Happy Development
by Whedonist
Apocolyptic...Nails?
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A/N: Two updates, one week, knock me over with a feather....
On another note, this chapter has a small dedication to a small (in stature not personality) individual. For doing your thing and doing it well....
Chapter 18 — Apocolyptic...Nails?
"What's this place again? It looks like a central planet market, but..." Mal looked around mildly overwhelmed. While it wasn't common knowledge, one of the many reasons he hated the central planets was because of the population and close proximity of everything. It felt wrong to the man and being in what Faith had called Tower City Center, unnerved him.
"But all stacked in a building?" Zoe finished. She hazarded a glance at her friend and noticed the parted mouth and wide eyes, the telltale signs of Mal uneasy. Taking action she directed, "Xander, why don't you take the Captain and Simon to go get some food. I wanna walk around some with the girls."
Xander beamed, "That I can do. You two, quick, before they make us carry the bags." The remark earned him a playful smack from Willow. He turned to wink at his friend as he ushered the other two males on the escalator to the first level and to his favorite place in the mall, the food court.
"Wills and I have an appointment at 11. Faith, I'll call you around noon?" Buffy explained.
"Sure thing B." Faith patted her pocket to make sure her cell was there and then waved the two off. "Alright so what do you guys want to do?"
"So we came here because?" Inara inquired. It seemed like a lovely place, but given the circumstances, she didn't think shopping was the best idea.
"Red and B wanted to get their nails done. We just sorta came along for the ride. 'Sides," Faith beamed at the four remaining women, "We kinda figured that you could buy some stuff here and then sell it. Loads of cash for stuff from Earth That Was. That and hey, who doesn't love the mall?"
Zo' nodded, "We could catch some pretty coin for some of this stuff."
"Oh, and think of the pretties. I could get me a good, proper dress to wear. Knock Simon off his feet if I could find somethin' good and sexy. Inara?"
Inara smiled at her friend and nodded, "I guess that means we're in."
"Cool." Faith pulled a handful of plastic cards out of her back pocket, "Willow decided to make you all some I.D's. We weren't sure that you were staying, but she made 'em anyhow. This," she pointed to the card pinched between her index and thumb, "is your state I.D. Very handy and this," she slid the credit card from behind the other card, "is like cash, but not. Hand it to the clerk and just say charge it."
Zo' looked over the cards in Faith's hands and shrugged, "Sounds okay by me." She took the two offered pieces of plastic and thanked Faith.
After Faith distributed the cards, she turned to River, "You ready Riv?"
"Yes. Are you sure about this?" River's worried voice made Faith smile.
"See you guys in a few. Zo' you have the cell so remember, hit 2 and send, we'll meet you where ever." Faith waited for a nod then ushered River away from her friends.
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Megan glanced up from her current client as the doors to the spa swung open. She smiled in greeting to the small blonde and redhead who walked through calling out to her coworker, "Melissa! Front!"
A short, dark haired, head popped from behind a door in the back to look at the lobby. "Gotcha." The girl made her way to the front, "Hi, I'm Melissa. Welcome to Les Amis. How can I help you?"
Buffy smiled back and said, "Hi Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg. We have appointments at 11."
"Sure, hang on one moment." Melissa scanned the screen of the computer in front of her. "Yep. If you two will wait one minute then we can get started." She turned from the two and looked over at Megan.
"1, 2, 3...All done." Megan twisted the cap back on the nail polish. Megan took a moment to finish up with her other client and then went to the front. "So who's getting what?" The short blonde asked rocking on her feet.
Buffy and Willow stood while Willow answered, "I'm getting a pedicure and Buffy here's getting...?"
"Both. I really, really need both." Buffy laughed.
"Ah, cool. Well then, I can start on you, Buffy is it?" Megan asked. "I'm Megan by the way. The slightly taller mental patient to my right is Melissa or Mel if you're feeling frisky. I do the hands and she does the feet."
