The Sibling Factor

Author: Fawna
Rated: PG13
A/N Hi all, I use to have this story posted under the name Moonelf but I decided to move it over here. So don’t worry it hasn’t been stolen or anything. Just thought I’d let you know. And yes, I have removed it from Moonelf.
A/N This takes place the summer before fourth season. Oh and Xander never went on his road trip...it just wouldn’t be the same with out Xander. Also in this story I’ve made Jarod around 28 or so...I know he’s older then that but for this to work he has to be a little younger, not that he looks all that old anyway...:-)
Disclaimer- I don’t own any of them

Chapter One: Family

-Dream-

She walked into an almost unfamiliar room, but there was something about it that almost called to her. She looked around and smiled when she saw herself sitting at a table with a woman she didn’t know. She looked to be about a year old, maybe a little older then that, the women with her had long wavy red hair and a bright happy smile.

She looked down at the women and smiled but she didn’t seem to see her. She sat down across the table and tried talking.

“Hi” She said smiling at her. But the women still didn’t see her. The little her saw her though and smiled and waved.

“Who are you waving at?” The women asked smiling at the baby.

“The girl” The little girl said pointing at her. Though it sounded more like she had said ‘da gil.’ But the women seemed to know what she meant.

“Oh the girl” The women said picking her up and putting her in a bouncer. “Mommy’s going to go start dinner” She smiled at her. “Your brother is going to watch you, ok?”

“K” She said bouncing in the bouncer. As the women left a brown haired blue eyed little boy of about six or seven walked into the room. She just watched the little boy playing with who she was now sure was her as a child. But that was not her mom and she didn’t have any brothers.

“Lizzy you want to fly?” He asked picking her up out of the bouncer.

“Yeah!” the little girl squealed, this must be a game they played a lot. He picked her up any swung her up and over in the air. He stopped mid swing and put Lizzy back in the bouncer. He walked over to Buffy and smiled.

“That’s my sister Lizzy” He said pointing to her.

“That’s me” She said looking between the little girl and him.

“Right I know” he said smiling at her. “I’m Jarod” he said sticking out his hand.

“I’m Buffy” She said smiling and taking his hand.

“They’re going to come for me” Jarod said watching her closely. “I hope Lizzy will be alright” He said looking over at his sister playing in the bouncer.

“Who’s coming for you?” Buffy asked looking around as the room got darker and darker. “Jarod who’s coming for you! Jarod! Jarod!”

“They’re here” He said and disappeared as the room went black.

End Dream

“Jarod!” Buffy screamed as she sat up in bed and looked wildly around her empty room. She shut her eyes as the lights where thrown on and her mother came running into the room.

“Buffy are you ok?” She asked sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Yeah mom I’m fine” Buffy said smiling weakly at her.

“Who’s Jarod?” Her mom asked putting her hand on her arm.

“I don’t know,” Buffy said looking at her mom. “It was just a dream, I don’t even remember it” She lied easily to her mom, she had after all been doing it for years. She wasn’t sure why but for some reason she just didn’t want to tell her mom about the dream. “I’m going to go back to bed. I’m meeting Willow tomorrow to go shopping for college things”

“Ok honey” Joyce said getting up and smiling. She walked to the door and shut off the light. “Sweat Dreams”

“Thanks” Buffy said lying down and listening as her mom shut the door and walked back to her room and shut her door. When she was sure it was safe she sat up pulled out a pen and a pad of paper and wrote down everything she could remember about the dream.

“I’ll tell Willow tomorrow” She said to herself when she was done. She turned out the light and went back to sleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Sydney” Jarod said as he walked down the hall of the hospital. He had been hoping Sydney would call.

“Hello Jarod” Sydney said glad he had caught him.

“Did Ms. Parker get my little present?” Jarod asked smiling to himself.

“Yes she did” Sydney said smiling himself. Jarod could tell there was something he needed to say.

“Is something wrong Sydney?” Jarod asked as he walked out the doors and over to his car.

“It’s Lizzy” He said stopping Jarod in his tracks.

“What about her?” He finally asked clipping his words. He hadn’t thought about Lizzy in a while, he had discovered her about a year ago from his father, he had told him she died right after he dissapeared. She would have been 19 or so now.

“She’s...well there’s no easily way to say this Jarod, she’s alive.” Sydney said sighing.

“What?” Jarod said in a whisper. “But how is that...I mean...” He just kind of trailed off and looked down at the ground.

“I only just found out I swear” Sydney said shaking his head. “Broots found it yesterday, in one of Dr. Raines files”

“How is she? Where is she?” Jarod was now running to his car pulling out his keys.

“Fine, for now... Jarod there’s some else you should know”

“What do you mean ‘for now’?” Jarod asked stopping when he got to his rented little jeep.

“There’s something about her” Sydney started then stopped and took a deep breath.

“She’s not...like me is she?’ Jarod asked opening his car and getting in.

“No, but she’s different, as I said I just found out she was alive, The Center only just found her a week ago. They thought she was dead as well” Sydney said looking down at the print out of the file.

“How is she different?” Jarod asked starting the car.

“I’m not really clear on that” Sydney said “Jarod they know she’s different and they’re after her.” He rubbed his forehead. “If they get to her...” He trailed off knowing Jarod knew what The Center was capable of.

“Well I’ll just have to get there first then” Jarod said staring the car. “Who is she? Where is she?”

“Her name is Buffy Summers” Sydney said looking down at the files he had on his desk he closed it and put it back in his desk. “In California” He said just as Miss. Parker was opening the door to his office.

“Thank you” Jarod said hanging up the phone and starting the car. He pulled out his phone ear piece; he needed to make some calls.

“Was that Jarod?” Ms. Parker asked as she sat down across from Sydney.

“Yes” Sydney said smiling at her.

“What did he want to know about California?” She asked drumming her figures on the desk.

“He wanted to know If I’d ever been to the Red Woods” Sydney said smiling. ‘Such a good liar’ He commended himself.

“Why?” She asked standing up.

“I don’t know” He said smiling “One of his little riddles I guess” He said sitting back in his chair. Miss. Parker just gave him a cool smile and pulled out her phone.

“Broots” She said waiting a second “Get me every thing there is to get on the Red Woods... Just do it! Have you ever been to the Red woods?” She asked as she walked to the door.

“Of course” Sydney said picking up his pencil. “Have fun” He said as she walked out the door. He smiled, the Redwoods where as far away from Jarod as he could get her. He just hoped they would stay there.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“So you don’t know anything about him?” Willow asked as she put down the notebook that Buffy wrote down her dream in.

“No” Buffy said frustrated “He doesn’t look at all familiar, but then he kinda does, I know that doesn’t make any sense” She said pacing in front of Giles. “I’m sure I’ve seen him before, maybe even dreamed about him before, I just don’t know why.”

“I wish you would sit down” Giles said sighing as he took his glasses off and cleaned them. “We’ll figure this out”

“Of course we will” Willow said from the table. Giles put his glasses back on and nodded.

“Buffy stop pacing” Giles said putting his hand on her arm.

“I can’t” Buffy said “I’m a little wound up right now”

“Why don’t you go get the mail” Giles said smiling at her. “It’s down the street a little.” He said walking over to his keys, he picked them up and held them out to her.

“Ok” Buffy said taking the key from Giles. “Be right back” She walked over to the door and turned around “You guys will keep--

“Looking” Willow finished for her. “Yes, now go”

“K” Buffy said walking out the door. As she walked she played the dream over and over in her head. ‘Why did that woman look so familiar?’ She thought ‘and that little boy?’ She got to the mail and took it out locking it back up.

‘She called herself my mom, because I’m sure that was me, but that doesn’t make any sense’ She thought as she looked though Giles mail. She got to his house just as she found the letter from England. She opened the door and walked in.

“Giles you have something here form England” Buffy said handing his mail.

“Thank you” Giles said smiling thinly at her. He took the mail and Buffy went back to her pacing. Giles opened the letter and read the first line. He looked up at Buffy and shook his head.

“It’s for you” he said handing her the letter.

“Why would someone send me something here?” Buffy said taking the letter. “And who do I know in England?” She said looking down at the letter.

“Well read it” Willow said walking over to her.

“Right” Buffy said sitting down and reading out loud.

Dear Buffy,

I don’t know how to write a letter like this. How do you give someone news like this? I have just come into some information about you that you should know. I hope you’re sitting down. I guess the best way to do this is to come right out with it.

You’re adopted. Buffy stopped reading and looked at Giles. He just nodded his head for her to continue so she went on I know it’s hard to believe but it’s true. When you were about a year old the Council took you from your home. They had just found out you were a potential and they couldn’t risk you getting into the hands of the people who took your brother. Ah, but now I’m getting ahead of myself.

When you were a year old your brother was taken by a place called ‘The Center.’ He is a very special child. Not like you’re special, but special none the less. In order to keep you from those people the Council took you and faked your death. Even your mother thought you to be dead. Well now The Center has found you and you are in danger. I don’t know what to tell you to do, but be on the look out. These people are very dangers and are not to be trifled with. Your named was Elisabeth Joy; I have yet found your last name. I’m not sure if it is after your father or your mother. I believe it was lost on purpose.

You still have family out there. We have recently learned that your brother has escaped for the Center. If he knows you’re alive he will find you. This is not a bad thing, your brother, from what we’ve learned, is a very good man. He’s name is Jarod Buffy barely said the name as she looked up at Willow and Giles.

“Wow” Willow said smiling at her.

“Is that it?” Giles asked looking at her.

“No” Buffy said looking down at the letter she read the rest. I hope this can in some way make up for all the trouble I caused you. We will see each other again. Be safe and watch your back.

A Friend.

“Wow” Willow said again standing up and pacing. “You have a brother” She said sitting down next to her.

“Why don’t I remember them?” Buffy said getting up and looking at Giles. “Giles...”

“I didn’t know” he said looking down at the letter she had dropped on the coffee table. “I swear I didn’t know”

“Of course you didn’t” Buffy said smiling at him. When it came to things like secrets Giles was still a little touchy, he was still scared Buffy didn’t trust him after what he did to her on her birthday. “I trust you would have told me if you had known” Buffy said putting her hand on his shoulder.

“So now what?” Willow asked smiling at Buffy.

“Now we go shopping” Buffy said getting up. “There is nothing else to do”

“I think that’s a good idea” Giles said smiling at Buffy. “Please be careful, if these people are as bad as he says...” Giles pointed to the letter.

“Hey” Willow said “this hand writing looks really familiar” She looked up at Buffy. “Don’t you think?” Buffy walked over and took the letter.

“Yeah it does” Buffy showed Giles and he looked over for a minute then smiled. He got up and walked into one of his back rooms taking the letter with him.

“What?” Buffy asked Willow who only shrugged.

“Of course” They heard him said.

“Who is it?” Buffy asked as he came back into the room. He had one of the watchers diaries and the letter with him. He set them down in front of the two girls and smiled.

“She is rude and uncooperative” Willow read from the book. “And having Mr. Giles here undermining my every move is not going to help her adjust at all” Willow looked up at Giles and smiled.

“Wesley sent it?” Buffy asked looking from the letter to the book. “Why?”

“I guess to apologies, maybe he felt he owed you” Giles said picking up the book. “Anyway go shopping have fun and spend lots of money” Giles said as he put the book away. “I’ll see you two later.”

“K” Buffy said pulling Willow with her to the door. “See you Giles”

“Bye” Giles said smiling when the door closed. He picked up the phone and dialed an old number.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

-Three days later-

Jarod looked out his window as he drove through the little town he was in. It was just now starting to get dark out and he needed to stay somewhere for the night. All his searching had lead him here, to a little town called Sunnydale. He just hoped this was the right place. As he pulled into the hotel parking lot he noticed the graveyard across the street.

“Man this place is full of those things” He said as he got out of his car. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw something move really fast across the street. He turned just in time to see a big man tackle a girl to the ground. He dropped his bag in his car and ran over there.

“Hey buddy, get the hell off her” he said putting his hand on the unloaded gun in his waste band. The guy looked up and smiled at him. There was something very wrong with his face.

“Hey thanks, but I got this covered” the girl said grabbing the guy while he was distracted.

“But...” Jarod just trailed off as the girl threw the guy off her and watched as she jumped up. She picked up what looked like a stake from the ground did a little flip in the air and threw the stake at the guy hitting him in the heart.

Jarod was sure his heart was going to stop when he saw the other guy turn to dust and fall to the ground. He turned and looked at her, he looking a little dumbstruck.

“You ok” She asked walking over to him. As soon as she was under the light from the street lamp he gasped.

“Lizzy?” He said his breath catching in his throat. She looked at him a little funny and took a step back.

“Who the hell are you?” She asked wondering if it was one of those goons from The Center.

“You don’t remember, of course you wouldn’t” He smiled at her and took a step towards her. “I’m Jarod” he stuck out his hand and she looked at him suspiciously.

“Really?” She asked a little skeptical. “Prove it”

“What?’ he asked taken a back a little.

“Prove it” She said “What's my middle name?”

“Joy” he answered smiling. “I should know, I gave it to you”

“I don’t know that’s pretty easily, I’m sure any of the people at that Center thing could find that out.”

“When you were a little girl I use to fly you in the air” Jarod said thinking back to one of the things he remembered most about her, in fact one of the few things he remembered period. “You had the most beautiful smile.”

“I don’t remember that” She said smiling a little now. She looked him over and smiled bigger “You look a lot like him”

“Who?” Jarod asked stepping closer.

“The little boy from my dreams” She said smiling at him. “I didn’t think you were a real person till a few days ago” She walked over to him.

“Lizzy” he said then frowned at the look she was giving her. “What?”

“Its just, my name, it’s not Lizzy” She said pulling her hair down from on top of her head, it fell to just below her shoulders.

“Right of course” Jarod said nodding his head. “Did they keep it Elisabeth?”

“Well no” She said smiling “It’s just Buffy, I don’t know what they were thinking” She said smiling at him. “It kinda grows on ya though”

“Buffy?” He said smiling at her. He had known it was Buffy but he thought maybe that was short for Elisabeth.

“Yeah” She said nodding her head at him. “It’s nice to meet you” She said sticking her hand out.

“Yeah” Jarod said taking her hand pulling her into a hug.

“Buffy!” Someone called from behind her. “Hold on we’re coming!” An arrow came flying through the air and hit Jarod in the arm.

“Damn it” Willow said running up to Buffy. “I missed”

“Thank god” Buffy said bending down to where Jarod had sat down. “You ok?”

“Yeah” He said wincing a little. “I’ve had worse” he looked up at Willow and Xander who had just come up behind her. “Friends of yours?”

“Yeah” Buffy said turning to Willow and giving her a look.

“What?” Willow said looking between the two of them. “It looked like he was going to bit you”

“Bit her?’ Jarod said looking confused.

“Who is he?” Xander asked looking to Buffy.

“Willow, Xander I’d like you to meet my Brother, Jarod” She smiled at him. They had filled Xander in the day before. “Jarod, the one with the bad aim is Willow and the tall guy is Xander” She looked around “Where’s Oz?”

“He’s helping Giles” Willow said pointing to across the grave yard. Buffy nodded her head and looked down at the wound.

“Should we remove it now?” Buffy asked looking at Jarod.

“No” He said shaking his head. “Not till we have something to wrap it in, to slow the blood flow”

“Ok, Giles has stuff at his house, can you walk?” She asked smiling at him.

“Sure” He said smiling at her. “No sweat” He walked with his over to where the other two men were fighting with two men with wrong faces like the other one. He held his arm in his hand and tried not to wince at the pain.

