Acathla - "The Gemini Project" - Crossover Faith Lehane / Jennifer Jareau - NC17
Credit @ Acathla
Summarize : Crossover of Criminal Minds, Tru Calling, & BtVs. Rupert Giles, new director of the Watcher's Council, tries to correct a mistake from the past...hoping it's not too late to make amends. Pairings are: Emily/JJ, Tru/Lindsey, & Buffy/Faith.
Chapter 1
Quantico, Virginia
BAU
Jennifer "JJ" Jareau was in her office looking through the files that always seemed to double after a week away for a case. It was almost noon and she was starting to feel her stomach rumbling, begging for food. JJ looked at her watch and decided she would go early if Emily wasn't too bogged down with paperwork from their last case.
JJ got up and walked to the door, she was about to open it when she heard a soft knock. JJ opened the door and smiled politely, hiding her confusion, when she saw the mailroom clerk standing there. It was well past the normal mail delivery time.
"Hello Agent Jareau, I'm sorry but this letter was misplaced and I just found it so I brought it up here." The young man was a little nervous and it showed in his demeanor. He was always nervous when he had to speak with any of the FBI agents that worked in the building. He was just a mailroom clerk, a nobody and he kind of liked it that way.
JJ tried to put the young man at ease, "it's ok, Andrew. Thanks for bringing it up here." JJ knew the boy's name because it was her job to be the screen between the world and the team, and part of that was knowing and remembering the names of everyone from the mailroom clerks to the cleaning staff to the other agents in the building. No one was insignificant as far as JJ was concerned. She smiled as she took the envelope John was holding.
Without another word, Andrew turned and walked away, eager to get back to the safety of the mailroom.
JJ watched him go, a little amused by his nerves. She honestly didn't think she was all that scary but, she knew some people got nervous around Federal Agents. JJ looked down at the envelope and saw her name printed clearly on it, most likely by a laser printer. JJ looked to the return address but she didn't recognize it.
Watchers' Council of England
New York Office
1125 W 135th Street
JJ frowned, she'd never heard of a Watchers' Council and she wondered why they were writing to her. It was addressed to her personally in care of the BAU, not Agent Jareau, not directly to the BAU but to Jennifer Jareau.
JJ closed her door and walked back to her office, lunch was forgotten as the mystery of the letter took up her attention. It was rare for something to be mailed directly to her without using her title. JJ sat down at her desk and reached for her letter opener.
JJ smiled as she looked at the letter opener, it was pure silver and the shaft was engraved with her name on one side and the words, "World's Best Wife & Mother, Love E & H". The letter opener was a Mother's Day gift she'd gotten in the year since she'd had her son, Henry. She and Emily had been married for about three months when they decided to start trying to have a baby. Henry was conceived in quick order, with Emily joking about how fertile JJ was. It had been a long process though, mainly because they had used Emily's eggs fertilized with a donor and implanted into JJ's womb. It was a way for Henry to be biologically linked to both of them. Henry Michael Jareau-Prentiss had been born in December of 2008.
JJ brought herself back to the present and took a breath before opening the letter. She pulled out the single sheet of paper and unfolded it.
11 February 2010
Dear Ms. Jareau,
Please forgive the intrusion but this is an urgent matter that requires your immediate attention. My name is Rupert Giles and I am writing to request your presence in New York City on the 24th of April of this year. I appreciate that this is rather short notice considering your line of work but it cannot be helped.
There is an urgent, personal matter I wish to discuss with you. I understand that this may seem a tad mysterious and suspect but I assure you there is nothing sinister at work. I have taken over the Watchers' Council of England and certain...matters were recently brought to my attention that I wish to correct if I may. I assure you, you will not regret coming to New York City to deal with this matter.
A room has already been reserved in your name at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan for the 23rd, 24th, & 25th of April. If you decide to attend, please contact me by email: and a plane ticket will be reserved for you at Dulles International Airport.
Please feel free to have my name and the council thoroughly researched before making your decision, as I have nothing to hide. I sincerely hope you will decide to attend the meeting. It is important that you are there.
Thank you for your time and I hope to be making your acquaintance in person in April.
Sincerely,
Rupert Giles
Executive Director
Watchers' Council of England
New York Office
JJ read the letter three times before it really sank in. It seemed almost like a prank but it had an air of authenticity. It certainly looked official, but then these days anyone with a computer and a printer could make official looking letterheads and envelopes.
JJ sat there thinking about all the possible ways this letter could be a trap, an unsub's way of drawing her out, despite how specific it was. JJ was so lost in thought she didn't noticed her office door opening and closing, she didn't even know she wasn't alone in her office until she heard the clearing of a throat. JJ's head snapped up at the sound and she smiled when she saw Emily standing there.
Emily Prentiss looked at her wife and couldn't help the swell of love that always came over her. She never thought she'd find someone to spend her life with and now that she had, she was determined to not mess it up.
"Hey baby, I was wondering if you wanted to join me for lunch."
JJ, still a little distracted by the letter nodded silently.
Emily saw the paper in JJ's hand and she got curious, "what's that?" Emily pointed to the paper.
JJ looked from Emily to the letter and back again before she made her decision and held it out to her wife. "It came today, I don't know what to make of it. Take a look."
Emily walked closer and took the paper from JJ's hand. She read the letter, twice, before she looked back to the blonde, "is this for real?"
"I don't know, it seems real but I've never heard of this Watchers' Council and I have no idea what they would want with me."
Emily thought about that for a moment then said, "well, why not have Garcia look into it? You know she'll find out everything she can about this," Emily looked back at the letter, "Watchers' Council and the guy who runs it, Rupert Giles."
