Insight
Insight
by Wolfguard
Author's note: The story takes place in early spring of 2004.
Barcelona, Spain
Her hair was dark and short, like a Roman legionnaire, and she moved with purpose.
“Why don’t you leave the sword at the door? You know, with the umbrellas.”
Isabelle, ‘Isa,’ considered the source of the advice and continued on into the lab. The giver of the advice, an unshaved young man, a devotee of gum, never took his eyes off her.
“Jorge, if a bad guy knocks at the door, why would I want to leave a weapon where she could get it?”
“Emma is not a bad guy.”
“She’s moody.” Isa leaned the sword in the far corner, an arm’s reach from her lab station. Jorge swiveled around on his stool, watching.
“Moody is not homicidal.”
“Depends on the mood.”
“How about impatience? As in, I’ll have your bloody jobs if the grant proposal isn’t finished by the 20th?”
Isa logged-in and opened the program and files. Jorge chewed determinedly. Isa looked over to him, “Some people can’t see what’s before them.”
“That’s an original observation.”
“Look…”
And Jorge did.
“I mean that as sentence starter.” Jorge continued staring. “There’re a lot of images I’ve got to go through, but I’ll see it when it’s there. Just a question of time.”
Jorge stopped chewing. He locked eyes. “Isn’t that the point?” And he looked to the sword and back to her. “What’s up with that?”
Later that night, as she strolled down the street, she mulled over that question. It was a relevant question. Why the recent interest in the long-sword? She’d fenced a bit at the university, but it had been a game of tag. Tag did not interest like the lab. How had this sword thing started?
Her stroll took her by the cemetery. It had an allure about it. So much history under the stones. Was that it? Swords are historical artifacts. Had the history bug bit her? But she couldn’t remember seeing or reading any histories. Well, Venter’s autobiography, but that’s lab relevant. She stopped and stared out over the cemetery’s silent stones. Such solitude. Then the night sounds stopped. She saw a man in a fine dark suit walking between the graves towards her. So odd. She should go, but it was so curious. The man reached the cemetery’s end and they looked at each other, a heartbeat or so. He sniffed the air and then his faced changed. It was strangely familiar.
“Borrow your sword?”
The question startled Isa. The speaker, a young woman, looked Spanish and spoke it well, but for an accent.
“He’s coming.”
Isa looked back to the cemetery and the man was coming quick. The woman now stepped in front of her and had her sword, she’d not felt it leave the sheath.
There was a single blur of moonlight on steel and the man was gone. The woman pivoted to face her.
“That was quick,” Isa said.
“Can be.” The woman flicked dust from the blade and offered Isa back her sword. Isa accepted and returned it to its sheath. Then she had to ask.
“Vampire?”
“That’s right.”
“And you are?”
“Kennedy. The person who is going explain how you knew that.”
Jorge followed her down the stairs.
“This was unexpected.”
“I’ve got time. The proposal is in.”
Isa walked rapidly down the hall, Jorge kept up.
“Where’re you going?”
“Road trip.”
They exited the main doors together. Kennedy was standing by the car.
“Ready?” Kennedy asked.
“Yes.”
Jorge studied Kennedy and she noticed.
“I’m Kennedy.”
“Jorge. Isa’s project partner.” He paused. “For now.”
Isa took off her knapsack, “Can I put this in the trunk?”
“It’s full,” Kennedy opened the back door, “Stick it in here.” Isa did. Kennedy walked around and got into the driver’s seat.
“Isa, what if Emma has questions?”
“About?”
“The Proposal.”
“Answer them?” Isa opened the door and got it. Jorge held the door.
“Questions only you can answer.”
“Then call me.”
Isa pulled the door closed.
Cross-Park Manor, England
Isa followed Kennedy out of the mist to stand before a gravel road running between ancient oaks whose leaves filtered the approaching sunset.
“We’re not in Barcelona,” noted Isa.
“We’re about hour out of London.”
“As in London, England?”
“Uh huh.”
“Courtesy of the Ghost Roads? Wow. If only I had the physics, I’d appreciate it more.”
“This way,” Kennedy pointed down the road.
They saw the roof first, grey slate with end chimneys. Then the building proper, composed of grey stone, was more than a house, less than an castle and to subdue in façade to call a mansion.
“Welcome to the Manor.”
“This is Headquarters?”
“We don’t have a HQ. We do have a lot of bases and this is the Manor.”
Kennedy lead Isa up the few steps to the oak door.
“Don’t we need to knock?”
“No.” Kennedy opened the left door and beckoned Isa inside.
“Cause we’re … slayers?”
Dawn stood in the center of the foyer. “Because we were watching.”
Kennedy brought Isa before Dawn. “Dawn, this is Isabelle. Goes by Isa. Isa, Dawn. She who watches the watchers.”
“You have spy cameras?”
“Of sorts,” said Dawn. “Welcome to the Manor.” Dawn shook Isa’s hand. And then to Kennedy, “Something’s come up and we not going to be able to do the formal orientation, or not yet.”
“I’ll settle her in.”
“Thanks.”
“What about training? Start without…”
“Sure.” Dawn touched Isa’s arm, “It’s good you’re here. We’ll talk tomorrow morning.”
Kennedy and Isa watched Dawn walk down the hall, pass the grandfather clock, and disappear around a corner.
Kennedy gave Isa a smile. “Formality is not our strong point.”
Dawn entered the library. Beneath the fluorescents, the round table was in use.
“The new slayer arrived,” she said.
No one seemed to notice. Faith had the floor.
“Cleveland is getting more Machiavellian than I can handle.”
“Should I go?” asked Willow.
“There is the Multitude.”
That familiar voice came from the speaker.
“Then I should stay?” asked Willow.
“Is that Oz?” asked Dawn. “Hey Oz.”
“Hey Dawn.”
Dawn sat down at the table.
“What’s her name?” asked Buffy.
“Isabelle from Barcelona. She goes by Isa. Kennedy brought her in.”
“Good.”
Xander crossed his hands and leaned forward on the table, “I can do Machiavelli. I do have the patch.”
“Don’t you have to be Africa?” asked Faith.
Kennedy opened the door and Isa noticed there was no lock. The floor was worn wood, but the walls were a warm yellow and the scent of paint was fresh. There was a single bed flanked by a heavy dresser and a plastic folding chair.
“It’s Spartan,” observed Kennedy.
“What about the throw pillow?”
Kennedy pondered the fuzzy orange pillow. Someone’s sense of humor?
“Well, you got to share the bathroom. It’s at the end of the hall.”
“Not a problem.”
“Well good. If you want, we can call it a night and begin training tomorrow or we can start tonight.”
“Which is better?”
“We do our best work at night.”
“No different than the lab. Let’s do it.”
Kennedy and Isa exited the west door. A single overhead hooded light bathed the steps and enticed its share of the night’s insects.
“This way.” They crossed the lawn, passed through the trees and then the stones appeared and they weaved between them.
“A cemetery?”
“Training cemetery,” corrected Kennedy.
“Meaning?”
“Nothing bad is going to sprout from the ground.”
“Comforting. Why a training cemetery? Why not a gym?”
“We fight as we train. Your surroundings are part of the fight, so we train in a cemetery. Or a good simulation of one.”
“Does it always happen in a cemetery?”
“No, but this is where it starts. It’s also safer in a cemetery. Usually.”
