Demon Criminal Investigative Services: Red's Menace.
 
 
 
 
 

Dawn found her target, which was an excellent tribute to Xander and Dean's teaching.  So she snuck up behind him and pounced.  "Got you," she said happily when he yelped and turned to glare at her.  "Hi, Spike."

"Nibblet."  He looked her over.  "You've grown."

"I hope I'm not the scrawny girl I was before.  How could I get a decent boy looking like that?"

He laughed.  "Don't need one."

"Do so.  I'm seventeen now, Spike."  He stared at her.  "Buffy made Angel slip his soul by my age."

"Uh-huh.  Not a good benchmark."

"I don't like sleeping with vampires unless they're telling me a bedtime story."  She smirked.  "Why did you run away from my teachers?"

"They're bloody well insane," he complained.

"Only when the kids are cranky."  He snorted, shaking his head.  "C'mon, we'll buy you a new pack and then hit the base."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because that's where DCIS and all the rest of the slayers are.  Except for the few in Cleveland and the few in LA."  Spike whimpered.  "Xander did it after the Watchers blew everyone else up."  He shook his head quickly.  "Exactly.  He had to take over, even if Buffy was back on her 'no non-special girls allowed' kick."  She took his arm and walked him off, letting him buy a new pack of smokes before leading him back up to the base.  It was dusk so he was safe.  She found the guard at the usual spot.  "This is Spike.  My teachers sent him to me to help him.  He's got a witch inside him getting cranky."

"Uh-huh.  Does Doctor Jackson know?"

"Yup.  I told him earlier."  He called to make sure then gave Spike a visitor's pass.  She clipped it on for him.  "Thank you.  He's going to get pounced.  Is Xander back yet?"

"Later tonight.  After you're in bed.  Dean said that way he could have some sleep before you pounced him for presents."

She pouted.  "I'm not going to be mean about it.  Annabelle will knock them down and frisk them."  He laughed so she walked him on.  "Welcome to DCIS, Spike.  We're pretty cool around here."  She smirked.  "Xander was one of the first agents."

"That explains a lot," he told her.  He pointed at the shrub demon puffing itself up.  "Why is it here?"

"That's George.  He adopted some of us and Dean."  She stopped to pet it.  "Relax, George.  Spike is a nice vampire and he's here for help.  We're going to undo what the mean witch and the Powers did to him."  The shrub deflated his spikes and followed them back to the girls' dorm.  She held the door for him, watching as he went to lean against Annabelle to get petted.  "Ladies, this is Spike.  He's not one to pounce.  He's a very good fighter."

Brenda looked over and scowled.  "He's a vampire."

"Who has Willow stuck in him."

"Poor man.  I heard she babbled," another of the older girls said, cracking Spike up.  He nodded.  "Then I'm sure Dawnie and her teachers can help you.  They're major witches."

"Why are they teaching you anyway?" Spike asked.

"I kinda sneezed and exorcized a spirit from Xander and gave him a new body one night."  Spike gaped, his cigarette falling out.  George came over to stomp on it.  "Good boy, George."  She petted him again.  "Very good boy."  He rustled his leaves then went back to guarding his girls.  They needed it with a vampire in the room.  She smiled.  "Let me introduce you to John.  That way he doesn't try to stake you too."  Brenda pointed at the main building.  "Library?"

"Snack run."

"For movie night?" she asked hopefully.  The girls all nodded so Dawn squealed and went to help, dragging Spike by his wrist.  He was bemused but that was fine.  "John!"  He looked over from making popcorn.  "This is Spike."

"I figured it was since you're dragging a vampire around by the wrist."  He nodded politely.  "They may be slayers but I'll torture you and have fun if you hurt the girls."

"George stamped on his cigarette for him."

"Good!  You don't need to smoke."  He scowled and she laughed, giving him a hug before dragging Spike off again to tell Buffy she had him.  John shook his head, texting Sammy's phone.  He got back something about a chip so he brought the snacks back to ask.  "He still chipped?"  Spike shook his head.  "You had better not cause a single problem, Spike.  Am I clear?"

"Crystal.  Just want the bleedin' witch outta my head."

"That's not a bad reason.  She awake?"

"Purring."

"Her cat's with Cordette in LA," Dawn told him.  She hung up with her sister and dragged Spike back outside.  "Here, this'll work better so she can reform and not be pounced by George too."  She sat him down and sat across from him, putting her hands on his temples, opening herself to the magic and the feeling of 'Willow' in his mind.  "Hey, Willow, you wanna wake up?" she muttered.  "You're missing a lot of fun and over a year now."  Spike snorted at that.  "You hush."  She concentrated, finding Willow.  Then she poked her until her spirit woke up.  "You're possessing Spike and making him feel like Xander.  He's even wearing a loud shirt.  There can be only one Xander, you know that."

"The world would end," Spike agreed grimly.  He shut his eyes and helped by giving the extra voice a shove.  "Out of my head, witchy poo.  S'not nice to eavesdrop that way."  He felt her get stubborn so he shot a picture of him and Dru having sex at her.  She fled from that.  "Prude," he mumbled.

"Doesn't that position hurt?" Dawn asked.

Spike stared at her.  "Have to find out some day, huh?"

"Xander would spank."  She did as her teachers had told her, pulling Willow out more gently than she had Tim.  Without the sneeze this time.   She looked at the woman reforming next to them.  "Hi!  Have a good nap?"

"Dawn?"

"Duh.  Do you see another witch here, Willow?"

"Um, no.  How did you do that?"

"I have some wonderful teachers who want to meet you and work on your skills too."

"The Devon coven?"

"Elitist snobs now and then who didn't like Xander?  No, thanks anyway."  She gaped.  "I found a family of three witches who also hunt demons.  They've been very helpful.  Even when I used your journal to have a go at the Powers for being butts."  Willow shuddered.  "Now, we believe you saw the bomb and went incorporeal as it exploded.  If you can undo that you can be alive again.  I think you also linked yourself to something on Buffy, which is how you got stuck in Spike, merging with his blood on Buffy's shirt.  So can you think yourself solid again?"

Willow concentrated on her magic and slowly reformed as a solid being.  "Wow.  What happened?  You look tired."

"I'm older, Willow.  It's bee over a year.  But yeah, had a nightmare last night.  George the shrub demon was nice enough to come cuddle me since Xander's on vacation this week."  She stared at her, getting blinked at back.  Spike started to laugh.  "He is."

"I heard," he promised.  "Knew he was a geek."

Dawn nodded.  "Well, yeah.  Did he really beat one of the levels by winning a drinking contests with dwarves?"  Spike cackled and nodded.  "That's my Xander buddy."  She looked at Willow again, watching her wobble.  "Hey, Paige, I've got her solid," she called.  Paige appeared and took Willow with her to check her over.  "They'll bring her back in a bit."  She beamed.  "I think I heard your demon purring too.  It seemed to like her in there."

"It's insane too," Spike pointed out.

Dawn smiled.  "I'd say so after having to put up with Dru for so long."  She ran a hand back over his head then did a telling spell.  "The soul came back with you, Spike."  He gaped, moaning a bit.  "Sorry but it shows."  She gave him a hug.  "You're a great uncle and trouble buddy.  Wait until Sammy meets you."

"Sammy?  Another bint?"

"Not with how tall he is."

Spike cackled.  "We'll see what they think of the Big Bad later, ducks."

"I don't quack, Spike."  He laughed louder.  "So, want filled in on all the gossip?"  He nodded.  She shifted closer to start the tale with the hellmouth battle and the activation of all the slayers.  By the end she was tired and cuddled against him.  She let it trail off and looked up at him.  "So there we are."

He looked down at her.  "Only Harris can bring that sort of insanity."

"Gee, thanks," Xander said from behind them, making Spike jump.  "Didn't smell me coming?  I'm shocked since I need a shower.  It was sweaty in the car."  He grinned. "Hi, Spike.  Where's Willow?"

"With Paige and them getting a magical checkup," Dawn said.

"That's fine.  When she's back, we'll let the docs do it, just in case.  Speaking of, House wanted to take a tube of blood to see if he could find the virus that causes vampires.  You mind?"

Spike blinked.  "I don't need more chips."

"Not offering one," he said dryly.  "Just a small vial of blood drawn.  He's not really mean about it and he's doing a lot of research on how the various slimes, oozes, and poisons react on humans."

"Why not ask a healer?" Spike asked.

"Can't find them.  Most of them went into hiding when Glory started to make her move."  Spike moaned.  "Besides, we need how it relates to humans for the most part, not demons.  The agents here need to know."

Spike nodded. "Let me make a call.  See if I can get a book.  Good enough?"

"Vial of blood?" Dawn asked.  "That way we might be able to find a vaccine."

He rolled his eyes.  "If I must."

"Thanks."  She drug him off, Xander, Dean, and Sammy following.  "It's a movie night."

"That's why we're coming back tonight," Dean told her.  Spike stopped to stare at him.  He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.  "Dean Winchester.  My little brother Sammy Winchester.  We're the teaching team for the younger slayers."

Spike stared then looked at Xander.  "I hired them," he agreed.  "The girls needed the best and they're some of the best.  Plus really nice guys since they let the girls crush on them."

Spike blinked then shook his head quickly.  "World's going to hell.  Should've stayed dead.  Soddin' Powers."  Dawn swatted him.

Xander cackled.  "Oh, come on, Spike.  Just because I'm third-in-command here and second in the Slayers Council...."  He gave him a manic grin.  "Any idea how I got blessed with luck?  It meant we got on the ride the trip before it went off the tracks and injured ten people instead of us."

"Not a clue I can smell."  He backed away from him.  "Need Anya back, Mate?"

"She died in the battle, Spike, but a girlfriend would be nice."

Dawn snorted.  "Date an agent, Xander.  We'd like that.  It'd make all the girls happy to see you happily gay so no bad girls could pounce you anymore.  Even if you do make women scream and go bad from your tongue like Anya said."  Xander popped her on the head.  "Hey!"

"Bad thought you don't need, Dawn Summers."

"Yes, Xander."  She drug Spike off again.  "C'mon.  You'll like Doctor House.  He's kinda snarky in that mean and evil way but he's a nice guy most of the time.  Except when I forget my pap smear on purpose."  Spike stuffed his fingers in his ears to block out that topic.  "Sorry."

"I had better not be a godfather this year," Xander assured her.  "Or else I will paddle you until your mother comes back to save your ass."

"Yes, big brother."  She looked at Spike.  "He's threatened to beat all my boyfriends up too."

"So would I, nibblet."  He was led into the medical wing and looked around.  "Different than the last one I was in."  Chase looked up.  "Bloke."

"You must be Spike," he said in his Australian accent.  "Doctor Chase.  House?"  He came out of the office with his yo-yo, a gift from Wilson.  "This is Spike."

He looked at him.  "I wanted to see what a vampire looked like."

"I'm one of the prettier of the lot."

"Obviously."  He pushed him onto a bed.  "Let's make sure you're not a walking time bomb.  Your passenger Dawn was worried about?"

"Paige has her.  She'll send her back."

"That's fine.  We'll make sure she's really alive too."  He drew some blood and handed it to Chase, who split it up for them and Abby, then he got to work looking him over.  "Go to the demon face please?"  He shrugged and did it.  "Interesting."  He examined him then handed him a pack of blood.  "One of the girls donated earlier in case you showed up."

"Microwave is behind you," Dawn told him.  "So is he okay and should I send him to Buffy?"

"Unless he wants to hire on here to help the mini slayers or the agents," Xander said.  "She could probably use the insanity."

Spike snorted from warming up his dinner.  "Can't be that bad."

"Giles went psycho asshole like Travers," Dawn told him, making him moan and shake his head.  "Wanted all the girls in Cleveland, even when the city wanted to arrest them so they couldn't bring things there to try themselves against them.  He's also decided there's no other demons anywhere in the world but there and LA."  Dean snorted at that.  "I know.  You know.   He's being an ass.  His ManMS is going for *way* too long.  Hey, Doctor House, what would happen if we gave Giles pills for PMS?  Would it help his mood any?"

"It might make it so he can't get it up," House said dryly.  "Probably send him into crying fits from what I've seen when they give birth control to sex offenders."  He smirked.  "Still think it'd help?"

"Maybe being laid would help him more," Dean told him.  "Speaking of, Xander has that little peeing problem."

"I do not!" Xander complained.  "All I need is cranberry juice, Dean.  Thank you anyway."

"We can check.  It's a swab either way," House told him, pointing at a cubicle.  "So you don't horrify Dawn and turn her off men forever."

"Fat chance.  I've already seen that naked and lusted for quite a while," Dawn shot back.

"Dawn!" Sam shouted.

She smirked.  "I was fourteen!  I had to use the potty and he was in the shower after a hard day at the construction site.  Not like the telescope is mine."  House swatted her on the back of the head.  "Hey!  That's Tony's thing, not yours."

"A good man will keep learning every day of his life," House shot back as he limped off to check Xander over.  "So, which unclean whore did you sleep with?"

"Um, tavern wenches during the quest D&D style game that I won."

"I heard.  They sent a peace treaty since we take care of the new lust god and you beat their evil goddess."  Chase cackled at that.  Xander pouted.  "You did."

"It wasn't hard.  So I guess that was really real and not a created place to play on?"  House smirked and nodded.  "Oh, well.  It's still a UTI.  I got them off Anya all the time."

