After his last assignment, Kelly had gone back to the world of professional boxing. Alex didn't mind it that much, it meant less time trying to get someone committed to the mission and more time to actually spend on the mission.

He didn't waste much time on the after-thoughts, he knew what that would do to him. First he thought about Kelly and then he thought about Rachel, and despite how far away he got from her, she still had a hold over him, like nothing he had ever experienced.

"Special agent Scott?" A voice from behind him, startled his train of thought.

"Yes." Alex confirmed and walked into the briefing room.

The man who had requested his presence there, went by the name of Lt. Roger Toran. He stood a few inches taller than Alex, which made him about six feet. His dark brown hair was gelled back, and his dark blue suit shined with recognition. Suddenly Alex felt a bit underrated, he put those feelings aside and sat at the briefing table. In front of him sat a computer screen, with the frozen image of Carlos' face.

"Oh no." Alex began to stand up, "No way am I working with Carlos, Kelly was enough. I can't handle it anymore."

A hand stopped Alex, firmly gripping his left shoulder. Lt. Roger sat him back in the chair with a firm push.

"Relax Agent Scott, you will not be working with Carlos. Unfortunately, Carlos has been eliminated." The Lt. Sadly looked at the floor, before raising his glare again to Alex.

Alex shook his head in confusion, "Wait, what? Carlos? No. that can't be right."

"I'm afraid so." The Lt. grabbed a remote and pointed it at the monitor on the table.

Alex watched the horrible scene, which eventually led to Carlos' death. The screen went blank, and the Lt. Turned back toward the blonde haired spy.

"Of course this is a tragedy, but we cannot let things like this get us down. So, we have decided to send you out to finish what Carlos couldn't. The mission.." Lt. Toran threw a manila colored folder across the table, and Alex caught it.

"Wait, let me get this straight. You want me to go and finish a job that got Carlos killed!? Are you out of your mind?" Alex wondered out loud.

"I know you have had your share of 'problems' shall we say? In the last couple of cases, but this is the only thing we have left. It's up to you, special agent. " The Lt. Stood straight and stared directly at Alex, who in turn shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

The Lt. Nodded knowing the agent had finally understood.

"Flip open your mission special agent." Alex responded and began to look through the papers and photo's attached, the first photo he saw was of a young girl, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Alex smiled.

"Sunnydale, California is where you will be stationed. The girl, goes by the name of Buffy Summers.. we have reason to believe she will know things that we need to know. You are to contact here and see what you can find."

"So what am I exactly looking for?" Alex interrupted, still not sure of his position.

"A few months ago, a top secret alliance was made with a professor who went by the name of Maggie Walsh. The government had learned of her obsession and decided to fund her, this was the start of a little pet project of the secret service. they called it 'the initiative.' The Initiative was a project that was kept very hush, hush even from us. A few months back, the pet project went wrong. The professor showed up dead and the project was shut down. But in the last month we have been noticing reactivity in this area. You job is to find out who has reactivated this project and shut it down." The Lt. Finished.

"You are dismissed agent." With that Alex walked out of the briefing room and went to get ready for his assignment.

:::: Sunnydale, CA ::::

"So how are you and Tara?" The infamous words were spoken yet again by Buffy.

Willow shuffled her feet, as the two walked across the dark cemetery. "Oh you know. it's not lovey dovey yet, but I think we have futuristic possibilities."

"Futurism, always good." Buffy nodded, half-heartedly.

"Have you talked to Xander lately?" Buffy shivered and began to tie her jacket. The weather had been turning sour in the last few days.

Willow sadly smiled, and looked up from the ground at her blonde-haired friend, "I'm worried about him Buffy. I mean, he hasn't come out of his apartment for a week. I mean, I know it's hard but." Willow didn't know what else to say, for her best friend.

Buffy struggled to comply, after the wedding episode too much of these emotions were hitting close to home.

"He'll deal, He'll have to. I know he'll get through it, it's Anya I'm worried about." Buffy replied as she sat on the nearest headstone.

"Yeah, no doubt she'll be back to here vengeful ways in no time." Willow played with the wooden stake in her hand, moving it back and forth in between her fingers.

"Everything gets so confusing, you know I thought with all the evil there is in the world, demons and what not, there would be plenty of opportunities to forget and repress." Buffy smiled a little at the irony of everything.

Willow sat down next to her friend, "It doesn't help when you have lusty feelings for an evil lurching thing yourself." Willow jabbed Buffy in the side, jokingly.

"I wouldn't say 'evil' definitely a melodramatic overachiever. did you see his date?" Buffy quizzically looked to her best friend.

"I just wish things would liven up a little. Isn't this SunnyHell, the town of the living undead?" Buffy and Willow got up and searched the empty cemetery for any signs of danger.

"Have not learned anything? It's bored puns like that, normally brings an apocalypse or a veiny angry thing around." Willow worriedly set the slayer straight.

"Relax, The last thing on my mind right now is trying to raise hell itself, but I'm just saying a little vamp action would be nice. That's all." Buffy huffed, bored of the routine that hadn't gotten her anywhere.

The two decided to call it a night and headed for the streets.

:::: * In the bushes. Same time. * ::::

Two eyes followed the Slayer and her friend, throughout there conversation.

"Hell, itself huh? Sounds like fun." A dark laugh, chuckled in the night wind.