From: "Phantom Chic" Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2000 2:46 PM Subject: New: "The Initiative Files" (1/6) Title: The Initiative Files Author: Phantom Chic E-Mail: phantmchic@home.com or phantmchic@aol.com Category: C, X-Files/Buffy Crossover Keywords: M/S UST, mentions of X/A, B/R & B/A Rating: PG-13 Spoilers: X-Files--after "Closure"; assorted through "FPS"(and most of the mythology); Buffy--Fourth Season up to "A New Man", assorted season 3 spoilers. Archive: Ephemeral, Spooky's, Gate_Philes, Slayer Fanfic Archive, etc.; basically if you want it just let me know where it's going... Disclaimer: Like anyone actually believes they're mine. Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunmen, etc. belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen, and their actors. Buffy, the Slayerettes, Initiative, etc. belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and their actors. Lara and this story are mine. Author's Notes: This was started after "A New Man" and diverges from the current Buffy season after that point (meaning Adam never escaped). This story assumes that U.C. Sunnydale has a normal college winter break w/ no J-term. Thanks to Sarah for helping me iron it out in the beginning. Special thanks go out to my great betas: Kate, Suja, Ashley, Becki, and Clover. Feedback: Please! It's taken me so long to get this written, I would really like to know if anyone thinks it was worth it. Summary: Mulder & Scully come to Sunnydale at the request of Giles' sister to investigate the Initiative. ***** Sunnydale January 20, 2000 3 p.m. "Hello, all," Giles said as he joined Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Anya at the outdoor coffee shop on campus. He was holding a cup of tea instead of the cappuccinos favored by the younger four. He turned to Buffy and Willow as a chorus of 'HI's went up. "Are you two, um, ready to start classes again?" Buffy groaned. "Don't say the c-word." "Oh, Giles. Is there something you'd like to tell us?" Willow asked with a smile, holding up the course catalog. At his look of confusion, Willow opened the catalog. "Here under the Occult Studies department..." "Wait. We have an Occult Studies Department?" Buffy interrupted. "Yeah, one of only three in the country. I think it's the Hellmouth-y vibes. I'm thinking of picking it up as a minor." "Where are the other two?" Buffy asked. "There's one at UCLA and the other's in Cleveland." "Really. I would've guessed New York." Xander spoke up. "Yeah. But anyway, look at these two classes, Demonology I and II. The Prof. is listed as Giles." Everyone turned to look at Giles. "It isn't me," He protested, "although I may ...uh...look into that department in the future." "So you're saying that it's all a big coincidence that there's a class on Demonology... at UC Sunnydale... being taught by someone named Giles?" Buffy asked skeptically. "As strange as it may seem...uh...yes." Giles said. "I don't know who this...um...Professor Giles is, but it's not me." Just then they heard a woman's voice call from across the courtyard. "Ripper!" Turning, they saw a beautiful woman of about thirty with short dark hair walking toward them, waving. She was dressed fashionably in a long skirt, sweater, and boots. The four teens looked at Giles and chorused "Ripper?" "This isn't gonna be like Ethan again, is it?" Buffy asked. "Hardly." Giles said, as the woman reached him and he hugged her. "Hello, Ripper, it's been awhile. We've missed too many Christmases." She said, in a crisp British accent. She turned to the four who were staring at her. "You must be the 'Slayerettes' Rip has told me about. Or what did you say they called themselves? The Scooby Gang? I love that. Buffy... Willow... Xander... and... I'm sorry, you are?" She pointed to each as she said their name, but was stumped on Anya. "Anya." "Oh, yes. The former vengeance demon." "And you are?" Buffy prompted. "Oh. I'm sorry. Lara Giles." Buffy looked at Giles in a mixture of shock and confusion. "You're married?" Lara and Giles looked at each other and laughed. It was Giles who recovered first. "Lara is my, um, baby sister." Taking in their shocked expressions, Lara asked incredulously, "You never told them about me?" "Well, uh...it never came up. So, when did you get into town? How did you, um, know to find me here?" "I got in this morning. Got settled in, and then headed over to your place. There was a very nice vampire there who told me where to find you," she said, as she pulled up a chair and sat down. Buffy looked surprised. "You saw a vampire in your brother's house and you didn't do anything?" "What, did you think I would stake him? He was very polite and was drinking blood from Rip's 'Kiss the Librarian' mug. Besides, he's rather attractive." At the shocked expressions on the faces of everyone but Giles, she added, "Well, Rip had told me that Spike was staying with him and that he was harmless." Confused, Anya looked at Giles. "I thought Spike moved into a crypt." "He did. But he...um, came over last night to return my car and was...uh...caught by sunrise," Giles explained. Willow smiled and asked Lara, curiously, "So, are you a Watcher?" Lara smiled at the brief moment of panic that crossed Buffy's face. "No. I learned just as much about demons, slayers, and the like, as Rip did, it was required in our family. I find it fascinating so I have continued to study it. But I never joined the council. That destiny fell to Rip. After hearing about the problems that you two have had with them, I'm rather glad I didn't. Although they have approached me at various times. The most recent were after they fired Rip, and when you quit. They thought I could persuade you to come back." "I almost wish you had become my watcher after they fired Giles. You would have been much more helpful than Wesley." Buffy said, skirting the issue of Faith. "Yes, Rip told me he was, um, less than effective." Lara seemed amused as she attempted to find a polite way to describe the former watcher. "Must you call me that?" Giles asked. "Sister's prerogative," Lara said with a smile. "Humph. So, what brings you to Sunnydale? Are you, uh, staying long? Did you...um...have any luck finding information on the, uh, Initiative?" "Actually, I'm moving here. I'm the new Demonology professor here at the university." "That's you?" Willow interrupted, excitedly. "Yes. Are you interested in taking my class? There are still some openings. I could make sure you both get into it." "That'd be great! What do you think, Buffy?" Willow exclaimed. "Credit for Slayer-y knowledge and research? Sounds good. Count me in." Buffy smiled. "I hate to, um, interrupt." Giles said, doing just that. "But, the Initiative? I did, em, tell you that Buffy found out that several of the, uh, graduate students here are a part of it, yes?" "Yes," Lara was suddenly all business. "I'll start putting out feelers through the faculty. If there are graduate students involved, it likely includes at least one faculty member as well." "Actually, we...uh...recently found out that the Psychology professor, em, Walsh, is the head of it." Buffy interrupted the two, "Giles, I thought we talked about this. I trust Riley." She turned to Lara. "My boyfriend, Riley, is a member of the Initiative. He and Professor Walsh know I'm the slayer and they're getting me access to the project." Lara looked questioningly at her brother as he answered Buffy, "I know you trust Riley. But I don't trust Walsh. I don't believe she's being entirely, um, candid with you. It's quite possible that Riley is, um, unaware of what is going on as well. I want to have the Initiative investigated by someone more...em...more...impartial. Forgive me for not being entirely...er...trusting of your military. If everything is as you've been told, well, wonderful. If it's not, don't you think it would be, um, better to find out now rather than later?" Buffy looked around at her friends. It was clear that they had been persuaded by Giles' arguments. "I'd like to go on record that I'm doing this under protest. But, you could be right. They may not be telling me everything. I guess an outside perspective wouldn't hurt." "Lara, you were saying?" Giles motioned for his sister to continue filling them in on her efforts. She nodded. "I talked to some friends of mine in Washington. They're looking into it." "Who are these...friends?" Giles asked, as the others watched the back and forth exchange between the siblings. "They're a sort of an extreme government watchdog group. They publish a newsletter called the Lone Gunmen. They found a file on the Initiative in the DOD database but they're having difficulty hacking into it. It's apparently very top secret. And they suggested I contact some friends of theirs in the FBI who have experience with both the supernatural and government conspiracies." "Who would that be?" "Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. I got a hold of their files