Get Well Card
Chapter 11 - Get Well Card
Jimmy lumbered down the alleyway between two warehouses, matching pace with his partner…and her partner. “Buff, your spidey thing-a-ma-whats-it all a flutter?” he grumbled impatiently. Stupid midtown traffic. Took longer than Creation to get here. I swear I’m growing older by the second. And at my age…
After quickly glancing at another homeless person hiding in the debris, Buffy admitted, “Nope, can't say that it is, old man. I’m dead in the water.” Pretty much the only thing on the radar so far is evidence that our welfare system could use a serious rethink.
They reached the end of the alley. Yeah…thanks for the backup, kid. As Jimmy paused to look around the narrow intersection, he asked, “You, Red?”
She replied, “Yeah, but nothing too major right now,” pointing to a solitary structure off to their left, “The building's just up ahead.”
The old building towered above the others around it. It was one of the largest in the area and coincidentally the most run down. The top row of windows were completely busted out and the front left side of the roof was collapsing.
“Red, you sure this is the place?” Jimmy asked, peering up at the warehouse skeptically. Don’t think much would be in there ’cept spiders, rats and roaches-the two-legged and the eight-legged kind.
Cautiously approaching the building, Willow nodded and affirmed, “I am,” to reassure Jimmy as she led them inside. I mean, sure, I’ll ignore the fact the windows look like a gaping busted mouth and the shards of glass hanging from the window frames look like jagged teeth that are gonna eat me up. Nope, not gonna think about it. I was raised on a hellmouth. This? No problem. Yep, no fear, or worry here.
Little light filtered through the structure. It took a moment for Willow to adjust. Buffy hung back with her, giving them both time, but Jimmy pressed ahead. She started to say something. Instead, her good intentions turned into a stifled giggle fit when he stumble over a cylindrical object, lost his footing and fell. He went backwards much the same way she had at the morgue, but he landed much harder than she had.
Buffy ran up to him and knelt beside her partner, “You okay?”
His face was visibly red and he fought to get his breath back. Finally, getting air into his lungs, he wheezed out, “Yeah, just fuckin’ peachy.”
Buffy helped him up and he looked back to where he slipped. Willow was hunched over the diminished pile and harrumphed. “Vamp dust,” she said, brushing her hands off.
“Explains why they found it on Eaton's body,” Buffy said, kneeling down beside her girlfriend. She touched the small pile of ash and cussed. “Unbelievable. Will, we need more light. Can you assist?”
“Can do,” Willow replied with a smile and began muttering in Latin.
Buffy watched with amusement. A small orb of light grew in the palms of her lover’s outstretched hands. As the intensity of Willow’s muttering increased, the orb grew brighter.
Satisfied with the size of the artificial ball of sunlight she had conjured; Willow cast another spell, sending the orb high overhead. It stopped about fifteen feet in the air and hovered, bathing the building in light.
Buffy flashed a grin at her witch. The warmth drained out of her features when she looked up. There was a spiral design carved into the floor of the building. At the center of the spiral, a small platform stood with two posts protruding up from either side. There's enough blood. Those girls were killed here. And outside the spiral, five piles of vamp dust arranged all pentagram-like. She froze, stopping to suck in a deep, trembling breath when Jimmy mumbled some type of prayer and crossed himself. Wonder if Will’s seen this before. It looks familiar, but not.
“Good work, Red. Looks like we've got our kill site. I'm gonna call it in. Cupcake, whatever mumbo jumbo you and your girl need to do, make it quick."
Willow circled the crude platform and shuddered. “Buff, not to be a scaredy cat, but there’s some serious badness coming off this.” The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she turned toward the source of the discomfort. Behind her, was a staircase that led to some offices. On the landing above them, a figure stood staring down at them.
“Buff,” whispered the witch. When she had Buffy’s attention, Willow motioned with a subtle dip of her chin.
Buffy’s head whipped around. Her eyes tracked the indicated path, settling on the figure above them. The shadows wrapped around him. Even with the slayer's enhanced vision she couldn’t make much out.
The stranger cooed, “Why, Ms. Summers. And look-how nice-Ms. Rosenberg,” sounding so much like Snidely Whiplash that Buffy nearly cracked a grin.
Jimmy drew his gun and leveled it, targeting the shadowy figure.
Raising his hands, the stranger turned to Jimmy and studied him for a moment before speaking. “Detective McAllister, a pleasant surprise. I take it from your presence that your partner has filled you in on her sordid past.”
Jimmy growled, “Look, why don't you just come down the stairs nice and slow…” gesturing with a sideways jerk of his gun “…so we can talk this out.”
The figure let a smile play at the corner of his lips. He ignored the older detective and focused on Buffy. “Slayer, I’m surprised it took you so long to find this place. Actually, I’m a little disappointed. To hear it told, you’re the ultimate adversary.”
Buffy snarked, “Yeah, well…I’m not so much for giving a crap about other people’s opinions,” rolling her eyes dismissively. “What is it with you guys? Do you go to some school that turns out evil masterminds? For Pete’s sake…” she placed her hands on her hips “…I’d think that some of you would hook up between classes, compare notes and find something a little more original. Is there a manual I don’t know about?”
Jimmy glanced between the two, then glanced over his shoulder at Willow. To his surprise, she appeared amused. His head whipped back to the figure on the balcony. What the fuck is she doin’? Red seems happy about this. They’re gonna have to clue me in when this is done. If I didn’t know better, I’d think Cupcake’s enjoying the conversation.
“I just expected more from you. More of a disciplined warrior instead of-well, you. The council really did slip up with your studies,” the stranger snarled smugly.
Buffy glared at him. Her right hand rested on the butt of her gun, but she still kept her stance relaxed and cocky. “Well, if I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, I’m really not one to toe the line. I do things my way. Why don’t you come on down and let me show you how my way feels.”
‘Buff, you do know he’s setting you up right?’ Willow’s voice cut into her thoughts.
‘Yeah, but I figured you’d have something in the mojo department to back me up.’
‘One little word and this guy’s toast,’ Willow confirmed.
‘Love you, Will. What would I do without you?’
‘Be dead.’
Buffy glanced at Willow and winked. As Willow faced the bad guy, she clung to Jimmy’s side, ensuring that she was in a position to protect him.
“Slayer, tell your witch to back off.”
“Sorry, buddy, she’s got a mind of her own.” Buffy shrugged, automatically returning her hands to her hips.
Willow felt the surge before she saw it. Reflexively, she conjured a shield. The air concussed around them, but they were protected from the majority of the blast.
Jimmy winced and his gun discharged.
Willow glanced at the stranger. When the shots hit to his right, he loosed another burst of magic. To her surprise, it arched up. She tracked the stream and got his intent.
Calling out for Buffy to move closer, Willow shored the shield up. Under the force of the blast, the rafters shook. The rotten, old roof tore apart, showering over them.
Willow held the barrier, sensing the impact of the debris. She wasn’t going to keep them safe for much longer. Scraping the limits, she channeled more energy. But she was fighting a losing battle.
As the shield shrank, they were pulled closer together. Willow clung to Buffy and Jimmy, chanting the one incantation she knew would save them. Sorry, guys, best I’ve got. It feels pretty much like being sucked through a soda straw, but-
They were spat from of the building. Hurling through the air, they landed about one-hundred feet away with a sharp thud.
After several moments, Buffy stirred, groggily sat up and shook herself off. Plumes of dust billowed from her clothing and hair. Her attention set on Willow first. She was splayed out groaning, only a few feet away. But when Buffy gently jiggled, Willow tried to bat her hand away. She’ll be fine…just tapped.
Buffy crawled over to Jimmy and asked, “You okay, old man?” He was breathing heavy and shaky. Grabbing her arm, he tried to respond but no words came out.
She called out, “Will, something’s wrong,” her voice trembling.
Willow pushed herself up and looked at her friend. He doesn’t look so hot. Oh Goddess…ashy, struggling for breath. Oh goddess, oh goddess, oh goddess. Jimmy don’t. Stay with us. Willow blindly reached for his pulse and picked up the irregular pattern. Tie. Get his tie. Willow’s finger’s moved deftly and undid Jimmy’s tie, then moved to his shirt. What will work? Think brain. Emergency first aid. I can do this. Aspirin! Who would have aspirin? I need an aspirin. Jimmy. Jimmy needs an aspirin.
“Buffy, you don’t happen to have any aspirin do you?”
Buffy looked dumbly between her unconscious partner and her now black haired lover. Willow looked just as bad. Her face was pale and clammy. Blood dripped from her nose. Why’s Will wigging? He should be fine. And why would I have aspirin? “No. Will,” Buffy replied. Grabbing the panicky witch, she forced eye contact, staring into coal black eyes. “What’s going on?”
“I think he’s having a heart attack. Call an ambulance.” Willow pulled free and reached for her purse. Dumping out the contents, she shuffled through looking for anything to help. She swiped at the blood dripping from her nose with her left and checked for a pulse with her right. Not finding one, she knelt over his chest and began CPR.
After giving dispatch their location, Buffy knelt beside Willow, awaiting instructions.
“When I tell you to, breathe into his mouth,” Willow huffed through the compressions. She counted to thirty and ordered, “Breathe,” in a voice, slightly too loud.
Buffy craned over Jimmy, pinching his nose and puffed twice. When she looked up, Willow resumed compressions. This time Buffy counted, finding the rhythm. On the next repetition, a command wasn’t needed.
As they worked together in tandem, an eternity passed, exhaustion taking its toll. The ambulance arrived almost unnoticed. Willow glanced over her shoulder to see two EMTs unloading a gurney.
“Grab the crash box! His heart’s stopped!” she yelled.
The younger of the two stared at her for a moment, then ran back to the rig. The other came up and moved Buffy out of the way so that he could bag the detective.
“How long as he been down?” asked the elder EMT.
Willow looked up at him to answer, but couldn’t get words to form.
Buffy stepped in and said, “Since I hung up with dispatch.”
“Seven minutes, Jose, are those charged?”
“Ten seconds,” the other EMT replied, kneeling next to his partner.
Jose pushed the dark-haired woman aside and attached the gel pads to the cop’s chest. “Alright.” He grabbed the paddles and hit the cop with a jolt.
Jimmy arched, his muscles locking, then going limp.
Willow watched for a moment as the two EMTs worked on her friend, then took her place at Buffy’s side. The witch heard another, “Clear,” followed closely by the sound of Jimmy falling back to the ground.
“Wait, we got a sinus rhythm. Okay, let’s go,” Jose said.