“Stay right here” She said, he nodded and sat down, before the blood loss brought him down. She ran over and with in seconds the other two turned into dust like the last one. She walked over with the two other men and smiled at him.

“Jarod this is Willow’s boyfriend Oz” She smiled at him and nodded her head at the older man. “And this is my Watcher, Giles”

“You’re what?” Jarod asked looking up at the older man.

“I’m her watcher, her...oh Buffy I don’t think he knows” Giles said turning to Buffy.

“Jarod he’s my Watcher, he trains me and watches out for me” She said smiling down at him.

“Trains you for what?” He asked looking at her.

“To fight” Buffy said sighing and sitting next to him. “Jarod I’m the slayer”

“The what?” He asked feeling a little light headed.

“The slayer, the vampire slayer” She said watching him closely. “Are you ok?”

“I think I’m just going to...” He trailed off as his eyes fluttered closed.

“Well that went well” Buffy said getting up. “Come on let’s get him to your place and fix him up.”

“Right” Giles said helping her pick him up.

“I think I need to have a talk with my Mom” Buffy said as they walked.

“I think that’s a good idea” Giles said smiling a little. “Just be gentle”

“Of course” Buffy said smiling back at him “Gentle”

Chapter 2 The Center

“Oh I think he’s comin’ around” Jarod heard someone say, and for a terrifying second he thought he was back in The Center, but then he opened his eyes and smiled when he saw a Buffy staring at him. She smiled when his eyes opened.

“How you doin?” She asked smiling at him. It had been so long sense he had seen that smile, to long.

“I thought you were dead” He said smiling up at her with a goofy grin. “I mean” He shook his head a little. “I’m fine” He sat up and looked down at his shoulder.

“I had Giles bandage it up” Buffy said nodding over at Giles. He was standing in the door way smiling uncertainly.

“Thanks” Jarod said nodding his head at him. Every one was looking at him, like they were waiting for him to say something. He looked back over to Buffy. “So... what’s a slayer?”

“Well um...Giles?” Buffy said looking over at Giles. “He loves this part” Buffy said smiling at Jarod. “Watch” She looked back to Giles who had taken out a book and was walking over towards them.

“In every generation a slayer is born” Giles said setting the book down on the coffee table. “One girl to fight the evil of the world”

“Wait” Jarod said looking to Buffy. “One girl? You do this...what ever it is you do, all alone?”

“Well not really” Buffy said looking to Willow and then at Xander. “I’ve been a lot luckier then most slayers.”

“I thought you said there was only one?” He asked looking from Buffy to Giles.

“There is” Giles said opening the book.

“But you just said--” He said turning to Buffy.

“Wait, just listen” Buffy said smiling at him. “You’ll get it.” So Giles explained it as only Giles can. All about the vampires and werewolves and how all the things you thought went bump in the night really did go bump. He took it all in very quietly looking over at Buffy when Giles told him about her dieing.

“Only for a few minutes” Buffy said smiling at him. Then they told him all about taking down the mayor and a little about Faith. By the end of the hour and a half Jarod was all caught up on what Buffy was and what she did.

“Wow” He said looking a little overwhelmed. “When Sydney said you were different he wasn’t joking.”

“Who’s Sydney?” Buffy asked sitting down next to him.

“He’s...” Jarod trailed off a little. “He’s a mentor of sorts”

“Does he work at The Center?” Buffy asked. Jarod looked over at her.

“He does” Jarod said nodding his head. “How do you know about The Center anyway?” Jarod said thinking it over this was the second time she had mentioned them.

“I got a letter about you” Buffy said smiling “From an old friend”

“You got a letter about me?” Jarod asked a little shocked. “How did anyone know who I was?”

“A friend from the Council wrote me” Buffy said then seeing his confused look added “They’re the group in England that train the watchers”

“Ok” Jarod said nodding. “So how did they know about me?”

“We don’t know,” Buffy said looking to Giles. Buffy laid back against the couch and let her mind wonder.

“Giles” She said without opening her eyes. “If the Council knew I was a potential why didn’t they train me up like they did with Kendra?”

“I don’t know” Giles said walking over to his desk. “But I do know who we could ask to find out” he said picking up a letter off his desk.

“Ok, I give, who do we ask?” Buffy said sitting up and looking at Giles.

“I think you need to talk to your mother” He paused and looked at the rest of the group. “Then I think we need to make a little trip to LA.”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Mom” Buffy yelled as she entered the house from the kitchen door. Jarod stepped in and looked around.

“Nice place” He said smiling at her.

“Yeah” Buffy said nodding her head. “I like it” Just then Joyce walked into the room smiling.

“Buffy who’s this?” She asked smiling at Buffy’s friend.

“Hi mom” Buffy said smiling at her. “Um...I kinda need to talk to you”

“Ok” Joyce said looking a little worried but walking into the dinning room behind Buffy.

“Sit down” Buffy said indicating the chair at the head of the table.

“Buffy what's going on, and who’s he?” She asked looking at Jarod.

“He’s what we need to talk about” Buffy said nodding her head to a chair for Jarod to sit down too. When they were all seated at the table Buffy took her moms hand and smiled at her.

“Mom I would like you to meet Jarod” She smiled nodding at him.

“Nice to meet you” She said still looking very confused. “Buffy?”

“I know, I’m getting there” Buffy said taking a deep breath. “I just found something out about myself that I didn’t know before, something that you were keeping from me” Buffy said shaking her head when her moms face went into defend mode. “I’m not mad or anything mom, so don’t worry”

“So what is it you found out?” Joyce asked sure she already knew the answer.

“That I was adopted when I was little” Buffy said sighing when her mom nodded.

“And you’re not mad?” Her mom asked she had always known she would have to tell her and she had been sure she would have been furious at her for not telling earlier.

“No I’m not” Buffy said looking at Jarod. “I don’t think I did this right the first time. Mom I’d like you to meet Jarod, my brother”

“Oh” Joyce said looking over at the man sitting there watching Buffy with a small smile on his lips. “Oh wow”

“Yeah” Buffy said nodding her head. Her mom seemed to be taking this all in nicely. “Ok so here’s the thing mom, I need some answers that even you can’t give me”

“So what are you going to do?” She asked looking at Jarod and back to Buffy.

“Go to someone who can” She said standing up and looking to Jarod. “I’m going to be in LA for a little while. I’ll call when I get there.”

“You’re going to LA?” Joyce asked standing up too. “Why, who’s there that can give you answers, who’s going with you?” She asked just as the door bell rang. Buffy smiled at her mom and walked over to the door. Giles, Willow and Xander were all standing on the other side of it.

“They are,” Buffy said nodding for them to come in. “Where’s Oz?” Buffy asked looking at Willow.

“He has a gig in town tonight, he’s meeting us there” Willow said smiling behind Buffy at Joyce, who still looked a little lost.

“Ok” Buffy said smiling. “Let me grab some things and we can go” She started up the stairs “whose car are we taking?” She asked looking at Giles.

“Oz has loaned us the van” Giles said smirking “As long as I don’t let you within five feet of the driver’s seat”

“Ha ha” Buffy said. She smiled at her mom who was nodding her head at Giles comment. “Mom, want to help me pack?”

“Ok” Joyce said walking up behind Buffy.

“How did it go?’ Giles asked looking at Jarod.

“Good I guess” Jarod said looking back at all of Buffy's friends. “I don’t really know much about them to know if they’re mad or not, but I get the feeling there’s a lot of history there” Jarod said lowering his head

“There is” Giles said nodding his head. “You have all the time ion the world now though” Giles said sensing the sadness this cased Jarod. “It will only take a while with Buffy; she wears her heart on her sleeve.”

“Yeah” Xander said nodding his head “Like when she’s mad she has this face like ‘you’re so lucky your human or I’d have to slay you’ kinda look”

“Boy does she ever” Willow said as they walked into the living room to sit down. “But when she’s happy she has this whole floating on air thing going on” They all sat down and started to tell Jarod a few stories about Buffy.

“How long will you be gone?” Joyce asked when they got up to Buffy’s room.

“I don’t know a few days, a week at most” Buffy said throwing things into her duffle bag.

“And this isn't like last time?” Joyce asked looking at her. “Something really bad didn’t just happen, did it?”

“No mom” She smiled “Something pretty good happened”

“I’m so sorry I never told you” Joyce said sitting down on the bed. “Your father and I decided to tell you when you were old enough to understand, then we split up and, well, it seamed so much harder to tell you alone”

“Its ok mom,” Buffy said sitting down next to her. “I was mad when I first found out, but now I mean it’s not like anything’s changed, you’re still my mother, now I just have a brother. I love you”

“I love you too” Joyce said smiling a little. “Is Angel in LA?”

“I don’t know” Buffy said standing and going back to packing “Giles just said there was someone there that would know. He said I should be prepared if we do run into him.”

“I’m sorry” Joyce said standing and walking over to her daughter. “Will you be ok?”

“Of course” Buffy said wiping the loan tear that ran down her face. “I’ll call when we get there” She said zipping up her bag.

“Ok” She said “I’ll walk you out”

“Thanks mom” Buffy said taking her hand as they walked down the steps. They could hear laughing as they walked down the stairs.

“Xander got turned into a solder, he had the gun and the lingo all down, it was very funny” Buffy heard Willow say as Jarod laughed.

“Well at least I didn’t have an evil twin vampire running around” Xander said laughing when Willow hit him. Giles chuckled and Willow turned on him.

“Oh I wouldn’t talk Ripper” Willow said smiling at him.

“Who’s Ripper?” Jarod asked as Buffy walked into the room.

“Are you guys torturing my Watcher?” Buffy asked wagging her finger at them. “Are we ready?”

“Yes I do believe we are” Giles said standing up thankful for the interruption. “We should get going”

“Alright” Willow said getting up and walking to the car behind Giles. Jarod came up next to Buffy and she smiled at him.

“I’ll tell you all about Ripper later” Buffy said smirking at him. “Bye mom” She said hugging her. “I’ll see you later”

“Alright” She said then looked at Jarod. “You take care of her”

“With my very last breath” Jarod said taking Buffy by the shoulders. “I lost her once; it’s not going to happen again”

Joyce just nodded her head and walked them to the door. “I’ll see you later” She said as they piled into the van. Buffy stuck her head out the window.

“Bye mom” She called as hey pulled away.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They all piled out of the van a few hours later in front of an older looking building. The drive had been a very long one with Willow and Xander sleeping most of the way. Buffy had just sat looking out the window and thinking about all the things she wanted to ask Jarod. But ever time she turned to him to ask a question she lost her nerve and just smiled at him.

“Giles why are we stopping at an old doctor’s office? Who the hell is Dr. Folger’s?” Buffy asked reading the name off the mail box. Then she saw the name under it. “Oh”

“Oh what?’ Xander asked from the back of the group “Who is he?”

“Are you ok with this?” Giles asked “That’s where your answers are but if you’re not ready to see him...” Giles trailed off looking at Buffy.

“I’m ready and all that” Buffy said looking passed Giles through the doors and up the stairs “But why would Angel have my answers?” Buffy asked, and on his name Xander stiffened. Jarod seemed to be the only one to notice before Xander loosened up and smiled.

“He doesn’t” Giles said as he walked in through the doors with Buffy close behind him. Willow and Xander where right behind them and Jarod was bringing up the rear. He tapped Willow on the shoulder and she looked back at him.

“Who is this Angel guy, and why would Buffy not want to see him?” Jarod asked as they walked up some stairs.

“Old boyfriend” was all Willow said before turning around again. ‘Must have been very close’ Jarod thought ‘If she had to be ‘ready’ to see him.’

“Tough breakup?” He asked as they turned a corner.

“Yes” Buffy called from the front of the line. Jarod flushed and looked at Willow who was now smiling at him.

“Slayers have really good hearing” She said in way of an explanation.

“Right” Jarod said putting his hand on Willows shoulder because she was about to run into the rest of the group who had stopped in front of a door.

“So are we all going in or...?” Xander trailed off as Buffy opened the door and walked in. “Ok” He said as Giles followed and Willow went next, passing him on her way. “All of us then”

“Damn Doyle and his stupid, painful gifts!” Someone was saying from what must be the back office.

“Cordy just calm down” Some one else said as he opened the door. “Let me call Wes and then we can...” He trailed off when he saw the little group standing there.

“Hello Angel” Buffy said smiling at him.

“You’ll call Wes and then what?” Cordy said coming into the door way. “Who are you talking to?” She asked looking over at Buffy. “Oh”

“What are you doing here?” Angel asked looking at every one and pausing on Jarod.

“Um, well actually we’re here to see Wesley” Giles said looking Angel over. There was a long moment where no one said anything till Cordy spoke up.

“How has your summer been?” She asked looking over at Jarod and smiling “Fairly good I see”

“Oh right” Buffy said smiling and taking Jarod’s arm and pulling him towards the front of the group. “This is Jarod”

“Hi” Angel said looking him over with cool eyes. ‘She’s already seeing someone!’ Angel thought saddened but at the same time happy for her.

“My brother” Buffy said when she saw the look on his face.

“You’re what?” Angel said looking away from Jarod and towards Buffy. “He’s your what?”

“My brother,” Buffy said smiling at him. “That’s what we’re here to see Wes about, right?’ She asked looking over at Giles.

“Yes” Giles said nodding his head and grinning. “We came to talk to Wesley”

“Ok” Angel said still a little confused. “I was just about to call him, Cordy got a vision and--”

“Cordy is having visions?” Xander interrupted looking over at her.

“Yes” She said not looking super happy about it. “A going away gift from Doyle”

“Who’s Doyle?” Buffy and Xander said at the same time.

“He’s a half demon that gets visions from the Powers That Be” Willow said stepping forward a little. “Oz told me” She said in way of explanation as to how she knew.

“He was” Angel said looking over at Cordelia, Buffy saw something pass between them in that second and knew that he didn’t just leave.

“I’m sorry” Buffy said nodding sadly at him.

“Yes well” Angel said sitting behind the desk. “I was just going to call Wes; you guys can wait here if you like”

“Ok” Buffy said looking around the room and then plopping down on the floor. Willow sat next to her and Jarod sat on her other side. Xander sat in front of her and Giles chose to sit in the chair up against the wall. Angel called Wes told him to come over then sat and listened to what the little group was talking about while Cordy “filed” some things away.

“So in the letter Wes said that you were special” Willow said to Jarod to break the silence. “Not like Buffy, but special”

“Well yes, I am” Jarod said nodding his head. Wondering how to explain to them what it was he did, who he was and why The Center wanted him back so badly.

“So, how are you special?” Xander said looking him over.

“Xander give him a minute would ya” Buffy said leveling a glare at her friend.

“Sorry” Xander said shrugging him shoulders.

“It’s ok” Jarod said smiling at Xander and patting Buffy’s hand. “It’s just hard to explain.” He paused for a moment and looked around the room. “I’m what they call a Pretender” Jarod said smiling at their confused looks.

“Oh well that explains it” Buffy said smiling at him. He smiled back down at her and shook his head.

“What that means is that I can, well I can be anything I want. I’ve been every thing from a race car driver to a doctor.” He looked over and could tell Willow wanted to say something. “Yes Willow?” She smiled at him.

“When you say you’ve “been” every thing, what does that mean exactly?” Willow asked wondering if he just faked his way through it.

“I mean I have actually been them. If you were to give me a college test about being a doctor I could pass it after going through the medical book once.”

“Wow” Willow said grinning at him. “So you’re like a genius?”

“Well yes” Jarod said smiling almost sadly at her. “But that’s not all; with enough information about any given situation I can predict the out come. Or enough information on someone, say a murder, I can tell you where they’re going or how they would react to a situation. It’s almost like I can get into their minds”

“So that’s why they want you?” Buffy said squeezing his hand. “Because you’re smart?”

