Simple Choices
by rebelrsr
Chapter 4
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Joining Tara by the bed, Willow watched curiously as the older girl placed the Compendium, an athame, and a decanter of salt on the floor.
"Do you want to be inside or outside the Circle?" the blonde asked.
Willow hesitated. "Umm, inside, I guess." She smiled. "I've never done anything so big before. I won't distract you or cause the spell to go wrong, will I? Cause my spells still don't work right."
Tara smiled crookedly. "I think I can deal with your sexy self being in the Circle, Willow." She blushed. "Sorry, that came out wrong."
Brushing off the apology, the redhead focused on getting started. "Do you want me to get anything else or is this it?" She gestured at the three items on the floor.
"M-maybe something to write on an-and a pe-pencil," Tara mumbled. She gazed at her companion as she snagged the requested items from her desk before sitting cross legged on the bed. She sighed. "I'll draw the Circle. Just sit tight, OK?"
The blonde opened the decanter and slowly poured the granules on the floor in a small circle surrounding the bed. As she moved backward, Tara chanted. The white salt burned blue once it touched the floor. Closing the Circle, the blonde crawled to the center of the bed and raised her hands to the ceiling. "Goddess Diana, grant that this Circle remain hallowed ground. Aid us in our search for answers. Ward this space against those who would do us harm." The blue energy rose slowly until it reached the ceiling. Tara lowered her hands and stretched.
"What's next?" Willow wasn't tired any longer.
"We need to call the faeries and send them on their way," Tara explained. She opened the Compendium and set it in front of the redhead. "I need you to write down which demons the spirits identify and how many of them the Initiative is holding."
"OK." The younger girl grinned in excitement.
Tara paused, regaining her focus and drawing in power. Ready at last, she carefully incanted the spell, magical energy rippling in the air with each word. Merrily twinkling green lights surrounded the blonde witch. Frowning in concentration, Tara spoke, "Go. Find the information I've requested."
The lights dimmed in understanding and then disappeared. The taller girl climbed onto the bed and rested. "Did it work?" Willow couldn't refrain from asking.
"You saw the faeries. It's just a matter of waiting for them to start returning." Tara closed her eyes. If they did the empathy spell, she'd need to recover a bit. The blonde witch felt the bed shift and a warm body lay next to her. She caught her breath and fought to hide her reaction. She needed to find something to say or do. "So, were you ever going to tell me about Buffy being the Slayer? I mean, before you needed my help?"
"Tara?" Willow asked in confusion. Her friend sounded upset. "Sure. I would have told you, but normally, I don't just blurt it out. You haven't even met any of the gang yet." The redhead licked her lips nervously. "Did you not want to help? Buffy's always saying I need to slow down and stop pushing people."
In spite of her efforts to stay detached, Tara smiled at the babbling. "I'm fine, Willow, and I want to help. I was curious about how you bring people into the inner circle, so to speak."
"Oh. Oh, good," the younger girl chirped.
*How can she have all that energy this late?* Maybe it was time to divulge a few of her own secrets. The blonde tensed, but pressed on. "Hey, W-Willow? Umm, there's something I need to —" She broke off. Agitated green lights blipped into the room. They swirled around the girls in a chaotic pattern, winking in and out.
"Is this supposed to happen?" Willow asked.
Trying to understand the information the faeries offered, the blonde didn't immediately answer. "Get the book. Something has them terrified." Tara shooed the balls of energy toward the Compendium.
Clustering together, they hummed and hovered over the tome. Hesitantly, the younger girl flipped through the pages, watching their informants carefully. Nothing happened. Feeing foolish, but needing answers, Willow continued through the large magical text. Without warning, the lights dropped down, blanketing a particular page. "OK. We have a Polgara demon in the Initiative," the young witch reported. More pages turned. The lights repeated their actions. "Mohra demon, check."
"Will, look!"
The redhead jerked at her companion's tone. A second cluster of lights entered the room. Cradled between several of their number lay a dark shape. "Oh, Goddess, it's dead." Willow felt sick. This wasn't supposed to be dangerous for the playful creatures.
