One Last Shot
by Whedonist
Chapter 23
[reviews]
Chapter 23
The sun shone through the window and hit Buffy square in the eyes. Not wanting to get up just yet she used the covers as a blindfold and pushed back into the redhead behind her. Willow was spooning her from behind with her head resting on Willow's arm. She kissed the flesh visible before her and let her mind wonder.
Three dead girls all from Sunnydale. I've got no witness's, one brief encounter with the person that's doing this and then didily squat. Hell I've got less than didily squat, I've got bupkiss. Jimmy's thinking witch. I don't know why. I mean there's nothing to point to anything magickie. *grrrrr* We need something soon. Why is it that I'm usually scouring every source imaginable for info? I know I can't be the only slayer to fight some of the beasties that I have. Couldn't they have, I dunno, wrote some of this crap down. I mean I'm not even sure if it's a beastie, but it's not human whatever it is.
Buffy felt Willow tighten her grip on her midsection and thoughts of dead girls and the what that killed them left her brain.
Hmmm Willow. Cocoon of Willow. I could stay like this for like eternity. It's been what nearly four years since I've been back and even though my memory is at best spotty I still can't seem to shake the feeling that heaven was never really this good. I mean sure it was nice, but not this nice, not Willow nice. Ok so I need to stop. I'm going to make myself sick. Of course I could always go for depressing thoughts of this is probably never going to work, but I dunno, I can't seem to help myself. I think maybe it will. I think I won't have a choice. The first night Willow came to town as she was talking to me she had that resolve in her voice and on her face. Like I didn't get a say in the matter. I hope she keeps that resolve. She's always been the strongest. Even at her weakest she's been stronger than I could ever hope to be.
She felt a hand stroke up the length of her stomach and knew the witch was awake. Turning to face the other girl, she placed a light kiss on the corner of Willow's mouth.
The redhead popped an eye open and smiled.
"Morning" Buffy smiled.
"Hmm it is morning. How did you sleep?"
"Good, best even."
Willow wrapped her arms around the blonde and snuggled closer to her. Using Buffy as a pillow, Willow tried to go back to sleep. They laid there for a few minutes but were interrupted when Jimmy knocked on the door.
"Cupcake, Red. Up and addum. Nekko called said he might have got something to look at from vic 3. Also, Willow an advisor called for you and they want to meet today. I ain't playin' secretary anymore. Let's move."
Both girls groaned and rolled away from each other stretching.
"Grumble grumble. I wanted to sleep more." Willow rubbed at her eyes and then went to the dresser to grab some clothes. Dressing for the day she turned around and found Buffy starring at her. "Buff, earth to the slayer. You here?"
"Uh, oh yeah, just got uh, side tracked is all. Hey did you ever come up with anything at the library?"
"No, but I did find an older prophecy about the enjoining spell for Adam."
"Oh yeah, what'd it say?"
"The usual. We were supposed to die."
"Hmm alright. A prophecy stating that I'm supposed to be dead. Hey do you think I broke some type of mystic record?"
"On what?"
"On thwarting prophecy. I mean hey I should be in the Guinness Book of World Records or something."
"Honey, the only record book they'd put you in is the crazy one."
Buffy mock pouted and then finished getting dressed. They stepped out of the room together and were surprised to see Susan in the kitchen with her father.
"Morning you two." Jimmy said hooking a thumb towards the coffee pot.
"Hmm caffeine." Willow made a bee line for the mugs and fixed both her and Buffy a cup.
"So what did Nekko find?"
"Some deposits on the girls clothes. I think it was oil or tar or something. It might give us a location for the kill site."
"Nifty, now all I have to do is have the redhead break out her crystal ball and divine the many possible places it could be." Buffy said sarcastically.
"I don't do crystal balls babe." Willow smiled over her coffee mug, "Besides there might be an easier way. When are you guys going to see the what?"
"Now, if I can get cupcake to wake up enough. What the hell did you do to her last night Red?"
"The usual." Willow smiled and winked at Buffy as she saw her lover's face go red.
"Okay enough," Susan called from opposite her dad. "Dad, junior took the car to the club, can you give me a ride to the school I have a half hour before I need to be there."