JJ nodded, she'd already decided to have Garcia check it out, she was glad that Emily had the same idea. "yeah, I'm going to give it to her after lunch. C'mon, let's forget about this for a little while and get something to eat."
Emily held her hand out and JJ stood up and walked close enough to Emily to slide her hand into Emily's waiting one. She loved being able to be open about their relationship at work. It had taken some fancy footwork from Hotch and Rossi but Strauss had been neutralized and they had been assured that as long as it didn't interfere with how they did their jobs, there wouldn't be any negative backlash or fallout from their relationship.
Emily and JJ left the building and headed for a nearby cafe for lunch. They were happy to be home for a few days. The team had been taken off active rotation after the last case, to give them time to rest and also to give the other team a chance to be in the spotlight.
Chapter 2
New York City
Upper East Side Apartment of Lindsey Walker & Tru Davies
Lindsey Walker slowly rolled over in bed and felt the sunlight on her face. She smiled as she opened her eyes and saw her girlfriend beside her, smiling at her. Lindsey reached a hand out towards the dark haired goddess in her bed, Tru Davies, and softly traced the line of her jaw.
Tru leaned into Lindsey's touch, savoring it as she enjoyed the first moments of the day. Every morning, with the exception of her 'rerun' days, Tru allowed herself a moment like this, where she and Lindsey just laid together and took a moment to be grateful for their happiness.
"Good morning baby." Lindsey was the first to break the silence this morning, they usually alternated who spoke first though not by conscious choice.
"Good morning, sleep well?" Tru asked, a slight teasing tone in her voice as she recalled their activities of the night before. They had only fallen asleep a couple of hours ago.
Lindsey grinned, knowing exactly what her girlfriend was referring to and, in a move so quick there was no time to react, she rolled on top of Tru and pinned her to the bed, "who has time for sleep?"Lindsey leaned down and kissed Tru.
Tru gave herself over to the kiss. They were interrupted by the buzzer from the downstairs door. With a groan of frustration, Lindsey broke the kiss then looked down at Tru's face, she noticed the lack of surprise on her girlfriend's face and she narrowed her eyes as she asked, "this isn't a repeat day is it?"
When Lindsey had shown up on her doorstep three years ago, shortly after she'd left her (ex) husband in London and confessed to being in love with Tru, it had been a major shock to say the least. Luckily, that day ended up repeating itself so that on the second day, Tru was ready.
Tru had spent that day trying to juggle Lindsey's revelation and her duty to save a cute redhead from dying.
The next day, Tru and Lindsey had talked, a lot, about everything and Tru had to confess that she had been in love with the blonde since college but that she'd never thought she'd have a chance with her straight friend so she never said anything.
Lindsey could understand that, having fallen for Tru shortly after the Valentine's Day disaster in the woods. She'd stayed with Harrison mostly as a way to be closer to Tru but when it became too painful to see her with Luc, she dumped Harrison and tried to move on. Her marriage had been a last ditch attempt to get over Tru.
Tru and Lindsey began dating shortly after their talk. After the third repeat day that resulted in their first big fight, because Tru had stood Lindsey up for a party that was in Lindsey's honor for a promotion she'd gotten, Tru realized that if she didn't want her relationship with Lindsey to go the same route that her relationship with Luc did, she'd have to tell Lindsey about her 'gift'.
Lindsey didn't believe her at first, but then when Harrison had confirmed it, and Lindsey had gone back over all the times when Tru seemed to know something was going to happen before it happened, Lindsey soon realized she was telling the truth. Lindsey had accepted Tru's abilities and she supported her whenever Tru told her it was a repeat day. Lindsey was even able to help a few times.
Tru looked up at Lindsey and asked, "no...why do you ask?"
"Because you didn't look at all surprised by the buzzer. Thought maybe it had already happened, you know 'yesterday'."
"Oh, no..." the buzzer rang again, this time a little impatiently, "not a repeat day just a...Harrison day. He told me yesterday that he was going to stop by today to visit."
Lindsey relaxed a little when Tru assured her it wasn't a repeat day but the tension came back when she found out it was Harrison. Lindsey was always a little uncomfortable around Harrison. Her girlfriend's brother was her ex-boyfriend...it made for a few awkward moments in Lindsey's mind. Harrison always pretended he didn't notice or care that his ex-girlfriend was now living with his sister.
Tru noticed the tension Harrison's name caused and she sighed. She wished there was a way to fix the vibe between her brother and her girlfriend but she had long ago resigned herself to the fact that it would probably always be awkward between them.
Lindsey rolled off of Tru and got out of bed, heading for the bathroom. Tru's eyes followed her as she walked and she put a little swagger into her hips, just to tease her girlfriend.
Tru saw the swagger and grinned. Three years together hadn't diminished any of the desire she had for her blonde girlfriend. If anything, Tru's passion for Lindsey had only grown the longer they were together. She honestly felt that Lindsey was her soulmate. The other half she'd been missing all her life. She'd felt more whole these last three years than she had her entire life.
The buzzer went off again and Tru pulled herself from her musings to press the button to let Harrison into the building.
Tru quickly threw on a pair of track pants and a tank top over her bra and panties. Lindsey stepped out of the bathroom and got dressed quickly just as there was a knock on the door. Tru went to answer it as Lindsey went to the kitchen for some juice.
Tru opened the door and Harrison walked in, looking happy. "hey sis! What's new?"
"Hey Harry, same old stuff. Come on in."
Harrison and Tru head for the living room and relax on the couch just as Lindsey entered and sat next to Tru. "Hey Harrison."
"Lindsey, hi." Harrison liked to make Lindsey think he was uncomfortable with her relationship with his sister but the truth was...he had known they were into each other even when he and Lindsey had been dating. He knew it was only a matter of time before they would figure it out. He just didn't think it would've taken them so long. But they were together now and he was happy for them.