"We'll see."  He found the swabs he needed and looked at him.  "Whip it out, kid."

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"You're too young for me."  He did the swabs and capped them.  "We'll let you know tomorrow."

"Yes, Doctor House."  He put his cock back into his pants and zipped up again.  "You might want to check Sammy's back.  He threw it out at Universal Studios."

"I can do that too."  He checked his heart rate.  "Not bad.  Better than it was."  He let him go.  "Sammy, front and center.  Dean, you move and I'm letting the girls drag you back here however they want to."  Dean moaned so he looked Sammy over.  "Should I take a swab from you too?"

"He's the one who sexed up all the tavern wenches in that game," Sam protested.  "Plus three prostitutes.  If Anya made him have that sort of stamina I feel sorry for his next girlfriend.  He'll kill her in bed.  He nearly did a few of the tavern wenches."

House snickered.  "I'll keep that in mind."  He found the problem in his back and put some heating goop on it that they had laying around for muscle stiffness, making him moan.

"Is he having the same test done?" Dawn called.  She got swatted by Xander.  "Inquiring minds," she protested.

"Mind out of the gutter, Dawn," Xander ordered, giving her a look.

"Fine.  Did you know girls could have butt sex too?  To get Willow out of his head Spike showed her a bit of him and Dru having butt sex while she was hanging up by her wrists from some chains."

"I *SO* did not need to hear that," Sam complained.

"Me either," Chase agreed.  "Though, to answer the main question, yes, women can have anal sex but it doesn't feel the same as when men have it because they don't have a prostate.  Should we have the expanded sex talk with you, Dawn?" he asked, grinning a bit since she was blushing.  She loved to try to make him blush.  Which he usually did but not tonight.

"Don't worry, I'm sure some nice boy will try to make you have gay style sex some year," Dean said.  "Then Xander will kick his ass and hand him to your sister.  Because he'd clearly be more her and Faith's type."  She giggled, giving him a hug.  Sam got released and Dawn gave him a nudge.  "Fine.  I didn't do anything."

"I'm sure you didn't hit a brothel at all, Dean," Sam called.  "And you've been scratching like you have crabs again."  He smirked at Chase.  "Payback for the time he gave me to the skanky ho and I caught something.  He did it on purpose to make sure I wouldn't have that low of standards ever again."

Chase patted him on the back.  "At least you know he loves you."

"Yeah but Dad about killed him for it when I had to hit a doc's office.  He tried on me, but me pointing out Dean had set us up nearly made him able to take the car up his ass from Dad's foot."  Dawn snickered at that.  "You should ask him."

"John told us if we asked another sex question near him he was going to ground us and make us go clean the prison sewers in bikinis."

"Eww," Xander said.

"Very.  Oh, speaking of the prison.  Tiff went with the hotty from space."

"So she's going to be a space slayer?"  She nodded.  "If he can put up with her I'm all for it.  Did Wes okay it?"

"He let them talk."

"More power to him then."  He looked at the doctor as Dean came out.  "Can we escort Dawn out so she can send Spike to Buffy?"

"See me before breakfast, Xander."  He nodded, walking them back out.  Chase called Abby, who went to pelt Spike with questions until he gave up and begged to go see Buffy.  House looked over as Paige brought back Willow.  "She infected or anything?"

"Nope but you probably need to make notes."

"We do," Chase agreed, leading Willow over to check her over.  "I'm Doctor Chase.  Welcome to DCIS, Miss Rosenburg.  We're going to make sure you're healthy before we get a report on what happened."

"DCIS?"

"The guys who evacuated the younger slayers, what they turned into," House told her.

"Then why is Dawn here?"

"Because all the slayers you called are here, except for a few in Cleveland and a few in LA," House said patiently.

"But... the Watchers."

"Set the bomb," he told her.  She whimpered, slumping some.  Chase made her sit up straighter.  "They've taken very good care of all the girls you called from all over the world."

"I knew that.  Xander said something about a six-year-old one?"

"She's with her foster family," he assured her.  "She's loved and well taken care of, plus they love to help her train.  Fortunately they think everyone will age out of their powers at twenty-three."

"Okay," she said weakly.  Faith walked in.  "Faith!"  Finally, someone she knew, trusted, and who understood her.  Those witches had been mean!

"Red."  She gave her a hug around Chase's stethoscope, getting swatted at.  "Sorry, oh great firm butted one."  He blushed at that, shaking his head.  "He's so much fun to make blush."

"I can tell."  She looked at her.  "Huh?"

"We'll talk once you're cleared."  She nodded at that, letting Chase finish up.  "She alive again?"

"It seems so.  We should pull some blood just in case her former state left her with low blood sugar or something."

"She's just confused," Faith told him.  She let them pull blood anyway then walked Willow off, telling her all of it.

"But we didn't want Xander to help," she complained.

Faith swatted her.  "X saved all these girls, Willow.  He's been good to us.  The only one who can't see that is Tweedy."  Willow moaned.  "That's why he turned into an asshole like Travers.  B's getting him healed though so it's cool."  She nodded at the new girls out for a walk with the one's kids.  "Evening, ladies.  Pretty night.  This is Willow Rosenburg; it was her spell that activated all of us.  She meant to get the ones on the hellmouth but it spread."

The one from Iraq looked at her.  "You'll learn better control I'm sure.  Like Dawn is."  She hopped on, smiling at the young girl.  "Faith, is Wesley here?"

"In his room.  X, Sammy, and the great one are back."  She smiled at that.  "He'll be lurking and getting reports tomorrow since X had that freakish luck on his vacation."

"You have no idea how strange it got," Dean complained from his spot watching Dawn work.  "She staying or going?"

"Going," Willow said.  "Buffy needs me."

Dawn waved.  "One portal we just put Spike through."  She ran for it and went to hug Buffy, making sure she was still sane and in the right reality.  "Faith told her so she's in shock, Buffy."

"I can handle that.  Thank you, Dawn, and thank your teachers for me too."  The portal closed and she pulled Willow off to sit and talk with her.  "It's all right.  Xander's really good in charge.  He's set up all sorts of plans to get the girls into school and get them trained by really good hunters."

"Wow.  Xander can do that stuff?"

"Yeah, Willow.  He's good at it and he's a great agent - even if he does drive Danny nuts now and then."

"That takes college."

"It was the same people who took the younger girls to safety.  They turned into DCIS.  They're pretty nice.  We were there for a few months before I took my turn here.  They've been very helpful and don't mind much when the girls go all perv over the cute agents."  Willow moaned.  "It's all right."

"It's not all right.  Xander's in charge of things."

"Yeah and he's damn good at it," she assured her.  "Or else we'd be homeless, foodless, and clothesless.  He's done really good.  Him and Wes both.  After we got blown up and coma'd they stepped up to handle everything.  Even if it does make Giles grumpy."

"He is?"

"He so is.  He's got old and useless feelings because Xander handled everything so well.  We're making plans for when we have to move all the girls here.  It's helping."  Willow just nodded.  "So, how was Paige?  She and her sisters are Dawnie's teachers.  They're really good.  They fight demons too so they know how to handle all the protection stuff and all that.  They've made Dawn calm down and do things the right way so she's got good control and she's making good choices."

"She told me she went to yell at the Powers using my journal."

"I wondered how she knew how to do that.  Yeah, the Powers were trying to play games.  Dawn went to point out that the only way they got their balance was if everyone was a robot or dead.  She made her point, got her teacher that's the missing sister of that group, she's possessing her, and then Xander joined in when she ran into troubles.  The Elders, the ones over the white lighters, sent a demon who was doing some atonement work for being The Source or something to make sure they didn't blow them up.  Because Dawn was way pissed.  She sneezed and gave a spirit his own body back.  That's why she has teachers."

"That's probably a good thing.  What about the coven in Devon?"

"I talked with them after Dawn ripped me a new one the day I woke up.  They were kinda snotty about Dawn.  Especially about Xander helping Dawn.  The sisters are really nice.  They even let Dawn babysit."

"That's cool," she agreed weakly.  "My cat?"

"With the youngest one and her foster family.  Neither one liked planes so they adopted each other.  Sorry.  You can get a new cat though.  Miss Kitty is just as spoiled as Cordette is."

"Cordette?  Did she follow Cordy around?" Willow asked.

"Don't know but she's really sweet.  She tried to beat me up for being mean to Xander when I said something wrong.  During the demon invasion we missed, they had to tie her to a chair so she couldn't go help.  She's one determined little girl."

"I can tell.  She's how old?"

"Um... eight now I think?  It's been a year and a half.  She turned seven right after she got adopted.  So yeah, I think she's eight."

"I'm going to look for a way to uncall the extra ones."

"Giles didn't like the journal Wes found but we'll see if we age out in about six months when the one girl from Sudan loses hers or not."

"We ran into her and her kids.  Plus one on crutches."

"Her house was destroyed by a car bomb in Iraq."

"Oh.  All over the world, huh?"  Buffy nodded, giving her hand a pat.  "I'm sorry."

"I'm not.  It's great.  Even if we have almost nothing to do around here, it's great to see all the slayers and the future ones are potentials as far as we can tell.  Dawnie's even training to be a future watcher under Wes.  So is Caridad.  Remember her?"

"I do.  How's Kennedy?"

"She's upstairs sulking.  Kennedy!" she yelled.  She came running down, then squealed and pounced Willow.  "Go easy on her, she just got unstuck from Spike's head."

"We'll talk," Kennedy assured her, pulling her girlfriend up to her room with her.  They had a lot of catching up to do.  It would help her be less confused too.  Because the confused look was too adorable to not pounce.

Buffy smiled.  "Giles, Willow is back," she called, going to find him in his room.  "Kennedy snatched her from me but she's back and whole."

"That's excellent news.  I've been looking up ways to uncall the extra girls."

"Will it work?"  He shrugged.  "Then we'll see.  As long as it doesn't activate the others that're potentials or are over age."  He gaped.  "They deserve a life if they can have it. Xander's right about that.  We're still human and still need the normal stuff sometimes.  The same as we made room for fun in Sunnydale, we need the normal stuff now."  She walked off.  "Will we need anything too funky?"

"The scythe."

"It's somewhere.  No idea where," Buffy called.  "I'll ask."  She emailed that to Dawn, who sent back it was in LAPD storage and they couldn't get it free yet.  Tony was trying.  "It's in LAPD storage, Giles.  Tony is trying to get it free for us.  It must've been in the explosion too."

"I'll see if I can help with that," he said as he walked into the kitchen.  "Tell Dawn I said hello."

"Already did."

"Good.  How is she?"

"She said she got to try to embarrass Doctor Chase again asking sex questions.  He answered but Faith got him this time."

"The girls need better hobbies."

"They'll be starting school in two weeks."

"Good point."  He went back to his room.  "Tell Willow to come see me when Kennedy is done with her."

"Sure."  She went back to her email reading, smiling at some of the stuff Dawn had forwarded.  It was cute.  Even cute kitty pictures.

***

Daniel Jackson looked up from his coffee fetching when he heard his name called.  Personally, he hated this new agent.  Especially when he called him Danny.  Jack, the guys he liked, the girls he treated like little sisters, they got away with calling him Danny.  The others... it was going to take a while to earn that bit of trust and respect.  Then again, half the guys reminded him of Jack...  He shook off that thought.  Before Jack heard and decided to retire to DCIS to help him.  The demons would certainly run faster from fear than they did whenever Xander showed up.  Even if they didn't have a reason to run.  He looked at the new agent.  He really hated this guy.  "What's wrong?"

"My report got returned?" he demanded.

Daniel nodded.  "With the memo to please do your own report, not copy and past Danny Messer's and sign your name to it."  He took a sip of his new cup of coffee.  "Each person at any scene sees things slightly differently.  Since Messer's report included lab data and you can't work the GCMS...."  He took another drink, watching him go purple.  Why had he hired this guy?  Oh, yeah, he knew something that only Xander on all the teams knew.  Hell, he needed someone else who knew bombs.  Or maybe that one slayer's father.  He walked off thinking.  It was sad but McKay was less annoying to Sam Carter than this guy was to him.  He stopped when he heard him following.  "You have a day to get that report redone.  It has to be to the prosecutor's office tomorrow.  They want to move quickly on it."  The man went red in the face.  "Are you feeling all right?" he asked blandly.

Xander grabbed the hall phone to call someone.  He had been heading for his own coffee.   "Doc, got a case of red in the face, huffing, could be having a mini stroke," he reported.  He hung up and looked at him.  "Daniel," he said, knowing how much the name 'Danny' bothered him from people who weren't allowed or friends.  Danny smiled at that.  "We just got a multi-team needing case.  We've only got one on base right now.  How do you want to handle it?"

"Why?"

"Miami's about to open into warfare," he sighed.  He got out of House's way when he heard his cane tapping up the hallway.  "Him, House."  He looked at his boss again.  "We're talking six clans, no hope of a treaty, it all started over who was the baby's daddy sort of war.  The ME got the first set of bodies this morning and called me *personally* to come stop them."

He sighed, looking at the stuff Xander had.  "Is the baby bi-species?"

"Yup.  So we've got an honor killing, which she got this morning, and then this just came in."  He handed the new information sheet over.  Danny moaned.  "Yeah, basically demon street gang war.  Want me to handle it with the girls, take my team with the girls?  Pull a team?"

"Have you talked to Giles?"

"I talked to Wes to find out what they could and would be able to do.  We're talking all the way through magical eruptions.  They proved they could use gas to start a fire."

