"Could you repeat that for me again?"
General Charles Epperson looked across his desk to the young man. After the ADAM prototype had been terminated a few months ago in the former Initiative labs, the government rebuilt the place and set up shop again underneath Lowell House of UC Sunnydale.
It had been a very close decision; in another world, a flat tire would have resulted in the too-late arrival of a *very* influential member of the government, and the burying of the whole project.
Not here, though.
"I'm sorry, son; but we just don't have any need of your services.
I've gone over your record, and sad fact is - you have no special skills that we can use."
Xander shook his head, still not believing this. "But we had a deal, damn it!" he almost shouted. "The entire Scooby Gang comes in as team leaders and tech support for the supernatural stuff!"
Epperson picked up the folders on his desk and quickly flipped through them. "Buffy Summers, vampire Slayer. Enhanced speed, strength, senses. Willow Rosenberg. Practicing witch. Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers's Watcher. Small-time mage, with connections to many groups around the world that have been fighting demons since before America was a country...Tara Maclay. A witch who was trained in the mystical mojo just about as soon as she could talk..."
He then opened the last folder. "Alexander Harris...part-time construction worker. No special fighting skills, no special powers. In short, nothing that can contribute to this command."
"So just because I can't judo chop my way through a wall or cast a spell, that means I'm worthless!?" Xander yelled.
"Don't raise your voice to me like that, mister..." the general warned the so-called Zeppo.
"Why not? What the hell are you going to do, fire me?! Un-freaking-believable; we saved your asses here in this very compound…hell, I've saved the world twice on my own - and I bet *that's* not in your goddamn file - and all I get is my ass kicked out the damn door!"
Xander decided to try one more thing to change the new CO's mind. "Wait - do you know about the spell that made me some kinda Soldier Guy, a few years ago? Well, I still remember parts of it. Just give me an M-16, and I can take it apart blindfolded for you in under-"
"Harris, I have over 150 men and women on this base that can do that as well. And they remember *all* of their training - because unlike some people, they went through it for real and not via some cheapass magic imitation!"
Xander stared at the military man, and knew when he was fighting a lost battle. With nothing else to say, he just turned around and left, after sending Epperson a look of complete contempt.
"Do you know what this meeting is about, Riley?" Buffy asked her boyfriend, as they waited outside the office section of the newly-rebuilt Initiative.
"Not a clue," he told her. "If I had to guess, I'm thinking the general just wants to make sure-"
Finn was cut off as the door opened, and a very angry Xander Harris stormed out. "Xander!" Buffy called. "What's wrong?!"
A guard came up, and grabbed Xander by the arm - before Buffy's best male friend shook him off. "Where are you taking him?" Riley asked the soldier in surprise.
The guard said calmly, "The general's ordered me to escort Mr. Harris off the base, sir."
"Agent Finn, Agent Summers? I'd like a word."
Buffy looked back at Epperson standing in the doorway, and obviously not in a good mood. "Huh? What's going on?" And when she looked back towards Xander, she saw his still-pissed-off face, as the elevator to Lowell House above made a polite 'ding!' noise.
Willow peeked in through the door, and frowned. "Ah...who are you?"
The short black woman extended her hand in greeting. "I'm Agent Tarson. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Willow said, shaking her hand. "But, what are you doing here? This is Xander's room-"
Tarson shook her head. "Not anymore. My orders said I was assigned to Room Twelve this morning."
"Huh?"
Willow was getting hopelessly confused, as Buffy came up the stairs. "Willow, we need to talk..."
"Xander! There you are!" Willow called, as she and Buffy sat down at his table.
Riley pulled over an empty chair, as he joined the trio. "We've been informed. Tough break, bro-"
Xander looked up from his cherry Coke. "Tough break?" he asked, upset. "That moron basically threw me out of the damn base, and *that's* all you have to say? Who the hell is he to decide anything about my value to the team?!"
"He's General Epperson, Xander. A highly decorated officer who fought tooth and nail to keep this place going, when almost everyone else wanted us shut down," Riley said - as if that ended the conversation.
(Typical. I shoulda known that when the chips are down, this guy wouldn't be in *my* corner!) Xander then looked towards his two female friends. "Well, at least you two told that idiot what a big mistake he made, right?"
He instantly set his drink down, when both girls quickly looked away. "Right?" Harris pressed again.
"Well, Xander, we-" Buffy started to say, looking uneasily at Riley.
