Four days ago
Willow: When did you get a pager? What’s going?
Riley approached the table, as Buffy stood.
Riley: That’s our cue. Mother wants us.
Buffy: Will…
Willow: I know. Talk later.
Willow watched Buffy and her new friends exit the Bronze. Unsettling feelings passed over her. After several moments of an inner dialog, Willow labeled them as a visit from the green-eyed monster and set off to find Xander and Anya on the dance floor.
The Following Day
Willow awoke to streams of daylight filling her room. Slowly rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she rolled over to notice that Buffy’s side was just how she had left it. When Willow saw the empty, undisturbed bed the same feelings that plagued her last night, returned.
With her ‘resolve face’ in place, Willow quickly got out of bed, grabbed her toiletries, and headed towards the bathrooms. With one thought echoing in her mind, Something’s not right, need to see Giles, now.
Less than an hour later, Willow was at Giles’ doorstep. Through the door, she could hear him and the others talking. With a quick knock, she stepped inside.
“It’s the, uh, the gritty texture, isn’t it? Maybe you’re more a cherry-berry fellow.”
Digging through the numerous open boxes in front of him and Anya, Xander found and held up another bar for Giles to try.
Giles’ face was scrunched with disgust, from the foul food in his mouth. Willow handed him a tissue and with a grateful smile, he took it, turning to do what he needed to do.
“Giles, it looks like you were rendered powerless against that vile substance. Maybe we can use Xander’s boost bars as another line of defense in our arsenal,” Willow jested with a cheeky smile. Xander scoffed his response.
“Very funny Wills, they’re not that bad. Come, sit down, you look like an almond-licorice woman to me.”
“Eww and no thanks, I would like to keep my taste buds for food that doesn’t render a man speechless. Anyhow, I’m here on Scooby business, more specifically Buffy and the Initiative business.”
After taking a long draw on his tea to dispel the bad taste from his mouth, Giles faced Willow. His features filled with unease as he questioned her.
“What are your concerns Willow?”
She began to explain what transpired last night at the Bronze and how Buffy hadn’t come back to the dorms yet. When Willow brought up the subject of Buffy spending the night with Riley, Giles removed and started profusely cleaning his glasses. Once she finished, Giles placed the over-cleansed lenses on the bridge of his nose, as he spoke.
“Ah, yes, Willow, perhaps this is jealousy that you are feeling? I know it is difficult when friends, especially ones who have shared so much, start to pursue outside friendships. I don’t believe that…”
“Giles, it’s not that! I’m really getting some bad vibes about this. One minute the commandos are all hush-hush, the next, they give her a pager and ask her to play army? I don’t like it, and I don’t trust them, especially Professor Walsh. She doesn’t seem like the type to give up control easily, or if at all, and Buffy isn’t one for taking orders. You of all people should know that Giles.”
With a heavy sigh, Giles nodded his agreement. “I see your point Willow. Sit down, I need you to tell me everything about Riley, Professor Walsh and the Initiative. Do not leave anything out. Even the smallest detail may be beneficial.”
An Hour Later
“I think that about sums it up Giles. You’ve squeezed all the info you can from my cerebrum,” Willow sighed as she closed her eyes, letting her head fall onto the back of the couch.
“That reminds me of a wish that I once granted, almost two hundred years ago. This woman wanted vengeance against her intellectual husband, who was continuously berating her with words she didn’t know. So she wished all the info that he knew would be squeezed out. I did exactly that. Let me tell you, brain matter is very difficult to get out of the carpet,” Anya stated bluntly, biting into a maple-walnut boost bar.
Xander’s eyes widened with disbelief, at Anya’s candor. Willow blanched and swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. Giles breathed deeply, and then replied.
“We appreciate your trip down memory lane Anya, but I do believe Willow was being figurative not literal.”
“Oh, that may be, but I was being honest when I said it’s difficult to get brain out of the carpet.” Anya nodded, as she explained. Willow incredulously looked towards her. In an attempt to ignore Anya, she spoke.
“I’m going to call the dorms and see if Buffy has left a message.” Several moments passed. With a disappointed sigh, Willow placed the receiver onto its cradle.
“No messages Giles, this is so not like her. She would have called me the minute she got up to talk about…um…girl things. The feeling I have, is getting worse by the hour. Even though we are in research mode, we need to do more and now.”
“I agree with Wills, non-callage from the Buffster equals badness. It’s in a woman’s genetic make-up to maintain contact with her girlfriends, always. My bat senses are tingling G-man, I think we need to check around.” Xander stood, placed his jacket on and headed towards the door.
“That’s a good idea. Xander and Anya, check the Espresso Pump and her house. However, do not alarm Joyce. We don’t want her to worry unnecessarily. Willow, go back to campus and check the dorms. She may be sleeping or at the library studying.” Giles was met with a ‘really?’ look from Willow, he then continued, “fine, not the library, but she may be about. I’ll stay here waiting for you all to check in. I have some sources I can contact. I believe there is far more than meets the eye, with Maggie Walsh and the Initiative.”
**** ****
Angel Investigations
Piles of demon reference guides surrounded Cordelia and Wesley. With a huff, she slammed the heavy cover shut and eyed Wesley with contempt. After several moments, he looked up from the text and spoke.
