[ BtVS 2117: THE SG-FORCE (0-4 of 16) ]

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hiya all,
This is one of those stories that has been streched out over many
months with big caps in between. So I have decied to put everything up from
A to Z with new subplots and finally what some have been waiting for: An
Ending. So now for maybe the third time in living memory there will be a
posting of a complete story. This is "BtVS 2117 II" and I am Cilia!

Title: BtVS 2117: THE SG-FORCE
Series: BtVS 2117
Book: II
Section 0: Database
Section 0.1: Good Morning
Section 0.2: Connections
Section 0.3: Meetings
Section 0.4: Critical Situations
Author: Cilia
Author's e-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Pairings: B/W
Distribution and Archiving: List archivers and anybody else who has my stuff
can go ahead. Other's please tell me if you chose to archive this.

BtVS 2117: THE SG-FORCE
Cilia

Section 0: Database

Accessing SG-Force Database?.
Listing current members?
?

Codename: Buffy
Full name: Elisabeth Anne Summers
Voice sample: Hey there! My name is Buffy and I?m the Last Slayer.
Known Relatives: St Joyce Summers (mother, deceased)
Age: 19
Year of Birth: 1981
Class: Slayer, magically enhanced human
Occupation: Vampire Slayer, Student
Base of Operations: Rosenberg Mansion, Sunnydale, CA
Ht: deleted from system by user Buffy
Wt: deleted from system by user Buffy
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown, colored blond.
Known Powers/Abilities: Enhanced strength, speed, stamina and healing.
Ability to sense the presence of demons.

General information: Miss Summers is a quantum duplicate of the original
Elisabeth Anne Summers. She was created by Willow Rose as means to fulfill a
prophecy regarding the Return of the Primal One. After helping in the defeat
of the Primal One, Miss Summers now continues her work as a Slayer and as
mentor to a new generation living in a world that, until now, has been free
of vampires.

Codename: Willow
Full Name: Willow Danielle Rose
Known Relatives: Alexander Rose (father, deceased), Lily (mother, deceased),
Willow Rosenberg (Great-grandmother, deceased), William Spike
(Great-grandfather)
Voice sample: Hi! I?m Willow Rose and I?m a? plasma-slinger.
Age: 19
Year of Birth: 2098
Class: Plasma Slinger, human
Occupation: Researcher, Adventurer
Base of Operations: Rosenberg Mansion, Sunnydale, CA
Ht: 5?8?
Wt: 120 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red
Known Powers/Abilities: Very high intelligence. Ability to create bolts of
magical plasma/energy which she hurls at attackers.

General Information: A direct descendant of Willow Rosenberg, she?s
responsible for Buffy Summers return to life in the year 2117. Proud of her
heritage and always willing to help, she resembles her great-grandmother in
many ways. Having witnessed her parents? deaths, she is very protective of
those she cares about. Her power as a plasma-slinger has only recently
manifested itself and its limit is unexplored. She only recently found out
that Spike is her great-grandfather.
Willow may appear emotionless at one moment and at others she is completely
ruled by her emotions, see classified information file.

Classified information file: Unknown to many including her current
girlfriend and teammates Willow underwent extensive therapy after the death
of her parents. Although she is now a stable young woman there are still
some lingering affects from witnessing her parents death. The suppressing of
all emotion is on the other hand completely Miss Rose?s doing.

Codename: Angel
Full Name: Angelica De'Light
Known Relatives: William Harris (adoptive father)
Voice sample: Angel De?Light. Avian.
Age: 23
Year of Birth: 2094
Class: Avian, genetically engineered human
Occupation: Adventurer
Base of Operations: Rosenberg Mansion, Sunnydale, CA
Ht: 6?1?
Wt: 100 lbs (due to hollow bones)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Platinum white
Wingspan: 16?
Known Powers/Abilities: Enhanced strength, speed and stamina. Ability to fly
via wings. A special membrane covers her eyes to protect them in flight and
her lungs can extract oxygen at very high altitudes. Her body also possesses
no excess body fat and her muscular density is much higher than even the
fittest humans.


General Information File: The exact origins of Angelica De?Light are
unknown. Abandoned at an early age by her parents the first known record of
her is at the age of 13 when William Harris, president of the Angel
Foundation, took her in. There has been some speculation about whether she
was a part of the Future Project, which aimed at furthering human evolution,
or if she is a natural mutation. She has a healthy fear of authority and
anyone associated with the Future Project, although it has been years since
its shutdown in which she played some part as a member of the Angel
Foundation. She has come to accept her place within the SG-Force and has
hinted that she desires to get to know a certain member of the team better.

Additional abilities file: Angel can compress her wings tight to her back,
giving her an almost perfect human form. She also owns a special combat
armor; built by the Angel Foundation, designed with silver talons and the
armor itself is made up of the finest laser absorbent materials.


