One Last Shot
by Whedonist
Chapter 14
[reviews]
Disclaimer: Buffy and Willow belong to Joss Whedon.
Chapter 14
It had been two weeks since they had found the girl in the alley. Buffy and Jimmy had moved on to a string of break in's on the Upper West Side. Willow had quit trying to figure out what she wanted to do and had talked the department chair of the Columbia med program about getting an M.D. Since she had met Nekko, the witch had decided that an M.E's job was something that she could get behind. She understood that it was going to be a grueling task, but in her mind if she could handle the Hellmouth in Sunnydale, med school would be a cake walk. The two were currently cuddled up on the couch having a talk.
"Will, I don't have a reason. It's senseless and it's what it is. Deal."
"Buffy, how can you say that? It totally makes a difference. Isn't that why we agreed on this in the first place? I can't do this if you're gonna be all wishy washy. I need to know that you're gonna be as gung ho about it as I am."
"I can't. I won't."
"Then I guess that's it then. Let me gather and I'll go."
Willow made to get up shaking her head. She was disappointed that Buffy could do this. They had talked and talked and talked. Sometimes that's all Willow felt they did was sit and talk. She was tired of talking; she wanted action.
"Will, wait." Buffy pleaded grabbing her hand. "Don't please. Stay."
Turning around, Willow saw that look in her slayer's eyes and let the corners of her mouth turn up.
"Slayer, let go. I'm going and if you don't want to that's fine, but damnitt Buff, you promised. Sushi and sake at Ooka's. I want a salmon roll."
"Fine. I'll go, but don't expect me to like it."
Clapping her hands, Willow pulled Buffy up and kissed her soundly.
"You'll love it. It's a guarantee, a Willow guarantee and those are a better guarantee than the semi-annual apocalypse in Sunnydale."
"Come on."
They locked up and hailed a cab. The walk was a good twenty city blocks and neither felt up for the hike. They entered the restaurant and grabbed a seat at the bar. Willow ordered for Buffy and herself. She had been working on the blonde for nearly three weeks to try sushi and she was excited that Buffy finally gave in.
"Buff, you're phone."
"Oh," grabbing it Buffy looked at the ID, local exchange, "This is Buffy."
"Detective Summers?" A male voiced asked.
"Yes, this is."
"This Detective Ramirez from Precinct 283. I need you to meet me at York and 92nd. When can you get here?"
"Is it urgent? I just ordered dinner. Can I meet you in an hour?"
"I'm at a scene. I've already called McAllister and he's gonna be here in 10."
"Alright I'm on my way."
"Thank you." Ramirez said and then disconnected.
"What's up Buff?"
"Jimmy and I need were called in. What do you want to do?"
"Can I come with?"
"Sure, but if it's a scene you have to stand around with the rest of the onlooker's."
"Nifty. Let's go." They canceled the order and left.
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As the girls pulled up in the cab, Buffy noticed the corner's van and sighed. They got out and walked over to Jimmy and a younger looking guy.
"Hey Blondie, heya there Willow, nice to see you again." Jimmy smiled at the two thinking they made a cute couple.
"Hey, what's the up Jim? I was gonna eat dinner."
"Buffy, this is Detective Pete Ramirez. Detective this is my partner Buffy Summers and her friend Willow Rosenberg."
"Thanks for coming down Detective. Ms. Rosenberg." The man cocked his head to the side and withdrew the paper in his pocket. "Willow Rosenberg from Sunnydale, California?"
Willow and Buffy both stepped back a bit. The witch shot a look at Buffy and then shook her head.
"How...yeah that's me. How'd you know?"
"Well this just get's more interesting. Let me start at the begging. My partner, Nate Miller, and I were called to this scene a half hour ago. There was a young girl found in the alley off to your right. The apparent cause of death was strangulation. Upon further examination and search of the girl's body we found three things. The first was her ID, the second was a copy of your California ID and a copy of Ms. Rosenberg's. I ran the three immediately and found out you were working here in New York. I called Jimmy here and you shortly after. That's all I got right now."
Buffy looked at Willow and then at Jimmy. "The vic's name?"
