Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Since I have already stolen Drogyn and hopefully given him a better death than Joss did; you won’t be all that surprised that I am playing with the Angel timeline. I’m just borrowing one more character. But I promise to give him back in the same condition I got him in.
 
Dialog taken from “No Place Like Home” by Doug Petrie. Dialog taken from Triangle, written by Jane Espenson
 
Many thanks to my beta No_Promises. The wonderful banner is by 3hours.

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While Giles was calling the council the escaped Scoobies were in their hideout trying to figure out how to call the council for assistance. “Mom we can’t use the phone at the house and a pay phone won’t work. Does anyone know how much a call to England would cost at a pay phone?”

“How about Janice’s house?” Dawn offered her friend up.

“Honey, I know you miss her but we would be putting her in danger if we called from her house.”

“Hey slayer, how about the college? We could sneak in after hours. Place like that has to make tons of calls every day. Doubt they’d notice one call to England. Even if they did no way to trace it back to you.” Spike offered his suggestion.

“Actually that’s a good idea. Most colleges call Alumni for donations, it’s possible a former student could have moved to E-England. The school probably won’t notice the call at all.” Tara agreed.

Buffy admitted it was a good idea. There really wasn’t a way for the gang to trace the call back to her from the school. “Okay we use the school. But we have to be careful I don’t know if Willow is still going to classes or not.”

“I doubt it will matter Buffy. I don’t think the college has classes at 1 am.”

“1 am? Are you sure Anya?”

“Very. You figure out time zones quickly when you teleport all over granting vengeance wishes.”

“Well, thanks. So I guess we do this tonight. I’ll go and make the call and come right back.”

“One little problem with that plan pet. Do you know how to pick a lock or were you just going to break down the door like you do when you come to my crypt?”

“Spike we both can’t go. I don’t like leaving Dawn and my mom here without one of us to protect them.”

“I’ll go with Spike.” Both blondes spun around in surprise at Joyce’s announcement.

“What? Mom, really I should go. If I have to break down the door I’ll break it down.”

“Buffy, I can make a phone call. Besides if you break down the door the police might be called. We don’t know who has been affected by Kaledena and if Giles or Willow and Xander find out they’ll know you called the council. It’s better if I go with Spike.”

After some pointless arguing Buffy realized she wasn’t going to win the argument with her mother. The rest of the day was spent reading the material they had stolen from Giles’ place.

Just before 1 am Joyce got dressed in the darkest clothes she could find and prepared to break into a college campus office and call a group that had tried to kill her daughter just a few short years ago. Buffy stormed over to Spike, “If anything happens to my mother…”

“Sing me another one pet; I’ve heard this one before. You’ll stake me good and proper yeah?”

With a huff Buffy walked over to her mother. “Be careful, don’t be afraid to use Spike as a shield okay?”

The elder Summers’ and Spike took off through the tunnels. When they arrived at the campus Spike broke into the same office he had used the year before to search for Buffy’s dorm room. “We’ve got about half an hour before the guard comes by here.”

“Are you sure?”

“’Member from last time I was here. Campus security patrols the area around the dorms more than the offices.”

Joyce took a deep breath and dialed the long distance number. A woman’s voice came over the line, “Lydia Chalmers speaking.”

“Hello, thisis Joyce Summers. My daughter, Buffy Summers, is the slayer.”

After a startled gasp a cheery voice came through the line, “Oh yes, Sylvia, how lovely to hear from you! It’s been ages.”

“Excuse me? I think I might have dialed the wrong number. I’m sorry.”

“No, you have the right of it. Where are you calling me from?”

“Sunnydale, California.” Joyce shot Spike a look of confusion, holding the phone away from her ear so Spike could listen in, she turned her attention back to the odd conversation on the phone.

“Sylvia let me pop out of the office and ring you back on my mobile. I don’t think I have your new number. Be a dear and give it to me.”

Spike quickly pointed out the phone number taped to the base of the phone. Joyce rattled off the number and said goodbye. “What in the world was all that?”

“Sounds like the watcher beat us to the punch. Chit knows somethin’s going on. She was the one that came to talk to me.”

The harsh ring startled both of them and Joyce carefully pickup the phone before it could ring again. “Hello?”

“Ms. Summers? It’s Lydia Chalmers. I am so sorry for the ruse, but Rupert Giles called earlier. I managed to hear some of the conversation and quite frankly I had a very hard time believing what he was saying. That was not the same man we saw when we were in Sunnydale.”

“Well your right about that. Kaledena has arrived and she seems to have Rupert and two of Buffy’s friends under her control. We managed to get the books and papers you left but they aren’t much help.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.  I can check to see if we have anything more.” Lydia replied.

“That would be wonderful but I don’t see how we would be able to get it from you. We’ve gone into hiding and even making this phone call is dangerous.”