“Wait here for a second” Jarod said getting up and walking out the door. The rest of them just kind of sat there looking at each other as this new information sank in. A few minutes later Jarod was back and he had that suitcase he had been carrying around with him. He sat back down and turned to Buffy.

“This is why they want me most” He opened the case and instead of the clothes Buffy had thought would be in there it was a TV thing. Jarod took out what kinda looked like a disk and slid it into a little slot and the screen came to life. The first thing they saw (they had all gathered around so they could watch) was a little boy of eight or ten. He was seated in a plastic egg shaped chair with an older man walking around the chair.

“That’s me” Jarod said looking at the little boy. “Right now I am helping Sydney figure out if the man that was executed the night before was guilty or not.”

“How can you know that?” Buffy asked as she watched the little boy squirm in the chair.

“Like I said with enough information I can get into their heads” Jarod said sighing when Sydney smiled at him in the video.

“Very good Jarod” Sydney said helping him out of the chair. Jarod closed the little case and looked around the room.

“Ok” Buffy said nodding her head “Well you should fit in just fine with the rest of us then”

“Why? Do you all have some extraordinary power?” Jarod asked looking around at all of them.

“Well not all of us” Xander said “I’m just a high school graduate; Willow however is mighty with the Wiccan power”

“I really just started” She said blushing a little.

“Hey now, you resouled Angel,” Buffy said smiling over at the silent vampire. Angel smiled at her and then looked down at his desk.

“Resouled him?” Jarod asked looking over at him. Angel looked up again but chose not to say anything.

“Oh did I not mention that Angel was a good vampire with a soul?” Buffy said smiling at Jarod.

“What!” Jarod said looking from Buffy to Angel and back again. “You are going to explain right?”

“Yes, but how about another time?” She said looking to the door where Wes now stood looking a little confused.

“What are you doing here?” He said walking around all the people on the floor and stopping at Angel’s desk. “A little warning would have been nice!” He said in a loud whisper.

“Sorry” Angel said in a way that made it clear he really wasn’t very sorry.

“We have a few things to ask you” Buffy said answering his earlier question.

“About what?” Wes said feigning ignorance.

“About the letter you wrote me and” Buffy said smiling at the man seated next to her “My brother”

“How did you know it was me?” Wes said looking from Angel to Buffy.

“You have a pretty unique hand righting” Willow said smiling sweetly at him. “You would have done better to use a computer”

“Oh” Wes said. He looked around and sighed “Well you’ll just have to wait I’m sure Angel has something that needs to be killed or rescued or something, right?” He asked looking at Angel, silently pleading with him.

“Well nothing that can’t wait, Cordy said it wasn’t happening till sunset and that’s at lest four hours away”

“Right” Wes said looking at Buffy. “Well then what are you waiting for?” Every one looked at Buffy and she looked at Giles. He smiled at her and she looked back to Wes.

“Ok” Buffy said running threw all the things she wanted to ask Wes. “Why did Jarod think I was dead?”

“Because” Wes said like it was only the simplest thing in the world. “They faked your death”

“Who did?” Willow asked voicing every ones question.

“The Watchers Council” Wes said sitting in a chair by Angel’s desk.

“So they knew she was a potential?” Giles asked this was all news to him.

“Yes, they did” Wes said nodding his head.

“So why wasn’t I trained like Kendra?” Buffy asked

“Because the Watchers Council new that The Center was watching for you and we didn’t want them to get their hands on you, so you were placed in a new home and brought up totally normal, it was decided if you ever became a slayer you would just have to be trained then” Wes said looking a little grave.

“So they knew what The Center was?” Jarod asked speaking up for the first time.

“Yes, they have extensive knowledge on The Center” Wes said looking at Jarod.

“So the Watchers new when they took Jarod away to that place?” Buffy said standing up and walking over to Wes, “They knew and they didn’t do anything to get him out?” She was now a foot away from him.

“It was deemed” he stopped and took a deep breath “It was deemed an unnecessary risk” He said holding him self up and closing his eyes. He looked like a man who knew he was about to get punched in the nose. But Buffy just stood there looking at him.

“Ok” She said with a (very fake) calm voice. “So what do we do now?” She turned to Giles.

“Now we find out how much The Center has on you” Giles said looking at Buffy. “And I want to know as much about the people who are after you as possible.” The rest of the group turned to leave.

“Ok” Jarod said walking over and taking Buffy’s hand. “They wouldn’t have been able to get me out anyway, hell it took me almost twenty years, give or take a few” She smiled at him and turned to Wes.

“Thanks for this new info. You’ll be around if I have anymore questions, right?” Buffy said smiling sweetly at him.

“Yes” He said nodding his head. “And Buffy, I wouldn’t go to the Watchers Council for any help”

“Ha!” Buffy said turning to the door. “Like I need help form stuffy old British guys”

“I heard that” Giles said from down the hall.

“Well you don’t count” Buffy yelled back as she walked out the door without saying goodbye to Angel.

“Still just as loud” Wes said standing and walking over to Cordy.

“Yes she is” Angel said smiling sadly.

“Are we going home?” Buffy asked as they piled back into the car.

“No I think it best we stay away from there” Giles said getting into the car. “You should call you mom and tell her to go on vacation”

“Ok” Buffy said. She looked at Jarod. “You don’t think they know where I live, do you?”

“Not yet” he said with a reassuring smile. “They only just found out you were even alive, it will take Broots at lest a few days to track you down.”

“Who’s Broots?” Buffy asked as Giles started down the road to find a hotel. “And Sydney and that women you mentioned, what was her name Miss. Parter, Packer?”

“Miss Parker” Jarod said thinking how best to describe them. “This is going to take a while”

“Hey we’ve got a life time” Buffy said smiling at him.

Chapter 3 New Problems

“So you knew her the whole time you were in there?” Buffy asked shifting on the bed in the hotel room.

“Yes” Jarod said smiling as he watched her fidget; it seemed to be something she did when she just couldn’t get comfortable.

“So if you were friends why is she after you?” Willow asked walking in from the other room. They were staying in a very nice hotel in the middle of LA. There were three main rooms and two couches that turned into beds. Buffy and Jarod where seated on one of the pull out beds.

“Well, it’s her job” Jarod said “She works for The Centre. She was also a little jaded. After her mother died she just...changed.”

“Are you still friends?” Buffy asked “I mean do you still call her like you do Sydney?”

“Not very often, and I tend to call her really late at night” Jarod said shaking his head with a happy little smirk on his face. “I’m trying to help her uncover who killed her mother though, and I once sent her a bunny” He said smiling at the memory.

“A bunny?” Xander asked looking a little confused.

“It’s a long story” Jarod said smiling.

“Why is she so insistent in bringing you back?” Giles asked “How can you help her if you’re stuck in there?”

“I don’t know, I think though that she’s starting to soften” He said looking around at the group. “That’s why they’ve brought in Lyle”

“Who?” Buffy and Xander asked at the same time.

“Miss Parker’s twin brother” Jarod said “She didn’t know they were twins, hell she didn’t even know they were brother and sister till a little while ago” Jarod stood up and walked to the phone. “Is anyone else hungry?” Four hands went up and Jarod smiled.

“Yeah, why don’t you call room serves and we can all have some food” Buffy said smiling at him.

“Ok” Jarod said picking up the little menu by the phone. “What should I get?”

“Just get some burgers and fries” Buffy said smiling. She turned to Willow and Willow nodded in agreement.

“Yeah that sounds good” Willow said “Get some for Oz too”

“Did you tell him where we were staying and what room we were in?” Xander asked looking up from his book.

“Yeah, he should be here in about half an hour.” Willow said pulling out her laptop. She typed for a few minutes and then paused for a second “Yes! I think I may have found The Centre”

“What?” Jarod said hanging up the phone and turning to Willow. She typed a little more then nodded. “I’m in their mainframe” She said looking up at him and smiling. “Neat, huh?”

“What do you mean you’re in their mainframe?” Jarod asked disbelieving. “Broots couldn’t even do that”

“Well I have a few tricks up my sleeve” She said smirking at him “So what do you want to know?” Willow asked smiling at him. “Who should I be looking at?”

“Well, uh, Dr. Raines, I think or Mr. Parker” Jarod said looking down at Willow.

“Ok, well here are Dr. Raines e-mails, and, oh, he just got one from someone named Red” Willow looks up at Jarod “The subject is...” Willow trailed off and looked at Buffy then to Jarod “The subject is ‘Lizzy’”

“Me” Buffy said looking up at her brother. “Well what does it say?”

“The subject has been located in a small town in California” Willow read from the screen. “Capture and contain, do not, under any circumstances terminate” Willow looked at Buffy. “That’s it”

“Well at least they don’t want to kill me” Buffy said forcing a smile. They all turned when there was a knock at the door.

“Food?” Xander asked getting up.

“That was a little fast” Buffy said getting up and walking to the door. “Hello?” She said looking through the peep hole.

“I have a letter here for a Ms. Buffy Summers” The woman on the other side of the door said.

“Could you just, uh, slide it under the door?” Buffy said putting on the chain.

“Um, ok” She said bending down and sliding it under the door.

“Thank you” Buffy said taking the letter on the floor. The front of the envelope simply said ‘Buffy Summers’

“Who is that from?” Giles said coming up next to Buffy.

“I don’t know,” Buffy said going to open it.

“I think you should let me do that” Giles said taking the letter from her.

“Hey” Buffy said looking up at him. “Fine” She said at his stern glare. “You open it”

Giles walked over to the couch and sat down next to Willow. Every one gathered around him as he opened it.

“Well at lest if it’s a bomb we all go together” Xander said earning him a smack on the back of the head from Willow. Giles glared at him as he pulled the letter (yep just a letter) out of the envelope. He looked down at it and you could see he was reading it.

“Come on Giles, out loud” Buffy said trying to read it over his shoulder.

“Right, sorry” He said “Ms. Summers the following is a text file e-mail, it is a conversation held between Quentin Tavers and The Exterminator’ It would seem you have a few enemies here in the Watchers Council, it would also seem you have a few friends.

Watcher: The Slayer has outlasted her usefulness. Take her out.

Exterminator: And the other one?

Watcher: Yes her as well, she is the one that will activate the new slayer.

Exterminator: Do we know their whereabouts?

Watcher: Yes, They still have Faith in a coma, she shouldn’t be a problem.

Exterminator: And the Summers' girl?

Watcher: We are currently working on it, we will find her.

Exterminator: Notify me as soon as you do.

Watcher: Of course, for now take care of Faith.

Exterminator: Yes Sir.

Watcher: I want you to leave on Friday. Then stay out there till we tell you where to find Summers'.

Exterminator: Yes sir.

This was sent out three days ago. If you are going to save Faith you have little time to act, Good luck to you, A Friend.”

“I didn’t even know Tavers knew how to use a computer” Giles said looking back at Buffy.

“Oh well this is just wonderful” Buffy said as she turned to pace behind the couch. “I mean it’s not enough that The Centre is after me, but now the Council wants me too, how did they even know where I was?” Buffy just paced for a second then came to a decision. “We have to get Faith”

“We can’t” Jarod said walking over to Buffy.

“What!” Buffy said turning on him. “We can’t just leave her there!”

“Buffy if you go there to save her and they’re already there then what will you do?” Jarod said taking her by the shoulders.

“I can take them, and he didn’t leave till just today, I’m sure we can get to her in time” Buffy said looking around for support. “Giles tell him he’s—

“Right” Giles said coming up next to her. “They have all the power, Buffy they have...they have...” He said thinking of the solution that rendered her powerless.

“I know what they have” Buffy said looking around at her friends. None of whom had ever really liked Faith all that much, hell nether had she. And now they just wanted her to give up. ‘Not going to happen’ she thought meeting Giles’ eyes and nodded feigning acceptance.

“I need to call my mom” She said looking at Willow, defeat in her eyes.

“Ok” Jarod said letting go of her shoulders. Just then there was a knock at the door. Willow opened it after looking through the peep hole. Oz walked into the tension filled room and looked around.

“I missed something, didn’t I?”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After Buffy called her mom and told her to go away, again. The food showed up and they all ate in nearly complete silence. And after they were full they all decided it was time to get some sleep, being that it was already 12:30. They would talk about what to do next tomorrow after a good nights sleep. Buffy opted to take the second couch. Willow and Oz were in the room next to Giles and Xander’s (There were two beds in there.) Jarod was on the other couch in the living room with Buffy.

Buffy lay there in that bed for almost four hours before she was sure everyone was fast asleep in their beds. She got up and walked over to the bag she had brought with her. While it was pitch black in the room Buffy didn’t run into anything because she had memorized where all the furniture was in the room. After she had gotten all the things she thought she’d need she made her way to the door. She couldn’t see him but she knew there was someone standing in front of the door.

“Late night stroll?” Jarod asked in a low whisper.

“Right” Buffy said shouldering the back pack she was carrying. “How did you know I was leaving?” She asked a little shocked; she had thought her performance had been pretty good.

“I know you” He said smiling “Even if I wasn’t a pretender I would have known you were sneaking out to save that girl”

“Ok, well, good for you” Buffy said reaching for the door knob.

“I can’t let you go out there-- Buffy cut him off.

“You know I can move you” She said sweetly “don’t think because you’re my brother I wont move you, I have to get to Faith”

“Well see now if you’d let me finish, I was going to say I can’t let you go out there alone” Jarod said putting his hand on her arm.

“Oh” Buffy said relieved that she wasn’t going to hurt him. “So you’re coming with me then?” She asked as he moved next to her.

“Yep” Jarod said nodding his head.

“Ok, well lets go, we don’t have a whole lot of time” Buffy said pulling out the note she had written earlier and setting it on the table by the door. “Sorry Giles” She said as she opened the door and stepped through after Jarod shutting it silently behind her.

Giles walked back to his bed and sat down, so she was gone now. He had known she wouldn’t give up that easily. He had gotten up to go out there to go with her, because he would be damned if he was going to let her do something like that alone. Then he had heard her talking to Jarod. It would seem that Jarod knows her pretty well already. Giles just lay there on his bed for a long while worrying about Buffy, till sleep finally over came him. It was almost 6:30 by then and Buffy was about 20 minutes from Sunnydale in the back of a cab with Jarod.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“I guess now would be as good a time as every to tell you more about Faith” Buffy said pulling something out of her bag.

“What about him?” Jarod asked nodding his head at the driver.

“Oh that’s easy” She pulled out a little blue bag and poured out a hand full of dust. She blew it at the driver and then turned and smiled at Jarod. “See easy”

“What did it do?” Jarod asked looking at the driver he looked totally normal.

“I just made it so he can’t hear us, he can hear every thing else, just not us” Buffy explained “To him it just seems like we’re not talking”

“Wow” Jarod said looking at the little bag.

“Yeah, Willow’s been teaching me a few things. She says my power must come from my being the slayer.” Buffy said smiling at him. “What’s in your goody bag?” She asked looking down at the little bag by his feet.

“You’ll see” She said smiling at her.

“Ok” Buffy said pouting. “So anyway I want to tell you about Faith, what do you know so far?”

“Just that she is another vampire slayer, and is for some reason in a coma.” Jarod said looking up to the driver and expecting him to turn around when he said vampire slayer. But he didn’t and Buffy giggled.

“Told you he couldn’t hear us” Buffy said smiling at him. “Yeah Faith is a slayer. She showed up after Dru killed Kendra.” Buffy sighed and went on to tell Jarod all about Faith, how she had seemed ok at first but then started to get a little out of control and then she accidentally killed a human. How she had joined the Mayors team and had tried to turn Angel evil. When that didn’t work she tried to kill him by poisoning him with a poison only curable by slayers blood. So she went after Faith, and put her in a comma.