Buffy stared numbly as they loaded her partner on to the gurney, then ran to get in. Jose stopped Willow from following the slayer. “One person can go.”
“You really want to try and stop me,” Willow purred, leveling a glare at him. Yeah…I know I look pretty. I can feel it. Black hair and eyes, a little blood congealed under my nose and mouth. I look exactly how I feel. Pretty much like poop. May as well use it.
As he met the witch’s gaze, the color drained from his face. Taking a step back, he stammered, “No, uh…no, ma’am. Get in,” raising his hands, then gesturing for her to board. He piled in behind her. Cautious to keep his distance, he crossed himself. Santa Maria! If Momma saw, she’d say ‘demon.’ Gonna go to mass tonight. Fuckin’ freaky bitch. Think I’ll let her do whatever she wants.
Through locks of red hair, Willow stared vacantly at the white tile floor at her feet. The bench she sat on could’ve been an unpadded piece of wood for all the comfort it provided. It hurt. The pain and fatigue were obvious, just from her appearance. She slumped, her forearms resting against her knees.
Boots came into her field of view. They clicked faintly against the floor. She tracked their progress as they fell: perfectly straight, graceful, heel to toe.
When the boots and their owner moved away, she turned her wrist to glance at her watch. Another minute. It’s been almost an hour and still nothing. You’d think they’d say something.
Like clockwork the boots returned, moving the other way. She slowly lifted her eyes, taking in the details. Grungy patches of dark alley dirt stained her lover’s cream colored slacks. It was easy to see from the depth of the stain that Buffy had skidded on this side, her right side and rolled onto her back.
A tear in the hem of the slayer’s blouse drew Willow’s interest. Oh…I liked that shirt. The blue brought out her eyes.
Suddenly, the witch’s face tensed as a wave of pain and nausea hit. She scrunched her eyes closed. Letting her head fall into her hands, she massaged her temples. I wish she’d just stop. It’s making me…
A soft thump followed by whooshing and a slight breeze snapped Willow out of her daze. She turned as the clicking of Buffy’s heels grew louder and more purposeful. Her attention fixed on the man who entered the hallway. He was older than either of them, perhaps her parent’s age, well built, tall and dressed in a suit. It took her a moment to understand why this man was so familiar to Buffy.
Leveling his gaze on Buffy, he asked, “Any word?” When she shook her head, his eyes narrowed. “What happened?” he added with marked interest.
A subtle smirk curled the corners of the witch’s mouth as Buffy took a little creative license, filling him in with a more mundane view of the day’s events.
Her captain asked, “So the guy got away?” chewing on his lower lip.
She muttered, “Yeah,” her tone reflecting disappointment.
He nodded, making eye contact before offering a reassuring, “It’s alright. We’ll get him eventually.”
Buffy let the comment slide and asked instead, “Hey, did anyone think to call Jimmy’s family?”
“No, I just got down here as soon as I heard,” her boss responded with a shrug.
“It’s okay. I’ll call,” Buffy mumbled, turning to leave.
“Hey, Summers…”
She stopped at the sound of the authoritative voice.
“Don’t, okay,” he directed, “It’s not your fault…” meeting her eyes when she faced him “…just shitty timing there, California.” His expression warmed with a supportive grin.
Graciously, Buffy replied, “Thanks, Pat. I’m not,” returning the smile. It faded as she amended, “Blaming myself that is…” her demeanor hardened “…but when I find this bastard…” she let the sentence trail off along with the implication. She received another understanding nod from her captain. Turning on heel, she walked down the hall to sit with Willow. “Hey, you,” she said when she reached the bench.
Willow looked up, offering a tiny smile and whispered, “Hey, back.” Waiting for Buffy to take a seat before she asked, “Who’s that?” to verify her impression.
Buffy replied, “Our boss,” tentatively cupping her hand over the back of her witch’s. “He just popped in to check on Jimmy.” As Willow turned her hand and gave a gentle squeeze, the slayer lamented, “It’s not like there’s a whole lot of information about what’s going on though.”
“I’m still not sure if quick would be good or not,” Willow offered pensively, trying to comfort. It seems like the hospital would contact his family. We sorta gave them everything they needed, but… “Did anyone call Susan or James?” she asked. That’d be putting too much faith in their competence. God, I hate hospitals. They’re just not gonna tell us much.
Numbly shaking her head, Buffy mumbled, “I don’t know-” she rested it on Willow’s shoulder “-what do I tell them?”
Willow touched Buffy’s thigh and gave it a gentle caress. “I’ve got James’ number. We kinda had a bonding walk last night. I’ll call and tell him,” she offered, giving the thigh a pat before rising to her feet. When Buffy snagged her wrist, the witch turned, meeting the sad hazel-blue eyes. With a weak grin, she said, “Stay put. I’ll be back in a jiff. The rest of the gang should be here soon.” Ignoring the woozy, she reluctantly pulled away and started down the hall for the door.
“Will?”
The sound of her name caused her to freeze mid-stride. She spun around.
Buffy began almost timidly, “I just-” cutting off to pull her thoughts together. She cleared her throat and tried again, “Getting us out of there today was wow-worthy. Thank you.”
Closing the distance between them, Willow leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on her slayer’s lips. Offering, “Never thank me for that,” between smooches, she finally relented to whisper, “I love you.” After peering adoringly into her lover’s eyes for a moment, she straightened and started down the hall.
Stupid hospitals. Stupid waiting rooms. You’d think for all the waiting they force you to do they could at least manage a comfortable chair. Buffy’s head rested on Willow’s shoulder. She turned it a little to sneak a peek at her watch. Waiting…it’s been nearly four hours and no one’s come to talk to any of us.
Her attention drifted over the occupants of the room. Memories of sitting in Sunnydale’s hospital flashed through her mind. This is almost as bad as waiting to hear from the doctors after Mom’s surgery. I need to find something to do.
She looked over at Giles and caught his eye. Then nodding at Xander, she stood and motioned for them to follow her.
Buffy left the room and proceeded down a corridor to an empty room with the two men in tow. Shutting the door, she turned to face them and said, “I know Will went over some of the stuff that we found at the warehouse,” crossing the room as she spoke, “I want to know what you can dig up.” She leaned against of the end of the bed, her shoulders sagging. The dark circles under her eyes made her look gaunt.
“And you say that you recognized the markings,” asked Giles.
“Yeah, but I can’t remember,” Buffy replied, shaking her head in frustration. That design’s just so familiar. Too familiar, like I can almost put a finger on it, but not. The ‘not’ may lead to Happy Hour. I could seriously use a drink.
Giles rubbed at the back of his neck saying, “Very well then. Might I suggest you coming back to the apartment to begin looking over some texts? Something there might jog your memory.”
“Not leaving,” Buffy stated obstinately and folded her arms across her chest to punctuate her stance.
“Buffy, please be a little cooperative,” Giles pleaded.
“No way, no how,” she mouthed through clenched teeth.
Still by the door, Xander broke his silence to suggest, “Well, hey, Buffster…” he chuckled when they flinched “…why don’t you just draw a picture? I think we’ve gotten by on less. Then we can take it back and start looking over some things while you and Will wait here.”
Giles started, “Xander, please…” turning silent and malcontent when Buffy cut him off.
“Giles, that’s not a bad idea.” Pushing off the bed, she leveled a glare at her former watcher and reiterated, “I’m not leaving, so it’s the best you’re gonna get. Sorry, I’m setting up ‘Camp Buffy’ until they let me see him. You guys can go be researchy.”
“As you wish. I’ll go and hunt down some paper and perhaps a pencil for you to draw with,” Giles muttered. Walking out the door, he mumbled under his breath, “I swear, how the world is still in working order after having her as a slayer for ten years is really beyond me.”
Buffy snapped, “Hey, I heard that!” Plastering on a thick pout, she followed them out of the room.
The pout had nearly faded when they reached the waiting room door. Big, stupid, dork guy. Giles should totally get this. She took position at Xander’s side while Giles talked one of the nurses out of some paper. Funny how a couple of days ago Xander was being a butt and Giles…it’s like they switched roles.
As he passed by, the watcher handed off the material to his ex-charge before entering the waiting room.
Following the others in, Buffy reclaimed her seat next to Willow. After situating herself, she began to draw the patterns and set up in the warehouse.
Ever the curious one, Dawn peered across Willow’s lap and watched her sister draw. “Buffy, why are you drawing that?” Dawn asked worriedly as the drawing began to take shape.
“It’s what was on the floor of that warehouse. What’s the big?” Buffy said with a shrug and went back to puzzling over the sketch she’d made, wondering if anything was missing.
Dawn replied, “That looks like that thing that sent you to that alt…” Stopping to consider the company, she glanced at Jimmy’s kids and rose to her feet. “Uh, Willow, Buffy, come on,” she said, motioning for them to follow. They left the waiting room. Once outside and alone, she continued, “That little shadow toy that sent you to the alternate dimension.” Taking in the puzzled expressions, she added, “Where you were gonna get super-slayered. Remember?”
“Yeah, I do.” Buffy thought back to the design on the floor and let the memory of being chained to the shadow men’s posts come back to her. The image flashed in her mind and she finished drawing the picture.
Dawn asked pensively, “Why was that on the floor?” taking the drawing from her sister.
Ignoring the grabby hands, Buffy replied “I don’t know.” She rolled her eyes. I’d forgotten how much fun this wasn’t. The eye roll went totally unnoticed. Everyone had their eyes fixed on the scrap of paper. Hoping for answers, she directed her attention to the resident magick expert and asked, “Will, any ideas?”
Willow appeared less than impressed when she grumbled, “Nope. I knew that stupid thing looked familiar.”
“So then there was vamp dust, ritual markings on the floor and the creepy warlock guy,” recapped the slayer, ticking each item off on her fingers. Uh, yeah…lots more nothing. Nice. Really nice. Her hands automatically went to her hips when she remarked, “And the clues all still add up to a big ‘huh’.”
Willow fixed her eyes on a blank patch of wall behind Buffy, staring unblinkingly as she recalled, “There were-the last time I was in Devon-there were some books about slayer lore. Not a lot, but enough to keep me busy for a few hours. There was a set of spells and rituals that took the original ritual and augmented it. They did different things to the person performing the ritual. It could be that whatever he’s doing is something from one of those books.”
Buffy waved her hand to draw her witch’s attention before she asked, “Okay, that makes no sense. Why? I didn’t think a he could do slayer stuff.”
“Willow is there any way you could get those books? Maybe I can translate them better,” Dawn offered.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Willow replied frankly, her interest still focused on the wall. The witch fidgeted and bit her bottom lip. Could call Althenea and see if we can get them shipped.