Lindsey just sat on the couch and watched Harrison, looking for any hint that he was hiding his discomfort but he looked far too happy.
Tru seemed to notice it too, "Harry, what's up with you? You're looking a lot happier than I have ever seen you."
Harrison couldn't hold it in any longer and said, "I met a girl Tru. She's hot, funny, smart, sweet and she's into me."
Tru and Lindsey smiled, "That's great Harry. What's her name?"
"Her name's Christina and she's a lawyer." Harrison said, smiling.
Tru and Lindsey began asking questions and Harrison answered them all, knowing they were just looking out for him.
"Oh, man I totally forgot. I checked your mailbox before I came up and these two letters were in there so I brought them up. Here." Harrison handed Tru the letters because she was closer to him. Harrison had a key to their mailbox as a backup.
Tru looked at the envelopes and noticed one was addressed to her and one was for Lindsey, but the return address was the same.
Watchers Council of England
New York Office
1125 W 135th Street
New York, New York 10013
Tru handed Lindsey her envelope as she frowned at hers. "This was all that was there?"
"Yeah."
Lindsey shrugged as she opened her envelope, in her line of work as a freelance graphic artist, she often dealt with companies that were too small to hire a large firm so she was used to getting mail from unknown companies.
The letter inside was...surprising and confusing.
11 February 2010
Dear Ms. Walker,
Please forgive the intrusion but this is an urgent matter that requires your immediate attention. My name is Rupert Giles and I am writing to request your presence at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on the 24th of April of this year. I appreciate that this is rather short notice, but it cannot be helped.
There is an urgent, personal matter I wish to discuss with you. I understand that this may seem a tad mysterious and suspect but I assure you there is nothing sinister at work. I have taken over the Watchers Council of England and certain...matters were recently brought to my attention that I wish to correct if I may. I assure you, you will not regret coming to this meeting to deal with this matter.
A room has already been reserved in your name at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan for the 23rd, 24th, & 25th of April. If you decide to attend, please contact me by email: .
Please feel free to have my name and the council thoroughly researched before making your decision, as I have nothing to hide. I sincerely hope you will decide to attend the meeting. It is important that you are there.
Thank you for your time and I hope to be making your acquaintance in person in April.
Sincerely,
Rupert Giles
Head Watcher
Watchers Council of England
New York Office
Lindsey didn't know what to make of the letter so she turned to look at Tru, "ok this is weird and makes no sense. What does yours say?"
Tru handed over the letter in her envelope and Lindsey read it, it was almost identical to hers. "So someone named...Rupert Giles is asking us to go to the Waldorf and meet with him? Any idea why?"
Tru shook her head, not even willing to hazard a guess at this point. Harrison looked equally confused, Lindsey handed him Tru's letter and waited as he read it.
The confusion on Harrison's face only deepened as he read the words on the page. "well I can do a little recon if you want. I can go to this address and see what's there." Harrison offered, accustomed to doing recon work for Tru on her repeat days, this would be no different.
Tru looked to Lindsey, a silent question in her eyes and Lindsey nodded. "Ok, Harry, check it out and see what's up. Remember, keep me in the loop. I'll call Davis and see if he can run the company name through the city's databases, find out anything official about it."
Harrison smiled, he liked it when Tru got into her 'leader' role. Harrison left after a few minutes to begin his assignment leaving the two ladies alone to ponder their next move.
Chapter 3
Cleveland, Ohio
Summers Academy for Gifted Girls
Buffy Summers was sitting in her office at the school that she had helped to establish. After the final battle with the First Evil, the survivors had made their way to the other active Hellmouth in the United States, in Cleveland, and set up a base of operations. After a year, the Cleveland hellmouth had finally been closed for good, though the mystical energy it emanated still drew the occasional vampire and demon. Buffy, along with Giles and Willow, had decided that it would be smart to set up a training academy for the slayers.
After Willow's spell to activate all the slayers in the world, Buffy and Giles had talked about the "Next Step" in the fight against evil. Giles had flown to London with Willow and uncovered the computer records of all the false names the council used to hide money, important records, rare texts and the list of the currently identified potential slayers in line to be called. Giles had used the money to re-establish the council but under better management, mainly Giles and Buffy.
The money had also been used to build and start the Summers Academy for Gifted Girls. That was the official name of the school, though behind closed doors it was referred to as Slayer High. The school had three separate buildings though only two were visible. The main building was the school's 'official' face. It was a fully functioning high school. Complete with lockers, teachers and a few sports teams. Because it was a private, exclusive all girls' school, funded entirely by the Council, they didn't have to rely on public funds. It gave them more freedom with regards to what teachers they hired, how much they paid the teachers and which students they invited to study there. The second visible building was the dormitories. Slayer high was a boarding school of sorts.
Buffy made sure that the school had the best teachers, and that they were paid very well. The academic teachers were completely unaware of the school's third building. It was housed underground, underneath the main building. The only access to the third building was through the elevator in the conference room next to Buffy's office. The students gathered in the conference room every day after their regular classes and then took the elevator downstairs to the real school.
In the third building, there were classrooms but there were also training rooms. It was down here that the "gifted girls" were trained to be slayers. Buffy, Faith, Willow, Xander, Dawn, Gunn, Spike, Angel, Illyria, Connor, Wesley, and Kennedy were the teachers down here. They taught everything from demonology to hand to hand combat to weapons training. Spike and Angel, souls intact, taught the slayers how to fight real vampires with real strength. They were the final exam as it were. If a slayer in training could defeat one of them, they were ready to go out on patrols with Buffy, Faith, Kennedy, and Gunn.