"Jennifer Poulsen. Age 24, Caucasian. Did you know her?"
"Name doesn't sound familiar. Willow?"
"Nope. What kind of copy?"
"Xerox. Neither of you can tell me why?"
"Nope."
Both Buffy and Willow remained tight lipped and cautious. Jimmy noticed, but decided to talk to the two privately. Whatever this was he wanted full disclosure from both of the girls.
~Buff, this has a hellmouth stench. What's going on?~
~I dunno, but this is the second vic from home in the past two weeks.~
~When was the first?~
~The call I went in on the night before I went back to work. I thought it was a fluke. The girl was a runaway. Didn't think to mention it.~
~Hmm...alright you wanna do you're thing and then we need to talk. I need to get home and start some research.~
"Pete, can I go look at the girl?"
"Sure, you want to bring Ms. Rosenberg?"
Buffy shot a look at Willow and shrugged. "Wills?"
"Yeah, I want to see her."
"K, let's go."
They walked in viewed the body and walked back out. Answering a few more questions from both Nate and Pete, Buffy told the three men that they would meet in the morning. Both girls quickly left and went back home.
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"Ok, what's going on? Who was the first?"
"Jessica Murillo. She would have gone to school with Dawn. Found in an alley just like the girl tonight. Like I said, I went and chalked it up to a fluke, but this is just officially weird. Any ideas?"
"Besides that someone is killing girls that are from our hometown and wanting us to get involved. Nope. I got nothin'. Can you get me their info? I need to start searching."
"I'll call and give you the stats."
"Should we get the gang involved?"
"Not yet. I need more to work with. No sense in having people fly halfway around the world for this."
"K. I'm still hungry, what do you want to eat?"
"Pizza?"
"Hmm...fantastic idea missy. I'll call. Pepperoni and pineapple?"
"Is there any other toppings?"
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The next day Willow started gathering as much information on both girls as she could find. Cracking DMV, IRS, and police databases, she had compiled almost nothing on either girl. Both were extraordinarily average by any standard. The runaway didn't have a lot of info, but the new girl had enough info to go on. She had graduated with Buffy and Willow and went to Virginia Tech. She was working in the city as a waitress.
It had been 8 straight hours of computer work and Willow was tired. Stretching she stood up and went to the kitchen
Willow picked up the phone and called Nekko.
"Hi Willow. Nice to hear from you."
"Hi Nekko, how're you?"
"Good I got two posts done this morning so I get to be a desk jockey and dictate my reports. It's so much fun I'm gonna puke."
"Ewe, go to the bathroom if you must. Hey I was wondering if you I could ask a favor of you?"
"Does it involve getting naked with either you or Buffy?"
"Nope."
"Damn, well then I'll have to say it depends."
"I need a copy of the autopsy you did on Jessica Murillo."
"SSS, I don't know."
"It's just that there was another girl found and she had Buffy's and mine ID on her. I'm being research gal and need more info." She smiled hoping he was going to take mercy on her.
"Sure. Can I email it to you?"
"Yeah."
"Alright give me a half hour and you'll have it in your inbox."
"Thank you. Oh, hey how did the date with the purple haired girl go?"
"Bombed. She took me to some weird ass goth club. Not my style."
"We'll find you someone. Promise."
"I'm holding you to that Willow and if you don't make good, you and Buffy are mine for a week."
"Oh boy."
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Buffy's day went from bad to worse. She got in and called Willow with the information and then went into a meeting with Pete, Nate, and Jimmy. So far nobody was getting anywhere. Where Pete was at least tolerable, Nate was down right uncooperative.
"Look, I don't see why we can't work on this together. The unsub obviously wants me involved. We've got the Murillo case. She was first. Right now I don't care who takes point on it, but we need to find out what's going on."
Buffy was this close to throwing Nate through a wall. On top of not being sharey, he had been giving Buffy dirty looks and it was starting to piss her off. They had been in conference room A for an hour going back and forth. Jimmy and her had given the other two all the info on the first victim, but Nate was unwilling to share. The slayer looked at her partner and shrugged.
