All Xander could do is watch. Usually this was the perfect roll for him but since this isn’t a demon attack it left him feeling awkward. The death of Kennedy and Rebecca hit everybody in personal ways but none more so then Willow and Buffy. Buffy sat in her office and scribbled down some notes. She frowned angrily, scrunched them up into a ball, and then tossed them into a growing pile in the corner. As for Willow she sat quietly at the bar staring at her reflection in the mirror.
It was a hard choice of who to console first the extremely angry slayer or the depressed goddess. Having an aversion to physical pain he decided to start with Willow. Xander walked over and sat down next to his best friend.
“You know if this place were open at the moment we would have tried to kick you our for loitering.” Xander commented as he joined in staring at the mirror
“Hm?” willow replied absent mindedly
“You’ve been sitting here for five hours. Don’t you think you should go home?”
Willow dropped her head and examined a coaster very closely. Xander put his arm around her and pulled her in close. Willow leaned her head against Xanders shoulder.
“I killed them.” she said remorsefully
“It wasn’t your fault Will;” he replied softly, “none of us knew that vamp you could come back.”
“We should have guessed though. Maybe if we spent more time trying to find the Star of Asgeroth none of this would have happened.”
“Or maybe it would have happened a lot sooner. There no way of guessing these things you know what our lucks like with holding magical items.”
Willow nodded. Her mouth began to quiver as the tears welled up into her eyes. She turned and hugged Xander tightly.
“I miss them both so much!” she wept
Xander lent his chin on Willows and closes his eyes.
“So do I Will.”
The front door closed loudly catching the attention of everybody in the club. Penny stood awkwardly in the doorway as Buffy emerged from her office.
“Penny, thank god,” Buffy said in a relieved tone, “I’m going to need you to take the juniors on solo until I find out where Shona is . . . what’s with the suit cases?”
Penny didn’t reply. She rubbed her hands nervously as Buffy glared at her. Behind her Alex entered and stood next to his sister.
“She’s coming with me.” Alex said in a harsh tone
“Where are you two going?”
“We’re staying with mom.”
Buffy folded her arms impatiently.
“Do I at least get a contact number incase I need you?”
“Don’t think it’s going to be much good calling us in Melbourne.”
“Melbourne? As in Australia Melbourne?”
“I need to get Pen as far away from you people as possible.”
“You can’t do this to me Alex I need her here.”
Alex threw up his arms impatiently.
“You’re telling me in a town of 700 slayers you can’t fill in one gap? Come on Pen.”
Penny looked up at Buffy apologetically. Buffy scowled she was no where near done yet. Moving at full slayer speed she positioned herself in front of the scientist.
“You have no idea how this works. There’s girls risk their lives nightly to keep this city safe and to do that the zones have to be maintained. The resources are already stretched to far.”
“Cute speech,” Alex replied coldly, “now tell me the one about how you managed to miss my sister being sexually abused.”
“Alex.” Penny said insistently, “let’s just go.”
“Not a bad idea Alex,” Buffy replied equally as cold, “Somebody might get hurt.”
Both Alex and Buffy tried to stare each other down for a few moments then Alex pushed his way out of the club.
“I’m really sorry Buffy I was going to tell you.” Penny said apologetically.
“Get the hell out.” Buffy replied with an intense anger.
Not wasting any time penny collected her luggage and rushed out the club. Still fuming Buffy snapped the pencil she was holding and threw it across the room as she stormed back into her office she took a full bottle of vodka from the shelf. Xander quickly rushed in after her.
“Not a good idea Buff,” he said grabbing the bottle, “Angry slayer plus alcohol equals huge repair bill for me. Put the bottle down.”
“What’s the point Xander.” she replied
“The point is you still have a calling to keep up you can’t just quit on this city.”
“You did.”
Xander frowned. Knowing it was only the anger talking he tried to push the hurt feeling to the back of his mind.
“Buff you know I’m a sidelines guy. I have this nasty habit of getting hurt when I’m in the middle. We both know what this is about.”
Buffy looked deep into Xanders caring eyes she sighed heavily and released her grip on the vodka.
“I just got her back Xander,” Buffy said softly, “now I’m never going to see her again.”
“I know you Buff you would have tried your hardest to save her.”
“You weren’t there. All we could do is just stand there and watch while my sister’s baby bled to death in front of us.”