after the Gunmen told me about them. They work on the X-Files, cases involving the paranormal." "And you think we should bring Feds here and tell them about the Initiative? About me?" Buffy asked. "Actually, yes. They're likely to be very open to it, at least Mulder, from what the Gunmen tell me. And given their track record with conspiracies, they should understand the need for secrecy." Buffy glanced around at the group, gauging their responses. "All right, make the call." "Mulder...why does that name sound familiar?" Giles asked, trying to place it. "You two were at Oxford at the same time. He was doing undergraduate work while you were doing your graduate studies. Did you know him?" Lara supplied. "Right. Mulder. He was supposed to be brilliant, but odd. I knew of him, but didn't really know him. We didn't exactly run in the same circles." "Mulder wasn't interested in raising demons?" Buffy couldn't resist heckling him. "No, although he did date a woman named Phoebe Green. Horrid woman." Giles said with a shudder. "Almost worse than a demon." ***** Flight 925 In the air leaving Washington D.C. Agent Dana Scully turned to her partner in the seat next to her as she removed her seat belt. "All right, Mulder, we're in the air. Now will you fill me in on why we're flying to southern California?" "Are you saying you'd rather stay in the cold D.C. weather, Scully?" Agent Fox Mulder asked with a smile. "No, but somehow I doubt this is a vacation. So tell me about this case." "Well, it's not a case, per se." Mulder said finally, knowing she wasn't likely to be happy with the reasons for their trip. "Then what is it?" Scully asked suspiciously, picking up on his reticence. "We're going to a small town called Sunnydale, where there's a history of strange occurrences. There's a top secret military operation there that's been capturing and studying monsters." Mulder braced himself for her reaction. "A military monster squad? Mulder, where did you get this information? Especially if it's top secret?" Scully raised an eyebrow at him. "The Gunmen..." Mulder started. "The Gunmen!" Scully interrupted. "Mulder, the last time they came up with a case I ended up in Las Vegas, without you, and was drugged while helping Byers' girlfriend." "Scully, this is different. They found files on this Initiative group in the DOD database. They were asked to look into it by a friend of theirs named Lara Giles, who just accepted a position as Professor of Demonology at the University of California, Sunnydale." He pleaded, giving her his puppy-dog face in an attempt to calm her down. Scully sighed. She never could resist that face. "All right, Mulder. So, what did they find in the DOD files?" "They haven't been able to get into them yet. Frohike said they're at a level of security that rivals the files on Project Paper Clip." "So what are we supposed to do?" Mulder watched as Scully's eyebrow climbed toward her hair line. "We're supposed to meet with Professor Giles at the University when we get in and she'll fill us in." Scully nodded, then something occurred to her. "Mulder, if this isn't an official case, who's paying for everything? The plane, the motel rooms, food, rental car?" "Well...I am." he said hesitantly. "Mulder, I can pay for my own ticket and room. I don't want you to have to pay for it." "Well, this way you'll owe me one." He smirked as she shook her head at the innuendo. "Seriously, just think of it as a vacation, my treat. I'm just glad you're still willing to come with me." "Yeah well, we are already in the air," she teased, then looked at his slightly disappointed expression. "Mulder, you know I would've come with you anyway. Besides it's southern California. Maybe after we finish with the Initiative, we can take some time for fun. It's been awhile since we got a vacation that wasn't sick leave." They both smiled at that, then Mulder decided to change the subject to something more enjoyable. "Yeah, you know you never did tell me everything that happened in Vegas." "The Gunmen didn't tell you?" Scully was surprised, she had assumed that they would have enjoyed filling Mulder in on her drugged behavior. "No, Frohike said he was afraid you'd kick his ass if he told me. Which means it must be pretty good. So come on, spill it." Mulder begged. He smiled as she rolled her eyes, knowing she would give in eventually. ***** Stevenson Hall, rm. 214 11pm Buffy twirled her stake 'Mr. Pointy' in her fingers as she and Willow sat on their beds. "What do you think of all this, Will? The FBI, 314?" Buffy asked, warily. She was almost afraid of the answer, but she felt the need to talk about it with her best friend before the FBI agents arrived. "I don't know. It worries me how little we know about the Initiative's goals. You're worried about Riley." It was a statement, not a question. Willow knew what had prompted Buffy's sudden introspection. "Yeah. It's just, I wanted it to be...I don't know...an island of normality in my freaky world. I thought maybe we could have..." "What you couldn't have with Angel." Willow finished when Buffy trailed off. "Yeah. Maybe it was too soon. I mean, Parker was a big rebound mistake, maybe I threw myself into a relationship with Riley to prove that it could be different. And to forget." "Forget what? Angel?" Willow asked, confused. "I've been having these dreams. They started about a week after I got back from LA. They were pieces at first, but lately they've been more of a narrative. Of Angel as a human. Of the two of us walking on the beach and eating ice cream in bed. Then at the end he says he has go back, that I have to forget. Then I wake up. Ugh." Buffy fell back onto the bed in frustration. "How can I move forward with Riley if I'm still dreaming about Angel?" "How do you feel about Riley?" Willow asked, trying to understand so that she could help Buffy. "I care about him a lot. I think I love him..." "But," Willow prompted. "But it's not like it was with Angel. I spar with Riley and even though I hold back I end up wiping the floor with him. And all I can think is, 'Angel and I were equals.' I just don't feel the same around Riley as I do around Angel. What do I do?" Buffy rolled over to look at Willow. "Just let things develop naturally, I guess. Riley's human, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy." Willow said gently, trying to avoid the idea that Riley--like the Initiative--might not be what he seemed. ***** Professor Walsh's office January 21, 2000 9:00 AM Maggie Walsh, Psychology professor and head of the secret Initiative project, smiled at the young slayer who stood in front of her desk. "So, Buffy, you finally decided to pick it up." "Well, I guess we both kinda forgot the last time I was here," Buffy shrugged. "Grades come out next week, so there's not really any reason to put it off." "Here you are," Walsh said, extending the paper booklet to Buffy. With a sigh, Buffy took it and flipped through it to the last page with writing on it. "An A-? I got an A- on the final?" Buffy asked incredulously as she looked from the red letter up to Walsh's smiling face. "You made some very good points in your essays. Incidentally, I graded your test myself. Yours and Willow's. I wasn't sure Riley could remain unbiased. And you should know that I graded them before I knew you were the Slayer. You earned that grade." Although it was true, Walsh knew that pointing out Buffy's legitimate academic accomplishment was likely to garner her more good will. She was fully aware of how much of an asset the Slayer could be to the Initiative, both as an operative and as a case study. It was only that value that had convinced her superior not to begin an immediate physiological analysis of Buffy. "You might want to consider majoring in psychology." She added, planting a seed. If she proved loyal, Buffy would make a worthy protege. "Thanks, I'll keep that in..." Buffy stopped and looked up as there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Walsh called out as Buffy turned to see the newcomer. Both were surprised when a petite red-haired woman in suit and tall, dark-haired man also in a suit, but with a bad tie, entered. The woman walked slightly in front of the man, with his hand resting lightly on the small of her back. Despite the distinct contrast in their physical appearance, they walked in step. Their movements carrying a synchrony that spoke of a close and enduring relationship. Their attire stood in stark opposition to that of the rest of the campus population, clearly marking them as outsiders. Before Buffy had a chance to determine their identities, the woman spoke. "Excuse us, Professor, we were hoping you could tell us where we can find the office of Professor Lara Giles?" Scully asked. "I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with a Professor Giles." Walsh said, shaking her head. Then she remembered hearing the name before and turned to Buffy. "Wait, isn't Giles the name of