ff: The Synchronicity Solution 6

[Carol.Clarke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Title: The Synchronicity Solution
Chapter Six: Red Skies at Morning
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
Timeline: The Story bounces around in time from 2003 to 2019.
Summary: Catherine Finn likes to help people, human and non-human alike. But
can she save her own granddaughter?
Thanks: Cheryl Hill
Warning: Character death, forced drug taking, NOT FOR THE SQUEMISH 

The Synchronicity Solution
Red Skies at Morning

October 10, 2003 Sunnyvale California. 6:00 am. Local time

Xander Harris snored loudly snuggled next to Anya. He was tired and a little
bruised. He and Riley had patrolled together the night before. They had
dusted two vampires but not without being knocked around a bit. In fifteen
minutes his alarm clock would go off. Anya would give him yet another
blowjob. Not that he minded. They both enjoyed her sexual appetite. 

Then he would hurriedly shower and rush off to work arriving about a minute
late. If he was lucky. He actually liked his job and he was good at it. He
actually liked his life and he felt bad about liking his life because they
still didn't know what happened to Buffy, Willow and Dawn. At this point
even he thought they must be died.

As Xander's body began the process of waking, two bullets enter in his
heart. They were followed by two bullets to his head. Anya lay next to him
screaming for help covered in her lover's blood. She may have been a
vengeance demon for 1000 years. She may have used her powers to cause
countless atrocities and pain, but in that spilt second before her mortal
life ended she finally knew exactly what the loved ones of the men she had
cursed felt. She didn't fear or care about her own fate as the bullets
riddled her body. 

October 10, 2003. 4 PM local time. Somewhere at Sea near the English shore.

Ben Timmins watched the fishing trolley off the port bow. It was now or
never. He quickly returned to his cabin and got the bag of boy's clothes he
had stolen from his younger bothers. The sizes were all wrong but it beat
dragging the woman out of here naked. He then grabbed one of his over sized
shirts and tossed it in the bag. He hoped it would cover the slayer's very
rounded body. He hoped his uncle had coats and blankets for them aboard the
trolley. It was cold as hell outside.

He picked up the bag and put his brother's service pistol in the back of his
pants and covered it with his jacket. He then picked the bag up and slung it
over his shoulder. Acting like his normal goofy self he moved down the ship.
He prayed Dawn did exactly what he had told her to do. He would not leave
the ship without her. At least not alive.

He knew this time of day the women were left to rest. Martin would have
finished torturing them. In truth Martin had grown bored of tormenting the
witch and Quentin had put a stop to his fun with the slayer now that she was
nearing the end of her pregnancy. Which was why he had to move now. Once the
child was born Quentin would no longer need the women. They would be tossed
out to sea like the trash. Or so he was led to believe.

Ben made it to just outside of the cell area before opening the bag. He
pulled out a bottle of real Kentucky bourbon and five or six of Soho's best
from the adult industry. Armed he closed the bag and entered the room.

"Rick, Captain thought you could do with a bit of a break. He handed the
watcher/guard the bourbon and a couple of magazines. Flopping down in the
chair next to the guard, Ben picked up a magazine and started to read. Rick
opened the bottle and took a big swig before opening up his own magazine.

"Hey can I read one of those?" Willow asked reaching out from the cell. 

"Give her one lad, she's a dyke you know. Stupid bitch gets off on stuff
like this lad." Rick said in his thick Scottish accent. Ben handed her the
magazine through the bars barely hiding his anger. It wasn't because the
girl was gay she wanted the magazine, it was because there was little else
for them to read aboard the ship. And he knew they actually read the
articles. He had heard them both reading to each other often enough in their
drug filled haze. He was often in awe at their ability to still laugh after
everything that had happened to them.

The redhead took the magazine and quickly crawled back across the cell and
on to her bed mat on the floor next to the slayer. Ben was sickened by the
day-old open lash marks across her back. Leaning up the redhead touched the
slayer and whispered, "So honey which do you want me to read first, 'My
lesbian affair with Posh Spice' or 'Three-some on the lift'?"

"The lift, but only if it involves someone's thrusting manhood." Buffy
replied loudly. Then she leaned over and whispered just barely loud enough
for Ben to hear. "He's the one who is bonking my sister. I can smell her on
him."

Good, Ben thought, at least they know the truth. 

"So do you want me to do the jock inch spell or are you just going to break
his neck?" Willow said loudly staring at the boy.

"Oh his death will be slow. Trust me." Buffy said frankly crossing her arms
in a gesture that meant business. 

"Oh goody slow death by jock inch." Willow laughed the heroine in her blood
stream finding it amazingly funny.

October 10, 2003 Finn Farm Iowa 10: 00 am local time.

Ryan Finn hung up the phone. Turned off the TV and started crying harder
then he had ever cried in his life. His youngest son was dead. The boy was
dead. Killed in some god forsaken place and he didn't know why. For the
price of a gallon of gas. For the betterment of mankind? For what?

