Animal - Ch. 14

[whedonist]

Ch. 14 – Something in the World Today

I slurp up the last of my lo mien and watch my lunch buddy daintily eat her fried rice. It’s amazing how a few weeks not working eighty hours a week will really improve your disposition.

“Do you have anything else?” Alex asks me. “I also can’t believe Melinda just passed the case to you like she did. That says a lot Willow.”

Shaking my head, I sign the final findings on one of Alex’s cases and hand the report over to her. “She’s a pretty neat woman. I’m not sure how I’m going to do on the stand though,” I admit blushing.



“You’ll be fine. You have a sincere, earnest face. The jury’s going to love that.” She sets down her take out container, wipes her hand and takes the offered report.

“Yeah, but when I get nervous, I have a tendency to babble. It’s uhm, well, it usually ends with me saying something either completely embarrassing or completely irrelevant.”

She smiles at me. “You trust me and the rest will work out.”

“Yeah, but…” I start to say.

“No, yeah but’s. Look, just like dancing or anything else that takes a partner, this is the same thing. You need to trust me. The evidence is there Willow; what I need you to do is explain it so the jury can see it for what it is. Then when they come back with a guilty verdict, I take you out for drinks to celebrate.” She grins wolfishly. An air of confidence just seems to flow from her.

Idly, I can’t help but think that Alex Cabot missed her calling. She would have made a great slayer.

“Okay,” I concede. The vibrations in my lab coat pocket cause me to dip my hand inside to pull out my phone and read the message that I just received. Reading it over, I sigh. “Well, that takes care of the last of that,” I say, dropping my phone on top of my desk.

“Takes care of what?” she asks as she clutches her stomach, rubbing it. “And really, Chinese for breakfast is a bad idea. How did I let you talk me into it?”

I giggle. “It’s one of my favorite breakfast foods, next to pancakes.”

“But it’s…dinner food,” Alex nearly pouts. “And take care of what?”

“Rearranging the wedding stuff,” I say, leaning back in my chair.

She looks at me and I know she wants more than that for an explanation. At least I know she’s effective in the courtroom if her skills outside are any indication. “Buffy and I decided to postpone the ceremony until things here get saner. We really want this case wrapped up.”

Alex nods. “That’s too bad. I’m sorry, Willow.”

I shrug. “I mean I kind of expected it. We haven’t been the poster couple for lesbians.”

Alex’s mouth quirks into a smirk. “What exactly is the poster couple for lesbians supposed to look like?”

“Oh, ya know, talk to each other, spend time together, be in the same room without needing a referee. Have sex every now and again,” I mumble the last part.

“So things aren’t going well?” she asks, leaning forward in her seat.

“They weren’t, but things are better, just not great. Everything’s gotten better, but…” I trail off unable to reveal the particulars about this case.

“It’s still not moonlight and roses,” she supplies.

I nod and say, “It’s more like a mixed bouquet and cheap wine right now.” I sigh again, needing a topic change. “What about you and Olivia?”

Alex falters not answering the question. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. “If you don’t want to say anything, Alex, I’d understand.” I give her a way out.

“No,” she says and dismisses the idea with a wave of her hand. “I…just, things with Olivia are good. It’s that there’s so much history between us and I think that we can get past it. I just don’t know how long it’s going to take.”

I nod. I know exactly what that’s like. “Let me guess. Olivia wants a serious relationship, but can’t commit ‘cause she’s doing the ‘loner, brooding’ thing? With an added, ‘you don’t need my shit. I’m screwed up and you deserve better’ pout?”

Alex lets out a full laugh and says through breaths, “Uh, not yet. I’ve seen a little bit of that though.”

I nod. “You’ll see it full force before you two settle down,” I say. I’ve been there. I’ve gotten the t-shirt which I threw in the trash. I’d rather not remember some of those times. You know her and Buffy are really alike. It’s kind of funny.”

“How so?” Alex tilts her head to the side.