“C’mon Buffy you can’t beat yourself up over something you had no way of controlling.”
“This is my job Xander!” Buffy snapped back, “How am I supposed to keep the city safe if I couldn’t even save my own niece!”
“What if this was supposed to happen?”
Buffy glared angrily at Xander.
“No hear me out,” Xander continued, “we don’t know how this Divine One prophecy works maybe this is part of it.”
“I lost my niece twice! You have no idea how that feels!”
“Yeah I do!” Xander yelled back, “Or did you forget that little date you had with the master and the time you swan dived into Glory’s portal!”
Buffy was taken aback by the passion in Xanders voice. Xander glared viciously down at the slayer general.
“Don’t you think this is eating me up inside to? Rebecca was like my own daughter and there was a good chance that Kenney could have been my brother in law or how ever that lesbian marriage thing works! You’re not the only one hurting here Buff so stop acting like you are!”
Xander turned to leave the office. Buffy watched him sadly.
“If you felt like this why did you keep it to yourself and act all calm.”
Xander stopped in the doorway. He turned and looked back at Buffy.
“Because somebody has to,” he replied, “and for some reason that somebody always has to be me.”
The luggage collection conveyer belt was packed at JFK airport in New York as Shona waited for her backpack. When it finally made its pass Shona collected it and headed out. Waiting out the front was Latasha Mayers, Shona’s cousin, as soon as the two women locked eyes they smiled warmly
“Shona!” Latasha called out
The two women hug then Latasha looks Shona up and down.
“Damn girl! That Hollywood life did not help you.”
“Like you’re a Bean pole.” Shona snapped back playfully
“Excuse me! Miss ‘I think I’m all that ‘cause I got super powers’ is talkin’ bout my weight.”
They laugh at each other. This friendly rivalry has been happening ever since they were ten. Latasha opened the trunk of her car and Shona placed her backpack inside.
“Thanks for the plane tickets.” Shona commented
“Hey, no family of mine was gonna take a bus from L.A.,” Latasha said sweetly, “besides I got a surprise for you.”
Latasha banged on the roof of the car. The rear door opened and a second woman climbed out. Shona’s face dropped.
“Molly?” she said with a shocked tone, “what the hell are you doin’ here?”
Molly smirked. She bared a striking resemblance to Shona.
“Told ya she’d be shocked.” Molly commented
Latasha drove them back into the city one question kept burning in Shona’s mind.
“So let me get this clear,” she pondered out loud, “You drove all the way to Montana to pick up my Sis before you picked me up at the airport?”
Latasha and Molly looked at each other.
“Not exactly.” Latasha replied.
Shona looked at the pair suspiciously.
“What?” she asked
They pulled up outside a large red brick building. A large neon sign out the front read ‘the hole’. Shona looked confused.
“What the hell?” Shona continued
“Look inside.” Molly said excitedly
Shona stepped out of the car and made her way hesitantly into the building. The interior had a warm intimate feel was an array of circular tables arranged in front of a low oval shaped stage. To the side of the room sat a fully stocked bar. The entire place had a jazz club feel. The bartender looked up from his work.
“Sorry ma’am we’re not open for another few hours.”
“It’s cool Del,” Molly replied, “She’s with us.”
Molly and Latasha lead Shona to the bar. Latasha gestured to the hansom barman.
“Shona this is Del Houston he is the finest bartender in this city,” Latasha said checking him out, “and when I say fine I mean fine.”
“I’m not going to warn you again Latasha.” Del replied playfully.
“You know you love it. Del I want you to meet my favorite cousin Shona Mayers.”
“Get the hell out,” Del said in surprise, “This is baby Shona? Damn you filled out Girl!”
“Hey!” Shona snapped back
“I don’t mean no offence it’s just Morgan got a whole wall dedicated to you. My favorite is the one when you were two and you were swimming in butt naked in the kiddy pool.”
Shona gave Del a grossed out look. Then the name he dropped rang a bell.
“Papa in town?” she asked Molly
“I though my ears were burning.” Morgan Mayers said as he made his way into the main room.
Silvered haired man smiled as he saw Shona sitting at the bar.
“Is that my Baby Girl commin’ home to the nest?” he ask with his arms outstretched
Shona jumped up and rushed into her fathers arms.
“Hey papa.” She said softly
After a moment Morgan pulled away and examined Shonas hands.
