Part Five

********** Do you want this rush job ahead of the rush job you gave me ten minutes ago or should I keep rushing that job ahead of this rush job but behind the rush job I had before you gave me the other rush job? - sign beside the production schedule in prep department.
**********

"Here's the center spread, check the trapping - we've been having problems."

"Yeah, where's 5 and 16? I'm missing that one too."

"Next in line to spin. You'll have it by the time you get those stripped. Carlos wants proofs by morning on all this or you're spending the day crammed in a locker.... and that is a direct quote from Mr. Congeniality."

Joyce raised her head and looked across the room at the two men who were examining the film which had dropped from the imagesetter. She tried to rise from the chair only to discover that her arms and ankles had been securely bound to it with inch wide lithographers tape. The chair rattled on the tile floor as she pulled at her restraint, catching Adam and Gregory's attention.

"Hey Greggor, she's awake."

Gregory came over to her and pulled up a second chair. "Relax madam. You are not in any danger." He reassured her with a smile. "Herron has went home to retrieve some supplies and this will be all over soon."

Joyce gulped and stared at her captor. When she had come through desktop the first time this Gregory had reminded her of a red bearded Santa Claus, but now that comparison seemed ludicrous. "What will be over soon. LET ME GO!!." She screamed as the possibilities of what awaited her began to bubble through her mind.

Gregory grabbed hold of her chair to keep it from tipping. "Calm down! Please, you will not be harmed!"

Joyce tried to let out a scream for help but Gregory cut it short by clamping his hand over her mouth. In a calm voice he gave Joyce her options. "You have two choices madam. You can be calm and believe what I have told you. That is - relax and you will not be harmed." Then Gregory showed her his vampire features. "Your other choice is that you continue to make waves. Understand the unspoken consequence of this option?"

Gregory removed his hand from her mouth and sat back in his chair. Joyce nodded in answer to the vampire's threat as she watched him return to normal.

Adam came over holding his film and bent down to stare Joyce straight in the face. "Are you guys sure? She don't look like her. Maybe this is a different Summers."

"We are sure. This is the Slayer's mother."

Adam nodded his head. "Cool... Hey you know your daughter's really hot. I see her at the Bronze all the time. Never have went up to talk to her, that staking thing she does makes me nervous. Think she would go out with me?"

Joyce's expression changed to disbelief. "Go out with you?"

Gregory let out a hearty laugh. "Adam, that would be a sight to behold." The thought of Adam trying to make out with the Slayer was so amusing that he was reduced to wiping his eyes over his laughter.

"Yeah, laugh it up. It could happen." Adam growled.

"What could happen?" Kimmie said as she came trotting into the room. Joyce stared at the goblin as it crossed the room crawled up Adam's pants leg and jumped onto the light table.

"Hey, watch the jeans. I paid big bucks for these." Adam complained.

Kimmie's hind claws clicked on the glass as she crossed it and sat down on a box of razor blades. "Yeah, I know your Tommy Hold-A-Finger whatevers. So what could happen?"

"Adam is trying to make a date with Ms Summer's daughter, could not you see the...." Gregory stopped as he realized that the platemaker had changed form. "What happened to you? Did you morph just to get out of plating that Woodworkers Guild job?"

"Na, I sneezed wrong. Shit happens." It answered as it picked up the end of its tail and began to gnaw and pick at it. "Think one of you guys can take over? I can't change back until sunrise and if the web press has to wait on plates in the morning John will pin me to the bulletin board...again."

"Well, I suppose I have time to go back and make a couple of sets." Gregory said. "But someone has to watch our visitor."

Adam tossed the film down on the light table. "I'll watch her."

Gregory shook his head. "No, proofs by morning - remember. And you are already in enough hot water with Carlos."

Kimmie paused her tail grooming. "Oh hell, I'll watch her."

Gregory stood and nodded. "Fine with me. Kimberly, if you have any problems run for help, understand?"

"Sure."

Kimmie continued to chew on the end of her tail as she watched the two vampires leave the room. Joyce slid her chair around to face the goblin and stared open mouthed at the creature.

"What's the matter? Ain't you ever got something stuck under a scale?" Kimmie asked Joyce.

"No, can't say that's ever been a problem."

"Well take my word for it, it drives a body nuts." The critter informed her while lowering its tail. It blinked a few times at the empty doorway and reached into the box for a razor blade. "Scoot over here so I can get to that tape."

"What?"

The goblin leaned over the edge of the table motioning for Joyce to come closer. "Look your friend Mike is here on his white horse or some shit along that line. I told him I'd get you back to the warehouse so the two of you can go riding off into the sunset. Providing that you'll both just go away and leave us the hell alone. Now come on, we don't have all night."

"Mike? Mike who?"

"Mike with the English accent. Get a move on sister!"

Joyce rolled the chair over and flinched as the goblin sliced the tape.

"Mike? Giles! Okay, he must have given this thing an aliases." She thought as she took the blade from Kimmie and cut herself free of the rest of the bindings.

"Hold still." The goblin said as it took a leap from the table and landed on Joyce's shoulder. "Why walk when you can ride?"

Joyce wrinkled her nose as the tiny claws scritched into the fabric of her sweatshirt. "Eeeww..."

The goblin aped her expression. "Eeeww? I'll let that one slide, lady. Now through that door, go straight and back into the lobby. We gotta take the bass-akwards path."

As the two went through the lobby door, five figures came out of a back cubbie hole.

"Herron, I hope you know what you're doing." Rick said with a shake of his head.

"Of course I do." Dick said with a smile before addressing the others. "Mary Ann get the supplies out of the cabinet so we can prepare. Rick you might want to give us a hand also. Greg, Adam - go find our other friend. He's lost in the darkrooms thanks to Mary's spell."