"Why am I the mental patient?" Melissa asked with mock hurt.
"Uh, you're related to one? I just figured your sister's had to rub off on you a little."
The four got settled in and about twenty minutes later were engaged in easy conversation.
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The sliver of moon hung low in the sky as Faith moved through the woods and she cursed it for providing such little light. Taking a quick head count she ran down the list of people who were supposed to be with her. Alpha Team should have B, Red, Kimmie, Isa, and Cass. Looking to her right, she saw her five girls, Carrie, Lib, Toni, Nai, and Z. Satisfied, she refocused on the upcoming job.
It had to be one of the craziest schemes she'd been a part of. Granted B's let's make 'em all slayers plan had and probably would continue to take the cake, but going in to a lair of 6 of those tail wielding, concussion causing demons from a few weeks ago with only elephant tranquilizers and rope wasn't the sanest thing she'd done in a long time.
She stumbled as her foot caught an upturned root of a nearby tree and she cussed.
"Faith," Buffy hissed. "More noise so we can really let them know we're coming."
Faith wasn't sure if Buffy caught the glare she sent her way or not, but as the out cropping of caves that they had to go into became visible, she didn't care anymore.
"'Kay everyone, lock and load" Buffy's voice rang through everyone's minds.
"Christ, now we gotta go through the mind meld too?" Carrie whined.
"Girls!" Willow's tone was sharp, "Demons, big ones. We need to focus. Yes, we are communicating like this, and no, I will not get out of your head. Buffy, lock and load? You've been watching to many action movies with Xander."
A faint blush crept up the blonde's features and she winked at her witch. "Everyone knows what to do. Kimmie, Carrie, and Cass follow my lead. We're bait." With no more than a backwards glance, Buffy rushed into the unlit caves.
Buffy hadn't been anticipating that the actual den would be no more than 10 feet into the entrance of the cave, but it was. As she rounded the corner to her left an arm came rushing at her head. Ducking the attack, she rolled to the right and sprang up to her feet watching the chunks of rock fly through the air.
"6 demons are here...Carrie, the rest of you get your asses in gear!" Buffy hissed through the link.
Three bodies rushed past her into the center of the cavern and she struggled briefly to stay with them. It took no more than a 10th of a second before all six demons had started to circle the four girls. They were very similar to the ones that Buffy had beheaded and Willow had immolated. She also noticed slight variations and couldn't help the fleeting thought that these demons were like humans in their variation. Everyone was similar, but different at the same time. The thought vanished when a tail swept her feet from under her. Her back hit the hard, packed, dirt floor and she rolled away in time to avoid her face becoming a pasty mess as an arm came rushing at where her head had been.
Kimmie looked sharply to her left as a series of high pitched cries echoed through the cave. She watched as Faith, Libby, Nai and Isa shot three of the demons in the neck. The creatures wailed out and then fell, silent and unmoving. Three were left and they were putting up a much better fight. One turned around and began attacking Faith and the rest of the slayers who held the guns. She ducked a wild punch and rolled to her left coming up next to Carrie.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Carrie bent over with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath, "These fuckin' things are too much."
"Duck!" Kimmie grabbed at Carrie's shoulder but was too late to stop the arm that snatched her friend up and threw her twenty feet into a solid rock wall. She ducked and rolled away again and scrambled to get to the fallen slayer.
"Kimmie!" Cass cried out, but stopped as she saw Buffy launch herself at the two demons that were going after the other girl.
Buffy heard two successive hisses from the tranq guns as she wrapped her arms around two necks. She pitched forward bringing the two demons down to the ground with her. It was the dead weight that carried the maneuver forward as the darts sank home and the demons blacked out. The weight difference of the demons upset her balance forcing her to let go of the one on her left and fall with the one on her right. She crumpled under the weight of the demon. It rolled and in the process crushed her right side pinning her arm and half her body underneath its own. As the demon's other half hit the ground she felt her arm bend and snap with the impact. Black dots clouded her vision, but she smiled as she heard the body of the last demon standing fall.