“Why safer?’
“Well for one thing, newborn vamps are not as experienced in the kill. Some don’t even know what’s happen to them.”
“It seems unsporting to slay a confused … deceased person.”
“Isa, they’re one bite away from epiphany.”
“What are the other reasons?”
“What?”
“You said, ‘for one,’ implying there’re at least two reasons.”
“Yeah. The second reason is it’s easier to separate the vampires from the innocents in a cemetery. Outside the cemetery, not so simple. And then there’re demons.”
“There’re demons?” An owl hooted.
They’d come to the cemetery’s center. Kennedy stopped. “Yes, there are demons Isabelle. So tonight we start training.”
“Karate?”
“Balance. It all rides on balance.”
Kitchen at brunch was the water fountain at the Manor. Willow caught Dawn at the kitchen island.
“Hey, any more eggs?” Willow asked.
Dawn nodded over the long table where sat Kennedy, Isabelle and two others.
“Too late. Waffle? I’ve got a couple in the toaster.”
“Thanks.” Willow poured orange juice from the carton on the counter. “What’s Isabelle’s background?”
“Graduate student in developmental biology.”
“Really?” Willow stole another glance at the new slayer. “Where at?”
“The Delgado Institute.”
“She’s a brain.”
“With superpowers, who’d have thought.” The waffles rose and Dawn deftly plucked and placed them on two waiting plates.
“How’s she taking it?”
Dawn squeezed a spiral of butter over her waffle. “Kennedy says like she was born to it.”
“They’re all born to it. How do you assess her?”
Dawn took a bite, chewed and thought. “An optimistic A personality.” Dawn picked up her plate and motioned Willow, “Come on, I’ll introduce you.
The two walked over to the table. Isabelle was sitting beside Emily, green-eyed and toned, and across from Kennedy who sat beside Hannah, the little City girl. Kennedy patted the bench beside her. “Hey you.”
“Egg hog,” said Willow with a smile.
“Sleepy head,” Kennedy motioned to Isabelle, “This is Isa. Isa, this is Willow.”
“You’re one of the Chosen Slayers?”
“Oh, no. Witch in Residence.”
Dawn had sat beside Isabelle, looked up from her disappearing waffle and added, “Willow’s the one who did the empowering spell.”
There was a moment of quiet. Willow broke it, “Dawn told me you’re doing post-graduate work in biology. What’s that like?”
Isa sat back, “It’s … different from the world we experience.”
“More reading,” said Emily.
“Not so much. A lot of what I do is observe and imagine. I drop down through several levels of magnitude and imagine wandering amongst the molecules.”
“There goes my vision of a lab coat,” said Hannah, and then added, “Ouch” as Kennedy kicked her under the table.
“No,” said Isa, “Most people think it’s all books. There’s a lot of imagination at work.”
“Intuition?” asked Willow.
“Developed intuition. I’ve been studying biology most of my life.”
Dawn perked, “How long?”
“At least since I was twelve. Earlier if you count catching pollywogs.”
“Half your life?” asked Dawn.
“Easily.”
The Manor did have a gym, half the size of a basketball court, half covered with red and white mats and the other half with training equipment. A wall length mirror ran along the end of the mat side and in its reflection, two slayers moved. One wearing focus mitts, the other not.
“Three,” called out Faith, wearer of the mitts.
Buffy snapped a low front kick and followed it with a middle roundhouse using the same leg and ended with a rear high front kick.”
“You’re still favoring your right leg,” said Faith.
“I know.”
"Give me one reason, other than Africa, why I shouldn’t be in Cleveland?”
Neither of them glanced towards the questioner, Xander, who stood cross-armed at the mat’s edge.
“Let’s work the hands,” said Faith.
“Okay.”
“And watch the chi.”
They shuffle stepped, “Two,” called Faith.
Buffy blasted two straight punches into the mitts.
“So you don’t have a reason,” said Xander, louder.
Buffy backed away from Faith, looked to Xander, “They know you.”
“We don’t know that.”
“I know that,” said Faith.
“You suspect that.”
“I have a gut feeling. I think it comes from the fact that Jensen is a watcher.”
“Of the old Council,” corrected Xander.
Buffy tilted her head, “And how does that boost your argument?”
“He could have forgot?” asked Xander.
“Hey guys,” Dawn called from the doorway. She crossed to join Xander.
“What’s up?” asked Buffy.
“Just wanted to schedule talk time tonight.”
“Half seven?”
“Great. I’ll see you then.” Dawn started to leave.
“Problem?” asked Buffy.
Dawn pauses, “Not really.”
“Okay.”
Dawn leaves. Xander looks to Buffy, “Half seven?” He grins. “Oh so British.”
Buffy gave him the Summers eye, then focused back on Faith, “Ready?”
“Yeah, but watch the chi.”
Kennedy stood before the board, her trio of slayers circled around her.
“Here’s the deal for tonight. We believe the couple being buried today were turned, so tonight they might rise. We’ll be doing a basic stake-out.”
Kennedy paused to see who’d snicker, and to their credit, none did.
“Good, late this afternoon we’ll do a daylight walk-through of the site. Hannah?”
“Yes?”
“I want you to go over personal gear and dress with Isa.”
“Will do.”
“We’ll meet back here at 4:00PM for the walk-through,” Kennedy pointed to Emily. “You and I are now going to do some stealth walking exercises.”
“I walk like a cat.”
“On catnip, let’s go.”
Hannah watched Kennedy and Emily go and then pivoted around to Isa who had watched all three. “Well, want to do the gear thing here?”
“Sure,” said Isa. “Do I need to take notes?”
Dawn preferred office-retro. Hers had a really big desk and two really big monitors. She liked to spread information before her, across the desk and splashed across the monitors in multiple windows. And as information paused and danced before her, she’d study, question, transform it. Make it hers. Now, elbows on desk, chin in palms, she drank deep.
Isa held the whistle before her.
“Why not our cell phones?”
“We do use them, but where we go they’re not always reliable. And sometimes magick auras can interfere with the signal.”
“Oh.”
“Question?”
“I’m still emotionally accepting the idea of magic.”
“With a K.”
“What?”
Hannah laughed. “The way you said it, you’re still thinking of it as stage magic.”
“Am not.”
“Yeah you are.” Hannah laughed again. “Okay, the whistles also have a very special property.”
“They’re magic - magick?”
“No, not magick. Let’s go outside.”
Dawn had it, now she had to digest it. Perhaps coffee?
Hannah and Isa stood in the center of The Manor’s south lawn. A lawn wickedly wild, many grasses, blends of yellows and greens. Just beyond, the woodlands, and back and forth between the two, insects darted and birds sounded.
“Listen,” said Hannah.
Isa did.
“What do you hear?”
“Birds. Nature?”
“Good. Now blow the whistle. Lightly.”
Isa did, and the sound was full and fine.
“You can stop. Now listen again. What do you hear?”
“The same - and I shouldn’t. The noise should have scared the birds.”
Hannah smiled. “What do you make of that?”
“We, slayers, have a different hearing range?”
“We do.”
They grinned together, and together turned to the sound of footsteps. It was Willow.
“Teaching Isa the secret whistle?”
Coffee in hand, Dawn stood before the bay window overlooking the south lawn. The secret whistle demonstration. Could complicate things.
Isa was smiling broadly. “What else can we do?”