Buffy’s brow furrowed. She raised her hand to eye level and snapped her fingers.
As Willow mumbled, “I can ask,” she tracked the slayer’s hand back to her waist. She clenched her eyes shut for a moment. When she opened them, pain marred her features. Swallowing thickly, she finished her thought, “The coven really doesn’t like their books leaving the grounds,” glancing up apologetically when she was done.
One look from her slayer and Willow nodded, walking down the hall, her cell phone already at her ear.
When her witch opened the door, Buffy glanced up and smiled. Thank God! She gave her wristwatch a quick peek. Since when does it take nearly forty minutes to make one stupid phone call? Her head tilted to the side. Uh, yeah, so…not really fair. It’s just…one more minute of Teletubbies and I may make the morning paper.
Using Willow’s entrance as cover, she gave Susan a passing glance as she returned her attention to the door. Thankfully, the other woman had her eyes glued to the television. I really want to like her for Jimmy’s sake, but something tells me this is gonna get complicated. Like maybe the fact that every time she thought I wasn’t looking-well, hostility begins to describe it. I wonder what her malfunction is this time.
Willow closed the distance between them. There was a spring in her step that had been missing since the altercation at the warehouse. ’Kay, so…firming up. I’m glad she took the time…Willow feeling better-never a bad thing.
The witch stood in front of Buffy with a warm smile on her face. Buffy reached and grabbed Willow’s hand, pulling her into her seat. When Willow was settled, the slayer asked hopefully, “So do we have books?” suppressing her voice because of the mixed company. Susan clueing up that there’s Scoobiage afoot-yeah, that’d be helpful. Bad enough she’s got this ‘Don Corleone’ sorta charm.
Resting her head on her lover’s shoulder, Willow gave a subtle nod and whispered, “Althenea said she’d overnight them…” speaking up for Giles’ benefit “…and I told her to bill the Council.”
Giles’ lips pursed, but then seemed to think better of it. Tipping his head in agreement, he said, “That’s fine, dear.”
Perking up, “Hey, guys,” Faith interrupted, “I dunno about you, but I can’t sit here anymore.” She stood up and stretched. “Xander and I are gonna go back to the apartment. Call us when there’s more info, B.”
Appearing supremely bored, Kennedy echoed the stretch. Her movement jostled a sleepy Dawn. She stirred. “I think Faith’s got a point,” Kennedy said, rising to her feet. She turned her attention to her girlfriend and asked, “Dawn, you want to go?” When Dawn yawned and nodded her agreement, Kennedy offered a hand.
Giles stood with the others. Directing his attention to Buffy, he offered, “I believe I will join them.” Adding a cryptic, “There’s some material I should review,” he gave her a curt nod.
Dawn hugged her sister and Willow goodbye and followed the gang out the door.
Buffy watched as her family made their departure and heaved a sigh of frustration.
As Willow sat with her lover, she sensed the knots in Buffy’s back tightening. Trying to ease some of the tension, the witch began rubbing small, soothing circles over her slayer’s muscles. Give and take. She got rid of the blackies when we got to the hospital. I scared about half of the staff. That wasn’t loads of fun. Now, if only I could remember the rest of those books. It’s just-there wasn’t enough in those books to go on. It was more light reading while I was there. I couldn’t have expected this. Goddess, I should know by now.
James looked over at the two lovers and smiled. He sighed and got up, offering, “I need to go make a call,” as he left the room.
Susie sat, dully staring at the TV. She abandoned it, turning her attention to the carpet at her feet when Paris Hilton appeared with another insipid little blonde clone.
Willow inquired, “Susan?” smiling when she caught the other woman’s attention, “I’m going to the cafeteria to get some coffee and bring back edibles. You want anything?”
“Ah, no. I’m good. Thanks though,” Susan replied with a forced smile.
As she stood and started patting her pockets for her billfold, Willow asked, “Alright, Buff, what do you want?”
Buffy grinned, watching as her witch moved on to her purse, continuing the quest. When the missing item was finally located, the slayer mumbled, “Coffee…and maybe a donut?” perking up slightly as she added, “Jelly if they have it.” Can’t have stress without donuts. It’d be badness.
“’Kay,” Willow confirmed. Placing a kiss on top of Buffy’s head before she walked out the door. I wonder if there’s a tragedy-to-sugar ratio that I’ve never looked at. We’ve never gone without the aid of sugary goodness when the stress spikes. Would the world end if they stopped making jelly-filled donuts?
Buffy watched her lover retreat and then turned her attention to Jimmy’s daughter. Can’t seem to figure her out. Other than the super-sized chip on her shoulder. Actually, I think her chip has chips. Oh! She glanced at the door. Dammit. I could seriously go for some salty, greasy goodness, but I’m so not chasing her down. Might be a better call than staying here ’cause, besides chips, I’m drawing a total blank. Time to take another one for the team. Summoning her nerve, Buffy began, “So, ah…” letting the sentence die. It’d be good to hold off the talking till I have a clue what to say. I could talk about chips. Yeah…that’d go well. Giving up, she just leaned back in her chair.
Snarking, “My thoughts exactly,” Susan sized the small blonde up. Finally, she voiced what she had been wondering about since the blonde’s supposed family had arrived, “So you want to tell me what all the hush-hush stuff was about?”
Buffy balked at the question and hurriedly answered, “No hush here. Nothing hushy at all, just trying to stay on top of the case. They help.” Nice Buffy. Willow’s rubbing off on you in the bad way too. She suppressed a snicker.
Susan mocked, “Right…” exaggerating the word to unreasonable lengths “…and I’m the Queen of England.” After barking out a bitter snicker, she added contemptuously, “Shoulda known I wasn’t gonna get a straight answer outta the Prom Queen.”
Her teeth gritted, Buffy let it slide. She’s stressed just like me. Patience. I think I have some of that-well, I hope I do, at least. Shaking her head, she forced a polite tone and said, “Really, that’s all. They’re just here to help out.”
Rolling her eyes, Susan pushed herself up straighter in the chair. Her eyes narrowed before she remarked, “Buffy, look I don’t know what exactly is going on, but I know there’s more than anybody’s telling me.” Pointing an accusatory finger, she seethed, “My dad doesn’t take to his partners. He doesn’t let them stay in his house and he doesn’t treat them like he’s treated you. So tell me what the hell is going on with you and my father?”
Buffy let the confusion show. ’Kay, so…the conversation I’m having isn’t the conversation she’s having. What’d I miss? Finally, she offered a bemused, “’Kay, clue a girl in. What are you talking about?”
Susan let out another chilly snicker and clarified, “I’m talking about you and your girlfriend being attached at the hip to my father. I’m talking about my dad never being close to his other partners.” A frustrated sigh passed her lips and she continued, “I mean, growing up with the guy, I never once heard him mention anyone at work. Now he’s letting coworkers stay at his house? On top of that, you have a girlfriend and both of you seem awful cozy with my dad, just like he seems way too close for comfort with the two of you. He’s not a warm and fuzzy guy, okay?”
As Buffy considered Susan’s words, her lips pursed. This isn’t getting any better. And It isn’t gonna till it gets worse. May as well get it over with. Biting the bullet, she huffed, “Oh…’kay…I’m sure somewhere in there you hit on a specific question.”
“Are you and the redhead fucking my father?” Susan spat, glaring at the blonde.
Buffy kinda felt like Wile E. Coyote after a crate of ACME dynamite exploded in his face. Struggling for words, she tried to form sentences, but her brain just wouldn’t cooperate. It was like the tape of her life had gotten jammed in the VCR from Hell and was replaying that one moment. Me, Jimmy, Willow, naked? In the same bed? Visibly shaken, she eventually managed, “Tell me you’re joking?”
Quirking an eyebrow, Susan replied, “Oh, I’m dead serious,” folding her arms across her chest, “He’s way too comfy with you two for this to be just a working relationship.” She chuckled. “Hell, he didn’t even treat our mom as good as he treats you two. So, just tell me if you guys are screwing my father. It’s the least you should do.” She sat back in her chair, awaiting the denial.
Buffy’s mouth opened and closed like a beached fish. She couldn’t form a response. Finally, she choked out, “No…” rising from her chair “…emphatically not!” Mechanically, she started to pace. Her fingers swiped through her hair. As her fist closed, holding onto the crown of her head, she froze in her tracks. She stared blankly at the floor, trying to collect her thoughts.
Finally, she continued, “Besides, if we were…” releasing her hair “…what business would it be of yours?” She focused on Susan. “We’re not, but I-” When words failed her again, the pacing resumed. Suddenly sobering, she stopped and spun to face Susan with her hand on her hips. “What would make you think that?” she asked earnestly, trying to understand.
As Susan tried again to put her finger on how this petite woman could be so imposing, the blonde’s face drew into a hard scowl. Susan clung to her resolve. Meeting the chilly gaze, she responded with the truth. “The way he looks at you two. That’s why. The way you two go out of your way to make sure he’s okay.” She sat forward, placing her elbows on her knees. “You never notice the way he laughs when you guys are around. That’s not my dad. That’s a man I don’t know.”
“You can’t be serious,” Buffy replied bluntly. Throwing her hands in disgust, she immediately let them fall. They clapped violently against her legs. She refused to break eye contact with her partner’s daughter. Finally settling on letting her hands grip her hips, she spat, “Jimmy and I are friends. We work together and ‘yes,’ we’ve gotten closer over the past few months, but nothing’s going on.”
When Susan glared in disbelief, Buffy shifted her weight to her left foot and asked, “Are you out of your mind?” Her hands left her hips, balling up into fists and she hissed, “Of course you are. Why didn’t I see it before? You go out of your way to defend your gay brother. That’s great. Commendable even…” Shaking furiously, she took a step forward.
Buffy loomed menacingly over the seated woman and ranted, “But me? You can’t even entertain the idea that we might just be friends. No, according to crazy girl and her double standards, I couldn’t possibly be happy without a man in my life. There’s no way. I’d have to make a play.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “What is it about me that makes you think that?”
She backed off, starting to pace despondently as she raged, “No, no…not just me. What would make you think that about Will? You know what, I’m done with this conversation. I tried. I want to get along with you for Jimmy’s sake, but you’re insane and-eww, just eww. Your dad’s not a bad looking guy, but I’m way involved and eww-did I mention the eww? He’s like my big brother!”
Willow came into the room carrying drinks and donuts just as Buffy finished her ‘eww’ speech. She set the stuff aside and caught Buffy by the upper arms, halting her mid-pace. Looking from one woman to the next, she raised an eyebrow in question.
