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madimpossibledreamerMain Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Buffy, Willow, and Josephine go looking for Xander.
Word Count: 1,652
Rating: K
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
“Buffy! I was looking for you!” Breathless, worried. It’s like nothing’s changed. But then again, does Angel ever change? Do vampires change, really change? Or does the change just kind of stick you in high school forever, or whatever you were when you were dead? Spike changed, and Angel changed, but they were kind of…different.
Bad Buffy thoughts. No more thinking about enemies of the fangy variety than you can help.
But Angel’s not an enemy. But they’re not exactly friends. And this is a lot more thinking on the subject than she’d been planning to do. It wouldn’t really surprise her if Josephine would just slip out without telling anyone, since it’d be the thing she would’ve done when she was younger. She manages a tired smile. “We definitely have to catch up, Angel, but now isn’t the best time. I have to catch Josephine.”
He becomes instantly serious, and that’s not new, either. But it means he considers her a potential threat. Just to him, for being a vampire, or is it more serious than that? “That’s probably a good idea.”
He catches her questioning look and nods. “It’s not…I haven’t come across anything to suggest she’s anything other than what she appears—a reckless monster hunter. But she’s not telling us everything, and that doesn’t sit right.”
“We’re not telling her everything, either,” Buffy points out. “It’s not like we’ve given her a million reasons to trust us.”
“Maybe working for Wolfram & Hart made me more paranoid. And yes, I know, we’ll be talking about that. Later.” He sighs and seems to come to a decision. “Xander may not like me, and I might not like him, but I wouldn’t want him dead. He’s good protection for you.”
Buffy blinks, incredulous. “Xander?”
The grin she gets in turn isn’t completely innocent. “The demon registered him as a threat. Which can only mean good things about his place as one of your ‘Scoobies’. And I get the feeling he’s not fond of vampires himself, so it’s been mutual.” As she’s gawping, he continues. “The reason I was looking for you was that the demons are all restless. There’s something that even they’re all afraid of on its way. Something called ‘The Siphon’.”
“Okay, specifics. What does it look like? When’s it coming? What’s its Cliffs Notes say?”
“I…we didn’t actually get that much out of them,” Angel admits. “They really, really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Useful much?” She doesn’t mean to be annoyed, or take it out on him, but he’s here.
“And that’s why I didn’t want to bother you with it until we discovered more,” Spike’s smug voice drifts over. He’s sitting on the table, looking nonchalant.
“Well, if I can get the ugly to introduce itself, I’ll run away until we can figure out more.” Buffy shrugs. She’s not about to get into the middle of this. No matter how handsome the two vampires are, or how much they seem to want to drag her into it. Angel looks like he wants to argue. “I’ll have Josephine and Willow with me, so I’ll be more careful.” She kisses his cheek.
“Buffy, she really is sneaking out!” Willow sounds winded and is probably running as fast as she can. Okay, well, can you outrun a Slayer?
“Sorry, boys, gotta run!” She waves and begins to run. It’d be nice if she could really outrun her problems like this, but she’s not sixteen anymore. She knows it’s not possible. It’s a nice thought.
Josephine’s ahead, moving at a respectable, non-civilian pace, and seems to be completely unaware of her surroundings. She’s also completely sweat-free, which is a trick Buffy wouldn’t mind knowing the secret to. “Sorry, I would’ve waited but it seems like we’ve done enough waiting.”
Of course, someone as experienced at fighting wouldn’t be caught unawares like that.
“I totally agree,” the blonde agrees with a smile. “Would you mind waiting for Willow, though? She’s in cookie-guilt mode, and she’s not as up with the pace as we are.”
“Cookie rations are always welcomed. Though I’d have to say, guilt flavor is not my favorite.” As much as it makes her smile, it hurts a little. It’s a very Xanderish thing to say.
“You’ll have to take it up with the witchy one. And here she is.” They turn to see a very out of breath Willow.
“H-hi. Cookies, Mrs. Harris?” Willow offers a container. The Slayer really hadn’t expected her to bring the cookies, but then, it was bad enough that the witch was practically carrying them everywhere, so maybe she should’ve seen it coming.
Josephine grabbed three and stuffed them all in her mouth, chewing noisily. When her mouth was at least free enough that she’d be understandable, she warned them, “I wouldn’t say that name if I were you; it’s kind of risky. It makes the wish to punch something really, really hard rise within me.”
