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On the way from the sewers, Cordelia took the time to fill Buffy in on the situation at the Bronze, and the Slayer then surprised both her friends by insisting they go there first. "Giles' wife is in there," she offered as explanation. "I think we owe it to him to find out if Jenny is still alive or not."
Angel nodded in agreement. "Okay, that makes sense," he replied, veering off in the direction Buffy wanted with both girls close behind. It was only a two-block walk to the dance club, and it nearly broke Buffy's heart to see that her former haunt had half collapsed, the back end of it sagging heavily towards the ground.
Buffy closed her eyes, reaching out with her senses to check the interior for survivors. And, thankfully, she was getting signs that at least three people inside were still alive. Opening her eyes, she started towards the club, motioning for Angel to follow.
Buffy wasn't prepared for the carnage she would find once inside, but she steeled herself against it, knowing the time for grieving could come later. To Cordelia, she asked, "Where did you last see Stefanie?"
"She was headed into the basement. Said she needed to talk to Jared about something," Cordelia answered, taking a few steps in that direction. After a pause, she added, "And it looks like our chances of getting down there are currently nil."
Buffy followed Cordelia's gaze, soon spotting the obstruction. The Slayer stared at it disheartedly a moment, then said, "We need to find a phone... If by some chance our friends are trapped down there, we may be able to reach them on the cellphone you gave to Steffi," she told Cordelia.
Cordy and Angel nodded, prepared to follow Buffy out when one of the bodies nearby moved and let out a groan. Buffy paused a moment, then stepped closer to check. She found it was one of the Bronze's usual patrons, and a schoolmate of Stefanie's. Quickly, Buffy checked for the girl's pulse, then said, "And we should call an ambulance while we're at it... This girl can still be saved if we hurry."
The trio exited the Bronze as quickly as they had entered it, going to the row of payphones on the side of the building. Buffy gave Angel change to call the said ambulance and a rescue crew, then stepped up to another booth. She had Cordelia punch in the cellphone number, then leaned back and waited, while the brunette vampiress acted as sentry...
In the Bronze's basement, Jenny had found and broken open a locker in search of supplies. She removed a few promotional sweaters, deciding they would prove to be sufficient makeshift blankets. And further searching provided her with a lukewarm squeeze bottle of Naya in a small fridge in the corner.
Jenny wet a paper towel with the drinking water, going to Stefanie's side and gently wiping the beads of sweat from her friend's forehead. "Still hanging in there?" Jenny asked the younger girl.
It had been nearly an hour and a half since Jenny had determined that Stefanie was in labor, and the contractions had been growing slightly worse. Nevertheless, Stefanie nodded wearily, personally feeling like she had been put through the wringer. She settled deeper into the pillow Jenny had placed behind her back, absently saying, "Please tell me this pain can't get any worse."
Jenny walked around the sofa so she was facing the young girl, at the same time that Stefanie winced from another contraction. Jenny held her hand through it, then reached to brush strands of brown hair from her friend's face. "Listen to me, Steffi," she said firmly. "We're going to get through this, both of us. I can help you, but you're going to have to help me too." She paused, then added, in a more light-hearted tone, "At least you got stuck with someone who's had experience as a midwife."
Stefanie smiled faintly, taking some comfort in this fact. "Thank you," she whispered, giving the elder woman's hand a squeeze. She opened her mouth to add more, but stopped, startled, when the muffled ringing of a cellphone filled the air. Jenny looked around in bewilderment, while Stefanie instantly realized where it was coming from. "My purse," she managed to get out, watching as Jenny went for the handbag.
Jenny plucked out the phone, opened it, and hit the receive button. "Hello?" she asked curiously, surprised when she heard a familiar voice on the other end. "Buffy! My God, how did you find us?!"
Stefanie turned her head to look, a few more beads of sweat breaking out on her face. She could see Jenny nodding, then listened as the computer teacher said, "Yes, we're both fine... But we're trapped in the basement and Stefanie's gone into premature labor. The baby could be born in a few hours or so, depending on the way things develop... Okay, hang on, I'll tell her."
Jenny covered the mouthpiece with one hand, then told Stefanie, "Buffy says she's already called for an ambulance and a rescue team to dig us out. She doesn't know how long it would take for them to clear away the debris though."
Stefanie let that sink in, then nodded weakly. "At least we'll be out of here, sooner or later," she said, letting Jenny know that she didn't care how long it took. Reaching out with one hand, Stefanie added, "Can I talk to her?"
Jenny stepped closer, handing the phone to Stefanie, whose first words were, "How do things look above ground?"
"About the same, or possibly worse, than they do down there," Buffy replied. "Are you okay, Steffi?"
"Yeah... In a lot of discomfort, but coping as best I can," Stefanie replied, sighing as Jenny pressed the cold paper towel to her forehead. "Honestly, I don't know how you ever managed giving birth to Ivory."
Buffy smiled on the other end. "You'll do fine, Steffi. You're a fighter, now and always. Think of this as just one more hurdle to overcome... I have every confidence that you'll come out on top," she said positively.
The heartfelt words brought tears to Stefanie's eyes. "I wish you were here with me," she replied after a moment. "I really could use your support right about now, Buffy."
There was a slight pause, making Stefanie worry that the phone's batteries had gone dead. But, hearing Buffy speak a second later put her fears to rest. "I promise I'll try to make it back for the big event," the Slayer answered. "Right now, I just have one troublesome vamp to track down and eliminate... Good luck, Stefanie. I'll see you soon."
"Good luck to you too," Stefanie replied, pausing to listen to the click on the other end, and for a moment, the dial tone. Then, she hit the end button, placing the phone on the cushion next to her. Perhaps if either girl had known what would unfold in the next few hours, they would have had a very different conversation. But now, there was no going back to do it over, just as there was no way that Stefanie could have known that this was the last talk she and Buffy would ever have...