"You have *got* to be kidding me!" Xander exclaimed. "You went along with it? You decided to back *him*, against *me*? I thought we went through all this crap months ago!"
"It'll be okay, Xander..." Willow said quickly. Too quickly. "I mean, Riley said he'll teach you some fighting skills - so, uh, that maybe in a month or so you can-"
"I can *what*, Willow?" Xander demanded angrily. "So I can beg that brain-dead idiot to keep my own spot on our team?"
"Hey!" Riley exclaimed like a loyal bloodhound.
Ignoring that, Harris looked at Buffy. "I don't get it. Why the *hell*are you just accepting this? Aren't you the same Buffy who bitched out the last commander of that place, for playing on your turf?! Who told the Council to go to hell?! How can you let them do this to me?"
Buffy sighed. "Look, Xander, it-it sucks. I know. But at the moment, we need to be working with them. I mean, they've learned their lesson about trying to, well, *control* the demons. And, and come on - we already accepted the deal; we just can't throw this big opportunity away, over something as minor like this-"
Xander felt like his hero had just stamped 'LOSER' on his forehead, with permanent indelible ink. And at that moment, something *changed*forever.
He was Buffy's White Knight no longer.
The Slayer no longer had the confidence in him she'd once had. That was obvious. Xander suspected it was all due to her Angel issues, and his offhand comment a while ago - that she didn't act the same way around Riley, that she'd done around the souled vampire...
Buffy had taken it as a slur on her character, not as the compliment he'd intended. Still, that was irrelevant right now. "Minor?" Xander just said softly
"It'll just take some time to convince them, Xander, that's all!"
Willow told him, missing the warning signs of fury in his eyes - that a year ago, she would have instantly spotted. "And, and maybe this could be a good thing..." At the look on Xander's face, the redhead quickly added, "I mean, I've been worried about you. 'Cause, like, you did get pretty badly beaten up by those vampires two weeks ago-"
"If I hadn't jumped in that night when I did, Willow - you would be *dead* right now! Remember *that* little tidbit?"
Riley leaned in, trying to avoid letting this become a shouting match. "But hey, now she'll have highly skilled agents watching her back -whenever she needs to do a spell like that in the field again. It eliminates the need for untrained civilians to have to risk their lives-"
"You're already thinking of me as an untrained civilian now?" Xander asked cuttingly, somehow *not* surprised as Riley just looked down sheepishly. "Finn, sometimes I honestly pity you. Because I've been saving their asses, long before you even knew that vampires were real-"
At that moment three beepers sounded, and Riley quickly called in. He then came back to the table, "Okay, they just got a lead on the-" Then stopped as he looked to Xander. "Uh, sorry Xander but - orders. It's classified."
"We'll talk again, tomorrow, okay Xander?" Willow called back, as they all ran out.
Xander Harris just stared at the exit they'd run out of. "Don't count on it..." He thought back to when Angelus had held Willow hostage, when Buffy had fought that soulless vampire while sick with the flu -and he had helped his girls out...
And now Riley and his goose-stepping pals would be the ones doing that?
(Fine,) Xander thought to himself as the universe realigned itself around him. (If that's how they want it? Then no problem, those two on their own. I'm not their keeper anymore. The next time someone has to save Willow from becoming Robbie the Robot's love slave, or bring Buffy back from the dead, guess it won't be me...)
"Yeah. Don't count on it at all."
Faith the vampire Slayer knocked on the door to Room 234, before sticking her head in. "Guys?"
"Come on in, Faith."
"Hey Serena," Faith said to the tall blond woman sitting on the bed. At times, she still wasn't used to the niceties - after an unknown person had arranged for her early release from jail, and she'd saved the world from ending.
And the Chosen One wouldn't have believed it anyway, if she'd learned that Angel had traded the Scrolls of Aberjian for her freedom... "Is she ready yet?"
"Just about," Serena told her. "We did the makeup and hair. Now all she needs is to finish putting it on."
"Yo, C!" Faith called through the door. "You coming out sometime this week, or what?"
Cordelia yanked open the door, annoyed. "My God, how can anyone expect me to *breathe* in this thing?"
Faith looked at the robe the girl was wearing. "Well? Are you going to show us or not?"
Cordelia rolled her eyes, before undoing the robe and letting it drop to the floor. "Happy?"
"Damn!" Faith exclaimed. "I do such great work..."