He himself had fought bravely in Vietnam. He had been given a Silver Star
for his effort during the war. He had wanted to believe he had fought to
give his children a brighter future. He had wanted to buy the lie. Or was it
the dream of a better brighter America that had been worth dying for. His
father before him had done the same thing on the shores of Normandy during
WWII. His grandfather had been on the line in WWI. Hell if his sister was
right, with all her prattling, his ancestor had been soldiers in every major
war or conflict dating back to the French and Indian War. They always made
war sound romantic. It wasn't.

And now his boy was dead. James was dead. Shot down over some desert country
and he still didn't know why.

October 10, 2003 Heathrow Airport. 5:00 PM local time.

Giles, Tara and Riley exited the plane passport in hand. They hoped this
wasn't another wild goose chase. Their money was almost gone. Giles'
business was doing well but it couldn't take many last minute trips to
England.

With their over night bags in hand, the three entered the terminal, which
was on full alert. On the flight in the pilot had announced that American
were now in a state of war. It had been coming for weeks. Another Bush Gulf
war. 

"Riley" Kate Finn called dressed in her full Air Force blues. The three
turned to meet Riley's sister. "You're lucky Big brother I almost didn't get
off the base." Kate said hugging her brother tightly.

"You look good sis," Riley said nervously. He just wanted his wife back,
asking his sister to pick them up was a risk. 

"You look a little thin. That wife of yours not feeding you enough. So who
are your friends?" Kate asked wondering what Riley was really up to. She had
known he was once part of an elite Marine-fighting unit. With the war coming
she doubted he was here for the sight seeing. Then she had never believed
her brother had just left the Marines. 

"Kate this is Rupert Giles and Tara McClay." Riley said getting his sister
to move toward the exit they still had a long drive ahead. 

"I take it we are in a hurry?" Kate asked

"I need to get to Manchester as quickly as possible." Riley said flatly.

October 10, 2003. 5 PM local time. Somewhere at Sea near the English shore.

Rick O'Brain slid from his chair in the corner of the holding area to the
floor. The bottle of bourbon he had been drinking from fell from hand and
shattered on the floor. Ben watched and waited for several minutes
wordlessly making sure he did not move or that no one else came to find out
want the breaking sound had been. Buffy and Willow were also watching from
the cot. Neither moving nor speaking.

Ben unlocked the cell and tossed in the bag. "Put these on as quickly as
possible."

"Why?" Buffy asked struggling to get on her feet with Willow's help.

"Because I am getting you out of here?"

"Again why?" Buffy said hate dripping from her voice.

"I want to marry your sister. I love her. And for some damnable reason she
will not leave this ship without ya."

"You do know my sister is only sixteen." Buffy said moving forward at a
speed he did not think the pregnant woman could manage.

"Aye" Ben said quickly as Buffy's hand wrapped around his neck. 

"Buffy, escape first, kill him later." Willow said pulling out the clothes.
What was the worst thing that could happen at this point another beating?
Besides she knew they had to get off the ship before the baby was born.
"Grey Magic" Willow added to herself as she pulled off her tank top and put
on the boys front button shirt. 

Willow slipped on the jeans, sweater and a nit cap that many of the sailors
wore. Then she pushed her feet into the over sized boots. Buffy let go of
Ben and he dropped to the floor. Willow began pulling the over sized shirt
over the slayers full belly. 

"Grab the chair" the witch told the boy. Ben picked up the folding chair and
brought it in the cell for Buffy to sit on. Willow then quickly moved to put
on a larger pair of pants on the slayer. They were big and Ben took off his
own belt and tightened it on the slayer while Willow slipped on the boots
over her feet. They too, were several sizes to large but they were on. She
tore up magazines and stuffed them in the boots to hold them on. He took off
his own mac and put it on Buffy. Then Willow put a cap on Buffy's head. They
both knew Ben was dressing them like sailors.

"Come on there isn't much time." Ben said. 

They made it up to the deck with little effort. Most of the crew were eating
diner. Heading for the back of the boat, Ben opened the storage boxes that
rope and tools were housed in. Dawn was waiting for him in the box. For the
last week he had been meeting Dawn here at night. She would climb out her
small porthole and over to the side of the ship and wait for him then she
would return the same way. Ben had fixed a rope outside her room for this
purpose. Dawn jumped out of the box and hugged her sister and Willow crying
with joy. She had not been allowed close enough to either of them to touch
them since they were captured.

Ben opened a second box and pulled out one of those self-inflating Navy
rafts. Pulling the plug he let it inflate. Tying a rope around it he tossed
it overboard. "You all have to jump." He said flatly.