“So if she was so intent on killing you and your friends, why are you saving her?” Jarod asked looking Buffy in the eyes. “What makes you feel so guilty?”

“How did you know I feel guilty?” Buffy asked smirking at him when she remembered. “That’s going to start to get a little annoying you know” Jarod just smiled at her waiting for her answer.

“I wasn’t very welcoming when she first got here” Buffy said looking down at her hands. “Made her feel like an outsider, if I had been nicer, more welcoming she may not have gone over the deep end”

“Ok” Jarod said nodding his head. “I don’t think you could have helped her. Even if you had been nicer or friendlier, I think this was a part of Faiths life she had to go through, but when we save her she is going to need help, more then we may be able to give her right now.”

“I know,” Buffy said nodding. “That’s why I’m going to leave her with Angel”

“Angel?”

“Yeah, I think he can help her, if she wants it, if not we’ll just take her to the cops” Buffy said thinking about what Angel was going to say.

“That is if she wakes up” Jarod said watching as they past the ‘Welcome to Sunnydale' sign.

“She will” Buffy said staring to the east, where the sun would be rising in a little while.

“What makes you so sure?” Jarod asked.

“Well it sounds like the Council is keeping her in a coma, Tavers said ‘They still have her in a coma’ which would lead me to believe she is being given something to keep her docile. And, well...I’ve been having a few dreams, about her.”

“Oh” Jarod said feeling a little silly for having missed that, he had just been so worried about Buffy, he really wasn’t paying much attention to anything else.

“So where to Miss?” The cab driver asked as they drove down the main street in Sunnydale.

“The hospital please” Buffy said smiling at him.

“Miss? Where to?” The driver said again looking at her in his rearview mirror.

“Oh! Right” Buffy said smiling. She pulled out another bag this one red and poured out some of the sand. She blew it on the driver again and waited a second.

“To the hospital please,” Buffy said smiling at him.

“Ok” The driver said turning down the next road.

“You know visiting hours aren’t going to start for another couple of hours” The driver said looking back at them.

“We’re not visiting” Jarod said smiling at him. “I’m going to be working there”

“Oh” The driver said nodding his head. “Well if you’re going to be living here you should know a few things”

“Oh yeah?” Jarod said smiling at him. “Like what?”

“Well, don’t go out at night alone, it’s not safe, and beware of the teens around here, we have a bad problem with PCP users.” The driver said as they pulled into the parking lot.

“Well thanks for the advice” Jarod said getting out and handing the driver his money. “I’ll watch my back”

“Good luck” The driver said taking the money and driving off.

“P.C.P?” Jarod asked turning to Buffy.

“What? You think the mayor was going to say we had a vampire problem? That’s how they explain all the weird things that happen here” Buffy said smiling at him. “So you’re going to work here huh?”

“Well unless you had another idea for getting to her?” Jarod said walking in the front doors.

“No that works” Buffy said nodding her head. “Good thing I brought you alone”

“Good thing” Jarod said.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Well we can’t just leave her out there” Xander said looking over the note. “I mean how does she even plan on getting back here with a very unconscious girl?”

“Did you even read the note?” Willow asked taking it from him. She read through it found the right line and read it to Xander. “I’m going to need a ride back, so if your not to mad at me maybe you could show up at Willy’s at about ten. If I’m not there by ten thirty, well, don’t worry about that, I’ll be there by ten thirty.

Love, Buffy”

“Oh, so we should leave then” Xander said looking at the clock it was 7:30 now so they had about three hours to get there.

“Yeah now would probably be a good time” Willow said smiling at Xander. “I’ll just go tell Oz we’re leaving soon.

“But he’s in the shower” Xander said looking at Willow.

“So?” Willow said smirking at him as she walked away.

“Xander are you ready to go?” Giles said trying not to laugh at the face he was making.

“Yeah” Xander said shaking his head. “Ready.”

“Ok good” Giles said calling the front desk to tell them they would be renting the room for another night.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Dr. Russell I wasn’t aware that we were getting any new doctors” The head nurse said as she walked with Jarod and Buffy through the halls.

“Yes well you know how those administrators can be” He smiled charmingly at the older women as she handed him back all his papers.

“Yes I do” She said shaking her head. “They don’t think I need to know anything.” She looked over at Buffy and smiled. “And who is this?”

“This is my sister Lizzy” He said smiling at Buffy. “She’s blind”

“But she doesn’t have a cane, she walks around like she can see” The nurse said looking guessingly at Buffy.

“Well that’s because I’ve been working on teaching her echolocation” Jarod said smiling at the nurse. “Its like what bats do but she does it in her head, she can tell where we are by how far away our voices are”

“Wow” The nurse said smiling at Jarod. “How old is she?”

“Hey” Buffy said looking in the general direction of the nurse. “I may be blind but I’m not deaf. I’m 19”

“Oh sorry” The nurse said smiling at Buffy. “Of course”

“I’ve heard you have a very interesting case here?” Jarod said looking form Buffy to the nurse. “I’m sorry what did you say your name was?”

“Oh I didn’t, how rude of me” She smiled at him. “I’m Sam Carter, I’m head nurse here”

“Right, Sam I heard you have a girl here who has been in a coma for almost three months for no reason?” Jarod asked

“Yes, she was found in the back of a truck a few months ago totally unconscious. It looked like she had fallen from quite high. She also had a very bad wound to the stomach.”

“Any head trauma?” Jarod asked smiling at her “Any reason she should still be in the coma?”

“There was severe head trauma when she was brought in, but everything seems to have, well healed over. There is no scar tissue, no real reason for her to still be in a coma, most of the doctors around here are baffled.” Sam said.

“Do you think I could take a look at her?” Jarod asked smiling at her.

“Oh sure” She said “She’s just this way” She said turning down a hall. Buffy followed close behind Jarod and the nurse counting all the other people she saw as they mover through the halls. It seemed that this early in the morning there weren’t a lot of people around. That should make this a little easier.

“You don’t mind if Lizzy stays in here with me?” Jarod asked when they walked into faiths room. “She wants to be a doctor”

“Really?” The nurse said turning to Buffy. “How extraordinary”

“Yeah, I want to be an Ob-Gyn” Buffy said trying to think of something a blind person might be able to do.

“Yes well we’ve been working on it” Jarod said smiling.

“Of course” Sam said nodding her head. “I don’t see any problem with that.”

“Thanks” Buffy said trying to sound like an eager teenager.

“Well I have my rounds to make” She said nodding to Jarod. “Just ask Stacy if you have any questions about when you’ll be starting”

“Ok, thank you” Jarod said nodding his head at her. She walked out of the room shutting the door behind her.

“So why am I blind?” Buffy asked as she walked up to Faiths bed.

“Makes you look helpless and weak” Jarod said walking to the other side of the bed. “This is her?”

“Yep” Buffy said nodding her head with a smile on her face, as much trouble as she had caused she was happy to see that she was alive. “That was easy”

“Yes, it helps to know how people work” Jarod said looking her over. “Well they’re not helping her breathe and she has very active brain waves” Jarod said checking all the monitors. “I think your right; they must be keeping her under. So did you have a plan for getting her out of here?”

“Yes I do actually” Buffy said “Is there a wheelchair in her somewhere?”

“Yes” Jarod said after looking around. He pulled it out and unfolded it. “Ok now what?”

“Now could you take out all the needles and take off the monitors with out making it make that beeping noise they make when you go flat line?” Buffy said smiling at him.

“Sure” He said unplugging the monitors and taking out the needle in her arm. “Ok now what?” He asked.

“Would you make sure no one is out there?” Buffy asked as she dressed Faith.

“Yeah” Jarod said walking over to the door. He looked out side and saw the hall was still pretty empty. “I think we’re set so let’s go” He said turning around. “Where did Faith go?” He asked a now seated Buffy.

“She’s right here” Buffy said patting the leg of an invisible Faith. Faith was sitting in Buffy's lap. “Let’s go Doc” She said smiling at him. She laid her head on the chair and closed her eyes. Jarod looked back at the bed and noticed it looked like there was still someone in it.

“So they won’t catch on right away” Buffy said with her eyes still closed.

“Right” Jarod said wheeling her out the door. Half way down the hall he ran into Sam.

“What happened?” She asked looking alarmed.

“Oh nothing” Jarod said smiling reassuringly at her. “She just fell asleep in the chair so I’m going to wheel her out to the car. I’ll bring in right back in, promise”

“Oh” Sam said smiling sweetly. “You know my youngest son is blind”

“I’m sorry” Jarod said looking sad. “You should really look into echolocation”

“I will thank you” She said nodding to him. “I’ll see you in a few minutes”

“Of course” Jarod said feeling bad that this nice woman was probably going to get in trouble after this. He walked out the doors and turned right. Buffy had told Jarod the fastest way to Willy’s. So that’s were he was headed. He looked at his watch. ‘Wow’ it was already 9:47.

“How long are you going to make me push both of you?” Jarod asked in a joking tone.

“Well not much farther” Buffy said smiling at him. “Just stop, right here should be good” He pulled over and helped Buffy put just Faith in the chair.

“So how did you make her invisible?” Jarod asked as they walked down the deserted street.

“A spell Willow taught me” Buffy said. “She fond a spell last year to turn ferns invisible so she found a way to change it to work for me, because what an advantage over the bad guys that would be, huh?”

“Yeah” Jarod said nodding his head. “How far is this place?” He asked looking around. They seemed to be going towards a bad part of town.

“Not far” She said looking around. “Did you hear that?” She asked lookin behind them.

“No” He said stopping. He looked around the little alley they had just turned into. “Is there something there?”

“I don’t know” She said looking around. She turned to Jarod “Come on there’s nothing there” She walked about ten feet and stopped again. She turned and walked over to a trash can and haled someone out from behind it. “What the hell are you doing?” She asked.

“Uh, watching your back?” Xander said straitening.

“So is everyone here?” Buffy asked looking at him.

“Yeah there waiting in the bar” Xander said looking at the seemingly empty chair. “You didn’t get her?”

“No we got her” Buffy said smirking at him.

“Ok” Xander said walking over to the chair. He looked down at the chair. He jumped back in surprise when Faith appeared there.

“What the hell?” He said looking up at Buffy.

“Come on lets get out of her before The Exterminator shows up at the hospital and finds her gone” Buffy said picking up Faith and throwing her over her shoulder.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“So?” Buffy said once they were in route back to the hotel with Faith in the back still in a ‘coma.’ She was seated next to Giles in the front and Willow, Oz and Xander where in the back seats and Jarod was tending Faith in the very back of the van.

“So what?” Giles asked looking over at her.

“Aren’t you mad?” Buffy asked keeping her eyes on the road ahead while Giles drove.

“No” Giles said shaking his head. “I’m not mad”

“Even thought I risked myself to save a girl who tried to kill all of us at least once?” Buffy asked looking over at Giles with a funny look on her face. Almost like she was disappointed he wasn’t mad.

“Do you want me to be?” He asked trying to watch her and the road at the same time.

“No” Buffy said smiling

“It’s just in your blood Buffy, that’s who you are” He smiled. “I think I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t saved her.”

“Ok so you were what, testing me?” Buffy asked smirking at him.

“No, I really didn’t want you to go, but a part of me knew you would. And I knew when you did I wouldn’t try to stop you” Giles said sighing. “Ok?”

“Of course” Buffy said smiling at him. “I’m going to go check on the patient.”

“All right” Giles said as she unbuckled and climbed over the seat. She traded seats with Xander so she could look over the back of the seat. So Xander was now seated up front with Giles.

“How’s she doin?” Buffy asked looking down at Faith.

“Well her pulse is normal and her eyes move so there brain activity, I think it’s just a mater of time now”

“Ok” Buffy said. She turned around in her seat sat there for a second then turned back. “Thanks for helping me get her out; I couldn’t have done it with out you”

“Hey that’s what I’m here for, to help my little sister break some one out of a hospital before they get killed.” He paused looked up at her and smiled. “Now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say”

“Yeah, that happens a lot around here,” Buffy said smiling at him. “Let me know if there’s any change”

“Of course” He said. She turned around and laid her head back. He smiled when he could hear that she had fallen asleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Buffy wake up” She heard some one say. “Come on, we’re here”

“Just five more minutes Mom, I don’t want to go to school” She rolled over and Jarod smiled.

“I’ll get her” He said as he bent to pick her up. “Can you get Faith?” He asked looking at Giles.

“Yes” He said nodding his head. “Let’s get her up to the room before she wakes up”

“Alright” Jarod bent down and picked Buffy up and she smiled.

“Let’s fly Jarod” She said snuggling into his shoulder.

“Does she always talk in her sleep like that?” Jarod asked looking around to every one.

“Only when she’s really comfortable” Willow said looking at him with a smile. “She doesn’t do it unless she feels safe. When she’s in a really deep sleep, normally Buffy’s really easy to wake”

“Oh” He said grinning down at her. “Well she’s probably really tired.” He said to no one unparticular.

“Yep” Willow said smiling at Oz. “He’s going to be a very good person to have around”

“I like him” Oz said nodding his head. They got to the hotel room and Xander opened the door and let everyone in. Giles took Faith strait to the room (they had decided before they left) where they were going to keep her. Xander had gone through and taken out the phone and the any sharp things, things she might use as a weapon. He locked the door behind him and walked over to the rest of them.

“So now what?” He asked looking down at the sleeping Buffy.

“Let her sleep” Jarod said smiling “We can wake her when Faith wakes up”

“So Buffy is sure that it’s not a coma that they were just keeping her sedated?” Giles asked looking to the room Faith was in.

“Yeah I think she’s right” Jarod said nodding his head. “She said something about dreams but I didn’t ask”

“Oh, well if she’s been talking to Faith maybe she won't be so hard to deal with” Willow said smiling. Their head all whipped around as they hear a crash from inside the room.

“Where the hell am I!” They heard Faith yell, though it sounded a little shaky.

“Well maybe not” Willow said smiling at Giles. “I guess we wake Buffy now”

“No need” Buffy said sitting up and looking at the door. “Well I guess it’s now or never.”

“I vote for never” Xander said listening as the crashing went on. “She doesn’t sound very happy.

“She sure doesn’t,” Buffy said walking over to the door. She unlocked it and walked in closing it behind her.

“Ah Buffy” They heard Faith said with false happiness. “So nice to see you”

Chapter 4: You Gotta Have Faith

“So Faith,” Buffy said smiling at the dark haired slayer. “How ya feelin?”

“Where the hell am I!” Faith demanded standing, but finding her legs a little wobbly she sat back down. “And why do I feel all wobbly?”

“Well you’re in a hotel room in LA and you’re wobbly because you’ve been in a coma for the last four months.” Buffy said sitting down on the bed opposite Faith.

“No thanks to you” Faith said sitting down with a small smirk on her face. “Four months huh?” She said looking around the room.

“How is dead-boy doing?” Faith asked and Buffy wondered if Faith realized she had picked up Xander’s nick-name for Angel.

“He’s fine” Buffy said resisting the urge to hit her, she may have just saved her life but sometime she just wanted to...

“I should have known I was with you” Faith said interrupting Buffy's thoughts.

“Oh yeah?” Buffy asked “Why?”

“Well just look at what I’m wearing” Faith said looking down at the shirt. “I would never wear this color” after that they just sat there, in the silence, after a while Buffy told her about why she was here, and what was going on.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“What do you think there talking about in there?” Xander asked looking to the door.