The tall, statuesque Cordelia Chase was completely decked out in black leather. A form-fitting leotard that had a zipper up the front till just under her breasts then became a U-shaped opening, giving a very clear view of her abundant cleavage. She also wore a black thick collar around her neck, and long silver-studded gauntlets on her arms. "I can *not* go out in public like this!"
"Yes you can!" Faith told her. "Do I have to remind you of just *where* this party is at?"
"She's right, Cordelia," Serena told her friend. "I looked it up on the Net, and last year some girls went with their outfits just painted on!" She looked her friend over, "But *you* will make an impression."
"Yes, but what impression?" Cordelia wondered. "On account of I am *not* looking to whore myself out like that! If I was, I would have taken up one of the many offers I've gotten from all those porno mags! And I don't want to get noticed, just to get an offer to pose nude in that damn magazine-"
"Hey, Playboy isn't that bad!" Faith reassured her. "And you heard what Melody said. A lot of big-name people are gonna be there, and a lot of them go all-out on dressing up. Cordy, you got invited to the Playboy mansion Halloween party! You can't go as some lameass thing, like a horny cheerleader-"
The leather-clad woman threw up her hands. "Fine, just help me put on the damn boots!"
Cordelia sat in the chair, as Serena brought over the thigh high black leather high heal boots. As the two began to lace up the first one, Faith tried to take Cordelia's mind off her nervousness by giving her something else to think about. "Uh, FYI - I just overheard Wes downstairs talking to Angel. Seems that thing with the X-man is getting worse, back in SunnyD-"
Cordelia looked up at her once-enemy, now a friend. "Xander? Buffy and Willow are - they still keeping him at arm's length?"
"Yeah," Faith said with a sigh. "Giles told good ol' Wes that Red and B are trying to get the stud to see the positive in all this-"
"Oh, wait, let me guess!" Cordelia said sarcastically. "They're using this as an excuse to keep him *safe*." She shook her head in disgust. "Idiots!" Then she thought about for a minute. "Maybe I should call him, y'know? It's been a while, but-"
"You can call him tomorrow night!" Faith told her firmly. "Right now, you've gotta get going. You got your invitation?"
Cordelia grabbed the envelope off the table. "Check. Toss me the trench coat!"
"Has she come downstairs yet?" Doyle asked his coworkers, as he rushed into the lobby.
Charles Gunn laughed at him, unaware that the seer should have been dead right now; but due to the unexpected sacrifice of someone called Rieff, wasn't. "Calm down, man. She already told us she wasn't gonna let us see her in it, whatever outfit Faith spent all of David's money on."
"I still cannot believe how Faith conned Mr. Nabbit into paying for her outfit, I must say," Wesley said from behind the counter.
Gunn shrugged. "Hey, the guy can afford it, so no problem. I say, more power to her. I mean, as long as the white boy pays us all so well, I don't see anything wrong with a one-time splurge..."
"But she'll let me see, right?" the half-breed looked at his friends. "I mean, I was her boyfriend after all!"
"That was for less than two months, wasn't it Doyle?" Angel said suddenly, as he stood in the office doorway.
"Well, yeah..." Doyle agreed, somewhat ashamed. "But still-"
He stopped talking, when the three women of Angel Investigations appeared at the top of the steps. The other two had to help Cordelia down the stairs. "These damn heels are so not easy on stairs! Damn it all, Faith-"
"Whatever," Gunn said with a smirk as he looked at her feet. The coat stopped just above her ankles, so it gave a fair view of the stiletto heels.
Cordelia just gave him a scowl, before looking at Doyle. "No," she said simply.
"No what, princess?"
"No, I am *not* going to show you or anyone else here what I've got on underneath! I'm going to be embarrassed enough about it tonight, as it is!" She looked to her two female friends. "Let's go..."
Ethan Rayne looked around from his position in a plush armchair at all the works of art around the room. "Not too bad in terms of good taste, at that. For an American..."
"I'm so glad you approve."
Ethan stood and looked behind him. "Mr. Hefner..."
As they shook hands the older man shook his head "Hugh. Please."
"Very well, Hugh," Ethan said, as they sat back down across from one and other. "Now, you're certain you know what tonight's festivities entails?"
"Oh yes," Hugh told him. "Our mutual friend informed me of every detail."
"Fine. You *have* followed my instructions on the costumes to the letter?" Rayne inquired, not exactly reassured.