“Warning noted.” Willow’s shy again, but she’s also got a hopeful smile on her face.
“What’s the plan, Miss J?” This, apparently, is acceptable, as no warning is forthcoming.
Josephine licks the crumbs off her fingers. “We made a mistake, just haphazardly checking hotels and streets and stuff. If there’s anything I remember from my vague memories, it’s that my son likes food. We check the restaurants.” She pulls out a photo of Xander that she’d found somewhere in the hastily gathered supplies from the mansion. Buffy hadn’t even known it had been taken, but then, they’d missed a lot, lately.
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Willow sounds frustrated, even hitting her own forehead lightly.
“You were too busy worrying about a prophecy.” So Buffy wasn’t the only one withholding forgiveness just yet, judging by the tone.
As good as the plan was, they’d had little success by late afternoon. After one query, the three searchers sat down to eat a few sandwiches before continuing the mission. “Still, it’s a big area, and a Joestar doesn’t give up easily.” Josephine, it seemed, was undeterred.
What’s honestly kind of terrifying is that the longer it goes, the more polite and British Josephine gets. That doesn’t really fit her personality.
When their next query earns a running restauranteur, Josephine grins. “Oh, goodie.” It doesn’t take her long to catch up with the guy, and the next thing Buffy knows, he’s being held at least a foot above the ground, legs dangling. While it’s something she would’ve done with Willy, as far as she knows this guy isn’t. “Josephine…”
“My boy’s out there, dealing with who knows what, and this ‘gentleman’,” the ironic look couples with the air quotes she makes with her left hand, effortlessly holding the owner up with the other, “…knows something that might help me find him. The witch there isn’t the only one dealing with guilt.”
“They don’t look like gangsters to me, Da.” The cook, from the back.
“Don’t…” the restauranteur gurgles. He’s ignored by everyone.
“We want to help. Well, assuming that you do. Because being helpful is what we do, and…” Willow’s babbling. She’s ignored, too.
“We saw him, with another bloke. Not too long ago. The one from the picture, he’s American. The one he was with, well, he helped clear out a gang ages ago. Not that he weren’t a little shady himself, but he means well. Your lad’s in good hands. Now, please, put my Dad down.” It’s reasonable, but Buffy’s seen that look in Josephine’s eyes in a mirror. She wants someone to beat up. She wants someone to blame. She wants to think that it’s all easy and can be fixed just by knocking one person out.
The quiet stretches, thick with the promise of violence, and then the man falls.
“Please leave,” the man states firmly, acting as if he has perfect dignity despite the scene moments before. They walk out, and it’s clear Willow’s about to say something.
There’s a parade or something going on. There’s a lot of people walking, anyway. Somehow Buffy gets separated from the others, and well, it’d be a simple matter to find them, but.
And then Buffy feels rather than seeing the vampire watching. It takes off running immediately. “Don’t you guys ever learn?” The scream (a guy, why is it always guys getting cornered by vamps?) lets her know that she can’t just leave this alone. She’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, She Who Kicks Ass. She’s not about to run while a civilian gets threatened, even if it’s very possibly a trap. Josephine is…whatever she is, and Willow’s a witch. They’ll find her before anything goes horribly wrong, especially if it’s obvious she’s in trouble.
She swears and follows. The rescuee has managed to corner himself in an alley. Sometimes Buffy wonders about these people’s common sense. He’s pretty much your average Brit, though, vest and all, so she pulls the stake and concentrates her attention on the vamp trying, now, to eat her face.
Until she’s interrupted as she tries to hold the ugly away. “I can help—” the guy starts, and the Slayer can’t help but roll her eyes. What it is with men and their macho prides, anyway?
“—by getting out of here,” she finishes, stabbing at the thing’s arm and rolling out of the way. Good, he’s focused on her now. She sees the guy wavering hesitantly around the edge of her vision and bites down a groan. Seriously, worrying about a civilian and trying to fight is a lot more difficult than trying to fight. It’d be one thing if this was a fledge, but most fledges don’t get mystical tattoos.
By the time she finishes him off, the potential victim has run off, and Buffy sighs in relief. At least he’s able to take directions, eventually. Now she just has to make it back to the others.