“You do,” reminded Willow. “You’ll learn.”
“She’s suspicious of magick,” said Hannah.
“Am not,” said Isa, still smiling. “It’s just not an idea that fits well with the science I know and live.”
“The world’s bigger than any one worldview,” said Willow.
“I can see it. And I want to see more.”
Willow looked to Hannah, “She’s rabid, isn’t she?” And the two shared a smile.
“What,” asked Isa, “Am I being really enthusiastic?”
“Not at all.” Willow grinned. “Embrace the desire.”
Xander was heading out when he spied Buffy in the Great Room.
“Hey.”
“You’re heading out?”
“Faith’s in the car.”
“Say again?”
“I’m taking her out to dinner.”
“There’s something so wrong with that picture.”
“Well, I’m still making my pitch to go to Cleveland. And we’re just going to Cardinal’s. Want to come?”
“I’ll pass. Dawn wants to talk. You know, it’s almost,” Buffy paused, “Half seven.”
“Buffy, sarcasm is so unbecoming.” And with that, Xander beat a retreat.
Four slayers stepped out of the east door and into the twilight. Kennedy gathered Hannah, Emily and Isa around her. “Again, once we hit the tree-line, Hannah you have the point and Emily the rear. And no talking, so any last questions?”
Isa waited for the others, and when neither spoke, she asked, “Why aren’t we carrying weapons?”
“You have your two stakes?”
“Yes, but wouldn’t a sword or axe be better?”
“Don’t often have the option to carry them and this is, I stress ‘is,’ a training exercise.”
“It’s only two vampires,” added Hannah. “And four of us.”
“Hey,” Kennedy looked to Hannah, “Numbers don’t always count.” Kennedy took in the others, “Keep alert. Remember the plan.”
Buffy and Dawn sat side by side, cross-legged, on the Great Room’s black leather couch. Buffy studied the papers in her lap.
“What do you think?” asked Dawn.
Without looking up, “Kennedy didn’t do her homework?”
“Not saying that. She followed protocol. I think maybe the protocol needs changing.”
Twilight had become night when the four reached the new gravesites. They established a perimeter, Kennedy keeping Isa with her. Isa scanned the site, really not certain what she was looking for other than a hand or head coming out of the ground and that should be clear-cut.
“Damn” Kennedy whispered it, but given her ‘talk and I bap you’ order, it startled Isa. Kennedy took Isa’s hand and pressed her fingers into Isa’s palm signaling, ‘Stay. I’m going forward.’ Isa acknowledged and Kennedy ghosted over to the gravesite.
Buffy and Dawn still sat cross-legged, but now faced each other on the couch.
“I’m not sure there’s a problem,” said Buffy.
“She’s special, Buffy. She has a gift.”
“Two gifts, Dawn. She can choose.”
Kennedy had contracted the perimeter around the gravesites. The woman’s grave was empty. No body. No coffin. Just a hole in the ground.
“What do we do?” asked Isa.
“She didn’t rise,” said Kennedy. “We’ll …”
The ground erupted. The other half had risen. Six-six and three hundred pounds of him and with a slap, he sent Hannah tumbling across the ground and charged towards Kennedy.
He never made it. Isa lunged and dropped beneath him, blocking his knees sending him falling face forward to the ground. Kennedy dropped on his back and with a two-handed grip, stabbed her stake through his back and into his heart creating a small dust storm.
Kennedy looked around for her charges, “Hannah?”
Hannah was on her knees, “I’m alright.”
Emily was still on her feet and reached down and gave Kennedy a hand up, but her eyes were on Isa.
Who was coughing.
“What a move,” said Emily. “I’m impressed.”
Kennedy grinned, “Isa’s a natural.”
Buffy and Dawn had moved to the bay window. Outside, a moat of light surrounded the Manor’s south approach.
Buffy stared out as Dawn pressed her point, “One of her gifts, others share. Not so true of the other.”
“She can weigh that.”
The patrol broke from the woods. They seemed in good spirits.
“Looks like it went well,” said Buffy.
“Think what might be lost, Buffy.”
Kennedy slumped, bottle in hand, onto the couch beside Willow.
“Isa was great.”
“As you were as young-un?”
“Tease.”
Isa stepped into the room, “Am I interrupting?”
“Not yet,” said Kennedy.
“Are your ears burning?” asked Willow.
“What?”
“I’ve been told you did good tonight.”
Isa beamed. “It was a rush.” Isa then went serious, “But the other vampire was missing.”
“What?” Willow turned to Kennedy. “You weren’t able to track it?”
“The person was never buried.”
“We need to investigate.”
“Will, it’s no longer a training exercise. It’s work and it’s Emily’s.”
“Huh,” Isa got their attention, “Why Emily’s?”
Kennedy eyed Isa, “This is her turf. Her responsibility.”
“I thought we were a team.”
“We are,” said Willow.
“But sometimes we have to work alone,” said Kennedy, “And even as a team, someone always has to call the shots.”
“Buffy doesn’t make the decisions?”
“Emily knows this ground better than Buffy. If she needs help, she’ll ask.”
Kennedy finished her bottle, “Besides, it’s only research right now.”
“Only research,” Willow jabbed Kennedy.
“Ouch! I’m teasing, but seriously, she’s not going to be attacked in the library.”
“Slayers do research?” asked Isa.
“Sure,” said Willow.
“It depends,” replied Kennedy. “If you have a good watcher, they do, but watchers…”
“There’re quality control issues,” said Willow.
“Slaying, magick, research,” listed Isa, “ … it’s …”
“A smorgasbord,” said Willow with a smile and a nod
The following evening, Faith was heading out when she spied Buffy in the Great Room.
“Yo B.”
“Heading out?”
“Xander’s waiting in the car.
“Deja Weird.”
“Yeah, but easy on the wallet.”
“Buffy?” called Dawn.
Faith departed, the doors closing.
“In here,” replied Buffy.
Outside the car door slammed and the engine started.
“I spoke with one of Isa’s co-workers today.”
The car slowly accelerated, gravel crunching as it pulled away.
“She hasn’t been returning his calls.”
“Is he worried?”
“No, she’s called home. She’s just not calling work.”
“That’s her choice.”
“I’m not convincing you am I?”
“It’s not my choice, Dawn.”
“I think it is, Buffy.”
“That’s where we disagree.”
Buffy started out.
“At least look at her dossier.”
Buffy waved a hand.
Emily had called Kennedy and Willow to the library, where she up-dated them on her research.
“The woman’s coffin disappeared the night before yesterday’s burial. It reappeared this morning and was quickly buried this afternoon.”
“How’d it happen?” ask Willow.
“I hacked into their system and it looks like the mortuary misidentified her coffin as another’s and it was on its way elsewhere when they caught the mistake. But it was too late to correct it.”
“What about the empty grave?” asked Kennedy. “Mourners would have noticed that.”
“The mortuary buried an empty coffin and came back early last night and dug it up.”
“After our daylight recon,” said Kennedy.
“We probably missed each other in passing.”
There was knock at the door, they all looked up. It was Buffy.
“Hey guys, I was going to use the computer. Will that disturb you?”
“Not at all,” replied Emily.
Buffy walked quietly to the far corner computer station.
“Wait,” said Willow, “Why didn’t the vamp rise last night? Where ever she was?”
“I don’t know,” Emily looked to Kennedy.
