” Jimmy asks confused as to why they would need to meet his partner in booking.
“We got three suspects coming in. The Uni’s are dropping them off and Olivia and I are coming in to finish it up. Will and Warner worked their magic and we got a set of latents off the body. Our search of the dorm proved all sortsa fruity.” Buffy grins unable to believe that the case still went the way it did today.
“Hot damn Cupcake. Good work,” Jimmy says motioning Deb to change directions and follow him back down the way they came. “We’ll meet you down there.”
“’Kay, see you two in a bit. Maybe you can work one of the interviews and shave off some time. Also, MacNamara should be there before us. He can start the gears and paperwork.”
“I’ll let him know. Bye, blondie.” Jimmy grins at her snippy fuck you before she hangs up.
“You do know that you and Jimmy are fuckin’ weird right?” Olivia asks from the driver’s seat.
Buffy shrugs and slips her phone back in the inside pocket of her coat. She knows it, but she really couldn’t picture it any other way. Work without Jimmy would be unbearable and something she doesn’t want to contemplate.
“Still can’t believe Hugh gave up his buddies like that,” Olivia whistles appreciatively.
“I know. Who knew he’d cave as soon as he saw the handcuffs,” Buffy smirks.
“You telling him about “Chester” didn’t have anything to do with it though.” Olivia’s eyebrow quirks in her friend’s direction, still a little surprised that Buffy would use a fictional suspect to threaten the young student with.
Snickering, Buffy says, “They gang raped a girl and then cut her open because his stupid friends wanted to join the dark side.” Buffy rolls her eyes and folds her arms across her chest. “It’s fucking stupid and if they really want to see dark, leave them alone with me for three minutes. “
“Easy there, slayer. I’ve seen you kick demon ass and don’t think I haven’t forgot about that jacket you owe me. The guts from that thing you killed will not come out,” Olivia reminds the slayer.
“Yeah, yeah, we’ll go shopping on our next day off. I need some new shoes anyhow.” Buffy slumps back in her seat and takes the knit cap from her head, shaking her hair from the bun she had it in.
“Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but going back to you in New York for the first time…that’s seriously all it took for you to sign up?”
The blonde shrugs and says, “Well it seemed like a good fit. I spent my life saving people, that’s not something you turn off. But coming to the city showed me that there’s other ways to do that besides stopping vamps from making budget meals of innocent people.”
“And the Academy? How did you make it through that without giving anything away, you aren’t the wimpiest blonde in the city…?” Olivia cocks her eyebrow and the blonde gives her a sheepish look.