Simple Choices
by rebelrsr
Chapter 3
[reviews]
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and lots of people in expensive suits. I'm not making any money here, just trying to create a happier Buffyverse for my favorite characters.
Spoilers: Big alterations ahead for S5 - everything from from "The I in Team" to the end.
A/N: Thanks to the best beta crew: Zigpal and Zenithar. There would be no writing without you guys.
The walk back to the lab was as quiet as the trip out had been. Buffy stayed beside Riley, and watched the rest of the group. The Marines clustered close around the body of the demon, weapons still at the ready. She needed more information.
"So, Riley, how many demons have you captured since coming to Sunnydale?" The Slayer tried for a casual approach.
"I don't really know...maybe 20," the young Marine replied. "If you add in the ones captured by other teams, probably closer to fifty."
*They've only been here how long? That's a lot of evilness to be studying.* "How'd you get into this anyway? They post a sign on base saying: 'Demon hunters wanted?'" She watched her boyfriend carefully.
Riley laughed at the question, but didn't really answer it. "Do you always talk so much on patrol?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, not if I'm alone. That would just be too weird. But when Will's with me, we catch up on all the latest gossip." She smiled. "Of course, she isn't usually carrying big guns. When the vamps or demons come out to play, I leave her behind one of the mausoleums or perched on a tombstone."
The Marine frowned. "Why bring a civilian on a hunt? It's too dangerous."
The Slayer nodded. "It is. The Scoobies are dedicated, though. Will and Xand aren't what I'd call civilians anymore. Willow's gotten pretty good with the magic; she holds her own in a fight."
"Magic? That's real?" Riley looked amused.
"Duh? Hello? You hunt and capture demons. How can you not know about magic?" This conversation was unbelievable, and she wasn't getting the information she needed. "You never really answered my question from earlier."
"Which one, Buffy? You're full of questions tonight," came the frustrated reply.
The blonde smiled brightly. "Oh, this isn't even a heavy information gathering night. I'm just trying to learn more about your job." She leaned into the Marine and peered up through her lashes. "That's OK, right? I mean, if you don't want to tell me stuff, just say the word and I'll be Supporto Gal."
Riley bent down and brushed his lips over hers. He pulled away and blushed when one of his men smirked at his open display of affection. "No. I'm good with you wanting to get to know me better." He tightened his hold on her hand. "So, which question didn't I answer?"
"The one about what happens to the demons." Buffy hoped she wasn't pushing too hard. He finally seemed non-wiggy about discussing Initiative stuff.
Her boyfriend hesitated, but relaxed when she wiggled her fingers in his grasp. "Well, I don't know all the details. This one'll be in-processed." At the blonde's confused look, he elaborated. "That's just where we put its basic information into the computer: where we found it, how the fight went. That kind of stuff. After that, the demon will be placed in a containment cell and monitored."
"That's it? It doesn't seem like much."
"Professor Walsh and the other scientists learn a lot from the observations." Riley shrugged.
Buffy didn't ask about anything else. They were getting close to the lab, and she could see her boyfriend stiffen. Like someone had flicked a switch, Riley Finn, boyfriend, had become Riley Finn, soldier. Releasing his hand, she dropped back, completing the last leg of the journey at the rear of the group.
Following the two Marines carrying the unconscious demon, the Slayer ended up in the public lab at the base. The open area looked like the set for a B-grade science fiction movie. Yards of aluminum-foil type material hung from cables stretch from wall to wall. The shiny curtains reflected the light from the dozens of floor lights that littered the area. Once the demon had been placed on an examination table in the lab, the men hurried back to the briefing area. The Slayer glanced around. All of the personnel in the lab wore white coats. There wasn't a single military uniform in sight.
Not wanting to draw too much attention, Buffy also left the lab. On her way to join her team, she glimpsed Professor Walsh in a heated discussion with another scientist. The woman apparently in charge of the Initiative's mission gestured emphatically to her companion. Stopping and leaning against another exam table, the Slayer tried to block out the sounds around her and hear the conversation. Despite her enhanced hearing, the young blonde caught only a few words.
"...don't care. Just do it," Professor Walsh snarled.
"But we don't have enough..." The man's words got lost when a golf cart carrying armed Marines raced by. "Maybe we can use the arm of the Polgara Finn's team brought in."
Walsh looked relieved and smiled at the news.
"Buffy?" The blonde spun around. Riley's friend Forrest stepped away from her, hands held palm out in front of him. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. We're getting ready for the debriefing. You coming?"
"Yeah." The Slayer looked toward Professor Walsh. The older blonde was striding rapidly toward the gathered Marines. "I think we'd better hurry. Looks like the Professor's on her way."
***
"You w-w-want to sneak in to the In-Initiative?" Tara stuttered.
Nodding energetically, Willow agreed. "Well, yeah. They won't have everything in the computer." She paused, thinking about that statement. "OK. It's the military. They probably have reports and notes on every detail. But I might not be able to get into all the files. So, we'd need to go there to find out what they're planning."
