One Last Shot
by Whedonist
Chapter 17
[reviews]
A/N: I start back to work tomorrow after an emergency trip home. I will be unable to update pretty much anything for at least a week or possibly two. Because of the upcoming insanity, I wanted to post what I had done. I hope you guys enjoy.
Disclaimer: You may not know the man...and love well...maybe stretching it for some, but these wonderful, crazy, characters belong to Joss Whedon. I'm just havin' some of that wacky stuff called fun.
Chapter 17
The girls were exiting the diner when both stopped and looked at each other. A tingle had run down the base of their spine and hairs were standing on end. Buffy pointed to a car with its hazard lights on and both girls moved closer to get a better look.
"I wouldn't go over there if I were you ladies." A voice said from behind.
Both spun around to get a look at the voice and to keep an eye on the car.
"Yeah, why not Mr."
"Well, it would be bad. You two showing up at the scene of a crime so soon. I was hoping to wait on having you called in detective."
Buffy stared hard at the man in front of her and thought he seemed like he should be familiar, she couldn't place his face.
"Uh, so you're the one?"
"The one that what?"
"The one that's killed those two girls?"
"There now Ms. Lehane or do you go buy Mrs. Harris now."
Faith paled at the comment. "Screw you buddy."
"Why Faith I wasn't sure. It's common curtsey to ask. I know that you're pregnant. I thought Mr. Harris would have the decency to at least marry you prior to allowing a girl such as yourself to carry his child. Although, your mother was similar to you in many ways. I wonder Faith, will you scream like she did when I finally kill you?"
Buffy moved Faith behind her and reached for her gun. She was usually against shooting people, but thought of making an exception for this guy.
"Tsk tsk Ms. Summers. Killing me won't stop anything. I'm merely a messenger."
"For who, Creepy Men Incorporated?"
"Three down two to go ladies. If you'll excuse me." The man tipped his hat and shimmered out of view.
"Ok what the fuck was that?" Faith said.
"I have no idea. What the hell was he talking about with your mother? I haven't heard anyone talk about your mom in well as long as I've known you."
"Yeah that's cuz no one has."
"Come on let's go back home."
"Uh, B, I think we should check the alley first don't you?"
"Oh yeah."
They entered the alley with Faith behind Buffy and her gun drawn. She didn't see anything at first, but the further back they got Buffy felt that things were still off. She rounded the corner low and saw the girl lying there. Her eyes were open and vacant causing Buffy to cuss.
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"So let me get this straight kid, you guys go out for a late night snack and it happens to be in the same area where this punk drops off the next body?"
"That sums it up Jim."
He hurumped and lumbered over to the tech guys. He rifled through the contents of the girl's pockets and came out with her ID, one for an Alexander LaVelle Harris and Faith Lehane. Marching back over he showed these to Buffy.
"So you're family looks to be seriously involved. Cupcake I'm thinkin' we should pull out of the case and let someone else take over."
"What?"
"It's like here you are in the thick of it and to say the guy is being a little obsessive about you would be an understatement. It don't feel right is all. Think about it. 'Sides when Pat see's this he might pull you off because of protocol."
Buffy turned away and stocked back to Faith. She was trying to give the cop a description so that the forensic artist could do a rendering. They finished up and stood to leave.
"You good B?"
"Yeah let's go home. I'm thinkin' a nap wouldn't be bad right about now."
They got a uniform to drop them off and both went straight to bed.
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The next morning had everyone talking at once in the living room. Everyone was arguing about how to go about finding this guy. Faith and Buffy had recounted the early morning events and both were tired from only getting a few hours sleep. Buffy had a meeting with Pat in 30 minutes and couldn't deal with everyone right now. She got up grabbed her suit jacket and stormed out of the house.
Jesus, Mary an Joseph if we don't wrap this up soon I'm going to shoot someone, maybe Xander., maybe Giles, or Kennedy. I can't take this. I can't take them being this close. Even Willow. I mean as great as she's been it's just with all of them around it's like being in a room full of screeching teenagers. I can't. deal. Sensory overload. Ya know? You get used to the quiet and suddenly all hell breaks lose and there is no quiet anymore you get home from work and there's noise, so much noise. Willow's been giving me looks the kind that say, 'you're not telling me something what is it?' type look and I'm having a hard time dealing. Fuck.
Way too much way too soon. If I could get them into a hotel maybe that would more doable, but having them all under one roof especially when the roof isn't' that big to begin with, I swear I'm going to shoot one of them and it won't be my fault.
Buffy entered the department and was making a beeline for Pat's office when Jimmy waved her over.
"Cupcake, good morning to you."
Buffy glared at him and smiled tightly.
"Woah, what up with you? Who pissed in your wheaties this morning?"
"My family. I swear Jim if I kill one of them I'm claiming temporary insanity."
"Come on kid really is that bad?"
