One Last Shot
by Whedonist
Chapter 13
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Chapter 13
"Summers nice of you to join us this morning. How was your vacation?" Patrick Johnson, her boss and supervisor of the precinct, said as she came in to the building. He was just getting there himself and was glad to see the young girl back at work.
"Heya Pat. Vacation was very good. Even got to see some of the city that I work in in a non work related way. It was nice. Now I kinda understand what all the fuss is about."
"Damn straight Summers. New York is the best of the best. Just like the guys and gals in our squad room. Hey I hear you and Jimmy already got a case going?"
"Yeah a body dump. You know if Jimmy's here or not?"
"Can't say. Let's go find out."
They walked to the R.H. unit and saw Jimmy hunched over his computer.
"Ah it's good to be back."
"Let me know about the case kid. See you later." With that Pat left Buffy to work.
"Heya Cupcake. Nice to see you back in the mix. It's been driving me insane."
Buffy pulled out her chair on her desk and there sat what she assumed was her coffee order. Taking a sip she smiled. He may come off as a jerk most days, but she really did like her partner. "Thanks for the caffeinated goodness. Did you run our vic through the wires?"
"Yep, look to the printout on your desk. Seems you two had somthings in common."
Buffy quirked an eyebrow at him and opened the folder. Looking down the stats of alley girl, her mouth fell open:
Murillo, Jessica Sara
1433 Topanga Road
Sunnydale, CA 93721
403-555-3860
DOB: 06-17-1987
Reading through the list of stats on the girl it said that she was a student at Sunnydale High school. Considering that the school had been blowed up for three years, Buffy was confused. Why was this girl in New York? Her license said city of residence was in San Jose, not Sunnydale, but CA DMV said Sunnydale. Her spidey sense was a tingling as she read through the rest of the known facts about the vic. Missing since 2003, her parents were still in California if the records were right.
Being a cop Buffy had begun to chalk some things up to coincidence. She found that in the human world where vampires and demons were not the cause of most strife, that some things were just as they appeared to be. Plain dumb luck and coincidence; however the timing of this girl's death struck a chord in Buffy that could not go away. Looking up over the file, she smiled at Jimmy. No doubt he was trying to see if she had reason to be in the city.
"Hey she scheduled for a post anytime soon?"
"Yep, I called Nekko at county and he could fit her in around 2 if you want to have a lookey loo. Why you insist on sitting in for the slice and dice is beyond me. Don't have the constitution for it personally."
"Part of the job. You buy lunch and I get to watch an autopsy. Seems like a fair trade. Hey it says she was from Sunnydale, did you find out why she might be here?"
"That's what I'm lookin' for now. I figured we could spend the day running around checking out homeless shelters. See if she knew anyone and then go from there?"
"Sounds like a man with a plan. Let's go."
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"Dawnie, no nothing like that, but I needed to tell her. Why haven't you?"
"Because Willow the last time I told Buffy anything about my sex life she tried to lock me in the basement."
"With good cause, you were found sucking face with Andrew of all people and you were drunk."
"Ok, ok so it wasn't my brightest moment, but Ken and I have worked things out. Oh, speaking of working things out, how are you and Buffy? Have you had sex yet? Tell me."
"Dawn, Buff and I are...it's complicated, but we're gonna be ok. I'm not saying yes or no to the sex question. It's none of your business young lady."
"But Wills I need to know. She's lusted after you for a long time, now that you are paying attention to her I thought you would be all over each other."
Sighing Willow shook her head. "Dawnie I'm hanging up now. I have a meeting with a professor in 30 minutes and I still need to get to campus. I love you, but I need to go."
"Fine don't tell me anything. I'll ask Buffy."
"Bye Dawn."
"Bye Willow."
Willow placed the phone on the cradle and grabbed her bag. Making sure to lock everything up she left for Columbia.
Taxi's, Buffy warned me about them, but now I had to try it for myself. I'm gonna be late. Sheesh. Might I just add WOW. If this interview with the department head at Columbia goes well then I start school immediately. No waiting around for quarter's or terms to end. I set my own schedule and do everything either at home or one on one with a professor. I can be done in less than two years and then I can start a career. Although what to actually do is a whole other ball game. I mean really. I'm 24 years old I should have some idea. *sigh* eh well, just get the schooling out of the way and then I'll figure something out.
Buffy, Buffy, Buffy...you would think that finally getting to be close to Buffy would quiet the thoughts that usually invade my brain about the slayer, but no that unfortunately is not the case. It seems finally having her be attainable has done nothing but made the thoughts louder. Crimeny. I miss take charge Buffy. I miss the Buffy that got that look in her eye and then there was no questioning her actions. You fell in line or you got out of the way. She nearly got there last night, but was just shy. What's it going to take? Why can't I can get her back?
