Aftermath and College
by Bwriter
Part twenty five
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Part twenty five
Tom had filled everyone in on what had happened when Buffy and Willow re-entered the room.
"If I was still a demon, I would have been happy to grant you a wish."
Willow sent Anya a small smile and sat down on the couch, close to Buffy.
"We still don't know what we need to. What about the demon they're making?"
Buffy stroked Willow's hair and half listened as Tom explained about the soldiers and the fight that followed.
"Why were they so interested in Buffy?"
Willow flinched and Buffy tightened her grip on the redhead.
"We don't know for sure, but I assume that they wanted to know about the Slayer, how she works. I figure that a place like that would have loved to get their hands on the Chosen One."
Buffy kissed Willow on the cheek before standing up and heading over to Giles phone.
Dialling a number she now knew by heart, Buffy waited for someone to pick up, not caring about the time difference across the Atlantic.
"Hello?"
"This is Buffy, put Traver's on the phone."
She waited for a minute, her impatience growing, before he finally came to the phone.
"Miss Summers, I trust you are well?"
Buffy snorted and rolled her eyes at Tom.
"You have one day. I want the entire special ops teams over here by sundown tomorrow. Leave one unit with Faith, but I want the rest in Sunnydale."
He spluttered on he other end of the phone.
"Don't make me repeat myself." Buffy's voice had turned hard.
The was silence before he cleared his throat.
"Of course."
Buffy went to hang up before a thought occurred to her.
"Oh and Traver's? There is enough going on right now, I don't want to have to deal with you too. Stay in England and send over Phillips."
Phillips was head of the special ops programme, and Buffy knew that Traver's hated him for it.
"Of course."
Buffy hung up after muttering a tense 'goodbye' and turned to face her family.
"The teams will be here by tomorrow night."
Tom nodded, as did Jonny.
Xander looked from Buffy to Giles.
"How many people are we talking here?"
Buffy smiled and shared a glance with Giles.
"Ten groups of three, each highly trained in all manners of combat, both the human variety and the demonic."
Xander sat back, a weird look on his face.
"You do realise that we are about to take on the US Military?"
Buffy smirked at Giles.
"Ready for the Civil War take two?"
Giles snorted and reached for his tea.
"Just pray it works in the favour of the English this time."
The Americans in the room didn't know whether to laugh or not, though they all echoed the statement.
Buffy looked at her tired girlfriend and picked her up.
"Giles, we're staying here."
She never gave him the chance to object as she carried Willow back into the spare room.
-----
Buffy closed the door softly behind them, not bothering to listen to Xander questioning Tom on the Special Ops teams.
"What time is it?"
Buffy's head twisted to look at the clock before she lowered both herself and Willow to the bed.
"Ten thirty, still early."
Willow snuggled into Buffy and the Slayer sighed, wrapping her arms tightly around her girlfriend.
"You have to patrol still."
Buffy closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the redhead in her arms.
"Tom is going to do it."
Willow smiled and in minutes, she was sleeping.
Buffy lay awake and stared at the ceiling.
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Giles stuck his head in the bedroom two hours later and had to smile at the sight before him.
Buffy was curled around Willow, purring as she slept.
Closing the door as quietly as he could, Giles made his way back into the living room.
"Right, Tom take Angel on patrol with you."
Tom nodded his head and looked over at the Vampire in question.
"You ready to go now?"
Angel nodded and stood up, grabbing his sword as he passed Giles' table.
"Ready."
Giles told them to be wary of the Initiative and to try and lean more about this demon from the locals.
-----
Buffy woke up, letting the remains of her dream float through her mind.
If it was a Slayer dream, she knew that what they were about to face was bad.
Hearing a groan come from Willow, Buffy curled herself around the redhead and soon, she calmed again.
Looking at the shadows on the ceiling, caused by the moonlight, Buffy pictured the thing in her mind.
Part demon, part machine, and chillingly enough, part human.
Just how insane were the Initiative anyway?
-----
Angel and Tom returned just after two in the morning, each one looking tired.
"For some reason, the demons and vamps were out in force tonight."
Giles gave Angel a half smile.
"Buffy will be sorry she missed that."
Angel nodded, and went into the kitchen to eat.
Tom looked between Giles and the door to the spare room.
"Anything?"
The watcher shook his head no.
"I expect they are still sleeping."
Tom nodded and lay down on the couch, hoping to catch some sleep himself.
"Wake me up when Buffy comes out."
Giles smiled and nodded.
-----
Willow groaned as she woke up, and smiled when she realised that Buffy was with her.
She was also staring at her.
"Hey."
Willow smiled and leaned in, placing a small kiss on Buffy's lips.
"Hey. What time is it?"
Buffy twisted her head to look at the clock.
"Its just after six."
Willow sighed and snuggled into the pillow.
"Too early to be awake then."
Buffy smiled and tightened her grip on the redhead.
"Did Angel and Tom get back okay?"
"Hmm, I heard them come back around two." Buffy nuzzled Willow's hair, and closed her eyes.
Willow sighed and snuggled into Buffy.
"Did you get any sleep?"
Buffy hmm again, and Willow smiled as her girlfriend drifted off.
"Sleep Buffy."
Buffy sighed and pulled Willow tighter to her.
Willow smiled and closed her eyes, letting sleep claim her yet again.
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