“Well I’m no doctor but your fingers look fine to me,” he said suggestively, “You couldn’t lift up the phone and call your old man?”
Shona smirked slightly.
“Things have been kinda crazy back in California.” She replied
“Bet it’s all those Hollywood agents knocking down your door trying to sign my beautiful girl up aint it?”
Shona laughed. Morgan looked deep into his daughters eyes.
“How are ya Shona?”
They say that every strong determined person has at least one individual they allow themselves to be vulnerable around for Shona it was her father. For many years he had been the backbone of their family always willing to lend a caring ear to what ever problem any of them had. Morgan had sensed the troubles that weighed heavily on his daughter and he knew exactly how to get her to talk. Shona’s smile dropped. She tightened her lips as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Morgan pulled his daughter in and hugged her tightly.
“I screwed up papa.” Shona sobbed
Connor bounded down the stairs of the Hyperion. He frowned when he noticed that the place was empty. The second on thing was the large circular blood stain in the center of the lobby. Cautiously he made his way into the center of the room. Gunn exited the office just as Connor arrived.
“What the hell happened here?” Connor asked curiously
“Not sure,” Gunn replied just as curiously, “got this weird phone call at two in the morning from Angel saying that he was in the hospital because something happened to Rebecca and he wasn’t gonna be in this morning. He hung up before I could get anything else from him all. I gotta tell ya he seemed pretty freaked.”
“’Bout what?”
Gunn gave Connor a look
“I just mentioned the name Rebecca when does he not freak about her.”
Connor rolled his eyes.
“Right, of course,” he replied impatiently, “Did he say where he was going?”
“The way he was talkin’ somebody’s not gonna be walkin’ straight for a few weeks.”
Angel stormed furiously up the walkway towards the offices of Wolfram and Hart. He had just past the sign when Whistler stepped out.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you Angel.” he said as he leaned lazily against one of the decorative sculptures that covered the ground.
Angel stopped. He swung around and glared at Whistler impatiently. Whistler folded his arms and stared calmly at the vampire.
“You don’t do your best thinking when your heads all cloudy.” He continued.
“You my conscious now Whistler?”
“No I’m just a messenger. The powers are worried that you might slip off the path.”
Angel slapped his forehead sarcastically.
“Oh, I see, you’re here to guide me.”
Whistler shrugged.
“In a way.” he replied
“Like you guided Rebecca?”
“Hey it’s not like the girl shied away from danger.”
“You mean the danger you kept putting her in.”
Whistler sighed. He pushed off the sculpture and walked up the vampire.
“C’mon Angel you know as well as I do that things are never that simple. We go where the powers point us to that’s our job.”
“Maybe I don’t wasn’t to be the powers pet anymore did you ever think of that?”
“Yeah I did,” Whistler replied, “that’s when a little something called the Shanshu prophecy arrived and made you all giddy.”
Angel rolled his eyes.
“What’s your point?”
“My point is, champion, we may have lost a warrior but the war goes on. You have to keep your head in the game or we’re all sunk.”
Angel stared frustratingly at the demon. A few moments later he sat down on the step. Whistler took a seat next to him.
“I didn’t say it was gonna be easy Angel,” Whistler said softly, “The short time I knew her I could see why people would miss her. She had this quality that could disarm a guy instantly and those eyes, man I could get lost in them for hours.”
“What makes you think this Divine Prophecy was any more real then the Shanshu was?” Angel asked
“Easy,” Whistler replied, “if Wolfram and Hart knew what they had Rebecca would have been dead a lot sooner.”
Whistler patted Angel on the back.
“Come on there’s a certain slayer who could really use your company.”
Shona held her drink firmly as she laid down the entire story while her father, un-phased, absorbed every word.
“. . . After I saw Kennedy lyin’ there I just ran.” Shona finished
Morgan laid a caring hand on his daughters shoulder.
“You had to make a tough choice honey, hell; you have to make life or death decisions every day. You can’t get it right all the time that’s just impossible.” He replied in a fatherly tone
“But I just left them there papa. I still don’t know what happened to Vickie, Roxy and Alison.”
“Everybody gets scared Shona its how you deal with your fear that’s important. You said your friend was possessed or somethin’?”
“Somethin’ was controlling her yeah.”
“But you still didn’t want to hurt her.”