Willow taught magic to the slayers, giving them an appreciation for the help that magic could provide during patrols. Gunn, Kennedy and Connor taught the weapons training while Wesley and Dawn taught the demonology classes, teaching the slayers about all the different demons, vampires and other bad guys they might encounter (most of whom were already encountered in Sunnydale and LA). Illyria, Faith and Buffy taught hand to hand combat, with Illyria only agreeing to help after Dawn had asked nicely. Illyria, despite a resolve not to, had developed feelings for Dawn, a crush, and there was nothing that Illyria wouldn't do if Dawn asked. Illyria had agreed to hold back in terms of strength with the slayers in training, knowing that one blow at full strength could kill the girls and that Dawn wouldn't like that.
Xander maintained the equipment and, when needed, he piloted the school's private plane. Giles, through the Council, had paid for Xander to get his pilot's license so that he could fly the plane that the school needed to recruit new slayers. Connor had also gotten a pilot's license for the same reason.
Buffy was going through the morning mail when a letter caught her eye. It was addressed to Faith and the return address was the New York office of the Watchers Council. Giles, after making sure Buffy was settled with the school, had moved to New York to set up the New York office of the Council. There was no longer a London office, everything ran through New York, but the name stayed the same. Buffy raised her eyebrows at the envelope. She wondered why Giles would be writing to Faith but she also knew that it was none of her business.
Buffy reached her hand out and pressed a button on her phone. The buzz of the intercom was interrupted but a husky, sexy voice, "hey B, what do you need?"
Faith, Buffy, Willow, Wesley, Angel, Xander, and Dawn had offices in the main building. Buffy and Faith, though, had their own offices. Willow shared hers with Kennedy, Wesley shared with Gunn, Angel shared with Spike (the only office without windows), Xander and Connor shared an office and Dawn and Illyria shared an office. Buffy was the Principal of the school, with Faith as the Vice Principal, which meant they had their own offices.
Buffy smiled at Faith's greeting. There had been a time when hearing Faith call her 'B' irritated her and reminded her of the bad times but nowadays, it warmed her to hear the familiar nickname. "Faith, I got a letter here for you, must've been mixed up with my stuff. You wanna come and get it, babe?"
"On my way."
Buffy smiled, she still sometimes found it hard to believe that Faith was her girlfriend. Though girlfriend seemed too weak a word for what they were. They'd been together for five years now. If it had been legal, Buffy knew she would've married Faith a long time ago. They lived together and were fully committed to each other and to the Academy. They were slayers, lovers, teachers...they were family. Buffy knew that Angel and Spike had been hurt and a little confused when shed told them that she was in love with Faith. But, thankfully, they'd gotten past it and had wished them well. Spike, not having to worry about a happiness clause like Angel did, had moved on and even dated a few women here and there but nothing ever lasted...until Willow had found a way to lift the happiness clause on Angel's curse.
Spike and Angel had been together for two years now and Buffy couldn't help but marvel at the dynamics of her life. She was in a relationship with Faith, Willow and Kennedy were still going strong after six years, Spike and Angel were together, and Illyria was crushing on her little sister, Dawn. It seemed like the only straight friends she had left were Connor (Angel's son), Wesley, and Gunn. Buffy knew it was only a matter of time before Dawn gave in to her feelings for Illyria, who was using Fred's body. Dawn was the only one who insisted that Illyria never hide from her. Everyone else preferred it when Illyria shifted to look like Fred. It gave them comfort to see Fred and for a little while they could pretend she was still alive. Dawn was the only one who ever refused to interact with Illyria when she looked like Fred. It was sweet in its own way. Dawn loved Illyria, not Fred.
Buffy's thoughts were interrupted by the opening of her office door. She looked up and saw Faith slip inside, closing and locking the door behind her. The look on Faith's face could only be described as predatory as she walked over to Buffy's desk, neatly sidestepping it to move in closer to the object of her desire.
Faith placed a hand on each of the arm rests on Buffy's chair to support her as she lifted herself up and slid onto Buffy's chair, straddling the blonde and effectively trapping her in the chair. Faith lowered herself onto the other woman's lap and then leaned down to kiss her, whispering before she made contact, "mine."
Buffy surrendered to the kiss, melting into Faith's embrace and knowing that nothing would ever feel as right as this moment. She knew she was addicted to Faith's lips and she lifted her hands to run them up the dark slayer's back, tracing the muscles there as she slipped her tongue into Faith's warm mouth.
The kiss went on for several minutes before, even with slayer stamina, they were forced apart by the need for air. Faith leaned her forehead against Buffy's, taking a moment to recover. "sorry for the ambush but, I've been sitting at my desk all morning, thinking about you and getting no work done at all. When you called, I knew it was a perfect chance to see you and...well do what I did."
"Never apologize for wanting me Faith. You don't need an excuse to come see me...ever, okay?"
Faith nodded, despite their five year relationship, Faith still sometimes let her insecurities rule her...especially when it came to her previous motto of 'want, take, have' and applying it to Buffy. "So, what's this about a letter?"
Buffy shook her head to clear it of the lust that Faith's kiss had caused. "Giles, sent you a letter. I didn't open it but the return address was the Council's in New York." Buffy carefully reached back to her desk and plucked the envelope from a stack of papers and handed it to Faith.
Faith took the envelope and leaned back a bit. She refused to get up off of Buffy's lap just yet and Buffy didn't object. Buffy wrapped her arms around Faith's waist to help her stay balanced as she opened the envelope.
Faith took out the single sheet of paper and unfolded it, reading it.
11 February 2010
Dear Faith,
The Watchers Council of England, requests your presence in New York City for a meeting on the 24th of April 2010.
