Chapter Eleven: BUFFY II
Xander hands me a hammer before gesturing towards a nearby box of nails. Galvanized steel. So not my thing.
"Get to work." He says as he squarely lines up a two by four next to another.
Gingerly, I hand the hammer over to Faith as she takes the last pull of her beer. She holds it oddly before giving me a peculiar look.
"Hmm." She swallows and turns the hammer in her hands like an alien object. "What do you want me to do with this?"
Xander just rolls his eye before he shakes his head. "Slayers." He mumbles under his breath.
"Um… nail something?" I cringe as the words roll off my tongue and she gives me a cheeky grin in return.
"Don't need a hammer for that B." She gets up from her chair on the patchy lawn before tiptoeing around Xander. "You should know." She adds quietly for me to hear, but the alcohol has thrown off her calculations a bit.
Xander stifles a laugh as he hears her last comment.
"Please let it be true." He pleads towards the sky before he turns his head to give me a warm smile. "Please."
Faith snorts as she slaps the back of his head playfully.
"Una cerveza?" She asks in passing.
"Por favor." He answers as he pulls out a few nails from the box and keeps on hammering. The deck already looks better than the other one probably ever did, and its not even half done yet. My eyes spy Faith through the kitchen window, bustling about, grabbing more beer and fixing up a bowl of munchies and it finally strikes me. It's time. Time for all the crazy shit to be over.
"It is." I say softly, and Xander stifles a grunt as he pulls out his tape measure.
"Sorry?" He says offhandedly as he checks something with his pencil before replacing it behind his ear. "It is what?"
"True." I answer, and it surprises me how not nervous I am. My eyes fall to the window again and they land in Faith's. They're heavy and unreadable. We haven't talked about this. Coming out. Seems like we've been on the same wavelength about the whole thing. She sways her head a bit to the left before giving me the half nod. "Faith and I. We're together."
Xander frowns a bit in what I think is some state of confusion.
"But you're pregnant. With Spike's baby." He says slowly. "And I distinctly remember Faith having girly parts."
"Yeah." She says as she comes out, holding out a bottle of Dos Equis.
He takes it from her gently, but just sets it aside. He coughs a little before he proceeds to dust off his jeans of sawdust. It seems to prove an impossible task ‘cause he gives up easily.
"Where did this happen?" He asks. Where? Xand! Shouldn't the question be ‘when'?
Faith hands me the bowl of party mix before sitting in between my legs.
"On the old deck." She says as she rests her head against my thigh, and I can feel her smirk through my jeans.
He smiles a little and it looks like he's taking us in, both of us, one at a time, for the first time. Then he shrugs, takes a long pull from his beer, and reaches out for a handful of snacks.
"Makes sense." He says simply, giving us his typical goofy grin. He looks over to where the pile of old rotten wood sits in the driveway, and then brings his head back to the nearly completed deck. "Here's to building things that last." He says, raising his beer in the air before he clings it to our own. His good eye lands in mine and I know that he means it. So do I, Xander. So do I.
The halls to the Council Head Quarters are filled with people that Buffy fails to recognize. It seems however, that they all recognize her and Xander, as pretty much each and every one of them tilt their head in acknowledgement as they pass by the duo. And where Xander grins and waves at them, Buffy just stares ahead, keeping her head low.
"This place gives me the creeps." She whispers to Xander as he presses a button amidst a few more, calling the elevator.
"Yeah. Like who're all these people?" He says, looking around. "I guess this is how Brad Pitt feels." He mumbles, and Buffy gives him a funny look.
"Think Robin knows we're here?" She asks, and the elevator doors open silently, and they patiently wait for the herd of people to stream out from it before taking their place in the small cube.
"Most probably. I remember Giles saying something about magical cameras that made this place as secure as Fort Knox and as watched as Big Brother."
Buffy sighs and lets her lower lip pout. "Just great." She murmurs.
The elevator doors close up again, before the cube itself starts its ascent. The ride is silent as they pass by each floor, and Buffy takes this time to re-evaluate her plan of action. Plan of action? Or attack?