"Buffy!' Willow's voice echoed.
"Fine." The blonde called out. "Uh, buried under big and ugly, but fine...I think." She felt the demon's weight shift and she was free. Struggling to her feet, she cradled her injured arm. Willow's arms were wrapped around her before she had a chance to stand up fully and she tried to return the embrace. "Everyone ok?"
"I..." Willow tried to answer.
"Red. Need you NOW!" Faith's shout interrupted the witch.
Both turned in the direction of Faith's voice. They saw pink hair and knew Carrie hadn't gotten up from where she had been thrown. Willow dropped her arms from around Buffy and ran over to where Carrie lay. The slayer's injuries were pretty severe. Her left side was scrapped and already deeply bruised. As Willow's gaze traveled further down the injured body, she tore at the fabric of the girl's shirt and gently touched a protruding rib.
Her hands quickly passed over the rest of Carrie's body trying to assess the injuries. Deciding to work on the ribs and the nearly collapsed lung first, Willow let her focus and energy coalesce and directed it towards the injured slayer. Her hands burned, but she ignored the discomfort and cast the spells she needed to get Carrie out of the caves alive.
The rest of the girls stood around watching Willow work and an audible gasp could be heard as they watched the torn flesh and broken bones heal before their eyes. Buffy watched until she was satisfied that Carrie would be walking out of here by the time Willow was done. She turned her attention to the 6 unconscious demons behind her.
"Girls. Let's get these things tied up. I don't wanna have to do this again." Buffy touched the button on her earpiece and radioed in. "Xander, we're good here. Send some medical back up though' Carrie's hurt pretty bad and I think my arms broke." Buffy looked at her injured arm and then down at her hand. "Goddamnit!"
"Buffy! Buff! What's wrong?" Xander's scared voice shot through her ear.
"Stupid, heavy, dumb, jerky," Buffy walked over to the nearest demon and kicked its side. "Perfectly good manicure gone down the tube. I swear, why do I even bother?"
Sighing Xander relaxed from his position in the helicopter's cab and said, "It's not the end of the world, Buff. It'll be okay."
"Not the end of the world!? Not to you. My nails ripped off! Gone! It's ugly and mangled and... and stuff!"
Willow heard the panic in her lover's voice. Rising on shaky legs, she rose from her resting position and rushed to Buffy's side. "What's wrong?"
Buffy struggled to hold up her lame arm and showed Willow her injured hand. A pout formed as she rested her head on Willow's shoulder and she said, "I broke a nail."
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Buffy grumbled into her morning coffee as she met up with Faith and Kimmie on their way to the conference room.
"Mornin' B." Faith smiled.
"Yeah good morning Buffy." Kimmie chirped then took in the annoyed look of her superior and asked, "You okay?"
"Fine. I'm fine. Apocalyptic nail breakage aside." She noticed both girls roll their eyes in her direction and stuck her tongue out at them as they walked ahead of her and in through the open doors.
Xander was with Willow at the head of the table and Buffy noted the absence of Giles. Sending a questioning look to the two, Xander responded with a shrug. As she made her way to the front, she noticed Carrie and stopped to check in. "You feelin' up to this?"
"Willow healed me up good and right. As long as I keep movement to a minimum, I'm ok." Carrie tried to smile, but the pain from her broken cheek bone turned the offered expression in to a pained flinch.
Buffy nodded and went to sit next to Faith.
"Good Morning." Willow waited to get everyone's attention. "Just wanted to say, good job all around. Everyone did a great job and the demons are locked down. So Alpha and Red teams, take the rest of the week off." Willow then turned to Carrie and set her features, "I think you should be in the infirmary if I remember right?" Willow waited a moment for her look to take full effect and the turned back to the rest of the girls, "The rest of you are dismissed."