"Crap."

"Anything that makes you swear is my team's case, but do you want us to handle it, or do you want us to handle it with the slayers?"

"Get with Giles in my office in thirty minutes.  Call Horatio down there and tell him we're coming, we're seeing which way is going to be for the better in this situation.  Doctor House, as soon as he can, he needs to do his own report for a case.  It has to be to the prosecutor tomorrow if possible."  He walked off.  Xander jogged off to get Wes.

"He doesn't need this," House warned Danny quietly.

"Neither does Miami.  In this case we're not sure which way is better."  He went to his office, grabbing a donut from the box on the way.  "Thanks for getting donuts, Tony's ghost."

Tony looked up from his reading, frowning at him.  "I am not a ghost, but you're welcome."

"Xander said no other teams are here?"

"I have to testify tomorrow so I'm stuck while my team's in Minnesota with Dean."

"Hell.  Xander just pulled up a major war in Miami."  Tony whimpered.  "Exactly."  He walked his donut into his office, finding Wesley dialing his phone.  "Thanks, Wesley."

"Welcome, Daniel."  He smiled at the gruff answer.  "I know it's early, Buffy, but we have a major situation in Miami.  Can you get me Giles please?"  He put it on speaker while she had him on hold.  He looked at the information.  "I'm not sure which way is better either at this point.  It seems so trivial."

"I think they were waiting for any excuse," Xander admitted.  "Four of the six clans had been at war in the past and they're still not exactly friendly.  So any spark would restart that fire."

"What's happened in Miami?" Giles' voice asked.

"Six clans have started a war over who's the baby's daddy after they honor killed the mother and child, plus most of her family and part of her clan," Xander told him.  "It's starting to impact normals, Giles.  That technically makes it a DCIS case.  The problem is that we'd need multiple teams or possibly multiple teams each with a slayer or two."

"Oh, dear. Which ones?  Do you have information?"

"What's the fax number out there?" Danny asked.  Giles rattled it off so he input it and put the sheets into the machine, sending it over.  "Should be coming out now."  Wesley took it to read over again.  "We're debating how we best work this case."

"The girls here would be most welcome to help if the ones still there don't want to," he offered.

"The ones here just started school yesterday," Wesley told him.  "We can't take them all out for a major case.  You have most of the girls who're out of school who aren't on a case.  How likely is this to spread around?"

"I emailed Don Epps," Xander admitted.  "They have branches of three of the clans in LA.  Actually, Cordette's science teacher is half of one of the clans."  He looked at the phone then at Danny.  "Up to you, boss.  I can head down with my team and a few of the girls.  The others can catch up if we need it.  Or I can go down as Slayers Council and do it that way.  That would stop the problems nearly immediately."

"I'd rather not make it a hunt and kill situation if we don't have to," Daniel said.  "Where's everyone else?"

"Minnesota just broke out in a ten-ghost, three demon situation where the demons were trying to call back their lost friends.  They also called back an older, Higher demon and it was trying to rampage.  That's where Dean and about a quarter of our older girls are."

"I had forgotten about that one," Giles admitted.

"In this case we were closer," Xander told him.  "We've got five field rated girls still here at the moment.  Two of which are having problems.  Brenda sprained her ankle and she's my most experienced.  I need to leave Crissy and Morgan in LA.  Caridad should be back there with you.  How do you want to play this, Giles?  And why isn't there a prophecy in seven months?"

"I'm not sure.  I'm looking."  He coughed to clear his throat.  "Do you want Buffy?"

"No, my team works better with Faith and Kennedy, or Brenda," Xander told him.  "Brenda will be okay tomorrow.  I can take John if Daniel can get the girls?"

"I can handle the girls," Wesley assured him.  "With them in school it's much easier and I'll have Sam."

"Good.  All right, I'll send Faith and Kennedy to back you up in Miami, Xander," Giles told him.  "Then if you need more you can call for more."

"I can agree to that.  Make reservations?" Danny suggested.

"We're leaving tonight.  Already made them, boss.  Waiting on Dawn to get the one girl back from Idaho to see her sister's new baby."

"Okay, go tonight.  Let me call Horatio.  Let him know we're coming in tonight.  What about the military transport?"

"Minnesota.  The rest of Tony's team has the regular plane in Maine with their case of the sea monster that's holding a few virgins hostage.  It wanted to negotiate with the fishermen up there and asked for that team specifically so they split from the Minnesota situation."  Danny shuddered.  "Last I heard it was okay.  Tim was negotiating."

"Whoever gets done first heads to Miami after you if you need them to," Danny assured him.  "The other two teams?"

"Court," Xander said dryly.

"I know it's necessary."  They both nodded.  "Can you get there sooner?"

"Only if I pull Dawn out of class for thirty."

"No, let's not.  She needs to be in school.  When are you leaving?"

"Six.  So by four.  She'll do it at lunch."

"That'll work.  Thank you, Rupert."

"Not a problem, Doctor Jackson.  That is why there are slayers."  He hung up and went to tell the two girls in question to pack and why.  Faith dove for the phone to call Crissy to make sure she was going to be able to handle it.  Buffy ended up being sent to LA to handle it with them, just in case.  Giles, well he needed to see why there hadn't been a prophecy recently.  It was rather unusual.

***

Xander stepped off the plane and looked at his team.  "Guys, I know we're tired.  I made hotel reservations.  It's a suite."  He found someone waiting on them.  "Kennedy."  She smiled and waved.  "Faith?"

"On the phone with Morgan.  We got in about an hour ago.  We waited since we don't know where you're staying."  Xander nodded, leading the way to the baggage claim.  "Hey, Brenda.  Hopping?"

"Twisted it last night falling out of bed having a nightmare."  She grimaced.  "John didn't want to let me come."

"I didn't want to make you come but we might need you as backup in a few days.  Better to have you here than not."  Xander handed over the sheets he had printed off for car reservations.  "Get another one, just in case," he ordered.  The ATF agent on his team jogged that way.  They got the rest of the bags and headed off once they had made sure they had them all.  Including the gear bag.  He hoped he didn't have to use it.  He found a familiar face waiting on him.  "Delko.  Happy meeting you here.  We're heading to the Olive Tree Inn.  I know it's small but it'll keep us all together.  Get us intel there?"  He nodded, following them.  "Before you ask, Tim's team is in Maine dealing with a sea creature that's holding virgins hostage while it negotiates with some fishermen up there to stay away from his nest.  If we need them, they're on their way down when they're done."

"That's good to know.   H and Alexx would be pleased."  He watched them pile into cars, smiling at the girls with them.  They only called out slayers when they were serious.   It was a good sign.  He followed in the crime lab hummer, calling Horatio on the way.  "DCIS is in with a team and three slayers, H.  He said if they need more, Speed and Ryan's team is heading down after they deal with something in Maine."  He listened.  "Olive Tree Inn.  He knows that.  It's closer to the area and pretty quiet though.  You know, I don't think the pimp running it will do much of anything while there's federal agents staying at his place," he said dryly, cracking his boss up.  "Sure, let me know if anything new comes in before then.  About forty minutes to get there and settle in.  Hopefully.  Thanks, H."  He hung up and made sure they were going to be all right getting there.  He watched Xander sign in, nodding at the owner they *knew* was a pimp but they couldn't prove he was hiring out his 'motel staff'.  "Which room are we working on the case in?" he asked Xander.  The owner coughed.  He smirked back at him.  "DCIS.  In to help the lab and PD with a case."

The owner handed him a key and took one set back.  "That's a bigger room.  Has a good working area.  Ignore the closet."

Xander shrugged.  "I had to stay at a real porn, rent by the hour place in LA the last case."  The owner shuddered.  "It's all good.  Have you heard anything about the situation?"

"That war going on?  They tried to get a church one of the others was praying in."

Xander grimaced.  "That'll stop first.  Thank you, sir."  He went to take that room and loaded most of the equipment with him.  He checked the closet then closed it.  "No getting ideas, Faith."  She laughed, settling in on the foot of the bed with the girls.  He looked at Eric.  "What do you have?  And church?"

"That's one of seven or eight things that have went up today."  He spread out the files they had already.  "This is the preliminary on the mass of bodies earlier.  Alexx couldn't identify why they killed them."

Xander pointed at a body.  "At her age, she's supposed to be lilac."

Eric groaned.  "Sick?"

"Bi-species and baby's daddy issues from what I've heard," Xander said.  "Then again, four of the six we know are involved, as of this morning's intel, have been at war in the past.  They only negotiated a peace treaty with Angel a few years back on threat of Angel going souless and killing them all for fun.  I'm guessing the others are joining in with their allies."

"Good to know," Eric said.  They went over each of the case files and the girls got them too, which did impress him.  They weren't treating the slayers like grunts.

"Xander, no offense, but we need a guy to coordinate info," Faith said.  "We're going to be hearing stuff when we solve issues."

Xander looked back at her.  "Want a CSI?  Someone Eric works with?"  She shrugged.  "Okay, Eric?"

"I'll let H do it.  That way he can pass it back to us.  Will he have to go hunting with you?"

"Hell no," Faith said dryly.  "Watchers make notes and write chronicles.  They don't hunt unless it's the end of the world.  REM is still broken up as far as I know plus no fat ladies in Miami apparently."  He smiled and nodded.  "You guys are gonna need more, X."

"I know.  We're getting Ryan's team down here when they're done with the sea monster.  If we need more, whichever gets off court first or Dean's team if they can solve the thing in Minnesota."  He held up the honor killing photo.  "Where was it taken?"

"In their house we think.  It looked pretty beaten up, had a few scales a few things that looked like dots of snot so we were assuming demons lived there."  He pulled out his PDA to get into the crime scene photos.  "Here."

Xander looked, then at the slime.  "That's not their residence.  They don't have slime.  Got a chemical composition on it?"  Eric handed it over and Paul, the ATF agent, got into his laptop to look it up.  Xander looked over his shoulder.  "Oh, wonderful.  They drug them there to have it done and disrespected one of the other clans.  They went searching for it."

Paul let Brenda see it so she could pass it on.  "Isn't this the same group that was causing us trouble in Cleveland?" Kennedy asked Faith.  Xander stared at them.  "Minor annoyances.  They have a parking maid in their clan so she tickets anything we've been riding in.  Another one in the water company who thinks we're behind and keeps handing over shut off notices until Giles had to go to the mayor for help.  Things like that."

"The one who did it or the one who got their living room torched?" Eric asked.

"The torchees, they're human enough to pass," Xander said grimly.  Kennedy nodded.  "I haven't heard about that."

"Wes got the reports," Faith said, shrugging a bit.  "You're over support and training.  Wes is over patrols."

"Good point.  Do I need to up the specific training for the girls?"

"Nah.  We've got it, X," Faith assured him.  "Buffy went to have PMS on them last week.  They're very sorry."  She smirked and he smirked back.  "She doesn't like being on the pill.  Sure keeps the vamps off my tail when I don't have one though."  She handed it back to Paul.  "Okay, where to first, X?"

"I want you three to head down to the demon areas together.  Brenda, you can sit out tonight and coordinate?"  She nodded.  "Get me intel.  Make sure they know you're working with DCIS, Faith."  She nodded, getting that.  "Tell them we want to see all the problems that are going on.  Everything.  Even the most minor complaints.  We're doing a roundtable here tomorrow night.  I want it to be written out, naming who did it, what happened, when, and why if they know."  She nodded, grabbing Kennedy and some weapons from the gear bag before going.  "No offense, Eric, but they didn't start at this level.  It's been minor crap for months probably.  This just blew up in your face."

"I get that.  That's not a problem.  Let me get H with Brenda?"  She nodded, smiling some.  "Tomorrow morning?"

"That'll be fine.  By then my slayer healing will have my ankle better."  He nodded, heading off to tell him that.  "Do we think it's going to take more girls, Xander?"

"God I hope not," Paul admitted. He looked at their junior member.  "Doug, what do you think?"

"I think someone's screwed and hopefully we can reach a new peace agreement to take at least some of the clans out of it.  Are we sure they're looking for a fight?"

Xander pointed at something.  "They drug these people to a neutral clan's place and set them on fire in their living room," Xander said.  Doug moaned and shuddered.  "Yeah.  We might need a full shut down in some areas.  I'm not sure yet."  He looked at Paul.  Then at Doug.  "Which one of you wants to play CSI this time?"

"We can work with the local ones," Paul assured him.  "Horatio's lab is the best in this part of the country.  Third or fourth overall.  That's why you stole Ryan, right?"

"Actually, Tim had just possessed me and said so."

Paul laughed.  "That's a good reason.  Why was House dealing with Persimmons?"

"He copy and pasted Messer's report," Xander said dryly.  "Including lab results."  They laughed.  "Not the first time from what Danny said.  Both of them actually."  He looked at Brenda.  "Get me a map?"  She went to the local convenience store to do that.  "Okay, guys.  I stopped in the armory before we left.  I've got a small sub-realm portal set up like the one we confiscated a few months back.  In it, I've got some artillery and reloads if we need them.  I have a good six boxes of each type of ammo.  Including the new heavy blessed iron ones and the holy water ones.  If we need it, we should have it.  Paul, conference in your people either tonight or tomorrow.  I don't want a local office to feel stepped on.  Doug, you used to be FBI.  Do them?"  He nodded.