She shrugs before she stares down toward her boots. They're strapped up tightly, just the way she likes them, and the black leather is almost shiny. Granted, she hasn't had many opportunities to use them, but when she did, she made sure to use them to their full extent. They've seen their fair share of dirt, demon blood and vampire dust. And that was just that one time that she did use them, when a vampire and his demon minion had taken residence in the Lenwood's sewer system. She and Faith had roamed the sewers all night, searching for them, until they struck gold in the early hours of the morning. Oh, the good old days, she muses as she watches the numbers flash on the screen on top of the doors. Point is, she's wearing her boots, and she feels like she's finally back in the game. Mr. Pointy in her jacket pocket, and her black leather boots strapped tightly onto her feet. Just the way she likes them to be.
When they reach the eighth floor, the elevator stops, and when the doors open, a short blonde haired man with his head bent over paperwork appears. He mumbles a little "Going up?" without looking up as he steps inside, and stands between Buffy and Xander (who're wearing dumbfounded facial expressions), as he keeps his eyes glued to the insides of his folder.
Buffy gives Xander a wide eyed look of "omigoodness" and Xander's face wears the almost identical comical expression.
"Andy?" She tries slowly, and she sees Xander concentrate on the floor numbers they've been passing.
"Yes?" Andrew answers, without looking up, clearly deeply absorbed into what he's reading. "We're going up, right?" He asks as he flips a few loose pages around in his manila folder.
"Uh, yes."
When they reach the fifteenth floor, Xander presses the "stop" button before he braces himself for the slight impact. The cabin rattles a bit, and when it's done, Andrew yelps a small "Hey!" as he finally looks up from his notes. His eyes go wide when he does, as they land on Buffy first, who places her index finger on her lips, making him understand to keep quiet.
She briefly nods over to Xander, before he nods back in return and mutters a few words.
"Done. I can't incant to save my life, so this glamour won't hold forever." He explains quickly and Andrew keeps his staggered look plastered on his face.
"What are you two doing here?!" He asks, almost squealing, and Buffy has to remind herself that this is her brother-in-law talking; not a testosterone free teenage boy. He turns to Xander before pointing his finger accusingly in his direction. "I thought you were in Madagascar?" Then he turns to Buffy. "And you! I thought you were not in Lenwood? Which I guess you are, so…"
"Alright Andrew, here's the deal. We think there's a Faerie after Teresa." Buffy explains quickly, and she lets her eyes fall into the Watcher's blue ones.
She knows how much her daughter means to Andrew, and she's convinced that she would know if Andrew was ever possessed or infatuated or... She's pretty sure he wouldn't carry the same effeminate demeanour that he usually does, and right now, she's pretty positive that he's really Andrew Wells, National D&D treasurer, and loving cohort to her sister.
She can hear Xander's slight foot tapping meddling itself with the constant elevator music, and it makes her antsy. Andrew just looks shocked.
"I knew it! That sun thing is a load of baloney. I mean, I read Manny's report and it's all very good and accurate, but there's something not right that's been bothering me. Then Robin wanted Dawn and me out there controlling the peace, but the people are taking all of this way too well, and… Oh I'm so glad you guys are here." He rambles on in a whispered tone as he gives Xander a glance. "How long will your glamour hold up?"
Xander shrugs helplessly and Buffy shoots him a frowning look.
"Will never should have taught you the little magicks you know." Andrew scoffs and it makes Buffy smile. Softly, he straightens his shirt before he mumbles a few incomprehensible words. "There. We should be good for another few minutes."
"How's Dawn? And Giles?" Buffy asks and Andrew's eyes light up at the mention of their names.
"I haven't seen Mr. Giles, I just know that Robin sent him out to Bath to look into his personal library for any new information. But that's bullshit, and Mr. Giles knows it. This is unprecedented stuff. I think he did just to get out of Robin's hair, or lack of. He's also using a glamour to fool Robin into thinking that he's really out there researching. Which he is, but you know, Mr. Giles is a smart man and—"
"And Dawn?" Buffy impatiently cuts him off as she glances over to her watch.