“Both are strong, independent, fiercely protective and loyal to the ones they love. Both are damaged from their past. They both do the hero-complex-loner thing really well. Well, Buffy used to. She tries to not do that anymore, but she has her moments.”

“Hmmm,” Alex hums. “You may be right.”

I scoff and roll my eyes. “No may be about it.” I nod for emphasis and she breaks out into a grin.

“I take it you and Buffy went through similar things?” she asks.

I nod some more. “After we left Sunnydale, we went our separate ways. If it wasn’t for her sister and my ex-girlfriend, I wouldn’t have come here. When I did, it just…I knew what I needed to do.”

Alex nods, sympathetically. “I know that feeling.”

“Lots of apologizing and trying to get past the past.” I say and run my fingers through my hair.

“But you guys have?” she digs.

“Yeah. We have, but sometimes the past has a way of coming up to bite you in the tush, making it hurt again.”

“That I get,” Alex commiserates.

“Doctor,” the admin I share with Melinda Warner and Vlad Dagostino rings through the intercom, “There’s a Xander Harris on the phone for you.”

My face breaks out into a grin and I say, “Thank you.”

“He’s on line two.” The speaker clicks off and I pick up the phone, holding up a finger to Alex asking for patience.

“Xander?” I ask.

“Willow!” his voice rings loud and reassuring into my ear.

Sighing, I slouch back into my office chair. “It’s good to hear from you. Things around here are a bit crazy.”

“You, Buffy and crazy? Nah, I don’t believe it,” he says with too much sarcasm. “It’s good to hear your voice too Will, but this is a business call, not a social one.”

Well poop.

“Alright, Xand lay it on me.” We may as well get this done and over with.

“Alright, Dawn forwarded me some of that information that you sent to her. About those killings and the people from Miami going missing, and don’t think we won’t talk about that. I’m not clear on the particulars, but…”

“Xander,” I clip, “I don’t need to be chastised like a three year old. We did what we had to do. What do you know about the stuff I sent to Dawn?”

“Fine, but Will, you’re not off the hook just yet.” He’s wearing his Bluetooth and he’s in the com-center, I know it.

“Don’t you need to get someplace a little more private for this?” I ask.

“I’m the only one here. It’s too early for the teams to start rolling in.”

“Alright, info.” I shift in my seat and grab a pen and piece of paper. He starts filling in the missing pieces. I write down names and meanings as I picture him walking back and forth in the Cleveland communications center. I wonder how many earpieces Faith’s broke.

The information I’ve written lies before me, clicking the pieces into place.

“Will, this vamp is organized in the major way. You guys need to be careful,” he warns.

I roll my eyes. “Worse than Angel and Spike?”

“I don’t know,” he admits. “Different. Very different.”

“I think we can manage,” I say. His tone’s just pissing me off. I know he’s worried, but we can handle it.

“Alright,” he concedes. “Just call if you guys need anything, okay?”

“Fine. We’ll call if something comes up, but I think we’ll be okay,” I say, motioning for Alex to get ready to leave.

“Bye Will,” he says disconnecting before I have time to say goodbye. Sighing, I rip the paper that has my notes scrawled on it from my pad.

He’s right in a way. If this is what I think it is, the situation just got a heck of a lot worse. The drawings, the quotes, it all adds up to a big ‘duh!’ and none of us were paying attention. It also means that we’re going to have to come clean to Alex, Olivia and Elliot.

They’re going to have to know what we’re dealing with. We’re also going to need their help.

“Come on,” I say, moving out of my office, expecting Alex to be behind me.

“Willow, where are you going?” she asks.

“Home, we need to talk and I need you to call Olivia and Elliot and have them meet us there.” I turn towards the steps and sigh as I hear her on the phone.

It’s going to get interesting.

---

Yawning, I stretch and reach for my cell phone turned alarm clock vibrating across the coffee table. Trying to sit up, I groan, thinking that this whole couch thing is gonna get old really quick. Maybe I can have my son bring over a bed we can toss in the dining room until Deb’s healed up.