As Buffy watched everyone but herself, Xander, Willow and Faith leave, Giles came pushing through the door. Her eyebrows rose as he got closer. He was still wearing the same shirt from yesterday; however, it sported more than a few wrinkles and she could smell the demon's blood from her seat across the room.
"Sorry I'm late all. I've been in the basement, having a word with our guests." Giles apologized rolling up his falling sleeves. "I trust everyone is well? Willow how are you doing? Buffy your arm?"
"Arm's fine Giles. How're you?" Buffy asked with a slight smirk.
"I've been better thank you. Willow?" His gaze traveled over to the witch waiting on a response.
"Fine. Good even."
"No serious after effects from healing Carrie?" He asked the worry evident in his voice.
"Tired, but I got some coffee. I'll be ready for later today." Willow smiled and held up her coffee mug.
"Very well then. I suppose you were waiting on me?" The question was met with a nod of heads so he began, "After we removed everyone from the caves, I went back with Xander and Dawn to have a look around. We did find one body; unfortunately, Dawn was unable to glean the identity of the victim. Other than that we collected a few artifacts that are being examined."
"Red, do we know how to send everyone back to where they belong now?" Faith dropped her feet from the table and looked over to Willow.
"I need to go see the demons, but I think so. The spell or whatever that brought them here should be not too headachy to break. Once I break it, everything kinda goes...poofy and it's done."
"I thought you said I wouldn't get my poofy?" Buffy smiled.
"Hey," Willow's brow scrunched together in a bogus pout, "I was working on incorrect information. Although, Giles, I think that it is kinda funny that I wasn't able to find a spell signature on Mal and the rest. Maybe we could look in to it later? Seems kinda fishy."
"I see. I suppose we could take some time once everything is settled to look into it. Right now, Dawn is looking at a few of the artifacts I've mentioned. One was a scroll and the others, I believe, might be tools used for sacrifice. Dawn is in the research room. Let's go and see if there are any developments."
Dawn looked up from her position at the table and nodded. She had been doing her best to avoid her sister and Willow since she found out about their coupling, but with everyone else in tow, she bit the bullet and addressed the group, "Give me a few more minutes and I think I'll have a decent partial translation of that scroll we found last night." She typed a few things into her computer and scanned the parchment to her left.
The only sound that filled the room was from a pen Dawn held in her hand and rapped lightly against the edge of the table she was working at. Taking another moment to look over the screen, Dawn accessed the projector and let everyone turn their attention to the screen.
"Alright, so I've been through every translation I could think of and this seems to make the most sense. They seem to worship an ancient god of war and destruction, Kabluresh; I've found some vague references from about 17,000 years ago from a tribe in Western Siberia that also had a god with a similar name. I'm trying to link the two together, but that's going to take me a few days."
"Dawn, dear what are we missing?" Giles asked peering up at the screen.
"I'm having some trouble with the invocation to the god, which is the middle part of the text. Now it's either the invocation or it's an ancient description of the Hokey Pokey."
Xander snorted and said, "I just knew those wacky demons had to cut lose every now and then. And let's be honest, isn't turning yourself about the best way to do so?"
"It could also be the Macarena, but it's just a wild guess." Dawn joked back.
"Any wording to reverse the spell?" Willow asked trying to get the conversation refocused.
"From what I've read and could interpret, all we need to do is release Kabluresh from the spell and everything should go back to normal." The brunette smiled proudly.
"I think it best that we get this done as soon as possible." Giles turned to Faith, "While we prepare down here, why don't you get Mal and his family together to have them prepare to go home."
"Sure thing G." Faith turned and left the room leaving the five sitting there looking up at the screen.
"Dawn, before we proceed, I just want to ensure that this will be all, I don't want any surprises."
"The spell they used to get here is pretty basic. Just a request from a group of demons wanting to bring death and destruction to another plane of existence. Kabluresh was just the wacky god they used to gain access to this dimension. Cut and dry like Salami and anchovy sandwiches."