“What?”
“This really sucks, that’s what! Here we are breathing in all this moldy, book dust and the broody black hole himself, which by the way, doesn’t need to breath, is sleeping the day away in his bat cave!”
“Cordelia, in a few hours Angel will be going into a home, where one of the family members is possessed by an Ethros demon. In addition, he still hasn’t fully recovered from our previous case involving the Tyah.”
“Yeah, because barely dressed women running around LA is a new thing…puh…lease! I can see how a possession would be difficult, but it’s still no excuse! I researched! I baked! He’s just giving us all the grunt work…again! I’m telling you, when he gets his undead ass up here I’m going to—“
The shrill ring of the telephone broke Cordelia from her rant. Following two rings, she answered. Unlike before, her voice held a sweet and charming quality.
“Angel Investigations…we help the helpless, how may I help you?”
Her brow furrowed from the caller’s words. After several moments, she responded, “Oh, hey Giles—no Angel’s not available right now, well in case you forgot, he still has a case of the ‘grrrs’ you know, a vampire— British people don’t have much of a sense of humor, do they?”
Wesley glowered at Cordelia, as she poignantly eyed him. Then she continued, “Nope, no sense of humor at all. Anyway, if you want, Giles, I can give him a message when he rises— See that was another joke, never mind. Okay, shoot—Yup— Missing—ahun—yeah—okay. I’ve got it, bye Giles.”
Cordelia hung up the phone, sighing heavily. Wesley ignored her as he resumed his research. After several more increasingly louder sighs, his eyes left the pages and fell to her.
“Is there something wrong?”
She rolled her eyes and responded coolly, “I’m flattered that you noticed. Well, it seems Sunnydale has misplaced their slayer.”
“Buffy is missing?”
Cordelia’s eyes widened. With clenched teeth, she seethed. “Why don’t you say it a little louder genius! Hello, a supernatural being with supernatural hearing, just downstairs. If you want drama central—again, by all means say her name.”
“I know that Angel cares for her, but I don’t think—“
“Wesley, this goes way beyond caring. I know you only caught the final act, but their relationship is one big drama, a forbidden love. Once soulful vamp looses said soul—turns evil. Girl sends him to hell. He comes back all feral. Big secret of his return, they’re together, but not. Killed a giant snake and blew up a school. He leaves, disappearing in a billowy cloud of smoke, the end.
Or so we thought. Let's not forget since he’s been here, they’ve seen each other twice. Once at Thanksgiving, after, well after he was told of a vision she was in danger. He rushed to Sunnydale and made with the big fun stalking around in the shadows and never telling her he was there. This, by the way, went over real big with her,not. Then she came to LA hell-bent, claiming he was a sneaking around in her town and this was some new torture he devised for her.”
Wesley’s eyed Cordelia. She stared back and scoffed, “what? It wasn’t like I was ease dropping or anything. Anyway, they were together in his office for less than ten minutes, which half of that time they fought some demon with three eyes. Let’s just say he’s far less broody now. ”
“He was more broody? Is that possible?”
“Oh, yeah, impossible to believe, but it’s true. So you see Wes, I am not giving him this message.” She crumbled up the paper and threw it in the garbage. She exaggeratedly wiped her hands together and continued, “it will be much better for all of us, if he doesn’t know about their missing slayer.”
**** ****
Several Hours Later
Willow headed towards Giles’ apartment feeling defeated. She’d searched the entire campus numerous times over, even the library, to no avail. No Buffy. The once niggling feeling had grown and now sat like a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. Passing several fraternities as she walked, another idea, or person came to mind. Riley. With renewed hope, Willow headed towards Lowell House.
**** ****
“You’re filthy and vile. You will be thoroughly punished!”
A heavy, leather bullwhip lashed pristine, naked flesh. The owner of said flesh winced, but remained motionless in his bindings. Kneeling on the floor, arms spread wide--to the point of pain. Held by chains fixed to adjacent walls, damp, blond hair hung in his blue eyes.
“How dare you! You belong to me!”
The whistle of the whip sounded through the air, before it hit its mark, his back. Once more, only a stifled flinch was his reaction. Several more violent blows fell, each drawing blood from deep welts left upon his fair skin.
Once finished, her labored breaths were the only sound in the room. Stalking before him, she harshly grabbed his chin, lifting his head upwards. A mixture of pain and pleasure swirled in his eyes.
Their gazes held before he whispered, “Am I forgiven, mother?”
“You still have more penance to serve, Riley. However, you were such a good boy. Now mother will give you a wonderful treat,” Maggie purred as she slowly undressed, removing all the barriers existing between her and her ‘son’.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank David Fury for supplying some lines in the chapter. (the ones in the beginning which are italicized and one in the middle.) The rest alllll me! Big thanks to sanityfair and pixiecorn for their parts. *lots of hugs ladies!*
Chapter End Notes:
To all those across the pond...luv ya lots! Sorry about the jab of having no humor. Remember, this is Cordelia talking NOT me! Don't be angry. *sad eyes* As always, reviews are welcomed and loved!!!