Codename: Z
Full Name: Stefan Giles-Zoëga
Known Relatives: Hope Giles (stepsister)
Voice sample: My name is Stefan Zoëga and I?m a tep.
Class: Telepath, genetically engineered human
Age: 17
Date of Birth: 31st of December 2099
Occupation: Student
Base of Operations: Rosenberg Mansion, Sunnydale, CA
Ht: 5?8?
Wt: 145 lbs
Eyes: Red
Hair: Black
Known Powers/Abilities: Telepathy and limited spell casting.

General Information: A product of the Future Project, Stefan is an extremely
powerful telepath or a ?tep?, as he calls it. Taken in by the Giles family
when the project was shutdown, he is Hope Giles? brother in all ways except
blood. The two also share a strong telepathic connection.

Codename: Hope
Full Name: Hope Giles
Known Relatives: Stefan Zoëga (brother)
Voice sample: My name is Hope Giles, a researcher.
Class: Mystic, human
Occupation: Researcher
Base of Operations: Rosenberg Mansion, Sunnydale CA
Age: 20
Year of Birth: 2097
Ht: 5?5?
Wt: 107 lbs
Eyes: Jade
Hair: Jet-Black
Known Powers/Abilities: High intelligence and the ability to read the words
of the Codex. She is also an adept spell caster, but realize more upon her
technical savy.

General Information: A member of the Giles dynasty founded by Rupert and
Cordelia Giles. Hope is a very professional person and a researcher by
nature, like many of the Giles family. Leaving her post at GILES
Laboratories for unknown reasons, she is the team?s technical guru. She
appears to be the only one that can see the words in the Codex. She also
shares a hate/love relationship with Spike and they may or may not have
slept together.

Codename: Spike
Full Name: William B. Spike (possible alias? true family name unknown)
Known Relatives: Willow Danielle Rose (great-granddaughter), Willow
Rosenberg (wife? deceased), Drusilla (sire)
Voice sample: I?m a bad, rude man
Age: Physical early twenties, chronological 257 years
Year of Birth: Circa 1860
Year of Death: 1880
Class: Unidentified
Occupation: Guardian of Earth
Base of Operations: Mobile
Ht: Unknown
Wt: Unknown
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Known Powers/Abilities: Highly enhanced strength, speed and stamina, spell
casting and wielder of the Light of Hope. Possible other abilities such as
flight, minor telepathy and healing.

General Information: Willow Rose?s great-grandfather, Spike joined the team
early on. As the only known survivor of the Great War, he is regarded as a
hero and somewhat of a legend. He came into his role as Guardian of Earth
after drinking Slayer?s blood offered to him willingly by Elisabeth Anne
Summers prior to her death. It is believed that this freed him from his
vampire curse and made it possible for him to father children.

Codename: G.I.L.E.S.
Full Designation: Genetic Isolinear Lifeform Emulating Sphere
Voice sample: I am G.I.L.E.S., a Genetic Isolinear Lifeform Emulating
Sphere.
Class: A.I.
Age: Classified
Year of activation: Classified.
Ht: 1?0?
Wt: 10 lbs
Known Powers/Abilities: Spell casting and Information recording and
analysis.

General Information: A high level A.I. possessing comprehensive knowledge of
all things supernatural.

Opening entry log?.

Buffy and Spike are the last of the old guard. They stepped forth from the
shadows of the past to protect the Earth as darkness returned once again.
Six days ago, they fulfilled the prophecy and destroyed the Primal One thus
stopping his return to this plane. However, the Master Vampire Drusilla is
still free, so their work is far from done. But a new darkness also looms.

Saving entry log?
Logging off user Rupert?

Section 0.1: Good Morning

Behold the Rosenberg Mansion. It has been home to three generations of
Rosenberg?s and it now serves as the headquarters for the SG-Force?