It’s seven thirty in the morning, the house is quiet. I heard Red leave earlier this morning and I know Buffy got home late so if she’s up I’ll be surprised. I shuffle my way into the kitchen and hit the switch on the coffee pot, turning it on.

From there, I head to the bathroom to take care of the morning necessities. It’s like the one thing that I hate about getting older, aside from the aches and my body not acting like it should. My bladder is the size of a thimble in the morning.

I flush and wash my hands, looking at myself through half open eyes. At fifty-three I don’t look too bad. Too much gray for my liking, but from what I hear it’s to be expected and it’s suppose to make you look distinguished. I’ll also never tell Buffy or Willow, but I’m sorta glad they made me go back to the gym. Cupcake’s fun to work out with.

I swear that girl missed her calling as a Drill Sergeant.

I come out of the bathroom and see the door to my bedroom cracked open. I give a soft knock and poke my nose in. The bed’s empty, but rumpled. Tuning an ear to the living room and kitchen, I hear someone out there and head that way.

Rounding the corner into the kitchen I find Debra standing there, a cup of coffee in one hand while her other’s in a sling. Her eyebrow rises as she takes in my pj's.

“What?” I ask, mocking offense.

She shakes her head and smirks. “Those are some sexy boxer’s your sporting.” I look down at the N.Y.P.D. boxers Red got for me a few years back. I wiggle my sock covered toes and look back up at her.

“What of it?” I grin and scratch my stomach.

She points to my chest and the scar from my heart attack. “That from…?”

I nod. “Yeah, Red says they didn’t do too bad a job. A few lines over my chest ain’t so bad if you consider the alternative.” I bump her over and grab two mugs from above the coffee maker. I pour one for me and one for Buffy. I need to get her up soon.

“True,” she says and yawns.

Grabbing the creamer, I fix mine and Buffy’s cup, saying, “Be right back.” Hanging a left at the kitchen, I see Buffy’s door is closed. Debating the pros and cons of knocking is short lived as I reach for the handle with my free hand and push the door open.

The room’s dark, but I make out the lump that is my partner. I set her coffee on the bedside table and scoot her over to sit down. “Partner,” I say softly, shaking her shoulder. “Up and attum Cupcake, we got bad guys to catch.”

She grunts and rolls away from me.

That makes me wonder what kind of night she had. My guess is she went to patrol.

“Whatimeisit?” she mumbles.

“Around seven-thirtyish. Give or take. I got coffee here and I was thinkin’ eggs and toast for breakfast?”

“’Kay,” she grunts and pulls the covers off her head. She blinks and blearily looks up at me then looks me over. “The no-shirt look is so last season, Jimmy.”

I roll my eyes and say, “But for a beauty like me, it’s timeless.” I waggle my eyebrows and it gets her to laugh.

“Fine, but if we go blind, we know the reason,” she snarks, sitting up and reaching for the cup of coffee.

“Yeah, yeah.” I stand and say as I make my way out the door. “See you in five, Blondie.”

I get back to the kitchen and Deb’s still there, brooding over her cup. “The meaning of life cannot be found in that, just so you know Sweetcheeks.”

“Who says I’m looking for the meaning of life?” she shoots back.

I shrug. “Just sayin’. You were looking at it like it was going to give it to you.”

Sighing, she sets the cup down and looks at me. “I was actually thinking that I want this damn cast off. Can Willow look at it and see if it can come off soon?”

“Sure, we’ll have her take a gander at it when she gets home.” Shrugging, I add, “At least she got your legs and ribs all healed up nice and proper.” I reach in the fridge and grab the eggs, milk and butter. “I’m making eggs and toast for me and Buffy, you want?”

She shakes her head and I scowl. “When’s the last time you ate?”

“Yesterday,” she says as her mouth pinches and she frowns at me.