Susan leveled her gaze on the redhead and just went for it, “Are you fucking my dad?”
Willow tightened her grip, holding the slayer still as she seethed. It took a moment for the question to register. When it did, she almost let go. Tilting her neck, she glanced at Susan as if inspecting for signs of insanity. Her attention quickly returned to Buffy. “Did I miss something? I missed something. A huge, scary something. Buffy?” she pleaded for clarification.
The blonde rolled her eyes at Willow and shrugged. Without breaking the witch’s grip, she waved her hand in Susan’s direction and filled in aridly, “Miss ‘Gargantuan Chip On Her Shoulder’ thinks, ’cause we’re chummy with her father, that we must be screwing him.”
Willow mumbled, “I have no words,” Letting go, she plopped down in her chair and studied the teacher quizzically.
“You and me both,” Buffy groused, sitting down next to her lover and grabbing a doughnut.
“You two are so full of shit,” Susan fumed.
James chose that moment to walk back into the waiting room.
Buffy looked up, forcing a thin, tight-lipped smile more because of the doughnut in her mouth than her mood. Neither was good, but…
Willow waved and picked up a doughnut, taking a bite.
Buffy’s eyebrow tilted slightly as James’s lover walked in. The detective put the other man a few inches above six feet. He had a shaved head with sideburns ending at the jaw line. Clean-cut in slacks and a button-down checkered shirt. She glanced at the floor and saw the scuffed up Doc Martens.
James beamed back at the two and grabbed his lover’s hand. “Buffy, Willow, I’d like you to meet Tim.” He turned to his boyfriend and directed him to the chairs nearest them. “These are the girls I was telling you about.”
From his general appearance, Buffy wasn’t sure if the guy was going to speak or grunt. But when he smiled, the casual hostility vanished. His features softened and he gently offered his hand in greeting to the two women. “Hi, James has said a lot. Nice to meet you both.” He winked and turned his attention to Susan, “Sus, it’s good to see you again. How’s it been and who’s full of shit?” he asked, taking the seat next to James.
An acerbic smile curled Susan’s mouth as she clipped, “Good. And those two are.” She waved a dismissive hand in Willow and Buffy’s direction. “They’re full of shit. They can’t even be honest with me.”
Buffy shot Susan a hostile glance and grumbled, “Honest? What honest? Your version of honesty has me lying through my teeth.” Rolling her eyes, she went back to her doughnut. Further proof-like we needed it- that the colon and the cranium should never meet. It’s badness.
Susan remained tight lipped. James studied both parties, then pleaded with his sister, “Okay, I obviously missed some vital parts of the conversation. Sis, fill me in.”
Susan’s response was another wave of her hand and a scowl. James read the look and shook his head. Sighing, he said, “Oh Jesus, you’re not on this again are you?”
“The hell I’m not! Our dad’s in the fucking hospital and they can’t even be honest about their relationship.” She sat stiffly in the chair, daring her brother to challenge her.
James softened a little and tried to go for reason, “So am I, Susie-Q. They aren’t, okay, trust me? If you’d spend five minutes talking to them, instead of being bitter, you’d see that they’re pretty cool people. Dad just likes ’em.” After taking a moment to consider, he qualified, “As friends, likes them.”
Snatching her purse from the floor, Susan stalked out of the room, leaving two stunned couples in her wake.
James’ face was red as he turned to his new friends and tried to find the words to apologize, “Uhm, I…”
Willow suppressed the giggle and just shook her head. Mumbling, “That was, uh…” she turned toward the TV and pointed, announcing, “Oh look, Spongebob.” Buffy squeezed her hand. Everyone shared her interest in the yellow cartoon sponge, choosing to ignore the events of the past few minutes.
Mesmerized by the television, time evaporated along with Buffy’s brain. It caught her completely off-guard when Jimmy’s doctor entered the room. She followed numbly along as the doctor explained, “It’s common with most major heart attacks for the patient’s arteries to be nearly blocked. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case with Mr. McAllister. The attack was stressed induced. He had two medium blockages stemming from the Right Coronary Artery. I apologize in the delay, but because the R.C.A collapsed, surgery took longer than expected. I stented the collapsed artery and cleared the majority of the plaque. He should make a full recovery.”
“When can we see him?” Buffy asked.
“I.C.U. is very strict about visitors, Detective Summers. I can allow two in at a time. Five minutes per visit and a maximum of four visits per day. You need to understand that Mr. McAllister needs to recuperate. If it hadn’t been for the people that started CPR when they did, he wouldn’t be here. You may decide who goes in. Just be sure to let the nurse know,” the doctor concluded and, turning to leave, bid everyone a goodnight.
As the doctor left the room, the air somehow felt lighter. Buffy glanced from one relieved face to the next. When she arrived at Willow, the witch suggested, “James, why don’t you and Buffy go first. I’ll try to get in touch with Susan while you’re gone and give her the news.”
Standing, Buffy stretched and said, “Thanks, Will,” turning to give the witch a smile.
James remained seated. Casting a concerned glance at Willow, he asked, “Are you sure? I could-”
But Willow stopped him short by responding firmly, “I’m sure. Now skedaddle.” When James didn’t move, she added, “Scoot.” She dismissively waved him away. “Go see your dad. It’s cool, I’ve got this.”
Facing Buffy, James mumbled, “Arguing-pretty much pointless, right?” When Buffy replied with a subtle dip of her chin and a smile, James just grinned and rose from his chair. Shaking his head, he conceded, “Alright,” and followed Buffy out of the room.
As the doors to their waiting room opened, Willow glanced up from the magazine she was reading. Her lover and James entered the room. Still reading, the witch asked, “How’d he look?”
“Okay,” James offered, sounding more despondent than convinced. He reclaimed his seat next to Tim.
“He looks like I did after my first…” Buffy stopped the analogy and just smiled, continuing the conversation covertly. ‘He looks like I did after my first fight with a Turka-Han.’
‘Turka what? Oh! Turok-Han.’
With a subtle eye roll Buffy reflected, ‘Whatever, uber-vamp thingies. Will, I’m worried, he was pretty unresponsive. He wouldn’t even look at me.’
‘It’s okay. We’ll have him fixed up in no time, but I need you to go in with me.’
‘You have another plan?’
Responding by barely dipping her chin, Willow stood up and offered Buffy her hand. They walked to the I.C.U.’s nurse’s station hand-in-hand and were led back to the room.
“Heya, Red,” Jimmy rasped out “Cupcake, you’re back. Sorry about a minute ago, I was kinda out of it.” He swallowed thickly and shook with a sudden coughing jag. He motioned for the cup of ice water sitting at the end of the tray. Buffy grabbed and offered him a sip from the straw. Satisfied that he could speak without dislodging a lung, he joked, “Nurse came in asked if you and Junior were an item. I think maybe I scandalized you.” He tried to laugh, but was stopped by the pain and threat of another round of coughing.
Buffy smiled at him and shook her head ‘no,’ choking back tears of relief.
“Good, so why you two here? We got a killer to catch.” He tried to sit up, but stopped when Buffy placed a shaky hand on his shoulder. He scowled up at her and said, “I’m laid up is all, kiddo. It’s all on you.”
Willow carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, “No need to worry about that. We’re covered. You, on the other hand, have us worried. I want to try and help heal you, but I don’t have much time and I need your permission.”
“Heal how?” Jimmy asked.
“Just some magick. Nothing dangerous,” Willow replied, giving his arm a reassuring pat.
He looked from slayer to witch and nodded his consent.
Her attention focused on Buffy. Willow took the offered hand with her right and gently scooped up Jimmy’s with her left.
The slayer mirrored Willow’s position, relaxing as though this were old hat.
The muffled sound of Willow’s chanting was nearly lost behind the metered beeps of the heart monitor.
Soothing warmth spread through Buffy, surrounding her like a snuggly blanket. Her eyes grew heavy. She could barely hold them open. As she submitted to the comforting waves, they fluttered closed.
Jimmy gasped a sharp, trembling breath.
Buffy’s eyes snapped open. She shot a concerned glance, but the witch was gone, lost in a trance.
Sensing that Jimmy was doing the same, Buffy forced herself to calm and she shut her eyes.
That little bit of effort proved to be too much. The thick pulses of warmth claimed her. She struggled to open her eyes again for a time, but finally gave up. The pull was too strong. It was useless.
An overpowering haze, tingly and comforting, washed over her. She drowned in it, imagining it was like being swallowed.
Helpless. Pulling away was impossible.
Eventually, the oppressive calm lifted like a veil. It shifted at first as Willow broke the connection, slowly relenting as the seconds ticked by.
As the slayer recovered, Willow peered at Jimmy. His attention was fixed on Buffy as though somehow instinctively he knew.
Willow used the back of her hand to wipe the faint dew of sweat from her forehead. Breathlessly, she asked, “Better?”
The silly grin was a good indicator, but he said, “Better? Hell kid, I feel twenty-two again. What did you do?”
“Mended the damage,” she replied frankly. An impish grin curled the corners of her mouth. It faded as she amended, “Or as much as possible. With any luck your doctor will just think you’re a freak of nature and have you out of here in no time.”
“Cupcake,” he said, “You didn’t tell me your girl was one of the handiest people in the world. Why not?” A small pout, the first Buffy had ever seen from her partner, crinkled the corners of his mouth.
Shaking off the haze, Buffy smirked at both of them and replied, “Well, that’s just part of her charm. She surprises you every day.”
“Hot damn,” Jimmy exclaimed, unable to curb his enthusiasm. He sat up. This time Buffy did nothing to stop him. After adjusting in the bed, he asked, “So while I was out of it, did you guys learn anything new?”
Before either of the women had a chance to answer, the nurse poked her head in the door. Giving them a harsh, disapproving glare, she said, “Ladies, the detective needs his rest. I have to ask you to leave.”
Buffy met the nurse’s gaze and asked politely, “Sure…” extending her index finger “…one more minute, please?”
“Fine, a minute. But not one single second more,” she replied, turning and leaving them alone.
When the door clicked shut, Jimmy prodded hopefully, “So you were saying, Cupcake?”
“Nothing. You need rest. We’ll be back in the morning,” Buffy replied, giving Willow a mischievous look. Simultaneously, they leaned down and kissed the man on either cheek.
As they pulled away, he sputtered. “Cupcake, Red…” he said with playful indignation, mopping his cheeks. “What will the staff think?”
Buffy raised her eyebrow and made her way to the door. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she waved and said, “See you tomorrow, old man. Behave.”
Willow waved goodbye and followed her girlfriend out.