"Sure thing kiddo. Alright troops let's haul ass."
They finished up the rest of their coffee and left. After dropping Susan off at school, the trio headed over to the morgue to talk to Nekko. They were ushered into his office and a few minutes later, he came bustling in with a stack of folder's.
"Well if it ain't my two favorite D's and a wonderful redhead. My day just got better. I take it you got my message?"
"Affirmative. So what'd you find?"
"Well, there was some dirt on the vic's clothes and we just chalked it up to her being dumped in an alley? That was stupid. I was getting ready to hose the body off when I saw the same coloring on her back. I nearly missed it, but because of my persistently annoying tech, I stopped. We took some samples and narrowed the trace elements down. It's motor grease and sand. Typical of what you would find in shipping districts. I know it's not a lot, but it might be enough to help narrow your search. Word on the wire is you two have your hands full on this one."
"Ain't that the truth. So cupcake, what do you think?"
"I think we have a starting point. It's better than sitting around and doing absolutely nothing."
"Here, here, so Nekko what else can you tell us?" Jimmy asked and let Nekko take over the conversation for a few minutes outlining the trace evidence found.
~Buff I need to get to the body, preferably with no one around.~
~Why?~
~I've got an idea.~
Buffy looked over at Willow and saw her rustling through her purse. Willow looked up and met the blonde's questioning gaze.
~Ok, I remembered everything.~
~Wills?~
~Scrying. I'm gonna try some scrying. She's dead though so I'm not sure how this is going to work out. If I can augment a spell or two then it might be ok.~
~Ok.~
~Uh, but how am I gonna get alone time with the body?~
~I'll take care of that. Just watch for my signal.~
"Hey Nekko, can we go take a look at the body?"
"Sure she's still on ice. Follow me."
They rose and followed the doctor out of the door. Pulling Jimmy back, Buffy whispered, "Will needs some one on one time with the vic's body. Follow my lead and leave Willow to her thing."
"What?"
"Just pay attention and agree with me."
"Cupcake..." Jimmy warned.
"Shhhh." Buffy moved ahead and left Jimmy confused.
They entered through the cutting floor and moved to the lockers. Nekko disappeared for a moment and then poked his head out of the locker room motioning the three in. The place was freezing and there were a few non-empty gurney's lying next to the drawers. Nekko had wheeled out the body so that they could look at it with out having to step completely into the room. Willow angled herself to the side of the body, just inside of the door. Buffy and Jimmy were at the entryway as Nekko moved opposite Willow and removed the sheet.
~Buff anytime you want to create a distraction would be good.~
~I know I'm thinking. I never would have made it as Mata Hari~
Willow had to stifle a laugh. ~Yeah, but I bet you'd look much sexier in the outfits.~
~I better. Diversion. We're back on the lack of a diversion. I think I should have thought this out some more...Got it okay follow my lead.~
Buffy stepped back and tripped over a chair leg that was sticking out from a desk. Windmilling her arms, she stumbled further back and appeared to hit her head off the edge of a table. Going down, Jimmy and Nekko were by her side immediately. Seeing the opportunity, Willow grabbed the door and slammed it shut. Jimmy's head snapped back and noticed the latch closing before he could stop it.
"Buffy!" Nekko said. "Buff, are you ok?"
Buffy pretended to come to and winced. "Ow, ow, my head. What happened?"
Jimmy saw that she was ok and then turned back to the closed door. Willow was currently inside the locker room with about 8 stiffs.
"Willow?" Jimmy called out tugging at the door. He tugged a second time and found that the lock wouldn't budge. "Red, you ok? Can you open the door?"
Buffy came up behind him and tugged on the door. Her Wills had done good. "She'll be okay."
Nekko came up behind the two and looked around. "Where's Willow?"
Jimmy motioned to the door and said, "Apparently locked in."
"What? That door doesn't lock. Watch out." Nekko moved passed the detectives and grabbed the door handle. It wouldn't budge. Tugging again this time putting more force into it, his hands slipped and he stumbled back. "Okay that's not right. Willow can you hear me?"
No reply.
"Willow? Shit. Alright I'll be back." Nekko took off down the hall at a dead run.
Jimmy turned to his partner, "Tell me this isn't your master plan?"