"I'll do DEA and Homeland locally.  The girls should be back in about two hours so go unpack."  They went to do that while he looked up their numbers.  "Hi, this is DCIS Agent Xander Harris.  I need to speak to the agent on call for Miami please?"  He smiled.  "Yes, now.  Not a full emergency but we've got a bad case in the area and I'm FYI'ing.  Thank you, I can hold."  He waited, smiling when a female voice came on demanding he leave her city.  "Sure, I'll leave you with at least six demon clans going into open warfare as of this morning," he said dryly.  She moaned and whimpered.

"We're here at the Olive Tree Inn.  I've got three slayers with us.  My team as well.  We're working with Caine's lab.  They called us when they got an honor killing.  Exactly.  We're calling all the locals.  That way no one feels danced on toes and no one can complain we're not nice.  Again.  Okay?"  He nodded.  "That's what I'm working on.  I do.  I have three girls locally.  Two are out getting information, one's backup so I can rotate out.  Yeah, full problems.  Sure, we'll be here.  I'm taking local demons' problems to see where and when it started tomorrow night.  Here.  Yup.  I'm in the executive suite with the straps.  Thanks, ma'am.  If you need us, let us know.  One's calling the FBI, one's doing ATF since they were.  I'll call DEA next."  He smiled.  "That's kind of you.  Thank you."  He hung up. "They really do hate working with us."  Someone knocked so he answered the door.  "Brenda, problems?"

"Shitbag tried to arrest me for buying a map," she said, handing it over.  "Let me hit my room, Xander.  Night."

"Night.  Thank you."  He looked at the guy she had dragged back for trying her.  "You would be?"

"Why do you have crime scene photos?" he demanded, seeing them on the table.  Xander pulled out his ID, making him back away looking scared.  "You're..."

"DCIS, yes.  And that was a slayer.  You're....?  So I can ask to see if you need to be included when we hand in reports?"

"Stetler, IAB."

Xander shrugged.  "Our internal affairs people don't tend to assault young women.  She really is not in a happy mood tonight and I did send her out to get me a map.  Now, anything else?  If not, I'm meeting with Caine in the morning and the local community tomorrow night."

"You stole Wolfe from him."

"I got possessed by Speedle too," he said dryly, smirking at him.  "They're both in Maine.  They only send my team for the really bad shit.  Like you guys having a street war."  He shuddered.  "Now, anything else?  I have to be able to make plans."  He stomped off.  Xander waved.  "Have a happier night.  I hear Miami's full of pretty people."  He shut the door and went back to his map; looking it over.  Starting by marking where all the cases had been so far.  It got put onto the wall and pushpins inserted just deeply enough to stick so he wouldn't damage the walls.  He didn't want to have to fix damage the day before they left and Jackson would kill him if he had to pay for it.

***

Brenda smiled at the redhead stomping up to her seat.  "Lieutenant Caine?"  He nodded, staring her down.  "Brenda.  One of the slayers, sir.  Sit down and I'll go over what Faith and Kennedy found last night."

"You're working it as a Slayers Council case?"

"No but we do have a mutual aid pact with DCIS.  If they need slayers, they call us.  You lucky man you, you get three of us and more if you need it."

"Will we?"

She smiled.  "We hope not.  We're seeing where it started later tonight.  Sit, please.  I can buy you coffee."  He sat down and she pushed over some notes.  "This is what Faith and Kennedy heard last night on patrol when they went.  We usually start out by going to let people know we're here and that they can come to us.  In this case making sure they knew we're working with DCIS.  You'd be surprised how often that solves some of the worst of the problems very quickly."

"I'm sure it would.  Things overheard?"

"That, a few rumors they told to Kennedy.  Faith also told them that Xander's hearing problems tonight.  He wants to know when, where, and why it started.  He thinks it might've been  going on longer than we think.  It doesn't usually explode into open warfare immediately.  Like any war, it has more subtle beginnings and someone behind it being pushy."

"That's most reasonable."  He looked it over, nodding at the waiter when he came.  "Coffee, just milk please," he requested quietly.  The waiter sat down so he looked at him.  "Agent Pierce, Homeland.  Nice meeting you here."

"You as well.  Harris called us last night to let us know he was in town with three of the slayers."  Brenda smiled and wiggled her fingers.  "The other two?"

"Faith and Kennedy.  They're sleeping.  I had a twisted ankle yesterday so I'm backup and he'll be doing our information exchange for the lab and between the slayers if we can talk him into it."  Horatio looked at her.  "The agents need to be able to focus on the case.  If we hear things outside it, we need to tell someone.  This way news doesn't get lost when we're tired.  We report to you like we would a watcher, then go sleep."

"That's logical," he agreed.  "Then I can hand out to whoever needs to know in the department and other agencies?"

"That's the plan since most cops are freaked out by Xander and us girls."

Horatio gave her a look.  "I'm not but I don't particularly like him."

"Not his fault he got possessed by Speed."

"Good point."  He looked at the amused agent.  "Timothy said Xander was going 'here, ghosty' next to his grave and got stuck in him when he looked to see what was going on.  He's got his own body again thanks to a witch."

"That's a powerful witch."

"Yes, Dawn is," Brenda agreed.

"Ah!  Summers.  Okay, so no going rogue."

"With her teachers?" she snorted.  "Less chance than of Rosenburg going white lighter some day."  Horatio gave her an odd look.  "They have to be people who were good, kind people before.  I asked and the one Dawn knows said that demon hunters don't turn into white lighters, but they're occasionally called as guardians of a different sort.  So she'd be there.  Maybe even with her girlfriend, Kennedy."

"Ah," Horatio said. "Will we be seeing her?"

"If the shit hits the fan," Brenda said seriously.  "I'm not really looking forward to it."

"We all hope it doesn't come to that," Horatio agreed.  He pointed at a line.  "What's that?"

She looked over his arm and frowned.  "Reading's not my best skill but I think Faith said that was an overheard at the demon blood bar thing."  She saw his heated look and held up a hand.  "My first watcher, before the Turok-Han and all that, hated that I might need an education some day.  Even when I did go to school I was poor in it, wasn't allowed to work with others because it might take my focus from my training, all that stuff.  So Xander and John have been helping me.  The very second thing Xander did was start the girls taking classes.  Starting with demonology and that stuff, but once he found out I couldn't read at that point, he had me learning how."

"What was the first thing?" the Homeland agent asked.

"Self-defense.  One of us was called as a six-year-old," she said quietly.  "She's with a great adoptive family now.  Xander made sure the mistakes of the past stayed there."

Horatio nodded.  "That is a good thing."

She smiled.  "We're hiring and so is DCIS," she teased.  "Some of the girls need a swift kick and a flexible mind."

"I'd probably spank," Horatio admitted.

She laughed.  "Depends on the girl, Lieutenant.  Some of the horniness patrol could probably use it."

He blushed and cleared his throat. "If they come and cause problems I'll offer or let Alexx have them."

She smiled.  "They could use another mom.  Abby's a great big sister and John makes an excellent dad but we're short on women at DCIS."

He nodded.  "Not many want to deal with this subject matter either."

"Amen," Brenda said dryly.  "But Willow's spell activated those of us who weren't there too."  He gave her an odd look.  "I was limping then and was evacuated with the little kids.  I had broken my ankle getting away from the things trying to kill me.  Xander's the best big brother any of us have ever had."

He smiled slightly.  "So I've heard from Ryan Wolfe."  He let the agent see the information he had.  "What's going on tonight?"

"Xander had the girls put out a call that we want to hear from the community.  When it started, why if they know it, all that.  Any complaints they may have in any field.  With some of these it only took a nudge.  With them doing the honor killing in another clan's living room to bring them into it, I doubt he's not thinking about puppet masters arranging to put pressure in the right spots."

"If they are and human?" Horatio asked.

"Depends on the system.  We have the jail for whoever gets into it.  No matter which side starts it."

"I heard it was on the base," the Homeland agent offered, handing it back.

"Under," Brenda corrected.  "It's all underground, heavily alarmed and warded, and we have a few residents.  Including one hunter who was in it for pelt trophies."  Horatio moaned.  "Hunting a problem creature going rogue is one thing.  The same as taking out a problem killing people or other demons is.  Taking them out for money and prestige?"  She snorted.  "Pisses us all off."

"Good to know," Horatio said, smiling a bit.  He could like this very blunt young lady.  A striking brunette walked up to their table and sat down, taking Brenda's coffee to sip.  "One of the other girls?"

She stared at him.  "Damn your hair's bright in the sun."  The agent laughed at that.  She smirked and waved.  "Faith.  Second senior slayer."

"Faith, this is Lieutenant Horatio Caine.  He's the guy who used to be Ryan and Timmy's boss."

"Hey."  She looked at the other agent.  "Hmm.  Too classy dressed to be DEA.  Federal prosecutor?"

"Homeland.  Agent Simon Pierce."

She smirked at him.  "The cute one would be here but she's busy in Cleveland.  Some of the same clans have been being a pain to us.  Annoyance stuff like having one in the water department that keeps shutting it off and saying we aren't paying the bills."

He winced.  "I hope you get it straightened out."

"The mayor's a nice guy.  He did.  Then he sicced Buffy on her the next time.  It got stopped."  Brenda laughed so she drank the rest of her coffee.  "Any questions about any of that?"

"This one item," Horatio said, finding it for her.  "Is that literal?"

She read it over then nodded.  "Yeah, some demons don't want the hellmouth somewhere it gets cold in the winter.  Cleveland has snow and  most of them are still sorta, kinda living on the lizard biology system.  Cool or fully cold blooded instead of self-warming models.  They'd like to move it somewhere warmer.  Doesn't come much warmer than Miami or Orlando.  Plenty of people to bother or eat.  Lots of empty real estate to hide in.  All that.  Makes it a better choice than South Texas.  Speaking of, Kennedy and I found evidence of a lot of vamps last night, Lieutenant.  Have you seen that?"

"I hadn't.  How many?"

"We staked a good sixty.  Not unusual for a city this size, but that was in one bar."  He shuddered.  "Their bar admittedly.  They started the brawl, but oh well."  She shrugged.  "Kennedy's very well trained.  She had private tutors."  Horatio rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses.  "Her parents had bucks.  It happens even in the bad old days.  So we'll be looking into that for you as well.  Even if we do have to write reports on it.  Smart boy Jackson said so," she said at Agent Pierce's odd look.  "We do reports on anything while we're for DCIS."

He smirked at her.  "Have fun?"

"Hell no.  B writes like a chimp some days."  Brenda snickered quietly.  "Hers are better than mine though.  I'm not really a school sort."  Brenda patted her.  "Some of us live on our prettiness and muscles."

She smiled.  "You're a great slayer, Faith.  You've done tons in your career that we'll never live up to."

"I hope not."

Brenda winked.  "I wasn't talking about that.  I mean how you broke Xander in."  Faith cackled but nodded.  "Many girls are in awe of you for that alone.  That and you can watch Buffy change clothes three times a day and not say stuff."

"She's fashionable.  That's how she grew up."  She smiled at the older men.  "So, we're at the Olive Tree Inn with the DCIS guys.  We'll have a full sit rep tomorrow.  If something happens today...."  She wrote down the cellphone numbers she had on the back of the notes for them.  "That's me, that's Kennedy, that's Xander's."  They nodded and wrote them down.  "Now, I need a nap.  I only got to bed at six.  I want to spend some time scoping the hotties Ryan said you guys have."

"Do a club hunt," Brenda said, getting a smirk back.  "Could help."

"Could," she agreed.  "See us tonight or early tomorrow, guys.  Anything else?"  They shook their heads.  "Then let me get the mini-B here to bed.  Night, guys."  Brenda put down money for her coffee and left with Faith.  They had photocopied the notes for them.

Horatio looked at the agent.  "They are very interesting girls."

"You have no idea.  I used to work in the LA office.  I left after the invasion.  They were *all* there, all the awake ones."  He stood up.  "Give me that if it needs to come our way."

"Gladly."  They shook hands and the agent left.  Horatio finally got some coffee and went back over the notes.  Some of them were very interesting and he did have some things to talk to people about later on.  Including that subtle vampire threat apparently.

***

Xander opened the door the next morning at the knock, nodding at the Lieutenant.  He let him inside while he yawned.  "Sorry, got to bed at five."  He pointed at the stack of papers.  "That's all the problems that got reported to us last night.  Not in chronological order.  I was going to get up in an hour and work on that if Paul hadn't snuck in to do it on me.  He does that."

Horatio sat down.  "Sleep, Mr. Harris.  I'll work on it."  Xander pointed at the laptop and the form on it.  "That's fine."  Xander handed him the box of pushpins too.  "Any code?"

"Present ones in red.  Past one month back in blue.  In the last month white."  He nodded and Xander curled up on his side again, one hand on the knife under his pillow.  He was exhausted.  He could make himself sleep with this strange man in the room.  Tim said to trust him no matter what - that he did the same stupid, yet necessary things.

Horatio went over each of the forms, finding what needed what and updated the map as well.  By the time Paul came over an hour later he was half done.  He nodded with a point at Xander.

"I know," he said quietly.  "Let him.  He was up until nearly dawn."  He helped update the map for him.  Horatio was doing good inputting records.  The map was showing a few gaps and he wasn't sure why.  "What's in this area?"

Horatio looked.  "That's where a few private schools and a few very large churches reside."

"Most of the ones we've heard doing problems aren't bothered by holy objects.  That's a pattern issue."  He wrote that down.  "This other big spot?"

