Chapter 22 Birthdays
Are Better if Buffy's A Sultana
Graham knocked on the door of Spike and Buffy's house. He gripped a
present for the Slayer in his other hand. He admitted that he was a bit
nervous about seeing the couple again after the meeting with Walsh.
They probably had some tough questions to ask him. He had nosed around
as discretely as possible about Room 314. He didn't want Walsh to
suspect him and lessen his chances of helping the Slayer and her
friends.
Buffy opened the door, and she smiled when she saw Graham. "Hey, glad
you could make it," she said. "Come in and meet everyone."
Graham followed the cheerful Slayer into the living room. He recognized
most of the people already present, but he was surprised to see Ronald
Jones and his wife Betty at the party. Graham hadn't realized the newly
discharged soldier knew Buffy or her friends. When Willow came to take
Buffy's present, he willingly gave the gift up to the red haired woman.
"Come meet my mom and Reggie." Buffy put her arm through Graham's arm.
"They've wanted to meet you."
"Okay." Graham gave Spike a desperate look. He had never been
comfortable meeting a girl's mom, even of girls he wasn't dating.
"Don't worry, mate." Spike smirked. "I'm reasonably sure Joyce left her
axe at home."
Graham gulped. "Axe?" He turned to stare at the older woman.
"Don't listen to him." Joyce came forward with her hand held out to
shake Graham's. "That's only for future son-in-law vampires."
"Ma'am," Graham said. He shook Joyce's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet
you."
"Likewise." Joyce took Graham's arm away from Buffy. "Why don't you
come talk to Reggie and I while Buffy does the birthday thing."
"Thanks, Mom." Buffy grinned. "I need to go make sure Spike didn't give
me another blue arm."
Spike rolled his eyes at his mate. "I don't know if I can get a refund
for that blue arm, pet." He bit his lip while he wiggled his eyebrows
at Buffy.
Graham listened in amazement as the two blonds continued to banter back
and forth. Finally, Joyce pulled him towards a man who looked like
desert nomad, right down to the long flowing black hair.
"This is Reggie Bey," Joyce introduced her boyfriend. "Giles will be
joining us in a few moments."
"I really don't know much about Professor Walsh's secret project,"
Graham protested.
"We've discovered that she's making a demon-human cyborg," Reggie said
quietly. Most of the guests at the party knew about the creature, but
the ex-Watcher didn't want to interrupt Buffy's opening of her presents
with business. "We'd love to know the purpose for the chipped vampires,
as we feel it would help us know the cyborg's purpose."
"Well," Graham felt a bit out of his element spilling the Initiative's
secrets, "We had hoped to use the chipped vampires as weapons. The chip
can be turned off when we need them to eliminate an enemy target."
"Vampires are a bit too unpredictable, I would think," Giles said as he
came up to the group. "Not many have the control that Spike has."
"Not many care about anyone besides themselves like Spike," Joyce
replied.
"We need to know more about Room 314 and the cyborg." Giles gave the
others a concerned look. "We know from experience that playing God,
especially on a Hellmouth, can result in disaster."
"I'll do what I can, but I need to be careful." Graham shifted
nervously. "Finn's acting odd, and Professor Walsh is more on the alert
now that she's met with you." Little did the soldier realize that
Maggie Walsh would have too many of her own worries soon to worry about
him.
"Be careful and do your best," Giles cautioned.
Hours later, Graham stumbled towards the college campus with the
knowledge that his ex-team mate Ronald Jones, along with his wife, was
a demon. The Jones' both looked so human. Then, he met the Hassib's.
There was nothing at all demonic about that family at first glance,
Graham decided. They weren't undead like vampires, yet they shared
their bodies with angels. There was also Clem. He was quite wrinkled
and had a taste for kittens, but Graham didn't get an evil vibe from
him.
Maybe it was time to rethink the whole military thing like Ronald had.
It wasn't like he'd signed up to fight demons after all. The stories
that Graham had heard that night at the party about the Slayer's group
told him that maybe the army's ideas might be a whole bunch of badness.
He knew he needed to make a decision soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giles and Serina left the birthday party together. They decided to go
get a drink together and to become better acquainted. They discovered
quite by accident a quaint little watering spot with cheap drinks and a
cheaper atmosphere.
After a few drinks, Serina excused herself to use the bathroom. When
she returned to the table she found Giles deep in conversation with a
fellow countryman.
Giles looked up when Serina approached the table. "Serina, this is
Ethan Rayne. I was just telling him about Buffy's changes."
"Ethan Rayne. Now where have I heard that name before?"