?Oh shut that junk off will you please?? Buffy exclaimed as she threw a
freshly made stake at the hologram reporter. She grimaced as she watched it
pass straight through the newscaster?s head and sink into the wall.
?Ignore it, luv. We?re just going to have to learn to live with it,? Spike
said calmly with his feet propped up on the meeting table, he looked like
the cat that had just ate the canary. It was still early and they seemed to
be the only two awake. Buffy picked up a piece of cake off the coffee table
and took an experimental bite. The crunching sound that followed was not a
good sign. Christmas had been celebrated two days earlier and the remnants
were still lying about.
?How?s Hope, by the way?? Buffy asked smugly as she had retrieved the stake
from the wall. Sitting down, she started cleaning her wristbands.
?Hope?? Spike asked innocently and studied his nails. ?Hope who??
?Watcher Girl, about? yea tall, jet-black hair and a fierce temper. Ring any
bells??
?Nope, can?t say it does,? Spike said after a moments thought.
?So you?re? not shagging her?? Buffy asked, opting for bluntness to get a
response.
?A gentleman never tells,? Spike answered with a grin.
?So you leaving her room the morning after the battle, wearing nothing but
what the gods gave you was just? I don?t know? your desire to prance around
naked in the early morning sunlight??
?Ah, well... you see, that is, she woke up and? oh bloody hell!
Yes. I shagged her. Satan, I hate this cloak and dagger shit,? he cursed and
the Slayer broke into a smile. ?Getting too old!? the Guardian grumbled.
?Gotcha!? Buffy exclaimed placing the stake on the table.
?Okay, you see we came back from killing the Primal One, she was all horny
and, well, I?? Spike said with a grin.
?You just love to brag, don?t you?? Buffy asked with a disgusted look on her
face.
?Well I??
?Morning all,? Willow cheerfully said as she swept into the
room. Noticing the hologram over the table she grimaced. ?Are we still on
the news!? she exclaimed as she looked up from her good morning peck on
Buffy?s lips
?Sadly yes. Still I thought they?d learned their lesson after Angel? talked?
to them,? Buffy said with a chuckle as she pulled the redhead onto her lap.
?Breakfast first, then cuddle,? Willow said as she stood up again and
disappeared into the kitchen, causing Buffy to pout.
?Things going okay with my great-granddaughter?? Spike asked, suddenly
serious.
?We?re taking it slow,? Buffy answered.
?And trying to keep it out of the press, I hope,? Angel stated as she strode
into the room, leaving a trail of feathers behind her.
?Morning to you too, Angel,? Buffy greeted as she took in the other woman?s
ruffled appearance. ?Rough night??
The Avian?s nightly escapades were something Buffy had learned of during the
second night Angel had stayed at the mansion. She knew were she went of
course, but hadn?t pressed the matter, yet.
?She didn?t spend the night with anybody,? Zoëga said as he took his seat at
the table. ?And no, I didn?t read her thoughts, but I do have ears,? he
added with a wink.
?And a room next to hers,? Hope quipped in as she entered, computer in hand
and looking her usual perfectly manicured self.
-Must be the Cordelia gene- Buffy thought.
?So where?s our little bundle of joy?? Buffy asked when she didn?t see
G.I.L.E.S floating about.
?I am here Miss Summers,? the sphere said as he floated into the room. ?I
was just updating our database,? he explained.
?Any reports from last night?? Buffy asked as Willow returned and took her
seat on her lap. The slayer took a healthy bite of the offered sandwich,
never breaking eye contact with the new woman in her life.
?No vampire risings reported last night,? G.I.L.E.S. reported.
?Great, so what?s on the agenda for today then?? Buffy asked.
?I think we should talk to the press,? Hope suggested drawing blank stares
from everybody. ?I mean, think about it, maybe if we just talk to them? in a
controlled environment, of course, maybe they?ll lay off.?
?She?s right you know, as much as I hate to admit it. We can?t
have the press hanging around outside the mansion and following us on
patrols,? Buffy stated with a slight shutter at the thought.
?If there are anymore patrols,? Angel said as she tucked her wings in tight
and took her seat.
?Uh hate to be the bearer of doom and gloom, but Dru is still on the loose,
remember. So trust me, we?ll have more patrols,? Spike said in a grim tone.
?Okay, so we talk to the press and then hunt for Dru. Now, who?s going? to?
talk? why is everybody looking at me?? Buffy asked.
?Well, we just thought, you know, you would talk to them,? Zoëga explained.
?Me? But? but? I?m just the Slayer,? Buffy stammered.
?And our fearless leader and mentor in all things,? Willow said as she
kissed her again.
?Okay, okay. I?ll talk to the press, but Hope and Angel are coming with me,?
Buffy said.
?I-I don?t think I?? Angel began.
?Yes, you will, Angelica De?Light,? Buffy stated firmly. ?Like it or not,
you and I are the most prominent members of our little group,? she added.
?Hey there!? Spike exclaimed.
?Yes, yes, Spike you are a legend, but we?re the new blood,? Buffy
explained. ?Kind of,? she then added slowly.
?So the rest of us just sit here and what? twiddle our thumbs
and watch over the computers?? Zoëga asked.
?Well? yes. Not the twiddle part, the computer part. Try to find
out where Dru got that teleportation trick from. I mean, even I know it?s
not something everybody has,? Buffy said with a glance to Willow, ?Right??
?She?s right. The teleportation devices are big money,? Willow
confirmed.
?So it?s settled then. You go look up any and all companies who
deal in teleportation and if they look likely, send Z in to check it out,?
Buffy said.
?You?re not suggesting that I?? Zoëga trailed off tapping his
head.
?No, just find out whether or not they?re telling the truth. I?m
sure people sweat like hell when trying to lie to a tep,? Buffy explained
with a grin.
?I think this is going to be fun,? he said with a small smile of
his own.
?Well you go have your fun while we go and face our deaths at
the hands of the all-forgiving press,? Angel snorted. Her eyes narrowed as
she felt a soft pressure on her mental walls and she looked over at the
telepath.
?It?s settled then,? Buffy said and stood, ignoring the little
drama playing out between Angel and Zoëga. ?Hope, will you set up the
meeting for, lets say-?? she asked.
?Already on it, they?ll arrive within the hour,? the Watcher
reported.
?Oh, where did you set it up?? Buffy asked. ?In the Hall of
Heroes??
?Nope, but you lot are going to love this,? Spike said as he
snuck a peak at the screen.
Buffy walked around the table, looked over Hope?s shoulder at the screen and
smiled. ?They?ll never know what hit them,? she said with smile.