Ch. 12 - Stranger
Jimmy lumbered down the alleyway between two warehouses, matching pace with his partner…and her partner. “Buff, your spidey thing-a-ma-whats-it all a flutter?” he grumbled impatiently. Stupid midtown traffic. Took longer than Creation to get here. I swear I’m growing older by the second. And at my age…
After quickly glancing at another homeless person hiding in the debris, Buffy admitted, “Nope, can't say that it is, old man. I’m dead in the water.” Pretty much the only thing on the radar so far is evidence that our welfare system could use a serious rethink.
They reached the end of the alley. Yeah…thanks for the backup, kid. As Jimmy paused to look around the narrow intersection, he asked, “You, Red?”
She replied, “Yeah, but nothing too major right now,” pointing to a solitary structure off to their left, “The building's just up ahead.”
The old building towered above the others around it. It was one of the largest in the area and coincidentally the most run down. The top row of windows were completely busted out and the front left side of the roof was collapsing.
“Red, you sure this is the place?” Jimmy asked, peering up at the warehouse skeptically. Don’t think much would be in there ’cept spiders, rats and roaches-the two-legged and the eight-legged kind.
Cautiously approaching the building, Willow nodded and affirmed, “I am,” to reassure Jimmy as she led them inside. I mean, sure, I’ll ignore the fact the windows look like a gaping busted mouth and the shards of glass hanging from the window frames look like jagged teeth that are gonna eat me up. Nope, not gonna think about it. I was raised on a hellmouth. This? No problem. Yep, no fear, or worry here.
Little light filtered through the structure. It took a moment for Willow to adjust. Buffy hung back with her, giving them both time, but Jimmy pressed ahead. She started to say something. Instead, her good intentions turned into a stifled giggle fit when he stumble over a cylindrical object, lost his footing and fell. He went backwards much the same way she had at the morgue, but he landed much harder than she had.
Buffy ran up to him and knelt beside her partner, “You okay?”
His face was visibly red and he fought to get his breath back. Finally, getting air into his lungs, he wheezed out, “Yeah, just fuckin’ peachy.”
Buffy helped him up and he looked back to where he slipped. Willow was hunched over the diminished pile and harrumphed. “Vamp dust,” she said, brushing her hands off.
“Explains why they found it on Eaton's body,” Buffy said, kneeling down beside her girlfriend. She touched the small pile of ash and cussed. “Unbelievable. Will, we need more light. Can you assist?”
“Can do,” Willow replied with a smile and began muttering in Latin.
Buffy watched with amusement. A small orb of light grew in the palms of her lover’s outstretched hands. As the intensity of Willow’s muttering increased, the orb grew brighter.
Satisfied with the size of the artificial ball of sunlight she had conjured; Willow cast another spell, sending the orb high overhead. It stopped about fifteen feet in the air and hovered, bathing the building in light.
Buffy flashed a grin at her witch. The warmth drained out of her features when she looked up. There was a spiral design carved into the floor of the building. At the center of the spiral, a small platform stood with two posts protruding up from either side. There's enough blood. Those girls were killed here. And outside the spiral, five piles of vamp dust arranged all pentagram-like. She froze, stopping to suck in a deep, trembling breath when Jimmy mumbled some type of prayer and crossed himself. Wonder if Will’s seen this before. It looks familiar, but not.
“Good work, Red. Looks like we've got our kill site. I'm gonna call it in. Cupcake, whatever mumbo jumbo you and your girl need to do, make it quick."
Willow circled the crude platform and shuddered. “Buff, not to be a scaredy cat, but there’s some serious badness coming off this.” The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she turned toward the source of the discomfort. Behind her, was a staircase that led to some offices. On the landing above them, a figure stood staring down at them.
“Buff,” whispered the witch. When she had Buffy’s attention, Willow motioned with a subtle dip of her chin.
Buffy’s head whipped around. Her eyes tracked the indicated path, settling on the figure above them. The shadows wrapped around him. Even with the slayer's enhanced vision she couldn’t make much out.
The stranger cooed, “Why, Ms. Summers. And look-how nice-Ms. Rosenberg,” sounding so much like Snidely Whiplash that Buffy nearly cracked a grin.
Jimmy drew his gun and leveled it, targeting the shadowy figure.
Raising his hands, the stranger turned to Jimmy and studied him for a moment before speaking. “Detective McAllister, a pleasant surprise. I take it from your presence that your partner has filled you in on her sordid past.”
Jimmy growled, “Look, why don't you just come down the stairs nice and slow…” gesturing with a sideways jerk of his gun “…so we can talk this out.”
The figure let a smile play at the corner of his lips. He ignored the older detective and focused on Buffy. “Slayer, I’m surprised it took you so long to find this place. Actually, I’m a little disappointed. To hear it told, you’re the ultimate adversary.”
Buffy snarked, “Yeah, well…I’m not so much for giving a crap about other people’s opinions,” rolling her eyes dismissively. “What is it with you guys? Do you go to some school that turns out evil masterminds? For Pete’s sake…” she placed her hands on her hips “…I’d think that some of you would hook up between classes, compare notes and find something a little more original. Is there a manual I don’t know about?”
Jimmy glanced between the two, then glanced over his shoulder at Willow. To his surprise, she appeared amused. His head whipped back to the figure on the balcony. What the fuck is she doin’? Red seems happy about this. They’re gonna have to clue me in when this is done. If I didn’t know better, I’d think Cupcake’s enjoying the conversation.
“I just expected more from you. More of a disciplined warrior instead of-well, you. The council really did slip up with your studies,” the stranger snarled smugly.
Buffy glared at him. Her right hand rested on the butt of her gun, but she still kept her stance relaxed and cocky. “Well, if I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, I’m really not one to toe the line. I do things my way. Why don’t you come on down and let me show you how my way feels.”
‘Buff, you do know he’s setting you up right?’ Willow’s voice cut into her thoughts.
‘Yeah, but I figured you’d have something in the mojo department to back me up.’
‘One little word and this guy’s toast,’ Willow confirmed.
‘Love you, Will. What would I do without you?’
‘Be dead.’
Buffy glanced at Willow and winked. As Willow faced the bad guy, she clung to Jimmy’s side, ensuring that she was in a position to protect him.
“Slayer, tell your witch to back off.”
“Sorry, buddy, she’s got a mind of her own.” Buffy shrugged, automatically returning her hands to her hips.
Willow felt the surge before she saw it. Reflexively, she conjured a shield. The air concussed around them, but they were protected from the majority of the blast.
Jimmy winced and his gun discharged.
Willow glanced at the stranger. When the shots hit to his right, he loosed another burst of magic. To her surprise, it arched up. She tracked the stream and got his intent.
Calling out for Buffy to move closer, Willow shored the shield up. Under the force of the blast, the rafters shook. The rotten, old roof tore apart, showering over them.
Willow held the barrier, sensing the impact of the debris. She wasn’t going to keep them safe for much longer. Scraping the limits, she channeled more energy. But she was fighting a losing battle.
As the shield shrank, they were pulled closer together. Willow clung to Buffy and Jimmy, chanting the one incantation she knew would save them. Sorry, guys, best I’ve got. It feels pretty much like being sucked through a soda straw, but-
They were spat from of the building. Hurling through the air, they landed about one-hundred feet away with a sharp thud.
After several moments, Buffy stirred, groggily sat up and shook herself off. Plumes of dust billowed from her clothing and hair. Her attention set on Willow first. She was splayed out groaning, only a few feet away. But when Buffy gently jiggled, Willow tried to bat her hand away. She’ll be fine…just tapped.
Buffy crawled over to Jimmy and asked, “You okay, old man?” He was breathing heavy and shaky. Grabbing her arm, he tried to respond but no words came out.
She called out, “Will, something’s wrong,” her voice trembling.
Willow pushed herself up and looked at her friend. He doesn’t look so hot. Oh Goddess…ashy, struggling for breath. Oh goddess, oh goddess, oh goddess. Jimmy don’t. Stay with us. Willow blindly reached for his pulse and picked up the irregular pattern. Tie. Get his tie. Willow’s finger’s moved deftly and undid Jimmy’s tie, then moved to his shirt. What will work? Think brain. Emergency first aid. I can do this. Aspirin! Who would have aspirin? I need an aspirin. Jimmy. Jimmy needs an aspirin.
“Buffy, you don’t happen to have any aspirin do you?”
Buffy looked dumbly between her unconscious partner and her now black haired lover. Willow looked just as bad. Her face was pale and clammy. Blood dripped from her nose. Why’s Will wigging? He should be fine. And why would I have aspirin? “No. Will,” Buffy replied. Grabbing the panicky witch, she forced eye contact, staring into coal black eyes. “What’s going on?”
“I think he’s having a heart attack. Call an ambulance.” Willow pulled free and reached for her purse. Dumping out the contents, she shuffled through looking for anything to help. She swiped at the blood dripping from her nose with her left and checked for a pulse with her right. Not finding one, she knelt over his chest and began CPR.
After giving dispatch their location, Buffy knelt beside Willow, awaiting instructions.
“When I tell you to, breathe into his mouth,” Willow huffed through the compressions. She counted to thirty and ordered, “Breathe,” in a voice, slightly too loud.
Buffy craned over Jimmy, pinching his nose and puffed twice. When she looked up, Willow resumed compressions. This time Buffy counted, finding the rhythm. On the next repetition, a command wasn’t needed.
As they worked together in tandem, an eternity passed, exhaustion taking its toll. The ambulance arrived almost unnoticed. Willow glanced over her shoulder to see two EMTs unloading a gurney.
“Grab the crash box! His heart’s stopped!” she yelled.
The younger of the two stared at her for a moment, then ran back to the rig. The other came up and moved Buffy out of the way so that he could bag the detective.
“How long as he been down?” asked the elder EMT.
Willow looked up at him to answer, but couldn’t get words to form.
Buffy stepped in and said, “Since I hung up with dispatch.”
“Seven minutes, Jose, are those charged?”
“Ten seconds,” the other EMT replied, kneeling next to his partner.
Jose pushed the dark-haired woman aside and attached the gel pads to the cop’s chest. “Alright.” He grabbed the paddles and hit the cop with a jolt.
Jimmy arched, his muscles locking, then going limp.
Willow watched for a moment as the two EMTs worked on her friend, then took her place at Buffy’s side. The witch heard another, “Clear,” followed closely by the sound of Jimmy falling back to the ground.
“Wait, we got a sinus rhythm. Okay, let’s go,” Jose said.