"That's a park.  We get some muggings there but there's never much crime in that area.  One of the local mafia Dons lives near there."  That got a nod.  "We are usually very surprised when anyone does anything there and they usually learn better after the first time."  He pointed at an area.  "I don't know why it's not there.  The girls went hunting there according to the notes I got yesterday."

Paul looked.  "Hmm."  He frowned.  "I don't know.  Are those areas predominantly demons or humans?  Do you know?"

"I try to avoid thinking about it unless it comes in handy on a case," he admitted, looking at him.  "I see all citizens of Miami as the same: needing my protection."

"Excellent."  He looked.  "Is that near the Cuban part of the city?"

Horatio smiled.  "But not into Little Cuba.  I don't know why not.  That particular side is relatively poor."  That got another note made.  Xander made an inquisitive noise.  "Some oddness in the pattern of happenings," Horatio said.

Xander got up and came over to see, taking Paul's coffee.  "Eww."  He glared at him and got handed his own cup.  "Thanks.  Tea, ick."  He sipped, looking at it.  "It also looks like they're shifting areas based on the time code."  Horatio nodded.  Paul handed over his notes.  "Interesting."  He sorted the database they had created, finding what he wanted. "The ones near that area with all the churches aren't bothered by holy objects."  He went over the full list with a frown.  "Only two reported assaults were and they may not be related."  He let Paul see.  "Isn't that one part of the last case they had down here?"

"I think so."  Xander sent that to Ryan Wolfe.  "We'll see."  He went back to it.  "This really does look strange.  Why avoid a religious area?  Or a mobster's area?  Demons don't usually get noticed by them and most of them don't watch what we do."  He looked at Horatio.  "Do you think that one does know and care?"

"I've never heard that he did.  He has no interest in the occult that I know of either.  If I heard right he fired someone who did."

"So they're avoiding it to keep out of that level of problems?" Paul suggested.

"Could be," Xander admitted.  He looked at the notes the girls had made last night, frowning.  "See, this makes no sense.  This isn't a power play, this is an annoyance play."  He let them see.  "That's like blowing snot on someone then running away."  He got online, sending one of his local contacts a message.  He got one back a few minutes later, smiling.  "Ah, frat prank!"  He beamed.  "There's a demon college."  He put a black pushpin into the area where the mafia ruled.  "It's hidden under the park.  If they act there, they'll be in deep shit since the demonic mafia tends to run some of those. Or the most powerful of demons."  He and Paul shared a look.  His coworker shrugged.  "BRENDA!" he bellowed.  She came jogging in.  "Good, you can walk.  There's a demon college here."

"Really?  Why?"

"Because they like the heat."  He pointed at the black pushpin.  "There.  See if you can scout information there and see if you can talk to a higher up.  I need to know if they're going to let us step in or if they're going to squash it like a bug."  She looked then nodded, heading out.  It wasn't that far away.  He looked at Horatio.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome, though I don't see what I did."

"Xander works best when someone plays wall," Paul told him.  "He bangs his head against it until something comes or he babbles at it until something better comes."

"Then he's definitely welcome."  He shifted in his seat, looking at the map.  "Why not the rest of the city?"

"Are those areas covered by traffic cams, park cameras, those things?" Paul asked.  He slowly shook his head.  "That's why.  Becoming a pain in the ass and starting a war is one thing.  Getting the normal folks into it would create the situation they did.  I'm betting that attempted church arson was a young and stupid one."  Xander nodded, letting him see.  "Yeah, they said it was the young of their clan and they had punished them.  They staked them out for one of the local sea monsters to eat last night."  He handed it to Horatio.  "It's horrific but some of them do work on that sort of honor code.  Even if we cringe."

"I'm guessing that's what happened when the slayer system started," Xander admitted, frowning at one entry.  "What the hell?"  Paul grimaced but looked.  "This one.  That's a Higher demon.  Like D'Hoffryn over the vengeance demons."  They shared a look.  "Power play?"

"Could be," he admitted.  "Or that one was pretty minor.  It could've been him proving he was still here.  Faith!" he yelled.  She came strolling in.  "We have a Higher here."  She grimaced.

"Like Anya's old boss higher," Xander said, showing her the entry.

"I saw him at the bar last night.  He was scowling into his putrid looking drink of ick."  She sat down.  "I was advised not to come near him."

"Go near him today.  If they protest, you're on DCIS business. We got called in because of the problem and I want to know what he's going to do.  If he steps in I need to know first."  She nodded, going to find him again and ask that question.  He looked at Paul.  "If so, we've got issues."

"You said you brought artillery."

"I did.  Including in case we didn't stop the idiot doing the ascension down here."  Paul shuddered.  "I promise, I won't let it nibble on you like the last one did Merps."

"Thanks, Xander.  Really.  Though, House might like a sample of the poison."

"Sure, we'll cart the parts back so he and Abby can have stuff to experiment with this time."  He smirked.  "It should be next week."  He called Faith.  "Ask him if we stopped the ascension too please.  If not, I've got artillery."  He hung up and went back to sorting.  "This still makes no sense.  There's got to be a power player behind all this."

Paul took it.  "Make more coffee, Xander.  We'll wait on scouting reports while you eat too.  I do not want the girls to yell at me for you losing weight again."  He nodded, going to do that.  He smiled at Horatio.  "He's like a big brother to all the slayers so they worry horribly about him."

"As they should.  He protects them," Horatio agreed.

Paul smirked.  "More than.  Even from the other two last watchers when they argue."  His phone rang.  "Paul....  Hey, John.  Out finding a burger.  What's wrong?"  He listened then nodded once.  "Put Wesley on please.  Wes, Paul.  We have sixteen demon clans now involved in a war.  Why are you and John starting a pissing contest over how he's training some of the girls?"  He listened.  "That's fine but Brenda's going to be training the later potentials and other hunters, Wesley.  So quit!  We don't need this.  No one does.  We have a possible ascension in a few days down here as well.  She's off at the local demon college seeing if they're going to make a move in this.  No I'm not.  It's a case.  If we need more help we have more teams coming.  I've got Faith, Kennedy, and Brenda, Wesley.  You knew all this last night."

He hung up and called Dean.  "Wesley either has short term memory loss or something's going on.  Please.  Let me know."  He hung up and called Buffy.  "It's Paul, on Xander's team.  Just a head's up.  Wesley is acting funny so the boys are going to be putting him in for an exam.  Forgetting that we had girls down here, Buffy.  Yeah, that sort of strange.  Well, we'll check for possession first.  She's off finding a Higher demon that lives down here but I'll tell her to call.  Why?"  He nodded once.  "That's between you two, Buffy.  I don't know if she'd care if you shopped for her or not.  I'll text her."  He hung up and did that then looked at Horatio.  "Yes, it's always like this and then some of the mid-range teenage girls go all pervert by drooling or doing panty raids in our drawers."

Horatio burst out laughing.  "I'm sorry, but that's just a funny image."

Paul held up a hand.  "They prove they have stealth training and someone has some planning ability.  They set up a telescope on top of their dorm to look in certain windows.  The girls sneak in and out without us realizing it until someone goes looking or does an inspection.  We've had three hand-backs since they started it.  One during dinner because they stole every single pair Xander owned.  He gathered what he could, sorted out his, Sammy's, and Dean's, then handed us the box.  John did an inspection to get the rest back for us.  One crawled into Wolfe's bed from what I heard.  Before my time but one did."

Horatio laughed.  "I'm sure Speed is helping straighten them out."

"He started a pool about who was going to be the new favorite target the next month.  They alternate it so they don't get bored and the guys don't try to stop them.  Though, Doctor House put a dye pack in his, got three of them the night he showed up."

"How long did it last?"

"Five days."

Horatio nodded.  "About right from the ones I've seen.  Up to two weeks."

"We have super goo cleaners thanks to the occasional bout of slime."  He got back to work since he heard Xander coming back.  "Hey, Xander?"  He looked up as he walked in.  "Wes is going strange.  The boys are taking him to be examined."

"Wonderful.  Why?"

"He forgot which girls you had."

"Uh-huh.  And?"

"Pissing contest with John over the training."

"Hmm.  If not, I get to spank, right?"

Paul nodded.  "There was a bet on how long it'd take before you did it to the library ghost."

Xander smirked.  "Don't tempt me," he mouthed.  Paul laughed.  "Any other cheery news?"

"Buffy wanted to know if Faith would mind if she shopped for her."

"Probably."

"I texted so she could answer herself."

"Good.  Any other good news?"

"Not yet."

"Even better."  He sat down to eat, handing over the lunch he had gotten Paul then the salad he had gotten Horatio.  "I went with a safe choice and got you low fat Italian."

"Thank you."  He dug in while they waited on news.  It'd take a bit for the girls to find someone higher up to talk to.

***

"I swear to God, if you don't leave me alone I'm going to have Jack retired by the President so he can be my assistant and run this mess for me!  Then I'm bringing McKay back so he can head over the agents!" Daniel shouted at that same agent.  The agent backed away.

Doctor House stomped up the hallway, taking Danny's wrist to check.  It got pulled away.  "Looks like someone else needs a vacation too," he said blandly.  "Maybe you could spend a week on your old project so you don't inflict Jack on us?  I'd hate to club him in the head with my cane for what he considers a sense of humor."

Danny looked at him.  "If I did that I won't be coming back.  They won't let me.  They'd save me and put me back in my old office.  Then I'd never be driven insane by this stuff ever again."

"Pity."  He looked at the cowering agent then back at him.  "I find the phrase 'you're fired' to be very cathartic now and then."

"Then we're short an agent."

"You have ten applications according to Xander's tired babbling."

Danny moaned, rubbing his face.  "I know.  We need a full new team."

"So hire one."  He shrugged, then looked at the moron.  "What did you do this time?"

"Nothing!" he defended.

Danny growled, making him back off.  "Don't even try it."  He looked at House.  "I'm not sure if Tony put things into place so I could fire anyone.  The last time I did we ran into troubles."

"Well, the other option is shooting him.  I hear that's a lot more fun anyway."

"Don't tempt me.  I like my zat."

House smirked.  "It is a very nice weapon and all, but have the boys do it.  Rock salt hurts like a bitch according to them but it's not fatal."

Danny snickered.  "That might work."  The agent stomped off.  "Well, we needed apartment space."

"We did."  He patted him on the arm.  "Between emergencies, take a vacation.  Your blood pressure is through the roof.  Like Xander's was."

"What's wrong with Wesley?"

"That same demon who wanted Annabelle and Sam."

"Oh, him.  We have got to find a way to protect them when Xander's off on a case."

"Let them.  That's *their* job.  Your job is to find another few agents to take the idiot's place.  This week if possible so they can start the specialized training lessons soon."

"Good point.  Thank you, House."

"If you have to, Abby said your former project was nice.  Send him there."

"I wouldn't wish that on the military."

"So send him to the DEA.  They're always screwing up something."  He walked off.  "Who's where that I'll have to watch out for?  No one's come to bother me for a few days so I know something's up.  Even Chase knows something's going on that's probably going to warp the universe and not in that fun way that would give me easy women to play with."

"Minnesota has a major issue.  Dean's there with a few of the girls and the rest of Tony's team plus a few agents.  Miami's in deep crap at the moment.  Xander's down there with three of the senior slayers.  Wolfe's team is in Maine."

House shuddered.  "Let me know if we have to go pick up casualties or just take them in when they get here."

"I will.  Thank you."

House waved a hand.  "Make sure you can fire him.  Then you can make up pithy quips so you don't sound like a bad pseudo-reality show."

"I am."  He went to do that.  A phone call would work well enough so he didn't have to bite anyone in person.  "Director.  I expected to talk to the head of HR.  Making sure I won't be complained at when I fire the agent I caught skimming other's reports."  He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead.  He really didn't like being in command.  "Because either he goes today or I'm going to bring Jack here and let him be my assistant."  His direct boss choked at that.  "Then I'm brining the best scientists I know, who cannot get along, and one's worse than Jack and Xander Harris combined for sarcasm and deep wit, and put that one overtop of the agents while the rest do R&D.  Please, don't send me anymore."

He hung up and called the HR person again.  "This is Daniel Jackson. You yelled at me last time for firing someone.  I have one plagiarizing reports.  How many pieces do you want him in?"  He smirked at her assertion one would be preferable, two at the most please.  "I was told shooting him would be cathartic.  Sure, we can do that.  I can have him back in DC today.  I can even get him help packing.  Thank you."  He hung up and called John's cellphone.  "The annoying ass is leaving.  Yes, that one.  Let the girls doing PT help him pack?  They want him in DC by tonight.  Thank you.  It's this or I'm zatting him until he's a pile of dust."  He smirked as he hung up.  "Why me?" he moaned, leaning back further, hoping his headache would ease.

Tony leaned in.  "You know, there's a worse fate.  You could be on Xander's team in Miami since they might have an ascension if we didn't stop it in time."  Danny moaned.  "In three days.  Along with sixteen clans going to war."  Danny moaned higher this time.  "Which would you rather have?"

"Cyanide.  I hear it only hurts for a second."

Tony laughed.  "If you do that, I'm in charge.  I will have Dawn pull you back so you can be our permanent, ghostly director."  Danny glared at him so he smirked back.  "Still want the cyanide?"

"Hell no."  He sighed.  "Anything good come of the court case?"

"Not yet.  They're deliberating now.  I was the last to be called.  So we'll see soon enough.  Want some tylenol?"