Buffy grinned and nodded.
"Cupcake, seriously. Is she ok?"
"Yeah she should be done soon."
"Jesus Christ All Mighty in a little red nightie. I can't believe you two! Willow if you can hear me, you are in a world of trouble!" The man moped his face with his left hand and waited for something to happen. "Fuck it." He took out his pack of cigarettes and lit up.
It was about four minutes before they heard the pounding of shoes coming from down the hall. Nekko rounded the corner with a crowbar in hand. He was breathless and clearly panicking. He wedged the bar between the handle and the door and pulled with all his might. The handle wouldn't budge. He grunted with extra effort and slipped falling back on his ass.
"Nekko, it's cool. Relax. I'm sure she's fine." Buffy offered her hand to the doctor and helped him up.
He just looked at her and raised his hands in exasperation. Not wanting to give the guy a heart attack, Buffy walked over to the door and gave it a light tug. The latch released with ease and Willow came out of the room smiling.
"You okay Wills?" Buffy said taking her hand.
She nodded and said, "Yeah I heard you, but I guess you guys couldn't hear me. What happened?"
Jimmy had the good sense to just walk away while Nekko fussed over the redhead.
"Are you sure you're okay? I mean I've had cops freak out just by being in there for a moment before the door reopened. I don't know what happened."
Willow shrugged, "Must have been stuck. No big though. Hey Buff I need to get to campus. Can we go?"
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Nekko, can I get those reports?"
"Sure." He walked over to one of the computers on the desk and had the reports on the printer in under a minute. He handed them over to the blonde and shook his head again, "I'm gonna have to have that door looked at. I can't have people getting stuck in there."
Buffy and Willow turned from him and suppressed the laughter welling up inside. They exited through the receiving doors and found Jimmy pacing the lot, smoking and muttering to himself.
Willow and Buffy moved ahead of him and let the laughter they had been stifling, out.
Jimmy huffed and followed behind them, "Ya know that ain't funny you two. I swear to God. You two are worse than teenagers."
"Jim, we got to drop Wills off at school."
"Ah no you don't. I'll call my advisor from the car. We need to go to the lower east side. I've got a location from the body. We need to go there and you aren't going without me."
"You heard the redhead Summers, let's go." Jimmy smiled and relaxed a bit. They finally had something other than suspicions and copied ID's.
They entered the traffic flow of the city and moved south to the shipping districts. It took forty five minutes to get there and then another 15 to walk to the building that Willow had circled. So far the area was just a bunch of abandoned warehouses. The only people they had seen were homeless and just looking to be left alone.
"Buff, your spidey thing a muhwhatzit all a flutter?"
"Nope. I'm dead in the water."
"You Wills?"
"Yeah, but nothing to major right now. The buildings just up ahead."
The building in questions was one of the largest. Windows were broken out along the top of the building. From the looks of it, the front left side of the roof was collapsing.
"Red you sure this is the place?"
"I am."
"Rodger that. Okay, let's move."
They cautiously moved in to the building. Jimmy cussed as he tripped over a piece of rotting wood. Little light filtered through the building and it took only a moment for both Willow and Buffy to adjust to the conditions of the building. They let out a laugh as they saw Jimmy move further ahead and then stumble over a cylindrical object and then completely lose his footing in a pile of something and fall. He went backwards much the same way Buffy faked at the morgue. He landed with a hard thump.
Buffy ran up to him and knelt beside her partner, "You ok?"
His face was visibly red and he struggled to suck in air. Finally getting his breath back, he wheezed out, "Yeah, just fuckin' peachy."
Buffy helped him up and he looked back to where he slipped. Willow was hunched over the diminished pile aand harrumphed.
"Vamp dust." She said brushing her hands off.
"What?" Buffy said kneeling down beside her girlfriend. She touched the small pile of ash and cussed. "Unbelievable. Wills, we need more light. Can you assist?"
"Yeppers." Willow muttered a few words in some language Buffy didn't know and then saw her toss a light ball up in the air.