Smiling at the younger girl, Tara said, "Willow, even if we got inside, do you know where to look?"
"I'm sure there are blueprints," the redhead asserted.
"Probably." The older witch frowned. "Before we try the glamour, though, let's stick with the hacking and the simple spell." She could see Willow wanted to argue. "It's a lot of magic for the glamour, and we don't have any real information yet. If we find something, I'll hunt for a spell to change our appearance."
The other girl looked unhappy at the announcement, but backed down a little. "I guess that's OK. I'll head back to my room and grab the laptop."
Tara blushed and ducked her head. "If you wa-want, I could g-go with you."
"Great! Bring your books and anything you need. I doubt Buffy will be back." The redhead sounded sad. "She'll more than likely stay with Riley."
Climbing off the bed and placing books and supplies into a backpack, Tara commented, "You don't see much of her anymore?"
"Not really," Willow said.
"Have you tried talking to her?" She glanced at her friend. "Maybe she doesn't realize how much time she's spending with Riley."
The novice witch pulled her knees to her chest. "I've been afraid to say anything." She grimaced. "What if she thinks I'm giving her an ultimatum? I don't want to push her farther away."
Stuffing the last of her things into the bag, the blonde held out a hand to Willow. "Are you sure you want to poke around the Initiative? If you're wrong, then Buffy might get really mad."
The younger witch let Tara pull her from the bed. Biting her lip, she said in a small voice, "I know. But I don't think I'm wrong." Green eyes met blue. "I'm scared she's gonna get hurt — or worse."
The blonde looped the backpack over her left shoulder and moved to the door. "Come on, then. Let's go find the information you need to convince Buffy to leave the Initiative."
Grinning in relief, Willow trotted after the other girl. "Thanks, Tara.
The two young women exited the dorm and hurried down the poorly lit path. "How detailed do you want me to be about the demons?" Tara enquired.
"Um, I hadn't really thought it out that far." The redhead pursed her lips. "I'm thinking it might be a good idea to know how many demons the Initiative is holding, what kinds of demons they've got, and what kind of shape they're in."
The other witch whistled soundlessly. "That's a tall order for one spell."
Willow nodded. "It is. I just..." She ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "I don't trust them. Something isn't right, and Buffy can't or won't ask the necessary questions."
Smiling crookedly, Tara tried to comfort her friend. "It may be a little more complex than originally planned, but I think I can do what you want." She mentally ran through the spells in her books. "I'm probably going to have to cast more than just one spell, though. The number of demons is easy. Doing a wellness check as well as cataloguing is complicated."
"I borrowed Giles' copy of the Compendium of Supernatural Creatures. Would that help?" the redhead asked.
"You borrowed it?" The blonde arched an eyebrow.
Blushing, the younger girl mumbled, "I intend to give it back. So, you could say I borrowed it."
Tara laughed. "It will be a big help. If I incant a variation of a locator spell, the faeries can point to specific demons in the book."
"Cool!" Willow grinned.
"Sweetie, this may not work the way you want," the older witch cautioned. "Magic isn't a science. I can structure the words of the incantation, but that's no guarantee we'll be able to focus the energy on gathering information."
Nodding slowly, Willow acknowledged the point. "I get that." She sighed. "Buffy's my best friend, though. I've got to do whatever I can to keep her from making a huge mistake." She glanced at Tara and smiled slightly. "She may be a wonder at demon killing, but picking men? Not so good."
They reached Stevenson Hall and the safety of the dorm room. Flicking on the lights, Willow headed immediately to her desk. "Tara, spread out and use anything you need. I'm going to get to work on the computer systems." She opened her laptop and logged onto the Internet.
***
Three hours later, Willow rubbed tired eyes and stared at the information on her screen. "I'm in," she announced.
"What?" Tara peered at her friend.
"I'm in," the hacker repeated. "Now all I need to do is start raiding the files. How are you coming along?"
Resting her chin on the open book in front of her, the older witch said, "I've got two of the three spells worked out. The wording on the last one is tricky." She shrugged. "If I get the phrasing wrong, the information we uncover might be misleading, or the spell simply won't work."
Turning from the computer, the redhead asked, "What are you trying to do with the incantation?"
The blonde sat up on the bed. "The original spell activates latent empathy in the caster. I'm rewording it to alter the empathy. Instead of sensing feeling/emotions, it should allow me to feel what kind of physical condition the demons are in." Tara chewed on her lip. "That's the part that's causing problems. If I don't put the right phrases into the spell, I could end up reading everyone's emotions or worse."
For the first time, Willow wondered if this was a good idea. "Maybe we should just do the first two; I don't want to put you in that kind of danger."
"We'll compromise," Tara stated. "We do the first two spells. If anything unusual happens, I'll get back to work on the last incantation."
"If you're sure..."the redhead said uncertainly.
Scooting off the bed and grabbing some supplies, the older girl responded. "I'm sure. All we're doing is beefing up a locator spell. What's so dangerous about that?"