"Dawn's fine. Kinda spooked about the whole thing, but she's carrying on well. Robin sent her out there and she gladly went. She's reporting back to me precisely every half hour. She's out there on the streets with Bentley, so no harm no foul." Off Buffy's look, he hurriedly adds, "I'm not worried. She's undercover and the streets are quiet."
Xander frowns and fiddles with his eye patch that has gone loose yet again.
"I thought you were out there with her?" He says, as his thick fingers play with the strap behind his head.
Andrew nods assertively before swaying the manila folder and all its contents in front of their faces.
"I was, but the Kevlar vest they made me wear started to chafe my neck and I got a crusty rash to which I got a neat ointment from the medics on sixth? Wonderful stuff. So I bargained with Rob and I'm "conducting" my own little research, and you'll be startled to find the new discoveries I've made, I was just about to call Mr. Giles."
"Can we see?"
The blonde frowns and digs deep into his pockets.
"Well, here's a little container I keep with me, cause the ointment itself is in a bigger tube and I find it too big to—"
"Andrew. The research."
"Oh! Right. But let's get out of here. The glamour won't last much longer."
Buffy nods before she turns to Xander.
"Xander, you go with Andrew and try to piece a few more, uh, pieces together. I'm gonna go see Robin and try to figure him out."
"Why?" Andrew frowns. "Do you think he's possessed or something?"
"Yeah. We do."
The blonde shrugs. "Figures. The whole ethnological research department has been acting loopy since the sun did a one eighty."
"How come you aren't affected?"
Andrew smiles before tapping the side of his head.
"Jedi mind tricks…"
"Only work on the weak-minded." Xander nods knowingly, as he shows off a nerdy grin while Buffy just does the eye roll thing.
The door to Robin's office is slightly ajar and Buffy takes her time to peer through the crack. The receptionist at the front desk gave her a bright smile the minute she walked in and Buffy was startled to find herself looking back at, well, herself. A clear display box held the Buffybot's head neatly behind the receptionist, and it had taken her aback.
The receptionist, still smiling brightly, held her eyes for a second before nodding.
"I'll let him know you'll be seeing him." She said in a pleasant tone, and it surprised the Slayer that she carried that much authority. To be able to see the presidents of the Council at any given moment? Well, on any other day, she couldn't really see any use to that benefit, but right now, she was ready to kiss the young secretary named Dolores for it. Idly, she wondered if Faith received the same treatment whenever she came to see them.
With a serious nod, she took her cue and followed the hallway, which led to several doors, each clearly marked by name. Easily, she found Robin's door.
"Don't have to lurk behind the door, you know." Robin's cool voice makes her way to her ears and it makes her flinch. "Lurking from the inside is much more interesting."
His last comment has her chuckling and she has to remember to be on her guard. Slowly, she opens the heavy door fully, and gives him a warm smile as she walks inside.
"Sorry, not used to the royal treatment." She explains with what she hopes is a shy intonation as she takes her time to look around the spacious office.
It's large and dark, and Buffy finds the air heavy and stale. The look is very modern, yet still holds a certain old fashion vibe that is very pleasing. Various artefacts from the four corners of the world hang on the walls, an assortment of framed pictures, sceneries mostly, also adorn the walls and the mahogany sideboard near the window.
As for Robin, he's seated behind a small, neat looking desk. Fountain pen, calculator, label maker, desktop computer and laptop decorate its surface.
He chuckles as she sits in a waiting chair. "Yeah, Faith wasn't used to it either." He says thoughtfully before he adds, "At first, anyway."
She smiles again, an easy smile and she notices that it puts him at ease. "Robin." She acknowledges and he nods with a soft smile.