"I have a 1500 square foot apartment which 7 people currently occupy. It's about as cozy as a back logged meat locker at county. Ok, I need space. Why the hell do you think I came to the city? I came to get away from them and I couldn't figure out why until the past week."
"Kid, relax, we got bigger fish to fry right now. They need to stay in town until this wraps up you and I both know that. Hey I've got some room we can house some people at my place if you want. Save some cash on hotel's especially in Manhattan. Shit's too expensive."
She cocked her head at her partner and asked what's been on her mind for a few weeks, "Jimmy not that it's not appreciated, but why are you being so nice to me?"
The older man fidgeted with his tie and shrugged, "Dunno kid seems like the thing to do. I mean you see a person that's really good at their job and then you get to spend time and work with them and shit, you find out stuff like maybe they need you as a friend just as much as you need them. I think maybe that's what it is. You're like a pain in the ass niece. My kids don't talk to me and you're about their age, so I figure maybe it's like you let me be a friend to you 'cuz my kids never did."
"Who would have thought under the hard New York exterior lay a big old softy. Jimmy thank you and for what's it worth you're kids are dumb if they don't want be around you."
"Summers, McAllister, you comin' or you waitin' for an escort. Move it you two."
"He's in rare form today." Buffy commented lamely.
"He proly didn't get any last night. Bastard."
They walked in and immediately sat down.
"So we got another body, vic's name's Lena Penny, age 23, Caucasian, from none other than Sunnydale, California. So you two want to tell me what's going on?"
"Well, there's been a bit of a challenge nailing down anyone. These girls were either transients or had no reason for being in town. Jessica Murillo was a transient, Jennifer Poulsen was went to school in Virginia, she was working on something for school and her roommate said that she came home there was note for Jennifer stating that she wouldn't be home for a few days and not worry, we've yet to get started on Lena. Right now Cap I'm not sure what else can be done. Jimmy and I have talked to everyone that we could about Jen and Jess and nothing seems to be coming up their only connection is Sunnydale."
"That and they seem to be connected to you Buffy," Pat sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I've talked to Pete and Nate and they seem to agree that you guys should take point on these cases which we've allowed up until this point, but Summers with the recent addition of the ID's found on Penny's person, Harris and Lehane, I've seriously gotta question that decision. Lehane was quite the juvenile delinquent, I've pulled her jacket and it even looks like she was a primary suspect in several homicide cases. She was convicted and jailed with the decision later being over ruled and she was exonerated. This makes me uncomfortable, also she's staying with you? Why are the people you know so involved?"
"I wish I knew really I do, but the unsub is obviously focused on me and my family. I want to stay on. I think we have the best chance of finding this guy."
"Jimmy what have you got to add?"
"Well, like my partner said, I think we've got the best shot. I'm not sure what the motive is, but the MO is clear, and personally this shitbag's time is running out. There were a few things found on Poulsen's body that could point to a location of the kill site. Nekko is doing a rush on the autopsy for Penny so we should have more back tomorrow. I say we give it another week and see what we can do by then."
"Alright you two got a week. After that it's task force time with you guys on it, but maybe not taking point. Go back to work."
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"Xander I'm serious, you've got to relax. Not only are you driving me crazy, I think Buff's entertaining the idea of shooting one of us."
"Wills, the Buffster is doing ok. I know it's big having all of us together again, but she'll get back in the swing of it."
"Xand why do you think she moved to New York, why do you think she rarely talks to anyone? She's just oh so busy and has better things to do with her time?"
"Wills you're over reacting."
Frustrated with her friend's density, she ran her finger's through her hair. She was working though backtracking each of the girl's recent moves and trying to find some other type of common denominator besides Sunnydale.
"Willow, Buffy just needs to get back in the swing of the things. She'll be fine. It'll be like old times."
Willow leveled a glare at her friend. "Xander are you that oblivious or just that stupid. I don't mean to be mean, but things haven't been right with everyone for a long time. What was the righting moment of our relationship, when we kicked Buffy out of the house or when she literally ran away and moved here? Things haven't been right for a long time Xand and you guys acting like nothing's changed or that what has changed is no big deal is foolish at best. Everyhting I've done with Buffy over the past two months is crumbling. I don't know why, but I'm going to fix it. You have to figure out what you want from her. She's not the Buffy we met 9 years ago, she's not the Buffy that left Sunnydale. Why can't you see that?"
"That's ridiculous Willow. I mean what you come here and confess the feelings that we've known you've harbored for years and everything is ok between you two. I'm not the one that decided to do the resurrection spell, I'm not the one that nearly killed her again when my lover was shot. It was you. Why would she be mad at me?"
Rage burned through the witch's veins and it took nearly everything she had to not hit the man.
"Xander, Willow, would you two please stop this bickering." Giles asked from the kitchen.
"I will not. Giles how can you sit there and pretend that things are ok? Have you not been paying attention? Are you just as blind as Xander here? I can't put up with this. I'm done." Willow shut off her computer and threw everything into her bags. She stormed out of the apartment and left a startled group of people behind.