Section 0.2: Connections

Angel chased after Zoëga when the groups had split up to prepare for the
onslaught of the press. Catching up with him, she slammed him into an
alcove, none to gently.
?I told you to stay out of my head!? she hissed down at him. On
instinct, her wings partially unfolded to make her look absolutely menacing.
?I was only trying to reassure you,? he answered in a calm and
cold voice. Clearly not intimidated by the towering avian, his eyes remained
soft. Staring into his eyes for a moment longer as if judging his words,
Angel finally released her hold on his shoulders.
?I? apologize,? she said and turned to walk away, pulling her
wings in.
?You know, sometimes I really don?t understand you,? the
telepath said as he straightened his clothes.
?How so?? the avian asked with her back still towards him.
?The night after the battle with the Primal One, and then again
during Christmas Eve, you were? well? nice, but now you?re all grrr and I?ll
rip your head offish,? he explained. ?I? am confused, Angelica,? he said as
he placed a hand on her shoulder.
?Z? I?? Angel began as she turned around.
?There is nothing to be afraid off,? Zoëga said in a reassuring
voice as he gently placed a hand on her cheek, acting more on impulse than
rational thought.
?When I said I?d consider a date? this wasn?t?? she gasped as
the first of her mental barriers went down under the gentle probing of the
telepath.
?Sssh! Just let me take some of the tension away, this is the
better way,? he whispered, not wanting to scare her by talking into her
mind. His other hand crept into her hair and began messaging the back of her
neck. Then there was loud crash as a handheld hit the floor.
?Rao above?? Hope exclaimed with a wide eyes, causing the pair
to jump apart.
?Hope, um, he was?? Angel began, straightening her hair.
?I was just helping Angel relieve some of the tension she felt
from the upcoming meeting,? Zoëga explained without losing a beat.
?Oh, then if you?re finished, maybe Angel would be so kind as to
come with me so we can go over the question list I?ve made up?? Hope asked,
her eyes shooting daggers at the avian.
?Go ahead, Hope? I?ll catch up with you in a second,? Angel
nodded, praying that the overprotective watcher would leave them alone.
?I?ll leave you two? alone,? Hope huffed as she strode away.
?That was? embarrassing,? Angel exclaimed.
?I?m sorry, she can be a little overprotective,? Zoëga said.
?I? would like to complete what? ever we just did there?? Angel
said as she stepped closer, pushing him against the wall once again gently
this time. There was soft gasp when he reached out, once again, to gently
touch her mind. There was a long, peaceful silence.

Buffy looked up when she heard Hope slam the door to the conference room.
Willow had gone to talk to Spike, leaving the slayer with the hours of
newsfeed and a ton of mail to read through.
?Let me guess? she?s about six feet tall, with white hair, wings
and a thing for your brother?? Buffy asked with a grin as she looked up at
the fuming Watcher.
?You knew!? Hope exclaimed.
?Well, I suspected,? Buffy said with a smirk plastered on her
face.
?And you didn?t tell me,? Hope exclaimed.
?What is to tell? It?s their business and I?m not going to stop
it. They?re entitled to it just as much as you and Spike are,? Buffy said as
she crossed her hands over her chest.
?That was? a one time thing,? Hope said under her breath.
?If you say so..." Buffy said with a shrug.
?It?s just that she?s??
?She?s what? Older, believe me age is so not an issue,? Buffy
said.
?It?s just that-?
?Sorry, I took so long,? Angel said as she walked into the room
and took her seat.
?Was he any good?? Buffy asked, before she knew what had left
her mouth.
?Buffy!? Hope exclaimed, but Angel only smiled.
?If it?s any consolation, Hope, he ?was? just helping to calm my
nerves. Nothing happened? honest,? Angel said trying to calm her.
?Let's go over these notes, shall we?? Buffy asked clapping her
hands together, not wanting a catfight an hour before a press conference.
-Maybe Z-boy can help me? no bad, bad slayer. He?s Angel?s, but lets just
wait before telling Hope that?s all- she thought.
?Very well,? Hope crumbled. ?You know the first question will most likely be
something along the lines of ?Who the fuck are you people???