"I triple-checked it all myself," Hefner told him. "And after tonight, your payment will be in your Swiss bank account." The older man stood again. "Unfortunately, I have to greet a few of my other guests - then I'll go prepare. I've told the guards that you're to have full access to my party if you like, in the meantime."
"I think I might just do that," Ethan responded with a chilly smile.
"Good," Hugh said, completely unruffled. "I'll see you in about an hour then, Mr. Rayne..."
Cordelia looked out the window, as the car Faith was driving pulled to a stop in the long driveway. (My God...)
"You see, Cordy?" Serena said, as she pointed to a redheaded woman -who had something on that couldn't even be considered clothing, and walked by. "You'll be fine."
"Good," Faith said as Cordelia took off the jacket. "Now put the belt on. I found something that should go great with it."
"What?" Cordelia asked, nervous. Her eyes became huge, as Faith held up a long coiled old-style leather whip. "Oh, you can't be serious!"
Faith smiled mischievously. "Don't worry, C. And hell, it *will* help complete the whole dominatrix look!" The Slayer quickly attacked it by a loop to her belt. "There, perfect - now go knock 'em dead!"
Shaking her head, Cordelia got out of the car and quickly handed the approaching man in the dark suit her invitation. He took it, and looked it over quickly. "Welcome to the party, Ms. Chase. May I have the honor of escorting you to the main area?"
"You may," Cordelia said regally, getting in character by taking his arm.
Ethan stopped, as he saw the brunette woman walk by him. (Hell! That's one of Ripper's old high school brats!)
A large smile appeared on his face, as the woman didn't seem to recognize him. Well, Cordy did tend to repress anything Sunnydale-related these days - except her ex-boyfriend. (The spell will have to be reworked to add her to it,) Ethan checked his watch. (But there's time enough, I can handle it...)
With his grin growing, Ethan Lewis Rayne was very happy that he would now be able to add a little more chaos to this particular All Hallow's Eve. After all, he had a tradition to uphold...
"That will be all, James," Hefner said to his aide. "I won't need you again tonight."
The tall black man smirked, "Have a good time, boss." The man then closed and locked the door behind him.
In another room, Ethan was busy at what he did best.
He knelt before his statue of Janus. Quickly pressing his hands together, the man tried his best to ignore the pain as the small blades cut into his palms. When he pulled them apart, blood flowed freely from the newly-created wounds.
The British wizard then chanted, "The world that denies thee, thou inhabit..."
He dabbed the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger, and smeared it over his right eyelid. "The peace that ignores thee..."
Ethan then took the blood from his right hand with his left middle finger, and rubbed it over his left eyelid. "...thou corrupt."
Rayne then utilized the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger again, and traced out a cross onto his forehead. "Chaos. I remain, as ever, thy faithful, degenerate son..."
Hugh Hefner looked on as three of his current girlfriends, all dressed alike, appeared confused for a moment. Then as one, all three attractive blond women looked up and smiled mischievously at him.
"Good morning class," Hefner said to them, starting to play his role.
All three of them in matching Catholic schoolgirl uniforms, very short-skirt versions anyway, instantly giggled. "Good morning, Mr.
Hefner!" they chorused.
Hugh looked over his 'students'. "Today, class, we're going to learn about Sex. Ed." All three girls giggled at that, like the bimbos they had become. "Now, I need a volunteer-" Hef told them.
All three quickly put their hands in the air. "Me!"
"No, me!"
"No, me!"
At that same moment Cordelia was by herself, after having been talking with Fred Durst. She was heading to grab a glass of wine, when she started to feel funny. She tried shaking her head, in an effort to clear it.
Then a second later, Cordy felt fine again. (That was weird!) she thought to herself.
But before the cheerleader and ruler of Sunnydale High's elite could wonder anymore on it, she heard a slurred male voice behind her. "Hey there, baby!" And she also felt a hand on her ass.
The leather-clad woman spun around instantly, and angrily. Grabbing the wrist of the surprised drunk, and squeezing it. People watched stunned, as the man fell to his knees in pain. "Hey!"
Cordelia looked at him in pure hatred. "Did I say you could touch *me*?"
"N-no..." the man gasped at her, in a lot of pain.
His answer caused her to squeeze even harder. "No, what? Speak up, boy!"
"No, ma'am!"
"Ma'am!?" Cordelia yelled angrily. She got in his face, "Do I look like a *ma'am* to you, you little piece of dog shit?"