There is an urgent, personal matter that requires your attendance. Certain...matters were recently brought to my attention that I wish to correct if I may.
A room has already been reserved in your name at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan for the 23rd, 24th, & 25th of April. The Council's jet is at your disposal for this trip and please bring Buffy with you.
It is imperative that you attend this meeting.
Sincerely,
Rupert Giles
Head Watcher
Watchers Council of England
New York Office
Faith read the letter to herself then read it out loud. She looked at Buffy, "do you know what this is about?"
"Nope, Giles never said anything to me. But I think if he's using official council channels, it must be important. Looks like we're going to New York in April huh?"
Faith nodded, knowing that she really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. By using the official Council channels, Giles had ensured that she would attend. Official Council meetings were considered mandatory for any slayers invited to attend. "yup, looks like it. Let's just hope there aren't any retrieval missions around that time."
Buffy nodded, hoping for the same thing. Retrieval missions came along whenever a new slayer was identified and needed to be brought to the academy. Slayers didn't show up on Willows "radar" until they turned 14. Before then, their slayer powers were dormant, a safeguard that Buffy thought to add after the final battle. She didn't think it was fair to give a newborn, slayer strength, or even a five year old. They wouldn't know what to do with their powers and at best they would be outsiders...even in their own families. At worst, they would be unable to handle the strength and hurt someone, possibly even kill someone. By 14, they were old enough for high school and could attend the academy and be trained to use their powers for good.
Faith carefully got up off of Buffy and grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on B, let's play hooky and take the rest of the day off."
"Faith, it's Saturday, I wasn't going to work all day. I really just came in to check the mail. Let's get out of here."
Buffy and Faith left the building and got into Buffy's car. Faith had gotten a ride with Willow who was spending the weekend preparing for a major magic lesson for Monday. They drove to their house, a few miles from the school, and quickly raced inside, the desire awakened by their office kiss swelling inside them as they approached the house. They fell on their bed in a tangle of limbs and stayed there until early Sunday afternoon, enjoying each other...slayer stamina was really a wonderful thing.
Chapter 4
New York Office, Watchers Council of England
April 9,2010
If anyone knew the dangers of walking on thin ice, it was Rupert Giles. He'd spent more than half of his life walking on thin ice. First in University when he'd rebelled against his destiny as a watcher and dabbled in the dark magics, and then later as a watcher when he'd bent and broken more rules than he could count to keep Buffy safe, happy and alive while still fulfilling her Slayer duties.
So, no Giles wasn't a stranger to thin ice…but all the same he wished he knew how to live his life without feeling as if the ice was going to crack beneath him.
Rupert Giles sat in his office, two weeks before he was scheduled to meet with the women he'd summoned by letter, with his head down as a migraine threatened. Giles thought back to all the prep work he'd done to ensure the success of this latest venture. A year after he'd taken over the Watcher's Council, he'd discovered a secret vault in one of the "safe houses" owned by the Council's previous director, Quentin Travers.
The vault had been cleverly hidden in the floorboards of a closet in a room that had been locked. Giles had spent nearly six months trying to get past the locked door. It was a foot thick, made of solid steel and it had a lock that rivaled most bank vaults. Giles had known there was something very important hidden in the room for there to be this much security on the door.
When he'd finally managed to gain access to the room, he'd been a little disappointed to see an empty room. No furniture, bare walls and floor, not even a window to hold a curtain. He'd been a tad deflated over the empty room but he'd known there was more than meets the eye. So he tore the room apart from top to bottom and on the second day, he'd found the vault in the closet.
It took him another two weeks to find someone he could trust to crack the safe. It contained papers and lots of them. Projects the Council had been a part of, documents detailing each Slayer from the First Slayer right up to Faith, an extensive list of potential slayers who could be called when Faith died, but the most interesting thing by far was bank records of a hidden account.
The money in the account added a big chunk of change to the discretionary fund that Buffy had access to for the Academy. Giles had transferred the funds as soon as he gained control of them.
It took Giles several weeks to thoroughly examine all the papers in the vault, cross checking names of potentials against the Slayers that had been activated by Willow's spell and the ones they hadn't found yet.
When he'd read the paperwork on the first project in the pile, Giles had visibly paled. He'd honestly thought that nothing the Council had done would shock him after Buffy's Cruciamentum, but what he'd read in the file on the Gemini Project had him stunned at the lengths the Council had gone to, to suit their own purposes, and not the greater good.
Giles had learned, through trial and error in his own life, that nothing good ever really came from being impulsive when it came to the council. So he'd spent a long time thinking about the Gemini Project and its implications before he decided on a plan. Giles had decided, long ago, that if there was a way to correct the mistakes the old council had made in the past, he would make the effort. He knew there were some things that couldn't be fixed no matter how hard you try but he was also determined to at least try.
So, he'd started by tracking down the other three women affected by the project, feeling thankful that one of them, Faith, didn't have to be tracked down.
He'd been surprised at how long it had taken but it had been worth the wait. Giles sat in his office, three folders in front of him, each containing all the pertinent information about the three ladies he was going to meet in New York. He already knew Faith's entire history so there was no folder for her.
Giles stared at the folders, already knowing the information they contained. Full, detailed histories of each woman. Birth, education, work, and personal information was all typed out neatly on the papers in the folders. Information compiled by a two person team within the new Council. It always amazed him whenever the 'Dynamic Duo' as they'd dubbed themselves, managed to dig up information that Giles knew wasn't readily available.
Giles was pulled from his thoughts by a knock on his office door. He gathered himself before he spoke up, "Come in."