“I don’t know” Giles said for the fifth time. “I am not a mind reader Xander”

“Well it doesn’t sound like they’re talking about any thing” Oz said looking at Xander. “All quiet on the western front”

“Do you think we should do any thing?” Jarod said looking up from his computer for the first time in over half an hour.

“No” Giles and Willow said at the same time. “Let them work this out, if they can. And if they can’t we don’t need to worry about it” He picked up the tranquilizer gun by his side.

“Is that for Buffy or Faith?” Xander asked smirking.

“Um...” Giles just shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

“Ok” Jarod said looking back down at his computer.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“So what are you going to do with me?” Faith asked when buffy was done telling her about what was going on.

“Well right now I’m kinda on the run so I don’t have time to...uh...” She trailed off and looked Faith in the eyes.

“Deal with a crazy homicidal slayer?” Faith finished for her.

“Well that’s not how I was going to put it” Buffy said “But you were working for the bad guy”

“Yep” Faith said nodding her head.

“And you did try to kill both my best-friends” Buffy said sighing.

“Yep” Faith said again nodding her head.

“But then I did try to kill you” Buffy said surprising Faith.

“Damn right you did” Faith said nodding her head more vigorously.

“But you did poison my boyfriend” Buffy said.

“Well yeah, there is that” Faith said looking down at her hands.

“So ok, what I want to know is, are you still...um...a crazy homicidal slayer?” Buffy asked causing Faith to look up at her again.

“I...I...” Faith seemed to be at a loss for words. She had so wanted to hurt Buffy when she had first woken up and seen her walk through the door. It was all still there just below the surface, the hate and the anger, but now it was an unwanted felling. Buffy had risked her life to save her, she had risked it all, and now she was giving her a chance, to...what? Redeem herself? Well what ever it was she was ready, she could do the good guy thing.

“Because if you are I have no qualms running you over to the local authorities here in LA” She paused and watched Faiths face carefully. “But if your not and you want my help all you have to do is ask for it”

“Just like that?” Faith asked cynically, old habits die hard. “Just a little ‘help me oh powerful Buffy’ and all is forgiven?”

“Hardly” Buffy said with a snort of laughter. “I only give trust to those who deserve it”

“And how are you going to help me?” Faith asked standing now a little sturdier on her feet. If Buffy was on the run how was she going to be abler to help her?

“I’m going to take you to Angel” Buffy said seeing that sparked something in Faith. “Because as cliché as it may sound I think he can help you because he may know a little of what your feeling”

“Ok” Faith said looking to the door where she guessed the rest of the Scooby’s where waiting. None of them were going to be happy to see her, but she would work hard and show then Buffy had not helped her in vain. “Take me to Angel”

“Ok” Buffy said getting up, “I just need to make a few calls, do you want to stay in here or come see every one?”

“I think I’ll just stay in here for a while” Faith said sitting down on the bed again. “I’m feeling a little light headed.”

“Right” Buffy said walking to the door. She stopped before she opened it, and with out turning around she said. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry” She walked out hoping that Faith knew she wasn’t just talking about stabbing her in the stomach.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

First she paced the little room for about ten minute but got very bored of that very fast. She then tried to do a little work out, but as she learned earlier the room is not very big. Finally she sat back down on the bed and looked at the bedside table. There was a book sitting there lying open on its pages. She picked it up and looked at the cover.

“On the Road?” She said out loud looking around the room. “Who the hell is Jack Kerouac?”

She opened it to the first page and out of boredom started to read. 35 pages later Faith was rudely interrupted by a knock on the door. She doggy eared the page she was on and set it down.

“What?” She called as Buffy walked in closely followed by a tall dark haired man Faith had never seen before.

“We’re going to be going soon” Buffy said standing in the door with this guy at her back. “You ready?”

“Wait, I have to pack” She walked over to the table and picked up Xander’s book. She stuck in her back pocket. “Ok, now I’m ready”

“That’s Xanders book” Buffy pointed out with out much interest.

“Yeah, so?” Faith said eyeing tall dark and handsome.

“Ok, well let’s go” Buffy said turning to go.

“Wait aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend?” Faith asked still eyeing him.

“This is Jarod” Buffy said smiling up at him.

“New boy toy?” Faith asked and smiled when Buffy grimmest.

“Ew no” She said shaking her head. “He’s my brother”

“Man a girl is out of the loop for a few months and she misses everything” Faith said smiling as she walked by Buffy and Jarod. Jarod jumped as she walked by and Buffy smirked.

“Yeah, you have to watch her; she’s huh, very friendly” Buffy said smiling at him.

“Right” Jarod said smiling at her. “Thanks for the warning” Faith walked into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. On the far side of the room Giles, Willow, Oz and Xander stood with identical scowls on there faces.

“Hey guys” Faith said smiling very uncertainty. She shifted from foot to foot looking at all the faces.

“Faith” Giles said in a very stiff tone. He looked to Buffy “Are we all set?”

“Yep” Buffy said nodding her head.

“Ok then” Giles said nodding his head and walking to the door. He opened it and Willow, Oz and Xander walked out the door Giles followed right behind them.

“So, they’re still a little sore at me huh?” Faith said looking at Buffy.

“Well yeah, but just a little” Buffy said sarcastically. “Like I said this isn't going to be easy.” They all walked out the door and down to the van where Giles and the others where waiting. They drove to Angels in complete silence broken only once when Xander made a comment about a women as they passed her on the street earning him a slap on the back of the head from Willow and Buffy.

They pulled up to the old building where Angel lived and they all piled out. Giles, Willow, Oz and Xander went up first leaving Jarod and Buffy down stairs.

“Here” Buffy said pulling out a little backpack. She handed it to Faith and walked passed her into the building.

“She feels like she let you down” Jarod said looking at Faith as she stood there looking at the bag in her hands. “But she’s determined not to do it again and from what I know of my little sister she can be very determined.”

“Yeah” Faith said nodding her head.

“So don’t let her down, ok?” Jarod said smiling at her.

“No, not this time” Faith said smiling a small smile. “I’m going to get it right this time”

“Good” Jarod said walking into the building leaving Faith out there by herself.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“You left her out there?” Xander said as Jarod walked into the little office.

“Xander this has to be her chose, she has to do this on her own or it’s meaningless” Buffy said watching the door. “Just give her a minute” They all sat there and waited for about five minutes. Then Faith came walking in the door. She walked over to Angel first and looked down at her feet.

“I uh, just wanted to say, well...sorry about shooting you with a poisoned arrow” She said slowly looking up at him.

“Well, that’s a good first step” Angel said nodding his head. He smiled at Buffy and she grinned back.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Half and hour later they were all back at the hotel, minus Faith of course. And right now they were all seated around the coffee table trying to figure out what to do next.

“I don’t think we should stay here much longer” Giles said looking around at all the faces. “The Council and The Centre are looking for us and the longer we’re in one place the easier it will be for them.”

“I agree” Jarod said looking at Buffy. “The Centre has a lot of highly trained people on staff”

“Ok so we leave” Buffy said looking at Jarod.

“Ok, so were do we go?” Xander asked looking at Buffy.

“You three go home” She said looking at the three of them. (Willow, Xander and Oz)

“No” Willow said looking at her friend. “I’m not just going to leave you here”

“Yeah” Xander asked looking at Buffy as well. “We’re not about to cut and run”

“Damn strait” Oz said nodding his head.

“Yes Buffy you’ll need our help more then ever right now” Giles said looking a little hurt.

“Well yeah, Giles I need you to come” Buffy said smiling at him. “But I can’t ask you guys to uproot and follow me around trying not to get killed or captured.”

“Buffy we’re not going to be any safer at home” Willow said “They’ll just come there looking for you and think we know where you are”

“Yeah” Xander said “Like I said I’m not about to cut and run, you two need us, this is what we’re meant for”

“But what about the hell mouth?” Buffy asked looking at each of them.

“Well actually” Every one looked at Jarod and he smiled. “I talked to you friend Angel”

“When?” Buffy asked shocked.

“Right before we left” He said smiling at her. “Anyway he has some friends he’s going to send to the hell mouth, keep an eye on things. He said he’d send Faith back there when she was ready, till then it’s taken care of”

“How did you know that we’d need someone to watch it?” Buffy asked. She had told him she was sending her friends home.

“Because I know you’re friends, and there not about to leave your side” Jarod said smiling a big happy smile. ‘At lest she lucked out’ He thought to himself as all her friends nodded ‘she got the best group of friends out there’

“He’s right” Willow said smiling “And frankly I’m a little insulted that you would think we would leave”

“Yeah” Xander said throwing a piece of ice at her. “Who do you think we are some kind of fair weather friends?”

“I’m sorry” Buffy said smiling “I just want you to be safe”

“Well who could we be safer with then a slayer?” Willow said smiling.

“Ok” Buffy said “So now where do we go?”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Broots!” Miss. Parker yelled from downstairs.

“Yes” He said coming down the stairs.

“Did you find anything useful up there?” She asked looking at him.

“No” He said shaking his head. “Just a normal teen age girl’s room” He stopped walking and looked back up stairs. “Oh, except this” He said holding out sharp wooden sticks.

“What the hell is it?” She asked taking it from him.

“Well it looks like a stake” Sydney said stepping up to them. “You know, for slaying vampires?”

“Oh right” Miss Parker said her voice laced with sarcasm. “And maybe Jarod is out there helping Frankenstein”

“No I don’t think so” Sydney said smiling at her. “I think her mother must have left not long ago”

“Well she must have been told to leave” Miss. Parker said turning to Broots. “Find out where that phone call came from” He just stood there nodding his head. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go!” He turned and walked out to the van sitting in front of the house.

“He’s not going to make it easy on you” Sydney said smirking. “He has more on the line then just himself now”

“Yes” Miss Parker said walking out the door. “We have a few more houses to check, lets go”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Can’t sleep?” Buffy asked looking down at her brother lying on the floor. She had told him to sleep on the other couch bed but he said it hurt his back. Buffy suspected he just wanted to be close to her incase anything happened. He rolled over and looked up at her.

“How did you know I wasn’t sleeping?” He asked smiling at her.

“Your breathing” She said smirking. “You breathe softer when you’re sleeping.”

“Oh, right” Jarod said nodding his head. “No I can’t sleep, you?”

“I’m a bit of a night owl” She said smiling in the dark. “Normally around this time I’d just be coming in from patrolling”

“Oh” Jarod said.

“So why can’t you sleep?” She asked rolling over and sitting up on her elbow.

“Just worried” He said sighing. “Normally I just have me to worry about, now with all of you...” He trailed off.

“You feel responsible for us?” She asked

“Yeah I guess” He paused and shook his head. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you guys”

“Well you really don’t have to worry” She said lying down on her stomach. “We all know how to take care of are self’s”

“Yeah I know” He said closing his eyes. “I’m just...” He trailed off again and laid there in the dark real quiet for a minute. “I’m just happy to have you back”

“Yeah, well I’m happy to finally know you” She said reaching out her hand and finding his reaching for hers.

“Goodnight little sister” he said smiling and squeezing her hand.

“Goodnight big brother” She said squeezing his hand back.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Buffy woke the next morning she was still holding Jarod’s hand. She looked over to the VCR clock and saw it was only 7:16 am. She let go of his hand and just laid there for a little while. She could hear Giles moving around in the other room. He was probably packing. They were leaving LA today, although they didn’t know exactly where they were going next.

She sat up and looked over the couch as Giles opened the door. He smiled at her and walked over to the phone. He talked for a few minutes and then signaled her to come over to him. She jumped over the couch and walked over to him.

“Good morning Buffy” He said smiling at her. She noticed though the smiled didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“What's wrong?” She asked looking form him to the phone.

“I just got off the phone with Wesley” He said taking off his glasses and cleaning them and he talked. “The Council has been in touch with him”

“I thought they fired him?” Buffy asked

“They did” He said nodding his head “But that doesn’t make them think he would be any less loyal to them”

“So they’re idiots?” Buffy asked hoping she got to beat the snot out of one of them.

“They wanted to know if he had seen you or Faith lately” Giles said putting his glasses back on. “He told them no, but he doesn’t think they believed him.”

“What are they going to do?” Buffy asked a little worried for Faith.

“They’ll go under ground” Giles said. Buffy turned around when she heard Jarod move around. “She should be fine”

“Ok” She said nodding her head. “And us?”

“I think we should wake everyone and get going” Giles said looking to the door where Willow and Oz were.

“Yeah I second that” Xander said as he walked out of his room. “I think we should high tail it out of here” He said walking towards Willows room. Buffy put a hand on his shoulder as he past her.

“What are you doing?” She asked grinning at him.

“I’m going to wake Willow” He said looking at her funny.

“I think maybe I should do that” Buffy said smirking now. “Don’t you think?”

“Why I wake Willow all the time” He said still not getting it.

“Yes but normally Oz isn't in there with her” She said and she laughed when he realized what she was alluding to.

“Aw Buffy” he said walking back over to his door. “I don’t need those mental pictures so early in the morning”

“That was mean” Willow said opening the door and walking out.

“Man these doors really are paper thin” Buffy said smiling at her.

“Yeah” Willow said nodding her head. “It’s a good thing I have a silencing spell” She said smiling wickedly at Buffy. They both laughed when they heard the loud groan from Xander’s room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“So G-man where’re we going?” Xander asked a few hours later after they had all piled back into Oz’s van. Giles was driving and Willow, Oz and Buffy were talking about maybe putting some spells on the van for a little added protection. Xander was up front with Giles (driving him crazy) while Jarod ‘read’. Buffy had been keeping her eye on him over her seat and in the last half an hour he had yet to turn a page.

“So we should do it when we stop for the night” Willow said smiling at Buffy.

“Ok” Buffy said nodding her head. “Giles when are we going to stop next?”

“There’s a rest stop about 15 miles up the road, there’s a hotel there we could stay at tonight” He said looking back at her through the rear view mirror.

“Ok cool” Buffy said “We can do it then”

“K” Willow said nodding her head. She pulled a few things from her bag and set about getting ready. Buffy unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed over the seat so she was next to Jarod.

“Whatcha readin?” She asked looking at the blank cover of the book.

“Nothing” He said closing the book and looking out the window. “Where are we?”

“We’re just passing Sacramento,” Buffy said sitting back in the chair. “Penny for your thoughts?” Buffy said as she watched Giles glare at Xander as he rambled on about something or other.

“He’s in love with you, you know” Jarod said following her gaze.

“Who? Xander?” Buffy asked looking over at him. “Don’t be silly, there was a thing a while ago in high school but he’s so over me” Buffy said scrunching up her nose. “Isn’t he?” She asked looking to the front of the van and watching as the stone glare on Giles face was slowly turning into a smile. Xander sure knew how to make them all laugh.

“No” Jarod said shaking his head. “No, he’s not”

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Buffy asked changing the subject as she looked at the closed book in his lap. She so didn’t want to think about that right now. “You’ve been staring at that book for half an hour without reading it.” Jarod looked down at the book and sighed.

“No” He said again “Just worrying about things”

“Care to elaborate?” She asked shifting in her seat.

“Its nothing” He said putting the book into his bag and sighing. “I’m a little worried about Sydney, I haven’t heard from him since he called about you” Jarod said then shook his head. “I’m sure he just can’t call because Miss. Parker is dragging him every where looking for our trail.”

“I still don’t understand why your friends with this guy” Buffy said making her self more comfortable. “Didn’t he imprison you for your whole life making you do those things...what did you call them?”

“Simulations” Jarod said smiling and nodding his head. “Yeah, but over the last few years he’s helped me. Not only in my little adventures but in keeping Miss. Parker off my heels” Jarod smiled at her and took her hand. “He also helped me find you again”

“Yeah” Buffy said nodding her head and smiling. “Well ok he’s not so bad.” She looked down at her hands and sighed. “So was he kinda like a father figure?” She asked looking again at Giles and Xander in the front.