“Maybe,” Kennedy grappled for a cause, “She felt the coffin being moved around?”
“Could be,” agreed Willow.
Kennedy looked to Emily, “What’s your plan?”
“Stake it out again.”
Another knock at the door, Hannah and Isa, “Is it all right to come in?”
“Come on in,” said Kennedy, then went back to the conversation. “How do you want to do it?”
“SOP.”
“Is this not, a NSOS?” asked Willow.
“What?” said both Kennedy and Emily.
“Non-Standard Operating Sitch. Sorry, I was going for the acronym.”
“Willow’s right. It’s possible someone screwed-up, but it’s also possible it’s a big bad.” Kennedy glanced over to where Isa and Hannah were ostensibly reading the Times. “Do you want back-up?”
“Okay,” agreed Emily. “But just one will do.”
Kennedy called over to the studious ones, “Emily’s doing a stake-out tonight at the cemetery. Need a volunteer.”
“I’ll go,” said Isa.
“You could use the training.”
Isa glowed.
“But,” added Kennedy, “Hannah has more experience.”
“Of course I’ll go,” agreed Hannah.
“Emily will fill you in.”
Emily and Hannah left in the twilight. Isa watched from the bay window till they faded into the woods.
“Hey,” Willow was beside her. “Let’s go to the library. I’ll give you the intro course in occult research.”
“That’d be good.”
After they left, Buffy entered with Dawn and Kennedy in tow.
“Get a drink, have a seat.”
They did. Buffy spoke first to Kennedy.
“What’s your assessment of Isa?”
“She’s a natural. She’s a quick learner. She’s not moody.”
“She doesn’t feel it’s a burden?”
“She likes it.”
“What about her career?”
“She hasn’t talked about it.”
“You put together her dossier.”
“She was good at her work. She was great. She’s been into biology most of her life.”
“What about her family?”
“Her parents died in a plane accident. She was adopted by her aunt. They get along.”
Buffy shifted to Dawn, “Present your case to Kennedy.”
“Cause you’ve heard it.”
“Yes.”
Dawn stared at Kennedy, “Here’s how it goes,” she rested her forearms on the table and began, “Isa has been studying cellular and molecular biology for almost twelve years. And not just from books or looking down microscopes. She has an innate talent, which she’s refined over the years, to envision herself at the molecular, even atomic level. She sees what most cannot and she’s able to bring that knowledge back.”
“And this means what?” asked Kennedy.
“You’re into baseball.”
“Yes. I grok baseball.”
“Well, I don’t. I look out across a baseball pitch…”
“Field.”
“I look across and see a bunch of guys standing around chewing cud.”
“Tobacco.”
“And it’s boring.”
“You don’t know what you’re seeing.”
“That’s right,” agreed Dawn. “I don’t. How long have you been a fan?”
“I can’t remember when I wasn’t.”
“You’ve built up this bank of baseball knowledge and it lets you see what I can’t.”
“Oh, yeah, I get it. Isa’s giving away a life of being a database.”
Buffy’s cell rang. She got up. “You two keep at it, while I take this.”
“No, no, no, no” said Dawn, lighting pounding the table. “It’s also the way she gets it.”
“Being really small? Doing the shrinking thing?”
“That’s what Einstein did to discover relativity. He imagined himself riding on a photon of light.”
“Science much?”
“Hush,” Buffy’s word was rule and they did. Buffy listened. “We’re coming.” Buffy put away her cell. “That was Xander. He and Faith cruised by the cemetery. Something’s going down. Dawn, go tell Willow to prepare for casualties. Kennedy, let’s go.”
They were too late. When Kennedy pulled up beside Xander, Faith was already coming out of the cemetery, a slayer cradled in her arms. Their eyes met, Faith shook her head. Xander opened the back door and Faith gently lay Hannah on the back seat. There was no blood, and with eyes closed, she appeared asleep.
“Broken neck,” said Faith.
“Her eyes?” said Buffy.
“I closed them.” It was Emily. She was limping.
Buffy took Emily’s shoulder and turned her away from Hannah. “Report.”
“There were at least six vampires. Some sort of ritual. I signaled Hannah to withdraw. They heard us. We ran. I fell. Something broke. Hannah pulled me to the side of a crypt. That’s where we fought.”
“When Xander and I came by, I could hear a whistle,” added Faith.
“I don’t remember blowing it. But I could have. I didn’t even see Hannah - go down.”
“I told Xander to guard the entrance and contact you,” said Faith. “Then I went in and found them.”
“Faith saved me.”
“There was some slaying,” said Faith.
“Anymore?” asked Buffy.
“I don’t know,” Faith looked back, “They run to.”
“We’ll have to sweep the cemetery.”
Faith looked back to Buffy, “Kennedy and I’ll do it. You’ve got other work.”
Behind Buffy, Emily trembled violently.
Buffy watched the sun come up, out on the south lawn. The lawn of the wild grass, dew-laden.
“Morning.” Buffy didn’t even look around, Willow’s voice so comforting.
“Learn anything?”
Willow swished through the grass between them and stood beside her best friend. “A bonding ritual for bringing vampires together. They were going to make the woman their queen.”
“Did she survive?”
“Don’t know. Emily’s memory is fragmented and Faith was in fury mode.”
A breeze rippled across the grasses.
“On the other hand,” Willow continued, “There may be ways of identifying a vampire by their dust.”
“No mood for jest, Will.”
“I’m not Buffy. I was talking with Isa about it. It’s kinda of like magickal DNA.”
Buffy looked into Willow’s eyes, “What do you think of Isa?”
“She’d be an asset.”
“How … unique are her science talents?”
“Rare.”
“So our gain, would be science’s loss. Society’s loss?”
“Could be.”
“I was in the library last night, remember, when Emily asked for back-up and Kennedy had to choose between Isa and Hannah. Isa volunteered, Hannah didn’t.”
“I remember. Kennedy chose experience.”
“With experience, we sometimes just know which way to turn when the path forks. We know when to go and when to stay. Isa doesn’t have that yet.”
“And she won’t, if you don’t give it to her.”
“I know.”
Two weeks past. A burial done. Xander had left for Cleveland with Faith. An orientation ended. Choices to be made.
Isa stood in the Great Room, waiting. Buffy walked in.
“Have a seat.”
Isa sat - straight. Buffy perched on the arm of the couch.
“You’ve done great,” began Buffy. “Everyone speaks well of you.”
“Thank you. I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
“Not in your work?”
“It’s different.”
“It can be intense. But when you go back…”
“Back?”
“To your research at the Delgado Institute.”
“I’d not planned to go back.”
“Oh.”
The ticking of the hallway clock filled their silence.
“I’ve been told that some follow … the tradition, for all their lives.”
“A few. Most go back to their normal life and when the situation demands it they stand up.”
Isa rose, “ I stand up now. It’s my choice.”
Buffy looked up to Isa. She did, but…
“It’s not your choice. I’m sorry.”
Kennedy appeared at the door. Isa heard her.
“Buffy, you cannot give and then take away.” Isa turned and walked out, pass Kennedy. Kennedy waited, looked questioningly and as Buffy said nothing, followed after Isa. Buffy listened till their footsteps on the gravel faded away, and the clock ticked out the hour before Buffy returned to her calling.
The End.