The door opened and in walked a man that Giles always had mixed feelings about. On the one hand, his expertise was invaluable, but it usually came with a price that was, at times, hard to pay.
Michael Jamerson walked into Rupert Giles' office and stood silently as he waited to be addressed. He'd been trained by the best of the best when it came to what he did, but no one could undo the manners and training his mother had drilled into him from a young age.
Michael was the council's …security and intelligence chief. It was his responsibility to ensure that the Slayer Academy in Cleveland was safeguarded, that all new slayers were fully investigated before they were invited to the school, that any and all employees, contractors, and anyone else who came into contact with the truth of what the council represented were thoroughly investigated and vetted before they gained access to any of the sensitive information.
He was also in charge of ensuring that the teachers that taught at the academy's main building were above reproach. He had a team of roughly 25 men and women, each trained in undercover and infiltration, for the purpose of gathering intelligence, surveillance, & recognizance.
Michael was proud of his team and his work. He took his job very seriously. Slowly, he lifted his right hand to his neck and lightly grazed them over the scar that remained…a permanent reminder of how close he came to death at the fangs of a vampire. Being rescued by a petite blond hadn't done any good to his ego but it had put him on a new path and led him to the work he was doing now. Michael let a small smile slip onto his face at the memory of the blond slayer who'd saved his life.
Giles looked at Michael, the man's habit of always waiting to be addressed before speaking was both annoying and admirable. Giles noticed the hand grazing the scar and the smile that usually followed it. Giles remembered very clearly when Michael had gotten that scar. Buffy had saved the man from an attack.
"Michael, please sit down." Michael quickly came back to himself and took a seat. "I take it you have some new information to report."
"Yes sir. I did as you asked and had the "Dynamic Duo", Michael began before stopping to roll his eyes a little. He hated calling them that, even if it did apply, because it just always made him think of Batman and Robin and…grown men in rubber suits just…not a pleasant image for Michael, but he continued, "flag all the Council databases and monitor them, discreetly, for any searches or hackers."
"I was right, wasn't I?" Giles asked, knowing he was but wanting to hear it.
Michael grinned, "yes sir, you were right. The databases were hacked into a few days after the letters arrived at their destinations and then again a week later. The first hack was traced back to the FBI building in Quantico, seems that Ms Jareau had one of their technical analysts run a complete background check on the council. Not to worry though, the only information she discovered was the superficial decoy that was placed into our systems for just such an occurrence. Nothing about vampires, slayers or watchers." Michael paused a moment to let the information sink in. "The second hack was traced to…the City Morgue on W 7th street here in New York. Since Ms Davies works there I had one of my agents do a little legwork and she confirmed that it wasn't Ms Davies who actually did the hacking but her boss Davis. He also only managed to find the decoy."
Giles thought about that. So far it was going as he'd thought it might. He'd been fairly certain that Ms Jareau, being a very good FBI agent would have the council checked out. It would've been odd to him if she hadn't but he could admit that Ms Davies getting her boss to hack the council records was a twist he hadn't been expecting. Then again, considering what he knew about Ms Davies, he supposed it shouldn't be such a shocker.
"Well, it all seems to be coming together nicely. What does Andrew have to say about Ms Jareau and this analyst she used?"
Michael forced himself not to frown at the thought of Andrew Wells. The guy was a contradiction that Michael had never been really comfortable with. He knew Andrew's history with Giles and the slayers but he often found himself wondering how in the hell that guy survived that huge battle he'd been told about when he'd started working for the council. Andrew, to Michael, always seemed like a weak, spineless follower. But he had to admit, if only ever to himself, that Wells had proven himself a valuable asset over the last three years.
When Ms Jareau had been found and identified as being from the Gemini Project, Wells had been drafted to infiltrate the FBI building to keep an eye on her and report anything he heard or saw in relation to Ms Jareau.
"The analyst, Penelope Garcia, is apparently the best hacker in the FBI. Which of course, means that the Duo is doing a great job if she only found the decoy. As for Ms Jareau, all Wells has to say about her is that she is 'beautiful, but scary" and that's a direct quote."
Giles smiled, he'd known that Andrew would be perfect for this assignment. The young man had really matured and proven himself in the years after the battle with the First Evil in Sunnydale.
Giles turned his glance on Michael then, "Beautiful but scary, that was Andrew's assessment?"
"Yes sir."
"Well, he always did have a way with words. Though they used to be more dramatic. In any case, I suspect that the scary part comes from the fact that she's an FBI agent and carries a gun. Andrew has never been comfortable around firearms. To tell the truth neither am I for that matter. Especially since they rarely make a difference when fighting a vampire or a thick skinned demon." Giles half joked, knowing he could relax a little with Michael.
Michael smiled and agreed, "I can understand that sir, though in the world that is ignorant of the existence of vampires and demons, a gun can come in handy…especially to a cop who is facing down a criminal." Michael had been a cop in his youth, then he'd gone federal for a few years before his near death experience with a vampire. Now he wasn't part of a government law enforcement agency, he was exclusively a Council asset but he could still remember what it was like in that world.
Giles nodded, "yes I know. In that world, where a bullet will actually stop the bad guy, I have nothing but good things to say but in this world, where a bullet will only slow them down at best and anger them at worst, guns don't have a place. Which is why I can understand if Andrew finds Ms. Jareau scary. Let's just hope she doesn't try to shoot us when she finds out what we know."
Michael couldn't help but chuckle at his boss's humor. "Well one can only hope. But maybe as a precaution, we should have her enter the room without her gun?"
