noxnoctisanima

Title: Kidnapped

Fandom: Numbers/Buffy

Rating: G

Summery: The odds of having a kidnapped family member returned is greatly increased if the police are involved…For most people that is.

Don sighed as he picked up the phone. This was one part of the job he hated, telling someone that a loved one had been killed or hurt, or as in this case, kidnapped.

They’d got the call earlier that morning, a twenty one year old woman had been snatched in downtown LA. Now it was his job to contact her family. Don glanced at the paper again, a sister, Buffy Summers and from the area code, in Ohio.

He dialed the number and then lent back a little as it rang.

“Hello?” The voice was young, thirteen at most.

“My name is Don Epps, I’d like to speak to Buffy Summers.” Don had to pull the phone away from his ear as the girl screeched into the distance.

“Buffy! Phone!” There was a muffled answer and after a few moments the phone changed hands.

“Hello?”

“Miss Summers my name is Don Epps and I’m with the FBI, I’m afraid I have some bad news.” There was an intake of breath across the line and Don continued. “Your sister Dawn has been kidnapped.” Inexplicably the held breath was released, as if with relief and Don could almost feel the tension leave. “We’d like to send some agents from the Cleveland field office over so we can be ready for a ransom demand.”

Don could have sworn he had heard a snicker in the background at that.

“I don’t think so Agent Epps.” Miss Summer’s voice was firm. “We can handle this ourselves.”

Don’s stomach clenched.

“I’m not sure you understand, the chances of getting your sister back safely are much higher if we are involved.”

“I understand Agent Epps, but really, I think we’ll be fine.” The snicker in the background was a bit clearer now and he thought he heard someone say “It’s just Tuesday.” but he must have been wrong.

“Miss Summers…” She cut him off.

“Goodbye Agent Epps, we’ll let you know when we have Dawn back.”

Then she hung up and Don stared at the phone, baffled and angry.

The FBI kept at the case, they followed every lead and Charlie tried his math, but nothing was helping and after a day Don was furious with Buffy Summers, and himself and the situation.

Then as he glanced up from the picture of their victim, she stepped out of the elevator flanked by a short blond woman and a taller shaggy haired man with one eye.

He hurried out of the glass walled conference room and slid to a stop in front of the group. The blonde spoke and he recognized her voice as that of Buffy Summers.

“We told you.”

A scowl grew on his face and his eyes started darting over Dawn’s body, checking her for injuries.

“Were you hurt?” He asked as he reached a hand out to her. She patted his hand a little patronizingly and smiled.

“Only my pride and my freedom now that Buffy’s going to go all protective for a while.” She grimaced and turned to her sister. “You promised me shoes.”

Buffy’s eyes lit up and she grinned smugly at Don.

“Goodbye then Agent Epps.”

Then the group turned and walked away leaving Don baffled and disgruntled in their wake.