Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.8: Sweet Sensations

    "So, Maggie sends me down into the sewers with one of those blasto-guns, and the next thing I know, it's raining monsters." Buffy explained while walking around. Pops was cleaning up after operating on Spike, and we were all listening to the Slayer intently.

  "Hallelujah." Xander popped off.

  "And then this gate slams down behind me, an-and I try to use the gun, but it goes pfff." Buffy used a hand gesture for emphasis.

  "You're saying that Maggie Walsh set you up?"

  "That's exactly what I'm saying. She sent me on a one-way recon."

  "Got to hand it to you, Goldilocks." Spike said while sitting on the stairs. "You do have bleeding tragic taste in men." He looked down while picking at the black nail polish on his fingertips. "I got a cousin married to a Regurgitating Frolopse's demon that's got better instincts than you."

  "What does my taste in men have to do with this?" Buffy asked.

  "You think Riley was out knitting booties for your future offspring while Maggie was stringin' you up?" There was a silent pause as Buffy looked at us.

  "You guys think Riley had something to do with this?"

  "Probably not, but, um....we'd be remiss if we didn't think of all the possibilities." Pops said while sitting on the table.

  "Right." Buffy shifted on her feet while putting her hands into her pockets. "Remiss..... No." She paused. "No. Maggie made sure that he was nowhere around when she sent me on this very special 'make Buffy dead' assignment."

  "Plus....Riley? He seems like he wouldn't tell a little white lie, let alone a whole bunch of dirty ones." Willow made a face.

  "That's why they call it the Secret Forces, Will- 'cause they kind of keep the whole lying thing to themselves." Xander spoke up.

  "I'm with Buffy on this." I said, bringing attention to myself. "I mean, Riley found out I was part demon back when we fought the Vahrall, and yet, here I still am." I shrugged. "He could have tried to bring me into the Initiative many times since then, but he hasn't." I pointed out.

  "All I know is that Maggie has it in for me, which means the Initiative has it in for me." Buffy shifted on her feet again.

  "I'm guessing the mad scientist isn't too keen on the fact that the entire Scooby gang knows that the Initiative is up to no good.

  "Which brings us back to the 'not safe for any of us' concept."

  "What could have happened to make Professor Walsh want to kill you?" Giles asked after walking over to the bar counter.

  "I don't know." The blonde woman looked down. "She wasn't keen on the fact that I was asking a lot of questions, that's for sure."

  "So you were getting too close to something." Anya said.

  "Clearly." Pops began to put the things back onto the table. "Although, one can only imagine what she'd be so desperate to hide."

  "Okay, everybody, grab a weapon. We've gotta move." Buffy ordered after Xander and Anya had gotten off of the weapon's chest.

  "And storm the Initiative?" Xander asked as Buffy handed him an ax. "Yeah. Let's take on those suckers."

  "I was thinking more that we'd hide."

  "Oh, thank God."

  "Buffy, I think perhaps we should talk about this." Pops stated while standing up all the way and putting his hands into his pockets.