that man you know?" Walsh asked carefully, unsure of exactly how to word the question so as not to reveal either of their identities to the strangers. "Yeah," Buffy replied quickly, her questions replaced with a realization of who the two must be, "I know where to find La...Professor Giles. I'll take you to her." She turned back to Walsh, as Scully nodded. "Thank you, Professor, I'll talk to you later." Buffy picked up her purse and test and followed Mulder and Scully out the door, closing it behind her. Once in the hallway she led them towards the exit. "My name is Buffy Summers. I assume you're Agents Mulder and Scully?" Mulder and Scully exchanged a glance, by mutual agreement it was Scully who answered. "That's right. How did you know that?" "I'm part of the reason you're here. Do you have a cell phone?" Buffy tossed over her shoulder as she held the door open for them. She thanked Mulder when he handed her his phone and quickly dialed the number. "Giles, it's me. They're here, have everyone assemble at your house. I'll bring them there....Yeah, Spike too. We should be there in about ten minutes." She hit the end button without saying good-bye and handed the phone back to Mulder as the agents shared another glance. "Do you want to walk, or do you have a car?" she asked with a smile. "Right this way," Mulder said with a smile as he directed her in the direction of their rented red Ford Taurus. Giles' Flat 10 Minutes Later Buffy stuck her head in the front door Giles' house. "Great, everybody's here." She opened the door fully and led Scully and Mulder into the room. Giles stood by the kitchen counter, Willow, Xander, and Anya had turned around in their positions on the couch, Spike was sitting on the steps, and Lara stood by Spike. Had they looked, they would have seen the frustrated look on her face. She had been attempting to question him for nearly twenty minutes about the interior layout of the Initiative complex. Mulder and Scully had seen Giles and the three teens on the couch when they walked in and had walked to the center of the room in front of Giles' desk. Buffy went to stand next Giles, fully expecting that either he or Lara would begin the introductions. "Wonderful. I'm glad you were willing to come out here," both Mulder and Scully tensed when Lara's crisp British accent broke the silence. The two of them exchanged a quick panicked look, as each of their minds immediately shot to Phoebe Green. They turned as one, Mulder's hand going protectively to the small of Scully's back, as Lara stepped towards them. They both sighed when they saw the confused expression of the woman standing before them. "Is something wrong?" "No. For a minute I thought you were someone we used to know," Mulder answered her, he could already see that this woman was nothing like Phoebe. "Let me hazard a guess," Lara said, amusement coloring her voice as she exchanged a glance with her brother and realized the path of their thoughts. "That would be your, uh, ex, Phoebe Green?" Their shock showed on their faces before Mulder cautiously answered, "How did you know that?" "Rip mentioned that you dated her at Oxford," Lara explained, gesturing to her brother. She decided that their reaction to her voice was an indication of their current mutual dislike of the woman. "He, uh, didn't have a high opinion of her. What did you say, Rip? That she was worse a demon?" "Quite." Giles said, as Scully stifled a laugh. "Worse than a demon? I think I'd like to meet this woman." Spike said, intrigued. There was a general rolling of eyes by the Scooby Gang as Mulder and Scully registered his presence and appearance for the first time. "Lara, intros?" Buffy prompted, realizing that they were starting off on the wrong track. "Right. Thank you, Buffy. I suppose we should begin with introductions and explanations. My name is Lara Giles. You've met Buffy, and that is Willow, Xander, and Anya." Each of them gave a slight wave at their names. "This is my brother Rupert." Giles stepped forward and shook each of their hands, "We were at Oxford at the same time, Agent Mulder, although I don't believe we ever actually met." "That explains why you know about Phoebe," Mulder replied. "Yes, well, I knew enough to avoid her." "Lucky you," Scully mumbled, with a slight smile as she shot a glance at Mulder, before proceeding at a normal volume. "I could have lived without that pleasure." When they turned back to her, Lara gestured to the remaining member of the group. "And that is Spike." Spike gave a slight nod, but made no move to leave the steps. "Everyone, these are Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully." "Just Mulder and Scully is fine," Scully said, deciding to keep things simple as she looked at the range of ages of the group. 'Not to mention clothing styles,' she thought as she looked from Giles' rather conservative look to Spike's basic black. "As for explanations, well, that will take a while. You may want to sit down." Lara looked at the group on the couch. Willow and Xander quickly got the hint and stood up, freeing the seats for the Agents. "Why do we have to move?" Anya was half whining as Xander pulled her to her feet and over to a chair. But she was appeased when he let her sit on his lap. Willow settled herself on the floor as Mulder and Scully moved over to sit on the couch. Buffy, Giles, and Lara joined them in the central seating area. "Spike," Lara called to the vampire, "would you come over here? We may need your input." Spike reluctantly stood and walked over, but refused to sit. Instead, he simply leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, making it clear that he wasn't a part of the Scooby Gang. When everyone was in place, Lara turned to the agents. "The Gunmen tell me your cases deal with the paranormal and the supernatural. Is that right?" she asked. They nodded, and she pressed forward. "Then Sunnydale is the perfect place for you. You see, this town was built over a Hellmouth." Mulder looked intrigued, but Scully simply raised an eyebrow. Lara decided to start at the beginning. "There are any number of different kinds of evil here. And this group fights them. Buffy is the Slayer. From time immemorial there have been vampires. And for as long as there have been, there has been the Slayer. One girl in all the world with the power to fight the forces of darkness." Scully rolled her eyes at Lara's use of the traditional phrasing. "When one Slayer dies, the next is called. Until a few years ago, that is. Buffy died, but was revived. In the short time she was dead, a second Slayer was called. So now there are two. But the second Slayer is currently in a coma. My brother used to be part of a group called the Watchers, who train and direct the Slayer. Both he and Buffy have since ceased to work with the Council." Scully was looking highly skeptical and even Mulder seemed doubtful as he looked at Buffy. Lara sighed. "I thought you might require some proof. First, vampires. Spike, if you don't mind terribly?" Spike rolled his eyes, "All right." He stepped over in front of the couch and his features changed to those of a vampire. "Satisfied?" "Yes, thank you," Lara said, as Spike's face returned to his human visage and he went back to his previous position by the wall. She turned to Scully, who looked pale as she tried to find a context for what she had seen, and Mulder, who was nodding slightly. "As you can see, Spike is a vampire. But due to the experimentation of the Initiative, he can no longer harm anything living. As for the Slayer..." Lara picked up a steel rod she had placed by the window for this purpose and handed it to Buffy, who promptly bent it in two. "You should also know that Willow is a witch and Anya used to be a demon, although she is now human." "Wait. A witch? You mean you practice Wicca?" Mulder said looking at the young redhead on the floor. "Not really. I do magic: spells, incantations, conjuring, the occasional curse." Willow replied, and floated a pencil from Giles' coffee table into the air to demonstrate. Mulder looked at Scully, expecting some sort of rational explanation, or at least some questions. Instead she just shook her head. "I've got nothing, Mulder." She said quietly. Mildly disappointed, he turned to Anya. "And you're a demon? What kind?" "I *was* a vengeance demon. For over a thousand years I used the power of the wish to punish unfaithful men. I lost my powers when Giles destroyed my power source." Anya explained, shooting a slightly annoyed look at Giles. "Where were you a year ago?" Scully muttered quietly. Mulder glanced at her and made his panic face as he recalled his mistakes of the previous year and the subsequent strain on his relationship with Scully. "Here, granting my final wish." Anya looked down at Xander, who smiled at her and shrugged as she rolled her eyes. "Shall we get back to the business at hand?" Lara asked, drawing everyone's attention back to the subject of the