Credit Note: “The Ghost Roads” is a creation of writer Christopher Golden.
by Wolfguard
Author's note: The story takes place in early spring of 2004.
Barcelona, Spain
Her hair was dark and short, like a Roman legionnaire, and she moved with purpose.
“Why don’t you leave the sword at the door? You know, with the umbrellas.”
Isabelle, ‘Isa,’ considered the source of the advice and continued on into the lab. The giver of the advice, an unshaved young man, a devotee of gum, never took his eyes off her.
“Jorge, if a bad guy knocks at the door, why would I want to leave a weapon where she could get it?”
“Emma is not a bad guy.”
“She’s moody.” Isa leaned the sword in the far corner, an arm’s reach from her lab station. Jorge swiveled around on his stool, watching.
“Moody is not homicidal.”
“Depends on the mood.”
“How about impatience? As in, I’ll have your bloody jobs if the grant proposal isn’t finished by the 20th?”
Isa logged-in and opened the program and files. Jorge chewed determinedly. Isa looked over to him, “Some people can’t see what’s before them.”
“That’s an original observation.”
“Look…”
And Jorge did.
“I mean that as sentence starter.” Jorge continued staring. “There’re a lot of images I’ve got to go through, but I’ll see it when it’s there. Just a question of time.”
Jorge stopped chewing. He locked eyes. “Isn’t that the point?” And he looked to the sword and back to her. “What’s up with that?”
Later that night, as she strolled down the street, she mulled over that question. It was a relevant question. Why the recent interest in the long-sword? She’d fenced a bit at the university, but it had been a game of tag. Tag did not interest like the lab. How had this sword thing started?
Her stroll took her by the cemetery. It had an allure about it. So much history under the stones. Was that it? Swords are historical artifacts. Had the history bug bit her? But she couldn’t remember seeing or reading any histories. Well, Venter’s autobiography, but that’s lab relevant. She stopped and stared out over the cemetery’s silent stones. Such solitude. Then the night sounds stopped. She saw a man in a fine dark suit walking between the graves towards her. So odd. She should go, but it was so curious. The man reached the cemetery’s end and they looked at each other, a heartbeat or so. He sniffed the air and then his faced changed. It was strangely familiar.
“Borrow your sword?”
The question startled Isa. The speaker, a young woman, looked Spanish and spoke it well, but for an accent.
“He’s coming.”
Isa looked back to the cemetery and the man was coming quick. The woman now stepped in front of her and had her sword, she’d not felt it leave the sheath.
There was a single blur of moonlight on steel and the man was gone. The woman pivoted to face her.
“That was quick,” Isa said.
“Can be.” The woman flicked dust from the blade and offered Isa back her sword. Isa accepted and returned it to its sheath. Then she had to ask.
“Vampire?”
“That’s right.”
“And you are?”
“Kennedy. The person who is going explain how you knew that.”
Jorge followed her down the stairs.
“This was unexpected.”
“I’ve got time. The proposal is in.”
Isa walked rapidly down the hall, Jorge kept up.
“Where’re you going?”
“Road trip.”
They exited the main doors together. Kennedy was standing by the car.
“Ready?” Kennedy asked.
“Yes.”
Jorge studied Kennedy and she noticed.
“I’m Kennedy.”
“Jorge. Isa’s project partner.” He paused. “For now.”
Isa took off her knapsack, “Can I put this in the trunk?”
“It’s full,” Kennedy opened the back door, “Stick it in here.” Isa did. Kennedy walked around and got into the driver’s seat.
“Isa, what if Emma has questions?”
“About?”
“The Proposal.”
“Answer them?” Isa opened the door and got it. Jorge held the door.
“Questions only you can answer.”
“Then call me.”
Isa pulled the door closed.
Cross-Park Manor, England
Isa followed Kennedy out of the mist to stand before a gravel road running between ancient oaks whose leaves filtered the approaching sunset.
“We’re not in Barcelona,” noted Isa.
“We’re about hour out of London.”
“As in London, England?”
“Uh huh.”
“Courtesy of the Ghost Roads? Wow. If only I had the physics, I’d appreciate it more.”
“This way,” Kennedy pointed down the road.
They saw the roof first, grey slate with end chimneys. Then the building proper, composed of grey stone, was more than a house, less than an castle and to subdue in façade to call a mansion.
“Welcome to the Manor.”
“This is Headquarters?”
“We don’t have a HQ. We do have a lot of bases and this is the Manor.”
Kennedy lead Isa up the few steps to the oak door.
“Don’t we need to knock?”
“No.” Kennedy opened the left door and beckoned Isa inside.
“Cause we’re … slayers?”
Dawn stood in the center of the foyer. “Because we were watching.”
Kennedy brought Isa before Dawn. “Dawn, this is Isabelle. Goes by Isa. Isa, Dawn. She who watches the watchers.”
“You have spy cameras?”
“Of sorts,” said Dawn. “Welcome to the Manor.” Dawn shook Isa’s hand. And then to Kennedy, “Something’s come up and we not going to be able to do the formal orientation, or not yet.”
“I’ll settle her in.”
“Thanks.”
“What about training? Start without…”
“Sure.” Dawn touched Isa’s arm, “It’s good you’re here. We’ll talk tomorrow morning.”
Kennedy and Isa watched Dawn walk down the hall, pass the grandfather clock, and disappear around a corner.
Kennedy gave Isa a smile. “Formality is not our strong point.”
Dawn entered the library. Beneath the fluorescents, the round table was in use.
“The new slayer arrived,” she said.
No one seemed to notice. Faith had the floor.
“Cleveland is getting more Machiavellian than I can handle.”
“Should I go?” asked Willow.
“There is the Multitude.”
That familiar voice came from the speaker.
“Then I should stay?” asked Willow.
“Is that Oz?” asked Dawn. “Hey Oz.”
“Hey Dawn.”
Dawn sat down at the table.
“What’s her name?” asked Buffy.
“Isabelle from Barcelona. She goes by Isa. Kennedy brought her in.”
“Good.”
Xander crossed his hands and leaned forward on the table, “I can do Machiavelli. I do have the patch.”
“Don’t you have to be Africa?” asked Faith.
Kennedy opened the door and Isa noticed there was no lock. The floor was worn wood, but the walls were a warm yellow and the scent of paint was fresh. There was a single bed flanked by a heavy dresser and a plastic folding chair.
“It’s Spartan,” observed Kennedy.
“What about the throw pillow?”
Kennedy pondered the fuzzy orange pillow. Someone’s sense of humor?
“Well, you got to share the bathroom. It’s at the end of the hall.”
“Not a problem.”
“Well good. If you want, we can call it a night and begin training tomorrow or we can start tonight.”
“Which is better?”
“We do our best work at night.”
“No different than the lab. Let’s do it.”
Kennedy and Isa exited the west door. A single overhead hooded light bathed the steps and enticed its share of the night’s insects.
“This way.” They crossed the lawn, passed through the trees and then the stones appeared and they weaved between them.
“A cemetery?”
“Training cemetery,” corrected Kennedy.
“Meaning?”
“Nothing bad is going to sprout from the ground.”
“Comforting. Why a training cemetery? Why not a gym?”
“We fight as we train. Your surroundings are part of the fight, so we train in a cemetery. Or a good simulation of one.”
“Does it always happen in a cemetery?”
“No, but this is where it starts. It’s also safer in a cemetery. Usually.”