Tara would have commented, but the gathered faeries flew at her in a bright wave. She fought her first reaction to swat at the lights as if they were mosquitoes. They pushed close to her, brushing her face and hair. Where they touched, the witch's skin heated and the blonde sensed their emotions. Fear skittered through her mind. The little winking balls of energy were terrified. More of the faeries joined those already touching Tara. An image formed in her mind. A tall man loomed. No, it wasn't a man. The figure looked freakish, skin pieced together with hooks or staples. It saw the lights searching the room and extended its right hand. Electricity leaped from its fingers and exploded when it reached the cluster of faeries.
***
Buffy and Forrest hurried to the briefing area, arriving seconds before Professor Walsh. "OK, people. How did it go?" the intense blonde scientist asked.
"Ma'am, the Hostile took us unaware," Riley responded crisply. He stood at rigid attention just left of the rows of chairs.
It was apparently unwelcome news. "How did that happen?" Impatience dripped from every word.
No one answered. Buffy watched in amusement as a flush crawled up the woman's neck and face. "I asked a question, Marines." She turned on Riley. "Agent Finn, this was your operation. Why didn't you know the location of the HST?"
The Slayer didn't wait for her boyfriend to offer a response. Bouncing to her feet, she confronted the scientist. "The Marines didn't know because their equipment can't track demons."
"I beg your pardon?" Walsh glared at the shorter blonde.
"You heard me. You've got the guys out looking for demons and vampires with radios and ray guns. Great." Buffy paced forward. "Humans don't stand a chance of tracking something with supernatural hearing or speed."
"Buffy-" Riley tried to interrupt.
"No, Agent Finn. I want to hear what she has to say." Maggie Walsh drew herself up and crossed her arms over her chest.
Not bothering to consider her words, Buffy continued, "I want to know what you think you're doing here, Professor. In the time you've been in Sunnydale, you've captured and studied nearly fifty demons. Where are they now?" She was on a roll. "Do you let them go? Or is something else going on here?"
"I don't know what you mean," the professor spluttered.
Frustrated, Buffy threw caution to the winds. "What's the 314 Project, Professor?"
She finally got a reaction. The older woman's eyes widened and she paled. However, a klaxon sounded in the base and the moment was shattered. Marines in battle gear raced across the facility, heading for a cordoned off portion of the lab. The phone in the front of the briefing area rang and Walsh hurriedly picked it up.
"Yes?" The Slayer watched as she frowned. "How did that...Never mind. I'll deploy Alpha Team. I've got a contingency plan for our other problem." She slammed the handset down.
"Agent Finn, we have a security breach. Take your team and report to Sector 3. Check with Base HQ on arrival for further instructions," an angry professor snapped.
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: I borrow heavily from "The I in Team" for this chapter. Big alterations ahead for the remainder of S5.
A/N: Thanks to the best beta crew: Zigpal and Zenithar. There would be no writing without you guys.
A/N2: Thoughts enclosed by **.
"Yes, ma'am." Riley saluted and motioned for his team to leave the area.
Buffy started after them, but the scientist stepped in front of her. "I need you on a different assignment. It's a small job — reconnaissance. It's probably a waste of your abilities, but my boys are already on their way out."
"No problem." The Slayer was surprised at the sudden shift in mood. Walsh was smiling and relaxed. "What do you need me to do?"
The scientist led the smaller blonde to a table laden with maps. "We have reports of a Class 3 Subterrestrial moving through the sewers on the north edge of town." She traced a finger over a section of the map.
"Class 3?" Buffy inquired.
"It's a low level threat," her new boss explained. "Minimal aggression; meager defenses." She paused, taking a tazer rifle from a young Marine. "They barely even show up on the scans, and occasionally turn out to be raccoons." The older blonde held the rifle out to Buffy.
Raising her eyebrows but accepting the weapon, the Slayer quipped, "You guys really don't like raccoons, do you?"
As usual, her humor fell flat. Professor Walsh ignored the small joke and picked up a headset. "I just need you to wear this. It's a visual transmitter. I'll be able to see what you see and relay orders from here." She pressed the equipment into the young girl's hand. "I don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger."
Awkwardly swinging the gun in the scientist's direction, Buffy juggled all of her new equipment. "Hey, don't worry about it. Danger's my birthright." She hesitated. "Professor Walsh," she met the woman's intense gaze, "no one's answered my questions about the Initiative and the 314 Project. Let's talk when I get back." Clutching her rifle and the headset, Buffy trotted passed the astonished scientist, heading for the sewers.