The place was bathed in light and Buffy sucked in a breath. She looked over at Jimmy just as he was finished crossing himself and muttering some type of prayer. The cause for all the excitement was a design on the floor of the building. It looked like a spiral and with the center having two poles bookending the mark. On the outer edges was the requisite pentagram and piles of ash at the five points. Buffy cocked her head to the side and stared at the pattern on the floor. It looked familiar to her, but she couldn't place the design.
"Ladies and Gentleman I think we have a winner. Give a round of applause to our resident witchy woman for helping us." Buffy smiled at her lover and moved closer to the inside of the circle.
"Buff, not to be a scardy cat, but there's some serious black stuff coming off this area."
"Cupcake, maybe we should call in a processing unit."
"Not yet, something's very familiar with this. Give me a minute."
Willow felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and turned to the source of the feeling. Behind her lay a stair case that looked like it led to some offices. On the landing above them, a guy stood and looked down.
~Buff, turn around and look at the top of the stair case.~
Buffy's head whipped around and saw the same man from the diner standing where Willow had pointed.
"Why Ms. Summers and look how nice, Ms. Rosenberg." He turned to Jimmy and studied him for a moment, "I'm sorry I don't know who you are."
Jimmy looked up at the figure and had his hand on the butt of his gun. "Yeah well the same could be said for you buddy." Jimmy un-holstered his gun and leveled it at the figure. "So since you and I ain't so acquainted why don't you show me your hands and keep 'em where I don't get trigger happy?"
The man raised his hands and let a smile play at the corner of his lips. "Slayer, I am surprised it took you this long to find this place. I'm rather disappointed. The way the stories go you are the ultimate adversary."
"Yeah well, I'm not much for giving a shit about other people's opinions of me. What is it with you guys? Do you go to some school that turns out evil masterminds? For fucks sake I would think that some of you would be a little more original in your insults. Is there a manual that I don't know about?"
Jimmy glanced between the two talking and then shot a look back at Willow who had a slight smile playing at her lips. His head whipped back to the figure on the balcony.
"I just expected more discipline coming from you; more of a trained woman instead of, well, you. The council did slip up in your studies."
Buffy glared at him. Her hand was on the butt of her gun, but she refused to take it out. "Well, if I've said it once I'll say it again, I'm really not one to tow the line. I do things my way. Why don't you come on down and let me show you how my way feels."
~Buff you do know he's setting you up right?~
~Yeah, but I figured you'd have something in the mojo department to back me up. Right?~
~On little word and this guy's toast.~
~Love you Wills. What would I do without you?~
~Be dead.~
Buffy glanced at Willow and winked. As she turned to face the guy, Willow moved to Jimmy's side and tried to make sure that she was in a position to protect him if the bad man decided to try anything.
"Slayer, tell your witch to back off."
"Sorry buddy, she's got a mind of her own."
Willow felt the surge before she saw it. The air concussed around the three of them and she was able to shield them from the biggest part of the attack. She heard Jimmy's gun go off and looked back at the man. Jimmy's shots had gone wide and to the right. The guy had let lose another arc of magic, but to Willow's surprise it arched up. She followed the stream with her eyes and saw the destination. Calling over to Buffy, she extended the shield and reinforced it as much as possible. The next moment the rafters shook and the roof collapsed in on them.
Willow held the barrier and felt the impact of the debris. Knowing she wasn't going to keep them safe for much longer she let more energy flow into her and spread it out to wrap around Jimmy and Buffy. Physically the magic pulled them closer and just as the shield was giving out and shrinking, Willow let out the only incantation she knew of to get them out of the building.
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They landed with a thud about 100 feet from the building. Buffy was the first to recover and shook her self clean from the dirt. Willow was laid out on the ground groaning from the energy she had expended to get them out. Jimmy was breathing heavy and as Buffy looked at him he was shaking.
She knelt next to him and asked, "You okay old man?"
He grabbed his arm and tried to respond but no words came out.
"Wills, something's wrong."
Willow pushed herself up and looked at her friend. He didn't look so hot. His face was ashen and he was having a hard time breathing. She felt his pulse and noticed the irregular pattern. She immediately went for his tie and yanked it off. She went for the shirt buttons next and ripped those away.
"Buffy you have any aspirin?"
"No, what's wrong?"
"I think he's having a heart attack. Call an ambulance."