Willow found Spike in the computer room, reading over text that was
scrolling down the screen at speeds only he could read.
?Spike? I think it?s time we talked,? she said as she sat down next to him.
?You want to know why I left, right?? he stated as he stopped the text.
?Well? yes. That and why you didn?t show yourself earlier? like after my
parents death??
?Red, your great-grandmother that is, was still around and? it wasn?t my
time to return,? Spike said as he hung his head.
?You were waiting for the Primal One?s return,? Willow said, understanding a
little bit more about this cryptic man.
?Yes, but now that he?s gone? well, I hope that we can be a family,? Spike
said with a small smile.
?You are my family, Spike? In one form or another, you?ve always been there
for us,? she answered as she hugged the Guardian.
?Now we need to talk about Buffy,? Spike said, causing Willow to let go.
?But? we?re just fooling around? I mean, there isn?t??
Spike smiled and held up his hand. ?No, no? I have no
objections. I just want you to watch out for her. She tends to? go too far
at times and try to protect everybody. If she turns out like the Buffy I
knew? well, lets just say you?ll have your hands full,? he explained.
?Thanks for the warning,? Willow said with a beaming smile. ?And your
acceptance.?
?Now help me look over this,? Spike said as he started up the
screen again.
?One more thing? Do you think that my? powers are somehow
connected to you?? Willow asked. Spike looked at her and thought for moment,
Willow had shown the ability to create and direct plasma bolts.
?Who knows? Tell you what, we?ll have G.I.L.E.S. look into it,?
he said with a pat on her shoulder. ?And we are after all? a very strange
breed.?


Section 0.3: Meetings

The press was hoarded into the training area, which was now serving as the
makeshift conference room. The room, nicknamed by Buffy as the Danger Room,
had been designed by Willow, like almost everything else in the mansion. It
was a state-of-the-art simulator room capable of replicating almost all of
the rigors of vampire slaying.
?You think they suspect anything?" Buffy whispered to Hope as
the reporters, armed with their recorders and hovercams, filtered into the
conference room. Dressed in her black slayer jumpsuit and armed with her
wristbands, the slayer looked around the room and nodded, the press was
going to be silenced one way or another.
?Nope," Hope said with a grin. She was reading a spell on her handheld,
memorizing it for later use.
"Now?" Angel asked, her wings twitching in excitement as she inspected her
talons.
"Wait until they're all here," Buffy said just as the door
closed behind the last reporter. She cleared her throat and put on her best
I'm-not-going-to-hurt-you smile.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, thank you for joining us
here. Now before you bombard us with questi-" she was cut of by a wave of
questions hitting them.
"Angel, throw... the... fucking... switch!" she said calmly over noise. The
room shifted from the professional looking conference room into that of a
worn down part of the city, the Slums, where the vampires were usually
found. The room fell into silence as the confused reporters looked around.
"I suggest you defend yourselves," Buffy offered as the silvery carbon
blades emerged from her wristbands and growls started coming from the
shadows.
"What the hell is going on here!" one of the reporters cried out as vampires
erupted onto the street.
?What is this?" another yelled, backing up against a wall.
"What you're seeing is what we face every night," Buffy explained as she
ducked a punch and staked a vamp.
?I strongly recommend you defend yourselves," Angel suggested as she slashed
one attacker and high-kicked another.
?Because we may have forgotten the safeties," Hope added as she let her
spell fly, causing a small swarm of toothpicks to make a pincushion out of
one vampire. They didn't do much damage until one found its mark, then the
pincushion was dust and that spell was more for show then practical use,
plus if it hit a reporter he would live... sadly.

