Thirteen Steps -4- Blue
by Valyssia
Counting bodies like sheep...
[reviews]
Buffy headed straight to Bernadine, raising the garage door and backing the motorcycle out onto the drive. She looked at the machine shaking her head and said, "You need a bath. Maybe tomorrow we'll get you all cleaned up?" She hopped on and waited for Willow to take her perch.
They went at a slow, lazy pace so they could talk. Buffy fumbled the map out of her pocket at the bottom of the drive and committed the turns to memory.
"Wow you could light a small city off the energy Dawn was putting off. She all kinda jazzed. I think it's just the belonging somewhere thing that's the biggest part," Willow said softly into Buffy's ear. She kissed the Slayer's neck and pulled up close to her.
"Yeah... I know it's been rough for her feeling like she's being pulled along in my wake. This'll be really good for her...she'll have something that's actually all hers," Buffy confirmed. "I actually feel really bad about how been for her since Mom died. I just didn't have anything better to give her. Miss Hartness was totally right." She smiled softly thinking about the older witch. Yeah... I really like her, she reflected.
"So after dinner you want to make good on that Tai Chi threat with Dawnie? We could show her a few basic things. You'll have to lead but I think I can recall the names if you work through the motions. I was always more of the lazy, sometimes god-awful painful, meditations myself. I got caught up in the Hindu god forms and well... Ouch!" Willow let out a soft laugh at the ongoing memory.
Buffy smirked. "I can imagine...in fact I think I have imagined. Sure if...I played a bit with Tai Chi with Angel and in my training with Giles. Never knew anything about any names. I just sort of followed along but I suppose it would track that there might be names. People do tend to like to do that...with the naming." She turned Bernadine into a long driveway and they found themselves in front of another impressive looking fortress.
"I'm having flashbacks...this looks like Scotland again. These people just loved a good castle, didn't they?" Buffy shut Bernadine off and dropped her side-stand.
"Yeah well... You'll have that in feudal societies," Willow replied as she dismounted the Ducati.
They entered the building together and caught the first passer-by.
Buffy spoke in a flat voice, "I'm looking for Rupert Giles...any idea where he is?"
The young girl looked a little awestruck, "Buffy Summers?" she asked in an excited voice.
"Yeah... That's me... Can we skip right past the part where you get all doe-eyed and dumbstruck...and move straight on to the bit where you bring me Giles or take me to him?" Buffy replied in a mildly aggravated voice.
"I'll get him for you," the girl offered, appearing a bit hurt.
Buffy called after her, "We'll be outside."
Willow gave Buffy a 'be nice' glare. "You could cut them a bit of slack. You're sort of a legend...if for nothing else than the living through it bit."
Buffy turned and headed for the door. "Yeah... It's just the whole hero bit...not my thing... I used to...'yeah, whatever'...the girls that would fawn all over me after I made with the rescuing back in Sunnydale too. You remember?"
"I do but this is different. You never had to consider leading them into battle...these girls...way different on that level," Willow said, trying not to chide.
Buffy considered this for a brief moment. "Of course...as usual...my witch has a point." She leaned in to kiss Willow taking her into an embrace.
Giles cleared his throat and the two women split apart.
Buffy looked down, putting her hand to her mouth, she walked over to Bernadine, sitting sidesaddle on the Ducati.
Willow followed and took a position that allowed Buffy to put and arm around her if she wished. Looking sheepishly at Giles she said, "hi," in a small voice and put her hand up to twiddle a wave.
Gilles walked up to the two women and smiling warmly, he pulled them into an embrace. "I missed you two... But I assume you didn't come here to snog on my doorstep?" he asked, releasing the pair and taking a step back.
Buffy looked at Giles in an apologetic manner. "Yeah... We were going to wait to do that until after the talking." An evil grin settled on her face.
"Xander & Dawn both gave me rough accounts of what happened though they did not provide much detail. Let me begin by saying, I'm not sure it was right to run like you did. The girls in Scotland need you," Giles worked to keep an even pitch as he spoke.
Buffy appeared wounded as she responded in a defensive tone, "No Giles... It was totally right. The detail they likely didn't give you was that these bastards dropped in right outside my room. They knew exactly where to find me. It was like they were watching me. Hence...with the running...so they would follow and leave the girls alone... I left Satsu in charge. She's damned close to as good as I am."
Giles appeared pensive as he replied, "That is interesting... And yes, it does change the story sufficiently. How many men were there?"
Willow interjected with a simple answer, "Seven."