Buffy stared numbly as they loaded her partner on to the gurney, then ran to get in. Jose stopped Willow from following the slayer. “One person can go.”
“You really want to try and stop me,” Willow purred, leveling a glare at him. Yeah…I know I look pretty. I can feel it. Black hair and eyes, a little blood congealed under my nose and mouth. I look exactly how I feel. Pretty much like poop. May as well use it.
As he met the witch’s gaze, the color drained from his face. Taking a step back, he stammered, “No, uh…no, ma’am. Get in,” raising his hands, then gesturing for her to board. He piled in behind her. Cautious to keep his distance, he crossed himself. Santa Maria! If Momma saw, she’d say ‘demon.’ Gonna go to mass tonight. Fuckin’ freaky bitch. Think I’ll let her do whatever she wants.
Through locks of red hair, Willow stared vacantly at the white tile floor at her feet. The bench she sat on could’ve been an unpadded piece of wood for all the comfort it provided. It hurt. The pain and fatigue were obvious, just from her appearance. She slumped, her forearms resting against her knees.
Boots came into her field of view. They clicked faintly against the floor. She tracked their progress as they fell: perfectly straight, graceful, heel to toe.
When the boots and their owner moved away, she turned her wrist to glance at her watch. Another minute. It’s been almost an hour and still nothing. You’d think they’d say something.
Like clockwork the boots returned, moving the other way. She slowly lifted her eyes, taking in the details. Grungy patches of dark alley dirt stained her lover’s cream colored slacks. It was easy to see from the depth of the stain that Buffy had skidded on this side, her right side and rolled onto her back.
A tear in the hem of the slayer’s blouse drew Willow’s interest. Oh…I liked that shirt. The blue brought out her eyes.
Suddenly, the witch’s face tensed as a wave of pain and nausea hit. She scrunched her eyes closed. Letting her head fall into her hands, she massaged her temples. I wish she’d just stop. It’s making me…
A soft thump followed by whooshing and a slight breeze snapped Willow out of her daze. She turned as the clicking of Buffy’s heels grew louder and more purposeful. Her attention fixed on the man who entered the hallway. He was older than either of them, perhaps her parent’s age, well built, tall and dressed in a suit. It took her a moment to understand why this man was so familiar to Buffy.
Leveling his gaze on Buffy, he asked, “Any word?” When she shook her head, his eyes narrowed. “What happened?” he added with marked interest.
A subtle smirk curled the corners of the witch’s mouth as Buffy took a little creative license, filling him in with a more mundane view of the day’s events.
Her captain asked, “So the guy got away?” chewing on his lower lip.
She muttered, “Yeah,” her tone reflecting disappointment.
He nodded, making eye contact before offering a reassuring, “It’s alright. We’ll get him eventually.”
Buffy let the comment slide and asked instead, “Hey, did anyone think to call Jimmy’s family?”
“No, I just got down here as soon as I heard,” her boss responded with a shrug.
“It’s okay. I’ll call,” Buffy mumbled, turning to leave.
“Hey, Summers…”
She stopped at the sound of the authoritative voice.
“Don’t, okay,” he directed, “It’s not your fault…” meeting her eyes when she faced him “…just shitty timing there, California.” His expression warmed with a supportive grin.
Graciously, Buffy replied, “Thanks, Pat. I’m not,” returning the smile. It faded as she amended, “Blaming myself that is…” her demeanor hardened “…but when I find this bastard…” she let the sentence trail off along with the implication. She received another understanding nod from her captain. Turning on heel, she walked down the hall to sit with Willow. “Hey, you,” she said when she reached the bench.
Willow looked up, offering a tiny smile and whispered, “Hey, back.” Waiting for Buffy to take a seat before she asked, “Who’s that?” to verify her impression.
Buffy replied, “Our boss,” tentatively cupping her hand over the back of her witch’s. “He just popped in to check on Jimmy.” As Willow turned her hand and gave a gentle squeeze, the slayer lamented, “It’s not like there’s a whole lot of information about what’s going on though.”
“I’m still not sure if quick would be good or not,” Willow offered pensively, trying to comfort. It seems like the hospital would contact his family. We sorta gave them everything they needed, but… “Did anyone call Susan or James?” she asked. That’d be putting too much faith in their competence. God, I hate hospitals. They’re just not gonna tell us much.
Numbly shaking her head, Buffy mumbled, “I don’t know-” she rested it on Willow’s shoulder “-what do I tell them?”
Willow touched Buffy’s thigh and gave it a gentle caress. “I’ve got James’ number. We kinda had a bonding walk last night. I’ll call and tell him,” she offered, giving the thigh a pat before rising to her feet. When Buffy snagged her wrist, the witch turned, meeting the sad hazel-blue eyes. With a weak grin, she said, “Stay put. I’ll be back in a jiff. The rest of the gang should be here soon.” Ignoring the woozy, she reluctantly pulled away and started down the hall for the door.
“Will?”
The sound of her name caused her to freeze mid-stride. She spun around.
Buffy began almost timidly, “I just-” cutting off to pull her thoughts together. She cleared her throat and tried again, “Getting us out of there today was wow-worthy. Thank you.”
Closing the distance between them, Willow leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on her slayer’s lips. Offering, “Never thank me for that,” between smooches, she finally relented to whisper, “I love you.” After peering adoringly into her lover’s eyes for a moment, she straightened and started down the hall.
Stupid hospitals. Stupid waiting rooms. You’d think for all the waiting they force you to do they could at least manage a comfortable chair. Buffy’s head rested on Willow’s shoulder. She turned it a little to sneak a peek at her watch. Waiting…it’s been nearly four hours and no one’s come to talk to any of us.
Her attention drifted over the occupants of the room. Memories of sitting in Sunnydale’s hospital flashed through her mind. This is almost as bad as waiting to hear from the doctors after Mom’s surgery. I need to find something to do.
She looked over at Giles and caught his eye. Then nodding at Xander, she stood and motioned for them to follow her.
Buffy left the room and proceeded down a corridor to an empty room with the two men in tow. Shutting the door, she turned to face them and said, “I know Will went over some of the stuff that we found at the warehouse,” crossing the room as she spoke, “I want to know what you can dig up.” She leaned against of the end of the bed, her shoulders sagging. The dark circles under her eyes made her look gaunt.
“And you say that you recognized the markings,” asked Giles.
“Yeah, but I can’t remember,” Buffy replied, shaking her head in frustration. That design’s just so familiar. Too familiar, like I can almost put a finger on it, but not. The ‘not’ may lead to Happy Hour. I could seriously use a drink.
Giles rubbed at the back of his neck saying, “Very well then. Might I suggest you coming back to the apartment to begin looking over some texts? Something there might jog your memory.”
“Not leaving,” Buffy stated obstinately and folded her arms across her chest to punctuate her stance.
“Buffy, please be a little cooperative,” Giles pleaded.
“No way, no how,” she mouthed through clenched teeth.
Still by the door, Xander broke his silence to suggest, “Well, hey, Buffster…” he chuckled when they flinched “…why don’t you just draw a picture? I think we’ve gotten by on less. Then we can take it back and start looking over some things while you and Will wait here.”
Giles started, “Xander, please…” turning silent and malcontent when Buffy cut him off.
“Giles, that’s not a bad idea.” Pushing off the bed, she leveled a glare at her former watcher and reiterated, “I’m not leaving, so it’s the best you’re gonna get. Sorry, I’m setting up ‘Camp Buffy’ until they let me see him. You guys can go be researchy.”
“As you wish. I’ll go and hunt down some paper and perhaps a pencil for you to draw with,” Giles muttered. Walking out the door, he mumbled under his breath, “I swear, how the world is still in working order after having her as a slayer for ten years is really beyond me.”
Buffy snapped, “Hey, I heard that!” Plastering on a thick pout, she followed them out of the room.
The pout had nearly faded when they reached the waiting room door. Big, stupid, dork guy. Giles should totally get this. She took position at Xander’s side while Giles talked one of the nurses out of some paper. Funny how a couple of days ago Xander was being a butt and Giles…it’s like they switched roles.
As he passed by, the watcher handed off the material to his ex-charge before entering the waiting room.
Following the others in, Buffy reclaimed her seat next to Willow. After situating herself, she began to draw the patterns and set up in the warehouse.
Ever the curious one, Dawn peered across Willow’s lap and watched her sister draw. “Buffy, why are you drawing that?” Dawn asked worriedly as the drawing began to take shape.
“It’s what was on the floor of that warehouse. What’s the big?” Buffy said with a shrug and went back to puzzling over the sketch she’d made, wondering if anything was missing.
Dawn replied, “That looks like that thing that sent you to that alt…” Stopping to consider the company, she glanced at Jimmy’s kids and rose to her feet. “Uh, Willow, Buffy, come on,” she said, motioning for them to follow. They left the waiting room. Once outside and alone, she continued, “That little shadow toy that sent you to the alternate dimension.” Taking in the puzzled expressions, she added, “Where you were gonna get super-slayered. Remember?”
“Yeah, I do.” Buffy thought back to the design on the floor and let the memory of being chained to the shadow men’s posts come back to her. The image flashed in her mind and she finished drawing the picture.
Dawn asked pensively, “Why was that on the floor?” taking the drawing from her sister.
Ignoring the grabby hands, Buffy replied “I don’t know.” She rolled her eyes. I’d forgotten how much fun this wasn’t. The eye roll went totally unnoticed. Everyone had their eyes fixed on the scrap of paper. Hoping for answers, she directed her attention to the resident magick expert and asked, “Will, any ideas?”
Willow appeared less than impressed when she grumbled, “Nope. I knew that stupid thing looked familiar.”
“So then there was vamp dust, ritual markings on the floor and the creepy warlock guy,” recapped the slayer, ticking each item off on her fingers. Uh, yeah…lots more nothing. Nice. Really nice. Her hands automatically went to her hips when she remarked, “And the clues all still add up to a big ‘huh’.”
Willow fixed her eyes on a blank patch of wall behind Buffy, staring unblinkingly as she recalled, “There were-the last time I was in Devon-there were some books about slayer lore. Not a lot, but enough to keep me busy for a few hours. There was a set of spells and rituals that took the original ritual and augmented it. They did different things to the person performing the ritual. It could be that whatever he’s doing is something from one of those books.”
Buffy waved her hand to draw her witch’s attention before she asked, “Okay, that makes no sense. Why? I didn’t think a he could do slayer stuff.”
“Willow is there any way you could get those books? Maybe I can translate them better,” Dawn offered.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Willow replied frankly, her interest still focused on the wall. The witch fidgeted and bit her bottom lip. Could call Althenea and see if we can get them shipped.