Half an hour later, the three stood looking at the reporters huddled in the
corner of the room. A few had fought back at the beginning, but for the most
part, the newshounds had retreated to safety and cowered. It looked like a
few had even passed out and soiled themselves.
The slayer shook her head as she approached the group, which was slowly
getting to its feet. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Buffy declared in a loud voice,
sweat dripping from her brow. "What you saw here is what can and will happen
if you try to follow us at night." She held their attention as she made her
back to the others, "Now, if there are any questions..." she trailed off as
the room shifted into the conference room again, with the trio standing
behind a large table, "we are here to answer them," she finished, and they
sat down.
"Who are you?" the first reporter, a blond with rose tinted glasses, who had
calmly stood by as the scenario played out, asked.
"My name is Elisabeth Anne Summers. I'm the Last Vampire Slayer and I go by
the codename: Buffy. I guess you could call me the leader of this... group,"
Buffy answered with a wave towards the other two members.
-Damn, I'm glad Hope made us practices this- she thought.
My, uh... codename is Hope" the Mystic answered. The codenames had been a
silly idea really, but it gave the group, what Buffy called, a super-hero
feel about it.
"Angelica De'Light, avian, codename: Angel," Angel said as she removed her
talons and placed them on the table.
"Whom do you answer to?" another reporter asked. It didn't seem to take
these people much time to get over life threatening situations when there
was news to be had, "I mean surely the government has some part in all
this?"
"No, we are a privately funded group, sponsored mainly by the GILES
Laboratories, the Angel Foundation and the Rosenberg Fund," Hope answered.
"But we do intend to work with the Occult Agency and the local police when
the need arises," Buffy added.
"Do you believe you are above the law?"
"No. We are our own law, and we just hope that they will have
the good sense to stay out of our way," she tried to explain.
"I only see three of you, why such a small group?"
"The threat isn't that great," Angel answered in a low voice.
"And there are very few people who can do what we do," Buffy elaborated.
"Are there more members of your group?"
"Yes."
"Who are they?"
"At present there is: Willow Rose, a plasma-slinger; Stefan Zoëga, a
telepath; William Spike; and G.I.L.E.S., our A.I. unit. You?ll find their
bios on your handhelds" Buffy answered as images of the members were
displayed on the holoprojector in the center of the table. The group of
reporters was making its way up to the large table, the hovercams floating
around them like flies.
-Like flies on shit- Buffy smiled to herself. She had to chew on that one to
keep from laughing out loud.
"Is that... Are you and William Spike the original warriors that fought in
the Great War?"
"Well... Spike is. As for me, I'm what you call a quantum duplicate... is
that the right term... of the Buffy Summers from the year 2000 and... Well I
just hope that clears that up enough since I really don't understand it too
well myself," Buffy explained with a nervous smile.
"Miss De'Light, many question have been raised about your origins. Would
you care to clear up some of those question?"
Buffy cringed inwardly as Angel's wings rose slightly on her back, but then
seemed to settle again.
"I was abandoned by my parents shortly after birth, raised in the Slums and
at the age of 13, I was taken in by my adoptive father William Harris and
the Angel Foundation. I claim no association with the Future Project and do
not consider myself a part of it," Angel answered with such steel in her
voice that the reporter shrank back.
-Sheesh, I wonder how that would have gone without Z's help- Buffy wondered.

An exhaustive hour later, Hope dismissed the reporters; hopefully they had
given out enough information to satisfy them without revealing too much
about their true strength. Questions had been raised regarding their ages,
but that argument died quickly in light of Spike's age.
-I guess if you save the world on live Holo-v, they trust you more- Buffy
thought to herself as she looked out the window in her office and watched
the last of the reporters leave, a couple of them glancing wearily back at
the building. It had been Willow's idea to give her an office and she was
beginning to realize why, as she noticed the messages and offers already
flooding her computer screen.
"How did it go?" Willow asked as she stepped into the office.
"We'll see on the evening news," Buffy answered as she turned to face her
girlfriend, who wore a huge grin with sparkling eyes to match.
"I take it Spike will be staying with us, and is happy with things?" Buffy
asked as she sat down in her chair and offered Willow a seat on her lap.
"He wants us to be a family again," Willow answered happily as she sat down
and snaked her arms around the Slayer's neck.
"Mmmm, that's nice," Buffy said, nibbling at Willow's earlobes
causing the plasma-slinger to giggle.
"Uhmm... Buffy... training... remember?" Willow asked between
giggles.
"Plasma-bolts... and hand-to-hand," Buffy agreed as she made her
way around to Willow's lips. "But... since I'm the fearless leader... *a
peck* I guess *a peck* I'm in *a peck* charge of training schedules," she
finished as she claimed the redheads lips in a deep kiss. There was a
crackle of energy as Willow inadvertently sent two bolts of blue plasma
flying into the walls.

Angel stalked through the corridors of the mansion, her wings fluttering.
The questions had been unsettling, to say the least. She did not like being
on display, it reminded her too much of growing up in the Slums, the shows,
and the humiliation. She needed to vent; she needed to- her train of thought
was derailed as she slammed into Zoëga who was also deep in thought and
obviously returning from the kitchen. The crash caused orange juice to spill
over them both and anger to flare in the already tense avian.
"You..." Angel started, but one look into his calm eyes and her
rant was cut short. Catching the young telepath off guard with the amount of
anger, hate and fear she had been emanating had caused him to instantly
reach out with his mind. Now it was her turn to be pushed against the wall,
a glass bounced on the floor as her wings made contact with the wall.
"Z?" Angel asked in a trembling voice as gentle fingers started
to caress her face and neck. Licking her lips as she felt a presence
surround her mind like a warm blanket, she inched closer.
"I told you that there is... no need to be afraid," the
telepath whispered, but her hand had already sneaked behind his neck.
"I'm..." a fraction of an inch closer. "Not... a?" another
fraction.
The sound of the warning claxons telling them that a weapon had been
discharged inside the mansion snapped them back to reality.
"Everybody to my office now!" Buffy was heard shouting over
the audio system.