Giles thought about that one for a moment. It would make things safer but then he realized that, if they asked an FBI agent to not bring her gun into a room, it might send the wrong message. "Perhaps but, something tells me that asking her to check their gun at the door might lead to the assumption that she is in danger. No, she can keep her gun. The others aren't likely to bring any weapons, but you'll be there so that will be your task. Just keep an eye on everyone and if you see any tell tale bulges you let me know, ok?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Well that covers everything I can think of. The three unknowns have replied in the affirmitve that they will be in attendance. Faith, because I used official Council channels, knows it's not optional so she'll be there and so will Buffy."
Giles noticed that Michael perked up a little at the mention of Buffy. The poor man had such a huge crush on the blond slayer.
"Miss Summers will be there as well? I thought she wasn't part of the Gemini Project." Michael was a little confused about why Buffy would be at the meeting but he was also a little happy he'd get to see her again.
"She's not directly affected by the Project but she is…close to Faith and she'll want to be close by. I also told Faith to bring her along. Faith will need her."
"Sir?" There was something Michael was missing. Something about the tone in Giles' voice that was different.
Giles sighed, he supposed now was as good a time as any to inform Michael of the dynamics of Buffy's relationship with Faith. "Michael, I know that you have certain…feelings for Miss Summers but I feel it only fair to warn you. She's not available." At the confused look on the other man's face Giles decided to just be blunt. "Buffy and Faith have been in a long term committed relationship for five years now. They are together, in love, and happy. So while I am sympathetic to your feelings, they will never be reciprocated Michael. Buffy is happy with Faith. I've seen the way you look at Buffy, and the way you light up whenever I say her name…like right now…but Faith is a very possessive person. She protects what is hers and Buffy has long ago made it clear whom she belongs to. I tell you this because if Faith sees you looking at Buffy with anything less than professional detachment, she will kick your ass."
Michael took that all in and realized that he'd known that there was no way Buffy would ever like him back he just never realized why. Having a younger sister who was a lesbian, Michael knew better than to even think he could be the man to change Buffy's mind about being gay. Michael realized that if he were in Faith's position he might react in a similar fashion so he just nodded and said, "Understood sir. I assure you it won't be a problem."
"Good. You're a good man Michael, a hard worker and truly irreplaceable at what you do but, if it comes down to a choice between you and Faith…well you won't like the outcome, are we clear?"
"Crystal clear sir." Michael nodded again.
"Ok, well that's all for today so go on home. Have a good weekend."
"Yes sir, see you Monday sir."
Michael stood and left the office. Giles took a moment to think about everything that had happened since he'd discovered the Gemini Project and the information he'd learned from Michael. This meeting wasn't going to be easy, he'd known that much from the start, but the added complications of guns, crushes, and the potential for a brawl or two breaking out, weren't helping matters.
Giles stood after a few minutes and, after putting away the important documents in his own hidden safe, he left the office, going to the nearest subway station and taking the next train to his home. All he really wanted at that moment was to relax with a good book and cup of Bovril…and try to put the Gemini Project and everything it brought with it out of his head if only for one night.
Chapter 5
April 22, 2010
Quantico, VA
Prentiss-Jareau House
"Are you sure you want to do this, honey?" Emily Prentiss asked for what had to be the hundredth time in the last two days.
After the initial suspicion of the letter that had arrived in February, JJ had enlisted Garcia's help to look up the Watcher's Council of England and Rupert Giles.
Both the council and Mr. Giles had come back clean. The Council was the sole benefactor of a school in Cleveland for gifted girls. The school had also come back clean. Mr. Giles background was traced back to his birth in Sussex, England and followed his life until the present day and it was completely clean. No criminal records, not in America and not in England. His citizenship was rock solid. Garcia even checked Interpol records for information on the Council and Mr. Giles. Again, nothing.
It seemed to JJ, Garcia and Emily that the Council, and Mr. Giles were exactly what they seemed to be, so JJ had decided to make the trip to New York to see what the urgent matter was. Emily agreed to go with her and Garcia had volunteered to watch Henry while they were gone.
Three cases had come up since then and thankfully, they'd been solved fairly quickly. JJ and Emily had asked for the weekend off so they could deal with this situation. Hotch had agreed, taking the whole team off rotation until they returned, so that they could be available in case the ladies needed back up.
"Emily, honey, you saw the same thing I did when Garcia ran the checks. This council and its Head Watcher, whatever that means, are completely clean. Nothing to worry about, and I am curious about this urgent personal matter he mentioned. But, you know, you don't have to go with me. You can stay here with Henry." JJ said, knowing Emily well enough to know her wife wouldn't let her go alone.
Emily smirked, "yeah like I'd let you run around alone in New York City. Heaven knows what mischief you'd get yourself into." Emily joked, already knowing she wasn't going to let JJ do this alone. There were still too many unknowns for the profiler to be comfortable with the situation. But she knew that her wife wasn't going to be put off.
JJ just grinned.
April 22, 2010
Cleveland, OH
Summers Academy for Gifted Girls
Buffy Summers was sitting in her office, going over some paperwork that seemed to crawl into her office. As Principal of the school, she had her share of red tape and paperwork to deal with but usually it wasn't much. Giles had set up a special account to pay the academic teachers, making it look like the school itself was paying them. The signature on the checks was Buffy's but she never had to sign them. It was done electronically. Whenever the school needed anything, though, like new textbooks, lab equipment, or anything like that, as long as it wasn't related to the slaying side of the school, Buffy had to submit written requisition forms. Giles insisted it was so that if they were ever audited or investigated, it would be easier to explain if there was paperwork to support their cover of being just an elite high school.
Anything that had to do with the slaying side of the school; stakes, crossbows, weapons, and such, there was never any paperwork needed. Buffy simply called up Giles and he had the stuff shipped to them on the council's jet.