Buffy nodded and pulled the redhead up close, before she continued, "Yeah...and they were armed for bear, elk, moose, and a few other big game animals... As bad goes...this was severe. I'm just glad they woke me fiddling with the stupid lock. If they'd just kicked the door in? Much with the badness! Will and I were in no way ready for a fight. I would have had to show 'em a lot more than I ever consider without at least a few drinks and dinner," she blushed a bit at this admission.
Giles cleared his throat...and pulling out a handkerchief, began to clean his glasses.
"See Wills, I told you it'd be better in person," Buffy quipped in a playful tone.
They all laughed...
"Right then... So what else is on your minds?" Giles inquired, recovering and replacing his glasses.
"I'm so sick of this crap, Giles... Willow has an interesting plan... I say we take the fight to their door...kick it in...and make with the violence... I'm hearing the war drums and I wanna to march... We're well into the shame on me side of things," as Buffy spoke her eyes narrowed and her features darkened.
"Very well, Buffy...I defer to you... I am willing to recognize the mistakes I've made in the past," Giles offered in a solemn tone. He looked at Willow and asked, "Tell me what you have in mind?"
"Just a theory really... Buffy and I have been working together to hone and strengthen my natural talent. I think with her I may have a shot... Can you get us some gunpowder? I know it's not easy here in the land of the gunless... But I need some...preferably rounds of live ammunition. I can make do with whatever...if that's an issue," Willow responded, gazing thoughtfully off toward the citadel.
Giles said in a questioning voice, "Yes...Yes... I believe I can. In fact I should be able to do so with relative ease. I believe they sell smudge pots and things of that sort here. Now for live rounds? We would have to defer to Faith for those, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind committing a crime or two in the name of science."
Willow snickered and mumbled to herself, "Faith wouldn't mind committing a crime or two in the name of Teletubbies. Girl's just not big with the respect...even post fluffy recovery."
Buffy poked Willow, catching Giles attention with a glance, she said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Here's the deal. Will wants to see if she can magickally disarm these jerks in one fell swoop. No guns and we're sorta on level playing field. There may be more of them, but we are stronger and faster than anything in their worst nightmares. We sweep in...all of the core teams and remove the threat in one really swift stroke."
"Then Willow comes in behind us, destroying all their techie-mojo gizmos and their research. We set them back years in the process. She can fry up the machines in their facility and anything on the network if by no other virtue than some good ole fashioned hacker action," Buffy finished looking more focused for the violence than either had seen her since the First.
"How soon?" Giles asked in a flat voice.
"The sooner the better in my opinion... I want them off my plate and scurrying for the nearest rat-hole as soon as possible so I can go back to my semi-normal life. Running, not my color... It clashes with my stylish, yet unaffordable, boots," Buffy concluded with a smirk.
"I need a few days to work this with you once we get the gunpowder Buffy. I need to know exactly how much force to apply on it to make it inert without making it go boom. Avoiding the killing...a total plan on my part of this little party...if I explode their weapons in their hands...well there will be a body-count...a significant one," Willow interjected with a worried look in her eyes.
"Three days enough if Giles gets you some ammunition grade gunpowder tomorrow?" Buffy asked, appearing pensive. "You can do that, right Giles?"
Giles nodded. "If I have to have it ported over from America I will."
Willow considered this. "Yes that should be enough time if you don't mind spending some long hours working the mojo with me."
"Whatever it takes. You see what I've been putting up with Giles?" Buffy laughed and hugged Willow closer.
"I do and I must say it looks pretty good with those stylish, yet unaffordable, boots. Congratulations to you both. Quite surprising really, but it seems to be for the betterment of you both." Giles smiled, catching the two women in another hug. "I trust Bernadine has been good to you, as well?"
"Oh yeah... Bernie saved a lot of girls some serious hurt before Wills showed up. Loving her...loving them..." Buffy rubbed the gas tank of the Ducati with open affection as she caressed Willow's back. Her face broke into a warm, thoughtful grin as she looked at the ground in front of her.
"Right then... I should be getting back. God knows what sort of mayhem has ensued in my absence," Giles said in a jovial tone.
"Giles... Tell Faith I need some girl time with her when she checks in tonight. Have her to call the coven. I'll hit the video-phone and chat her up," Buffy reflected as she tossed her leg over Bernadine and fired the machine up.
"I'll pass that on, yes." Giles waved cheerfully and turned to walk inside.
Buffy and Willow pulled quietly away from Fort Giles. There was just enough time on the clock to make dinner if they hurried.