The man gasped from the pain and took a look at her outfit and quickly guessed, "No, Mistress!"
A very cruel-looking smile spread over Cordelia's face. "That's better!" she said, as the young woman let him go. He grabbed his wrist and held it, still in pain. (Crazy bitch!)
"Now," Cordelia began. "If you come near me again, I will make you hurt a *lot* worse! Do you understand me, you little worm!?"
"Yes, Mistress!" the guy said hurriedly, before scampering off.
As she watched him and his friends quickly leave, Cordelia thought to herself, (God, it's so hard to find a man worth my time anymore!)
Then the brunette spotted someone she wanted to talk to, and quickly moved over and joined their conversation. Not caring in the least that she only knew the group from various TV shows and movies...
Ethan was running late, his plane back to England was set to leave in just under two hours. He had planned to leave sooner, but when an Oriental model found his so-called Hugh Grant accent sexy, well - he'd decided to stick around for a little while longer.
Before he left the mansion though, Ethan left very strict instructions on how to end the spell in the morning. And any idiot should remember the easy step of smashing a statue on the ground - but these were, after all, bloody Americans...
And he was passing through the partygoers on his way to the main drive, when the Brit stopped - as he could not help but grin.
A little bit away from him, he saw the brat of Ripper's. She was full-on in dominatrix mode. Ethan watched as she talked with an older man, one that had a young nude blond woman on a leash. And just from looking, it was easy to tell the couple wasn't dressed like that just for Halloween...
Leaning against a pillar, Rayne watched as the new dominatrix checked the bondage gear on the nude woman, as she talked to the girl's master. "Must be giving him a few tips," Ethan said with a laugh, before heading for the driveway where his cab would be waiting.
An hour after the chaos mage had gone, Cordelia had a small crowd gathered around her. They all applauded when she masterfully wielded the whip, easily hitting targets set up hastily around them.
One brave young man put a lit cigarette in his mouth.
(God, why does everyone want to see this trick?) Cordelia thought in distaste. (I could do this in my sleep!)
The crowd went silent for a moment before Cordelia snapped the whip.
And then burst into applause again, when the whip sliced the cigarette in two.
(All right, enough's enough. These people are worse than my high school sheep! I need to find a real man. Now, where can I find such a specimen...)
Faith picked up the phone on the second ring. "Angel Investigations, we help the helpless."
#Faith…#
The Slayer smirked. "Hey, Cordy. It's about time you called in. Slept late in a strange bed, did we?" she teased.
#No, I went back to my place…alone.#
That caused Faith to frown. "You didn't get any action? At a Playboy party?"
#Not now, Faith!# Cordelia told her friend. #Tell Angel that I've decided to take a few of my well-deserved vacation days. So, I won't be contactable in the foreseeable future here.#
Faith was somewhat astounded. "You sure you didn't get lucky?"
#Yes, now listen. Someone did a spell at the party last night. Tell Angel it had to be the same person who did the Halloween costume thing, three years ago.#
"What Halloween costume thing?" Faith asked, confused. Even though she shouldn't have been...
#Just have Angel explain it to you guys. I've got to go!#
"Okay..." the dark-haired Slayer said into the phone. "Hey, wait, will you have your cell on? The guy will probably wanna-"
#No!# came the quick answer. #I don't want to be disturbed. Make sure Angel understands that.#
A frown. "Can you tell me where you're going, at least?"
#I'm going back to my roots, to collect something I should have repossessed a long time ago.#
About an hour or so later, Angel was just finishing up telling the story to the other members of his team.
"What kind of sicko would turn little kids into monsters?" Serena asked shaking her head in disgust.
However, Wesley was a little worried about something else. "If it was the same spell, then Cordelia may be in danger." He looked to the two women present. "What did she dress up as?"
"Well..." Serena shared a look with Faith.
"Come on, tell us already!" Doyle said in concern.
Faith said uneasily, "She didn't go as any specific person..."
"What did she go as, Faith?" Angel asked slipping into boss mode.
"Well...a dominatrix."
"What!?" Doyle's surprised shout was loud enough to wake the dead.
Xander Harris tossed his keys on his kitchen counter, and tossed his jacket on the back of the Lazy Boy recliner. The man had recently moved out of his parents' basement, and was never more grateful for that fact in the next five seconds; for as he pulled back the wood-sliding door to his bedroom, Xander stopped in his tracks.
Given that what he saw at that moment, was right out of the many fake letters to Penthouse.