“No. I guess I’m just stupid.”
“I don’t think there is a right answer to that problem. Who knows you might have saved those girls lives.”
Shona looked down ashamed.
“Maybe,” She replied.
“D’you ever thinks of callin’ them?”
Shona looked up in surprise.
“What would I say papa?”
“Hello usually works for me. Then the conversation just flows after that.”
A small smile crossed shona’s face. Morgan gestured to the bar.
“The phone’s behind there.”
Alex and Penny shuffled their way through the international terminal of LAX. Penny didn’t like the Alex was rushing her but didn’t really have the heart to tell him. She knew all too well how much Rebecca meant to Alex. Suddenly her cell phone rang. Juggling a few things in her hands she managed to pull out her cell and answer it.
“Hello?” she asked hurried
“Yeah girl It’s me.” Shona replied
Penny stopped moving. She dropped her bags in shock.
“Shona? Oh my god, where the heck are you Buffy is, like, totally freaking.”
Shona rubbed her head stressfully.
“I know,” she replied softly, “I’m gonna call there next thought I’d drop you a line first.”
“Where did you go?” Penny asked seriously, “I heard that Ken died and you disappeared and all this crazy stuff happened.”
“I was an idiot, should have stayed to protect the juniors, they okay?”
“Actually,” Penny replied guiltily, “I sorta didn’t stay to find out.”
Shona frowned curiously.
“Where the hell are you girl?”
“Airport.”
“What the hell are you there?”
“Alex is taking me to stay with mom in Australia.”
“That’s on the other side of the world how the hell is I ‘supposed to visit?”
“I don’t know.”
Both women went silent for a moment.
“God, how did we screw up so badly this time?”
“Did we, like, stop screwing up?”
“At lest tell me that Beck’s okay and they got what ever the thing inside her was out.”
Penny’s small gasp didn’t sit right with Shona.
“Pen, Beck’s okay isn’t she?”
“Oh god no one told you.”
“Told me what?”
Penny went silent. Shona was getting a deep sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Penny?” she asked insistently
“Rebecca died last night.” Penny replied anxiously
Shona screwed up her face. She crushed the glass she was holding.
“Do not bullshit me Nighthawk I am not in the mood.” She barked down the phone
“I wanted to tell you so badly,” Penny sobbed, “but we couldn’t find you.”
Alex rushed back up to his sister. He tapped his watch impatiently.
“I have to go my plane’s leaving now I’ll call you later alright!”
“Penny wait,” Shona replied, “I’m in . . .”
Shona heard the dial tone.
“ . . . New York.” She continued to herself as she put the receiver.
Shona dropped her head into her hands. She screamed in frustration.
“Bad call?” Morgan asked as he joined her at the bar.
“The worst.” Shona replied sadly
Pearl finished the last of her paperwork. She placed it in her out box and watched as it magically vanished. Just as she was leaving her desk Pearl heard a knock on the door. Jonas was on the other side brandishing a very expensive bottle of champagne and two glasses.
“What’s this for?” she asked curiously
“I wanted to be the first to pass on the senior partners congrats on a job well done. Judson couldn’t hold a candle to you.”
Penny thought about that last sentence.
“No it was more like the other way around.”
Jonas laughs. He placed the glasses on his desk and popped open the bottle.
“You did a spectacular job my dear. The word from upstairs is that you’re in line for a promotion.”
“Just keeping my eye on the ball sir.” She replied
“Oh don’t be so modest. You practically took out the Divine One single handed. Which explains a lot about the Power That Be’s hiring policy.”
Pearl took a large sip of her glass.
“Did we get the specimens alright?” she asked
“They were right where you’d say they would be,” Jonas replied, “wanted to take a look?”
Jonas led Pearl into the science department. The scientists moved two and fro at an alarming speed. Jonas caught the attention of the head scientists.
“Greg how are our guinea pigs doing.”
“Alive and kicking,” Greg replied, “Well, for the moment.”
“Good man.” Jonas replied patting him on the shoulder.
He wandered past to where a large cage was sitting. Inside Vickie, Roxy and Alison sat bound and gagged each looking very nervous. Pearl and Greg moved next to Jonas.
“How long will it take?” Jonas asked
“No longer then a week,” Greg replied, “by the time I’m done dissecting them we should have a full understanding of how the slayer power works.”
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