“Why safer?’
“Well for one thing, newborn vamps are not as experienced in the kill. Some don’t even know what’s happen to them.”
“It seems unsporting to slay a confused … deceased person.”
“Isa, they’re one bite away from epiphany.”
“What are the other reasons?”
“What?”
“You said, ‘for one,’ implying there’re at least two reasons.”
“Yeah. The second reason is it’s easier to separate the vampires from the innocents in a cemetery. Outside the cemetery, not so simple. And then there’re demons.”
“There’re demons?” An owl hooted.
They’d come to the cemetery’s center. Kennedy stopped. “Yes, there are demons Isabelle. So tonight we start training.”
“Karate?”
“Balance. It all rides on balance.”
Kitchen at brunch was the water fountain at the Manor. Willow caught Dawn at the kitchen island.
“Hey, any more eggs?” Willow asked.
Dawn nodded over the long table where sat Kennedy, Isabelle and two others.
“Too late. Waffle? I’ve got a couple in the toaster.”
“Thanks.” Willow poured orange juice from the carton on the counter. “What’s Isabelle’s background?”
“Graduate student in developmental biology.”
“Really?” Willow stole another glance at the new slayer. “Where at?”
“The Delgado Institute.”
“She’s a brain.”
“With superpowers, who’d have thought.” The waffles rose and Dawn deftly plucked and placed them on two waiting plates.
“How’s she taking it?”
Dawn squeezed a spiral of butter over her waffle. “Kennedy says like she was born to it.”
“They’re all born to it. How do you assess her?”
Dawn took a bite, chewed and thought. “An optimistic A personality.” Dawn picked up her plate and motioned Willow, “Come on, I’ll introduce you.
The two walked over to the table. Isabelle was sitting beside Emily, green-eyed and toned, and across from Kennedy who sat beside Hannah, the little City girl. Kennedy patted the bench beside her. “Hey you.”
“Egg hog,” said Willow with a smile.
“Sleepy head,” Kennedy motioned to Isabelle, “This is Isa. Isa, this is Willow.”
“You’re one of the Chosen Slayers?”
“Oh, no. Witch in Residence.”
Dawn had sat beside Isabelle, looked up from her disappearing waffle and added, “Willow’s the one who did the empowering spell.”
There was a moment of quiet. Willow broke it, “Dawn told me you’re doing post-graduate work in biology. What’s that like?”
Isa sat back, “It’s … different from the world we experience.”
“More reading,” said Emily.
“Not so much. A lot of what I do is observe and imagine. I drop down through several levels of magnitude and imagine wandering amongst the molecules.”
“There goes my vision of a lab coat,” said Hannah, and then added, “Ouch” as Kennedy kicked her under the table.
“No,” said Isa, “Most people think it’s all books. There’s a lot of imagination at work.”
“Intuition?” asked Willow.
“Developed intuition. I’ve been studying biology most of my life.”
Dawn perked, “How long?”
“At least since I was twelve. Earlier if you count catching pollywogs.”
“Half your life?” asked Dawn.
“Easily.”
The Manor did have a gym, half the size of a basketball court, half covered with red and white mats and the other half with training equipment. A wall length mirror ran along the end of the mat side and in its reflection, two slayers moved. One wearing focus mitts, the other not.
“Three,” called out Faith, wearer of the mitts.
Buffy snapped a low front kick and followed it with a middle roundhouse using the same leg and ended with a rear high front kick.”
“You’re still favoring your right leg,” said Faith.
“I know.”
"Give me one reason, other than Africa, why I shouldn’t be in Cleveland?”
Neither of them glanced towards the questioner, Xander, who stood cross-armed at the mat’s edge.
“Let’s work the hands,” said Faith.
“Okay.”
“And watch the chi.”
They shuffle stepped, “Two,” called Faith.
Buffy blasted two straight punches into the mitts.
“So you don’t have a reason,” said Xander, louder.
Buffy backed away from Faith, looked to Xander, “They know you.”
“We don’t know that.”
“I know that,” said Faith.
“You suspect that.”
“I have a gut feeling. I think it comes from the fact that Jensen is a watcher.”
“Of the old Council,” corrected Xander.
Buffy tilted her head, “And how does that boost your argument?”
“He could have forgot?” asked Xander.
“Hey guys,” Dawn called from the doorway. She crossed to join Xander.
“What’s up?” asked Buffy.
“Just wanted to schedule talk time tonight.”
“Half seven?”
“Great. I’ll see you then.” Dawn started to leave.
“Problem?” asked Buffy.
Dawn pauses, “Not really.”
“Okay.”
Dawn leaves. Xander looks to Buffy, “Half seven?” He grins. “Oh so British.”
Buffy gave him the Summers eye, then focused back on Faith, “Ready?”
“Yeah, but watch the chi.”
Kennedy stood before the board, her trio of slayers circled around her.
“Here’s the deal for tonight. We believe the couple being buried today were turned, so tonight they might rise. We’ll be doing a basic stake-out.”
Kennedy paused to see who’d snicker, and to their credit, none did.
“Good, late this afternoon we’ll do a daylight walk-through of the site. Hannah?”
“Yes?”
“I want you to go over personal gear and dress with Isa.”
“Will do.”
“We’ll meet back here at 4:00PM for the walk-through,” Kennedy pointed to Emily. “You and I are now going to do some stealth walking exercises.”
“I walk like a cat.”
“On catnip, let’s go.”
Hannah watched Kennedy and Emily go and then pivoted around to Isa who had watched all three. “Well, want to do the gear thing here?”
“Sure,” said Isa. “Do I need to take notes?”
Dawn preferred office-retro. Hers had a really big desk and two really big monitors. She liked to spread information before her, across the desk and splashed across the monitors in multiple windows. And as information paused and danced before her, she’d study, question, transform it. Make it hers. Now, elbows on desk, chin in palms, she drank deep.
Isa held the whistle before her.
“Why not our cell phones?”
“We do use them, but where we go they’re not always reliable. And sometimes magick auras can interfere with the signal.”
“Oh.”
“Question?”
“I’m still emotionally accepting the idea of magic.”
“With a K.”
“What?”
Hannah laughed. “The way you said it, you’re still thinking of it as stage magic.”
“Am not.”
“Yeah you are.” Hannah laughed again. “Okay, the whistles also have a very special property.”
“They’re magic - magick?”
“No, not magick. Let’s go outside.”
Dawn had it, now she had to digest it. Perhaps coffee?
Hannah and Isa stood in the center of The Manor’s south lawn. A lawn wickedly wild, many grasses, blends of yellows and greens. Just beyond, the woodlands, and back and forth between the two, insects darted and birds sounded.
“Listen,” said Hannah.
Isa did.
“What do you hear?”
“Birds. Nature?”
“Good. Now blow the whistle. Lightly.”
Isa did, and the sound was full and fine.
“You can stop. Now listen again. What do you hear?”
“The same - and I shouldn’t. The noise should have scared the birds.”
Hannah smiled. “What do you make of that?”
“We, slayers, have a different hearing range?”
“We do.”
They grinned together, and together turned to the sound of footsteps. It was Willow.
“Teaching Isa the secret whistle?”
Coffee in hand, Dawn stood before the bay window overlooking the south lawn. The secret whistle demonstration. Could complicate things.
Isa was smiling broadly. “What else can we do?”