The windows shades were all drawn. His sheets had been replaced with a red silk set; lit candles of all sizes covered nearly every surface. But that was not what made him momentarily lose the ability to speak.
Standing in the middle of the candle lit room was his ex-girlfriend, Cordelia Chase. She was dressed in a black leather outfit, that showed off her ample curves extremely well. Not to mention her 36C-sized breasts! And the thigh-high boots with heels did a lot to help complete the look.
"Welcome home, Xander," she told him sweetly. "I hope you don't mind that I let myself in."
All Xander could do was slowly shake his head in numb wonder. (Cordelia? Is that you?)
"Good!" Cordy said, before she took his hand and led him to the bed then sat him down. The woman then slid the door closed, before she turned back to him. She grinned wickedly at the utter shocked look on his face for a moment, before she continued talking.
"I've heard about your recent setbacks, you know. Getting kicked out of Buffy's new club after you saved the world, at least twice. Plus, Giles says the building your crew is on is done as of yesterday? So you're out of work. And to top it all off, that ex-demon man-hater you were dating took off with a half-demon, because she thought he would be better in the sack?"
Xander just shrugged as she talked. "Shit happens, you gotta deal."
Cordy looked sympathetic as she went on, "Well, Xander, they say there's a silver lining in everything. And for you, I'm it. As you might have guessed, something's changed with my tastes since yesterday-"
All look of shyness or doubt left her face, as Cordelia looked at Xander with dead seriousness in her eyes. "That's why I have an offer for you."
"Offer?"
Ms. Chase suddenly rushed forward, and grabbed him into a bruising yet passionate kiss. When she was done, Xander stammered, "What-"
But Cordelia grabbed him by the ear, and forced him to his knees. As he yelped, the dominatrix leaned down, "Let's just say it's one offer that I know you *can't* refuse..."
Cordelia sat in her office as head of the law firm's entertainment division; and she was growing very impatient with the woman on the other end of the phone line. (Talk about your unwelcome nag du jour...)
Sometimes, Cordy couldn't believe Team Angel had all relocated here, after Doyle had died and Serena had inherited his visions nearly two years ago. Ignoring the babbling from the other end of the line, she momentarily grieved for her friend that was now in a coma, and who was considered a lost cause by the all the doctors so far that Cordelia had brought to examine her.
Another one was in fact scheduled for this very afternoon. But first, this damned phone call.
"No, Buffy," Cordelia growled into the headset. "Xander does not *want* to come join your new Watchers Council! And that's final."
She listened to the Roman Slayer's reply, and it just ticked her off more. "What the hell do you mean, 'how do I know?' I'm his wife, you dummy! We do this little thing called talking to each other, it *is*traditional between married people, you know!"
Cordelia sighed, as she laid it out for the other femme. "Look, you and Willow didn't want him involved in the dangerous stuff anymore back then? Well, congratulations - you got what you wanted. Xander left you behind the same way you two left *him* behind, and personally - I say bravo for him! Bottom line, he belongs here now with Angel and the rest of us. And like either me or him would have wanted to be present for the kind of stuff you got up in the last few years - such as Glory killing almost everyone in the Initiative, Willow getting killed by those demon bikers after she resurrected you-"
Cordy then listened to Buffy prattle on for a bit, before she let out a long sigh. "No, Xander doesn't do much in the demon fighting department anymore. All right, except in emergencies! We mostly leave that to Wesley, and the two members of Buffy's Ex-Boyfriend Club.
Xander works directly 'under' me..."
A pause. "Fine, I'll tell him you called!" the brunette said into the microphone. "Goodbye!"
After she took off the headset, Cordelia Chase-Harris looked underneath her large desk. "Buffy called for you."
Her husband looked up at her from his spot on his knees, in between her legs. "So I heard..." he said, somewhat amused.
"It figures she would call right now! Wanting you to leave the country, or whatever," the female senior VP said sourly. Looking right at her better half Cordy subsequently added, "You should get back to what you were about to do - before we were so rudely interrupted!"
"Well, if you insist..." Xander said with false annoyance, as he bent his head down - heading for the erogenous zones that the man had constantly been worshipping, ever since the Halloween of Y2K.
"You bet I do, lame boy!" Cordelia responded in a frosty voice, one that the former Scooby had long ago discovered was not worth the consequences of disobeying. His wife quickly pressed a button on her desk, "Mark, hold all my calls - and move up my next appointment by half an hour!"