Rosenberg, let's be honest. She hasn't been that girl since her mom died and you brought her back. You may just have to face that that girl is dead and gone. I refuse to believe that. She's there, but I just can't get her to trust me enough to let me see it. Well here's a thought, what if I don't do anything. Just let her be. Yeah, right that'll work. Hello brainiac, the last time you let her be she started humping Spike and then didn't talk to you for a year. We need to come up with a plan.
"Mrs...we're here."
Willow looked out the window and saw the campus. "Oh thanks." Slipping a ten through the window, she exited the car and made her way to the interview.
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"Hey Nekko, how's life."
The young medical examiner looked up and smiled.
"Buffy, hey it's good to see you. Life as they say is good. Got a cooler full of nothing except your girl and things are quiet."
"Hey for a change. So we scheduled for two right?"
"That's right. Hey you look different, you do something with you hair?"
Buffy self consciously moved her hand to her ponytail. "No, why?"
"You look different."
"I did take a vacation."
"Ah, well know that's...well fuck me blind. Buffy finally got laid."
Blushing the color of her girlfriend's hair, Buffy bowed her head.
"Who's the lucky dog? Man, I can't believe I missed my chance. Damn. Ah well. You look happy Buffy."
Buffy smiled at the man. Her working relationship with him had involved mild flirting and him asking her out every time they saw each other. He had gotten over the initial rejection well and they had become friends. Smiling back she shrugged her shoulders.
"High School best friend."
"Ah, see would never have been able to stand the competition. That's cool. He just come into town for a visit or is this a permanent thing?"
"Permanent hopefully. It was a long time coming."
"What's his name and when can I meet him?"
Gulping Buffy was afraid to answer. She wasn't sure how all of this was going to be handled by her colleagues and to top it off she had always tried to keep her home life or lack of separate from her work life.
"Uh, well, uhm, you can meet Willow anytime. She's starting at Columbia soon."
Looking up at the blonde, Nekko smiled, "Ah, see that explains a lot. Cool. We're gonna have to go for drinks sometime. I know this bar in Soho that makes the best Martini's on the island. Although if I had known you were into chicks, I so would have hooked you up with my friend Beth."
"Not women Nek. Woman. Willow only."
"See you gotta talk to me more. So what you've never ...with a girl?"
"Nope, Willow only. She's it."
"Wow, okay that settles it. Drinks tonight on me. We go celebrate and hopefully you two can help me find a fine young lady to take home tonight to ravage."
Thinking that wouldn't be such a bad idea, Buffy shook her head yes.
"Finnally she agrees to go out with me somewhere, but she needs to bring her girlfriend. Well Ladies and Gentleman, it's just my luck. Stu, what do you think of that." Nekko picked up the sheet covering the body. "Hmm..yeah...that's true. I see your point. Buffy, Stu says you've broken his and my heart. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Ah, sorry...?"
"That's all we get. Man, I tell you. Chicks. Stu, you would go out with me wouldn't you?"
"Nekko, if you keep on talking to the corpse I'm gonna 51/50 you."
"Fine, Fine. Let's go get suited up and then we can start on one Ms. Jessica Murillo."
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"Well that was quite possible the most boring post I've ever done."
"Cause of death was strangulation. Nothing else eh?"
"Well not until the tox screening's come back, but even then it's a crap shoot. You guys gonna spend some time with this girl?"
"I don't know. It depends on how Jimmy's search went while I was here. The girl's body was dumped in an alley and considering she's listed as a transient I don't think we are going to find much of anything."
"Hmm, good luck on this. Hey it's about closing time. Call the girl that stole you from me and see if she wants to go out."
Buffy nodded and made her way out to the parking lot. Dialing Willow's cell, she took in the semi-clean city air.
"Howdy."
"Wills, it's me."
"I know your name popped up on the caller ID."
"Oh, hey one of my friends wants to go get drinks and he wants to meet you. What do you say?"
Willow looked at the forms she was filling out and decided that a break would not be of the bad.
"Sure, do you want me to meet you somewhere?"
"Nah, I'll come pick you up."
"See you in about 45 minutes."
"I'll be ready."
"K see you soon. Willow?"
"Yeah Buff?"
"Uh, I love you."
Willow smiled and she swore her heart soared, "Love you to Buff. I'll be ready. Bye babe."
"Bye."
The blonde shut her phone and almost bounced through the receiving doors or the morgue.