“You’re eating,” I declare leaving her no room for argument. I start getting the food together, when Buffy comes out, freshly showered and looking only slightly haggard. I raise an eyebrow at her and say, “World’s quickest shower?”

She nods. “We need…” she trails off rethinking what she was going to say, “Are you coming in today?”

I look between Debra and Buffy. “Deb, you want company today?”

“If you got work, I say go.”

“We’ll play it by ear,” I say non-commitally. Truthfully, I’m not too thrilled with the idea of leaving Debra alone.

“Well, even if you don’t which is okay because really, tap dancing around the Turtle Gang while hunting down the actual vamp that’s doing this,” Buffy says leaning against the kitchen counter, “is all sorts of not fun.”

“We could send them on a goo…” I try and offer, but stop as the sound of the front door opens.

“Jimmy, Buffy!” Willow calls out.

Alarmed, the three of us leave the kitchen and hit the entryway. Willow’s coming through the door and I see the A.D.A. with her. My eyebrows are in my hairline, the spatula in my hand raised and it’s then that I realize I’ve got a pair of socks and boxers on, but nothing else.

Fuckin’ fantastic.

Alex looks between the three of us and her arms fold across her chest. The black glasses she’s wearing only add to the smart Alec look she has. I scowl and say, “Red, what’s up?”

She looks at me and her mouth breaks into a wide grin. I lower my cooking utensil and try for annoyed.

The four ladies in the room tell me that ain’t happening. Thankfully, my partner comes to my rescue, “Baby, what’s up?”

Willow quits smirking at me and turns her attention to Buffy. “I got a call from Xander. We need to talk. I’ve got a name and some other information. Alex called Olivia and Elliot so they should be here soon.”

Buffy and I lock eyes then glance at Willow then to Alex. We both shrug. “We tellin’em?” I ask.

Willow nods. “There isn’t another way without completely shutting them out and even then something tells me Olivia won’t go for it.”

Buffy sighs and runs a hand through her wet hair. “She’s right. We can also protect them better if they know.”

I look over at Debra and she’s looking over at me amused. “What?” I ask.

She shakes her head and snorts. Looking back over to Willow and Alex, I see Alex is genuinely confused.

I know the feeling.

“Alright,” I say, “Any of yinz want breakfast?”

Both of the newcomers groan and shake their head. Buffy’s hand goes to her hip and she eyes Will. “You had Chinese didn’t you?”

My Red’s face goes red and I know she’s caught. “It was Wong’s,” she says in her defense. I snicker and Debra and I exchange looks. Both of us thinking that Willow’s in trouble.

Doing her best to ignore her lover’s annoyed posture, Willow reaches out and pulls Buffy with her, saying, “You three sit tight. We’ll be right back.”

My free hand scratches my chin, rubbing the stubble. I need to shave. In fact, I really need to put some clothes on. Sheepishly, I hand the spatula to Deb and warn, “Don’t burn my eggs.” I turn to Alex as Debra shuffles into the kitchen. “Excuse me a minute, I’m going to go uhm…”

She just smiles and begins to wander into the living room. I turn on heel and head to my bedroom in search of some clothes and that scrap of dignity I hid in a shoebox.

---

Alex opens the door, giving me a small smile then ushering me inside. I look at her, trying to figure out what’s going on. Her face gives nothing away.

“Good morning, Olivia,” she says.

I want to wrap my arms around her, kiss her, but I don’t. Instead, I parrot back, “Morning, Councelor.”

We both move into the living room and Elliot is there perched on the arm of a chair, Debra and Jimmy are sitting on the couch together and Buffy’s pacing the length of the living room. “Hi,” I offer to the occupants.

El smiles at me and shrugs. There’s a file folder by his foot that he taps with his heel as his leg swings back and forth. I go and stand by him when Debra and Jimmy both say hello and Buffy nods in my direction.

Alex comes and stands next to me, searching out my hand and entwining our fingers.

“So,” I venture, “What’s going on?”