Buffy’s brow furrowed. She raised her hand to eye level and snapped her fingers.
As Willow mumbled, “I can ask,” she tracked the slayer’s hand back to her waist. She clenched her eyes shut for a moment. When she opened them, pain marred her features. Swallowing thickly, she finished her thought, “The coven really doesn’t like their books leaving the grounds,” glancing up apologetically when she was done.
One look from her slayer and Willow nodded, walking down the hall, her cell phone already at her ear.
When her witch opened the door, Buffy glanced up and smiled. Thank God! She gave her wristwatch a quick peek. Since when does it take nearly forty minutes to make one stupid phone call? Her head tilted to the side. Uh, yeah, so…not really fair. It’s just…one more minute of Teletubbies and I may make the morning paper.
Using Willow’s entrance as cover, she gave Susan a passing glance as she returned her attention to the door. Thankfully, the other woman had her eyes glued to the television. I really want to like her for Jimmy’s sake, but something tells me this is gonna get complicated. Like maybe the fact that every time she thought I wasn’t looking-well, hostility begins to describe it. I wonder what her malfunction is this time.
Willow closed the distance between them. There was a spring in her step that had been missing since the altercation at the warehouse. ’Kay, so…firming up. I’m glad she took the time…Willow feeling better-never a bad thing.
The witch stood in front of Buffy with a warm smile on her face. Buffy reached and grabbed Willow’s hand, pulling her into her seat. When Willow was settled, the slayer asked hopefully, “So do we have books?” suppressing her voice because of the mixed company. Susan clueing up that there’s Scoobiage afoot-yeah, that’d be helpful. Bad enough she’s got this ‘Don Corleone’ sorta charm.
Resting her head on her lover’s shoulder, Willow gave a subtle nod and whispered, “Althenea said she’d overnight them…” speaking up for Giles’ benefit “…and I told her to bill the Council.”
Giles’ lips pursed, but then seemed to think better of it. Tipping his head in agreement, he said, “That’s fine, dear.”
Perking up, “Hey, guys,” Faith interrupted, “I dunno about you, but I can’t sit here anymore.” She stood up and stretched. “Xander and I are gonna go back to the apartment. Call us when there’s more info, B.”
Appearing supremely bored, Kennedy echoed the stretch. Her movement jostled a sleepy Dawn. She stirred. “I think Faith’s got a point,” Kennedy said, rising to her feet. She turned her attention to her girlfriend and asked, “Dawn, you want to go?” When Dawn yawned and nodded her agreement, Kennedy offered a hand.
Giles stood with the others. Directing his attention to Buffy, he offered, “I believe I will join them.” Adding a cryptic, “There’s some material I should review,” he gave her a curt nod.
Dawn hugged her sister and Willow goodbye and followed the gang out the door.
Buffy watched as her family made their departure and heaved a sigh of frustration.
As Willow sat with her lover, she sensed the knots in Buffy’s back tightening. Trying to ease some of the tension, the witch began rubbing small, soothing circles over her slayer’s muscles. Give and take. She got rid of the blackies when we got to the hospital. I scared about half of the staff. That wasn’t loads of fun. Now, if only I could remember the rest of those books. It’s just-there wasn’t enough in those books to go on. It was more light reading while I was there. I couldn’t have expected this. Goddess, I should know by now.
James looked over at the two lovers and smiled. He sighed and got up, offering, “I need to go make a call,” as he left the room.
Susie sat, dully staring at the TV. She abandoned it, turning her attention to the carpet at her feet when Paris Hilton appeared with another insipid little blonde clone.
Willow inquired, “Susan?” smiling when she caught the other woman’s attention, “I’m going to the cafeteria to get some coffee and bring back edibles. You want anything?”
“Ah, no. I’m good. Thanks though,” Susan replied with a forced smile.
As she stood and started patting her pockets for her billfold, Willow asked, “Alright, Buff, what do you want?”
Buffy grinned, watching as her witch moved on to her purse, continuing the quest. When the missing item was finally located, the slayer mumbled, “Coffee…and maybe a donut?” perking up slightly as she added, “Jelly if they have it.” Can’t have stress without donuts. It’d be badness.
“’Kay,” Willow confirmed. Placing a kiss on top of Buffy’s head before she walked out the door. I wonder if there’s a tragedy-to-sugar ratio that I’ve never looked at. We’ve never gone without the aid of sugary goodness when the stress spikes. Would the world end if they stopped making jelly-filled donuts?
Buffy watched her lover retreat and then turned her attention to Jimmy’s daughter. Can’t seem to figure her out. Other than the super-sized chip on her shoulder. Actually, I think her chip has chips. Oh! She glanced at the door. Dammit. I could seriously go for some salty, greasy goodness, but I’m so not chasing her down. Might be a better call than staying here ’cause, besides chips, I’m drawing a total blank. Time to take another one for the team. Summoning her nerve, Buffy began, “So, ah…” letting the sentence die. It’d be good to hold off the talking till I have a clue what to say. I could talk about chips. Yeah…that’d go well. Giving up, she just leaned back in her chair.
Snarking, “My thoughts exactly,” Susan sized the small blonde up. Finally, she voiced what she had been wondering about since the blonde’s supposed family had arrived, “So you want to tell me what all the hush-hush stuff was about?”
Buffy balked at the question and hurriedly answered, “No hush here. Nothing hushy at all, just trying to stay on top of the case. They help.” Nice Buffy. Willow’s rubbing off on you in the bad way too. She suppressed a snicker.
Susan mocked, “Right…” exaggerating the word to unreasonable lengths “…and I’m the Queen of England.” After barking out a bitter snicker, she added contemptuously, “Shoulda known I wasn’t gonna get a straight answer outta the Prom Queen.”
Her teeth gritted, Buffy let it slide. She’s stressed just like me. Patience. I think I have some of that-well, I hope I do, at least. Shaking her head, she forced a polite tone and said, “Really, that’s all. They’re just here to help out.”
Rolling her eyes, Susan pushed herself up straighter in the chair. Her eyes narrowed before she remarked, “Buffy, look I don’t know what exactly is going on, but I know there’s more than anybody’s telling me.” Pointing an accusatory finger, she seethed, “My dad doesn’t take to his partners. He doesn’t let them stay in his house and he doesn’t treat them like he’s treated you. So tell me what the hell is going on with you and my father?”
Buffy let the confusion show. ’Kay, so…the conversation I’m having isn’t the conversation she’s having. What’d I miss? Finally, she offered a bemused, “’Kay, clue a girl in. What are you talking about?”
Susan let out another chilly snicker and clarified, “I’m talking about you and your girlfriend being attached at the hip to my father. I’m talking about my dad never being close to his other partners.” A frustrated sigh passed her lips and she continued, “I mean, growing up with the guy, I never once heard him mention anyone at work. Now he’s letting coworkers stay at his house? On top of that, you have a girlfriend and both of you seem awful cozy with my dad, just like he seems way too close for comfort with the two of you. He’s not a warm and fuzzy guy, okay?”
As Buffy considered Susan’s words, her lips pursed. This isn’t getting any better. And It isn’t gonna till it gets worse. May as well get it over with. Biting the bullet, she huffed, “Oh…’kay…I’m sure somewhere in there you hit on a specific question.”
“Are you and the redhead fucking my father?” Susan spat, glaring at the blonde.
Buffy kinda felt like Wile E. Coyote after a crate of ACME dynamite exploded in his face. Struggling for words, she tried to form sentences, but her brain just wouldn’t cooperate. It was like the tape of her life had gotten jammed in the VCR from Hell and was replaying that one moment. Me, Jimmy, Willow, naked? In the same bed? Visibly shaken, she eventually managed, “Tell me you’re joking?”
Quirking an eyebrow, Susan replied, “Oh, I’m dead serious,” folding her arms across her chest, “He’s way too comfy with you two for this to be just a working relationship.” She chuckled. “Hell, he didn’t even treat our mom as good as he treats you two. So, just tell me if you guys are screwing my father. It’s the least you should do.” She sat back in her chair, awaiting the denial.
Buffy’s mouth opened and closed like a beached fish. She couldn’t form a response. Finally, she choked out, “No…” rising from her chair “…emphatically not!” Mechanically, she started to pace. Her fingers swiped through her hair. As her fist closed, holding onto the crown of her head, she froze in her tracks. She stared blankly at the floor, trying to collect her thoughts.
Finally, she continued, “Besides, if we were…” releasing her hair “…what business would it be of yours?” She focused on Susan. “We’re not, but I-” When words failed her again, the pacing resumed. Suddenly sobering, she stopped and spun to face Susan with her hand on her hips. “What would make you think that?” she asked earnestly, trying to understand.
As Susan tried again to put her finger on how this petite woman could be so imposing, the blonde’s face drew into a hard scowl. Susan clung to her resolve. Meeting the chilly gaze, she responded with the truth. “The way he looks at you two. That’s why. The way you two go out of your way to make sure he’s okay.” She sat forward, placing her elbows on her knees. “You never notice the way he laughs when you guys are around. That’s not my dad. That’s a man I don’t know.”
“You can’t be serious,” Buffy replied bluntly. Throwing her hands in disgust, she immediately let them fall. They clapped violently against her legs. She refused to break eye contact with her partner’s daughter. Finally settling on letting her hands grip her hips, she spat, “Jimmy and I are friends. We work together and ‘yes,’ we’ve gotten closer over the past few months, but nothing’s going on.”
When Susan glared in disbelief, Buffy shifted her weight to her left foot and asked, “Are you out of your mind?” Her hands left her hips, balling up into fists and she hissed, “Of course you are. Why didn’t I see it before? You go out of your way to defend your gay brother. That’s great. Commendable even…” Shaking furiously, she took a step forward.
Buffy loomed menacingly over the seated woman and ranted, “But me? You can’t even entertain the idea that we might just be friends. No, according to crazy girl and her double standards, I couldn’t possibly be happy without a man in my life. There’s no way. I’d have to make a play.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “What is it about me that makes you think that?”
She backed off, starting to pace despondently as she raged, “No, no…not just me. What would make you think that about Will? You know what, I’m done with this conversation. I tried. I want to get along with you for Jimmy’s sake, but you’re insane and-eww, just eww. Your dad’s not a bad looking guy, but I’m way involved and eww-did I mention the eww? He’s like my big brother!”
Willow came into the room carrying drinks and donuts just as Buffy finished her ‘eww’ speech. She set the stuff aside and caught Buffy by the upper arms, halting her mid-pace. Looking from one woman to the next, she raised an eyebrow in question.