Lydiawas silent for a moment. “Mr. Travers will be of no help. He is convinced that Buffy is the danger; Rupert told him he would handle Buffy. Mr. Travers was going to send a team to Sunnydale to deal with your daughter but Rupert convinced him not to. Have you thought of asking Wesley Wyndam-Pryce? He always did have quite a large research collection. He is in LA now.”

“From what the others have said this Kaledena person doesn’t want Buffy dead until she gets her key. Who is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce? I don’t know who that is.”

“He was Buffy’s watcher for a time when she was in high school. I’m certain he would help. I have his number at the office. Let me call him and tell him your situation. I’ll ring you back in a few.”

“We can’t stay here much longer.” Joyce reminded Lydia. The other woman ended the call and raced back to her office. Lydia, after making sure Quentin was no longer in his office, copied down Wes’ number and went back outside. Hoping the man was at home she dialed the number to Wes’ flat. A gruff sleep filled voice answered. “Hello.”

“Wesley? It’s Lydia Chalmers.”

“Lydia? Why are you calling me?”

“There’s an emergency in Sunnydale. I don’t have all the particulars but I need you to take down this number and call it in a few minutes. Joyce Summers will answer.”

“Buffy’s mother? Why would she need to speak with me? I’ve never met the woman.”

“Wesley! Time is of the essence. Just please write this number down.” Furiously reading off the number for Joyce Lydia ended the call and quickly called Joyce back. “Joyce? I called him he will be calling you shortly. Hopefully if I find anything to help I can send it to Wesley and he can get it to.”

“I think that might work. Thank you so much for your help Lydia.”

“It was my pleasure. If you need anything let Wesley know.”

This time Joyce was expecting the call and answered it half way through the first ring. It took some time to explain everything with Spike occasionally supplying some details before Wes had a clear picture of the goings on in Sunnydale. “I’ll see what I can do to help. I’ll start researching right away. How secure is the location you’re calling from?”

“We had to break into the college campus to make this call. I don’t think we can keep doing it though.”

“No that doesn’t sound ideal. Give me a moment.” Wes was trying to figure out a way to make communication with the slayer and her group, such as it was right now, easier. “I have some funds available. I will purchase two mobile phones. Do you think one or two of you might be able to meet me halfway between LA and Sunnydale? It would make communicating easier.”

Spike took the phone from Joyce, “When and where watcher?”

“Spike I presume?”

“Got it in one. We need this sorted right quick.”

“Can you meet me outside the Convention Center in Oxnard Spike?”

“When?”

Wesleystopped to think. He could probably find a store open that sold mobile phones, it was LA after all. “I can be there in two hours. I have to purchase the phones first.”

“I’ll meet you there.” Spike hung up the phone. “Get down!” He hissed at Joyce. The two crouched down behind the counter as someone rattled the door knob. Spike whispered in Joyce’s ear, “Security should be gone in a minute.” When Spike was sure the security guard had left they made their escape.

Spike led Joyce back to the cave. When they got to the entrance Spike told her to go and tell Buffy everything that happened. “Aren’t you coming?”

“Gotta steal some wheels, watcher knows my car. Can’t take the chance any of that bint’s lackeys reports it. Then I gotta high tail it to Oxnard to meet with the Watcher Jr. You’ll be fine. The tunnel’s clear just walk straight ahead. Once you get in a bit it should have some light.” Spike waited until Joyce entered the tunnel and had walked a few feet before running through the woods. He made his way over to the Slime Bowl. It had to be the seediest demon bar in town. Not even the slayer patrolled near there. Spotting a motorcycle parked near the edge of the lot Spike jumped on and in a few seconds had it hotwired and on the road towards Oxnard.

                                                                                                  §

Buffy was furious when she saw her mother walking back into the cave by herself. “Where’s Spike?! He was supposed to keep you safe.”

“Buffy he did. We made our phone calls and he walked me back here.”

“Yeah, well where is he now?”

All this excitement was tiring Joyce out. Making her way over to the couch she sat down. “We called the council. Giles had already called.” At the look of defeat all around her Joyce continued. “We managed to speak to Lydia; she said she came here last week?” At Buffy’s nod Joyce told Buffy the plan. “Anyway she was smart enough to not believe Giles when he called. She said she would help us as much as she could. Spike is on his way to meet Wesley?”

“Wes the Wonder Wuss? Great, all he can do is scream like a girl.”

Ignoring Buffy’s comment Joyce started talking again. “They are meeting in Oxnard; Wesley is going to give Spike a cell phone so we can call him. Also he is going to start researching Kaledena and how to get rid of her.” Joyce passed a hand over her face, she really needed sleep. A new worry caught her, what would all this excitement do to the test? The portable EEG machine was still hooked up to her. She had forgotten all about it.

“I’m tired. Let’s go Dawn, you should have been asleep hours ago.” Joyce led her youngest daughter into one of the bedrooms to get some sleep.