"Please.  I had to fire the ass."

"Good!  I was going to shoot him if he tried to hand in my report."  Danny looked at it and groaned, tossing it at him.  "Flack figured he'd try it again after hours.  Figured you'd catch it."  He waved and went to shred that one since he had already submitted it.  He looked it over. "He grammaticked it," he called.  "And screwed it up."

Danny laughed.  "That's because he has no talent.  He's the last one I'm accepting from Homeland unless they're skilled and we can prove it."

"Sure, boss.  Have you checked McGee's yet?"

"Have, sent him an invitation."  He came out to get some coffee from the machine in there since it wasn't empty this time.  "He'll be out in a few weeks.  Abby promised to throw him a party if he wanted to stay."  He took a sip once it had sugar.  "Any other good hires?"

"I tried to get Gibbs to hire on as a watcher."

Danny blinked then shuddered.  "Think I could suggest that to Jack?"

"Probably.  They do have skills the girls could use and neither one would hesitate to spank Rupert."

"Good point."  He went back to call him.  "If I *ever* get another agent from Homeland in as a mole, I'm having the president retire you and make you my assistant, Jack.  Either that or making you a watcher assigned to the base.  You and your clone."  He hung up on his protests, smiling at the happiness he had extended.  Jack would call back and rant in a few, when he could finally speak and not splutter.  He sent an email to Xander, getting back a progress report, a picture of the map they had, and a copy of all the information they had gathered so far.  Just in case they got blown up.  Danny sighed and called.  "Xander, was that *just in case* or a regular just in case?" he asked, taking a sip.  "Where are you moving you guys to?"  He wrote it down.  "That'll work.  Thank you, Xander.  I'll let the others know.  Tony's done.  Want him?"  He smiled. "That'll work.  I'll get you backup heading your way today if possible."  He hung up.  "Tony, Xander had a just in case feeling," he  yelled.

"Damn it!"

"Spilled your coffee?" he taunted when Tony walked in.  "He thinks they might be attacking the hotel.  He's moving everyone to a safe house Lieutenant Caine knows."

"I can head.  I'm done with my testimony."  He went to pack a bag and check out his sidearm from the armory.  Benny Ray gave him an odd look.  "Xander had a just in case feeling about the Miami thing attacking them."  The Marine shuddered.  "Danny's got a horrible headache.  Fair warning."

"I'll deal with it and tell John at lunch."

"Thanks, man.  What did Xander check out?"

"Reloads, artillery, the subrealm portal to carry it in.  A few different guns and knives, a sword."

"Wonderful.  Thanks."  He went to take the corporate plane since they were landing this afternoon.  He called Danny.  "One team's landing.  Am I taking them?"  He nodded. "Good deal."  He hung up and got into his car, smiling and patting his baby's steering wheel.  He loved his long weekend drives.  There was almost no traffic to bring him out of communion with his baby.  "We have three hours to make it to the airport, baby.  I know we can."  He started her and backed out of his spot, heading off with a wave to the base's guards at the gate.  He got there in time to see the plane landing and parked, getting out with his bag.  "Fat chance unless you're injured," he announced.  Dean moaned, shaking his head.  "Xander had a just in case feeling.  He's got sixteen warring demon clans, an ascension in three days if they didn't get it stopped, and a demon college, plus a Higher demon in residence."  Dean shuddered.  "Exactly.  So if you're not injured, let's go."

"Slayers?" the one coming off the plane asked.

"So far Faith, Kennedy, and Brenda."

"We can go too," she decided, getting back onto the plane.  Tony loaded himself and the pilot got the directions.  They regassed, filed a new flight plan, and were off.

***

Xander looked up as Dean stormed in.  "Bad flight?"

"Yeah.  Lots of turbulence and no movie.  I hate flying.  What's wrong?"

Xander turned up the news.  "We were there."

Dean moaned at the on site report of a fire at a local motel.  "Charming.  Case or the ascension?"

"Ascension we think."  He looked at him.  "Handle that one with your team?"  Dean nodded. "Artillery's in the bag.  We think he's doing the midsize one.  So about seventy- eighty feet, something like that.  Giant flobber worm with teeth."

"I can do that."  He patted him, seeing the wince.  "Injured?"

"Yuppers.  That's how we know what happened.  I was going back for the map we forgot, my own fault, and got jumped by the guy.  The Lieutenant has him in custody but we'll see if he keeps him."

"The ascending one?"

"No.  His minion."  They shared a look.  Then Xander pulled out the map with a point.  "In the solar eclipse, should be outside, Horatio said the guy we know is doing it often walks here about midday, and it's supposed to happen about one."

"Got it."  He looked at the other marks.  "The other case?"  Xander nodded.  "Need help?"

"Maybe.  We'll see if we haven't stopped the ascension."

"Good enough.  Tony came with us.  He's asleep in the car."

"That happens.  Thanks, Dean."  He gave him a manly, back slapping hug then went to wake the others.  "Guys, limited beds and couches inside."  They headed to handle that however they wanted.  Messer and Flack set up the command center for information while the girls talked about what they already knew.  Dean set out assignments for him since Brenda thoughtfully knocked Xander out with a nerve pinch.

"He needed a nap.  He's fussing and worrying," Brenda told them, getting a few smiles back.  "He can wake up later.  We'll do shifts.  Faith and Kennedy are both out right now.  I'm doing liaison with Lieutenant Caine.  He'd make an excellent watcher if we can talk him into it."  They nodded and called Faith to see where she wanted them.  They took up a rotation around that park and helped with the information gathering.  It let Kennedy and Faith work their own styles and areas.  Kennedy's 'uptight rich girl' persona would get them more information around here.

***

Jack O'Neill initiated the video conference through the SGC intraweb.  "Sheppard, my man.  Danny's going insane."

"How bad?"

"One agent annoyed him so much he threatened to have the president make me retire from here so I could be his assistant and he'll be putting McKay over the agents."

Sheppard shuddered.  "That's bad.  He need a vacation?  We have a lot of language stuff that needs worked on."

"I was hoping you'd say that.  He's been busting his balls on the demon languages."

"Interestingly enough, that covers three of the ones we have up here," McKay said, leaning into view.  "Including a longer work that we're not sure of the purpose of.  The translation database he built won't work on our systems.  Unfortunately I'm too busy to try my own hand at it."

"Need parts?" Jack asked.

"No, new computers," Sheppard said, shaking his head.  "We got new stuff three years ago.  Jackson's using an open office sort of program that won't run on our operating system."

"I'll let him know, see if he can translate it.  I know he had his own and Sam had to make his work with ours so I'll ask her too.  Anything else you could use?"

Sheppard grimaced.  "Some pills for Tiff?"

"Psychological?"

"Female."

"I can do that.  Send me what you need."

"I emailed you yesterday, General."

"Good enough.  When are you coming back for the next conference, McKay?  Sam wanted to know."

"Six months."

"That'll work.  Anything I should know?"

"Not yet," Sheppard said.  "But there's always hope it won't be bad."

"Amen," Jack agreed.  "But hey, no offers of wives this week, right?  And no kidnapings?"  Sheppard grinned and nodded.  "Then you're doing better than SG-1 did in our third year."  He hung up and got into is email to find that list.  Plus to email Sam and Danny about that database issue.  Before he forgot.  Maybe it'd give him something better to do than rant at his agents or worry about whatever was going wrong.  After all, it couldn't be worse than a full scale invasion from aliens, right?

***

Dean had the slayers with him when the eclipse started. They found the guy chanting and the girls rushed to stop him but he wasn't going to.  They got there about the same time as he started to change.

"Dean, the artillery!" Faith called, diving to get Brenda out of harm's way as the guy broke out of his human skin.

Dean opened his chosen piece of artillery and took aim, firing at the thing as it grew.  Nothing happened.  He pulled out a second one, waiting until he was done, then he fired again.  This time, it was giant flobber worm bits.

"Eww!" Kennedy shouted, brushing the nastiness off.  "That is *SO* gross!"

"Sorry," Dean called, putting away the used launching tube.  He heard a cough and looked at the officer, pulling out his ID.  "International Slayers Council, dude."

"What happened and why are you firing artillery in my city?" the cop demanded.

"The bits and pieces were a person who just turned into a giant demon.  The only way to stop it was to remove the head from the body.  We have it on film if you want.  For training purposes and so the later girls will know what they look like."

The officer moaned.  "Why do I get the crap jobs?"

"Don't know.  I give them to my little brother but he's being protected right now."

"Hey, Dean, are we sending this back?" Brenda called.

"Yeah, if we can."  She came jogging over.  "Who're we working with?"

"Lieutenant Caine?"

"Figures," the cop muttered, grabbing his radio off his shoulder.  "Dispatch, this is Delta 49.  I have need of CSI Caine in Broward Park please.  Immediately.  I think he can answer questions about why we have bits and pieces that're moving here."  He hung up and pointed.  "Is it supposed to move?"

Faith came jogging back and got the gun, going to take care of the thing once and for all.  That thing was not eating her!  She liked these jeans, they made her ass look hot.

Dean shook his head once she was done.  "No, it's not supposed to move."  A hummer pulled in, followed by Feds.  He waved at Horatio.  "Ascension handled unless there's another one?" he asked at the pissed off look.

"No jail time?"

"Human turning into a major demon to eat everyone.  No.  This is Slayer business."  He rewound the tape for him and the Feds.  "Here, we do it for training the later girls and later watchers."  He went to look at the mess.  "Let's shovel it into something for Abby, ladies."  They all glared so he smirked.  "I've done it, you can too.  Consider it PT for the day."  They all glared harder.  "It's that or I have to call Xander."  They groaned and Faith went to get the drum he had put into the trunk at Xander's insistence so they could shovel the thing into it.

Horatio came over.  "Why didn't it work the first time?"

"The last step as a human is to eat some poisonous spiders to get a slight version of immortality.  Basically, can't be hurt until the change.  We thought we could get him mid- change but we were wrong," Dean told him.

"I see."  He watched the girls then looked at him.  "Studying it?"

"Yup.  Abby and the docs wanted to test the thing.  We might need another drum."

"Or four," Horatio said dryly.  "I'll get you some.  How much artillery did you bring?"

"Xander brought it, just in case."

"Ah.  I see."  He nodded, going to tell the Feds that.  He came back with the order for more drums to be brought.  "Anything we should worry about in the grass?"

"It's burning it.  I'd continue that, dig it up, maybe holy water it down.  Not real sure."

Faith looked over.  "It takes work to become like this.  We've never been sure if they'll do more than eat normal people.  If it's poisonous?  No idea, Red."

Horatio nodded, looking at Dean since Faith flustered him badly.  "Who would know?"

"Maybe the old guys in England that got blown up," Dean admitted.  "There's three watchers right now and my family doing training."

Horatio grimaced.  "For how many girls?"

"Fifty-eight."

"That's a lot."

"After they age out, we get potentials."

"Even better."

"It used to be one watcher, one girl.  We just can't do that now."

"I can see why."  He went to talk to the Feds again, letting the officers help the girls shovel parts and then the rest of the crime scene.  He heard a report and sighed. "There were two?"

"We only knew about one," Dean admitted.  "How big and where?"

"About ten miles away and it's extremely large.  Larger than this one."

"We can go," Faith agreed.  "Can I fire off the rocket this time?  B got to in a mall.  You got to this time.  X got the one in Seattle last year."  Dean smirked and handed her the portal, letting her pick out her weapon of choice.  Then she let the hummer take her there with a backup, just in case.  She lived on Xander's Paranoia Principle: they were out to get her, they would get her and do nasty things to her if she didn't stop them, everyone looked hot with a weapon, and if you had to kill them, do it as hard as you could so they were in bits and pieces - just in case they had a healing gift.  They found the worm trying to eat people.  She sild out of the hummer, grabbing the case to open it.  "Targeting thingy," she muttered.  Horatio popped it open for her.  "Thanks, Red.  We get instinctive knowledge but not everything, ya know?"  She took aim and then grimaced.  "Put the dog down, you sick fuck!"  It spit the dog out and came at her so she shot it head on.  Of course, it sprayed.  "Eww.  I agree with Kennedy, this is nasty.  I liked these jeans," she complained.

"They wash, unless this is acidic?" Horatio asked, wiping the goo off his suit.  It had sprayed very well.

"Not as far as I know.  I know the spit's deadly.  And it solidifies in wounds."  She looked at the mess, then sighed and called Abby.  "You're gonna be a happy girl.  Two ascensions in Miami.  Handled the Xander way.  Ehh, if you really want to recreate it, go for it, Abby.  They're both in chunks.  Yeah, we'll send it.  Thanks."  She hung up and wiped at the ick on her.  "Eww."

Horatio nodded.  "Definitely."

Faith smirked.  "I've been in places where I needed hip waders and it wasn't enough, Red.  Then again, we earned the right to whine.  It's Miller Time."  Dean and the others pulled up.  "Hey.  Told Abby she'd be very happy."

"Yeah, I'd say."  He looked.  "Any idea who it was?"

"Clothes are back there," she said with a hand wave, handing Dean back the spare case.  "Thanks."

"Welcome.  Have fun?" he asked with a grin.

"Like X says, everyone looks hot with a weapon."  He laughed at that, patting her on the back.  "Thanks.  I should change."