Section 0.4: Critical Situations

Angel and Zoëga crashed through the office doors. They were greeted with the
sight of Willow, unconscious on the couch, but their eyes were soon drawn to
two smoldering holes in the walls on either side of the room. Hope was
gently trying to bring Willow back to consciousness, while Buffy sat on the
edge of the desk looking worried. Spike was sitting in the chair, tapping
furiously away at the computer. Hope looked up at her brother and a silent
conversation went on for a few seconds between them. He then knelt by Willow
?s side and closed his eyes.
"What... happened?" Angel asked softly as she touched one of the
burnt holes.
"It would appear that Miss Rose's powers are connected to her
emotions and when excited, there is an involuntary release," G.I.L.E.S.
explained from his position above Spike's shoulder.
"And when it's all over the drain on her system is so great that
she collapses," Buffy finished, talking fast, not taking her eyes off
Willow.
"Okay," Angel said as she rubbed the ash off her fingers.
"She's coming to," Zoëga said and when he opened his eyes, there
was a lengthy groan as Willow too, slowly opened her eyes.
"I did it again, didn't I?" she asked in low voice.
"It would appear so," Buffy said as she jumped from her perch on
the desk to get closer to her plasma-slinger. "How do you feel? You ok?"
Willow had to smile up into her Slayers soulful eyes. "Yeah, I'm
ok. Just tired."
"I believe I can... help her," Zoëga said standing up and
leaning back against the desk.
"How?" Willow asked as Buffy helped her sit up.
"Well, first I would have to do a scan, a search for the root of
the problem. Then, I would have to teach her some control," he explained.
"Telepathically," he added.
"You talking psychotherapy?" Buffy exclaimed.
"Yes," he said calmly. "And in the light of this latest flux, I
think we're out of choices."
"Elisabeth, it's okay... really," Willow said taking Buffy's
hands.
"I just..." Buffy trailed off.
"We can start now if you want to," Zoëga said.
"Now?" Willow asked. "Really?"
"The sooner we get this under control the better," Hope said.
There was a moment of silence as Willow's eyes passed over everybody in the
room, Spike looked at her with concern, Angel with a mixture of fear and
intrigue, Hope was professional, as usual, and Buffy looked scared.
"Okay, lets get started on this. Why don't we take this
somewhere else, though," she said as she started to get up. "Can Buffy...
stay with me?" she asked.
"No," flat and cold was the answer.

Buffy paced outside Willow's room, while the sun was going down and they
still hadn't come out of the room yet.
"Do these things usually take this long?" she asked.
"Depends on the problem," Hope answered, not realizing she was
swaying with the rhythm of the Slayer walking back and forth in front of
her, "If it's something deep in her subconscious, this could, quite
possibly, take all night."
Buffy still paced outside Willow's room as a few more minutes passed.
"I'm going out to patrol," Buffy exclaimed and stalked away.
?Tell Willow not to wait up and make sure she sleeps,? she ordered.
Hope raised an eyebrow and looked down at her ever present handheld. She
tapped in four words.
Slayer cares about Willow.

Angel stood in front of her bathroom mirror preparing for the night. She
carefully applied the concealing cream to the area under her eyes and then
reached for the bottle she kept behind the tampon box on the bottom shelf in
the medicine cabinet behind the mirror. She carefully opened the bottle and
shook two red and blue pills into her hands.
?For the good fight,? she said as she swallowed the pills with
disgust and then closed the bottle and slammed the cabinet shut with enough
force to crack the mirror.