"Dawn you first, then boyfriend, Willow you next and I'll go last." Buffy
ordered. Dawn jumped in and swam to the boat. Ben next and finally she and
Willow. As Ben was pulling in first Buffy then Willow the slayer whispered
to Willow. "This is way too easy. They let us go."

Finn Farm, Iowa 2019

David passed the mashed potatoes around the table. Dawn's sister was looking
a lot better though her hands were still shaky. "Mr. Finn that is a nice Gym
you have in the barn." He commented.

"My boys put a lot of it in before they ran off to the service. Athletes all
of them. Even the girls. Hell my girls ran off to join the services. Kate
was a captain before she came to her senses and married Bob." Ryan laughed.
He was proud of his seven children.

"How many kids do you have Sir?" David asked

"Eleven if you count this lot." Ryan laughed tapping Dawn on the head.

"Our oldest, Ryan Jr. is in Denver. He's a doctor. Mary and her Husband Mark
live in Louisville, Ky. Steven and his wife live in Fort Worth. Steven is a
retired army Colonel, he's still teaching on the base. Riley and James were
both killed in the Second Gulf war. Kate and her husband Bob live here in
Campfield and my youngest Beth is in New York on husband number two. Then
there is this lot." Ryan laughed as he returned to the table with three
framed pictures of his family. 

David took the pictures and smiled. The first was about twenty years old.
Many of the kids in uniform. He noticed Buffy in the picture next to one of
Ryan's sons. The second was about ten years old and the people were older.
Dawn and Willow were in this one. The third had a lot more children in it,
grand kids he thought. Willow's daughter Kimberly was in this one as well as
Alex.

"And just how did you get stuck with this lot?" David asked studying the
picture. 

"Well, Buffy was married to our son Riley. And Willow was married to our son
James. The other two well were just so pitiful we had to take them in."
Katherine laughed.

"James was Kimberly's father." Buffy stated, looking up from her food. It
wasn't like she was eating that much of it with her hands shaking the way
they were.

York, England 2019

James entered his bedroom. Rubbing his balls. Martin had gotten a good kick
there, again. He still didn't understand why his uncle liked to kick him
there whenever he got the chance. His uncle was a complete jerk and he hated
him with all his heart.

Looking in the mirror James closed his eyes and saw the vision he sometimes
got. Grey magic was what his mother called it. He saw himself sitting at a
table in some kind of Norman Rockwell horror story breaking green beans in
half in a bowl. He knew the farm. He saw it in his dreams often enough.
"Aunt Kate" echoed in his head as he saw through the girls' eyes again. Grey
Magic. It was all about Grey magic.

Closing his eye he focus his vision letting himself enter the girls body. He
liked seeing through her eyes. Feeling her thoughts. She was anger with her
mother again for dumping her with Aunt Kate. Sometime he felt as if the
woman were his Aunt as well. His family. Mostly he wished they were his
family. He would trade his life a thousand times over for the girl's life.
Her mother loved her. Her grandfather and grandmother, Aunt and Uncles all
loved her. She never got kicked in the balls for missing a block or failing
to win a fight.

Closing his eyes he broke the contact with the girl. Rubbing his balls one
last time, James tossed his cloths to the floor for the servants to clean.
He then quickly began changing into the tweed suit his father always made
him wear to dinner. Checking his tie to make sure it was tied correctly and
was straight James left his room.

The house was large. An old manor house from a different age of lords and
masters. His father was a Duke but almost never used the title. He honestly
didn't know how many servants his father had in his employ. He pasted
through the library, the largest room in the house. It was always full of
people, mostly monks and priest and the ever-present watchers. Night or day
someone was always in the library, reading some dead language or the other.
His father had wanted him to learn to read many of the languages. At 8 the
priest had started teaching him Greek and Latin. And ten the stopped. He was
consisted to dull to learn the finer things in life. So his father had him
begin studying marshal arts. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic took second
place to the study of Marshall Arts. Ancient weapons and Warfare had been
added to his study. He had 14 different teachers he studied with each day.
Masters each and every one.

He took his place at the diner table. Even from across the long table he
knew his mother was drunk. What else was new, the woman was always drunk.
But she was only a woman. Or that is what is father said. Women were lesser
creatures and needed to be protected. James still didn't believe his father
was always correct on these matters. Thinking of his aching balls he choice
to keep his opinions to himself.

James was brought out of his internal dialog as his uncle Martin loudly sat
down at the table. "Taken the boy out again tonight." He announced.

"Yes we discussed this earlier Martin." Quentin said. 

"Just wanted to remind you. The boy is a slayer. Can't caudal him. Don't
need another nambi pambi bleeding heart fragile little slayer boy. Had
enough of that lot already." Martin said hate pouring from his mouth.

"Yes well, we need not talk of it at the dinner table, Martin." Lady Mary
Travers stated. 

"In deed." Quentin said as the room became silent and the four began to eat.


"I wear the cheese it does not wear me." Bald Man, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.