"You should," he agreed.  "Take a shower too.  It's in your hair."  She grimaced, letting the head of the crime lab take her back to the house.  Dean looked at the girls, then waved a hand.  "Have fun."

"Bastard," Kennedy muttered.  "Sammy wouldn't make us."

Dean called him and put him on his phone's speaker.  "Sammy, the girls seem to think you wouldn't make them dig up the parts of the super worm down here?"  Sammy's laugh made them all groan.  "So I take it I'm right yet again?"

"About this.  We tape it?"

"The first one.  The second dispatch told us so Faith came to blow it up.  She's off taking a shower.  The others get theirs when it's in drums for Abby."

"I'll let her know.  Hold on, two?"

"Two," he agreed.

"Damn, dude.  Well, less stress on Xander."

"Yeah, right."  He hung up and watched the girls work on the demon's parts.  The others in the lab thoughtfully brought more drums for this body too.  It was bigger and in bigger sections.  Dean got them a sword so they could chop it up a bit where the rocket hadn't.  They could label it and all that if they wanted to.  Abby would appreciate that.  She'd squeal like they had gotten her chocolates.

***

Later that night, Abby signed the manifest for the driver of the truck that had picked up her drums.  "Thank you."  She gave him a hug.  "Put them in the building out back please?  It's a cold work lab."  He nodded, driving that way to offload all the drums while she danced down to get the docs from the infirmary.  "We have ascension worm parts."  They both gave her odd looks.  "There were *two* in Miami."

"Damn," House said.  "How big?"  She waved the tape the driver had handed her so they put it in.  Then he whimpered.  "Artillery nice," he decided.

"Now I know how to kill one of those if another one comes up," Chase agreed.  "Though, Xander is right.  Everyone looks hot holding artillery."  House sent a low powered scowl at him, earning a smirk back.

"We had eight people on the list that we know are gathering the things for this rite," Abby said.  "One of these came out of the blue.  So, let's get to reconstructing and all that," she said cheerfully, rubbing her hands together.  They nodded and grabbed sterile working gear and jump suits.  They had wanted to examine these things.

Daniel came down a few hours later looking for his newest dose of allergy pills.  He saw the tv on the bluescreen that meant there was a tape and rewound it to watch it.  What he saw turned his stomach.  "That's disgusting."  He popped it out and went to the lab.  "Hey, can you make me a copy of this?" he asked one of the people up there.  "Abby and them are probably dealing with the ascension's remains out back in the refrigerated building."  One made the copy while the rest went to see what sort of remains they were.  He took the DVD and went back to his office.  He could email Sheppard and Jack both.  Proving that he had the worst job of the three of them.   They might whine but he had slime to deal with daily.

***

Jack saw the email notification and groaned.  He opened it knowing it was paperwork.  Or a correction to something he had already filled out a few times.  Or someone complaining that he had forgotten some obscure piece of paperwork.  Again.  Instead, it was a short video clip.  He ran it, blinking at what he saw.  "Excuse me?"  He reran it, frowning at it.  "What the hell?"  He read the message:  see what I do all day.  Then he laughed.  "Thanks, Danny boy.  I needed that."  He saw it had already went to Sheppard and left it there.  He'd show others later to see if they had seen another one.

***

On Atlantis, Sheppard saw the email notification the next morning when their systems downloaded new emails.  "Huh."  He got into it and ran it, turning a bit green.  The message made him smile.  Yup, Jackson was going nuts.  Again.  He paged the science team.  "I got a short film of the end stage of an ascension from the head of DCIS."  McKay nearly shoved him out of the way to see when he stormed in.  "I'm sure Abby has some of the remains if we wanted a better look."

McKay turned green.  "That's disgusting."

"Isn't it though?  And look how large it was in relation to the slayers.  Faith's about your height if I remember right, McKay."  He shuddered, walking off, letting the others see.  "Email Abby if you want some of it."

"I shall.  The saliva poison might be quite useful."

"Now we know if we see something like this on a planet around here," Radek said, walking off shaking his head.  "Those poor girls probably needed a long soak."

"Probably," McKay agreed.  "Most of them are a bit vain."  That got a smirk.  Girls could get messy and whine.  Men were more used to it and expected it.

Sheppard filed it for training later on and went to get something to nibble on.  For some reason he felt giddy and had the nibbles.  He didn't know why.

***

Xander was stopped by Brenda when he grabbed the artillery bag.  "Come on.  It'll stop it."

"Then you'll get fired and only have one job.  What would you do then?" she asked.  She took the artillery bag from his hand.  "I know you want to go to the meeting place, walk in with a good piece of artillery out, and make them stop it, Xander.  But you can't.  We'd lose you.  Danny would never forgive you for it."  He nodded, sighing a bit.  "That's my Xander."  She gave him a hug.  "They're obviously stupid if they're not scared of you."

"I only want the power player," he whined.

"I know.  We do too."  She walked him back to the couch, letting Messer take the artillery bag in case Xander got away from her again.  He would hand it to Dean.  "Here, let's sit and think logically."

"I'm trying."

"I know.  You're all being very brilliant about stopping this.  We've shipped back about seven clans of demons so far."  He nodded at that.  "Just remember, you have to do what Danny Jackson would do, not what his Jack toy would do."  Xander smiled at that.  "Take a nap, Xander.  You need a nap."  She cuddled him until he finally drifted off.

Flack smiled.  "You're good."

"I wanted to walk in and go 'who wants a piece of this' with some artillery too," she admitted.  "If I can't, he can't."

They all smiled and let Xander sleep for now.  This case was driving them all nuts.

***

Xander looked at the demon that appeared on the dream realm with him.  "Huh."  He turned it into a...something.  Part hedgehog, part squirrel, part something else small and furry.  Then he shrugged and walked off.  He ran into Sammy.  "Think we can kill it up here?" he asked with a point.

Sammy looked.  "What were you going for?"

"Small, furry, and harmless."

"It certainly is.  The goldfish mouth was a nice touch since it won't have teeth."  Dawn appeared.  "Hey."

"Hi."  She looked at the thing, then at him.  "I need to read it better."

"Can you do that without being possessed?" Sam asked.

"I'm pretty sure I can.  I've been doing some dream research."  She walked over to it, keeping it from moving by adding a leash and a peg to tie it to.  Then she sat next to it and read its mind.  She frowned at it.  "Not nice of you."  It shimmered.  "Sam, if you think you can, you can kill it here."  She looked at him.  "You have to believe that it works."

Sam considered it then 'called' the special Colt to his hand.  It was made and blessed by Samuel Colt to kill demons.  "Anything else you need from it?"

"What's a devil's gate?  He saw the gun and said it was a key."

"A devil's gate is like a hellmouth only it goes to a place of imprisonment for demons.  Usually higher demons.  More like what we were hunting and him than the ones the slayers usually get."  She nodded at that.  "Why?  A key?"  He looked at it.

"It's the key to open the devil's gate.  It's in the middle of something."  She closed her eyes.  "There's a devil's trap around it.  A huge one made of railroad tracks?  The demons are massing there."  She hopped up.  "It'll take one of the special children to open it.  The demons can't get in, only a chosen of a demon."

"That's why he wants me then," he decided.

She put a hand on his arm.  "Sam, this is a job for a slayer."

"Definitely," Xander agreed.  "Shoot it."  He concentrated and a blonde wearing fuzzy slippers and short pajamas faded in.  "Hi."

She looked around.  "This is not the spa I was dreaming about.  There's no semi-naked hot men offering me warm, gooey chocolate and offering to stroke, tease, or massage me.  Why?"

"Sorry, but that demon," he said with a point, "is doing very bad things."

"He's been overloading the system so we wouldn't pay attention to him stealing those special children or the devil's gate they're massing around," Dawn told her.  Xander moaned, hitting himself on the forehead.  "You didn't know, Xander."

"All the ascensions?"

"Long term plans of his, but not all of them."  She looked at her sister.  "Remember the special kids thing we had going?"  She nodded.  "This is the dream he calls us to.  Xander figured out he could change him and I read his mind.  It's something I decided I could do. Dream realm talents are fascinating to read up on."

Buffy held up a hand.  "Less geek tutoring.  I doubt I'm going to remember all this."

"Okay, bare bones," Dawn said.  "There's a town where he's holding people Sam's age to make them kill each other so only one's left.  The one that's left is going to take that colt in Sammy's hand."  He held it up so she could see it.  "And use it to open a devil's gate.  Demons are massing around it.  Some sort of prophecy about it can open now."

"What's a devil's gate?"

"Like a hellmouth only it goes to an imprisoned demon place," Dawn said.  "It could be over thousands of demons coming out if they open it.  Think the invasion only that sort of demon instead of the ones we and DCIS usually see."

"Mostly higher demons, over one area.  Things like the demon over lust, which would be higher than all the succuba and incuba," Sam added.

"Like the Pandora's Box thingy?" Buffy asked.

Dawn nodded.  "Yeah, just like that."

"Where's he massing the special children?" Buffy asked, frowning.

"All I get is a bell."  She shared it with her and Sam.

"It's got to be to the south," Xander said.  "If that helps."  He fell down as a vision hit him, grabbing his forehead.  "I hate those things," he growled.  He panted, looking at Sam.  "If you go, you'll be killed.  It's a 'there can be only one' thing.   If you do die, Dean's selling himself to a demon to get you back and he'll only have a year."  Sam helped him up.

"Then the best thing would be for me to go, right?" Buffy asked.  Xander nodded.  "Any idea where?"

"Cold Oak, South Dakota," Sam said.  "I recognized the bell."

"Which is south of us," Dawn quipped.  "We had been thinking in the South.  Like Alabama or Louisiana."

"Okay, so the devil's gate is there?" Buffy asked.

"No, it's in Southern Wyoming," Sam told her.  "There's a hundred mile devil's trap around it built from railroad tracks."  She nodded at that.  "We need to stop him with the kids and stop him there."

"We're down to the untrained but we can ask John to go with you if you can't get Giles," Dawn told her.  "He would."

"Nah, I've got it covered," she promised with a  smile.  "It's what a slayer is for."  She beamed at Xander.  "How's Miami?"

"Fucked," he said bluntly.  "But we've gotten it down to eight clans creating problems.  I think the Higher demon locally is going to step in soon and kick ass.  Sam, can you shoot that thing?  Please?  Before I get another of your visions off you?"  Sam turned and shot the demon.  "If it didn't kill it, it'll be in Cold Oak, Buffy."

"Sure.  Any other way of killing it?"

"It's a higher minion of hell," Sam said.  "If I can get Dad to meet you there he can have the Colt."

"No, keep it.  If that's the thing that opens the devil's gate, I want it safely somewhere it can't be gotten to by any demons."

"LA ATF has a demon-proof gun vault," Xander told him.  "I think ours is, but I can't be sure this one can't since he can steal people long distance."

Sam nodded.  "We'll do whatever we have to, Buffy.  Let us know?"

She snorted and waved a hand.  "I won't need it.  We're all good."  She gave Dawn a hug.  "Thanks for the head's up, little sis.  You be good.  That basketball hotty sounds nice."  She disappeared.  "Giles!" she shouted as she woke up.  "Got a dream call from Dawn, Sam, and Xander about the demon causing issues!"  She got up and went to find him.  "There's a devil's gate in South Wyoming that's going to be opened.  Demons are massing there.  The demon that's trying to get Sam and Annabelle is in Cold Oak, South Dakota."

"We heard in the south," he said, considering it.

"Which that would be.  He's behind all this build up according to Dawn."  He gave her an odd look.  "They're apparently having one of their demon inspired shared dreams and one of them pulled me to tell me."  He nodded.  "So we have to get to Cold Oak or we have to get to southern Wyoming.  We're talking the higher demons, like they're used to dealing with, not the funny looking ones we usually get.  Masses of them."

"Where in Wyoming?"

"Sam said there's a devil's gate surrounded by a hundred mile devil's trap done in railroad tracks."

"We should be able to find that through someone at DCIS then."  He picked up his phone.  "Shower and change; we'll fly out by noon."  She nodded, going to do that.  "Wake Caridad as well, Buffy."  He smiled at the grumpy voice.  "Wesley, sorry to bother you.  I need to know where the devil's gate in southern Wyoming is.  Yes, immediately.  The demon behind the special children issues is the one hyping all the problems you lot have been having and they're massing near it.  We're on our way to Cold Oak, South Dakota before then to deal with that demon then to the devil's gate.  That would be acceptable," he agreed when Wesley mentioned John.  "Thank you, Wesley.  Heading out at first light I expect.  Of course she'll have her phone.  I'm bringing Caridad with me.  That's reasonable, I'll leave her in charge then.  I'll see you then."  He hung up and went to shower and change himself.  Plus pack.  He'd need some materials and some books.  He knew how to banish the higher demons, he had taught Xander.

***

Dawn woke up and yawned, heading down to John's room, pounding on the door a few times before walking in.  "The demon that got your wife is behind the build up.  He's trying to open the devil's gate in Wyoming?"

John blinked at her.  "Slower, Dawn."  She sat on the foot of his bed and told him everything.  "Get me Sammy?"

"Sammy's staying here.  Xander had a vision.  He'll die and Dean'll sell his soul to get him back.  Also, the colt is the key to the lock."

"So it's staying.  We need to know how to kill the thing."

She smirked and dug out something.  "You haven't looked over the research reports for demonology.  I slipped mine into theirs."  She handed it over.  "I'll fax it to Cleveland too."  Wesley walked in and took it to read over, nodding and taking it to do that.  "Okay."  She looked at John.  "Buffy's going with Giles."

