What I Am
by sailor80
Sixteen
[reviews]
Riley hesitated near the entrance to the lecture hall. He thought he saw Tara under a tree, and he approached cautiously. When she stiffened at his approach, he knew he was right. He stopped out of arm's reach. "I'm really, really sorry. I didn't know."
"Okay," Tara said. "Can you meet us at the Espresso Pump after class?"
"Five okay? I have another class after this."
"All right. Don't bring any of your friends."
He nodded, and she walked away. Riley watched for half a second before turning toward the building.
Precisely at 5 p.m., Riley walked through the entrance of the Espresso Pump. He nodded toward the women seated around a table, and joined them after waiting in line to get a coffee.
The only empty seat was between Buffy and Faith, and Riley slid his backpack under the chair before sitting. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Same old thing," Buffy answered. "You know, hiding out instead of going on patrol."
"You better keep it up for a while," Riley cautioned. His beeper went off. "Lunch tomorrow?" he suggested while silencing the machine. "Chinese buffet two blocks over?"
Buffy and Faith exchanged a look before Buffy agreed. Riley pulled his pack out before standing. "See you," he said, and left.
The atmosphere at the table lightened after Riley's departure. Buffy glanced at the clock, then asked, "Can we check on Mom?"
The others agreed, Faith with a shrug. They headed to the gallery. The door was open, and they went in, Buffy in front. She led them to an office. Joyce was on the phone, and smiled when she saw the group clustered in the doorway. She waved them in, and they crowded around her desk. When the conversation ended, Joyce pushed out of her chair. "I'm so glad to see you," she told Buffy during a long hug. She hugged, Willow, too, then opened her arms to Faith and Tara.
Joyce leaned against her desk and looked at Buffy. "Two men in dark suits were looking for you. And Mr. Giles wants you to call him. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, we're good, Mom," Buffy answered. "Just wanted to check in. You know, so you wouldn't worry so much," she added pointedly.
Joyce ignored Buffy's tone. "I appreciate it. Have you had dinner?"
"Not yet."
"Then you're coming home with me. No arguments," she said before Buffy could open her mouth.
Buffy turned to the others with a shrug. Faith grinned at her, and Buffy knew Faith would tease her later. Joyce took her purse from a desk drawer. "Just let me lock up," she said, shooing them before her.
They piled into Joyce's Jeep. Faith called, "Shotgun," and jumped into the front passenger seat.
The short ride was quiet. Once they were inside, Joyce told the girls to make themselves at home. Faith immediately flopped on the sofa and took control of the remote control. Buffy made a beeline for the phone. Willow and Tara followed Joyce into the kitchen. While she washed her hands, Joyce asked Willow, "Do you remember where the tablecloths are?"
"Yes."
"Will you and Tara set the dining room table for me, please?"
"Sure," Willow said, and Tara followed her into the dining room. They set the table and returned to the kitchen. Joyce was mixing meatloaf. She thanked the girls for their help. They watched Joyce, who waved off their offers of help. They talked; Joyce prodded them with questions when necessary to keep the conversation flowing.
Buffy stuck her head in the kitchen. "Mom, can Giles come for dinner?"
"Yes." Joyce looked at Willow. "Why don't you call Xander and see if he wants to join us?"
Willow smiled, and thanked her. She went to hurry Buffy off the phone, leaving Tara alone with Joyce.
"So, Tara, how'd you get involved with this?" Joyce asked.
Tara took a deep breath before answering. "Wh-when everyone l-l-lost their voices."
"I remember that," Joyce said. She smiled at Tara. "It's hard to get used to, isn't it?"
Tara nodded.
"I worry about her. Both of them." She paused with a slight smile. "All six of you now, I guess." Joyce sighed. She opened the oven and slid the meatloaf and three dishes of vegetables in the oven.
"Hey, Blondie," Faith called, "C'mere."
"It's okay," Joyce encouraged her, and Tara went to the living room. Faith pointed at the TV, and Tara shuddered. Donnie Maclay was on the screen. "We just want to know she's okay," he said earnestly, and Tara's graduation photo appeared on the screen with a telephone number under it.
Tara sank onto the couch beside Faith, whose arm immediately went around her. "We'll call and tell them you're okay," Faith said.
"They won't stop," Tara said miserably.
"You're an adult, Blondie, they have to."
Tara hung her head. Faith pushed Tara's hair behind her ear so she could see her.
"I won't let them hurt you again," Faith told her. When Tara didn't respond, Faith said gently, "Look at me," and waited until Tara did. "He will never touch you again. I swear it."
Tara swallowed her tears and nodded slowly.
When Buffy and Willow finished on the phone, Faith called the TV station, then called the number the receptionist gave her. It turned out to be the Sunnydale Police Department non-emergency number, and Tara promised to present herself the next day.
They wandered into the kitchen, where Buffy and Willow were talking with Joyce. They were laughing, and Faith and Tara returned to the TV rather than interfere.
While Buffy and Willow re-set the table , first Giles, then Xander and Anya arrived. Dinner was boisterous, and enjoyed by all. After the dishes were done, they gathered around the table again to discuss recent occurrences and strategize. Since they had no concrete plan - only Riley's thinly veiled threat that she and Faith should refrain from patroling - they decided to check in with each other regularly. They played a few rounds of Uno after that. Anya, pleased with winning more than half the hands, pulled Xander away early, and Giles followed soon after.