Buffy’s head snaps in my direction, looking between Alex, Elliot, and me. Her shoulders square and she looks pissed, but as she studies us, her shoulders slump and she turns away.

Okay.

Elliot leans over to me and whispers, “You and I need to talk when we get out of here.”

I only give him a nod as I see Willow come around the corner with a few old, and I mean really old, books in her arms. She places them on the coffee table and looks at Buffy, nodding her head.

Walking to her lover, Buffy briefly allows Willow a small embrace. She breaks away and turns to my group. “Alex, Olivia and Elliot,” she starts stiffly, “There’s never really an easy way to tell people. I guess we should start with some of what Elliot’s already found out.” She looks at the folder at Elliot’s feet and he blanches.

“I’m not sure what all you have there Elliot. I really don’t care. Right now, I’m a little too pissed that you went fishing,” she spits. “I asked you to trust me that I would give you answers,” she growls, turning to me, “You couldn’t leave it alone though.”

“Buffy,” Willow says softly.

Shaking it off, the blonde detective starts back up, “But really I guess it doesn’t matter. You’re going to get the whole truth right now.” She faces us fully now, her hands rest casually on her hips. “You know my name, Buffy Summers; you know where I used to live, Sunnydale. What you don’t know is what I am.”

Her eyes lock briefly with each of us and as I stare back, I see something in her that I haven’t seen before. “There’s this speech that we give to people when we tell them who we are. I’m going to spare you and just come right out and say it,” Buffy starts in again. “The Boogeyman exists, vampires, demons, ghosts and all the things they teach you to fear and parade around as at Halloween exist.”

I snort. Alex chuckles. Elliot, the one I’d expect to make a sound, sits rigidly from the arm of the chair.

Willow turns to him and says, “How much do you actually know?”

I watch the Adam’s apple in his throat bob and he finds his voice. It’s weak as he rasps, “Most of my information is on this thing called the Initiative and a second hand source.”

“You believe any of it?” Buffy asks.

Elliot’s mouth turns down and he shakes his head.

“I would if I were you,” she warns.

“Wait,” I say holding up a hand and releasing my grip from Alex’s. “You…El, you want to explain this to me?” I’m missing something and Elliot’s holding out on me.

Jimmy stands and moves next to his partner, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Look,” he says, “What info Elliot has or doesn’t have, don’t matter. We all need to focus.”

“Focus?” Alex clips. “You three are trying to convince us that monsters are real. Next you’re going to be telling me that Santa Clause exists too.”

At the same time, Buffy and Willow say, “He did, we slayed him when we left for Europe.” They say it casually, like they’re reporting the weather and my mouth can’t help but drop open a little more.

Alex just rolls her eyes.

“Olivia,” Buffy asks gently, “When you went with me last night, what do you remember?”

I think back to last night, after we left the M.E.’s office and Willow. Buffy took me around to a bar and then we walked half the length of the island. Nothing major happened.

Except when I was getting a hot dog.

There was some noise in the alley behind me. I finished my dinner and I go to find Buffy because that’s where she was. I peeked around the corner and thought I saw her fighting with two guys. The light was crap, but what I could make out in that glance, their faces were messed up. I removed my eyes from the line of sight and drew my gun. When I went in to the alley gun drawn, Buffy’s brushing soot off her pants and the place is dusty, but no people.

She must see my conflict because Buffy says, “Last night, you saw me fighting two vampires. I convinced you that you were seeing things.”

I shake my head. “No, I know what I thought I saw. But…”

“But, I convinced you to drop it. It’s easier for most people if we give them a lame excuse to replace the idea of what they actually saw.” She walks over to the fireplace and snarks, “I’ve ruined a few too many of these.” She picks up a poker and hands it to Elliot.

He takes it even though he doesn’t understand why. “What your file probably doesn’t have Elliot, is what I am,” Buffy says. “A long time ago, these men thought they’d make a warrior to fight off the demons that were killing their people. In short, they took a girl no older than fifteen and turned her into a killer. She became a slayer. One girl at a time. One girl in the whole world to fight against the demons.”