"Buffy mentioned him earlier." Giles grimaced. "He likes to cause
havoc." The ex-librarian remembered the last few times his old 'friend'
came to town.
"Ah yes. Reggie's mentioned him too." Serina gave the chaos mage the
once over. "Not a very good reputation it seems."
"Old Ripper never mentioned you though." Ethan winked at Serina as he
tried to lay on the charm.
"As if I'd mention a classy lady like Serina to an old reprobate like
you." Giles rolled his eyes when Ethan tried to kiss Serina's hand.
"You don't trust me." Ethan covered his heart with one hand and tried
to look hurt.
"Not any further than we can throw you." Giles rose to his feet, and he
helped Serina into her chair. "Buffy and her mate, William the
Bloody... you do know who William the Bloody is, don't you, old man?"
"One quarter of the Scourge of Europe." Ethan nodded with a touch of
trepidation. Anyone who ran in the magical circles he did heard of
famous vampires.
"They know you're here. Anything happens that seems odd or out of
place, they'll know it was you." Giles gave Ethan a sly smirk.
"You taking all my fun away," Ethan muttered with a pout.
"Your idea of fun is not normal, Ethan," Giles replied. "Buffy says no
hard feelings, and you're welcome to stay in Sunnydale as long as
you're a good boy."
"I don't think so," Ethan grumbled. "You goodie two shoes are boring."
Serina leaned in to whisper to Giles, "Isn't that woman at the door
that Walsh person?"
Giles turned just enough to see that Maggie Walsh had indeed entered
the bar. He gave Ethan a sly grin. "Now her? You can cause as much
chaos in her life as you like."
"Watch a master at work." Ethan returned Giles' grin with a sly one of
his own. He rose from the table to make his way over to Walsh.
"Is he really that good?" Serina asked, her eyes on the charming chaos
mage.
"Oh yes. Don Juan Rayne, we used to call him." Giles shook his head.
"He might be evil, but he charmed the knickers off even the most
reluctant of women. I've seen it with my own eyes." He remembered the
time that Ethan had charmed the friend of his maiden aunt's into his
bed. Ethan always did like a challenge, Giles thought to
himself.
"Does he use magic?" Serina gasped. She didn't approve of using magic
to coerce actions in others. It was unethical.
"No, unless he himself is magical like that." Giles smiled at Serina.
"Ethan's family used to be in the Council, but as you can see Ethan
isn't interested. He's the last of the Raynes, and I seriously doubt
he'll ever reproduce."
Giles and Serina fell silent while they watched Ethan sweet talk his
way into the college professor's good graces. After several drinks,
Walsh's pager went off, and she hurriedly said good-bye as she left.
Ethan strolled over to Giles and Serina's table with a grin on his
face. "When she wakes up later, she'll be that which she hunts." The
evil Brit actually shivered while he made his next statement. "I could
see inside her mind. She actually believes that creature she's creating
loves her. That as its 'mother', it will never harm her."
"What do you think?" Giles asked. He was honestly interested in Ethan's
opinion.
"I think I want to be as far away from this hick town as possible when
it wakes up." Ethan shivered again. "It's almost indestructible with a
uranium power core. Uranium! What is that woman thinking?"
"Chaos?" Giles grinned as he ribbed his old friend.
"World Domination?" Serina announced both words with capitol letters.
"Really. Some people." Ethan grinned in return. "So, Ripper, remember
that time we put slime in old man Wilson's mail box."
"That wasn't my idea!" Giles protested.
"Yeah, right, old man."
Serina giggled at the men's antics. When they weren't at each other's
throats they acted like little boys. She could almost see the carefree
youngsters they used to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maggie Walsh woke up slowly. Between the drinks she'd had with the
charming British man, and the wreck Finn had made of his latest
mission, she finally fell into bed in the wee hours of the morning.
Walsh was glad she didn't have a class to teach that day. She was just
too tired to deal with a bunch of whiny college students.
Walsh sat up, stretched, and yawned. She noticed that her voice sounded
odd. She let out a scream when she saw that her arms were muscular and
scaly. Walsh let out another scream when her bed collapsed beneath her.
When she climbed to her feet, she realized that her center of gravity
had shifted. Walsh rushed to check herself in the bathroom mirror.
"Ahhh," Walsh moaned when she saw her reflection. She rubbed her face
with her hands, but nothing changed. She was still a monster.
Outside her room, Maggie could hear her soldier/students get ready for
class. Most of them had extra-long Thursday classes. Thank God! All she
had to do was wait until the coast was clear. Then, she'd go find
someone to help her. Maybe the Slayer.