Buffy didn't like paperwork but, she knew this was better than the paperwork that the others had to do. Grading papers in demonology, weapons, and combat techniques was a mind numbing task that Buffy only had to do once when Dawn was out with the flu and she'd taken over one of her classes.
Faith was sitting in her office, a little bored. She didn't have the paperwork Buffy did, because Buffy was the one who dealt with it all. Faith, as Vice Principal, dealt mostly with the student body and any disciplinary matters that arose. Which, given her own history, was kind of ironic to the once rogue slayer. Thankfully, there weren't many problems at the school. The girls knew enough to not use their slayer strength outside of the combat classes.
Faith was contemplating skipping out to play hooky when there was a knock on her door. She perked up at the thought of a visitor and said, "come in."
Kennedy Fuller walked into Faith's office and smiled, "hey boss, ya got a minute?" Kennedy was almost like a bratty younger sister to Faith and she liked teasing her by calling her 'boss'.
Faith grinned, "hey brat, yeah have a seat."
Kennedy sat down and looked at Faith, "um...there was something I wanted to ask you about and maybe get some advice."
Faith sobered a bit at the other girl's serious tone. "Yeah kid, what's up?"
Kennedy took a breath and said, "um...next month is mine and Willow's seventh anniversary and I was thinking of doing something special and I wondered if you could help me out."
Faith thought back and checked the dates, "wait, from what B and Red have told me, you and Red began dating in February not May."
Kennedy blushed a bit, "um...yeah...we kinda agreed not to acknowledge that first date because of what happened with Willow turning into Warren and all that madness. We decided to celebrate instead, the anniversary of the first time we..." Kennedy paused, still not comfortable talking about this specific anniversary because of how special it had been, "you know."
Faith wrinkled her brow for a moment, trying to figure out what Kennedy was talking about...when she figured it out her eyebrows flew up and she said, "oh! You mean...yeah...ok...so, um, what were you planning?" Kennedy was like a little sister to her and she didn't want to think about her and Red...that way...even if she and Buffy were like that as well.
Kennedy smiled, touched that Faith seemed to have a reaction similar to that of big sister who suddenly got too much information. "I was planning on asking her to marry me and I was hoping that you could maybe, hold on to the ring I bought until the big day so she doesn't accidentally find it."
Faith smiled a huge smile as the words sank in. "that's a big step kid. But yeah, I'll hold on to your rock for ya."
"Thanks Faith. I owe you big time." Kennedy said before she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small, black box. She looked at it for a moment before she placed it on Faith's desk.
Faith picked it up and looked at it before she shifted her eyes to Kennedy, "Can I see it?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Faith opened the box and had to fight a gasp when she saw the ring. It was white gold, with a princess-cut white diamond in the center, and a brilliant blue diamond on either side of the center stone. Faith knew that Willow would love it.
"Very impressive Kennedy."
Kennedy hid the surprise she felt hearing Faith call her by her actual name. Faith had called her kid, brat and other similar nicknames ever since the destruction of Sunnydale.
"Thanks Faith. Well, I should get going. Classes to teach."
Faith stood up as well and watched Kennedy leave. She then sat down and stared at the ring for a bit longer before she opened the center drawer in her desk and placed it inside. She made a note to remember to move the box to her safe at home when she left for the day, where it would be safer.
Faith knew she was flying out the next day to New York to see what Giles wanted, so she knew the ring was better off in the safe. Faith had stopped wondering what the meeting was about a while ago. She had decided to go with the flow and take it as it came, secure in the knowledge that Giles wouldn't do anything to hurt her and that Buffy would be there with her every step of the way.
April 22, 2010
New York City
Davies-Walker Apartment
It was Thursday night and Tru and Lindsey were at home, snuggling on the couch and watching television. Thankfully, it wasn't a repeat day and Tru had the night off from the morgue.
During a commercial, Lindsey looked up at Tru from her position between the other woman's legs and said, "so, tomorrow's the big day huh? We go to the Waldorf and see what this Mr. Giles wants. You ready?"
Tru glanced at her girlfriend and saw the hesitation in her eyes. She was quick to reassure her, "yeah I am. Harry did his recon job, not once but five times and each time there was nothing suspicious about the building. Davis even did his thing on the computer and checked the place out. It all seems legit so I say we go there with an open mind and a cautious eye and see what this is all about. And remember, I'm not leaving your side the whole time, okay?"
Lindsey smiled, already feeling a little better about this whole thing. "yeah, ok. Plus, it might be nice to spend a free weekend in a posh hotel. No repeat days, no awkward escapes. No having to cover for you when you have to dash away to save someone. Not that I mind but sometimes, it's hard to come up with credible excuses." Lindsey joked, knowing that Tru had a higher purpose on her rewind days but also knowing that Tru understood the burden it placed on those around her who knew about her gift.
Tru pulled her blonde girlfriend closer and nuzzled her neck, "well, not to worry because I told Davis I was totally unavailable this weekend. I won't even step foot on the same block as the morgue. I just hope no one dies in the hotel."
"Bite your tongue. No one is dying this weekend. C'mon, let's go to bed, I'm a little tired."
Tru and Lindsey got up and walked to their bedroom, each praying for a weekend free from rewinds. Though, on a subconscious level, Tru almost wished for a rewind day, if it happened the right way and allowed her a second chance to prepare for whatever this Giles person had in store for them. Sometimes, reliving the day proved to be beneficial to helping her cope with unexpected surprises.
TBC...
AN: I skipped ahead a bit but only to move the story along. For those who don't know or remember Kennedy, Check out Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Personally, I think Willow was better off with Kennedy than she was with Tara but that's just me. The link below is for a pic of the ring Kennedy bought for Willow. It was the inspiration.
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