Willow takes hold of Buffy’s hand as she continues, “When I was fifteen, I was called. I became a vampire slayer my first year in high school. The summer between my freshman and sophomore year, I moved from L.A. to Sunnydale. With Willow and a few others, we stopped a lot of bad things from happening, but the reason why Sunnydale’s a landfill now, is because of what we did to it.”

“Prove it,” Alex snorts. “How can someone like you,” she waves her hand up and down indicating Buffy’s stature, “fight things that are reported to have superhuman strength?”

She smirks and walks over to Elliot. “It heavy enough for you?” she asks, pointing to the fire poker. He nods and she takes it back. Passing it to Alex, my girlfriend hefts it in her hand, unimpressed. “Alex?”

“It’s a wrought iron poker,” she confirms.

Satisfied, Buffy takes it back. She stands in front of the coffee table and holds it by the ends, straight out from her chest. She then takes the poker and bends it into a corkscrew shape, saying, “The way to fight things with superhuman powers is to be just as strong as them.”

A quick glance tells me that Elliot and Alex are both wearing the same expression that I am. We’re all staring mouth agape, eyes locked on the poker.

First, I think that it was some type of trick, but Buffy hands me the item and I heft it in my hands, feeling its weight.

“It’s okay,” Jimmy says, “When she told me all of this, I sorta passed out.” He tries to reassure us.

Debra backs him up, “It took me about a day to really believe it.”

“I,” Willow says, “wouldn’t have if Buffy hadn’t saved me from a vampire the first day we met.”

“Do you need more proof?” Buffy asks.

I give Alex credit as she says, “You can bend that. That’s nothing more than a parlor trick. It’s circumstantial at best.”

Willow concedes the point and says, “I hate doing this.” She takes Buffy around the waist and her lover’s arms lock behind Willow’s neck.

My head tilts to the side and as they begin to spin slowly, rising off the floor of the apartment. They hover above the coffee table, looking at us. “I’m a witch. Wiccan actually,” she chirps from above.

All three of us are looking for wires or harnesses, but we all look and can’t see anything. Debra must know because she says, “Get over it you guys. Their floating, or flying or what the fuck ever you want to call it. I know it’s a shit load to buy, but they’re telling you the truth. The things that did this to me weren’t human. One was a vampire. The rest I couldn’t tell you, but they sure the fuck were evil.”

Buffy and Willow slowly touch ground and I feel a little light headed. Willow, forging ahead, says, “We thought you needed to know. The thing that killed those people, sent us that painting and took Debra, her brother and the other woman is a vampire. She’s actually from an old clan that was started in England around fourteen-hundred A.D.”

“The vampire,” Willow says, “Goes by the name Lilah. She was an artist before being turned. Lived in Paris for a century or two. She’s also had a habit of fixating on people and then turning them. From what we can see, she started fixating on Dexter then her focus turned to us,” she finishes waving a hand between Buffy and herself. “The first two things were the kids. That was to let us know about Dexter. The next two were the drawing of the Lion and the star. Those are symbols for the Babylonian goddess of love and war, Ishtar.”

“She’s was trying to communicate,” Buffy snarls, “The quotes. The drawings. It was the future resident of my dust buster calling me out.”

Willow nods and starts back up, “We think she’s essentially trying to start her own war.” Willow goes over to a computer on the kitchen table and hits a few buttons. The flat panel T.V. against the wall comes to life and a map of the world pops up on screen. “Xander,” she says, hitting a few keys as we watch a few points pop up on the map, “says that there are reports across the Council that heavily armed and vicious bands of vampires are attacking groups of slayers.”

Wait. “Hang on, I thought you said there was only one,” I interrupt. Buffy and Willow exchange looks.

Smiling sweetly, Willow says, “I think you guys should sit down. There’s lots more to the story.” For some reason I take her advice and they begin to tell me the craziest story I’ve never dreamed of.