“You do,” reminded Willow. “You’ll learn.”
“She’s suspicious of magick,” said Hannah.
“Am not,” said Isa, still smiling. “It’s just not an idea that fits well with the science I know and live.”
“The world’s bigger than any one worldview,” said Willow.
“I can see it. And I want to see more.”
Willow looked to Hannah, “She’s rabid, isn’t she?” And the two shared a smile.
“What,” asked Isa, “Am I being really enthusiastic?”
“Not at all.” Willow grinned. “Embrace the desire.”
Xander was heading out when he spied Buffy in the Great Room.
“Hey.”
“You’re heading out?”
“Faith’s in the car.”
“Say again?”
“I’m taking her out to dinner.”
“There’s something so wrong with that picture.”
“Well, I’m still making my pitch to go to Cleveland. And we’re just going to Cardinal’s. Want to come?”
“I’ll pass. Dawn wants to talk. You know, it’s almost,” Buffy paused, “Half seven.”
“Buffy, sarcasm is so unbecoming.” And with that, Xander beat a retreat.
Four slayers stepped out of the east door and into the twilight. Kennedy gathered Hannah, Emily and Isa around her. “Again, once we hit the tree-line, Hannah you have the point and Emily the rear. And no talking, so any last questions?”
Isa waited for the others, and when neither spoke, she asked, “Why aren’t we carrying weapons?”
“You have your two stakes?”
“Yes, but wouldn’t a sword or axe be better?”
“Don’t often have the option to carry them and this is, I stress ‘is,’ a training exercise.”
“It’s only two vampires,” added Hannah. “And four of us.”
“Hey,” Kennedy looked to Hannah, “Numbers don’t always count.” Kennedy took in the others, “Keep alert. Remember the plan.”
Buffy and Dawn sat side by side, cross-legged, on the Great Room’s black leather couch. Buffy studied the papers in her lap.
“What do you think?” asked Dawn.
Without looking up, “Kennedy didn’t do her homework?”
“Not saying that. She followed protocol. I think maybe the protocol needs changing.”
Twilight had become night when the four reached the new gravesites. They established a perimeter, Kennedy keeping Isa with her. Isa scanned the site, really not certain what she was looking for other than a hand or head coming out of the ground and that should be clear-cut.
“Damn” Kennedy whispered it, but given her ‘talk and I bap you’ order, it startled Isa. Kennedy took Isa’s hand and pressed her fingers into Isa’s palm signaling, ‘Stay. I’m going forward.’ Isa acknowledged and Kennedy ghosted over to the gravesite.
Buffy and Dawn still sat cross-legged, but now faced each other on the couch.
“I’m not sure there’s a problem,” said Buffy.
“She’s special, Buffy. She has a gift.”
“Two gifts, Dawn. She can choose.”
Kennedy had contracted the perimeter around the gravesites. The woman’s grave was empty. No body. No coffin. Just a hole in the ground.
“What do we do?” asked Isa.
“She didn’t rise,” said Kennedy. “We’ll …”
The ground erupted. The other half had risen. Six-six and three hundred pounds of him and with a slap, he sent Hannah tumbling across the ground and charged towards Kennedy.
He never made it. Isa lunged and dropped beneath him, blocking his knees sending him falling face forward to the ground. Kennedy dropped on his back and with a two-handed grip, stabbed her stake through his back and into his heart creating a small dust storm.
Kennedy looked around for her charges, “Hannah?”
Hannah was on her knees, “I’m alright.”
Emily was still on her feet and reached down and gave Kennedy a hand up, but her eyes were on Isa.
Who was coughing.
“What a move,” said Emily. “I’m impressed.”
Kennedy grinned, “Isa’s a natural.”
Buffy and Dawn had moved to the bay window. Outside, a moat of light surrounded the Manor’s south approach.
Buffy stared out as Dawn pressed her point, “One of her gifts, others share. Not so true of the other.”
“She can weigh that.”
The patrol broke from the woods. They seemed in good spirits.
“Looks like it went well,” said Buffy.
“Think what might be lost, Buffy.”
Kennedy slumped, bottle in hand, onto the couch beside Willow.
“Isa was great.”
“As you were as young-un?”
“Tease.”
Isa stepped into the room, “Am I interrupting?”
“Not yet,” said Kennedy.
“Are your ears burning?” asked Willow.
“What?”
“I’ve been told you did good tonight.”
Isa beamed. “It was a rush.” Isa then went serious, “But the other vampire was missing.”
“What?” Willow turned to Kennedy. “You weren’t able to track it?”
“The person was never buried.”
“We need to investigate.”
“Will, it’s no longer a training exercise. It’s work and it’s Emily’s.”
“Huh,” Isa got their attention, “Why Emily’s?”
Kennedy eyed Isa, “This is her turf. Her responsibility.”
“I thought we were a team.”
“We are,” said Willow.
“But sometimes we have to work alone,” said Kennedy, “And even as a team, someone always has to call the shots.”
“Buffy doesn’t make the decisions?”
“Emily knows this ground better than Buffy. If she needs help, she’ll ask.”
Kennedy finished her bottle, “Besides, it’s only research right now.”
“Only research,” Willow jabbed Kennedy.
“Ouch! I’m teasing, but seriously, she’s not going to be attacked in the library.”
“Slayers do research?” asked Isa.
“Sure,” said Willow.
“It depends,” replied Kennedy. “If you have a good watcher, they do, but watchers…”
“There’re quality control issues,” said Willow.
“Slaying, magick, research,” listed Isa, “ … it’s …”
“A smorgasbord,” said Willow with a smile and a nod
The following evening, Faith was heading out when she spied Buffy in the Great Room.
“Yo B.”
“Heading out?”
“Xander’s waiting in the car.
“Deja Weird.”
“Yeah, but easy on the wallet.”
“Buffy?” called Dawn.
Faith departed, the doors closing.
“In here,” replied Buffy.
Outside the car door slammed and the engine started.
“I spoke with one of Isa’s co-workers today.”
The car slowly accelerated, gravel crunching as it pulled away.
“She hasn’t been returning his calls.”
“Is he worried?”
“No, she’s called home. She’s just not calling work.”
“That’s her choice.”
“I’m not convincing you am I?”
“It’s not my choice, Dawn.”
“I think it is, Buffy.”
“That’s where we disagree.”
Buffy started out.
“At least look at her dossier.”
Buffy waved a hand.
Emily had called Kennedy and Willow to the library, where she up-dated them on her research.
“The woman’s coffin disappeared the night before yesterday’s burial. It reappeared this morning and was quickly buried this afternoon.”
“How’d it happen?” ask Willow.
“I hacked into their system and it looks like the mortuary misidentified her coffin as another’s and it was on its way elsewhere when they caught the mistake. But it was too late to correct it.”
“What about the empty grave?” asked Kennedy. “Mourners would have noticed that.”
“The mortuary buried an empty coffin and came back early last night and dug it up.”
“After our daylight recon,” said Kennedy.
“We probably missed each other in passing.”
There was knock at the door, they all looked up. It was Buffy.
“Hey guys, I was going to use the computer. Will that disturb you?”
“Not at all,” replied Emily.
Buffy walked quietly to the far corner computer station.
“Wait,” said Willow, “Why didn’t the vamp rise last night? Where ever she was?”
“I don’t know,” Emily looked to Kennedy.