Initiative. "Right. The Gunmen weren't able to tell me much about this Initiative." Mulder said. "They thought you'd be able to fill us in on why we're here." "Yes, there have been some developments since I last spoke to Byers. Rip?" Lara looked to her brother to fill them in. "Yes. The Initiative is a, um, military operation consisting of soldiers and scientists. The capture the, uh, demons and vampires and such and apparently perform, um, experiments on them. In Spike's case, it, well, effectively rendered him harmless to humans. What we don't know is their, uh, ultimate objective. Buffy, will you fill them in on what you've, um, found out?" He looked at his surrogate daughter, who was looking particularly unenthusiastic at the discussion of the Initiative. Buffy sighed and nodded. "The Initiative works out of an underground complex. It's at least partially positioned under Lowell House, which is where a number of the commandos live. They capture hostile sub-terrestrials using a number of high tech weapons, including shock guns. There are a number of hidden entrances which are used for transferring equipment and by the soldiers on assignment. I don't know the exact locations. The Initiative is run by Maggie Walsh." Mulder and Scully exchanged a glance. "Walsh?" Scully questioned, "as in..." "Yes, the woman you met when you were looking for Lara." Buffy confirmed. "How did you find out all this?" Mulder asked. "My boyfriend is an Initiative agent. We encountered each other while hunting a group of demons and discovered each others identities. Riley took me to see Maggie to discuss the Initiative and slaying. They're working on getting me clearance to join." Buffy hesitated. "You should know that I'm not as convinced of the necessity of this investigation as everyone else. But some of the things we've heard about the Initiative, the lack of understanding of what they do and plan do with the HSTs...I guess it would be good to have an independent opinion. There are some gaping holes in what I've been told about them, and Maggie doesn't seem particularly interested in filling them in." She looked over to Giles to pick up the planning. "Right. Lara and I have been working on some ideas. I'm told that you, Scully, have a, uh, medical background?" Giles looked to her for confirmation. "Yes. I'm a doctor, a forensic pathologist." Scully affirmed. "We want to get the two of you into the, um, compound to get the records on their...projects. Particularly on something called 314. We, uh, don't know what it is, but...well...I've heard some less than encouraging things about it." Giles looked over at Lara. "Did the Gunmen send the equipment with you?" Lara directed her question at Mulder. "They sent a road case. It's in the trunk." Mulder replied. "Xander," Lara said, "could you go get it?" Xander nodded and shifted Anya off his lap so he could get up. Mulder tossed him the keys, "It's the Taurus." When Xander returned with the silver road case, he set it on the table and the group left their seats to gather around. Mulder unlocked the case and flipped it open. "Wow," Willow gasped, reaching into the case and sorting through the various pieces inside. "This is some high tech stuff! Communicators, security bypass equipment...with this stuff it shouldn't take much for to bypass their security system, at least temporarily." "I recognize this stuff," Mulder said, as he looked at the pieces Willow was pulling out. "This is what they used to get me into the clinic in Allentown. Newer models, though." "Willow, do you think you can get them in and out without tripping the security systems?" Lara asked. "Yeah, but it won't do anything for the people inside. There're bound to be guards in that high of a security compound." Willow replied. She looked at Scully's red hair and added, "No offense, but you're not exactly inconspicuous." Scully agreed. "You're right, even if we're dressed appropriately, someone is bound to notice the two of us." "Three." Buffy interrupted, and they all turned to look at her. "You're going to need someone to cover you. I'm going with you." Giles smiled at her, "You're right, Buffy. Willow, can you get into the, um, system and get the plans? Find an entrance and the, em, records room?" "It might take me a little while, but if these are really hacking programs like they say, I should be able to. There's also a spell I've read about that should allow them to appear inconspicuous. Since, Buffy knows some of the guys, if they see her..." Willow trailed off. They all realized what the consequences would be if they were caught. "But I can't do it alone, it takes a coven to complete and maintain that spell. At least three." She looked at Lara. "I can do it," Lara agreed. "I'll help, too," Anya volunteered suddenly. The Slayerettes looked at her in surprise. "What? I can't be useful?," Her tone went from sarcastic to defensive. "I have the experience and I want to help. I don't like the sound of the Initiative." Xander put his arm around her proudly. "Great. The three of us go in. Willow takes down the security, then our three witches keep us from being spotted. Giles, you coordinate the mission. Xander and Spike, you'll stand guard." Everyone nodded in agreement as Buffy took charge, except Spike. "Wait a minute, blondie, no one said anything about me going on this mission. I'm not going to just help you out of the evilness of my heart. If those commando boys see me, it's back to lab table for Spike. I don't want to think about what your boy toy and his friends would do to me this time." He started backing toward the door. "Spike, we've got to keep them from cutting us off from behind if a group of the operatives are coming in. You two will keep watch. You're not going to fight them, you're just going to warn us if they come. We also don't want to find any demons waiting for us when we come out. Those you can kill. So if you want us to deal with the Initiative, you are going to help us." Buffy's tone was so commanding that it caused Mulder and Scully to exchange a glance. Spike grumbled a little more, but eventually gave in, realizing he had little choice. They stayed there for several hours planning the operation in detail. They ordered pizza for dinner and ate while Buffy, Xander, Giles, Mulder, and Scully figured out all of the equipment they would need. Lara and Anya worked out the details of the necessary spell, while Willow went on-line with Lara's laptop to work on accessing the plans for the compound. Spike offered occasional tidbits of information about the parts of the compound he had seen and generally annoyed them. Eventually they broke apart. Mulder and Scully left for their motel and Spike for his crypt. Xander and Anya went back to his place. Buffy stayed to talk to Giles and Lara, since Willow was still working on hacking the Initiative's system. ***** ***** Sunnydale Motorlodge Rm. 7 (Scully's room) 10 PM Scully sat on the bed in her motel room with copies of the plans Willow had managed to download before she and Mulder had left spread out in front of her. When she heard a knock at the door, she glanced at the clock and realized she hadn't moved in almost an hour. She hadn't made it past the first page of printouts, having been lost in her own thoughts. A repeat of the knock shook her out of her revelry. She was about to call out for the person to come in when she remembered a warning that Buffy had given her: 'A vampire can only come in if you invite it.' She stood up and walked to the peephole on the door. Mulder. She sighed and opened the door, allowing him to come in. Mulder looked at the papers spread out on the bed and waited as Scully closed the door and returned to her place on the bed. When she motioned for him to join her on the bed, he realized that he was going to have to be the one to speak first. "So, what do you think, Scully," he asked gently. He knew that learning so much so fast would be shocking to her. It had shocked him to meet a group that spoke about vampires and demons in such a blase fashion. Much less, to meet them. "Think, Mulder? I don't know what to think. It's just too much information to take in. It's like a mental overload." She wasn't looking at him, but down, fingering her cross necklace. He didn't respond, realizing that for once Scully needed to talk and just have him listen. "This has to be a dream come true for you. I can't even begin to explain with what we saw tonight. You know that if I hadn't seen Buffy and Spike and Willow with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. But I did. I saw a teenage girl bend a steel bar and another make a pencil fly and plan huge spells. I saw a man's face physically change in front of me. Do you know what that boy, Xander, told me? He said that Willow's ex-boyfriend is a werewolf. That he left town last fall because he couldn't deal with having killed a female werewolf who was trying to kill Willow." "And I thought we had