"Do you know where it is?" Wesley called.

"Basically."  He slid out of bed and grabbed his robe.  "Let me shower and pack, Dawn.  Good job."  He patted her on the head and headed for the showers.  Wesley would send that and give him what he needed to have with him.  They usually worked well together.

Dawn yawned again and went to raid the kitchen.  She was uptight and needed ice cream. She found Sam in there and stole his bowl.  "Thank you."

"I was making it for you anyway.  My nerves are shot."

John walked in a few minutes later to get travel rations.  "You're staying?" he asked his son.

"I wouldn't care about dying if I had to, sir, but I don't want Dean to sell his soul to save me."

John nodded.  "Good.  I hate having to knock you out.  The girls would fuss over both of us.  Get that gun somewhere safe."

"Xander said the LA ATF has a demon-proof gun vault," Sam said quietly.  "It can kill the demon."

"I found out how to eat the demon," Dawn told him.  Sam beamed at her for that.  "So that and a good banishing should work."  She looked at John.  "Giles can do that.  He taught Xander and Xander taught us."

"Good enough."  He patted her on the head.  "Have some ice cream too, Sammy."  He gave him a short hug then left.  His truck was easily warmed up and more ammo gotten from the armory.  Benny Ray stopped him and held up a box.  "What's that?"

"Holy silver.  An artifact got damaged and Xander bought it to melt it down.  It was a relic from a saint.  They had all the paperwork on it and he verified it had been consecrated and blessed."  John shivered, that was nearly sacrilege.  "He said he saw it in a vision.  He had a priest okay it and bless it again.  It's as close to your colt as you're getting," he finished quietly.  "There's twenty-one bullets."

John smiled.  "I love that boy like an extra, strange son."

"Was there a comma in there?" he teased.

"Usually."  Benny Ray laughed.  "Thanks.  I hope it'll be enough."

"Should be.  Go with luck, John.  You'll probably need it."

"The same demon was behind all the build up."

"They can tell Jackson."  That got a nod and he left.  Benny Ray went to check on the kids, finding them both having ice cream.  "Don't forget to tell the boss, guys."

"Going to," Dawn promised.  "Let me finish up.  My blood sugar's low and there's nothing he can really do about it."  They nodded and Benny Ray went back to his rooms.  She looked at Sam.  "We've got to figure out why you guys pull me."

"The spell where you went to yell at the Powers.  We linked so I could guard you."  She moaned.  "Not a bad thing," he promised with a smile.  "Just something we need to watch out for."

"Sure, we can do that."  She finished up and put her bowl into the dishwasher then went to wake up their boss.  "Hey.  Good news but an FYI about all the activity."

"What now?" he moaned, leaning against his door.

"All the activity we've had recently has been a cover by the demon that wanted Sammy and Annabelle."  He slumped.  "We've got Buffy headed to handle it.  He wants to open a devil's gate."

"Which is?"

"Like a hellmouth to a place demons are squished together and imprisoned," she said.  He squeezed his eyes shut.  "But we've got Buffy and John headed that way.  We know where he's taking all the kids and with him out of the way, there won't be any more buildup to cover up what he was doing."

"That's good.  What about Miami?"

"It may slow it down.  He's behind that."

He nodded.  "I want a full report by breakfast, Dawn."

"Yes, sir."  She saluted and he smiled at that.  "Go back to bed, it's just a head's up."  She walked off, going to do her report.  She IM'd Sam since she knew he'd be doing research for his father and Buffy too.  He sent back he'd do one and it was all good.  They'd have it solved soon enough.

***

Xander woke up with a gasp, panting and rubbing his forehead.  Everyone stared at him.  "That stupid demon is behind this.  He's using it to cover up what's going on."  He swung his feet around, looking at the ones staring, then at Dean.  "He wants Sammy.  He has to have a chosen human to take the special Colt and open the devil's gate.  By tainting him then making him play his sick little Highlander game, he'll get a chosen one out of it."  He called someone.  "Benny Ray, hand John that special box.  He's heading out and he'll need it.  Thanks."  He hung up and looked at him.  "I made one that might be as strong as the colt's bullets.  The gun may be mundane but it's made from a broken relic."  Dean shivered but nodded at that.  "The crappy thing that wants Sam is holding other special children hostage in Cold Oak, South Dakota."

"That's a haunted town.  Legend has it, it's so haunted everyone in town had to flee," Dean said quietly, considering it.  "Who's going?"

"Buffy.  And your dad."  Dean nodded that was a good, strong team.  "He's going to weed it down to one chosen kid and they're going to open the devil's gate in Wyoming.  There's a massing of demons there.  All this, all the sudden influx of ascensions that aren't related to the millennium, all that, is him covering his tracks."

Dean grimaced.  "Then it's screwed.  Dad won't put up with it."

"No, he won't.  I had Benny Ray hand him the bullets.  So we may see this drop down. We're not sure yet.  Giles is probably going with her.  He can do a banishing or anything magical that might need to happen."

Dean relaxed, smiling some.  "Then the thing's screwed."

Xander nodded.  "With luck, that'll slow down this problem and all the others.  Then we'll have mopping up to do."  The rest smiled.  "By the way, Dawn's been doing dream research about what powers you have in certain types of dreams.  Came in really handy.  Sam pulled the colt and shot it.  It might be injured or possibly dead already."

Dean beamed.  "Even better news.  Thanks, Xander."

"Welcome.  Can I have something for my headache?"  Faith got him something and a soda.  "Thanks.  New info?"

"Yeah.  Some.  Can I tell the Higher one that?"

"Depends, will he go to try to help open the devil's gate?"

"Don't know," Faith admitted.

"You can see if he wants to hear what's behind it.  That'll save us being more injured when we have to raid tomorrow," Don Flack decided.  She nodded, taking Brenda with her.  The Higher one liked Brenda, called her plucky and smart to work on her weaknesses.

Xander finished his soda.  "Let me finish my nap and I'll plan the raid."

"I can," Horatio said from his corner seat going over the new information.  "I have in the past, Xander.  I can do that."

"Sure.  Have at it then."  He laid down and closed his eyes, letting Dean toss a blanket overtop of him.  "You know, this might be the first time I come home from a team case without even a scratch."

Danny Messer patted him on the foot.  "Don't jinx us."  Xander grinned and they got back to work.

Horatio looked at Dean.  "What's a devil's gate?" he asked quietly.

"Just what it sounds like.  It opens to a place where demons are imprisoned.  A part of hell basically."   Horatio shuddered.  "If they're massing that way, let me call others."  He went to call Bobby.  "It's me.  There's demons massing in southern Wyoming.  You've got Buffy and Dad heading that way.  Yeah, it is Dean, Bobby.  Because the demon who came after Mom and Jess is trying to open a devil's gate there."  He nodded.  "Exactly.  Send or go help, man.  I'm in Miami with our war down here.  Thanks.  Dad's heading.  Buffy's got to fly from Cleveland."

"She might be hitting Cold Oak first to free those kids and to try the demon there," Xander admitted, looking back at him.

"The kids the demon's been taking are in Cold Oak, Bobby.  He's doing a 'there can be only one' thing according to what Dawn, Sammy, and Xander found out during their last shared dream thing.  Sure, call Dad.  He's on the road by now if I know him.  Thanks."  He hung up.  "We've got hunters up that way.  They can help her, Xander.  Don't worry about Buffy."  He pulled him over.  "What?"

"If Sam had went, he'd be dead and you'd be making a dark deal," he said quietly, staring at him.  "A year to get him back."

Dean nodded stiffly.  "I probably would."

"I saw it, Dean.  In the dream."

"Full on vision?"  Xander nodded.  "Damn it.  Okay, well, Sammy's staying at the base."

"I doubt your dad would let him go.  Dawn knew and she'd tell him."

"Good."  He smiled.  "You protect my baby brother very well, Xander."  He patted him on the head.  "Sleep.  You need rest.  You're wound up and exhausted."  He went to get himself some coffee but one of the younger slayers put him over her shoulder.  "Hey!"  The others laughed but she carried him to bed and put him down beside it, then gave him a shove onto it.  "Fine.  Wench."

"Yes I am," she taunted back.  "Maybe I can be like the wenches Xander had fun with," she quipped then went to help the agents.  They knew what the demons could do in more detail than they did.  Faith came back.  "Good news?" she asked at her smile.  Brenda walked in a moment later.

"Leave off the raid for two hours.  It might not be a problem.  He was *highly* insulted this jumped up little pussbag, his words, was calling higher things to this plane to enslave us all.  Including him.  He'd be like a sergeant in their troops but that's not high enough and he's *livid*," Brenda told them all.  "He said to leave the raid off for a few hours.  It might not be as necessary as we think.  He has to talk to the demons over the college."

"Way to go, girls," Don Flack praised, smiling at them.  "Xander made special bullets for John so they've got it going.  Buffy's going with them."

"Decent," Faith agreed.  "It'll be a slay fest.  Wonder if I can hit Wyoming."

"No," Xander said.  Brenda nerve pinched him.

Horatio smiled.  Brenda was very fierce in her mothering of the younger girls and Xander.   "Will she need more backup?"

"B?"  She snorted.  "Nah.  She's nearly mythical.  None of us are like B.  She's an undead yo-yo and all that.  The demons are scared of what she'll bring back next time she has to come back to life.  After all, the last time started off the First Evil stuff."  Brenda shuddered.  "I know.  She'd see it that way."

"Of course she would.  She's Buffy."

Horatio shook his head.  "Someone needs to help her."

"Tweedy will.  That's his job," Faith said.  "He might be one of the last watchers, but he's still hers."

Brenda smiled.  "Xander did suggest Giles talk to you about becoming one."  She skipped off.  "Faith, I'm making cocoa.  Want some?"

"Sure, please."  She looked around. "Bring a big pot of water."  She nodded, doing that.  She beamed at the agents.  "I love her.  She's a great girl.  She'll make a great trainer for the potentials."  She winked and went to make her own cup of cocoa.  The others came to get theirs and it was nice.  A bit happier even if they were still in the middle of a problem.

By the morning time, the Higher had talked to the higher demons over the demon college.  The mess was not pretty.  It was really horrible.  Not even the scavenger demons wanted to touch them.  But it was stopped.  No more humans had gotten hurt and the three buildings that burned had only had demons in them.  No one tried to make them slaves of the top minions in hell!

***

Buffy woke up after that strange girl had touched her, shaking her head.  "Wow, not as bad as last time," she decided.  The demon and Ava stared at her in horror.  She smirked.  "Hi, maybe I didn't introduce myself properly.  I'm Buffy.  The Slayer Buffy."  The demon backed off in fear.  "You're so toast.  You made Xander work a lot of long, hard hours.  You gave him and my baby sister headaches."

"Who're you to try him?" Ava, one of the special children, sneered.

"I'm the most senior slayer, sweetie.  I've defeated Gods.  You're really pathetic and you dress miserably."  She lunged at the demon but John shot it from the other end of town. "Hey!"

"Thanks for the distraction, Buffy," John said, pointing the gun at Ava, who whimpered and got to her knees.  He tossed over cuffs.  "For her."  She shrugged but did that.  "Find any other survivors."

"Going."  She walked off to do that.

Giles followed John to the demon.  "Banishment?"

"They could bring him back.  What about that thing Dawn found?"  He showed it to him.  "If it's dead, it's eaten and dissolved.  If not, it's back in hell anyway."

Giles read over the spell then nodded.  "She's getting into some dangerous books."

"Sometimes you have to so you can find the things you need to handle the worst issues."

Giles cast the spell on the demon, watching as it dissolved.  He looked at the gun.  "What are you using?"

"Something Xander made.  It's a former relic that was melted down and reblessed as well."  Giles shuddered.  "It worked.  Nearly as well as the special Colt's bullets."

"Yes, apparently it did."  Buffy came out with one sobbing boy.  "He all right?"

"Crying in fear."  She put him in front of John.  "That's Dean and Sammy's dad.  Talk to him."

He looked at him.  "You know Sammy?"

"I'm his father.  I used to change his diapers, kid."

"It wants him," he said, standing up to stare at him.  "It wants him really badly."

"It's dead."  Ava wailed.  "And dissolved."

The boy went limp, smiling at him.  "Thank you."

"Welcome.  Let's go fight the demons at the devil's gate.  Buffy, can you get Dawn or someone to pick her up?"

"Sure.  Dawn!" she bellowed, looking up.  A portal opened.  "She was working with the demon to kill all the special kids like Sam."

"Charming."  She hauled her over.  "I'll have her arrested here.  Have fun and be safe?  No more dying?"  She gave her sister a look.

"I try not to.  Only lasted three minutes this time."

"Uh-huh."  She closed the portal.

John laughed.  "She's going to fuss you to death."

"She's in North Dakota."  Giles coughed but smiled at that.  "Okay, let's get you into the car, kid.  You can come with us.  John, how do we get there?"

"I've given Giles the directions, Buffy.  Not like you drive."  He walked off, checking his gun over.  The special bullets hadn't hurt it any.  Time to finish this.

Buffy looked at Giles.  "He's picking up bad Xander habits."

"I don't let you drive either, Buffy.  You're a terror to more than demons behind the wheel."  He walked the young man out, asking him why he was chosen and what was so special about the 'special children'.  It was something they'd have to chronicle too.

The End.

to part 9