Maggie tried to sit still in her room until the activity died down
elsewhere in the house. However she didn't count on her new body's
urges.
Kill. Hunt. Fuck.
"Huh?" Walsh grunted. That last urge caught her by surprise even as she
shook her head in denial. That wasn't a priority at the moment. Little
did the professor realize that female Fyral demons were the sexual
dominant of the species. They had to be since the males were only
interested in fighting.
Knock. Knock
"Professor Walsh?" Riley Finn's contrite voice sounded through the
bedroom door. "I want to apologize for my failure last night. I'll do
better next time. Please give me another chance."
Walsh grunted in response. The boy had better confidence in his
abilities than she did.
"Professor?" Finn's voice changed to being concerned. "Are you okay?"
Maggie rolled her eyes again. Go away, she growled. To her it
sounded like English, but it didn't to the soldier standing outside her
door.
Riley grew even more worried. Whatever made the noise inside of the
Professor's room didn't sound like the Professor. He withdrew his
sidearm, and with one hand he reached for the knob.
Walsh watched as the doorknob started to turn. She couldn't remember if
she had locked it the night before. Finn couldn't see her like this!
Walsh leapt to her feet, but before she could reach the door, it opened.
Riley gasped when he saw the huge demon in Professor Walsh's room. A
quick glance told him that there was no one else in room. He raised his
gun to fire at the creature.
Kill. Hunt. Fuck!
Walsh pushed down the primal urges running through her body. She would
NOT have a sexual encounter with a subordinate. Bad things happed to
superior officers who did.
Maggie stepped towards Finn. She reached out to grab him, hoping she
could knock him out before he shot her or something worse. Walsh looked
into his beautiful brown eyes, and she felt her control slip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Finn didn't show up for class or tutoring today." Forrest complained.
"If he doesn't shape up, he'll be discharged."
"Yeah." Graham nodded his head. "If his obsession with Buffy Summers
doesn't piss her boyfriend off first."
"He's still bothering that woman?" Forrest reached the front door of
Lowell house before Graham. "What's so special about her?"
Graham shrugged, not wanting to reveal what he knew about the blond
girl. The other members of the platoon knew she was the Slayer involved
with a sub terrestrial, but that was about all.
"She's cute and all, but nothing special that I could see," Forrest
continued.
"I think those demonic steroids messed with his brain." Graham made the
universal sign for crazy around one ear.
"Maybe," Forrest chuckled.
The two soldiers started up the stairs. That's when they noticed things
were out of place. Several pictures were crooked, and a couple of
tables were knocked over. Graham and Forrest dropped their books, and
they unholstered their weapons. They moved with great caution down the
hall until they heard a moan from Professor Walsh's room.
Graham gave Forrest a nod, and together they entered the room ready to
shoot. What they found was a bruised, half-naked Riley Finn laying half
off the broken bed.
"Finn, what's going on?"
"Sub terrestrial Hostile," the young man muttered. "Kidnapped Professor
Walsh. Attacked me."
"Attacked you?" Forrest eyed the love bites that littered the other
soldier's lean body.
"That's what I said." There was no way Riley was going to reveal
exactly what had happened with the hostile. Something were just too
horrifying to share.
"Whatever you say, man." Forrest put his weapon away. "Why don't you
tell us exactly what we're looking for?"
Riley described the monster that had attacked him. He neglected to say
anything about the sex of the hostile. He tried to be as brief as
possible, but he was sure the other two men were laughing at him.
Which, of course they were. Oh, not because Riley had been attacked and
molested like he thought. He kept fondling himself unconsciously every
few minutes as if to check if his penis was still there. It was an
action too obvious to be missed.
"Well, get yourself cleaned up, Finn," Graham ordered. "Then, we'll go
in search of your hostile."
"Not my hostile," Riley muttered, but he nodded his head anyway. He
stumbled off towards his own room.
"Why are we taking him with us?" Forrest asked.
Graham smirked. "Bait."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maggie Walsh awoke to find herself a prisoner in her own private zoo.
No matter what she said no one seemed to understand her. However, she
was proud to see that Project 314 wasn't being abandoned by her team.
Although for some reason, Graham didn't seem too happy about the
project. Even in her current state, Maggie wouldn't have been surprised
if the soldier went AWOL. Maggie Walsh remained a 'guest' of the
Initiative for a long time. Within a few weeks of being captured, she
was shipped off to the Belize compound. There she remained a Fyral
demon until she had another encounter with Ethan Rayne. However...
that's different story, dear readers.