cornered the market on having demons try to kill us." Mulder quipped, desperately trying to lighten the mood. He was rewarded by Scully meeting his eyes for the first time since he had entered her room. "That's just it. These are kids who have no trouble in dealing with the forces of darkness. I checked some records on this town. They have an average of between a five to twenty percent mortality rate in the local high school's graduating class every year. At least once a week they have a death due to 'blood loss from neck trauma,' which I assume means vampire attacks. This isn't like Chaney, Texas or any of the other cases we've seen in the last few years." She was obviously struggling to reconcile everything she had been asked to take in within such a short period of time. "Thinking back over Chaney, now, I realize some things. It was cloudy the whole time we were there, there was no direct sunlight. And I told Ronnie to come in with the pizza while I got my money." Mulder had obviously spent some of the time since they had returned to the motel reviewing their previous encounter with vampires. "But Ronnie Strickland's teeth were fake and we never saw his face or Sheriff Hartwell's change like Spike's did. And Ronnie didn't turn to dust the way Buffy described when you staked him," Scully objected. "Maybe they just had the control not to change in our presence. Or maybe they were some sub-breed of vampire. That would explain why they displayed the obsessive compulsive characteristics that Spike and the vampire's around here obviously don't. And as for the dust, I probably missed his heart, that would explain why he woke up later. Mulder smiled as he added, "If they were a different breed of vampires, it would also explain why the sheriff had buck teeth." "He did not have buck teeth, Mulder." Scully hovered on the verge of a smile before the events of the day came crashing in on her again. "God, Mulder, this town, the Hellmouth, it's too much. With everything else we've seen, I just don't know what to believe anymore." "You can believe in me," Mulder was almost whispering as he reached over and took her hands in his. "I do, Mulder. I may not always buy your theories, but I have always and will always believe IN you." She looked up at him and he could see that there were tears in her eyes. He kissed her forehead and she leaned into him, putting her cheek against his shoulder. He held her, knowing that she needed the reassurance that some things hadn't changed. That they still had each other, no matter how much their world was turned around. ***** Outside the Initiative 24 Hours Later The black-clad group of two teens, two FBI agents, and a vampire stopped as they reached the hidden door to the Initiative. Willow had located an entrance less than a quarter mile from where Spike had exited during his escape two months earlier, in an area understandably devoid of vampiric and demonic activity. Buffy, Scully, and Mulder quickly pulled white lab coats out of the bag Buffy carried. They put them on as Xander called into their operation's base at Giles' house. "Base, come in. We're in position." /All right. Um, everyone check in if you can hear me./ Giles' voice crackled over the head sets. When they had all responded that their earpieces and microphones were working probably, Willow came over the frequency. /I'm going to set up the loop in the security system, now./ There was a pause as she completed the necessary hacking. /You're clear now. We're going to perform the spell now, then Giles will tell you when it's in place./ The group could hear the faint sound of chanting and were able to picture the three witches sitting around the candles as they set the incantation. Finally Giles came over the headset, /You're, uh, good to go. Be careful./ "Aren't I always?" Buffy replied. Spike opened the door as Xander pulled out one of his residual soldier rifles and the two took up their positions on either side of the door. Buffy led the way into the facility, with Mulder and Scully right behind her. The three had taken pains to appear to be research scientists so that they wouldn't stand out on the security cameras, which wouldn't be affected by the spell to cloud the minds of the people they passed. Following the blueprints Willow had found, Buffy led them toward the records room. They were tense at first, but as they passed the first few people without being given a second glance, they began to relax. "God, I can't believe how many of these soldier guys I've seen around campus," Buffy whispered as they rounded the last corner into the corridor that housed the records center. "Yeah, a couple of these doctors look vaguely familiar," Scully answered, "but I can't place where I've seen them. It could've been a hospital--God knows we've spent enough time in them--or a military base or..." she trailed off as she and Mulder exchanged a glance. They both knew that she was thinking of her abduction, but neither had seen reason to go into the Consortium with the Slayerettes. Buffy looked at them when Scully stopped, but by that time had reached the door of the records facility. Mulder pulled out the security bypass equipment Willow had given him and was able to open the door in a matter of moments. Securing the door behind them, they pulled out the equipment the Lone Gunmen had provided to make copies. "Try to get as much as you can, but remember 314 is the most important." Buffy instructed them as they spread out over the filing cabinets that lined the walls. She activated her transmitter, "We're in the records room." After more than ten minutes of copying what they thought looked important, Scully hit the jackpot. "Here, I have the reports and authorizations on the project Code Named 314." Buffy and Mulder rushed over to her as she pulled everything on the project and divided the files into three groups for them to work their way through. They had no time to look over them, and were only beginning to copy them when Giles came over their earpieces. /Buffy, have you found them?/ "Yeah, Giles, we just found them." Buffy responded. /Willow says you've almost reached the, uh, window on her security bypass. And they don't think they'll be able to maintain the spell much longer. You'll just have to, um, grab them and bring them with you./ Giles instructed. The three of them quickly grabbed their files and headed for the door. They had almost reached the last corner before the exit when they heard a shout. "Hey!" Glancing behind them they saw a pair of soldiers break into a run headed for them. "I'd say the spell just wore off. Run!" Buffy said, then into her microphone as she led the way. "We've been spotted. Xander, Spike, we're on our way." The three rounded the corner and ran flat out for the door. They heard the security alarms going off, and Buffy had a fleeting thought of how impressively Scully could run in her three inch heels. A shot ricocheted over Scully's head as they reached the door. Once outside, they stuck their files into the bag Spike was carrying, followed by the lab coats as they ran into the forest. Buffy and Spike led the way and they eventually lost their pursuers as they entered the residential area. They slowed to a walk so as not to draw attention as they entered the courtyard of Giles' housing complex. ***** Giles' Flat 2 hours later The entire main room of Giles' flat looked as though it had been hit by a tornado. Papers were strewn everywhere, Willow sat at Giles' computer and Mulder was on Scully's laptop. Both were cross-referencing names as the group came across them in the files. What they were finding was painting a bleak picture. "I can't believe this. They're not just working to control vampires and demons, they're engineering them." Buffy's voice shook with a barely controlled combination of anger and confusion as she set down another in a long line of files detailing one of the Initiative's attempts at genetically engineering some sort of demon hybrid. "Buffy," Lara spoke up, "I think you'd better take a look at this file." Lara's voice carried a compassionate tone of concern that only served to set Buffy further on edge. "What is it?" "This file is on test subject #24601. Riley Finn." Lara handed the file to Buffy, whose hand shook slightly in accepting it. "This can't be. Riley's a soldier, not a test subject. I don't understand, what kind of tests are these?" Buffy slammed the file to the floor in frustration. Willow picked up the file and flipped through it. "I've seen some of these tests referenced in other files but there's nothing to say what any of them are." She handed the file to Scully, who had been concentrating on the 314 files to that point. "Unfortunately I recognize this first test. But I don't know anything about the others. Actually, it's not a test per se. It's an identification code." She glanced quickly at Mulder. "What kind of an identification code?" Lara asked, curious as to why Scully would