“Something like that” Jarod said nodding his head. “Though nether of us has ever said anything to acknowledge it.” Jarod looked down at the bag on the floor with his fathers’ e-mail address in it and he smiled. “But I know our father, I found him a little while ago” He said watching her for her reaction. “When we get to a safe place I’ll write him...if you want me too” he added as an after thought. She had been through a lot in a short time; she may not be ready to meet him just yet. Buffy looked out the window for a few seconds then turned her head and smiled at him.

“I’d like that” She said nodding her head. “What’s his name?”

“Charles” Jarod said smiling at her. He studied her for a second and nodded. “You know I think you have his nose”

“Oh well that’s good to know” She said grinning at him. “Do you think he’ll like me?” She asked shyly.

“Of course he will” Jarod said nodding his head. “How could he not?”

“I don’t know,” Buffy said shaking her head.

“We’re here” Giles called as he pulled into the parking lot of a hotel. It was a very old place that would probably have shag carpet but it would also probably take cash with no questions and no ID.

Half an hour later Buffy and Jarod were sitting in the room they were sharing. Willow and Oz had a room and Xander and Giles were in one. All the rooms were connected by doors, though Willow had to go through Giles and Xanders to get to Buffy and Jarod. Buffy and Jarod were sitting across from each other on their beds. Jarod had the book out again and Buffy was trying to relax, though it wasn’t coming easily. Jarod put the book down and looked up at Buffy. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“Hi” She said pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

“Hello” he said smiling at her. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to relax” Buffy said rolling her shoulders. “I’m...um...a little worried about my mom” Buffy said sighing. “Do you think The Centre will go after her?”

“No” Jarod said shaking his head. “Miss. Parker is smart enough to know you wouldn’t tell your mom where you’re going”

“Good” Buffy said nodding her head. “That helps, thanks”

“You should go to bed” Jarod said putting his book down. “It's getting late”

“I will” Buffy said nodding her head and looking down at the little red book. “What is that?’ She asked looking up at him.

“It’s...um...Well, here” He said picking it up and handing it over. Buffy looked down at it in his hands then reached across and took it. She stared at it for a second then opened it. The first page had a picture of a little boy in a wheelchair. The head line read- Injured 12 Year Old Kevin Bailey. Buffy skims the article and looks up at Jarod. She turns the page and the next article is titled- Queen of Angels, Malpractice. Buffy flipped ahead a little and looked the pages over. Ever time there was an article about a victim and then an article about a wrong being righted for that victim.

“Did you do all this?” Buffy asked finally looking up at Jarod. “You helped all these people?”

“Yeah” he said nodding his head. “You help people too” he said looking to the door. “How many people wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you?”

“I don’t know” Buffy said shrugging her shoulders. “But I have to do this, it's my...calling. Why do you do it?” She asked. He looked away for a second as he remembered a long ago conversation.

“I found out the real application of my simulations Sydney. South

Pacific Fleet simulation, 118. You took my results and blew a ship out of the water. 133 people were on board. My outbreak simulation. You used it in the field. 46 people died from the Ebola virus Sydney! Simulation 27. Simulation 16. Simulation 42!” Jarod said slaming down the papers in his hand.

“Jarod these were military contracts. I had no way of finding out about their ultimate application.” Sydney said knowing Jarod was right, what he had done was wrong.

“How many people died because of what I thought up!”

Buffy watched as hurt, hatred and sadness flashed over Jarod's face. He looked up at her and for the first time Buffy could see fear in his eyes. He took a deep breathe and Buffy wondered who he was afraid of.

“When I was at The Centre, they put me through the simulations” He said looking over at the silver case on the floor.

“Yeah, you showed me” Buffy said nodding her head.

“But I didn’t tell you what they did with those simulations” He said disgust evident in his voice, disgust for who she wasn’t sure. “They took my numbers, my calculations, my simulations and they sold them to the highest bidder. Sometimes to the government, and some times not. They killed people with everything I thought up” He said looking down at the book in her hands. Now she could see, the disgust was meant for himself, and the fear was that she would turn away from him, blame him for what they did to him. Buffy shook her head and stood up; she walked over to the bed and sat down next to him.

“And you think you’re to blame for what they did?” Buffy asked putting her hand on his shoulder. “Look at me Jarod” He turned and looked at her, barely meeting her eyes. “Your not to blame for what they did, you were stolen from your home, forced to do those things and then, when you finally got away hunted like an animal. They’re the bad guys, not you.” Buffy said smiling at him.

“I know” Jarod said nodding his head. “But there will always be guilt, no mater what I do”

“Yeah, I’m fairly familiar with guilt,” Buffy said smiling at him and putter her arm around his shoulder. “So big brother” She said standing and walking to the phone, “what kinda pizza do you like?”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“This is their room” The young man said opening the door and walking them in. “Can I help you with anything else?”

“No” Miss. Parker said shutting the door in his face. “Well?” She said looking over at Broots.

“There’s nothing here” he said looking around the rooms.

“Of course there’s not” Sydney said smiling. “I told you there wouldn’t be”

“Wait!” Broots called from the other room. “Found something” He said running into the room smiling at them.

“What is it?” Miss. Parker asked looking at him. Broots handed over the red notebook and took a step back. He knew she never reacted well to what ever Jarod left in those books. She opened the book to the first page and stood there for a second looking at it then growled as she shoved the book at Sydney. Sydney opened the book and looked inside and a small smile broke out on his face. On the very first page was written-

I told you I’d never give up. I have a new link to my family, she’s very important to me; you’d do well to leave her alone. You’d do well to leave us all alone; all I want is my family. Even you can understand that Miss. Parker.

“Who the hell does he think he is?” Miss. Parker demanded as she stormed around the room a little. She was mad, not that he had once again gotten out before she found him but that he was right. She was starting to hate herself for what she was doing to him. She now knew what her mother had been trying to do, and every time she went after him, every time she helped Dr. Raines or her father was an insult to her mother’s memory.

“I don’t know” Sydney said smirking at the note in his hand. “But I think he’s serious.”

“Yeah” Miss. Parker said nodding her head and heading for the door. “I think you’re right”

Chapter 5: Father Figure

The next night at around 12:30 they pulled into a hotel about four miles from the Space Needle in Seattle. They were all tired and hungry, and Giles hadn’t said anything but he had a monster of a headache. The rain was falling hard and fast as they all walked towards their rooms. They couldn’t get rooms right next to each other, they were on the same floor but they were all a few rooms apart.

“Man I could really go for some Rocky Road ice-cream” Buffy said shaking her head as they reached hers and Jarod's room. She turned and smiled at every one. “See you guys in the morning?”

“Yeah” Willow said nodding her head. “Are we going to go to the Space Needle?”

“If it ever stops raining” Xander said shaking the water from his hair. “How do they stand all this rain?” He asked looking out at the dark night.

“I don’t know,” Buffy said shaking her head. “Jarod's got some friends that work at the...what did you call it?” She asked looking over her shoulder at Jarod.

“Pike Place” Jarod said smiling at her.

“Right” Buffy said nodding her head. “So we’ll go there, then to the Space Needle” Buffy said smiling at Willow. “Good night you guys” She said smiling at Giles.

“Good night Buffy” Giles said as she unlocked the door. “Sweet dreams” He said smiling at her. She nodded her head and walked though the door.

“Good night Jarod” Giles said smiling at him.

“Good night” he said smiling back. “You guys may like it here, you know, without the rain”

“Yeah” Willow said taking Oz’s hand and walking down the hall a little. Xander nodded at Jarod and followed Giles down to their room. Jarod walked into the room and smiled at the bag thrown onto the bed, half it's contends all over the bed.

“Looking for something?” He asked walking over to her and sitting down on the other bed.

“Um...” Buffy looked up at him and smiled; she pulled something out of the bottom of the bag and sat down on her bed. “I brought something with me, I thought you might like to see it” She said handing it over. He opened the cover and came face to face with a smiling toddler Buffy.

“You know I always wondered why there were no baby pictures of me” Buffy said as he flipped the page. “Now I know”

“You look so much like her” he said looking up at Buffy with a smile on his face. “Your hair was darker as a child”

“Oh, well...It’s colored” She said smiling sheepishly as she ran her hand threw a few strands of hair. “Its natural color is a kinda reddish brown”

“Oh” Jarod said smiling at her.

“I look so much like who?” Buffy said remembering what he said before. He looked back at the pictures then back up at her.

“What?” he asked looking up at her with a goofy smile on his face.

“You said ‘I look so much like her’ who do I look like?” Buffy asked standing and sitting down next to him.

“Oh, you look like our mother” he said handing her the photo album and turning to reach for his bag. He pulled something out and handed it to her. “This is her”

“Wow, she’s beautiful” Buffy said placing her hand on the picture; this was the women from her dreams, her mother.

“Yes she is” Jarod said nodding his head with a faraway smile on his face.

“Have you found her?” Buffy asked looking up at him.

“Sort of” He said nodding his head. “I saw her, for just a moment” He said looking very sad. “But The Centre got there before I could say anything and she had to get out of there” Jarod said sighing. “But someday, we’ll all be together”

“I’d like that” Buffy said nodding her head. “What’s your...our dad like?” She asked crawling up to the head of the bed and making herself comfy on the right side of the bed. Jarod turned and laid down next to her putting his hands behind his head.

“Well he was in the military” Jarod said smiling. “But everyone still calls him Major Charles; he’s a good man who’s helped me a number of times. He’s been looking for me for as long as I’ve been gone. He’s the one who told me about you. I didn’t remember you, at first anyway. After he told me about you the memories began to come to me, mostly of me playing with you, flying you” He said laughing softly. “I wish I could see him more.” Jarod said looking over to her and smiling, she was fast asleep. Jarod reached over and turned out the light. He laid there for a second then he got up and walked over to his laptop. He opened it up and turned it on. Forty five minutes later he was back on the bed fast asleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Hey look” Buffy said the next morning as she looked out the window. “The sun is out”

“Stopped raining huh?” Jarod asked as he sat down to his computer. He opened his e-mail and looked back at Buffy sitting at the little table drinking coffee.

“Yeah, I think it might be a nice day” Buffy said nodding her head. “Wish we had time to do a little shopping” Buffy said mostly to herself. “They have some really nice places here” Jarod chuckled to himself as he checked his mail. Just as he hope there was a response to the e-mail he sent last night.

I’ll be there in two days. Meet me on the lake shore.

It was signed MC. Jarod turned and smiled at Buffy again. She was the first one up that morning and had the coffee going before Jarod even opened his eyes. They were all going to meet in the lobby at 9:00; it was 8:15 now so they had a little while.

“I feel so restless’ Buffy said when she looked up and saw him smiling at her.

“Why?” Jarod asked closing his computer and standing. He walked over with his coffee and sat down across from her.

“I’m usually out, doing something at night” Buffy said smiling. “Not sleeping, well at lest not till later”

“We could go out tonight if you want” Jarod said smiling at her. She looked up from the table and smiled at him.

“Thanks that’s nice of you” She said nodding her head. “But...um...”

“You don’t want me to get hurt?’ Jarod said smiling at her. She nodded her head and he smirked. “I’ll be fine, trust me” he said smiling at her skeptical face. “After running from The Centre for so long I’ve learned a few things” Buffy took a deep breathe and nodded her head.

“We probably won’t run into anything anyway” Buffy said looking up when there was a knock on the door.

“Hey Buff it's me” Xander said and Buffy could practically see the goofy grin on his face. She walked over and opened the door after looking through the peep hole. Xander was standing on the other side of the door with bowls, spoons and a huge container of Rocky Road ice-cream. Buffy just stood there staring for a second as he smiled at her.

“Breakfast of champions” He said holding the stuff out to her. She smiled at him and then nodded him inside. He set the stuff down and as soon as the stuff was out of his hands Buffy had him around the waist hugging him. He hugged back and smiled at Jarod who was sitting there smiling. ‘I knew it’ Jarod thought to himself.

“Thanks” Buffy said looking up at him. “We should call the others, I can’t eat all this” She said looking down at the ice-cream.

“Yeah I figured as much” Xander said nodding his head. “They should be her in a few--

“Hey open up in there” Willow said knocking on the door. “I know you have ice-cream” She said and Buffy smiled as she opened the door.

“--Minutes” Xander finished as Willow and Oz walked in closely followed by Giles. Buffy scooped up ice-cream for every one, it took a little talking but even Giles had some.

“This can’t be good for us” He said every few bites, with a small smile on his lips.

“Xander where did you get this?” Buffy asked halfway through her bowl.

“There’s a little store down the street” He said smiling at her. “They had the bowls and spoons there too”

“You’re the best” Buffy said smiling at him. He shrugged and looked down at his bowl, but Jarod didn’t miss the pleased look on his face.

“So we’re going to Pike Place?” Willow asked looking up from her ice-cream.

“Yeah” Jarod said nodding his head. “Then we should talk about what we’re going to do next”

“Right” Giles said nodding his head. “We should get going soon” He said as he walked over to the ice-cream and got a little more, to the amusement of every one in the room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They had gone to the Pike Place and meet Jarod's friends, who as it turned out were some people Jarod had helped out. They had been holding money for him. Jarod said it was his ‘Rainy Day’ fund. They were now going up the elevator in the Space Needle with Willow spouting off facts about the place.

“Did you know this thing wasn’t meant to last past the world fair in 1962?” Willow said at the back of the elevator. “And it moves an inch for every 10mph of wind” She said looking a little nervous. “And did you know--

“Willow” Buffy said putting her hand on her shoulder. “You ok?”

“Oh yeah” Willow said nodding her head and smiling. “Um...just a little...um...” She said looking around. “Did we stop?”

“Yeah” Xander said nodding his head as the door s opened. Willow rushed out and Xander smiled. “She has a bit of a problem with elevators” He said smiling at the group. “We got trapped in one for almost three hours once, Jesse thought it was the funniest” Xander said looking over at Willow and Oz, who was trying to calm her.

“Right” Buffy said as they walked put onto the observation deck. They all walked outside, Willow was fine now, and looked down at the little people. “It's very pretty up here”

“Yeah it is” Jarod said nodding his head. He and Buffy went back inside and started looking around “You know I was just here about a month ago”

“Doing what?’ Buffy asked as they looked over the goofy shirts for sale.

“Helping a young man find his family” He said smiling at her. She smiled and picked up a camera.

“I’m going to get this” She said smiling at him. “We should take lots of pictures”

“Ok” Jarod said nodding his head and smiling. After they paid the six of them were back outside looking at the view. Buffy looked over at the big mountains and smiled.

“Those are pretty” She said pointing at them.

“That’s Mt. Rainier” Jarod said smiling at her. “I worked over there as a Mountain ranger” He said smirking. “That was fun”

“Yeah” Buffy said nodding her head. “I bet”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

That night Buffy and Jarod were walking down a dark street in the middle of down town Seattle. She was listening to him talk about some of the things he had done while listening and watching for any signs of vampires or demons. She didn’t know if they’d even run into anything tonight, it seemed pretty quite.

“I have some news” Jarod said as they rounded a corner into an ally. “I e-mailed my...ours...um...Major Charles last night”

“Oh yeah?” Buffy said nodding her head. She looked behind them when she heard something and a small smile played over her lips. “What about?” She said turning to the man standing at the end of the ally.

“Well I thought maybe he could come down here and...” he trailed off when he turned around to. The man was taking a few steps towards them. It was very dark and Jarod could just barely make out the shape of him.