"Yes, Mrs. Harris," came the young secretary's voice through the speaker.
As Xander reached up, Cordelia spread her legs wide to give her man easy access and leaned back into the plush leather chair. He pushed up her skirt, and with both hands grabbed hold of each side of her blue Victoria's Secret V-String panties. Quickly pulling them down to her ankles, Harris took a fraction of a second to enjoy at the sight of her beautiful, trimmed pussy.
"Hey, you already know what it looks like!" Cordelia growled, as she grabbed the back of his head and forced it to where she wanted it to go. "Remind me why I'm married to you." she ordered her mate.
Xander quickly started doing just that. (I may be a pussywhipped slave, but oh God - the fringe benefits...)
After several long minutes, Cordelia was almost lost in the sensations as she whispered out, "Oh...oh...God, yeah, you're still the best baby...OH!"
The young woman's eyes burst open wide, then she moaned as she instinctively pushed him farther into her - and Xander found that special place that always drove Cordy crazy. (Oh dear Lord, why did he never know how to use his tongue like that during high school...)
Angel and Faith approached Cordelia's secretary, but only Faith noticed that the privacy glass had been turned on to its highest setting. Thus, it was now impossible to see inside Cordelia's office. The LA Slayer quickly guessed the sound dampening spell was in use, as well...
So the second oldest Chosen One quickly grabbed the vampire's arm. "No way, Angel, we'll come back later."
"Why?" Angel asked, his thoughts elsewhere.
"Ah, ah, I'm sorry Mr. Angel," Mark said. "But Mrs. Harris is in a meeting..." he trailed off, not wanting to bring that subject up with the main boss. Though compared to what he had gone through while working for the last regime of this firm, the job these days was pretty tame.
At least, no one was getting ritually sacrificed to the Senior Partners anymore at this branch...
Faith, however, had no problem saying it. "Which means that she's got her boy toy squirming between her legs right now, odds are he's either munching on the carpet or playing hide the salami. You really want to interrupt that? *Again*?"
Angel's face paled as much as it could, as he recalled the last time he'd walked unannounced into Cordelia's office. Distracted, he had tried to talk to her from the door for a full 15 seconds before he'd sensed someone else in the room.
And the former Scourge of Europe did *not* want to get on Cordelia's bad side like that, ever again. "Ah...no, I-I'll just talk to her later." He looked to the very uncomfortable secretary. "Y'know, when she's free from her...meeting."
"Yes, sir!"
The other two watched the ensouled vamp's hasty retreat. "Man is way too uptight lately," Faith said shaking her head, before turning to the guy at the desk. "Hey, do me a favor? When C's out of her meeting, have her send Xander to my office - so I can have my own meeting with him."
The young secretary's eyes went wide in terror. "No, no, I..." he said, quickly shaking his head. "You *know* what Mrs. Harris does to employees, who even suggest-"
"Hey, take it easy tiger!" Faith said in genuine amusement, slapping him on the arm with Slayer strength. "I was only kidding."
The man relaxed considerably, despite the pain. "Oh, thank God!" he said unthinkingly.
Faith looked around to make sure no one else was around before she said. "Actually, why don't *you* come over to my office later, say around five-ish?"
The Slayer watched with amusement as the young man's eyes went wide again. (Why the hell should C get all the fun, just because she has her own well-trained stud? Damn, I shoulda kept him back in the day, if X can make her scream like that nowadays...) Faith thought to herself with a sigh.
"I, I, I..." Mark stuttered.
Fortunately, he was saved from making up an excuse when Xander came out of the office - with a stunned look on his face. "What's up?"
Faith asked in concern.
Xander stared at Faith, before breaking out into a huge smile. "Ask Cordy, I gotta go..."
The Slayer went in to join Cordelia, who was carefully reapplying her makeup. "What's the what, C? Your boy just took off a second ago..." Faith then had a horrible thought. "Are you two-?"
Cordelia sighed, as she straightened up some papers on her desk. Then she grinned, "I told my big doofus that I love him - and that he's gonna make a great father."
"Oh! You mean-?"
"Heck yeah," Cordelia nodded. "The firm's OB/GYN confirmed it on the phone, not more than five minutes ago. That's why Xander took off to get us some nonalcoholic champagne, or something..."
Faith stared at her friend, somewhat enviously - not knowing that the man called Robin Wood would soon find her, and one day their roles would be like completely reversed.