Susan leveled her gaze on the redhead and just went for it, “Are you fucking my dad?”
Willow tightened her grip, holding the slayer still as she seethed. It took a moment for the question to register. When it did, she almost let go. Tilting her neck, she glanced at Susan as if inspecting for signs of insanity. Her attention quickly returned to Buffy. “Did I miss something? I missed something. A huge, scary something. Buffy?” she pleaded for clarification.
The blonde rolled her eyes at Willow and shrugged. Without breaking the witch’s grip, she waved her hand in Susan’s direction and filled in aridly, “Miss ‘Gargantuan Chip On Her Shoulder’ thinks, ’cause we’re chummy with her father, that we must be screwing him.”
Willow mumbled, “I have no words,” Letting go, she plopped down in her chair and studied the teacher quizzically.
“You and me both,” Buffy groused, sitting down next to her lover and grabbing a doughnut.
“You two are so full of shit,” Susan fumed.
James chose that moment to walk back into the waiting room.
Buffy looked up, forcing a thin, tight-lipped smile more because of the doughnut in her mouth than her mood. Neither was good, but…
Willow waved and picked up a doughnut, taking a bite.
Buffy’s eyebrow tilted slightly as James’s lover walked in. The detective put the other man a few inches above six feet. He had a shaved head with sideburns ending at the jaw line. Clean-cut in slacks and a button-down checkered shirt. She glanced at the floor and saw the scuffed up Doc Martens.
James beamed back at the two and grabbed his lover’s hand. “Buffy, Willow, I’d like you to meet Tim.” He turned to his boyfriend and directed him to the chairs nearest them. “These are the girls I was telling you about.”
From his general appearance, Buffy wasn’t sure if the guy was going to speak or grunt. But when he smiled, the casual hostility vanished. His features softened and he gently offered his hand in greeting to the two women. “Hi, James has said a lot. Nice to meet you both.” He winked and turned his attention to Susan, “Sus, it’s good to see you again. How’s it been and who’s full of shit?” he asked, taking the seat next to James.
An acerbic smile curled Susan’s mouth as she clipped, “Good. And those two are.” She waved a dismissive hand in Willow and Buffy’s direction. “They’re full of shit. They can’t even be honest with me.”
Buffy shot Susan a hostile glance and grumbled, “Honest? What honest? Your version of honesty has me lying through my teeth.” Rolling her eyes, she went back to her doughnut. Further proof-like we needed it- that the colon and the cranium should never meet. It’s badness.
Susan remained tight lipped. James studied both parties, then pleaded with his sister, “Okay, I obviously missed some vital parts of the conversation. Sis, fill me in.”
Susan’s response was another wave of her hand and a scowl. James read the look and shook his head. Sighing, he said, “Oh Jesus, you’re not on this again are you?”
“The hell I’m not! Our dad’s in the fucking hospital and they can’t even be honest about their relationship.” She sat stiffly in the chair, daring her brother to challenge her.
James softened a little and tried to go for reason, “So am I, Susie-Q. They aren’t, okay, trust me? If you’d spend five minutes talking to them, instead of being bitter, you’d see that they’re pretty cool people. Dad just likes ’em.” After taking a moment to consider, he qualified, “As friends, likes them.”
Snatching her purse from the floor, Susan stalked out of the room, leaving two stunned couples in her wake.
James’ face was red as he turned to his new friends and tried to find the words to apologize, “Uhm, I…”
Willow suppressed the giggle and just shook her head. Mumbling, “That was, uh…” she turned toward the TV and pointed, announcing, “Oh look, Spongebob.” Buffy squeezed her hand. Everyone shared her interest in the yellow cartoon sponge, choosing to ignore the events of the past few minutes.
Mesmerized by the television, time evaporated along with Buffy’s brain. It caught her completely off-guard when Jimmy’s doctor entered the room. She followed numbly along as the doctor explained, “It’s common with most major heart attacks for the patient’s arteries to be nearly blocked. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case with Mr. McAllister. The attack was stressed induced. He had two medium blockages stemming from the Right Coronary Artery. I apologize in the delay, but because the R.C.A collapsed, surgery took longer than expected. I stented the collapsed artery and cleared the majority of the plaque. He should make a full recovery.”
“When can we see him?” Buffy asked.
“I.C.U. is very strict about visitors, Detective Summers. I can allow two in at a time. Five minutes per visit and a maximum of four visits per day. You need to understand that Mr. McAllister needs to recuperate. If it hadn’t been for the people that started CPR when they did, he wouldn’t be here. You may decide who goes in. Just be sure to let the nurse know,” the doctor concluded and, turning to leave, bid everyone a goodnight.
As the doctor left the room, the air somehow felt lighter. Buffy glanced from one relieved face to the next. When she arrived at Willow, the witch suggested, “James, why don’t you and Buffy go first. I’ll try to get in touch with Susan while you’re gone and give her the news.”
Standing, Buffy stretched and said, “Thanks, Will,” turning to give the witch a smile.
James remained seated. Casting a concerned glance at Willow, he asked, “Are you sure? I could-”
But Willow stopped him short by responding firmly, “I’m sure. Now skedaddle.” When James didn’t move, she added, “Scoot.” She dismissively waved him away. “Go see your dad. It’s cool, I’ve got this.”
Facing Buffy, James mumbled, “Arguing-pretty much pointless, right?” When Buffy replied with a subtle dip of her chin and a smile, James just grinned and rose from his chair. Shaking his head, he conceded, “Alright,” and followed Buffy out of the room.
As the doors to their waiting room opened, Willow glanced up from the magazine she was reading. Her lover and James entered the room. Still reading, the witch asked, “How’d he look?”
“Okay,” James offered, sounding more despondent than convinced. He reclaimed his seat next to Tim.
“He looks like I did after my first…” Buffy stopped the analogy and just smiled, continuing the conversation covertly. ‘He looks like I did after my first fight with a Turka-Han.’
‘Turka what? Oh! Turok-Han.’
With a subtle eye roll Buffy reflected, ‘Whatever, uber-vamp thingies. Will, I’m worried, he was pretty unresponsive. He wouldn’t even look at me.’
‘It’s okay. We’ll have him fixed up in no time, but I need you to go in with me.’
‘You have another plan?’
Responding by barely dipping her chin, Willow stood up and offered Buffy her hand. They walked to the I.C.U.’s nurse’s station hand-in-hand and were led back to the room.
“Heya, Red,” Jimmy rasped out “Cupcake, you’re back. Sorry about a minute ago, I was kinda out of it.” He swallowed thickly and shook with a sudden coughing jag. He motioned for the cup of ice water sitting at the end of the tray. Buffy grabbed and offered him a sip from the straw. Satisfied that he could speak without dislodging a lung, he joked, “Nurse came in asked if you and Junior were an item. I think maybe I scandalized you.” He tried to laugh, but was stopped by the pain and threat of another round of coughing.
Buffy smiled at him and shook her head ‘no,’ choking back tears of relief.
“Good, so why you two here? We got a killer to catch.” He tried to sit up, but stopped when Buffy placed a shaky hand on his shoulder. He scowled up at her and said, “I’m laid up is all, kiddo. It’s all on you.”
Willow carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, “No need to worry about that. We’re covered. You, on the other hand, have us worried. I want to try and help heal you, but I don’t have much time and I need your permission.”
“Heal how?” Jimmy asked.
“Just some magick. Nothing dangerous,” Willow replied, giving his arm a reassuring pat.
He looked from slayer to witch and nodded his consent.
Her attention focused on Buffy. Willow took the offered hand with her right and gently scooped up Jimmy’s with her left.
The slayer mirrored Willow’s position, relaxing as though this were old hat.
The muffled sound of Willow’s chanting was nearly lost behind the metered beeps of the heart monitor.
Soothing warmth spread through Buffy, surrounding her like a snuggly blanket. Her eyes grew heavy. She could barely hold them open. As she submitted to the comforting waves, they fluttered closed.
Jimmy gasped a sharp, trembling breath.
Buffy’s eyes snapped open. She shot a concerned glance, but the witch was gone, lost in a trance.
Sensing that Jimmy was doing the same, Buffy forced herself to calm and she shut her eyes.
That little bit of effort proved to be too much. The thick pulses of warmth claimed her. She struggled to open her eyes again for a time, but finally gave up. The pull was too strong. It was useless.
An overpowering haze, tingly and comforting, washed over her. She drowned in it, imagining it was like being swallowed.
Helpless. Pulling away was impossible.
Eventually, the oppressive calm lifted like a veil. It shifted at first as Willow broke the connection, slowly relenting as the seconds ticked by.
As the slayer recovered, Willow peered at Jimmy. His attention was fixed on Buffy as though somehow instinctively he knew.
Willow used the back of her hand to wipe the faint dew of sweat from her forehead. Breathlessly, she asked, “Better?”
The silly grin was a good indicator, but he said, “Better? Hell kid, I feel twenty-two again. What did you do?”
“Mended the damage,” she replied frankly. An impish grin curled the corners of her mouth. It faded as she amended, “Or as much as possible. With any luck your doctor will just think you’re a freak of nature and have you out of here in no time.”
“Cupcake,” he said, “You didn’t tell me your girl was one of the handiest people in the world. Why not?” A small pout, the first Buffy had ever seen from her partner, crinkled the corners of his mouth.
Shaking off the haze, Buffy smirked at both of them and replied, “Well, that’s just part of her charm. She surprises you every day.”
“Hot damn,” Jimmy exclaimed, unable to curb his enthusiasm. He sat up. This time Buffy did nothing to stop him. After adjusting in the bed, he asked, “So while I was out of it, did you guys learn anything new?”
Before either of the women had a chance to answer, the nurse poked her head in the door. Giving them a harsh, disapproving glare, she said, “Ladies, the detective needs his rest. I have to ask you to leave.”
Buffy met the nurse’s gaze and asked politely, “Sure…” extending her index finger “…one more minute, please?”
“Fine, a minute. But not one single second more,” she replied, turning and leaving them alone.
When the door clicked shut, Jimmy prodded hopefully, “So you were saying, Cupcake?”
“Nothing. You need rest. We’ll be back in the morning,” Buffy replied, giving Willow a mischievous look. Simultaneously, they leaned down and kissed the man on either cheek.
As they pulled away, he sputtered. “Cupcake, Red…” he said with playful indignation, mopping his cheeks. “What will the staff think?”
Buffy raised her eyebrow and made her way to the door. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she waved and said, “See you tomorrow, old man. Behave.”
Willow waved goodbye and followed her girlfriend out.