"Buffy." His complexion is a little lighter than before, and if she didn't know any better, she would have thought he were sick. His eyes are almost empty and seem shallow and exhausted. He's completely shaven and it strikes her as odd that she's never seen him without any facial hair. He's dressed impeccably, as always, and Buffy hates to admit that he still possesses a boatload of charm, and briefly wonders if he has Dolores buy him his clothes. An odd thought to have at this given time, but she frowns it away and settles her gaze on him steadily.
"I've been turning over stones, looking for you." He says, and she's not sure where he's going with this, and she can tell that he doesn't know either. "I thought I saw Xander walk in with you." He says softly, eyeing his laptop screen thoughtfully for a moment before landing his murky eyes back into hers. "But I must've had too much coffee or something. He's not even in the same continent!" His voice is richer than she remembers it being, and she finds it amusing that he's picked up a slight British accent. She's heard stories from Faith and Dawn that the junior Watchers and Slayers call him The American, and she can't help but smirk now, seeing him all dressed in tweed, drinking his tea from his delft blauw teacup.
She smiles politely and silently thanks the heavens for any kind of glamour.
"Well…" She starts off and decides to go for broke. "With the whole sun extravaganza, I thought it would be a sage idea to keep Teresa safe." She tilts her head a bit to gauge his reaction, and when she doesn't see anything, a frown slowly settles upon her bright features.
"Not to worry about Teresa! How's she doing these days? Faith tells me that she might skip grade 3 altogether?"
"Grade 4." Buffy corrects. "She's doing great."
"Right, well, she's growing up so fast, and I hardly ever see her." He smiles a bit before glancing back to his laptop screen. "Well, she's safe, yeah? Faith is doing a superb job to keep on top of things." He says this, as if he's onto something and Buffy finds it quite unsettling.
"What do you mean she's safe? Of course I know she's safe." She says, and she finally sees a crack in Robin's façade.
His eyes grow large as he realizes that she's grasped something she wasn't supposed to and, weakly, he tries to regain composure.
"Yes, of course. That's what I meant."
Buffy narrows her eyes and tilts her head again.
"What aren't you telling me?" It's soft, and she knows Robin is finding it troubling.
He glances right above her head and she turns in her seat to find what he's looking at, but her eyes find nothing. When she turns back to look at him, he's still staring at something imaginary, but this time he's mumbling something underneath his breath.
"Rob?" Please god, make it so that he's flown completely over the fucking birds nest.
Hearing his name, he blinks and gives her a cold smile.
"Buffy, here's the thing. Faith failed, only but a few hours ago. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have no choice but to cooperate with me on this one. I'm calling the shots and in order for you to do that, I'm going to need to you disappear. Completely." His voice isn't the same, and Buffy notes that its kind of sugar coated, but not? Aspartame maybe?
Quickly, she comes to a standing position and turns back again to look behind her. She catches a glimpse of a shadow before nothing. Frowning, she turns back to Robin and just has time to duck before a Louisville slugger swings in thin air above her head.
Swiftly, she rolls over to the other side of the room and quickly regains her footing and momentum.
"Oh you so didn't just do that." She warns, smirking wickedly. "Strike one."
Robin, or Possessed!Robin, angrily makes his way over to her, but is way too slow for her greater speed, and tries for another blow, this time to her legs, but once again, only finds air as she jumps up to avoid the swing.
"Strike two, Rob."
He smiles, and starts to laugh, almost amicably, and it somewhat throws her off. "Oh Buffy. Can't you see the big picture? Faith failed. And now we have her. You're in way too deep. I'm playing for keeps here Slayer. You won't be able to take this."
"You have her?" She frowns and takes a step forward, leaving her guard completely down and Robin just smiles and takes advantage.
But before he even has time to swing, her fist has found its way to the bottom of his chin and she watches with a satisfied look as he crumples to the floor with a sickening crunch.
"Strike three. Foul." She mutters, and when she looks up she notices Xander and Andrew by the door.
"Strike three. You're out." Xander corrects with a smile as Andrew excitedly jumps from one foot to the next. "Bow down to the puzzle masters."
"What?"
Andrew just looks down to his watch.
"We'll explain on the way. We're getting Dawn and meeting up with the others."