The Slums, home to the unfortunates of society, the criminals and, of
course, the vampires. Buffy's senses tingled as she waited, perched on a
windowsill, several floors above the street. She had taken the time to study
the design specs of her suit. Willow had done a great job on it, laser
absorbent, light absorbent, and a cool new de-celerative material, making
her able to jump from considerable heights.
-I feel like Batman- she thought. -Now all I need is a Batbelt
and Robin of course-
"Make room," Angel whispered as she landed next to her on the
sill. Folding her wings together, she probably looked like a gargoyle from
the street.
"You find anything?" Buffy asked tapping on the computer built
into her wristband.
"A raid on an illegal synth-factory down on Eighth, I stopped a
rape over on Second and-"
"But no vamps," Buffy stated.
"No vampires. But I was going to say that some of our reporter
friends are out here undercover tonight," she explained.
"Which ones," Buffy sighed as she sent a quick text message to
G.I.L.E.S.
"The blond, what's her face..."
"Christina Rex," Buffy said without thinking.
"Impressive, you got her measurements as well?" Angel asked.
"Ha, ha. No. Its just that she was the only one standing after
our little... surprise training session, so I looked her up," Buffy
explained.
"Are you thinking about recruiting her?" Angel asked, eyes wide.
"No, but she did give us a fair review in her news piece, and
you never know, she could prove useful," Buffy explained.
-Boy, we certainly could use more good reviews; they pretty much
had us for breakfast. The only reason we're still operating is because of
Willow and Hope's connections- Buffy thought to herself.
"Spike thought that up, didn't he?" Angel asked.
"Hey! I can plot and scheme!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Sure you can! No, really, I believe you..." the avian said with
a sympathetic smile.
"Not funny, Angel. I'll have you know that I happen to be- Hey,
check it out. It's our star reporter," the Slayer stated. With an evil smile
to her cohort, she dropped from the ledge, landing quietly in the alley
below. "Miss Rex, I presume," she asked causing the blond reporter to jump
then spin around.
"Guess some people won't take hint," Angel said as she landed
next to the Slayer.
"Buffy, Angel," the reporter replied as she pulled back her hood
and tried to catch her breath and blond, shoulder length, curls came rolling
down.
"You know, walking around in the open like this, you would make
an easy meal," Buffy stated.
"And you're easy to follow, what's your point?" the reporter
shot back.
"We told you to stay away from us, but-"
"What makes you think this is about you?" Rex asked.
"Well. I-" Buffy flustered. Her eyes darting over the reporters'
features, red lips and blue eyes obscured behind the rose tinted lenses of
her glasses.
"You, for starters, are here, while the nearest drug bust is
five blocks south," Angel said, hoping to save the Slayer some face.
"Good point. But you guys are news, too, like it or not," Rex
said as she adjusted her glasses and Buffy felt like she just had her
picture taken.
"You're not giving up on this are you?" Buffy asked with a sigh.
"Nope. At least not until I get a live slaying," Rex answered.
"A live slaying, you say?" Buffy asked with grin and tapped on
her computer.

They sat on a tombstone over a fresh grave. Angel had stayed in the Slums;
she had business there that Buffy just did not want to know about... yet.
"So, we're just sitting here, waiting for the vampire to...
rise?" Rex asked.
"That's pretty much what this job is all about," Buffy answered
as she played Tetris on her wristband. "Oh, you made me lose," she whined.
"So... the battle against the Primal One, what was that like?"
"A major bad scene. But, luckily that doesn't happen very
often," Buffy explained as she turned to face the staring reporter. "What
did you expect? Ninety percent of the time this is the most boring job in
the world. Not to mention the pays bad, along with short life expectancy and
no dental plan," Buffy explained with a smile.
"No, I was wondering... how a girl like you... could become the
savior of mankind," Rex answered.
"Ah... Well, you got me there, cause I don't-" The Slayer held
up a hand as she stopped herself. There was low thud, then a louder one.
"Time to go to work," Buffy said as she jumped down from the
tombstone. Five seconds and one dust cloud later, she turned back to the
blonde with a satisfied smile on her face.
"So, you happy now?" she asked the reporter.
"Very," Rex said as she looked over the cemetery using her
glasses to take pictures.
-Thank god for onboard computers- Buffy thought.
"Okay then... Cool. So you'll... stop following me now, right?"
Buffy asked.
"No can do Slayer." Rex said as she walked way.
"Hey!" Buffy exclaimed and was in front of the blonde instantly.
The reporter blinked, then smiled back at the slayer, with impossibly white
teeth and looked at her over the glasses with shining blue eyes. "What do
you mean 'No can do'?"
"The rest of your group, the SG-Force, is off the hook," Rex
explained. "I won't follow them. But, ah... as for you..." she finished,
unable to hold back a most unprofessional smile.
"Me?" Buffy asked, a bit confused. "But-" Then it dawned on her,
"Oh. Oh, no... I can't. No... I mean... I..." her eyes went down and then
snapped up again.
-Think Willow, think Willow, think... look lips, breasts, and...! Bad
Slayer!-
"It's been fun," Rex said with a grin as she slipped past the
Slayer, but not without kissing her first.
"Doha!" Buffy muttered, trying to form a retort, as the
reporter pulled away from her with a grin, pushed her glasses higher onto
her nose and was gone.

She walked in a daze back to the mansion. Her wristbands dropped soundlessly
on the floor as she entered room and pulled her jumpsuit off. Willow was
still in therapy with Zoëga. Damn! Spike had just looked her over and shook
his head, Hope was asleep, and Angel, gods only knew where she was. The
distraught Slayer crawled under the sheets and tried to replace the image of
the blond reporter looking at her through rose tinted glasses with her
Willow's, but to no avail.
-Date night tomorrow- she thought before she fell asleep and
dreamt dreams of blue eyes and blond hair.

To Be Continued...