recognize it. "It's from small pox vaccination. A tracking code. We've seen it before." Scully handed the folder to Mulder who quickly glanced at the code and nodded in understanding, checking some of the other files for the same information. "You'll probably find a similar code for each subject. It's a long story, and probably not terribly relevant to this investigation." "It involves our investigations into the international governmental conspiracy to conceal the existence of extraterrestrial life." Mulder added in answer to the Scooby Gang's unspoken questions. That was a can of worms they didn't feel the need to open at that moment, so they all silently agreed to let the matter drop. They worked in silence for some time until Buffy couldn't take it any longer. "Has anyone figured out what 314 is yet?" "I think I may have something," Scully spoke up as she turned the page of the latest report in her hands. "This seems to be a progress report written by Maggie Walsh. It says that she believes that when completed 314 will fulfill the Initiative's primary objective." "Which is?" Lara urged. Scully turned the page and gasped, looking up to meet the eight pairs of eyes that were trained on her. "The creation of a prototype of a biomechanical demonoid." "Why would they do that? What could they want with a better breed of demon?" Willow asked, finally giving voice to a question that had been plaguing her since she found out about Spike's chip. "Oh, come on, Red, it's obvious. They're trying to control us. They're building a better breed of soldiers. The question you should be asking is 'who do they plan to attack?' Figure that out and you'll know everything about them." Spike spoke up from his position on the steps where he had been flipping through files for information on his chip. A series of glances were exchanged by the rest of the group as they realized that Spike was right. "Well, they must be planning on using them against different demons, right? That's why you can only attack them." Buffy replied, still struggling for a justification that wouldn't incriminate Riley. "Oh my God!" Scully's exclamation drew everyone's attention. "Mulder, there's an acknowledgment of receipt of this status report in here. From the person behind the whole project." "Who is it, Scully?" Mulder asked, dreading the answer he knew instinctively would come. "It's signed 'CGBS'. It matches the signature on Samantha's records. Mulder, Spender is behind this. The Initiative is controlled by the Consortium." She looked up and met his gaze, hating that she was being forced to reopen, even slightly, a wound that was so recently closed. She hand the file to him and watched as his eyes closed at the reminder. He opened them again and acknowledged her concern with a nod before they both realized that they were the subject of seven very confused stares. As Mulder began attempting to explain their discoveries of the past seven years, Scully began flipping through more of the 314 files looking for anything she was familiar with from prior encounters with the Consortium's projects. "What we've discovered over the last seven years is essentially that an alien race has been on earth for millions of years..." ***** Disclaimers, etc. in part 1 ***** Somewhere in Washington D.C. The man known to a handful of people by the name C.G.B. Spender picked up the ringing phone. He took a drag on his omnipresent Morley as he listened with growing dismay to the verbal report he was being given. His health had deteriorated since the operations performed on his cerebrum months before in an attempt to gain the mental abilities which at that time had been plaguing Fox Mulder nearly to madness. However, he was still well enough to maintain control of the remaining elements of the Consortium in North America. "Colonel Walsh, I'm sure you realize how disturbed I am by the news that your security has been breached at this crucial juncture. Do you have an identification on the intruders or how they managed to get in without detection?" He exhaled a small cloud of smoke as Walsh reported that they had security footage of only two of the three spies. "A tall dark-haired man and a short red-headed woman. Colonel, it seems you have been visited FBI Agents Mulder and Scully. Do you know what they saw? Did they take anything?" The smoking man's agitation mounted as Walsh recounted what the Initiative had concluded about their visitors' activities. "So Mulder and Scully have the files on 314. Colonel, I am very disappointed at this turn of events. The research is too close to fruition to stop now. You will have to keep your operations even lower profile for the time being and find out how they got in so we can prevent a repeat of these events. Find out who helped them get in and attempt to establish plausible denial. First you discover a Slayer in your midst, and now Mulder and Scully are investigating you. I suggest you reestablish control in Sunnydale quickly or I will be forced to bring in a replacement for you." He paused to stamp out the butt of the cigarette as he listened to Walsh's reassurances that the project would continue unimpeded. "No, elimination of Mulder and Scully is not an option at this point. I will work on distracting them from moving forward with this information until the project is complete. When I receive your full report, I will decide whether you stay with the project." He hung up the phone before Walsh had the chance to offer any more excuses. As he lit another cigarette, he pondered the possibilities to divert the Agents' attention. Perhaps it was time to concentrate his efforts on Dana Scully rather than on his son. ***** Giles' Flat 30 minutes later "...In the last few years we've discovered that there is a faction of aliens who are opposed to Colonization and who have been massacring test subjects in order to derail the Colonists plans. Last year they managed to make the Consortium believe the time for Colonization had come. When they and their families were gathered together the Rebels burned them all alive, though a few managed to escape. Including the man Scully and I have had the most contact with, whose name we discovered last year was C.G.B. Spender." The Scooby Gang, Spike, and Lara listened in growing disbelief to Mulder's recounting of all that he and Scully had learned and hypothesized about the Consortium and their global extraterrestrial conspiracy. "Mulder, I've found something in here. It looks as though they've been testing 314 for tolerance to the black oil virus." Scully interrupted Mulder's narrative with the new, disturbing information. "You mean they're testing the vaccine?" Mulder asked, remembering how his former-informant Marita had appeared a year ago when she was a test subject. "No, they're testing to make sure that the genetic engineering came out as planned. 314 is apparently immune to the virus." "So chances are that the answer to Spike's question is that the force they're building is intended for use in fighting either the Colonists or the Rebels--depending on how much the remnants of the Consortium are still cooperating after the massacre by fire last year." Mulder concluded, not liking the conclusions they were being forced to draw. "I, um, hate to play the Devil's Advocate. But I think it's more, likely that these forces you're talking about are demonic rather than, um, extraterrestrial. These clawed creatures and green- blooded, er, clones sound like demons of some sort. And demons were on earth before humans." Giles asserted hesitantly, unable to reconcile the idea of aliens with his knowledge of demon lore. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Rip," Lara spoke up when she saw the frustrated expressions on the Agents' faces, "it does sound more likely that the governmental conspiracy--which I have no doubt exists--is in collusion with some sort of forces from hell rather than from outer space. Don't get us wrong, we're not disregarding your experiences, only disagreeing slightly with your interpretation of events." "And I thought you were the going to be the biggest skeptic in the room, Scully," Mulder said, trying to figure out how to convince them of all he had seen. "Mulder, I think it's my turn to tell this story," Scully looked at him and he saw a determination in her eyes that frightened him as he realized her intent. "Scully, we don't need to go into this," Mulder's eyes pleaded with her not to open those wounds. "Mulder, they need to know. They have to understand why this so personal for us." He relinquished to her with a nod and she turned to address the group. "Six years ago, I was abducted by these people. I was gone for months and I still have very few memories of that time. I was in bad shape when I was returned, I nearly died. Later, I found a computer chip implanted in the back of my neck and had it removed. Three years ago I developed a fatal, untreatable cancer. I would have died, but in the last days Mulder found another chip and I had it implanted in my neck again. The cancer went into remission. We've also discovered that some of the procedures performed included an extraction of my ova which were used to create children who weren't entirely human. We found a little girl--my daughter--who was some kind of hybrid. She died. These are aliens we're dealing with. I saw a ship two years ago when a group of abductees were gathered together by the Rebels to be killed." It was Scully's tone and the haunted look in her eyes as she spoke of her experiences that convinced the group that it had taken a great deal of proof and personal experience to overcome her innate scientific rationalism. That and the tortured look on Mulder's face at reliving the horror of almost losing her to the Consortium's efforts. "All right, let's assume that you're right. That the demons, and this biomechanical demonoid are being used against some group of extraterrestrials. What do we do?" Lara asked, putting the debate to rest and focusing the group on the next step, "We're talking about an international conspiracy. Powerful men, the military, possibly an alien force, a barely controlled group of demons, and some sort of super-monster. How do we take all of that down when you two haven't been able to stop the conspirators in seven years?" "Wait, how do we know who's really involved. I can't believe that Riley would willing participate in this. He and the other commandos, they hate demons, they would never work with them. I mean, if you're right then this has got to be really top secret. The soldiers probably don't know anything about this. I know Riley couldn't know that they've been running tests on him." Buffy protested, unwilling to surrender her belief in Riley and their relationship. "It's possible, even likely, that they don't know the whole story. But how do you suggest to find out? You can't just come out and ask them, even your boyfriend. If they do know, voicing any suspicion would put you in danger of being silenced. If they don't know, it's unlikely that any loyal soldier is going to simply accept that they're pawns in a conspiracy. Either way, presenting this evidence is tantamount to admitting that we're the ones who broke into the compound." Mulder pointed out. "Yeah, your super-commando boyfriend seems to really like his work." Spike interjected, enjoying the pained confusion on Buffy's face. "You really know how to pick 'em, blondie." "Look, it's late. Why don't we all get some sleep and we can make a decision tomorrow. Our flight's not until the afternoon and we can always postpone it if necessary." Scully's voice of reason met with nods of agreement all around and the group silently packed up and scattered to their various homes, motels, and crypts to collect their thoughts. ***** Giles' Flat 10 a.m. The eight humans had been sitting in Giles' living room sipping coffee (or in some cases tea) for nearly ten minutes when the door burst open and Spike rushed in, the jacket held over his head smoking from his exposure to the sun. They watched as he slammed the door and hung up his leather jacket, grumbling about daytime meetings. "Spike, why didn't you just stay here last night so you wouldn't have to come out in the sun," Lara asked, as Spike made his way to the refrigerator searching for one of the packets of blood he had stashed there. "And sit around here for hours while Rupert slept? I don't think so," Spike answered as he poured the blood into a mug before settling himself on a chair. "Now that everyone's here," Buffy said, pointedly, "what are we going to do?" "I think we need to try to find evidence to support our suspicions about the purpose of the Initiative," Scully suggested, "Lara was right, we can't stop them on our own. So the first step has to be to gather comprehensive intelligence on both sides of the operation." "Well, I should still be getting Initiative clearance soon. I can gather more information on the inside, see how they operate, how much everyone knows. I'm not ready to give up on Riley yet, and spending time with him informally will let me figure out how much he knows," Buffy suggested, obviously a little reluctant to play double agent with her boyfriend. "While Buffy does the undercover thing, I can work on hacking into various records, see what I can find," Willow added. "I'll put you in touch with the Gunmen so you can coordinate your efforts," Lara agreed. "Spike, will you put out some, um, feelers in the demon world? See if anyone knows anything about these, uh, Colonists or Rebels?" Giles added, drawing Spike's attention from his mug of blood. "I'm not exactly the most popular vampire right now, but I'll give it a go," Spike nodded, throwing his lot in with the group a little less reluctantly that before. "I don't much like the idea of being controlled by those Rambos and forced to fight little green men." "Grey," Mulder corrected him. Scully gave him a small smile before continuing. "We'll continue investigating their activities on our end. Now that we have some idea of their plans we need to start working on a timeline. See how much time we have left before this starts. I doubt Spender and the others behind this have much concern for the people who will be caught in the crossfire." Scully concluded the plan. "Everyone will be able to help with correlation of information so we'll need to keep open lines of communication between Washington and Sunnydale." "We should route all our information through Willow and the Gunmen for security," Mulder added. Everyone agreed to the plan and there was a general straightening out of details and exchange of contact information before Mulder and Scully were forced to leave to head to the airport. ***** ***** U.C. Sunnydale February 23, 2000 4pm "Mulder, how it is that the Gunmen had time to work at FPS and still act as our communications link to Willow?" Scully asked, as she and Mulder walked toward the stage that had been set up for the press conference Lara had somehow arranged. "Langly did most of the actual programming. Byers was the one who actually worked with Willow most of the time. And it paid off didn't it? Come on, can you honestly say that a trip to Southern California to put a dent in the Smoking Man's operations isn't a fun way to spend your birthday?" Mulder concluded with a grin. "Yes, Mulder, it is. No one will ever accuse you of being boring when it comes to celebrating my birthday. Although I'm not sure I want to know how Willow and Byers got a hold of the Initiatives budget reports. Who knew monster hunting and genetic experiments on demons cost so much? Two billion dollars a year, how were they getting that past Congress?" Scully shook her head bureaucratic holes that had ultimately proved the Initiatives undoing, though they didn't know it yet. "The same way they fund the Groom Lake facility, I suppose, with creative paperwork. I just can't believe it took us two weeks to realize that their funding had to be listed somewhere." Mulder shrugged as he considered the work that the Scooby Gang-with the facilitation of the Lone Gunmen--had accomplished while he and Scully had been chasing a fear monster in front of a national audience and fighting a virtual goddess. He turned to greet Lara as they arrived at the podium. "Hi, Lara. Where is everybody?" "Hello, Mulder, Scully," Lara said warmly, hugging Scully. "They should be here in a few minutes. Hard to believe this it, isn't it? Look at Maggie Walsh over there. She has no idea what's about to happen to her." "How did you get this set up without the Initiative catching on?" Scully asked, as they took seats on the chairs lining the back of the stage. "The national reporters are here as a favor to me. They don't know what I'm about to announce. The local reporters, students, townspeople, and faculty think I'm going to talk about 'a problem I've discovered among the fraternities on campus.'" Lara smiled, "Which is technically true, as this will probably lead to the closing of Lowell House. Aah, here comes my brother." Mulder and Scully turned to Giles as he arrived at the press stage. Hugs, handshakes, and greetings were exchanged. Just as they had settled down, Buffy rushed up with Willow, Xander, and Anya right behind. After a repeat of the greetings, they all took their seats. "Are we late?" Buffy asked, looking around at the still growing crowd. Her eyes fell on Riley standing next to his fellow commandos Forest and Graham a few steps away from Professor Walsh. She looked away quickly, Riley had left no doubts about his loyalty to the Initiative when she questioned it's modus operandi over the last month. He had repeatedly insisted that Walsh and his other superiors knew what they were doing and that he trusted them completely. She had been unable to get him to even consider the idea that their operations might be less than kosher. "Right on time. In fact I think it's time for me to start the ball rolling." Lara stood up and walked to the podium as a hush fell over the crowd and cameras started rolling. She began to speak, her crisp British accent lending extra authority to her words. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank you all for coming. What I am about to tell you is extremely disturbing. In the month since I came here to take my professorial position in the Occult Studies department, I have uncovered some shocking information. With the help of my brother, some of my students and friends, as well as Agents Scully and Mulder from the FBI, I have gathered information on a dark part of this University. I originally believed the problem to have originated in the Lowell House Fraternity, but we have found that the problem goes much deeper. Unbeknownst to the majority of the faculty and administration here at the University, there exists a top secret military compound positioned beneath much of our campus. From this high security installation, there operates a group of commandos who routinely patrol our campus and this town with high powered weaponry. Among them are the inhabitants of Lowell house, several of whom are among us today." Lara paused with satisfaction, to allow the murmuring of her audience to die down and to take in the alarmed looks on the faces of Walsh, Riley, Forrest, and Graham. "In this compound, they perform medical and genetic experiments on various captured subjects, including some of their own soldiers, designed to engineer a better class of soldier. Among us today is the commander of these projects: Professor, or should I say Colonel Margaret Walsh." Lara pointed to the panic-stricken Walsh as flashbulbs went off capturing the guilty faces of the four Initiative agents. "Before anyone objects to these accusations, let me say that do speak without concrete evidence." She turned her head and nodded and the entire group behind her stood and stepped forward. "We have, through a variety of sources, gathered documentation on project 314-the prototype eugenics creation of a technologically enhanced soldier. As well as proof that these secret operations are costing your American citizenry over two billion dollars a year in military funding. We will now begin answering your questions." For the next hour, Lara, Mulder and Scully answered questions about their investigation of the Initiative--with the occasional additional commentary from the others--while the crowd prevented a frustrated Maggie Walsh and her operatives from leaving as they demanded explanations and justifications that Walsh was unable to provide. Finally the questions died down, the Initiative operatives retreated to the compound, and the crowd and reporters dispersed. When only the eight of them were left sitting along the edges of the stage, Buffy broke the short-lived silence. "That's it. It's finally over. The Initiative won't be able to continue operations now that their cover's blown and the press is watching them." She sighed and lay back to rest as they watched the sun sink towards the horizon. "Buffy, what about Riley?" Willow asked, as the others listened in silence. "I don't know. I don't even know if he'll stick around once the Initiative is shut down. He might even be transferred or whatever. I just know it's over." Buffy's voice with tinged with sadness, but also sounded generally resigned. "Because you exposed the Initiative?" Willow asked, looking down at her. Buffy nodded, "But even without that, I've learned that Riley and I are different kinds of people. I can't be with someone who's so big on following the rules and blindly obeying orders." She looked around and saw nods of agreement from the rest of the group "Yeah, I've never been good with rules." Mulder agreed with smile. "What a surprise, Mulder," Scully smiled at him as she shook her head. "But then, I guess I've broken my share too since I started working with you." "Scully," Mulder said in a pseudo-shocked tone, "are you saying I'm a bad influence?" Everyone laughed at that, but all Mulder saw was the bright grin Scully gave him. "You, Mulder, of course not. You're always a perfect angel." Scully replied, enjoying the happiness she saw in her partner's eyes. "And don't you forget it." He quipped. "Why don't we all go to my place to, um, celebrate?" Giles suggested. "I suppose Spike deserves to know that everything went off well." The group began to collect their things, ready to take their party to somewhere less exposed. Mulder offered Scully a hand up and was thrilled when she left didn't release his hand as they made their way to their rental car. ***** Somewhere in Washington D.C. To say that C.G.B. Spender was not pleased with the verbal report he received from Colonel Walsh that night would the severest of understatements. "Colonel, I thought you said that you had the problem's with the project's security under control-Then how do you explain that press conference?" He stamped out his cigarette as he listened to her answer. "Colonel, you have destroyed any possibility of plausible denial in this matter. The exposure of your operations leaves me with no choice but to abort the Initiative project in Sunnydale. While I can prevent these headlines and news stories on these revelations from reaching the public, there is nothing that can restore the ignorance of Sunnydale's populace about the existence of your facility." Spender lit a new cigarette as listened with scorn to Walsh's reply, "No, Colonel. You will evacuate the compound tonight. All materials, personnel, equipment, and test subjects will be transferred immediately to our operational center in Tunisia. The continuation of the project in America is no longer feasible, now that Mulder and Scully are aware of its existence and intent. When everything has been removed you will have the base destroyed-It's underground, Colonel, fill it in." He paused for a moment as she issued the instructions to someone in the facility with her. "No, Colonel, you will not be going to Tattouine. You are to stay behind and insure that everyone, particularly the Slayer and her friends, believe that Initiative has been closed down for good." He hung up the phone and sat for a moment in the dark, smoking his cigarette. Then he looked up at the blond operative sitting across the room. "Marita, find me something to distract our favorite Agents from following up on the 'shut-down' of the Initiative. Perhaps something to do with Scully's cancer." Marita Covarrubias nodded her understanding and rose to carry out his instructions. He stopped her just as she reached the door and she turned to look at him as he issued a last set of instructions. "And make sure Maggie Walsh takes the fall for the exposure of the Sunnydale operation." ***** Giles' Apartment 1:15 a.m. The celebration that night at Giles' was dry but far from quiet. After Buffy explained their previous experiences with beer on the Hellmouth, Mulder and Scully had agreed that it was best to keep the party non-alcoholic. The defeat of the Initiative was toasted instead with a mixed collection of iced tea, Pepsi, and one mug of blood. Finally after several relaxing and enjoyable hours spent exchanging stories of paranormal cases investigated and evils defeated--with a few laughs at Spike's expense over his tendency to get his ass kicked by Buffy--they agreed that they could all take credit for the fact that the world had yet to end. It wasn't until Anya complained about the late hour that they realized they had been celebrating for over six hours. "We'd better head back to the motel," Scully said reluctantly, "we have an eight o'clock flight." There was a long exchange of good- byes and promises to keep in touch, before Mulder and Scully headed for the door. Before they left, Scully turned to the Scooby Gang. "Buffy, Willow, you might consider Quantico after your college graduation. You're excellent investigators and we would love to have you on the X-Files." The two girls smiled and exchanged considering looks and shrugs, before Scully turned to Xander and Anya. "Xander, you should consider college and the FBI as well. And Anya, if you need any help getting a Social Security number and establishing identification papers, the Gunmen could help so that you can take that track too. With your unique, albeit unofficial qualifications, you would all do well at the Academy and as Agents, either in the X-Files or another division." They exchanged good-byes with the four teens as well as the two Giles siblings and received a cursory nod from Spike before they headed out to their rental car with stakes in hand. As Scully settled into the driver's seat, she turned to her partner, "Well, Mulder, this birthday was a lot more fun than waiters singing to me with a pink snowball, but I still wouldn't mind another batting practice." ************* The end. What did you think? Was it worth it? Tell me at phantmchic@home.com Feedback gets virtual cookie cake.