“Oh cool” Buffy said nodding her head. “When is he coming down?”

“Um...” Jarod said as the man approached. “Two days” He said watching them stare at each other. The man steps out of the shadows and Jarod got a good look at him. His eyes were a yellowish brown and his face was all bumpy.

“Well isn’t this nice” he said smirking at them. “Out for a midnight stroll?” He asked stepping forward.

“Yeah, out for a stroll, and hey if I get to kill a vampire or two along the way, all the better” Buffy said smirking at him. “So where are we meeting him?” Buffy asked without looking back. It took Jarod a few seconds to realize she’s talking to him.

“A restaurant by the lake” Jarod said watching in fascination as she fought with the vampire like it was nothing, still keeping her conversation going with him.

“That lake we went by today?” Buffy asked as she jump kicked the vampire. “What’s it called?” She asked grabbing the guy by the head and bashing his face into her knee.

“Well the lake is called Lake Union, but the restaurant we’re meeting him at is called Ivar’s” Jarod said never taking his eyes off his little sister, totally amazed and a little shocked.

“Right” Buffy said nodding her head and pulling a stake from her coat pocket. “I...can’t...” She lunged at the vampire and plunged the stake into his heart. “Wait” She said turning around at the vampire turned to dust. Jarod just stood there nodding his head as she walked back over to him.

“Well that was...interesting” Jarod said smiling at her.

“Yeah” She said nodding her head. “But...suspicion, they don’t usually travel alone” Buffy said looking around.

“That’s true” Some one else said dropping from a roof. A second later there were three vampires surrounding them.

“Think you can handle one of these?” She asked handing Jarod a stake.

“Oh yeah” he said nodding his head with a smile on his face, this was way better then taking your frustrations out on a punching dummy.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was around three am when they finally got back to the hotel. Buffy was totally wired and couldn’t sit still; Jarod was a little tired; it had been a while since he did anything like that. Buffy sat down on the bed, bounced a few times and jumped up while Jarod sat down on the other bed.

“You do that every night?” he asked watching as she pulled a soda out of the mini fridge.

“Most every night” Buffy said nodding her head. She smiled at him and walked back and forth in front of him. “Most nights I have some one to go with me, Willow or Xander, and, well, Angel use to go with me” She said smiling at him.

“You want to tell me about him?” Jarod asked seeing as she had brought him up. Buffy sat down across from him and looked down at her soda.

“I met him a little while after me and mom moved down here” She said looking up a few seconds later. “Its funny cause at first I couldn’t stand him” She smiled a little and put her soda down. “I didn’t know he was a vampire when I started to fall for him, and by the time I knew...”

“It was too late” Jarod said nodding his head.

“Something like that” Buffy said nodding her head. She smiled at him and then went on to tell the long story of her and Angel. By the time she got to the part where Angel walked away after they beat the mayor the sun was coming up. After Buffy stopped talking they both sat there for a few seconds just thinking, Jarod about how hard her life had been up to this point and Buffy was, surprisingly thinking about how Faith was doing.

“We should get some sleep” Jarod said a little while later. Buffy nodded her head and laid down on her pillow and smiled at him.

“Thank you” Buffy said as he laid down too.

“For what?” Jarod asked turning out the light.

“For listening” Buffy said smiling at him. He smiled back and she closed her eyes, a few seconds later she was asleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Rise and shin sleepy head” Willow said shaking Buffy a little. Buffy opened her eyes and looked around the room. Willow was sitting on her bed and Jarod was at the desk working at his laptop.

“Where’re the guys?” She asked as trying to hold back a yawn.

“Well I’m right here” Jarod said turning and smiling at her.

“Right” Buffy said rolling her eyes. “Where are the other guys?”

“Giles took Xander and Oz to get some breakfast” Willow said pulling a book off the table and smiling.

“No ice-cream?” Buffy asked putting on a fake pout.

“I doubt it” Willow said opening it up and reading. Buffy smiled and nodded her head. “I’m going to go take a shower” Willow nodded her head and Jarod turned and smiled at her. Buffy got some clothes from her bag and scrunched up her noise. “I think we’re going to need to find a laundry mat.”

“Yeah I was thinking the same thing” Willow said smiling at her. Buffy nodded and walked into the bathroom.

“Knock-knock” Someone said as Giles opened the door and walked in carrying a bag full of food. Xander came in with a bag of food and a box of drinks, Oz came in with just a box of drinks in his hand. They unloaded everything onto the little table in the corner and then sat down.

“Whatcha readin’ Willow?” Xander asked looking back at her from the end of the bed. Willow looked up from her book and smiled at him.

“Just some spells” Willow said smiling at him. “Seeing if I can find something about reviling lost secrets or something like that" she said. Jarod's head had popped up when she said spells and he turned and looked at her.

“Spells?” He asked giving her a questioning look. “More magic?” He asked like a child at a magic show.

“Yeah” Willow said nodding her head. “But nothing like Siegfried and Roy” She said smiling at the stuff on the table. Jarod followed her gaze and was shocked to see one of the bags was floating. It spun a few times then floated over to Willow.

“Wow” Jarod said looking at a smiling Willow. “That’s...incredible”

“Lots of stuff out there you didn’t know about huh big brother?” Buffy said coming out of the bathroom smiling. Jarod nodded his head with a shocked look still on his face.

“That’s like Buffy making Faith invisible” Jarod said looking between the two girls. “Incredible” He smiled at Buffy as Willow pulled out different kinds of food.

“Ok, so I’ve been thinking” Buffy said taking the plate Willow handed her and pulled the lid off. “And I think we’re going to have to take down the Centre” Jarod turned and looked at her with a doubtful look on his face.

“You can’t take them down” Jarod said shaking his head. “There are to many of them with too much power”

“Well, I guess we have to come up with a way to strengthen our odds” Buffy said smiling at him. “And lessen their power”

“Well I’m all ears” Jarod said turning off his computer and turning in his chair to smile at her.

“I think we’re going to need some inside help” Buffy said smiling at Jarod with a look that said ‘Your-not-going-to-like-this.’ She looked behind her at Willow who smiled at her then she turned back to Jarod. “How much do you trust these people, Sydney and Miss. Parker?”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jarod sat alone in one of the rooms going over their new plan. The rest of the group was out seeing a few sights, Buffy had wanted him to go but he, and Giles who was out getting a drink, had opted to stay here. Tomorrow was the day Charles was showing up and so far Buffy hadn’t shown any fear or hesitation, but he knew she was nervous. He looked up when the door opened and smiled at Giles as he walked into the room and sat down on one of the beds.

“You know I’ve been here almost four years now” Giles said looking down at the coffee in his hands. “And I still haven’t found coffee as good as back home” They smiled at each other and Jarod nodded.

“I’ve never been to England” He said turning his computer off and turning around. “I’d like to though”

“It's very nice there” Giles said nodding his head. Giles looked down at his coffee again and sighed. “Buffy told me her father is coming here tomorrow” He said looking up at Jarod with questioning eyes.

“I wrote to him the other day” Jarod said nodding his head. “He doesn’t know why he’s coming; I mean he doesn’t know about Buffy”

“Right” Giles said nodding his head. “I was just wondering...well I wanted to know...what kind of man is this Major Charles?” Jarod smiled as he nodded his head. If he couldn’t be there for his sister all these years he was glad she had someone like this watching out for her.

“He’s a very good man” Jarod said nodding his head. “He thought Lizzy was lost too, he’ll be thrilled to meet her”

“I just ask because her father, her adoptive father, he hurt her, he walked out on her and her mom and didn’t look back and--

“You worry about her” Jarod said nodding his head and smiling. “That’s natural, all fathers feel that way, or so I’ve been told”

“I’m not...I mean Buffy’s not my--

“She’s not your daughter?” Jarod asked skeptical. “Well maybe not biologically, but as far as I can tell you’re the only person she’s ever really been able to look up to as a father figure” Jarod smiled at the look on Giles face.

“I’ve hurt her too” Giles said sighing and looking down at his cup again drawing his shoulders up and tensing.

“I know” Jarod said nodding his head. Buffy had told him all about the stuff Giles had given her, making her weak and vulnerable, and he had wanted to dislike him, but he couldn’t, he knew Giles would do anything to help his little sister, so he was thankful.

“She told you?” Giles said nodding his head. “You must not think very much of me” he said looking up at Jarod.

“Well I didn’t at first” Jarod said smiling at him. Giles was surprised by his genuine honesty. “But, I’ve done things that hurt people too because I was told too, I know how it feels” Giles nodded his head and smiled at him. “They should be back soon”

“Yeah” Giles said nodding his head. “We should call room service”

“Sounds like a good plan” Jarod said nodding his head and smiling at him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Miss. Parker” Broots said walking into the room closely followed by Sydney. “We have a strong led on Jarod”

“Where is he?” She asked with none of the same lust for the catch in her voice.

“Somewhere in Seattle” Broots said putting a paper down on the desk and smiling at her. She looked down at the paper and back up at him.

“Ok” She said nodding her head. “Have you called for a plane?”

“Yes” He said nodding his head. “We can leave here in ten minutes”

“Wonderful” Miss. Parker said glaring at him. He nodded his head then turned and walked out the door. Sydney watched and she glared down at the paper and then she snatched it off the table and crumpled it up in her hands.

“Are you alright Miss. Parker?” He asked watching her as she threw it into the trash.

“Oh yeah” She said nodding her head as she stood. “Peachy” She said brushing past him and out the door. When she was half way down the hall she turned and looked at him. “Are you coming?” She demanded putting her hands on her hips. He just nodded his head and followed out after her making a mental note to see if he could get her to talk.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“I don’t know if I can do this” Buffy said the next day sitting with Jarod in a little restaurant by the lake. The sun was out and there were very few clouds in the sky. Buffy ran her hand through her hair and looked up at Jarod, she opened her mouth to say something but Jarod held up his hand and stopped her.

“You look great” he said smiling at her. “Calm down, he’s going to love you, just like I do” He said smiling at her.

“Thanks Jarod” She said smiling at him. “You know I always wanted a sibling, some one younger that I could boss around and look after, but it's nice to have someone looking after me”

“Glad to do it” Jarod said smiling when he heard a plane in the distance. He turned in his chair and smiled. “There he is” he said pointing the plane out to her.

“That’s a nice plane” Buffy said smiling as it got closer.

“Wait till you see its name” he said standing up with her. “Come on lets meet him at the dock” He said holding out his hand to her. They walked down to the docks in silence Buffy nervous and Jarod excited. Buffy smiled when she got close enough that she could see the side of the plane.

“Lizzy” She said reading the name out loud. Jarod smiled and nodded his head. They watched as the door opened and Major Charles stepped out off the plane. He had gray hair and brown eyes just like Jarod. Jarod waved and walked over with Buffy a few steps behind him.

“Jarod” He said climbing down off the plane and smiling at him.

“Hello” Jarod said waiting as Charles jumped down onto the dock. They hugged and then stepped back and looked each other over. Jarod looked back at Buffy and she stepped forward.

“Dad, this is Buffy” He said watching his dad’s expression. He looked at Buffy as she smiled at him then he looked back at Jarod.

“She looks so much like...” He looked back at his plane.

“Yeah” Jarod said nodding his head. “That’s because she is” Charles head whipped around to look at Jarod as he smiled.

“What?” He asked looking back at Buffy.

“Hi” Buffy said smiling at him. She watched him look her over for a few seconds then all at once she was being picked up into a huge bear hug. She could hear them both laughing and she was sure that Major Charles was holding back tears. He set her back down and held her out at arms length then he looked up at Jarod.

“But...how?” He asked looking back down at Buffy and smiling.

“It's a long story” Jarod said placing his hand on his fathers shoulder. “Let’s go have some lunch and we’ll tell you all about it”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“I hate sitting here doing nothing” Faith said looking over at Angel, who was sitting across from her reading a book, or at lest pretending to read.

“And what do you think we should do?” Angel asked looking up from his book.

“We should go after this guy ‘Red’” She said nodding her head. “Or we could go right to the source”

“You mean Travers?” Angel said looking questioningly at her. “And do what?”

“I don’t know” Faith said shaking her head. “We could...get him to call off this Red guy. Maybe...oh I know, we could blackmail him, make him resign, then maybe someone new and better will take his place.”

“Or someone old and worse” Wes said walking down the stairs into their little underground house, Cordy refused to call it a lair.

“There’s nothing we can do about Travers short of killing him, and since that’s not an option we’ll have to think of something else.” Angel said looking back down at his book.

“Did B say if she had any ideas before she high tailed it outta here?” Faith asked looking over at Angel.

“No” Angel said shaking his head. “Their main plan for the time being was to get away from them”

“I still can’t believe she ran” Faith said shaking her head. “That’s so not like her”

“Well she doesn’t just have the Watchers Council after her” Angel said looking up over his book. “She has the people after her that are after her brother, The Centre” Of course Angel had learned all this from the folder that Buffy had given him when they dropped off Faith, just to keep him apprised of everything that was going on, and so they’d know what bad guys were out there, at lest of the none monster variety.

“Right” Faith said nodding her head. Then she looked over at Angel and a smiled formed on her lips. “So let’s help B out a little” She said nodding her head. “Let’s do a little digging on this place, see if we can’t find a weak point”

“Buffy said we should just wait it out” Cordy said shaking her head. “We have to lay low”

“No” Faith said smirking at Cordy. “Buffy said to stay away from the Council” She looked over and Angel. “Where did you say these guys were?”

Angel sighed and pulled out a folder. “Blue Cove, Delaware”

“Well, that’s farther away from the Council then we are now” Faith said smiling. “Come on” She said her face going seriously as she looked at Angel. “I own her” Faith said watching Angel. “I want to help”

“Well fine then, let’s make a game plan” Angel said nodding his head. Cordy rolled her eyes as she watched Faith rope Angel into her idea, not to say it wasn’t a good idea, anything that got them out from underground was a good idea. She just didn’t like the little smirk on Faiths face every time she looked over at Cordy.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Buffy walked into their little hotel room with Jarod and Major Charles behind her. Everyone looked up when they walked in, Giles was the only one to stand and walk over to them.

“Hello” he said smiling at Buffy.

“Hi” She said with a big smile on her face. “Giles I’d like you to meet Major Charles” She said turning and smiling. “Charles this is Rupert Giles, though we just call him Giles”

“Rupert” Charles said holding out his hand. Giles took his hand and they shook.

“You can just call me Giles, I’m so use to it now, sometimes I even forget it's not my first name” Giles said smiling at him.

“Right” Charles said nodding his head. “Well you can just call me Charles”

“Charles” Buffy said calling his attention to her. “These are my best friends” She said pointing at the three of them sitting on the bed. “The red head is Willow” She said pointing to her, Willow waved and smiled. “The one with the green hair is Willows boyfriend Oz” Oz nodded his head at him. “And the one on the end of the bed is Xander” Xander stood up and walked over to him.

“Nice to meet you” He said holding out his hand, surprising every one.

“You too” Charles said nodding his head. He looked around at every one and smiled. “Quite the little group you’ve got going” he said looking over at Jarod.

“I know” He said nodding his head. Charles looked back over at Giles and smiled.

“You must be her, what did you call it?” He asked looking over at Buffy.

“My Watcher,” Buffy supplied for him.

“Right” he said nodding his head.

“You know you two took it a lot better then I would have expected” Buffy said smiling at Jarod and Charles. “I mean most people freak out or just don’t believe me” Buffy said sitting down in one of the arm chairs.

“Well Jarod believes” Charles said nodding his head as she sat down across from Buffy. “It's not to hard to believe”

“Right” Buffy said nodding her head.