“Maybe,” Kennedy grappled for a cause, “She felt the coffin being moved around?”
“Could be,” agreed Willow.
Kennedy looked to Emily, “What’s your plan?”
“Stake it out again.”
Another knock at the door, Hannah and Isa, “Is it all right to come in?”
“Come on in,” said Kennedy, then went back to the conversation. “How do you want to do it?”
“SOP.”
“Is this not, a NSOS?” asked Willow.
“What?” said both Kennedy and Emily.
“Non-Standard Operating Sitch. Sorry, I was going for the acronym.”
“Willow’s right. It’s possible someone screwed-up, but it’s also possible it’s a big bad.” Kennedy glanced over to where Isa and Hannah were ostensibly reading the Times. “Do you want back-up?”
“Okay,” agreed Emily. “But just one will do.”
Kennedy called over to the studious ones, “Emily’s doing a stake-out tonight at the cemetery. Need a volunteer.”
“I’ll go,” said Isa.
“You could use the training.”
Isa glowed.
“But,” added Kennedy, “Hannah has more experience.”
“Of course I’ll go,” agreed Hannah.
“Emily will fill you in.”
Emily and Hannah left in the twilight. Isa watched from the bay window till they faded into the woods.
“Hey,” Willow was beside her. “Let’s go to the library. I’ll give you the intro course in occult research.”
“That’d be good.”
After they left, Buffy entered with Dawn and Kennedy in tow.
“Get a drink, have a seat.”
They did. Buffy spoke first to Kennedy.
“What’s your assessment of Isa?”
“She’s a natural. She’s a quick learner. She’s not moody.”
“She doesn’t feel it’s a burden?”
“She likes it.”
“What about her career?”
“She hasn’t talked about it.”
“You put together her dossier.”
“She was good at her work. She was great. She’s been into biology most of her life.”
“What about her family?”
“Her parents died in a plane accident. She was adopted by her aunt. They get along.”
Buffy shifted to Dawn, “Present your case to Kennedy.”
“Cause you’ve heard it.”
“Yes.”
Dawn stared at Kennedy, “Here’s how it goes,” she rested her forearms on the table and began, “Isa has been studying cellular and molecular biology for almost twelve years. And not just from books or looking down microscopes. She has an innate talent, which she’s refined over the years, to envision herself at the molecular, even atomic level. She sees what most cannot and she’s able to bring that knowledge back.”
“And this means what?” asked Kennedy.
“You’re into baseball.”
“Yes. I grok baseball.”
“Well, I don’t. I look out across a baseball pitch…”
“Field.”
“I look across and see a bunch of guys standing around chewing cud.”
“Tobacco.”
“And it’s boring.”
“You don’t know what you’re seeing.”
“That’s right,” agreed Dawn. “I don’t. How long have you been a fan?”
“I can’t remember when I wasn’t.”
“You’ve built up this bank of baseball knowledge and it lets you see what I can’t.”
“Oh, yeah, I get it. Isa’s giving away a life of being a database.”
Buffy’s cell rang. She got up. “You two keep at it, while I take this.”
“No, no, no, no” said Dawn, lighting pounding the table. “It’s also the way she gets it.”
“Being really small? Doing the shrinking thing?”
“That’s what Einstein did to discover relativity. He imagined himself riding on a photon of light.”
“Science much?”
“Hush,” Buffy’s word was rule and they did. Buffy listened. “We’re coming.” Buffy put away her cell. “That was Xander. He and Faith cruised by the cemetery. Something’s going down. Dawn, go tell Willow to prepare for casualties. Kennedy, let’s go.”
They were too late. When Kennedy pulled up beside Xander, Faith was already coming out of the cemetery, a slayer cradled in her arms. Their eyes met, Faith shook her head. Xander opened the back door and Faith gently lay Hannah on the back seat. There was no blood, and with eyes closed, she appeared asleep.
“Broken neck,” said Faith.
“Her eyes?” said Buffy.
“I closed them.” It was Emily. She was limping.
Buffy took Emily’s shoulder and turned her away from Hannah. “Report.”
“There were at least six vampires. Some sort of ritual. I signaled Hannah to withdraw. They heard us. We ran. I fell. Something broke. Hannah pulled me to the side of a crypt. That’s where we fought.”
“When Xander and I came by, I could hear a whistle,” added Faith.
“I don’t remember blowing it. But I could have. I didn’t even see Hannah - go down.”
“I told Xander to guard the entrance and contact you,” said Faith. “Then I went in and found them.”
“Faith saved me.”
“There was some slaying,” said Faith.
“Anymore?” asked Buffy.
“I don’t know,” Faith looked back, “They run to.”
“We’ll have to sweep the cemetery.”
Faith looked back to Buffy, “Kennedy and I’ll do it. You’ve got other work.”
Behind Buffy, Emily trembled violently.
Buffy watched the sun come up, out on the south lawn. The lawn of the wild grass, dew-laden.
“Morning.” Buffy didn’t even look around, Willow’s voice so comforting.
“Learn anything?”
Willow swished through the grass between them and stood beside her best friend. “A bonding ritual for bringing vampires together. They were going to make the woman their queen.”
“Did she survive?”
“Don’t know. Emily’s memory is fragmented and Faith was in fury mode.”
A breeze rippled across the grasses.
“On the other hand,” Willow continued, “There may be ways of identifying a vampire by their dust.”
“No mood for jest, Will.”
“I’m not Buffy. I was talking with Isa about it. It’s kinda of like magickal DNA.”
Buffy looked into Willow’s eyes, “What do you think of Isa?”
“She’d be an asset.”
“How … unique are her science talents?”
“Rare.”
“So our gain, would be science’s loss. Society’s loss?”
“Could be.”
“I was in the library last night, remember, when Emily asked for back-up and Kennedy had to choose between Isa and Hannah. Isa volunteered, Hannah didn’t.”
“I remember. Kennedy chose experience.”
“With experience, we sometimes just know which way to turn when the path forks. We know when to go and when to stay. Isa doesn’t have that yet.”
“And she won’t, if you don’t give it to her.”
“I know.”
Two weeks past. A burial done. Xander had left for Cleveland with Faith. An orientation ended. Choices to be made.
Isa stood in the Great Room, waiting. Buffy walked in.
“Have a seat.”
Isa sat - straight. Buffy perched on the arm of the couch.
“You’ve done great,” began Buffy. “Everyone speaks well of you.”
“Thank you. I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
“Not in your work?”
“It’s different.”
“It can be intense. But when you go back…”
“Back?”
“To your research at the Delgado Institute.”
“I’d not planned to go back.”
“Oh.”
The ticking of the hallway clock filled their silence.
“I’ve been told that some follow … the tradition, for all their lives.”
“A few. Most go back to their normal life and when the situation demands it they stand up.”
Isa rose, “ I stand up now. It’s my choice.”
Buffy looked up to Isa. She did, but…
“It’s not your choice. I’m sorry.”
Kennedy appeared at the door. Isa heard her.
“Buffy, you cannot give and then take away.” Isa turned and walked out, pass Kennedy. Kennedy waited, looked questioningly and as Buffy said nothing, followed after Isa. Buffy listened till their footsteps on the gravel faded away, and the clock ticked out the hour before Buffy returned to her calling.
The End.
Credit Note: “The Ghost Roads” is a creation of writer Christopher Golden.