Joyce offered the girls a ride to Crawford Street, which they gladly accepted. As they neared the mansion, traffic slowed. When they got closer, they smelled smoke. A police officer was directing traffic away from the last block on their journey. Faith became extremely interested in the yard when Joyce rolled down her window to ask the cause of the detour.
"Big house in the middle of hte block," the officer said, and waved them on.
As Joyce drove away, Willow said quietly, "My computer."
"We'll get you another one," Buffy said.
"I'm more concerned about the files we lost."
"Oh," Buffy said, then realized what Willow was saying. "Oh," she repeated.
"You're staying with me tonight," Joyce said firmly, and no one argued.
The phone was ringing when they entered the house. Joyce hurried to answer it, only to call Buffy to the phone.
"Buffy, are you ok?" Angel asked anxiously.
"Yeah. We weren't there."
"Do you need some place to stay?"
"Mom's putting us up tonight."
"Call me if you need anything. I'll get the insurance adjuster there first thing tomorrow. Can I give him this number?"
"Yeah, thanks," Buffy said. "Good night." She hung up the phone without waiting for his answer.
Willow was pacing around the couch. Buffy intercepted her with a hug. "Where's Mom?"
"She took Tara and Faith upstairs to the spare room. Who was on the phone?"
"Angel. The undead grapevine is a apparently alive and well," Buffy sighed.
"What're we gonna do?"
" I don't know, Will." Buffy sighed again. "We need to know what happened to the mansion first. It could have just been the wires or something."
"My computer," Willow began. She stopped. "Guess I'll get another one. But I just got it how I like it."
"Maybe it'll be ok," Buffy said, more to comfort Willow than from any belief the machine would be salvagable.
Joyce came down the stairs. "Up to bed, you two."
"Mom," Buffy whined.
"No arguments, young lady. It's been a long day, and you'll be busy tomorrow. Now go to bed. And no hanky-panky."
Although Joyce's words were directed to Buffy, Willow blushed. Buffy resigned. "Yes, ma'am," she said, but both she and Willow stopped for a hug and a kiss before climbing the stairs.
The morning newspaper brought more bad news. Two front page stories, one about arson on Crawford Street with a dramatic shot of a fireman silhouetted against the flames, and the other about the particularly gory murder and dismemberment of a young boy last seen playing in his backyard, caught Willow's eye. When she finished reading, she silently passed the paper to Buffy, who glanced at the photo and headlines and groaned. She put the paper down. "This is bad," she announced.
Faith picked up the paper. She took a little longer than Buffy had to scan the page before handing it to Tara. She took one look and pushed it away. Faith picked it up again and read the stories through. When she finished, she said, "We are so screwed."
"Uh huh," Buffy agreed.
"Guess we better start figuring out who did it," Faith said.
"Not you," Buffy answered. "The police are still looking for you."
"No, they aren't," Willow interjected, and all eyes turned to her. "They, um, lost your file."
"Just how did they lose it?" Buffy asked.
"Who cares? Way to go, Red!" Faith said and flashed Willow a thumbs up. Willow grinned back briefly. She felt Buffy's gaze, and looked down at the table guiltily.
"Willow?" Buffy prompted.
"They might've had some help," Willow admitted.
"What kind of help?"
"I switched some numbers around and moved everything about you and Faith to an archive."
Tara stared at Willow. Faith continued to grin.
Buffy continued to push. "Would this also be known as the circular file?" she asked.
"Maybe," Willow hedged.
"You got rid of the entire file?" Faith asked excitedly.
"Pretty much," Willow said.
"Damn, Red, you're all right!"
"It doesn't mean that the cops won't recognize you, and I can't do anything to whatever's in their filing cabinets," Willow cautioned.
"Where're we gonna start?" Faith asked.
"At the mansion," Buffy said.
"Me and Blondie will go there and you guys can do the other," Faith suggested.
"Unh unh," Tara and Buffy said at the same time. "We need stick together," Buffy added while Tara reminded, "Safety in numbers."
"Ok, ok," Faith said. "Geez."
"We n-need t-t-t-to g-g-g." Tara stopped. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes for a few seconds.
Faith stepped in. "Tara needs to convince Sunnydale's finest that she's alive and well."
"Why?" Buffy and Willow chorused.
"That piece of shit brother of hers was on the news last night, acting like he gives a damn about her."
"Back up," Buffy said. "I need the whole story."
"That's it," Faith answered impatiently.
"Tell me again. I'm feeling blond," Buffy answered.
Faith laughed. "Truth at last, huh, B?" Buffy waved her hand at Faith to continue. "I was watchin' TV while you were on the phone last night and Tara's picture came up on the screen. Then they showed her no-count brother, and he's all, 'we're so worried.' They put a phone number up there to call, so we did. The cops just want to make sure it's her and she's alive before they tell her family to"
"Go away," Tara said quickly over Faith's expletive.
"Ok, we'll go there first. Then the mansion." Buffy left out their third destination.
"I need to replace my laptop," Willow reminded her.
"When we finish," Buffy promised.