“So tell me about this plan of yours” he said looking around at everyone there and smiling.

Chapter 6: The Deal

Jarod watched the little black car pull into the hotel parking lot and smiled. It was so odd for him to be tailing Miss Parker. He looked over at Buffy who smiled at him and then turned back to watch as three people got out of the car and stopped to say something to each other.

“Miss Parker wants to know where the new info on me came from” Jarod said not looking away from the three of them. “Broots just told her they got an anonymous e-mail from someone called ‘Red Witch’. He doesn’t know who that is.”

“Well that’s good” Buffy said nodding her head. Then she wondered how he knew what they were saying, she couldn’t hear them and she had slayer hearing. “Do you read minds too?” She asked looking over at him, only half kidding.

“No” he said putting down the night vision binoculars and looking over at her as the three went into the hotel room. “I read lips”

“Oh” Buffy said nodding her head. “That’s good because I had this whole mind reading thing going once, not as much fun as you would think”

“You could read minds?” Jarod asked looking over at her looking confused. “How did that work?”

“I got some demon blood on me, for some reason it gave me its power to read minds” Buffy said shaking her head and grimacing at the memory.

“How did you get rid of it?” He asked looking back over at the hotel door.

“I had to drink puréed demon heart” Buffy said smiling at the grossed out look on Jarod's face. “Yeah, that wasn’t very much fun either” She said smiling at him. “Oh” She said pointing at the hotel door. “They’re leaving” Buffy said smiling at him. “Do you think they’ll come?”

“I don’t know” Jarod said shaking his head. “I would hope so, but I can never be sure with Miss Parker.” He smiled at her. “We may have to persuade them to come”

“And won’t that be fun” Buffy said smirking at him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Miss?” The driver said as the three of them came out of the hotel room. “Where to now?” He asked looking between her and Sydney.

“We’re walking” Miss Parker said opening the door of the car and pulling something out and putting it in the pocket of the coat she was wearing. She looked behind her at Sydney and Broots. “Let’s go” She said nodding her head away from the car. When they were a few blocks away Miss Parker pulled out the little red book Jarod had left in their last hotel room.

“Why are we walking?” Broots asked looking back to where the car use to be sitting.

“Because I’m fairly sure my dear old brother had the car bugged” Miss Parker said pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

“And you don’t want him to know where Jarod is?” Sydney asked trying to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice.

“For now” Miss Parker said looking over at him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Well that bodes well for her” Buffy said from a second story roof. They had been walking along the roofs following the threesome since they left the hotel; they were close enough now that Buffy could hear them. “Oh” Buffy said stopping in her tracks. “But that doesn’t” She said as a group of four approached the trio from a block away. “Vampires” Buffy said running along the edge looking for a way down.

“We’ve got to get down there” Jarod said two steps behind her. She stopped as they came to a fire escape. Buffy swung over the roof ledge and landed five feet down on the first landing. She looked up at him.

“Can you make it?” She asked, she waited for him to nod then began the climb down to the ground. It took her no more then a minute to get to the ground, but by the time she got there the four vampires were already closing in on the trio. By the time Buffy was close enough to do anything one of the vampires was already lunging at Miss Parker. Miss Parker was fast though and had her gun out and two bullets in him before he reached her. He staggered and fell. She looked at the other three and expected them to run, but they didn’t.

“Well that’s nice and all” Buffy said coming up behind her with a smile on her face. “But unless those bullets are made of wood they won’t do any good” She said as the second and third vampire pounced. Buffy made quick work of them as the first one got up.

“That hurt” he said going into game face. “Now I’m going to hurt you”

“What like those two?” She said looking at the two piles of dust. The fourth one nodded with his friend and they both took a step towards them.

Meanwhile Miss Parker was so shocked by what she had just seen that she just stood there watching it all go on with her gun at her side. She blinked when someone ran up from behind her and was further shocked when she realizes who it is.

“Hey there” Buffy said as he took on one of the two vampires. “Fancy meeting you here” She said seconds before turning the vampire to dust. Jarod's vampire soon followed and they smiled at each other. They turned at the same time and smiled when they saw the shocked looks on all three of their faces.

“Jarod?” Miss Parker gets out barely above a whisper.

“Hello” he said nodding his head. Buffy looked her over then walked over to her. Miss Parker brought her gun up and Buffy stopped.

“Please” Buffy said shaking her head, just inches from the gun. “I’d have it out of your hand before you even pulled the trigger” She said, which was mostly true. Miss Parker looked her over then lowered the gun.

“Hand it over” Buffy said holding out her hand.

“What?” Miss Parker said looking outraged.

“Hand it over” Buffy said a little slower this time, incase she was still in shock, or just to make fun of her.

“What the hell was that!” She demands looking around her and then landing on Jarod.

“We’ll explain” Jarod said smiling at her. “Just do what Buffy said” Miss Parker looked from Jarod to Buffy and sighed. She put the gun in Buffy’s hand. Buffy nodded her head disassembled the gun and put the pieces in the bag at her side.

“Now the other one” She said holder her had back out to her.

“What other one?” Miss Parker said giving Buffy a blank stare.

“Please” Buffy said shaking her head. “You gave that first one up way to easily, so you must have another one” Buffy smiled at the scowl on Miss Parker face as she pulled another gun out from under her skirt.

“Well that’s a nice one, won’t do you any good against them but...” Buffy also disassembled this one putting the parts in her bag. “Is that it?” She asked looking her in the eyes.

“Yes” Miss Parker said nodding her head. Buffy turned around and a second later Miss Parker had her third gun out and on the back of Buffy’s neck. “Now some one is going to tell me what the hell is--” But she didn’t get any farther then that because she was now on her back with all the air knocked out of her. Buffy put her foot on Miss Parker chest and took the gun lying next to her.

“Well that was fun” She said looking over to Jarod who was trying, and failing, to hide the smile on his face. “Would have been easier if you had just given me the gun, but I’ve heard you don’t like the easy way” She said smiling up at Jarod.

“Sydney” He said smiling over at him. “I’d like you to meet my sister” He said smiling proudly at Buffy. “The Vampire Slayer”

“Huh?” Broots said looking around at them all. “I sorry...the...the what?”

“This is going to take a little while, shall we go somewhere a little more comfortable, or are you good where you are?” Buffy asked smirking down at Miss Parker.

“Lead the way” Miss Parker said sitting up when Buffy removed her foot.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Before we go anywhere we have to do something” Buffy said pulling something out of her bag. It was a tiny blue bag. Buffy opened the tiny bag and pulled out some kind of powder, she then walked over to Sydney and smiled.

“This wont hurt” She said throwing the powder above his head. He felt a tingly feeling throughout his body then it was gone. Buffy smiled and nodded her head.

“Well good” She said moving over to Miss Parker. “Easy way?” She asked smirking at her. Miss Parker nodded and Buffy threw the powder over her too. Miss Parker felt the tingly feeling and Buffy smiled.

“So far so good” She said moving over to Broots.

“Jarod tells me you have a little girl?” Buffy asked smiling at him.

“Um...yeah” he said nodding his head. “She’s seven” He said with a small smile on his lips. “She’s with a friend”

“Good” Buffy said nodding her head. “May I?” She asked. He nodded his head and she threw the powder over him too. It tingled and then she smiled at him.

“All clear” She said smiling back at Jarod. “Let’s go”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Buffy was leading the way with Jarod bringing up the rear. Miss Parker was right behind Buffy with a scowl on her face. Broots was behind her still trying to figure out what the hell was going on and Sydney was talking to Jarod.

“So that’s your sister?” Sydney whispered as they walked down the street. Jarod smiled and nodded his head.

“Not quite what I was expecting” Jarod whispered smiling knowing that Buffy could hear every word they were saying. “But she’s one hell of a girl” Jarod said looking up at Buffy. “She’s got a few really good friends too” Jarod said now looking over at Sydney. “She says she would have been lost without them, I wonder what that must be like, to have people you can trust your life with” Sydney noticed the change on Jarod's face, it was his fault Jarod didn’t have life long friends and it broke his heart.

‘You don’t have to wonder now’ Buffy thought as they walked back towards the hotel, it wasn’t the hotel they were saying at but the place they decided to meet. Buffy turned and smiled at Jarod as they walked.

“Where are we going?” Miss Parker asked with a scowl on her face.

“Just up the street” Buffy said smiling at her. “So Jarod tells me he’s known you his whole life” Buffy said smirking at him.

“He did, did he?” She said turning back and looking at Jarod. She looked back at Buffy and smirked. “He doesn’t know me half as well as he thinks”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that” Buffy said smiling sweetly at her. “Well here we are” She said walking to the end of the hotel building and unlocking a door. She opened it and stepped in side. Willow and Oz were sitting at the table going over some papers, Xander was sitting on one of the beds flipping through a magazine and Giles was pacing back and forth in front of the door. Major Charles had left that day; he was going to see what kind of info he could dig up from some of his inside sources.

“Hey guys” Buffy said smiling as she walked in closely followed by Miss Parker then Broots and finally Sydney and Jarod.

“Hey Buffy” Willow said standing up and walking over to her. “How’d it go?”

“Well we ran into a little problem on the way to intercepting them” She said looking over her shoulder at Miss Parker. “But other then that it was fine”

“A little problem?” Miss Parker said stepping closer to Buffy. “That was not a little problem, that was...that was...what the hell was that!”

“Let me introduce everyone first” Buffy said smiling at her. “Then we can get to that part” Miss Parker glared but didn’t argue with her.

“Ok, this is Giles” She said pointing to Giles. He stopped and looked them over his eyes stopping on Sydney. He knew who this man was, what he had done to Jarod, and for that he wanted to hate him. In the last week Jarod had become part of their little family so seamlessly that it felt almost like he’d always been there. But he also knew that this man had watched out for Jarod as much as he could, he had taken some hard hits for him. Some that Giles was sure Jarod himself didn’t even know about. He saw Sydney as a type of Watcher himself. So he didn’t hate him, but he would reserve the right to until this whole thing was over.

“Hello” Giles said nodding his head at all of them. “It’s nice of you to join us” Giles said smiling at Sydney.

“Ha” Miss Parker said shaking her head. “Like we had a choose”

“You could have not come to Seattle” Buffy said smiling at her. “And on that note I’d like you to meet Willow” She said pointing at Willow. “But of course you know her as Red Witch” Buffy said smirking when the realization of what they had done sank in for Miss Parker.

“You set us up?” She didn’t direct her question at Buffy but to Jarod. Jarod just smiled and shrugged.

“Had to get you here someway” Buffy said smiling. “Anyway, the guy next to her is Oz and the guy on the bed in Xander”

“Hello” Xander said nodding his head at all of them. Xander felt about the same way as Giles did about Jarod, but he was not yet as mature as Giles, so he took an instant dislike to Miss Parker.

“Ok” Buffy said nodding her head. “Guys this is Miss Parker, Broots and Sydney” She said pointing at each of them.

“Buffy before we get into anything you should know someone called” Willow said sitting up and walking over to her.

“Who?” Buffy asked looking over at Giles and back again. Ever since they had left Sunnydale Buffy had worried about her mom.

“Angel” Willow said and watched as Buffy relaxed a little. “He asked if we were ok and where we were” Willow said smiling at her.

“Ok” Buffy said nodding her head. “Are they staying off the radar?”

“Yeah” Willow said nodding her head. “I had a feeling they were on the road”

“Angel must be riding in the trunk” Xander said from the bed making Willow smile a little.

“I doubt it” Willow said shaking her head. “He must have the windows blacked out or something, and its night time so I think he’s probably ok. Anyway, I think they may be headed here”

“Ok” Buffy said nodding her head. “I hadn’t even thought about bringing them into this, it may be a good idea”

“Stop” Miss Parker said holding up her hand. “Can we get onto the ‘little problem’ we had earlier?” Her voice was a little softer this time “Please?”

“Right” Buffy said nodding her head. “Sorry” She looked around the room. “You want to sit down?” When no one moved she shook her head. “Never mind” She sat down on the end of the bed Xander was on. “Ok, so here goes. Vampires and demons are real, I fight them. I have super human strength and power. I’m faster and stronger then most normal people. I’ve been doing this for about five years now. Those things we ran into tonight were vampires.” Buffy leaned back on her arms and waited. Miss Parker rolled her eyes and sighed.

“That’s your story?” Miss Parker said shaking her head. “I expected better” She said looking back at Jarod. “You want to try?”

“She’s telling you the truth” Jarod said nodding her head. “You don’t have to believe it but it's true.”

“Vampires?” Sydney said looking over to Giles, the only other ‘adult’ in the room.

“Indeed” Giles said nodding his head. “And that’s not the whole of it” He said smiling a little. “Now do you want to sit down?”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Are we there yet?’ Cordy asked for the tenth time in the last two hours. Angel never really thought about what she’d be like on a long car ride but this was not what he’d have imagined if he had.

“I swear” Faith said looking over the seat at Cordy. “If you ask that one more time I’m going to put you in the trunk” Cordy glared at her and Faith turned back around to look out the window. Angel looked over at Cordy and smiled.

“I think we have about half an hour left” He said “Maybe you should take a nap, when we get to Buffy we may be up all night planning”

“Oh goody” Cordy said rolling her eyes. But she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. “Wake me when we get there”

“I will” Faith said smirking to herself.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Buffy sat at the desk in their hotel room. Jarod was sleeping in a chair by the door and Broots and Sydney were asleep in the beds. Miss Parker was pacing back and forth in front of the TV; she too was apparently a night owl. Buffy sighed and looked over at her.

“Are you going to do that all night?” Buffy asked closing the book in front of her.

“I don’t know” Miss Parker said smirking at her. “Are you going to let me go outside and have a cigarette?” She asked tilting her head to one side. Buffy could almost see the wheels in her head turning; she didn’t really think she could outsmart Buffy did she?

“Will you stop pacing if you have one of those disgusting things?” Buffy asked standing up and smiling at her.

“Maybe” Miss Parker said nodding her head.

“Fine” Buffy said nodding her head. Miss Parker headed to the front door and Buffy smiled. “Where are you going?”

“To have a cigarette” She said sounding annoyed.

“Right” Buffy said nodding her head. “Out here” She said sliding open the window to reveal a small balcony, most likely not meant for smoking on.

“You want me to go out on that thing?” She asked looking out the window.

“If you want a cigarette I do” Buffy said nodding her head. Miss Parker snarled as she climbed through the window and outside. Buffy looked down from the window and smiled. “And if your thinking of jumping just remember, you are not a slayer and will definitely break something from four stories up” Miss Parker just lit her cigarette and took deep breath off of it and blew the smoke in Buffy’s face.

“Enjoy your cancer” Buffy said letting the window fall closed. She turned when she heard the snickering behind her. “What?” She said to Jarod who was now sitting up and smiling at her.

“Nothing” he said shaking his head still smiling. He turned towards the door when there was a knock and smiled. “Expecting someone?” She walked over to the door and looked through the peep hole before opening the door and smiling.

“Hello Angel” She said moving so he could walk through the door. “What a surprise to see you here” She said as Wes, Cordy and Faith walked through behind Angel.

“We having a few things to talk to you about” Angel said sounding cryptic. “Things we wanted to tell you in person”

“Oh” Buffy said nodding her head. “Well come in make your selves at home.”

“We have visitors?” Sydney said sitting up and looking around at them. The back window opened and Miss Parker stepped through.

“So” Buffy said looking at them. “What’s going on?”

“We have an idea on how to get rid of one of your little problems” Faith said smiling over at Jarod.

“Well” Buffy said sitting down on the arm of the chair Jarod was in. “Don’t leave us hangin” She said smirking at Faith.

TBC

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