"Listen you guys, we can even work out of your building, but someone is knocking young girls off and obviously wantin' to get my partner involved, which means that I'm involved so cut the crap and let's get some work done." Jimmy was just as fed up with these two guys. He didn't mind interdepartmental cooperation. It was a perk of the job, getting to work with other people with other views, but these two seemed to not share the same opinion.
"You think that getting more involved in this is smart Summers?"
"Yes Nate I do. I'm practically being begged to at this point. Look at it. The first girl she was my case; the killer probably made it a point to dump the body where I would get called in. The second was left with my ID. The bad guy wants me involved so I'm staying involved."
"You born that stupid or did your brains go away when you started eatin' pussy. Fuck this Pete. I'm not doin' it." Nate shot out and stood to leave.
Buffy's jaw dropped. Before she could register a reaction, Jimmy's chair was against the wall and he had Nate pinned up to the back wall. Buffy stood and watched.
"Listen you ignorant shitbag. I ever, and I mean ever hear words like that come outta your mouth again, I'll have you pullin' foot patrol out in Battery after I beat the living shit out of you." Jimmy spat out. "Now tell the lady you're sorry."
Jimmy tightened his grip on the other detective's neck. Pete and Buffy watched on as Nate's face turned from red to purple. Pete tried to step in, but was shoved by Jimmy to the floor.
"Jim for christsakes man, he's turning blue let him go." Pete pleaded
"Apologize fuck face."
"F.f.f Fuck you." Nate got out.
Jimmy pulled back and punched the man square in the face, breaking his nose. Blood spurted out and Jimmy let the man fall. Jimmy then kicked him square in the gut and spat on the curled up man. "Get the fuck out of my precinct. We're takin' the case." With that he turned around and left.
Buffy stood there and watched the entire exchange. She was to in shock to do anything. Sure there were a few people who she didn't get along with, hell she had been friends with Cordelia, but the personal attack from the man had left her a little dazed. She watched it all play out and then watched as Pete went over to his partner and offered him some tissue for his nose. Not knowing what to do she followed Jimmy out of the room.
She knew where he would be and went out the side door of the building. Jimmy was standing against the wall taking a long pull on a cigarette. She leaned against the wall and put her head on his arm.
"So that was...interesting. You ok?"
Jimmy growled and looked just as pissed outside as he did in.
"Jim, it's ok. Really, no big. Not expected, but he's an ass of epic proportions just let it go."
"Fuck that kid and fuck him. I can't believe it. I've been doin this for nearly 3 decades and ya know what? I ain't ever done anything like that. I mean he just...crossed a line. You don't cross lines like that with other cops, it ain't right. 'Sides who gives a flying monkey fuck who you sleep with. It's pure shit and to say sompin' like that just...I shoulda hit him some more. It just ain't right."
"It may not be right, but what you breaking his face was smart?"
"Naw, but it had to be done. Right, wrong, just words cupcake. The horse's ass is lucky I didn't break anything else."
The side door crashed open and Pat stood there red and fuming. "McAllister, Summers let's go."
Buffy and Jim looked at each other and decided on a story without even speaking a word. They followed the captain in. They plopped in the seats in front of Pat's desk and waited.
"Can you tell me what just happened?"
"Well Captain, it was the damndest thing, Nate went all apeshit on us in there and lunged for me as I was talkin' I didn't know what else to do, but protect myself. I brought my elbow up to defend the attack and he ran right into my elbow. Freaky shit sir."
"Jimmy don't. I just viewed the tape. What the fuck is wrong with you. I've known you going on 15 years and you've never pulled shit like that before. Summers what do you have to say for yourself?"
"What?"
"You know damn well what. You should have stopped him and you just stood there. I may not like what he said, but it gave McAllister no right to break his nose. Hopefully I can get you out of most of the trouble."
Knowing what was coming Jimmy unclipped his badge and slip it over the table.
"Yeah we know. Suspended until further investigation. Shit."
"I got no choice Jimmy. It'll be three days tops. I just need to grease some wheels and see how bad you messed up the pricks face. Summers I need your's as well."
"Uh?"
"Cupcake just give him the badge. We'll be back at work by the end of the week. It's a whaddya call it...formality."
Buffy removed her badge and slid it on to the desk.